While still not playing at his absolute peak, Anthony has been impressive over this stretch and will provide a huge challenge for the Pistons when they’re on the defensive end.
Advertisement
The reigning All-Defensive Second Team member will return to Oklahoma City for further evaluation.
Simmons shot at 71.4 per cent but had two-from-six at the free-throw line as the Thunder claimed a 122-112 home victory on Sunday.
“You don’t replace him”, Donovan said.
It took a lot of courage to resume play and fight on after Roberson left the game, and it showed on the scoreboard.
The 24-year-old Kiwi combined with teammate/guard Russell Westbrook and with his physicality kept Embiid from being too destructive, though he was the pick of the Sixers with 27 points and 11 rebounds. He remained down on the court for a while, lying on his side as concerned teammates gathered around.
It was a day, however, when the outcome didn’t seem the matter, even if it was Oklahoma City’s seventh consecutive victory to bring the team to 29-20 on the season.
“It’s a special moment”, Anthony said. He has made just eight 3-pointers in 36 attempts (22.2 percent) this season, meaning opposing defenses feel comfortable to leave him on the perimeter and help on the Thunder’s star players. In fact, the Thunder are outscoring teams by 13 points in their last five games and shooting almost 49 percent from the field. The Warriors fell 92-88 at Boston on November 16 in which they squandered a 17-point lead. For the time being, none of these guys are worth grabbing in 12-team fantasy leagues.
The win over the Wizards moved OKC into 10th in points per possession, making the Thunder one of three teams, along with the Toronto Raptors and Golden State Warriors, which are top-10 in both points and points allowed per possession. “We’ve been a lowest five defensive team in the National Basketball Association the whole time”. We all hope for the very best, but early Woj reports says it doesn’t look good. He fell hard on his backside and appeared to land on his tailbone/lower back area, but ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski is reporting that Roberson ruptured his patellar tendon, which is in the knee.
Advertisement
He missed eight games from December 31 to January 17 because of left patellar tendinitis.
