Good (late) morning. Let’s basketball.
That Clippers curse will end one of these days
That and more in Wednesday’s newsletter.
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THE CURSE STRIKES AGAIN: Chris Paul could miss up to two months after thumb surgery. Blake Griffin is still out with a knee injury. The Clippers will get good luck one of these days.
That sound you hear is the Clippers’ window creaking towards being shut. But as Tom notes, there’s no other option but to stay the course.
SCORES! Light night in the Association.
Raptors 119 Nets 109
Rockets 103 Heat 109
Mavericks 99 Bulls 98
Timberwolves 114 Spurs 122
Nuggets 127 Lakers 121
IRON MAN: Wesley Matthews dropped the game-winner to give Dallas a victory in Chicago, and he continues to play stellar defense. Don’t look now, but Dallas is 10-10 in its last 20 games and just 3.5 games out of a playoff spot.
TODAY IN KNICKS DRAMA: Carmelo Anthony and Phil Jackson met, and while some described the meeting as more contentious than usual, it appears Anthony has no desire to waive his no-trade clause and leave the team. That won’t stop the speculation about possible trades, because we all know Anthony and Jackson aren’t exactly two peas in a pod.
ALL-STARS! Paul has a vote this year, so he unveiled his All-Star starter picks on the latest Drive & Kick podcast. The official announcement will come Thursday. Reminder: the format changed so it’s not all fan voting. The fans account for 50 percent of the weighed vote this year, with the media receiving 25 percent and the players getting 25 percent.
NOT OUR RIVAL: LeBron James won’t call Warriors-Cavs a rivalry. He’s been down this road before.
WOMP WOMP: Woj reports that the Wolves are shopping Ricky Rubio and seek a “bridge” guard in return that can help the team now, but is fine ceding to Kris Dunn eventually. Wasn’t that bridge guard supposed to be Ricky Rubio?
LIGHT YEARS! The Warriors broke ground on the new Chase Center in San Francisco with a bizarre ceremony highlighted by twirling excavators and dancing construction workers. It was a window into how much the franchise has changed in the last decade. Poor, poor Oakland. I enjoyed Marcus Thompson’s column on why this should not be a moment to celebrate.
THAT’S A NEW ONE: Rajon Rondo said you couldn’t name three players on last year’s Kings. Seth Curry, a member of said team, shot back with a link to a Sporcle quiz.
THANK YOU: It sounds like Nike will do away with sleeved jerseys once it officially receives the NBA apparel contract. (H/T: UniWatch)
THAT’S THE LATE-NIGHT TRADE SONG! Atlanta is sending cash to Denver as an incentive to take on Mo Williams’ contract. The Hawks will then sign Gary Neal to replace Williams on the roster.
I THINK I KNOW WHY: Nate Robinson doesn’t understand why the Cavaliers won’t consider signing him to be a backup point guard.
Until next time.
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