Check out the top 10 plays of the night from the #NBAPlayoffs on August 18, featuring LeBron James, Malcolm Brogdon, Damian Lillard and more! #WholeNewGame
Damian Lillard did his thing in the Portland Trail Blazers’ 100-93 win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday night. Lillard went for 34 points in the win, which included a collection of threes from other area codes despite the best effort of the Lakers’ defenders. They were the latest reminders that Lillard has range that no one can match in the league right now, as he was able to pull up and hit gigantic shots from way downtown when Portland needed them most.
That “right now” qualifier is a big one, because there’s a dude in Lillard’s division who has the kind of limitless range that can match Dame. However, Steph Curry’s at home during the Bubble, as injuries led to the the Golden State Warriors having a pretty brutal season.
Still, when he’s healthy, Curry is the most electric shooter in NBA history. On Inside the NBA following the Blazers game, Kenny Smith threw a bit of a challenge Curry’s way, questioning whether he still has this kind of range. Curry, in turn, thinks Smith was saying something off-base.
The Chicago Sky and Las Vegas Aces just can't stop playing ridiculous games. Last season's meeting in the second round of the playoffs, which featured Dearica Hamby's miracle heave, was the best game of 2019, and their matchup on opening weekend in the bubble was decided by a game-winning 3-pointer from Allie Quigley.
On Tuesday night, the Sky once again came out on top, escaping with an 84-82 win thanks to a last-second layup by Azura Stevens, who finished with 14 points, seven rebounds and five blocks. That they were even in the position to need a game-winner was because they blew a 12-point lead in the last few minutes, which head coach James Wade won't be thrilled with.
But they got the result to move to 8-4 on the season, which is what matters most of all. And they did it thanks in large part to some whiteboard magic from Wade. He drew up a brilliant after timeout play to get Stevens open, and it's worth taking a closer look.
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