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CLEVELAND, OH – FEBRUARY 29: Monta Ellis #11 of the Indiana Pacers shoots over LeBron James #23 and Timofey Mozgov #20 of the Cleveland Cavaliers during the first half at Quicken Loans Arena on February 29, 2016 in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory copyright notice. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)

Cavs top Pacers in “Trying to find Toughness” Bowl

0 comments by on 2/29/2016

Two teams entered, not 24 hours removed from being called out by teammates for not having the requisite toughness and lamenting how other playoff teams do. So one of them was going to look “tougher” by default, which means “one would win because they have to.” In what was a mildly controversial ending only if […]

CHICAGO, IL – FEBRUARY 27: Damian Lillard #0 of the Portland Trail Blazers drives against Tony Snell #20 of the Chicago Bulls at the United Center on February 27, 2016 in Chicago, Illinois. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using the photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

While we were in awe of Steph Curry, the Trail Blazers quietly regrouped

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Saturday night, the NBA witnessed one of its most memorable and remarkable regular season games. In the long and interesting shadow of Golden State-Oklahoma City stood several other contests. One of them will certainly become a top-five moment of the Portland Trail Blazers’ season if the team makes a playoff spot. Yes, when the rest […]

BOSTON – NOVEMBER 28: Center court logo of the Boston Celtics at the TD Banknorth Garden before a game against the Philadelphia 76ers on November 28, 2008 in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2008 NBAE (Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images)

Home is where the revival is: The Celtics became a new team in the new year

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When the year 2015 gave way to 2016, the NBA was a much more uncertain place than it is now. On the morning of December 31, 2015, chaos had not yet ceded its place in much of the Eastern Conference. The hierarchical structure that’s emerging in this half of the league had not yet begun […]

NEW YORK, NY – FEBRUARY 28: Joe Johnson #2 of the Miami Heat in action against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on February 28, 2016 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: user expressly acknowleges and agrees by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images)

Joe Johnson on the Heat could be problems for teams that aren’t the Heat

0 comments by on 2/28/2016

As far as national sports news goes this past week, “Joe Johnson signs with the Miami Heat” probably registered just slightly below whatever Johnny Manziel ate for lunch on Wednesday and several notches below “holy hell, did you see what Steph Curry did THIS week?” but probably, there was no more significant event in the […]

Steph Curry, the Warriors’ wizard, makes magic again

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After their victory in Orlando Thursday night, three members of the Golden State Warriors visited “The Wizarding World of Harry Potter” at Universal Studios. With all due respect to J.K. Rowling’s magical character, you have to wonder why they bothered. In their midst resides an adolescent-looking wizard, one who can summon magic at will and […]

Feb 26, 2016; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Toronto Raptors guard Kyle Lowry (7) shoots the ball as Cleveland Cavaliers center Tristan Thompson (13) defends in front of Cleveland Cavaliers guard Matthew Dellavedova (8) at the Air Canada Centre. The Raptors won 99-97. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports ORG XMIT: USATSI-233022 ORIG FILE ID: 20160226_ads_ss9_121.JPG

The biggest wait-and-see win in Toronto Raptor history

0 comments by on 2/27/2016

Yes, it’s a contradiction in terms, but life is complicated: Friday night, the Toronto Raptors won the biggest wait-and-see game in their comparatively brief existence. The Raptors are only 20 years old. The NBA itself is 49 years older than Canada’s one active NBA organization. One shouldn’t have expected the Raptors to win an NBA […]

The difference between the Spurs and Thunder was made clear on Thursday

0 comments by on 2/26/2016

The San Antonio Spurs enter Friday, February 26 with an eight-game lead over the Oklahoma City Thunder for the second seed in the Western Conference playoffs. Want to know the essential difference between these teams, albeit one which might not matter much in a potential West semifinal series that should light up the NBA? It […]

Handling the Heat: The Warriors show why they’ll reach 73 wins

0 comments by on 2/25/2016

The Golden State Warriors were “outed” Wednesday night… and it didn’t matter. I just finished watching the Warriors get out-worked, out-hustled, out-rebounded and generally out-played. Their opponent, the Miami Heat, was not a great team, but a very good one, featuring a vintage performance by future Hall-of-Famer Dwyane Wade. The Warriors won by six. Did […]

CHARLOTTE, NC – OCTOBER 19: Jeremy Lin #7 of the Charlotte Hornets handles the ball against Nikola Mirotic #44 of the Chicago Bulls during a preseason game at the Time Warner Cable Arena on October 19, 2015 in Charlotte, North Carolina. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2015 NBAE (Photo by Kent Smith/NBAE via Getty Images)

Bulls, Hornets, Pistons, Wizards: What you need to know about the East playoff race

0 comments by on 2/24/2016

A primer on the chase for the final two Western Conference playoff spots exists. Let’s offer the same for the final two spots in the East, with less fanfare and no real preamble. * Start with road trips. The Bulls don’t have one single road trip of extreme length. They face a four-out-of-five road sequence […]

Houston Rockets center Josh Smith goes to the basket as Utah Jazz forward Trey Lyles (41) defends during the second quarter of an NBA basketball game Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2016, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)

Blazers, Jazz, Rockets: What you need to know about the West playoff race

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The Utah Jazz defeated the Houston Rockets in overtime Tuesday night, while the Portland Trail Blazers won yet again, this time over the Brooklyn Nets. As these three teams brace themselves for the final seven weeks of the regular season, here’s what you need to know about each team’s previous journeys and upcoming challenges: * […]

Fool’s gold: Don’t think the past 100 hours are sustainable

0 comments by on 2/23/2016

It’s almost March, so why shouldn’t an NBA story begin with a little taste of Bill Raftery? Late in Duke’s win over Illinois in the 2004 Atlanta Regional final (yes, the regionals were referred to by their cities, then, a practice which mercifully didn’t last long), Luol Deng made the key plays which carried the […]

The Pelicans have a generational talent… and nothing else

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The New Orleans Pelicans have won their first two games after the All-Star break. It’s been a terrible series of days for the organization. * Are you laughing? There’s nothing wrong with having a little chuckle in a world where teams’ best interests — near the bottom of the NBA food chain — are better […]

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