NBA results: Denver beats Phoenix, Sacramento wins in Portland

Jokic is already in MVP form, Philadelphia knows how to do without Simmons. These are the clearest verdicts of the NBA night, of the 5 games in question. The Joker, in his seasonal debut, drags Denver to success in Phoenix, Maxey makes a great impression as a substitute for the Aventinian Australian and in punishment. Successes also for Jazz, Kings and Spurs.

New Orleans-Philadelphia 97-117

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Williamson, injured, and Simmons, suspended for conduct to the detriment of the team, respectively, were missing. Philly’s chorus makes up for the illustrious absence much better: the Australian is a difficult case to solve, but in the meantime coach Rivers has a consolidated and quality group on which he knows he can rely. Embiid scores 22 points, the Turkish Korkmaz scores as many, placing 3 crucial triples when Ingram in the 4th quarter brings his team back to -6 at 77-83 with less than 10 ‘to play. From there the 76ers stretch permanently. Positive performance for Maxey, Simmons’ substitute in the quintet, who scores 20 points, showing a convincing +23 plus / minus. 17 rebounds in 19 ‘from the bench for Drummond. Disappointing Pelicans: Coach Green’s debut turns out to be a flop, like the first with the new Valanciunas jersey, fresh for a two-year extension of 30 million, who pulls 3/19 from the field. Against Embiid it’s tough for everyone …

New Orleans: Ingram 25 (11/23, 1/3), Alexander-Walker 23, Graham 18. Rimbalzi: Valanciunas 12. Assist: Ingram 6.

Philadelphia: Embiid / Korkmaz 22, Maxey / Harris 20. Rimbalzi: Drummond 17. Assist: Embiid / Maxey / Korkmaz 5.

Phoenix-Denver 98-110

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Jokic goes crazy and drags the Nuggets to external success on last season’s finalists. The long Serbian scores 27 points, with 13 assists, and Denver takes a partial revenge of the blow suffered in the last playoffs by the Suns who had eliminated them 4-0 in the second round. This time Phoenix’s attack gets stuck on the most beautiful, in the 4th quarter, when the boys of coach Willliams score just 16 points against the 25 opponents. Malone’s team shoots with 53% from the field and wins even without the convalescent Murray, replaced in the quintet by Morris. Bad night shooting for Booker: 3/15. The eyes of many were on Ayton, after the lack of contractual extension: he closed with 15 points, but also -15 plus / minus losing the comparison with the Joker. And not a little, scoring just 2 points in the second half.

Phoenix: Bridges 16 (5/10, 2/6, 0/2 t.l.), Paul/Ayton 15. Rimbalzi: Crowder/McGee 8. Assist: Paul 10.

Denver: Jokic 27 (12/16, 1/6), Barton 20, Porter 15. Rebounds: Jokic 13. Assist: Barton / Porter 5.

Portland-Sacramento 121-124

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For once it is not (yet) Dame time. The Blazers reiterate the difficulties shown in pre-season by losing at home to the season debut (and of coach Billups) against the Kings. Their phenomenon at the end has the triple to equalize and force the extra time, but does not find the basket. For Lillard 0/9 from 3 points. Thus it becomes impossible to catch the Californians, despite a 4th quarter dominated by Portland 36-24, frightening the Kings who seemed to already have the game in their pockets. They decide the two free throws scored by Barnes, author of 36 points, in the final seconds, after McCollum’s steal from Haliburton had turned into Lillard’s basket of -1 with 11 ”to play. For Sacramento promising debut, with brilliant Fox and deadly Hield as a scorer from the bench. Bagley did not even play 1 ‘after his agent attacked the franchise for, according to him, not imagining it as the focal point of the franchise’s future, and certain of the rotation, even without having tried to exchange it so as not to depreciate its value. Bagley was chosen by the Kings overall number 2 in the Draft of Doncic, Young and Ayton…

Portland: McCollum 34 (8/13, 6/11), Lillard/Nurkic 20. Rimbalzi: Nurkic 14. Assist: Lillard 11.

Sacramento: Barnes 36 (2/8, 8/11, 8/9 t.l.), Fox 27, Holmes 21. Rimbalzi: Holmes 11. Assist: Fox 8.

utah-Oklahoma city 107-86

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Jazz are restarting the regular season as they left it: dominating. OkC goes on only after the first basket of the match, then is always forced to chase without even seeing the opponent’s plate. Utah exhibits the usual balanced attack: six players finish in double figures. The owners Mitchell, Gobert, Bogdanovic and Conley, plus Clarkson and Ingles off the bench. For the Thunder 4 points, 10 rebounds and 3 assists by Giddey, the Australian lottery choice of the last Draft, sixth call overall, started in the quintet.

Utah: Bogdanovic 22(8/11, 2/6), Clarkson 18, Mitchell/Gobert 16. Rimbalzi: Gobert 21. Assist: Conley/Mitchell 4.

Oklahoma City: Gilgeous-Alexander 18 (6/10, 1/7, 3/5 t.l.), Bazley 15, Robinson-Earl 10. Rimbalzi: Giddey 10. Assist: Giddey/Pokusevski/Maledon 3.

san antonio-orlando 123-97

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San Antonio is 23-2 record in the season debuts in the Popovich era. He is not denied by dominating against Orlando in Texas, with 7 players in double figures, from 19 points from Vassell to 12 from Poeltl, fanning 32 assists against only 8 turnovers. From the bench Walker and Vassell make a good impression, the high pace and the porous host defense allow the Spurs to shoot with 50%. For the Magic start uphill: the pair of guards in the quintet, Anthony-Suggs, throws 6/26 overall, and the assist / turnovers ratio, just 17-16, tells all about an attack still underway. The least worst is Bamba, who scores 18 points in 27 ‘.

San antonio: Vassell 19 (5/8, 3/4), Walker 17. White 16. Rimbalzi: Poeltl 13. Assist: Murray 8.

Orlando: Bamba 18 (3/4, 3/4, 3/4 tl), Ross 15, Carter 13. Rebounds: Carter 8. Assists: Anthony-Bamba 4.