Hour 1: LIVE from Stout NYC & Tim Bontemps

Summary

Don, Hahn & Rosenberg – Hour 1: LIVE from Stout NYC & Tim Bontemps (June 8, 2026)

Episode Overview

This episode, broadcast live from Stout NYC, captures the extraordinary energy in New York as the Knicks are on the brink of an historic NBA Finals run. Alan Hahn, Don La Greca, and Peter Rosenberg, joined later by ESPN’s Tim Bontemps, dive into the magnitude of the Knicks’ playoff surge, its impact on the city, and the sense of destiny enveloping the franchise. The conversation is a blend of passionate fandom, seasoned basketball analysis, and reflections on what this moment means for New York.

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Main Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Atmosphere: A New York Unification Moment

• Unprecedented City Excitement: The hosts marvel at the pervasive "Knicks energy" – fans everywhere, old merchandise dug out, and an undeniable sense of city-wide unity not seen in decades.

  "The Knicks bandwagon is absolutely on fire. Everyone's digging up their old hat, their old shirt, their old jersey." — Peter Rosenberg [02:32]

• Comparison to Past New York Champions: Alan compares the current fervor to the 1986 Giants, noting that this Knicks run is different due to its historic drought and central location in Manhattan.

  "It's really the perfect storm ... It's right there. Midtown Manhattan. Not in East Rutherford. Not in Uniondale." — Alan Hahn [03:48]

2. The Magnitude of the Knicks’ Run

• Historic Implications: If the Knicks close out the Spurs, their championship run could be one of the greatest in sports history, surpassing even the Warriors’ win streak because it would end in a championship.

  "If they're able to win the next two games, it'll be the single greatest run in the history, I think, of professional sports in the postseason." — Alan Hahn [02:59]

• Knicks as Underdogs in the Spotlight: Peter discusses how New York, usually the media juggernaut, has become the underdog story, multiplying the impact.

  "New York is never the underdog in life…but the Knicks are." — Peter Rosenberg [04:35]

3. The Epicenter of Sports and Media

• Convergence in Midtown: The Garden’s location at Penn Station has made it the focal point of national and international attention, drawing masses and intense media coverage.

  "There's just hundreds and hundreds of people. I've never seen anything like this in any capacity." — Don Hahn [07:26]

4. Party or Caution? The Fans’ (and Team’s) Mindset

• Balancing Celebration & Focus: Fans are justified in celebrating, but the hosts warn against "getting ahead of yourselves." The Knicks’ players, led by Jalen Brunson, have maintained an impressive focus and discipline.

  "From everything they've said, they aren't doing that. I find that to be the most important part of this." — Don Hahn [10:01] "You saw Mikal Bridges' face ... He had that look, a possessed look in his eyes ... 0, 0. It was as if he was ready to play another game that night." — Don Hahn [11:42]

• Media Everywhere: The hosts discuss the massive media presence and how everyone is trying to capture the moment or go viral.

5. The Team’s Preparation & DNA

• Lessons from Past and Winning Mentality: The hosts dissect the mental preparation of this Knicks squad—a product of past playoff pain, Villanova championship DNA, and a season-long fixation on the Finals.

  "They learned from the past experience ... Champions sometimes have to go through the pain, build some calluses... And they have now all that built in knowledge of what not to do." — Don Hahn [14:01]

• Brunson's Mental Strength: Alan and Don highlight Jalen Brunson’s steadfast refusal to entertain thoughts of winning until the job is done, turning down even promotional opportunities with the Larry O'Brien Trophy.

  "The one player you won't see holding the trophy or sitting in an interview room next to the trophy is Jalen Brunson. He doesn't want that, right? I don't even want to think about it." — Don Hahn [16:44]

6. Player Focus: Karl-Anthony Towns’ Redemption Arc

• KAT’s Rising Status: The group discusses how Karl-Anthony Towns (KAT) is rapidly rewriting his narrative—potentially going from much-maligned to Finals MVP and a beloved Knick.

  "We will have never seen a player go from what he was to New York fans... to what he would mean by July 1st. One of the greatest turnarounds by any pro athlete in a market ever." — Peter Rosenberg [18:44]

• Next Steps: The panel speculates about off-season moves, KAT’s potential extension, and the likelihood the current group stays together.

7. Perspective & Warning: The Series Isn’t Over Yet

• Respecting the Spurs: All three caution against assuming victory, emphasizing that the Spurs are talented and that a twist can change the “vibe” instantly.

  "I get it. It's easy to say it's over. But it's not." — Alan Hahn [24:03] "A loss today can just change everything." — Alan Hahn [27:41]

• Wemby Factor: Discussion of how Victor Wembanyama’s misses or a single shot could have changed the momentum.

  "If Wemby hits an open shot, we're tied at one. It’s that close." — Alan Hahn [29:09]

8. The “Magic” vs. Reality Debate

• Is it Fate or Just Winning? Don and Rosenberg discuss if this run is “magical” or simply the byproduct of being legitimately better and more consistent.

  "There are such things as teams of destiny... They know it now. When you get on a run like this, you start to believe it." — Don Hahn [34:00] "They've legitimately won 13 straight games because they've been the better team ... when we start bringing in the moxie and the confidence, you lose a game, you know, that doesn't go away." — Alan Hahn [34:29]

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Citywide Fandom:

  "I have never seen this much unification in the merch being worn... The Knicks bandwagon is absolutely on fire." — Peter Rosenberg [02:32]

• The Impact of Location:

  "Everybody works in the city for the most part ... All the trains, they play under Penn Station, where the world comes to New York." — Alan Hahn [04:17]

• On Team Mentality:

  "The players can't get ahead of themselves. And from everything they've said, they aren't doing that." — Don Hahn [10:01]

• On Karl-Anthony Towns:

  "We may take what I said about Karl-Anthony Towns and put it in the radio broadcasting hall of fame in terms of how much he will have revolutionized his perception." — Peter Rosenberg [18:44]

• On the Weight of History:

  "No team in history has ever come back from down three. Oh ... it will be absolute bedlam." — Peter Rosenberg [05:21]

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Tim Bontemps Joins (Key Interview)

[40:48]

Initial Impressions (41:02)

• Electric NYC Atmosphere:

  "I've been to a lot of huge games and I don’t know any is going to quite have the atmosphere that this is going to for all the things that we obviously know factor into what tonight should be about." — Tim Bontemps [41:36]

Knicks’ Clutch DNA & The Series (41:42–44:56)

• Brunson as the Ultimate Closer:

  "The Knicks continue to be a team led by Jalen Brunson who has probably proved himself to be the most mentally tough player in the league ... you trust him to make the right play." — Tim Bontemps [41:42]

• Series Parallels: Bontemps likens this series to Spurs/Thunder, with the Knicks finding clutch ways to win.
• On Wembanyama:

  "The shot was 2 inches long ... if that goes in, it's like, ‘Oh man, Victor bounced back.’ But ultimately, Jalen Brunson has made a couple more plays than him... and it's why the Knicks are up." — Tim Bontemps [42:44]

On Karl-Anthony Towns’ Story Arc (44:56–47:58)

• Validation and Leadership:

  "Mike Brown is coaching the finals, hasn't won. Jalen Brunson ... led a team to a title. But I don't think there's a single person in the organization that will be validated more by the Knicks winning than Karl Towns. ... he's clearly outplayed Victor Wembanyama." — Tim Bontemps [46:19]

Officiating & Game Style (48:35–49:49)

• Letting Them Play:

  "These games are unbelievably hard to refer ... I've liked that over the last couple rounds. They've let a lot of stuff go ... my guess is it's going to be mostly what the last two rounds have been, which is they're trying to let these guys play, decided on the court." — Tim Bontemps [48:39]

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Important Timestamps

• [02:30–04:35] – New York City unites for the Knicks, the historic context of the Finals run.
• [07:26–09:53] – Logistics and mass convergence around MSG; national and international media presence.
• [10:01–16:44] – Knicks' mental focus; Jalen Brunson’s leadership style and discipline.
• [18:44–20:32] – The Karl-Anthony Towns transformation and implications for the Knicks’ future.
• [27:41–34:20] – The dangers of overconfidence; a single loss can change everything; balancing history and reality.
• [40:48–50:12] – Tim Bontemps’ live segment, breaking down the atmosphere, the series, Brunson, Towns, and the broader significance.

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Closing Thoughts

The city’s ecstasy and anxiety as the Knicks edge towards history pulses through this episode. The discussion is rich with context — from media circus to championship DNA, player psychology, and the consequences of every possession. The hosts blend the voice of the fan with that of basketball insiders, never losing sight of the moment’s enormity but always anchoring in reality: the series isn’t over, anything can happen, and, as always in sports, the next play can change everything.

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For those who want an encapsulation:

• New York is electrified, and the Knicks’ narrative is historic.
• The team’s poise is as much a story as the winning streak.
• Brunson’s presence and KAT’s transformation define this moment.
• But as the hosts—joined by Tim Bontemps—remind us: don’t print the championship t-shirts yet. The last step is always the hardest.

Transcript

[Don Hahn]

Ready to soundtrack your summer with Red

[Tim Bontemps]

Bull Summer All Day Play.

[Alan Hahn]

You choose a playlist that fits your summer vibe the best. Are you a festival fanatic, a deep end dj, a road dog, or a trail mixer? Just add a song to your chosen playlist and put your summer on track. Red Bull Summer All Day Play. Red Bull gives you wings. Visit Red Bull.com BrightSummerAhead to learn more. See you this summer. I gotta divorce my wife and have my kids bleed out. No, because the Giant game's on.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Otherwise I'm not a real fan.

[Don Hahn]

What kind of fan are you?

[Peter Rosenberg]

Not a good one. And Rosenberg, the Peter haters who call stupid. The Peter fans who call very bright.

[Alan Hahn]

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

[Don Hahn]

This is Don Han and Rosenberg.

[Alan Hahn]

The best threesome I've ever heard on

[Don Hahn]

ESPN New York and streaming live on YouTube.

[Alan Hahn]

3 o' clock in the big city. Don Hahn and Rosa Berg. We're here at Stout. The only difference, it's game three of the NBA Finals. And the Knicks looking to take a commanding three nothing series lead in the NBA Finals. I'm with Alan Hahn and returning from assignment in Europe.

[Don Hahn]

That's right.

[Alan Hahn]

Is the great Peter.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Thank you.

[Alan Hahn]

Thank you. Peter Rosenberg.

[Peter Rosenberg]

How are you guys? I gotta tell you, I did not. When, when I initially made the plans for this voyage. I don't know, I'm messing with all the volume. Sorry. How's that now? Messing with volume, folks? When I, when I made the plans to do this trip, the Knicks were down. Maybe they just lost game two against Atlanta and just looked bad. And I remember thinking, what are the odds that this is going to be. John and I had the conversation and we kind of looked at each other and he was like, I think you'll be fine. We're going to be all right here. I said, because I'm going to be in Italy for WWE already. I think I'll just take vacation then.

[Tim Bontemps]

Cool.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Obviously, I did feel a little bit of a way about being gone for these games. Had an amazing time. I cannot speak more highly about Italy. We'll get to that another time. But I loved Rome beyond. I'd been there once before, but loved it beyond measure. But to think that we're. I'm coming back and they are up 2. Oh, the New York Knicks are up 20 on the San Antonio spurs in the finals. It is absolutely incredible. The energy in the city. I have not seen this much, guys. I wasn't here for the 90s Yankees. I mean, I'm sure I was here for a Trip or two, but I don't remember. You know, I wasn't here every day. I have never seen this much unification in the merch being worn. Like, when was the last time you guys remember this much merch of one New York team being worn? It's everywhere. The bandwagon. Remember, I always tell you guys about the 91 Redskins bandwagon. The Knicks bandwagon is absolutely on fire. Everyone's digging up their old hat, their old shirt, their old jersey.

[Alan Hahn]

I felt it growing up in North Jersey when the giants won in 86, because that was Giants country and they played in East Rutherford. It's really the perfect storm. I was talking to somebody today. We've had conversations about this over the last week or so, Peter, while you were gone, about how this one hits different than any other run. The reason is it's the perfect storm of. It's been 53 years since they won. They're on a run that is unbelievable. Like, it's not just your average run. This is an historic run. If they're able to win the next two games, it'll be the single greatest run in the history, I think, of professional sports in the postseason. I know the warriors have the record for 15, but they obviously lost and then won the championship. The 15th straight win wasn't a championship for Golden State. This would be a championship run of epic proportions. And it's at the epicenter of everything. It's right there. Midtown Manhattan. It's not in East Rutherford. Not in Uniondale.

[Don Hahn]

It's not in the outskirts.

[Alan Hahn]

It's not on the outskirts. It's not in Queens or Flushing, not in the Bronx. It is right there. Right? We're, what, 10 blocks away from, like, the center of the universe, Times Square. Like, so everybody just come into the city. Everybody works in the city for the most part, right. That commutes, no matter where you are. Long Island, Westchester, New Jersey, people commute into the city. All the trains, they play under Penn Station, where the world comes to New York for.

[Tim Bontemps]

Right.

[Alan Hahn]

So it's the. It really is the perfect storm of everything.

[Peter Rosenberg]

We were on the Ebro Laura Rosenberg program this morning. We were talking about this, and Ebro made a very interesting point. He was saying that if the Knicks win tonight, you know, it's unprecedented. And I didn't know where he was going. So I'm sort of preparing my sports facts to rebut and say, well, let's compare it to this. Let's talk about the Red Sox in 2004, obviously. Right? Let's talk about The Cubs. There are some, there are some teams that we can put in this sort of conversation. But then he said, well, you got to multiply that times the biggest media market in the world. That is what makes this so insane. When you put that on top of it, this is where all the media is. All the eyeballs are already always on New York. It's almost like if the US Were all of a sudden amazing in the World cup because the US Is never the underdog, but they are. In soccer, New York is never the underdog. In life, we're number one. We're New York. But the Knicks are an underdog. No one expects them to do this. So to be this gigantic city with all these eyeballs, plus you have, plus you have the way they're doing it. If they win tonight, guys, and this may be a good starting spot, if they win tonight, the feeling in this city will be obviously that it's over, as no team has ever come back from down three. Oh, and I have to imagine, guys, it will be absolute bedlam. Allen, do you think if they win tonight, would there be a major difference between how fans would celebrate tonight versus celebrating finishing the series if it's, if it's in game four, game five?

[Don Hahn]

Well, what you know is if they win tonight, that the same security measures you see today will probably be. Have to be here on Wednesday night as well.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah. Even without Trump, for crowd control purposes

[Don Hahn]

more than anything else, what I saw on Friday, and that game wasn't even in this city, not even on this coast, it was across the country. But Friday night after the game, there were just so many people outside of the arena standing, watching on laptops, on phones, on iPads. They weren't even at a watch party. They were all sold out. This place Stout was packed with people, and so people just wanted to be near the building. And so when they win that game in the dramatic fashion that they won it, the party went on. I mean, we got off the air, it was 2am on MSG, and I walked out thinking, okay, it'll just be empty. No, it was still, it was still going. Tons of people outside, just, just, just having fun, just enjoying it. And so I think if you get a win tonight, I would expect a lot of the same security measures and crowd control measures will be in place for Wednesday night. Just to make sure that it's all done with safety in mind, because it, it really is something. We've never seen this many people converging on this little area. Yeah, because you're right. You're coming from Jersey, you're coming from Westchester, you come from Connecticut, you're coming from the Otto Boroughs, and you're coming from Long Island. There's just.

[Alan Hahn]

I mean, so.

[Tim Bontemps]

So.

[Don Hahn]

But there's just hundreds and hundreds of people.

[Peter Rosenberg]

So do you think.

[Don Hahn]

I've never seen anything like this in any. Any capacity. Yankee Stadium, you. Is not easy to get to. And when the Yankees are in the World Series, there are people. Those bars are all filled.

[Alan Hahn]

Right.

[Don Hahn]

Those are also outside of the stadium. People will be out there as well, but it's not as easy to access as this is.

[Peter Rosenberg]

So I know we're going to have a conversation about people getting ahead of themselves, which I think, at least me and Alan, I know feel strongly about when it comes to the spurs team is getting ahead of yourself. But before we get into that, would it be reasonable if you're a Knicks fan, though, and you. And they win tonight, is it unreasonable to celebrate it like it's winning the whole thing? No team in history has ever come back.

[Alan Hahn]

Doesn't matter if it feels like that now, because no team in history has ever won the first two on the road and not gone on and won.

[Don Hahn]

Right.

[Alan Hahn]

Like. So history has been on their side, you know, since the end of game two.

[Don Hahn]

Yeah.

[Alan Hahn]

And now you're coming home. So I just think it's a party. And listen, you're right. It's the perfect storm of it's the city. And there's a. I was walking around today and there's a lot of people with cameras. Everybody's in the media now. Right. So everybody wants to be a part of this because they love the Knicks, but also they know this is a chance for them. Oh, the band viral and to make their 50 minutes. And so it's become that. But Alan and I came in together and we were walking down 7th Avenue and lining up across the street from the Garden is camera crew after.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Oh, I saw it. Yeah.

[Alan Hahn]

Right. With people ready to do news reports going into game three.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Well, think about it then. All the national news is here. So a lot of people talk about the New York media bias when it comes to both sports and just things in general. Well, it's real because you're gonna get a lot of New York stuff because every major network has their hub in New York City. So their coverage of this is inherently biased because it's the thing that's happening in their lives.

[Don Hahn]

There's also the international media that's in town as well, because it is a big event. It is the NBA Finals. So you Have a lot of that. And probably some of the international media that normally would get into a game for the NBA Finals probably can't.

[Peter Rosenberg]

No, they're outside, so they just have

[Don Hahn]

to wait outside and they stand outside. So that's going on. So this really does. I mean, this is literally the epicenter right now of the biggest story going on in the country. That's what this is right now. This is a gigantic story on many levels. Also because the president is making an appearance at the game.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Well, that's also part of why, a

[Don Hahn]

huge part of the story for tonight,

[Peter Rosenberg]

but that's part of why he wants

[Don Hahn]

to be there too.

[Peter Rosenberg]

He loves the biggest story and it's the biggest story. Smoke.

[Don Hahn]

Well, here it is. It's the place to be.

[Peter Rosenberg]

It's the place.

[Don Hahn]

This is the place to be right now in the country and be part of something that has turned into sort of this, this exciting, positive run just like US Hockey, right, that almost everybody wanted to jump on that and be up and make sure that they had a presence and an appearance. But I think that's what's happening here with this. But you know, I think the team, though remarkably, has handled this really well because they are doing everything they can to incubate themselves from being getting caught up in all this stuff. And I think that's the main thing is if they stay focused and locked in, I can't see why any of this will affect them. And you cannot blame any of this that's going on. The hype, the hoopla fans can be excited and think about winning like, you know, winning tonight. They're allowed to do that because they're fans. The players can't get ahead of themselves. And from everything they've said, they aren't doing that. I find that to be the most important part of this. You're not seeing them really all of a sudden come home and now they're, they're enjoying all of the attention and positive headlines that they're getting. They are, they are repeating the same mantra. We still have to win two more. This is, you know, we're zero and zero game after game. You saw Mikhail Bridges face in his walk up interview with us on Friday night. He looked like he was like he just ate raw meat and he wanted more. He had that look, a possessed look in his eyes. He mad at himself for how he played in the fourth quarter even though he had a brilliant game. And he just kept talking about how, no, no, we got to stay locked in. 0, 0. It was as if he was ready to play another game that night. So this team has had a great focus. They see how close they are. And if you're a fan, you're allowed to dream about the potential of getting this thing done maybe even as soon as Wednesday. That's what the fans are supposed to do. But everybody in that organization, I can tell you, no one is thinking that way whatsoever.

[Alan Hahn]

And I have a theory on why they are so prepared. Alan, but tell me about Ring's end.

[Don Hahn]

Yeah, because I'm. I'm preparing for a great project at our house. So we're waiting. You know, here's the thing. Rings and has been great with me because they've been working around this busy schedule because suddenly we're still very busy and it's already June and this project was supposed to get underway, but it will once the playoffs are over. And why am I using Ring's end? Because they're pros and the pros use them as well. They have built to last high end product lines that contractors rely on and they have showrooms that you can go in with products you can touch and feel and try so you know exactly what you're getting. They have all kinds of locations, by the way. Eight full service lumber yards in Connecticut and Westchester County, 12 freestanding paint centers as well. They are family owned and operated since 1902. They're local, they are a northeast company, not a national chain. And oh, by the way, if you have a home project you want to do windows, doors, paint, any type of lumber, anything you're doing around the house, kitchens, this is a place that you and your contractor want to check in with and work with. Because the pros use them. I trust them and you can too. And by the way, if you can't get any of the locations, just go to ringsend.com that's ringsend.com.

[Alan Hahn]

now here's my theory on why they're so well prepared. You had mentioned last week, you've mentioned it a few times, that it was destination NBA Finals from the very beginning. They talked about it after the loss to the Pacers, right after Tibbs was let go, that this was the objective, to win the Eastern Conference and be here. And if you're going to do that, wouldn't you have yourself prepared for when it happens? All right, we are going to win this conference. The plan is we are going to go to the NBA Finals. How are we going to be once we get there? I'm sure this was discussed throughout the season, not from a conceit standpoint, but from a. Hey, A must standpoint.

[Don Hahn]

Well, think about it as fired our coach.

[Alan Hahn]

We have to do this, guys. We absolutely. It's a moral imperative to do this. Let's be prepared. Once we get there, like, you can't have that be the moral imperative. And then you get there and go, look at us, we did it.

[Don Hahn]

Well, again, it's the winning DNA. These are guys that have won before. They've gone on to like, think about it. Brunson has gone on two NCAA runs to win national championships. You think he was doing this stuff after winning, you know, the Sweet 16 or winning to get into. Winning the regional, to get into the final Four? No. So he's already done this. Then on top of it, they also won the NBA Cup. What did they do after that? Nothing. Did what they did. That's it. Guys were happy because they were all got a big check. That was a big bonus. So the. So the players you see running off the bench when they won the NBA cup, those were the bench guys going, we just got paid like those guys. The money made a big deal to them. The rest of the players were like, this is great. We got bigger things to do. Same as in the playoffs when they were winning games big, they didn't turn it into a big celebration. And obviously winning the Eastern Conference, you saw they were very business like about that approach. Now why did. Why do they have all this? It's not only because of the Villanova DNA. It is also because when they beat the Celtics last year, they were so caught up in. We just, we just slayed the dragon. We just beat these guys. I think they walked into the Eastern Conference finals not ready and that game won that they gave away because you saw they blew that lead and then everything flipped at that point. They learned from the past experience. And it's all the things we always say about champions sometimes have to go through the pain and they have to go build some calluses up and learn from the losing. And then they get to a point where opportunity is there for them. And they have now all that built in knowledge of what not to do. Because we already know what we did wrong. We're not going to do that again.

[Alan Hahn]

What's so impressive though, because I understand there's a bunch of guys that were on those Villanova runs and that's where Brunson learned to become a winner. But when you win an NCAA title, you're insulated. Your coach is the star. Right after the game, you go to the podium, you speak, you. How did he prepare himself for this? Where the constant media and the constant information. You got to talk after practice, you got to talk after every single game. There's media constantly around you. Like, you know, as a college basketball player, there's some media, and then when you win the national championship, there's a lot of national media, but it's still more about the coach. Right. You're not allowed to have that kind of access to players when they're in college the way in the NBA you do. Like, that's still a big jump. Not the preparedness of the game itself, but the preparedness of this. I've been here for. I've been on the air my first time working at Sportsphone in 92. I've never seen anything like this. To be prepared for this is like, so surreal.

[Don Hahn]

It's. All he talks about is mentally everything he's. Everything Brunson has talked about is make sure he stays mentally in the moment, not allow himself to get lost into all the other stuff that's coming with it. It's why, and I think I told you this is why I love the story about the fact that ABC does all these interviews with the Larry o'. Brien. They have you hold it, they take pictures, they have you take photos with it for promos, and you see them all during the broadcast. And the one player you won't see holding the trophy or sitting in an interview room next to the trophy is Jalen Brunson. He doesn't want that, right? I don't even want to think about it. You know, I told you when he's asked, like, what how will it feel? I don't know. I honestly don't know. Well, how do you think it'll go? I don't know. Like, he won't say it. He won't talk about it because I think he's trying to keep himself present in the moment. And he has so far. And despite what you know, it's been some poor shooting performances, which some of it has to do with the physicality that we'll get into that the spurs were getting away with. He has made the shots when they've mattered most. In both games, who made the game. The go ahead bucket to win the game for both. Both.

[Peter Rosenberg]

What about the tying bucket on Friday, too? That little fade away, that drive stock? That's exactly.

[Don Hahn]

Oh, my God, it was great. But it just shows you, though, as poorly as his numbers are looking, like when it's crunch time, clutch time, his head is still in it and he doesn't let himself think about the shots. He's that the next play energy, they just show. They're just showing it up here. The women Yama turnover. He missed the shot.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yep.

[Don Hahn]

If he's downing himself for missing that shot, he doesn't get that steal.

[Alan Hahn]

Yep.

[Don Hahn]

They get away with that. But because he's next play energy and he's not thinking about the miss. He's thinking about what I got to do now. I got to play defense. And he was able to get that ball back, get fouled, get to the line, make the free throw to put them in.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Now. I'll tell you, I'll tell you what. There are a lot of reasons that I'm pulling for the Knicks. Not only my daughter's adorable Brunson shirt,

[Don Hahn]

but your wallet put on my Instagram

[Peter Rosenberg]

and my wallet, that's been doing quite well thanks to the Knicks covering 12 out of 13 times. But if this continues as it has, I think you may want to say we may take what I said about Karl Anthony Towns and put it in the radio broadcasting hall of Fame in terms of how much he will have revolutionized his perception. It'll be unlike anything in the history of sports, really. We will have never seen a player go from what he was to New York fans, what he meant in say, February to Knicks fans to what he would mean by July 1st would be one of the greatest turnarounds by any pro athlete in a market ever. He will. Because we already know Brunson's a forever Nick. Guys, if Kat is on pace, it looks like if they were to win the series, Kat is probably on pace to be mvp. If Cat was MVP and they win the championship, we are talking about not where is Brunson. We know where Brunson is. Cat is moving up the list of all time Knicks like something we've never ever dreamed of. And by the way, all of a sudden you go from what changes are they making to of course. And it's already too late for that. You know, you look now, they don't have to make any changes this summer. This team's all coming back.

[Don Hahn]

They gotta figure out Mitchell Robinson's deal. That's it. That's it.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Mitch is the only thing.

[Don Hahn]

Oh, by the way, Towns's extension, which he did not get going into this

[Peter Rosenberg]

season, I have a hunch, yeah, he'd have a pretty good negotiation.

[Alan Hahn]

I'll tell you what, I feel like

[Don Hahn]

it's pretty easy to do.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And, and by the way, how'd that work out? And by the way, I'm sorry, if they win a title, you never know. You. You never know. But given everything that Mitch deals with, I'm not saying he wouldn't have options out there, because bodies like that, people need across this league.

[Don Hahn]

He's going to have people come.

[Peter Rosenberg]

But I still have to think there'd be a good chance he'd want to stay and be a part of this.

[Alan Hahn]

And, you know, the biggest loser in this whole run, even more than the spurs if they lose, is Giannis.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Oh, I mean, if he's not coming here. No, that's all.

[Alan Hahn]

It's over, man.

[Peter Rosenberg]

No, I mean, is he hate watching,

[Don Hahn]

you think Giannis is hate watching? I think, yeah.

[Peter Rosenberg]

But it already felt like it was going the wrong way before. You know, before the playoffs even started. The beginning of the playoffs, it started looking more like something else. But now it's over.

[Alan Hahn]

He was thinking the same thing. Everybody else, well, it's not like they're going to win a championship. They're going to look to improve. At some point, they're going to fail here and they're going to. I'm going to be the old standard.

[Peter Rosenberg]

We're now doing what everyone's been doing today. And John pointed this out. He said in the hallways at espn heard it. On the assumption of a win against a team as good as this spurs team, especially when it's been a really weird first couple of games, I think is a huge mistake.

[Don Hahn]

This is what I think, because I do feel like this is. I thought game two was the swing game, but, you know, again, the spurs just can't close. I mean, they just can't close. So if, if this, if this happens again, because I do feel like the Knicks, first of all, they've been very good at home in the playoffs, 6 and 1. And I think that this is going to be a weird environment. I wonder if the start of the game, because of the security measures, will everybody be in their seats? Will there not be the same buzz and pop at the start of this game like we all anticipated? The emotion before tip off should be through the roof, but it might not be because no one's going to be in the building. Well, because they're all outside waiting in line and how to the building. So I'm worried about that. But still fair. My feeling is it's very easy to see the spurs win this game.

[Alan Hahn]

Right.

[Don Hahn]

But it doesn't mean they will. And if they don't win this game, the series will be over Wednesday. Because the Knicks know there's blood in the water.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Oh, yeah.

[Don Hahn]

And this is the one. This is the one that extends the series. There's I don't think the spurs have a chance Wednesday night if they lose. If they lose tonight.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Couldn't agree with you.

[Don Hahn]

So it's either going to be. Isn't that credible though you would think you could lose four because maybe you get completed. There's no. I don't think they have a chance in hell to win Wednesday night if they lose tonight. They've got to know that.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And on the flip side of that coin. Sorry, Don. The flip side of that coin if they win tonight.

[Alan Hahn]

Wow.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Does game four become a must win game for the Knicks? You cannot end up in a spot now, of course, where you lose two and you go back to San Antonio and you've seated back home court to the Spurs.

[Alan Hahn]

Hey, the celebration becomes a tension convention.

[Don Hahn]

Yes. Right.

[Alan Hahn]

The streets will still be packed with people because you won't have the same closures. I wouldn't think going into the game at least with Trump not being here, but now it's like, oh, it's 2:1, man. If we lose today, it's 2:2 going back to San Antonio. It becomes real. Plus it's an adjustment. Been like 50 days the last time they lost a game like everybody like what the heck's this feel like? No, it is a big game. We need to get into that. Take Your calls at 1-800-919-3776. Tim Bonkamps is going to be joining us at some point today, probably close to the 4 o' clock hour. And if you're coming to the game, get here early. Leave now because if you think it's like going to any other game, any

[Don Hahn]

playoff, it's going to be lines. You're going to be double security. Just be ready. Don't bring a bag. No, don't bring anything. They're not going to let you in with anything. So whatever can fit in your pocket,

[Alan Hahn]

you go with it.

[Don Hahn]

But, but just trust me, get early because what you don't want to have happen is the building not have everybody in their seats at the start of this game. You don't want that happening. So the earlier you leave, the better, trust me. And mass transit is your best way here.

[Alan Hahn]

I get it. It's easy to say it's over, but it's not. Don Hahn and Rosenberg live from stout between 35th and 7th and 8th come by, say hello. We're with you until 7:00 clock and then coverage of game three. Nick spurs right here on ESPN New York. 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.

[Peter Rosenberg]

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[Alan Hahn]

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[Peter Rosenberg]

ABC is more than a quest for the Cup. It's 134 years of putting it all on the line and the heaviest 35 pounds ever lifted. It's broken curses and broken hearts, but for those chasing it, it's everything. The only question is, who will take it? You just have to watch the Stanley Cup Final presented by GEICO on ABC and the ESPN app.

[Don Hahn]

Thanks 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.

[Alan Hahn]

Roseburg Live from stout. Come by 35th between 7th and 8th Avenue as foot traffic will be allowed to move out and about. So if you're in that bubble, come into Stout. If not, you're probably gonna have to go through some security to come in between 30th and 35th, but we'll make it worth your while. Anthony Pusick has more. Bob can't hear you.

[Tim Bontemps]

No, you can't hear me. Well, Peter, you haven't been here.

[Don Hahn]

You got to hear this. What's going on?

[Peter Rosenberg]

Talk to me.

[Tim Bontemps]

New York, everybody that's here this summer.

[Don Hahn]

All lines lead to Champs Sports Fan Central Station.

[Tim Bontemps]

It's a soccer pop up shop right here in the heart of the city, 125 West 33rd.

[Peter Rosenberg]

You just a stone's throw.

[Don Hahn]

It might not be the best time to go right now, but when this is all over, I think that you'd really enjoy yourself.

[Tim Bontemps]

This is the soccer destination in New York. Jerseys for every national team that you want to ride with. Usa, Mexico Argentina, Brazil.

[Don Hahn]

I think last week I saw they had a new Columbia kit.

[Tim Bontemps]

They debuted it at Champs.

[Don Hahn]

See, that's how they do it.

[Tim Bontemps]

So that's pretty cool and way, way

[Don Hahn]

more all under one roof.

[Tim Bontemps]

If you want to gear up, rep your country and feel the energy of

[Don Hahn]

the city Champs sports fan, Central Station, 125 West 33rd Street.

[Tim Bontemps]

That's where you need to be.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Well, it's funny because I really assumed that at this point in time, you know, the Knicks would have been done for a couple of weeks. I would have been starting trying to push a soccer conversation, much to Don chagrin at different times. And that might be where Sart like, you know, even if, even if we were not soccer experts, I just assume by now sort of the hype of it would be leaking its way in and we'd be talking about it some because it's this week. There was no way to imagine that we would be sitting here no matter what we thought of this team during the regular season. It's just so impossible to have imagined this.

[Alan Hahn]

Which proves that we could be wrong. So as confident as we all are that the Knicks are going to get this done, Peter brings up a good point that a loss today can just change everything. I know history tells you that if the home team loses the first two games of a final, they've never won. But nobody has ever gone on the run. The Knicks are going on and it would be a loss, right?

[Don Hahn]

Like there is nothing.

[Alan Hahn]

How do you do that?

[Don Hahn]

There's no evidence at all to even think about them losing this game. There's no evidence. The last two months have shown you a team that finds a way even when it's a close game. And at the last two months has also shown you that a team, this team has gone through a series and as they get into a series, they actually get better.

[Alan Hahn]

No, understood.

[Don Hahn]

They know their opponent more. They have had two days off between these games. They were pissed off that they went on, they went on a run and took a 14 point lead midway through the fourth quarter, had full control of the game. They left that game pissed off that they had to still win it in the last minute because they were in control. They know what they. They know they can win this series. No, they aren't thinking about it. They aren't wondering it. They know they can win this series. And that's that I keep taking away from is that we like I, I have seen no evidence from this team over the last two months that suggests to me that there is, there is any Danger of them either losing this game or both of these games.

[Alan Hahn]

See, I, I agree with you fundamentally. But there's also the reality of you do lose games. I know it seems impossible. Hey, listen, at the end of that game too, Wemby had an open shot

[Don Hahn]

and he missed, right. He didn't close.

[Alan Hahn]

That wasn't defended well. It wasn't knocked out of his hands. He missed the shot. He hits the shot where one one.

[Don Hahn]

He missed.

[Alan Hahn]

He didn't, you know, so I'm just saying some of it's beyond your control.

[Don Hahn]

He missed two shots, turned it over and foul, all in the final minute.

[Alan Hahn]

Those are all unforced errors.

[Don Hahn]

That's a 22 year old on the biggest stage of his life.

[Alan Hahn]

That's why I think winning this series is unrealistic for the spurs, but winning a game is not unrealistic.

[Don Hahn]

Of course.

[Alan Hahn]

And changing the vibe. I think all Peter was trying to point out to is you go from, you know, on, on a. Surfing your way to a title. We're not going to be stopped ever. All the fans, they've got the four fingers out. We're sweeping, we're winning a championship. It does change the vibe if all of a sudden, for the first time in like a month and a half, you lose a game and now it's 2:1 and they won on the road and maybe we'll be starting to feel it. I'm with you. They're not winning this.

[Don Hahn]

I've got to see what it looks like to have any type of concern about.

[Alan Hahn]

You say there's no evidence of losing a game. Well, the evidence is, is that if Wemby hits an open shot, we're tied at one. So it is that close.

[Don Hahn]

No, listen, if Jalen hits two free throws, it's instead of one, they don't win the game.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Well, that.

[Alan Hahn]

But I'm saying now we're going over still has to get played. You say there's no evidence. There's evidence that.

[Don Hahn]

Hey, there's zero evidence that. There's zero evidence that suggests they're in danger of losing two games at home.

[Peter Rosenberg]

But no, no, sure. But there was also. There's not necessarily evidence for the spurs losing the two games except for the fact that they lost them both games could have had a different result. Game one, of course, you have Knicks comeback game two, you have a Spurs come back, but they just end up with a stupid pass and losing the game. They were having this conversation on DNR this morning and I agree. If Wemby doesn't turn that over and they get the last shot, it's either win or go to overtime. And given the way the last six minutes had gone, you have every reason to believe the spurs would have went into overtime and won that game. The point is, it's just like the Knicks have not been dominant for two games. In fact, there's two ways to look at it. They haven't been that great, and they won both games, but at the same time, they haven't been that great. Is there a world in which the spurs are better Tonight? The building feels weird, Peter. And the spurs win the game.

[Don Hahn]

They haven't been that great. They came back from down 14 in the second half of game one. They came back from down 12 in the second quarter. Early in that game, it was, it was like the spurs throwing haymakers, saying, you're not. We're. We're getting a split. You're not taking two on our court. And the Knicks were leading at the half. They didn't blink. You see what I mean? There are such things as teams of destiny. There are such things, though. Tell me, did not blink from 6

[Peter Rosenberg]

minutes and 42 seconds left on.

[Don Hahn]

Yeah. Do you.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Do you think they blinked at all in giving up that lead? And I'm asking that sincerely.

[Don Hahn]

Yeah, I know it's not. I don't think that was a blink. I think that was a couple of bad possessions where it's. Again, Brunson has been manhandled and he's, he's not himself offensively. And I think a couple of possessions went the wrong way. Towns didn't take a shot in the fourth quarter. That didn't make sense to me. Like little things like that. But the officiating in that game, too hard to ignore. Told you. The Knicks are not supposed to win this game and somehow they did, right? The Anunoby 3 that they didn't call had to be challenged to get him on the free throw line. He hits three clutch free throws to take a lead. Think about that for a minute. If they had blown a challenge early in the game, that's a. That's not their ball anymore. So there's some calls and some non calls that were happening in that game late in the game that were suggesting, this is the script, this is how it's supposed to go. The home team's going to win this, and now we're 1 1. And still the Knicks found a way, which is again, why, that's why I Keep saying down 12 early. That should have been 20 at some point. That should have been one of those knockout we saw the Thunder succumb to that, to this team.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Circum.

[Don Hahn]

But. Or circum. But. The Knicks have something about them right now that this just doesn't affect.

[Alan Hahn]

All I'm arguing because I agree with everything you're saying in that sense. It's just that this is sports, man. Nothing's ever guaranteed. There was no evidence they'd rattle off 13 straight wins after they lost Game 3 against Atlanta. Nobody saw this coming.

[Don Hahn]

Right, right. Right.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And don't remove that. Then don't remove what we've been saying every. You guys particularly say in this last series, odds will tell you they're gonna lose one, too. So, like, while there's no evidence.

[Don Hahn]

Right, but that's 13. But that's also part of what. The point I'm trying to make is what you're just saying. There is that there have been instances along this way where it's like, okay, this is the one they'll lose, and then they still find it.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Well, that. And that's the magic of it, right, Don?

[Don Hahn]

That's the part I'm saying. When it feels. It starts to feel. Magical is the kind of word here. It just feel. And they're in their heads. I'm sorry, Don. But in their minds, you can see that. They're just. Like, they know. They're not like. They know it now. When you get on a run like this, you start to believe it. When they start to believe. I don't know how anybody else can. Yeah.

[Tim Bontemps]

And.

[Alan Hahn]

But you also need the help of. Again, they didn't block the Wemby shot. He just missed it. Like, so all the same things happened. And then he hits the shot. Now it's 1:1. The streak is over.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Over.

[Alan Hahn]

And it's a completely different series. There's things that happen. And the thing that I hate hearing, magic and all that. I think they've legitimately won 13 straight games because they've been the better team at all those games. They played tremendous. But when we start bringing in the moxie and the confidence, you lose a game, you know, that doesn't go away, Don. It's.

[Don Hahn]

It's. I'm sorry, that doesn't go away with one game. Right? It doesn't.

[Alan Hahn]

It doesn't. But it also just changes the vibe of. Because now. Now it's a. Even though the history tells you you lose those first two games at home, you don't win.

[Don Hahn]

Right.

[Alan Hahn]

It's still. Now, all of a sudden, it's 2:1. And now we lost the game. And I. I have all the confidence, Peter, that they'll. They'll dust themselves. I think they're the better basketball team and. But does it change the vibe of.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Well, you, you see now that you said vibe a couple times. I'll say this. And I, and I'm going to. To assiduously. And I said assiduously. Avoid the political part of this. But that's why the president being here. Thing was when I saw it, I was like, you talk about vibe change. Get here two hours early, no bag, security slowdown. They had brought back the watch parties for the finals. We're moving the watch parties not outside the Garden anymore. In fact, they're saying. And we'll see how what it plays out. Like they're saying you're not even allowed to walk around the Garden. That was the biggest concern I had was is anything going to happen that's going to change the vibe over the last 13 games? And you just hope that it does it and they get out, they look the exact same, crouch in their seats, etc.

[Don Hahn]

You're right. It shouldn't impact the team, though. That's the part where it shouldn't impact them. But everything else about it. Yes. And it just creates like this a

[Peter Rosenberg]

different conversation that wasn't happening.

[Don Hahn]

Right. It's an added thing to it that now takes, I think takes away from the spectacle. Right? Yeah.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I feel like it's a different spectacle. You're adding a second spectacle to the same building.

[Don Hahn]

But that's the problem is that this should be only about what's happening on the court. Now all of a sudden it's not.

[Alan Hahn]

Right.

[Don Hahn]

That's. That's annoying from just a general perspective, but the 15 guys in that room should not be affected.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Shams. Shams is reporting now for. You guys saw this in a suite. Trump will be in a suite. He will not be court side. That was the conversation which is which that helps.

[Alan Hahn]

The only way it can affect the team and we shouldn't even be talking this into existence. But it's, it's. Something was brought up and you address it is the. I, I've been in that building a lot of times, obviously mostly with Ranger playoff runs and all that, is that you win tonight. Three, zero. Game four is a party. Right. And people are going nuts and it's crazy. The energy is going to be off the charts and it'll be off the charts if they're up two one going into game four. But all of a sudden you get down a few points. I know a crowd can all of a sudden get nervous like, oh, my

[Peter Rosenberg]

God, we're not, it's not going to

[Alan Hahn]

be 2 2, is it? All of a sudden we're going to go from sweeping to now we're going to have to go back to San Antonio. Even at like that enter that. Can that take some of the energy? And now, now fans are nervous. They're kind of sitting on their hand.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Oh, it's totally different.

[Alan Hahn]

Like, so that's the only. I agree with you. These players are the task at hand. But I think we've all been around sports enough to know that. Little turning points, little changes, but overall they're just on a high right now. I think the Wemby turnover and the Wemby Miss tell you that maybe the spurs just don't have the appetite for this. They're not ready for this. All the things that we speculated going into the series starting to happen now. Maybe they're too young. They're not ready. We thought we, I thought it went away winning six and seven against the Thunder like that. They weren't going to be challenged in that sense, but it does.

[Don Hahn]

Well, especially seven because seven on the road against the defending champs. You can't, you can't discount that kind of a young team that just said, like, what the hell we got? Like what? Like they weren't afraid. Well, and even that said a lot about them.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Even if we put the refs aside for a moment, that timeout, just under seven minutes left, down 14 when you saw Wemby at his age screaming at every single person in that timeout, right? And then they turn around and go on a 140 run, right? I just want to warn everybody, this is a. We'll find out whether they're prime time or not. But this is a big boy basketball team. They will come in tonight ready to go. I guarantee Wemby will have his best game of the series tonight. I really do believe that.

[Alan Hahn]

1-800-919-3776. We'll get to your calls in a little bit, but Tim Bontemps was nice enough to to come here to. Stout covers basketball for us. We're going to have him coming up next. Don Ana Rosenberg live from stout 35th between 7th and 8th Avenue. Take off and then it's game three NBA finals on ESPN.

[Peter Rosenberg]

New York.

[Don Hahn]

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[Alan Hahn]

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[Don Hahn]

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[Alan Hahn]

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your favorite rack store for free.

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Great brands, great prices. That's why you Rack

[Peter Rosenberg]

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[Alan Hahn]

this episode is brought to you by State Farm. You know those friends who support your preference for podcasts over music on road trips? That's the energy State Farm brings to insurance. With over 19,000 local agents, they help

[Don Hahn]

you find the coverage that fits your

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needs so you can spend less time worrying about insurance and more time enjoying the ride. Download the State Farm app or go online@state farm.com like a good neighbor, State

[Peter Rosenberg]

Farm is there

[Don Hahn]

thanks 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 podcast.

[Peter Rosenberg]

This man does an incredible job covering the NBA for espn. He's also been great on our show throughout the playoffs. Tim Bontems joins us right now at Stout nyc.

[Tim Bontemps]

Appreciate you fellas.

[Peter Rosenberg]

What was your impression? Obviously you're a New York guy. You spent a lot of time here.

[Tim Bontemps]

Yeah.

[Peter Rosenberg]

What was your impression? Just getting here and being here for the last couple hours. How it feels around the city.

[Tim Bontemps]

I mean, obviously the buildup for this has been a long time in the making, right? I mean, it's 27 years since there's been a finals game here. It's been what, two weeks since there's been any game here. I think, right. Game two feels like a lifetime ago.

[Alan Hahn]

That's so true.

[Tim Bontemps]

You know, so yeah, I mean, I just hope that the game lives up to the hype that I think it's going to have. Like, I've been to a lot of huge games and I. I don't know any is going to quite have the atmosphere that this is going to for all the things that we obviously know factor into what tonight should be about.

[Don Hahn]

What is your take after the first two games? Like, what did you see in those two games?

[Tim Bontemps]

I saw the Knicks continue to be a team led by Jalen Brunson that who has probably proved himself to be the most mentally tough player in the league that no matter what is going on in the final moments of a game, you want him to have the ball in his hands and you trust him to make the right play and to figure it out, which he has done. And coming into the series, I picked the Knicks to win at six because I thought in a lot of ways the series kind of mirrors Spurs Thunder in that I think the Thunder are pretty clearly a better team than the Spurs. But in that specific matchup, the spurs had real advantages that caused them to have success against them all year. And we're now looking at five games between the Knicks and the spurs where the two games that weren't in San Antonio, the Knicks won comfortably. And the three games that were there, the Knicks had big second half leads in all of them gave them up. And then obviously back in December they lost it at the end. And these two last week they had Jalen Brunson carry him over the line. And so if that holds, then the next couple days ought to be pretty good for the Knicks.

[Alan Hahn]

The Wemby turnover and then the miss at the buzzer, just something that happens. Or maybe a young kid overwhelmed by the moment.

[Tim Bontemps]

I mean, look, the turnover in the foul is an unfortunate play, right? Like, I like that Mitch Johnson didn't call timeout. They've had a lot of success in those situations. Like teams are not playing with a set defense. You don't have Mitchell Robinson out there. I like them just getting it going. Obviously made a mistake and turned the ball over. He got a clean look at the end too. Like that's a really good shot. You just missed it. You know, the shot was 2 inches long. Like if that goes in, it's like, oh man, Victor bounced back from that turnover and hit a huge shot and tied the series. Right? So ultimately, at the end of the day, Jalen Brunson has made a couple more plays than him in the final two minutes of these games. And it's why the Knicks are up. And it's a lot of how the Knicks got here that Jalen Brunson has proved to be such a tremendous clutch player. And it's not always pretty. The numbers aren't always going to look great at the end, but the wins are what matters and it's why the Knicks are two wins from a title.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Do you what does your gut tell you about tonight's game? You think, you think that at the end of the night we are preparing ourselves for a sweep and it's really feels all but over? Or do you think San Antonio finds a way today and we get a

[Alan Hahn]

series out of this.

[Tim Bontemps]

I mean, look, before the series started, I didn't think the spurs had a chance to win this game. No matter what the series was at. Just playing because of what the energy in the building is going to be like. Now, again, the spurs have the best player in the series. So could Victor Wembanyama show up and have a 4020 game and win the game and, like, do a. Do what he did in Game 1 in OKC? Sure. Could the spurs, who have already won two games in Oklahoma City, which is another incredibly hard place to play, come out and play great today and win? Sure. But I would say if I'm the Knicks coming into this game, they haven't played that great in the first two games. Overall, Carl Towns has been incredible, but everybody else has kind of been up and down, and I think with the energy in the building, I think the Knicks are going to play well and win the game. I know everybody here certainly hopes the Knicks are going to play well and win the game. But, you know, Jalen Brunson has not shot the ball well. They do have some ability to give him a hard time. And what I'm also curious about is that second half, when Karl towns got those two fouls, he basically disappeared the final 18 minutes of the game. Can the Knicks get him back to where he was the first six quarters of the series when he, I think, played the best six quarters he's played in his entire life?

[Don Hahn]

Yeah. That's why I wanted to go a little bit more on the Town's story here, because, you know, Peter was talking about this at the start of the show, the incredible transformation that he has gone through here. Remember starting the season off in the Giannis rumors and then not getting a contract extension. His future here was not set in stone.

[Tim Bontemps]

How about three games into the Hawks series? Yeah, everybody was in trouble three years into the Hawks.

[Don Hahn]

That's great.

[Tim Bontemps]

They haven't lost since.

[Don Hahn]

But as Mike Brown told the story, it's sort of like figuring it out along the way. I mean, he started the year off not calling plays, and Towns is like. Like this is not how I'm used to playing. And that took a while to figure out to a point where then they finally started using Towns in the ways that he wanted to be used, and everybody else figured out how to fit in that. And then it's clicked. It's clicked wonderfully. But I also, to me, Tim, and I know you've watched him throughout his career from this, I've seen him feel empowered Enough to start taking a leadership role, which we didn't see that guy in Minnesota running a huddle, going up to Brunson, like, just talking in his ear, talking to Josh Hart's ear one time, actually, in front of the whole huddle, telling, guys, focus on the defense. The offense will come along. These are things we're not used to seeing from him. So this is a wild transformation for a guy who's 30 years old in the league. 10 years. But is this a coming. Is a weird thing to say, a coming of age moment for him? Maybe.

[Tim Bontemps]

I think the team that I've thought about the lot over the last month is the 2011 Mavs, right? Where, like, it's a little bit of a different team than that. Obviously, you know, Jalen is a great player. He's obviously not Dirk. And they had a bunch of kind of role players who sort of managed to find their way there, and they obviously are playing the Heat then. It's like, it's not a perfect comparison, but that team was doubted all the way through the season, and they got in the playoffs and they had this kind of magical run where they were. Frankly, a lot of people picked them to lose every series they played, and yet they just sort of had it all come together in just the right way at just the right time. And that's what this whole group feels like, led by Carl Towns, who has played incredibly for the last six weeks. And, you know, we talked about this on the podcast yesterday, leading into the game today, obviously, this. If the Knicks can win two more games, it will be an unbelievably validating thing for so many different people. Right. Mike Brown is coaching the finals, hasn't won. Jalen Brunson is a guy who's always played with a big chip on his shoulder, you know, always being, quote, unquote, doubted. Right. He'll have led a team to a title. But I don't think there's a single person in the organization that will be validated more by the Knicks winning than Carl Towns. And for him to play such a role, not just being part of a team that's getting here, but also again, through the first two games of the series, he's clearly outplayed Victor Wembanyama. Right. Like, that is not something we would have said a week ago, let alone six weeks ago. And for him to do that and help put the Knicks in this situation, as a guy who grew up, you know, 40 miles from here and knows what it's like to be here and was a kid ANNOUNCER ON MSG like, it would be a pretty neat thing if he's a central part of getting the Knicks to the place they've waited a very long time to get.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And one of the things I'd love for callers to suggest throughout the day if someone can come up with a comp in any city, any sport where a player was sort of that much on the brink of if it doesn't work out, they're probably gone and then they go on a run, win the whole thing and are frankly probably end up being the driving force of the entire thing. I would love to, to hear what that comp is because I can't think of it.

[Tim Bontemps]

Yeah, I mean it is a pretty unbelievable thing when you fact. Especially when you factor in the history behind too. It's. It's an incredible story just like the rest of this thing. I mean, the Knicks literally haven't lost it six and a half weeks. Like, yeah, it's, you know, it's, it's unbelievable.

[Alan Hahn]

Tim, before he let you go, what'd you think of the officiating game too?

[Tim Bontemps]

I thought it was pretty good. I mean, look, fans can always grumble about calls. These games are unbelievably hard to refer to, like, especially at this level. Right. The games are incredibly physical. They're incredibly hard playing. I have liked that over the last couple rounds. They've let a lot of stuff go. I think it's been. I think the competition has been really great. I will be curious to see what the whistle is like tonight in game three. I do think a tighter game is to the Knicks benefit. Whistles wise. The spurs are not as deep as them and they tend to play very physically on the perimeter especially. I was kind of laughing at people acting like the Thunder are the only thing that plays that way in the spurs under series where the spurs are doing the exact same stuff. Like Stefan Castle is an unbelievable defensive player. He's also a very aggressive, handsy defender. Like, he gets called for a lot of fouls for a reason. So I do think if the refs are calling a pretty tight whistle today, I do think that is in Nick's favor and obviously it'll be interesting to see how that goes tonight. But my guess is it's going to be mostly what the last two rounds have been, which is they're trying to let these guys play decided on the court. And frankly, I'm pretty okay with that being the outcome.

[Alan Hahn]

Well, Tim, I know it's not easy getting around the city for some reason

[Don Hahn]

today, so I really do appreciate you guys. Have a live hoop collective tomorrow.

[Tim Bontemps]

Yeah, we're doing a live podcast at Gotham Comedy Club across town, West 23rd Street. You can buy [e-mail] come by and check it out. Should be a lot of fun. Some special guests on the way and yeah, we'll see if the Knicks are on the verge of a title.

[Don Hahn]

Fantastic.

[Alan Hahn]

Tim Bond Thames, thank you so much, man. Of course. Really appreciate it.

[Tim Bontemps]

Appreciate it.

[Alan Hahn]

Calls coming up next. Don on Rosenberg Table 7 o' clock live from stout getting you ready for game three of the NBA finals on ESPN New York.

[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

[Peter Rosenberg]

Weekday afternoon starting at 3 on 8

[Don Hahn]

80, ESPN, the ESPN New York app and your smart speakers.

[Alan Hahn]

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