Welcome to the NBA Hangover. We jot down NBA stuff mostly from last night that we want to talk about. Check it out.
We’ll have to get used to seeing NBA games with no fans attending.
(PHOTO CREDIT: MassLive.Com.)
It’s tough to talk about basketball with the Coronavirus going around (now officially a pandemic, according to the World Health Organization). The NBA is already talking about what could happen because it is obviously not recommended to have large crowds since the Coronavirus, as most of you know at this point, could spread easily.
Some regions in the United States have already banned large “non-essential” gatherings with more than a thousand people (Santa Clara, for instance). And we already know that Italy (THE ENTIRE COUNTRY) is on complete lockdown. It is a terrifying situation for sure and it really makes us all think about what’s important in life. Personally, I had planned to attend the SoCal Retro Gaming Expo at the end of the month but that has also been postponed. It’s risky to be around a lot of people because you never know who does have the virus. We did not ask for this Resident Evil plot. But all kidding aside, it is safest to stay away as many people as possible. The daily life here, as we all know it, will have some changes and it will be like this for a while. At least, until the virus subsides.
The writing is on the wall for all the sports leagues, including the NBA (an important tennis tournament, the BNP Paribas Open, has already been cancelled). The teams have already made adjustments in terms of keeping media away from the locker rooms and having space between the media and the players. We’re probably going to see games played in front of empty arenas sooner than later (EDIT: The next Warriors home game on Thursday is now closed to fans. The Big West tournament for college basketball is going to have exactly that starting tomorrow, which is taking place in nearby Long Beach.
So I’ll do snippets below but please, please be careful. Don’t dismiss this virus but also don’t panic too much. Gather the correct information, listen to what all the health experts say, and isolate yourself if you feel sick.
Now, for some basketball:
Bullet Passes
I suppose the Lakers were due for a letdown. Again, it’s a long season and things like this happen. And even then, it came down to a final shot against the Nets. I even joked that the final shot is for Kobe to shoot a three from the wing and yet they actually did the play with Anthony Davis shooting it. He missed it but all you can ask for is a shot, sometimes.
The Warriors got slapped around by the Clippers but it’s good to see Dragan Bender (former #4 overall pick in 2016) to get some run. He went for 23 points. Hopefully, this is the first step towards resurrecting his career.
My goodness, Andrew Wiggins:
(VIDEO CREDIT: NBA BandWagon Fan.)
Collin Sexton is nearly averaging 21 points in a season that’s gone under the radar. Not bad at all.
The Scoreboard
BOS 114 (43-21) @ IND 111 (39-26)
NY 115 (20-45) @ WAS 122 (24-40)
CLE 103 (19-46) @ CHI 108 (22-43)
MIN 111 (19-45) @ HOU 117 (40-24)
ORL 120 (30-35) @ MEM 115 (32-33)
DAL 109 (39-27) @ SA 119 (27-36)
PHX 105 (26-39) @ POR 121 (29-37)
LAC 131 (44-20) @ GS 107 (15-50)
BRK 104 (30-34) @ LAL 102 (49-14)
Watch This Play
Naz Reid got one on Russell Westbrook. Almost immediately after, Westbrook took it out on D’Angelo Russell:
Russell Westbrook crossed D’Angelo Russell back to Golden State pic.twitter.com/v63aGzKmAi
— Alykhan Bijani (@Rockets_Insider) March 11, 2020
That cross was mean. The dunk was meaner.
GG.
Rey-Rey is on Twitter at @TheNoLookPass.
TNLP on FaceBook.
I sign off “GG” which means “good game” but also to honor Gianna “Gigi” Bryant.