Sport

Ranking the NBA’s first round matchups by how likely we are to see an upset

The NBA’s playoffs are easily the most predictable of the major American sports leagues. Without the variability of baseball or the single playoff game format like football, it’s pretty rare that there are any true upsets in the first round of the NBA playoffs. In most years you look at the bracket and see only […]

Sport

Unlikely heroes lead way to start NBA playoffs

The stars were out for the first day of the NBA playoffs, with Donovan Mitchelll scoring 32 points to lead the Jazz to a 99-93 win in Dallas, Karl-Anthony Towns putting up 29 points and 13 boards to lead the Timberwolves to a Game 1 upset in Memphis, 130-117, and then Tyrese Maxey scored 38 […]

Sport

The Los Angeles Clippers are the red circle of death of the NBA

Man, Steve Ballmer had to be feeling really good when he first got Paul George and Kawhi Leonard. I mean like “Steve Ballmer hyping up a pep rally” good or “Christmas morning presents as a child” good. He felt “Just bought a brand new XBox and am barely able to drive home below the speed […]

Sport

Civil servant Kyrie Irving probably shouldn’t Google ‘Nets owner-China ties’

Two of the people not quoted in ESPN’s nearly flawless piece about Brooklyn Nets owner Joe Tsai’s problematic ties to China — including a business under the umbrella of his company developing facial recognition software that may or may not have been equipped with an “Uyghur alarm” to alert police of a person that the… […]

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McCollum and George in battle of the sidekicks

When the Los Angeles Clippers and New Orleans Pelicans face each other in a play-in game for the right to be the Western Conference’s eighth seed on Friday night, we’ll become witnessing a battle of NBA second-options given temporary promotions to marquee status. The life of NBA sidekicks varies. They experience a… Read more…

Sport

Only the NBA has teams in all three of Atlanta, New Orleans and Memphis and the league is much better for it

At Smoothie King Center in New Orleans they serve frozen daiquiris, at State Farm Arena in Atlanta there is a barbershop, at FedExForum in Memphis they regularly play, from the Oscar winning film Hustle and Flow, “Whoop that Trick.” Read more…

Sport

Zion Williamson got to show off his dunking ability, too bad he’s not playing

The fans who tuned into ESPN’s pregame coverage of San Antonio and New Orleans Wednesday night got a little extra treat. There was a Zion Williamson sighting on the court. Before the game, Williamson did some on-court work and put on a show for those in attendance, mostly team staff. Read more…

Sport

The Timberwolves’ ‘trial and error’ era meets its polar opposite in Memphis

The Minnesota Timberwolves have been getting bodied all over the internet for their excessive celebration after surviving and advancing past the Kawhi-less Clippers team in their play-in game. And rightfully so, because the Timberwolves haven’t done anything yet. Their reward will be a battle against the No. 2 seed in… Read more…