What hole does sports fill in our lives?
On our thirst for competition, our awe of craft and the deep tapestry of stories basketball provides us.
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The Thunder have risen again
Ascension to the highest throne once looked inevitable, but wasn't. Is this different? Good morning. We have an essay on the Thunder ahead of the final night of the play-in tournament. Let's basketball. The first rise of the Oklahoma City Thunder was simultaneously predictable and sudden.
A new dusk in Sacramento
The thing about the Sacramento Kings' long playoff drought is that they still had stars during that time. Mike Bibby, the prototype Jamal Murray "he's never been an All-Star" lead guard, was around for the first few years of the drought. In those early post-Adelman
The Warriors' play-in curse is *over*
The Warriors, who a few weeks ago looked reborn as legitimate championship contenders, almost let their nightmare finish to the regular season extend into the play-in. After racking up a 20-point lead against a Grizzlies team that looked ready to quit, Golden State slowly bled out until Memphis had caught
It's time for the Bucks to do *something*
Good morning. Milwaukee is tripping through Giannis Antetokounmpo's prime, with just one playoff series win since the 2021 championship. If they can't make a run now, a major overhaul is required. Let's basketball. A championship buys you precious little runway in the NBA. The