Kenyon Martin Jr, son of that very hard Power forward who was number 1 in the (poor) 2000 draft, is a forward who was number 52 in the 2020 draft and who is making his way in the NBA at Houston Rockets. In the last seconds of his team’s game, which remains the worst in the League (20-56) tied with the Orlando Magic, against the San Antonio Spurs, he scored a triple that brought a miraculous comeback closer: 117-120 with 21 seconds for playing. Shortly before, the thing was 111-118, and the difference had exceeded ten points until well into the last quarter. Later, Dejounte Murray scored three free throws out of four, one after that triple (117-121) and two to respond (120-123) to another by Josh Cristopher (number 24 in the last draft). The Rockets had a tying ball, but Kenyon Martin Jr.’s shot, again, went wide when it seemed literally inside the rim.
the spurs they breathed. They avoided extra time and added their fourth victory in a row. AND, from a distance, the Lakers put their hands to their heads. In a season where everything that can go wrong goes far worse than the worst imaginable, it was hard to expect a wink of luck. with victory, the Spurs (31-44) are already half a game behind the Angelenos (31-43), who are tenth in the West. Those of Gregg Popovich have a better schedule, and the Lakers play tonight in Dallas, against the Mavericks, with very little chance that Anthony Davis (who has not played since February 16) will return and also little that LeBron James will be on court , who sprained his ankle in his team’s latest debacle, on the Pelicans’ court.
So a scenario that seemed dystopian not so long ago is now really close: the Lakers are close to running out even play in and the Spurs can climb to that playoff, right now without doing anything really special. The most difficult thing, to cut the advantage, is to have a rival in free fall within sight, they have already done it. With lucky breaks like this one from Houston in a game of two very different realities: on 3-pointers, 20/49 for the Rockets and 7/29 for the Spurs. In the painting, 30-72. Overwhelming difference for the Spurs, who already had 82 points near the rim in another duel, on January 25, against the Rockets. A Texan derby come to less.
Dejounte Murray reached the scoring ceiling of his career (33 points) and also added 7 rebounds and 11 assists. It is the obvious heart of a team in which Keldon Johnson (821+9+4) and Jakob Poeltl (17+13) are at a very good level. And in which the irruptions of the recovered Zach Collins (13 points, 8 rebounds) and the pierced Josh Richardson (15+6+5).
The Spurs are in a fight they barely counted for not long ago, the Rockets are going to his own, giving minutes and shots to the youngsters: 30+4+4 with a 6/15 in triples for Jalen Green; 20+6+6 for Cristopher, 127+3 for Alperen Sengun and, completing the first round quartet of the last draft, 5 points and 3 rebounds in 14 minutes for Garuba, who returned to play after his sprained ankle and wants to end his very difficult first NBA season on court. Also, Kevin Porter Jr finished at 26+9+7 with 9/22 shooting. The Rockets look at the draft, the Spurs… at the Lakers, who they can overtake in a matter of hours. More drama in California.