Charlotte (United States), February 3, 2025 – It was the seventh straight win for the Charlotte Hornets (longest winning streak from 2016 to today for the North Carolina franchise) to lead the way in an NBA night with only four games scheduled: the absolute star of the game was LaMelo Ball, who, after leaving the field in the first minutes of the match due to a fortuitous clash with coach Charles Lee which caused him a small eye problem, scored 18 of his 24 total points in the first half alone. Ball thus kept the Hornets upright who, after even reaching -22 and returning to the locker room at -15 (64-49), got back on top by putting their heads forward in the fourth quarter thanks to a basket from the Californian and prevailed in the sprint.
However, the absence of Kevin Durant (out with a sprained ankle) did not stop the Houston Rocketswhich they have the Indiana Pacers beat the Indiana Pacers 118-114. The best of them did not let the Californian’s absence weigh on him Alperen Sengun of the season in terms of offensive turnover (39 points with 13/25 from the field and 13/18 from the charity line while also adding 10 rebounds captured) and Jabari Smith (19 points). After an uphill start, the Rockets took matters into their own hands with a 17-4 run to return to the locker room at +7 (63-56). The Texans then flew into the second half even at +12 and then resisted the comeback of the Pacers – who came back at -2 – and closed the score with a 12-2 score in the final quarter.
On a night shaken by rumors of a transfer request from James Harden – out for personal reasons and intending to leave because the Los Angeles Clippers would not have guaranteed him a contract extension in the summer –, the Californians they were defeated 128-113 at home by the Philadelphia 76ers. The match never seemed to be in question, because the Sixers pressed on the accelerator pedal already during the first quarter – closed ahead by 19 points (38-19) – and then never took their hands off the handlebars again.
The usual Tyrese Maxey (29 points with 7/14 from three), Dominick Barlow (26 points and 16 rebounds) and Joel Embiid (24 points) gave a decidedly important boost to the Pennsylvania franchise. However, Kawhi Leonard’s 29 points and Jordan Miller’s 24 coming off the bench were not enough for the Clippers. Also in the running to secure James Harden’s prestigious sporting services are Minnesota Timberwolves who, awaiting possible implications related to the transfer market, were defeated 137-128 on the field of the Memphis Grizzlieswho thus interrupted a negative streak of six defeats and redeemed the defeat of a few days ago against the T-Wolves: playing a key role in the Memphis victory, which also reached +20, were the highly significant performances of Jaren Jackson jr., who finished with a personal haul of 30 points, and Ty Jerome (19 points).
