Weekend winners
Sam Elliott. OK, in terms of Hollywood, our guy Sam Elliott checks a lot of boxes. Best ‘stache? Check. Rushmore of all-time great voices? Check. (Beef. It’s what’s for dinner.) All-around likability. Check-plus. Well, he finally got some hardware last night, taking home a well-deserved SAG award for his great turn as the guide in “1883.” Man, who doesn’t like Sam Elliott?
Dame Time. Damian Lillard is too good to be in the NBA wasteland that is Portland. Dame dropped 71 — SEVENTY-bleepin-ONE — on the Rockets over the weekend. And the numbers say it was the most efficient super-volume scoring effort in league history. Lillard was already the only player in NBA history to top 60 points in a game while making at least 10 3s, and now, after making 13 3s last night, is the only player to top 70 points while making double-digit 3s. Dame scored 71 in 39 minutes of playing time. Do that math.
The Lakers. Visor tip to LeBron and Co., who pulled off a monster comeback Sunday against Dallas. L.A. rebuilt the roster, and the addition-by-subtraction move of shipping Russell Westbrook off has helped the chemistry. Plus, LeBron has vowed to play hard — insert regular-season NBA joke here — down the stretch as the Lakers try to push into the Western Conference playoff picture. And ask yourself this: With the possible exception of Phoenix with Kevin Durant, who in the West has a better Big Three than LeBron, AD and D’Angelo Russell.