Draymond Green is the new Steph Curry

Good morning. Let’s basketball.

SURE: Steph Curry sat for Warriors-Hawks, putting Golden State’s epic home winning streak in peril. (Andre Iguodala sat, too.) No problem, though: Draymond Green will just take over the role of clutch deep shooter. What a shot. Even better, though, was his improbable transition steal a bit earlier in the game.

FREED D’ANGELO: D’Angelo Russell had the best game of his young career with 39 points and eight threes. And he gave us another great post-shot celebration Vine. D’Angelo is fun.

THE EXISTENTIALIST CONFERENCE: Paul Flannery and I discuss whether the Raptors can be trusted to usurp LeBron and the Cavaliers, and whether the answer to that even matters.

BEYOND ‘WHY’: James Dator has seven important questions for Chuck the Condor, the Clippers’ inexplicable new mascot.

SPEAKING OF MASCOTS ... Rachel Nichols’ show The Jump had a really funny mascot segment.

PERFECT: A heckler complains to Carmelo Anthony about the state of the Knicks. Melo tells the fan to take it up with James Dolan.

BUYOUT CITY: Both Ty Lawson and Kevin Martin were bought-out before the midnight deadline, which means either or both can join new teams and play in the playoffs. It looks like K-Mart might land in San Antonio. I’m not sure anyone wants this version of Lawson.

BRILLIANT: J.A. Adande had the best piece on Oscar Robertson’s dismissal of Steph Curry. Really thought-provoking.

SCORES GALORE ...

PHX 92, CHA 126
CHI 111, MIA 129
POR 104, NYK 95
ORL 108, DAL 121
ATL 105, GSW 109 (OT)
BKN 101, LAL 107

OH MAN: It was ‘90s Nick Night at the Hornets game. As in, Nickelodeon from the ‘90s. The biggest thing it does is point out that many kids who grew up with ‘90s-era Nickelodeon have now grown up and have kids of their own they can bring to a nostalgia night hosted by the local pro basketball team.

HE’S GOINK THERE: Andrew Keh on how Phil Jackson has not yet mastered Twitter.

GO BEARS: Cal has finally turned into the NBA farm team it always should have been.

ALLEN IVERSON INTERVIEW ALERT. This one, from Gerald Flores at Complex, is really good.

SO MUCH FOR THE OREGON FAIL: Zach Lowe on the Blazers’ lightning-fast rebuild.

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY: Wilt went for 100 on this day 54 years ago. Celebrate by dunking everything in sight.

HUH: Aubrey McClendon, a prominent minority partner in the Thunder who figured largely in the relocation from Seattle, has been charged with two counts of white-collar conspiracy relating to his gas and oil business.

AMEN: In this story on the Spurs’ effort to fight hunger in San Antonio, Gregg Popovich drops a gem on wealth inequality. Pop for President, now and forever.

Happy Wednesday. See you next time.