MADRID 25 Dic. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The brilliant performance of two basketball wizards such as the veteran Kyrie Irving (Dallas Mavericks) and the emerging Victor Wembanyama (San Antonio Spurs) were left without the prize of victory on the traditional Christmas Day in the NBA in two defeats against New York Knicks (117-114) and Minnesota Timberwolves (99-105).
One with seven games scoring more than 20 points on December 25, all of them memorable performances like the one he left this time at the American Airlines Center (Dallas) with 39 points. Another in his first appearance in the traditional Christmas event, at 20 years old, but posting 42 points and 18 rebounds, also in defeat.
Irving brought out his magic this Wednesday against the Wolves who managed a lead of 28 points, 22 at the beginning of the last quarter, but ended up asking for time. The Mavericks’ comeback was without Luka Doncic, the local star injured at the end of the second quarter, without finishing in the last minute at 99-101.
Anthony Edwards and Julius Randle avoided another setback in the bad dynamics of the Minnesota team, now confident of changing that inertia with the rematch of last year’s Western Conference final. All in all, the debacle surrounded the Wolves with Irving who in the last quarter scored more than the entire rival team, without culminating in a definitive triple with the response followed by Edwards.
Meanwhile, in the duel that opened this day on December 25, the focus was on the ‘Wembanyama sensation’. The Frenchman, in his first game at Christmas, responded to the expectation with a legendary performance, his great debut at Madison Square Garden in New York with 42 points and 18 rebounds, his scoring record.
However, Karl-Anthony Towns woke up in the third quarter and Mikal Bridges came into a boil to finish with 41 points, decisive in the last plays such as the Knicks’ offensive rebound, which added their fifth straight victory.