The refs actually screwed the Warriors on Christmas

Good morning. Let’s basketball.

AFTERMATH: Charlotte Wilder (accurately) writes that Cavaliers-Warriors is the best rivalry in pro sports. The game set a couple of ratings records. The NBA acknowledged that refs missed a foul on the last possession that would have sent Kevin Durant to the line with a chance to tie and win. Durant is now 4-18 head to head against LeBron in his career, and hasn’t beaten him in three years. A Cuyahoga County newspaper slipped an excellent 3-1 joke onto the sports page Monday morning. Here’s Steve Aschburner on Steph Curry’s struggles against Cleveland and the new challenge he faces this season.

LET THE WOLVES BE: Zito Madu urges patience with the young Timberwolves, who might need more time than the young Thunder once did.

PALACE INTRIGUE: I wrote about the famed Buss family deadline to get the Lakers back on track and how the team’s conventional hope cycle could create disharmony within the C-suite.

SCORES GALORE ...

Bucks 102, Wizards 107
Grizzlies 102, Magic 112
Hornets 118, Nets 120
Cavaliers 90, Pistons 106
Pacers 85, Bulls 90
Mavericks 104, Pelicans 111
Suns 115, Rockets 131
Hawks 90, Wolves 104
Raptors 95, Blazers 91
Nuggets 106, Clippers 102
Sixers 100, Kings 102

WELP: George Karl has lost Chauncey Billups, too. Apparently elsewhere in the book Karl also claims the NBA has a PED problem, suggesting that’s what the trips to Germany (where multiple players have received platelet-rich therapy) are all about. Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. Karl offers nothing.

THE TERRENCE ROSS EXPERIENCE IN THREE OFFICIAL POSSESSIONS BUT JUST ONE HIGHLIGHT.

THE NEW NBA: David Aldridge on the evolution of the league.

SOMEWHERE, RICK BARRY SMILES: Rockets rookie Chinanu Onuaku finally got a chance to try his underhand free throw in a real NBA game. He sunk it.

LITTLE MAN BLOCKS BIG MAN, NEWS AT 11.

[CRYING EMOJI] DeMarcus Cousins says Joel Embiid has a chance to be the best big man in the NBA ... once Cousins himself retires. This came a couple hours after the pair had a butt-slap party. BFFs! (Butt-slap party clip via r/nba.)

NEXT UP: Tuesday is light on games. The NBA TV doubleheader features Thunder-Heat at 7:30 p.m. ET and Jazz-Lakers at 10:30. Grizzlies-Celtics on League Pass at 7:30 is promising.

AND FINALLY: The Hornets’ Walker, Charlotte Ranger promo campaign for Kemba’s All-Star bid is fantastic, and I daresay will not be beat this season.

Be excellent to each other.