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Deadspin | No. 5 UConn second-half spurt overpowers Villanova

Deadspin | No. 5 UConn second-half spurt overpowers Villanova

Feb 21, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; UConn Huskies guard Solo Ball (1) dunks the ball against the Villanova Wildcats during the first half at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Alex Karaban scored eight of his 12 points in the second half as No. 5 UConn posted a 73-63 win over Villanova on Saturday in Philadelphia.

All five starters scored between nine and 12 points for the Huskies (25-3, 15-2 Big East), who bounced back nicely from a 91-84 loss to Creighton. Tarris Reed Jr. shot 5 of 5 from the field for 11 points, while Braylon Mullins pitched in 10 points.

The Huskies shot 54.9% from the floor and 11 of 13 from the free-throw line. They also dominated on the boards, outrebounding the Wildcats 37-24.

Tyler Perkins scored 15 points to pace Villanova (21-6, 12-4), which had won six straight games since losing to UConn last month. Matt Hodge chipped in with 13 points for the Wildcats, while Acaden Lewis scored 11 points — all in the first half.

After leading by two at halftime, UConn created separation early in the second half. Mullins’ 3-pointer began a 13-2 run that also included two buckets by Karaban and a 3-pointer by Solo Ball.

Villanova did not make a basket in the second half until Malachi Palmer scored with 14:35 left. Shortly thereafter, Hodge’s 3-pointer brought the hosts within 49-41.

However, the Huskies’ reserves responded with a quick 7-0 burst. Jaylin Stewart’s 3-pointer began that surge before Eric Reibe and Malachi Smith each added a bucket to make it 56-41.

Reed’s jumper with just under five minutes left sent the Huskies’ lead north of 20 for the first time. Villanova scored 17 points down the stretch to make the final score a bit more respectable.

Neither team led by more than five during a first half that ended with the Huskies ahead 34-32. The teams combined to shoot 5 of 22 from 3-point range in the opening session.

UConn committed eight turnovers in the first half to offset an efficient 57.7% shooting effort.

Lewis (11 points) and Perkins (10) led all players in first-half scoring.

–Field Level Media

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#Deadspin #UConn #secondhalf #spurt #overpowers #Villanova

KL Rahul’s scintillating unbeaten 152 against Punjab Kings in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) season has once again brought to the fore the paradox posed by the 34-year-old in 20-over cricket.

Often criticised for his slow strike, Rahul has also shown glimpses of his aggressive avatar with knocks such as the 67-ball 152 on Saturday, which is the highest individual score by an Indian in the league’s history.

Former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar believes that Rahul possesses the skills to excel in the shortest format at any position, provided he doesn’t put too much of a premium on his wicket.

“KL Rahul has the ability to make an impact at any position. And I believe that if he thinks too much, the opening position is slightly risky because then he starts thinking that in these 20 overs, I’m a crucial player in the side,” Manrekar said on Sportstar’s Insight Edge podcast.

“And that’s when he has those 20 balls, you know, (slow) start. And that’s a dangerous one. I’m saying that today, and come the playoffs, if he does that and gets out in trying to accelerate, that’s a lot of damage done.

“Down the order, he doesn’t have to think. He just has to go and start hammering, as he does for India in 50-over cricket. So, I like him down the order, at the top of the order, provided he doesn’t think that his wicket matters.”

After batting in the middle order for the bulk of the last season for Delhi Capitals, Rahul has played as an opener in all games this year. Though he started this season with scores of 0 and 1, he bounced back with two fifties before smashing a scorching hundred.

Manjrekar believes Rahul has also been at the receiving end of some role-clarity confusion at Delhi Capitals.

“… With KL Rahul, there’s been some sort of role-clarity confusion for him as well. So, he originally was at number four for DC. Now he’s opening,” Manjrekar said, while acknowledging that DC’s lower-order firepower has allowed Rahul to play with more freedom.

Though Rahul has struck at an impressive 187.89 this season, Manjrekar highlighted the batter’s slow starts.

“So, he plays these kinds of innings, but the very next innings could be 20 of 20 balls. Starts off very slow for some reason… Even when he got a 90 recently, his first 20 balls, he got 20, 25 runs. The problem with that approach is that when you decide to change gears, OK, you’ve got 24 off, say, 21 balls or 32 of 24 balls. OK, now the time has come for me to accelerate. You’re taking a risk always. And if you get out at that time, trying to take a risk, and that has happened a lot with KL Rahul, more when he was batting for Punjab Kings. Then you’ve done your team harm because you can’t recover 20 balls or 30 balls; 30 balls is 25 per cent of the entire innings. And if you’ve gone at a strike rate of 110, you’re done, you’re finished. You won’t get as many runs on the board. So, that’s a very dangerous ploy.”

The likes of Rahul have often been termed ‘anchors’, a role that Manjrekar believes has no place in modern-day T20 cricket.

“I believe, in T20 cricket, no batter has the right to anchor the innings. When you have eight pure batters of a certain quality and just 20 overs, you just don’t have the right, especially when you’re batting first. You see a lot of teams get 190, 200 and lose games because there’s been somebody at the top who’s got 20 of 20 balls and went on to maybe accelerate later. But those 20, if they were 35, 40, you’ve got those 10, 15 extra runs. And with the impact sub, even more reason for nobody to start off getting 20 or 20, unless it is chasing 140, 150.”

Drawing a parallel between Rahul and Virat Kohli, Manjrekar said the latter had evolved his game and had started scoring more briskly by shunning the idea that he was indispensable to the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) lineup.

“Someone like KL Rahul and Virat Kohli’s style is similar in the way they sort of master and structure their innings. And I’ll say this, very methodical. And Kohli often talks about how he calculates when to attack, when to take that single… It’s only that he’s decided that he’s going to bat quicker. And why was it decided? Because you could see the pressure building and people talking about him batting a little too slow. This 150 strike rate was 125, 133 four years back.

“And it was only because Virat Kohli would hit a boundary and then pick up a one or two, because he wanted to extend his innings and play longer, because he felt that he had to be the man batting most of the innings and didn’t quite trust the batters down the order. RCB changed when Virat Kohli at the top started batting a little quicker and didn’t make himself sort of almost indispensable. And that’s when the others also blossomed under him.”

Published on Apr 27, 2026

#Sanjay #Manjrekar #Rahul #bat #position #providedhe #doesnt #wicket #matters">Sanjay Manjrekar: KL Rahul can bat at any position, provided he doesn’t think his wicket matters   KL Rahul’s scintillating unbeaten 152 against Punjab Kings in the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) season has once again brought to the fore the paradox posed by the 34-year-old in 20-over cricket.Often criticised for his slow strike, Rahul has also shown glimpses of his aggressive avatar with knocks such as the 67-ball 152 on Saturday, which is the highest individual score by an Indian in the league’s history.Former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar believes that Rahul possesses the skills to excel in the shortest format at any position, provided he doesn’t put too much of a premium on his wicket.“KL Rahul has the ability to make an impact at any position. And I believe that if he thinks too much, the opening position is slightly risky because then he starts thinking that in these 20 overs, I’m a crucial player in the side,” Manrekar said on        Sportstar’s Insight Edge podcast.“And that’s when he has those 20 balls, you know, (slow) start. And that’s a dangerous one. I’m saying that today, and come the playoffs, if he does that and gets out in trying to accelerate, that’s a lot of damage done.“Down the order, he doesn’t have to think. He just has to go and start hammering, as he does for India in 50-over cricket. So, I like him down the order, at the top of the order, provided he doesn’t think that his wicket matters.”After batting in the middle order for the bulk of the last season for Delhi Capitals, Rahul has played as an opener in all games this year. Though he started this season with scores of 0 and 1, he bounced back with two fifties before smashing a scorching hundred.Manjrekar believes Rahul has also been at the receiving end of some role-clarity confusion at Delhi Capitals.“… With KL Rahul, there’s been some sort of role-clarity confusion for him as well. So, he originally was at number four for DC. Now he’s opening,” Manjrekar said, while acknowledging that DC’s lower-order firepower has allowed Rahul to play with more freedom.Though Rahul has struck at an impressive 187.89 this season, Manjrekar highlighted the batter’s slow starts.“So, he plays these kinds of innings, but the very next innings could be 20 of 20 balls. Starts off very slow for some reason… Even when he got a 90 recently, his first 20 balls, he got 20, 25 runs. The problem with that approach is that when you decide to change gears, OK, you’ve got 24 off, say, 21 balls or 32 of 24 balls. OK, now the time has come for me to accelerate. You’re taking a risk always. And if you get out at that time, trying to take a risk, and that has happened a lot with KL Rahul, more when he was batting for Punjab Kings. Then you’ve done your team harm because you can’t recover 20 balls or 30 balls; 30 balls is 25 per cent of the entire innings. And if you’ve gone at a strike rate of 110, you’re done, you’re finished. You won’t get as many runs on the board. So, that’s a very dangerous ploy.”The likes of Rahul have often been termed ‘anchors’, a role that Manjrekar believes has no place in modern-day T20 cricket.“I believe, in T20 cricket, no batter has the right to anchor the innings. When you have eight pure batters of a certain quality and just 20 overs, you just don’t have the right, especially when you’re batting first. You see a lot of teams get 190, 200 and lose games because there’s been somebody at the top who’s got 20 of 20 balls and went on to maybe accelerate later. But those 20, if they were 35, 40, you’ve got those 10, 15 extra runs. And with the impact sub, even more reason for nobody to start off getting 20 or 20, unless it is chasing 140, 150.”Drawing a parallel between Rahul and Virat Kohli, Manjrekar said the latter had evolved his game and had started scoring more briskly by shunning the idea that he was indispensable to the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) lineup.“Someone like KL Rahul and Virat Kohli’s style is similar in the way they sort of master and structure their innings. And I’ll say this, very methodical. And Kohli often talks about how he calculates when to attack, when to take that single… It’s only that he’s decided that he’s going to bat quicker. And why was it decided? Because you could see the pressure building and people talking about him batting a little too slow. This 150 strike rate was 125, 133 four years back.“And it was only because Virat Kohli would hit a boundary and then pick up a one or two, because he wanted to extend his innings and play longer, because he felt that he had to be the man batting most of the innings and didn’t quite trust the batters down the order. RCB changed when Virat Kohli at the top started batting a little quicker and didn’t make himself sort of almost indispensable. And that’s when the others also blossomed under him.”Published on Apr 27, 2026  #Sanjay #Manjrekar #Rahul #bat #position #providedhe #doesnt #wicket #matters

I’ve seen the future of the NBA. It’s part Caitlin Clark, part Waymo and, of course, a heaping helping of IT.

There have been 30 NBA playoff games to date. And there have been – according to no better source than players on the losing team – 30 poorly officiated boat races.

Coincidence? Hardly.

For years, perimeter play in the NBA postseason has resembled that of the NFL, complete with the chucking, hand-fighting and illegal picking.

If you’re wondering why Stephen Curry shoots more 30-footers now than ever before, it’s because apparently bear-hugging is legal inside 25 feet. So what’s a little guy to do?

Clark has received this kind of hands-on treatment since Day 1 of her miserable WNBA life. She’s bumped endlessly attempting to dribble around screens and held constantly while simply trying to use picks to free herself without the ball.

To its credit, the WNBA has created (they don’t call it this, but let’s be honest) the “Clark Compromise” this season. If you watched the preseason games over the weekend, you undoubtedly heard the broadcasters complaining about it.

I applaud Cathy Engelbert, and that’s hard to do. The league has instructed its refs to clean up the perimeter mess – from the clutching and bumping of defenders preventing offensive players from legally utilizing screens, to the hip-checking and general bullying screen-setters routinely employ on undersized defenders.

The constant whistles made Saturday’s games hard to watch, as the broadcasters noted. But that’s missing the point.

The goal is to use otherwise meaningless exhibitions to make the fast-approaching regular-season openers more enjoyable to watch. You know, by actually calling fouls now so that players are hard-taught to play by the book by the time the finicky viewers start tuning in.

Imagine that, NBA.

The premier men’s league has half-heartedly attempted to take this type of approach in the past couple of seasons, and clearly it’s not working. Ask Curry. Ask Devin Booker. Ask anybody trying to guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, James Harden or Jaylen Brown.

Let ‘em play has become the unofficial motto of the NBA postseason. And what has it given us?

In general: Less entertainment, poorer shooting opportunities, frustration, more extra-curriculars among players and an inordinate number of key injuries.

Specifically: There have been 30 playoff games so far. In those games, three of the 60 teams have been held under 90 points. That’s 5%. In the regular season, it was 1.7%.

Same with scores under 100. There have been 16 of them so far in the postseason (26.7%). In the regular season: 10.6%.

Sunday was the worst: More teams failed to reach triple figures than did. Number of watchable games: Zero.

That’s letting ‘em play. But play exactly what, I’m not sure.

In fact, with all the fouling that’s going uncalled, they’re not playing at all. They’re moshing.

It’s time to get with the times and take corrective steps. My solution is extreme – gee, imagine that – but when you’ve got people switching off a Thunder-Suns playoff game to watch Day 3 of the NFL draft, you’ve got problems.

The NBA needs to take a Waymo approach. You know, an implanted chip that tells the brain: All contact is bad. Avoid at all costs.

No, I’m not suggesting tattooing a sensor into every player’s forehead. Rather, a simple memory scan of each player’s arms – the major culprits in most of these so-called victimless crimes – so that when someone’s shoulder or elbow or forearm or hand simply touches an opponent, the referee gets buzzed and the actionless action is stopped.

Why? Because touching an opponent should be illegal. Think baseball. Not football.

As Waymo has taught us: All contact is bad.

And if cars can learn it, why can’t humans?

Then it’s IT’s turn.

Within one second, IT has the ability to study every available angle of a “collision” and make the determination: Which player caused this to happen?

Was it Brown pushing off Paul George in order to create space to get off a clean shot? Or was it George sticking a forearm into Brown’s back, stalling his initial move toward the hoop?

In today’s game, it doesn’t matter. More possessions than not resemble DK Metcalf and Carlton Davis wrestling inside the 5-yard, anything-goes NFL passing zone.

Only the NBA has no such thing.

Really. One second. That’s all it would take IT to point its virtual punitive finger.

And then guess what? Brown wouldn’t do it again. Or Harden. Or SGA.

That’s how you clean up and speed up the NBA game. Or at least start to do so.

Imagine an NBA rule in which you’re not allowed to touch your opponent. Yes, it’s hard to envision. But think about it for a minute.

Fifty years ago, when Lester Hayes was literally using stickum to latch onto wide receivers, who would have thought a hands-off rule would revolutionize football?

And that was back when the only IT was Isiah Thomas.

The NBA had hand-checking back then. Remember that thrill-killer?

That was banished and the game became great. But the problem has resurfaced, more so in the postseason than in the regular year, when it was a lesser issue because star players weren’t complaining. They were resting.

It’s time to get with the times, Commissioner Silver. Take the leap.

Thank you Caitlin Clark for saving the NBA.

#Technology #Fix #NBA #Officiating #Bold #Solution #Playoff #Issues #Deadspin.com">Can Technology Fix NBA Officiating? A Bold Solution to Playoff Issues | Deadspin.com   I’ve seen the future of the NBA. It’s part Caitlin Clark, part Waymo and, of course, a heaping helping of IT.There have been 30 NBA playoff games to date. And there have been – according to no better source than players on the losing team – 30 poorly officiated boat races.Coincidence? Hardly.For years, perimeter play in the NBA postseason has resembled that of the NFL, complete with the chucking, hand-fighting and illegal picking.If you’re wondering why Stephen Curry shoots more 30-footers now than ever before, it’s because apparently bear-hugging is legal inside 25 feet. So what’s a little guy to do?Clark has received this kind of hands-on treatment since Day 1 of her miserable WNBA life. She’s bumped endlessly attempting to dribble around screens and held constantly while simply trying to use picks to free herself without the ball.To its credit, the WNBA has created (they don’t call it this, but let’s be honest) the “Clark Compromise” this season. If you watched the preseason games over the weekend, you undoubtedly heard the broadcasters complaining about it.I applaud Cathy Engelbert, and that’s hard to do. The league has instructed its refs to clean up the perimeter mess – from the clutching and bumping of defenders preventing offensive players from legally utilizing screens, to the hip-checking and general bullying screen-setters routinely employ on undersized defenders.The constant whistles made Saturday’s games hard to watch, as the broadcasters noted. But that’s missing the point.The goal is to use otherwise meaningless exhibitions to make the fast-approaching regular-season openers more enjoyable to watch. You know, by actually calling fouls now so that players are hard-taught to play by the book by the time the finicky viewers start tuning in.Imagine that, NBA.The premier men’s league has half-heartedly attempted to take this type of approach in the past couple of seasons, and clearly it’s not working. Ask Curry. Ask Devin Booker. Ask anybody trying to guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, James Harden or Jaylen Brown.Let ‘em play has become the unofficial motto of the NBA postseason. And what has it given us?In general: Less entertainment, poorer shooting opportunities, frustration, more extra-curriculars among players and an inordinate number of key injuries.Specifically: There have been 30 playoff games so far. In those games, three of the 60 teams have been held under 90 points. That’s 5%. In the regular season, it was 1.7%.Same with scores under 100. There have been 16 of them so far in the postseason (26.7%). In the regular season: 10.6%.Sunday was the worst: More teams failed to reach triple figures than did. Number of watchable games: Zero.That’s letting ‘em play. But play exactly what, I’m not sure.In fact, with all the fouling that’s going uncalled, they’re not playing at all. They’re moshing.It’s time to get with the times and take corrective steps. My solution is extreme – gee, imagine that – but when you’ve got people switching off a Thunder-Suns playoff game to watch Day 3 of the NFL draft, you’ve got problems.The NBA needs to take a Waymo approach. You know, an implanted chip that tells the brain: All contact is bad. Avoid at all costs.No, I’m not suggesting tattooing a sensor into every player’s forehead. Rather, a simple memory scan of each player’s arms – the major culprits in most of these so-called victimless crimes – so that when someone’s shoulder or elbow or forearm or hand simply touches an opponent, the referee gets buzzed and the actionless action is stopped.Why? Because touching an opponent should be illegal. Think baseball. Not football.As Waymo has taught us: All contact is bad.And if cars can learn it, why can’t humans?Then it’s IT’s turn.Within one second, IT has the ability to study every available angle of a “collision” and make the determination: Which player caused this to happen?Was it Brown pushing off Paul George in order to create space to get off a clean shot? Or was it George sticking a forearm into Brown’s back, stalling his initial move toward the hoop?In today’s game, it doesn’t matter. More possessions than not resemble DK Metcalf and Carlton Davis wrestling inside the 5-yard, anything-goes NFL passing zone.Only the NBA has no such thing.Really. One second. That’s all it would take IT to point its virtual punitive finger.And then guess what? Brown wouldn’t do it again. Or Harden. Or SGA.That’s how you clean up and speed up the NBA game. Or at least start to do so.Imagine an NBA rule in which you’re not allowed to touch your opponent. Yes, it’s hard to envision. But think about it for a minute.Fifty years ago, when Lester Hayes was literally using stickum to latch onto wide receivers, who would have thought a hands-off rule would revolutionize football?And that was back when the only IT was Isiah Thomas.The NBA had hand-checking back then. Remember that thrill-killer?That was banished and the game became great. But the problem has resurfaced, more so in the postseason than in the regular year, when it was a lesser issue because star players weren’t complaining. They were resting.It’s time to get with the times, Commissioner Silver. Take the leap.Thank you Caitlin Clark for saving the NBA.   #Technology #Fix #NBA #Officiating #Bold #Solution #Playoff #Issues #Deadspin.com

her miserable WNBA life. She’s bumped endlessly attempting to dribble around screens and held constantly while simply trying to use picks to free herself without the ball.

To its credit, the WNBA has created (they don’t call it this, but let’s be honest) the “Clark Compromise” this season. If you watched the preseason games over the weekend, you undoubtedly heard the broadcasters complaining about it.

I applaud Cathy Engelbert, and that’s hard to do. The league has instructed its refs to clean up the perimeter mess – from the clutching and bumping of defenders preventing offensive players from legally utilizing screens, to the hip-checking and general bullying screen-setters routinely employ on undersized defenders.

The constant whistles made Saturday’s games hard to watch, as the broadcasters noted. But that’s missing the point.

The goal is to use otherwise meaningless exhibitions to make the fast-approaching regular-season openers more enjoyable to watch. You know, by actually calling fouls now so that players are hard-taught to play by the book by the time the finicky viewers start tuning in.

Imagine that, NBA.

The premier men’s league has half-heartedly attempted to take this type of approach in the past couple of seasons, and clearly it’s not working. Ask Curry. Ask Devin Booker. Ask anybody trying to guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, James Harden or Jaylen Brown.

Let ‘em play has become the unofficial motto of the NBA postseason. And what has it given us?

In general: Less entertainment, poorer shooting opportunities, frustration, more extra-curriculars among players and an inordinate number of key injuries.

Specifically: There have been 30 playoff games so far. In those games, three of the 60 teams have been held under 90 points. That’s 5%. In the regular season, it was 1.7%.

Same with scores under 100. There have been 16 of them so far in the postseason (26.7%). In the regular season: 10.6%.

Sunday was the worst: More teams failed to reach triple figures than did. Number of watchable games: Zero.

That’s letting ‘em play. But play exactly what, I’m not sure.

In fact, with all the fouling that’s going uncalled, they’re not playing at all. They’re moshing.

It’s time to get with the times and take corrective steps. My solution is extreme – gee, imagine that – but when you’ve got people switching off a Thunder-Suns playoff game to watch Day 3 of the NFL draft, you’ve got problems.

The NBA needs to take a Waymo approach. You know, an implanted chip that tells the brain: All contact is bad. Avoid at all costs.

No, I’m not suggesting tattooing a sensor into every player’s forehead. Rather, a simple memory scan of each player’s arms – the major culprits in most of these so-called victimless crimes – so that when someone’s shoulder or elbow or forearm or hand simply touches an opponent, the referee gets buzzed and the actionless action is stopped.

Why? Because touching an opponent should be illegal. Think baseball. Not football.

As Waymo has taught us: All contact is bad.

And if cars can learn it, why can’t humans?

Then it’s IT’s turn.

Within one second, IT has the ability to study every available angle of a “collision” and make the determination: Which player caused this to happen?

Was it Brown pushing off Paul George in order to create space to get off a clean shot? Or was it George sticking a forearm into Brown’s back, stalling his initial move toward the hoop?

In today’s game, it doesn’t matter. More possessions than not resemble DK Metcalf and Carlton Davis wrestling inside the 5-yard, anything-goes NFL passing zone.

Only the NBA has no such thing.

Really. One second. That’s all it would take IT to point its virtual punitive finger.

And then guess what? Brown wouldn’t do it again. Or Harden. Or SGA.

That’s how you clean up and speed up the NBA game. Or at least start to do so.

Imagine an NBA rule in which you’re not allowed to touch your opponent. Yes, it’s hard to envision. But think about it for a minute.

Fifty years ago, when Lester Hayes was literally using stickum to latch onto wide receivers, who would have thought a hands-off rule would revolutionize football?

And that was back when the only IT was Isiah Thomas.

The NBA had hand-checking back then. Remember that thrill-killer?

That was banished and the game became great. But the problem has resurfaced, more so in the postseason than in the regular year, when it was a lesser issue because star players weren’t complaining. They were resting.

It’s time to get with the times, Commissioner Silver. Take the leap.

Thank you Caitlin Clark for saving the NBA.

#Technology #Fix #NBA #Officiating #Bold #Solution #Playoff #Issues #Deadspin.com">Can Technology Fix NBA Officiating? A Bold Solution to Playoff Issues | Deadspin.com

I’ve seen the future of the NBA. It’s part Caitlin Clark, part Waymo and, of course, a heaping helping of IT.

There have been 30 NBA playoff games to date. And there have been – according to no better source than players on the losing team – 30 poorly officiated boat races.

Coincidence? Hardly.

For years, perimeter play in the NBA postseason has resembled that of the NFL, complete with the chucking, hand-fighting and illegal picking.

If you’re wondering why Stephen Curry shoots more 30-footers now than ever before, it’s because apparently bear-hugging is legal inside 25 feet. So what’s a little guy to do?

Clark has received this kind of hands-on treatment since Day 1 of her miserable WNBA life. She’s bumped endlessly attempting to dribble around screens and held constantly while simply trying to use picks to free herself without the ball.

To its credit, the WNBA has created (they don’t call it this, but let’s be honest) the “Clark Compromise” this season. If you watched the preseason games over the weekend, you undoubtedly heard the broadcasters complaining about it.

I applaud Cathy Engelbert, and that’s hard to do. The league has instructed its refs to clean up the perimeter mess – from the clutching and bumping of defenders preventing offensive players from legally utilizing screens, to the hip-checking and general bullying screen-setters routinely employ on undersized defenders.

The constant whistles made Saturday’s games hard to watch, as the broadcasters noted. But that’s missing the point.

The goal is to use otherwise meaningless exhibitions to make the fast-approaching regular-season openers more enjoyable to watch. You know, by actually calling fouls now so that players are hard-taught to play by the book by the time the finicky viewers start tuning in.

Imagine that, NBA.

The premier men’s league has half-heartedly attempted to take this type of approach in the past couple of seasons, and clearly it’s not working. Ask Curry. Ask Devin Booker. Ask anybody trying to guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, James Harden or Jaylen Brown.

Let ‘em play has become the unofficial motto of the NBA postseason. And what has it given us?

In general: Less entertainment, poorer shooting opportunities, frustration, more extra-curriculars among players and an inordinate number of key injuries.

Specifically: There have been 30 playoff games so far. In those games, three of the 60 teams have been held under 90 points. That’s 5%. In the regular season, it was 1.7%.

Same with scores under 100. There have been 16 of them so far in the postseason (26.7%). In the regular season: 10.6%.

Sunday was the worst: More teams failed to reach triple figures than did. Number of watchable games: Zero.

That’s letting ‘em play. But play exactly what, I’m not sure.

In fact, with all the fouling that’s going uncalled, they’re not playing at all. They’re moshing.

It’s time to get with the times and take corrective steps. My solution is extreme – gee, imagine that – but when you’ve got people switching off a Thunder-Suns playoff game to watch Day 3 of the NFL draft, you’ve got problems.

The NBA needs to take a Waymo approach. You know, an implanted chip that tells the brain: All contact is bad. Avoid at all costs.

No, I’m not suggesting tattooing a sensor into every player’s forehead. Rather, a simple memory scan of each player’s arms – the major culprits in most of these so-called victimless crimes – so that when someone’s shoulder or elbow or forearm or hand simply touches an opponent, the referee gets buzzed and the actionless action is stopped.

Why? Because touching an opponent should be illegal. Think baseball. Not football.

As Waymo has taught us: All contact is bad.

And if cars can learn it, why can’t humans?

Then it’s IT’s turn.

Within one second, IT has the ability to study every available angle of a “collision” and make the determination: Which player caused this to happen?

Was it Brown pushing off Paul George in order to create space to get off a clean shot? Or was it George sticking a forearm into Brown’s back, stalling his initial move toward the hoop?

In today’s game, it doesn’t matter. More possessions than not resemble DK Metcalf and Carlton Davis wrestling inside the 5-yard, anything-goes NFL passing zone.

Only the NBA has no such thing.

Really. One second. That’s all it would take IT to point its virtual punitive finger.

And then guess what? Brown wouldn’t do it again. Or Harden. Or SGA.

That’s how you clean up and speed up the NBA game. Or at least start to do so.

Imagine an NBA rule in which you’re not allowed to touch your opponent. Yes, it’s hard to envision. But think about it for a minute.

Fifty years ago, when Lester Hayes was literally using stickum to latch onto wide receivers, who would have thought a hands-off rule would revolutionize football?

And that was back when the only IT was Isiah Thomas.

The NBA had hand-checking back then. Remember that thrill-killer?

That was banished and the game became great. But the problem has resurfaced, more so in the postseason than in the regular year, when it was a lesser issue because star players weren’t complaining. They were resting.

It’s time to get with the times, Commissioner Silver. Take the leap.

Thank you Caitlin Clark for saving the NBA.

#Technology #Fix #NBA #Officiating #Bold #Solution #Playoff #Issues #Deadspin.com

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