NBA Takes…with Teresa – Mavericks make history, Blazers road comeback, and more
Teresa Powe
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What a week in the NBA! Dallas makes NBA history, the Blazers show who they are, and what the heck is going on in New York?
This week in basketball was full of crazy zany happenings. Don’t believe me? The New York Knicks beat the Milwaukee Bucks by 20 points. Dallas defeated the Los Angeles Clippers by 51 points! Finally, the Portland Trail Blazers stagged a nice comeback in Los Angeles against the defending champions.
The Los Angeles Clippers vs. the Dallas Mavericks
I believe this was a deeply personal beatdown. Maybe it was payback for the bitter playoff series they had a couple of months ago in the bubble. The Mavericks made NBA history on December 27, 2020, when they had a 50 point halftime lead over the LA Clippers. Kawhi Leonard was out due to a mouth laceration picked up the night before. He can thank Serge Ibaka for the extra time off.
Luka Doncic led the Mavs with 24 points and was a plus 29. Willie Cauley-Stein was a plus 31. Tim Hardaway contributed 18 points and was a plus 27. The New York – Dallas trade was good for him and Trey Burke. Eight of the Mavericks had positive +/- of 20 or more.
The Portland Trailblazers
I have to admit I was concerned about the Portland Trail Blazers during the preseason. This leads me to believe some members of the team could have been shaken about their COVID-19 situation. I would think that would worry some of the players. Carmelo Anthony didn’t travel with the team to Los Angeles due to contact tracing.
Portland seems to be back on track with their defeat of the Lakers this past Monday. Damian Lillard, of course, led the way with 31 points. Close behind him was Gary Trent Jr. with 28, and then came C.J. McCollum, who contributed 20.
NBA Standings
The Eastern Conference’s top teams are the undefeated Orlando Magic (4–0) followed by the undefeated Atlanta Hawks (3–0). The Western Conference has three teams Phoenix, Sacramento, and the L.A. Clippers, tied at 3–1.
Preseason conference favorites, the L.A. Lakers and Brooklyn Nets are both 2–2 but rank one and two in NBA.com’s Power Rankings. Really?
The next-gen NBAers are playing with a new style that’s quicker and stronger. They go into the paint with no fear and score. Players such as Doncic, Trae Young, Ja Morant, Zion Williamson, and others are coming to demand their places in this league. Analysts shouldn’t be so quick to rank a team based on each team’s superstar players. They’re not as young as they used to be. If you have to assemble a team of superstars to win, are you really a winner?
NBA This and That
- Sad news: Memphis star point guard Ja Morant has a Grade 2 left ankle sprain. He was injured during the game against Brooklyn and is expected to miss three to five weeks. Nets’ guard Spencer Dinwiddie suffered a season-ending partial ACL tear in his right knee in their loss against the Charlotte Hornets.
- Surprising news: The New York Knicks are 2–2, and they make a league-high 45.9 percent of their three-point shots. In even more surprising news, Julius Randle is leading his team to victory. He had a triple-double in Knicks’ win against the Cleveland Cavaliers Tuesday.
- Major upsets: New York Knicks 130 – Milwaukee Bucks 110. Dallas Mavericks 124 – LA Clippers 73.
- James Harden and CJ McCollum both score 44 points in the Blazers 128-–126 win.
Coming this week
There will be many exciting games this holiday weekend. Spend time with family and watch these exciting young NBA players as we usher in a new and hopefully better year.
From Pacific Northwest Sports, we wish you and yours a very happy, healthy, and safe New Year!