CURRENT NBA SCORES AND NEWS: WHAT’S HAPPENING IN THE LEAGUE

There have been far fewer injuries and coronavirus health and safety protocols lately, so we’ve been able to see the NBA’s actual best players perform on the basketball floor. The NBA playoffs are starting in April, so every team with a shot at the post-season is beginning to flex its muscles and prepare for hard-fought battles.

A few title contenders are struggling, well, mostly the Lakers now, but it may be a different story once star center Anthony Davis returns from a painful ankle injury. LeBron needs help, and it must happen fast.

NBA Standings & News to Focus on

• DeAndre’ Bembry out of Bucks lineup for season after injuring right knee, but Brook Lopez returns to Milwaukee on Monday
• Grizz and OKC somehow both wear white uniforms on the court
• Gregg Popovich now leads all coaches for most wins in NBA history
• Boston retires Garnett’s No. 5, but Mavs spoil Celtics’ big night
• Durant scores 53 as Nets defeat Knicks for battle of New York
• Suns decimate Lakers on the back of Booker’s 30 points

Huge night for Kevin Garnett but Celtics lose to Mavericks in tense NBA game

The Boston Celtics faithful were out in force on Sunday night, as Kevin Garnett was the next in line to have his number retired by the franchise. Garnett, who only played six seasons for the Celtics but helped bring the team its 17^th championship back in 2008, received a tribute before the game to have his no. 5 jersey placed in the rafters.

Joining KG was Paul Pierce and Ray Allen, who all enjoyed an amusing group hug at the end of Garnett’s poignant acceptance speech. The presence of Allen is significant, as the former sharpshooter was something of a pariah to Garnett and Pierce after leaving the team for Miami in 2012. However, time healed the wounds and the Big 3 enjoyed the moment of Garnett’s jersey retirement with grace.

As for what happened during the matchup on the court, well, it seemed that Dallas cared not for the Boston moment by narrowly defeating the Celtics, 95-92. Both have been rolling of late, with the Mavs going 8-2 in the last 10 (5^th in the West NBA standings) and the Celtics going 7-3 (5^th in the East NBA standings).

Neither team had a standout scorer, in fact, as both the Mavs’ Luka Doncic and Celts’ Jayson Tatum ended with 26 points and 21 points, respectively. Tatum, however, had a bad shooting night by making only 7-23 shots from the floor and only hitting four of five free throws in 41 minutes.

It really is “go time” for both teams, as neither one wants to drop to 7^th place in the conference standings and have to enter the play-in tournament in order to reach the playoffs. More than likely, Dallas and Boston will stay above 6^th place, but every game counts from now on as the post-season looms closer and closer.

Things started out well enough for Boston, as the home team led by nine points at halftime and everyone was fired up after Jaylen Brown’s nasty dunk over Luka in the second quarter (complete with a big high five from none other than KG). However, Dallas’ incredible ball movement and three-point strategy slowly but surely got them back in the game, as the Mavs went 15-27 from beyond the arc.

Still, it was incredibly close in the final minute and full of drama. With the game tied at 92, it was the Mavs’ recent acquisition at the trade deadline, Spencer Dinwiddie, who hit an absolute clutch three for the lead with only nine seconds remaining.

Not to be outdone, Boston’s Marcus Smart attempted a game-tying three of his own, with the shot missing but the play resulting in a foul by Doncic. Mavs’ coach Jason Kidd challenged the call and, amazingly, the referees overturned the decision and Luka’s foul was erased. The Celtics won the jump ball after the coach’s challenge and had yet one more attempt to tie the game from Tatum’s three–pointer, only for it to rim out and stay a Mavs victory.

Hilarious uniform mishap in Grizzlies vs. Thunder matchup – Top 3 and worst 3 NBA jerseys of all time

A uniform mix-up at the start of Memphis’ 125-118 win over OKC was probably the most notable moment from this particular NBA game. Somehow, someway, both teams made their way to the court wearing white uniforms, and only realized the error as the tip-off was starting.

Of course, it used to be that the home team always wore white jerseys (apart from the Lakers usually wearing yellow) and the road team had a darker shade for their uniforms. But in recent years, the NBA has allowed teams to essentially wear whatever uniform they want, so long as both team colors aren’t clashing. Well, someone didn’t get the memo, as the Grizzlies, being the road team, were forced to run back to the locker room and switch into their blue uniforms.

Despite the mess to the start of the game, everyone in the arena found it amusing and a very unusual scene. Having that said, this isn’t the first time that OKC has been involved in a uniform mistake, as last year saw the Thunder wearing orange and the visiting Hawks displayed in red. Amazingly, the Hawks didn’t have to switch to another color until halftime.

This uniform confusion got us thinking… what are the best/worst three NBA uniforms of all time?

The best three NBA jerseys

• Orlando Magic’s black and white pinstripes – Shaq and Penny rocked these jerseys in the 90s and propelled the Magic to dizzying heights. The team has modified the design now and then, even adding an electric blue and white version, but the original B&W is just perfect. The team doesn’t bring back this design as much as we’d like, but we still have the memories.
• Miami Heat Vice collection – Usually, the best jerseys are from the 80s or 90s, but the Heat’s Vice jerseys are insanely cool and modern. Since 2017, Miami has worn this design as an alternate jersey, but the first iteration of black, light blue, and hot pink simply oozes the Miami Vice TV show but with a contemporary finish.
• Phoenix Suns’ 90s road jersey – Black and orange don’t always work well together, but when it does, it really pops out. The Suns’ 90s era with Charles Barkley came close to an NBA title (if it wasn’t for Michael Jordan), but at least they looked awesome wearing these black uniforms with the orange sun/basketball exploding in a burst of colors.

And the worst three NBA jerseys

• Anything sleeved – During the early 2010s, the NBA decided to move away from sleeveless jerseys and force players to wear uniforms basically like a T-shirt. These just didn’t sit right with anyone and the designs were either overly colorful or incredibly plain. LeBron James famously tore off his sleeves when these were inhibiting his shooting during a game.
• Sacramento Kings’ golden uniforms – So much shine! These golden uniforms worn by the Kings in the 2005-06 season (thankfully retired after one try) were hideous in all aspects. The material was silky smooth and far too bright, while the gold and purple were far from matching. A big mistake in Sacramento.
• Boston Celtics’ gray uniforms – Boston’s famous green and white uniforms are legendary for a reason… the colors look awesome together. So, why did the Celtics’ try a gray and green option in the 2014-15 season? We’ll never know, but it was weird and disconcerting to look at. Teams often try a gray version for a season, then see everyone’s disgusted reactions and swiftly send these to the garbage can.

Two Exciting NBA Games Coming Up       

Mark down these two on the NBA schedule

Mavericks @ 76ers on Friday 18^th March

The 76ers continue to surge up the NBA Power Rankings (sitting at 7^th) even if the team is still getting over the demolition by the Nets last week. Harden and Embiid is a great combo, as most thought after the trade, with the two working the inside/outside game like no one else.

Luka Doncic has some decent co-stars with the Mavericks, but he alone is a force on the court and is basically unstoppable. The Mavs don’t seem to fear anyone else’s home arena, so there’s absolutely no reason why they can’t get the win over a fantastic Phili team on Friday. Look for Luka to have a massive 40-point game in a victory over Embiid and Harden.

Pistons @ Cavaliers on Saturday 19^th March

It’s a shame that the Cavaliers are starting to cool off after their hot start to the season, but a ton of injuries have derailed everything. Still, Darius Garland is back for Cleveland and is shooting lights out and slashing his way to the hoop like a man on a mission. He’ll need a lot of help come playoff time, which the Cavs will certainly reach, but he’s turning into one of the league’s most exciting young prospects despite his smaller size.

Number one draft pick, Cade Cunningham, is everything the Pistons hoped he would be: Dazzling playmaker, efficient scorer, and a solid rebounder, so the only way is up for this talented point guard. Detroit has already been eliminated from the playoffs because of their 18-50 record, but it’s still interesting to see their youthful lineup work their way into a respectable squad. The Cavs will get the home win, but it’s going to be a fun game nevertheless.

Author: Joe Garland