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- [00:01]
Don Hahn
This episode is brought to you by Lifelock. Not everyone is careful with your personal information, which might explain why there's a victim of identity theft every five seconds in the U.S. fortunately, there's LifeLock. LifeLock monitors hundreds of millions of data points a second for threats to your identity. If your identity is stolen, a US based restoration specialist will fix it, guaranteed, or your money back. Save up to 40% your first year by visiting lifelock.com podcast terms apply.
- [00:30]
Peter Rosenberg
Don.
- [00:31]
Alan Hahn
You know, maybe they can go pee on each other. That'd be great.
- [00:33]
Alex
Don, there's a lot of women out there that want you.
- [00:36]
Peter Rosenberg
Alex and Rosenberg.
- [00:38]
Unknown
Give me the porn. For God's sake.
- [00:40]
Alan Hahn
This isn't North Dakota, this is New York.
- [00:43]
Peter Rosenberg
This is Don Hahn and Rosenberg.
- [00:47]
Unknown
The best threesome I've ever heard on.
- [00:49]
Peter Rosenberg
880 ESPN and the ESPN New York app.
- [00:53]
Alan Hahn
It's 300 one of the big city. Don Hahn and Rosenberg. We got a full frontal show right till 7 o' clock, all four hours, all sports. On what's kind of a tough day. I think a lot of Nick fans were expecting Thursday to be all about preparing for the Pacers and celebrating, moving on to the conference final. But Peter, you said it yesterday. You felt like the Sixers were in a pretty good spot. Alan disagreed. He felt good about not the Sixers, the Celtics and that Allen disagreed. I kind of agreed with you that I thought the Celtics would show you something. I think you're disappointed in the way the Knicks played, but I don't. I still think the series is over. I still think the Knicks are in good shape. But you're now going to have to go home for a game tomorrow. Ruin Allen's Friday. Yeah, I hope for a long weekend. It's not good.
- [01:46]
Unknown
I think the hardest part, if you're a Knicks fan, about that loss was that there was a period of that game early on where it felt better than any other game in the series so far.
- [01:56]
Alan Hahn
Yeah, that's 59. 59 at the half, right?
- [01:59]
Alex
No, it was nine. Nine point lead in the second quarter.
- [02:01]
Alan Hahn
Yeah.
- [02:02]
Unknown
Yeah, they had a legitimate lead. Their offense was flowing. Everyone's knocking down shots. It really looked like it was. So, Alan, I think that must be the frustrating feeling is that just that over time, the way the Celtics kind of ended up, you know, punking them a bit in the second half, for lack of a better word. That's the frustrating part is you feel like the Knicks could have finished them.
- [02:21]
Alex
Punking was the exact word. They got bullied. They absolutely got bullied. They weren't Ready for it. That after what was such a great third quarter in game four, they had a nightmare third quarter in game five. Nightmare. And I'll tell you what, there's a lot the Knicks did wrong defensively. A mess. A couple of guys were no show. I always say that you can't have passengers this late in the playoffs.
- [02:47]
Alan Hahn
There were plenty.
- [02:47]
Alex
They had a couple. They had a couple of guys we can talk about. But why did we need to have three incidents of hitting below the belt in this game? Like, when did that suddenly become part of the game where Jalen Brown, like, so I guess you could say Brunson started it with an inadvertent elbow that caught Brown on the same play that got Josh Hart bloodied early in the game. Right. Then later on in the game, two occasions, one early in the. In the third quarter, the other one in the fourth quarter. The play that Brunson fouled out on Jalen Brown one time, I mean, he had a handful of twig and berries.
- [03:33]
Unknown
Handful of nards, handful.
- [03:35]
Alex
And there's this photo evidence of it. And then on the play that Brunson fouled out on, if you watch it back, we were watching this morning, I get up, Jay Williams said, we got to show this again. And they kept showing it on loop. He lifts his knee as Brunson is trying to fight over screen and kicks him right in the mommy daddy butt. Like right in it.
- [04:02]
Alan Hahn
Boom.
- [04:03]
Alex
And that's a foul on Brunson, of course, because he fouled them with his extremities.
- [04:09]
Alan Hahn
Right.
- [04:10]
Alex
It's just like, what is the. How did that enter into the, into the chat? If you're going to play physical now we're going to do is we're going to punch each other in the nuts. I don't understand this. So that part of the game to me was annoying. And I'm wondering if that's going to be something that. Is there any carryover whatsoever? The officiating boy. That was an interesting topic of conversation last night as well. But the Knicks can't stand prosperity. They do not handle it well. And now this, this emotional, this, this emo series of waves of back and forth emotion goes back now where the pressure's on the Knicks and I gotta hear Stephen A. At the end of get up. Talk to me about how nervous he is and how worried he is. And I don't know, guys. I don't feel it.
- [04:57]
Alan Hahn
No. I nervous.
- [04:58]
Alex
Feel a sense of panic and. And anxiety. I just get this frustration of these guys do this all the freaking time. Closeout game. They always give one away before they finally get the job done. And now maybe they'll finally get the job done at home, which they haven't done in 25.
- [05:15]
Alan Hahn
Is it human nature, though? You're going up against the defending champions in their own building, facing elimination. They don't play well. Their season's over. As opposed to the Knicks knowing we don't play well, we got another crack added in Game 6 at home. And God forbid we still have the game seven. Like, isn't it human? As much as you want to. Jalen Brunson taking everybody off the court after the game four win and you know, we're not thinking about anything but game five, isn't it just going to be human nature, like, wanting it more? I hate that phrase. But the wanting it more. Wouldn't it make sense for the Celtics ultimately to want it more because they're facing elimination? As much as you talk about it, as much as you try to muster it up, you're not facing elimination. You have a margin for error. And when you go up against the defending champion that doesn't have it. Are we really that shocked by the result?
- [06:07]
Alex
You're describing to me a lack of a killer instinct, because that shouldn't matter.
- [06:13]
Alan Hahn
But don't let's kill you.
- [06:14]
Alex
I know I could put you in the ground. I put you.
- [06:17]
Alan Hahn
I'm going to be that guy today. I'm going to be that guy today.
- [06:19]
Alex
Do it.
- [06:20]
Alan Hahn
And Nick fans are going to beat me up. 1-800-9193776. You're talking as if the Knicks are the defending champions and they're taking on like an eight seed.
- [06:30]
Alex
What are they trying to do?
- [06:31]
Alan Hahn
Well, listen, you could. You could try and do whatever you want. You still have to do it. The Celtics are still a good team. Even without Tatum. They're still a good team. Yeah. I'm sure the intention was to go in and finish them off. You were instinct up nine. But you know what?
- [06:46]
Alex
Kicking the ball over.
- [06:47]
Alan Hahn
But even without Tatum, this is still a team that won two games but still were down 20 in both of them.
- [06:53]
Alex
Yep.
- [06:54]
Alan Hahn
So let's not make the Knicks out to be anything other than what they are. And that's a very, very good team that is in a position and should advance to the conference final. But just they're not a team that can just go out there and do anything they want to do.
- [07:08]
Alex
I'm not. Look, I'm with you on this. You knew the Celtics were going to do this. There's pride there. Losing a third game at home. There's. There was something Jaylen Brown was saying to his teammates about it, like, this is not happening. They aren't talking about coming back to win the series. I want everybody to be clear. All this stuff, all the rhetoric going into that game, they had in their group chat. Al Horford had a team meeting. He gave a big speech. They didn't talk about winning the series. They talked about winning a game. We're not getting embarrassed at home. We're not letting them do this here. That's what they talked about. We're going to take this thing back to New York and then whatever happens, happens. This was about just making sure that this did not end here, that all the negativity and the emotions of losing Jayson Tatum, they weren't gonna let it sink them. They wanted to make sure that everybody was ready to play and Luke Cornett was ready to play. And that's a great example of what happens when everybody wants to rally around a cause. So what happened doesn't. I mean, this is scripted. Don't. This was such an easy story. Didn't I say, I don't think you said this could be the best guy. I said, no, I think this is going to be a blowout one way or another.
- [08:21]
Alan Hahn
Well, you're right, because you just felt.
- [08:23]
Alex
Like either Boston just wasn't going to be able to conjure anything or they were going to be Braveheart. One or the other was going to happen. But now that that's out of the way, the Knicks just now have to a get. Get their head of their ass on defense because that was embarrassing in the third quarter. And understand what you have in front of you historically and everything else on Friday night in front of your fans, which hasn't been done in years. And the Knicks themselves, this group hasn't been able to do three times.
- [08:51]
Alan Hahn
You know a lot more about basketball than I do. You played it. You obviously are an analyst, your job. But when I watch this, I just look at a team that, you know, the Knicks really are not a great perimeter defensive team. And if the Celtics are hitting their shots, you can lose.
- [09:06]
Alex
Well, it's a threes again.
- [09:08]
Alan Hahn
That's it.
- [09:09]
Unknown
Specifically talked about this yesterday, guys. Derrick White was a name that we brought up on this show.
- [09:14]
Alex
So painful.
- [09:15]
Unknown
7 for 13 from 3 yesterday, by the way, that you cannot do that.
- [09:19]
Alex
And. And out of the seven, he was. I think it was four for. Four for eight. I want to say. Yeah, four for eight were wide open attempts. How the hell is he allowed to be open. It doesn't make sense. That's why after the game, they were so angry as a team because of the breakdowns they had and the fact that they were doing things that. Like the phrase that. That Wally used in the post game, he was quoting Bobby Knight. He said, dumb can make you lose more than smart can make you win. And there was a lot of dumb in that game. Just dumb mistakes. Things that are just. Why are you doing that? But that's the Knicks. They can't handle prosperity. So now the pressure's back on.
- [10:12]
Unknown
And listen, we talked about the weird moments with Jalen Brown, and they're weird. You know, particularly the. I can't quite explain the crotch grab thing. I'd like to explain the grabby one, though, is like he was just trying to grab his body and kind of ended up doing that. But it's very odd watching the replay.
- [10:30]
Alex
Very specific.
- [10:32]
Unknown
But let's talk about. Let's focus on. Probably the most important piece when it comes to Jaylen Brown was would he be overwhelmed by the moment? Would he play hero ball? He was fantastic last night. That was a very. That was a very strong performance. Allen, he did it basically in all facets of the game, both ends of the floor. He picked up Brunson 2612 assists, eight boards. He got it done for them.
- [10:53]
Alex
Yeah, yeah. And that's what you would expect. Again, I still. That part you had to expect. Letting Derrick White get open on. On walk in threes, four for four in the first quarter when you know, in the previous game he was doing the same thing. It's like, all right, let's not let him get his water going again, right? No, no, no. Just completely ignoring the only other guy on the floor that can beat you. Christophs Porzingis started and looked like he could barely get up the floor. So you only had one person other than Jaylen Brown to worry about, and they completely ignored him. It made no sense.
- [11:34]
Alan Hahn
And on the other side, they've got to. They got to get something going for Towns. They got to figure it out.
- [11:40]
Alex
Yeah, he. Again, he went from a bad game to a good game to another bad game. That game for him with the. When I talk about the dumb stuff, the foul trouble he got into early did not make any freaking sense. Like the fouls he took. You're thinking to yourself, are you a rookie? Have you never played in the NBA before? It does. Like you wonder where certain guys heads are at and Anunoby's another guy. You can't leave him off the hook. Forty Million Dollar Man. He came into the game and he was putting up shots early, trying to get himself in the rhythm. Made it three early and was like, okay, he's feeling it. Then he missed. He went one for nine to start. And it's as if once he went one for nine, he just kind of checked out mentally. He was not hustling back. Defensively, he had zero impact on defense. Every time he drove the basketball, he looked like his legs were giving out on him. He had a terrible game as well. Brunson had one of his worst games, especially that third quarter. No one played well. No one played well, and yet they were tied at the half. You know, like it. It's such a bad game, all these.
- [12:39]
Alan Hahn
Games kind of, with the exception, I guess, of game three, where it was. It just felt like it was a blowout.
- [12:45]
Alex
Game three was the same as this game, really.
- [12:47]
Alan Hahn
But. But no, because there was.
- [12:48]
Alex
Started later. Yeah, I got.
- [12:49]
Alan Hahn
It was. It ended up being a blowout, but it was way more, I think, competitive with the Knicks being up and it was tied at the half. And then, you know, everything kind of fell apart in the third quarter. But the point is, is that we've seen the Knicks play awful. They got off the mat in the first two games, down 20, because there probably was a sense of urgency. We're in Boston. It's early in the series. So was it just a case of, well, we can. But it's just not our night because we've got another night and we're going up against a team that knows they don't have another night. I'm not really nervous about this. You mentioned nervousness. We're going to tap into the fans at 1-800-919-3776. You're going home. I. I'd feel nervous if you're trailing in the second half of game six, and it looks like game seven's on the way. And certainly if you get to a game 7, all bets are off at that point. But are you nervous? Are you really, like, nervous, or. When you really logically look at it, put the insanity aside, the fandom aside, that that's. That's kind of what you expected to have happen last night.
- [13:45]
Alex
That's what I said. Scripted.
- [13:46]
Alan Hahn
Yeah. It just. The Celtics weren't going to go quietly into that good night. You're not going to go from a team that nobody gave any chance to win to then winning it in five and winning it going away. Come on. They're going to give you some Ajita.
- [13:57]
Alex
And the thing Is. Is Cleveland in their series with the Pacers. Their game five at home, they were facing elimination in the first half. They built an 18 point lead. They were humming. They were moving. Right. They have banged up guys, and they were all giving you that heart and soul kind of effort. And what happened was they couldn't sustain it. And the Pacers made their push, and when they did, the Cavs just melted because they are not. We are learning about this team, that they are not a mentally strong team whatsoever. They're not the defending freaking champions.
- [14:30]
Alan Hahn
They're not the defending champions. And even.
- [14:32]
Alex
Still got that initial, like, fight for your life push.
- [14:35]
Alan Hahn
But still, even with Tatum out the. The. Those cavalier injuries are probably a lot to do with where they are, right?
- [14:43]
Alex
But they're still. The guys played, even though they, you know, again, Garland's got four toes, right?
- [14:47]
Alan Hahn
Right?
- [14:47]
Alex
Like, he's. He's a mess. And Mobley, Mobley, to me, I mean, it's a bad ankle, but he's like this.
- [14:55]
Alan Hahn
He.
- [14:55]
Alex
I think he's got other issues that, you know, he could be on the injured list for being soft. Like. Like, I think that's more like that. You know, Mitchell dealing with the calf, he's not 100%. You could tell the way he was shooting, but he was playing hard. The Cavs.
- [15:07]
Alan Hahn
You know what the Cavs are? Cavs are the Minnesota Vikings.
- [15:10]
Alex
Ooh.
- [15:11]
Alan Hahn
Yeah, Right. A team that had a great regular season, but they've got no pedigree. And then when they get to the playoffs, they're getting smacked around.
- [15:18]
Alex
That's a fair point, right, Peter?
- [15:20]
Alan Hahn
I mean, that's it. It just.
- [15:21]
Unknown
Well, that's what we've seen historically.
- [15:22]
Alan Hahn
Yes, that. That kind of came out of nowhere and. But you got to respect them because they won 13 games. But when they. When it came down to. To winning the one seed and getting the buy against Detroit, couldn't do it. And then when they got to the playoffs, same thing. Just, they. They. They weren't good enough. The Cavs, they deserved to be the one seed, but were they really that good?
- [15:42]
Alex
No, you could tell that they weren't.
- [15:43]
Alan Hahn
So the Celtics are that good. Even without Tatum, they're still a really good team.
- [15:47]
Alex
And what's also important is The Celtics did 22 threes. I'm sorry. Like, I hate to boil everything down to hitting threes, but that's literally what it was. Once they started making those threes, you saw the building wake back up, and they started feeling good. And then in the third quarter, they decided to try to play Bully ball with the Knicks, and the Knicks just weren't up for it. They just weren't up for it. So now you play a game six at home, you still have two games to win one, and you got to feel like you're good enough with them without Tatum to get one over the next two.
- [16:23]
Alan Hahn
Right.
- [16:24]
Alex
You just prefer it to be home instead of in ball.
- [16:26]
Alan Hahn
But we said get it done in game five. You don't want to have to deal with the Game six. But. But that's something you say. Because it's true. But now it's for real. You don't want a Game seven?
- [16:37]
Alex
No, Don, I want as many games as it takes for me to win.
- [16:40]
Alan Hahn
Yeah, but it takes.
- [16:43]
Unknown
Adding a game here does not make that more likely.
- [16:44]
Alex
Of course it doesn't, because then you have to go right, to listen. Even if you win, you have one day off, and you got to go play the Pacers on Wednesday. So it's. Of course, the thing is, get it done. But this team cannot handle prosperity. They just.
- [16:57]
Unknown
Not to mention, you would be staring, Don, if you go to a Game 7, you would be staring the biggest. Like an absolutely indescribable disappointment if you were to lose that Game seven.
- [17:13]
Alan Hahn
Yeah.
- [17:14]
Unknown
It would almost be worthy of a list.
- [17:15]
Alan Hahn
You know, I mean, the level of.
- [17:17]
Unknown
Disappointment that would be if you somehow go to seven and lose here. They cannot allow for that. So it's going to be. It's interesting, man. My feeling is probably, is that tomorrow night will feel similar to last night, except the Knicks won't blow it. That once they get into a good.
- [17:33]
Alex
Position, they won't get punked physically like that happened there.
- [17:36]
Unknown
Yeah, that's my feeling. And I don't know if they'll end up winning by 20 points, but I think they'll end up winning the game. But if somehow they don't, the level of fear that will kick in heading into game seven back in Boston, that. That. That is a tough spot.
- [17:48]
Alex
This is why when people talk about. We do our hypotheticals. Well, what if you lose in seven? Would you take losing in seven? Would you take this? I. We always say, what's it look like? It's why we always say whenever we do the hypothetical. All right, if you're out in the first round, how do you feel if it's in four games versus six? Like we do all this? No, no. What does it look like? So if you said to me at The after game 82, hey, the Knicks get to game seven against the Celtics, would you take that? I'm like, yeah, you know what? That take the defending champs to seven games. If you bow out there, that's, you know, it's honorable. But now, because wait, what's it look like? Oh, wait, you were up two to. Oh, you were up three one. And they lost Tatum. Yeah, that changes everything. Those are all the different specifics, which is why you can never just say what if you have to see what it looks like.
- [18:38]
Alan Hahn
Because I'm sure if you told Falcon fans you're going to go to overtime in the super bowl against the Patriots, you would have signed for that.
- [18:45]
Alex
Yes.
- [18:45]
Alan Hahn
But then when you had a 28 to 3 league, what's it look like?
- [18:47]
Alex
Oh, no, that's a great.
- [18:49]
Alan Hahn
I'm sure they were a dog in that game. No Falcon fan said, well, at least we gave him a fight. No, you should have won the game.
- [18:55]
Alex
So true.
- [18:55]
Alan Hahn
Should have won the series. No, there's no getting up from it. But I am not. I'm not ready to panic. Robin, the car is going to get us started on ESPN New York. Are you ready to panic?
- [19:06]
Unknown
I am definitely not ready to panic.
- [19:09]
Alex
Okay, thank you, Rob.
- [19:12]
Unknown
I look, the silver lining on this cloud is that they all played, each and every one of them played badly last night. Brunson's not going to play that badly again. Karl Anthony Towns is going to play better. OG is going to be better on offense and on defense. And even if one of them isn't great, I have faith that collectively they're going to have a much better game. And I feel like Boston, you know, I mean, the Celtics to their credit, picked it up, played great, played with a ton of emotion. There's going to be a letdown for them next game. I so I'm confident that we're going to win and I'm looking forward to what you guys have to say.
- [19:58]
Alan Hahn
Well, you guys, you think about it, you have kind of a similar scenario as far as feel is that maybe you had going into game four at the guard.
- [20:07]
Alex
Right?
- [20:07]
Alan Hahn
You're up, you're up a game in the series. Up a game in the series here. The only difference is you've got a chance to actually win the series. But I'm sure the building is going to be as up for grabs as it was back last earlier in the week. It's just a matter of how they play.
- [20:20]
Alex
Yeah, of course it is. And I think you have to understand that that's as bad as I've seen them play in a long time. And soft, like soft. But it was very unexpected that third quarter the way it went down. But it started at the end of the second quarter. I'm telling you. Something started to slip where, you know, like, they just get. They. They get undisciplined, and it starts to fall apart, and they can never end. Usually it's Brunson that reels it back in and, you know, you expect. All right, well, Brunson have a big third quarter. And then Jaylen Brown said, I'm guarding that dude. And that inspired everybody. How hard Jalen Brown played in that game inspired everyone.
- [21:00]
Alan Hahn
No, it did.
- [21:01]
Alex
And then, of course, Luke Cornett was that X factor kind of guy that comes out of the blue and has an unreal game. You know, it's. It's just one of those made for. Made for movies kind of situations.
- [21:12]
Alan Hahn
Let's go to Kadeem in Brooklyn. You're on ESPN New York.
- [21:19]
Unknown
Gentlemen, how are we?
- [21:20]
Alex
Good.
- [21:23]
Unknown
Good to talk to you, gentlemen. I mean, as a Knicks fan, I've been seeing it. Me and my friends were talking about it in our group chat yesterday. All season, it. It's Jekyll and Hyde now. Do I have 100% confidence that we're going to close it out tomorrow? I do, but this is just what the Knicks do, man. Like, I was so frustrated last night watching we were getting Luke Cornette over here look like Ben Wallace. Like, I mean, why again, as you to your point, Han, why is Derrick White wide open on threes? It's just. It's just mental breakdowns. It's ridiculous. It's just. It's very frustrating. It's deflating. Because with at least with me and my friends in our. In our circle, it's almost like, all right, you know, one of these games in a series, the Knicks are going to throw up a dud that they should, and we expected. Now, again, with that said, to conclude, I think we're going to, you know, keep going and hopefully beat the Pacers. But if we do get to that game seven that you guys are talking about and we lose, 7th Ave. Is going to look like it did on Wednesday for the opposite reason and will not be good. Thank you, gentlemen. Have a great rest of your day.
- [22:29]
Alan Hahn
I don't even want to go there.
- [22:31]
Alex
Nope, no, thank you.
- [22:32]
Alan Hahn
But that. That'll be where minds will go if you lose tomorrow.
- [22:35]
Alex
Of course.
- [22:36]
Alan Hahn
But I'm not ready to go there just yet. But are you?
- [22:41]
Peter Rosenberg
Thanks for listening to the Don Hahn and Rosenberg podcast.
- [22:44]
Unknown
I didn't listen to anything you just said.
- [22:46]
Peter Rosenberg
Catch the show on demand whenever you want. Just subscribe to us Wherever you get your podcast.
- [22:54]
Alan Hahn
Game time is brought to you by Televardu Irish Whiskey. Because when it's game time, it's Tully time. No, local. Wait, wait. No, no, no, no, no, no, no. There's no resurrection. There's no Easter Sunday.
- [23:03]
Alex
I need this today.
- [23:05]
Alan Hahn
I don't know what to tell you, man. You have to get it someplace else. You're gonna get it someplace else.
- [23:08]
Alex
I'm out.
- [23:09]
Alan Hahn
Blame Jacob. Blame Anthony. Blame Peter. Now, don't blame Peter because it was his idea never to do it in the first place.
- [23:15]
Alex
You know, this whole day sucks.
- [23:17]
Alan Hahn
All right, you know what? You know what? Because Alan is. Is.
- [23:20]
Alex
No, no, no, no.
- [23:20]
Alan Hahn
Don't do it.
- [23:21]
Alex
Don't do it.
- [23:21]
Alan Hahn
Just don't be that guy.
- [23:22]
Alex
Do it for the people.
- [23:24]
Alan Hahn
Game time is brought to you by Tullamore Dew Irish Whiskey because when it's game time, no locals in action.
- [23:40]
Unknown
That felt good, though.
- [23:41]
Alan Hahn
But we have coverage of Thunder Nuggets Game 6 on 8:80 at 8:00 clock following Ty Butler big game. Ty Butler's going to be on for an hour of the original triple distilled, triple blended, and triple cast matured Irish Whiskey. Be sure to grab a Telemore Dew or try the new Telemardu Honey during tonight's action. Glasses up to enjoying. Tell the more. Do responsibly. So Knicks tomorrow, 8 o' clock. So coverage will be on 1050, with Pat O' Keefe getting things started at 7. And of course we've got Mets and the Yankees, much to chagrin of Michael K. So his remote's now going to be split between Mets, Yankees and Knicks, Celtics. And that it does stink because Friday was going to be special. I know it's a regular season game, but it's Mets, Yankees, it's Soto returning the Yankee Stadium. We got some quotes from John Heyman's article with the Juan Soto already building Iran.
- [24:34]
Alex
Love it.
- [24:34]
Alan Hahn
You know, 50,000, you know, against one scenario that he's painted for himself. But it's not going to get as much shine when you got a game 6. Knicks have a chance to eliminate the Celtics, win a series at home for the first time in 25 years. So. And if there's a game seven, it's. It's going to be almost like the Subway Series is going to get completely abolished. But you know why?
- [24:57]
Alex
We can.
- [24:58]
Alan Hahn
We'll work.
- [24:58]
Alex
We'll work our way.
- [25:00]
Unknown
But I. But I. But it is. It is going to be a quiet start to what. To what is supposed to be the biggest regular season Subway Series since this became a thing, it's going to be quiet.
- [25:14]
Alan Hahn
Honestly, from no way around, from a fan perspective, World Series, 2000 World Series aside, of course, this is the most anticipated matchup since the first meeting after Piazza got hit by Clemens and then throwing the bat at Clemens in the World series. So the 2000 World Series, that 2001 matchup, Sean Estes, who was Met for the first time, his knees were knocking, had to throw at Roger Clemens. Remember that?
- [25:42]
Alex
Yes.
- [25:42]
Alan Hahn
So that would have been the second meeting, I think that the Saturday, so they played on Friday, but the first time the Clemens faced the Met, that anticipation, what are the Mets going to do? Are they going to hit Clemens? All that. It's got that level of anticipation. Everybody knows he's going to get boots total. But how is he going to react, how they're going to play? And let's face it, it's a 7 o' clock, 7 10, first pitch. Tomorrow the Knicks are going to get start 8 10.
- [26:07]
Alex
So you'll be 10 higher, Bob, probably what ESPN game.
- [26:11]
Alan Hahn
So what time are they tipping?
- [26:14]
Alex
I would probably venture a guess that you're going to see maybe like 8:15ish. A little bit later.
- [26:22]
Alan Hahn
8:15, 8:20, something like that. All right. All right.
- [26:25]
Alex
Always.
- [26:25]
Alan Hahn
Even better. So that means you'll get an hour 10 of uninterrupted mets, Yankees before the Knicks start.
- [26:31]
Alex
You get through about what, four innings?
- [26:32]
Alan Hahn
Yeah. And then, and then, and listen, now you get to the fifth inning during the first quarter of the game, you're kind of flipping back and forth. You're going to get a lot of Mets, Yankees before you're really going to get into the teeth of Nick Celtics.
- [26:44]
Alex
You're already going to get it. The first Soto at bat, right?
- [26:46]
Alan Hahn
Yeah.
- [26:48]
Alex
That'll be out of the way. Get the crowd, all that stuff, how he's received.
- [26:51]
Alan Hahn
Yeah. All right, so you'll get plenty.
- [26:53]
Alex
But what if you have tickets?
- [26:56]
Alan Hahn
Well, that's tough, man. Well, this is only a conversation if you're a Nick or Met or Yankee fan. Equally like the example that I give is like Dave Rothenberg is a Met fan, Giant fan. He is way bigger Giant fan than he is a Met fan.
- [27:10]
Alex
Yeah.
- [27:10]
Alan Hahn
So if you're a way bigger Knick fan, it's not even a conversation.
- [27:13]
Alex
Yeah.
- [27:13]
Alan Hahn
If you're a way bigger baseball fan than Nick fan. It could be.
- [27:18]
Alex
Put it on your phone.
- [27:19]
Alan Hahn
You're probably watching the Knicks on your phone. If you're, if you're equal, you love both teams equally. It's, it's tough.
- [27:25]
Alex
You Got to stay home, watch this, watch the Nick game. Right.
- [27:27]
Alan Hahn
It's not like nobody's going to buy tickets.
- [27:30]
Unknown
Even if it's. Yeah, if. Even if it's equal, the, the Knicks still went out because this game is not equal. Not even close. Yeah, I mean, the, the Yankees Mets thing is just fun for the sake of being fun. There's no actual ramifications.
- [27:43]
Alex
You could regret it. If, like the Nick game goes, goes south real fast, then you're like, I know, right?
- [27:50]
Unknown
Well, yeah, especially if the Yankee Met games turns out to be a classic or something and your team wins. You know, either. Either you're a Met fan and Soto walks it off or vice versa for Judge.
- [27:58]
Alan Hahn
Yeah, I think what, it's a really good question. Now again, you're going to get like an hour, 10 minutes of Mets, Yankees all by themselves before the Knick game starts.
- [28:07]
Alex
Yeah.
- [28:09]
Alan Hahn
If you take the ESPN rating against the SNY and Yankee rating combined. Are the ratings close? I think they are. Only because you're getting an hour of Yankees Mets by themselves.
- [28:24]
Alex
I'm going to say yes.
- [28:25]
Alan Hahn
And you do have a ton of baseball fans that maybe don't care about basketball or as passionate about it. I bet you. I think the Knicks went out rating wise, but I think it'll be closer than you think.
- [28:33]
Alex
I think you're absolutely right.
- [28:35]
Alan Hahn
What do you think, Peter?
- [28:37]
Unknown
Combined everything. Baseball versus the.
- [28:40]
Alan Hahn
Yeah, because you're going to take. You're going to take. There's a lot of games going to be on SNY and there's a large 11. And yes, I think it's 11. I think it is.
- [28:48]
Alex
There's a large contingent of baseball fans in this town that have zero interest in basketball for various reasons. We don't need to discuss large.
- [28:56]
Unknown
But, but, but at the same time, the Knicks are generally the ultimate unifier team in the city.
- [29:03]
Alex
Oh, yeah, right.
- [29:04]
Unknown
They have the most. So again, I know we've been really boring with this recently, but it depends what it looks like. I mean, that Met Yankee game is a dud. You're telling me there aren't people going.
- [29:16]
Alex
All right, Soto, Homer's in his first at bat.
- [29:18]
Alan Hahn
Well, yeah, right.
- [29:20]
Alex
Listen, if Judge Homer's in his first at bat, you're kind of like you, you definitely want to see. Is this going to be a little bit of a Star wars going on here? Like I told you, I've been juicing this. You guys making fun of me. This is just, this is just the beginning. So there's some anticipation. I'm going to be like Think about it. I have to work this game.
- [29:39]
Alan Hahn
You'll be keeping an eye on it. I mean, we have the technology, the people at Nick games. The Nick game will have the phone and vice versa. And yeah, it is mets on. On pix11 and the Yankees on. Yes. Yeah. It all depends. If both games are good, then that'll be, I think, a fair comp.
- [29:54]
Alex
And they'll put the score up at the stadium.
- [29:56]
Alan Hahn
Yeah, yeah.
- [29:57]
Alex
They'll let you know.
- [29:58]
Alan Hahn
And they'll probably. Maybe. You think they'll show. Mets, Yankees on the Jumbotron at the Knicks. Maybe they're in a stoppage.
- [30:06]
Alex
Doubtful.
- [30:07]
Alan Hahn
Yeah.
- [30:08]
Alex
Not a playoff.
- [30:08]
Alan Hahn
No.
- [30:09]
Alex
They normally would unless something significant happens.
- [30:12]
Alan Hahn
Like if Soto homers, won't they show it.
- [30:14]
Alex
But no, the only time I've ever seen to do stuff like that is playoffs. Playoffs is when I've seen them.
- [30:19]
Alan Hahn
The problem with it is you're trying to amp up your crowd. Right. The whole idea of it.
- [30:24]
Alex
The problem there is, whatever, half the.
- [30:26]
Alan Hahn
Crowd might not like a home run or a judge home run, half the crowd might be upset about. You don't want to take them out of the game. You want everybody to get nuts. Right. I mean, that's. That. That. That's the fun of the whole thing. But that's what's great about being in New York is that you run into these issues the way they can be. So much big sporting events going on in the. In the, you know, within miles of each other. That's. That's pretty cool stuff. 1-800-9193776. Let's go to Kevin and Rahway. You're on ESPN, New York. What's up, Kev?
- [30:53]
Unknown
Hey, guys. I wanted to get your opinion on this. The Celtics facing elimination, playing at home after losing their talisman the game before. Purely running on adrenaline at that point. What are your thoughts on them coming into game six with a huge emotional letdown and just being flat?
- [31:13]
Alex
I don't think you'll get the same bur. Although, like, you won't get the same burst, but I don't think they'll be flat. I just think they'll be a little more like, all right, just let's do our game plan. Let's see how this goes. I think there was a punch first kind of feeling. And again, it didn't work. You know, White hit four threes. The Knicks still had their first lead of the series after the first quarter. They had not led after the first quarter all series until that game. And you were thinking to yourself, all Right. That's a thing. And then early second, they're up nine. The building's dead. You hear a ton of Knick fans in Boston. And we're sitting there at the network like, you know, watching the game and we're going to wow this thing. This thing could get ugly by halftime. Like, listen to the building.
- [31:55]
Alan Hahn
Yeah.
- [31:56]
Alex
Like, they look flat, they look dead. And then the Knicks fumble the ball around and let them back in the game. But. So I don't know if they're going to be flat, but I don't know if they're going to have that same emotional push that they had because the crowd got going and there was this.
- [32:11]
Alan Hahn
Belief factor, but they might. They might feed off the hostile environment, too. And what we say about a heart of a champion, part of what I say when that comes up is they're the defending champions. They don't want to give that up.
- [32:23]
Alex
Right.
- [32:23]
Alan Hahn
And I think there is something in the NBA to backing up championships. Like, you don't want to be Milwaukee where you win a championship and it goes away, or Denver win a championship, it goes away. Like, these guys are able to put. I know, but this team saying, you know, we're going to show. We're going to follow it up. We don't. They don't want to give up that crowd.
- [32:42]
Alex
Think about what they heard for the. For the two days, they were not only like, told like you. Your. Your best player is now done for the year and next year they were also told, this is probably the end of your championship window because this team can't be kept together. They're going to have to blow this, by the way, and all that stuff.
- [32:56]
Unknown
It's the most overstated thing. I've said this many times. I'll keep saying it. The desperation for the media to have a story every year on the Celtics breaking up. I'm sorry, respectfully, this one legit.
- [33:06]
Alex
Here's why it's legit.
- [33:07]
Alan Hahn
But. No, no, no.
- [33:08]
Unknown
Hear me out real quick. But Kristaps or Derrick White being gone is not going to be the end of Brad Stevens being able to field a championship team with Jalen Brown and Jason Tatum as his core. I'm sorry.
- [33:18]
Alex
Well, you have those in their prime. You're absolutely right. But now you don't have Tatum for probably a whole year. You're going two years ahead. But they really.
- [33:26]
Unknown
That's the end. You think they'll never get back.
- [33:28]
Alex
No, no. Is this iteration is got to get. They have to do a reef. A reshaping because the luxury tax Penalty is just astronomical in year three. And that's where they're going to go into next year. Next year might be a year you're just gonna have to suck it up and go through whatever. Just they can reset and then let Stevens retool something with his two stars back.
- [33:48]
Alan Hahn
All I know is all the stories that you hear. You're a Yankee fan, how utterly devastated the Yankees were in 97. Like they had just won the World Series in 96. They thought they had the team to put to put it together. They ended up doing that by winning the next three in a row.
- [34:02]
Alex
Never forget losing to Cleveland.
- [34:03]
Alan Hahn
They were, you know, so you would think, oh, well, you just won the championship last year. Why would you care? They. They were devastated to the point where that was the rallying cry to have them win. The next three teams don't want to let go. I'll never forget, like, as a Devil fan, the Devils win the cup in 95. They get eliminated in the regular season, they don't make the playoffs. The next year, they get eliminated at home and a loss to Ottawa. Ken Danico's on the bench crying his wing. His ring at home is still warm from wearing it, like the entire offseason. Because when you win it, you. You don't want to give that up. You hunger to do it again, to back it up, to show you was no fluke.
- [34:38]
Alex
It's a real thing. It's a real emotion now.
- [34:41]
Alan Hahn
But. But again, we overrate all this. If the Knicks play as poorly as they played, the Celtics are going to not win because of pride. They're going to win because the Knicks played terrible.
- [34:48]
Alex
Am I. Is it crazy for me to say, like, the Celtics left the door open for the knicks In Games 1 and 2, the Knicks left the door open for the Celtics, game five. Right. Isn't it kind of the same thing?
- [35:00]
Alan Hahn
Yeah, just.
- [35:01]
Alex
Just fumbled it away. And the Celtics happily took it away, right?
- [35:06]
Alan Hahn
Yep.
- [35:06]
Alex
Because that game was heading the wrong way fast. Not second quarter. And then the Celtics got some life.
- [35:12]
Alan Hahn
Let's go to Rodney. He's up in Massachusetts. You're on espn. New York. What's up, man?
- [35:16]
Unknown
Fellas, fellas. What's going on, man? I'm not gonna lie. I was gonna come on here and lose my mind and go crazy, but I've been a hold for a little bit. You guys been making me laugh, so now I'm calm down. So I'm gonna switch it up a bit. I noticed this whole conversation. First of all, I'll say this rapid fire One, if we lose, I'm already nervous. If we lose game six, I believe it's over with. We're not beating them in Boston. That's just how I feel. Not an overreaction or anything like that. It's just what I've seen.
- [35:44]
Alan Hahn
I can't kill you for that. Say we can't win at home.
- [35:48]
Unknown
For some reason, we can't close at home if we go to game seven. Oh, man, I'm a mess. So that's that. Let me ask you this, Han, no disrespect to the other guys. I want to go back and forth behind. Why has the show been going on for 40 minutes? I've been on old and kid hasn't been mentioned.
- [36:08]
Alex
But what do you want to mention? What do you do? Let me do this time.
- [36:12]
Unknown
I don't. Let me say this. This is not a situation of, oh, now that we lost, I'm coming back to go at tips. I've always felt this way, even in the win. But for some reason, if I don't call early enough, I can't get on the phone. But I believe that third quarter, when it was going to mess, he waited too long to call a timeout, and he never made any subs. That's that. And here's my main point I want to go say, and I'm gonna let you answer it for me. Why did we go out and get Cat? What was the point of Cat?
- [36:40]
Alex
All right, the two things that I'll give you here, Rodney, the first one is Tibbs was asked that question about when things were unraveling in the third quarter. Why did you stay with the starters? He said.
- [36:50]
Unknown
He said we were searching.
- [36:51]
Alex
He said we were searching. Basically what he was saying was. And what he's saying there is. I was putting it on them. That was up to them to figure it out, because that's our. That's our five best players, and they all had their heads up their asses, and that was on them, and they had to wear it. And I don't mind that as a coach, sometimes you got to look at your players and go, hey, this is up to you now. And they were a mess. So that's one. Now the other thing about why did they make the trade for Cat? I've said this. I've said this over and over again. Isaiah Hartenstein took more money to leave. The Knicks couldn't offer him more. He was gone. Mitchell Robinson had surgery on his ankle, would not be available. And they thought, you know, maybe late December, he ended up not Coming back till February. Right. So you didn't have anyone on the roster over 6 foot 9. Your starting center, if you did not make that trade was Julius Randle at 6 9. And they were not comfortable going into the season that way. When you consider everything they invested in the season and also the fact that they are trying to win a championship here. The Town's trade was always something hanging around. They went to Minnesota to see it's late in the go, but you know, would you do it? And Minnesota said yes. And they just said, we got to do this now because they couldn't do it during the season. They would have had. They had to get it done before training camp because they knew that was going to take a lot to work him into, you know, the team and the format and everything else. So that's why they did it.
- [38:16]
Unknown
Okay, let me say these two things and I'm gonna go because I've been on the phone a little long. I feel. I just feel like our president went out and got a guy to play a five out modern offense to match up with this team specifically yet. And still Cat is only averaging what, two, three?
- [38:32]
Alex
He's only. He's only taken. He's only made two threes in the series.
- [38:36]
Unknown
How many has he taken?
- [38:37]
Alex
Not many. I haven't counted, but not.
- [38:38]
Unknown
Okay, so that's that. So that's that. I'm gonna be. That's that right. He has it. Watch how Julius ran. And I don't even like Julius. I never did. But I gotta be fair what coaching does. Look how Julius plays in Minnesota as a traditional. I'm not talking about how effective he is. I'm talking about his role as a traditional power forward. Right off the ball here and there. Maybe he'll bring up the ball a little bit, but he doesn't play like how he's. What I'm pretty much getting at is Cat is being miscasted. And I feel like fans and some of the media guys.
- [39:10]
Alex
Again.
- [39:11]
Unknown
Oh, he's this.
- [39:11]
Alex
Rodney, Rodney, Rodney. Julius Randle was being guarded by Draymond Green. You know who's guarding Towns? Drew Holiday.
- [39:19]
Alan Hahn
Yes.
- [39:19]
Alex
Would you have. Would you have.
- [39:21]
Alan Hahn
He's got height on him.
- [39:22]
Alex
Footer. You would put him on the post when they're putting small guys on him. And by the way, in game four, he was nine for nine on dunks and layups. Nine for nine. He had a tremendous game in the paint. He was 10 for 11 in the paint. Dominated. And in game five he played soft. That's not a coaching decision. What?
- [39:45]
Unknown
I hate when you call him soft.
- [39:47]
Alex
Because he did play soft. He couldn't make a layup. He kept falling down. He was looking for fouls. He was a more determined player in game four. That's just reality. If you watch the game back, not watch it live, because live you're emotional. Watch the game back a second time and you're like, why are you doing that? Why do you do that? Like, he had, he had issues with the physicality down low against smaller players. That was not a problem in game 4.
- [40:14]
Peter Rosenberg
Thanks for listening to the Don Hahn and Rosenberg podcast.
- [40:17]
Unknown
I didn't listen to anything you just said.
- [40:19]
Peter Rosenberg
Catch the show on demand whenever you want. Just subscribe to us wherever you get your podcasts.
- [40:27]
Alan Hahn
Bowling all baseball fans joining ESPN New York and the Michael K Show live at Stout Bryant park ahead of the first Subway series matchup tomorrow, May 16th. Starting 1 o' clock, Michael will look ahead, which should be a great game between the Mets and the Yankees. Also, he's going to be talking game six, going to have Tyler Murray on, so he's not going to give short shrift, as Michael would like to say to game six. So it's kind of be a split remote considering the Knicks are still alive in this series with the Celtics. Michael K Show live at Stout Bryant park tomorrow, 1 to 3pm brought to you by Sun Cruiser Vodka Iced Tea. Let the good times cruise. Twisted tea. Keep it twisted. New York and Corona, the official cerveza of Major League Baseball. Ready for more calls or no?
- [41:10]
Unknown
I mean, shouldn't we break the laws?
- [41:11]
Alex
Let's go.
- [41:13]
Alan Hahn
Because the other one went out you and you just.
- [41:15]
Alex
He didn't really go out me.
- [41:16]
Alan Hahn
He was just. No, I think he was into it. And you were into it.
- [41:18]
Alex
I was into it. I don't mind a good debate. I just, like, I get tired of the Twitter narratives that start this circle and everybody just follows them and believes them more than they'll believe someone like myself. Because, you know, I must be. I'm probably lying because the guy on Twitter in his basement who, you know, doesn't ever. He's never walked in the building. He, he, he knows way more about the, the, the strategy of the team than I.
- [41:41]
Alan Hahn
He went there.
- [41:42]
Unknown
He, he really did.
- [41:43]
Alex
You know, you know, I'm, I, look, this is what I'm, I'm, I'm, I must understand this.
- [41:48]
Alan Hahn
Oh, I know. What did I say to you, Peter, after Alan left? That the Tibbs detractors will come back out of the woodwork? My example was if they give you like no effort against the Pacers and got swept. All those people will come back. They look tired. Tibbs with the minutes. Police will come back out.
- [42:06]
Alex
Forget it.
- [42:07]
Alan Hahn
Guaranteed. If they lost this series, they just need a reason. They want to read and they stay quiet. They don't go away. That's the thing I respect about New Yorkers. They're stubborn. When they get an opinion, they're not going to give it up that easy.
- [42:18]
Alex
Yep.
- [42:19]
Alan Hahn
The guys will judge. Hasn't won. When they win the World Series, well, then you got to give me another one. Reggie gave me more than one. Mantle and Marisol, all those guys gave me more than one. You got to give me more than one. They're not going to let go. When they get an opinion, man, they're like. They're like the jaws of life to get out of that.
- [42:38]
Unknown
And it's yet another reason, though, your.
- [42:41]
Alex
Ex is never letting it go, no matter what you do.
- [42:45]
Unknown
If they. If they are forced to play a game seven, it's just one of the many storylines that's going to exist and adds pressure to the Knicks having to go to Boston.
- [42:53]
Alan Hahn
Yeah, and we'll see. We'll be here for it if it does happen. But I think. I still think they're good. Let's go to Robert in Queens. You're on. Don. Hannah Rosenberg.
- [43:04]
Unknown
Gentlemen, good to talk to you. I just wanted to talk. I know the. I know the pressure is going to be on us. On the Knicks. It is on us. And I just wanted to say that rough play that they up in Boston, they were. They were trying to hurt Jalen Brunson. I just hope when we come back that the refs realize that was a crazy game yesterday with knees to the groin, all kinds of crazy things. And as well. As well as the. The free throw disparity. It was. It was ridiculous. It was ridiculous. I just have two more quick points and I hang up and listen, gentlemen, Tibbs. Coach, you know, Tibbs is going to go over the film. But let me tell you something. We cannot let those guys. They're going to hit threes. They're going to hit threes. But we cannot let guys just walk up, up the court and then just start taking threes. And let me tell you, og, we know he didn't show up. And Cat was a disappearing act. I'm tired of cats antics, always looking for the foul. I want him to play strong and stop playing so damn soft. He looks like a pterodactyl on the court, walking up and down playing defense. Gentlemen, Enjoy the day. Thank you.
- [44:08]
Alex
Thank you, Robert. There was no free throw disparity. In fact, it was in the favor of the Knicks. The Knicks took 40 free throws in this game. The Celtics took 26.
- [44:17]
Alan Hahn
Yeah.
- [44:18]
Alex
Remember, they were missing free throws left and right. It was ridiculous how many free throws they missed. But The Knicks took 40 free throws. So, you know, you can't officiating in the third quarter when it comes to Jalen Brunson was very curious what they were calling and why they were calling it. And then not giving him some things that normally would get called for him. It was as if, again, it's like, well, not this game. You're not getting, like I said it in the first quarter. All right, Jalen, you're not getting these calls, so don't, don't even try. Like, just gotta play through it. You're not getting those calls. But the third quarter, when he would, I mean, him fouling out, him getting five. Any player getting five fouls in one quarter.
- [44:55]
Alan Hahn
Yeah.
- [44:56]
Alex
That's like you gotta actually try.
- [44:59]
Alan Hahn
But they were. I know sometimes you'd like them to look away. Weren't they all good calls? You have any? Did you have a problem with any of them?
- [45:07]
Alex
Well, the one that he got kneed in the. In the groin, that's one that I probably might have wanted to look at.
- [45:11]
Alan Hahn
Okay.
- [45:12]
Alex
You know, they didn't even bother looking at it.
- [45:14]
Alan Hahn
No, I'm saying the calls that.
- [45:17]
Alex
The one where he got when he, when he fouled them with his face. Yeah. I guess that's a foul too. I guess so. The one that they turned. They overturned. Remember it was.
- [45:25]
Alan Hahn
Yeah.
- [45:26]
Alex
Remember it was considered an offensive foul. Elbow to the face. And then they said, no, no, your chin fouled his arm. So. Yeah, okay, I guess that one's fine. There was one, the reach in. He had a reach in one that was lazy and kind of stupid, but it just, again, it was a bizarre quarter.
- [45:42]
Alan Hahn
Very.
- [45:42]
Alex
Josh Hart said it best. We were terrible. And he's right, the team was terrible.
- [45:46]
Alan Hahn
I don't think you could have scripted this series the way it's gone. Like everything emotional roller coaster, just. Just very. Not just the fact that the Knicks have a chance to close out in six or had a chance to close out in five. Just the way these games have gone. Knicks coming back from 20 point deficits of back to back games and home teams not being able to win. It's been a very, very crazy, crazy series.
- [46:09]
Peter Rosenberg
Thanks for listening to the Don Hahn and Rosenberg podcast.
- [46:13]
Alex
I don't want to know how the sausage is made, man. I just want to know. It's good.
- [46:15]
Peter Rosenberg
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.