31 points for Marcus Smart is a lot. If it wasn’t for his 37-point, 11-three outburst a month ago, this would be a career-high by far. But here’s the dirty little secret that the NBA doesn’t want you to know about this performance:
It occurred in a double overtime game.
As the kids say, that’s a “big yikes”. I’ve reviewed all the post-game material the NBA has put out after this one, and none of it mentions that all the players involved were granted an extra 10 minutes with which to unfairly pad their stats, rendering all statistical output from this game null AND void.
You think Wilt needed extra time to score 100? What about Kobe and his 81? No and heck no. So why should Smart get extra time just so he can feebly drag himself over the 30-point threshold? Does the NBA not realize the sanctity of what they’re dealing with here? This is basketball. It’s not something to be toyed with, a pointless exercise to be treated capriciously. It has MEANING. And when you let Smart stay out there, scoring buckets when the game should be over, the meaning becomes garbled.
Thanks for nothing, Adam Silver.