Good morning. Let’s basketball.
Are the Thunder seriously gonna do this?
Good morning. We have that and more in Tuesday’s NBA newsletter.
THUNDERSTRUCK: The Thunder tenuously kept the Warriors within screaming distance for the entire first half, matching every inevitable Golden State lead-widening run with a spurt of their own. In the third, Russell Westbrook exploded to quiet the crowd. In the fourth, the defense clamped down and the Thunder took over. Despite some late hiccups, they held on for a stunning Game 1 win.
Because this is the 2016 playoffs, there was a big non-call at the end: Westbrook traveled with less than a minute to go. Of course, he was probably fouled leading into that, and it didn’t have a definite material impact on the game (unlike the infamous Dion Waiters shove). OKC got a big win after the game, too, as Enes Kanter took a moment to roast a professional troll.
Game 2 is Wednesday. Can’t wait.
ON THE AIR TONIGHT ... We also can’t wait for Tuesday’s proceedings: the NBA Draft Lottery at 8 p.m. ET and Game 1 of Raptors-Cavaliers at 8:30, both on ESPN. Smarten up on the odds for each team in the lottery. It’s really an all-or-nothing proposition for the Lakers.
LEAN ON ME: Tim Cato on the bond that strengthens the Durant and Westbrook partnership. Meanwhile, I wrote about the echoes of the James Harden trade and why Serge Ibaka is the man who needs to avenge it.
NICE: Terry Stotts signs an extension with the Blazers, as expected. Meanwhile, Nate McMillan is official in Indiana. Here’s a comprehensive Jared Wade breakdown on McMillan’s coaching record.
THE HEAT IS ON: Yaron Weitzman on the odd future of the Miami Heat.
BACK TO BACK: Karl-Anthony Towns goes unanimous in Rookie of the Year voting. He and Andrew Wiggins can play with their trophies together now!
ON JERSEY PATCHES: Old friend Will Leitch is lamenting but accepting the arrival of jersey patches in the NBA and likely elsewhere in American pro sports. In today’s Sports REDEF newsletter, Matty Karas (who is just a delight to read when he stretches out the intro a little) points out the irony of the first advertiser being a company believed to bilk fans for higher ticket costs but otherwise acknowledges this is a minor issue. And it is! Of all the ads we’re bombarded with during a game either in-person or watching on TV -- from the digital sideline banners to the injury reports sponsored by a health insurer to the free taco coupons to ever-looser product tie-ins -- this is a little bit of nothing. Of course it could get out of hand, but I think that in terms of uniform ads, the NBA has been deliberate and sane enough to earn some credit. They’ve been talking about this for years, and it’s just rolling out in 2017-18. I don’t think we’re getting full uniform movie wraps any time soon.
THIS IS IMPORTANT: More WNBA stats are going to be available now. That’s hugely important to the growth of interest in the league. All sports fans are nerds at heart!
CONGRATULATIONS ARE IN ORDER: Cheers to the team behind The Undefeated, which officially launches on Tuesday. Here’s a great Marc Spears piece on Shaun Livingston’s career of resilience.
LESSONS LEARNED: Jonathan Givony on the lessons learned at the NBA Draft Combine.
LOL: Ben Simmons has a couple of shoe deals on the table, but now his agent -- Rich Paul, natch -- is sitting on them in hopes that the Lakers will win the No. 1 pick in the lottery, boosting Simmons’ endorsement potential. There isn’t a single negotiation that Rich Paul can’t drag out beyond the point everyone is bored with it.
HMMM: A theory from Buck Harvey that Gregg Popovich is going to finally call it quits on Boris Diaw.
Happy Tuesday. See you next time.
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