Good morning. Let’s basketball.
Good morning. ‘Playoff Rondo’ has taken on new meaning.
That and more in Wednesday’s NBA newsletter.
RIP PLAYOFF RONDO: The Rockets won Game 2 against the Mavericks, leveraging a huge Josh Smith night, a huge Dwight Howard and the death of Playoff Rondo. Reporting from Houston, Paul Flannery talks about how odd the Rockets are, and how odd the game was.
Rondo played about 10 minutes, just 30 seconds or so in the second half. He got benched for Raymond Felton and/or J.J. Barea. Needless to say, he didn’t talk to reporters after the game.
Perhaps more importantly, Chandler Parsons sat out and might be done for the whole series.
Perhaps most importantly, J.J. Watt twerked in celebration of Houston’s win.
OFF THE WALL: John Wall was brilliant as the Wizards crushed the Raptors to take a 2-0 lead. The Wiz had massive success with a smallball lineup featuring Paul Pierce at the four; Randy Wittman has some tricks up his sleeve! Wall was just a monster.. And Washington is the only team in the playoffs with a win on the road ... and they have two of them.
Paul Pierce sings that he doesn’t want to go through customs any more. Man has his priorities straight. Brian Windhorst notes that injuries are destroying Kyle Lowry’s season, and that’s in turn destroying Toronto’s season.
LEBREEZUS: The Cavaliers took a 2-0 lead over the Celtics, as expected. LeBron hit Kevin Love with a halfcourt alley-oop; by definition, they are now best friends. Kyrie Irving is showing out in his debut playoff series.
#OUCH: LeBron tried to whip a pass to J.R. Smith as Tristan Thompson was setting a pick. Tristan Thompson’s head got in the way.
WEDNESDAY’S SCHEDULE
Nets at Hawks, 7 p.m. ET, NBA TV
Blazers at Grizzlies, 8 p.m. ET, TNT
Spurs at Clippers, 10:30 p.m. ET, TNT
COACH OF THE YEAR: In a minor upset, Mike Budenholzer edged Steve Kerr. Jason Kidd finished third. Adorably, the Hawks arranged for Gregg Popovich, Bud’s longtime boss and mentor, to break the news to Bud.
THE LAST STAND OF THE SPURS: Zach Lowe on what should be the biggest storyline of the postseason.
HEADLINE OF THE FORTNIGHT: “Draymond Green learned to talk trash from his mom.“
AUTO-CLICK: Marcus Thompson III on Draymond Green. That is our third and final Draymond Green link of the newsletter.
YIKESVILLE: The Morrii have been charged for felony assault for their alleged part in a sordid beatdown in Arizona.
[SLIDES UP AND WHISPERS] Giannis Antetokounmpo and Michael Carter-Williams have been low-key awful in the playoffs so far.
THE BALLMER ERA: Excellent piece by Karen Crouse in the New York Times on Steve Ballmer’s persona, fandom and management style in L.A.
CAN I INTEREST YOU ... in a Scott Cacciola profile of the Grizzlies’ infamous Bongo Lady?
Happy Wednesday. Pace yourself, for a late night of basketball is ahead. See you next time.
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