By Josh Whittemore, PSO Sports Operations Executive
Mar 17, 2021

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 3/16 here

Damian Lillard’s 50-point explosion vs. the Pelicans was the biggest story from Tuesday night’s NBA slate. Lillard’s clutch performance down the stretch spearheaded a comeback for the ages by the Trail Blazers. Also, Jimmy Butler has inserted himself in the MVP conversation since returning from COVID-19, Lauri Markkanen threw down a monster jam, and Andy Dalton’s addition to Chicago gives them a QB with more production than they ever had. 

Here is the best of the day from March 16, 2021:

Dame’s 50-piece leads Portland’s legendary 17-pt comeback in the final 6 mins

It appears that no obstacle is too difficult to overcome for Damian Lillard and the Portland Trail Blazers. Lillard scored 20 of his season-high 50 points in the fourth quarter, including outscoring the Pelicans himself 15-7 in the final six minutes to pull out a miraculous one-point win over New Orleans. 

The comeback wasn’t without help, though, as two Pelicans mishaps ultimately doomed New Orleans in clutch time. Up 124-121 with 7.2 seconds left, Pelicans F Brandon Ingram had a chance to seal the game at the free throw line. However, he missed both attempts, opening the door for Portland. Right after that on the other end, Lillard made both of his free throw attempts to close the deficit to one.

Then, on the Pelicans’ next possession, Nickel Alexander-Walker lost the ball out of bounds with 4.2 seconds left. That led to another shooting foul on Lillard, who proceeded to sink both shots from the charity stripe to give the Blazers a 125-124 lead. Portland still had to hold their breath though, as Lonzo Ball‘s perfectly placed heave found Zion Williamson, who’s turn-around shot at the buzzer nearly went in, which could’ve spoiled Dame’s latest example of heroics.

This is just the latest appearance of ‘Dame Time’ in what seems like a nightly occurrence for the NBA’s most clutch player. This game was also significant as CJ McCollum returned after missing two months due to a left foot fracture. McCollum, who had been averaging a career-high 26.7 PPG before suffering the injury, will be a huge boost in Portland’s attempt to break into the upper tier of contenders in the West.

Related: Stories of the Day

JIMMY BUTLER IS EMERGING AS A LEGITIMATE MVP CANDIDATE

The Miami Heat’s 113-98 victory on Tuesday night over the Cleveland Cavaliers marked their fifth win in a row and their ninth in their last ten games. This winning spree has them sitting in fourth place in the Eastern Conference, poised for home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs. The recent success of the Heat is largely due to the return of their star player Jimmy Butler.

The Heat’s success is making a strong case for Butler to elevate into an MVP candidate and a serious one at that. Butler’s supporting cast is full of younger, inexperienced players like Tyler HerroBam AdebayoDuncan Robinson, and Kendrick Nunn. Butler is clearly a great leader and mentor for these young players, as he led them to the Finals last year, and has them in a great position again this year, set for another deep playoff run.

Butler is averaging 21.4 PPG, 7.4 rebounds, and 8.0 assists while shooting an efficient 46.7% from the field. He does a great job on the defensive end as well, averaging 2.2 steals per game with some timely turnovers throughout the season. He also has a player efficiency rating of 27.2, right behind Damian Lillard for the fifth-highest this year. These display his impressive, well-rounded, and consistent production, and he also has something that can’t be found on a stat sheet. 

This would be his hard work and hustle he puts into every possession, both offensively and defensively. There aren’t many guys who play with more heart than Butler does night in and night out. These numbers, along with leading an inexperienced team to one of the East’s top spots shows why Butler has entered himself into the MVP race, and his stock will only rise as the Miami Heat continue to rattle off victories down the stretch.

COLORS KEY | FULL HEAT OUTLOOK 

Related: NBA Takeaways of the Day

Markkanen left his mark vs. OKC

Related: NBA Highlights

PG Damian Lillard, POR (W v.NOP): 50 PTS (13-20 FG | 6-13 3P), 10 AST, 6 REB, 0 BLK, 0 STL, 4 TO

Related: Players of the Day

Portland Trail Blazers (125) [GW-FT] vs. New Orleans Pelicans (124)

 [Highlights] @BLAZERS (-125; $10.27) d. PELICANS (+105; $8.80125-124 (GW-FT) [NOP +2 | o239]

Related: Games of the Day

Andy Dalton has produced like no other Bears QB has before

  • Dalton has more seasons of 4,000+ PASS YDS (2) & of 30+ PASS TD (1) than any QB in Bears history (0)
 

Related: Facts of the Day 

Free agency continues as more teams look to solidify their rosters ahead of the upcoming NFL Draft

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