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This isn’t about basketball, but I can’t tell you how much joy and entertainment Bob Uecker gave my childhood. For seemingly forever, I just knew him as the funny announcer from “Major League” or the dad on “Mr. Belvedere.” Later, I found him calling Brewers games on MLB Extra Innings. He’s going to be missed. RIP, Harry Doyle. 🙏
Cavs-Thunder, Pt. Deux
OKC obliterated Cleveland in the rematch
That 129-122 Cavaliers win over the Thunder over a week ago was electric. It was basketball pornography. None of us could get enough of it, and we all were excited about getting a remix of it last night. You set your calendars and put your phone on Do Not Disturb. You may have lit a candle and ordered some sushi. And then … it was a bloodbath.
The Thunder (34-6) destroyed the Cavs (34-6) almost from the jump. It was an 18-point game after one quarter and a 26-point rout by halftime. The Cavs were down 38 going into the fourth quarter and trailed by as many as 42 points. OKC ended up winning 134-114 behind Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scoring 40 points in 29 minutes and the team hitting 18 3-pointers. The Thunder shot over 60 percent through the first three periods. There was nothing to really react to or analyze. Everything went right for OKC as it all went bad for Cleveland.
Great night 😄
Goodnight 😴 pic.twitter.com/cDNm65vCZm
— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) January 17, 2025
This matchup did not deliver what we wanted – well … unless you’re a Thunder fan. In that case, you were happy to see this revenge game. Here are three questions I have after this matchup:
Do these teams need homecourt advantage in the NBA Finals? Despite playing so well this season, the Thunder and Cavs don’t have a lot of postseason experience or success. The Cavs were embarrassed two years ago. Then, last season, they were injured while being easily bounced in the second round. The Thunder have made the playoffs once with this group. Last year, as the No. 1 seed, they got taken down in the West semifinals. For teams lacking deep playoff experience, perhaps this matchup showed how important the comfort of playing at home means to them. They’re both on pace for 70 wins.
Whose shooting do you trust more? The Cavs have the best 3-point percentage (39.7) in the league, but that shooting disappeared in OKC last night. They went just 13 of 42 (31 percent) from deep in the loss. We’ve also seen their outside accuracy not show up in the previous two postseasons. OKC had the best 3-point percentage in the league last season (38.9), but it’s dipped to a tie for 18th this year (35.4). The Thunder also shot horribly in the postseason during their loss to Dallas. If the Cavs and Thunder face each other in the NBA Finals, which team do you believe will make shots?
Whose defense do you trust against the star guard? I do love the Cavs trusting Evan Mobley to defend SGA throughout the course of the game. They also have Isaac Okoro to throw his way. On the flip side of that, Donovan Mitchell will either have to score on Lu Dort or Alex Caruso most of the time. That sounds like actual torture, especially against Dort.
More from last night’s slate
Pacers 111 (23-19), Pistons 100 (21-20): Indiana managed to slow down Cade Cunningham (20 points on 21 shots, nine assists and seven turnovers), and Myles Turner led the Pacers with 28 points. Oh, and, as some heated words were exchanged, Isaiah Stewart told Turner, “you play with Legos.”
Suns 130 (20-20), Wizards 123 (6-33): Devin Booker scored 37 points to send Washington to its eighth-straight loss. Phoenix overcame seven Wizards scoring in double figures.
Kings 132 (21-20), Rockets 127 (27-13): This was by far the best game of the night, as the Kings improved to 8-2 under Doug Christie. De’Aaron Fox struggled to make shots. Domantas Sabonis fouled out. But DeMar DeRozan (33 points) shut the door on a great Rockets defense.
Clippers 118 (23-17), Blazers 89 (13-27): Another day, another complete game by the Clippers, who were coming off that 59-point win over Brooklyn. But also, they held Anfernee Simons to zero points in 30 minutes!
The Last 24
Get back to work, Jimmy!
🏀 Back at it? Jimmy Butler’s return to the Heat should be awkward. Here’s why it makes sense for him to be back.
🏀 All-Star coming? OKC’s Jalen Williams keeps ascending. He should be an All-Star.
🇫🇷 Deep connection. Rayan Rupert of the Blazers and Nicolas Batum of the Clippers have the same story. Always read Jason Quick.
🤔 Make a deal? The Cavs have trade interest in the Nets’ Cam Johnson, who could help their perimeter struggles.
📺 Don’t miss this game tonight. Grizzlies (26-15) at Spurs (19-20), 9:30 p.m. ET on ESPN or stream on Fubo (try it free). Let’s see if Ja Morant dunks on Wemby again.
📺 Good one to start the night. Timberwolves (21-19) at Knicks (27-15), 7:30 p.m. ET on League Pass. KAT got his reunion. Now, it’s Julius Randle’s turn in NYC.
Change the Game?
Adam Silver is working on crucial NBA tweaks
Commissioner Adam Silver was recently a guest on “The Herd,” and he addressed the concern with today’s NBA product. A big-time criticism of today’s NBA is the amount of 3-pointers being attempted. We see the number on the rise, and there have been plenty of fans on social media and media members wondering if the game has become too perimeter-oriented.
Silver has heard these concerns, so he gave a long answer about the different eras and styles of basketball, and how we’re now seeing a new game in this era. He also assured people the league believes it’s a fixable issue and will tweak the rules to correct these issues:
“I don’t want to knee-jerk move the 3-point line. We’re going through a process now, seeing how these players are adapting to the new rules and figuring out whatever changes we should make. I wish it were as simple as just moving the 3-point line back because, then, we would just do it.”
“Part of the concern from the basketball folks is that if, you move the 3-point line back, you’ll end up clogging up this area under the basket, and that’s not such attractive basketball either. I think this is doable by examining the game and seeing where this is going … I assure you, we are on it. I think it’s a very fixable issue. As stewards of the game, we’ll tweak it. We will correct those issues.”
I do think it’s great that Silver and the league office take the enjoyment of the game very seriously. Personally, I think the basketball has been excellent so far this season. And, if we’re getting great games, then how much do we need to “fix” the product? There are two easy ways to fix the issue without overhauling too much of the structure of the game.
The first solution is to widen the court. Creating more space on the perimeter will then open more driving lanes. That should create more action moving toward the basket. The problem with this is it means eliminating valuable ticket-selling real estate, so the owners will never go for that.
The second correction is even easier and more simple. It’s also something we’ve discussed here plenty of times: allow hand-checking. Just let teams be more physical and competitive on defense by allowing hand-checking, which was banned before the 2004-05 season. The skill and athleticism of the offensive players will even this out, and we’ll see a lot more competition. The more competition there is, the better the game is.
Welcome to Unrivaled!
Key details about the new women’s hoop league
Tonight at 7 p.m. ET on TNT, the Unrivaled basketball league will debut. You’re probably thinking to yourself, “Hey, that’s awesome! I don’t have any plans at that moment. I’ll probably go out after. But one thing I must know: What’s the Unrivaled basketball league?” I’m so glad you asked!
Unrivaled is the 3-on-3 women’s basketball league cofounded by WNBA legends Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart. You may remember these two titans of basketball squaring off in one of the best WNBA Finals ever last year. Now, they’re bonded together in business.
The First 36 are Unrivaled 👑
Watch them on TNT, TruTV and Max all season long. pic.twitter.com/RNbSFwuXK4
— Unrivaled Basketball (@Unrivaledwbb) January 16, 2025
Let’s ask some questions about the league and then answer them.
Is this like Olympic 3-on-3 basketball? In the sense that there will only be six players on the floor at all times? Yes. In every other sense of the competition? No. The Olympic 3-on-3 action is two teams competing in a “first to score 21 points wins” game. This league will have four quarters of 3-on-3 play, and, instead of a half-court setup, the players will be playing on a 70-foot, full court to give more spacing.
How many players and teams? There are six teams (Vinyl, Rose, Mist, Lunar Owls, Phantom and Laces) in the league. Each roster has six players from around the WNBA world. Only the Rose and Lunar Owls currently don’t have WNBA teammates on them, although the Lunar Owls do currently have a wild-card roster spot.
Are these players getting paid anything? They are! Unrivaled is boasting that it has the highest-paid salaries of any professional women’s sports league. The average salary is more than $220,000, which is comparable to the base max salary of the WNBA. Also, this league schedule will be eight weeks, meaning that money gives the players even more bang for their buck. The inaugural players will also receive equity in the league.
Are the biggest women’s stars participating? Almost everybody. You’re getting Collier and Stewie, as we mentioned. You’re also getting Kelsey Plum, Angel Reese, Courtney Vandersloot, Skylar Diggins-Smith, Brittney Griner and Alyssa Thomas, plus many more! As of right now, though, there is no A’ja Wilson and no Caitlin Clark. But the league does have an outstanding offer for Clark to join at any point.
How can I watch? The season runs from tonight through March 17. You can peep the schedule here. Bookmark that. Some of the games will be televised on TNT or TruTV. And all of the games will be streamed on MAX.
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(Top photo: Joshua Gateley / Contributor )
