Will the Clippers ever beat the Warriors?

Good morning. Let’s basketball.

The Warriors beat the Clippers for the ninth straight time on Thursday, despite Golden State playing without Draymond Green and others. (Chris Paul is also out, for what it’s worth.) I still believe that the Clippers are too good at their peak to break up the core of the team. But repeated results like this sure do test one’s faith.

Meanwhile, the great JaVale McGee had blankets featuring a giant sleeping Draymond face made up for the whole team. (NSFW, language) Last night, JaVale snapped himself using it!

The Warriors are ... likeable again?

All of contestants in the All-Star Saturday events were announced on Thursday. The Dunk Contest is essentially Aaron Gordon vs. the field. (Actually, I’m going to put my money on Derrick Jones.) The Three-Point Shootout lacks Steph Curry but has Uncle Swaggy, so all is right in the world. The Skills Challenge is continuing to use big men to ramp up the hilarity. Put your money on Joel Embiid.

Here’s a full list of all of the All-Star Weekend participants.

LAL 108, WAS 116
ATL 113, HOU 108
PHI 86, SAS 102
GSW 133, LAC 120

Block of the century: Luigi Datome, now playing in Turkey, is rejected on a dunk attempt by ... the side of the backboard.

I wrote about the Raptors, who are in trouble in the standings but have lots of assets and one of the best GMs in the league.

For one night, Tim Hardaway Jr. was a god. He led a crazy comeback for the Hawks in Houston, outscoring the Rockets in the fourth by himself.

But wait! It looked like Trevor Ariza hit a game-tying shot at the end of that game. It was instead a very convincing airball.

The paranoid, problematic lessons of the NBA’s rookie sex ed program.

The Bulls have inquired about Jahlil Okafor.

Zach Harper on how John Wall beats you.

Jason Williams explains to KG why he once rode in the luggage hold of a team bus his rookie season during winter in Boston.

Plumlee Alert: Miles Plumlee has been traded to the Hornets for Roy Hibbert and Spencer Hawes. How many 7-footers does Milwaukee need, exactly?

Senegal might be the next basketball prospect hot spot.

Gregg Popovich on what Black History Month means to him.

Kristian Winfield digs deep on the strained relationship between Jimmy Butler and the Bulls front office.

Zach Lowe on Eric Bledsoe’s crazy run and future with Phoenix.

Rodney Hood is awesome, takes 150 kids to see The Lego Batman Movie.

After being laid out by a LeBron rant earlier this week, Charles Barkley unilaterally ends his beef with the four-time MVP.

HMMMM. Magic Johnson hired by Jeanie Buss to serve as a business and basketball advisor. We’ll have more later this morning. Here’s Kevin Ding’s take.

And finally, Jeff Van Gundy on coaching Yao Ming. Houston will retire Yao’s jersey Friday night. One of the more fascinating and delightful NBA stars of my lifetime.

Be excellent to each other.