NEWSLETTER
The Suns are blazing-hot entering their Friday night matchup with Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors, the Grizzlies made history on Thursday night, the Knicks fan base is eating their crow these days, and what the heck is going on with LeBron’s COVID-19 situation? All that and more as we take a spin around the Association on this fine Friday morning!
•  Monty Williams was named the Western Conference’s Coach of the Month on Thursday, and the Phoenix Suns went out and topped Detroit for their franchise-record 18th consecutive victory last night.
https://twitter.com/Suns/status/1466650307639713796?s=20
•  The Phoenix Suns are now 19-3 and own the best record in the NBA after rattling off a perfect month of November. The Defending Western Conference champions will have to beat the 18-3 Golden State Warriors for the second time this week if they want to see their record-setting winning streak reach 19 games tonight. Phoenix beat the Warriors 104-96 on Tuesday night; now, round two will be in the bay tonight.
LANDRY WITH THE DAGGER!@PayPal Highlight of the Week pic.twitter.com/9SihaiYWCR
— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) December 2, 2021
•  If you were wondering, the Los Angles Lakers own the NBA record for most consecutive wins, rattling off 33 straight victories during the 1971-72 NBA season. The Suns have a ways to go to be in that conversation with their most formidable obstacle coming tonight. But if they can beat the Warriors tonight and push the streak to 19, they’ll have a viable path to 21 with matchups against the Spurs and Celtics next week. Even so, to get to 31 straight wins, the Suns would have to go undefeated in December and beat the Warriors twice this month to make that happen. It’s nice to dream, but we’re still a ways away.
• Hello, goodbye.
The Portland Trail Blazers have fired president/GM Neil Olshey.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) December 3, 2021
•  If you were too busy taking in the Bulls’ thrilling victory over the Knicks last night to notice, or you hit the hay early, the Memphis Grizzlies did a thing:
The Grizzles Just Beat the Thunder by the Largest Margin of Victory in NBA Historyhttps://t.co/CiibxkMj6k
— Bleacher Nation Bulls (@BN_Bulls) December 3, 2021
•  First of all, yes, that headline reads “Grizzles” instead of Grizzlies. Stuff happens. Even with the omitted “i” in that headline, we still had a better night than the Oklahoma City Thunder, who suffered the worst loss in NBA history.
•  Back to that Bulls win over the Knicks. The NBC Sports Chicago broadcast made sure to point out ESPN hot take machine, Stephen A. Smith on press row last night, and I couldn’t help but remember his lovely (and not at all biased and homer) take on the Bulls/Knicks outlook this season in the Eastern Conference in late August.
Despite Lonzo, DeMar and Zach LaVine in Chicago, @stephenasmith still thinks the Knicks will have a better season.
"I don't think the combination of DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine works. … One or the other, yes, but not both of them together." pic.twitter.com/MMbHOfZUWM
— First Take (@FirstTake) August 9, 2021
•  How are you feeling about that one now?
https://twitter.com/chicagobulls/status/1466615111909462020?s=20
•  LOL!:
https://twitter.com/bm_dubya/status/1466612785475850240?s=20
•  Max was right; the Knicks won’t be beating the Bulls in a playoff series. Sorry, Stephen A.
"The Knicks aren't getting out of the first round."@maxkellerman doesn't think NYC has a chance against the Nets, Bucks, 76ers or the Heat.
"I don't know that they'd beat the Bulls!" pic.twitter.com/HOcnEGCeSC
— First Take (@FirstTake) August 18, 2021
•  Ok, one more, and then we’re done with the Bulls-Knicks talk. Sorry, Wob, I had to do it:
Knicks 11-11. Thoughts. pic.twitter.com/tEJWQLTrqZ
— Rob Perez (@WorldWideWob) December 3, 2021
•  All right, let’s move on. Apparently, LeBron James does not have COVID-19 despite a positive test. On Thursday evening, Dave McMenamin of ESPN reported that James had had eight tests since Saturday, all of which have come back negative.
LeBron James has been tested rigorously since returning to L.A. from Sacramento – he’s had eight Covid tests since Saturday, all of which have come back negative, sources told ESPN. His test in Sacramento was a false positive and James will return to the court Friday against LAC
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) December 2, 2021
•  However, the NBA’s statement on LeBron’s COVID-19 testing states that he tested positive on a test collected on November 29, which was Monday of this week, which conflicts with McMenamin’s reporting that James has had eight covid tests since Saturday (November 27), with all of them returning negative results.
League statement on LeBron James pic.twitter.com/xUzMYa9EpW
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) December 2, 2021
•  The NBA’s statement also states that the sample collected on November 29 was “re-run twice and returned one negative and one positive result on two different PCR instruments.” The statement continues, “As a result, James underwent additional testing on November 30, with one test returning a negative result and a second test resulting in a clinically inconclusive result.” Whatever the hell that means.  Sure, it could have simply been a false positive on November 27, but this all seems pretty fishy.
https://twitter.com/KingJames/status/1466153497225617410?s=20
•  To no one’s surprise, Steph Curry was named the NBA’s Western Conference Player of the Month for October & November. Kevin Durant took the honor in the Eastern Conference.
The Kia NBA Players of the Month for October & November! #KiaPOTM
West: Stephen Curry (@warriors)
East: Kevin Durant (@BrooklynNets) pic.twitter.com/VxyerjuYTu— NBA (@NBA) December 2, 2021
•  Josh Giddey and Evan Mobley were named the NBA’s Rookie of the Month for October & November.
The Kia NBA Rookies of the Month for October & November! #KiaROTM
West: Josh Giddey (@okcthunder)
East: Evan Mobley (@cavs) pic.twitter.com/8QX5LfywMk— NBA (@NBA) December 2, 2021
•  No Bulls, no Blackhawks, and no NFL tonight, but there’s a heck of a lineup in the NBA for your viewing pleasure this evening:
https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1466799527906746375?s=20
