NBA roundup: Klay Thompson nightmare, fear of Paul George, Zach Edey shines…

The Sixers secured a victory in Atlanta (89-104) in their fourth preseason game. but it was attended with considerable terror. On the day an ESPN article laid out the franchise’s grand plan for this season (and beyond), including its efforts to finally make the playoffs with healthy stars and once again address Joel Embiid (who is not yet in played in an Eastern Conference final), Paul George collapsed while defending Jalen Johnson in the second quarter and did not return. The left knee injury cast a shadow over the second half as the Sixers camp anxiously awaited news from the medical team just over a week before the start of the regular season.

Paul George worries about Sixers

The initial report indicates hyperextension, which describes the movement that caused the injury rather than its severity. At first glance, this seems to rule out the worst-case scenario. However, with treatment and further testing, more clarity will emerge. George, playing in his second game for the Sixers, had played just 12 minutes and scored 8 points before his exit. The veteran forward is the Sixers’ key offseason acquisition, a crucial step in their quest to break their playoff barriers with the new Maxey-George-Embiid big three. Given his age (34) and extensive injury history, George’s health is just as important as Embiid’s. The ESPN article indicated that it is unlikely that both players will participate in both games of the team’s back-to-back sets. last season, George played 74 games, his highest total since 2019. after four seasons in which he played no more than 56 games. After the game, both George and his coach Nick Nurse expressed optimism, although Nurse acknowledged that not being able to give more minutes to a new player who needs to integrate into the system was a setback.

Nick Nurse also made a change to his usual lineup, Bench Caleb Martin (perhaps as a test or a more permanent adjustment) and start Eric Gordon instead. Guerschon Yabusele, who came off the bench and Andre Drummond subbed in for Embiid, again played significant minutes. Yabusele performed well, first as a small-ball center in place of Drummond (a role he has filled frequently this preseason with Embiid sidelined), and later as a power forward alongside Drummond, the team’s traditional center. Yabusele played 21 minutes and contributed 10 points, 11 rebounds and 3 assists. He continues to recover effectively and shoot three-pointers with confidence and accuracy (2/4 this game, 6/12 last season), two key factors that could solidify his place in Nurse’s main rotation. The Sixers will make their regular season debut next Wednesday in a highly anticipated game against the Milwaukee Bucks.

A giant named Edey is on the loose in Tennessee

Another highlight of the evening was the game between Pacers and Grizzlies, which was played without Tyrese Haliburton or Pascal Siakam for the home team and without Ja Morant, Marcus Smart and Jaren Jackson Jr. for the visitors. Despite these absences The Grizzlies secured a 116-120 win and continued their positive momentum with a 3-1 preseason record after last season’s nightmare due to injuries and Morant’s off-court problems.

Desmond Bane had an outstanding performance and looked dominant with 23 points (9/16 shots), including 18 points by halftime without relying heavily on the three-point shot. Another key contributor was the standout Zach Edey, the 22-year-old, 7’4″ Canadian center who was selected ninth in the last draft.

Many doubted Edey would be a top-10 pick because they feared how his traits – so dominant at Purdue, where he was College Player of the Year two seasons in a row – would affect the NBA’s current pace and style would be transferred. However, Edey proves the Grizzlies can rely on him by showing he has more than just his immense size. He has solid fundamentals, effective post movement, an increasingly sophisticated hook shot and, of course, is a natural force above the rim – finishing plays on offense and being intimidating on defense.

Edey only played 19 minutes but made a clear impression. Finished with 23 points (10/15 shooting) and 9 rebounds. Santi Aldama, who is less than a week away from finding out if he will receive a contract extension with the Grizzlies, played 18 minutes and contributed 6 points and 3 rebounds.

Tough night for Klay Thompson in LA

In the last preseason game on Monday evening, the Clippers played at home for the first time, marks the debut of the luxurious Intuit Dome, their new home away from the Crypto.com Arena and the long shadow of the Lakers. Although they have relocated to Inglewood, where the Showtime Lakers legend was born, it is a new beginning for the franchise.

The Clippers, still without Kawhi Leonard — who won’t be ready at the start of the regular season, Tyronn Lue confirmed when the starting lineup was announced — improved to 3-1 in the preseason. They secured a 110-96 win in their new home against the Mavericks, who were missing both Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving. the team that eliminated them in the last playoffs.

James Harden had problems with his shots (10 points on March 12th), but shone as a playmaker and provided 12 assists. The Clippers’ current starting lineup — Powell, Mann, Zubac and Derrick Jones Jr. in place of Kawhi Leonard — worked well, with Jones Jr. contributing 12 points against his former team. Some of the new additions also stood out off the bench: Kia Jones added 12 points and 4 rebounds, Kris Dunn was a solid contributor and Kevin Porter Jr., fresh from his stint in Greece, had an impressive performance with 18 points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists.

For the Mavericks, Jaden Hardy continued to take advantage of the absences of Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, scored 16 points and added 4 assists. Dereck Lively once again showed his potential to become one of the top centers in the NBA with a versatile performance (8 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 blocks). Although Doncic did not play, he participated in pregame warmups and has a chance to make his season debut Thursday against the Milwaukee Bucks.

Among the new arrivals are Quentin Grimes stood out with a much stronger performance (20 points on 11 shots) compared to Nnaji Marshall (6 points on 9 shots) and the returning Spencer Dinwiddie (3 points on 5 shots). The most notable talking point, however, was Klay Thompson’s terrible night. In 21 minutes, he didn’t score a single point, shot 0/9 from the field (0/6 from three) and recorded just one assist in addition to four turnovers.