The Opening Tip

• Dame Lillard is doing Wilt Chamberlain things
• The Suns still haven’t lost
• LeBron's getting cryptic again
• The race for the final spot in the West is still alive

Today's must-watch games

1. The Lead: Find someone who looks at you the way Dame Lillard looks at eighth place

One day, hopefully, you and I, and every person who occupies a job other than starting point guard for the Portland Trail Blazers, will find something they want as bad as Damian Lillard wanted the final playoff spot in the Western Conference in August, 2020, while cooped up in a basketball bubble in Disney World. 

With Phoenix and San Antonio in position to move a half-game ahead of the Trail Blazers with a loss, Lillard scored 61 points -- including this indescribable 3-pointer -- and beat the Mavericks last night, staying in playoff position in the razor-thin Western Conference playoff picture.
 

A few notes on Lillard:

• He's now scored 60 points three times this season. Wilt Chamberlain is the only other player to do that.
• The Blazers are 5-2 in the bubble, a seven-game stretch in which Lillard’s averaging 37 points per game.
• Since bricking two free throws against the Clippers on Saturday -- and being trash-talked by Paul George (how do you trash-talk someone who did this to you?) -- Lillard has scored 112 points in two games, or 56 points per game. 

He is the player no team wants to face, and his team is now in the eighth spot in the West. 

- SE

2. Hypothesis: The Suns will never lose again

Some news: The GIF section of The Grip has turned into the Devin Booker Memorial Phoenix Suns Awareness Post … for the cure.      

They beat the 76ers yesterday -- with Booker dunking lefty on the entire team -- to improve to 7-0 in the bubble. Besides Lillard, Phoenix is the best story going. More on the Suns’ playoff chances in section four.

3. LeBron is speaking in vague micro-aggressions again

One of the great traditions of the regular season winding down and the playoffs starting up is playing the game, What does LeBron’s cryptic quote mean?

Thanks to this damn pandemic, the game came about four months late this year, but it has arrived. 

• LeBron, last Wednesday: “It’s just some things that you can’t control that’s here, that I really don’t want to talk about, that’s off the floor.”  
• LeBron, over the weekend, on dealing with the same exact thing the rest of the league is dealing with: "I am getting more and more used to being out there. It’s a very weird dynamic. I haven’t played in an empty gym in a very, very long time. It’s been a very long time since no one has been watching me play the game. I’m just trying to find that rhythm and lock in." 

Regarding that first quote: As many people have pointed out, saying you “really don’t want to talk about” something is like telling your friend, “no offense, but you smell terrible.”

No one would have talked about the Lakers' “off the floor” issues if LeBron never brought it up. Saying that creates the opposite of your alleged desired effect, in the same way leading with no offense actually sets out to offend your smelly friend.

4. Every playoff scenario for the four teams in 8th seed contention in the West

Today and tomorrow are the final days of the “seeding games.” The East is basically wrapped up, but the West has much to be determined. No matter what happens, there will be a play-in game between the 8th and 9th seeds. 

Standings as of Thursday afternoon: 

8. Portland (34-39)

9. Memphis (33-39), .5 games back

10. Phoenix (33-39), .5 games back

11. San Antonio (32-38), .5 games back

Scenarios: 

• Portland makes the playoffs and clinches the 8th seed if they beat the Nets tomorrow, or if the other three all lose. 
• Memphis gets the 8th seed with a win over the Bucks today and a Portland loss tomorrow. A win against Milwaukee clinches the 9th seed. 
• Phoenix gets the 8th seed with a win against the Mavericks tomorrow, plus a Memphis and Portland loss. A win plus a Memphis or Portland loss clinches the 9th seed. 
• San Antonio gets the 8th seed with a win against the Jazz Friday and a loss from the other three. A win plus losses from two of the other three clinches the 9th seed.

5. By the numbers

0-7

The Washington Wizards, who are in the bubble, we swear, can wrap up a perfect 0-8 record with a loss to the Celtics tomorrow. If they do so, they’ll fall to 12th place in the Eastern Conference, a half-game behind the Knicks. 

26 points

It was rightly overshadowed, but Carmelo Anthony had a heck of a night last night, too. He scored 26 points for the Blazers, hit this huge 3, and made this Marcus Smart-esque defensive play. He is a productive NBA player, despite what some (person) with a calculator said.

-6.7

The Lakers have a -6.7 net rating in the bubble, ahead of only Washington. The Suns are the best with a 12 net rating.

6.  Quick hits

• The NBA’s family-in-bubble policy: No “side pieces,” no children over 32 inches tall.
• Giannis went crazy last night and headbutted Wizards forward Moe Wagner, who, to be fair, is very headbuttable. 
• Indiana is extending coach Nate McMillan. 
• The Suns arranged for family members to do their pregame introductions yesterday.

7.  Off the press

• What will stop every team from winning it all [ESPN]
• Ben Simmons’ injury may finally give Philly its moment of clarity [The Ringer]