Pistons storm East, Thunder sink and Clippers beat Warriors in a heart-stopping game
Detroit ratifies its lead against the Knicks and OKC deepens its crisis against Charlotte, in an NBA day marked by the expulsion of Steve Kerr and the rumors of Trae Young's transfer.
Coach Steve Kerr was ejected from the Californian duel.
Day of surprises in the NBA with resounding wins by the Detroit Pistons and Charlotte Hornets before the New York Knicks and the Oklahoma City Thunder, respectively. As well as the Golden State Warriors' close loss to the Los Angeles Clippers, with Steve Kerr's ejection included.
Here are the main highlights from an eight-game day, rocked Monday by reports of a likely sale of Trae Young by the Atlanta Hawks.
Controversy and drama at the Intuit Dome: Clippers hold off the Warriors
In a high-tension Californian duel, the Los Angeles Clippers prevailed by a narrow 103-102 win over the Golden State Warriors at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood. The game was marked by a refereeing decision that changed the course of the final quarter.
- Steve Kerr's ejection: with 7:57 remaining, the Warriors coach was ejected after receiving two consecutive technical fouls. Kerr erupted in fury after a goaltending (illegal interference) not whistled to John Collins on a Gary Payton II layup. The ball had already hit the backboard, but the referees upheld the 81-74 instead of 81-76.
- Agonic ending: after Kerr's departure, assistant Terry Stotts took over. The Warriors managed to come back from a 10-point deficit, but the game was sealed with a missed baseline shot by Jimmy Butler, who despite the final mistake, completed a solid performance with 24 points and 4 steals.
Pistons rule Eastern Conference and Cunningham targets MVP
In Detroit, the Pistons steamrolled the New York Knicks by 31 points just a day after knocking off the Cleveland Cavaliers, according to AFP. In just 24 hours, the Michigan franchise ratified its unexpected Eastern Conference lead against the two teams that looked like top favorites at the start of the regular season.
- Cade Cunningham: the point guard, number one overall pick in the 2021 Draft, was unstoppable for the defense, scoring 29 points and 13 assists.
- MVP factor?: Cunningham is exploding at age 24 into the conversation for the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award.
- Scorecard: Detroit leads the East with a 27-9 record, holding a 3.5-win lead over the Boston Celtics.
Boston, meanwhile, defeated the Chicago Bulls 115-101 despite the injury loss of Jayson Tatum, overtaking a Knicks team that has racked up four straight losses. The Celtics thus occupy an unexpected second place in the conference, as they are performing better than expected without Tatum.
Hornets' surprise, Thunder's crisis
In the Western Conference, the leaders Oklahoma City Thunder were demolished by the Hornets in front of their home crowd with a resounding 124-97. The reigning champions seem to have lost their way after also falling the day before to the Suns with a game-winner by Devin Booker.
The team led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (who was held to 21 points and 6 assists) is going through its worst moment: after starting the season with a staggering 24-1 record, they have posted a 6-6 record in their last 12 games.
Forward Brandon Miller, with 28 points, was the star for the Hornets, who are in twelfth place in the East (13-23).
Kevin Durant and the 'law of the ex' punish the Suns
With an agonizing triple, Durant gave the Houston Rockets a 100-97 win over the Phoenix Suns, the team where he played until last season.
The 37-year-old Kevin Durant received the ball from the wing with just five seconds on the clock and created the space needed to shoot the clinching three-pointer with three-tenths of a second left. Previously, Devin Booker (leading scorer with 27 points) missed the winning shot against Tari Eason's defensive pressure. With this result, Houston unseats the Lakers from the third position in the West.
Atlanta Hawks: the end of the Trae Young era?
The Hawks were in the spotlight for off-court news after their 118-100 loss to the Toronto Raptors. According to ESPN reports, the Georgia franchise has begun a rebuilding process:
- Possible Trae Young trade: the All-Star point guard and management are working together to find a destination via a trade.
- Reasons for the trade: at the moment, neither the team nor the player came out to explain. However, Atlanta hasn't won a playoff series since 2021 and Young is posting his lowest scoring average (19.3 points), plagued by quadriceps injuries.
- Mutual benefit: Young has been out for the past five games and both sides agree his departure will benefit both.
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