THE BULLETIN • TUESDAY, MARCH 9, 2021 A7
NBA | ALL-STAR GAME
DEAR ABBY
Write to Dear Abby online at dearabby.com
or by mail at P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069
Dear Abby: I brought my
68-year-old immigrant father
to live with me permanently
with the intention of caring
for him. He was completely
dependent. Halfway through
the year, I got angry, told him
to move back and vowed to
myself I would never ever care
for him again. It wasn’t that he
did anything wrong; I don’t
know why I got so angry.
He wound up living alone,
being helped by his friends.
I visited him, but I became
disconnected. I knew he was
suffering, but I couldn’t bring
myself to bring him back to
live with me. I was cruel, and
it hurt him deeply. I let his
green card lapse. He passed
away two years later.
Since then, I have been
overwhelmed with guilt. As
a son, I should have cared
for my father. I am depressed
over my actions. I am a hor-
rible son. I have been crying
and asking for forgiveness.
Please tell me how I can
move forward.
— Guilt-Ridden in the West
Dear Guilt-Ridden: Per-
forming the role of caregiver
is an enormous undertaking.
While it can be rewarding, it
can also be exhausting, un-
relenting and stressful. Care-
givers have been known to
lose their tempers because of
the pressure, but because you
had bitten off more than you
could chew, your reaction
was extreme.
If you are religious,
talk about this with your
clergyperson. If you aren’t,
please consider scheduling
some appointments with a
licensed mental health pro-
fessional who can help you
more fully understand what
happened between you and
your father and help you
cope with your guilt. And in
the future — once you are
able — consider atoning by
volunteering for a charity that
serves the elderly.
Dear Abby: I have been
married to a functioning al-
coholic for more than 30
years. He was once funny and
nice and a good dad. But over
the years he has become un-
bearable. He doesn’t shower
or brush his teeth. He was al-
ways mainly a beer drinker,
but now he is drinking hard
liquor and stays drunk most
of the time he is awake.
I told him I thought he was
depressed and a severe alco-
holic, and he should talk to
his doctor, but he refuses. He
walks around cursing under
his breath, and nobody wants
to be around him. I keep
him off the road when he has
been drinking, but I’m terri-
fied he will hurt someone. I
am pretty sure he is drinking
on the job, and I’m scared he
will hurt himself. I am ready
to leave him, but afraid that
if I do, he will be completely
lost. Please guide me.
— Lost in the South
Dear Lost: You don’t need
me to tell you that your hus-
band is in bad shape. I don’t
know what his job involves,
but if he’s interacting with
others, I am surprised he
can get away with having
such poor hygiene and being
stoned on alcohol.
Because he refuses to talk
to his doctor about this, you
should. I hope you are be-
ginning to realize that, on
the path he is on, you cannot
“save” him. I have mentioned
Al-Anon many times in my
column. The organization
is an offshoot of Alcoholics
Anonymous and was started
to help families and friends
of individuals who are unable
to control their drinking. You
will gain insight about what
to do next if you attend some
of their meetings. Find one
by going to al-anon.org/info.
YOUR HOROSCOPE
By Madalyn Aslan
Stars show the kind of day you’ll have
õ õ õ õ õ DYNAMIC | õ õ õ õ POSITIVE | õ õ õ AVERAGE | õ õ SO-SO | õ DIFFICULT
Blazers’ Lillard scores 32, wows with half-court
bombs as Dame Time moves to prime time
Dame Time took over prime
time Sunday night.
After wowing Rip City for
nine seasons with playoff buzz-
er-beaters, remarkable individ-
ual scoring runs and too many
clutch performances to count,
Damian Lillard found another
stage — one of the NBA’s big-
gest — to unpeel another layer
of his star power.
Lillard scored 32 points, in-
cluding the game-clinching
three-pointer, to catapult Team
LeBron to a convincing 170-
150 victory over Team Durant
in the NBA All-Star Game at
State Farm Arena. It was the
most points a Portland Trail
Blazers player has scored in
the annual exhibition show-
case, and Lillard delivered
them in jaw-dropping fashion,
mixing alley-oop dunks with
half court three-point bombs
while scoring his team’s final
11 points.
Playing during a pandemic
in a busy and condensed one-
day event that also included
the 3-Point Contest, Slam
Dunk Contest and Skills Chal-
lenge, Lillard somehow man-
aged to grab an oversized share
of the spotlight.
“It feels kind of crazy,” Lil-
lard said. “I couldn’t even
dream up some of the things
that have happened in my ca-
reer.”
Lillard, who just missed
out on a starting spot in the
game because of a tiebreaker,
came off the bench to play 21
minutes Sunday, making 11
of 20 shots, including 8 of 16
three-pointers. But it was how
the points came that turned
heads.
During a pregame huddle
on the sideline, Lillard said, he
and teammates Stephen Curry
and Chris Paul made a pact:
They would all try to finish an
alley-oop dunk and sink a half
court shot before the night was
over. Lillard kept up his end
of the bargain in the first half,
flushing a lob from Paul with
1:19 left in the second quar-
ter and nailing a deep bomb
roughly one minute later.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY FOR TUESDAY, MARCH 9, 2021: Psychic,
visionary and conceptual, you have a personal magnetism that comes out to
shine this year, and, relying on your instincts, you9re very successful 4 with a
tidy fortune. If single, you9re wary of attachment so you stay single until a move
precipitates your change in 2022. If attached, your partner loves you just as you
are. It9s bliss, although you still need to get away. AQUARIUS is the most far-out.
NBA
ARIES (March 21-April 19)
Continued from A5
õõõõõ Today brings the gift of friendship. Get involved with groups; culti-
“We start on the road, back-
to-back games, with one prac-
tice. That’s a challenge in itself,
right?,” Sixers coach Doc Riv-
ers said. “Then, obviously, not
having those guys, that’s a lot of
points, our two best defenders.
So, obviously, it would hurt.”
Teams are used to it after a
first half in which the unavail-
ability of players and coaches
because of health and safety
protocols forced 31 games to
be called off. For every team,
the first big test of the second
half is the coronavirus one that
will determine who is good to
vate those whom you would enjoy as friends. Politics and community issues
can be a catalyst for association. Enjoy life and put plans in motion for future
dreams. Tonight: Take the night off.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20)
õõõõ Today highlights public recognition and your career. Be alert to
changes in your field. Keen competition is present. Dispel confusion by dou-
ble-checking for precision and accuracy. Be diplomatic during discussions.
Tonight: An uncharitable comment made would come back to haunt you.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20)
õõõõõ Your natural cleverness is enhanced. It9s a perfect day to begin writ-
ing a book, assembling artistic creations or selecting educational goals. Work
incorporating music and art from faraway lands can elevate your spirit. Inter-
actions with a child will be especially happy and comforting. Tonight: Relax.
CANCER (June 21-July 22)
õõõ Financial obligations relating to others can be resolved. Sincerity is the
best way to process and release old resentments. Get in tune with how you
really feel and let others know. You overcome competition or other obstacles
with aplomb. Tonight: A partner9s perspective is grounded.
It was merely a tease.
Lillard went on to make
three three-pointers from
near half court, including the
game-winner, making one
wonder if Logo Lillard will
soon be modified to Half
Court Lillard. He had threat-
ened before the season to add
the half court three to his ar-
senal, but had yet to try it in a
game. An exhibition contest
against the game’s best players,
it turns out, was just the place
to dust it off.
“I wanted to test it out in
some live action,” Lillard said.
“It felt decent, it felt fine, like a
normal jumper. I was able to
shoot it pretty easy.”
Lillard, a noted long-range
marksman who has extended
his range to the logo in re-
cent years, said he has been
sheepish about attempting a
half court three during a game
“out of respect” for his team-
mates. Why jeopardize a de-
fensive stand with a haphazard
low-percentage shot?
But it’s something Lillard
practices regularly and he
trusts his accuracy, even from
such distances. So now that’s
he’s found success in an exhi-
bition game, don’t be surprised
to see it in a real one.
“I think I’m going to,” he
said. “If I get it going, I’m defi-
nitely going to do it.”
At the very least, he’s earned
the approval of a former critic.
Paul George, whom Lillard
famously bludgeoned with a
37-foot buzzer-beater to clinch
a first-round playoff series in
2018, said he now regrets call-
ing it a “bad shot” afterward.
On Sunday, in a postgame
Zoom interview, George told
reporters that Lillard (and
Curry) had developed “crazy”
range and are making deep
threes with such ease and accu-
racy, those shots are now “well
in their range.”
“It’s a great shot,” George
said, chuckling. “Thumbs up.”
But while Lillard’s deep
bombs drew plenty of buzz
Sunday, it was his late-game
scoring flurry that delivered
Team LeBron a win. For the
second consecutive season,
the rules of the All-Star Game
dictated that the game ends
only when a team reaches 170
points. Lillard pushed Team
LeBron to the threshold by
scoring its final 11 points,
completing a driving layup be-
fore swishing three consecutive
three-pointers to end the game.
The last one came from —
where else? — half court, as
Lillard dribbled up the left
side, took one step across the
half court line and launched
the clincher. As the play un-
folded, Curry lingered back on
the other end and prematurely
waved goodbye to the 2,500
fans in attendance, effectively
calling Lillard’s walk-off shot.
After the dagger dropped
through the net, Lillard raised
his arms and tapped his wrist,
bringing Dame Time to prime-
time.
Perhaps the only thing that
eluded Lillard Sunday was the
All-Star Game MVP trophy.
That went to Giannis Antetok-
ounmpo, who finished a per-
fect 16-for-16 from the field
and scored a game-high 35
points.
Curry added 28 points,
thanks to eight three-pointers,
and he, too, delivered on the
point guard pact to finish an
alley-oop and hit a half court
three.
Paul, who dazzled with 16
assists, made his dunk but
never got a chance to attempt a
shot from half court. It’s about
the only thing that didn’t go
right for Team LeBron.
“It was fun,” Lillard said. “It’s
exciting just to run around out
there with a guy like (Curry).
That’s what makes All-Star
Weekend, All-Star Weekend.”
go upon returning from break.
Once that’s finished, teams
can look ahead to a busy and
exciting stretch run. With
many clubs bunched in the
standings and another play-in
tournament opening up ad-
ditional paths to the postsea-
son, even teams that weren’t as
sharp as they hoped in the first
half have reason for hope.
That includes teams such as
Miami and Boston — last sea-
son’s Eastern Conference final-
ists — plus Dallas and Golden
State, all at or barely above .500
but perhaps just one hot streak
from a nice leap up the stand-
ings.
Or maybe Milwaukee, which
was running away with the
best record in the East last year
when the season stopped but
has been inconsistent this sea-
son, can discover its old form.
The Bucks will be fearsome
again if Giannis Antetokoun-
mpo shoots anywhere near
the way he did in the All-Star
Game, when he went 16 for 16
en route to MVP honors.
“I’ve got to keep working
hard and I’ve got to keep en-
joying the game of basketball,
and hopefully more important
things can come, and hopefully
my goal is to be a champion one
day,” the two-time regular-sea-
son MVP said. “Hopefully we
can hold the big trophy.”
A number of teams could
have a shot. The Lakers may
have looked like a solid fa-
vorite to repeat when the sea-
son started, but Davis’ health
throws that into question.
Perhaps the Jazz can capital-
ize. They were the team whose
coronavirus issues caused the
season to stop last March 11.
Now, they have three All-Stars
and a league-leading 27-9 re-
cord.
“It’s definitely been reward-
ing but at the end of the day
we’re not here to celebrate and
act like we’ve done something
and it’s only March,” Donovan
Mitchell said. “I think we’ve got
to continue to get better.”
BY JOE FREEMAN
The Oregonian
Craig Mitchelldyer/AP
Portland Trail Blazers’ Damian Lillard, here shooting a 3-pointer
against the Golden State Warriors last week, scored 32 points and had
the game winner for Team LeBron in the NBA All-Star Game Sunday.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22)
õõõõõ Cooperation and tolerance are essential today. You9ll be aware of
the importance of upholding justice and maintaining balance. A deep aware-
ness is present. Your intuition is wonderful. Heed those inner voices, and
you9ll be guided toward success. Tonight: Fun date night.
Ducks
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)
Continued from A5
õõõõ The quiet and cool hours will have a rejuvenating power. A health
challenge can be overcome. Adopt a live-and-let-live attitude toward others.
Make few demands and seek no favors. Negotiate to avoid conflict. Tonight:
An online meeting opens new doors.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)
õõõõ Today brightens your personal life. Your sense of style and people
skills are also excellent. Network. Nurture a promising new relationship. Your
artistic talents are in top form. Practice playing an instrument or create a
drawing. Tonight: Speak your mind.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)
õõ There can be some stress involving family members. A residential move
or change to your workspace is possible. Differences are resolved through a
discussion or emails. Take sensible precautions and all will be well. Tonight:
An elderly relative might need your assistance.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)
õõõõõ Expect some interesting conversations. New ideas are suggested,
and business joins gracefully with pleasure. Your energy level is enhanced.
Romantic urges are pronounced, and you will express your love. Tonight:
Natural magic will work quickly to intensify the relationship.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)
õõõõ Imaginative plans increase your income. A hunch as well as new
developments in your field lead to worthwhile new opportunities. Be careful
not to discard memorabilia and keepsakes impulsively. Tonight: Tense family
situations from the past are resolved.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)
õõõõõ Today augurs a fresh start and brings a cycle of higher energy, lead-
ing to much accomplishment. Frustrations will melt away. Direct irritation
into constructive venues, and the world will be at your feet. Tonight: Focus
on what you want. Go for close and intimate.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20)
õõõõ Consider consequences and options first. Quiet the mind through
meditation. Psychic communication with wild creatures will be especially
lucid. Your creative talents shine. Use your imagination. A child or new friend
inspires you. Tonight: You might just want to luxuriate and take a nap.
Not because of match-ups
or seedings. But because I’ve
watched Altman over the years
as he’s constructed a path to
the Sweet 16. Sometimes it’s
because Oregon has better tal-
ent, but also because Altman
can flat coach. He doesn’t play
to win games, he plays to peak
while everyone else is wilting.
Anyone who watched UCLA
struggle with the Ducks’ vari-
ety of presses in a 82-74 win on
Wednesday knows what I’m
talking about.
This Oregon team doesn’t
have the grit of Dillon Brooks-
led outfits. It doesn’t have the
moxie of Payton Pritchard’s
junior or senior seasons. But it
has Chris Duarte, who appears
to be the newest program spirit
animal, and it has Altman at
the controls in some Oz-like
twist.
Altman is 132-66 in confer-
ence play while the coach at
Oregon. That’s a .667 win per-
centage. But in the month of
March vs. Pac-12 opponents
Altman is a red-hot 71-28 —
good for a .797 clip.
In the last seven seasons,
Altman is 132-66 in
conference play while the
coach at Oregon. That’s a
.667 win percentage. But in
the month of March vs. Pac-
12 opponents Altman is a
red-hot 71-28 — good for a
.797 clip.
Thomas Boyd/AP file
Oregon Ducks men’s basketball coach Dana Altman.
Altman has four Sweet 16 ap-
pearances. He has one trip to
the Final Four and another
season that ended in the Elite
Eight. He hasn’t been anywhere
near perfect. The 2017-18
season ended in the NIT. He
struggled with taking on too
many transfers for a stretch,
and went through a period in
which he gambled and lost on
young players who weren’t in-
terested in playing more than
one college season. But it’s
March again and Altman is
back at the high-limit tables.
Sean Miller’s stained ten-
ure at Arizona is bound to be
a talking point during March
Madness. Also, the Pac-12 is
currently knee-deep in trying
to pick the next commissioner.
What I’m saying is, the confer-
ence needs an uplifting story
on the court and right now, it
appears to be Oregon or bust.
I will not soon forget the
sight of Altman at that rou-
lette table from across the ca-
sino floor. I can see it like it
was yesterday. It was like see-
ing a vegetarian bellied up at a
steak house. Or a bald guy in
line at a barber shop. But the
more I think about it, Altman
goes down as the biggest poker
player in the house.
Don’t bet against him this
week in Vegas.