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The Best of the Day: April 20th, 2021
See the best of the day in sports from April 20, 2021 including PG13's clutch play without Kawhi, Corbin Burnes unprecedened start, and more!
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The ‘Best of the Day’ is a daily PSO original series showcasing the most significant stories, highlights, and facts going on in the land of the NFL, NBA, & MLB every day. Get a recap on EVERYTHING that happened on 4/20 here.
On a day some sports figures celebrate like a national holiday, Paul George delivered in clutch time for the Clippers during their narrow one-point victory over Portland. George is currently on a tear, as Los Angeles has been without their other star, Kawhi Leonard, who has missed multiple games recently. Also, the future is as bright as ever in the Twin Cities, as the Timberwolves’ young and exciting trio delivered in a big way for a win over the Kings. Jeff Green went coast-to-coast for a huge jam, Brewers SP Corbin Burnes is off to a historic start, and PSO drops its scouting report on former Northwestern OT Rashawn Slater.
Here is the best of the day from April 20, 2021:
Paul George’s GW-FT’s lifted the Clippers over Blazers without Kawhi or Dame
Paul George dropped 33 points, including two clutch free throws with 4.8 seconds remaining to lift the Los Angeles Clippers past the Portland Trail Blazers 113-112 in the game of the day. George also grabbed 11 rebounds and shot 13-of-22 from the field for the Clippers, who were without Kawhi Leonard due to right foot soreness.
33 PTS, 11 REB and the game-winning free throws for Paul George in the @LAClippers W. pic.twitter.com/9VxCj0uAwK
— NBA (@NBA) April 21, 2021
George has been playing some of the best basketball of his career recently with Leonard having missed five of LA’s last six games. While having to carry a heavier load, George has delivered for his squad, scoring at least 32 points in six of his last seven games. Despite Leonard’s absence, the Clippers are amongst the hottest teams in the league with nine wins in their last 10. At 41-19, Los Angeles is sitting comfortably in the third spot in the West and are within striking distance (3 GB) of top-seeded Utah, who are without Donovan Mitchell.
Paul George’s last 7 games:
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) April 21, 2021
33 PTS - 11 REB - 3 AST
23 PTS - 7 REB - 5 AST
37 PTS - 9 REB - 6 AST
36 PTS - 7 REB - 8 AST
32 PTS - 3 REB - 9 AST
33 PTS - 7 REB - 3 AST
36 PTS - 3 REB - 5 AST pic.twitter.com/IN3rUT0FNN
Meanwhile, Portland was without Damian Lillard, who missed his third straight game due to a hamstring injury. In his absence, CJ McCollum scored 28 points, but shot just 11-for-26 (3-of-12 from 3), including the missed jumper at the final buzzer. The Blazers have struggled lately with just three wins in their last 10 games, falling to sixth in the West. They are now in real danger of having to compete in the play-in tournament if they don’t turn it around, as Portland holds just a game-and-a-half lead over seventh-seeded Dallas.
VINTAGE CARMELO. pic.twitter.com/ZRKdoyCylD
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 21, 2021
Related: Stories of the Day
MINNESOTA’S FUTURE IS BEYOND BRIGHT WITH THE NBA’S BEST YOUNG TRIO
Minnesota finally got big performances from all three of their young studs during a win on the road over Sacramento. Their young trio of Karl-Anthony Towns, Anthony Edwards, and D’Angelo Russell all tallied at least 26 points while KAT also had a season-high in rebounds with 18. The Timberwolves’ future is looking bright, as all of these players are aged 25 or younger.
Between the three of them, KAT, D-Lo, and Edwards are averaging 61.8 combined PPG this season, which is roughly 56% of the team’s scoring throughout the year. Russell has already proven he has All-Star potential, getting the nod in 2019. He’s averaged an underrated 17.6 points per game throughout his career, and is waiting to find a permanent home, having bounced around the league, playing on four different teams throughout his seven NBA seasons.
Edwards has shown that he will be a force in this league for a long time to come, and is this season’s odds-on favorite to win the rookie of the year award unless LaMelo lights it up upon his return. KAT won this award in 2015-16, and has received two All-Star bids as well. The 25-year olds (KAT and D-Lo) have shown they can be amongst the best in the league, and the rookie (Edwards), is on his way there too. This recipe makes for the NBA’s best young trio, giving Minnesota an extremely hopeful future ahead of them.
Throw in the fact that this team could add a prominent prospect in the 2021 NBA Draft, and that could give Minnesota enough firepower to quickly emerge as a Western Conference contender. The T-Wolves only keep their pick if it falls within the top-3 or it heads to Golden State in the D-Lo trade. Malik Beasley also has averaged 20+ PPG during his time with the Wolves and gives them another championship-caliber contributor. There has never been a winning kind of culture in the Twin Cities, but with this young trio intact, it looks like Alex Rodriguez picked the perfect time to invest in this franchise that has a very bright future.
COLORS KEY | FULL TIMBERWOLVES OUTLOOK
KAT, Ant and D-Lo fuel the @Timberwolves.
— NBA (@NBA) April 21, 2021
Towns: 26 PTS, 18 REB, 5 AST, 4 BLK
Edwards: 28 PTS, 5 3PM
Russell: 28 PTS, 6 3PM pic.twitter.com/C9Gcr84NRp
Anthony Edwards took flight ✈️ pic.twitter.com/pJC3999EHa
— NBA TV (@NBATV) April 21, 2021
Related: NBA Takeaways of the Day
Jeff Green still throwing down hammers
Jeff Green comin' through 😤 pic.twitter.com/hbCcD0Qtli
— NBA TV (@NBATV) April 21, 2021
Related: NBA Highlights
C Karl-Anthony Towns, MIN (W @SAC): 26 PTS (9-17 FG | 4-9 3P), 5 AST, 18 REB, 4 BLK, 0 STL, 3 TO
#PlayerOfTheDay (4/20/21) - C Karl-Anthony Towns, MIN
— Pro Sports Outlook (@PSO_Sports) April 21, 2021
TOP FACTS:
- Most GP (36) with 4+ 3PM in Minnesota history
- Season-high 18 REB & 4 BLK tied season-high
- 1 of 7 ever with a season of 20 PPG/10 RPG/40% 3P
KEY STATS:
26 PTS, 19 REB, 5 AST, 4 BLK, 9-17 FG, 4-9 3P https://t.co/KowSCAt6UX
Related: Players of the Day
Los Angeles Clippers (113) [GW-FT] vs. Portland Trail Blazers (112)
[Highlights] CLIPPERS (-209) d. @BLAZERS (+180) 113-112 (GW-FT) [POR +4.5 | o222]
Related: Games of the Day
Related: Facts of the Day
PSO Scouting Report: OT Rashawn Slater (Northwestern) by Ricky Eisenbart
PSO breaks down Northwestern OT Rashawn Slater’s future outlook and how his game will translate to the next level
Rashawn Slater's NFL Scouting Report:
— Pro Sports Outlook (@PSO_Sports) April 21, 2021
Physical Tools: ??
Game Film: A
Production: A-
Risk: ??
Overall: ??
FULL evaluation:https://t.co/CggAviLvbI
Related: Latest PSO Posts
DATE: April 20, 1986
SIGNIFICANCE: Michael Jordan set an NBA playoff record with 63 PTS vs. Boston that still stands to this day
April 20, 1986: Chicago Bulls SG Michael Jordan set an NBA playoff record with 63 PTS during a loss to the Boston Celtics, also setting the record for the most PTS (112) over any 2-game Playoff span after dropping 49 PTS in Game 1
— Pro Sports Outlook (@PSO_Sports) April 20, 2021
pic.twitter.com/CIEin90TLG
Related: Significant Sports History
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