Back in May, when NBA was still mulling its options for 2019/20 season resume, Portland Trail Blazers’ All-Star Damian Lillard said he doesn’t intend to play if he doesn’t get a fair chance to make the playoffs. Lillard ended up getting one, and now he’s using it.

On Thursday night, Lillard led the Blazers to a 125-115 win against Denver Nuggets with a spectacular performance in which he scored 45 points, packed 11 threes, and dished 12 assists. With this win, Portland inched close to last playoff spot in the West, now trailing only half of a game behind Memphis Grizzlies on No.8.

“Y’all know that I’m always optimistic and always see the best in situations like this, and it’s why I said what I said a few months ago when I said, ‘If we don’t have a chance to compete for a playoff spot, I don’t want to play,'” said Lillard after the game. “Because I knew if we did have a chance to play for a playoff spot, it would look something like it looks right now.”

After making the Western Conference Finals last season, the Trail Blazers crumbled in 2019/20 and were out of the playoff picture when NBA suspended its activities due to coronavirus pandemic. However, it wasn’t all their fault as injuries, especially that of standout big man Jusuf Nurkic, played a significant part in Portland’s decline.

But, entering the Orlando bubble, the Blazers were healthy, and it shows so far. They are 3-1 since the restart and their only loss in a tightly contested game against Boston Celtics.

“I knew that once we got here, we’d be one of the teams that would take advantage of it, and so far we have,” Lillard added.

While Blazers’ job is far from over, with San Antonio Spurs, New Orleans Pelicans, and Phoenix Suns also being in the hunt for the postseason, they have a chance to determine their own destiny. And that’s exactly what Lillard wanted. 

The post Damian Lillard Scores 45 Points to Lead Blazers Past Denver appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Injuries continue to pile up for Orlando Magic since the 2019/20 NBA season resume. The latest Magic player heading to the sidelines is Aaron Gordon, who suffered a strained hamstring in Wednesday’s loss to the Toronto Raptors.

The 24-year-old starting forward got injured early in the third quarter following a foul by Raptors’ guard Kyle Lowry. Gordon cut to the basket and was about to dunk when Lowry jumped into his knees in an attempt to stop him.

Gordon had to exit the game and didn’t get back, while Lowry was handed a flagrant 1 foul.

Luckily for Magic, Aaron Gordon might not be out of action for too long. The MRI showed no structural damage, and he might even be back on the court this week. Gordon’s official status is “day-to-day” according to the team’s recent announcement. 

Gordon was one of Magic’s best players in recent years, and he quietly had a solid season in 2019/20. So far, he was averaging 14.5 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game.

Orlando Magic currently finds themselves as the No.8 seed in the East with a 32-37 record. However, they have a chance to advance to No.7 and avoid first round against Milwaukee Bucks, as they are just half a game behind Brooklyn Nets on No.7.

The post Magic’s Aaron Gordon Picks Up Strained Hamstring in Loss to Raptors appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Back in May, when NBA was still mulling its options for 2019/20 season resume, Portland Trail Blazers’ All-Star Damian Lillard said he doesn’t intend to play if he doesn’t get a fair chance to make the playoffs. Lillard ended up getting one, and now he’s using it.

On Thursday night, Lillard led the Blazers to a 125-115 win against Denver Nuggets with a spectacular performance in which he scored 45 points, packed 11 threes, and dished 12 assists. With this win, Portland inched close to last playoff spot in the West, now trailing only half of a game behind Memphis Grizzlies on No.8.

“Y’all know that I’m always optimistic and always see the best in situations like this, and it’s why I said what I said a few months ago when I said, ‘If we don’t have a chance to compete for a playoff spot, I don’t want to play,'” said Lillard after the game. “Because I knew if we did have a chance to play for a playoff spot, it would look something like it looks right now.”

After making the Western Conference Finals last season, the Trail Blazers crumbled in 2019/20 and were out of the playoff picture when NBA suspended its activities due to coronavirus pandemic. However, it wasn’t all their fault as injuries, especially that of standout big man Jusuf Nurkic, played a significant part in Portland’s decline.

But, entering the Orlando bubble, the Blazers were healthy, and it shows so far. They are 3-1 since the restart and their only loss in a tightly contested game against Boston Celtics.

“I knew that once we got here, we’d be one of the teams that would take advantage of it, and so far we have,” Lillard added.

While Blazers’ job is far from over, with San Antonio Spurs, New Orleans Pelicans, and Phoenix Suns also being in the hunt for the postseason, they have a chance to determine their own destiny. And that’s exactly what Lillard wanted. 

The post Damian Lillard Scores 45 Points to Lead Blazers Past Denver appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Injuries continue to pile up for Orlando Magic since the 2019/20 NBA season resume. The latest Magic player heading to the sidelines is Aaron Gordon, who suffered a strained hamstring in Wednesday’s loss to the Toronto Raptors.

The 24-year-old starting forward got injured early in the third quarter following a foul by Raptors’ guard Kyle Lowry. Gordon cut to the basket and was about to dunk when Lowry jumped into his knees in an attempt to stop him.

Gordon had to exit the game and didn’t get back, while Lowry was handed a flagrant 1 foul.

Luckily for Magic, Aaron Gordon might not be out of action for too long. The MRI showed no structural damage, and he might even be back on the court this week. Gordon’s official status is “day-to-day” according to the team’s recent announcement. 

Gordon was one of Magic’s best players in recent years, and he quietly had a solid season in 2019/20. So far, he was averaging 14.5 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game.

Orlando Magic currently finds themselves as the No.8 seed in the East with a 32-37 record. However, they have a chance to advance to No.7 and avoid first round against Milwaukee Bucks, as they are just half a game behind Brooklyn Nets on No.7.

The post Magic’s Aaron Gordon Picks Up Strained Hamstring in Loss to Raptors appeared first on SportzBonanza.