Hour 1: Brunson Fuels Knicks Comeback

Summary

Don, Hahn & Rosenberg - Hour 1: Brunson Fuels Knicks Comeback (May 20, 2026)

Episode Overview

This episode dives deep into one of the most memorable New York Knicks victories in recent memory: a stunning comeback win over the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals. The trio—Don Hahn, Alan Hahn, and Peter Rosenberg—relive the emotions, analyze the turning points, and reflect on the meaning of this game for the Knicks' present and past. Key topics include Jalen Brunson’s heroic fourth-quarter play, the collapse (or outplay) of Cleveland, coaching decisions, and what this win says about the Knicks’ evolving reputation.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Knicks' Incredible Comeback: The Anatomy of a Moment

• Setup:

  • The Knicks trailed by as many as 22 points with just over seven minutes remaining and had a 0.1% win probability.
  • The conversation kicks off with high energy, skipping formalities—“What a day to be a Knicks fan. Unbelievable. We don't need a monologue. We don't need any kind of precursor. It speaks for itself, man. What in God's name happened in the final seven and a half minutes?” (Alan Hahn, 01:27)
  • The guys agree: Don't frame it as “Did the Cavs choke or did the Knicks win?” Simply: the Knicks won.

• Perspective on the Comeback:

  • The consensus is the Knicks “stole” the game, going into an offensive gear led by Jalen Brunson the Cavs couldn’t contain (02:13).
  • “They had a five minute span where their offense was shredding the Knicks... But in the second, when that game went from 5 to 22... at no moment did I go, oh my God, you just, you can't even hope to stop these guys.” (Peter Rosenberg, 04:57)

• Jalen Brunson: Epic, Clutch Performance

  • Brunson's leadership and shot-making spark the turnaround; “That's that team of destiny kind of stuff...” (Don Hahn, 04:09)
  • “He was in a bag and he just, he had the glow. He had the glow, man.” (Don Hahn referring to Brunson’s moves, 06:27)
  • Discussed in context of NBA icons: “Who else is on the list of people like Jalen Brunson ... everyone knows where the ball is going—he cannot be stopped... it's Jordan.” (Peter Rosenberg, 06:32)

---

2. Is This a Cavs Collapse or Knicks Brilliance?

• Shift in Narrative:

  • All three hosts push back on focusing on Cleveland’s errors; they credit NY for resilience.
  • “No, let's not even clutter our minds with the choke job of the Cavs. It was just that once the Knicks got their act together, Cleveland doesn't belong on the floor with them.” (Alan Hahn, 08:47)
  • Alan emphasizes that, despite the bad shooting streak and layoff, the Knicks proved to be the better team when it mattered most.

• Momentum & Sports Karma

  • The theme of “sports karma” is repeated, with reference to past Knicks’ heartbreak.
  • “Because the team that really fought to the end deserved to win, got the bounces. And the Knicks last year learned that because they didn't get the bounce.” (Don Hahn, 12:21)

---

3. Coaching Decisions: The Timeout Debate

• Cleveland’s Mistakes:

  • Kenny Atkinson’s failure to use timeouts to stop the Knicks’ run comes under scrutiny.
  • “He had four timeouts, guys. He had four timeouts... this runs going on 18 to 1, the 3 minute mark. If you don't, it's use it or lose it...” (Alan Hahn, 31:15)
  • The hosts discuss whether Atkinson “froze in the moment” and missed his chance to switch defensive matchups or slow the game.

• Real-Time Watching Experience:

  • The broadcast team amusingly notes fans and even game officials were visibly waiting for the Cavs to do something to stem the tide (33:45).

---

4. The Knicks’ New Identity: Are Old Narratives Dead?

• Changing the “Typical Knicks” Script:

  • “Have they done enough to make all that go away? ... The disappointment, the team that never wins; when does that all go away? ... have they built up enough of a reputation... to let the world know that we're not going to accept that [old] loss?” (Alan Hahn, 19:10)
  • Don and Alan argue that with this playoff run, the Brunson-led Knicks are writing a new chapter, no longer shackled by the failures of the past.

• Historic Perspective:

  • “It's getting harder and harder to stay skeptical of what this team can do when they've just won eight straight playoff games. Eight. They've never done this in franchise history.” (Don Hahn, 20:14)

---

5. Brunson’s Company Among NBA Greats

• The “Unstoppable” Club:

  • The trio riff on where Brunson currently ranks among “unguardable” players: Kobe, Michael, Steph, Luka, occasionally Iverson.
  • “Everyone is better than Jalen Brunson until it's time to be better than Jalen Brunson.” (Don Hahn, 26:26)

• National Recognition:

  • “Now the naysayers got to pay attention because now it's the third round. Everybody was watching that game last night.” (Alan Hahn, 25:51)

---

6. Listeners Weigh In: Emotions and Analysis

• Fans' Regret—Leaving Early:

  • “How sick are the fans that left during the fourth quarter last night because you missed something special?” (Caller 'Gary', 26:55)
  • Gary puts it best: “If you go down from being down 22, being down double digits to winning by double digits, that’s you just snatching the victory away from them.” (27:28)

• Knicks’ Team Dynamics:

  • The team’s willingness to sacrifice egos (e.g. Josh Hart sitting), and OG Anunoby's much-awaited return to form discussed as keys moving forward (40:41).

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Don Hahn on Team’s Belief (03:18):
  “This is a team that has been through all the wars, right? The callus is built up... what did they learn? Down 22. Seven minutes to go... Brunson’s yelling in the huddle, 'Stay with it.'”

• Alan Hahn on Narrative (08:47): “No, let's not even clutter our minds with the choke job of the Cavs. It was just that once the Knicks got their act together, Cleveland doesn't belong on the floor with them.”

• Stat of the Day (17:45):
  “Two years of playoffs, when a team was down by 20 or more points... everyone not named Knicks was 4 and 67, the Knicks 4 and 3, four wins.” (Don Hahn citing “Brunson era” Knicks playoff stats)

• Peter Rosenberg on Brunson’s Moment (06:32):
  “Who else is on the list of people like Jalen Brunson... meaning everyone knows where the ball is going. He cannot be stopped in my Jordan level. That's what I'm saying. It's Jordan.”

• Caller Gary’s Assessment (27:28): “If you go down from being down 22, being down double digits to winning by double digits, that's you just snatching the victory away from them.”

• Alan Hahn on the Evolving Franchise (19:10): “When does that all go away? When you take a look at the current Knicks that shouldn't be wearing all that, that responsibility.”

---

Key Timestamps by Topic

• Opening: Emotional Recap & Debate About “Cavs Choke” vs “Knicks Win” (01:27 – 05:44)
• Analysis of Brunson’s Clutch Performance (06:27 – 07:59)
• Cleveland’s Last Shot & Knicks’ Vindication (07:59 – 09:35)
• Sports Karma, Comparison to Previous Years (11:09 – 12:41)
• Intensity of MSG Atmosphere and Fan Reaction (13:12 – 14:30)
• “Brunson Era” Playoff Stats and What They Mean (17:36 – 19:10)
• Listeners Call In: Fan Emotions and More Tactical Talk (26:50 – 29:48; 30:35 – 32:39; 40:35 – 42:55)
• Timeout/Coaching Breakdown Debate (31:15 – 34:55)
• Is the Knicks’ Old Reputation Finally Dead? (19:10 – 21:05)

---

Conclusion & Takeaway

The episode is a celebration and exploration of a turning point for the Knicks franchise, with much of the focus on Jalen Brunson’s all-time great playoff performance and what it represents for New York basketball. The hosts reflect on how this Knicks team, through resilience and clutch play, is rewriting the narrative—even as old scars remain for some fans. Tactical choices, historic stats, relentless crowd energy, and the changing identity of the franchise are all examined with the signature banter and insight fans expect from Don, Hahn, and Rosenberg.

---

If you didn’t watch the game or hear the show, this episode provides both the facts and the emotional ride—a signature New York sports moment, laid bare.

Transcript

[Peter Rosenberg]

Ian Fitzsimmons here, and I'm going to be brutally honest with you. I was skeptical about ordering plants online. Like this is actually going to show up alive at my house. But after my wife and I ordered from Fast Growing Trees, convinced they had this thing down to a science, they've built a whole system to protect your plants until they arrive. They even have a lab where they test against cold, heat, humidity, you name it. Any condition, they've got it and they thrive. We couldn't believe how good our plants looked when they arrived at our doorstep and everything showed up up exactly how he expected. A perfectly healthy plant that was easy to unbox and ready to go. Every order is backed by their Alive and Thrive garon tea. And you'll get ongoing support from real knowledgeable experts. They have unbelievable deals on spring planting essentials. And right now you can get an additional 20% off your first order with the code Sports at checkout. That's 20% off@fast growing trees.com with the code Sports terms and conditions apply. Again, that's fast growingtrees.com, code sports time.

[Don Hahn]

Sometimes fraud gives you movement.

[Alan Hahn]

It sounded like it moved.

[Don Hahn]

Han, you heard a squish.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And Rosenberg shake gently to assure a complete activation.

[Caller/Listener]

Hello.

[Alan Hahn]

This isn't North Dakota. This is New York.

[Don Hahn]

This is Don Hahn and Rosenberg.

[Caller/Listener]

The best threesome I've ever heard on

[Don Hahn]

ESPN New York and streaming live on

[Alan Hahn]

YouTube 300 one of the big city. Don Hahn and Rosenberg. What a day to be a Knicks fan. Unbelievable. We don't need a monologue. We don't need any kind of precursor. It speaks for itself, man. What in God's name happened in the final seven and a half minutes? You know, I'm listening to the promo this morning from dpa. Tron Rothenberg.

[Don Hahn]

Yep.

[Alan Hahn]

Did the Cavs choke or did the Knicks win the game?

[Don Hahn]

To me, who cares?

[Alan Hahn]

Knicks won the game.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I don't care.

[Alan Hahn]

Don't care. Don't really care about the Cleveland perspective.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Hold on.

[Alan Hahn]

Don't care about them choking. They gotta do a show.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yes, I.

[Don Hahn]

But that's. You do. That's.

[Peter Rosenberg]

We're going to.

[Don Hahn]

That. We're going to discuss that.

[Peter Rosenberg]

What did they. It's a fair question.

[Don Hahn]

They didn't really win the game.

[Peter Rosenberg]

No.

[Don Hahn]

They freaking stole the game.

[Peter Rosenberg]

No, no. You're being that. No, it's a fair question. It's a totally fair question.

[Don Hahn]

No, it is. Last year, the same thing happened. Last year, the same thing happened in the reverse. Yeah, same exact thing happened.

[Peter Rosenberg]

The Knicks straight away, the game.

[Don Hahn]

Yes. So what you say about that game last night is nothing to do with the Cavs. The Cavs were. They were the tomato can in this thing, what you wanted to see. And we talked about it yesterday. I did say this. Did they learn? You got to run through the tape all the way. 48 minutes.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Well, they.

[Don Hahn]

Down 22. Down 20.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Learn for 41 minutes. Alan, they were God awful. They were God awful.

[Don Hahn]

Anybody that unprepared, anybody that says that was a good game, it was not a good game.

[Peter Rosenberg]

They were horrible yesterday.

[Don Hahn]

Well, I don't know about unprepared. They couldn't make a three. They were two for 19. Yeah, but you're not making threes. You're a mess.

[Peter Rosenberg]

But the offense didn't look the same, okay? They played Brunson ball in the second half. It was not good. It wasn't just missed threes.

[Don Hahn]

The offense was unbelievable in the fourth quarter because they played Brunson ball, because that was their best play.

[Peter Rosenberg]

But that's not how they want. You don't want to rely on that again.

[Don Hahn]

You know what?

[Peter Rosenberg]

That was a miracle.

[Don Hahn]

But they went to something that they knew they had in their back pocket, and it worked. And it over and over and over again. But that's not the point I'm making.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Okay, what do you. What are you making?

[Don Hahn]

The point I'm trying to make is this is. This is a team that has been through all the wars, right? The callus is built up. All the stuff that we all talk about, how championships are built. And so what did they learn? Down 22. Seven minutes to go, 0.1% chance of winning. Did they untie the laces? All right, all right. It's not our night. We're gonna lose. No, that didn't happen. Brunson's yelling in the huddle. Stay with it. Just. Look, let's use this time just to find ourselves, find a rhythm. We've gotta knock the rust off, whatever. Just stay with it. Stay to our principles. Just keep playing. That's because they learned from that.

[Peter Rosenberg]

They learned from that. The only thing I'm pushing back on is that. Did anyone ever question that part of their DNA? We know they're a team that never gives up. They've never been a team without heart, right?

[Don Hahn]

But when the event. When it was available to steal the game, because they stayed with it, they stayed in it.

[Peter Rosenberg]

No, they did.

[Don Hahn]

To me, like, that's that team of destiny kind of stuff that goes on. That's what last night was. Last night wasn't one of the great Wins in franchise history. It was that great moment though. Moment.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Great moment.

[Don Hahn]

This is moment. Those, those last couple of minutes, those shots, the building, the noise, all of it was moment. Not a great game, but a moment and a win. A great win. But it tells you something is up with this team. When. When a team shows you that they start, they believe. How do you not believe too?

[Alan Hahn]

The, the.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I think the most telling thing for your argument that you're making, the reason it's not a Cleveland story, Don, in my opinion, is that Cleveland never changed. Cleveland wasn't special. The entire game, the entire third and fourth quarter when the Knicks were losing, I wasn't impressed by Cleveland. I was.

[Don Hahn]

They had a five minute span where their offense was shredding the Knicks with a lot of the same stuff they did to Detroit.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah, but in the second when that game went from 5 to 22, at no moment did I go, oh my God, you just, you can't even hope to stop these guys. The Knicks were not taking advantage of their offensive possessions at all.

[Don Hahn]

Right?

[Peter Rosenberg]

Over and over again, Cleveland was up like 12 for possession after possession and they could not cut. Then they start playing hackamich and Mitch goes what, two for seven or whatever it is, right? So. And it gets to 14 or 15. All of that to say, I was never super impressed by Cleveland. I was disappointed by what the Knicks did for three quarters. And then they pulled out that secret trick that you do not want to rely on. And if they try to rely on that the rest of the way, they're not going to win the championship.

[Don Hahn]

I think they will.

[Peter Rosenberg]

But they pulled it out yesterday.

[Don Hahn]

That was break glass in case of emergency. That was Jalen Brunson saying, you know, this, this hub offense, this is nice, but this ain't working. So let, let me go get yellow shoes over here into some isos.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And then we started, got us done. Then you got to start talking about Kenny Atkins, the abuse. Because how do you not at some point go, Jim Harden, he's no longer James, he's reverted to Jim. And we got to take him out of the game. Cause he's getting absolutely abused. There was no answer. I mean, not take anything away from the ridiculousness of the shots that, that Brunson was hitting. Like, let's not act. I'm not going to sit here and pretend that Harden wasn't getting a hand in his face. He was, he was just completely outmatched.

[Don Hahn]

He had him spinning, turning him left and right.

[Alan Hahn]

Crossover, crossover.

[Don Hahn]

He was in a bag and he just, he had the Glow. He had the glow, man.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Don, tell me this. Who, who else is on the list of people like Jalen Brunson that when they do what he did in basketball can do that, meaning everyone knows where the ball is going. He cannot be stopped in my Jordan level. That's what I'm saying. It's Jordan. No Steph.

[Alan Hahn]

But it's that moment. I mean, that's what makes him such an interesting cat, is that you're not going to ever put him in the category of Michael Jordan. But in the final seconds, last shot. He is in the final five minutes of a game. He finds a way to get him back in. But you know, to me, the reason I brought up about, you know, choker win and the reason the choke of Cleveland's irrelevant to me is because I just looked at the better team winning the game. It just because of the circumstances of Cleveland coming off a game seven where they had one day off and the Knicks having nine days off. It just took a while for the Knicks to prove it and it ended up happening in dramatic fashion. And as I'm watching this meltdown, as I'm watching this game, I'm doing today's talk show in my head. That's kind of what I do. And Sam Merrill throws up a desperate. It shouldn't have been a desperation. They never called timeout. They had 15 seconds to bring the past the timeline, plenty of time. He gets a good look, although it's a good, what, five, six feet beyond the arc. It's a deep three. It's almost a logo three. And he almost hits it. So I'm thinking, is that things in the air, the Knicks are going to lose. How?

[Don Hahn]

I'm.

[Alan Hahn]

I'm already doing the talk show in my head. Another game one loss at home. I mean, oh my God. And. But my mind's telling me, no, it could happen just because of the layoff. And it bit him. And they got back in the game too late. Cleveland got a looking hit. I was going to say my take was going to be Knicks are still good. Forget about the history. The Knicks are still good because they're better than Cleveland. Because with everything Cleveland had at their advantage with the lead and the Knicks obviously shot poorly from three and look like a team that haven't played in nine days and they just took advantage of it. But the Knicks clearly are showing you in the final seven and a half minutes that when they got their sea legs back, they were way better than the Cavaliers. Way better. So now once we get to game two and now Everything's pretty much even, you know, it's on. Knicks are going to be fine. Merrill's shot rims out, and they dominate overtime, and they win the game. And I felt vindicated in a sense. No, let's not even clutter our minds with the choke job of the Cavs. It was just that once the Knicks got their act together, Cleveland doesn't belong on the floor with them. This should galvanize you into believing the better team are the Knicks, and they should be able to take care of business as long as they take care of their own shop. That. Because that's all that was. Is that all right? You let us back into the game and now you're cooked because we are so much better. It just took a while for the Knicks to get their legs. And that makes sense, right?

[Don Hahn]

It does.

[Alan Hahn]

It definitely does. Now, maybe it took too long. And that would be the conversation. Had they lost, as they just didn't get off the mat in time.

[Don Hahn]

Something had to jumpstart them out of it. And that's what Brunson did. Brunson, just by staying true to everything and not. Not letting go, staying mentally locked in. All right, who cares about the score? Let's just get ourselves right. That's what he was saying in the huddle. Like, just stick to everything here. Let's use this time just to get right so that we have. We finish the game feeling good, even if, like, no matter what the scoreboard says. So he started, they stuck to it. But once he gets. All right, I'm feeling something here. Rhythm, right? Then the crowd starts to notice. And it gets little by little, people reacting to every made basket, then every stop, then a made basket, then a stop. Now it's like, okay, something. Something's going on. Let's see if we can wake this thing up. There was way too much time left on the clock. Cleveland wanted this game over at 41 minutes. That's what they were. Remember, they're coming off of Game 7. They were mentally and physically exhausted, and they were able to get a big lead. And they thought, okay, we can steal this. And the Knicks stole it back. Now what happens, of course, is this. This could have been a longer series, but this now has the danger for Cleveland to be a shorter one. Sure, because of what you just said, because you steal that now you're in control, even if the Knicks do have the better team. And all of a sudden, once they knock the rust off, they win game, too. But it doesn't matter now, because you're already. You already Got one win in your pocket and you go home. So losing this game is going to have such a mental carryover. And why do I know that? Because it happened last week. Year. And do you believe in sports karma?

[Alan Hahn]

I do.

[Don Hahn]

Because the sports karma tells you that the team that really doesn't deserve to win the game for various reasons, whether you know you, you're giving the game away, you weren't true to game by, by playing hard all the way to the end, making dumb mistakes, whatever it is, you end up losing. So you don't get the bounce. Last year, that Halliburton bounce was sports karma because the Knicks didn't. Didn't handle that game the right way down the stretch, didn't close it out, and because of it, they didn't deserve that bounce. And instead the Pacers did and they got that bounce to force overtime. Well, the Knicks deserve two bounces. The one bounce. Three of them actually. Landry Shamitz, three. The tie it. Boom, boom, boom. In loudest I've heard the Garden in a long time.

[Alan Hahn]

That was crazy.

[Don Hahn]

That white noise, that temporary white noise. And Tyler Murray's call. I hope we have it. Tyler Murray's call is epic. But then there's also the Merrill shot you talked about that was so close to being down. Mike Breen almost said bang.

[Alan Hahn]

He almost did.

[Don Hahn]

Yeah, almost said bang. He was like, it's out. Oh, he half banged because it went.

[Peter Rosenberg]

No, no, the trajectory looked like a bang.

[Don Hahn]

Yeah, he half banged and he set

[Alan Hahn]

it up for it.

[Don Hahn]

It was the national call. So he's going to do that because that would have been a pretty much a game winning shot. And it rattles out and be like. And that's the sports karma sometimes that you talk about. Because the team that really fought to the end deserved to win, got the bounces. And the Knicks last year learned that because they didn't get the bounce.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And you're absolutely right, Indiana, no matter what we say about that game one, they worked their ass off till the very end. And Halliburton personally was absolutely on a mission. They played 48 and today and yesterday, I should say the Knicks just played it out that, that fourth quarter right when it got to 22. I mean, you could see the tenor of the text. Alan. I don't know if Don, I'm doubting he as of the game looking at his phone very much, but you were looking every once in a while and I was just starting to like, I'm not saying I'd seen enough, but I'm just like, what the hell is this? What are we watching with this team?

[Don Hahn]

Like, this is three point shooting was driving me crazy. They were getting good looks and they were bricking or complete like as if they've never. This was like if the three of us went out on the court and just started throwing threes up, like complete, like left of the rim, only backboard. Like when do you see stuff like that?

[Peter Rosenberg]

Or just awful. Really bad, really bad possessions bad from the free throw on. Even Brunson was great from the free throw line.

[Alan Hahn]

I felt I was watching that game, saying to myself, I was right. They should have got out of Dodge. This was not the place they should have been for like the last nine days. Reading their press clippings, you know, the whole Nick Fever walk down. Everybody's wearing Nick stuff, everybody's asking for tickets. That building was up for grabs. I mean, I've been to the Garden so many times, mostly for big Ranger games, but I've been there last, you know, few years for big Nick games. And sometimes it takes time to ramp up because I walked into the garden at like 10 to 7, 10 after 7. Kind of walked around the court. The court was full. Yeah, yeah. But the building was still up. They hadn't opened the doors yet. They were just opening the door. So it takes the people flooded to their seats the second the doors open, shoot around. The place is packed. There's an energy. There's chance going on. You mean that they were ready, that building was ready and the Knicks weren't.

[Don Hahn]

Let's face it, 11 point lead early the cap.

[Alan Hahn]

The Cavs scored eight of the first 10 points.

[Don Hahn]

Yeah, and then the Knicks went up.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Then the knicks went up 20 to 60. It was so quick though.

[Don Hahn]

And they were up 11 early in the second quarter and up 11. You're just like, oh, wow, they're going to no Cavs look shot like they're going to actually win this going away. And then the last five.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Why did I take the six and a half points? They're going to be fine. Would have been fine anyway.

[Don Hahn]

The, the, the, the last five minutes of the half though is when everything turned 21 to 5 to end the half. Cavaliers just suddenly found it and the Knicks offense was getting just completely shut down. Cat wasn't right for three quarters. Was not right.

[Alan Hahn]

Well, shots are going to go down. You never take any, you know, five minute period and declare, you know, who's the better team. But over the time, it just looked like the Knicks just weren't. This wasn't going to be their night. They weren't ready for whatever reason and the Cavs still off the momentum. But then you saw midway through the fourth quarter. That's why I don't want to buy into the choke. The Cavs are getting tired. Why wouldn't you be tired? You just had a hard fought seven game series against Detroit. And even though you blew Detroit out, you're in Detroit, you fly right to New York. The Knicks arrested and that I think helped the Knicks and the Knicks are a better team. And we know in the NBA seven and a half minutes is an eternity. And I know we can show the stats John Winthrop sent us, you know, 99.9 I think was the winning percentage of the Cavs when they were probably too the win probability like it was. But that's a long ass period of time for a team that's superior like the Knicks to be able to find their game. And, and I know a lot of Nick fans will deny this because they don't want to, you know, poke the bear. You know, they don't, they don't want to count the money. But for me that's not in that situation. I gave the Cavs 0 chance at overtime 0 because I knew they were exhausted. The Knicks had all the momentum. They had. No, once that Merrill shot spun out, that was their chance. That was, it was over.

[Don Hahn]

Everybody, Everybody, everybody. And that includes like all the people that were sitting courtside that I was standing around waiting to go on the court decide what am I going to do? Am I going to do a walk off? Am I going to do a stand up? Because walk off only after wins. And you could just feel it that as they went over, as that shot missed. Now we're going to overtime. There wasn't a soul in the building who didn't know who was winning this game. And I'll tell you what, last year, game one, I'm standing in the same place that Halliburton shot and then we find out it wasn't a three, it was a two. There wasn't a soul in that building that didn't know who was winning that game. It's the same exact feeling, just reversed.

[Alan Hahn]

But it was not just momentum because in that situation it was while the Pacers have the momentum. That's why I don't give the Knicks a shot.

[Don Hahn]

Right?

[Alan Hahn]

It's the momentum on top of the fact the Cavs are exhausted. Like they're playing. You can see it, they can't handle the final half of the fourth quarter. Now they got to play into the five with not Having any momentum, completely flat footed. It would be like somebody that already ran 100 yard dash now having to run another one against the team that didn't have to. And now you're starting flat footed, you know, and they're getting a running start like there was no shot.

[Don Hahn]

Now, can I add to it the Brunson era statistics that we, you know, we are seeing now, right, because this is now the Brunson era, correct?

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah.

[Don Hahn]

Four years of this stuff. So the, the record in the playoffs. Let's just go last two years, okay? Just two years. Two years of playoffs when a team was down by 20 or more points in a playoff game. Over the last two years, everyone not named Knicks was 4 and 67, the Knicks 4 and 3, four wins.

[Alan Hahn]

Now there's no way to live by

[Don Hahn]

22 of them against Boston.

[Peter Rosenberg]

No, there's no way to lose. No way.

[Don Hahn]

There's no way to live.

[Alan Hahn]

But it's nice to know you got it.

[Don Hahn]

It kind of shows you though that they, they just, they, they can go there. They are a dangerous team. And that to me is what I found to be the most compelling thing after that game is that it's remarkable. And yet it's also like, you know what though? This is kind of who they are.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah, they're kind of, they're kind of like this.

[Don Hahn]

So do you understand when I say when a team clearly and I didn't never said this last year, but when you look at this group and you could see that they too truly kind of believe like they believe, how do you not believe in them? How do you still hold like, I don't know, I don't trust. How can you not possibly at this point expect. They'll figure something out. They'll figure it out. How could you not expect a moment like that? And some of the other moments we've had in this playoff run, how could you not expect to be there on June 3rd in game one in the NBA final?

[Alan Hahn]

And that's why I know it's a strong thing. You know, typical Knicks, this is where they disappoint us. This is where they fall apart. Isn't there enough evidence with this team that's not wearing the Ewing finger roll and the stupid guarantees and you know, the meltdowns and the poor play and not living up to expectations. The Phil Jackson triangle, all the things that get thrown in that make the Knicks the Knicks, the disappointment, the team that never wins. When does that all go away? When you take a look at the current Knicks that shouldn't be wearing all that, that responsibility. Have they done enough to make that all go away? For some fans, I get it. The second shoe drops, another tough loss. It'll be typical Knicks. Typical Knicks. But have they built up enough of a reputation between what they did last year and what they've done so far this year? And let's not ignore the fact that they made a coaching change to. To let the world know that we're not going to accept that loss to the pace.

[Don Hahn]

Right, right.

[Alan Hahn]

At what point? I guess until you finally win Allen or at least get to the final.

[Don Hahn]

You know what? I guess not until Brunson has that Ewing moment of putting his arms out towards the crowd, saying, we are on our way to the NBA Final, 1994. That was like that feeling of, wow, they really did it. Because for Patrick Ewing, that's what everybody's waiting for. And that's what that moment, that famous photo of him with his arms outstretched, standing on top of the scores table as if he's trying to hug the whole building. Like, that's what that moment was. And I guess until we see Brunson in that moment, I guess people will still be skeptical. But it's getting harder and harder to stay skeptical of what this team can do when they've just won eight straight playoff games. Eight. They've never done this in franchise history. And by the way, the only other team in the playoffs, Oklahoma City Thunder, they won eight straight until they finally lost game one.

[Peter Rosenberg]

We might have to go revisit the moment when I first said, I'm putting down five on dough on this team.

[Don Hahn]

Was that game four?

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah, it was before the eighth straight.

[Don Hahn]

You.

[Peter Rosenberg]

They have not left me and Danhausen together.

[Alan Hahn]

And how often do you cover six and a half in overtime? Wow, that's kind of hard.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I would say 30% of the time, 20%. Not a high number. It got me, by the way. I was rooting against it at that point. I was rooting against it. I. I didn't go with the points, remember?

[Alan Hahn]

Oh, that's right. You want the money.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I went money line. So at that point, I didn't want the.

[Caller/Listener]

I wanted it before.

[Alan Hahn]

Right.

[Don Hahn]

By the way, you didn't do Alex Monaco's fakakta double dip.

[Alan Hahn]

Would have lost because they.

[Don Hahn]

They blew that lead. He was in a. I saw him halftime, absolute shambles.

[Peter Rosenberg]

He can't do this. Every day he's doing this. How is he surviving this?

[Don Hahn]

He went live. He went live during the second half. He was like, it's 60 to 1. It's 60 to 1. You got to take it.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Wait, it was 60 to 1.

[Don Hahn]

60 to 1.

[Peter Rosenberg]

When. When they were at their biggest deficit.

[Don Hahn]

60 to 1 live.

[Alan Hahn]

Wow.

[Don Hahn]

And he, and he took it.

[Alan Hahn]

Good for him.

[Don Hahn]

I know.

[Alan Hahn]

Lunch is on him next time.

[Don Hahn]

He had to recover because that halftime, that killed him.

[Peter Rosenberg]

That's, that's, that's a tough way to. This is hard living.

[Don Hahn]

I love Monaco, though. He's. He's the best.

[Alan Hahn]

I know he is. But, dude, man, he's a good looking kid, very talented. I want him to be on this earth a long time. He's living too much. He's living too dangerously from. For, you know, having a lot of cortisol buildup. We're going to bump into him 10 years from now. He's going to be bald. Three bills, you know, just. And we're going to be like, who are you? Who are you again?

[Peter Rosenberg]

I got to take a look at the old account. Haven't looked back since yesterday. See how we're doing.

[Don Hahn]

But how are we doing?

[Alan Hahn]

No, you're doing well.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Oh, it feels good. Back to almost og, right.

[Alan Hahn]

He might.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Knicks are just. I, you know, I hope, I hope there are people out there making money who made money on this run.

[Alan Hahn]

Oh, yeah, definitely.

[Peter Rosenberg]

They have to be, right. Knicks fans are just pounding it.

[Alan Hahn]

Pound it, Tony.

[Caller/Listener]

Pound it.

[Alan Hahn]

This is a day for you guys. 1-800-91-9, 377. How many guys gave up, went to bed? Maybe you had a, you know, a 5am call. You're like, they're down 22.

[Don Hahn]

I'm going to bed.

[Alan Hahn]

I missed it. How many people walked out of the building, tried to fight to get back in after Brunson starts hitting shots? I want your stories. I want to. I want to know what you're feeling right now.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Most protein drinks ask you to choose between results and taste. Bucked up decided that's a ridiculous trade off. Bucked up makes lightly carbonated protein drinks. 25 grams of protein per can. Clear protein, not milky or thick. And they taste so good that 25 grams of protein almost feels like a bonus. Bucked up is so confident you'll love their drinks, they're giving away an island vacation just to prove it. That's the kind of brand this is. No purchase necessary. Giveaway ends May 30th. Enter and find your closest Bucked Up@buckedup energy.com. grab a Bucked up and feel like a million bucks. The NFL schedule dropped and it is time to settle up, people. There's road trips to plan, hotels to book tickets to split tailgates to cover scores to settle all the things for the season. But now, when you send $10 or more to a friend with PayPal, by May 28, you could win two tickets to every home game of your favorite team. Yep, the whole season. Visit paypal.com P2P sweeps. No purchase necessary. See website for details, including how to enter by mail. Brought to you by PayPal, official peer to peer payment sponsor of the NF

[Alan Hahn]

as you know, managing maintenance, repair and operations is never easy. But for the ones who always rise to the challenge, Grainger has your back. From professional grade products you can count on to fast, dependable delivery, they're there to help you keep things running smoothly. Plus, their technical product specialists are here to help answer your toughest questions. And because Grainger knows safety is always a priority, they're committed to being your partner in protecting both your people and your facilities. Call 1-800-granger. Click granger.com or just stop by thanks

[Don Hahn]

for listening to the Don Hahn and Rosenberg podcast.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I didn't listen to anything you just said.

[Don Hahn]

Catch the show on demand whenever you want. Just subscribe to us wherever you get your podcasts.

[Peter Rosenberg]

So this is a fun thing throughout the day if you think of one. Who are we forgetting in that category of you're watching basketball and you go, you're with someone, you go, you gotta watch this. They cannot stop this person. That feeling. Last night, me and Natalie were watching in bed and we're yelling after each

[Don Hahn]

possession, oh no, he's doing it again. What?

[Peter Rosenberg]

Like you're just talking out loud.

[Don Hahn]

You're going, he's doing it again. He's doing it again.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And that category you're talking about, Kobe, Michael, Steph. I feel like I've seen AI in that space before, but not all the time. But it happened.

[Don Hahn]

Luca can do that.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Luca can, can, can do it.

[Don Hahn]

Luca can all of a sudden detonate and you're just like, we're talking about

[Peter Rosenberg]

like five, six, seven players that I've ever seen and now do anything like that.

[Alan Hahn]

Now the naysayers got to pay attention because now it's the third round. Everybody was watching that game last night.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Everybody.

[Alan Hahn]

This isn't some first or second round game or some game in December where he went off and nobody saw it like all those naysayers.

[Don Hahn]

He's too small.

[Alan Hahn]

He's not a great player. I want to hear what they have to say now, because now they might have actually seen it in a big spot. You can't tell me that's not a big spot. Down 22 at seven and a half to go in your own building. Game one, Eastern Conference files. No other NBA game. Isn't game one of a double header.

[Don Hahn]

No, no, no.

[Alan Hahn]

All right, this is it.

[Don Hahn]

Everybody's watching.

[Alan Hahn]

The NBA is watching.

[Peter Rosenberg]

No, Wemby owned the night before.

[Don Hahn]

Yes, he did.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And Jalen.

[Alan Hahn]

Exactly.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And it's.

[Don Hahn]

It's the line that's become sort of this phrase now going around social media in regards to Jalen Brunson, is that everyone is better than Jalen Brunson until it's time to be better than Jalen Brunson.

[Alan Hahn]

Exactly. And that's the. That's the key time.

[Don Hahn]

That's. That's where they.

[Alan Hahn]

The big Bucks are. All right, let's get it started off with Gary and White Plains. You're on. Don Hannah, Rosenberg. What's up, Gary?

[Caller/Listener]

Gentlemen, good afternoon. How's everybody doing?

[Don Hahn]

Good, good.

[Caller/Listener]

There's two quick points. One, how sick are the fans that left during the fourth quarter last night because you missed something special. And just to that point, this is not your father's same old side behind Nicks. This is a different group. There's something special there. So those people that left, I know they're sick to their stomach. But the other point that I want to make, and then I'll let you all talk with the Cavs and the Knicks. The Cavs, yes, they choked it. But if you go down from being down 22, being down double digits to winning by double digits, that's you just snatching the victory away from them. And that's that there. There's. You can call it a choke all you want. The Knicks flat out outplayed them in that last bit of the fourth quarter in overtime.

[Don Hahn]

They took.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah, that's the thing.

[Don Hahn]

That's the best way to put it, Gary. They. They took. That's why I didn't like the idea of, you know, what really happened here, like. No, they took the game. That's what they did. They took it from them. That's how you look at it. You can't say, well, they just choked it away. Like they played poor. Yes, but you don't want to give credit to Landry Shamit suddenly was out there guarding Donovan Mitchell. Took him out. Donovan Mitchell tweaked his ankle. Donovan Mitchell suddenly couldn't make shots. So that's nothing. Right. The defense, Towns didn't do anything all game, had seven rebounds in the fourth quarter. All of a sudden, as the Knicks were getting dominated on the boards, Town suddenly turned back into the guy that we've seen for seven games where he's a beast on the boards. And that was important, right? Did he do some dumb foul things that we need to talk about? Yeah, but did he rebound? He rebounded. That was important. So there was things that happened. But I'm sorry. It's like a boxer, like, you could be losing a fight, but then the guy winning the fight might leave himself open, and you get one punch in and you see him start to move.

[Alan Hahn]

That's it.

[Don Hahn]

Okay. You got to put them away. But that's what the Knicks did. They saw.

[Alan Hahn]

I know a little bit.

[Don Hahn]

It was an opening. They threw a punch. They realized, oh, no, no, wait a minute, they're starting to shake. And then you just go crazy. You just. You take advantage of it. You take the game. That's what they did.

[Alan Hahn]

And also what turns in with halfway through the fourth is rust turns to rest for the Knicks.

[Don Hahn]

Yes.

[Alan Hahn]

So they've got the better legs. All right. And the energy and the adrenaline of the Game seven win begins to wear off for the Cavs, and now they're getting tired, and I think that also played a factor. So I don't want to harp on the Cav side of it, the choke. It just, I think circumstances. And the better team ended up having just enough time to get it to overtime. And then you saw in overtime clearly who the better team was. Let's go to Joe in the car. You're on espn, New York.

[Caller/Listener]

Hey, good afternoon, everybody. Great win for the Knicks last night. And I'm. Listen, now, I'm a huge Knick fan, but, you know, I was wondering. And I'm watching this game last night, and I'm thinking to myself, hey, you know, it would have probably been beneficial for the Cavaliers to actually handle the time a little better as far as, you know, they kept trying to score and score, and of course, you want to add on to the lead, but at the same time, I'm thinking to myself, is the coach telling them to slow the game down? Keep possession of the ball for most of the shot clock, try to get, you know, you have a 24 lead with seven minutes. You know what I mean? I was just like, I'm watching this game and I'm thinking, wow, the Knicks are going to come back and they're

[Don Hahn]

going to take this game. It's what. It's literally what everybody was feeling is the momentum was turning, and if everyone in the building felt it, you know, that Kenny Atkinson felt it, he had to have felt it.

[Caller/Listener]

Oh, I was so.

[Don Hahn]

I was so happy Couldn't believe it.

[Caller/Listener]

I'm sorry, I'm a phys ed teacher. It's like that. It was like this. You know, I talk sports all day with my, my colleague. You know, I'm a physio teacher in the building and nobody seems to be talking about that. The Cavs, if they, if they had just managed the ball in time a little better, they might have pulled that

[Don Hahn]

game out well again. And everybody's talking about it. Actually. I know you're probably working during the day, but all the shows today, I was on them. All we talked about was how Kenny Atkinson didn't use his timeouts, that he had four timeouts, guys. He had four timeouts.

[Alan Hahn]

Well, didn't both teams have two timeouts left, like in the final second?

[Don Hahn]

No, no, but. But this is how I think we've done this before. But four timeouts, this runs going on 18 to 1, the 3 minute mark. If you don't, it's to use it or lose it. If you don't, you lose your timeout, you lose them and you don't, you're left with two after the game. Atkinson said, you know, I wanted to hold on to him in case it was close. You know, you want to have one for a timeout and draw up a play and one for a challenge, just in case.

[Alan Hahn]

Right.

[Don Hahn]

So he was keeping him in his pocket, but you can't keep in the pocket two of them because it's the use it or lose it. They take it away from you because they don't want you to have four timeouts. It's like college basketball. You're calling, constantly calling timeouts. So you have a TV timeout in three minute mark and that's your use it or lose it. And so he didn't use them even just to slow down momentum, even just to get, like, do an offense, defense switching with Harden, get him out of there. Because they're clear. Mike Brown said it. Oh, yeah, we were targeting Harden. Absolutely. Everybody saw it. That's exactly what we're doing. Like, did. Did Kenny Atkinson, who's a very good coach, did, did he freeze in that moment what was happening? Because I know, I've known him a long time, I know he has a feel for this game. He had to have felt what everybody in the building was feeling, like, this is an avalanche and I got to stop this thing. And he didn't. And so he's being heavily criticized for that. Exactly what he was talking about, the call.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah. So. So did he choke? You know, was it just. Or did it just happen so fast that you just.

[Don Hahn]

He just couldn't believe it was gonna. Like, he just felt like, we just get one bucket, we'll be fine. Like, if we just get a stop, we'll be fine. And it's just, my God, this guy will not miss. And that was Brunson. And Brunson was what Aaron Neesmith was last year. All of a sudden, Aaron Neesmith had one three, and it turned into four threes.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah, it's crazy. Just. It just happens so fast. But, you know, you got to think fast in this game.

[Don Hahn]

That's true.

[Alan Hahn]

1-800-919377 Jims got criticized for it last year. Sure. Absolutely. Well, anytime there's a collapse like that, there has to be reasons behind it, whether it's a choke or whether it's.

[Peter Rosenberg]

What are they?

[Alan Hahn]

A miscalculation. Right. Coaching is something, you know, and in those moments, you know, do I get somebody else to defend? Do I gotta get Harden out of there? What do I gotta do? You know, these timeout, anything.

[Peter Rosenberg]

But the whole world is watching. Like I'm saying at home, people are screaming. I can't believe it. It's at possession after possession after possession. How can you be the. And I'm not saying this to deride him. I legitimately don't know it because I've never coached an NBA team. How can you be the one who's in the situation watching and go, I'm gonna just let this play out.

[Caller/Listener]

I just.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I don't understand it.

[Don Hahn]

Yeah.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Like, he's 36 years old.

[Don Hahn]

The Knicks were looking down the officials. There was a couple of times where after another made bucket, the officials will turn to the. Because they kind of.

[Peter Rosenberg]

They have a feel.

[Don Hahn]

And so it's like, all right, another made bucket. And you look at Atkinson.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah, here it is. You're gonna take him out now, right?

[Don Hahn]

No.

[Peter Rosenberg]

All right.

[Don Hahn]

Like. And that was really going on. It just was one of those moments.

[Peter Rosenberg]

If he dies, he dies. Maybe that was kind of where I went.

[Don Hahn]

Look at the feeling of Joe Missoula letting his team just keep jacking threes and do nothing about it, knowing the game is slipping away. And they lost a game seven at home to the Sixers. Because Joe Missoula just stood there, arms folded, just saying, no.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Oh, I saw.

[Don Hahn]

Keep shooting.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I saw.

[Alan Hahn]

Because we live in this analytic world where the numbers tell us how it's going to work. It's worked for three and a half quarters. We're going to have faith that it's going to continue to work instead of the real time feel of it's not working. We got to do something. We got to adjust. Think outside the box. You wonder if these coaches anymore in all these sports have the ability to think outside the box because nobody could plan for this. What's the analytics for? How do you handle a complete meltdown of your team?

[Don Hahn]

I gave you the number. It never happens.

[Alan Hahn]

So you know what? If it never happens, then there is no number.

[Don Hahn]

There was a first time. I'm trying to find it. There was a this incredible number.

[Alan Hahn]

Because there is no strategy in the analytic world for dealing with something that the analytics tell you almost never happens. Now you're wasting your time. They only deal with the absolutes. But sports is anything but absolute. The crazy things happen that you don't expect. Nobody walked into Washington last night expecting to see an inside the park grand slam home run. They happen. That's the beauty of sports.

[Don Hahn]

Unfortunate I'm trying to find. There's a stat that it was like oh and 650something of a team trailing by 20 with seven minutes to go.

[Alan Hahn]

Right?

[Don Hahn]

So it was never happened.

[Alan Hahn]

There's no coaching strategy for that. If the analytics tell you because they'll go through the math and go, you don't have to worry about it. It's never happened. This summer, serve up the cookout classics. Mix Oscar Mayer hot dogs and Heinz mustard. Grill up a dog, add classic yellow mustard or loaded Chicago style. We all know it's not a cookout without Oscar Mayer and Hines.

[Don Hahn]

You thought this was your run Club era. Turns out it was more of a thinking about Run Club era. The good news? Someone's marathon training is about to start. Sell your workout gear on Depop. Just snap a few photos and we'll take care of the rest. They get their race day fit and you get a payout for trying. Someone on Depop wants what you've got. Start selling now Depop where taste Recognizes Taste Starting a business can seem like a daunting task unless you have a partner like Shopify. They have the tools you need to start and grow your business. From designing a website to marketing to selling and beyond, Shopify can help with everything you need. There's a reason millions of companies like Mattel, Heinz and Allbirds continue to trust and use them. With Shopify on your side, turn your big business idea into Sign up for your $1per month [e-mail] SpecialOffer thanks for listening to the Don Hahn and Rosenberg podcast.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I didn't listen to anything.

[Don Hahn]

You just catch the show on Demand whenever you want. Just subscribe to us wherever you get your podcasts.

[Alan Hahn]

Since Peter's feeling, let's go to Q in the car, who is a Peter. Convert, convert. What do you got, Q? Hello.

[Caller/Listener]

Hey, what's going on, gentlemen? First time, long time. What's up? Yeah, just two things. I won't take up too much of your time. Number one, with the Knicks. I honestly, obviously the game one win feels amazing and it's great. And especially the way they did it. But the way this Knicks has been this year in this playoff run, I wouldn't have been super worried if they went down.01, obviously again, win at home against the team that we were looking to play. You know, game one win, definitely take it one one up one zero. Great. The thing about Peter, man, I used to listen to you on Hot 97 for years. I gotta be honest with you. I was a huge hater, man. I could not stand. I could not stand listening to you over the past few years. Especially since COVID That's just me being real. But especially since being Covid, I feel like I started to see who you are. You know, everybody was opening up on the radio, especially during that crappy time that we call COVID 19 or whatever. And now I get to listen to you sports talk, get to see you WWE tv. Just want to say, I'm a huge fan. I respect you.

[Alan Hahn]

I wonder what you didn't like about Peter. Thank you.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I appreciate your patience. What do you think it was that was you found so irritated?

[Caller/Listener]

I don't know, maybe my immaturity. Just not. I'm a bona fide certified hater. I'm just. I'm honest like that. I tell everybody I'm a hater. You got to win me over.

[Don Hahn]

But yeah, I like this guy.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Listen, Q, I appreciate you. First of all, some people think the same of me about like my takes that I am a hater. I don't think I am. Or maybe I'm not as honest as you are. But I appreciate your honesty and suffering through the journey till it became good for you. And here you are. I thought it was all. I assume the reason Don picked that up, besides curiosity, was he assumed it was going to say what I assumed, which was was not a Peter fan until the Knicks ran off eight straight

[Don Hahn]

and made some money.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah, that's where I thought it was going.

[Don Hahn]

Me too.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Was that now, now I'm down with Peter because Peter's been rocking with the Knicks and they've won eight straight.

[Alan Hahn]

Right. And I thought maybe the reason he hated you was because it was political and Q was short for QAnon.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Like, I thought.

[Alan Hahn]

I really thought that maybe it would be. It would have been a historic call.

[Don Hahn]

That's a strange call.

[Alan Hahn]

It was a good call. But I was kind of hoping that was.

[Peter Rosenberg]

That was Don's second best joke in that category. First yesterday, asking Monica her thoughts on Truth Social randomly, too, out of nowhere.

[Alan Hahn]

I just wanted to see what the reaction from that side of the table would be.

[Peter Rosenberg]

It was great. I was a big pop.

[Alan Hahn]

For me. I never heard of threads. Does that make me a bad guy?

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah, bad person.

[Don Hahn]

You know what I mean? Sure.

[Alan Hahn]

Not bad guy. Just out of the loop.

[Peter Rosenberg]

If you were on Instagram, you're happy.

[Don Hahn]

Out of the loop, which is a good thing.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah.

[Peter Rosenberg]

You're in a good space. But if you were in Instagram, you. They offer you threads all the time, so even if you're not really actively doing it, it'll show you a post they think you're interested in.

[Alan Hahn]

And then I said.

[Don Hahn]

And then you. If you're dumb enough to click on it, then they tell you to sign up. And then this and that. No, I'm good.

[Alan Hahn]

Go to Vinnie in the Bronx. You're on. Don Hanna, Rosenberg.

[Caller/Listener]

Hey, guys. How you doing?

[Don Hahn]

What's up, Vinnie?

[Caller/Listener]

Nothing. Want to talk about the Knicks? I do think that they had no business winning that game yesterday. Probably the worst they played those first three quarters in weeks. Then Jalen Brunson became superhuman and carried them essentially to a win. The two points I want to make. OG to me, looks pretty hesitant and not aggressive for most of the game. Then finally, in overtime, you got a couple glimpses of him kind of exploding to the rim, being more himself. And if he can be remotely close to himself, I think that's a huge. A huge advantage for us because they have no answer.

[Alan Hahn]

Well, listen.

[Caller/Listener]

And number two.

[Alan Hahn]

Oh, go ahead.

[Caller/Listener]

Yeah, well, too. I was going to say, I love what Brown. Coach Brown's doing. The shammet for heartthub was great.

[Don Hahn]

Yeah.

[Caller/Listener]

But he's got to get Mitch off the floor. Floor. When they're over the bonus. And there's more than two minutes left. The hack. And Mitch just kills our momentum. He's. He's left him in too many times throughout this postseason to just break these free throws.

[Don Hahn]

I think he want. Yeah, it's a great point. And I think you're always trying to give him the chance. Let's see. Because he works on these free throws in practice, so give him a chance. See if he can make some Obviously, that didn't happen. And then, you know, you're right, though. You do have to start saying to yourself, hey, Mitch, I can't have you out there right now for this reason, the Josh Hart thing, guys, let's not glaze over that Josh Hart's an incredibly important player and a leader on this team. Right. And you basically told him, you're not helping us right now. I got to sit you down for a guy off the bench. And Josh Hart knows he's got to take it because that's what they demand out of all of that's been their common theme is that everybody understands that it's not about you, it's about what's best for the team. And so you can't be upset if in this case, you're not going to be playing or you're not going to be part of it. You just have to root for the team. And that is something that Mike Brown just does, whether you like it or not. And on some teams, that becomes a problem, but here it has not been a problem.

[Alan Hahn]

And getting back to Anunoby, remember, the Knicks hadn't played in nine days. He hadn't played in over two weeks.

[Don Hahn]

Right.

[Alan Hahn]

Last time he played was game two of the Philly series. So, yeah, it would make sense that he would be out of it. Right.

[Don Hahn]

He was putting up some UFOs.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah.

[Don Hahn]

Oh my God.

[Alan Hahn]

That's a long time to go without getting a chance to play. And it wasn't that long ago he just started practicing. So I think he'll get better and better as the series goes on.

[Don Hahn]

Thanks for listening to the Don Hahn and Rosenberg podcast.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I don't want to know how the

[Don Hahn]

sausage is made, but I just want to know it's good. Hear more of Don Allen and Peter weekday afternoon starting at 3 on 8 80, ESPN, the ESPN New York app and your smart speakers.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Hey sports fans, the ESPN app has

[Don Hahn]

all of ESPN all in one place. The ESPN app is your home to

[Peter Rosenberg]

thousands of live events, ESPN shows and originals across every ESPN network and service.

[Don Hahn]

And now you can check if you

[Peter Rosenberg]

already have ESPN Unlimited as part of your TV package for no additional cost. Visit activate.espn.com to learn how to access your account or sign up, then start streaming in the ESPN app. It's all of ESPN all in one place. Sign up or activate now.