Some of the greatest joys from the NBA’s return to action have been the storylines that emerged to captivate the attention of the bubble. In a league that delivers drama and intensity on a nightly basis, here are three of the most memorable storylines from the NBA’s seeding games.
Damian Lillard’s dazzling run in Disney
Michael Jordan made it abundantly clear during “The Last Dance” that great players are continually searching for a reason to get angry and subsequently raise their game. Damian Lillard is a great player who is officially ticked off. You don’t need to be an accomplished lip reader to see that Lillard has no qualms about letting that passion and anger show.
Lillard capped off what has been one of the most impressive stretches of basketball in recent history with a 42-point performance in Portland’s victory over the Brooklyn Nets. In a game in which a win meant securing a spot in the play-in game, and a loss meant packing their bags and leaving the NBA’s bubble, Lillard delivered when the stakes were at their highest. The Nets desperately tried to force the ball out of Lillard’s hands through double teams and matchup zone defenses, but Lillard was prepared. It’s impossible to double someone when they pull-up from the center court logo.
Monty Williams and the 8-0 Phoenix Suns
Devin Booker’s performance during the Phoenix Suns’ undefeated run in Orlando was the peak of the first-time All-Star’s career. But as good as he was, it came as no surprise from the only active NBA player with membership in the ultra-exclusive 70-point game club. What was surprising for the Suns was the drastically improved play of Booker’s teammates. The Suns quickly became the Cinderella story of the restart, and while Booker was the team’s leading man, head coach Monty Williams was the mastermind behind the scenes.
An unidentified Cincinnati Reds player has tested positive for COVID-19, reports The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal. The Reds defeated the Pirates on Friday night (CIN 8, PIT 1) and the two teams are scheduled to play again Saturday evening. ESPN's Jeff Passan says Saturday's game is likely to be postponed.
The Cardinals are scheduled to return to play Saturday after being shut down 16 days with a COVID-19 outbreak that included nine players and seven staff members testing positive. The St. Louis outbreak comes after the Marlins had 21 individuals test positive, including 18 players. Miami was shut down 11 days.
Based on their response to the Cardinals outbreak, MLB will hit pause on Cincinnati's season and begin contact tracing and additional testing to determine the extent of the outbreak. Players and personnel are tested every other day during the season as part of MLB's monitoring program. Additional protocols kick in following a positive test.
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