Scoreboard
- Bulls-Hornets PPD
- Magic 107, Knicks 89
- Hawks 122, Celtics 114
- Sixers 118, Rockets 113
- Spurs-Cavaliers PPD
- Wizards 130, Nuggets 128
- Pacers 134, Timberwolves 128
- Bulls 105, Pistons 102
- Pistons-Mavericks PPD
- Trailblazers 126, Pelicans 124
- Grizzlies 122, Thunder 113
- Warriors 120, Heat 112
- Jazz 114, Clippers 96
What went down
Never quit—this was the common thread in today’s most exciting games where safe leads were not safe at all.
The Washington Wizards, the Chicago Bulls, and the Golden State Warriors all came back from double-digit deficits to snatch the W from their respective opponents. They all did it in different ways, too.
The Wizards were down by 20 against the Nuggets in the first half but managed to control the game in the second half, but almost getting single-handedly beat by Jamal Murray in the closing minutes despite leading by 13 with less than five minutes left. If that sounded wild, it’s because that’s exactly what it is. After Davis Bertans (career-high 35 points) seemed to ice the game with three free throws, Murray drained a huge 3, Dame-style, to tie the game with 2.8 seconds left.
Then in the final possession, Bradley Beal took it to heart of the Denver defense and drew a foul with 0.1 left on the clock. Swish, swish. Game over, unceremoniously.
The Bulls, on the other hand, did a complete turnaround after being down 25 points. Zach LaVine (37 points) never stopped gunning and led the Bulls to the biggest comeback win of the season. The Pistons’ Jerami Grant hung a career-high 43 points on the Bulls, but not enough to get the win.
Then there’s the 19-point comeback by the Warriors versus the Heat. Everyone, from Kent Bazemore (26 points) to Kelly Oubre (23 points) to Andrew Wiggins (23 points), clawed their way to an OT win for the Warriors, which added Draymond Green to its list of unusable resources.
Steph Curry had a bad shooting night (5 of 20 from 3), which of course, in Steph Curry fashion, ended with a dagger stepback 3 with 16 seconds left to give the Warriors a six-point lead. He had missed 15 3s at that point, but because he’s Steph Curry, because he never quit, everything ended on the positive.
Big-time baller
Domantas Sabonis.
That’s it, that’s the list of Pacers players with at least 30 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists in a game since the franchise joined the NBA in the late 70s.
Add to that these All-Star things he did today: dropped a career-high 36 points on 13-of-21 shooting, notched his seventh career triple-double (the most in franchise history), and got the overtime W against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Domas was on a different planet tonight 🤯
— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) February 18, 2021
36 PTS | 17 REB | 10 AST | 3 STL pic.twitter.com/y0SMSG8ayu
What he said
“The only people I’m scared of are God and my Dad.” — Zach LaVine, after a minor dustup with Detroit Pistons’ wingman Josh Jackson.
Did you see that?
The Minnesota Timberwolves’ top pick Anthony Edwards woke up today and chose to do whatever this is, which in real-time looked super violent and disrespectful to Doug McDermott, but in super slow motion looked quite the opposite.
Anthony Edwards EXPLODES to the rim. 😨@Timberwolves up at the half on NBA LP pic.twitter.com/mdroZ5lV3f
— NBA (@NBA) February 18, 2021
It appeared like Edwards was giving Doug a friendly little hug while airborne and tried to gently carry him in his journey to the rim.
Poor Doug for being posterized, but at the same time, lucky Doug for being in close proximity to Edwards’ greatness.
