Friday NBA Roundup: Are Lakers or Sixers Better Off in Rebuilding Process?
The last time D'Angelo Russell and Joel Embiid were spotted on the same court, they were buried on the depth chart together at Montverde Academy in Florida.
"Our coach had guys in front of us," Russell told CSNPhilly.com's Jessica Camerato. "After the practices or games, we were always in the gym together. We spent a lot of time [there], if it was getting work or just messing around shooting crazy shots."
Playing time is no longer hard to come by for these two, though they've been butting up against minutes restrictions. Both young stars have found wins at the NBA level much tougher to find, though Russell's Los Angeles Lakers are already well ahead of Embiid's Philadelphia 76ers in that regard.
L.A. made that crystal clear from the get-go during a 100-89 win in Philly on Friday that snapped an eight-game skid.
Russell fueled the Lakers early. Within the first two minutes, the 2015's No. 2 pick opened with a pair of free throws earned on a post-up, found Julius Randle on the break, picked off a pass from Sergio Rodriguez and took it in for a layup, and pulled up for a three-pointer to jump-start a 15-point, seven-rebound, two-assist effort.
Sprinkle in a pair of mid-range jumpers from Randle, and the Purple and Gold—sporting their black "Hollywood Nights" uniforms on the road—found themselves with a 13-0 cushion that would never shrink to fewer than five points and would extend as far as 22.
Embiid didn't wait long to try to steal back the spotlight from his high school teammate. The No. 3 pick in 2014 hit from inside and outside the arc, showed off a nifty Eurostep and dished to Robert Covington for an easy finish.
But by and large, Embiid, like the rest of the Sixers, struggled to find the range on their home floor. He wound up with 15 points on 5-of-14 shooting (3-of-8 from the free-throw line) while starting next to Jahlil Okafor (14 points, eight rebounds) for the second time this season.
For the first time ever, those two were active in the same game with Nerlens Noel, who notched two points and five rebounds in eight minutes off the bench.
All told, Philly shot 36.4 percent from the field and 19.4 percent (6-of-31) from three, despite putting five players in double figures.
Randle, who went four picks after Embiid in 2014, was the biggest star at the Wells Fargo Center. On the stat sheet, he shot 10-of-13 from the field and 5-of-6 from the free-throw line en route to a season-high 25 points along with nine rebounds, four assists and and three steals. On the hardwood, he was once again a one-man wrecking crew, bullying his way to fast-break buckets and throwing down a spectacular spinning slam.
"I told him he turned into Hulk Smash the whole night and he just went to work," Nick Young said after his 15-point night, per Laker Nation's Serena Winters.
Randle has been one of the main engines driving L.A.'s still-surprising 11-18 start. So, too, has the Lakers' second unit, which came up big in the City of Brotherly Love.
Jordan Clarkson shook off a cold start (1-of-5 from the field) to finish with 10 points. Lou Williams, the league's leading bench scorer, dropped another 18 points with seven made free throws, three assists and four steals. Larry Nance Jr. didn't put anyone on a poster this time, but he grabbed 11 rebounds and blocked two shots nonetheless.
Chances are, this matchup between two teams that have dwelled at the bottom of the NBA's barrel in recent seasons made the national broadcast because of Ben Simmons and Brandon Ingram, the top two picks in 2016.
But Ingram, the No. 2 selection, struggled once again to produce off the Lakers bench. He looked as confident and comfortable as ever with the ball in his hands, but he had trouble finding the range (1-of-8 from the field) and ended up with more turnovers (two) than assists (one).
That still bested what the Sixers got from Simmons. Then again, anything on Ingram's part would've done the job, given the Australian sensation's ongoing recovery from foot surgery.
The Lakers have the makings of a talented and intriguing long-term core with Ingram, Russell, Randle, Nance and Clarkson. The contributions of veterans like Young, Williams and Luol Deng (seven points, six rebounds and three assists) have also helped to accelerate the team's rebuild this season.
Another seven victories would put L.A. ahead of its 2015-16 total: a franchise-low 17.
The 76ers, meanwhile, are still wandering in the wilderness. Three-and-a-half years after beginning the teardown with a draft-day trade for Noel, Philly has yet to find a role that suits the Kentucky product's peculiar talents.
Finding a proper landing place might not be any easier for the Sixers. According to The Vertical's Adrian Wojnarowski, potential trade partners don't like what they've seen and heard from Noel, diminishing the former No. 6 pick's value on the market.
At some point, though, the Sixers figure to unclog their logjam up front. In all likelihood, at least one of the two between Noel and Okafor will have a new home.
There's no telling yet whether that will come before or after Simmons' NBA debut. The team's point-guard-in-waiting remains without a firm timetable for his return, but he recently shed his walking boot and made his first appearance on the Sixers' bench during a game.
Soon enough, Simmons, who just missed playing with Embiid at Montverde, will get to run with Philly's 7'2" phenom. In the meantime, Embiid should have little trouble running away with Rookie of the Year honors. If Dario Saric finds his rhythm frequently enough off the bench, the Sixers could land two of their own on the All-Rookie first team by season's end.
Down the line, Philly is poised to put together a more impressive home-grown nucleus than what L.A. has on offer.
Embiid is already a star. Simmons might be one as soon as he sets a healthy foot in an NBA game. Saric and Okafor should be no worse than productive rotation players. Noel could fetch some help. Come June, the Sixers could have two more prime prospects on their roster, courtesy of their own pick and the one due to convey from the Lakers.
For now, L.A. looks to be much closer to climbing out of its ditch. Philly, on the other hand, will have to warm itself with nostalgic celebrations—like the one at halftime honoring Allen Iverson's Hall of Fame induction—until the rest of the cavalry comes.
Rockets Rewrite History
The Houston Rockets' 122-100 win over the New Orleans Pelicans at the Toyota Center was nothing short of historic—and nothing short, period.
Three weeks after launching an NBA-record 50 threes during a 117-104 victory in Sacramento, the Rockets shattered their own mark by firing off 61 triples. Their 24 makes set a new all-time regular-season high as well.
"We're just trying to take the right shots in the sense of either a three or a layup," coach Mike D'Antoni said, per ESPN.com's Calvin Watkins. "Something has got to be there. A team has to choose. I really feel like we don't force many."
James Harden pulled up from several feet behind the top of the arc to drain Triple No. 23—tying the same single-game high that his Rockets equaled back in Feb. 2013. A minute later, Ryan Anderson drained one from the right wing to break the record and give Houston a 24-point advantage with 32 seconds left.
Anderson finished with two of the Rockets' triples. Eric Gordon led the team with seven treys en route to a 29-point night off the bench. Ariza canned five for the bulk of his 20 points.
Harden hit six, all the while with his hand in another bit of history: With 29 points, 11 rebounds and 13 assists, he notched his 15th triple-double—the most ever by a Rocket, just ahead of Hakeem Olajuwon.
That explosive all-around effort helped Houston seal its ninth straight win. That streak stands as the team's longest since ripping off 22 in a row during the 2007-08 season and, more immediately, keeps it in the hunt for a top-three seed out West.
Bucks Bludgeon Bulls on Back-to-Back
The Chicago Bulls can only hope they don't see the Milwaukee Bucks in the playoffs—assuming they qualify at all.
The day after stumping Chicago at the BMO Harris Bradley Center, 108-97, Milwaukee followed the Bulls back to the Windy City and came up with a 95-69 smashing of its Central Division rival.
For the second night in a row, Giannis Antetokounmpo was an unstoppable force for the Bucks. The Greek Freak galloped his way to 22 points on 8-of-13 shooting, seven rebounds, 11 assists and three steals. Jabari Parker followed up his 28-point outing in Milwaukee with 12 on 6-of-8 from the field to finish among six Bucks in double figures.
The Bulls, on the other hand, couldn't have tossed a beach ball into Lake Michigan if they'd tried. Only Dwyane Wade (12 points on 5-of-14 shooting) and Bobby Portis (10 points, eight rebounds) found their way to double-digit points. Chicago, as a whole, shot a woeful 30.4 percent from the floor during what was the team's worst scoring night since Feb. 2013.
"We’re all accountable. It starts with me," head coach Fred Hoiberg said, per the Chicago Tribune's K.C. Johnson. "I have to get us playing more consistently."
At 13-13, the Bulls would be on the outside looking in if the playoffs started Friday. Luckily for Chicago, the end of the regular season is still four months away.
Unfortunately for the Bulls, though, two dates with the high-flying Bucks remain.
CP3 Celebrates 800th Game with Help
Chris Paul seemed to have it all under control against the Miami Heat, per usual. His Los Angeles Clippers were cruising to their 20th win of the 2016-17 season during Paul’s 800th regular-season NBA game.
But the Clippers did what they’ve done so often this season: They got comfortable.
The Heat came charging back, shaving what had been a 16-point L.A. lead during the third quarter down to one in the final 10 seconds of the game on a pair of Goran Dragic free throws. Miami fouled Paul immediately thereafter to send him to the stripe. The All-Star point guard hit the first before misfiring on the second, giving the Heat a glimmer of hope.
But DeAndre Jordan came to Paul and the Clippers’ rescue. He turned Paul's miss into his own 19th rebound, his 11th and 12th points—outscoring and outrebounding Miami’s Hassan Whiteside (11 points, 17 boards)—and a 102-98 win for L.A.
Paul finished with 17 points, five rebounds and six assists. Blake Griffin added 20 points, eight rebounds and four assists. They, along with Jordan, helped L.A. escape South Beach with its fourth straight victory heading into a D.C. date against the Washington Wizards on Sunday
Conley Comes Back, Climbs Ladder in Grizzlies Loss
Mike Conley Jr. was supposed to be out until mid-January with a fractured vertebrae. Instead, he returned a month earlier than expected, albeit in defeat. His Memphis Grizzlies fell just short of the Sacramento Kings, 96-92, in Dave Joerger’s return game at the FedEx Forum.
Conley, for his part, was far from his finest. The 29-year-old point guard tied his season low with eight points while dropping six dimes.
Even so, that was enough to push Conley past Pau Gasol into first place on the Grizzlies’ all-time scoring list. Marc Gasol moved 20 points closer to his older brother’s franchise mark to go with six rebounds and four assists.
Memphis had gone 7-2 in Conley’s absence, with wins over the Portland Trail Blazers and Golden State Warriors. The Grizzlies could use help from their longtime floor general, with games against likely playoff teams coming right up.
Hood Helps Jazz Fend Off Mavs
According to Utah Jazz radio announcer David Locke, Rodney Hood has hit just two game-deciding shots in 11 tries as a pro. Both have come at the Dallas Mavericks’ expense.
Hood taunted the Mavs a second time on Friday to help the Jazz escape their own building with a 103-100 win over the Western Conference cellar-dwellers. With time winding down, Hood rebounded a Deron Williams misfire and, rather than call timeout, pushed the ball upcourt for a leaning three-pointer with 0.8 seconds left.
The Jazz had led by as many as 15 points during the fourth quarter before Harrison Barnes (21 points, three rebounds, three assists), Seth Curry (13 points, five rebounds, four assists) and Williams (18 points, seven assists) sparked a Dallas rally.
“I’m really proud of our group for winning the game,” Jazz coach Quin Snyder said, per the Deseret News' Jody Genessy. “We could have easily lost that game and we didn’t.”
For that, they can thank Hood’s 15 points and crunch-time courage.
Friday's Final Scores
- Washington Wizards 122, Detroit Pistons 108
- Orlando Magic 118, Brooklyn Nets 111
- Boston Celtics 96, Charlotte Hornets 88
- Atlanta Hawks 125, Toronto Raptors 121
- Milwaukee Bucks 95, Chicago Bulls 69
- Houston Rockets 122, New Orleans Pelicans 100
- Los Angeles Lakers 100, Philadelphia 76ers 89
- Los Angeles Clippers 102, Miami Heat 98
- Sacramento Kings 96, Memphis Grizzlies 92
- Utah Jazz 103, Dallas Mavericks 100
All stats are accurate as of games played on Dec. 16, 2016, and are via NBA.com unless otherwise noted.
Josh Martin covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook, and listen to his Hollywood Hoops podcast with B/R Lakers Lead Writer Eric Pincus.
.png?w=600 "New Mock with Lottery Odds Locked In 🔮")
