Issue 143: Holy Moly, What a WILD Week

Sometimes, when I’m watching a game with a crazy ending, I just find myself screaming. Like, a lot.

“OHHHHHH!” I’ll yell, as something wild goes on. But then the other team does something even WILDER, and I respond with “AHHHHHHH!”

My throat sure doesn’t like it, but my heart is fully onboard.

And the NBA gave us four jaw-dropping, head-scratching, yell until your throat tightens up moments this week.

First, the ending of the New Orleans Pelicans and Oklahoma City Thunder game. Neither of these teams is good. They’re not going to win a championship.

But that doesn’t matter, because they probably won the ending of the year.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander makes a three when the other team is trying to foul him, which is ridiculous enough on its own.

But then Devonte Graham is like “hold my beer.” And it’s glorious.

That same night, the Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks exchanged what seemed like 67 baskets at the end of regulation and overtime.

It ended on a shot by Austin Reaves, an undrafted player averaging less than six points a game and making less than $1 million this year (which is like us normal folk making about $340 in 12 months).

Reaves cashes in a three with under a second to go, and everyone goes nuts.

I love seeing unheralded players delivering in big moments, so on a team with three guys each making north of $35 million this year, having Austin Reaves be the difference maker is quite spectacular.

We also saw something less fun this week—the Chicago Bulls having to cancel games because of Covid-19 protocols.

Namely, the Bulls had SO MANY players out due to positive tests that they could barely field a minimum viable roster.

They had nine healthy players, including two on two-way contracts, which means they were basically in the minor leagues mere days ago.

And they had TEN players that were in the league’s health and safety protocols. Plus two announcers! That’s wild stuff.

Of course, we can’t end on a negative here (it’s Friday, after all), so let’s wrap it up with another fun wild moment: Steph Curry breaking the league’s record for career three-pointers made.

Curry knocked in his 2,974th three-pointer against the New York Knicks. Setting a record in Madison Square Garden, with Spike Lee and other celebrities just a stone’s throw away, makes it infinitely cooler than doing it anywhere else.

He’s also got at least five (and probably many more) years left in the league. So, you can likely book another one to two thousand three-pointers. SPLASH.

After the game, Curry gave his teammates Draymond Green and Andre Iguodala some fancy Rolex watches. Very stylish.

Check out the history-making moment below. And then go do something record-breaking yourself this weekend.