Loading summary
Transcript172 lines
- [00:01]
Adam Kaufman
Zootopia 2 has come home to Disney. Let's go get ready for a new case.
- [00:06]
Commercial Announcer
We're gonna crack this case and prove we're victorious partners of all time.
- [00:09]
Sean Grande
New friends.
- [00:10]
Commercial Announcer
You are Gary the Snake and your last name.
- [00:13]
Sean Grande
The Snake Dream Team hid new habitats. Zootopia has a secret reptile population. You can watch the record breaking phenomenon at home.
- [00:23]
Adam Kaufman
You're clearly working at Zootopia 2. Now available on Disney.
- [00:28]
Sean Grande
Rated PG Experience.
- [00:31]
Commercial Announcer
A membership that backs what you're building with American Express Business Platinum. Get 2 times Membership Rewards points per dollar on eligible purchases in key business categories, as well as on each eligible purchase of $5,000 or more on up to $2 million in eligible purchases per calendar year. American Express Business Platinum there's nothing like it. Terms apply. Learn more@americanexpress.com Business Platinum this episode is brought to you by Welch's Fruit Snacks. Big news for your kids Lunchbox. Welch's Fruit Snacks are now made without any artificial dyes. A snack parents can feel good about and the same delicious taste kids can't get enough of. All made with no artificial dyes. Try Welch's Fruit Snacks today.
- [01:21]
Adam Kaufman
Today is Saturday, April 25th and this is Celtics beat on CLNS Media, the leading online provider of audio video coverage of the Boston Celtics. I'm Adam Kaufman. Episode 673 features the longtime voice of the Celtics, Sean Grandy, not Evan Valenti.
- [01:38]
Evan Valenti
Today's show is powered by Prize Picks. Prize Picks is the official daily fantasy partner of CNS Media. Download the app today, use the promo code CLNS and get $50 in lineups when you play. $5.
- [02:00]
Adam Kaufman
Well, welcome in everybod addition to Celtics Beat and we are now three games into the opening round playoff series between our Boston Celtics and of course the Philadelphia 76ers. After a split in Boston, the seas wasn't easy, certainly wasn't pretty. But they take game three in Philadelphia to take a 21 series lead. Just a couple wins away from a gentleman's sweep. Will they get the job done? Or the Sixers, led by Tyrese Maxey going to make this thing difficult until inevitably a bitter end for Joellen Beat and company. I say that because he's watching in street clothes from the bench and may not even play in this series. And yet Boston continues to be his daddy, Adam Kaufman, M. Valenti and of course our good friend, long time radio voice, TV voice. He's all voice of the Celtics. Has been for quite some time. Sean Grandy and a good friend of mine over at Nessen. These days as well. Sean, welcome in. How you enjoying this series and did you get nervous at all on the call that this thing was going to go the other way in Game three?
- [03:06]
Sean Grande
They got to include streaming voice now too, right? In the new world that everybody's getting used to during the, during the first round of the playoffs. You know, I'm not really, as people point out, is not going the homer route. It's not really nerves that go on. I think you just recognize it was pretty apparent. I remember sitting in the seat last night and thinking the last playoff game that we did in Philadelphia was what I always referred to as the Marcus Smart game. People remember Jayson Tatum missing the first 12 shots or whatever he was, and then he hit those last four. And that was just sort of an instant classic game that Marcus Smart put his DNA on, which he completed the irony and the poetry on Friday night by winning that game for the Lakers and stealing that game for them. But I think you were very aware I said it several times during the fourth quarter to max. When this series is over, we're going to be talking about what is about to happen over the next four or five minutes and you got the feeling that some decisive minutes in a series were about to unfold and that's exactly what happened. And this could end up being that gentleman sweep you referred to. I'm not sure I'd use the word gentleman to describe the Celtics and Sixers because this was just old school scratch and claw. I think I refer to it as a tug of war with the rope in your teeth. Was was game three tonight. But the Celtics, who won games so many different ways this year, this is a brand new way for them to win. And for all the history that Jason and Jalen made on Friday night moving up that all time playoff scoring list, it's performances like that, games like that, winning road playoff games in Philadelphia, that's what creates your legacy. It's time to bring on the blooms at the Home Depot with Spring Garden deal. Find savings on hanging baskets and flowers to brighten your backyard or any space
- [04:54]
Evan Valenti
that needs instant color.
- [04:56]
Sean Grande
Then get everything you need to plant and protect them with low prices guaranteed on soil and mulch. Dig into Spring garden deals for four days at the Home Depot now through May 10th exclusion supply. See homedepot.com pricematch for details.
- [05:13]
Adam Kaufman
When you got that blowout win in game one, obviously the Garden to where people you know, like me are jumping onto Twitter, Twitter and looking at what Tatum is doing in his first playoff game since the injury. Obviously last May and going, oh my goodness. I mean this, this, they really may be a pushover. This might be easy. This is going to be a, a sweep going away. None of these games are even going to be competitive. And then Philadelphia comes out with the double digit win, lopsided win in Game 2, stealing one in Boston, which, you know, I, I wouldn't have been surprised. Going into the series I felt Boston in five. I would not have foreseen Philadelphia taking a game at the Garden. However, that did surprise me. But again, you chalk it up to not to do the old Doc Rivers make miss league thing, but shot variants and it's like, is Boston now How many games are the Celtics really going to have like this within a series? Well, they go out in Game 3 and again, wasn't a particularly pretty game. It was close largely throughout Boston, you know, kind of sort of pulled away toward the end, but not really. I mean it was an eight point win off an eight and a half point spread. So they didn't cover, but they end up winning the game. And it was one that was always within striking distance of Philadelphia taking the thing. You know, this may end up being Boston in five. When you look at it years from now, you look back and say, you know, it's kind of like that net series a few years back, right? Like the Celtics swept it, but it was the most competitive four game sweep that you could have possibly, you know, envisioned. Do you feel like this series has been more difficult than you thought it would be going in at least so far?
- [06:45]
Sean Grande
Maybe a little bit. But again, shot variance plays a big part of that. I'd also say what we have to do, and it's difficult to recognize when trends change so often. This element that we fall back on because we grew up at a time in the NBA where home court meant so much, we got to face some facts here. Home court is down to what, 55 to 58% in this league. It's not the impossible. I'm sitting next to a guy Friday night when the Celtics won game six in back to back years at the Spectrum, in 81 and 82 in the conference final, those felt like 20% games. Those felt. And your season is on the line. Those are games that you just don't win. Nowadays, putting aside the absurd numbers the Celtics have put up, which now is 24 and 11, I'll say it again, pause. So everybody heard me right. 24 and 11 in the last 35 playoff road games, which are supposed to be the toughest games to win. And the Celtics have won 24 out of 35. That's a simply absurd number. But the road isn't what it used to be. The nature of the games and, you know, shot variance and, you know, play drop coverage. You're not going to play drop coverage. And how's that going to work out? I thought the Celtics, if you want to call them adjustments, what you really saw in game three was they're going to continue to play some of that drop coverage, but when they do, you had Derrick White and Jaylen Brown chasing guys down from behind. As a result, you had 10 shot blocks in the game, and that was where you eked out the, you know, the margin difference on a night. It was so opposite right from the Celtics all year, who led the league fewest turnovers and they almost gave the way. It gave the game away on turnovers and some defensive rebounds they didn't get. It felt a lot like an early season game. Turnovers high, not getting rebounds. But this team has found a way to win games. And what I thought was so pretty about game three was that it wasn't pretty and that they won a game the kind of game that they hadn't won one really, this year.
- [08:36]
Evan Valenti
Yeah, it's been a lot of either blowouts or they just don't shoot the ball well and they get blown out themselves and life moves on. But like with this particular game, as you mentioned, I think like part of the experience that Jason and Jalen and Derek, you know, I'll throw Peyton in there because Peyton's been through a couple of battles with this particular group, but that's where the experience kind of comes into play. And, you know, both Jalen and Jason keep climbing ladders every single series where they're in a new, new group and a new group of Celtics creates a new group of Celtics greats. How much do you give the experience of the Jays early on in their career? Because they've had. I mean, you go back to Jason's rookie year. He's going against LeBron in Game 7. Now you're an opening series where you're. And we, and we've heard Jason talk about this where. I love playing on the road. I love shutting the crowd up. I love, I feel more comfortable playing on the road, these guys, because they've been so. Through many, through so many battles in their career so far. It feels like, as you mentioned, like the, the, the, the, the sway in whether teams win home games or not. Like Boston's won a ton of road games. How much is the experience these two Guys have had and they're in their, we'll call them longer, 10 years at this point. How much does that play into this thing? Because it doesn't seem like these guys. We might be rattled at home, like Adam, I'm sure you were a little
- [09:59]
Sean Grande
rattled in the fourth quarter.
- [10:01]
Evan Valenti
I was a little rattled in the fourth quarter. It's tight, you know, Phillies hanging around, but doesn't seem like Jalen and Jason get too high or too low here.
- [10:12]
Sean Grande
Maybe they don't because this is, what, the 15th consecutive series in which the Celtics have won a road game. Another ridiculous number. Why would you be. I think the one thing I overlooked, you know, when all of us were making our picks at the start of the year and anyone that thought the Celtics could get anywhere beyond 50, get wins this year is lying to themselves. But even those of us that had them in the, you know, the low mid-40s in a borderline play in playoff team. I think the thing that I, you know, there were obvious things that happened, players, you know, the contributions you couldn't have expected, the health, which was crazy good during the year, all that stuff that happens. But the one thing I overlooked that every coach brought up everywhere we went on the tour this year was the playoff experience and the championship experience and DNA of this team. And it really is a thing. So when you've been there before, you tend not to be as afraid. When they hand Peyton pressured a grenade with two on the shot clock fourth quarter, he's not afraid to take that shot.
- [11:10]
Evan Valenti
And he loves it.
- [11:11]
Sean Grande
He prefers it sometimes. Yeah, sometimes the lack of fear really does, really does play in a great example in this series. First of all, many years from now, we will look back and I guarantee you we're going to say, boy, the Sixers, horrific, overwhelming, embarrassing. Tank job last year was exactly the right thing to do because that dude they got is going to be special for a long time in this league. But he's going through his playoff learning curve now. It's happening in real time. He had a terrible first half in game one and then was better got his feet underneath him and then all of a sudden had no fear coming out in game two. But all of a sudden, defense changes. Suddenly pressure's on you when you're playing at home. So we're watching in real time Edgecomb go through what Tatum and Brown had to go through their, you know, their first year. But that's. That's an awful long time ago now with those two guys on a night that Jalen Brown jumped Robert Parish Robert Parish and a guy named Bill Russell on the Celtics all time playoff scoring list. And Jason Tatum became the fourth with 3,000 points in the postseason. And you just, at 28, by the way, 28 years old, you appreciate the outrageous playoff experience that this team has had. It does pay off. And it also helps when you're the better team. And what I said to Max at the end of the game tonight, everything that I've been using, obviously gap year satirically all year, but everything this gap year Celtics team did, all the games they won and everything they accomplished and they had the great scoring margin, but I kept saying at the time, but to win. And as excited as Jalen was about this whole year, he knew he was going to need his guy with him to make a run in the playoffs. And didn't this game illustrate that perfectly? That gap year team that scratched and caught its way to 56, they don't win that game tonight. You needed that. You needed the other dude out there. You needed both Jays out there. They are both great. They both did their things in very different ways. And that's. This is becoming the eastern conferences and maybe the NBA's worst nightmare, right. Is that I don't think, I don't know about you guys tonight. I didn't think about the injury at all tonight. And this might be the first time with Tatum and that as we're still what, 48 weeks or whatever, we are 49 weeks removed from the injury. The fact that we're not even thinking about it in playoff games with contact and stuff like that, that's remarkable.
- [13:33]
Evan Valenti
Kaufman, how many times did we talk on this show about like, I personally was nervous, I was like, you're going to bring Jason Tatum back in March and he's going to have 20 games to ramp up to get the playoff physicality. Like, I don't know if that's gonna work. Coffee played 42 minutes, 42
- [13:52]
Adam Kaufman
killings less
- [13:53]
Evan Valenti
than a year ago and he's played 42 minutes in a playoff game.
- [13:56]
Sean Grande
Yeah.
- [13:57]
Adam Kaufman
And obviously, you know, I know like Danny Ainge would always downplay plus minus and, and maybe in, in the case of this game, rightfully so. Because the guys who really stood out in that category were Jalen, were Jordan Walsh, were Peyton Pritchard, you know, Tatum was just a plus two.
- [14:12]
Sean Grande
But you look some respect on Jordan Walsh's name tonight. Kaufman put some respect on Jordan Walsh's name because those minutes he played.
- [14:20]
Adam Kaufman
We'll get there.
- [14:21]
Sean Grande
Believe you were against Maxi.
- [14:24]
Adam Kaufman
Yeah. No, I mean Tatum though, in the 42 minutes 25 points, efficient. 9 of 17 shooting, 5 of 9 from 3, 4 rebounds. Incredibly low total compared to, you know, the 14, obviously previously, but 7 assists. Turn the ball over one time. I mean, it's the thing that I was going to bring up with Tatum and there'll be enough shows out there in the Celtics podcast universe that breaks down Game three. We're more of a big picture show. And in the bigger picture, I like that you both acknowledge this because this is where I wanted to go next. Anyway. It has now been. I don't know if it's 20 games on the nose or, or roughly 20 games that, that Tatum has played since his return, but not only am I, you know, not thinking about the injury while I'm watching him at this stage, I'm, I'm kind of laughing, even just, just marveling at the fact that I always thought he was going to play again this year and I always felt he would be productive to a level when he did. But I did not envision watching Jason Tatum as I did in a game like Game three and have at other points since his return for that matter, and just be sitting there going, yeah, this looks like the guy before the injury. This isn't all that different. I thought there would still be levels, there would still be tears, there would still be like, yeah, he'll like he. Maybe he's 85% of himself, but we're not going to get the real Jayson Tatum experience. That guy that's capable of dropping 40 in a game and taking over a game and hitting these clutch buckets and making these defensive stops and rim protecting in the way that he can and playmaking in the way that he does and, and giving you the full Tatum experience.
- [16:09]
Commercial Announcer
This episode is brought to you by State Farm. You know, those friends who support your preference for podcasts over music on road trips. That's the energy State Farm brings to insurance. With over 19,000 local agents, they help you find the coverage that fits your needs so you can spend less time worrying about insurance and more time enjoying the ride. Download the State Farm app or go online@statefarm.com like a good neighbor, State Farm
- [16:33]
Adam Kaufman
is there in a playoff game inside a year of this injury. I thought, like, that's coming, you know, that's, that's September, October stuff that's not now. And the fact that he is doing this stuff now at the beginning of what could be, hopefully a two month playoff run, I mean, so much of it is a credit to him. So much of it is a credit and Obviously, training staff and everybody involved, but so much of it is, you know, just the medical marvels of science today, you know, But I. I can't get over Sean, that this reality, this. This universe exists off of what we thought this was going to look like if we even got to this point last May, when he's writhing around on the floor in circles at Madison Square Garden.
- [17:23]
Sean Grande
And now what's turning out to be the benefit is that those were 60 games he didn't play this year. And now you have a fresh Jason Tatum, who's obviously acclimating back from the injury. And that. That I don't think gets talked about enough is that while Jalen was carrying the load and like a lot of those uphill miles in Game three on Friday night, the whole season was like that for him, just grinding through it. While Jason Tatum, you know, is fresh coming back. He got a different perspective going to all the games, sitting on the bench for all the games. And I know history, you know, by the time we get many, many years from now, Jason Tatum will have had that surgery before the ball came back in bounds right in Game four. That's how fast it took. But that turnaround. There was an article in the Wall Street Journal a couple of days ago about this, that this is going to be the new standard, right, for having that surgery, from what we've seen from Jason Tatum about not waiting and getting it done right away, and that, you know, some of the critical moments are going to be him being talked into it. Let's do it now. You're here, we're here. Let's have a surgery right now. And that's. That's going to be a big factor as well. But I was someone who was all along. He should come back and play this year. But I never. I thought he was coming back to a team with 20 games left. The number of games he played in the minutes was exactly what I thought it should be and thought that it would be. But the difference was I thought he'd be coming back to a team that was at.500, not 20 games over.500, with the fourth best scoring differential in the league. And that's where this. I think some of his hesitation had to do with this season going so much better than anybody had a right to imagine. And all of a sudden, the seeds of a playoff run, which I didn't think were going to be there. We probably had this conversation before the season. I thought Tatum coming back was going to make the Celtics a scary live underdog in the first round. You know, as a lower seed going to, you know, Orlando, who they almost played, maybe even Philadelphia, they were going to play a higher seeded team in the first round and be scary because they had, they had Tatum back, how he could acclimate and how the team is acclimated around him and all these things that have happened. It's just obviously when you win a playoff game, you're going to feel good. But what a feel good night to have in game three. Vucc, which have his best game as a Celtic or one of the best games he's had as a Celtic at the most important time when he had to because Katie got in foul trouble. Jordan Walsh playing the ministry played because he had to, because you know, he had to step in front of Maxi and slow him down. Luca Garza playing, giving you four good minutes because he had to because of all the foul trouble. And almost everybody did what they bailed a Shireman making big plays. And that was, this was the ultimate gap year Celtics game with the return of Jason Tatum and having him there to push you over the top. And by the way, as I said, when it happened in real time, say whatever you want about Derrick White's shooting for the next 48 hours or beyond. Don't ever, ever talk about Derrick White not making plays. Because when the game's on the line, he made the play tonight. This game three Friday night was Derrick White season made amazing. His defense was on point on the ball the entire game. He moved around, forced turnovers, he blocked shots, made at a big offensive rebound. He just shot poorly as he has all year. And it's funny that the guy who shot so poorly, everyone will talk about that, but no one will tell you who led the entire Eastern Conference in plus minus this year. Derek White did.
- [20:39]
Evan Valenti
What's crazy is he had a great game after getting his bell rung in the first 35 seconds of the game.
- [20:44]
Sean Grande
I mean he went right away and,
- [20:46]
Evan Valenti
and I'm like, I'm like, oh. Because like, you know, look, look, I think we all have a little bit of an envision of how this is going to go. Boston, obviously, we all hope that this is going to go on a little bit longer than just the first round. And a big key to that is Derrick White being Derek White now. Yeah. Is he gonna shoot a little better? Maybe. We'll see how it goes. But Derek White, regardless of whether he's shooting well or not, is still a very impactful player for the Celtics. He's incredibly important to what they do. And I saw him go down and stay down and then like kind of shake it off and, and you know, be a trailer and not. And then he has to pick up Maxi. It's like, oh, goodness, this is really brutal. He went to the free throw line and I thought maybe, like maybe after this is done, maybe they'll take him out and see what's wrong with him. But then he just kind of recalibrated and was. Good old Derek White again. Yeah, he's not shooting the ball well, but he gives the game everything else the game needs. I mean, if, if Derrick White shoots the ball, well, it's three nothing right now and nobody's talking about anything.
- [21:41]
Sean Grande
How many games would the Celtics have won this year? If Derrick White had a good. Had a big shooting year, how many more games would they have won? So it's kind of, it's. It's crazy to think about that that's still there. If and when the Celtics, you know, need something and get in trouble in one of these series, you still could have a couple of these big Derrick White games shooting the ball in addition to everything else. But, you know, as last year's Tatum injury proved, it's a million things we've seen all the time prove. You never know where history is about to turn with an injury, with a big shot or, you know, this game was Friday night game. Game three was completely up for grabs with four or five minutes left. It obviously could have gone either way. And that's. You mentioned the net series in 21, the series two years earlier, three years earlier against Philadelphia here in Philadelphia. I don't know if you notice, I got this. Those of you watching on YouTube, I have this beautiful city of Philadelphia shot behind. So quieter, cool, quieter in town tonight than they hoped, than they hoped it would be. But remember the 2018 series. That was a five game series in which the games were very, very close. There was. I think there was one. The Sixers blew out the Celtics in Game 4. But you had the Bell and Ellie confetti game was game three. Most of those games could have gone either. It's remembered as a 4:1 series. I know they draw it years later. They had tried. They tried to. There's a little backstory on that with our social media department who didn't know what to do. If you remember the following year, which turned out to be the pandemic year in 2020, the Sixers won the first three games of the season series. That year they were 30 against the Celtics. And they put out this tweet saying the Celtics, you know, the Sixers win the season series from the Celtics, whatever. And it was a big, like, celebratory thing. And our social media people at the time were a little shook. They didn't know how to respond. And so, you know, they didn't really. And I just remember waiting and waiting. And if you remember in the bubble, the Celtics swept the Sixers and after it was over. And I've never participated in any of this sort of homer stuff, but I was stepping up for our social media department after the Celtics swept them. I, quote, tweeted that tweet they had put out that night. And I said, drop the confetti Lily again, huh? No, because this is. This is what matters. But I. I just told people, appreciate how many nights there have been like this for the Celtics when so many. I got texts Friday night from different broadcasters around the league. They were listening to our, you know, our broadcast. I assume a lot of people maybe don't have Amazon, so. But a lot of people were listening to the broadcast. Right? And. And, you know, texting about it. And it just made me realize how many of these. How lucky Max and I have been. Forget the job we do put that aside. How many of these stages, how many of these stories we have been able to tell where the Celtics, as I just said, won 24 road playoff games in the last five years. How many teams will go 10, 15, 20 years and not get 24 playoff games to play it, let alone wins on the road? So it's just. This goes back to last year in New York for game six. I know Celtic fans was terrible night, and the Knicks finally beat the Celtics in a playoff series and got to the conference finals for the first time in 25 years. People were mocking them a little bit for celebrating wins in that series. And it's gotten to the point where Max and I have done 10 conference finals, 10 in 25 years. And the Knicks had been to zero until that night. And what Celtic fans, some of them essentially were doing, were turning their nose up at a meal that other people were starving for. Just a crumb, just a little taste of that meal that is no longer good enough for you getting to the conference finals. So I hope playoff series wins and playoff road wins, and you can appreciate that, especially this year, that's why I hated this narrative that the Celtics were somehow favorites in the Eastern Conference. I was begging for that not to happen because this is your house money year. And one of the reasons you keep bringing up the gap year thing, and obviously it's Satire at some level. But this was the year the Knicks had to win. This was the year the Pistons had to win. This is the year the Cavs had to win because the Celtics and the Pacers and what weren't going to be involved in it. And now here the Celtics again just crashing the party. So I hope you enjoy, let the pressure, because I promise you come October, think about what the expectations are going to be for the Celtics next year when Tatum comes back healthy. I promise you the huge expectations and the burden that comes with it, it's all coming back. So don't take it on now. Enjoy the house money that's falling out of your pockets and enjoy nights like Friday.
- [26:09]
Adam Kaufman
Some of the things that you said, I'll. I'll put them all together in, in one little piece here. Obvious. And some of this is a, I don't know, Celtics bias or snottiness or whatever the right word for it would be. But there were, there was a viral clip that went around. You mentioned games on Amazon. Taylor Rooks obviously anchors the coverage on Amazon there. In terms of the sign the studio.
- [26:31]
Sean Grande
This is going to be about the Patriots coach. Is it the viral thing that went around?
- [26:34]
Adam Kaufman
No, no. Something incredibly different. No, I. Not, not that a number of NBA players haven't tried according to what you see on social media. But no, Taylor was running around the studio going nuts after I guess her. I didn't know she was an Atlanta Hawks fan, but I guess her Hawks, you know, with, with that dramatic win to take the 21 series lead. You know, she's going crazy and high fiving Dirk and Blake and all these guys like celebrating like she just won, you know, they just won a championship or something. And all I could look at was like, you know, congrats on your 2:1 series. You know, first round series lead. Like it's, I mean, you know, act like you've been there before a little bit, but that is, but that's right, that, that's.
- [27:14]
Sean Grande
You're supposed to celebrate. You're supposed to celebrate moments like that in games like that. And I think you lose a little bit of it when you get so spoiled winning over and over again. You gotta, you gotta enjoy game 14 of the season in Toronto. You gotta enjoy the little things that happen and not just turn your nose up on every little thing and just expect you're gonna walk backwards. I know.
- [27:38]
Adam Kaufman
Game thing.
- [27:39]
Sean Grande
I know. Yeah.
- [27:41]
Evan Valenti
Season starts in January, you know.
- [27:43]
Adam Kaufman
That's right. Yeah, pretty much. We. Sean brought this up. We appreciate everyone hanging out with us and Checking out the show on YouTube if you are of course the CLNS media all access page is where you can find this show. So many other great Celtic shows as well. If you want the audio version specifically, it's available to you wherever you get your podcast rate Review Most importantly, subscribe we are going to take a quick break and tell you about our good friends and a little competition we got going on courtesy of our friends at Prize Picks. Quick break to tell you. Today's show is powered by Prize Picks. The playoff push. It's heating up and there is no better way to cash in. And if you are right on the high flying hoops action then Prize Picks. America's number one sports picks app. Every bucket, every dime, every win. It means more when you are playing on Prize Picks and with their brand new team picks markets you can now pick game winners, spreads totals on top of all the player picks that you already know. Sakashin, if you are right during all the clutch buckets, slam dunks and Cinderellas throughout the spring and into the summer with team picks on Prize picks Kaufman,
- [28:54]
Evan Valenti
we have a very fun situation here on clns. We have been challenged to a prize picks duel. You and me, John Zanis, Jimmy Toscano, we are going to go head to head for a while. Those the Garden Report. No, those clowns, those absolute clowns. They have no clue. I, I, I have a lot of faith in us. Whichever one of us comes out of this little battle to take on whoever wins over there, I think we're going to be fine. But we're you and I are going head to head. Jimmy and John are going head to head. Then I think as we get throughout the playoffs the winner of you and me take on the winner of Jimmy and John and we'll figure out some grand prize for the winner in our prize fix lineups. So I, I sent you this text message earlier today. Hey buddy, I need, I need some prize picks for Saturdays night slate round one so we have a crossover. You and I both have selected Cade in his points rebounds assist number at 43 and a half. I went less than and you went more than. So we already have a connection here. Cunningham, I love this. We're, we're directly in competition here. Cade. I am less than 43 and a half points, rebounds, assists. You're more than.
- [30:07]
Sean Grande
I don't feel great about it.
- [30:08]
Evan Valenti
I won't lie to you that the
- [30:09]
Adam Kaufman
box scores in front of me. If I'm not mistaken though, he has gone over this number each of the first two games.
- [30:15]
Evan Valenti
Yeah he just barely got over it in game two. So I, I, I, I don't feel great, but I feel like on the road maybe Orlando can, can hone him in. This is where you and I differ the next two. So I went Jaylen Green, more than one and a half, three pointers made now Jalen Green's been getting them up. He's gonna shoot him whether they're going or not. We'll see. But he's gonna be at home. So I have a better, better shot there. And then I got an easy one here. Shay Gilgis Alexander, more than 24 and a half points for game three against the Suns.
- [30:48]
Adam Kaufman
You, yes, you sent it to me.
- [30:50]
Evan Valenti
You have Paulo Bankero more than 20 and a half points. He's gonna be at home first Detroit. So I like that number pretty, pretty much pretty good. And then Devin Booker who's been spectacular for Phoenix and albeit a losing effort, he, you have Devin booker more than 23 and a half points. So what we're going to do and I think we'll tally up individual parts of the lineup to see who has more correct parts of the lineup because like you know, I'm a flex play guy.
- [31:16]
Adam Kaufman
You're a flex play guy.
- [31:18]
Evan Valenti
My flex play Friday came in, I actually won money even though I only got two out of three right. I actually, I got more than the $5 I put in. I got a couple more dollars extra. I can only do a $5 play, was the max play for that. But we're gonna do legs of lineup and at the end, whoever has the most legs correct is gonna be the one that faces the winner of Jimmy and John over on ground Report. I have the most faith in us to, to beat the both of them. So I'm not really considered, I'm not concerned about it. But you're going down, brother.
- [31:46]
Adam Kaufman
I got this. I just can't believe, I can't believe that it looked good on you for even noticing this was there.
- [31:52]
Sean Grande
You tell yourself no one wants your college era band tees.
- [31:57]
Adam Kaufman
People are searching for exactly what you've got.
- [31:59]
Sean Grande
You once paid a small fortune for
- [32:01]
Adam Kaufman
them at merch stands. Now a teenager who calls them vintage will offer that same small fortune back.
- [32:07]
Sean Grande
Sell them easily on Depop. Just snap a few photos and we'll
- [32:11]
Adam Kaufman
take care of the rest. Who knew your questionable music taste would
- [32:14]
Sean Grande
be a money making machine.
- [32:16]
Adam Kaufman
Your style can make you cash start
- [32:18]
Sean Grande
selling on Depop where taste recognizes taste.
- [32:23]
Adam Kaufman
To be able to have SGA at 25 plus points. See that's just a, that's a freebie. That's a cheat code line right there.
- [32:30]
Evan Valenti
This is the guy that's been doing prize picks reads for several, several, several months and knows what to look for when you're looking for these things. I gotta lay up, buddy. I gotta. Yeah, if we get turned, then we have a different. We have a different conversation. But I'm feeling very confident at least in two of the three of my legs. And look, folks, if your lineup's on fire, this is not happening to me. Like ever happened to me one time and I texted about it, see if I want to cash out and goes, no, let it ride. Of course didn't work out for me in the end. But let's say your lineup's on fire with Price Fix. Price Fix will offer you early payouts. Again, it has happened to me, but it could happen to you. And look, in getting your money from Price Fix could not be any easier. I use Venmo. Literally rolls in your Venmo account. Whether you want to link your, your bank account, your debit card, your Venmo account, whatever, in the littlest 15 minutes. Adam, the money that you win via prize picks will be in your account in 15 minutes or less, buddy.
- [33:24]
Adam Kaufman
It's just that simple. So download the prize picks app. Do it today. Use code CLNS. You get $50 in lineups after playing your first for only $5. Again, download the prize picks app. Do it now. Promo code CLNS. Get $50 in lineups after playing your first five dollar lineup. Prize Picks Predict is a registered FCM offering team picks and culture picks as event contracts. Trading involves significant risk. Not for all. The content provided is for only informational and educational purposes and does not constitute investment advice. A recommendation to trade any commodity interest or an offer to open an account. Celtics beat is not registered with the CFTC or nfa. Nor of course is clns. Price Picks Predict does not endorse or guarantee any statements made by third party promoters or or influencers. Please consult with a qualified professional before making any trading decisions. Back here with Sean and Ev and so. All right, Celtics, as we know, up to one in this series. That's a wonderful thing. Now, bigger picture. Again, I don't worry about Boston getting past Philadelphia again. I think it's going to happen in five games. If it takes six, it takes six. I don't have any worries, barring injury, obviously about Boston not moving on to the next round. But if we're looking at how the Celtics have played largely over the last two games and game one was great, you Know, I think you look at it, you say, not quite good enough to get past some of the better teams in the east, let alone the entire NBA. And most people feel the west is better in the East. So some of those issues. Sean, I obviously want your perspective in terms of, you know, the origin of some of those issues and what needs to be corrected going forward this series and beyond. But I do want to start with one specific player who a lot of people have been very, very critical of on social media in their text threads, on shows like this. Ev we have not been absent in these discussions.
- [35:33]
Evan Valenti
Nope.
- [35:34]
Adam Kaufman
Nicola Vucevich, who obviously was brought in in that deal for Anthony Simons, a guy who, you know, obviously didn't finish the season out healthy there in Chicago. But, you know, if. If in some, you know, alternate world he were still in Boston and were healthy, he'd be a certain level of scoring punch off the bench that, you know, Vucevich is. Has very inconsistently been since his arrival. Not that he was necessarily brought in, you know, specifically for that purpose. It was more about rim protection and rebounding and different things that, you know, he also hasn't really brought yet. Now, if you look at game three, he had some moments. He had some big shots, he had some big defensive moments, but largely, I would say another game that was honestly pretty disappointing from Vucevic and what has been a. A stretch of disappointing play from Vucevic, defensively in particular, offensively unreliable. And there seems to be, and maybe you can shed some light on this, just a real infatuation from Joe in playing Vucevich in certain situations. To where you look, Joe knows a hell of a lot more about basketball than I do. But I. I sit there and watch. I think a lot of Celtics fans sit there and watch and say, man, like, would these minutes not be better suited for Garza than they are for Vucevich being first man off the bench in these situations? How have you felt about the Vuch experience thus far?
- [36:59]
Sean Grande
Well, as we say, when the truck pulls up at the start of a long road trip, there's a lot to unpack there and everything that you just said. So first of all, I don't agree with you that Buccovic was disappointing in game three. I thought he was a huge part of what Celtics were doing in game three. I thought it was one of his better games. As a Celtic, I tend to lean towards the. Not fitting in part a little bit more with you than I am with. I defer to the coaches because obviously I've asked Joe this on several occasions. He does love. He loves the pick and roll defense. He loves what Vuchevic gives them. Spreading the floor something he wanted and knocked down some shots against game three. He has not done that regularly. I think looking back, we're never really going to know what it could have been because what the only ill timed injury obviously outside of Tatum, the only thing the Celtics dealt with all year was the second Tatum got back. That's the game that Vuchevic got hurt and so they weren't able to play those 10 or 15 games together with him in the regular rotation. I see what people are saying and I think falling in love with the gap year Celtics meant falling in love with Luca Garza. And I love Luke. I don't want to leave. Don't let me leave Simons because I want to get back to that too. But I love Luca. How could you not love the way Luka Garza plays? But for all the things you're seeing with Vuchevic, look at the numbers with Garza on the floor defensively versus Vucovic. It's not close. It's not close. And there's more to being, you know, mobile and obviously block some shots in game three. But there are things that happen with the team defensively, things that Garza can't. Garza was part of this land of misfit toys that Joe Missoula used perfectly throughout the course of the year. I couldn't. How could you not be thrilled with the season that Luca Garza had, the opportunity the Celtics gave him and how he performed even in game three in the four minutes that he played in the second quarter. But again, I see a lot of the things you're saying and you're talking about but when the coaches tell me this is why we're using Vuchevic and this is what's working, you know, I throw up my hands and I defer to them. There is no one who is driving the bandwagon more for Anthony Simons than me. And my partner throughout the course of the year could not have been happier with Simons. The year he had for the Celtics and his attitude with the way he was coming off the bench when he had been a starter in the NBA the last few years. I 10 out of 10, no notes for Anthony Simons on his year. But I'll pose the following question which can be rhetorical or not. Where Simon's. Where those minutes coming from now who's not playing? So. So who's not playing? You want Simon's look like 26 minutes off the bench now gives you that dangerous bench score, which is frustrating when they didn't get the scoring obviously in Game two. Whose minutes are you taking? Taking Peyton Pritchard's minutes away, taking Derek White's minutes away. Are you a better team? It was a fit. I understand. And there are other people that twisted into this whole the salary cap and getting under the tax and there are people who will say, I've never seen fans so excited about billionaires saving money. I've never seen people more excited about teams not, you know, mad about team saving money. Like it wasn't a good thing for the Celtics that they did all this and that Brad pulled this salary cap and tax sorcery that he pulled at the trade deadline. I understand the optics of Ucvich and Simons, but nobody looks at the other side. And if Simons fought his way through unhappiness here and now we're also putting aside the injury. Whether it was real or not. It was Chicago Bulls tanking injury. It was a real injury. Where are the Simons minutes coming now with this group? Think about what just happened Friday night in Game three and tell me whose minutes Simons is taking. And if you'd rather have Simons than Pritchard, then you'd rather have Simons than Pritchard. But remember when Simons got here, we were having the same Simons Pritchard conversation that we're having now about Vucevic and Garza. Fans got used to their guy and they didn't want Simons coming in taking Peyton Pritchard's match because there was this new guy. I don't know him. Butch's, you know, he's, he's been around the block. Do I think this is the ideal series for Vucovic Philadelphia? No, I don't because of the speed they have in the perimeter and it makes the drop coverage a lot more dangerous. But that said, I, I just refuse to believe the Celtics are worse off from a roster composition standpoint point. Everybody knew by the way Tatum was coming back. That was part of the Simons thing too. So more than one thing can be true and often is that Simons was great in the role he was brought here to play. But again, I'll pose the rhetorical question. Everyone can think about it. Whose minutes is Simons taking if he's here now and playing 25 minutes off the bench?
- [41:31]
Evan Valenti
I'm taking Baylor Shireman's say that right now and I have been one of the best, biggest Shireman fans out there. I love the way he plays, I think he gives them something different than
- [41:43]
Adam Kaufman
you moving on to Baylor. You, you don't have anything to say?
- [41:45]
Evan Valenti
No, he, he meant he, it's, it's no, he. What, what are we doing? I'm picking up the conversation where it left.
- [41:52]
Adam Kaufman
All right. I'm just curious.
- [41:53]
Evan Valenti
I, I, he's not taking Charman's minutes for me, I, I, I've been a big advocate for Shireman. I think he gives him something different than a Hauser gives them. He's not just a floor spacer, he's a great rebounder, he plays great defense, he moves the basketball, puts on the floor a little bit. I've loved the Baylor Charman experience. He's not taking a guy like Jordan Walsh, who's out there to be a pest on defense that's very valuable. He rebounds the basketball very well for a guy his size and he didn't score in Game 3. But he's a guy that finishes, you know, inside the, in the cup and he gives them great defense. But the Vuchevic thing is tough because that injury, as Sean spoke about, we don't talk about it enough. They're trying to get Vuchovic in the mix in the hardest games humanly possible. Like it's this, these are playoff minutes. They're trying to get Vuch to get, find some rhythm, get fit in with his group and find his footing defensively and offensively and figure out where the pockets are and how to play off Tatum, how to play off Brown and play off white. It's not easy. It's easier for Garza to do it. He's been doing it all season. He's been around, he's been available. I actually think the, the Vucovic trade made Garza better. I think he was pissed when they brought him in and I think he played harder. If it was even humanly possible for Garza to play harder, I fell in love with it too. I'm not lying, but I, I get frustrated with the Butcher Mitch minutes because he just looks a little bit slower out there. But as Sean pointed out, this is a guy that's facing some competition that has lightning quick speed on the outside and he gets, it's a little lost out there. But the value of boots on, would you argue, would come later in the playoffs when you're playing a team like maybe the Knicks who like to play two bigs at the same time, or a team like Detroit who's got a, a cavalry of bigs with two guys in Duran, who's a Man child. I think he's what, 22 years old and he looks like he's 28 and. And looks like he could play tight end for the Patriots tomorrow. And they have Isaiah Seward who's a big tough, brawler, bruiser type of guy as you said. I think maybe the great series for him. But I think the idea of Vuja Vichon is this is not, this is not for him that we'll need Vuch later on further down the road and we're gonna have to take our lumps right now. Is that what you're seeing out there?
- [44:11]
Sean Grande
Trades don't get made because of one game or one thing that happens. But let's remember Martin Luther King game that night in Detroit when Katie got pushed around, he got bullied and you left the building that night thinking that the Celtics are going to have an awful lot of difficulty with their roster as compromised beating the Pistons in a seven game series. Obviously a lot changed. Tatum wasn't back yet. Cade Cunningham hadn't had the injury yet. You know, who knows, right with Detroit. But that was a big factor in needing another big and experienced big. And listen, you're not. This is an all star Nikola Vuchev. It's just point is that he doesn't have to be to give you significant minutes. And by the way, Garza's number which got called in game three is going to continue to get called. This is the idea that this is a 10, 11 man group. That's not going to change. But the matchups certainly do change. And when it's the Knicks and it will be the Knicks, it's going to be those, you know, they do play the double Vics. Yeah, I said it. I'll go, I'm going to go one step further. You want a little hot take, Hot take theater from a guy that doesn't partake in it.
- [45:14]
Adam Kaufman
Yeah.
- [45:14]
Sean Grande
Nixon. Nixon. Nixon. Six.
- [45:17]
Adam Kaufman
Wow. Just going to win out. You don't believe in what you've seen from the Hawks so far?
- [45:23]
Sean Grande
I believe that the Hawks have been a very difficult matchup as we thought they would be. I love everything they did. Who could imagine how they reinvented themselves right after Trae Young? And by the way, of all the teams, we made a reference earlier to Marcus Smart, you know, like sticking it to Houston and imei. How many teams are kicking themselves now? But none more than the Houston Rockets who lost their point guard in the preseason, had all year to trade for CJ McCollum the entire first half of the year. They could have added McCollum didn't do it and now they're watching him. But I've watched CJ McCollum become one of the greatest clutch players in the playoffs for three games that we have seen these incredible wing defenders making life difficult for Jalen Brunson. Them capitalizing on the fact that they are two.
- [46:10]
Adam Kaufman
You don't wash your jersey during a win streak. You don't switch seats when your team's up big and you definitely don't shave during the playoffs. When things are working, you don't change them.
- [46:20]
Sean Grande
That's why when you drink Jagermeister, you
- [46:22]
Adam Kaufman
drink it ice cold.
- [46:23]
Sean Grande
Anything else, well, that'd just be bad luck. Drink it cold or don't drink it at all.
- [46:28]
Adam Kaufman
Jagermeister.
- [46:30]
Sean Grande
Damn, that's cold. Drink, drink responsibly. Jagermeister liqueur 35% alcohol by volume imported by Matt Jagermeister US White Plains, New York. I want none plus defensive players right in Karl Anthony Towns and Jalen Brunson. Mikhail Bridges was one of the great no shows in recent playoff history. Everything I've just listed and the Hawks beat the Knicks twice by a single point. That that's my argument if I'm making one for the next. And also you want to be contrarian right now, talk to a Knicks fan right now. If you can get them off a bridge to talk to them, they are in full on panic. I was talking after game two. They were in brutal spirits and I know. And by the way, when I was referencing earlier about the expectations the Knicks and Celtics this year, statistically win loss wise, they had very similar seasons. Who had an amazing fun filled, joyous season and who had an angst filled kick the dog, I'm miserable season? The Knicks did. Even though this is one of the best Knicks seasons in the last 25 years. What's the wild card there? What's the secret sauce? Expectations ruin it. Comparison is not the thief of joy. Expectation is the thief of joy. And we've seen it with New York all year. They're still a really good team. They're a tough matchup for the Celtics and I. Maybe even tougher than Detroit. Listen, could the Hawks win this series? Of course they could. But if you want to be contrarian and do hot take theater, I think there's a very legitimate. I don't think it's insane to think that the next win win three in a row.
- [48:13]
Adam Kaufman
Well, let's keep going with this for a second. We all look so much of being a sports fan is the story and the drama and the narrative we all want Celtics, Knicks. We all want Jason Tatum to march back into Madison Square Garden healthy and go nuclear and take over that series. And what was supposed to be this again, gap year, rebuilding, retooling, restructuring, re. Whatever season for Boston, where the Knicks are all of a sudden Eastern Conference contenders. Oh, no.
- [48:50]
Evan Valenti
Hold.
- [48:51]
Adam Kaufman
Hold my beer. And Jason Tatum goes crazy. And the Knicks are sent packing once again. And Boston once again makes it to the Final Four. We all want that. I understand. But if we're looking at it as just matchups, are the Hawks a more desirable matchup for Boston? Presuming, you know, the, the, you know, as, as, as things are right now, status quo continues. Or is it the Knicks and the familiarity there?
- [49:19]
Sean Grande
No, I think. I think the Hawks are. Easier. Is the wrong word to use. I think the Knicks pose more problems for the Celtics. It's just the way the matchups are. And they've got the tough. Listen, the Wings are going to make it difficult. Daniels and Alexander Walker and Jalen Johnson, they'll make it difficult, but so will Og Anunoby and Mikhail Bridges for, you know. Right. For New York. So you have. The Knicks have that, and they've got more playoff experience. And I think it's a tougher place to play in New York. When they turn. Madison Square Garden can be home court disadvantage or a home court advantage. The Knicks determine that by how they play. But I've seen road teams like the Celtics many, many times can go in there and turn that crowd. But. Yeah. Does the league want. Does everybody want it? Who are you talking to? That's. I eat storylines like that for breakfast. That's how. That's. That's where I eat is on Knicks, Celtics for the second consecutive year, and all the drama that comes with it. So obviously, it's just been on this. That felt very much to me like manifest destiny. So could the Hawks play spoiler? They could. I just. I don't see C.J. mcCollum has a couple more games in him like that. You just, you tip your hat. But I just think this is. I feel if you listen very closely, you can hear the thuds of all the people jumping off the next bandwagon right after the last couple of days and a difficult environment. But I, I believe in those guys. Jalen Brunson, by the way, here's a great. Is Jalen Brunson a defensive liability? Yeah, he is. He's been a defensive liability his whole life, and he's won a national championship, been the clutch player in the league, and he brought The Knicks to their first conference finals in 25 years, and he's still the same defensive player that he was. I just, I have. I'll put it this way, my belief in the Knicks really hasn't wavered so suddenly when everybody else's has. Suddenly I seem like the biggest, you know, Nick Believer left because so many have jumped off the bandwagon. I just, I think this is the time you, this is when you find out. And that's a group. To me, you want to ride with Brunson just like you want to ride with Tatum and Jalen Brown and their playoff experience when they're in a tough situation, which, you know, 24 hours ago, the Celtics were in that situation. They didn't have home court they had worked for all year, yet that extra day off for people to talk themselves into all kinds of disaster, right? And that, that play, that's a big psychological factor. And now, you know, one game, a few minutes goes the Celtics way and series has shifted back towards them. And I think we all know, I think the Sixers, you know, they could play well. Maxi could have that big game. You know, maxi got us 31 Friday, but it took him 31 shots to get there. That big 40 point maxi game could be there, but I think we all know the recipe. The ingredients for a Celtics walkaway win are there in every game. And if it happens, it happens on Sunday. We know how this is going to play out.
- [52:03]
Adam Kaufman
Look, I had Nixon 7 going into that series, so I'm still alive. I don't know about, but we need,
- [52:08]
Evan Valenti
we need, we need that. We need, like, we. The Celtics have sort of outlasted some of their rivals. Like the Philly thing, you know, that was, you know, when, when Embiid was younger and they had, you know, Ben Simmons and, you know, the Jays were just cutting their teeth. Like, yeah, there was a little bit more of a rival that's kind of like, kind of gone by the wayside. Miami, you know, continues to hang around, but, you know, Miami didn't get out of the playing game this year and, you know, some bad, some legitimate battles in the Eastern Conference finals with Jimmy Butler and Bandana Bio and what the devil Magic the Heat seemed to figure out every year where Caleb Martinson shots and Kate Vincent's on fire and all of a sudden they don't. They disappear the next round. You know, they've. They've had those guys. They, they took care of Giannis in Milwaukee. And all, all accounts, Giannis will be, you know, changing laundry shortly with whatever Next team he's on. It's just good to have some real teeth in a rivalry and it feels like between the playoffs last year, some previous ones and the regular season, there's some real teeth to Nick. Celtics that hasn't been there in a while and, and look, the Boston New York rivalry is always going to be hanging around whether it's, you know, Patriots and Giants. The jets have been a doormat for decades, but Sox, Yankees is obviously way up there. Knicks, Celtics wasn't this week. Well look, we're not talking about that. We're not going there. You know, poor Payton Toy.
- [53:40]
Sean Grande
Did you see that? Did you. You guys don't appreciate this because I always put out these crazy stats. Do you see the stat that the Red Sox had the lowest batting average in a series against the Yankees that they've ever had out of the 206 series have ever been between Reds.
- [53:55]
Evan Valenti
They hit.140. All about, it's all about run prevention. That's, that's a big buzzword.
- [54:01]
Adam Kaufman
They didn't need that power bat that they talked all about in the off season. Ah, they're good. Who needs it?
- [54:07]
Sean Grande
I think. Well, I guess, I guess Friday night I didn't see the game obviously because I was working but I guess Brian Baio wasn't really nibbling around the edges if he gave a five home run. So I guess there's, there's progress there. I simply can't. But I, I'm not, we're not going. I can't believe how bad this has been.
- [54:21]
Adam Kaufman
Did you see the tweet about the pyrotechnics in Baltimore?
- [54:25]
Sean Grande
No.
- [54:25]
Adam Kaufman
That they, they, they put up on the scoreboard. This was an actual thing, not like some AI generated whatever they put on the scoreboard. A big, you know, message to the fans, you know, sorry, there will be no more pyrotechnics. Ran out of pyrotechnics runs because we ran out of. There were too many homes.
- [54:44]
Sean Grande
Baltimore.
- [54:45]
Evan Valenti
The Baltimore Orioles ran out of pyrotechnics because they had too many home runs against too many overs. Good for Kevin Brown though.
- [54:54]
Adam Kaufman
Good for.
- [54:55]
Sean Grande
I was, I was just thinking about your guy. As you know, I'm a big fan. So here's the thing about what makes the Knicks Celtics thing especially juicy. It's the dirty little secret of the Knicks Celtics 80 year rivalry. They generally have not been good at the same time. You know and it was the knicks in the 90s. It was the Knicks that there was that little carryover early 70s. They met in the conference finals a couple of times, you know, in the, in the 70s, 73 and 74. But you had a chance for it to be the first time in 50 years when the Pacers went in a one game seven there. That would have been the first conference final between the Celtics, Knicks in 50 years. And obviously we can't have it this year. And it's a good thing the Knicks lost that game because the Celtics would have, they swept Indiana. They would have rolled the Knicks without Brunson in that conference finals. But it is, it's something you didn't get to see because all those teams you mentioned that the seven step up rivals. Funny what happens. A lot of teams have to step up when you've been as good as anybody in the east for what, 10, 11 years now. And go back to 07. Remember, nobody has played one, played or won more playoff games than the Celtics for the last 19 years. And I know this is the tweet that gets the inevitable, but they've only won two championships. Okay, yes, they, they plummet to fifth in championships, you know, total over the 19 years. But all you can do is give yourself a chance to win. And the Celtics, Knicks have rarely been good at the same time. Celtics in the 80s, Knicks in the 90s, Celtics again in the 2000s. So it's, listen, it's a beautiful thing to see and as you know, for a kid who grew up in Greenwich Village to get to call Celtics Knicks games that matter that you know are at the center of the NBA universe and be a pretty cool thing if Atlanta spoils that party or Philadelphia spoils that party, they do. But there's just a lot of gravitational pull towards that rematch and there has
- [56:42]
Adam Kaufman
been for a long time, certainly what I'm rooting for. I wouldn't be surprised though if Atlanta spoils it only for this reason. This has been a weird start to the playoffs, man. Sure has been a weird start to the playoffs. Now obviously Thunder doing what it's supposed to be doing against the Suns, but The Lakers are up 30 on the Houston Rockets without Luca.
- [57:05]
Sean Grande
Without get Luca back now because they're going to survive long enough to get Luca back.
- [57:09]
Adam Kaufman
Yeah. Now granted, Durant has not, you know, played a couple of those games for Houston, but even still, IME is going to be out of a job soon the way this is going. Marcus Smart at like we've had this conversation on how many times on. On our text thread. Not as much on the show here, but it. It. I'm equally Comcast is Delivering extraordinary experiences in live sports through the incredible broadcast
- [57:32]
Sean Grande
and storytelling from NBC, innovative and personalized viewing features on Xfinity and Peacock and
- [57:37]
Adam Kaufman
the country's most reliable WI Fi viewers can enjoy every game changing play faster and more seamlessly than ever.
- [57:45]
Sean Grande
All in a network built to deliver unforgettable moments as close to live as possible. The ultimate experience for the American sports sports fan. Learn more@comcast corporation.com Sports
- [57:58]
Adam Kaufman
filled with joy watching Marcus still do what he is capable of doing and hate it just as much because he's doing it as a Laker but man watching and such a big reason for them winning game three as they did the Nuggets who I really thought not that it would be easy but I thought they would take care of business against Minnesota. Maybe they will. But currently as we sit here down to one the Gordon injury, lack of depth hurting Denver tremendously and it's not like Ant has gone nuclear by any means for Minnesota, the Spurs that's a problem.
- [58:32]
Evan Valenti
I mean if down 13 right now.
- [58:35]
Adam Kaufman
Yeah.
- [58:35]
Sean Grande
As we're talking late night Friday you're talking about watching Marcus Smart and we're watching on Saturday.
- [58:42]
Adam Kaufman
We're in game on Spurs Blazers in truth and this is in all likelihood going to be 2:1 Portland at the end of this thing. Who knows if and when Wemby returns, if it's in time for the spurs season to even be able to be saved a team that everyone had penciled in at minimum in the west finals. Thiago Splitter, by the way, that cheap owner in Portland had better give him a deal for what he has overcome throughout this year in the wake of Billups and now potentially upsetting San Antonio even without Wemby in this first round and then in the East.
- [59:14]
Sean Grande
Hey hang on Adam. You think he was meeting with other coaching. He had Splitter was waiting in the lobby after it got kicked out of his room. He had to sit in the lobby for six hours and they were using his room to interview other other candidates. Yeah, I, I you know that that thing may have worked in the NHL. That's not going to work.
- [59:29]
Evan Valenti
How about.
- [59:30]
Sean Grande
Yeah, that's what we're saying. Do you have Marcus Smart with the Lakers and then the the other game on Friday night is Rob and Drew Holliday against Luke Cornett.
- [59:38]
Adam Kaufman
Right.
- [59:38]
Evan Valenti
Drew Holiday. Drew Holiday right now is 10 to 13, five to seven from three. He's got 25 points. He's plus 11 currently. So that's incredible.
- [59:47]
Adam Kaufman
26 and a half PRA on holiday sweat.
- [59:51]
Evan Valenti
That is a dial it back true holiday performance right there. That is excellent stuff.
- [59:56]
Adam Kaufman
Then in the east we talked about Atlanta being up 2:1 on New York, Cleveland, Toronto. Fine, that's 2:1. Cleveland it should be. And then the Pistons are 1:1 with Orlando. Now I am not the biggest Detroit guy. I actually personally would put Detro. As it stands right now on, on my own personal little hierarchy. I had Detroit fourth in the East. So you know, sitting one one with Orlando. This series could go however it goes. But all of a sudden you got Orlando, who limped into the playoffs in, in the worst possible way and is now playing the way it was supposed to all year long while it was underachieving, now that it's finally healthy and looks like a team that could actually win this series could actually maybe be dangerous here in the East. So these playoffs already, outside of maybe a team like Boston, certainly okc, you know, but other than that, like looking potentially kind of upside down and it's, it's just going to be. I want your again, bigger picture thoughts on what we've seen halfway through round one here, Sean. But this could be a fascinating next, you know, five, six weeks.
- [61:01]
Sean Grande
Everything he just said is exactly right. And you know who's sitting back in the corner laughing their ass off with this whole thing? The Oklahoma City Thunder. Because their path is just getting easier and easier and easier to winning. Obviously the Jalen Williams thing hurts them, but they're just, it's such a catbird seat, right, to win the second championship because all of the drama is really elsewhere and we talk about injuries. The Wemby thing obviously is going to affect this, this Portland series until he gets back and just craziness all around even, you know, just when you want to start believing in the Cleveland Cavaliers. That was a horrific performance of two. Oh, that was a we don't care, we're happy to give a game away performance. And Toronto could be a tough place. It wasn't for the Celtics this year, but Toronto could be a tough place to win. And if the Cavs don't win game four, that the no show in game three. Like I think the Cavs win the series, but I'm just like my hunches now that becomes like a seven game series when it shouldn't have been and that could put them at disadvantage. I still think Detroit will win that series. And obviously Orlando said they didn't limp into the playoffs. They were, it felt like they were dragged into the playoffs. Like you have to be in them. You have. We don't want to be in them, you have to be so. But it was really funny. I caught a little grief, not a lot, but a little grief on social media and on the broadcast for saying I as from a Celtics standpoint, I thought the Celtics were better off playing Charlotte than Orlando. Orlando was the team, I thought, because I thought they had the highest ceiling of a first round opponent. And so I took some grief for saying that, particularly after the no show on the last day of the season. But then when that playing game happened, that's exactly what I was talking about. Like Charlotte is getting it together. But I was not ready. Charlotte was not going to win a playoff series this year. Even if they had won that one game, they weren't ready to take that step. They were not the 2022 Celtics who were far more experienced and had, you know, higher end, better players at a different place in their career. They followed that trajectory, but they were not going to be that team. Orlando to me had the highest ceiling and that was a scary thing. And look at me. And they end up with Detroit. And by the way, that game we're talking about with the last game of the season when the magic had that horrific no show and lost to the gate forever be remembered as the game Baylor Shyman was introduced last in the starting lineup, last and. And finally Baylor Shireman. And they lose that game. And you know who's losing their mind about that right now to the second? The fans of the New York Knicks because that changed the seating in the playoffs. They would. They didn't want to play Atlanta. They wouldn't have had to play Atlanta had Orlando won that game that they were supposed to win on last day. And so now the Magic was such a no show performance, they have ticked off their own fans and the Knicks fans because it led to this Atlanta matchup in the first round.
- [63:51]
Evan Valenti
I just want to point out Coffin, I think we've gone an hour and change here. Are you wearing a blues banana stand shirt?
- [63:59]
Sean Grande
Yep.
- [64:00]
Adam Kaufman
That's nice. There's always money in the banana stand.
- [64:03]
Sean Grande
F. There's always money. There's always money in the banana stand, Don.
- [64:07]
Evan Valenti
I mean, like 10 minutes ago, I'm like, is that the blues banana stand shirt?
- [64:11]
Adam Kaufman
That's fantastic. Random.
- [64:13]
Sean Grande
You guys. You guys know, because we've been doing this for years. Say what you want about love me, hate me going to the hall of fame. Not my graphic tea game is strong. Oh, 100 strong. It's on point strong target jobber. I remember the first time I saw that show because Jason Bateman in my era Was this child actor and you know, had ups and downs. I remember watching Arrested Development for the first time thinking, I had no idea he was that, that good. No idea. Like he carried one of the great shows of the, you know, of the last 25 years.
- [64:44]
Adam Kaufman
Perfect straight man.
- [64:45]
Sean Grande
Oh my God.
- [64:46]
Evan Valenti
That's like me watching Ozark. I was like, I was not, I was not aware Jason Bateman was capable of this. Right. Because I, I, you watch him do Arrested Development. You watch him do Horrible Bosses. You're like, this guy's hysterical. This is great. And he does Ozark.
- [64:59]
Sean Grande
Whoa. What the greatest casting things about. Yeah. Greatest casting decision of all time. Was Ron Howard narrating.
- [65:07]
Evan Valenti
Oh, yeah. Yeah, for sure.
- [65:09]
Sean Grande
Brilliant.
- [65:10]
Adam Kaufman
Yeah. I, I stumble. I don't know why. It was just yesterday as a matter of fact on Instagram, I just, you know, you, you scroll through the reels, your doom scroll and whatever. And I, I came across some random one of David Cross doing a recent interview talking about Arrested Development and what a. Basically how the show should be remembered as a three season show and what a disaster it was when it moved to Netflix and in particular season five. And how no one was ever actually together when they shot scenes and the way it was edited was a mess and like just, you know, a certain amount of regret and people like could. Are you thinking about rebooting it? And he, he put that to bed. He said like with, without Lucille, who obviously has passed for anyone that didn't watch the show. You like, you couldn't even do the show now. So it, but yeah, I mean it made me want to go back and rewatch really the first two seasons more
- [66:04]
Sean Grande
than one of the most absurd and brilliant arcs in the history of modern. If you want to call a sitcom whatever we're calling it is when maybe fakes your way into becoming the studio executive and just marry me. Right? To everybody, to everything. People just totally buy it. And it was so inside. But you could believe that these people inside Hollywood were just lampooning everything that's crazy about Hollywood. Brilliant show. Jeffrey Tambor, for God's sakes. My God.
- [66:36]
Adam Kaufman
Incredible show. Incredible cat.
- [66:38]
Sean Grande
I mean, Portia del Ross.
- [66:39]
Adam Kaufman
Look at what Will Arnett.
- [66:41]
Evan Valenti
Oh my God. So good. I don't care for job
- [66:47]
Sean Grande
with a little. That, that, that little scooter that goes forward and back or whatever it is. The physical comedy of that
- [66:56]
Evan Valenti
Magic shows
- [66:57]
Adam Kaufman
are always fun before this turns into a pop culture show. One more for you, Sean, as we get you out the door. I don't know if in all the times we've spoken here on this show and others that I've asked you this question, but we were talking, you know, we'll go full circle with the show. We were talking about nerves and all of that.
- [67:14]
Sean Grande
I. You're going to ask me about the first round of the playoffs not being a regional sports networks. I swear to God, I have nothing to do with it. I'm so sorry.
- [67:21]
Adam Kaufman
I will.
- [67:22]
Sean Grande
Like, this is the way it's been going.
- [67:24]
Adam Kaufman
This is just the way it is.
- [67:26]
Sean Grande
It's the way of the world. Get Peacock.
- [67:28]
Adam Kaufman
My question is, doesn't everyone have Peacock and Amazon at this point?
- [67:32]
Sean Grande
I, I thought. But the answer to your question is apparently not. Is what I learned this week when people lost their mind. You know, I. It's a, it's a fair question, but it's 20, 26 people. This is where we are.
- [67:44]
Adam Kaufman
No, my, my question for you is, you know, obviously you have called a number of NBA Finals games and national broadcasts across multiple sports and different levels and all of these things. Your, your resume, obviously, and, and all the different networks. It's right there in your Twitter bio. You've. You. You are accomplished and you have been at it for, you know, a, A what? Quarter of a century at this point in time. Do any. You present yourself as someone who you could come and do a broadcast for just, just Evan and I, or you could do a broadcast for a million people and it would be approached no differently and your mindset would be no different, your nerves would be no different. But I am wondering if there is ever a broadcast that you show up for. Certainly it's not a first round playoff game at this point, but if there's a broadcast that you show up for that, you know, there are some butterflies even still.
- [68:43]
Sean Grande
I wouldn't say butterflies. There's certainly excitement over games that are significant games and are going to be significant in the story. I wouldn't call the butterflies so much as you feel the responsibility. Knowing again, when you choose, when you made the choice I made three years ago, it means you're going to be doing these big games, you're going to be doing the playoff games, and that's what people are going to remember. So you want to be able to properly tell the story in a way that's going to be remembered for a long time. Because the excitement of my job. And you've done it, Adam, you know, is you don't get a second take. There's only one, one shot at documenting the history in real time. When you feel like you're doing it Right. Is when the. When the games are over. Even now, just a regular season game. You mentioned the podcast, Celtics podcast universe. Right. Of which you were a part of it. I listened to all of them after games to see. Did I? In real time. Before everybody sits after the fact. And Adam Himmelsbach and Jake King and John Carell, they all write their game stories. That I do it right in real time. Did I have my finger on the pulse of the game? That, to me, is the pressure doing anything that's new. If I did a show for Netflix last summer, a big boxing event that I knew there was going to have 10 million people watching around the world, you're not nervous about that. But if you're into a new situation with new partners and a new format. Yeah, but I think mostly it's at this point it's excitement about the fact that this job can be different. And even on night like this, I remember in the fourth quarter turning to Max on Friday night. I didn't really. Usually in the NBA you could feel which way a game was going to go. I didn't have any feel for which game, which way that game was going to go because so many strange things were happening. And that's the beauty of it, to be able to adapt to in real time to what's happening. It was hard for me not to think about the last time we were in there for a playoff game, in that sixth game when the Celtics were down 3 2. And that's an example of a moment where when Tatum finally hit the shot, the first one, I think I don't remember, but I said something like, what if he hits another and another and another. Because you could feel like there's sort of this history moment was happening once that first shot went down. And you're just hoping you're not nervous about it, but you're hoping to get it right in real time. And so that. That's the best I can do for. It's a great question, but I don't. It's not really nerves anymore as much as the responsibility that comes with doing the games. As somebody said to me today, you're going to be the voice on the DVDs. I'm not sure people are still going to have DVDs, but I got the point what they were saying, which is this is the stamp on history. When the clock winds down and win the championship, you don't want to over prepare it, but you also want to make sure you're telling the correct story because that's, you know, and Be open to it being on a game winning shot. One of the game that of all the years I've done, the result I still can't believe to this day because I was so mentally prepared for it to go the other way was the Celtics losing Game 5 in 2008 in Los Angeles. I have never been more convinced of anything in my life. My open that day, when I used to do the longer opens when we had more time was about. It was Father's Day and it was this long open about fathers and sons and fathers and daughters and generations and how that team that year had four guys on it. Kevin Garnell, Kevin Garnett, Leon Poe, Paul. It was like four guys who largely grew up without one had become one that year. And it was the year that Doc Rivers lost his and that the Celtics could now win the championship on Father's Day. And it was. I'm goosebumps just thinking about it now. I was thinking about. I'll tell you something I'd never said to anybody. My father, my father died when I was 14. And that night, it was, you know, 20 some odd years later, whatever it was. I brought one of my father's ties with me and was going to put it on for the fourth quarter of the game because I thought the Celtics were going to win the championship. And I thought that would be a cool tribute to my dad. And so this is the degree to which I had set that game up for the Celtics to win. Because why you don't win that game just to get on a plane 3,000 miles and take the ass kicking of a lifetime. So that's why the Lakers fight. Teams always find a way to lose that game when it was 2, 3, 2. So I was sure especially when it got close at the end. But there's no way the Lakers are going to win this game. And of course they did. And that's an example of you can't lean too far into what you think is going to happen and let the, you know the wish become the father of the thought or whatever that expression is. You have to lay back and tell the history as it really happens. And of course that's why you don't win that game. Lakers so you to fly 3,000 miles to lose by 40 in the sixth game. But you have. It's an example of always being open to whatever's going to happen because we think we know what's going to happen. You have a feel of, well, this team is favored, this team is expected to win. And sometimes it happens that way. But who had the Celtics in 24, losing game two at home in the first two rounds and they still ended up obviously as one of the most dominant Celtics championship teams ever. But who had the Celtics winning, you know, three straight after, you know, Joe Missoula goes down.03 and owners are storming into the locker room and he is destroyed by every talking head show. Destroyed. The morning after game three, I remember saying to him, I think I said it on the show before. I told him, I hope you hope you wrote down whatever happens, I hope you wrote down everything that everybody said about you after game three, because you're going to want it someday. And who knew when the Derek White shot happened? And this is a play by play thing, but remember when that shot happened, we didn't know if it counted or not. And I had people, I had a great couple of great questions on Twitter, like, are you. Did you regret not saying it was good and calling it like that? So the highlight after the fact. And I thought it was a great question. And here's why the answer is no. Because the announcers don't decide if the basket was good. The referees do. That's their job. So the story in the moment didn't become, you know, was it. The story was we literally have reached the end of the game. The clock is at triple zeros and we don't know who won the game, which is I segue into my final Celtic story of the night of when you've done this, this long. Remember my first year was 02. Do you remember the game that the Celtics won in LA when they beat the Lakers, when Antoine hit a shot and then Kobe hit one at the buzzer, but we didn't know if it was good. They eventually waved off the shot and the Celtics won the game. But we didn't know for like three minutes. They were looking at the replay. This is in 2002, you guys. Kids can Google it. I'm sitting next to. Where am I? I'm in LA courtside. So who am I sitting next to? Jack Nicholson. So we're in this three minute delay. We don't know what happened in the game. So how do you say what happened? And Jack Nicholson gets up and says to our PR guy and that's worth sort of saying, there he goes. Was it good or wasn't it? Who knows? So the Derek White shot, who knows if it went in? So you don't. You got to be open to again. This is the wonky 500 level, play by play class type thing. But you have to be open to whatever it is that might happen. And if you have butterflies, if you're scared of that moment, as Max likes to say, scared, get a dog. So you just, you want to feel the responsibility and be prepared. Tip o' Neill quoted him. Tip o' Neill quoted him on the floor of the house.
- [76:23]
Evan Valenti
He really.
- [76:24]
Sean Grande
Right after that. Yep. Cedric Maxwell, as the Boston Celtics, said, if you're scared, get a dog.
- [76:29]
Adam Kaufman
Well, you tell that Father's Day story too. On, on what is Evan's dad's 75th birth?
- [76:37]
Evan Valenti
Yeah.
- [76:39]
Adam Kaufman
Birthday. And, and if, if I'm not mistaken, Sean, just because our, our son's born, you know, pretty close in, in age, your. Your son Jack has got to be just about 14. So that you. You want to talk about lots of lots on Pack. My goodness.
- [76:54]
Sean Grande
Yeah, I think he knows. He, I mean, he doesn't know. First of all, he doesn't know what a regional sports network is number one, but he doesn't. You know, he grew up in this Boston era of going to the conference finals every year.
- [77:04]
Adam Kaufman
Yeah.
- [77:05]
Sean Grande
Celtics fans, since he was a little kid. He doesn't know any difference. If you're under the age of, what, 35 in Boston. You don't know what it's like in the real world where conference finals come up once every 10 years. Right.
- [77:16]
Adam Kaufman
If you're lucky.
- [77:16]
Sean Grande
You don't know. Yeah.
- [77:19]
Evan Valenti
There.
- [77:20]
Adam Kaufman
Well, it's, it's always a treat. It's always a lot of fun when you join us here on the show because I, you know, I always have a sense of, you know, some of the areas that we're going to go, but then we go down some far more interesting paths. And I'm glad that we always find a way there and it always ends up taking you probably, you know, a little a little later and a little longer than you would want to go necessarily. But we always are. Are very grateful for the time and, and energy that you put into these shows with us.
- [77:49]
Sean Grande
Well, when I'm hanging out with you on Nesson, we only get like five minutes. I just gotta.
- [77:52]
Adam Kaufman
Tell me about it.
- [77:53]
Sean Grande
Bang, bang, hit those topics and, and move on.
- [77:56]
Adam Kaufman
Not nearly enough time, which is why we have Celtic speed. So for Sean Grandy, who of course is, you know, starting the process of getting mentally prepared for game four, which is coming up on Sunday evening, 7 o'. Clock. Tip off for those that will be watching on Peacock or of course listening to Sean over on the Celtics radio network, by all means, that out. And the game five will be back on espn, which people will have an easier time finding on Tuesday back in Boston. And yeah, so for Sean, for Ev I am Adam we remind you Rate Review subscribe to Celtics Beat wherever you get your podcast audio version or of course the video on CLNS, the All Access page on YouTube. You can find us and a whole lot of other great Celtics podcasts as well. Enjoy the playoffs guys. It's been fun to start and there's hopefully a couple more months of it before we get into the off season. And all the nitty gritty that comes along with that, just the fact that we have another contender on our hands right here is far exceeding any sort of expectations that any reasonable person had going into the regular season, and we are thrilled to help document it along the way. But the true narrator, of course, our guy here, Sean Grandy. We'll catch you again next time on on Celtics Beat.
- [79:18]
Commercial Announcer
Some Follow the Noise. Bloomberg follows the money. Because behind every headline is a bottom line. Whether it's the funds fueling AI or crypto's trillion dollar swings, there's a money side to every story. And when you see the money side, you understand what others miss. Get the money side of the story. Subscribe now at bloomberg. Com.