Opening night in the NBA provided some hints.
asserted
night → provide → hints
The Philadelphia 76ers had a stat sheet as well-balanced as just about any in LeBron James’ 24-year career to beat the New York Knicks.
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76ers → have → Knicks
The Detroit Pistons were a No. 1 seed last season and felt a need to remind the league that it wasn’t a fluke.
asserted
it → feel → league
And the Oklahoma City Thunder — who lost a home Game 7 to San Antonio in last season’s Western Conference finals — went into Texas and took the fight right to Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs.
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who → lose → Wembanyama
It is way, way too early to make any conclusions.
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It → make → conclusions
But there were some things that jumped out after the first three games of the 1,230-game marathon of a regular season:
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that → be → season
Philadelphia REALLY shared the ball
James has played in 1,925 NBA games, including playoffs.
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James → share → playoffs
The way Philadelphia played in one respect Tuesday was different than 99.2% of all those games — in that the 76ers, in James’ official debut, showed remarkable offensive balance.
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76ers → play → balance
Here’s how: Tyrese Maxey took 19 shots, Joel Embiid took 15 shots, Jaylen Brown took 14 shots, James took 13 shots, and VJ Edgecombe and Anfernee Simons took 10 shots apiece.
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Edgecombe → ’ → shots
It was only the 16th time in James’ career that he and five teammates all got at least 10 shots from the floor.
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he → get → floor
“I just like the way we played,” James said.
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James → like → way
“We were sharing the ball.
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We → share → ball
We got the ball moving from one side to another.
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ball → get → another
Guys felt in a good rhythm.”
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Guys → feel → rhythm
The big question about the 76ers entering this dynamic experiment was whether a bunch of big-time scorers like Maxey, Embiid, Brown and James could share the ball enough to keep everyone happy.
uncertain
bunch → enter → everyone
And now, Oklahoma City has another towering presence in 7-foot-3 rookie Aday Mara.
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City → have → Mara
The rookie made an impact.
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rookie → make → impact
Boxscore watchers would only see seven points and two rebounds and likely shrug, as if they were no big deal.
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they → see → points
But Mara was part of what the Thunder did to keep Spurs center Victor Wembanyama out of sorts all night long.
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Thunder → keep → sorts
Wembanyama missed 12 of his 13 shots; the one make was an alley-oop lob that absolutely nobody else had a chance of reaching on the final play of the third quarter.
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nobody → miss → quarter
The NBA’s tracking data said he was 0 for 4 against Mara, who even got a block against the 7-foot-4 French standout.
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who → say → standout
Barring an NBA Cup meeting, the Spurs and Thunder — who got 32 points from two-time reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander — won’t face off again until Feb. 11.
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who → bar → Feb.
And the only way the Thunder will return to San Antonio this season is either for a Cup game or a playoff contest.
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Thunder → return → game
But they got more than a victory Tuesday.
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they → get → victory
They surely gave Wembanyama something to stew about until he sees OKC again.
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he → give → OKC
“This doesn’t prove anything,” Gilgeous-Alexander said in the televised postgame interview.
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Alexander → prove → interview
“This doesn’t mean anything — besides the fact that we won tonight.”
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we → mean → fact
Pistons send an early message
Maybe the Pistons thought the game started at 4 p.m.
Around 3 p.m. Tuesday — a most unusual start time for the first game of the season, but one that allowed NBC to show an opening-day tripleheader — Pistons star Cade Cunningham grabbed the microphone and addressed the home Detroit crowd.
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Cunningham → send → crowd
“The NBA wanted to start the league off in Detroit this season,” Cunningham said.
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Cunningham → want → Detroit
“Let’s start it off right.”
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’s → let → it
They then proceeded to get down by 22 points — 72-50 early in the third quarter.
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They → proceed → quarter
Boston was rolling, Paul George was unstoppable in his first game in a Celtics uniform, and the Pistons looked nothing like a team that was the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs.
asserted
that → roll → playoffs
Detroit prevailed 121-113, with Javonte Green and Duncan Robinson combining for 37 points — and nine 3-pointers — in that closing 20-minute stretch.
asserted
Green → prevail → stretch
Just like Cunningham said, the Pistons indeed started things off right.
asserted
Pistons → say → things
The Aporia
