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The Best of the Day: January 18th, 2021
See the best of the day in sports from January 18, 2021 including Warriors comeback victory over Lakers, Harden and KD going off, 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 1/18 here.
The NBA celebrated the life of Martin Luther King Jr. Monday with a day jam-packed full of action. The nine games played were highlighted by the Warriors-Lakers and Bucks-Nets. The Warriors mounted a 19-point comeback to defeat the defending champion Lakers, while Kevin Durant and James Harden came up big once again to lift Brooklyn past Milwaukee. Also, PSO’s review of the rest of MLK Day’s NBA games and the most significant sports history on January 18th.
Here is the best of the day from January 18, 2021:
Steph’s Warriors completed a 19-point comeback on LeBron’s Lakers
Steph Curry and the Warriors are making a habit of second-half comebacks against LA teams. Less than two weeks after erasing a 22-point third quarter deficit to defeat the Clippers, Golden St. found themselves trailing by as many as 19 in the second half against the Lakers. It appeared to be over for the Dubs after Los Angeles stretched the lead back to 14 early in the fourth on a LeBron James 3-pointer. However, Golden State kept their composure and fought back, taking a 110-108 lead, their first of the night, on Draymond Green’s clutch layup with 2:40 remaining. GS never trailed after that, securing the come-from-behind road victory.
Curry had an uncharacteristically poor shooting night (8-22 FG, 3-12 3PT), but his 3-pointer with just over a minute remaining gave the Warriors a five-point cushion. Steph finished with 26 points and seven assists while Kelly Oubre Jr. set a season-high with 23 points, but struggled again on 3PAs (2-8). For LA, Dennis Schroder’s season-high 25 points weren’t enough to top their Cali rivals, as LeBron (19 points) and AD (17 points) couldn’t find their shots, hitting on a combined 12-32 FG’s and 2-8 3’s. GS (7-6) will need to keep the momentum to earn a playoff spot in the stacked WCF while LA (11-4) needs to ensure blown leads won’t become a habit.
STEPH. CLOSER. 🔥
— NBA TV (@NBATV) January 19, 2021
He finished with 26 PTS as the Warriors get the win! pic.twitter.com/qseL1P74Zd
DANCING through the lane
— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) January 19, 2021
📺 @NBAonTNT pic.twitter.com/3iiUCeRZEO
Los Angeles Lakers' 19-point blown lead is their largest in any game which LeBron James played in https://t.co/dXzT83qNaM
— Pro Sports Outlook (@PSO_Sports) January 19, 2021
Related: Stories of the Day
Expect a shootout in plenty of Nets games this year
For fans who love scoring, the Brooklyn Nets are THE team to watch. The Nets, upon Kyrie’s return, will have three of the most lethal scorers in NBA history on the court at the same time. Add to that one of the league’s worst defenses, and Nets games will prove to be shootouts night in and night out, helping people who invest in Overs during Nets games get a little richer. On Monday, the matchup between the Nets and Bucks had a betting Over/Under of 240. While that seemed an outrageously high O/U, the lesson has been learned for all who took the under.
The Nets outlasted the Bucks 125-123, as the teams combined for a whopping 248 points with 135 coming in the second half alone. The Bucks, who had given up an average of 99.8 points over their last four games, had no answer for Harden, KD, or the rest of the Nets squad. However, in the words of Bradley Beal, the Nets couldn’t have stopped a parked car. In the deal for Harden, the Nets let go of their two most capable defenders in Jarrett Allen and Taurean Prince. They couldn’t have made it more clear: They don’t need to stop the other team… They’re just going to outscore them.
While history shows that “Defense wins Championships,” no team in NBA history has had an offense as exceptional as this Nets team. Time will tell if this style of play ultimately translates to a title, considering no team has won it all with a defense as disastrous as this one either. However, for now, enjoy the scoring, and always remember to take the over.
The Beard was in his bag 🤧 pic.twitter.com/XqHztGlSvW
— NBA TV (@NBATV) January 19, 2021
Kevin Durant (72) and James Harden (66) have combined for 138 points in their first 2 games as Nets teammates.
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) January 19, 2021
Per @EliasSports , that's 2nd-most in a duo's first two games with a franchise. The most is 151 by Wilt Chamberlain (139) and York Larese (12) on the 1961 Warriors. pic.twitter.com/TCVMhC5MHn
James Harden tonight:
— StatMuse (@statmuse) January 19, 2021
34 PTS
6 REB
12 AST
13-25 FG
He’s the first player in NBA history with 30+ PTS and 10+ AST in his first 2 games with a new team. pic.twitter.com/bsNC0uUnwq
Related: NBA Takeaways of the Day
KD drains the biggest shot of his Nets career so far
KD's CLUTCH triple lifts the @BrooklynNets to victory! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/urvZJormd1
— NBA (@NBA) January 19, 2021
Related: NBA Highlights | Brooklyn Nets Highlights
G James Harden, BKN (W v.MIL): 34 PTS (13-25 FG | 3-10 3P), 12 AST, 6 REB, 1 BLK, 0 STL, 6 TO
#PlayerOfTheDay (1/18/21) - G James Harden, BRK
— Pro Sports Outlook (@PSO_Sports) January 19, 2021
THE FACTS:
- 1st player w/ 30+ PTS & 10+ AST in 1st 2 GP w/ new team
- 2nd most PTS (138) in a duo's (KD) 1st 2 GP together
- 1st duo to ever score 30+ PTS each in 1st 2 GP together
- Made up for missed GW-3PA with OREB & AST to KD https://t.co/pHrB3QBkDA
Related: Players of the Day
Golden State Warriors (115) vs. Los Angeles Lakers (113)
[Highlights] WARRIORS (+347; $8.34) d. @LAKERS (-347; $11.36) 115-113 [GSW +8.5 | o226.5]
Related: Games of the Day
Related: Facts of the Day
NBA Game Reviews: MLK Day, 2021 by Noah Camras
The NBA celebrated the life of MLK with a day full of non-stop action for 12 straight hours
Steph Curry and Kevin Durant drained big shots, the biggest blown lead in LeBron's LA career, Oubre stepped up, Morant made plays when it mattered most, and more from MLK Day ⬇️ https://t.co/X7DDyBaM4u
— Pro Sports Outlook (@PSO_Sports) January 19, 2021
Related: Latest PSO Posts
FULL ARTICLE: Most Significant Sports History on January 18th
YEAR: 2015
SIGNIFICANCE: Patriots destroyed the Colts but would be later punished for under-inflated footballs
Related: Significant Sports History
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