Thunder
Guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander may be heading toward another year as a first-team All-NBA member, and Friday was the latest example of why.
Gilgeous-Alexander scored 23 of his 37 points in the second half to lead the Thunder to a victory over the defending Eastern Conference champion Heat, shooting 13 of 25 from the field. He is second in the NBA in scoring (31.2 points per game).
“The shots are excellent,” coach Mark Daigneault told reporters. “He’s had the talent since day one. But what impresses me most is the restraint he shows and his ability to see the big picture, to harness that talent for the good of the team while trying to accomplish individual things.
- Gilgeous-Alexander, of course, is reluctant to take all the credit. “We have guys like that at all levels who do the little things that add up at the end of the night…Everyone has a role and on this team, everyone takes pride and does their part at to the best of his ability,” he said. “And that’s what I love about them.”
Pelicans
The Pelicans led by 35 points before having to hang on to beat the short-handed 76ers in Philadelphia on Friday night.
But hey, onward Brandon Ingram said New Orleans would take him.
“A win is a win and we found a way at the end of the game to get through it,” he told reporters. “It’s all that matters.”
- Coach added Willie Green: “The first half was just a great display of basketball. … We did a great job getting the lead. Don’t reveal everything by being too relaxed. I felt like we were a little relaxed and (Philly) turned it up.
Rockets
Guard Green Jalen threw down some nasty dunks in the Rockets’ road win over the Trail Blazers on Friday, swinging the momentum in his team’s favor. Oh, and do all the highlights.
“It’s a great energy booster,” Green said. “The team beside us, standing there and screaming. I just have chills running through my body. …It changes the whole atmosphere.
- Coach Ime Udoka he certainly challenged the team at halftime. “I like the way they came out and responded to the challenge, to keep them to 24 in the third, 20 in the fourth. I really used the defense to ignite our game in general, so the energy was better and they responded well to it.
