The NBA officially returned with scrimmage games on Wednesday, and while Bol Bol was an absolute delight, some much bigger names came on stage on Thursday. LeBron James, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Luka Doncic and Damian Lillard were among the stars to make their bubble debut, and it was nice to see some familiar faces on our screens.
Things continued to be a little weird and awkward as players and production teams got used to fanless games, but overall it was another good day full of NBA hoops. Let’s take a look at the scores and some of the things that stood out from Thursday’s games.
NBA Scrimmage Scores for Thursday, July 23
LeBron the gray
Lakers fans, and NBA fans in general, were excited to see LeBron James in game action once again, but he looked slightly different. He showed up on Thursday to the Lakers’ first scrimmage game against the Mavericks with prominent gray spots on his beard, something we haven’t seen all season.
This means that LeBron is embracing his 35 years on this earth, or forgot to pack his Just For Men beard tint before heading to the bubble. Either way, it’s clear that despite the new look, we’re still going to see LeBron James himself in Orlando.
James only played the first half of the Lakers’ bubble opener, contributing 12 points, five assists and three rebounds in 15 minutes. He and Anthony Davis combined for 24 points on 9-of-13 shooting in 30 minutes. The Lakers look ready to embark on their postseason walk.
Laker virtual girls
Yes, all of this will take time to get used to … but congratulations to the Lakers for making the effort.
Don’t mess with the boban
Boban Marjanovic is not only a co-star in John Wick 3, but he is also a very good basketball player. The 7-foot-4-inch fan favorite dominated in the Mavericks’ win over the Lakers on Thursday, finishing with 17 points, 13 rebounds and two blocks in 23 minutes, including an unhesitating 3-pointer, nothing but net. .
Lest you think Marjanovic is just racking up unstable numbers in a pointless scrimmage game, don’t forget he went for 31 points and 17 rebounds in the Mavericks’ final game before the break in March, a 113-97 victory. about the Pepitas
Seth Curry with the shot
You may not be able to see Warriors star Stephen Curry in the bubble because his team was so bad that they weren’t invited, but his brother Seth was so entertaining on Thursday. The Mavericks guard had a perfect night, hitting all nine shots, including 6-for-6 from a 3-point range and 1-for-1 from the free throw line. He finished with a 23-point game in 15 minutes.
Freaky foul problems
The Bucks looked great in their win over the Spurs, scoring 113 points in 40 minutes, but Giannis Antetokounmpo seemed to have some trouble remembering that NBA basketball is played with umpires. The Greek monster collected five fouls in just 12 minutes of the first half, an impressive feat for any level. He managed to avoid committing another foul in the second half and finished with 22 points, four assists, three rebounds and three steals in 21 minutes, including a dime without looking at Robin Lopez for a triple in the third quarter.
The big ones are back
The Blazers seemed revitalized and excited by their first scrimmage game, probably due to the expected return of great men Jusuf Nurkic and Zach Collins. Nurkic has not played since he suffered a brutal leg injury in March 2019, and Collins has missed all but three games this season with a shoulder injury. Nurkic, who finished with 14 points and eight rebounds in 20 minutes, immediately showed how his size and subsequent abilities can lead to easy baskets for Portland. Sure, the Pacers didn’t have their two best big men, Domantas Sabonis and Myles Turner, but it was still impressive for a guy who hasn’t played NBA basketball in nearly a year and a half.
He also displayed his playing ability as a facilitator, preparing teammates for easy buckets.
Collins contributed six points, four rebounds and one block in 19 minutes, looking athletic and agile in the process.
Lineups with Collins and Nurkic it worked well last season, as do the lineups with Collins and Hassan Whiteside in a small sample size to kick off the 2019-20 season. Trevor Ariza’s absence hurts, but Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum will clearly have some additional help with Nurkic and Collins, which should make Portland’s quest for seed No. 8 entertaining.
Ghost fans
As the players continue to adjust to the lack of fans, the Trail Blazers decided to have fun as they hit the field before their loss to the Pacers, signaling imaginary fans in the stands and promoting the nonexistent crowd.
Oladipo is ready … for now
After announcing in early July that he would not play in the NBA restart, Pacers guard Victor Oladipo has changed his mind and played 19 minutes in the team’s victory over the Blazers on Thursday. It looked understandably rusty, but it got hot during a stretch in the third quarter to finish with eight points and six rebounds on 3-of-10 shooting.
Oladipo has not publicly said whether he will be on the court when the seed games begin, but the fact that he is playing scrimmages is a good sign for Pacers fans. If he’s healthy, Oladipo clearly raises the roof for an Indiana team that has played well without him all season.
CJ takes the L
Hello, it happens to all of us. CJ McCollum sought to put some extra sauce on his dunk after a brilliant pass from Jusuf Nurkic … unfortunately McCollum’s legs didn’t get the memo.
Give McCollum credit for laughing, but this is one of a basketball player’s biggest nightmares. Can you use the bubble snitch hotline to report the edge of cruel and unusual punishment?
