NBA Roundup 20th March: Toronto Raptors, Dallas Mavericks and Los Angeles Lakers win (Part-3)
Toronto Raptors 95 – Oklahoma City Thunders 93
Amir Johnson landed a decisive hook shot with 1.4 seconds remaining in the final buzzer as Toronto Raptors overpowered Oklahoma City (OKC) 95-93 at Oklahoma City
Arena on Sunday night. Leandro Barbosa, who exploded off the bench with 19 points, buried a blistering 3-pointer in the defining moments of the play to escalate a tie, 93-93. Johnson then cropped up with a winning blow to seal the surprise win.
Johnson said after the game. "It was a pick-and-roll play, but he was supposed to take it all the way to the basket. They double-teamed him, he made a great pass
and I was able to finish."
Raptors center Andrea Bargnani shared a game-high 23 points with James Harden who came off the bench and provided a brilliant play for Thunders. Star OKC forward
Kevin Durant and guard Russell Westbrook combined for 42 points but their efforts were outshined in the end.
Oklahoma City romped with 18-10 run in the preliminary moments of the game. However, Raptors retaliated stoutly and grabbed 48-44 advantage as the game progressed
into the halftime. Bargnani carried the action and scored 10 points in the third quarter to lead Toronto as the visiting team entered the final period with 10 points advantage.
Thunders showed enormous aggression in the final quarter and snatched the lead from the Raptors. Durant and Harden dominated the scoring with a number of free throws
as Oklahoma managed take three points lead with less than one minute remaining. However, Barbosa and Johnson proved just too good for the Thunder in the dying moments of the game.
Dallas Mavericks 101 – Golden State Warriors 73
Dirk Nowitzki and Peja Stojakovic combined for 37 points to spearhead Dallas Mavericks for a comprehensive win over Golden State Warriors at American Airlines Center
on Sunday night. Stojakovic joined the line-up after missing six games due to a stiff neck and powered Mavericks from the long distance, the facet of their game which they were missing in recent defeats.
Stojakovic came off the bench and buried five blistering blows from downtown to put his team in the frontline.
"He really spreads the floor," Nowitzki said after the game. "He was moving well, moving to his spots. He was aggressive and his shot was flowing. It was fun to watch."
Monta Ellis was the only major performer for Warriors. He clinched 18 points as the rest of the team failed to provide any sort of momentum.
The Mavs got off to a flier and powered to a double digit lead early, however they went cold in the last three minutes of the second quarter as Golden State managed
to cut down the deficit 51-43 just before the halftime.
The Mavs more than made up for their mini-slump in the second half. They unleashed a procession of layups, jumpers and three point shots, leaving no option for Warriors
to gain any sort of momentum. The home team landed six blistering 3-pointers after halftime raced onto an effortless 101-73 victory.
Los Angeles Lakers 84 – Portland Trailblazers 80
Despite of a stiff neck and sore left ankle, Kobe Bryant still managed to clinch a team-high 22 points to power Los Angeles Lakers over the Portland Trailblazers,
84-80, at Staples Center on Sunday night.
Lamar Odom and Pau Gasol lend a substantial support, combining for 30 points to put the home team on the frontline. For Portland, Nicolas Batum had an amazing night
with a game-high 25 points however his formidable exertion was outshined by the two-time defending champions. Both the teams showed great aggression in the first half of the game, which finished with a 48-44 score line in Portland’s favour. The third quarter
of the game saw some breath-taking plays from both the teams. The Trail Blazers matched the mighty Lakers shot for shot and managed to retain their four point lead going into the final 12 minutes.
Fourth quarter again proved to a dog-fight. The Trail Blazers kept the Lakers in check early in the piece. Bryant and Derrick Fisher however landed some blistering
blows in the defining moments of the game to snatch the lead as the home team squeaked out an outstanding 84-80 victory.
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