Suddenly, meaning

There are various things we know are meaningless.  Poll results before New Hampshire, for example.  The regular season in hockey.  And, of course, the first three months of the NBA season, usually.

Suddenly, however, the Warriors are challenging that last assumption.  Traditionally the fall is a time when even elite NBA teams work into form, jog around, pretend to play defense, and generally let the other guy have a chance.  The Warriors have broken with tradition by refusing to lose.  Their record now stands at 12-0.

It generally hasn't been close.  The average opponent has lost by 16.3 points this season.  Now there was a 50 point blowout again the Grizzlies, so it's probably more informative to take the median, which is 14.5 points.   On average the Warriors lead by 10 at the half.  They have trailed at the half only in New Orleans (-1 point) and against the Nets (-2).  The Nets actually were stellar, and took the Warriors to OVERTIME, which they lost 10-2.

It would be silly to imagine that they continue this streak indefinitely.  After all, only seven teams have gotten this far.  The record - the absolute limit- is 15-0.  No team has ever started an NBA season 16-0.

And all they have to do to continue the streak is beat the Clippers tonight.

Yes, the Clippers.  The team that called them lucky.  The team whose foaming-at-the-mouth owner has targeted the Warriors, and is enraged that the team is already down 0-1 to them this year.

A man too egotistical and unstable to work as a CEO in the technology industry.

Yes, the same Clippers team that has its coach wandering the mountains alone, searching for a cure, or at least a respite from the pain.

And they can make everything right, at least for a while, just by ending this cursed Warriors streak.

Forget the calendar.  This is a playoff game before Thanksgiving.  This is High Noon.  This is the Rumble in the Jungle.  This could make Vigilante look like Valley of the Dolls. It could make Game of Death look like Gidget Grows Up.  It could make Maniac Cop look like Mister Rogers' Neighborhood.   

It's going to be a large-ish early regular season NBA game!