The duel between Joel Embiid and Nikola Jokic will have kept all its promises. In a close end to the game, the balance finally tipped in favor of the Nuggets, who were able to count on a Bones Hyland on fire to win the bet.
Jokic launched hostilities with a first counter on Embiid, but the Cameroonian quickly caught up with a feint on the Serb followed by a big dunk. Perfectly assisted by Matisse Thybulle and James Harden, the pivot then distinguished himself by two 3-point baskets which helped to quickly inflate the gap, Philly leading 31-14 after only 8 minutes of play!
Denver could not start worse, but recovered in the second act. On energy, Ny’Shon “Bones” Hyland and Will Barton managed to bring Denver back under 10 points (41-32), before Philly revived with a 3-pointer from Shake Milton followed by a counter by Thybulle on Jokic then an alley-oop between Harden and De’Andre Jordan before Georges Niang plunged the Nuggets back into the embarrassment of a 3-point following a counter by Jordan on Jokic (54-34 ).
The second reaction of the Nuggets was the right one since Mike Malone’s troops rallied the break on an 18-4, led of course by Jokic and a rebellious Barton-Green tandem. It was also on a blind pass from Jokic that Jeff Green brought the score to 58-53 with a big dunk just before halftime (58-53).
On their way, the Nuggets quickly took control of the game, with two baskets from Jokic then two assists for a new dunk from Green and the 3-pointer from Aaron Gordon (63-66). The Harden-Embiid duo then did what was necessary to give the Sixers a five-point lead at the start of the last act (86-81).
Denver quickly picked up by relying on DeMarcus Cousins, the pass for the 3-pointer from Austin Rivers then on two missiles behind the arc in quick succession (92-92). In the final sprint, which began with a verbal clash between Harden and Cousins, it was Hyland who drew first, the rookie scoring three 3-pointers in a row (97-103).
JaMychal Green then distinguished himself with two baskets at halfway then a Flagrant 1 on Joel Embiid which ended up bringing the locals back into the running (106-107). But it was Bones Hyland and Nikola Jokic who had the last word, between the new 3-pointers of the first and the improbable basket of the second, thus giving a sufficient lead to the Nuggets, winners 114-110.
WHAT YOU MUST REMEMBER
– The clash of the titans has taken place. The two players had not faced each other since December 2019, so the duel between two candidates for the MVP title was expected and the two responded, each in their own style. Joel Embiid by his marksmanship, with 34 points (11/20 including 3/3 at 3-pointers) to accompany his 9 rebounds and 4 assists and Nikola Jokic in his “Point center” aspect with 22 points (8/16 shooting including 1/3 from 3-pointers), 13 rebounds and 8 assists. Only the result of this close match at the end could decide between them, and with his last basket from elsewhere and his victory throw, Nikola Jokic can be declared the winner on points.
– Maxey-Hyland, the other duel of the match. The sophomore Tyrese Maxey imposes himself a little more with each game as the third option of the Sixers in attack and again showed this night that he was not cold in the eyes (19 points, 3 assists). In the prolonged absence of Jamal Murray, Denver for its part was able to rely on its rookie Bones Hyland who also showed his ability to withstand the pressure in the final in particular (21 points, 2 assists). The match was also played on this duel.
TOPS/FLOPS
✅ Nikola Jokic. The Serb held his rank in a duel with one of the most serious candidates for his succession by finishing 2 assists from a new triple-double and his team won away. What else?
✅ The Nuggets bench. The production from the Denver bench highlighted the Sixers’ lack of depth. Doc Rivers thus reduced his rotation where Mike Malone stuck to a turnover of ten players, which may also have paid off in the end in terms of freshness. Upon arrival, the Denver bench led by Bones Hyland totaled 48 points when the one opposite only compiled 14.
⛔ George Niang. The former Jazz player ate the sheet a bit and finished with a very small 2/12 in shooting, including 2/10 behind the arc. It was he who took responsibility for the last shot to equalize, a 3-pointer from the corner that bounced off the board. There was probably better to do, especially with the Harden-Embiid pair on the ground.
THE FOLLOWING
Philadelphia (41-28): the Sixers travel to Cleveland on Wednesday.
Denver (42-26): the Nuggets meet in Washington on Wednesday.
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