NBA Results Roundup (August 8th) - LA Clippers beat Portland Trail Blazers in thriller, LA Lakers lose despite LeBron James' 31-point effort
Saturday night of NBA action saw some thrilling games that went down the wire, with some of the best players such as Luka Doncic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and LeBron James putting up great performances.
The NBA title favorites, the LA Clippers, fended off the Portland Trail Blazers in a close game on the back of Paul George's stellar performance. The Denver Nuggets prevailed over the Utah Jazz in the first double-overtime game in the NBA bubble.
The LA Lakers continued their poor showing against the Indiana Pacers, who were led by T.J. Warren. Meanwhile, the Milwaukee Bucks also fell to the Dallas Mavericks led by Luka Doncic.
Let's have a look at the NBA game results from August 8th.
1. The LA Clippers defeat the Portland Trail Blazers in a classic NBA thriller
The Portland Trail Blazers suffered a heartbreaking 122-117 loss tonight to the LA Clippers. The Blazers led for much of the game with CJ McCollum scoring 29 points, but were unable to close out the game.
For the LA Clippers, Paul George put up 21 points on 50% shooting. Landry Shamet and Reggie Jackson took up the scoring responsibilities in Kawhi Leonard's absence.
Damian Lillard had a quiet night with 22 points. He was only able to make 2 of 10 three-pointer attempts. Carmelo Anthony and Gary Trent Jr. put up 21 and 22 points each for the Portland Trail Blazers. In the end, a rare slump for Lillard down the stretch gave the Clippers all they needed to win this game.
Final score: LA Clippers 122-117 Portland Trail Blazers (George 21, points 6 rebounds; McCollum 29 points, 8 assists)
2. The Denver Nuggets outlast the Utah Jazz in the first double-overtime game in the NBA bubble
In a double-overtime thriller, the Denver Nuggets eked out a victory against the Utah Jazz. The Utah Jazz gave up crucial points in the fourth quarter and there was no looking back for the Denver Nuggets, who were led by a 30-point 11-rebound effort from Nikola Jokic.
With Jamal Murray scoring 23 points and grabbing 12 boards in his first game in the NBA bubble, the Nuggets duo picked up right where they left off in March. Michael Porter Jr. also continued his hot streak with 23 points and 11 rebounds.
For the Utah Jazz, the dynamic duo of Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert combined for 57 points. The Jazz led for much of the first half but were unable to hold onto their lead. In the two overtimes, the Nuggets were in control, not letting the Jazz gain a significant lead.
Final score: Utah Jazz 132-134 Denver Nuggets (Mitchell 35 points, 8 assists; Jokic 30 points, 11 rebounds)
3. The LA Lakers suffer third consecutive loss in the NBA bubble against the Indiana Pacers
The LA Lakers' poor run continued as they suffered a 110-116 defeat at the hands of the Indiana Pacers, who have been on fire in the NBA bubble. With T.J. Warren continuing his scoring run with 39 points on 68.2% shooting, the Pacers won their fourth game in the NBA bubble so far.
LeBron James had a great night with 31 points and 8 rebounds, but Anthony Davis was abysmal with just 8 points on 21.4% shooting from the field. The Lakers were boosted by Quinn Cook's 21 points off the bench but it was not enough to slow the Pacers down.
Victor Oladipo scored 22 points while Malcolm Brogdon impressed with a 24-point performance. The Indiana Pacers were in control for most of the first half with a lead of 15 points.
The LA Lakers clawed their way back into the game in the fourth quarter but could not stop a dominant T.J. Warren, who has arguably been the most dominant player in the NBA since the restart of the season.
Final score: LA Lakers 111-116 Indiana Pacers (James 31 points, 8 rebounds; Warren 39 points, 5 rebounds)
4. The Phoenix Suns make it 5 wins in a row in the NBA bubble after beating the Miami Heat
The Phoenix Suns continued their undefeated run in the NBA bubble with a 119-112 victory against the Miami Heat. Devin Booker put on a show with 35 points and continued his clutch shooting as the Suns kept the Heat at bay throughout the fourth quarter.
The Heat were playing without Jimmy Butler, Goran Dragic, and Kendrick Nunn. Duncan Robinson and Tyler Herro put up 25 points apiece but that was not enough to stop the Devin Booker show that has taken over the NBA.
Final score: Phoenix Suns 119-112 Miami Heat (Booker 35 points, 6 assists; Herro 25 points, 10 assists)
5. The Milwaukee Bucks fall to the Dallas Mavericks in a hard-fought overtime battle
NBA title favorites Milwaukee Bucks suffered a 136-132 defeat at the hands of the young Dallas Mavericks. NBA star Luka Doncic had a monstrous triple-double with 36 points, 14 rebounds and 19 assists. Kristaps Porzingis had a dominant performance with 26 points and 11 rebounds.
The Bucks were comfortably ahead in the fourth quarter before the Mavericks went on a 7-0 run to take things into overtime, where they shot three consecutive three-pointers and eventually won the game.
For the Bucks, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Brook Lopez scored 34 points each. Khris Middleton added 21 points with 11 assists, but their effort went in vain against the young dynamic duo of Doncic and Porzingis.
Final score: Milwaukee Bucks 132-136 Dallas Mavericks (Antetokounmpo 34 points, 13 rebounds; Doncic 36 points, 19 assists)
Also Read: 2019-2020 NBA Award Finalists - Complete list