Fifth consecutive victory for the Sixers who woke up at the best time and managed to take an important match on the Spurs floor. Even if they have nothing more to play, the teammates of Victor Wembanyama sold their skin dearly since it took two overtimes to decide the fate of the match!
Despite the absence of Joel Embiid, it was Philadelphia which got off to the best start, relying in particular on the activity of Kelly Oubre Jr., near the circle or at 3-points to allow their team to lead 24-15 . After Buddy Hield's 3-pointer, it's Tyrese Maxey who took over at the start of the second quarter with three baskets including a 3-pointer and a free throw following a technique collected by Zach Collins to bring the score to 43-29 in favor of the Sixers!
The Spurs quickly responded, with the help of Malaki Branham in sniper mode twice and Victor Wembanyama still valuable on both sides of the floor. The Frenchman thus initiated the return of his team with a tap before placing a huge dunk in transition then offering himself a 3-pointer to complete a 20 to 2 and take control (56-49)! The French giant concluded the first half with an alley-oop to increase the gap to +13 (64-51).
Wemby hot 3-pointer
Even if Wemby continued his work after the break, notably with a new 3-point shot, Philadelphia found a way to restart, relying on the aggressiveness of Paul Reed and an untenable Tyrese Maxey (72 -69). After a period of uncertainty during which San Antonio held on, thanks to the Jones-Wesley-Champagnie pair, the Spurs were pulled out of the woods in the last act with a series of three 3-point baskets from Victor Wembanyama, including one breathtaking step-back from the corner to once again propel his team to +10 (89-79).
The Spurs superstar joined the bench after this heatwave, and Philadelphia of course took the opportunity to revive, with three baskets from Ricky Council IV and an incredible 2+1 from Tyrese Maxey near the circle (95-94). After Nicolas Batum's 3-pointer in response to Devonte' Graham's 3+1 (98-97), it was again Wemby who had to step up to make the difference, in this case with a delightful pass for Sandro Mamukelashvili, then two counters, one on Tyrese Maxey and another on Kelly Oubre who brought two precious baskets from Malaki Branham (106-99).
Nicolas Batum decisive
On the verge of securing victory, the Spurs however saw Philly come back to the wire, the fault of a rough pass behind the back of Victor Wembanyama, but above all of the two 3-point arrows signed Tyrese Maxey and Nicolas Batum in quick succession . The two teams finally went into overtime, Tyrese Maxey having once again responded to Julian Champagnie's brilliant 3-pointer with a lightning drive at the last second (111-111).
The two teams then tried to rely on their strengths, with Tyrese Maxey on one side, and the shooters Malaki Branham and Devonte' Graham, author of the 3-pointer to put the Spurs back in front, until the equalizer from KJ Martin to force a second overtime. This time, it was the Sixers who took the best by passing a 10-0 initiated by Ricky Council IV's 2+1 in front of Victor Wembanyama and fueled by Nicolas Batum's 3-pointer for a 133-126 success at the end of the night.
WHAT YOU MUST REMEMBER
– It was Tyrese Maxey dressed as Allen Iverson. The Sixers leader put his team on his shoulders in the absence of Joel Embiid and Tobias Harris. Above all, he multiplied his exploits in the last act with 18 of his 52 points, showing himself elusive in the manner of an Allen Iverson of the great era, not hesitating to go up against Victor Wembanyama in the paint but also capable of scoring from afar. He did not show up during the double overtime and was thus rewarded with a great victory to accompany his new career record of 52 points!
– Victor Wembanyama's failed finale. He had done everything to finish as the hero of the match, notably with a thunderous start to the quarter, until this turning point in the match, when he attempted a pass behind the back which almost ended up in the stands, caught at the last minute by Devonte' Graham before the latter touches the baseline. He then lost the thread with two “air balls” and barely caught up on his counter in “Inspector Gadget” mode on Tyrese Maxey. In the process, he was indeed guilty of a foul on Ricky Council IV who launched the victorious raid of the Sixers. The feeling of a big waste with a defeat at the finish despite a big stats line, at 33 points, 18 rebounds, 6 assists and 7 blocks!
– When Keldon Johnson slashes Champagnie… An unexpected scene, to say the least, took place shortly before the break, just after Julian Champagnie's 3-pointer which allowed San Antonio to take the lead (51-49), when the player turned towards the public to check on a fan in the general euphoria. The problem is that he didn't see Keldon Johnson coming towards him to congratulate him. And when he turned around, his forehead met… Keldon Johnson's tooth! The latter quickly realized his mistake since he caused a small opening on the forehead of his teammate, who was forced to return to the locker room to be treated before returning to the game, with a nice plaster! Unfortunately, Keldon Johnson then twisted his left ankle in the last act and had to leave his teammates prematurely.
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
How to read the stats? Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; O = offensive rebound; D=defensive rebound; T = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; +/- = Point differential when the player is on the field; Pts = Points; Eval: player evaluation calculated from positive actions – negative actions.
