Should the Cavaliers just give up now?

Good morning. Let’s basketball.

DEMOCRACY IN ACTION: Please sign my petition lobbying President Obama to join the 2017 NBA All-Star Celebrity Game in Charlotte. That game comes a month after he leaves office, so the politics should be fine. It would certainly help stanch the disappointment in his absence on this year’s otherwise loaded rosters. And as I write in the petition, Arne Duncan’s 20 points is a soft, soft record for most points scored in a Celeb Game. Obama can beat that.

ON ANOTHER NOTE: Why is Drake coaching instead of playing in the Celeb Game? Is he ... scared?

SCORES GALORE ...

TOR 106, ORL 103 (OT)
CHI 115, PHI 111 (OT)
DET 101, MEM 103
CLE 95, SAS 99
SAC 103, UTA 101
LAL 98, GSW 116

SHOWDOWN: The Spurs beat the Cavs in their big showdown that starts off a series of matches between the league’s three best teams. Here’s what you can take from the game. One more thing: Kawhi Leonard is really a masterful defender.

DEAR GOD: You may remember that earlier this season Memphis beat the Pistons on a Matt Barnes halfcourt shot. On Thursday, the Grizzlies got them on a bizarre Mario Chalmers jumper in the final second. The Grizzlies are soldiers of fortune!

YO! In the fierce fight for No. 8 in the West, Rudy Gay buried a game-winner over Trey Lyles with 0.6 seconds left to give the Kings a narrow win in Salt Lake. Welcome to the NBA, rook.

I’M NOT EVEN SUPPOSED TO BE HERE TODAY: Jimmy Butler thought about sitting out the Bulls’ Thursday game against Philly. Instead he scored 53 and led Chicago to overtime victory.

THIS JOAKIM NOAH SHOT IS PURE, UNADULTERATED YIKESVILLE.

ALL HAIL GALLO: Jesus Gomez on how Danilo Gallinari is finally reaching his potential after all those injuries.

FRIENDLY FIRE: If Gregg Popovich continues to torture Craig Sager during those in-game interviews but does it in a cheerful manner with an arm around Sager, is it still a true representation of a Popovichian interview?

THANKS, JERRY: Jerry West says he told Kobe Bryant that were Kobe a horse, he would have been euthanized by now. By the way, here’s The Logo’s full press conference on Kobe. It’s good.

ALL-STAR VOTING UPDATE: Everything remained static in All-Star voting except that Carmelo Anthony moved ahead of Andre Drummond for a starting frontcourt spot in the East.

INTERESTING: Has power forward become the most important structural/identity piece in the NBA?

Happy Friday. See you next time.