March Madness isn’t confined to the NCAA Basketball Tournament. Every once in a while, the fever and unexpected momentum that infect the college game also inhabit NBA courts. That was the case tonight as the Portland Trail Blazers faced the Brooklyn Nets.
Brooklyn carried a serious talent edge, a better record, and a dominant player in forward Kevin Durant. Portland fielded no recognizable faces, a mid-major hopeful in the land of Bracket Behemoths.
But Portland gave Brooklyn a run for their money worthy of a tournament tale. Durant scored 38, but Portland forced 21 turnovers, grabbed 17 offensive rebounds, and scored 21 on the break, matching the Nets bucket for bucket.