Los Angeles, USA – The Atlanta Hawks narrowly defeated the Philadelphia 76ers, rookie Kon Knueppel was again decisive for Charlotte, and LeBron James along with Luka Doncic led a valuable victory for the Lakers, on a Sunday full of action in the NBA.
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LeBron and Doncic propel the Lakers
LeBron James and Luka Doncic combined for 55 points and led the Los Angeles Lakers to a 116-114 victory over the Phoenix Suns at the PHX Arena.
James, at 40 years old, contributed 26 points, three rebounds, and four assists in 36 minutes, while the Slovenian Doncic led the offense with 29 points and six assists in 38 minutes of action. Deandre Ayton was also key with 20 points for the Lakers.
With the victory, Los Angeles reached fourth place in the Western Conference, with a record of 18-7, tied with the San Antonio Spurs. Phoenix, for its part, fell to seventh place in the West with a record of 14-12.
Jalen Johnson’s Triple-Double in Atlanta’s Victory
In a close duel, the Atlanta Hawks defeated the Philadelphia 76ers 120-117, with a new triple-double by Jalen Johnson, the fourth of his career.
Johnson finished with 12 points, 10 rebounds, and 12 assists, becoming the twelfth active player in the NBA to achieve at least four triple-doubles, and the second to do so this season, behind Nikola Jokic.
Paul George was the top scorer of the game with 35 points, while Joel Embiid added 22 points and 14 rebounds, although the Sixers failed to score in the last minute of the game. Zaccharie Risacher scored 15 points for Atlanta, who also announced that Kristaps Porzingis will be out for at least two weeks due to illness.
Knueppel continues to stand out with Charlotte
Rookie Kon Knueppel continues to establish himself as one of the leading candidates for Rookie of the Year. The 20-year-old guard led the Charlotte Hornets to a 119-111 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Knueppel scored 29 points, going 11 of 19 from the field, in addition to four rebounds and three assists. The player averages 19 points per game in an average of 33 minutes, taking advantage of the large role he has assumed in a rebuilding franchise.
By Cleveland, Darius Garland scored 26 points and dished out nine assists. The Cavaliers, with a record of 15-12, are in seventh place in the East and announced that Evan Mobley will be out for several weeks due to a calf injury.
