We have that and more in Thursday’s NBA newsletter.
The Jazz lost by 50 points to a 6-8 squad that has been in the lottery for the last two seasons.
The Jazz lost by 50 points.
50.
Points.
The Jazz shot 31 percent and watched the victorious Mavericks shoot 58 percent. Utah scored all of 22 points in the second half. Dallas scored more than that in each individual quarter. Had the Mavericks failed to score at all in the fourth quarter, they still would have won by 16. Had the Mavericks failed to score at all in the entire second half, they would have only lost by 10.
The Mavericks played really well, and might in fact be an upstart squad worth paying attention to as we shuffle toward the quarter pole of the season. But teams like the Jazz shouldn’t lose by 50 to anybody, and especially not teams under .500.
Scores
Sixers 106, Magic 111
Cavaliers 95, Wizards 119
Bulls 82, Celtics 111
Heat 120, Nets 107
Pistons 106, Raptors 104
Grizzlies 116, Bucks 113
Pelicans 100, Timberwolves 107
Knicks 103, Thunder 128
Jazz 68, Mavericks 118
Spurs 96, Suns 116
Blazers 117, Lakers 126
Schedule
Warriors at Rockets, 8 p.m. ET, TNT
Hawks at Nuggets, 9 p.m. ET, League Pass
Spurs at Clippers, 10:30 p.m. ET, TNT
Links
LeBron passed Wilt Chamberlain on the all-time scoring list. What are the odds he catches Kareem?
Nick Nurse replaced his fired mentor in Toronto. That’s weird, writes Seerat Sohi. How was Nurse handled it?
Speaking of which, Dwane Casey’s Pistons came from 19 down in Toronto and won on a Reggie Bullock buzzer beater off a baseline out-of-bounds play. Un-fricking-believable. The NBA is amazing sometimes. When the Raptors lose, they lose in style. Wow.
The Sixers lost Jimmy Butler’s debut. Womp womp. The Wolves won another game without Jimmy.
An important story on Kobe’s legacy and future in a new Hollywood from Kent Babb in the Washington Post. There’s a fairly shocking, off-putting quote from Bryant in there.
Kevin Arnovitz on the clock ticking in the background of the Pelicans’ season.
Believe in the Kings? If you like being miserable, go right ahead.
Brian Windhorst on Jimmy Butler, Kawhi Leonard, and what trade demands are doing to the NBA.
Bomani Jones explains the legend of White Donte.
Dan Devine’s most interesting teams of the week. The Warriors are legitimately interesting for reasons not connected to their overwhelming excellence for the first time in a long time.
Kristaps Porzingis just wants from cookie dough Ben and Jerry’s, y’all. I need to know if he prefers Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough or Half Baked, though. This is important.
Trae Young Hive, please assemble for a group discussion on this triumphant Andrew Sharp piece.
What Dario Saric and Robert Covington can do for the Wolves.
Ethan Strauss’s theories on why Draymond Green and Kevin Durant blew up. I wondered if this spells out the end of the Warriors dynasty. Here’s a timeline of Green-Durant arguments. Meanwhile, Stephen Curry is out at least five more games.
And finally: these photos of Trae Young and Kevin Durant over the course of, like, 10 years are adorable.
Be excellent to each other.