By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
After staying out of action for the entire previous (2021-22) campaign, NBA All-Stars Kawhi Leonard, Ben Simmons and Jamal Murray made their comeback last night in preseason games for their teams.
Leonard posted 11 points, four rebounds, two assists and two steals in 16 minutes as the Los Angeles Clippers beat the Portland Trail Blazers 102 – 97. It was the 31-year-old forward’s first match since the Western Conference semifinals of 2021 against the Utah Jazz and after his recovery from knee surgery for a partial ACL tear.
This game also marked Damian Lillard’s return to action for the first time after January, when he underwent abdominal surgery. The Blazers star had 16 points, three rebounds and two assists.
The much-expected debut of Ben Simmons with the Brooklyn Nets jersey took place and it was against his former team Philadelphia 76ers. Simmons finished with six points, five assists and four rebounds as the Nets fell 108 – 127.
Furkan Korkmaz was one of the Sixers‘ top contributors with 15 points. Tyrese Maxey led the winners overall with 20 points, in a very productive night for Philadelphia despite Joel Embiid and James Harden registering a DNP.
April 12, 2021. That was when Denver Nuggets star guard Jamal Murray last played a game before a torn ACL injury kept him out for more than a year. Until last night, as the Canadian player stepped back onto a court again, notching 10 points, two rebounds and two assists in 101 – 112 loss of his team to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Nikola Jokic took just one shot and scored two points with free throws, apart from grabbing five rebounds and dishing three assists. From the Thunder, Aleksej Pokusevski had five points and six rebounds in 24 minutes.