Hello again. Let’s basketball.
We have lots of DUNK leftovers from Thanksgiving weekend
Good morning. We have that and more in Monday’s NBA newsletter.
Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
NOT SO KAWHI-ET NOW: Paul Flannery trains his Sunday Shootaround on Kawhi Leonard, who has seamlessly stepped into the Spurs’ leadership role vacated by Tim Duncan. Flanns’ piece on Leonard’s growth includes some Classic Gregg Popovich, including a not terribly subtle possible shot at Stephen Curry. Pop and Kawhi are seriously meant for each other. Shootaround also features five NBA things Flannery loves, the best non-Pop quotes of the week and more. Check it out.
WE SOME MIGHTY HUNGRY WOLVES: Many are calling Andrew Wiggins over JaVale McGee a Dunk of the Year candidate. But, dear reader, did you see what hell Zach LaVine brought upon Alex Len?
NEED MORE DUNK? Let Wayne Selden and the D-League Jam Gods provide. (Seriously, this is the best one. I love the Wolves and all, but give me some Iowa Energy!)
SCORES GALORE ...
Cavaliers 112, Sixers 108
Nuggets 120, Suns 114
Kings 122, Nets 105
Bucks 104, Magic 96
Clippers 70, Pacers 91
Pelicans 81, Mavericks 91
Rockets 130, Blazers 114
Hawks 94, Lakers 109
STANDINGS CHECK ...
The East is tight after No. 1 Cleveland, who has a 3.5-game cushion on everyone. Collected within a game of each other we have the Raptors, Bulls, Celtics, and Hornets. A game behind that group are the Knicks and Pacers. That’s your current top eight. But the Bucks and Pistons are close behind. That makes 10 teams that look like playoff contenders right now. Everyone else is at least five games under .500. The Nets and Sixers appear poised to finish in the bottom two.
The West has more early stratification. The Warriors are out in front with the Spurs and Clippers close behind. Nos. 4 and 5 belong to Memphis and Houston, both 11-6. The Thunder, Jazz, and Lakers round out the top eight. Everyone else is below .500, with the Blazers the closest to snagging a playoff spot at 9-10. The Nuggets and Kings are also in the mix, 1.5 games out of No. 8. Further back are the Pelicans, Wolves, Suns and 3-13 Mavericks, the worst team in the league.
AGREED: Mark Cuban said he doesn’t believe the Mavericks need to tank. I agree! They are plenty bad and can lose lots of games without actively trying to lose.
KAWHINESS IS CONTAGIOUS: Look at this absurd chasedown block from Jonathon Simmons.
THANKFUL: Speaking of which, a pair of young boys showed they were thankful for J.R. Smith by taking off their shirts and kissing their biceps in front of a packed house at The Q. We also learned that Moondog is indeed a creeper.
INTERESTING: Are the Blazers too small?
DEEP-FRIED SILVER LININGS: Wizards fans, their meager expectations crushed already, are just happy to win free chicken sandwiches in a loss.
BRAINY: DeMarcus Cousins does Brook Lopez’s post rip move on Brook Lopez, winks. Dude is way smarter than people give him credit for. (Via reddit.)
NUMBERS ON THE BOARD: On Saturday, Russell Westbrook tied LeBron for No. 6 on the all-time triple-doubles list. Westbrook is 28 years old. (LeBron retook sole possession of No. 6 on Sunday.)
QUELLE SURPRISE: Charles Barkley held a forum on police relations in Baltimore as a part of filming for his upcoming TNT show The Race Card. He spoke to a crowd of those whose lives have been touched by police violence, including mothers of young men killed by police. Things didn’t go well when Chuck accused the families of lacking empathy for police and compared himself to a homecoming queen that “all the ugly girls hate.” I’m torn between believing TNT can’t possibly air this show and thinking TNT will definitely air it because there are a million hate-watchers out there.
NEW CHAPTER: Stellar Scott Howard-Cooper piece on Brian Grant exploring a broadcasting career while battling Parkinson’s disease.
CHOKE JOB: The Zards and the Magic got into a little scuffle the other night. During it, Bradley Beal choked Evan Fournier hard enough to leave his handprint. The league hit Beal with a healthy fine (but no suspension) on Sunday.
NEXT UP: NBA TV has Celtics-Heat (7:30 p.m. ET). The best early League Pass option is Thunder-Knicks (7:30) unless you’re an East Coaster looking to get some Boogie in your life (Kings-Wizards, 7). Hornets-Grizzlies at 8 is compelling, and your only late game is Hawks-Warriors (10:30).
AND FINALLY: Good night, Kevin Martin. You had a helluva career given you were a low, anonymous draft pick from Western Carolina, having gotten that far out of tiny Zanesville, Ohio. You were an absolute joy to watch in Sacramento and you were involved in one of the most consequential trades in the modern NBA. What a life ... so far. Happy trails, and best of luck in the next chapter. (Thanks for indulging me, readers.)
Be excellent to each other.
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