The Big Lead’s PM Sports Roundup, which was born in a small town. And it lives in a small town. Probably die in a small town…

Victoria at MS gala: Victoria Justice skipped out on Coachella this weekend for a good cause.

Francesa wants back in: Mike Francesa reportedly wants back on the radio, and with WFAN if possible.

NBA lottery possibilities: Play the 2018 NBA Draft lottery. Have to admit, I love using this thing every year.

Tweet of the Day:

In Case You Missed It on The Big Lead:

Five Potential Trade Destinations For Kawhi Leonard

Oh Good, Tom Brady is Going to Play More Football

Joakim Noah’s New Beard Has the Internet Going Crazy

Brilliant Photos Capture Canada Goose Tackling High School Golfer

Around the Sports Internet:

Stephen Curry isn’t anywhere close to returning according to Steve Kerr

Dez Bryant likely won’t be headed to the Baltimore Ravens after they signed Willie Snead

Can the Cleveland Cavaliers be saved or is this a lost season?

Every NFL team’s biggest draft bust

Song of the Day:

The Big Lead’s PM Sports Roundup, which genuinely believed today was Thursday until about five minutes ago.

Duff sisters are close: Hilary Duff says she and sister Haylie are super tight.

Kevin Hart sex tape drama: A man has been charged with multiple felonies after allegedly attempting to extort Kevin Hart via a surreptitiously recorded sex tape.

Reid files collusion grievance: Former 49ers safety Eric Reid has filed a collusion grievance against the NFL. Reid has hired Mark Geragos to represent him. Geragos has been Colin Kaepernick’s lawyer.

Tweet of the Day:

In Case You Missed It on The Big Lead:

Romeo Langford, Archie Miller And The Rebirth Of Indiana Basketball

Get Up Had a Profoundly Disappointing First Month of Ratings, Also Hurt First Take

Ben Roethlisberger Now Decides He Wants to Play A Lot Longer, After Pittsburgh Drafts a Quarterback

Mike Francesa Didn’t Bother to Learn Any New Tricks

Around the Sports Internet:

Did Stephen Curry’s return to the court make the Warriors title favorites again?

Paul George has dropped a hint about this summer

Projecting every NFL first-round pick’s impact in Year 1

Is Josh Rosen’s arrogance a problem?

Song of the Day:

Ben Simmons picked a bad time to have the worst game of his young career: 0-for-4, one point in 31 minutes as the 76ers blew a 22-point lead in Boston and lost Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Watching Simmons seemingly not try on offense was bizarre. Was he trying to get others involved? Initially, perhaps. The 76ers grabbed that huge early lead in the first half as J.J. Redick (5-of-9 3-pointers) and Robert Covington (4-of-7 3-pointers) got hot from deep.

But as the game wore on, and it became the Joel Embiid show offensively. The 76ers needed Batman to help Robin out, and Ben Simmons shockingly wasn’t up for the task.

The bench, so instrumental in the first round win over the Heat, didn’t get the 3-point looks (Marco Belinelli 1-for-4; Ersan Ilyasova 0-1) it had been. Meanwhile, Markelle Fultz got another DNP.

Philadelphia needed Simmons. And in the biggest game of the season, Simmons put up a donut for the first time. His four shot attempts tied a career-low.

I can’t recall a bigger star in a massive postseason spot laying a complete egg in defeat. Kobe’s 6-for-24 in Game 7 against the Celtics (bailed out by Ron Artest) comes to mind; Stephen Curry shot 6-for-19 in a Game 7 loss to the Cavs (but he wasn’t 100 percent healthy; no excuses, play like a champion); but I’ve got to go all the way back to LeBron’s no-show in Game 4 of the 2011 Finals against Dallas. Up 2-1, LeBron got nervous and shot 3-for-11 for a season-low 8 points in a series-changing loss. It was the first time in 433 games he was held to single digits. LeBron only took one shot in the 4th quarter in what I call his Bermuda Triangle game.

Simmons brushed off the Boston defense in Game 2, but he was mostly held in check in four regular season games against the Celtics: 47 percent shooting and a modest 12.5 ppg, 6.5 rpg and 4.8 apg. Simmons did have 18-7-6 in Game 1.

The Celtics can throw several bodies at Simmons: feisty Marcus Morris, lengthy Jayson Tatum, and burly Semi Ojeleye.

The guess here is that the Simmons 0-fer in Game 2 will translate to a resounding triple double in Game 3. The Celtics didn’t play particularly well on the road in the first round, losing in Milwaukee by 24, 2 and 11.

Simmons can’t play worse.

Romee Strijd, a model … why are we surprised with what hedge funds are doing to local newspapers? … the oral history of the Karate Kid … “$15K reward offered in Trader Joe’s robberies” … there’s no way people are avoiding Vegas because of the parking garage fees … this grizzly stabbing was the first homicide on the Palos Verdes Peninsula in nine years … “Richard Spencer Went From Alt-Right Hero to Beggar” … tough to respect a list that has Tom Brady as the 100th most influential person in Boston … I’m shocked people care about DJ Khaled, much less his thoughts on oral sex …

Why I’ll never, ever talk about the choking Raptors again; Ben Roethlisberger is way wrong; the Browns were the only team in the Top 5 to have Baker Mayfield > Sam Darnold, and trading Russell Westbrook. [Podcast]

Make sure you read all the way down to transition defense. Speaks volumes for the Celtics, and Brad Stevens. [WSJ]

Taking care of your body matters: Carmelo Anthony is washed, and LeBron is still operating at the highest level. They were both taken in the 2003 NBA Draft. [Sideline Sports Report]

There is so much to like about Donovan Mitchell and the Jazz. Hopefully, they’ll have Ricky Rubio back for Game 5. [SI.com]

After 27 years at the Plain-Dealer, Bud Shaw has written his last column. [Cleveland.com]

Kevin Durant scored 38, Stephen Curry added 23, and the Pelicans shot 4-of-26 from three in a Game 4 loss. The Warriors will close out the series Tuesday. [Mercury News]

Stephen Curry is back, which means the Warriors are having fun again. [New Yorker]

Kevin Durant bought a $12 million oceanfront home in Malibu. [LA Times]

“He Got Game” turned 20, and here’s a story about how Ray Allen turned into Jesus Shuttlesworth. [Undefeated]

Do people still care about LaMelo Ball? He’s taking his talents to his dad’s league, the JBA. Whatever that is. [Slam]

Cultural appropriation is the worst, stop talking about it. “Without cultural appropriation, American blacks would never have picked up European musical instruments to create the blues and jazz. Without cultural appropriation, white and black artists alike would never have spun these wonderful creations into rock ’n’ roll.” [National Review]

A 1984 music video because the lead singer of the Cars, Ric Ocasek, and the young woman in this video, Paulina Porizkova have called it quits after 28 years of marriage.

WARNING: This video has spoilers from Avengers, Infinity War. A lot of your questions well, mine) were answered.

In what seems like an annual exercise, the stats-driven website 538 tosses a bunch of NBA advanced metrics into a blender, and what comes out makes little or no sense.

Last year’s predictions were comically bad; at one point, the Cavs had the 4th best chance in the East to reach the NBA Finals! They went 12-1 in the Eastern Conference playoffs to get to the Finals.

And here we are again, taking a bunch of regular season numbers and trying to guesstimate what will happen in the Conference Finals. According to 538, the Rockets have a 79 percent chance to beat the Warriors.

Houston has homecourt!
Houston has the presumptive MVP!
Houston was a historically great offense this year!

Yes, the Rockets were a regular season juggernaut, winning 65 games. Meanwhile, the Warriors, in their quest to get to the Finals for a 4th straight year, took their foot off the gas early and often, and had injuries to all four of their stars. Stephen Curry missed 31 games. Kevin Durant missed 14. Draymond Green missed 12. Klay Thompson missed 9.

The stats have tunnel vision when it comes to the NBA because they don’t understand the the regular season doesn’t matter, and players don’t try nearly as hard. The stats say the Rockets have a 79% chance to beat the Warriors, but, the Cavs only have a 60 percent chance to beat the Celtics.

My conference finals picks: Warriors in 5, Celtics in 7. Yes, I’m prepared to be wrong about both of them. Before the playoffs I had Warriors in 6, and Cavs in 7 (over Philly).

Stephen Curry returned to the court on May 1 and has averaged 32.3 minutes in six games. He has yet to regain his MVP form, but has found ways to be effective, scoring 22 ppg on 46 percent shooting. He has routinely looked shaky on defense, suggesting his left knee is still balky.

The Houston Rockets used this to their advantage in Game 2 Wednesday night, repeatedly attacking the Golden State Warriors guard. Curry was targeted on 23 possessions, including 13 isolations, his highest engagement in four years, save for the 15 in Game 1. James Harden and Chris Paul ran him through a gauntlet of screens to challenge him physically. Houston shot 7-for-15 on those possessions en route to a blowout win.

One of the prevailing Curry narratives is that, against all odds, he’s never had a bad game when completely healthy. And when do you know he’s ailing? When he has a bad game. Funny how that works.

To his credit, Curry isn’t making excuses and insists he’s fine physically. Steve Kerr laughed off a question about any lingering effects from the injury that would make the people at FiveThirtyEight proud.

Putting the words “Warriors” and “panic button” in the same sentence is journalistic malpractice. That button can always be reset by the next barrage of three-pointers and gorgeous basketball. But there should be some trepidation about how human Curry appears to be right now. Healthy or not, he killed his team last night.

The sharpshooter went 1-for-8 from beyond the arc and 7-for-19 overall. He posted a -20 plus-minus and got to the free throw line only once. Kevin Durant, now Golden State’s Batman, is spectacular, but he can’t overcome such pedestrian performance from his Robin.

Whether Curry’s struggles are injury-related or not are inconsequential to the bottom line. Either way, he hurt his team last night. There’s no need to freak out about it, but perhaps the topic deserves a little more consideration than what Kerr gave it postgame. When Curry is looking as bad as Harden defensively, that’s a major problem.

Houston is a team that can smell blood in the water when they have the basketball and aren’t afraid to play the same song over and over again. If Curry can’t find his footing while guarding his own basket, Harden & Co. aren’t going to call off the dogs.

So maybe Kerr’s 13.7 percent figure is instructive. Perhaps on the scale of 1-100, that’s how nervous Warriors fans should be that Curry, and the team’s title chances, are compromised.

Stephen Curry started off this series struggling to find his footing; for the first 2.5 games he made just 3 of 20 three-pointers. Nevertheless, he heated up in the second half this evening, scoring 26 points on 10-12 shooting and 4-5 from deep. The Rockets had zero answers and got summarily decimated.

It was already going to be profoundly difficult for the Rockets and the winner of the Cavs and Celtics to make any headway against the Warriors if they were spotted a hobbled Curry. If he’s making plays like these ones below, and basically never missing, we’re going to have six more Golden State blowouts in the next couple weeks before several months of no basketball

Madison Grace Reed, an actress … “Dildos, testicles in food and 23 other insane claims from Mountainside police lawsuit” … the new cool swimming pools have a dry, “living room” in the middle” … “Long Beach Chef creates Wu Tang Clan Inspired Dinner” … Texas wants in on sports gambling … 10-year old in waist-high water on Hilton Head Island bitten by a shark … 38 years ago last week, Mount St. Helens erupted, and 57 people died … guy complains about his haircut, and gets tossed through a window at the barbershop … school resource officer in Illinois prevents mass shooting … sad story of a former Playboy Playmate embroiled in a custody battle who jumped off a building with her young son …

Podcast: A letter to college graduates on how to crack into sports media … with lessons from the NBA playoffs; the 10 best players in the NBA right now; why the Celtics shouldn’t trade Kyrie Irving or Gordon Hayward. [Itunes; Spreaker]

Great story on Patriots running back Sony Michel, who as an 8th grader, rushed for 1,800 yards against top tier high school talent in Florida. [Mass Live]

Lengthy look at how an actress from Smallville got into a cult. She’s probably going to end up in jail, but she’s definitely done in Hollywood. [Hollywood Reporter]

Woj has two cell phones, each with a different carrier. That’s a new one, but I love it. [Complex]

Understandably, there is outrage about the cop who did nothing during the Parkland shooting, and has now retired and collecting a huge pension. [Sun-Sentinel]

Last week in Los Angeles, a former WWF wrestler who is 59 years old, was badly beaten by six young punks. Over a parking space. [CBS LA]

As fun at this sounds, LSU and USC haven’t been good enough at hoops – because they’re at schools with tons of football success – to deserve all this “love.” [Rivals]

The OC … with football. Coming to the CW!

What a tremendous scene. Probably one of my Top 100 scenes in movie history.

I could watch this Stephen Curry move 10x in a row. A couple years ago he surpassed Magic Johnson as my favorite player to watch, ever.

We’re six games into the 2018 NBA Conference Finals, and not one game has yet to be decided by 12 points or less. At no point in the final eight minutes of any game between either the Celtics and Cavs or Warriors and Rockets has it been a one-possession affair.

Yes, it’s exciting to watch the best players on the planet, but it’s no fun watching utter domination.

Fans, and “NBA Twitter” (and even a writer on this website!) have been hyping up the Rockets all year, and they were a very good regular season team. The Warriors fought off boredom during the marathon that is the regular season, and have defeated Houston by 13 points on the road and 41 points at home.

We know the 3-pointer has changed basketball, and made rapid comebacks much more likely … but the problem is everyone shoots 3-pointers so well, there isn’t a massive advantage there for anyone except the team with three of the best 10 shooters in the NBA.

Golden State is 22-4 in the playoffs with Kevin Durant. One loss to the Spurs came without Stephen Curry. The other losses … there’s a pattern:

Game 2 in Houston
PJ Tucker 5-of-6 three-pointers
Eric Gordon 6-of-9 three-pointers
These two made more three-pointers than the Warriors (9) in Game 2

Game 3 in New Orleans
Ian Clark 3-of-5 three-pointers
Solomon Hill 3-of-6 three-pointers
Nikola Mirotic 3-of-5 three-pointers
That trio went 9-of-16 from deep; the entire Warriors team made nine three-pointers in Game 3.

Game 4 in Cleveland
Kyrie Irving 7-of-12 on three-pointers
Kevin Love 6-of-8 on three-pointers
JR Smith 5-of-9 three-pointers
That’s 18-of-29 on three-pointers from just three players; the Warriors as a team made just 11.

Everyone’s trying to out-shoot the Warriors; that’s like going into a fight with Goliah and trying to beat him up. You need to take an alternative tact – like David rolling up with a slingshot.

Why have the Celtics blasted the Cavs twice? Yes, Cleveland stinks, but at the same time, the Celtics have made it a point to defend the three-pointer better than anyone else, and when they do that, the Cavs offense bogs down.

The Big Lead’s PM Sports Roundup, which turned down the Arsenal job for “personal reasons.”

Alison at the Billboards: Alison Brie was at the Billboard Music Awards Sunday night. As usual, she looked lovely.

PFT Commenter is an unknown star: Barstool’s PFT Commenter has become a star in the sports world. The crazy thing? No one knows who he is.

Emery in: Former Paris Saint-Germain boss Unai Emery is set to be appointed the new manager at Arsenal. Emery will replace Arsene Wenger, who was with the club for 22 years.

Game 4 is the key to Celtics, Cavs series: The winner of Monday night’s Game 4 between the Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers could wind up winning the series. It’s a vitally important contest.

Three inmates on the loose: Three inmates from a South Carolina prison have escaped and are on the loose. Two of the prisoners face murder charges, while the third is facing carjacking an a grand larceny charge.

Tweet of the Day:

In Case You Missed It on The Big Lead:

Luka Doncic Is The Best Player In The 2018 NBA Draft And It’s Not Close

Stephen Curry Got His Groove Back and It’s Basketball Porn

“Get Up” Drinks Deeply From Michael Jordan vs. LeBron James Content Well

WWE Smackdown On Big Fox Is an Absolute Game-Changer

Around the Sports Internet:

Tom Brady won’t be taking part in Patriots voluntary OTAs

The NFL won’t discipline Matt Patricia over dismissed sexual assault charge

Could the Toronto Raptors tear it down this summer?

The NBA’s upcoming free agents who desperately need a change of scenery

Song of the Day:

The Golden State Warriors put on an offensive clinic during the third quarter of Game 4 to overcome a halftime deficit and build a 10-point lead over the Houston Rockets. As the clock ticked down to zero, Stephen Curry dribbled around and attempted a long three that would have likely sealed the game. It missed the mark.

But, oh well, right? Surely the Warriors’ blitzkrieg would continue for the final 12 minutes, they’d take a 3-1 series lead and breeze onto a fourth straight NBA Finals.

Wrong.

Steve Kerr’s squad was visited by the Ghost of Playoff Past at the worst time. What happened next was shades of 2016, when the Warriors were held to 11 measly first-quarter points by the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 6 of the NBA Finals. We thought we’d never see this offensive juggernaut flounder like that again.

Wrong.

Golden State scored a paltry 12 points on 3-for-18 shooting in the fourth quarter, allowing the Rockets to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat — even while playing some lackluster ball themselves. It was weird and kind of spooky. And it may turn out to haunt the franchise for years to come should the series go Houston’s way.

Again, forecasting gloom and doom for the Warriors is a fool’s errand. But facts don’t care about your feelings, per the best people on the internet. The Rockets have two of the next three games at home. They won’t be the side playing with pressure. That’s a fact.

Now for the feeling: things feel different now. It feels as though James Harden and Chris Paul exorcised some demons last night. It feels as though they buried the narrative they can’t win the big one. That grave may be a shallow one, of course.

Why?

Because one never knows when a ghost of yesterday will raise up and bring gloom and doom. If it can happen to the sweetest shooting team in league history, it can happen to anyone.

If you’re wondering what the hell got into the Warriors last night in the 4th quarter, when they led the Rockets 82-70 … well, it was a combination of things:

• The Warriors had won 16 straight playoff games at home, and the average margin of victory was 17. They had been in one close playoff game since Kevin Durant arrived – dating back to Game 1 of the 2017 Western Conference Finals vs the Spurs. The game Kawhi Leonard got hurt. The Spurs were totally rattled and blew the lead.
• 16 turnovers and 14 assists? Gross. The 14 assists were a season-low.
• The Andre Iguodala loss was massive at both ends. The Warriors defensive switches were clunky and left Rockets players open for 3-pointers; on a pivotal possession late, Golden State gave up two offensive rebounds that led to a 3-pointer.
• I didn’t hear this talked about last night, but Durant played a season-high 43 minutes; Stephen Curry tied a season-high with 39 minutes. The Warriors are so used to blowing teams out, their stars never have to play heavy minutes. In the final five minutes, the offense was lazy and the shot selection poor. This ties back into the Iguodala injury.
• The Rockets only shot 39 percent from the field and 31 percent on 3-pointers … yet won in Oracle? The only way the Warriors have lost playoff games when Curry and Durant played? Opposing role players went off from deep. Well, Ariza, Tucker, and Tucker were 3-of-13.

Too early to make a pick for Game 5, but the Iguodala situation is crucial. They’re going to need him, especially on the road. Nobody could possibly trust Nick Young in heavy minutes; Jordan Bell played great in spurts, but on the road it’s a different animal.

I still have faith in the Warriors to win the series, but that faith was certainly shaken for the first time since they added Durant.

The Big Lead’s PM Sports Roundup, whose hamstring is just fine, why do you ask?

Shailene steps out with boyfriend: Shailene Woodley and her rugby player boyfriend made their first red carpet appearance Wednesday night.

Liverpool’s remarkable season: Liverpool’s run to the Champions League Final has been absolutely insane. The team’s turnaround has been nothing short of stunning.

Bye Bye Hanley: The Boston Red Sox designated Hanley Ramirez for assignment on Friday as they welcomed Dustin Pedroia back from the disabled list. Ramirez is in the final season of a four-year, $88 million contract.

Tweet of the Day:

In Case You Missed It on The Big Lead:

Bob Ley Approached John Skipper About ESPN Being Politically Imbalanced Prior to Last Fall

Why Red Sox Parting Ways With Hanley Ramirez Makes Sense

The Fate of the NBA Title is in the Right Hamstring Of Chris Paul

Chris Paul Hit a Three in Stephen Curry’s Face, Then Did His Shimmy

Around the Sports Internet:

Can LeBron James lead another epic comeback?

Danny Green says Kawhi Leonard wants to stay in San Antonio for the long haul

Cardinals pitcher Alex Reyes broke a minor league strikeout record during a rehab start

Amar'e Stoudemire appears to be planning an NBA comeback

Song of the Day:

The Warriors saved their season in dramatic fashion in Game 6 against the Rockets, falling behind by 17 points in the 1st quarter, and then winning by 29 points. It started with defense in the second half, and then the 3-point barrage began, led by the Splash Brothers.

If Golden State wins this series, Game 6 will be remembered as the Klay Thompson game. He scored 35 points, making nine three-pointers; it was reminiscent of his scintillating Game 6 performance two years ago against Oklahoma City when he scored 41 points and made a record 11 three-pointers.

Stephen Curry added 29 points and three blocks in the win over the Rockets, and Draymond Green’s defense was top notch (five blocks).

The one surprise to me, and I don’t want to make too much of this, was the largely invisible performance from Kevin Durant. He was a perfect 37-for-37 from the line in the series through five games, and then missed four (10-of-14) free throws. He started slow, shooting 1-of-6, and finished just 6-of-17 with a quiet 23 points, seven rebounds and four assists. He played the fewest minutes of the Big 4, so he should be rested for Game 7.

The three takeaways here:

1. The interior defense of Jordan Bell and Draymond Green was enormous in the 2nd half. Whether it was altering shots or challenging layups, the Rockets had to work harder than usual attacking the rim after their three-pointers weren’t falling. They led 74-70 and missed two corner three-pointers that would have extended the lead. They never led again.
2. Which makes you wonder … did Houston’s legs get heavy in the 2nd half? The pace was quick, and here’s how their scoring by quarters went: 39, 22, 16, 9. They ran out of gas. Houston basically played seven guys until garbage time. And considering how much of a non-factor Luc Mbah a Moute has become, it was six guys. Capela is a rim-runner and PJ Tucker is a spot-up shooter, leaving the creating offense load to James Harden (24 shots), Trevor Ariza (18 shots) and Eric Gordon (12 shots). That trio also had to defend three of the best offensive players in the NBA. It was too much to ask on the road.
3. Can the Rockets win Game 7 without Chris Paul? I’d give them a 25 percent chance. If they start as strong as they did in Game 6, Golden State won’t have the crowd behind them, and it’ll be a difficult uphill climb especially with Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry feeling the burden of advancing to the Finals. It feels like if Golden State’s Big 3 gets to the 80-point mark, the Warriors won’t lose.

Christen Harper, a model … Alicia Silverstone is getting a divorce from her husband … they don’t know what this creature is, but it might be a dog/wolf hybrid … this sounds like a really great book on that gigantic fraud, Elizabeth Holmes of Theranos … a large group of men attacked a woman in Dallas, and it was caught on video … no, I would not wear a muzzle anywhere to make private calls … Solo: A Star Wars Story was awesome, but it didn’t crush at the box office … why are we examining why a comedian didn’t have many women writers on his show two and three decades ago? …

Indy 500 TV ratings continue to decline. [Indy Star]

“53% of millennials would go into credit card debt to attend a friend’s wedding.” To merely attend a wedding? [CNBC]

Thirty-year old is such a loser, his parents took him to court to get him out of their house. [ABC News]

Here’s a long feature on Donald Glover, aka Lando Calrissian from the new Han Solo movie. [New Yorker]

Why the Lakers should consider trading Lonzo Ball; I totally underestimated the Rockets. [Podcast]

You know the Amazon Echo is listening to you; but did you know it could record a conversation and email it to a contact from your book? [KIRO]

Northwestern landed one of its best point guards in program history … but last week revoked Jordan Lathon’s admission. [Inside NU]

Reminder: Football boosters have power. Not necessarily a good thing, but reality. [Idaho Statesman]

Given how great he was in the aftermath of 9/11, Rudy Giuliani has really messed up to get booed at Yankee Stadium. [NYDN]

The Golden Knights intro before Game 1 of the Stanley Cup was something to behold.

Stephen Curry in the 3rd quarter last night? Incredible. He really is a legend.

After Stephen Curry and LeBron James were talking back and forth, Tristan Thompson was believed by the officials an elbow at Shaun Livingston, who was shooting the ball with a big lead (but avoiding a shot clock violation). Replays showed that Thompson did not throw an elbow.

Nevertheless, Thompson was ejected, and as the two teams had words with each other, Thompson shoved the ball in Draymond Green’s face.

What a crazy ending to a game that the Cavs would have had a shot to win in regulation had JR Smith not had a massive brain fart.

The Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors put on quite a show in Game 1 of the 2018 NBA Finals. In what was largely a fantastic game, the Warriors were able to put the Cavs away in overtime with a 124-114 win. Unfortunately, a big part of the story Thursday night was how awful the officiating was during key parts of the game.

Aside from a key block/charge video overturn late in the fourth quarter, there were also several terrible calls and non-calls late in the fourth and overtime. Then there was the ridiculous handling of the end of the game, where Tristan Thompson was ejected for…contesting a shot?

Ken Mauer, Tony Brothers and Ed Malloy should be suspended for the rest of the NBA Finals. That was an absolute joke of a performance from all three guys.

On a night where LeBron James put up 51 points, eight rebounds and eight assists, and Stephen Curry dropped in 29 points and dished out nine assists, it’s ridiculous that the horrendous officiating has to be a talking point. That’s how egregious it was.

Twitter was up in arms about the refs with a lot of hate being directed at the NBA and the three men in stripes:

NBA Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson was a guest on Jason McIntyre’s — yes that Jason McIntyre — radio show this morning and wasn’t about to take the premise of not one, but two questions, without some pushback.

Asked if Stephen Curry has a chance to catch Magic Johnson as the greatest point guard of all-time, Robertson bristled at the suggestion that crown was already established. Contractually obligated to join the Michael Jordan vs. LeBron James debate, Robertson was equally opaque.

It’s news when anyone goes outside the box and opens up the possibility of a third option for GOAT, especially when the person doing it is a fringe contender himself.

Robertson also alluded to the idea of talent dilution being a major factor in his thought process, though one wonders what would have happened had JaVale McGee and Giannis Antetokounmpo parachuted into the 1960s. I tend to think they’d create some severe matchup problems.

[autotag]Kendrick Perkins[/autotag] is a dapper cheerleader for the Cavs in this series, and for the second straight game he has jawed with a Warrior. In Game 1 it was [autotag]Draymond Green[/autotag], who made a pom-pom gesticulation at Perkins in response, and this evening there were some words with [autotag]Stephen Curry[/autotag] at the end of the third quarter:

Steph and Perk exchange words after the 3rd quarter pic.twitter.com/EavuItDi1C

— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) June 4, 2018

We need Perkins to suit up and enter a game this series, if only to set the NBA record for fastest time fouling out.

Emily Ratajkowski … there’s going to be a new blue crayon … “[Man] calls cops on dad over Lego after court ordered eviction from family home“… people who live in Brooklyn are now buying 2nd houses in bucolic Vermont … “Cop accused of threatening to kill GA woman to get nude photos” … let’s hope the judicial system allows common sense to help this family get their kid back after they let him smoke marijuana to help with his seizures … real headline in Teen Vogue: “How to Keep Your Vagina Healthy All Summer” … May was the hottest May ever in Columbus, Ohio … Uber passenger shot to death by his driver in Colorado … Johnny Depp looks pretty rough at the age of 54 … 

Podcast: Ranking the Best Point Guards in NBA history; examining the beef between LeBron and Steph Curry; & Oscar Robertson debates the GOAT. [Itunes]

For the 2nd series in a row, the Cavs are down 0-2 after two road losses. [Cleveland.com]

What a fantastic story on Steve Miller, the great musician. [Texas Monthly]

That’s billion, with a B: “Discovery to Pay $2 Billion to Air PGA Golf Internationally.” [Bloomberg]

Longtime Chicago sports columnist is now getting into the art game. [Chicago Mag]

The NHL Finals are happening, but it’s not clear why someone threw a crab on the ice. [Russian Machine Never Breaks]

Many college football programs have hostesses; why are people surprised there are NFL non-cheerleaders who provide mostly the same role? [NYT]

Were you aware Jessica Biel took a 15-year hiatus from TV for her film career? She’s back on TV. [Hollywood Reporter]

Mild surprise for Kansas: Lagerald Vick took his name out of the NBA draft, and it sounds like he wants to play for Kansas again, but may not. [KC Star]

This looks like every Mark Wahlberg movie, and I definitely want to see it.

Watch all nine 3-pointers by Steph Curry in Game 2 of the Finals.