Scoreboard
- Mavericks 130, Magic 124
- 76ers 130, Pacers 114
- Nuggets 118, Bulls 112
- Pelicans 129, Jazz 124
- Nets 124, Spurs 113
- Cavaliers 101, Rockets 90
- Trail Blazers 123, Hornets 111
What went down
It was a busy day around the Association, highlighted by titanic matchups by playoff-seeking teams.
In New Orleans, Zion Williamson bullied his way to 26 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists to steer the Pelicans past the Utah Jazz, 129-124. The Pels were in full control with a double-digit lead in the last four minutes before the Jazz woke up and suddenly realized they were the best team in the league. Donovan Mitchell took the steering wheel for his team, scoring eight points in the closing minutes as the Jazz sliced the deficit to just a single point.
Unfortunately for Mitchell, he missed a floater that would have given them the lead. The Pelicans sealed the win moments later by employing tight defense that led to a Mike Conley miss and a Josh Hart dunk on the other end. New Orleans sits at 11th place in the West with a 15-19 record, while the Jazz suffered their second loss in three games but still lead the NBA at 27-8.
Over at the United Center, the Denver Nuggets survived a herculean effort from the Chicago Bulls to carve out a road win, 118-112. The Zach LaVine-led Bulls were determined to get an upset, but Nikola Jokic took matters into his own hands in the fourth quarter. Jokic scored 39 points and nearly got a triple-double in the win.
Big-time baller
Nikola Jokic was a sledgehammer against the Bulls as he dropped 39 points, 14 rebounds, and nine assists. The MVP candidate shot a blazing 60.7 percent from the field and committed just a single turnover. He went 0-for-3 from deep but that stat hardly mattered with his unstoppable post moves.
Jokic pulverized the Bulls particularly in the fourth quarter, scoring 17 points in a variety of ways. Whether he was double-teamed, fronted, or simply crowded by the Bulls defense, the big man was just relentless down the stretch.
What he said
Joel “Troel” Embiid strikes again with one of the most respectful disrespects in modern NBA.
“I say this respectfully, but that’s a matchup I’ve dominated since I got to the league.”
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) March 2, 2021
- Joel Embiid on his matchup against Myles Turner.
pic.twitter.com/U04MjtnqB1
Did you see that?
The fourth quarter ending between the Brooklyn Nets and San Antonio Spurs deserves to be inducted in the “Did You See That?” Hall of Fame.
The Nets were up by seven points with a minute and a half remaining but the Spurs fueled a spirited comeback and eventually forced overtime. The last 13 seconds were frenetic, exhilarating, and absolutely must-watch.
DEJOUNTE MURRAY SENDS IT TO OT 😱 pic.twitter.com/qpaQtZ5REw
— NBA TV (@NBATV) March 2, 2021
The Spurs couldn’t keep up with the Nets in the extra session, but Dejounte Murray’s one-man fastbreak turned loose ball turned game-tying basket was still a beauty.
What’s in a number?
It would be amiss not to mention James Harden and his 30-point, 14-rebound, 15-assist, 0-turnover game for the Nets. He is the first player in the franchise to have a 30-10-15 game. And if you think that tidbit is impressive, consider that Harden is the first player to have all those numbers without a single miscue since individual turnovers were tracked in the 1977-1978 season according to Elias Sports Bureau.
