The Opening Tip

• Chris Paul is still out here breaking team’s hearts.
• A quick update on Kevin Love.
• One team is tanking better than anyone else right now.

Tonight's best matchups

1. Who wants to play the Wizards in a one-game playoff right now?

The Knicks’ win streak (more on that in section two) has gotten the recent headlines, but the Wizards had an impressive one going, too. It ended at eight last night -- their longest since Michael Jordan was in D.C. -- in a 146-143 overtime loss to the Spurs.

The streak has put Washington firmly in the tenth seed with 11 games left to play, which means some team will have to play Bradley Beal and Russell Westbook (22.3-13-12 over his last nine games) in a game playoff. That won’t be fun!

Here’s a quick refresher on how the play-in tournament will work:

• The seven and eight seeds will play each other. The winner of that game earns the seven seed. 
• The nine and 10 seeds will play each other. The winner of that game will play the loser of the seven-eight matchup. 

Here’s what the bracket would look like if the season ended today:

In the East …

• No. 7 Miami (32-30) vs. No. 8 Charlotte (30-30)
• No. 9 Indiana (29-31) vs. No. 10 Washington (27-34)

In the West …

• No. 7 Portland (32-28) vs. No. 8 Memphis (31-29)
• No. 9 San Antonio (31-29) vs. No. 10 Golden State (31-30) 

2. Daily GIF: The Knicks’ nine game win streak is Chris Paul’s latest victim

Chris Paul, who turns 36 in nine days, made the shot above and this (even harder) shot right before to beat the Knicks last night, snapping their nine-game win streak.

We’re running out of ways to describe his greatness, so we’ll just remind you of the time he hit a near identical shot to the one above in the 2018 Western Conference Finals, then shimmied all over Steph Curry.

LLCP.

3. Trivia time

For the first time in a long time, the league’s two biggest markets have four competent NBA teams.

Granted the Knicks don’t crumble under the weight of their new expectations, they, along with the Nets, Lakers and Clippers, will all make the playoffs. When’s the last time that happened?

Answer at the bottom.

4. Let’s check in on the Ca --

This asshole Kevin Love found it in his heart to make this play last night during the Cavs’ game against the Raptors, where he tapped an inbounds pass in with no regard then watched idly as Toronto stole it and made a 3.

He’s played 17 games this season and 95 since 2018, and he’s been pulling this lame act since LeBron left.

Maybe there’d be some room for sympathy had he not voluntarily signed a $120 million extension a few weeks after LeBron’s move to L.A. Instead, he’s become everything wrong with the super contract era: An extremely wealthy and indifferent player who shakes off the cobwebs every once in a while to turn in games like last night.

To which we ask … what’s the point? Just go home, collect the $60 million owed to you over the next two years, and let a real NBA player get your minutes.

5. By the Numbers

15 in a row

With last night’s 31-point loss to the 76ers, the Thunder (20-41) has now lost 15 straight, all but three of which have come by double-digits. OKC’s gotten so bad so quick by sending Al Horford home and shutting down Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who is “out” with an ambiguous “foot injury.”
 

3-0

Overall, the Timberwolves are 30-85 since tweeting this, and they are a wandering franchise doomed for eventual relocation. BUT, against No. 1-seed-in-the-West Utah, MInnesota has played like the ‘96 Bulls. The Wolves beat the Jazz last night, 105-104, to complete a three-game season sweep of the team with the best record in the league. Utah now has 17 losses on the season; 17.6 percent of those have come from the Wolves.
 

33 points

Kevin Durant returned from his latest mysterious injury on Sunday, scoring 33 points in 28 minutes. Durant, James Harden and Kyrie Irving have still played only seven games together and none since Feb. 13.

6.  Quick hits

• After two 10-day deals, the Clippers have signed DeMarcus Cousins through the end of the year. It’s Boogie’s fourth team since 2019. 
• Russell Westbook on his triple-doubles: "I honestly believe there is no player like myself. And if people wanna take it for granted, sorry for them.”
• 🚨 Bol Bol dunk alert 🚨 
• 🚨 Ja Morant layup alert 🚨

7.  Reads and podcast pick

• Why does this season feel different? [The Right Time]
• The harsh realities of 10-day-contract life in the NBA [The Ringer]
• The improbable rise of Julius Randle [Sports Illustrated]

Trivia answer: 2012-13 season.