The NBA could be in line for a painfully long hiatus as the 30-day timeline is considered fluid and most likely bound to extend beyond conservative measures. The 2019-20 season came to a halt after Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert was the first player to test positive for the coronavirus, with teammate Donovan Mitchell and Detroit Pistons big man Christian Wood to follow.

However, let’s not forget that the first three-quarters of action brought some quality moments. To make this quarantining process easier, let’s relive some of the best storylines of this fine NBA season.

Zion Williamson drops 17 points in 4th quarter of his NBA debut

The start of the 2019-20 NBA season took a huge hit as Zion Williamson suffered a torn meniscus that would sideline him for the first half of the campaign.

All eyes were on him as he took the court for the first time against a disciplined San Antonio Spurs defense that held him to five points through his first three-quarters of action. With his team down eight points with less than nine minutes left in regulation, Williamson caught fire, scoring on a put-back, an alley-oop play, and drilling four 3-pointers to give his team a fighting chance.

Williamson was taken off the court in the late stretch of the game, as he was still under a minutes limitation, but he sure made a massive impression by showing he’s a star on the rise.

Rockets fall to Spurs in double-overtime after refs miss James Harden’s dunk

This was perhaps one of the most controversial games of the NBA season. The officials missed a James Harden dunk that went through the net with so much ferocity that it went back in and out, mistakenly ruling it a missed field goal.

The Spurs would swing big in the last seven minutes of regulation, tying the game in regulation and making plays down the stretch to take home a narrow 135-133 win in double overtime.

The Rockets protested the result with the league, one that the NBA rapidly denied, considering Houston had multiple chances to decide the outcome in regulation and both overtime periods.

This was a great comeback by the Spurs and an expected reaction from the Rockets, who have been happy to compile cases for the league to review in the past. Most recently, they mounted a hefty document claiming they got the bad end of the whistle in a seven-game series against the Golden State Warriors in 2018 — waiting until the 2019 Western Conference Semifinals to bring it to light.

LeBron James addresses crowd in first Lakers home game since Kobe Bryant’s death

LeBron James had a David Ortiz moment, tasked with addressing a hurt Los Angeles Lakers crowd after the devastatingly tragic death of purple-and-gold legend Kobe Bryant. The 41-year-old star died in a helicopter crash along with his daughter Gianna and seven others.

James was the unifying voice to carry a heartfelt message, and perhaps the only NBA player that could help fans transition from gut-wrenched heartache to some inner peace.

James was candid and inspirational, looking to unite and strengthen a Lakers fanbase that were dealt a major blow. That Jan. 31 night, five days after Bryant passed, further etched him as the voice of the NBA.

The Slam Dunk Contest is back

Hopes weren’t all that high after Zach LaVine and Ja Morant, two of the NBA’s most exciting dunkers had turned down their invitation to the 2020 NBA Slam Dunk Contest. But if the mood was “meh” — Aaron Gordon and Derrick Jones Jr. didn’t get the memo.

The Orlando Magic star and the Miami Heat high-flyer put on a show for the ages, throwing down perfect score after perfect score until the show ended in a double dunk-off with heavy controversy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zqZHEYL3yc

While dunk-offs are never short of drama, this was a finish not even movies could script, as Jones won 48-47 in the final dunk after the judges mixed up their scores and regretfully crowned the Heat skywalker the champion.

Gordon believed he was once-again snubbed out of a dunk title after losing to LaVine in 2016, closing the door on a return.

The James Harden-Giannis Antetokounmpo beef

This jam has it all, from on-court clips to off-the-court barbs. Giannis Antetokounmpo walked away with the Most Valuable Player trophy last season in a not-so-close voting. It didn’t take long for James Harden to air out his grievances, as he’s done previously throughout the years.

The Greek Freak didn’t take kindly to it and put him on blast during the 2020 All-Star Draft, first avoiding him at all costs during the selection process and then noting his team chose to go at him in the fourth quarter for some effective scoring.

The Beard wouldn’t blink, soon taking a jab at the reigning MVP for his height and physical abilities and saying he’d rather have a skill game than one based around physical gifts.

The best part of it is that this is still an ongoing back-and-forth. Yet if Giannis walks away with a second consecutive MVP trophy, that might just be the final nail in that coffin… for now.