Fans of the Toronto Raptors watched one of the most exciting games this season at the Scotiabank Arena on Sunday – their home team defeated the visiting Dallas Mavericks to claim a 30-point comeback victory, the biggest in franchise history.
Dallas Mavericks 107-110 Toronto Raptors
Chris Boucher, #25, dunks for the Toronto Raptors against the Dallas Mavericks at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Canada, December 22, 2019.
When Dwight Powell made a layup to get his 14th point in the third quarter, the Mavericks saw their lead grow to 30 points (85-55) and there were only two minutes, 32 seconds left of the quarter. What made the outlook even worse for Toronto was that they lacked several key players – their No. 1 scorer Pascal Siakam, their best defender Marc Gasol.
However, in the next minutes, the Raptors launched a 55-22 run, not only tying the game, but also gaining the lead before they actually won. Kyle Lowry was the No. 1 hero behind this miracle as he contributed 23 points during the period.
According to ESPN, there were 1,670 NBA games entering the fourth quarter when one side trailed by at least 20 points from the 2009-10 season. Only three of them ended victorious for the trailing side, meaning that the Raptors grasped a chance of less than 0.2 percent.
Denver Nuggets 128-104 Los Angeles Lakers
Gary Harris, #14 of the Denver Nuggets, shoots the ball in the game against the Los Angeles Lakers at the Staples Center, Los Angeles, California, December 22, 2019.
Without LeBron James, the Lakers are the weaker side compared with the Nuggets, but they still had a chance of winning Sunday's game at the Staples Center because the Nuggets could not defend Anthony Davis.
It had been true for two quarters in which Davis scored 19 points and eight rebounds. Meanwhile, other Lakers were doing good enough – when they saw open chances, they shot; when they drove towards the rim, they went for free throws.
Things had been going well for the purple and gold until two turning points happened: Paul Millsap scored eight points in a row; Davis committed his fourth personal foul and, more importantly, hurt his right knee in a defensive possession in the third quarter.
After that, the Lakers collapsed, both offensively and defensively as they lost their biggest gun and the most reliable defender. The left of the game ended disastrously for the purple and gold before leading to their third straight loss.
Los Angeles Clippers 112-118 Oklahoma City Thunder
Chris Paul, #3 of the Oklahoma City Thunder, defends Paul George, #13 of the Los Angeles Clippers, during their NBA game at the Chesapeake Energy Arena, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, December 22, 2019.
Paul George returned to the Chesapeake Energy Arena and, though his breakup with OKC was not pleasant, the city still welcomed him as the fans stood up and applauded for him before the game started.
Since Kawhi Leonard again decided to sit on the game, it fell to George to lead the Clippers' chase for a win. The six-time All-Star forward did well, but only in the first half in which he got 13 points. Nonetheless, George lost his magic in the second half and finished the game with 18 points, two rebounds, three assists and five turnovers. The stats showed that when he was on the court, the Clippers lost by 16 points.
By contrast, the Thunder again took a comeback win by overcoming a 18-point trail and it was already their third consecutive comeback victory this month. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 32 points, five assists, Dennis Schroder put down 26 points, five rebounds, six assists and Chris Paul dropped 12 points, seven rebounds and six assists.
Charlotte Hornets 93-119 Boston Celtics
Jayson Tatum (L) of the Boston Celtics shoots against the Charlotte Hornets at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts, December 22, 2019.
George was not the only player to take on his former employer on Sunday as the Hornets challenged the Celtics at the TD Garden. Terry Rozier, as the second-highest-paid player of the Hornets, failed to lead his team in front of his old teammates. Having missed 11 of 17 shots, Rozier got only 14 points and four assists. When he was on the court, the team lost by 21, the worst of the game.
By contrast, Kemba Walker continued to help Boston in his usual way by putting down 23 points, four assists and five 3-pointers against the defense he had played with for eight years. However, Boston's greatest hero on Sunday night was Jayson Tatum who scored career-high 39 points, including 22 in the fourth quarter alone, plus 12 rebounds and three blocks.
Giannis Antetokounmpo, #34, dunks for the Milwaukee Bucks against the Indiana Pacers at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, December 22, 2019.
In another game on Sunday, the Milwaukee Bucks claimed a big win over the visiting Indiana Pacers 117-89 at the Fiserv Forum. Giannis Antetokounmpo dropped 18 points, 19 rebounds, nine assists, two steals and two blocks to help coach Mike Budenholzer pocket the 300th of his coaching career.