The NBA Saturday slate was an intriguing one despite some of the league’s top stars being sidelined for it such as James Harden of the Philadelphia 76ers and Dallas Mavericks’ Luka Doncic. We still were treated to LeBron James putting on a show against Stephen Curry’s Golden State Warriors.
Here’s a look at all of the NBA scores and highlights from Saturday night’s loaded NBA slate with some key takeaways from each matchup:
Dinwiddie Leads Mavericks Without Doncic vs Kings (114-113)
With Luka Doncic sidelined, Spencer Dinwiddie received his first start as a member of the Mavericks and shouldered the responsibility of being the top option on offense. He finished with 36 points and 7 assists on the night. Jalen Brunson provided key backcourt support with 23 points and 6 assists. The Mavericks withstood a 44-point performance from De’Aaron Fox in this game.
Ball, Rozier Help Grind Out Win For Hornets Against Spurs (123-117)
LaMelo Ball and Terry Rozier played key roles in leading the Hornets to this victory. Rozier led with 31 points, 5 rebounds, and 6 assists while Ball chipped in 24 points, 8 rebounds, and 7 assists. Both players combined for 10 makes from beyond the arc as Charlotte shot 16/42 (38.1%) from deep as a team. Dejonute Murray and Keldon Johnson made admirable efforts for the San Antonio Spurs, but it wasn’t enough.
Morant Leads Grizzlies In Rout Of Magic (124-96)
Ja Morant (25) and Desmond (24) combined for 49 points as the Grizzlies comfortable got by the Magic in this contest. Memphis outscored Orlando by a staggering 37-16 in the second quarter and there was no coming back from such a hole at that point. There sure wasn’t much to add to the NBA news cycle from this one…
KAT, Simons Have Epic Showdown
Anfernee Simons did what he could to give his team a chance but it wasn’t enough, which ultimately was the expectation for a Trail Blazers vs Timberwolves matchup. In the end, Simons racked up 38 points, but Karl-Anthony Towns was just as brilliant with 36 points, 15 rebounds, and 5 assists along with more supporting cast help. A staggering 46-point third quarter from Minnesota proved to be the difference-maker.
Miami Takes Down Harden-Less Sixers
With Jimmy Butler making his return to the lineup, the Miami Heat took down the 76ers pretty handily. Philadelphia was contained to just 14 points in both the initial and final quarters of the game and shot a putrid 7-of-41 (17.1%) from three-point range. Butler and Tyler Herro each scored 21 points to set the tone. Not having James Harden in the fold proved to be a difference-maker for the Sixers.
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LeBron Drops 50-Piece On Steph’s Warriors (124-116)
Curry did his best to lead the Warriors to a win as he finished with an efficient 30 points. Jordan Poole chipped in 23 points off the bench along with Jonathan Kuminga’s 18. However, Klay Thompson’s dud of a seven-point outing was too much to overcome given LeBron James dropped a staggering 56 points for the Lakers. The late-game execution from Los Angeles ultimately sealed the deal.
After looking at all of the NBA scores, highlights, and takeaways from Saturday night’s loaded slate, take a look at some of the top storylines that have been trending news around the league as of late.
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