NBA Game Notes (April 2, 2023)
Here are the NBA game notes for games that were played on April 2, 2023.
Hold That Ballot
Giannis Antetokounmpo dominated Joel Embiid in a matchup of MVP candidates, producing 33 points, 14 rebounds, six assists, and three blocks in the Milwaukee Bucks’ easy 117-104 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers. With the win, the Bucks improved to 56-22 and have clinched at worst the second seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs.
Antetokounmpo shot 13-17 from the field, although he missed six of his 13 free throw attempts. It’s the 35th time Antetokounmpo has scored at least 30 points on 70% shooting from the field, breaking a tie with LeBron James for the most such games among active players.
Antetokounmpo was one of five Bucks to score at least 18 points. The others were Brook Lopez (21), Khris Middleton (19), Jrue Holiday (18), and Bobby Portis (18). Lopez, Holiday, and Portis all shot better than 60% from the field.
Embiid scored 28 points in the loss, but was held to 11-25 shooting from the field (including 1-7 from 3-point range). He also contributed nine rebounds and five assists.
Tyrese Maxey led the Sixers with 29 points. Maxey shot 9-15 from the field — including 6-7 from 3-point range — and made all five of his free throws. Maxey has scored at least 20 points in eight of his last nine games. He’s averaging 25.0 PPG on 55/52/89 shooting splits over that span.
Teammate James Harden was held to 11 points and six assists, but did record his 7,000th career assist. Harden became the sixth player in NBA history to reach career totals of 20,000 points and 7,000 assists, joining LeBron James, Chris Paul, Gary Payton, Oscar Robertson, and Russell Westbrook.
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