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3/24/21 Recap

On Wednesday,

Middleton leads Bucks past Celtics 121-119. He recorded 27 points and 13 rebounds and very surprisingly outperformed Giannis, who had 13 points, eight rebounds, seven assists.

Cavs defeat Bulls 103-94 without Sexton. Darius Garland provided 22 points and nine assists, while Jarrett Allen posted 19 points and nine rebounds.

Pacers top Pistons 116-111. LeVert put up 28 points. Jerami Grant had 29 points for the Pistons in the loss.

Raptors end 9-game losing streak, blowout Nuggets 135-111. Pascal Siakam posted 27 points and eight rebounds. Should the Raptors trade Kyle Lowry?

Other games

Magic edge Suns 112-111. N. Vucevic - 27 PTS, 14 REB. 3 Suns players top 20+ PTS

Hornets scorch Rockets. Rozier - 25 PTS

Mavs beat Wolves 128-108. K. Porzingis - 29 PTS, 9 REB

Jazz blast short-handed Nets 118-88. D. Mitchell 27 PTS, 7 AST. No KD, Kyrie, or Harden for Nets.

Kings top Hawks 110-108.

Grizzlies top Thunder 116-107.

Clippers dominate Spurs 134-101.

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3/23/21 Recap

On Tuesday,

Nuggets top Magic 110-99 behind Jokic's 12th triple-double. He posted 28 points, 15 rebounds, 10 assists. The Nuggets are 8-2 in their last 10 and the Magic are 1-9.

Pelicans smoke short-handed Lakers 128-111. Brandon Ingram scored a season-high 36 points, and Zion Williamson supplied 27 points and nine rebounds. With Anthony Davis and LeBron James sidelined with injuries, have the Lakers chances of a repeat run out?

Knicks beat Wizards 131-113. Julius Randle was feeling it from deep. He made 7 three-pointers and scored 37 points in this win. Westbrook and Beal were held to a combined total of only 36 points.

Other games

Suns rolls past Heat 110-100, win seventh consecutive road game. D. Ayton - 17 PTS, 16 REB

Nets edge Blazers 116-112. Harden - 25 PTS, 17 AST, 7 REB

76ers up 1 over Warriors with 4:55 left in 4th.

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3/17/21 Recap

Wednesday,

Harden leads Nets to 124-116 win over the Pacers. He recorded 40 points, 10 rebounds, and 15 assists.

ESPN Scoreboard

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3/16/21

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3/15/21 Recap

On Monday,

Hornets beat Kings 122-116.

Bucks down Wizards 133-122.

Nets stomp Knicks 117-112.

Spurs top Pistons 109-99.

Clippers beat Mavs 109-99.

Nuggets get Pacers 121-106.

Suns scorch Grizzlies 122-99.

Lakers beat Warriors 128-97.

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3/14/21 Recap

On Sunday,

Warriors held off top-seeded Jazz to snap 4-game losing streak 131-119. Steph Curry amassed 32 points and nine assists on 50% FG and 66% 3P. Happy Birthday. Draymond Green also posted a triple-double. The Warriors are a spectacular 25-1 when he records one. Despite the loss, Rudy Gobert posted a fantastic 24 points and 28 rebounds. The question remains, can the Warriors snag a playoff spot this year?

Heat rally late to beat Magic for 4th straight win 102-97. Jimmy Butler scored 29 points and Tyler Herro added 22 off the bench to give the Magic its 8th straight loss. Can the Magic turn this slump around?

Sixers clobber Spurs 134-99 without Embiid. Tobias Harris supplied 23 points on 55% FG and Seth Curry added 21 points on 56% FG. Will the Spurs fall out of the playoff picture?

Pelicans smoke Clippers 135-115. Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram scored 27 points and 23 points, respectively. K. Leonard - 23 PTS, 68% FG | P. George - 15 PTS, 35% FG

Other games

Hawks rout Cavs 100-82. J. Collins - 22 PTS, 12 REB

Celtics hand Rockets 16th straight loss 134-107. J. Tatum - 23 PTS, 6 REB, 6 AST | J. Brown - 24 PTS, 64% FG

Timberwolves edge Blazers 114-112. A. Edwards - 34 PTS | D. Lillard - 38 PTS, 7 REB

Thunder top Grizzlies 128-122. Gilgeous-Alexander - 30 PTS | J. Valanciunas - 16 PTS, 14 REB

Bulls down Raptors 118-95. P. Williams - 23 PTS, 6 REB | N. Powell - 32 PTS

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3/13/21 Recap

On Saturday,

Knicks beat Thunder 119-97

Nets top Pistons 100-95.

Hornets win over Raptors 114-104.

Bucks down Wizards 125-119.

Hawks topple Kings 121-106.

Lillard, Anthony lift Blazers over Wolves 125-121.

Mavs beat Nuggets 116-103.

Pacers cool off Suns 122-11.

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3/12/21 Recap

On Friday,

76ers demolish Wizards 127-101 despite scary Embiid injury. Joel Embiid had a hard fall in the third quarter after trying to go up for a dunk. The MRI today revealed he could miss two weeks with a knee injury.

Butler, Heat top Bulls 101-90. Jimmy Butler put up 28 points and eight assists. The Miami Heat have now gone 9-1 in their last 10 and sit as the 4 seed in the Eastern Conference after a slow start to the season. Is Butler an MVP candidate?

Nuggets edge Grizzlies 103-102. Ja Morant was upset that Jokic was not called for a foul at the end of the game. Nikola Jokic amassed 28 points, 15 rebounds, and seven assists. Is Jokic the MVP front runner with Embiid out?

Other games

Lakers beat Pacers 105-100. Kuzma - 24 PTS, 13 REB | LeBron - 18 PTS, 10 AST | M. Brogdon - 29 PTS, 7 REB, 6 AST

Pelicans smoke Cavaliers 116-82. Ingram - 28 PTS, 7 REB | Zion 23 PTS, 6 REB

Spurs dominate Magic 104-77, hand Orlando 7th straight loss. D. Murray - 17 PTS, 6 REB, 6 AST.

Jazz hand Rockets 15th straight loss 114-99. D. Mitchell - 28 PTS, 7 REB, 8 AST

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3/11/21 Short Recap

Clippers destroy Warriors 130-104.

Bucks clobber Knicks 134-101.

Nets top Celtics 121-109.

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3/10/21 Recap

On Wednesday,

The NBA returned after the All-Star break.

The Grizzlies took down the Wizards 127-112 behind Valanciunas' monster 29 point, 20 rebound night.

The Mavericks beat the Spurs 115-104. L. Doncic - 22 PTS, 12 AST, 12 REB

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All-Star Weekend Recap

Things were condensed this All-Star Weekend due to COVID-19 restrictions. To start, The Rising Stars game did not take place and the Celebrity game was replaced with a 2v2 matchup with Quavo and Jack Harlow v.s. 2 Chainz and Lil Baby. The Skills Challenge, Slam Dunk Contest, 3 PT Contest, and the All-Star game were all played on the same day. There were also only around 2,500 fans, as opposed to the 17,000 last year.

The decision to host the weekend was met with stark criticism. Many NBA stars ripped the league for hosting it despite obvious COVID-19 concerns. Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons were ruled out due to contract tracing early Sunday, the same day the game was to be played. Zion Williamson replaced Embiid in the starters, but no selections were made to replace the Sixers stars in the game.

Domantis Sabonis - Skills Challenge winner

Stephen Curry - 3 Point Contest winner

Anfernee Simons - Slam Dunk Contest winner

Giannis Antetokounmpo won All-Star Game MVP with a perfect 16-16 from the field.

Team LeBron defeated Team Durant 170-150.

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3/4/21 Recap

Last day before the All-Star break.

On Thursday,

The Heat topped the Pelicans 103-93 behind Jimmy Butler's 29 points and nine assists. The Heat are a problem with Butler. When healthy, they are an easy playoff team.

Knicks' Randle explodes for 27 points, 16 rebounds, seven assists in 114-104 win over the Pistons. Randle let everyone know why he is an All-Star this year. The Knicks are now over .500 heading into the break.

Wizards beat Clippers 119-117. Bradley Beal, The NBA's-leading scorer, put up 33 points after Paul George was deemed out.

Other games

Bucks edge Grizzlies, 112-111. Giannis - 26 PTS, 11 REB, 8 AST | Morant - 35 PTS, 6 REB, 5 AST

Nuggets top Pacers 113-103. Jokic - 20 PTS, 11 REB, 8 AST

Thunder snap two-game losing streak, win 107-102 over Spurs. Gilgeous-Alexander - 33 PTS, 8 AST

Blazers top Kings 123-119. D. Lillard - 44 PTS, 7 AST | D. Fox - 32 PTS, 8 REB, 12 AST

Suns bash injured Warriors 120-98. C. Payne - 17 PTS, 10 AST | J. Poole - 26 PTS

Celtics beat depleted Raptors 132-125. J. Tatum - 27 PTS, 12 REB

Standings heading into the All-Star break 🔽

EAST

1. Philadelphia 76ers (24-12)

2. Brooklyn Nets (24-13)

3. Milwaukee Bucks (22-14)

4. Boston Celtics (19-17)

5. NY Knicks (19-18)

6. Miami Heat (18-18)

7. Charlotte Hornets (17-18)

8. Toronto Raptors (17-19)

Chicago Bulls (16-18)

Indiana Pacers (16-19)

Atlanta Hawks (16-20)

Washington Wizards (14-20)

Cleveland Cavaliers (14-22)

Orlando Magic (13-23)

Detroit Pistons (10-26)

WEST

1. Utah Jazz (27-9)

2. Phoenix Suns (24-11)

3. LA Lakers (24-13)

4. LA Clippers (24-14)

5. Portland Trail Blazers (21-14)

6. Denver Nuggets (21-15)

7. SA Spurs (18-14)

8. Dallas Mavericks (18-16)

Golden State Warriors (19-18)

Memphis Grizzlies (16-16)

NO Pelicans (15-21)

OKC Thunder (15-21)

Sacramento Kings (14-22)

Houston Rockets (11-23)

Minnesota Timberwolves (7-29)

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3/3/21 Recap

On Wednesday,

Joel Embiid roared for 40 points and 19 rebounds in a 131-123 overtime win over the top seeded Jazz. He also hit an amazing 3-pointer at the end of regulation to send the Sixers to overtime. Embiid's double-double sounds even more impressive because he was matched up against Rudy Gobert. Gobert is a two-time defensive player of the year winner and leads the race this year too.

Damian Lillard's late 3-pointer gave the Blazers the edge in a 108-106 win over the Warriors. Lillard supplied 22 points, 5 rebounds, and 6 assists. Despite the loss, Steph Curry displayed a 35 point, 7 rebound, and 5 assist performance.

The Bulls shocked the Pelicans 128-124. Pels fans hoped that the team would build strength off the recent win against the Jazz, but Zach LaVine was able to lift the Bulls over the Pelicans behind his 36 points and 8 assists.

Other games

Kings beat depleted Lakers 123-120. B. Hield - 29 PTS, 6 REB, 6 AST

Doncic-less Mavericks beat Thunder 87-78. K. Porzingis - 19 PTS, 13 REB

Pistons take down Raptors 129-105. W. Ellington - 25 PTS | N. Powell - 36 PTS

Nets roll past Rockets 132-114. J. Harden - 29 PTS, 10 REB, 14 AST

Hawks rally from 19 down to beat Magic 115-112. T. Young - 32 PTS, 8 AST | Vucevic - 29 PTS, 9 REB

Pacers skeet past Cavs 114-111. T.J. McConnell - 16 PTS, 13 AST, 10 STL

Hornets stomp Timberwolves 135-102. T. Rozier - 31 PTS | K. Towns - 16 PTS, 15 REB

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3/2/21 Recap

On Tuesday,

The Celtics beat the Clippers 117-112 behind Kemba Walker's 25 points and six assists. Kawhi Leonard was a late scratch, and the Celtics also won without Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown reaching their scoring averages. Could Boston be a Finals contender if they reach their full potential?

The Suns got a big 114-105 win over the Lakers despite Devin Booker's ejection. LeBron James did all he could, pouring in an impressive 38 points on 66% FG. The Suns are now on a three-game win streak and are #2 in the Western Conference.

The Nuggets destroyed the Bucks behind Nikola Jokic's 37 point, 10 rebound, 11 assist triple-double. This snapped the Bucks five-game winning streak. The fact that the Nuggets won 128-97 hurts more for the Bucks.

Other games

Hawks win over Heat 94-80 after the firing of their head coach. Jimmy Butler remains out for Miami. T. Young - 18 PTS, 10 AST

Spurs snap Knicks three-game winning streak 119-93. D. Murray - 17 PTS, 6 REB, 6 AST | J. Randle - 14 PTS, 12 REB

Grizzlies thrash Wizards 125-111, improve to 16-15. J. Morant - 35 PTS, 10 AST | Westbrook - 23 PTS, 15 AST

- Zach Fulcher

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3/1/21 Recap

On Monday,

The Nuggets beat the Bulls 118-112 behind a spectacular 39 points, 14 rebounds, and 9 assists from Nikola Jokic. Does he deserve the MVP? Or does Embiid have more of a case because of the standings?

The 76ers took down the Pacers 130-114. Joel Embiid posted 24 points, 13 rebounds, and 5 assists. Embiid had a quote after the game on his matchup with Myles Turner. "I say this respectfully, but that's a matchup I've dominated since I got to the league. Great defender". Furkan Korkmaz and Shake Milton also supplied 19 points and 26 points, respectively, off the bench.

The Pelicans shocked the NBA-leading Jazz 129-124. There were a lot of great statlines for this game. Both teams had at least 5 players score in double-digits, but the highlight was Zion Williamson's 26 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists. Bojan Bogdanovic of the Jazz supplied 31 points and 7 rebounds, despite the loss. The Pelicans should be a playoff team. They have Zion, Brandon Ingram, Steven Adams, Lonzo Ball, and Eric Bledsoe as their starting 5 with solid bench support from JJ Redick, Josh Hart, and Hernangomez.

The Nets beat the Spurs 124-113 in overtime behind James Harden's ridiculous 30 points, 14 rebounds, and 15 assists. The Nets have looked unstoppable with Harden and Irving on the floor. It will be interesting to see their full potential once Kevin Durant returns. Brooklyn is 9-1 in their last 10, only 0.5 games behind the top-seeded Sixers.

Other games

The Rockets lost their 12th straight game to the Cavaliers despite a great performance from John Wall. Wall - 32 PTS, 5 AST | C. Sexton - 39 PTS, 8 AST | Final Score, Cavs 101-90 Rockets

Luka Doncic led the Mavericks past the Magic 130-124. Doncic - 33 PTS, 10 REB, 9 AST | Vucevic - 29 PTS, 15 REB, 8 AST

Carmelo Anthony scores 29 points, Damian Lillard supplies 23 points and 19 assists as the Blazers snap a four-game skid with a 123-111 victory over the Hornets.

- Zach Fulcher

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2/28/21 Recap

On Sunday,

The Bucks beat the Clippers 105-100. Giannis led a 9-0 rally to help the Bucks win their 5th straight game. The Bucks are now 3rd in the Eastern Conference. Are they underrated title favorites after underperforming in the playoffs the last two seasons? Giannis - 36 PTS, 14 REB, 5 AST

The Celtics shocked the Wizards 111-110 behind two clutch baskets by Jayson Tatum late in the 4th. This is surprising because the Wizards have been on fire, and the Celtics haven't been playing up to their potential. Now, the Celtics have won two straight. Despite the loss, Beal exploded for 46 points. He has now lost 11 straight games when scoring 40+ points. This is the longest streak in NBA history. Tatum - 31 PTS, 8 REB, 3 AST | Beal - 46 PTS, 7 REB, 2 AST

The Heat toppled the Hawks 109-99 for their 6th straight victory. Despite missing Jimmy Butler for this game, the Heat still played stellar defense against the Hawks. Trae Young only had 15 points and shot 3-14 from the field and 2-8 from 3. The Heat are now back to .500 after a shaky start to the season. Young needs to play better than this. K. Nunn - 24 PTS, 3 REB, 7 AST | J. Collins - 34 PTS, 10 REB - 3 BLK

Other games

Lakers crush Warriors 117-91. LeBron - 19 PTS, 6 REB, 4 AST | Steph - 16 PTS, 4 REB, 7 AST

Grizzlies demolish Rockets 133-84. J. Winslow - 20 PTS | J. Wall - 14 PTS, 4-16 FG%, 0-5% 3P

Suns fly past Wolves 118-99. D. Booker - 43 PTS, 5 REB, 5 AST | K. Towns - 21 PTS, 10 REB

Hornets edge Kings 127-126. P.J. Washington - 42 PTS, 9 REB, 2 AST | B. Hield - 30 PTS, 7 AST, 59% FG, 53% 3P

- Written by Zach Fulcher

- Photo from ESPN's Twitter

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2/27/21 Recap

On Saturday,

The 76ers fell to the Cavs 109-112 despite a 42 point, 13 rebound, and 6 assist performance from Joel Embiid. Collin Sexton put up 28 points, and Darius Garland posted 25 points. Jarrett Allen also recorded a double-double, collecting 14 points and 10 rebounds. I think the Cavs could be better if they stuck it out with Drummond instead of sweeping him under the bus in a disrespectful manner.

The Wizards continued their run as of late, beating the Timberwolves 128-112. The Wizards have now won 7 of their last 8, while the Wolves have lost 7 in a row. Can the Wizards climb their way back to playoff contention?

Westbrook - 19 PTS, 14 REB, 12 REB | Beal - 34 PTS, 8 REB, 6 AST

The Knicks also toppled the Pacers 110-107. Frank Ntilikina clutched the win with a defensive stop. The Knicks are currently .500, have won 6 of their last 8 and sit as the #5 seed in the East. This team has a lot of young talent on their bench and have been grounded by Julius Randle's superb play all season.

Randle - 28 PTS, 10 REB, 6 AST, 4 STL | Barrett - 24 PTS, 7 REB

Other games

Jazz continue dominance, scald Magic 124-109. D. Mitchell - 31 PTS, 4 REB, 6 AST | N. Vucevic - 34 PTS, 8 REB, 4 AST

Jokic triple-double leads Nuggets past Thunder 126-96. Jokic - 19 PTS, 11 REB, 13 AST | I. Roby - 15 PTS, 9 REB, 7 AST

Mavericks clobber Durant/Irving-less Nets 115-98. L. Doncic - 27 PTS, 6 REB, 7 AST | J. Harden - 29 PTS, 7 REB, 6 AST

Spurs edge Pelicans 117-114. Derozan - 32 PTS, 1 REB, 11 AST | Zion - 23 PTS, 14 REB, 5 AST