On the second day of the NBA’s return, eight teams hit the field in Orlando’s bladder, and fans devoured every second of the action.
Two of the league championship favorites fell to the ground as the team prepared to return to the season next week.
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Players and teams are still preparing for the new normal for the coming season, but they quickly show that rust won’t be a problem.
From highlight games to MVP rivals hosting a show, you’ll find the best parts of today’s games here.
EUBANKS TAKES OFF ANTETOKOUNMPO
Milwaukee Bucks and MVP leader Giannis Antetokounmpo showed that despite the forced release of the coronavirus, they didn’t miss a beat.
The league’s reigning MVP was again the leader of his squad, scoring 22 points in 21 minutes. This also showed that when he started five attempts from below, he wasn’t afraid to let him fly from across the bow.
A back-and-forth encounter was interrupted in the third term when the Bucks set foot and ran to record the comfortable 113-92 victory over the San Antonio Spurs.
As good as the Bucks looked in their second leg, it was Spurs player Drew Eubanks who really stole the show.
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In the final minutes of the competition, Eubanks got a pass in the paint before starting to the brim and exploding over the top of Thanasis Antetokounmpo.
The monstrous immersion caused Antetokounmpo to hit his head on the hardwood and remain on the floor for some time.
Officials reviewed the game and decided that it was an offensive foul that wiped the points away.
SKINNY MELO DIDN’T CHANGE BIT
Carmelo Anthony stunned the basketball world when he appeared in the best shape of his career in the NBA’s Orlando bubble.
A stripped-down Anthony seemed ready to take on the game in his 17th season in the league.
But one aspect of the star’s game has never changed, and we hope it never does.
Without fans present, the camera team will have their work cut out for them, as Anthony continues to discharge each time he drives after a rebound.
In the first quarter after being missed by Indiana’s TJ Warren, Anthony grabbed the board and shouted at a teammate: “I understand, damn it out of here.”
Unfortunately, the mundane rebound didn’t help the Portland Trail Blazers get the job done when the Indiana Pacers secured the 91-88 victory.
A balanced team effort helped the Pacers cross the finish line, with Justin Holiday taking the lead with a 16 point lead.
CURRY LIGHTS THE LAKES
LeBron James doesn’t slow down in season 17, but even the king couldn’t overcome the hot hand of Dallas’ Seth Curry.
James and his superstar teammate Anthony Davis showed in the first half how dominant they can be when they pushed the Lakers out to an 11-point advantage.
The duo scored 24 points and James put the house on a runaway.
Luka & LeBron THROW
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Despite their dominance, it was the Mavericks who, thanks to Curry’s shooting efforts, rolled to the 108-104 victory.
Seth, the younger brother of the dual NBA MVP Steph, showed that he is as deadly from across the bow as a perfect 6/6 from below.
He ended the game with 23 points in a little less than 16 minutes of play to lead the team to victory.
SUNS PULL OUT FAN’S RECEPTIONS
Never call an NBA player with a ridiculous statement. Unfortunately, a social media user found out this lesson the hard way on Friday.
Twitter user @AndrewLeezus decided to put his face on the line when tweeting: “Screenshot this. When Deandre Ayton does a 3-pointer in Orlando, I get a DOMINAYTON face. no cap “.
Bad news for this guy is that Ayton buried the first shot beyond his career against Utah Jazz.
However, the suns did not let the user off his statement from the past week so easily and quickly.
The tweet spread like wildfire on the social media platform, and everyone from Bleacher Report to Yahoo Sports to ESPN shared the incredible reputation.
Another joy of the night for the suns was the fact that they won game 101-88 through jazz. But calling the fan was clearly the highlight.
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