Georges Niang Lights Up Sixers in Cavaliers Victory

Georges Niang had a dominant shooting night against the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday.

Mar 29, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward Georges Niang (20) celebrates with | Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

Seeing Georges Niang play with a chip on his shoulder is nothing new for the Philadelphia 76ers. After all, Niang was one of the most vocal veterans on the team, who was often fired up during his two-year tenure with the Sixers.

Now, Niang is giving that energy for the Cleveland Cavaliers. Unfortunately, the Sixers got another taste of it on Friday night, as Niang played like he was out for revenge.

“He was really in the right place at the right time a lot,” Sixers head coach Nick Nurse told reporters after the game. “Even when we changed coverages a few times, it just didn’t really work.”

Niang came off the bench for nearly 31 minutes on Friday night. He led the Cavs in shots taken, attempting 14 field goals. To no surprise, most of Niang’s production came from beyond the arc, where he’s been a reliable shooter throughout his career.

In Nurse’s eyes, the Sixers can surely blame themselves for their lack of defensive execution, which allowed Niang to get so many open looks. As a result, the reliable three-point threat made his former team pay.

“He’s one of the best shooters in the league,” Nurse finished. “He had a super game against his old team for sure.”

Niang credited the Cavaliers’ loss against a Joel Embiid-less Sixers team back in late February as a motivating factor for Friday’s win. Doing all he could to secure his new team another victory ahead of their playoff run, Niang lit up the Sixers by going 5-8 from deep, and scoring a game-high 25 points in the Cavs’ 117-114 win over Philadelphia.