Scoreboard
Magic 119, Sixers 109
Nets 121, Lakers 104
Kings 118, Timberwolves 111
Warriors 128, Thunder 120
Wizards 127, Kings 106
Mavericks 111, Pistons 105
Suns 114, Raptors 106
Trail Blazers 129, Hawks 125
What went down
We were robbed of a Damian Lillard-Trae Young showdown. Young sat out the game versus Portland due to ankle soreness, which obviously put Atlanta at an instant disadvantage. But Dejounte Murray had other ideas.
While Dame entered this game looking like he had bad intentions to put the Hawks to bed early, Murray matched the energy the best way he could. Lillard fired on all cylinders; Murray did the same.
The Hawks hung with the Blazers throughout the game despite playing without their superstar in Young. The Blazers maintained a lead that didn’t go higher than eight points—the pesky Hawks just wouldn’t go away.
In the bottom half of the fourth quarter, the Blazers found themselves still holding a precarious seven-point lead. The Hawks, again led by the sheer will and talent of Murray, tied the game with a minute left in the game.
A clutch 3 by Anfernee Simons gave Portland a little separation, enough to somehow rattle Bogdan Bogdanovic in his game-tying free throw attempts.
Murray finished with 40 huge points for Atlanta, but Lillard did him a bucket better with 42. It was a game that proved to be closer than it should’ve been. In the end, Dame Time was on point. The Trae-Dame shootout will have to wait.
Big-time ballers
Luka Doncic came out firing versus the Detroit Pistons, scoring 24 points on four 3s in the first quarter. By the time the Mavs secured the W, Doncic notched yet another 50-point game. Fifty-three points, to be exact.
In Orlando, Doncic’s conspirator on multiple 50-point games, Joel Embiid, “only” scored 30 points. The big-time baller in this game was rookie Paolo Banchero, who dropped 29 points in the Magic win.
Paolo Banchero dropped 29 PTS and 9 REB as the Magic won in Philly 💪 pic.twitter.com/PiW5kbFujG
— NBA (@NBA) January 31, 2023
De’Aaron Fox put on another Fox classic in an overtime game against the Minnesota Timberwolves. Fox scored 32 points and got the win for Sacramento despite a 33-point explosion from Anthony Edwards.
What he said
With LeBron James inching closer and closer to beating the all-time scoring record, his former teammate Kyrie Irving had nothing but kind and celebratory words for the King:
Kyrie speaks on LeBron's greatness as he approaches the all-time scoring record. pic.twitter.com/TcolgQecho
— NBA (@NBA) January 31, 2023
Did you see that?
Milestone upon milestone. Against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Steph Curry hit another one for his career: surpassing Wilt Chamberlain for most field goals scored in Warriors’ franchise history.
With this bucket, Steph Curry passes Wilt Chamberlain for the most career FG's in Warriors franchise history.
— NBA (@NBA) January 31, 2023
He's got 20 PTS so far tonight 🔥
WATCH: https://t.co/1pomQZN8Pi pic.twitter.com/zF8YMwZYZR
