The NBA Bubble is a new concept that will stay in the minds of the fans for a long long time. Everyone will remember these historical and unforgettable moments which can only lead to one thing in the future… Trivia Time!
Think of this as a ‘Cheat Sheet’…
- First player to make a field goal: Rudy Gobert. Gobert was part of the reason why the season was paused. It was only fitting that he scored first to kick-off the NBA restart.
- First player to switch shoes during a game: LeBron James. LeBron played better after the switch and went on to hit the game-winner in his first bubble game.
- First player to get a penalty: Marcus Smart. Smart criticized the referees and got fined $15,000.
- First team to get a penalty: Brooklyn Nets. The Nets were fined $25,000 for failing to comply with league rules regarding injury reporting.
- First player to hit a game-winning buzzer-beating shot: Devin Booker. This shot will go on to become one of the defining moments of the NBA bubble.
- First team to win all games: Phoenix Suns. They won all 8 seeding games.
- First team to get eliminated: Washington Wizards. They lost 7 in a row before winning their last game.
- First overtime game: Portland Trail Blazers vs. Memphis Grizzlies.
- First ‘Play-In Game’: Portland Trail Blazers vs. Memphis Grizzlies. A Play-In Game was added this year to determine who grabs the last playoff spot.
- First team to score 150 points: Houston Rockets.
- First player to have a Triple-Double: Luka Doncic.
- First team to let family members do player introductions: Phoenix Suns.
- First player to commit an ‘Own Goal’: Tobias Harris. Harris tried to intercept Damian Lillard‘s pass but the ball bounced from his hand to the rim for 2 points.
- First player to reach 30 points: Anthony Davis.
- First player to reach 40 points: James Harden.
- First player to reach 50 points: T.J. Warren.
- First player to reach 60 points: Damian Lillard.
- First player to suffer a major injury: Jonathan Isaac. Isaac’s injury: torn ACL.
- First player to stand during the national anthem: Jonathan Isaac.
- First player to wear a blank jersey: Jimmy Butler. Officials warned Butler about this and he quickly changed to a normal jersey.
- First player to grab 20 rebounds: Joel Embiid.
- First player to commit 10 turnovers: James Harden.
- First player to head-butt an opponent: Giannis Antetokounmpo. The victim was Moe Wagner of the Washington Wizards.
- First player to miss all 12 3-point attempts: Justin Anderson.
- First player to miss 14 consecutive shots: Bogdan Bogdanovic. It should be noted that Bogdanovic bounced back by scoring 35 points in the next game.
There were a lot of memorable moments inside the bubble-like the scoring performances from role players, multiple teams racing for the last playoff spot, the trash-talking on the court, players taunting each other from the sidelines, and players taunting each other through social media.
All the actions that these seeding games brought were probably magnified because of the long layoff. Fans were disconnected from the sport for 4 months and then excitement took over after the NBA restart.
If the seeding games were enough to get our blood pumping, we can only imagine what’s in store for us during these playoffs.
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