Russell Westbrook's vengeance tour is at full throttle

Good morning. It’s TZ season again! Let’s basketball.

WHAT ARE THE CELTICS? Paul Flannery’s Sunday Shootaround is back! He wrotes about the Celtics as the NBA’s Rashomon: they are open to interpretation. I’m interested to learn about their internal goals and expectations and find them to be wholly reasonable, which is not typical in pro sports. It’s a very good read (of course) and I know I can’t wait for another season of Shootarounds. Check it out.

VENGEANCE TOUR 2016: So Russell Westbrook is doing exactly what everyone thought he would do in the wake of Kevin Durant’s exit from Oklahoma City: everything. He had two triple-doubles over the weekend, one of them a 51-pointer. The Thunder are 3-0 and Westbrook is averaging (you ready for this?) 38 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists. We’re going to ignore for a moment that the Thunder have had a cupcake schedule so far and just marvel at the inferno trailing Westbrook around the country.

MEANWHILE, IN GOLDEN STATE ... The Warriors sit at 2-1 after that opening night implosion. But Golden State just barely beat the winless Suns thanks to a poor defensive showing and 26 points from T.J. Warren. And now the Warriors have to forfeit their next game or risk opening up the hell gates to suffocating levels of 3-1 jokes.

IT'S HIS VERB: James Harden gets the game-winning free throw with 0.1 seconds left, because that's what James Harden does.

DAME WINNER: The Nuggets learned the hard way on Saturday that Damian Lillard might be the most cold-blooded late-game killer in the league.

GASOL FOR THREE: Marc Gasol has wrinkles, and I swear that’s not a "Memphis is old" joke. He beat the Wizards with a barrage of three-pointers. And then he played his invisible flamenco guitar!

NOBODY MAKES KAWHI BLEED HIS OWN BLOOD. (Spurs are 4-0.) (Also, check out Dan Devine on Kawhi as a bully on the court.)

SCORES GALORE ...

Jazz 75, Clippers 88
Warriors 106, Suns 100
Spurs 106, Heat 99
Bucks 83, Pistons 98
Lakers 96, Thunder 113
Wizards 103, Grizzlies 112 (OT)
Mavericks 92, Rockets 93

EXTENSION DEADLINE: Midnight is the deadline for Early Bird extensions for those first-round picks beginning their fourth seasons. There are reports that Steven Adams and Victor Oladipo might get deals from OKC. Lots of other players are probably looking at restricted free agency next summer. Stay tuned.

PHILLY FALLOUT: After the Sixers’ ridiculous decision to disallow Sevyn Streeter from performing the anthem in a "We Matter" jersey, Dave Zirin wonders if this is a sign of how the NBA strangles protest through pushing unity and "meaningful action." For what it’s worth, the Sixers apologized after hearing from players and (according to the apology letter, at least) members of the ownership group. Maybe the lesson here is that team employees need not be so afraid of some actual protest.

DANCE IT OFF: If you are paid to get the crowd hyped up and you bonk a back flip, DANCE IT OFF.

BANNER NIGHT FOR THE SUNS: Eric Beldsoe.

THE MAGAZINE COVER THAT LAUNCHED THE KINGS INTO THE NATIONAL CONVERSATION 15 YEARS AGO. (NO, NOT THAT ONE.)

YOUR DAILY EMBIID: A Marc Spears conversation with our heroic Joel.

CAN YOU DO THAT FOR A BROTHER? An oral history of Lil Penny.

WHAT IS IT ACTUALLY LIKE TO WATCH THE NBA IN VIRTUAL REALITY? (Via REDEF.)

VICIOUS: Tim Duncan is texting insults to Sean Elliott during broadcasts. I never thought Big Fun’s next act would be as an insult comic.

BE LIKE MIKE: Harvey Araton implores Derrick Rose to model the next phase of his career after the game of Mike Conley.

NEW SPURS H-E-B COMMERCIAL ALERT.

AND FINALLY: DeMarcus Cousins is surely sincere in his appreciation for a ref’s decision to issue him a technical foul.

Happy Monday. NBA TV has Bulls-Nets at 7:30 p.m. ET. We otherwise have a light schedule. See you next time.