Good morning. Let’s basketball.
The Timberwolves are for real
Good morning. We have that and more in Tuesday’s NBA newsletter.
ABOUT LAST NIGHT: The Warriors won the finals preview over the Pistons as Klay Thompson (finally) exploded. The Clippers edged the (3-5) Grizzlies. The Kings are in crisis at 1-7, their worst start since 1990-91! (So much for the playoffs.) The Spurs ran away from them late. The Minnesota Timberwolves (!) improved to 4-2 (!) by knocking off the Hawks (!) as Andrew Wiggins exploded for 33 (!). (The Wolves almost blew a 30-point lead, but closed on an 11-0 run. Wiggins can dunk!) Denver beat Portland but they were led by J.J. Hickson, so I don’t think it counts in the standings? Paul George led the Pacers past the Magic, and the Sixers stayed winless against the Bulls.
DAILY WARRIORS ART EXHIBIT: Stephen Curry casually nailing 30+ footers in warmups. The mother of all hockey assists. (I just love when teams pass the rock like that. The tension crescendos and with this team, there’s almost always a true payoff.)
LIFE SUPPORT: I wrote about the 0-6 Pelicans, and what hope there is in New Orleans if things don’t turn around quickly.
THE MOST IMPORTANT Q&A OF THE MONTH: Alex Wong talks to Red Panda about her absence and return.
HUH: LeBron is wearing smaller shorts and a tighter jersey in order to look more professional for all the kids watching him. Via REDEF. Does this mean I shouldn’t wear my Fab Five style shorts to work anymore?
A NEW PROCESS: David Aldridge’s always excellent Morning Tip leads with a look at how the Spurs are methodically transitioning to a new core.
NOT BASKETBALL, BUT IMPORTANT: Bill Connelly with a masterful look at the situation at Mizzou and the power of athlete protest.
WHEN NEW YORK FELL IN LOVE: Howard Beck recalls the moment the Madison Square Garden became enamored with Kobe back in 2003.
WELL: Matt Barnes cites a corporate conspiracy in why his fight with Derek Fisher became public knowledge.
I’M ACTUALLY STARTING TO BELIEVE HIM NOW: Kobe is again suggesting he will hang up the sneakers this summer.
TONIGHT: NBA TV has the main event: Kevin Durant’s sole visit to D.C. as the Thunder face the Wizards (7 p.m. ET). League Pass’s best options include Utah-Cleveland (7 p.m. ET), Knicks-Raptors (really!) (7:30 p.m. ET) and Dallas-New Orleans, if only to witness the Pelicans’ desperation (8 p.m. ET).
Happy Tuesday. See you next time.
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