The Oklahoma City Thunder remain undefeated in their third game, with Isaiah Hartenstein recording his first double-double of the season. The Denver Nuggets confidently beat the Phoenix Suns, and rookie Cedric Coward excels for the Memphis Grizzlies.
So it is possible without overtime. After two games that each lasted 58 minutes, the Thunder needed only regulation time in Atlanta. OKC pulled away in the third quarter, with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scoring 17 of his 30 points (12/17 FG). The Thunder forced eight turnovers in this period and generated 16 points from them.
But the man of the match was Chet Holmgren, who needed just twelve shots from the field (8/12 FG, 6/8 three-pointers, 9/10 FT) for his 31 points and eleven rebounds. Frontcourt partner Isaiah Hartenstein (14, 10 rebounds, 2 steals) also impressed.
The Hawks were missing three starters in Kristaps Porzingis, Zaccharie Risacher, and Jalen Johnson, which was impossible to compensate for. Trae Young (15, 10 assists, 5 TO) struggled against the Thunder’s high pressure, with Nickeil Alexander-Walker leading the scoring. The Thunder also scored 30 (!) points off offensive rebounds, while the Hawks managed just nine.
Embiid improves – Rookie Edgecombe strong again
The Sixers also remain undefeated, but it was another close call. With four minutes to go, the visitors from Charlotte were still leading by seven points before Tyrese Maxey tied the game with a jumper 62 seconds before the end. With 15 seconds left on the clock, Quentin Grimes (24) hit the game winner, and Andre Drummond and Maxey finally sealed the deal from the free throw line.
The guard was once again the Sixers’ top scorer with 28 points (plus 9 assists), while Joel Embiid (20, 7/11) made a much better impression in his planned 20 minutes this time than he did in the opener. No. 3 pick V.J. Edgecombe (15, 6/15, 8 assists) also impressed, as did No. 4 pick Kon Knueppel (14, 3/6 three-pointers) on the other side.
He played 30 minutes because Brandon Miller had to sit out the first half with shoulder problems. LaMelo Ball (27, 10 rebounds, 8 assists) came close to a triple-double for the visitors.
Another triple-double for Jokic
Overall, it was a good night for rookies, especially No. 11 pick Cedric Coward. Coming off the bench, the shooting guard made all six of his three-pointers for the Grizzlies against Indiana and was the top scorer with 27 points (9/13) in less than 24 minutes. The game was quickly decided, as the Pacers were simply no match on this day.
It was a similar story in Denver, with the Nuggets always having an answer when the game could have turned. Nikola Jokic (14, 5/8, 14 rebounds, 15 assists) was particularly impressive as a playmaker, with seven Nuggets players scoring in double figures. The top scorer was Jamal Murray (23), while Devin Booker (31, 10/16) led the opposition. The Orlando Magic, on the other hand, suffered another setback at home against the Chicago Bulls. Read more about that here.
