Potential Cavaliers-Thunder NBA Finals win intrigue. Plus, can Adam Silver adjust 3s?

On By Littum

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This isn’t about basketball, but I can’t tell you how much joy and entertainment Bob Uecker brought to my childhood. For what seemed like forever, I only knew him as the funny announcer from “Major League” or the father of “Mr. Belvedere.” Later I found him calling Brewers games on MLB Extra Innings. He will be missed. RIP, Harry Doyle.

Cavs-Thunder, Pt. Two

OKC obliterated Cleveland in the rematch

That 129-122 Cavaliers win over the Thunder over a week ago was electric. It was basketball porn. None of us could get enough of it and we were all excited to get a remix of it last night. You set your calendars and put your phone on Do Not Disturb. You might 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 run at halftime. The Cavs were down by 38 during the fourth quarter and trailed by as many as 42 points. OKC ended up winning 134-114 behind Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who scored 40 points in 29 minutes and the team hit 18 3-pointers. The Thunder shot over 60 percent through the first three periods. There wasn’t really anything to react to or analyze. Everything was going right for OKC when it was all going wrong for Cleveland.

This matchup didn’t deliver what we wanted – well … unless you’re a Thunder fan. If so, you were happy to see this revenge game. Here are three questions I have after this matchup:

Do these teams need home court advantage in the NBA Finals? Despite playing so well this season, the Thunder and Cavs don’t have much 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 no. 1 seed, they were taken down in the west semi-finals. For teams lacking deep playoff experience, this matchup perhaps showed how important the comfort of playing at home means to them. They are both on pace for 70 wins.

Whose shooting do you trust the most? 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 has dropped to a tie for 18th this year (35.4). The Thunder also shot terribly in the postseason during their loss to Dallas. If the Cavs and Thunder meet in the NBA Finals, which team do you think will make the shot?

Whose defense do you trust against the star guard? I love that the Cavs rely on Evan Mobley to defend SGA during the game. They also have Isaac Okoro to pounce on. On the flip side of that, Donovan Mitchell will either have to score on Lu Dort or Alex Caruso most of the time. It sounds like actual torture, especially against Dort.

More from yesterday’s board

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 when 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 who scored 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 commits a free kick. 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, coming off the 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 to 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 continues to rise. 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 Nets’ Cam Johnson, that could help their perimeter matches.

Don’t miss this match tonight. Grizzlies (26-15) at Spurs (19-20), 9:30 PM ET on ESPN or stream on Fubo (try it for free). Let’s see if Ja Morant thumps at Wemby again.

Good to start the night with. Timberwolves (21-19) at Knicks (27-15), 7:30 PM ET on League Pass. KAT had his reunion. Now it’s Julius Randle’s turn in NYC.

Change the game?

Adam Silver works on crucial NBA tweaks

Commissioner Adam Silver was a recent guest on “The Herd” and he addressed the concern with today’s NBA product. A major criticism of today’s NBA is the number of 3-pointers that are attempted. We’re seeing the numbers increase, and there have been plenty of fans on social media and members of the media wondering if the game has become too perimeter-oriented.

Silver has heard those concerns, then he gave a long answer about the different eras and styles of basketball and how we are now seeing a new game in this era. He also assured people that the league believes it is a problem that can be solved and will adjust the rules to correct these issues:

“I don’t want to kneel down and move the 3-point line. We are going through a process now where we are seeing how these players adapt to the new rules and figuring out what changes we need to make. I wish it was as simple as just moving the 3-point line back, because then we would just do it.”

“Part of the concern from the basketball people is that if you move the 3-point line back, you’re going to end up clogging up that area under the basket, and that’s not as attractive basketball either. I think that can be done by look into the game and see where it’s going… I can assure you, it’s a very solvable problem. We’re going to fix it.”

I 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 get great games, how much do we have to spend to “fix” the product? There are two easy ways to fix the problem without overhauling too much of the game’s structure.

The first solution is to expand the right. Creating more space on the perimeter will then open up more lanes. That should create more action moving toward the basket. The problem with this is that it means eliminating valuable ticket-selling real estate, so the owners will never go after it.

The second correction is even easier and more simple. This is also something we have discussed here many times: allow hand control. Just let teams be more physical and competitive on defense by allowing hand checks, which were banned before the 2004-05 season. The skill and athleticism of the offensive players will offset this and we will see a lot more competition. The more competition, the better the game.

Welcome to Unsurpassed!

Key details on the new women’s league

Tonight at 19 ET on TNT, the unrivaled basketball league will debut. You’re probably thinking to yourself, “Hey, this is great! I don’t have any plans right now. I’ll probably go out later. But one thing I need to know: What is the Unbeatable Basketball League? I’m so glad you asked!

Unmatched is the 3-on-3 women’s basketball league founded by WNBA legends Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart. You might remember these two basketball titans battling it out in one of the best WNBA Finals ever last year. Now they are tied together in business.

Let’s ask some questions about the league and then answer them.

Is it like Olympic 3-on-3 basketball? In the sense that there will only be six players on the floor at all times? Yes. In any 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, players will play on a 70-foot full court to allow more spacing.

How many players and teams? There are six teams (Vinyl, Rose, Mist, Lunar Owls, Phantom and Laces) in the league. Each roster features six players from around the WNBA world. Only Rose and the Lunar Owls currently do not have WNBA teammates on them, although the Lunar Owls currently have a wildcard roster spot.

Do these players get paid anything? They are! Unrivaled boasts 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 for the WNBA. Also, this league schedule will be eight weeks long, which means money gives the players even more bang for their buck. The initial players will also receive equity in the league.

Are the biggest female stars participating? Almost everyone. You get Collier and Stewie as we mentioned. You’ll also get Kelsey Plum, Angel Reese, Courtney Vandersloot, Skylar Diggins-Smith, Brittney Griner and Alyssa Thomas, plus many more! Right now, though, there’s no A’ja Wilson and no Caitlin Clark. But the league has an outstanding offer for Clark to join at any point.

How can I see? The season runs from tonight until March 17. You can see the schedule here. Bookmark it. Some of the games will be shown on TNT or TruTV. And all the games will be streamed on MAX.

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(Top photo: Joshua Gateley / Contributor )