NBA roundup: Sixers defeat Lakers, Hawks triumph over Rockets in Atlanta

Tyrese Maxey delivered an impressive performance, scoring 43 points to guide the undermanned Philadelphia 76ers to a 118-104 victory against the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday.

This win came as the Houston Rockets secured a narrow 100-96 triumph over the Atlanta Hawks.

With Joel Embiid absent for his twelfth consecutive game and Paul George out due to a finger injury, Maxey rose to the occasion, leading the Sixers to their third consecutive win.

The loss ended the Lakers' four-game winning streak, which included a notable victory over the defending champions, the Boston Celtics. Compounding their troubles, star player Anthony Davis left the game in the first quarter due to an abdominal strain.

At the time of Davis's exit, the Lakers were leading 20-17, but they struggled defensively without him. The 76ers capitalized on this, outscoring the Lakers 48-32 in the second quarter and taking a 73-57 lead into halftime.

LeBron James contributed 31 points, along with eight rebounds and nine assists, but acknowledged that the team's 22 turnovers proved too detrimental to overcome.

"When your best player goes out, it's always challenging," James remarked, while emphasizing the need for improvement. "We had too many turnovers tonight that resulted in too many buckets for them. You can't make mistake after mistake after mistake."

In addition, James, the all-time leading scorer in the league, recorded one steal, which allowed him to ascend to sixth place on the all-time steals list with a total of 2,311.

Meanwhile, in Atlanta, Jalen Green scored 25 points for the Rockets, who managed to withstand a late rally from the Hawks to secure their fourth consecutive victory.

Following three significant wins, including two against the Eastern Conference-leading Cleveland Cavaliers and a close 114-112 win over Boston, the Rockets showcased another resilient performance.

Green's steal and subsequent layup extended Houston's lead to 96-80 with 5:16 remaining, but the Hawks narrowed the gap to 98-96 with less than a minute left in the game.

DeAndre Hunter had an opportunity to give the Hawks the lead but failed to convert a three-pointer, while Alperen Sengun secured the win with a decisive dunk.

Sengun concluded the game with 18 points and 10 rebounds, and Jae'Sean Tate contributed 16 points from the bench for Houston.

Trae Young led Atlanta with 21 points, marking the team's sixth consecutive loss.

SportsLigue