Tyrese Maxey delivered a stunning 43-point performance to lead the short-handed Philadelphia 76ers to a 118-104 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday. Meanwhile, the Houston Rockets continued their hot streak with a tense 100-96 win over the Atlanta Hawks.
With Joel Embiid missing his 12th straight game and Paul George sidelined due to a finger injury, Maxey carried the offensive load for Philadelphia, guiding them to their third consecutive win.
The Lakers, who entered the contest on a four-game winning streak—including an impressive victory over defending champions Boston—suffered a major blow early when star forward Anthony Davis exited in the first quarter with an abdominal strain.
At the time of Davis’ departure, the Lakers held a narrow 20-17 lead. However, his absence proved costly, particularly on the defensive end, as the 76ers took full advantage. Philadelphia outscored Los Angeles 48-32 in the second quarter, building a commanding 73-57 halftime lead.
LeBron James led the Lakers with 31 points, eight rebounds, and nine assists but admitted the team’s 22 turnovers were their undoing.
“When your best player goes out, it’s always challenging,” James said. “We’ve just got to be better. We had too many turnovers tonight that resulted in too many buckets for them. You can’t make mistake after mistake after mistake.”
Despite the loss, James achieved another milestone, moving into sixth place on the NBA’s all-time steals list with 2,311.
Rockets Hold Off Hawks for Fourth Straight Win
In Atlanta, the Houston Rockets extended their winning streak to four games with a gritty 100-96 victory over the struggling Hawks.
Jalen Green led Houston with 25 points, while Alperen Sengun contributed 18 points and 10 rebounds. Jae’Sean Tate provided a crucial spark off the bench with 16 points.
The Rockets appeared to be in control when Green’s steal and layup extended their lead to 96-80 with 5:16 remaining. However, Atlanta mounted a late surge, cutting the deficit to just two points (98-96) in the final minute.
DeAndre Hunter had an opportunity to give the Hawks the lead but missed a three-pointer. Sengun then sealed the win for Houston with a decisive dunk.
Trae Young paced the Hawks with 21 points, but Atlanta’s struggles continued as they suffered their sixth consecutive loss.
Both Philadelphia and Houston will look to build on their momentum in their upcoming matchups, while the Lakers and Hawks will seek to recover from disappointing defeats.
