Thursday was expected to be a great night to watch the NBA – must-see TV, if you will – but it turned into more of a dud for those hoping for tight games.
LeBron James had 39 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists to lead the Heat to a beat-down of the Thunder in Oklahoma City in a game that wasn't nearly as close as the 110-100 score (pardon the cliché, but it fits in this case).
The Heat enters the break as the NBA's hottest team, with seven consecutive wins, and it has beaten the Thunder six straight times going back to last year's Finals.
There's no better player in the league than James, who scored more than 30 points in each of those seven victories.
The second game of the doubleheader also was a rout, with the Clippers pounding the Lakers 125-101 for their fourth straight win.
It's amazing how quickly the Clippers have replaced the Lakers for supremacy in Los Angeles.
Led by Blake Griffin and Chris Paul, the Clippers are a team on the rise, now up there with the Spurs and Thunder in the Western Conference.
In contrast, the Lakers are an aging bunch who might miss the playoffs for the first time since 2004-05, and just the second time in Kobe Bryant's 17 NBA seasons since being drafted in 1996.
What to watch
NBA, David Stern's news conference, 4 p.m., NBA: Will the commissioner say anything to give Kings fans hope that the team won't move to Seattle?
What to do
Horse racing, El Camino Real Derby, Golden Gate Fields, Albany, 4:40 p.m.: Manando is favored in the Kentucky Derby points race in Northern California.
Weekend poll
Who is the greatest pro athlete of all time?
• Michael Jordan
• Willie Mays
• Muhammad Ali
• Wayne Gretzky
• Jim Brown
• Tiger Woods
Vote above or leave your comments in the comments field; or go to www.sacbee.com/sports
Friday's results
In a dream world, what league would you most like to see in Sacramento?
• MLB: 37%
• MLS: 5%
• NBA: 23%
• NFL: 27%
• NHL: 5%
• Other: 3%
Total votes: 389
The last word
What you're saying on sacbee.com comments: •
"LOL. I hope 'A game' is a synonym for a billion Burkle bucks" – splisken on "Voisin: Mayor Johnson must bring his A-game this weekend in fight to keep Kings"
© Copyright The Sacramento Bee. All rights reserved.
• Read more articles by Tom Couzens
Order Reprint
About Comments
Reader comments on Sacbee.com are the opinions of the writer, not The Sacramento Bee. If you see an objectionable comment, click the "Report Abuse" link below it. We will delete comments containing inappropriate links, obscenities, hate speech, and personal attacks. Flagrant or repeat violators will be banned. See more about comments here.