The NBA is Bonkers, I Tell You! Bonkers!
The NBA is Bonkers, I Tell You! Bonkers!
So much happened on Sunday.
I’m not sure if you caught all the NBA jazz on Sunday, but it was wild.
First, Damian Lillard copied his fellow Adidas buddy, Donovan Mitchell, and dropped a career-best 71 points on the Houston Rockets.
He also knocked down 13 3-pointers (for 39 points). Someone must have forgotten to tell him that the All-Star game was over.
To put how special this performance is into perspective, Dame is the eighth player in NBA history to accomplish this feat and, at 32 years old, he is the oldest player to do this.
He is also only the second player this season to score 70-plus points.
As for the 13 threes, he tied contemporaries Steph Curry (who did it in 2016) and Zach Lavine (who did it in 2019). He was one make away from tieing Klay Thompson, who made a league-high 14 3-pointers in 2018.
I’m going to enclose this highlight video so you can watch his performance if you haven’t seen it already.
Second, Nikola Jokic got another 40-point triple-double.
He scored 40 points, grabbed 17 rebounds, and dished 10 assists against the L.A. Clippers.
The game went into overtime and the Denver Nuggets almost lost in regulation. But luckily they didn’t and Jokic’s outstanding night wasn’t ruined.
This stat line marks The Joker’s 23rd triple-double of the season and his 14th in the last 19 games. This is also his 99th career regular-season triple-double.
He’s been incredible this season, and I think he deserves that third MVP trophy.
You may not agree with me, but hey, this is my opinion. The guy has been phenomenal all season, just like he was last season and the season before that.
Again, I’ve enclosed a highlight video for you to watch Jokic’s masterpiece.
The last crazy thing that happened on Sunday was the Dallas Mavericks losing a 27-point lead to the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Mavs were red-hot in the first half of the game and -seemingly- couldn’t miss anything.
Luka Doncic had 14 points on 5-11 shooting, Kyrie Irving had 12 points on 5-10 shooting, and Tim Hardaway, Jr. had 14 points on 4-6 shooting.
LeBron James and Anthony Davis combined for only 23 points on 9-of-19 shooting in the first half.
L.A. was down by a lot. But as the clock winded down, the Lakers’ championship DNA activated.
They grinded it out, slowly cutting into the lead, and by the final buzzer, they had three points on the Mavs and won the game 111-108.
It was a great win for the Lakers, who have won three straight games and won 4 of their last 5.
I think this could be a start to a hot run, which they really need if they want to play in the playoffs this season.
Again, I’ve enclosed the highlights for you to watch the exciting comeback.
Final Thoughts
It was a great day for basketball.
Lots happened and it could be hard to keep up. But hopefully, this newsletter keeps you in the loop.