The two top teams in the Eastern Conference (Celtics and Pistons) matched up against one another Monday night (Nov. 27), but the most intriguing game was the young 76ers going up against the Cavaliers. All eyes were on how Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons would perform against LeBron James.

Cavaliers (13-7) defeat 76ers (11-8) 113-91

You come for the King, you best not miss. The Sixers have played some of their best games on the biggest stages so far this season, but if Philadelphia had dreams of taking down LeBron James, they had something else coming to them.

After the Sixers scored the first five points of the game, James clapped back, scoring the next nine straight. A seven-point Cavs’ lead after the first quarter was nudged to eight by halftime. James dominated Philadelphia in the first half, scoring 22 points and hauling down seven rebounds.

But Joel Embiid has demonstrated this year that he doesn’t back down from anyone. The transcendent Philly center dropped 16 points in the third quarter on an array of spectacular moves. The 76ers slashed the deficit to three with 3:06 left in the third but the Cavs went on a 14-4 run to push that number to 13 heading into the final quarter.

Two Ben Simmons buckets made it a nine-point game, but that’s as close as Philly would get.

The stark difference in the game was that the 76ers hit just 3-28 from the three-point line, while the Cavs knocked down 15-37 from deep. James finished with 30 points, 13 rebounds, and six assists. Embiid led the 76ers with 30 points and 11 rebounds.

Pistons (13-6) defeat Celtics (18-4) 118-108

The Pistons came into the game second in the Eastern Conference but were down 4.5 games to Boston in the standings.

And while the Celtics have the top-ranked defense in the league, they had no answer for Andre Drummond. The Pistons’ center was an absolute beast down low with absolutely zero regard for the unfortunate big men matched up against him. His 12 points, 15 rebounds, and five assists in the first half put Detroit up 60-57 at halftime.

The Celtics battled back in the third, tying the game at 86. The two teams traded leads until Marcus Smart hit a three-point shot to give Boston a 100-99 edge with 5:46 left in the game. But the Pistons answered with an 18-8 run to put the game to bed. Drummond’s monster game resulted in 26 points, 22 rebounds, six assists, and four steals.

Trail Blazers (13-8) defeat Knicks (10-10) 103-91

Kristaps Porzingis sat out the Knicks’ game Saturday (Nov. 26), but returned to play against the Trail Blazers Monday night (Nov. 27). He made his presence known with a strong first half (14 points, four rebounds), but his teammates failed to add much more to the scoring punch. New York had just 37 points as Portland took a 16-point halftime lead.

Damian Lillard led the Trail Blazers with 11 points.

If the Knicks were hoping for a third-quarter comeback, it remained just that (a hope). Portland stormed out of intermission to extend their lead to 26 points. While the Knicks were able to reduce the deficit to eight late in the fourth quarter, the game was never in doubt. Lillard poured in 32 points on the night.

Pacers (12-9) defeat Magic (8-13) 121-109

The Pacers strong start to the season has put them right in the thick of the Eastern Conference standings. Indiana even gave Boston (the top team in the East) a run for its money Saturday night (Nov. 25) before succumbing to a second-half comeback. Against the Magic, they jumped out to a 57-50 halftime lead behind lights-out shooting from Pacers' guard Victor Oladipo, who shot 8-of-8 from the field for 18 points.

Indiana's lead reached 12 in the third quarter, but a 14-3 Magic run turned the score into a one-point game. Orlando even jumped ahead early in the fourth with an Evan Fournier basket, but the Pacers quickly reclaimed the lead and never looked back. Oladipo enacted revenge on his former team with 26 points on 11-14 shooting. Domantas Sabonis and Lance Stephenson came off the Indiana bench to combine for 37 points, 16 rebounds, and 10 assists.

Rockets (16-4) defeat Nets (7-13) 117-103

The Rockets are capable of steamrolling over any NBA team, and they just about did that to the Nets to the start the game. Houston outscored Brooklyn 43-26 in the first quarter to take an early 17-point lead. But the Rockets hot shooting cooled off, and the Nets fought back to cut that number to 11 by halftime.

Brooklyn left everything they had on the court, reducing the Houston lead down to four at one point in the third quarter. But the Rockets just had too much firepower, hitting 20 three-point shots in the game to secure the double-digit victory. James Harden had 37 points, 10 rebounds, and eight assists for Houston.
© ALL RIGHTS RESERVED