Wall, Beal help Wizards get back at Lakers

WASHINGTON — Los Angeles Lakers point guard Lonzo Ball's cold-shooting start to his NBA career just keeps getting worse. For a change, the Washington Wizards managed to play the sort of defense that contributes to limiting an opponent's scoring.

John Wall and the Wizards managed to make a double-digit edge hold up against the Lakers this time, with the All-Star point guard scoring 23 points and Bradley Beal adding 22 while Washington held Ball to 3 for 12 on field-goal tries in a 111-95 victory over L.A. on Thursday night (Friday Manila time).

"They had an off-shooting night," Wizards coach Scott Brooks said, "but we participated in that."

Ball, who had 10 points, eight rebounds and eight assists, finished the night shooting 29.2 percent so far in the pros. That's the second-worst through a player's first 12 games in the shot-clock era, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

Asked about people constantly analyzing his unusual shooting motion — it looks something like a right-handed shot put released from the left side of his head — the No. 2 overall draft pick said: "I really don't even care, to be honest. I know I've got to just keep shooting and just improve it every game."

Lakers coach Luke Walton's take?

"He's an incredible player. He's 20 years old. He almost had a triple-double tonight. But any time you turn on any sports show, all they talk about is his shot," Walton said. "Is it extra pressure? One hundred percent. He's a rook who ... gets dissected by everybody."

Washington's Otto Porter Jr. finished with 20 points and 11 rebounds, while Markieff Morris scored 16 points, including a pair of 3s to open the third quarter.

Coming off a home loss in which they never held a lead against the NBA-worst Dallas Mavericks, the Wizards went up by as many as 21 against the Lakers, at 91-70 on Porter's turnaround fadeaway jumper with about 75 seconds remaining in the third quarter.

When these teams played each other in Los Angeles last month in the fourth game of the season for each, the Wizards led by 10 points entering the fourth quarter before the Lakers wound up winning 102-99 in overtime.

This time, L.A. pulled to 93-84 on Julius Randle's two-handed slam with about 8 minutes left. But a 3 by Beal soon built the hosts' advantage back to 15.

Defense has seemed to optional at times for the Wizards this season. But they held the Lakers to 36 percent Thursday.

"That's been one of our downfalls — ball-watching too much and trying to steal it in the backcourt and leaving our transition at risk of getting scored on," Beal said. "It was definitely a demand of Coach's: Get back in transition. Make sure we're defending our guy. Take pride in it."

T?ip-ins

Lakers: Seven players scored at least 10 points apiece, including Brandon Ingram, Kyle Kuzma, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Jordan Clarkson, Julius Randle and Brook Lopez. ... Came in averaging an NBA-high 56 points in the paint and 16 of their first 20 points came that way Thursday. L.A. finished with 48.

Wizards: Centers Marcin Gortat and Ian Mahinmi combined for 10 points and 11 personal fouls in 44 minutes.

R?ematch

There was plenty of Wall vs. Ball hype leading into that one — initially fueled, not surprisingly, by Ball's father, LaVar — although their matchup never become the game's focus.

Wall does all

Wall's night included a resounding lefty dunk over Lopez that Wall said showed his recently sprained left shoulder — which had strips of black tape on it — is doing OK. "That was my testimony to say it's cool," Wall said. At the defensive end, he had a couple of his trademark chase-down blocks, including one on Ingram that drew a roar from the sellout crowd of 20,356. "He might be the best ever at doing that," Brooks said.

B?ig Mo

Morris was playing in only his fourth game of the season because of offseason surgery and a suspension and left after 3½ minutes because his knee tightened up. But after riding a stationary bike, he returned, finishing 6 for 7 on field-goal attempts. "It's good to see him back to somewhat of his old self," Brooks said. "It's only going to get better from here."

source: philstar.com

James Harden’s sizzling 4Q carries Rockets past Wizards; Sixers fall again

Houston Rockets head coach Mike D’Antoni said his team must iron out their defensive kinks after a James Harden-inspired road victory over the Washington Wizards on Monday.

Harden scored 32 points — including 14 in the final quarter — as the Rockets prevailed 114-106 to improve their season record to 4-3.

Harden’s final quarter points spree rescued the Rockets, who had trailed 95-94 with just over seven minutes remaining in the game.

However Houston pulled away with a run of 12 points to lead 106-95 with 3:43 remaining.

Ryan Anderson chipped in with 23 points while Trevor Ariza added 15 points.

But D’Antoni was alarmed by the way his team had shipped points in the first and third quarters, conceding 30 and 36 points respectively.

“We had two really good defensive quarters and two really bad ones,” D’Antoni told reporters.

“We’ve got to smooth it out and keep working on it. We did enough to win. It wasn’t pretty, but we’ll take it.”

Nevertheless, D’Antoni is confident his team has the savvy to improve their defense.

“We’re not even close to where we need to be as a team,” he said. “But that’s good because we’ve got room for improvement and there’s no reason why we can’t keep improving.”

Harden meanwhile also backed the Rockets to tighten up their defensive game, as they managed to do in the decisive fourth quarter.

“That was the only way we’d have the opportunity to win, through our defense,” Harden said.

“First quarter we gave up 30 points, second quarter we gave up 17. We were just too inconsistent.

“But fourth quarter we did a great job of blocking in and playing harder. We’ll figure it out.

“We are going to make mistakes but we are going to have each other’s backs.”

The Rockets made 17 of 37 three-pointers and shot 51.9 percent from the field.

Both Anderson and Ariza sank three-pointers in the decisive stretch of the match.

For the Wizards, John Wall had 21 points and eight assists but was ejected with 33 seconds left following a second technical foul.

Bradley Beal and Otto Porter bagged 20 points for the Wizards, who fell to 1-5 with the loss.

Patience for Embiid

Philadelphia 76ers coach Brett Brown called on fans to lower expectations about returning star Joel Embiid on Monday as the Cameroonian center works his way back from a long-term injury.

Embiid scored 14 points but the 7ft (2.13m) player’s contribution was not enough to stop the Sixers sliding to their sixth loss of the year, 109-84 to the Utah Jazz.

The Sixers (0-6), the worst team in the NBA last year with an abysmal record of 10 wins and 72 losses, are looking to Embiid, who has missed all of the last two seasons due to injury, to help transform the franchise’s fortunes.

But although Embiid has impressed in the games he has played in so far this year, Brown said it was easy to forget that the 22-year-old, the third pick overall in the 2014 draft, remained massively inexperienced.

“We all get excited, you know, that he’s going to come out from the get-go and be Joel Embiid and play like a poised veteran,” Brown said.

“But it’s just not fair, or true. There is a level of realization that we have to go through to wait and watch and make him grow.

“He’s still going to produce some of the numbers you see. But there are still lots of times where it’s clear he’s a young man who hasn’t played basketball for two and a half years.

“He’s finding his feet, all wrapped up in this big frame, with a hell of a lot of talent.”

Brown’s plea for patience however could not deflect attention away from another disappointing loss.

The Jazz were without George Hill (thumb injury) and Rudy Gobert, who fouled out after playing just 20 minutes. However even with those absences, Utah remained firmly in control with Gordon Hayward’s 20 points and 16 from Derrick Favors leading the way. Rodney Hood added 18 points as the Jazz improved to 5-3.

“I think (the victory) speaks to our depth,” Hayward said. “I think it speaks to our inner drive a little bit, because we have some expectations for ourselves this year. You’ve got to take care of these games.”

Jazz coach Quin Snyder said the club’s depth on the bench had been crucial. “They really picked it up,” he said. “That group of guys picked up the intensity on defense, and it carried over.”

source: interaksyon.com