Great interview with one of my all-time favorite critics.

Huge win for the Cavs, who looked a hell of a lot sharper than the Spurs down the stretch. 13 of 43 shooting from Castle/Fox/Barnes/Vassell may be the team just hitting a wall, but it points to a possible Achilles heel with late game offense.

Somehow the Mavs aren’t down 20 despite losing AD, losing shooters constantly on defense, and a boatload of terrible offensive possessions. Still looks like a long shot for them given Steph and Jimmy haven’t even played up to their typical level.

Days before the first Spurs-OKC game in the Cup semis, podcasts were talking about SGA’s legacy among all-time greats and the Thunder as an all-time defensive team. What a difference a week makes.

This may be the Spurs’ year, but I still think they’re a year away given their youth. Wemby/Harper/Castle are going to be amazing with another year of experience, but right now Fox is their best individual scorer against a set defense.

36 points in the first quarter, 43 the next two quarters while missing 21 of 24 threes after making 4 of their first 6. I would say the Spurs have OKC in a stranglehold.

Not really sure OKC has answers here playing a double big lineup + Dort vs the Spurs, Wemby or no Wemby. Spurs’ guards just getting to the paint and attacking the drop mercilessly, while OKC doesn’t have enough non-SGA offense to keep up.

Caruso has to be available for those three point looks and he’s missing very makeable open ones, but it’s still weird to watch him become Game 7 John Starks as the Spurs let him gun away.

Maybe it’s just me having time to watch the first couple of Xmas NBA games live in ages, but the first two games have been seriously intense, near playoff levels of effort at times.

It’s still early, but across two games and a quarter of basketball, this Spurs team looks almost tailor made to negate every OKC advantage. Rangy hyper talented scorers and defenders, plus there’s Wemby with Kornet as a perfect backup.

thibs was sacrificed so tyler kolek could save christmas

NBA players are so good. No person should be able to make the 3 Donovan Mitchell just swished.

Noon on Xmas Day and this is some serious high quality shotmaking on display. Great game at MSG.

Knicks are still hanging in this game early in the 4th (barely), but the defense has been fairly wretched all day. Cavs just moving crisply, exploiting mismatches, and making shots.

All the early season angst about Cooper Flagg was just noise. Anyone who watched him play in person — high school, college or pro — knew this guy was for real. Incredible composure running the show for the Mavs tonight vs Denver.

Say what you will about the 90s Bulls but they never once won the Emirates NBA Cup

Brunson shouting out OG, Kolek, Clarkson, and Robinson during his MVP presentation was very cool and apropos, not empty praise at all. Exactly what a captain and leader should do.

Spurs led Knicks 92-81 with 14:07 left to play Knicks outscored Spurs 43-21 rest of the way 4th quarter rebounds! - Spurs: 6 as a TEAM - OG by himself: 7 - Mitchell Robinson: 8 (6 offensive)

Spurs showed their youth in that fourth quarter. Faced a team playing as hard if not harder than them, took some ill advised shots (Wemby, Harper, Castle) down the stretch, ability to create quality shots in clutch time vaporized.

All the #CUP jokes have been fun, but it was genuinely fun watching all these teams play as hard as they did in Vegas, and for the Knicks to bring it as hard as they did against a young, scary upcoming team.

Towns waited until the fourth to commit two quick dumb fouls, in crunch time no less.

These Kolek/Clarkson/Robinson minutes have been kind of incredible. Spurs’ advantage over their opponents on their latest run has been their bench, Knicks have come back at them with their reserves.

Kolek bodying Wemby in transition such a heady play, he’s really good at the small things and love seeing what he’s done in the Cup games.

Mitchell Robinson having nine offensive rebounds in 13 minutes doesn't even feel like an event anymore.

I ALWAYS BELIEVED IN JORDAN CLARKSON

Knicks somehow survived — even gained a little! — with Kolek-Clarkson-Robinson toward the end of the 3rd while Brunson, Towns and Hart were all out. Keep taking body blows and barely hanging in.

Castle’s been the best player in the final by a mile, plenty of Knicks are playing hard but they aren’t coming close to the impact of Castle (other than possibly Anunoby)

Wemby got that lob dunk because Vassell wasn’t challenged by Brunson at all on the pass, and Hart didn’t plant a body on Wemby so the tag by OG on Wemby’s roll amounted to nothing.

KAT has been very bad defensively in this game, getting his head turned constantly, giving up OREBs and lobs.

Think KAT might have been the only Knick to challenge Castle directly and score in the first half, and it was on a Dirk fadeaway at the nail.

Shocked to see Brunson scored 15 in the first half, even though it was on 15 shots. Had to work super hard for those points, he’ll wear down if he can’t attack more efficiently and his teammates can’t get him off Castle more.

All things considered, good on NY for hanging with the Spurs, whose current run of form has been overwhelming other teams. Question is whether they can limit the Spurs’ transition and delayed transition, too many good looks for the Spurs’ shooters off penetration.

Knicks might be too caught up in trying to challenge Wemby, several times trying to go at him rather than swinging the ball.

Spurs second unit is shredding NY’s second group, threes for twos isn’t good math for the Knicks

Champagnie can’t stay with Brunson, a lot more daylight against the second unit relative to going against Castle.

Rockets fighting all game and through OT to end with a rushed bricked attempt by Sengun at a game tying three, sad anticlimax to an amazing regular season game.

If there was a convincing angle of the foul that Amen Thompson committed on Tim Hardaway, it apparently wasn’t shown to viewers

And as soon as I posted this, the shot making went through the roof lol, four straight threes.

Nuggets-Rockets featured plenty of high level shot making through the first three quarters, has now turned into a grimy slugfest. Great intensity from both teams, really digging in defensively, nothing like two well rested high quality teams going hard.

Presti may secretly love this because it quiets the “What Do We Do When the Thunder Get Two More Lottery Picks” discourse. Works for him when the discourse now shifts to Wemby looking like the “true” future.

After 26 long years, Knicks can avenge their loss in the 1999 NBA Finals

TWO TIMES THE VEGAS LIGHTS WERE TOO BRIGHT FOR SGA

One thing OKC will take from this -win or lose - is the over dribbling from their main guys will have to be tuned out of their clutch offense against the best teams

Was just thinking OKC should have another shooter in there instead of Dort and then he makes an amazing defensive play, which ends up being squandered when Caruso smokes the layup.

The Lakers letting Alex Caruso go after winning a championship with him will never not seem insane, all these years later.

Kornet breaking up that lob to JDub similar to a play he made to chase down and block Austin Reaves vs the Lakers earlier this week. Seemed to break the opponent’s momentum, but credit to OKC, they answered strong.

Cason Wallace has been sneaky good tonight, has helped stabilize the second unit along with Caruso.

Two really good Cup semifinal games, think that’s the first time since the Cup started? Just a great doubleheader today.

All shitposting aside, the Spurs actually look *more* athletic than the Thunder in this third quarter — flying down the court and looking more dogged on defense. Harper, Castle, Fox and Vassell all making tough shots.

SGA staring into the abyss as a major stain on his legacy looms: failure for the second straight season in the Cup.