The week of March 6 gave us one last showdown between Kobe Bryant and LeBron James. Bryant is hanging it up at the end of this season after 20 years, and getting to see him battle LeBron for the last time was a treat to us all who grew up with The Black Mamba. There are 28 other teams in the NBA as well, and they brought a fantastic week to the table. Let's get right to it with 10 things from this past week.
1. One last time
Kobe and LeBron met on the basketball court one final time last Thursday night, and what a show it was. Two of the greatest players of our generation battled it out one last time in a game that was all about feelings. Kobe finished with with 26 points and shot a surprisingly efficient 11/16 (his highest FG percentage in three seasons). LeBron finished with 24 points. At one point, the two all-stars scored 12 straight points in an incredible sequence.
2. The Warriors lose to the Lakers and win their 45th straight home game in the same week
On Sunday, the Warriors lost to the hapless Lakers. Golden State shot 13 percent from three (4 for 30) while the D’Angelo Russell, Marcelo Huertas, and the Lakers smacked the Warriors 112-95. Nothing to fear, though; Golden State got back on track the next day by beating the Orlando Magic and breaking the Chicago Bulls' regular season record for consecutive wins at home. Nothing sums up the Warriors better than this. Andrew Bogut knows the shot is going in… and so does everyone else.
3. What the hell is Damian Lillard?
If you haven’t been paying attention to Damian Lillard and the Trail Blazers, then it’s time to start. Lillard is using his all-star game snub to take his game to the next level and prove he belongs. Since the all-star break, Lillard is shooting 46.3 percent from the field, including 41.6 percent from the three point line and averaging 31.4 points per contest. Night after night, Lillard is thrashing opponents and has Portland sitting in sixth place in the Western Conference standings; not bad for a team who was supposed to be rebuilding this season.
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4. Point Giannis
The Greek Freak has taken over the reins at PG for the Milwaukee Bucks, and wow, has it been exciting to watch. In the last 13 games, the 6’11” Antetokounmpo has put up 19.2 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 7.0 assists per game. Oh, and has had three triple doubles in that span also. What makes Giannis so fun to watch is that he can run the offense on one end, and then guard the opposing team's Center on the other end. The Bucks are sitting six games out of the playoffs right now, but that doesn’t mean they’re not must-see TV. The Greek Freak can also give you savage dunks, just ask Serge Ibaka. Knuck if you Buck.
5. Zach LaVine and Aaron Gordon continue to defy gravity
I'll just leave this here.
6. Steph Curry hit a 55 foot shot...Of course he did
When I heard Steph made a half-courter to end the half, my only response was “of course,” because why not, right?
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7. The Memphis Goon Squad
The Grizzlies continue to win games, even without cornerstones Marc Gasol, Mike Conley, and Zach Randolph. Tony Allen helped grind out a win against Cleveland on Monday with an uncharacteristic 26 points. JayMichael Green averaged 15.0 points and 9.2 rebounds per game over the five games this week. On Friday night, Matt Barnes put up a stat line of 26/11/10 along with zero turnovers in a win over New Orleans. Even Lance Stephenson seems to have found himself in Memphis, dropping a career-high 33 points off the bench. The Goon Squad is still sitting in the fifth seed in the West with a comfortable lead over the sixth place Trail Blazers. No one can explain how the hell they're winning, but boy, is it fun to watch.
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8. Ricky Rubio breaks Thunder hearts
The Thunder once again lose a heartbreaker, this time at the hands of the 31 percent shooting Ricky Rubio. Rubio buried a three pointer with .02 seconds left and silenced the Thunder crowd.
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9. Kevin Love nearly got killed by his teammates and it was a good thing
Kevin Love has struggled since the all-star break, shooting only 37.6 percent from the field, and a glaring 22 percent from the three point line. Up to this point in the game, Love was only 1/7 from behind the arc, until he hit this dagger (and the foul) to put the Cavs up by six late in the game. The celebration is the best part of this video, watch each of the Cavaliers take their turns beating on Love, especially when Tristan Thompson gives him a flagrant-worthy elbow to the ribs. Seeing some energy and camaraderie from this Cavs team is a good sight as we get later into the season.
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10. The LeBron James kid
As the NBA playoff race heats up, come back next week for 10 more things from the upcoming NBA week. All stats are from time of submission at midnight on March 13.
