Good morning. Let’s basketball.
The Sixers end 2015 as winners, life is a lie
Good morning. We have that and more in the final NBA newsletter of 2015.
SCORES SCORES SCORES ...
LAC 122, CHA 117
BKN 93, ORL 100
LAL 112, BOS 104
WAS 91, TOR 94
IND 100, CHI 102 (OT, HOLY SMOKES)
UTA 80, MIN 94
GSW 91, DAL 114 (YO!)
PHX 79, SAS 112
DEN 103, POR 110
PHI 110, SAC 105 (WELP)
THAT’S RIGHT, THE WARRIORS LOST: Steph Curry sat with a sore leg, so the Mavericks blitzed them in Dallas. Tim Cato was there and got some great stuff. If this ends up being the 1-8 matchup in the West (unlikely, because Dallas is good) or a 1-4/1-5 second-round series, this single game will fuel a hilarious “We Believe” atmosphere around the Mavericks ... and it just might work. A reverse 2007!
THAT’S RIGHT, THE SIXERS WON: Because the Kings are the height of trash. Sam Amick has a good piece on the team at a turning point.
HEY, THE LAKERS WON, TOO? Boston cheered Kobe as he was introduced at the TD Garden for the last time ... and then booed the heck out of him every time he had possession. Until the end of the game, when even Bostonians embraced his greatness and celebrated his swan song. Rather glorious, that. Yet, L.A. earns its sixth victory of the season and drops the Celtics to eighth place.
THAT BULLS-PACERS FINISH! Overshadowing all of the above is the fact that with the score tied in overtime and seconds remaining, Pau Gasol lofted a lob to Jimmy Butler, cutting baseline on Paul George. Both guys went up for it, and Butler somehow tipped it in for the lead. Miraculous little blurp of a play. PG-13 couldn’t have defended it any better without knocking the ball away. Pau couldn’t have put it in a better spot. And Jimmy timed and bopped it perfectly.
KOBE IS THE NEW KHALED: This in-game motivational speech to Roy Hibbert is so Khaled Khaled and so damn perfect. Bless up.
DUDE HAS A ROCKET PACK: Andrew Wiggins can fly. Not fair.
AT LEAST HE KNOWS HOW TO CHEER HIMSELF UP: Al Jefferson is out six weeks with a torn meniscus. Charlotte’s been better without him. This ensures he’s going into free agency with a broken situation.
WHAT’S NEXT IN PHOENIX? In the latest F+Z, Paul Flannery and I discussed the solution for the Suns.
DOPE: Steph Curry in a Chewbecca backpack. You know for a fact that on the planet Kashyyyk little school-age Wookies are going to Wookie School in Steph Curry backpacks.
’GET THAT CELTIC ASS’: I love how much glee James Worthy expresses at the Lakers beating the Celtics.
INTERESTING: Top-level basketball players are increasingly turning to being homeschooled in high school. The homeschool trend is expanding rapidly in all walks as the internet has opened up access to an incredibly wide swath of educational opportunities. It only makes sense that top athletes might turn to the more flexible homeschool model. The problem is whether they then are able to play for a high school team or focus strictly on AAU.
MORE LAKERS BECAUSE WHY NOT: Pau Gasol talks about his time and relationship with Kobe.
FUNNY COMMERCIAL: I suppose if anyone were interested in voting for DeMarcus Cousins for the All-Star Game, this funny ad might help push them toward doing so. Cute kids ingesting man sweat is good GOTV in my professional opinion.
No newsletter on Friday as we’ll be sleeping off the effects of an ice cream and board game rager at Casa Ziller. See you Monday. Take care.
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