- The Grip
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- Mar 31st, 2023
Mar 31st, 2023
Kings, finally — Caitlin Clark! — Beal vs. Bettor
Fri, March 31st, 2023
The Opening Tip
There’s a must-see WCBB game tonight
There’s some must-not-watch tanking happening in the NBA right now
Bradley Beal’s in trouble for snapping on a sports-betting fan
1. Finally
![](https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/1dc9273c-20bf-4c63-b9a9-95fca1c3e711/4d619e68-aafa-23a6-f7e3-460120c6f189.jpeg?t=1703809261)
The funniest, saddest part of the Kings’ 17-year playoff drought is that they were never even close.They finished 39-43 in 2018-19 -- nine games out of the eighth spot -- but otherwise had 33 or less wins in 14 of those 16 playoff-less seasons.Last year they sucked, too, winning 30 games while being panned for what looked like a disastrous trade, which is what makes this season -- they officially clinched on Wednesday for the first time since 2006 -- so delightful.(Ok, we’ll do it.)In 2006 … the Thunder were the Sonics, the Brooklyn Nets were the New Jersey Nets (that’s going well!), Youtube was turning 1 and the world’s most influential NBA newsletter was 11 years from its creation (oh my god, we’ve been doing this for a long time).In short, good for Kings fans.[READ: Kings fans have waited so long for this][WATCH: All the bad preseason Kings takes]
2. Daily GIF: Caitlin Clark is must-see
![](https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/2b69bc3f-cfa1-4aeb-8037-245ce9672727/b9c40494-7e8f-7d94-b821-e9df99b2aeee.gif?t=1703809263)
Iowa and South Carolina play tonight in the women’s Final Four. If for no other reason, catch a few minutes of Caitlin Clark, who dropped a 40-point triple-double in the Elite Eight and plays basketball somewhere between Damian Lillard and Steph Curry.
3. Trivia time
Now that the Kings have snapped their 17-year playoff drought, who owns the longest playoff drought in the NBA?Answer at the bottom.
4. New Game: Is this someone who’s played minutes on a tanking team this season, or a completely made up name?
![](https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/182bdbac-d83a-47f6-9241-8f50a10687b8/d24cf97a-ef9d-0cee-c7da-36b797477c5f.jpg?t=1703809264)
(Who is this, you wonder? We can’t reveal our secrets.)
Rules: Guess, click and see if you’re right. Kareem means you got it; Mutombo means you’re wrong.1. John Butler Jr. Real Player | Made Up Name2. Salambek OmarReal Player | Made Up Name3. Silvester ThygeReal Player | Made Up Name4. Simone FontecchioReal Player | Made Up Name5. Julian ChampagnieReal Player | Made Up Name[LOOK: Tankathon standings]
5. The betting stuff has become too much
The legalization of sports gambling was just and constitutional. The non-stop, in-your-face shameless cash grab from leagues and their media partners, who peddle things like ‘UNCLE COLIN’S SAME GAME PARLAY,’ is way too much.
NBA players have long complained uneasily about being harassed for ‘ruining parlays,’* but we got what appears to be the first physical altercation from such nonsense on Tuesday.
TLDR: Bradley Beal chose to confront some asshole yelling at him about a lost bet, which might now lead to him being charged with simple assault.
From a report: ‘Beal, according to the report, turned around and walked toward a friend of the man who made the comment and swatted his right hand toward him, knocking the man's hat off and contacting the left side of his head.’
No. 1: Good for Beal. Justice for Beal.No. 2: The Wizards were the first team in American sports to put a sportsbook in their arena. * Toronto’s Chris Boucher went in-depth on this on a podcast recently.
6. Quick Hits
Classic Blake giving no fucks moment last night: Laughs after getting headbutted by Giannis’ brother, asks Jaylen Brown for his mask.
Things were going too well for the Timberwolves.
Paul Pierce has a dating question.
Rudy Gobert on the refs: ‘It’s bullshit. It’s bullshit. It’s not fair. It’s really not fair.’
Kareem in his old man bag, pt. 23048.
7. Reads & Pods
The Luka-Kyrie Disaster may force the Dallas Mavericks to tank [The Ringer]
Zach Lowe’s 10 things column [ESPN]
Celtics-Bucks lessons [The Bill Simmons Podcast]