Scoreboard
- Spurs 116, Cavaliers 110
- Kings 107, Celtics 96
- Heat 137, Pacers 110
- Magic 121, Nets 113
- Jazz 115, Raptors 112
- Pistons 113, Rockets 100
- Warriors 116, Grizzlies 103
- Nuggets 131, Bulls 127
- Suns 113, Timberwolves 101
- Trailblazers 125, Mavericks 119
What went down
Portland Trailblazers and Dallas Mavericks games are required to be encircled on the calendar for many reasons: Dame Time, Luka Magic, CJ McCollum’s reliability, Tim Hardaway’s hot hand, etc.
All of those things delivered.
Damian Lillard scored 31 points and activated Dame Time at the best possible time, just when the Mavs were on the ropes midway in the fourth quarter.
The thing with Dame Time is that it may come when the opponent least expects it, in many different ways. Here, it came with the Mavs up four, 5:59 to go. Lillard assisted on a Rodney Hood 3, drained a stepback jumper, then powered his way inside for a layup.
All of a sudden the Blazers were up, and the Mavs were left dazed with yet another version of Dame Time.
32 for @CJMcCollum, 31 for @Dame_Lillard to lead the @trailblazers to 3 in a row! 💦 pic.twitter.com/0940JGz9WL
— NBA (@NBA) March 20, 2021
Luka Doncic showed up with another Luka game (38 points, nine rebounds, and nine assists), hitting stepbacks and finding his open teammates in the most bizarre manner.
Tim Hardaway Jr. played his role of sidekick, chipping in 25 points on seven 3s.
But Portland locked Dallas up in the closing minutes, got the necessary stops and secured the important plays.
Then there’s CJ McCollum, who played just in his third game back from injury. He poured in 32 points on seven 3s, including the dagger over Kristaps Porzingis.
Portland won by six, but the final score doesn’t reflect how competitive it was in the clutch. These two teams in a seven-game series or two, who says no?
Big-time baller
Keldon Johnson did something against the Cleveland Cavaliers that only one player was able to do for the San Antonio Spurs since 2013.
Johnson scored 23 points, grabbed 21 rebounds, and swatted two shots, putting himself in the Spurs record books of eye-popping stats.
Keldon Johnsons puts up the first @spurs 20/20 game since Tim Duncan! 💪
— NBA (@NBA) March 20, 2021
23 PTS
21 REB (career high) pic.twitter.com/UTjHsd6O9Y
Tim Duncan, a sacred territory in the Spurs stratosphere, was the only player to do it eight years ago.
“It's definitely an honor to be in the company of one of the greats,” Johnson said after the game. Now is a good idea to buy Keldon stocks.
What he said
Jamal Murray, after another clutch performance for the Denver Nuggets, when asked if Nikola Jokic deserved MVP:
“Yes, yes, absolutely. All these stats of BPM, I don’t even know what those mean, but he’s leading everybody in that."
Did you see that?
Has Ja Morant been watching Vince Carter highlights?
wow. pic.twitter.com/BBZFL8wxc1
— Memphis Grizzlies (@memgrizz) March 20, 2021
Also, is Luka Doncic okay???
LUKAVISION 😲😲😲 pic.twitter.com/MIoOxj7NR2
— Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) March 20, 2021
