HOT
The Best of the Day: March 23rd, 2021
See the best of the day in sports from March 23, 2021 including POR falling to BKN after getting vaccinated, Jokic's triple-double, and more!
Oregon Live
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 3/23 here.
Tuesday night saw the Brooklyn Nets defeat the Portland Trail Blazers on the road behind James Harden’s huge night facilitating the basketball. Just a day before their matchup, the Blazers were the first full team to receive the COVID vaccine, which could have affected Damian Lillard’s performance in clutch time. Also, Nikola Jokic registered another efficient triple-double in Denver’s road win over Orlando, and Zion Williamson joined elite company after another 20+ point game.
Here is the best of the day from March 23, 2021:
Without KD or Kyrie, the Brooklyn Nets beat the Blazers in Portland
No Kyrie Irving, no Kevin Durant, no problem for James Harden. Brooklyn’s third superstar scored 25 points and tied his season-high with 17 assists to lead the Nets past the Portland Trail Blazers 116-112. Jeff Green scored 20 points while Blake Griffin finished with eight points and five rebounds in 19 minutes off the bench for the Nets, who sit just a game back of Philadelphia for the top spot in the East.
Brooklyn may have gotten some help from an unlikely source, though, as Portland became the first full team to receive the COVID-19 vaccine just 24 hours before tip off. Damian Lillard wasn’t his usual self, as the man with more clutch genes in his body than anyone on the planet came up short in clutch time during this one (0-2 FG, 2 TOs in final 5:30).
Chalk it up to an off night, or maybe the vaccine could have affected his play down the stretch. There’s no way to know, and Lillard won’t make any excuses for his performance. However, it will be interesting to see what the NBA does moving forward if this becomes a trend as more teams receive the vaccine.
For the Nets, the additions of Griffin, and especially Harden mid-season have been crucial in in the team’s ability to keep pace in the East and even thrive without two of their superstars. Irving has missed several games this season due to various reasons while Durant has been out since February 13 dealing with a hamstring injury. The Nets are 16-4 over that span, but they will need both he and Irving healthy and focused if they are to reach their ultimate goal of winning the franchise’s first ever title.
The Harden-Griffin connection 👀 pic.twitter.com/6hehkgTfmX
— NBA TV (@NBATV) March 24, 2021
Okay, Blake 🎯@blakegriffin23 | #BrooklynTogether pic.twitter.com/zCW6fn4Ymr
— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) March 24, 2021
Related: Stories of the Day
GETTING THE COVID VACCINE MAY HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO PORTLAND COMING UP SHORT
The NBA is encouraging the players and staff to get their COVID vaccinations, and are even lifting restrictions on what players can and can’t do if they have the vaccine. The Portland Trail Blazers were one of the first teams to get their first dose, and had to turn around and play the Finals favorites 24 hours later, which could contributed to an uncharacteristic poor crunch-time performance from Mr. Clutch himself, Damian Lillard.
Lillard and the Blazers were in a great spot to beat Brooklyn on Tuesday night, who were without Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant. However, the one man on this team, or maybe in the entire league, that comes up big in the clutch time and time again to lift his team to victories did not do so, and the entire team fell short as a result. Lillard went 0-2 from the field with two turnovers in the final 5:30 of the game.
These negative outcomes late in the game are very unlike Lillard, and it may be reasonable to think that playing an NBA game just 24 hours after receiving the vaccine could have had something to do with it. As more teams begin to get the vaccine, it may be reasonable for the NBA to implement a safety protocol that prohibits teams from playing the day of or the day after receiving the vaccine.
It will be interesting to see if this could affect any other teams in the future, but it’s a noteworthy development nonetheless considering it might have turned out to be the kryptonite for the NBA’s most heroic player.
COLORS KEY | FULL BLAZERS OUTLOOK
This DJJ lob 😮 pic.twitter.com/sznVmSdqT5
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) March 24, 2021
Related: NBA Takeaways of the Day
Robinson got major air time
Mitchell Robinson got UP 💥 pic.twitter.com/YrHVkMd0yw
— NBA TV (@NBATV) March 24, 2021
Related: NBA Highlights
C Nikola Jokic, DEN (W @ORL): 28 PTS (11-17 FG | 2-4 3P), 10 AST, 15 REB, 1 BLK, 2 STL, 3 TO
#PlayerOfTheDay (3/23/21) - C Nikola Jokic, DEN
— Pro Sports Outlook (@PSO_Sports) March 24, 2021
TOP FACTS:
- Most triple-doubles & 60%+ FG in a season besides Wilt
- 6 straight road wins ties Nuggets franchise record
- Most career triple-doubles (53) in Nuggets history
KEY STATS:
28 PTS, 15 REB, 10 AST, 2 STL, 11-17 FG (65%) https://t.co/DdbaVwG25h
Related: Players of the Day
Brooklyn Nets (116) vs. Portland Trail Blazers (112)
[Highlights] NETS (+144; $11.02) d. @BLAZERS (-165; $10.40) 116-112 [BKN +3.5 | u231.5]
Related: Games of the Day
Related: Facts of the Day
Head over to Fandex to redeem your bracket and play for FREE for a chance to win $4,000
If you're like 99% of the nation, your bracket is already busted, but it's all good because @fandex allows you to get back in the game with their exclusive March Madness stock exchange platform for FREE! Check it out https://t.co/0HXFDjAtGS
— Pro Sports Outlook (@PSO_Sports) March 23, 2021
Related: Latest PSO Posts
Share the Best of the Day and follow below for more great sports content!
