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The Best of the Day: March 3rd, 2021
See the best of the day in sports from March 3, 2021 including Dame Time vs. Steph and Golden St., Embiid's MVP performance vs. UTA, and more!
Steve Dykes-USA TODAY Sports
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 3/3 here.
The two top point guards in the game squared off as Damian Lillard and the Trail Blazers faced Steph Curry and the Warriors. The game came down to the wire, with Lillard coming up clutch again by hitting a go-ahead 3 at the end to lift Portland past Golden State.
Also, MVP front-runner Joel Embiid had a monster game as the 76ers downed the NBA-best Jazz in OT, one of the most underrated WRs over the last decade, Golden Tate, was released by the Giants, and the Hawks have a chance to finally reach their potential now that Lloyd Pierce has been dismissed.
Here is the best of the day from March 3, 2021:
Lillard overcame an off night until it was Dame Time to drain the GW over Steph’s Warriors
The Portland Trail Blazers will always have a chance no matter the situation as long as they have Damian Lillard. The NBA’s most clutch player showed up once again when his team needed him the most, this time against Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors. With the Trail Blazers down by three with just over two minutes left on the clock, Lillard took over after having a quiet night up until then.
Lillard exploded to score all eight of his team’s final points, beginning with a game-tying 3 with 2:06 remaining. However, Golden State answered with a 3PM of its own from Draymond Green. Following misses by both teams, Lillard sank two free throws with 51.5 seconds left, cutting the deficit to one.
Then, following a Curry miss on the other end, Lillard proceeded to hit a deep step-back 3 with 13.7 seconds left to put Portland up 108-106. He made his final impact on the defensive end by taking a charge on Green with 4.1 seconds left to seal the game.
IT'S DAME TIME 🔥 pic.twitter.com/zhAM3HvIna
— NBA TV (@NBATV) March 4, 2021
When the ⌚️ starts winding down..
— NBA (@NBA) March 4, 2021
You know what ⌚️ it is.@Dame_Lillard: Final 8 @trailblazers points, game-winning triple with 13.7 left. pic.twitter.com/4ZWP3DNQdQ
Nobody is better than @Dame_Lillard when it matters most https://t.co/BRRmm5ceNb
— Pro Sports Outlook (@PSO_Sports) March 4, 2021
Lillard finished with 22 points, six assists, and just 3-of-10 from 3. However, his two clutch makes from deep were enough for Portland, who sit in the fifth spot in the conference at 20-14. Curry finished with 35 points on 13-of-28 from the floor and 5-of-14 from 3, but Golden State fell to 19-17, tied with Dallas for the eighth seed in the ultra-competitive West.
HOW, STEPH ⁉️ pic.twitter.com/RpVJM3rIee
— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) March 4, 2021
Related: Stories of the Day
HAWKS CAN FINALLY REACH THEIR POTENTIAL WITHOUT LLOYD PIERCE
The Atlanta Hawks entered the 2020-21 season with playoff expectations for the first time since Mike Budenholzer’s departure. After a rebuilding period, the Hawks finally have a roster in place that’s built for contention. Not in the future, but for right now. GM Travis Schlenk made the most aggressive moves of his four-year tenure thus far by signing Bogdan Bogdanovic, Danilo Gallinari, and Rajon Rondo as part of a free-agent frenzy when most teams were being conservative amidst an economic crisis.
Atlanta has benefitted from drafting about as well as any team in the league over the last four years by adding De’Andre Hunter (4th overall), Trae Young (5th), John Collins (19th), Kevin Huerter (19th), and Cam Reddish (10th) to an extremely promising young core. Considering their quick adjustments to the league and Young’s immediate All-Star caliber impact, it was time to turn potential into production.
After starting the season 10-9, it seemed like ATL’s moves were working and this was the season the Hawks would make the playoffs for the first time in four years. However, they then fell to 14-20 and fired Lloyd Pierce due to the team’s struggles.
The Hawks would consistently hold second-half leads or be up in the fourth quarter but then consistently fail to deliver during ‘winning time’. That usually falls on the team’s star player (or lack thereof) and/or Head Coach for not putting the team in a position to succeed in those situations. Considering Ice Trae’s scoring prowess and proven ability to hit big shots, it was likely more of an indictment on the coaching staff than the star PG.
After firing Pierce, the Hawks have now won two in a row and pulled off a 19-point comeback victory over Orlando to enter the All-Star break with plenty of momentum. The rookie HC Pierce had reportedly lost the locker room, and his replacement, Nate McMillan brings a long list of Head Coaching and playing experience that is exactly what this young Hawks team needs.
The top of the Eastern Conference is tough with Philly, Brooklyn, and Milwaukee all having realistic title aspirations this season. While Atlanta is unlikely to come anywhere close to that level this season, their talent should be enough to clinch a spot in the postseason. With Pierce no longer leading the way, the Hawks can finally reach their potential, take the next step this year, and continue their path toward being championship contenders in the foreseeable future.
COLORS KEY | FULL HAWKS FUTURE OUTLOOK
🧊 32 PTS for @TheTraeYoung
— NBA (@NBA) March 4, 2021
🧊 20 in 2nd half
🧊 Clutch FTs to complete @ATLHawks 19-point comeback win! pic.twitter.com/fBCPTp2CjF
Trae Young completed the comeback. 😤
— theScore (@theScore) March 4, 2021
The Hawks are now 2-0 with Nate McMillan. pic.twitter.com/JPKw7U7OeE
Related: NBA Takeaways of the Day
It was Dame Time vs. Golden State
IT'S DAME TIME 🔥 pic.twitter.com/zhAM3HvIna
— NBA TV (@NBATV) March 4, 2021
When the ⌚️ starts winding down..
— NBA (@NBA) March 4, 2021
You know what ⌚️ it is.@Dame_Lillard: Final 8 @trailblazers points, game-winning triple with 13.7 left. pic.twitter.com/4ZWP3DNQdQ
Related: NBA Highlights
C Joel Embiid, PHI (W v.UTA): 40 PTS (14-27 FG | 2-5 3P), 3 AST, 19 REB, 2 BLK, 1 STL, 2 TO
#PlayerOfTheDay (3/3/21) - C Joel Embiid, PHI
— Pro Sports Outlook (@PSO_Sports) March 4, 2021
TOP FACTS:
- 3 GP of 40 PTS & 15 REB; Rest of NBA has 1 combined
- Most career GP (9) of 40 PTS & 15 REB in 76ers history
- Jazz were 25-0 when leading after 3 Qtrs before OT loss
KEY STATS:
40 PTS, 19 REB, 14-27 FG (52%), 2-5 3P https://t.co/LtXDWoIaDH
Related: Players of the Day
Utah Jazz (123) vs. Philadelphia 76ers (131) [OT]
[Highlights] @76ERS (+128; $10.31) d. JAZZ (-128; $13.56) 131-123 (OT) [PHL +2.5 | o231.5]
Related: Games of the Day
Related: Facts of the Day
FULL NBA Review From March 3, 2021 by Rob Mason
Another appearance from Dame Time, Joel Embiid’s ridiculous MVP performance, and TJ McConnell’s historic triple-double highlighted Wednesday’s NBA action
Wednesday in the NBA continued the madness in March as a handful of games came down to the final possession with a couple individuals rising above the rest https://t.co/uneG5vFBoi
— Pro Sports Outlook (@PSO_Sports) March 4, 2021
Related: Latest PSO Posts
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