Six lasting scenes from the night coronavirus overtook the NBA

By Mar 12, 2020, 2:18 PM EDT
NBA cancels games due to coronavirus
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The NBA became linked with the coronavirus last night, changing the league in not-yet-knowable ways. Here are six scenes that capture the shock, confusion, chaos and sadness of yesterday.

Rudy Gobert touching recorders

Jazz center Rudy Gobert – who later became the first NBA player known to test positive for coronavirus – went of his way to touch reporters’ recorders Monday.

Yesterday, video of that incident emerged.

Dave Fox of CUTV:

A Utah Department of Health spokesperson called that “low-risk exposure,” according to Ben Anderson of KSL. But – since Donovan Mitchell‘s positive test for coronavirus – Jazz teammates have complained about Gobert’s carelessness. There was clearly a pattern here with Gobert, and knowing what we do now, it’s surreal to watch.

Thunder doctor running onto court

Gobert tested positive for coronavirus shortly before the Jazz were set to play the Thunder in Oklahoma City last night. That led to Thunder lead doctor Donnie Strack running onto the court to alert officials just prior to tip-off, which you can see in the background of this video:

Thunder public-address announcer announcing postponement

Of course, Gobert’s diagnosis led to the Jazz-Thunder game being postponed. But everything was happening so quickly and amid so much uncertainty, Oklahoma City public-address announcer Mario Nanni – who’s so good as a speaker, he has literally made a living from it – was stumbling over his words in the announcement:

Definitely had a Chip Diller “Remain calm” vibe with the multiple declarations that everyone is safe.

Mark Cuban learning the NBA had suspended its season

Mavericks owner Mark Cuban was watching his team play the Nuggets when the NBA suspended its season. He was DEMONSTRABLY shocked:

Girl crying in Sacramento

The NBA’s initial plan was to suspended games after yesterday’s contest finished. But Kings-Pelicans in Sacramento – which hadn’t yet tipped off – also got postponed. That left one young fan in tears:

Vince Carter embracing several Knicks, who recently played Gobert and the Jazz

With the Hawks and Knicks finishing their game after the season-suspension announcement, Vince Carter checked in for what might be the end of his NBA career. He made a 3-pointer then embraced several players on both teams:

The Knicks – who recently played Gobert and the Jazz – have since been told to self-quarantine.

I know it’s silly to be overly concerned about a few daps, considering these players just spent a full game exchanging far more contact. This might have been a meaningful moment for Carter as he nears (reached?) retirement. I want to focus on his great career.

But watching those players, I couldn’t stop thinking about the spread of coronavirus.

Which is why yesterday will go down as one of the most notable days in NBA history.

A league ostensibly about basketball has become a league about the coronavirus.

Dončić dodges suspension, NBA rescinds 16th technical

By Mar 27, 2023, 4:32 PM EDT
Dallas Mavericks v Charlotte Hornets
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This was unexpected, especially after crew chief Kevin Scott said after the game last night: “Doncic was assessed a technical foul for his use of profanity directed at the officials in protest to a no-call that was correctly judged in postgame video review.”

The NBA league office reviewed the incident (as it does with all technicals) and rescinded what would have been Luka Doncic’s 16th technical.

That 16th technical would have triggered an automatic one game suspension. With it rescinded, Dončić is clear to play Monday night when the Mavericks take on the Pacers.

Sunday night in Charlotte, Dončić was given a technical when he didn’t get a call on a leaning baseline jumper and said something to the nearby official.

This incident comes days after Dončić was fined $35,000  for making a money gesture towards a referee in frustration after a  Mavericks loss.

Through all this the Mavericks have lost four straight, 7-of-9, and have slid back to 11th in the West, outside even the play-in. Their team is disintegrating and if they don’t pick up some wins fast they have less than two weeks until they are on summer vacation.

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MVP showdown off: 76ers to sit Joel Embiid due to calf tightness

By Mar 27, 2023, 2:32 PM EDT
Philadelphia 76ers v Phoenix Suns
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Recently Joel Embiid said,” ‘If I win MVP, good. If I don’t, it’s fine with me.” Today’s news plays right into that narrative.

Embiid has been playing through calf tightness for a few games now — he only played a half against the Bulls last Wednesday — but still putting up numbers (46 points against the Warriors, 28 and 10 against the Suns). However, there had been some concern in the organization about not pushing things and making sure Embiid is healthy for the playoffs. Which is why they will rest him on Monday night, short-circuiting an MVP-race showdown against Nikola Jokić and the Nuggets. Adrian Wojnarowski and Ramona Shelburne of ESPN broke the news and John Clarke of NBC Sports Philadelphia has confirmed it.

Embiid did go through part of the 76ers’ shootaround this morning. The decision was made after that point.

Undoubtedly this will spark the load management discussion around the league again, and Embiid is going to take heat for this — but this is a situation where the team’s medical staff made the call, likely over Embiid’s objection.

From the 76ers perspective what matters is having Embiid healthy during the playoffs — they are going nowhere without him — and there is no reason to take undue risks with the team all but locked into the No. 3 seed in the East.

James Harden is still expected to make his return to action Monday from a three-game absence.

But it robs fans — including those who bought tickets in Denver — of one of the great showdowns in the league, and one of the more anticipated games of the season’s final weeks. The NBA has to find a way to balance player health with having their best players on the court for the biggest games. Keep telling fans the regular season doesn’t matter and they will start treating it like that.

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Joel Embiid not stressing about MVP: ‘If I win MVP, good. If I don’t, it’s fine with me.’

By Mar 27, 2023, 1:44 PM EDT
Philadelphia 76ers v Phoenix Suns
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Joel Embiid is the MVP betting favorite — -160 at our partner PointsBet — heading into Monday’s showdown with the reigning two-time MVP Nikola Jokić (+180 at PointsBet).

Embiid campaigned for the MVP award the past couple of years but came up second to Jokić. This season, Embiid is not stressing about it. Or at least trying not to stress about it. Here is what Embiid told Shams Charania of The Athletic.

What matters — it’s just about winning, winning, winning. I’ve been focused on that. We’ve been doing that. Whatever happens, happens. If I win MVP, good. If I don’t, it’s fine with me.

Why hasn’t Embiid won the MVP? Outside of Jokić also being deserving and the complaints of Antetokounmpo and others that the criteria for the award are constantly changing (which suggests there are criteria for the award, but there are none officially), Embiid thinks it’s because he is not well-liked.

People always thought that I was crazy when I said this — I really believe that I’m not well-liked. And it’s cool with me, that’s fine. I’ll be the bad guy. I like being the a–hole anyway. I like being the underdog. So that’s fine with me. My thing is … when I leave the game, I want to make sure that they say: No one was stopping him offensively and defensively, and he was a monster.

There’s no doubt he will leave the game remembered as one of the great 76ers and a “monster” on both ends when healthy. However, resume matters with legacy and an MVP award helps with that. Just not as much as being the best player on a championship team, something more difficult to pull off because it requires a lot of help (it’s up for debate whether Embiid has the help he needs around him to win it all, and if they can stay healthy enough to make that run).

This season the MVP race is a tight three-way contest between Embiid, Jokić and Giannis Antetokounmpo (+450 at PointsBet). There are legitimate cases to be made for each member of this trio. However, with the Sixers surging (and the Nuggets stumbling a little), things may break his way this season.

Another dominant performance against Jokić with just a couple of weeks left in the season would stick in voters’ minds and help his cause.

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Kyrie Irving has fan ejected during road loss to Hornets

By Mar 27, 2023, 10:35 AM EDT
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Sunday was not a good day for the Mavericks and Kyrie Irving.

In addition to losing their second-straight game to the Hornets (and fourth straight overall) to fall out of even the play-in out West, Irving had a Hornets fan ejected from the game Sunday. Irving pointed the situation out to the referee, and soon arena security was involved and the man was escorted out.

It is unclear what the fan said to Irving, but more players in recent years have taken this step with fans they feel had crossed the line of common decency. Irving addressed the situation in his postgame press conference.

Irving and the Mavericks heard boos from their fans at home last Friday during a loss to these same Hornets, and Irving’s response that night was more defiant in tone.

“So what? Just the way I feel about it. I’ve been in New York City so I know what that’s like. You obviously want to play well, but there’s only five people on the court who can play for the Dallas Mavericks. If the fans wanna change places, then hey, be my guest. Got years of work ahead to be great enough to be on this level. But our focus isn’t necessarily on the boos, it should be on the performance.”

That performance has been lacking — the Mavericks have lost four in a row, 7-of-9, and if the postseason started today they would be fishing in Cabo. Irving hasn’t been the problem (the Mavericks are 4.5 per 100 possessions better when he is on the court), but he hasn’t been the solution, either. Irving is a free agent after this season and said he and Luka Dončić are still getting used to playing with one another.

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