BASKETTBALL

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Tyrese Maxey scored 43 points to lead the short-handed Philadelphia 76ers to a 118-104 NBA victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday as the surging Houston Rockets pulled off a tense 100-96 win over Atlanta. With Joel Embiid missing his 12th straight game and Paul George sidelined with a finger injury, Maxey stepped up and the Sixers won their third straight.

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The NBA champion Boston Celtics dominated the Dallas Mavericks in a Finals rematch on Saturday as the Houston Rockets took the Cleveland Cavaliers down a peg and Victor Wembanyama ended a "priceless" week in Paris with a defeat. Jayson Tatum scored 24 points, Derrick White added 23 and Jaylen Brown chipped in 22 for the Celtics, who bounced back from an embarrassing 21-point loss to the Los Angeles Lakers.

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Amen Thompson (21) drove for the game-winner with 1.3 seconds left to lift the Houston Rockets to a gritty 114-112 victory over the NBA champion Boston Celtics on Monday. After two victories over Eastern Conference leaders Cleveland last week, the Rockets held on to topple another Eastern power, surrendering an early 11-point advantage but clawing back after the Celtics took a 12-point lead early in the fourth quarter.

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Dominated on Thursday, the Indiana Pacers took their revenge by crushing the San Antonio Spurs this evening at the Accor Arena, thanks in particular to a burst from Tyrese Haliburton in the third quarter. Spurs' French superstar Victor Wembanyama was a little below his best. The second and final game of the NBA Paris Games took place at the Accor Arena.

On Thursday night, the San Antonio Spurs made short work of the Indiana Pacers, but fans were hoping for a more competitive encounter this evening. As always, Victor Wembanyama was the centre of attraction. Angered by the beating they had received in the first game, the Pacers attacked with much more intent. Andrew Nembhard, in particular, attacked the bucket to no end, allowing Indiana to take the lead.

Of course, the Spurs responded with Wemby, who was quietly getting into his stride. However, it was Harrison Barnes who did most of the talking for San Antonio, scoring no less than 11 points in the first quarter! However, it wasn't enough to hold off the enterprising Pacers, who were well in front after 12 minutes. It looked like it was going to be a tense game, except that defensively, the Spurs were struggling. It took five straight points from Wembanyama to get them back on track.

The Frenchman was much more enterprising in the second quarter, but on the other side, the Pacers were raining down three-pointers, and just as the score was level, they regained the lead, while the Spurs found themselves trailing 50-65 at the break. As a result, the Spurs began to race against the clock in the second half, attacking the rim and provoking numerous fouls in quick succession.

Stephon Castle came to the fore, lining up baskets close to the rim and keeping the lead at around ten. But the game was clearly lacking in fluidity, and it was Chris Paul who managed to control the tempo and gain consistency to nibble away at the deficit. And it was Wemby's basket that put San Antonio ahead. But this time, the Pacers rallied at the end of the third quarter, thanks to Tyrese Haliburton. The all-star point guard put together a string of stunning three-pointers, and went on to score 16 points in a row! It was enough to restore the lead and put the Spurs out of the game.

The start of the final quarter looked critical, but Indiana held on for the win and made a big effort, particularly defensively. By the time the lead had reached 20 points, there was no doubt about the outcome. The Spurs had missed their chance in the third quarter. In the end, it was to be another blowout, but this time in the other direction. A 98-136 victory for the Pacers, who were able to count on a great Tyrese Haliburton performance.

A win for both teams, and everyone is happy, especially the fans, given that the NBA is not due to return to France next year. A pity, given the huge popular success of these two matches. The Wembanyama effect is in full force, but the French prodigy was a little off his game tonight.

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Two-time All-Star guard Isaiah Thomas signed with the Utah Jazz G League affiliate team, Salt Lake City Stars, on Monday. Thomas hasn't started a game for an NBA team since he was on the Los Angeles Lakers during the 2021-2022 season.

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LeBron James (40) and Anthony Davis (31) combined to lead the Los Angeles Lakers to a 117-96 thumping of the defending champion Boston Celtics on Thursday. In the first meeting of the season between the two iconic rivals who have won 35 NBA championships between them, the Lakers produced a superb all-round display to outclass the visiting Celtics lineup.

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Jimmy Butler, the six-time NBA All-Star, has been suspended indefinitely by the Miami Heat due to what the team describes as a "continued pattern of disregard for team rules." The 35-year-old forward had already been suspended twice this month for disciplinary reasons, missing nine games in total. The latest suspension follows his decision to walk out of a team practice on Friday, with the Heat confirming the ban is without pay and will last for at least five games.

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Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (26) erupted for a career-high 54 points as the Oklahoma City Thunder overpowered the Utah Jazz 123-114 on Wednesday. Gilgeous-Alexander bagged the first 50-point game of his career with a dazzling all-round performance that included eight rebounds, five assists, three steals and two blocks.