transcript

Speaker 1:
[00:17] Welcome to The Mismatch, I'm Chris Vernon. You're joining me to do this every week from theringer.com, it's Dave Jacoby. Jacoby!

Speaker 2:
[00:24] Three game threes tonight, three very interesting results, and one that is still going. I did not expect to start this pod before Wolves Nuggets ended. This has been shocking.

Speaker 1:
[00:40] Might have changed our opinion a little bit, because before the game this evening, there was the report that Aaron Gordon was going to be out. And upon that news coming down, you knew that the nuggets were already going to be up against it because you're playing the first home game in the series. If you're Minnesota. And so you're probably going to get a home run effort. And in fact, we did get home run efforts out of all of the home teams for game threes tonight. And so it felt like, man, if they don't have Eric Gordon for this, obviously, when you've got Gobert doing the job he has been able to do on Jokic, and then you've got all of these long lanky wing defenders to be able to show to all the time to Jamal Murray, you're sitting there looking through it. You're going, okay, this pecking order gets pretty gross, pretty fast, because if you're going to be selling out on Jokic, and you're going to be selling out on Murray, who's going to be able to step up for the Nuggets? And the answer is nobody.

Speaker 2:
[01:51] Nobody.

Speaker 1:
[01:52] Nobody. Nobody. The answer is no. The answer is nobody.

Speaker 2:
[01:55] I mean, I said it in the last pod, but Jokic has not looked like the best player in the world in this series. Yes. I mean, as it stands right now, he's 2 for 10 for 3, 7 for 26, 7 for 26 from the field right now.

Speaker 1:
[02:10] This is hard for me to say. This is Rudy Gobert legacy stuff. It just is. I've never been able to stand him. Of course not. The drop coverage stuff in the playoffs shows up eventually. It drives me crazy, but they don't even have to double Jokic. He's just standing up and all you nerds that vote for all of this stuff have finally made him mad. You finally done it.

Speaker 2:
[02:46] You didn't give him an award.

Speaker 1:
[02:48] You didn't put him in the top three.

Speaker 2:
[02:50] I'm still with you. I'm still with you, Verno. He had, I don't know if you saw this play. It was a while ago. I think it was the first second quarter. He had it on the short roll after picking roll. He caught it 12 feet from the basket and he tried to shoot like a push, like a push shot. And it was like it wasn't just an air ball. It was like two feet short of the front rim. And it's like, that's why you don't rock with him. He has no offensive skills, like none.

Speaker 1:
[03:15] He has been a defensive monster against this team. And it does make you think Tim Conley, who once built the crux of that Denver team, went and he built that Minnesota team. We talked about this so many times.

Speaker 2:
[03:33] You say it every episode. Don't even say it this time.

Speaker 1:
[03:37] But no, you sat there and went, this is who we're going to have to deal with. So what did he do? He went out and acquired the best defensive center he could. Right? You are going to see this going forward with people thinking about Wemba Nyama in mind. And it is going to be the benefit of the good defensive bigs that can stand up. Cause she's like, all right, this isn't what we're going to have to deal with. So what's going to be our best chance? And so it's odd that these teams have matched up with each other over and over. It's one thing to build your team to say, this is who we're going to have to get past. But then they like just meet up even when they're, in this case, three and six. I mean, like you were thinking, if we're going to be able to get to the, if we're going to get through this conference, that's the guy we're going to have to be able to beat. And sure enough, you watch games like tonight, and I know they're without Aaron Gordon, but you watch games like tonight. And this thing has been nip tuck over the course of the last 31 meetings between these teams. They just go back and forth. They're so evenly matched against each other. And so this one is mega impressive because they're going to win this game more than likely running away. They've been dominant the entire game and they have, you know, now this is going to have to be backs against the wall. What is the Jokic response? Because so far, the story of this is what you started with, which is he's a guy that we talked about being the best player in the world, being the MVP, and he has not been able to do that against Minnesota. And that is in large part to Rudy Gobert and the rest of these swarming defenders.

Speaker 2:
[05:30] Well, a couple of things. Number one, like he had the 23 point triple double in game one, but it really wasn't that efficient or it wasn't. It really wasn't, and game two was not, was substandard for Jokic, and this game is way below standard for Jokic. And I kind of expected Adelman and the team to make more adjustments to put him in positions to succeed than I saw tonight in this game. I'm pretty surprised.

Speaker 1:
[05:52] Well, here's the deal, Jacoby. Everybody has to double him. They're not bringing doubles all the time. This guy is being guarded. You know what I mean? Like, what they say is, what we're not gonna do is let you have freaking 16 assist, right? Like these other guys, we're not just gonna let Tim Hardaway Jr. and whoever else just shoot a bunch of wide open three.

Speaker 2:
[06:13] Christian Browns just shoot from the corner.

Speaker 1:
[06:15] Yeah, yeah, yeah. No, we're gonna we want we want you to lead the team in field goals. That's what we want. We want you to lead the team in field goals because what we don't want is some kind of efficient 30 to 17 and 16.

Speaker 2:
[06:29] It's one thing I found just like from a macro perspective tonight is the game three of it all. You said it at the top. Every home team seemed to play their best because you played two games in the other team's building. You go home. If the cliches are cliches for a reason, role players play better at home. Just the shooting percentages of all the role players in these three games, they went through the roof. And I think that's something to keep in mind, not just looking at tonight's games, but through the entire weekend.

Speaker 1:
[06:59] Well, look at Desunmu tonight off the bench for Minnesota. I mean, he was cracking tonight. It's like it's always it's the other guys that step up, that end up and we're obviously going to be talking a lot about the other guys as soon as we get to this Knicks game, because the Hawks had other guys stepping up and the Knicks had other guys were beyond deplorable. Here's what we know. I do think that the Denver Nuggets, like as we say, and you know, you get tired of me say that, like groin hamstrings calves. Like don't don't soon as I hear it. I'm like, oh boy, here we go. And we have just gotten news over the course of the last 24 hours about Jalen Williams. And now when they said Aaron Gordon's out with a calf, I was like, oh boy.

Speaker 2:
[07:50] Oh God, because the extra careful with we all know the calf Achilles connection and la la la. It's a Denver's in a bad way. I still pick them to win the series. You know, like I think they really over you do. Yeah, I do. You can't overreact to one game. I think they're a better team. We watched 82 games of this shit. They were just better than the Wolves. They were again.

Speaker 1:
[08:10] Again, it's about the match up and you will do not feel that way. If I tell you Aaron Gordon isn't going to be back for the next two games, you don't feel that way. Oh, give me a break.

Speaker 2:
[08:23] I'll say this.

Speaker 1:
[08:23] I'll say this, though.

Speaker 2:
[08:25] I'll say this. I'll say this. If you're the Nuggets and Jaden McDaniels with his hood on in the locker room literally says all of your names and says you can go at all of them that can't play defense, you cannot allow him to go 9 for 13 from the field and light you up.

Speaker 1:
[08:41] I agree with that. You can't. I also think, interestingly enough, it got done, there's like a minute left in the first quarter, and the score was 20 to 9.

Speaker 2:
[08:56] They had 11 points in the first quarter.

Speaker 1:
[08:59] I was like, you know, Denver, they took the defensive challenge. 20 is a great number to give up.

Speaker 2:
[09:08] A great number to hold them to 20.

Speaker 1:
[09:10] They had 11.

Speaker 2:
[09:11] Dude, I can't, I don't know off the top of my head. Jalen Brunson, Jalen Brunson has had 11 points in the first quarter of like 25 games this season. I'm serious.

Speaker 1:
[09:19] They couldn't score. They could not. A bucket. No, they were, I'm not kidding. With a minute and change left in the first quarter, the score was 20 to 9. And I was like, is this real life? Like this is happening. They can't score. And so I don't feel as confident as you do about Denver because the little dash next to Aaron Gordon says calf. And if you tell me they're not getting Aaron Gordon back, I don't like their chances.

Speaker 2:
[09:53] Yes. Jokic has like right now he has 27, 15, and 3. You think that's a good game, right? But it's just not. It's not. He didn't play well at all.

Speaker 1:
[10:07] Well, the 3 is the problem because do you remember the 3? The 3 is what we were just talking about.

Speaker 2:
[10:15] Yeah, because they can stay at home on everybody because they have a guy that can guard one-on-one. But do you remember when they played the Thunder and it was like they're putting Caruso on him and he had a bunch of turnovers and the middle of that series after game three or four was like, oh, did they figure out Nikola Jokic and blah, blah, blah? It didn't stay that way. I just I have faith in the Nuggets to make the proper adjustments.

Speaker 1:
[10:35] I just don't have that much faith in Cam Johnson, Spencer Jones, Christian Brown and Tim Hardaway, Jr. being by other guys.

Speaker 2:
[10:43] It's tough when you have Spencer Jones in 28 minutes, and you have Hardaway playing 28 minutes. Strother is getting, oh, God, it's tough. Yeah, they need Aaron Gordon.

Speaker 1:
[10:54] Speaking of tough, how are you feeling tonight?

Speaker 2:
[10:58] Fine.

Speaker 1:
[10:59] You're fine. I can't believe how unwavered you are when the Knicks lose. Like, the majority of the fan base, the majority of the fan base is sky is falling, and you're like, I'm not going to win.

Speaker 2:
[11:14] I'm not there. I'm not there.

Speaker 1:
[11:16] I thought this is twice now, though, bro. At the beginning of this, I got to stand on my ground on this. The beginning of this, I told you, if those games can stay under the one teams, those are Knicks games. And that's too now. That's too where that has been in their range and they can't win the game. And my God, I mean, I don't know. Now, when you walk around the city, do you still see the newspaper? Do they still have like newspaper stands everywhere?

Speaker 2:
[11:47] It's not the same. It's not the same. They have newspaper stands on every quarter, but like the newspaper itself used to be such a part of New York City. Just walking by and reading the headlines, but it's not like that anymore. Everyone's got a phone. It's not like that.

Speaker 1:
[11:59] It's not like you would. When you walk down the street tomorrow, you won't see like a soaking, a soaking Macau bridges. And it says like, you know, broken bridges over the bridge is over.

Speaker 2:
[12:12] So it would say the bridge is over. That's that's that's the back page. It's called the back page of the post. The bridge is over.

Speaker 1:
[12:17] The bridge is over troubled waters. Yeah.

Speaker 2:
[12:20] Oh, God. I mean, I'll say this though, like, I, everyone always focuses on like the last couple of plays. CJ hit a good shot. The Knicks just, I don't know what they were doing on that last.

Speaker 1:
[12:32] Didn't get a shot off.

Speaker 2:
[12:33] But like, but let me say something, like they should not have been in that position. The Hawks outplayed them the entire time. OG hit two end of shot clock threes. It's just, those are like, I don't know, 17% proposals when they leave his hand. Like, they really didn't deserve to be there. I think I outplayed from the jump.

Speaker 1:
[12:51] From the jump. Okay, here's my 22nd timeout.

Speaker 2:
[12:54] That's this.

Speaker 1:
[12:56] That's the, okay, fine, 22nd. Look, in like the, when you take a step back, big picture, I believe what you're saying. Small picture is, when they get the Brunson and one and go up 108 105 with a minute three left. They're not losing that game.

Speaker 2:
[13:20] Not losing the game.

Speaker 1:
[13:21] I do not think that, so, so you could say it all comes down to a couple of plays at the end, but like, then Jalen Johnson goes to the rim, block shot by Townes, but Johnson gets it back in. Great. They come back. They come back down. Heart smokes a three, but OJ Ananobe, who's been a star all night, great game. Then a Brunson friggin air ball. Like it wasn't just the last play that they didn't get a shot off. The possession before the CJ game winner was Brunson shooting a friggin air ball.

Speaker 2:
[13:57] Yeah, I know. 16 seconds left, yeah.

Speaker 1:
[14:01] Unbelievable. And that's off an offensive rebound. Like, why don't they, I don't understand why. I text you in the middle of this game, and I'm like, do they know they're allowed to pass? They go through these segments where it's like, people are always like, why don't they get towns involved? I'm like, bro, the ball does not pop around. Like, it's just a, it's a one pass maximum, half the time.

Speaker 2:
[14:24] I don't understand why they work so hard to get switches onto towns, right? So they'll, he'll set a screen and they'll work it until Nikila Alexander Walker is covering towns, right? They don't give him the ball. So you spent 10 seconds of the shot clock trying to get this matchup, and then you get the matchup and you don't give him the ball. I don't know if you remember this, but then one time they give him the ball and he tries to, he doesn't shoot or back him down or do anything. He just tries to kick it back out to Clarkson, who's already moving, and he throws that a bounce. But there's another shot, it was a shot clock violation. It was in the first quarter. They work so hard to get the switch and then they just like, don't give him the ball and then they don't have a second action. I don't think they have plays. I really don't think they have plays. I don't at all.

Speaker 1:
[15:10] It's like the bench guys, sometimes when they come in, the ball will pop around a little bit and they'll share it a little bit. But meanwhile, like to me, especially after he has struggled and misses that game winner in game two, to me, I would have tried to get Bridges going in this thing to just get him some confidence back. Instead, this went tragically the wrong way. Oh, yeah. Like to the point where he's benched. It's like, you can't, he, what did I have here? It says, the last six quarters, okay? The last six quarters, Tommy Beard posted this. Since halftime of game two, 0-4-7, one rebound, two assists, four turnovers and a minus 37 in 41 minutes. He played less than five minutes in the second half.

Speaker 2:
[16:11] He played 20 minutes in the game. 20 minutes in the game. He had, the turnovers were so bad too. It's just like he's lost all of his confidence.

Speaker 1:
[16:20] He's lost everything. All of it. All of it. I mean, I would have just, I mean.

Speaker 2:
[16:29] And they don't get the, they don't get Towns going. Towns, the story of Towns in the series has been what? Oh, he had a huge third quarter. Oh, he had a good fourth quarter, a good second half. Towns brought him back. He has zero points. I think he has zero points in the last two first quarters. Get him on the post. When before the series started, Verno, what did I say? I was like, they got a bunch of guys for Brunson. They could show, they could throw Nikhil Alexander Walker at Brunson. They could throw Dyson Daniels at Brunson. Like it's going to be a tough Brunson series, but they have no answer for Carl Anthony Towns. It's a Kong Wu.

Speaker 1:
[17:03] I mean, Jacoby, he had 21. 21. They need Mo'Gabe. 21, 17, four assists, two blocks and was a plus 22. I mean, they got slaughtered in the non-Towns minutes. And they don't use the sizes at advantage. He doesn't want to play Towns and Mitchell together.

Speaker 2:
[17:27] I don't understand.

Speaker 1:
[17:29] You know what I mean?

Speaker 2:
[17:29] Why is Mitch playing 11 minutes in 23 seconds? Here's the thing I don't like to do. Let me just zoom out for a second. I don't really like to second guess coaches too much because they literally spend all of their time thinking about this stuff. They also have a staff of eight other people that spend all of their time thinking about this stuff. And here I am, a podcaster being like, Why doesn't he do X, Y and Z? But sometimes it's right in front of your face. Oh, come on. It's right there in front of your face.

Speaker 1:
[18:00] Quinn Snyder is putting a clown suit on him. He is. This is like, all right, because one of the things you do, especially when you're only preparing for one opponent, is what are... Anybody can see this. What are your advantages?

Speaker 2:
[18:16] Carlinthetreetown.

Speaker 1:
[18:18] Do you exploit said advantages, right? I feel like they play, like this is... They play too, like the Hawks are out there. They've got... And like even that last possession, like, okay, here's the thing that they're gonna fly around. We're gonna fly around because they've got Nol and they've got Daniels and they've got a Kongwu and they've got Kaminga, they got Jaleh Johnson. PS., Kaminga has been maybe the best two-way guy on this team. He has been a revelation.

Speaker 2:
[18:52] It's a...

Speaker 1:
[18:53] He has been so good.

Speaker 2:
[18:55] Do you remember the first couple of games he was on the Hawks? You're like, oh, this is the Kaminga that they're gonna have. But he kind of sucked after that. Like, he's he's very much a sort of like a flip of the coin. He's got to hurry. He doesn't. But he's had it the last two nights.

Speaker 1:
[19:08] Had it. Oh, oh, has he had it? And it is a real weapon for them. A real way. And like, he's getting minutes on Towns as well.

Speaker 2:
[19:16] He's holding his own against the same thing. He holds his own against Towns because he's strong enough to sort of push him off the spot. He's not going to get bullied by Towns. Yeah, I really thought this would be like a town 30 point per game series. Now it's like he's got zero points in every single first quarter. I don't get it.

Speaker 1:
[19:34] Well, now, right? And I mean, obviously, Brunson is just going to keep on shooting. But and then you get OG going crazy, but you've lost like you can't lose Bridges completely. I don't understand if they are going to be a title team. They have to have him and they have to have him be good.

Speaker 2:
[19:57] Also, if they beat the Hawks and the Celtics beat the Sixers, they're going to meet the Celtics in the second round. And you literally traded a zillion first round picks to acquire Bridges to play the Celtics. That was the plan at the time.

Speaker 1:
[20:12] Right, right.

Speaker 2:
[20:13] So you have to like you have to get him back. And Josh Hart had two points and Bridges had zero.

Speaker 1:
[20:21] I got it. I feel for Mike Brown. The guy has been unplayable. But again, that has to be rectified. Like, I mean, it can't be like this. It can't just be that he's unplayable and like, all right. Well, I guess we're just going to have to play Deuce McBride and pray he makes a bunch of threes. Like that's the he might actually if he started Deuce in the next game, it was a shot.

Speaker 2:
[20:45] You can't, but you just can't. Because if the plan is to win a championship, you can't just like lose Bridges completely. The Mismatch is brought to you by FanDuel. NBA fans, this is your reminder to check in daily because every day during the play offs, FanDuel is serving up a happy hour. That's right, we're talking special drops. You will not want to miss from profit boosts to bonus bets and much more. And the best part, it's every single day, including today, right now as you listen to this podcast. There are some great games coming up this weekend. One thing we noticed this evening, and we record this on Thursday evening, is game three's got dominated by the home teams. And I'm looking at some of these matchups, and maybe that will continue to happen, because a lot of the home teams are not favorited to win the games. So if you're thinking, maybe one of these home dogs will be live, and I'm talking about the magic against the Pistons, the Suns against the Thunder, I would stay away from that one. The Hawks against the Knicks, I would stay away from that one. The Timberwolves against the Nuggets, imagine the Timberwolves take a three-one lead. Now, I said game threes, a lot of those are game fours, but you know what I mean. So, I've got the magic with the odds and the Timberwolves with the odds this upcoming Saturday, but you can do whatever you want. You can also check for a new reward every single day of the NBA playoffs and don't miss a shot to get a little extra out of the action. Head to bandual.com/mismatch to get started. Remember, you gotta be 21 and over in select states or 18 and over in DC, Kentucky, Wyoming. Optimism required. Rewards are non-withdrawable. Restrictions apply including bonus and token expiration, leg requirements and max major amount. Gamming problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or call 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat in Connecticut.

Speaker 1:
[22:52] Shout out to McHale Bridges for making everybody forget that Josh Hart was a nothing too.

Speaker 2:
[23:00] That's what I was about to say. Josh Hart wasn't doing much.

Speaker 1:
[23:02] No, no, no, it's all going to be because they didn't give up a million picks for Josh Hart. So he's not going to be the focus. Bro, they got two points between them. They had zero in the first half. How is that a thing? How is that a thing? It's like it's either Brunson and OG or it's Brunson and Townes, but it's like good grief. I know you're not worried.

Speaker 2:
[23:27] I still think they win the series. I still think they win. They're just better. They're just better.

Speaker 1:
[23:32] But look, CJ McCollum is making the game-winning plays and...

Speaker 2:
[23:39] I honestly thought that was great defense from Deuce. I thought it was great defense from Deuce. What's your problem? Why are you mad?

Speaker 1:
[23:46] Because you've got a 35-year-old... I mean, we thought CJ McCollum was the end of the line. It does make you think, how many of these guys, if you put them in winning situations, in good environment, still got Deuce with them? You know what I mean?

Speaker 2:
[23:59] Oh my God.

Speaker 1:
[24:00] You do wonder. You do wonder. Are there these guys out there that we've just decided? Like, I mean, hell, I'm watching.

Speaker 2:
[24:07] Luke Kennard and CJ... Luke Kennard was not on my radar. Marcus Martin, 25! Marcus Martin, Luke Kennard, CJ McCollum. I mean, we're still here. I know we're playing on bad teams, but now we're on good teams. We're still here.

Speaker 1:
[24:22] Wait, they still got juice. I know. Yeah. Meanwhile, the Bronx...

Speaker 2:
[24:26] You had Marcus Martin for two years in Memphis. I think he played 16 games and scored 12 ports.

Speaker 1:
[24:32] Oh, nobody was talking about CJ McCollum when he was playing for New Orleans or Washington.

Speaker 2:
[24:36] And the Wizards? Yeah, not at all. But I do remember he had a couple of game-winnings. He had a couple of good games for the Wizards. I was like, huh, he's still there.

Speaker 1:
[24:44] You know what it would be?

Speaker 2:
[24:47] They didn't give him the ball. Did kiss Bird on.

Speaker 1:
[24:53] It would be like if we're watching the playoffs next year, and we're like, bro, Chris Middleton had 27. What? I thought he was done.

Speaker 2:
[25:06] It's like Jeff Green had 40 points. What?

Speaker 1:
[25:10] He may might be able to put him in. He's still there. God, can somebody get a bucket? That's a mess.

Speaker 2:
[25:19] When you look at that last possession for the Knicks, Hart, the idea was to get Brunson the ball, right? Hart went away from it too. He was wide open on his second cut. And Hart just looked away from him and gave it to Town. It was a mess.

Speaker 1:
[25:32] Well, Town's just running into space, trying to find somebody to screen. And then, Kong Wu and give credit to Kaminga. He sprints down to double. Yeah. And that's what put Brunson in a horrible position.

Speaker 2:
[25:49] I've said this for like four years, three years. It's just too obvious what they're going to do at the end of the game. Like, why not use Brunson as a decoy and get OG a three? Or get Cat going to the basket? Like, use Brunson as a decoy. You have to switch it up at some point. You've got other scores.

Speaker 1:
[26:09] Look, we talked about this a couple of months ago. There's a clip from me probably like six weeks ago. We spent all year going, is there a Pacers, a team that we did not care about, a team that we did not think about when the calendar turned?

Speaker 2:
[26:23] Don't say it, don't say it.

Speaker 1:
[26:27] I mean, it's happening again.

Speaker 2:
[26:28] Nixon six.

Speaker 1:
[26:30] It's happening again. You will admit that next game is a must win. No. Oh, come on. They're not, come on. I mean, you're really just going to keep saying this until they lose the series, right? Like, the Knicks are fine, the Knicks are fine.

Speaker 2:
[26:46] The Knicks are going to beat the Hawks. The Knicks are going to beat the Hawks in the series.

Speaker 1:
[26:50] Okay. All right.

Speaker 2:
[26:52] They are. And if they don't, we'll get you on us. So it's fine. That's how it works.

Speaker 1:
[26:57] I think he's already going. They hired Taylor Jenkins. He's staying now.

Speaker 2:
[27:01] Oh, they got TJ.

Speaker 1:
[27:04] It's this guy. It's this guy. He's the assistant coach there. So he's going to stay around. A huge, huge grand slam effort, as you're talking about, back against the wall, show some pride. Even if we lose this series, we're not just getting mauled. We're not getting swept. Huge response by the Raptors. And shout out to Scotty Bards, who was unbelievable.

Speaker 2:
[27:32] I told you. I loved this game. Collin Murray Boyles was the takeaway for me.

Speaker 1:
[27:36] Oh, great.

Speaker 2:
[27:38] I thought he played great.

Speaker 1:
[27:39] He did play great. And I mean, they got to get away. Yeah. Obviously like the Yucca Portal thing is, is it's just so. All right. So, but when we were, when we came on here, we were recording after game two, and that was effusive and praise about the back court of the Cleveland Cavaliers and how impressed I was with Cleveland. I also told you at that time, I said, look, I watched this game and I will say they never let go of the Raptors, even though they were down the whole time and Barnes and RJ were there for the fight. I don't know about the rest of the game. Ingram wasn't there for it, but like you could even tell in game two, those guys to me, even in game two, I was sitting here talking about how, look, even if they lose, I respect these guys because they're going down swinging like they were going hard. They were trying to pump each other up. They were like pumping their chest out. They were going to the basket. Barnes is trying to bully ball people. RJ is trying to get his guys going and getting fired up and screaming at everybody.

Speaker 2:
[28:52] What?

Speaker 1:
[28:52] They have 33 each?

Speaker 2:
[28:54] 33 each.

Speaker 1:
[28:55] In the game? Yeah. I mean, that was great.

Speaker 2:
[28:57] Efficient 33s. Let's see, Barnes shot 64 percent from the field, Barrett shot 63 percent from the field, and Murray Boyles, dude, 11 for 15 from the field. I thought Murray Boyles was like a revelation this evening.

Speaker 1:
[29:10] Well, and like five minutes left, Barnes goes hobbling off, like he can't even run. He's good at hobbling off. And I think it's like a maybe like a 10-point game, something like that, at that time. And I thought-

Speaker 2:
[29:27] It wasn't that close.

Speaker 1:
[29:28] Yeah. I mean, I have to go back and look at the play by play. But I just remember thinking, oh man, is he out? This is in range, right? Like they could they could they could gack this away. And instead it went the complete other way. He did go hobbling off, but they just ran him out the rest of the game.

Speaker 2:
[29:49] They ended up winning by 22 points.

Speaker 1:
[29:51] Yeah, they ended up winning by 22. They trucked them.

Speaker 2:
[29:54] Barrett was just dominant.

Speaker 1:
[29:56] I couldn't find anything. I kept typing in on Twitter.

Speaker 2:
[30:01] Which makes me think that he's okay.

Speaker 1:
[30:03] I hope he's fine. He was awesome though. And like, look, that's the game three at home. You know, they say like it might be a gentleman sweep or whatever in these situations. But I don't know, man, they looked, they switched some things up tonight. Darko did a good job with them. They didn't start shed tonight in this game. They started Walter, right? Jacoby Walther, that's where they started. And so he's trying to switch Walter.

Speaker 2:
[30:32] They started.

Speaker 1:
[30:33] Yes, they did. They're trying to switch some things around in this game.

Speaker 2:
[30:37] Walter is 0 for 6 from the field and 0 for 3 from 3.

Speaker 1:
[30:40] I know. I know. But they're trying to switch some things up. But again, it's more about the other guy. It's defensive.

Speaker 2:
[30:46] It's also defensive. They're just trying to do something.

Speaker 1:
[30:49] And also the fact that these guys, you've got both two of your best players, both simultaneously being fantastic in the game.

Speaker 2:
[30:58] I mean, they had the game of their lives. I think they have to start C&D. I mean, what are we doing? Like, why not?

Speaker 1:
[31:03] Why not?

Speaker 2:
[31:04] At this point? Why not?

Speaker 1:
[31:05] Right.

Speaker 2:
[31:05] But here's one thing, like, from a big picture standpoint, is I was so confident about the Cavs in this series and moving forward after game one and game two.

Speaker 1:
[31:15] They look great.

Speaker 2:
[31:16] Weren't you? Like, I was just very confident about the Cavs.

Speaker 1:
[31:20] I mean, we talk about this all the time, though. It's just like the psychology of this, like when one team's back is completely against the wall and they've got 20,000, you know, screaming fans that are just out for blood.

Speaker 2:
[31:35] And they've been waiting for a week for a playoff game. Like, the game, you know, when I open up my Fandle app, I'm going to take this into account when I start making some wages over the weekend.

Speaker 1:
[31:46] It happens a lot that that happens a lot, especially if your team's down. Oh, too. Like that's the if it's a if it's a four one series, that's the game you get.

Speaker 2:
[31:56] Well, I think there's only one more team heading into a game three at home down to and I don't feel great about them. I don't feel great about them.

Speaker 1:
[32:05] Well, especially it felt like today, Jabari Smith said that, you know, yeah, he might be getting doubled, but we need Kevin Durant to be Kevin Durant. And then Kevin Durant said, you know what? How about you guys do this without me? My ankle hurts. Go to hell.

Speaker 2:
[32:25] I thought about that serious quick. Let's talk about that serious quick. Here's the my thing about this series. Watching the game is everyone talks about Kevin Durant, like nine turnovers and didn't play well. And this and that watch the game. He's getting doubled. Like when he steps over half court. And what my question is, don't you guys have a plan for that? Can't you have someone else bring the ball up? Can't you have him come off a pin down? And also, can't you have someone help him when he gets doubled? And then he cuts. Like it just felt like he got put in jail because he got doubled when he went over half court and they did it over and over again. It was like I was watching the television pretty shocked.

Speaker 1:
[33:07] A, after being in the league for 20 years, he should be able to make a play out of the doubles. So we're not going to let him off those completely.

Speaker 2:
[33:13] He's 7 feet tall. If you're doubled 45 feet from the basket, someone's open, jump in the air and make a pass.

Speaker 1:
[33:20] You are allowed to pass.

Speaker 2:
[33:21] You're allowed to pass.

Speaker 1:
[33:22] To make a good pass. The other thing is their offense is an abomination before the eyes of God and man. Like it is impossible to watch and not hate like they have. I mean, I got it. You hate Reed Shepard. Reed Shepard stinks. If you're even though, but like, bro, you have to have somebody that can dribble and deliver the basketball.

Speaker 2:
[33:48] What did you ever do to you, dude? I mean, he ever do to you. What happened? I think we're going to get a documentary like 20 years and be like, Reed Shepard.

Speaker 1:
[33:58] No, he just hit.

Speaker 2:
[33:59] On Eman Doga's desk the day he got there.

Speaker 1:
[34:02] No, there's a lot of these old school type of guys.

Speaker 2:
[34:05] I know what you're going to say, defensive assignments and blah, blah, blah.

Speaker 1:
[34:08] It's all they care about. It's all they care about.

Speaker 2:
[34:10] Well, guess what? When you've got Thompson, who you can leave alone, Eason, who started the season shooting 60 percent from three, mind you, can't hit a three. And you got Sangoon out there who can't hit a three. You got no three-point shooting. So you can double to rant and not worry about it. Because what's he going to do?

Speaker 1:
[34:30] I don't want to bury them too much because I do think they will respond. I'll be absolutely stunned if they don't win game three. I'll be stunned if they don't win game three. Come on. I mean, it's a vet-laden team that's already got two wins put away. I'm saying the Lakers are. It's a vet-laden team that's already got two wins in the kiddie. So and the other team, it's like, you know, you're playing for your lives. You can't go down three and it'll be your first home game. It's a home game.

Speaker 2:
[35:03] We saw what happened tonight. We saw what happened tonight.

Speaker 1:
[35:06] Our decision on that series will be able to be made after game four because I will Monday night, right? I will be shocked if Houston as bad as they've looked, as disgusting as this been, I still would be surprised if they don't, if they don't win game three. It's like, come on, like, and why are you allowing? Like I, I will tell you, I love Luke Kennard. I do. I love the guy. I think he's a great, I love him personally. I love Luke Kennard. All right. And he has been, but allowing, allowing Luke to turn into Austin Reeves on offense and then allow him to live on defense is the most insane thing.

Speaker 2:
[36:02] That part, the second part.

Speaker 1:
[36:03] I'm not trying to, look, I'm telling you, I'm saying this is someone who loves the guy. But it's like every other team in the world. And I lived this when he was a Grizzly. You, come here. Here's the spotlight. Yes.

Speaker 2:
[36:18] You, come here.

Speaker 1:
[36:20] Where you're part of every play. You're part of every play. Every, if you're going to be out on the court, every play, you're a defender in it. End of story. And we will find you no matter where you are, but we're going to make it so your coach has to make a decision here. Your coach is going to make a decision. Either he's playing you and he's going to live with this, us punishing you for playing him, or he's not going to play you at all. And most coaches then make the decision, i.e. Reed Shepard.

Speaker 2:
[37:04] That's what I say. If you're in the UDOKA, you don't play Reed Shepard for that exact reason, but you don't take advantage of it.

Speaker 1:
[37:10] Right. It's crazy. This is, again, there are certainly strategic things that can be done for Houston to be able to get back into this thing, but there is no doubt the first two games have been beyond disgusting. And I will say, I cannot remember, maybe McHale Bridges will take this pedestal for at least a couple of days on social media. I can't remember ever laughing more at memes and video compilations than how Shen Goon is just getting just demolished. I mean, it fell into my algorithm and it's just like him running, him making play. I mean, the Shen Goon lowlight videos are just unbelievable.

Speaker 2:
[38:01] They're tough.

Speaker 1:
[38:02] And they make him look like such.

Speaker 2:
[38:05] But they do him no favors because he gets the ball at the nail with like eight seconds left in the clock. And they're like, go ahead. No one's cutting. No one can shoot. So they can just collapse into the paint on him. I mean, he ends up like dribbling back and down, spinning around and like air balling with some fucking hook shot. He is very frustrating. Remember the off season, the World Basketball Cup or whatever, the European Cup, whatever he was playing in?

Speaker 1:
[38:27] Oh yeah.

Speaker 2:
[38:28] No, he looks great. And this is going to be an MVP season for Sangoon. And you know, we get Durant getting all that attention. Sangoon is going to be able to feast off it. Durant did not play in game one. And I'm thinking 35 points for Sangoon easily. Run everything through him. Nothing. And who's covering him? Name the people that are covering him.

Speaker 1:
[38:47] No. And look, and then more importantly, getting made fun of after these games just relentlessly. He has got, as the kids would say, no aura. On the other hand, aura level on a billion for VJ Edgecombe. I can't get enough of VJ Edgecombe videos. And that's the other one.

Speaker 2:
[39:11] Did he mean to get the camera?

Speaker 1:
[39:13] Yes.

Speaker 2:
[39:14] No way. I think it's a coincidence. He was winking at somebody else.

Speaker 1:
[39:18] Yes, he did.

Speaker 2:
[39:18] How does he even know that that camera is the camera that's covering him?

Speaker 1:
[39:22] He knows. He knows. He was a rookie. Look, VJ Edgecombe and Tyrese Maxey, and that backcourt, I mean, they nutted up for that Boston game, too. I don't know what this is with the Boston game twos. I heard Bill say, and they're like five and five in their last 10 game twos. And they've had like these, that's some ugly ones that obviously when you shoot 53s and you shoot 26% or whatever the hell they shot from three, like, you know, there's a lot of boomer bust that comes along with Celtics games because of the amount of threes that they shoot. But I will say mega impressed with Philadelphia. And I am so glad that they made that series so much more fun. I know that we were watching that the other night game too. You kept waiting for Boston to make their run and flip the game. Just couldn't hit the threes.

Speaker 2:
[40:15] This couldn't hit.

Speaker 1:
[40:17] And meanwhile, they hit every big shot. On the other end, Philly did. Philly was just making big shot after big shot. And a lot of that was Edgecombe.

Speaker 2:
[40:25] Well, it kind of felt like they were like, hey, Maxey, if you want, you can shoot threes. And he's like, OK. You know what I mean? And then they didn't adjust. It was like, oh, you're going to let me shoot threes off the dribble. I'm going to hit one. I'm hit two. I'm hit three. You guys are still going to do the same thing? Like, what are we doing?

Speaker 1:
[40:44] Well, and it was a best stuff because we talked about, right? When that, especially at the very beginning of the season, when Maxey was killing and Edgecombe looked like, oh, my God, did they get the steal of the draft even at three? Like, maybe they got the rookie of the year. Like, Edgecombe, look, he was shot out of a cannon to start the season.

Speaker 2:
[41:01] To start the season, yeah.

Speaker 1:
[41:02] Yeah. And you were sitting there going, bro, this backcourt is going to be some not only fun, they are going to be lethal. The one thing I will say to you, you remember VJ Edgecombe was a story on this podcast because the one game I went to as a fan this year is the one that he ripped out my daughter's heart. That's who did it, VJ Edgecombe. So I already have, look, I mean, I already have a respect for VJ Edgecombe, but the one thing I will say is he had the, you know, he had all those stats of the ten rebounds, right? They were like rookies with 30 and 10 in whatever. And it's like all big guys and VJ Edgecombe. You would be shocked if you walked up on VJ Edgecombe. He was way smaller than I thought. You think? Like, yeah, oh, yeah. Skinnier.

Speaker 2:
[41:57] Like, Maxey's like low-key kind of strong.

Speaker 1:
[41:59] He's also not tall like you think he'll be. No.

Speaker 2:
[42:03] Because he's always around the basket. Duncan, he's in rebounds, finishing with knuckles at the rim all the time.

Speaker 1:
[42:10] Mega bouncy. But he's not like he's not physically imposing. Like I was like, whoa, like when I saw him, that was the one thing. And so those ten rebounds, that's because you're a friggin Rottweiler. That's why you get ten rebounds, right? When you're when you're when you're his size.

Speaker 2:
[42:29] I love him so much. And I thought, you know, I think that they're getting all the attention. I thought Paul George played really well in game two. Of course, he did in watching what I watched tonight. I do have my eye on game three in Philly. Like tonight was the it was the home teams just. Dominant dominant think about the three games we saw tonight, and everyone's going to focus on the closest at the end for the Knicks. OG hit two crazy shots and Brunson had the end one. They kind of like clawed back, but they were losing. They started they started out the gate down ten. You blink you looked at the Knicks score. They were down ten before the Cavs game even started.

Speaker 1:
[43:04] Well, and the reason you have to you have to you have to keep in mind, like when we recorded our last show is before that one and you said you were going to put the twenty United States dollars on Philadelphia because that I told you that line plus fourteen yeah fourteen it's seven and a half tomorrow night so like Vegas is still believing that the the boss the boss is going to take care of business.

Speaker 2:
[43:29] Well now 40 American let me open up my fan door. This is a tradition now.

Speaker 1:
[43:33] We're going double or nothing.

Speaker 2:
[43:34] Forty American dollars.

Speaker 1:
[43:36] Yep.

Speaker 2:
[43:36] Yep. That's exactly what we're doing. Stand by.

Speaker 1:
[43:39] All right.

Speaker 2:
[43:39] Okay.

Speaker 1:
[43:40] So you think Sixers might be on to something. You think they can do it again.

Speaker 2:
[43:45] I do. And a lot of that is because, oh my God, mine is seven and a half.

Speaker 1:
[43:52] So I told you.

Speaker 2:
[43:54] Money line. Done. All right. I'll be rich. I'll bet a million four dollars if I win that.

Speaker 1:
[43:59] Here's the, I mean, here's the three games.

Speaker 2:
[44:01] Don't you owe me? Don't you still owe me five dollars?

Speaker 1:
[44:03] I think I do. Sixers-Celtics is game three. Rockets-Lakers is game three. And then the nightcap is going to be Blazers first. Do you feel as confident in that game three? Are we overtaken by what we saw with teams in game threes on this Thursday night enough? So, I feel I would be shocked if the Rockets lost.

Speaker 2:
[44:35] Spurs win game three in Portland.

Speaker 1:
[44:37] I do not feel as good about it as you do.

Speaker 2:
[44:39] Spurs win game three in Portland.

Speaker 1:
[44:40] Okay. I don't feel as good as you do about the 76ers because they just stole one in Boston. And so, they're coming off a win, though, is what I'm saying.

Speaker 2:
[44:52] No, the Hawks stole game two in New York. The Sixers did not steal that game.

Speaker 1:
[44:59] Okay. I just don't feel as good about that one. I just could see so many different outcomes for that one. I mean, if the Rockets lose to the Lakers tomorrow night, they should fire a doko before game four, honestly. Just let somebody else coach him. Like, that would be insane to me. Royal Ivy.

Speaker 2:
[45:21] Royal Ivy.

Speaker 1:
[45:22] And then the Blazers, you like the Spurs. We don't have word on Wemby yet, right? We don't know.

Speaker 2:
[45:28] He traveled with the team. There's no chance he plays. Just optically. It's kind of like in the NFL, when someone has a concussion on Sunday, they don't play the next week just because the optics are weird. He's not going to play.

Speaker 1:
[45:38] Okay, then that's as simple as it gets to me. Then that's as simple as it gets to me. If they don't have Wemby, I like Portland in the game.

Speaker 2:
[45:46] I like the Spurs to win.

Speaker 1:
[45:48] Even without Wemby?

Speaker 2:
[45:50] They beat the Spurs, they beat the Blazers twice without Wemby already this year. I did a little research. You know I don't like to do real research. I was like, let me look at the Spurs without Wemby games. There's 18 games, they went 12 and 6. And there were some, there were no bad losses. The regular season doesn't matter.

Speaker 1:
[46:08] It's inconsequential to me.

Speaker 2:
[46:10] But they had some good wins. They had some good wins. They beat Denver, they lost to them twice too in those 18 because Wemby hasn't played Jokic yet. And they beat the Blazers twice.

Speaker 1:
[46:19] This is playoff basketball in a hostile environment for the first time for a lot of guys that you're counting on. Because you need Castle and you need Champagne and you need Dylan Harper and you need all these guys to be able to step up. And it's going to be their first time on the road, mega hostile environment, place that hasn't had playoff basketball in a long, long time. They're all going to be out for blood. And like, unless De'Aaron Fox stands on his head, you're sitting there going, okay, like then I don't know.

Speaker 2:
[46:53] I see it again.

Speaker 1:
[46:55] Again, I do not think they could beat a Wemby Spurs, but I do absolutely think they could beat a not.

Speaker 2:
[47:01] Of course they can. I just think that I mean, well, the game of his life, the game of his life. Did he quietly did not play that well in game two?

Speaker 1:
[47:11] No, he didn't know. And also, and also it's going to give a chance for a clean call to do something if Wemby's not around. Maybe Donovan Kling could get going. Obviously, time was, I mean, turn back the clock.

Speaker 2:
[47:27] He's the time. Lord, he's the time.

Speaker 1:
[47:29] Lord.

Speaker 2:
[47:29] Yeah. He did it. He turned back to that.

Speaker 1:
[47:32] It says San Antonio's two and a half. That's what it says. Yeah. Yeah.

Speaker 2:
[47:38] I mean, listen, I'm not going to sit here and act like I know who's going to win basketball games and watch too many to act like that. But I think the Spurs will win this one. I just think they're better. They're better.

Speaker 1:
[47:51] I'm a question mark on, all right. So let me just go through all these so far. All right. Wolves Nuggets. You feel good about the Nuggets. I don't if they don't have Aaron Gordon. But you still feel okay with them.

Speaker 2:
[48:05] I feel better if they had Aaron Gordon. They got dominated tonight. I think they'll make it. I just can't imagine a world which Jokic looks like this for an entire series. He has not looked good even in game one. He has not looked himself.

Speaker 1:
[48:19] I will make you feel good. I do think the Knicks will respond in game four.

Speaker 2:
[48:24] I think so.

Speaker 1:
[48:25] Because we're not going to speak until after that one. Raptors.

Speaker 2:
[48:29] That's Saturday. What time is that on Saturday? I got a plan my weekend.

Speaker 1:
[48:34] I got to be honest with you. The Raptors are the one that I could see them shockingly tied the series at two and everybody's like, hold on, are the Cavs not what we talk?

Speaker 2:
[48:45] I don't really trust the Cavs. I don't trust the Raptors. Do you trust the Raptors?

Speaker 1:
[48:51] Not really, but it's still James Harden and I just don't, I don't know. I just, they do. They got flakes on that Cavs team that I don't trust.

Speaker 2:
[49:02] Flakes.

Speaker 1:
[49:03] Yeah.

Speaker 2:
[49:03] Flakes.

Speaker 1:
[49:04] Guys that can be flaky. You know what I mean?

Speaker 2:
[49:06] Frosted flakes.

Speaker 1:
[49:07] Like, they can be awesome. They can be awesome. They can be awesome, but they can also be like disenfranchised. They are disenchanted with what's going on. Like, I will say that Toronto does have enough guys that look like they just play hard as hell all the time. And I do think the Cavs have the massive talent advantage, but when you're at home and everybody's juicing you up and like you're playing so hard and whatever, like, I don't know. I don't hate the Raptors in that spot. I really don't.

Speaker 2:
[49:43] I do. I do. I absolutely hate the Raptors in that spot. I absolutely hate the Raptors in the spot.

Speaker 1:
[49:48] All right. 76ers Celtics, I am certainly a bigger question mark than you on that. Rockets, Lakers, do you agree with me? This would be shocking if the Rockets don't win a game three. Come on. Like, they're sure. They got swept. Holy shit.

Speaker 2:
[50:05] There's something going on, man.

Speaker 1:
[50:07] Yeah, you might be right.

Speaker 2:
[50:08] There's something going on.

Speaker 1:
[50:10] No, you might be right.

Speaker 2:
[50:10] Like, everything I felt about the Magic after they lost to the Sixers, I feel about the Rockets right now. And the Magic, he turned it around. But like the body language, the communication.

Speaker 1:
[50:19] You're right.

Speaker 2:
[50:19] Like it's just there's something going on there where it just feels like they're all like, you know, you know what, dude?

Speaker 1:
[50:29] It's like. It's like if a team had their best players, text messages, trash against teammates, like reveal.

Speaker 2:
[50:39] Yeah. Like in the middle of a season.

Speaker 1:
[50:41] Yeah. If those became public. Yes.

Speaker 2:
[50:44] If you saw all the evil things I've said about you via text and then we had to do a pod, the chemistry might be a little off.

Speaker 1:
[50:51] Might be.

Speaker 2:
[50:52] Might be a little off.

Speaker 1:
[50:55] Also, can I just say this?

Speaker 2:
[50:57] Of course you can't buddy.

Speaker 1:
[51:01] I love the vibes from the Lakers. Their chemistry looks great. It's such a stark contrast between the two. Like, why do all these guys are like all thrown together? It's friggin Deandre Ayton and Jackson Hayes and Luke Kennard and Jake Larravia and Marcus Smart. And a 41 year old LeBron. And it's like, but they're all like high fiving and pumping each other up. And like you walk to the huddle and then like this dower mess that is the Rockets and they're all like frumpy and no buts.

Speaker 2:
[51:35] There's something going on there.

Speaker 1:
[51:37] They all like social distance on the bench from each other.

Speaker 2:
[51:40] But also, here's what it feels like. It feels like JJ Radek is like, our team has no defenders. So you know what I'm gonna do? Gimmick defenses. We're gonna double Durant on the touch. We're gonna play a ton of zone. We're just gonna like, we're gonna all be, I feel like JJ Radek is like, I'll be the best defender on the team. I will.

Speaker 1:
[52:00] Oh, yeah. Is that Labrat? Yeah.

Speaker 2:
[52:03] He's like, I'll be the best defender on the team. Don't worry, guys. I know none of you can cover anybody, but I'll be the defender. I will throw a bunch of different stuff. It was actually LeBron who said that. We have to throw a bunch of different pitches. Isn't that LeBron after game two? He was like, screwball, curveball. They're Greg Maddux. When you have Luca, you're Randy Johnson. But when no Luca and no Austin Reeves, you are Greg Maddux, junk ballers. And I think JJ is gonna scheme them up. And man, I say there's the most at stake in Houston in game three.

Speaker 1:
[52:35] Oh, yeah. The most, yes.

Speaker 2:
[52:38] And guess what? If the Sun's losing game three, who cares?

Speaker 1:
[52:42] All right. And then it sounds like you like Spurs, but I like Blazers, if it's Wemby.

Speaker 2:
[52:48] I like Spurs.

Speaker 1:
[52:50] You like them regardless of whether Wemby plays or not. Yes.

Speaker 2:
[52:55] Wemby's not playing game three. I think like Adam Silver would fly there and stop him from putting a uniform on. The optics are too bad. I want to say this about Wemby, and I put this in the group text. Are we sure he doesn't have like an orbital bone broken or a jaw broken or something? Because man, they would have reported that. He hit his head so hard on the floor.

Speaker 1:
[53:17] Honestly, I text you this the night it happened. Like, if you told me Victor Wemba and Yama got hurt, not me over with the feather. Like, I mean, okay. I mean, that, you know, he's a gigantic guy and like this and the playoff basketball super intense. And so it's not wouldn't be. That's right. But if you told me, I mean, a concussion had to be a billion to one because the only way is to hit his head on the floor. I mean, the only way I and then my guess would have been to hit his head on the like the only way he could have is hitting his head on the backboard or the floor because no one is connecting with his head. He's too tall, right? Like a concussion is something like you going up for a layup and the guy comes from behind you clubs you and like, I mean, you get a concussion or something or you like like the only way it can happen. But the other thing is I've never seen a guy get a concussion landing on his face. It's always the back of the head, right? Like your head snaps back and it hits the floor. Have you ever seen a like I've seen guys get them like a ton of concussions?

Speaker 2:
[54:31] I got a concussion story. I've had a ton of concussions. I was playing rec league back when I used to be good. I'm terrible now, but this is like probably 2009 or so. You have had a ton, a ton of concussions and a ton. The first one was bad. And the first one was we tell you the story. The first one is a pass to the point to the wing. And I steal it and I get a layup, right? The next possession, same exact thing. Pass to the point to the wing. I steal it. But there's two defenders closer to me. I'm like, I'm going to go up and get another layup. I have no idea what happened. But my legs got taken out from under me and landed on my head. I started convulsing on the ground. And remember, my team is a bunch of ER doctors. Everyone's like Dr. Robbie from the pit. So I'm convulsing.

Speaker 1:
[55:15] Wait, this is in Men's League?

Speaker 2:
[55:16] Yeah. I'm convulsing on the ground. Like, literally, they said I was like shaking. Like, you know when they give you like a... You're waiting in line for your table at a restaurant and they give you like that disc that shakes. They're like, you were one of those discs just vibrating on the ground. And then I come to and they're like, what year is it? It's like 1995 and it was like 2010 and I had to get a CT scan and everything. And then here's the thing about concussions is once you get concussions, it's essentially like a bruise in your brain. But if you get that same spot hit again, you get another concussion. So one time I got hit in the head with the ball, bro. Not an elbow, not the floor. I got hit in the head with the ball and I wasn't the same for three weeks.

Speaker 1:
[55:58] Are you serious? Yeah.

Speaker 2:
[55:59] Concussions are bad, man. He seems like he's got a bad one. Like it can be an ongoing thing that can sort of like mess up your life. I've also got punched in the head a bunch of times, which is also a factor.

Speaker 1:
[56:11] Wait, who threw the ball at your head?

Speaker 2:
[56:15] I was just playing pickup in Los Angeles and it was someone throwing a baseball pass. I got full court pass and I jumped up to block it and it hit me in the head. And I just wasn't saying.

Speaker 1:
[56:23] And you got a concussion?

Speaker 2:
[56:24] I wasn't the same for three weeks. Had to go to the doctor and everything.

Speaker 1:
[56:29] I'll be damned.

Speaker 2:
[56:30] Yeah, so the concussions are serious business, man. Serious business. Also don't recommend getting punched in the head when you have concussion issues. But those, I'm not going to tell those stories.

Speaker 1:
[56:39] Yeah, that's a good idea. All right, last two we need to mention. Pistons Magic.

Speaker 2:
[56:44] We haven't talked about the Thunder yet. Oh, Pistons Magic is a good one.

Speaker 1:
[56:49] No, Pistons Magic, because the Pistons, look, I talked about this regarding game one. That was a horrible representation of a team that I watched throughout this year. That won 56 games and was the one seed. Like, when they gave up 35 points in that first quarter and they, like, did not have, that was not their team. Like, I was like, what is this? And I know that, like, Orlando was coming off, winning that game against Charlotte and then turned around and, like, looked like they still had that confidence boost going. They were sharp. The other team looked dull and they came out and, like, they weren't defending. And then obviously, Durin was lame and it was like Cade and nothing else was going on. And I do think that there was a rush to judgment on them. And it was like, oh, this is what we knew. It's just going to be Cade and who else can do anything. But my whole problem was not the offense nearly as much because if they can, if they play the requisite defense that they have played throughout the season, they're going to get themselves a lot. Yeah, they're going to get themselves a lot more of easy bucket if they can. I was worried about their defense. They gave up 35 points in the first quarter and did not have the cut. And then the defense was there for game two.

Speaker 2:
[58:11] But it's like you can't say the defense was there. They held the magic to thirty two point five percent from the field. That's not from three from the field.

Speaker 1:
[58:21] I got it. But at halftime, the game was it was tied. And then they went on a thirty to three.

Speaker 2:
[58:26] That was ridiculous.

Speaker 1:
[58:27] Choked them out like boa constrictor. You can't score. You can't score. And that's what it takes to like fracture the magic. You when the magic start looking disjointed, they look really disjointed, right? And then they start trying to do it themselves and whatever. But it was that that defense that I know that the Pistons are capable of playing did not show up in game one. And it did show up in game two. I got it. Their backs against the wall, whatever. But I still I still feel very good about the Pistons. And I don't think that I thought there was a grand overreaction to to game one in a game that I thought the Pistons played like dog crap and the magic played awesome. And and I think it's probably back to a little more normal, which is here's a team that was fighting to play in the playoffs versus a team like all year long. I have been fighting for the Pistons to get respect from people that they won 56 games and their record against other good teams over and over and over and over was good. And to me, that was an indication. And to me, that was an indication that they're going to be just fine. But then as soon as they lost game one, it was like, ooh, the magic have big guys that the magic aren't scared of them. And the magic have better players.

Speaker 2:
[59:53] And they scored 83 points.

Speaker 1:
[59:56] Yeah, they couldn't. They got choked.

Speaker 2:
[59:57] 83 points. And Wagner.

Speaker 1:
[60:01] That there's a level of defense that the Pistons can play that if they if they bring their hard hats and their lunch pails and they play that defense, the magic cannot beat them.

Speaker 2:
[60:16] I'm sorry. Like you expect it from Thompson. Thompson had a couple of highlight defensive plays, but Stewart to me was like that when he blocked Suggs dunk. Yes, that was a dunk.

Speaker 1:
[60:26] I mean, Suggs looked like a Piston in game one, like all of them did. They were the ones fighting scrap and clawing and whatever. And I'm like, what is this friggin roll reversal? What is this? Why? What happened to the Pistons? I got used to watch it.

Speaker 2:
[60:45] So in game three, we just watched a bunch of games threes. Maybe we're overreacting to the home team winning game threes. But could you see it happening here? I can't. I can't.

Speaker 1:
[60:55] I just, I mean, could I see the Magic winning game three, but then losing game four, much like I think what's going to happen in the Hawks series? Yeah, I could. I could.

Speaker 2:
[61:05] I mean, I could see it. But I think in long term viability of the Pistons going deep in the playoffs into the finals, I feel like they need more from Jalen Dern. They need to figure out ways to get into better positions to score in the first. Yes, I agree with you. What I've seen in these two games, I've been like, where's that all-star? Where's the most improved player? Where's the breakout star? Guess what? Kade doesn't need a second scorer. He's got Jalen Dern because, man, it hasn't looked good.

Speaker 1:
[61:33] OK, and then the last series that we need to talk about. Do we? Well, this would be the one that if you think there's not going to be the home run Grand Slam effort in game three that ends up with a win. Now, let me just say this very quickly. I will remind you, because you bring this up.

Speaker 2:
[61:57] Grizzlies game three.

Speaker 1:
[61:58] A lot more than me.

Speaker 2:
[62:00] In Memphis, after game one and game two, they got absolutely curb-stopped in game one and game two.

Speaker 1:
[62:07] And they were up 30.

Speaker 2:
[62:09] Game three.

Speaker 1:
[62:11] If Morant never gets hurt, they run out. Oh, sweet.

Speaker 2:
[62:14] They win in six.

Speaker 1:
[62:15] No, they don't win the series.

Speaker 2:
[62:17] They win in six.

Speaker 1:
[62:18] They don't win the series, but they certainly don't lose game three.

Speaker 2:
[62:22] That's fair to say. You know, I'm glad you brought that up. I do bring that up all the time, but it's fair to say, because it is very similar. The Suns look like they have absolutely no chance. And I think that, again, much like the Durn getting going, let's look at these teams that we think are going to win, and sort of what they need to do to go deep, is you're going to need J-Dubb. You're going to need him. I know you guys are deep. I know you got a lot of players, but to win the championship, you're going to need J-Dubb.

Speaker 1:
[62:47] Well, and it's a hamstring. Again, falls into the Verno, hamstrings, calves, groin.

Speaker 2:
[62:54] But then they're like, well, it's not the hamstring. He hurt. And I'm thinking to myself, I'm like, is that a good thing or a bad thing? I don't know. Is that good or bad? It's like, well, it's not the one that was already hurt. It's like, well, so now he's got two compromised hamstrings. Is that better?

Speaker 1:
[63:08] Also, I was in a situation like this years ago, too, in a series that didn't feel like that. Memphis didn't have a chance, and you may remember, people could go back and find this press conference. But David Fisdale, after game two against San Antonio, said, they're rooking us. We're not going to get rooked. And then he said, take that for data.

Speaker 2:
[63:34] Take that for data, yeah.

Speaker 1:
[63:36] Take that for data, right?

Speaker 2:
[63:38] Didn't he fire that all season?

Speaker 1:
[63:40] No, it was the end of the next year.

Speaker 2:
[63:42] But did he ever coach the Knicks? I forget.

Speaker 1:
[63:45] Yes, he did. But they came into that game three, I will tell you, was an absolute hornet's nest. And they ended up winning that game. And Mark Gossel had a game winner and whatever else. In the series, they ended up losing, of course. But I would imagine that Phoenix is going to be absolutely rabid. It does remind me of that in that sense, where it's like Booker took to the podium for the first time in 11 years. So they hate the refs and they hate the other team, right? And they hate Gilgis Alexander and they hate Chet now. And like, there's like, there's smoke now, right?

Speaker 2:
[64:30] There's just not enough talent to back it up.

Speaker 1:
[64:32] There's not. No, no, no, no, no. Again, for one game, I'm saying, for one game, it would not shock me. I'll tell you, it wouldn't shock me. Sweet. It wouldn't shock me. It wouldn't shock me.

Speaker 2:
[64:42] It wouldn't shock me. Again, I understand what you're saying.

Speaker 1:
[64:46] Their owner is out there squeaning about it.

Speaker 2:
[64:48] Oh, my God.

Speaker 1:
[64:50] I'm just saying, it will be... Phoenix should be a hornet's nest, and it's not a must-win to Oklahoma City. They're like, fine, then we'll win game four, and then we'll beat you on our home floor in game five. This happens all the time, even in non-competitive series.

Speaker 2:
[65:05] All the time.

Speaker 1:
[65:06] All the time. You know what I mean? If there's one they piss away, if there is a game that Phoenix is going to win, it's three. Yeah.

Speaker 2:
[65:14] I don't see it happening. It's going to be fun this weekend.

Speaker 1:
[65:18] I will say this.

Speaker 2:
[65:18] We tape a game, what, Monday night?

Speaker 1:
[65:20] Yeah, Monday night. But I watched all those clips of everything Booker mentioned, and he is right.

Speaker 2:
[65:26] He's got a point, but again, but my thing is like, yeah, you're losing regardless. Take away all those calls. You lose the game by, instead of what, 18, you win by 14.

Speaker 1:
[65:35] I understand. That ain't the problem, bro.

Speaker 2:
[65:37] The problem isn't the refs. The tech was the one that was weird to me. That one was weird to me.

Speaker 1:
[65:42] Caruso literally told him to call the tech.

Speaker 2:
[65:47] If I'm that ref, I don't, you know, someone's going to call his phone and be like, like, what happened there? He has to explain it.

Speaker 1:
[65:55] Well, no, it's James Williams that you saw where, yeah, he's wearing the SGA in that picture, whatever.

Speaker 2:
[66:04] I'm excited for this weekend. I don't know how to tell my wife, like, I know there's a lot of birthday parties and you've got plans and you guys want to go to the movies and all of these things, but I have to work all weekend.

Speaker 1:
[66:16] Yeah, these bills don't pay themselves.

Speaker 2:
[66:18] Yeah, I have to, the lights, those, they turn off if I don't watch basketball for 12 hours on Saturday and Sunday.

Speaker 1:
[66:25] That's it.

Speaker 2:
[66:25] Yeah, so unless you want to just start buying candles.

Speaker 1:
[66:28] I will say, last weekend, I told you, what was it? It was the thunder and the sun.

Speaker 2:
[66:34] So I was so mad.

Speaker 1:
[66:36] Yeah.

Speaker 2:
[66:37] Pick your spots.

Speaker 1:
[66:38] I finally gave up. I was like, dude, I can't do this. I can't waste my whole Sunday on this.

Speaker 2:
[66:46] I make two door dash orders. I get like wing stop and then I get like something else gross. Then I get hungry again. I'm like, am I going to get my third gross meal? Like seriously.

Speaker 1:
[66:54] Yeah. Sixers, the game ones were so bad, but game twos and threes have been great. Great.

Speaker 2:
[67:02] Great. Let me end it by saying this. I felt so strong about one through four in the Eastern Conference going into the playoffs. Like I was like, these won't even be competitive series. And I could poke holes in the Pistons. I could poke holes in the Celtics. I could poke holes in the Knicks for sure. I could poke holes in every Caves, everybody.

Speaker 1:
[67:26] Somebody on this show said every Eastern series would go six.

Speaker 2:
[67:33] Me, right?

Speaker 1:
[67:33] This guy, this guy.

Speaker 2:
[67:35] All right, I'm out of here.

Speaker 1:
[67:36] I am, you know what?

Speaker 2:
[67:39] I'm out of here first. I'm out of here first. I said I'm out of here first.

Speaker 1:
[67:41] I'm out of here first.

Speaker 2:
[67:42] I'm out of here first. I'm out. I'm out. I'm gone.

Speaker 1:
[67:47] Thank you to Jeff. Thank you to Brian. I'll talk to you on podcast.

Speaker 2:
[68:03] Remember, you must be 21 or over and president in select states for Kansas in affiliation with Kansas Star Casino, or 18 and over and president in DC., Kentucky or Wyoming. Gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER or 1-800-MY-RESET, or you can call 1-88-789-777, or visit ccpg.org/chat in Connecticut, or you can visit mdgamblinghelp.org in Maryland. Hope is here, visit gamblinghelplinema.org, or call 1-800-327-5050 for 24-7 support in Massachusetts, or call 877-8HOPE-NY or text HOPE-NY in New York for Louisiana. Call 877-770-7867.