As the NBA nears its All-Star break, the league turned in one of its most entertaining evenings of the season Wednesday.
From a wild Memphis at Golden State game, to LeBron James drawing closer to Kareen Abdul-Jabbar’s scoring mark in an L.A. Lakers win, to Portland’s Damien Lillard lighting up the scoreboard with 60 points against, the night was outstanding.
To coin a league slogan from the 1980s, “NBA Action Was Fantastic!”
Curry loses control, Poole saves day
Steph Curry’s on-court tantrum luckily didn’t cost his team a win in a playoff-type game against Memphis.
Golden State led by two when teammate Jordan Poole’s ill-timed jumper with a 1:20 was off the mark. Curry, who was open for a shot, threw his mouthpiece in disgust. Big mistake. He was ejected with 1:14 left in the game.
With the game tied at 120, Warriors coach Steve Kerr designed a play to free Poole for a game-winning layup with a second left in the game.
Poole jokingly hurled his mouthpiece before sharing a hug with Curry after the contest.
“I reacted in a way that obviously put myself out of the game and put the team in a tough place,” Curry said.
The Warriors and Grizzlies matchup has become must-watch TV, with the games being heated with plenty of trash talking.
Lebron marches on toward scoring mark
The Lakers begin a five-game road trip Saturday in Boston and will return home the following week, where James could set the record in front of the crowd in Los Angeles, if he hasn’t done so already.
Lebron James scored 20 points, and added 11 assists on a night where he reached , and was one rebound away from a triple-double in the Lakers 113-104 win over San Antonio.
James has 38,230 regular-season points for his career, putting him just 157 behind Abdul-Jabbar‘s all-time NBA record of 38,387.
The Lakers begin a five-game road trip Saturday in Boston and will return home the following week, where James could set the record in front of the crowd in Los Angeles, if he hasn’t done so already.
Lillard lights up scoreboard with 60
Damian Lillard poured in 60 points, the fourth time he has reached that mark in his career, to lead Portland to a win over visiting Utah.
He previously hit 60 or more points three times in the span of 10 months from November 2019 to August 2020.
Lillard is in great company now, joining Wilt Chamberlain, David Thompson, and Karl Malone as the only players to score at least 60 points while shooting 70% or better from the field.
He is also the first NBA player to score at least 60 points while adding at least five rebounds and five assists in a game on three occasions.
