Players can switch teams, win MVPs, get contracts, swap teammates, yet still maintain beef if that beef is true enough.
The beef between Russell Westbrook and Patrick Beverley will never die
We have that and more in Thursday’s NBA newsletter.
Photo by Bill Baptist/NBAE via Getty Images
Once upon a time, Patrick Beverley was a teammate of James Harden on the Houston Rockets, and Russell Westbrook was a star of the rival Oklahoma City Thunder. SB Nation’s show BEEF HISTORY walks you through why and how the pair fought.
Now Westbrook is a Harden co-star in Houston and Beverley is a Clipper. BUT THE BEEF LIVES. The teams met Wednesday with Harden lighting up L.A. Would you expect Mr. Westbrook to note that fact after the game? Well, of course. And with a devastating (and untrue) quote.
“Pat Bev trick y’all, man, like he playing defense. He don’t guard nobody, man. He just running around, doing nothing.”
Feuds come and feuds go. Beef is eternal.
Speaking of beef, hilariously we may have a beef between Doc Rivers and Austin Rivers after the latter tried (successfully) to get the former T’d up while the coach was on a rant late in the Clippers’ loss. Austin then taunted Doc after he got ejected. Beautiful.
Speaking of the Rockets, here’s Michael Pina on how Houston and Westbrook are growing together.
Scores
Grizzlies 119, Hornets 117
Sixers 97, Magic 112
Wizards 133, Celtics 140
Clippers 93, Rockets 102
Spurs 114, Wolves 129
Warriors 94, Lakers 120
Raptors 114, Blazers 106
Schedule
All times ET. Games are on League Pass unless otherwise noted.
Heat at Cavaliers, 6 p.m.
Mavericks at Knicks, 8 p.m., TNT
Bulls at Bucks, 8 p.m.
Clippers at Pelicans, 8 p.m.
Hawks at Suns, 9 p.m.
Nets at Nuggets, 10:30 p.m., TNT
Links
Mike Prada breaks down how Pascal Siakam’s weird game is translating as a superstar.
I wrote about Damian Lillard’s MVP-style year and the Blazers’ bad timing.
Ricky O’Donnell on Coby White’s microwave scoring ability.
Henry Abbott on why it’s silly to ignore the science on load management. Speaking of which, here’s the Kevins Pelton and Arnovitz on the science of load management.
Dwight Howard defended Kentavious Caldwell-Pope in the comments of an Instagram. He explains why. If there was still a Comeback Player of the Year award ...
Nike finally made Sabrina Ionescu jerseys. They sold out in hours.
Natalie Weiner with an incredibly important story on the role high school football plays in preventing and healing from youth gun violence.
Wild, at times disturbing story of how Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi ended up playing basketball for Russian spy because WNBA wages were too well.
Be excellent to each other.
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