Good morning. Let’s basketball.
Good morning. Riley Curry is in the NBA Finals.
That and more in Thursday’s NBA newsletter.
TRIUMPH: The Warriors clinched the West despite Stephen Curry having an awful (by his standards) game and Klay Thompson battling both foul trouble and blood coming out of his ear. Golden State vs. Cleveland for the title, beginning a week from today (Thursday). No recent champs here. Here’s the Finals schedule.
James Harden had one of the worst games we’ve ever seen from him, which is too bad considering how wonderful he’d been in three of the four prior games in the series -- including that unstoppable Game 4. Harden had a playoff-record 12 turnovers. His dribble was as loose as I’ve ever seen it. His final turnover was pretty awful.
THE COST: With the game still undecided in the fourth, Klay threw a head fake, got Trevor Ariza into the air from the side and ... got a hard accidental knee to the dome. Thompson was taken to the locker room and checked for a concussion. He was cleared, went back to the sidelines, started bleeding out of his ear, went back to the locker room, came back out and didn’t end up getting into the game. He couldn’t hear Doris Burke in his postgame interview.
After the game, the Warriors announced that Klay later began to experience concussion-like symptoms. Welp. He now faces the battery of the NBA’s concussion protocol.
AS ALWAYS: Riley Curry is the MVP.
DRAFT PROFILE AIRHORN: Kristaps Porzingis a) has an incredible name, and b) could be the steal of the draft, per Kevin O’Connor.
WELL OK: Woj reports that the Magic are progressing toward a deal to make Scott Skiles their coach. Stein reports that Skiles is now also a candidate for the Pelicans job.
SHAQ IS THE GREATEST: This is Shaq flipping out while playing Mortal Kombat X.
SHAQ IS STILL THE GREATEST: This is Shaq challenging Ronda Rousey, a challenge which immediately falls apart.
OH SNAP: Jared Dudley says most guys don’t want to play with Kobe and calls Carmelo Anthony the league’s most overrated player.
ATTENTION CHICAGO: How Fred Hoiberg became too big for Iowa State.
Happy Thursday. See you on Friday.
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