The defending champion New York Knicks consolidated their superiority over their neighbor Brooklyn Nets, achieving their fifteenth successive victory against them, after defeating them 103-90 on Monday, in the American Basketball League (NBA).
The Knicks were threatened with their first loss to their neighbor in about 4 years, before they prevailed 25-5 at the start of the final quarter, turning a 4-point deficit after 3 quarters into a comfortable 100-84 lead.
Landry Shamet had his best offensive game this season by scoring 22 points, Jaylen Brunson added 19 points, and Britain's OG Anunoby scored 18 points for the Knicks, who achieved 3 victories in their last 4 games after starting their title defense campaign with 3 consecutive defeats.
Dominican Karl-Anthony Towns also scored 11 points, all in the second half, with 16 rebounds. On the other hand, Julius Randle scored 21 points with 11 rebounds against his former team, but that was not enough for the Nets, who achieved their only victory this season on Sunday, over the Indiana Pacers.
The Nets have not succeeded in defeating their neighbor since January 28, 2023, shortly before they abandoned Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irvin, who had previously led them to win 9 consecutive matches over their neighbor.
The Nets led 79-75 after the third quarter, before Josh Hart opened the final quarter with a three-pointer, followed by Anunoby with two consecutive threes to give the Knicks an 84-79 lead.
Randle responded with a basket, but New York then scored 7 consecutive points to take a 91-81 lead thanks to a Jordan Clarkson triple. Frenchman Nolan Traore scored a hat-trick for Nets, but the Knicks responded with a series of 9 consecutive points without any point for their neighbor, expanding the difference to 100-84 after a basket from Andre Drummond.
Michael Porter Jr. scored 18 points, while Traoré finished the game with 17 points for the Nets, who lost the last quarter 28-11. “The King” LeBron James contributed a fourth consecutive victory for his new team, the Philadelphia 76ers, and it came at the expense of the Chicago Bulls 126-107.
Tyrese Maxey excelled by scoring 15 of his 26 points during the final quarter, while James contributed 15 points with 9 assists and 7 rebounds, leading the Sixers to their seventh victory in 8 games. The match witnessed the return of the star-studded starting lineup consisting of James, Jaylen Brown, Joel Embiid, Maxi and DJ Edgecomb, after coach Nick Nurse preferred to rotate in the two consecutive games over the weekend, against the New York Knicks, on Friday, and the Charlotte Hornets, on Saturday.
Although he entered the match suffering from a foot injury that made his participation in doubt, Embiid scored 15 points with 8 rebounds, but there was no need to include him in the last quarter because of the advantage his team achieved.
Brown scored 25 points and 11 rebounds, while Edgecombe added 21 points and Maxey contributed 11 assists. Rookie Caleb Wilson was the Bulls' best player by scoring 24 points, but that did not prevent his team's fifth loss in a row.
The Oklahoma City Thunder decided to remove the No. 0 shirt worn by its former star, Russell Westbrook, and raise it to the roof of its stadium during the team’s match against the New York Knicks on February 7, in honor of his long career with the club.
Westbrook, 37 years old, announced his retirement from basketball last August, after a career that spanned 18 seasons in the NBA, during which he became the historical record holder for the number of triple-doubles achieved, with 209 times.
The American star spent 11 seasons with Oklahoma City between 2008 and 2019, before experimenting with the Houston Rockets, Washington Wizards, Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers, Denver Nuggets, and Sacramento Kings.
Westbrook was crowned the best player in the American League in 2017 with an Oklahoma City shirt. He also led the team to the playoffs nine times, including four appearances in the Western Conference final, in addition to reaching the league final in 2012, before losing to the Miami Heat.
Club Chairman Clayton Bennett said: “We feel very proud to raise Russell’s shirt in his honor. He left an indelible mark on the city and state during his time with the team, and his giving and participation in community service continued even after his passing.”
He added: “We are extremely grateful for his sincere concern for the people of Oklahoma, and he will always be a member of the Oklahoma City community.”
Westbrook was selected fourth overall during the 2008 draft, and finished his career as the club's all-time record holder for games played (821), points (18,859), rebounds (5,760), assists (6,897), stolen balls (1,442), blocked shots (6,626), and minutes played (28,329).
For his part, Executive Vice President and General Manager of the club, Sam Presti, said: “Many players leave their mark, but only the greats leave a legacy. “Russell Westbrook has built his legacy on and off the field with a never-say-die mentality and exceptional commitment.”
He added: “For all these reasons, the people of Oklahoma consider him one of them, and his shirt will remain on the roof of Oklahoma City Stadium forever.”
The 2016-2017 season witnessed the peak of Westbrook's brilliance, after he topped the league's scoring list with an average of 31.6 points per game, in addition to 10.7 rebounds and 10.4 assists, becoming only the second player in the history of the league to achieve an average of triple double figures over the course of an entire season.
That season, he also recorded a record 42 triple-doubles in one season, on his way to winning the Most Valuable Player award.
Westbrook was crowned the league's top scorer twice, in 2015 and 2017, and was selected to participate in the All-Star Game nine times. He also topped the league's assists list in 2018, 2019, and 2021.
During his career in the regular season, he played 1,301 games, 1,133 of which he started in the starting lineup, with an average of 20.9 points, 8 assists, and 6.9 rebounds per game.
English striker Harry Kane, Bayern Munich star, confirmed on Monday that he was willing to give up the Ballon d'Or award in exchange for winning the Champions League title with the Bavarian team, on the eve of the upcoming confrontation against Atletico Madrid.
Kane said, during the pre-match press conference: “Would I trade the Ballon d’Or for the Champions League title? Honestly, yes, I would do that. “Group titles are the reason we play football.”
The English striker added: “I must admit that winning the Ballon d’Or was one of the most beautiful moments in my life, and it was a very exceptional thing, but lifting the Champions League trophy with Bayern would be amazing. If I had the choice, I would have chosen the Champions League, but I am lucky because I have the opportunity to compete for both titles.”
In another context, the former English Tottenham striker addressed the issue of not receiving sufficient appreciation in his country before his move to Bayern in 2023, considering that people who know and understand football have always appreciated his playing style.
He said: “I think there are a lot of people who respect me and appreciate what I offer. Of course, in the age of social media, you will always be criticized. “I did not win titles during a large part of my career, and some people used that to disparage me.”
The 33-year-old continued: “Since winning the Ballon d’Or, I have received a lot of positive feedback. Perhaps this is due to the fact that my career was somewhat different from that of other winners, and to the difficulties I faced, especially in the beginning. Some people may not have expected me to reach the level I am performing today, but hard work, determination and resilience enabled me to achieve this.”
Kane revealed the most prominent figures who congratulated him after his coronation, noting that he received special messages from his idol, former English star David Beckham, and American football legend Tom Brady, in addition to his friend, the British singer Ed Sheeran.
