NBA
February 20, 2016

Post Up: Dame Time

Warriors 105 (48-5), Trail Blazers 137 (28-27)

Early on, it would have been a rational assumption that Stephen Curry would help Golden State run away with victory. Curry lived up to the ‘Splash Brother’ moniker with six first half treys, only to be upstaged (to put it mildly) by Damian Lillard. Lillard absolutely torched Golden State for a career-high 51 points on 18-of-28 shooting, including 75 percent accuracy from beyond the arc. As Portland fans were delighted to point out on Twitter, all of this came from a player snubbed from the All-Star Game. With the game safely in the bag, Allen Crabbe decided to put the icing on the cake of Friday’s rout.

Pistons 86 (27-28), Wizards 98 (25-28)

The Pistons received a strong effort from Tobias Harris in his organizational debut. In a trade deadline with big names rumored to be on the move, Harris wound up being arguably the biggest name dealt, and bolstered Detroit’s second unit in his first appearance. John Wall and Bradley Beal spoiled Harris’ party, however, by posting a combined 39 points en route to the team’s second straight W. After the game, Wall threw some light-hearted shade at those in attendance at the Verizon Center.

https://twitter.com/recordsANDradio/status/700869858377015297

What’s more, this year’s trade deadline paved the way for this fun rivalry within Friday’s game:

Mavericks 104 (29-27), Magic 110 (24-29)

The Mavericks hit a franchise-record 19 three-pointers; six of which coming from Chandler Parsons. However, it would be Orlando’s recent acquisitions, Ersan Ilyasova and Brandon Jennings, who would ultimately help the Magic disappear with a win in OT by combining for 34 points.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9e78dnGQYko&ab_channel=DownToBuck

Knicks 98 (23-33), Nets 109 (15-40)

The Kurt Rambis era is not exactly off to an impressive start. With fans and press alike calling for the hiring of Tom Thibodeau, the Knicks took an embarrassing L to the stumbling Nets. Despite a 33-point showing from Brook Lopez, the Nets sit alongside the 76ers at the bottom of the Atlantic Division. The Islanders announced their intentions today of leaving the Barclays Center — how long before the Nets cut their losses and follow suit?

Raptors 106 (35-18), Bulls 116 (28-26)

Doug McDermott was the unlikely difference-maker in Friday’s match-up, as the 24-year-old scored a career-high 30 points to go with four boards over 31 minutes. The Raptors received scoring in bunches from Kyle Lowry, DeMar DeRozan, and Jonas Valanciunas, but ultimately succumbed to the Jimmy Butler-less Bulls.

76ers 114 (8-46), Pelicans 121 (21-33)

Give credit where credit is due for the 76ers. Down by 16 at the half, mailing in the second half of Friday’s low-stakes game would have seemed par for the course. Instead, Nerlens Noel (24 points) ignited a 35-21 third quarter run, giving his team a fighting chance. The Pelicans caught the injury bug in this match-up; after announcing the three-year signing of Bryce Dejean-Jones earlier in the day, the D-League alumnus suffered a right wrist injury and departed the game.

Timberwolves 104 (17-28), Grizzlies 109 (32-22)

With ‘Sounds’ emblazoned on their fresh throwback jerseys, the Grizzlies received contributions from Vince Carter (15 points) and Mike Conley (25 points) in Friday’s close W. After successfully defending his Slam Dunk Contest crown, Zach LaVine returned to regulated action with 22 points. Chris Andersen and P.J. Hairston each made their Memphis debuts, tallying a combined six points.

Pacers 101 (29-25), Thunder 98 (40-15)

Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook dropped a combined 54 points, but were outdone by Monta Ellis (27 points) and the resurgent Pacers. Indiana has now won four of their last six, thanks largely to excellent play from rookie big man Myles Turner. Selected in the first round of the 2015 NBA Draft, Turner has scored in double-digits in each of his last five games.

Hornets 98 (28-26), Bucks 95 (22-33)

Despite an array of impressive highlights early on — including this ridiculous reverse windmill from the Greek Freak — the Hornets prevailed for a W on the backs of Kemba Walker (25 points) and Cody Zeller (23 points). Additionally, the Hornets announced their next D-League acquisition.

Heat 115 (30-24), Hawks 111 (31-25)

With Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade, and Hassan Whiteside all out of the lineup for various reasons, the Hea received much-needed big nights from Josh McRoberts (19 points, 10 boards), Luol Deng (20 points), and Goran Dragic (17 points). Jeff Teague, whose name was floated in trade rumors right up until the deadline, dropped 23 on Miami.

Rockets 116 (28-28), Suns 100 (14-41)

Despite a brutal 1-of-9 clip from downtown, James Harden managed to string together 27 points, leading Houston’s scoring efforts along with Trevor Ariza (25 points). Aside from the long-awaited debut of Kris Humphries in a Suns uniform, there wasn’t much to be excited about from Phoenix’s camp after Friday’s defeat.

Nuggets 110 (22-33), Kings 116 (23-31)

Not to be outdone by the theatrics of Damian Lillard, DeMarcus Cousins posted an incredible night of his own, dropping 37 points with 20 boards on the hapless Nuggets. Danilo Gallinari scored a team-high 27 points, Joffrey Lauvergne scored a career-high 22 points off the bench, while D.J. Augustin chipped in eight points in his team debut.

Celtics 91 (32-23), Jazz 111 (26-27)

The Jazz piled on early and often in Friday’s W, boasting 23 points from Derrick Favors with 22 from Gordon Hayward. One of the league’s more underrated big men, Rudy Gobert contributed a double-double with 11 points and 15 boards. After standing pat at the deadline, the Celtics look primed for an in-house roster shake-up.

Spurs 119 (45-9), Lakers 113 (11-45)

In what was Kobe Bryant’s final match-up with the Spurs, the Black Mamba notched 25 points despite suffering a right hand injury. Having used the All-Star break to recuperate from nagging injuries, Tim Duncan posted a double-double through 28 minutes while Tony Parker led the way with 25 points. Meanwhile, it was a day ending in ‘Y’, so naturally reports of discontent between Byron Scott and the Lakers surfaced.

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