Scoreboard
Timberwolves 138, Bucks 119
Hornets 129, Mavericks 108
Cavaliers 113, Pistons 109
Wizards 127, Lakers 119
What went down
The Minnesota Timberwolves have been cooking lately and not even the defending champions, the Milwaukee Bucks, can slow them down. From being an afterthought in the West, Minnesota has gained an unmatched confidence in the back half of the season. With a 42-30 record and riding a four-game winning streak, the Timberwolves are now just a hair away from snatching the sixth seed from the Denver Nuggets.
Sunday’s matchup against the Giannis Antetokounmpo-less Bucks was another prime example of how the Timberwolves aren’t messing around. Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards scored 25 points each to lead the way. The duo did more than just scoring as they also combined for 16 rebounds, nine assists, and five steals.
In a game marred with ejections (Pat Beverley and George Hill) and technical fouls, the Timberwolves did not back down and were able to emerge on top.
With Giannis out due to knee soreness, the T-Wolves took full advantage in the third quarter, outscoring the Bucks, 38-26, using a barrage of 3-pointers. They led by as many as 24 points in what turned out to be a one-sided second half. Minnesota has now won 10 of its last 11 games.
Big-time baller
LeBron James moved up to second in the all-time scoring list, surpassing Karl Malone. The King did it in the second quarter versus the Wizards via a driving layup. The Lakers lost the game as James finished with 38 points on 16-for-29 shooting, alongside 10 rebounds, and six assists.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and his 38,287 pints is the only thing left for James to conquer on the scoring list.
👑 LeBron receives a standing ovation after moving into 2nd All-Time in Scoring!
— NBA (@NBA) March 20, 2022
Watch Now on NBA League Pass: https://t.co/oz9UCQxdQa pic.twitter.com/u5A0XTlXLj
What he said
After beating the defending champs, here’s what KAT had to say in the postgame:
''Any time we step on the court, we should win… Simple as that. There's no excuse. We don't feel that we should lose to anybody. We feel we can beat anybody. So, every time we walk into the arena, we feel we should win. If we do what we're supposed to do, we feel it's a guaranteed win.''
Did you see that?
Kristaps Porzingis was clutch in the Wizards’ win, including this throwdown on LeBron. Porzingis scored 16 of his 27 points in the fourth quarter.
OKAY @kporzee ??
— Washington Wizards (@WashWizards) March 20, 2022
WOW 🤯 pic.twitter.com/XMifnmY876
