Good morning, we have a couple NBA playoff deathraces
That, a LeBron-themed Camaro, Shaun Livingston, Kevin Love and much more.
Good morning. Fear not for April Fool’s jokes within: the ball don’t lie. Let’s basketball.
THE WESTERN DEATHRACE COULD NOT BE TIGHTER: Memphis won on Monday, leaving the Grizzlies tied at 44-30 with the Suns and Mavericks. Only two of those teams will make the postseason. Right now, Phoenix is on the outs. The Suns also happen to have a brutal upcoming schedule ...
AIDING AND ABETTING: We may need to investigate Brian Shaw. The Nuggets were down three to Memphis with 7 seconds left, so Shaw set up an after timeout play that got ... Timofey Mozgov the would-be tying three. (Via Golliver.) Mozgov, 1-14 in his career from long-range at the time, did not make it. How much is the NBA paying Shaw to make the Western Deathrace as close as possible, huh? Wake up.
THE EASTERN DEATHRACE IS A THING THAT IS HAPPENING: I will not place any value judgments upon it, but yes, the Knicks beat the Jazz to stay even with the Hawks in the win column in the race for No. 8 in the East. As I noted a couple weeks ago, the defining reality for the Hawks is that losing the race leaves them with the No. 10 or 11 pick while winning likely gets them a date with Miami and the No. 15 pick. This is a problem.
THE SPURS AND PACERS, GOING IN DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS: While Indiana continues to stagger, with key Pacers now calling each other out and sounding extremely baffled, the Spurs sprint out to a 18-game winning streak. Appropriately, San Antonio hammered Indiana on Monday.
THE NICEST KILLERS: Current Spurs and former Pacer Jeff Ayres on hearing Indiana boo its team during the blowout: “My heart was kind of breaking for them.” If someone is going to destroy you, make it the compassionate Spurs.
DETROIT IS ROOTING FOR THE BUCKS: After laying down to give Philly win No. 16 over the weekend, the Pistons beat the 14-win Bucks on Monday. Sorry, Sixers. It doesn’t look like you’re catching Milwaukee despite that 26-game losing streak you had there.
SPEAKING OF WHICH: The Sixers almost won again. But Sixers gonna Sixer.
SCORES SCORES SCORES: Get all the recaps you need, including the one where Boogie Smooth goes bonkers in New Orleans.
BENNY ISN’T GOING TO SURVIVE: Rondo’s laughing, but even the ladies next to him know he’s planning violent revenge on that scalawag Benny the Bull.
WHO SHOT CALATHES?: Watch Ty Lawson deke Nick Calathes so hard I started searching immediately for a banana peel.
THE ANATOMY OF PERSPECTIVE: Devin Kharpertian with a great piece on Shaun Livingston.
NASH BACK: It look like the Lakers will not waive Steve Nash in the offseason, despite the salary cap savings it could create.
HUH: The Cavaliers worked out a very strange deal with Scotty Hopson that allows them to trade him as a $1.45-million player in June even though his deal for next season is unguaranteed. Weird and smart!
LET’S CHECK IN WITH AVERY BRADLEY: James Herbert with the Q&A with the Celtics enigma.
PICKING UP THE PACE: I wrote about how NBA teams are playing faster this season. This is the fastest average seasons in two decades. Will it continue?
DEEP LOVE: Zach Lowe on NBA circus centerpiece Kevin Love.
WHO LIKES PICKLES AND CAN SHOOT THREES? This kid. That’s who.
WORTH A READ: Richard Deitsch put together a quite-nice roundtable on race and discrimination in sports journalism.
NEAT: The NBA releases internal memos on refs’ points of emphasis, boosting transparency just a bit more.
Happy Tuesday. (Is it Tuesday already?) See you next time.
