Wednesday Thoughts On Tragic LA Area Wild Fires & OKC-Cavs
Taking a moment to send prayers and thoughts to all those impacted by the horrors currently engulfing L.A. County. Plus, musings on a marquee matchup between the two best teams in the NBA...
Today is Wednesday, which means that I have a desk drawer full of mid-week sports thoughts to unload.
However, before I get to the heart of today’s newsletter, I need to take a minute to step out from the candy store - for reference, I refer to my job as the candy store because writing about sports for a living is ridiculously fun and should never be considered work - and instead focus on real world events.
It would be remiss of me not to touch on the devastating and horrifying wild fires currently engulfing large swathes of L.A. County. At the time of writing this, at least five people have been killed, with dozens more seriously injured, while more than 1,100 structures have been destroyed. Thanks to 100 mph winds, this is already one of the most destructive firestorms to hit the region.
Entire communities have been razed to the ground. Homes have been destroyed. Restaurants, businesses, schools and other buildings have all been ravaged by the wild fires.
Hundreds of thousands of people have been evacuated, and too many people to count have lost everything. This is just a horrible, horrible, horrible tragedy.
I’ve been glued to the news all day and I’ve just been left numb by the horrific images emerging from across L.A. County. The sheer devastation playing out in-front of our very eyes really is almost impossible to comprehend.
We’re lucky enough to have a bunch of readers and subscribers in the California area, and my thoughts, prayers and well-wishes go out to you all. I hope you are all keeping safe and haven’t been impacted. If you have, we, and everyone within this wonderful community we’ve built here at The Steele Sports Bar, are willing and able to help in any way you need us to. Please, please, please reach out if you need anything at all. But, more importantly, if you are in L.A. County, please, please, please be safe.
My thoughts and prayers also go out to all those impacted by these horrific wild fires. I am thinking of those lives lost, of those currently dealing with significant injuries, and of the thousands upon thousands of people who have had to evacuate knowing full well that they probably won’t have a home to go back to.
And I am sending all the prayers and well wishes in the world to the army of incredibly brave and heroic firefighters who are putting their lives on the line in trying to battle the hell that is currently engulfing L.A. County. There are currently four major wild fires raging in the area, with a devastating wind storm making containing the fires almost impossible. Just think about that for a second. These incredibly brave men and women are having to battle not one, not two, not three, but FOUR wild fires with conditions conspiring against them. They are all in my thoughts tonight.
Please join me in praying for everyone impacted by these tragic events in L.A. County. My heart is just heavy and broken.
We may be over a week into the New Year, but yet the vicious, bad news cycle is showing no signs of letting up anytime soon. It sure feels like we’re forced to absorb an unrelenting barrage of cruel body blows and soul-crushing events on a near-daily basis.
I’m just not sure how many more gut punches we can all take.
There is no easy transition from such a harrowing and distressing topic of conversation, so I’m not even going to try.
As I said at the top, I consider sports to be the candy store, a place people come for fun and for distractions. So, on a day filled with yet more tragedy and more heartbreak, hopefully we can act as a mental break from the real world, even if it’s just for five minutes.
Ahead of a monster night in the NBA, here are a handful of Hoops-related thoughts…
I consume a mouthwatering buffet of sports on a daily basis. It seems every single night I have multiple screens featuring various sporting events on the go. Consequently, with so much going on, I can only slice up my attention into so many servings before the pie overheats and explodes into a messy, uneatable pile of crap. Therefore, it is normally basketball that ends up out of sight and out of mind.
Of course, I watch every game that my beloved Knicks play - although the last three games have me thinking that maybe my time would have been better spent elsewhere. Anyway. I have also developed a habit over the years of paying attention to one or two other teams throughout the course of the year. I refer to these teams as my League Pass must-watchables. These are typically teams that I can’t get enough of because they are so fun to watch, and I need to stop whatever I’m doing and turn on League Pass whenever they are playing.
My two League Pass must-watchables this year have been the Cleveland Cavaliers and OKC. Nothing else needs to be said. The Cavs are the best team in the Eastern Conference, and the Thunder are the absolute gold standard in the West. They are both playing basketball at an almost god-like level this season.
Well, in a mouthwatering Wednesday night treat, these two unmissable titans will go-head-to-head in easily the best and most eagerly-anticipated regular season game of the year. And, given how watered down the regular season has become due to load management, it could well be the most consequential regular season matchup we’ve seen in years. And I don’t think that’s being too prisoner of the moment, either.
To put things into context for you, let’s fly through some fascinating nuggets. Tonight’s game is the first in NBA history between a team on a 15-game winning streak (OKC) and a team on a 10-game winning streak (Cleveland). These are also just two of just 24 teams to ever win at least 30 of their first 35 games. It’s the first interconference game in NBA history between teams with winning percentages of .850 or higher at this point in a season or later. Finally, OKC is 11-0 against the East, while the Cavs are 10-0 against the West. So, on a cold January night, plenty will be riding on a regular season matchup between the 31-4 Cavs and the 30-5 Thunder, in a game that could act as a compelling preview of the 2025 NBA Finals.
If this does end up being the matchup we get in the NBA Finals, then we should consider ourselves incredibly blessed. Both rosters are stacked and loaded with elite talent. OKC’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is playing at an MVP-level. Cleveland’s Donovan Mitchell is playing like he’s been touched by God himself. Both are backed up by a supporting cast full of All-Star caliber and vital role players.
It is also fun to see two teams that aren’t exactly global powerhouses dominate the sport like the Thunder and the Cavs are absolutely dominating the NBA right now. They are significantly better than their nearest challengers, and I feel like tonight’s matchup should be attracting even more hype than it already is. I know some would point to the fact that these teams lack the real star power of a LeBron James or a Steph Curry, but I don’t buy into that school of thought. Mitchell has morphed into a top-tier star in his own right, while Gilgeous-Alexander is the runaway MVP this year and, at 26-years-old, is on pace to become one of the new faces of the NBA once the likes of LeBron, Curry and Kevin Durant eventually call it a day.
So, with all of that in mind, if there is one night this week where not getting up off your couch is essential, tonight is the night. This should be an absolute doozy between two legitimate title contenders. I was blown away by how OKC just throttled the Celtics in the second half of a 105-92 win on Sunday night, holding Boston to just 15 third-quarter points. Lu Dort, part of that impressive Oklahoma supporting cast, also couldn’t miss from deep down the stretch, draining a number of big shots. Watching that masterclass, to then switching over to see the Cavs take down the Hornets for their 10th consecutive win, was like witnessing sustained hoops greatness. I have indulged in more OKC and Cleveland games this season than I ever thought I would in my entire lifetime, and I am going to be locked into every single second of tonight’s marquee matchup.
Oh, the Thunder are ranked No. 1 in defensive efficiency, while the Cavs are No. 1 in offensive efficiency. So tonight’s ultimate sexy matchup could quickly become an all-time classic. The NBA wants more people to pay attention to the regular season. Well, tonight’s game between the two best teams in the league should attract plenty of eyeballs.
I just hope this is the matchup we get for the 2025 NBA Finals. It’s the one we all deserve, that’s for sure.
Two other quick NBA musings before we get out of here. I have a love-hate relationship when it comes to LeBron James, but I sure do respect the hell out of him. I mean, how couldn’t you? Since turning 40, he’s averaging 23.5 points, 7.9 rebounds and 9.0 assists per game. He also pulled off an absurd highlight-reel dunk against the Mavericks on Tuesday night. Father time clearly hasn’t got anything on LeBron.
It won’t take an idiot to come to the conclusion that if the Knicks want to be viewed as true title contenders, they need to drastically improve their depth. And soon. Between an alarming lack of depth on the bench and Tom Thibodeau’s maddening insistence on running his main horses into the absolute court night after night after night, I have serious concerns about this team having what it takes to go on a deep run. Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns are already banged up, and there’s very little help outside of the starting five. This team is more talented than any other Knicks team I’ve ever rooted for - and it isn’t even close - but the front office needs to go out and acquire a lot more depth if this season is going to morph into anything truly special. If they don’t, I really do fear that the wheels will fall off in the opening round of the playoffs.
Enjoy tonight’s gargantuan matchup between OKC and the Cavs, two teams currently on pace for 70 wins. It should be an all-timer.
Well said. America needs to say a prayer for all those impacted by the fires.