Scoreboard
Raptors 130, Warriors 77
Celtics 118, Rockets 102
Mavericks 99, Knicks 86
Hornets 114, Pacers 97
Grizzlies 120, Timberwolves 108
Hawks 126, Pelicans 103
Jazz 113, Bulls 107
Suns 140, Thunder 103
Bucks 127, Trail Blazers 109
Lakers 115, Kings 94
What went down
Around six years ago, there was nothing quite like Golden State. Countless unforgettable Steph Curry moments and 30-point quarters from Klay Thompson made the Warriors a powerhouse in the Western Conference.
In 2016, they ran into LeBron James in the 2016 NBA Finals. But despite being forever part of basketball infamy when they lost the title after leading 3-1 in the series, the Warriors reloaded in a big way and acquired Kevin Durant and completely took over the league for the next two years. There were hardly any doubts which team would come away with the chip in 2017 and 2018, as the Warriors shut down the league with their unselfish play on offense and disciplined defense on the other end.
They could have made it three titles in a row, but injuries to Durant and Thompson derailed their three-peat dreams. The loss to Toronto in 2019 doesn’t dampen everything the Warriors were able to accomplish. They took over the league for almost half a decade, and every squad that had title aspirations were measuring themselves against the Dubs.
With all that being said….
Hopefully those wonderful moments are in the hearts and minds of Warriors fans, particularly now after suffering a 130-77 loss to the Toronto Raptors.
Steve Kerr called the 53-point beatdown, which was the largest margin of victory in Raptors history, "humiliating."
Welp.
Big-time baller
Yes, we all know the narrative about Giannis Antetokounmpo.
He’s awesome in the regular season, yet he flames out in the playoffs. When defenses build a wall around him, he struggles to break through and make the right play or hit the big shot.
That could be a reason why we hardly hear his name in the MVP conversation this season. We’ve seen this before in his previous two MVP campaigns. Brilliant regular season, so-so playoffs. So making Antetokounmpo a three-time MVP, a feat only eight other players in the NBA has achieved, could be making people nervous.
But seriously. After dropping 47 points, going 18-of-21 from the field, how long can we keep Giannis out of the MVP conversation?
What he said
''This was probably our best game with all those guys out, from the standpoint of playing the right way and doing it for 48 minutes.” — Kyle Kuzma after the Los Angeles Lakers found a way to defeat the Sacramento Kings without LeBron James, Anthony Davis and new acquisition Andre Drummond.
Did you see that?
Jaxon Hayes, New Orlean’s second year center, had to stretch to finish this oop. An athletic finisher for the high-flying big man of the Pelicans!
"That is an athletic young man right there!" OH MY JAXSON HAYES! 🤯 pic.twitter.com/etIzX9whqQ
— NBA (@NBA) April 3, 2021
