Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid are showing they each have the ability to be Defensive Player of the Year, according to Philadelphia 76ers team-mate Danny Green.
The Sixers were 127-112 winners against the Charlotte Hornets on Saturday, with Simmons' 29th career triple-double leading the way.
The 24-year-old, who made the All-Defensive First Team in 2020, also had had a block and a steal to go with his 15 points, 11 assists and 12 rebounds, of which 11 were on the defensive end.
Team-mate Embiid - twice selected to the All-Defensive Second Team - balanced his 19 points with 11 defensive rebounds, a steal and an assist, too.
Green said of the pair after Philly moved to 5-1 at the top of the East: "They can be monstrous for us defensively.
"I think they have the potential, both of them, to be Defensive Player of the Year with their size, ability, reflexes, their footwork."
Coach Doc Rivers was on the same page, too, adding: "Ben has been, in my opinion, as good as anyone in the league defensively.
"Then having Joel to back him up, that combination defensively allows you to do a lot of things that you probably wouldn't do when you have the size of those two guys."
But the Sixers' two star names were not the only players contributing on both ends of the floor against Charlotte.
Tobias Harris was particularly impressive in a dominant display that led his team in scoring with 24 points but also included nine rebounds, six assists, four steals and three blocks.
Six games into the season, Harris is averaging career highs in rebounds (8.5), assists (3.2, same as 2019-20), steals (1.5) and blocks (1.5), and Simmons has noted the improvement.
"On both sides of the ball, offensively and defensively, he's been amazing," he said. "He's been an amazing factor for our team and he's going to be if we want to win a championship."
Simmons added: "We've got a good group, the chemistry's good off the floor. It makes it even better when you're winning, playing the right way, sharing the ball.
"Guys aren't worried about who's scoring the ball, as long as we're scoring and winning games.
"That's what it's all about for us. Our goal is to win a championship, and to do that, we need everybody."
Ben Simmons led the way with his 29th career triple-double as the Philadelphia 76ers claimed top spot in the NBA Eastern Conference with a 127-122 win over the Charlotte Hornets.
Simmons dropped 15 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists as Philly opened up a 15-point first quarter lead and never looked back to go 5-1.
Joel Embiid contributed with a double-double of 19 points and 14 rebounds, while Tobias Harris top scored with 24 points as the 76ers claimed a third straight victory.
Ben Simmons (15 PTS, 12 REB, 11 AST) puts up a triple-double as the @sixers move to 5-1!
Tobias Harris: 24 PTS, 9 REB, 6 AST, 4 STL, 3 BLK
Seth Curry: 21 PTS (8-11 FGM), 6 AST
Joel Embiid: 19 PTS, 14 REB
Terry Rozier: 35 PTS, 7 3PM pic.twitter.com/ZgvqSUC9kp
— NBA (@NBA) January 3, 2021
The Atlanta Hawks (4-2) fell off the pace in the East following a 96-91 loss against the Cleveland Cavaliers as Colin Sexton scored 13 of his 27 points in the fourth quarter to snatch the win.
John Wall led the scoring with 28 points as the Houston Rockets made it back-to-back triumphs against the Sacramento Kings, 102-98, in Texas.
Christian Wood posted a double-double with 15 rebounds and 20 points as the Rockets improved from 0-2 to 2-2 since Wall’s arrival, while James Harden was sidelined with an ankle injury.
Big scorers come up short for Magic, Pacers
Nikola Vucevic dazzled, putting up 30 points and 13 rebounds, but it was not enough to prevent the Orlando Magic slipping to 4-2 after a 108-99 loss against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Six OKC players hit double-figures in an all-round team effort as Darius Bazley top scored with 19 points and 12 rebounds.
Ryan Garcia came through his biggest test yet after recovering from a knock down to beat Luke Campbell by stoppage in Dallas, Texas.
Garcia was crowned WBC interim lightweight champion after a devastating left hook to Campbell's body finished the Englishman off 1 minute 58 seconds into the seventh round.
The 22-year-old lightweight made it 21 straight pro wins in a thrilling contest but it was far from a smooth victory against the 33-year-old in the American Airlines Center.
After the rising star was carried to ringside on a throne, 'King Ry' was dropped for this first time in his career with a stunning left hand from Campbell in the second round.
Garcia offered a quick response and continued as the aggressor, almost knocking Campbell down at the close of the fifth but 'Cool Hand' hit the ropes and was saved by the bell.
The perfectly-placed finishing blow sunk the Olympic gold medallist to the canvas as Garcia recorded a fifth straight knockout since teaming up with gym-mate Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez.
"Yo, I got dropped, this is crazy," Garcia told DAZN.
"I’ve never been dropped in my life. I think I got a little too excited over the moment.
"I knew I was in control.. and I thought I could just crack him, but he cracked me.
"So I had to adjust and just say ‘I’m going to calm down’ because I knew I could beat him.
"I had to get back up and show everybody what a warrior really is like."
Gerwyn Price will have the chance to become the world number one as he contests the PDC World Championship final against two-time champion and old foe Gary Anderson.
Price, the first Welshman to make the final, is one win away from becoming world champion and usurping Michael van Gerwen at the top of the rankings after an epic last-four win over Stephen Bunting.
The 35-year-old advanced 6-4 despite trailing 3-1 and 4-3 to Bunting, who was looking to add to his 2014 BDO title.
A gripping encounter saw a record 13 ton-plus checkouts, including eight from Price, matching the individual World Championship benchmark.
The Iceman favoured the double-10, making his first 10 in a row, including a nerveless effort to level the match, although he threatened to melt in the heat of battle and twice missed darts for the seventh set.
Further chances came and went for the third seed, yet the pressure eventually told and he decisively found tops moments after Bunting had supplied the 26th 180 of the match.
"It's the best I've played in this tournament, and I needed to," Price told Sky Sports.
Next up is Anderson, who has bemoaned gamesmanship at the tournament this week and will no doubt recall his controversial 2018 clash with Price in the Grand Slam of Darts final.
Price was fined for his antics in that match but will do well to get under the skin of Anderson this time.
Dave Chisnall, a 5-0 winner against Van Gerwen in the quarters, struggled to keep pace with the Scot, who will play a fifth PDC world final.
Anderson averaged 100 in a 6-3 triumph but said the semi-final "felt atrocious".
The final reunion with Price has come as a surprise, as he explained: "I thought Stephen Bunting. For me, to be honest, I was looking at a Bunting-Chizzy final, the way they've been playing."
Patrick Williams took pride in guarding Giannis Antetokounmpo, even though the rookie could not stop the NBA's reigning MVP from delivering a stellar performance against the Chicago Bulls.
Antetokounmpo recorded 29 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists as he helped the Milwaukee Bucks to a 126-96 victory on Friday.
Milwaukee had seven players in double digits, and they hit 22 three-pointers. No team has hit more treble scores through the first six games of a season than the Bucks' tally of 108.
Despite the heavy defeat, Bulls head coach Billy Donovan was happy with the performance of Williams, who on his sixth appearance was tasked with the unenviable challenge of shadowing Antetokounmpo.
"I'm sure internally inside of himself he's probably saying, like, 'Wow, last year I was playing in college, the year before that I was in high school'," Donovan told reporters.
"It's a lot for a young player to handle. But he's got to kind of get thrown to it, and he's gotta learn it and experience it. But his attitude and his disposition, whatever you put in front of him is always the same."
Reflecting on his game, 19-year-old Williams said: "My chest is on fire right now just from the shoulders that [Antetokounmpo] gave me.
"I was just blessed to be in this opportunity for sure. Of course, we wanted to win the game, but now that we didn't win, we can learn from it.
"He doesn't really compare to any other guy that I've had to guard yet this season. But the next time we play them, I hope to guard him again and do better.
"Being able to guard somebody like that in my sixth game of the season, it means a lot. It means a lot that coach trusted me to guard him pretty much the entire game when I was out there. It shows the trust that he has in me and the trust that I have to have in myself. It means a lot for sure.
"I want to guard the best player every night. It's just the person that I am. I want to be the guy that always guards the best person. So, if I want to be that guy, I've got to learn from it. It's just a blessing."
Last month, Antetokounmpo signed an extension reportedly worth $228.2million (£170.1m) – the largest deal in NBA history.
Averaging 23.5 points per game, he has helped the Bucks – who have a home series against the Detroit Pistons up next – to three wins this season.
"I'd say the growth in my game comes from being less stubborn," Antetokounmpo told a postgame media conference.
"Keep your team-mates involved, got to look at the bigger picture. Being less stubborn, sacrificing for my team-mates."
LeBron James wants to see the Los Angeles Lakers get Marc Gasol more involved going forward.
James (26 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists) and Anthony Davis (34 points and 11 rebounds) guided the Lakers past the San Antonio Spurs 109-103 in the NBA on Friday.
Gasol attempted just one field goal in his 20 minutes, while finishing with eight rebounds and three assists.
James hopes the Lakers can use the 35-year-old more often as the season progresses.
"I just think playing through him a lot more. When we do that, we're very good because his ability to see the floor, pass the ball, he does some special things out on the floor," he told a news conference.
"When he's on the floor, we have to do a better job of not playing much pick and roll with him setting the picks but more just letting him kind of play that point four or that point centre position at the top of the key, letting offense flow through him because he makes just great decisions.
"We're going to get him more involved because he's going to be a big part of what we do, we know that, he showed that already this year against Minnesota.
"We want to continue to just get him and Dennis [Schroder] and Trez [Montrezl Harrell] and Wes [Matthews] acclimated to what we want to do and go from there."
The Lakers (4-2) face the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday.
The Los Angeles Lakers made it back-to-back wins in the NBA, while the Milwaukee Bucks thrashed the Chicago Bulls on Friday.
LeBron James posted a triple-double of 26 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists as the Lakers beat the San Antonio Spurs 109-103.
Anthony Davis had a game-high 34 points, to go with 11 rebounds, as the Lakers enjoyed a second win in three days over San Antonio.
Keldon Johnson (26) and DeMar DeRozan (23) combined for 49 points for Spurs.
Giannis Antetokounmpo (29 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists) helped the Bucks crush the Bulls 126-96.
Milwaukee had seven players in double-digits and the Bucks hit 22 three-pointers.
No team has hit more threes through the first six games of a season than the Bucks' 108 to begin 2020-21.
Doncic lifts Mavericks, Leonard's Clippers lose
Luka Doncic finished with 27 points, 15 rebounds and seven assists in the Dallas Mavericks' 93-83 win over the Miami Heat.
Kawhi Leonard fell just short of a triple-double as he posted 20 points, 16 rebounds and nine assists, but the Los Angeles Clippers went down to the Utah Jazz 106-100.
The Portland Trail Blazers eased past the Golden State Warriors 123-98 thanks largely to 34 points from Damian Lillard. Lillard joined Clyde Drexler as the only players to score 15,000 points with the Trail Blazers.
Deandre Ayton's double-double of 22 points and 11 rebounds helped the Phoenix Suns improve to 5-1 with a 106-103 victory against the Denver Nuggets.
Nets slip to 3-3
Kyrie Irving struggled from the field, shooting six-of-21 for 18 points, as the Brooklyn Nets were beaten by the Atlanta Hawks 114-96. Kevin Durant finished with 28 points.
Grant delivers huge dunk
Jerami Grant produced a huge dunk as part of his 24 points in the Detroit Pistons' first win of the season – a 96-93 victory over the Boston Celtics.
Friday's results
Memphis Grizzlies 108-93 Charlotte Hornets
Detroit Pistons 96-93 Boston Celtics
Dallas Mavericks 93-83 Miami Heat
Atlanta Hawks 114-96 Brooklyn Nets
Milwaukee Bucks 126-96 Chicago Bulls
Washington Wizards 130-109 Minnesota Timberwolves
Los Angeles Lakers 109-103 San Antonio Spurs
Phoenix Suns 106-103 Denver Nuggets
Utah Jazz 106-100 Los Angeles Clippers
Portland Trail Blazers 123-98 Golden State Warriors
Kings at Rockets
The Sacramento Kings (3-2) take on James Harden and the Houston Rockets (1-2) on Saturday.
John Wall enjoyed his Houston Rockets debut, saying his job was to make James Harden's life a little easier.
In his first regular-season appearance since December 2018, Wall helped the Rockets past the Sacramento Kings 122-119 on Thursday.
Wall finished with 22 points, nine assists and six rebounds, while Harden had 33 points, eight assists and six rebounds.
After his debut for the Rockets, Wall said he enjoyed his connection with Harden.
"I think it was cool. I missed some easy shots, trying to get some rust off, no matter how much I practice and play in preseason it's a bit different when you get in real games," the guard told a news conference.
Wall added: "My job here is to help James as much as possible, make it a little easier for him.
"You know when we need a bucket and get to crunch-time situation, you know what he's capable of."
Harden scored 16 fourth-quarter points for the Rockets, who claimed their first win of the season.
The eight-time All-Star was pleased with the win, while praising Wall's performance.
"He was extremely aggressive, making plays, defensively getting after it, he looked really, really good, especially not playing in almost two years," Harden said.
"Once we get a rhythm and guys get into their roles and find their best fit for the team, we'll be even better.
"But I'm happy in the last six minutes when it was time to get stops we did and offensively we executed."
John Wall impressed on his Houston Rockets debut, while the Philadelphia 76ers' fine start to the NBA season continued.
In his first regular-season appearance since December 2018, Wall helped the Rockets to their first win of the season with a 122-119 victory over the Sacramento Kings on Thursday.
Wall posted 22 points, nine assists and six rebounds on his Rockets debut after being traded from the Washington Wizards at the start of December.
James Harden again starred, finishing with 33 points, eight assists and six rebounds.
The 76ers improved to 4-1 and handed Orlando their first loss of the season, beating the Magic 116-92.
Joel Embiid was seven-of-11 from the field for 21 points, while he also pulled down nine rebounds.
Westbrook's Wizards fall again as Booker shines
Russell Westbrook posted another triple-double with 22 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds, but the Washington Wizards dropped to 0-5 after a 133-130 loss to the Chicago Bulls. Westbrook joined Oscar Robertson as the only players in NBA history to open a season with four triple-doubles in their first four games.
Thomas Bryant had 28 points for the Wizards after going 10-of-11 from the field.
Devin Booker's game-high 25 points helped the Phoenix Suns past the Utah Jazz 106-95. The Suns are 4-1.
Domantas Sabonis had a double-double of 25 points and 11 rebounds in the Indiana Pacers' 119-99 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers. Sabonis has posted at least a double-double in all five of his games this season.
Terrible Thunder
The Oklahoma City Thunder shot at just 37.5 per cent from the field in a 113-80 loss to the New Orleans Pelicans.
Harden, Wall power Rockets
Harden and Wall finished with 55 points and 17 assists between them against the Kings.
Thursday's results
Indiana Pacers 119-99 Cleveland Cavaliers
Chicago Bulls 133-130 Washington Wizards
Philadelphia 76ers 116-92 Orlando Magic
Houston Rockets 122-119 Sacramento Kings
Toronto Raptors 100-83 New York Knicks
New Orleans Pelicans 113-80 Oklahoma City Thunder
Phoenix Suns 106-95 Utah Jazz
Lakers at Spurs
The Los Angeles Lakers (3-2) and San Antonio Spurs (2-2) will meet again on Friday. LeBron James powered the Lakers to a win over San Antonio on Wednesday.
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