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The NBA play-in round began last night with a snoozer in Indianapolis and a 50-point masterpiece by Jayson Tatum in Boston.
While those wins by the Pacers and Celtics were fine and tonight’s Spurs-Grizzlies matchup should be OK, what we’ve all been waiting for is the delicious showdown between Steph Curry and the Warriors and LeBron James and the Lakers.
It’s just too bad the NBA has already screwed this one up for so many fans.
I’m talking, of course, about the start time of this beautiful showdown. 10 p.m. ET, NBA? Really?
I’m not trying to sound like the old guy yelling at the clouds here but it seems a bit ridiculous to start a game like this, featuring two of the best players to ever play the game playing against each other in a unique play-in game, so darn late for a large chunk of fans on the East Coast who will be long asleep before halftime.
It’s dumb and stupid and I’m not just saying that because I recently moved from the West Coast to the East Coast and am still adjusting to watching sports in the worst time zone to watch sports.
The Spurs-Grizzlies game kicks off at 7:30 p.m. ET and while that’s all well and good, I have to imagine that starting time would be a lot better for everyone if it was for the Warriors-Lakers game.
The NBA is missing a huge opportunity to really bring everyone into these play-in games. If this is a format the league wants to stick with, what better way to win everyone over by putting this Steph vs. LeBron in front of the most eyeballs possible?
Having lived in California for a very long time I know how the 7 p.m. PT starts are nice back there because it gives people a chance to get home from work and get situated for the game. Well, these days lots of people aren’t traveling home from offices and could be ready for a 5 p.m. PT game. Trust me, fans will find a way to make sitting on the couch and watching the game happen.
Instead, this Warriors-Lakers game could become a classic that millions of people find out about tomorrow morning when they’re laying in bed and scrolling through their phones.
It’s a missed opportunity for a league that seems to be smarter than this.
Quick hits: Tony La Russa’s big, embarrassing mistake… Shaq roasted for being late… Biggest-name golfers without a major… And more.
– White Sox manager Tony La Russa should be embarrassed by what he said after Tuesday night’s game.
– Shaq showed up late for his job with TNT on Tuesday night and got roasted by the crew.
– Rickie Fowler, Matt Kuchar, and Lee Westwood are just a few of the guys who would love to win their first major championship this week.
– Mets outfielder Kevin Pillar made a tremendous clubhouse appearance a day after being hit in the face by a fastball.
– NFL fans are rightfully in awe of Falcons RB Mike Davis’ enormous legs.
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