Scoreboard
76ers 121, Hornets 82
Hawks 127, Warriors 119
Cavaliers 117, Wizards 94
Bulls 139, Timberwolves 131
Rockets 114, Pelicans 112
Grizzlies 126, Spurs 120
Celtics 126, Trail Blazers 112
Mavericks 111, Lakers 110
What went down
Now that we’re in the final stretch of the regular season, the battle for playoff/play-in seeding is taking over. That was the case today in the West as things took a thrilling turn.
The Dallas Mavericks—without Luka Doncic and with Kyrie Irving playing through a foot injury—gutted out a road win against the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Lakers were up by four, 109-105, with 12 seconds to go. Anthony Davis ended up fouling Maxi Kleber on a 3-point attempt and the German knocked down all three free throws. Davis got fouled in the following possession, splitting his charities. That set up Dallas’ Whirling Dervish for a final play.
KLEBER FOR THE WIN pic.twitter.com/ghbhVbxgbM
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) March 18, 2023
That was Kleber’s lone 3-pointer of the game as he finished with 10 points. Irving tallied 38 points in 38 minutes of play. This win gave Dallas a momentary hold of the sixth seed with a 36-35 record, tied with the Golden State Warriors, who lost today to the Atlanta Hawks. That leaves the Lakers at 34-37, tied with Utah Jazz for the 10th seed and the final spot in the play-in.
Big-time baller
DeMar DeRozan just would not let the Chicago Bulls lose today. He dropped a season-high 49 points to lead the Bulls to a win in double-overtime against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Giannis is "scared" to lose the life he's created and uses it as his motivation 😤📈 pic.twitter.com/bccACtRcPO
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) March 17, 2023
Thirty-four of his points came after the halftime break. DeRozan got a lot of help from Zach LaVine, who had 39 points. Combined, they had 88 points, the most from a Bulls duo since Michael Jordan (69 points) and Horace Grant (16 points) had 85 in 1990.
What he said
Giannis Antetokounmpo is having the opposite of an existential crisis. He seems very much aware of his skills and the fleeting nature of an athletic career, which he revealed in an interview with The Athletic. One of his quotes was about not being as gifted as Steph Curry or Kevin Durant, both of whom are still superstars despite being 35 years old.
DeMar DeRozan drops a season-high 49 PTS and pulls down 14 REB to lead the @chicagobulls to the 2OT victory 🔥 pic.twitter.com/pLmBibQnab
— NBA (@NBA) March 18, 2023
Did you see that?
Dillon Brooks was fined $35k for “the unsportsmanlike act of shoving a camera person on the sideline after pursuing a loose ball,” the NBA announced. pic.twitter.com/dPFLnzFFcc
— ESPN (@espn) March 17, 2023
It seems the Memphis Grizzlies just can’t get out of the headlines. This time, it's Dillon Brooks receiving a $35,000 fine from the NBA for “making unsportsmanlike contact with a camera operator” during Memphis’ game against the Miami Heat on Thursday.
It turns out, the camera person might not be doing too well, according to longtime Miami Heat radio announcer Jason Jackson.
I rarely comment on these things, BUT this one is personal. Our veteran @BallyHEAT camera operator was injured & remains under evaluation.
— Jason Jackson (@TheJaxShow) March 17, 2023
The fine was on point, but the max would have felt like a sliver of justice after disregard for another human - an incredible one at that. https://t.co/cF6YzyCTda
