Good morning. Let’s basketball.
The Clippers beat the Blazers in a very rude fashion
Good morning. We have that and more in Friday’s NBA newsletter.
THAT’S GONNA LEAVE A MARK: Tie game, one second left. Chris Paul NUTMEGS Mason Plumlee on an inbound to J.J. Redick, who drills a leaning jumper over C.J. McCollum and Ed Davis. Ballgame. The L.A. victory also boosts its prospects of avoiding Portland in favor of Memphis in the first round, which is nice. One question: what the hell is Wes Johnson doing at the end of the Vine?
WELPVILLE, POPULATION CAVS: So, Cleveland lost in Brooklyn on Thursday, and it became increasingly difficult for LeBron to hide his frustration with his teammates. Jason Lloyd blames a team-wide shooting slump for the recent travails of the Cavs.
THE D STANDS FOR DAAAAAYUM: Look at this D-League dunk from Iowa’s D.J. Stephens. Just look at it.
YES! Gerald Henderson tells DeAndre Jordan to watch him display how to shoot a proper free throw. Henderson clanks it. Via Reddit.
SCORES GALORE ...
NOP 84, IND 92
CLE 95, BKN 104
CHI 94, NYK 106
UTA 91, OKC 113
POR 94, LAC 96
PLAYOFF PICTURE: Here’s the current situation heading into the weekend. Utah’s loss dropped them back out at No. 9. Nos. 6-9 in the West are all within 1.5 games of each other.
AMEN: North Carolina's legislature passed a hasty, hateful bill essentially allowing discrimination by law and preventing cities (namely Charlotte) to pass anti-discrimination laws as it relates to the trans community. The governor signed it late Wednesday. The 2017 NBA All-Star Game is scheduled to be held in Charlotte. The NBA condemned the law on Thursday and said it will review whether it needs to move All-Star Weekend. Outsports' Jim Buzinski argues why it's important for the league to follow up on that implicit threat.
AND THERE WERE 12 ... Results from Thursday’s Sweet 16 action. Kansas, Oregon, Villanova and Oklahoma move on.
HEY KD: WHAT ARE THOOOOSE?
WELL, I SUPPOSE THAT’S GOOD ... Anthony Davis had knee surgery this week, putting him out 3-4 months. But he didn’t need shoulder surgery after all.
LEAN IN: I’ve been a huge fan of the NBA’s work with Lean In. A new ad has been running this week, and the campaign posted a few longer videos on how men can help women in their lives fight institutional barrier. Here’s Becky Hammon talking up Pop’s feminism. Here’s Chris Bosh talking about handling his share of domestic duties so his wife, Adrienne, can run her business effectively. Here’s Draymond Green talking about being an advocate for his mom. Here’s Gordon Hayward on being a hands-on dad.
ON THE AIR TONIGHT: More Sweet 16, including a massive UNC-Indiana faceoff! Plus Hornets-Pistons on NBA TV (7:30 p.m. ET) and on League Pass, the Spurs and Warriors defend their perfect home records against the Grizzlies and Mavericks, respectively. No showcase games on ABC this weekend as the NBA has conceded the days to the Elite Eight.
Happy Friday. See you next time.
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