Anyone else think that this last bucket by Julius Randle shouldn’t even count? 30 seconds left, Lakers are going to lose for sure, no one’s really trying anymore, and Julius goes and throws a loopy hook off the glass and in. Come on. That’s ridiculous. Basketball is about skilfully manipulating the sphere into the ring. Not just taking goofy circus shots like we’re on an elementary school playground and laughing raucously when the happen to fall in.
No one would notice if, right now, Adam Silver talked to the NBA stats people and told them to change Randle’s last make to a miss. The Thunder would still win, Randle would still have 18 points, no one would be any the wiser. And, most importantly, the league’s credibility would remain intact.