Hour 3: Game 5 Necessities

Summary

Podcast Summary: Don, Hahn & Rosenberg - Hour 3: Game 5 Necessities

Podcast Information:

• Title: Don, Hahn & Rosenberg
• Hosts: Don La Greca, Alan Hahn, Peter Rosenberg
• Episode: Hour 3: Game 5 Necessities
• Release Date: May 28, 2025
• Description: Hosted by ESPN New York and New Jersey legend Don La Greca, sportswriter and New York Knick broadcaster Alan Hahn, and Hip Hop veteran and WWE personality Peter Rosenberg, the podcast delves into New York sports and beyond.

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1. Knicks' Playoff Struggles and Impending Elimination

The episode kicks off with a deep dive into the New York Knicks' challenging playoff journey. The team finds itself down three games to one against the Indiana Pacers, marking their first such deficit in the playoffs history.

• Performance Issues:

  • Turnovers: Alan Hahn highlights the Knicks' troubling performance, noting "17 turnovers last night. Inexcusable." ([02:45])
  • Inconsistent Performance: Hahn critiques the team's inability to maintain leads, stating, "They've got to make some major changes. If they're going to win three in a row, they're going to have to play much better basketball than they've played." ([06:24])

• Coaching Decisions:

  • Hahn expresses frustration with the coaching strategy, emphasizing the importance of the third quarter as "the coach's quarter." He asserts, "You have a plan, and your team has got to be locked in." ([04:32])

• Player Performance:

  • Josh Hart's Struggles: The hosts discuss Hart's uncharacteristic turnovers, with Hahn noting, "For Josh Hart, that was a bad game for him last night with his turnovers." ([02:45])
  • Kyle Bishop's Role: Rosenberg points out issues with player execution, saying, "Tibbs wasn't the one that jogged back on three straight shots like Bridges did at crunch time." ([06:24])

Notable Quotes:

• Peter Rosenberg: "Down three. One. The numbers, the history. Just win a game." ([00:43])
• Alan Hahn: "They have to clean things up." ([06:24])

2. The Pat McAfee Incident and Its Implications

A significant portion of the discussion centers around an incident involving Pat McAfee, who was given a microphone during halftime at the Gainbridge Arena in Indianapolis.

• Incident Breakdown:

  • McAfee engaged in behavior reminiscent of WWE promos, addressing celebrities like Spike Lee, Ben Stiller, and Timothy Chalamet, and using explicit language ([11:07]).
  • Hosts critique the appropriateness of the NBA allowing such moments, with Hahn stating, "Why would you give him a mic to do like that doesn't make sense in that setting." ([12:27])

• Impact on NBA Image:

  • Fan Behavior: The hosts debate how such incidents reflect on the fan base, questioning the NBA's direction towards more aggressive and confrontational fan interactions.
  • Social Responsibility: Hahn draws parallels to previous fan behaviors, emphasizing the need for the NBA to maintain a family-friendly image.

Notable Quotes:

• Alan Hahn: "What are you celebrating? What are you celebrating with that kind of an act?" ([17:17])
• Peter Rosenberg: "It just builds the Knicks up to be the big bad monster." ([21:14])

3. Knicks' Fan Behavior and Team Popularity

The conversation shifts to the passionate and sometimes controversial behavior of Knicks fans, especially in the context of their recent performance.

• Celebratory Conduct:

  • Hahn defends Knicks fans, arguing that their exuberant celebrations stem from finally experiencing playoff success after a long drought.
  • Rosenberg discusses the duality of the Knicks being both a likable team and a perceived villain, stating, "They are the favorites. You're building them up to be a monster." ([21:14])

• Comparison to Other Teams:

  • The hosts compare Knicks fan behavior to that of other teams like the Yankees and the Islanders, highlighting how similar celebratory actions can be perceived differently based on team history and performance.

Notable Quotes:

• Alan Hahn: "Knick fans were dragged for days about celebrating and having joy with their team winning." ([15:03])
• Peter Rosenberg: "But how do you handle it? They haven't done anything to earn that moniker." ([21:14])

4. Broader Reflections and Emotional Discussions

Beyond basketball, the hosts engage in personal and emotional conversations, touching upon themes from popular movies and personal experiences.

• Emotional Resilience:

  • They discuss the portrayal of emotions in films like "Boys in the Hood" and "Menace II Society," reflecting on personal vulnerabilities and societal expectations.

• Movies and Personal Impact:

  • The hosts share their reactions to poignant movie scenes, expressing difficulty in rewatching emotionally charged films.

Notable Quotes:

• Ebro Darden: "I didn't listen to anything you just said." ([25:14])
• Peter Rosenberg: "I can't watch it. I can't." ([35:27])

5. Upcoming Sports Events and Personal Anecdotes

The episode concludes with announcements about upcoming sports events, including Mets and Yankees games, and the hosts share personal anecdotes related to these events.

• Event Promotions:

  • Details about pregame parties, live shows, and upcoming matches are shared, fostering community engagement among listeners.

• Personal Stories:

  • The hosts humorously discuss their own experiences and interactions within the sports world, maintaining a light-hearted tone towards the end.

Notable Quotes:

• Peter Rosenberg: "Mets lost to the White Sox 9-4. Sosa went over 4." ([43:31])
• Alan Hahn: "Hear more of Don Hahn and Peter weekday afternoon starting at 3 on 880 ESPN." ([43:15])

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Conclusion: In this episode of "Don, Hahn & Rosenberg," the hosts provide a thorough analysis of the New York Knicks' playoff challenges, dissect questionable incidents impacting the NBA's image, and reflect on the passionate nature of Knicks fans. Balancing serious sports commentary with personal and emotional conversations, the episode offers listeners a comprehensive view of current sports dynamics and the interplay between team performance and fan behavior.

Highlighted Quotes:

• Don Hahn: "They've got to clean things up." ([06:24])
• Alan Hahn: "It's a four on five or a five on four, and they get it. And Brunson's guy, which was nice, Smith, ran ahead of him and got an easy dunk." ([07:11])

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For more insights and detailed discussions, listeners are encouraged to subscribe and listen to the full episode on their preferred podcast platform.

Transcript

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[Don Hahn]

This is the dime Don Hahn at Rosenberg Podcast.

[Peter Rosenberg]

That sounds like heaven to me.

[Don Hahn]

Listen live weekday afternoon starting at 3 on 8 80, ESPN, the ESPN New York app and your smart speakers.

[Peter Rosenberg]

502 in the big City Don Han and Rosenberg After a tough night for the Knicks, they're down three games to one for the first time in the playoffs. They're going to face elimination. And that'll be tomorrow. We'll be at stout on 33rd, just a stone's throw away from Madison Square Garden. I know the Knick fans are going to bring it, but just about one game at a time. I mean, we always go through. Down three. Oh, down three. One. The numbers, the history. Just win a game. Just win a game at the Garden in front of rabid fans who deserve to at least see this team win a game and then we'll see what happens in Indiana. You've been good on the road. You've already won a game in Indiana. And then if you can get to a game 7, all bets are off. At that point, the pressure on the Pacers would be immense. And then maybe you can make something happen. But it all every journey starts with that first step. And the first step is tomorrow at the Garden. But man, do they've got to clean things up. 17 turnovers last night. Inexcusable. The inability to be able to just find some consistent fees. Start games to start the third quarter. The turning point, clearly the Knicks fight back. They actually get a one point lead, followed up by allowing the pacers go on a 60 run to close out the half. So instead of a lead or tied, you're down five. And then you start the third quarter. They go on a 70 run and then it's lights out. You don't think it's lights out at the time because you've seen this team come back. But Allen, what kind of formula is that to just spot teams like football teams? We'll let you score the first two Possessions. But we'll just come back, we'll let you have a double digit lead. We'll just come back. That wears you out mentally, it wears you out physically. And what it also does is just gives the other team a ton of confidence. It brings the building, it makes the building alive. Yeah, you overcame it in game three. But I'm telling you, they've got to make some major changes. If they're going to win three in a row, they're going to have to play much better basketball than they've played. Pretty much. Going back to the first three quarters.

[Alan Hahn]

Of game one, the turnovers that happened yesterday and have happened in the series, that's the part that you're saying, all right, that's out of character because they've been a low turnover team all season. So that's the part where you're, you're trying to figure out where's this coming from. And for Josh Hart, that was a bad game for him last night with his turnovers. Yeah. Not, not typical of him turning the ball over. And a lot of it is self inflicted with the way they were passing the basketball kind of just, just carelessly or not locked in and not reading the defense and realizing it's an overplay. Don't make that pass. But they're just forcing passes. And that was one problem. But something that also was an issue that you mentioned, that has been a problem all year. This is nothing new. And that's what makes it more frustrating is the poor start to the second half. That's already the poor. Close to the first half, you're up one, there's a little over a minute and a half to go and you stumble to double zeros at halftime. They score six straight points and now it should have been a lead or maybe just like a nice tight game that you earned by fighting back and overcoming their huge first quarter. They said 43 points, they scored 6 of 8 from 3, which I predicted all of this yesterday. Halliburton was going off early like you. It was so scripted, but they had survived it. You're like, all right, it's fine, look where they are. They got a lead, but no, instead you're down five. And then they get, they get the first seven points of the second half because the same problem that they have dealt with all year continued. They're soft and slow out of the gate to start the second.

[Peter Rosenberg]

How much is that on the coach is crazy.

[Alan Hahn]

Well, you know they call the third quarter the coach's quarter.

[Ebro Darden]

Right.

[Alan Hahn]

And it's because that's the halftime. You make the adjustments. This is what we're going to do. Whoever has the view of the ball first, you've got to play out of the gate. Let's get. Let's get a bucket right away. Or if you're on defense, is what we're going to do. Like, you have a plan, and your team has got to be locked in. You were 24 minutes away from evening up the series, and rather than come out of the gate and just, you know, again, just crazed dogs, instead it's as if it was a Wednesday night in Charlotte. And that didn't make sense because it's game four of the Eastern Conference finals. And this, you know, has been this team's problem all year. They have talked about it. One time, they actually did a layup line at halftime to try to get themselves out of the issues that they have. So they all are aware of it, and it still happened. And I know, Don, that everybody's going to say, well, there was still a lot of game left. Yes, they cut it to 6, but they were down 12 in a blink. And that is unacceptable for a team that was supposed to be feeling the urgency of winning a game to even the series.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I don't know how that happens.

[Alan Hahn]

That part you can't explain. And it can't just be. The coach has to be better sometimes. The veterans on the team by now who know this is a problem that needs to be on them.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And that's why you can blame coaches, you can fire coaches. But at the end of the day, the players got to go out there and they got to execute. They've got the information. They got the plays. Tibbs didn't turn the ball over 17 times. Tibbs wasn't the one that jogged back on three straight shots like Bridges did at crunch time at the end of the fourth quarter. Yeah, he ended up getting a bunch of points in the fourth, but when you needed those buckets, he didn't come through.

[Alan Hahn]

And, Don, you know what people want to say? You know? Cause, like, there were a couple of times they got caught back. Like, one time, Brunson yelled to an official about a foul he thought should have been called. Meanwhile, Halliburton sprinted the ball up the court. It's a four on five or a five on four, and they get it. And Brunson's guy, which was nice, Smith, ran ahead of him and got an easy dunk. And he's like, the coach should yell at him. These are. These are professionals, grown men. This is not how it works. You should know better than that. Towns doesn't get a call. He stops at the baseline, turns and sort of just shrugs for a minute. Meanwhile, Indiana runs all of them. Five guys sprint up the floor. Another easy basket. These five on fours can't happen.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And I'm telling.

[Alan Hahn]

That's on players.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And I know you. You will not go there. That they read their press clippings or that they took the Pacers lightly, I can't believe. But is it human nature that when you beat the big bad Boston Celtics, the team that you targeted, the reason you made the cat trade to beat the Celtics, and then you do, and.

[Alan Hahn]

You do it in six games and then Cleveland's gone.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Cleveland's not there. Now you're the favorites. All right? Now you're not the little engine that could anymore. Now you're the favorites. The city's going nuts. They're changing the names of streets. It's a lot. People are freaking out. Think about. Michael brought this up. It just shows you the power of the Knicks. But still how Mayor Adams dropped the ball on this. But it's not his job to be a sports guy. The Yankees went to the World Series last year. They didn't. All of a sudden, 7th Avenue did become, you know, Judge Street. Right. The Rangers went to the.

[Alan Hahn]

Well, there's no 99th Street. Let's be honest.

[Peter Rosenberg]

But the poll.

[Ebro Darden]

There is, but it's far away.

[Alan Hahn]

99Th.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah. 99th.

[Alan Hahn]

99Th Street.

[Ebro Darden]

It doesn't sound like.

[Alan Hahn]

It sounds like it's weird. Doesn't it sound weird? But. Yeah, I know. Yeah, I was going to say. Why would I say that? That's really stupid.

[Peter Rosenberg]

People love. But 99th street sounds weird because again, there's no adversity. Right? There's no. There's. There's no competition. When the Knicks are hot, the whole city's on board. All right, When. When it's the Yankees, you got the Met fans that don't care. When it's the Giants that the Jeff fans that don't care. But in basketball, it becomes a Knicks town. But isn't it just human nature for that to creep into the players just a little bit, that maybe there's a sense of overconfidence and then you throw into.

[Alan Hahn]

Then you're up 17 in game one.

[Peter Rosenberg]

That we're never out of a game. We always find a way to win. We got this. There's a difference. Especially when you get this late in the playoffs. Alan. Of confidence and conceit and did. Is it human nature to just kind of get caught up to where maybe you're, you're. You're not putting in the work and the focus because you think at the end of the day, we got this because we already slayed our dragon. The Pacers aren't going to stop us. It'd be different against the Thunder because now they're back to the underdog again. But now you're the favorite. The whole city's rallying around. It's a fade accompli. You're going to the NBA Finals. How does that not.

[Alan Hahn]

It should have got. It should have gotten your attention after. If, if, if Game one didn't do it. Game two.

[Peter Rosenberg]

But, but. Here's the but. What's the Talk after Game 1? It was a fluke. It'll never happen again. It was just a silly, ridiculous shot that beat us. But how do you.

[Alan Hahn]

But. Well, how. All right, so that all happens, right? And he's dancing and prancing on your court.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Well, welcome everybody that was listening to the Mets. We're now officially on 880.

[Alan Hahn]

But everybody's on the app anyway, so you didn't have to worry about. But, but. All right, so he's doing choke right at the end of game one or at the end of regulation game one. So he's already doing that in the first game, right? That happens. Then you're getting all the stuff that you're hearing about after losing game two, right? That all starts to happen. And it starts like, Reggie Miller is in the building. There's all the talk of the rivalry. There's all the talk of the back and forth. There's. To change the lineup thing that happened. There's so many things happening with this team right now where you would think that this has got your attention, that you're in one, but it just. It continues. So this was halftime of game four. Our old friend Pat McAfee.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Okay, all right. At the half.

[Alan Hahn]

In the building. This is at the half. They gave him a microphone.

[Ebro Darden]

All right.

[Alan Hahn]

And Peter, this is from your world because this felt. And I know McAfee's part of this as well. This felt very much like cutting a promo. This felt very much like something WWE that would happen in the midst of like Royal Rumble or something.

[Ebro Darden]

All right, let me hear.

[Alan Hahn]

Okay, and this is to the crowd at Gainbridge Arena, Indianapolis, Indiana. We got some big wins from the big city in the building. Spike Lee is here. Ben Stiller is here. Timothy Shalom is here. Let's send these sons up back to New York with their ears. Brigand. Let's turn this Off.

[Ebro Darden]

All right, respectfully, what are I. Ebro is interested in this this morning, too. What am I. What am I really listening for here?

[Alan Hahn]

I mean, go ahead, talk me through it. What are we doing?

[Ebro Darden]

He's a local Indianapolis star, of which there aren't a ton.

[Alan Hahn]

I don't know if he's local, he's a national star, but I mean, but.

[Ebro Darden]

He'S a big deal in Indianapolis.

[Alan Hahn]

I know. He is very clear shows there, and he's made it very clear his allegiance, which is all that's right.

[Ebro Darden]

I mean, he's from Pittsburgh, but he's made in D home.

[Alan Hahn]

And I get it. But like, Ben Stiller, Timothy Chalamet, Spike Lee, like, what are we doing there?

[Ebro Darden]

What do you mean? Well, I don't understand what you mean.

[Alan Hahn]

I'm trying to figure out, like, what is.

[Ebro Darden]

He knew. That's called.

[Alan Hahn]

And then. And then there's also the audible cursing to a crowd like, the NBA, like, this is what you want. This is what the NBA wants.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Oh, that's two separate conversations. Like, yeah, he. But the whole thing, I do agree.

[Alan Hahn]

Why would you give him a mic to do. Like, that doesn't make sense in that setting, in that situation, for the NBA to be like, this is what we want. And you know, by the way, he did this here. If, when, if, when whatever you want to say, the Pacers go to the Finals, you're going to tell me that the first game in at Gainbridge, at the. I mean, this is what they've. They've. They've already set the precedent. Now this is happening.

[Ebro Darden]

Well, now that that one went rogue, I'd say there's a chance they would tell him, Please don't curse me again.

[Peter Rosenberg]

We sound like the big time rules follower, but I'm with Alan. Like, am I wrong?

[Alan Hahn]

Am I being an old man? That's like saying, this is a. This is. This feels a little inappropriate.

[Peter Rosenberg]

It does feel like foul language has become the norm now.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah.

[Peter Rosenberg]

So I do feel like I'm in the minority when I say it.

[Ebro Darden]

It was just an S bomb, but it wasn't a bad.

[Alan Hahn]

There were. There was two.

[Ebro Darden]

Two S bombs.

[Alan Hahn]

No, there was no.

[Ebro Darden]

It was just S. No sobs. Yeah, it was sobs. And turn this S on.

[Alan Hahn]

All right.

[Ebro Darden]

But I have no issue with him calling out the celebrities. That's fun. Why not? Cause, Don, they're essentially everyone. Everyone there has been watching every game. Spike obviously has a history, but even with Chalamet and Stiller, they know that they're these hardcore Knick fans, so they're just. I think they're just having fun. I don't think anyone's offended by him.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I will tell you.

[Ebro Darden]

Go ahead.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Okay. That, you know, Middle America, where Indiana is, that makes the Knicks seem more like a villain. First of all, they're the favorites in the series. And, and look at all these pretty people going to the game. And you heard everyone got booed. They got booed because they're Knick fans. But it's easy to rile up middle America. Look at all the Hollywood, even though they're not Hollywood. But you know what I'm talking about.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah.

[Peter Rosenberg]

It just builds the Knicks up to be the big bad monster. And I don't know if the Knicks handle that well. To be the favorites, to be the villain, because they're a likable team. They're a team that I think is easy to. To root for if you don't have a dog in the fight. I think the Knicks are a fun team. Brunson's a fun player. Cat's a fun player. You know, Tibbs is a lovable guy. There's nothing to hate about the New York Knicks, but when you start looking at them being the favorites and all, look at all these pretty people that are coming out to see play now. They are the villain. And here's my point.

[Alan Hahn]

Okay? No, no. All that makes sense.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Okay.

[Alan Hahn]

So I was wondering how you guys felt about it before I was going to tell you how I feel.

[Ebro Darden]

Okay.

[Alan Hahn]

And this is how I feel about it. So Knick fans were dragged for days about celebrating and having joy with their team winning, right?

[Ebro Darden]

Yeah, that's the thing.

[Alan Hahn]

They weren't calling anybody out. Now, I understand the F. Trae Young stuff. I get it. Right. That. We all know that ain't right. But nobody gave them a microphone. They just did it. Okay, but the celebrating and. And it's like New York fans don't know how to act. They don't know how to this. They don't know that. Right. All that stuff happened and I get it. So they're getting dragged for that. Ben Stiller, Timothy Chalamet. I mean, Spike obviously has had moments where he has, you know, been in this front and center on things. So I guess for Spike, you can understand he's been for 30 something years of going back to the Reggie.

[Ebro Darden]

Might as well be on the he.

[Alan Hahn]

But. But I'm saying The Reggie in 94 stuff happened in 95. And so there's history. There's no question. So I get that the other two guys, not so much. I don't understand why you dragged them into it, but that's fine. But if you're. If you're telling me, like, that you're going to criticize New Yorkers for not knowing how to act when their team is finally having success at a level that they haven't had in a quarter century, and it's. And a generation of young fans who've never seen anything like this before, and they're gonna get dragged for that. So this is the example of what. How they act. This is the standard that you. This is what you. This is your way of doing.

[Ebro Darden]

You're saying, why don't they get dragged.

[Alan Hahn]

This is how you celebrate.

[Ebro Darden]

You're saying, so why don't they get dragged?

[Alan Hahn]

You celebrate by turning it into Smackdown. That's the NBA now. This is what we want. You turn it into something that is a. It's. Yeah, I get the us versus them. Totally understandable. Yeah, well, I mean, like, that's what you're gonna do. You're gonna go so small time with a tired act. That is something we've seen for generations. That has worked well in pro wrestling for sure. And, oh, by the way, recently, politics. That's the script we're gonna go to. And that's the bloodthirsty crowd. We're gonna get them riled up by using that.

[Ebro Darden]

So you're saying that he's.

[Alan Hahn]

It feels. You know what it is I'm gonna use. That was corny. Corny top to bottom. And all it does is make you look even more small time by doing something as corny as that and using that as this is our big moment. That's what you're gonna do. I'm sorry. In New York, all they do is show guys who are celebrities that are true fans sitting courtside. They wave. That's it. Nobody's cutting promos. They're just doing that. And in Indiana, this is who you want to. This is how you want to be represented. That's how your team. You saw. He gave a slap to Carlisle. Carlisle didn't even react. Carlisle was like, can I just coach? Like, come on, let's keep it moving. Think Rick Carlisle wants this business going on right now? No, he's trying to get out of the series, let me win this thing. Let's keep moving.

[Peter Rosenberg]

But.

[Ebro Darden]

So I just handed the microphone, though. And let me just say this in Pat's effect.

[Alan Hahn]

No, it's who he is, and it's.

[Ebro Darden]

Not about him because they handed him the mic. He's gonna do it.

[Alan Hahn]

Who he is. It's not about Pat. That's not what I'm saying. What I'm saying is it's sort of as an NBA, I know you gotta be cringing right now at Olympic Tower. You gotta be cringing at that. Like, my God, let's make sure we don't do this if they get to the finals. But it's also. What are you celebrating? What are you celebrating with that kind of an act? That's what I find bizarre. So Nick fans get mocked for showing joy, but we're celebrating an aggressive attack on celebrity fans who support the league and support one of its biggest franchises. And that's what we're gonna do.

[Ebro Darden]

I hear that.

[Alan Hahn]

And it's a very bizarre thing. Cuz you know what you're doing. We told the story. There was a kid who stabbed 2 knick fans in indiana watching game 2. Why? Cuz he got all riled up because something happened and somebody said something and you get all fired up.

[Ebro Darden]

That's a psychopath. That's a loser.

[Alan Hahn]

It's a psychopath. But it doesn't not feed into it. The idea that, oh, I saw him talking smack. I'm talking smack to you now because.

[Ebro Darden]

But where do you draw the line? Where do you draw the line of what's too much smack talk? I think that someone doing one isolated crazy thing. I can't. I can't attribute that to anything except someone who's a complete lunatic and is using a basketball game as a reason to stab someone. I don't know. I can't. I can't attribute that to the approach.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Maybe it's a bridge too far. But I can hear what Alan's saying. From the NBA standpoint, you know, did you want to be fan friendly, family friendly? And like that's. That's the aggression that it's, you know.

[Alan Hahn]

Here another example. Remember when the Islanders were going on their run the last couple years?

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah.

[Alan Hahn]

Right. What was the one thing they were doing a lot during breaks?

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yes, yes, yes.

[Alan Hahn]

No, no. On the scoreboard they would have fans chugging the. Chugging the beer. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. And then it became Clark Gillies. The late great Clark Gillies.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Right.

[Alan Hahn]

Chugging a beer. Or they would chug. Right. And then what happened?

[Ebro Darden]

Become a big thing.

[Alan Hahn]

Then it became like, oh, it's embarrassing. Like, look what the. Chugging a beer. What kind of message you sending now? All the fans are just going to do the same thing. And now it becomes this drunk fan base and everybody. What are you showing kids? Like that became a criticism, which was Once a fun kind of thing. That's all I'm saying, is that sometimes these things go a little too far. But that just felt to me out of place. You want to celebrate? You'd seem fine. What. What. What Pat did, getting the guy that got the garbage thrown at him and hooking him up with Taliburton and get him into the game. It's. It's great, whether we thought it was, you know, set up or not. But what he did there was great, right? Take a negative, turn it into a positive. Love that. This, for the NBA, you don't need that. And for the NBA, you gotta, like, all right, that happened once. Let's not make this a thing.

[Peter Rosenberg]

But what I.

[Alan Hahn]

Calling out people like, that's. Come on, let's. Let's not go that far. Not do that.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And also, the message of, you know, it's not like the Knicks are a big, like, celebrity role. Like, they have fans, and these are really good fans.

[Alan Hahn]

They're real fans. They're not there to be seen, like.

[Peter Rosenberg]

In la, Howard Stern going to a game.

[Alan Hahn]

No, but it's also not the Laker fans. Like, the only one, you know, Jack, you know, is a real Laker fan. He's been there for a million years. But a lot of them that sit courtside, they couldn't even tell you who anybody is.

[Peter Rosenberg]

But the fact that they're in Indiana, that they traveled to Indiana, which isn't the sexiest travel, they went to Detroit.

[Alan Hahn]

Too, to go to games. They went Boston, they do this to sell, to support their team.

[Peter Rosenberg]

It's just like, you're not gonna win a lot of people over, because obviously there's a younger generation that loves this. And it's one of the reasons that wrestling is so popular, because this is kind of what you do.

[Alan Hahn]

It's a promo that was to me. And again, I understand it, because you're going to hear the criticism of the Finals. But that was, we are middle America. We're not like them. They're not like us.

[Ebro Darden]

There was a bit of that.

[Alan Hahn]

There was a bit of that, and there was a lot of that like it. You could feel that.

[Peter Rosenberg]

But it's the rallying cry of a team that is just as good as the Knicks. But what you can build up is, nobody wants us to win. ESPN and ABC are going to cry if it's Indiana and Oklahoma City. Nobody wants us to win the big bad New York with all their celebrity people. They're the favorites. Like, you're building them up to be a monster. And I don't know if the Knicks are comfortable with that. They are the perennial underdog they've always been, and now they're the big bad Knicks. But they haven't done anything to earn that moniker. It's being put on them to motivate the Pacers to win. And so far it's work.

[Alan Hahn]

It's New York. That's all it is. It was just that, us versus Them. It was.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah. But it's not the Yankees, who have 27 championships during the playoffs every single year. It's a Knick fan base that takes to the streets when they win a playoff game in the first round. Okay. You know, they're both kind of in the same boat. They haven't won in a long time. They're very equally matched. But now they've created like the Knicks are walking in there like the Golden State warriors or the Cleveland Cavaliers from a couple of years ago and it's just not right.

[Alan Hahn]

No.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And I don't know if they can handle it.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah.

[Ebro Darden]

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[Kaley Cuoco]

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[Don Hahn]

Thanks for listening to the Don Hahn and Rosenberg podcast.

[Ebro Darden]

I didn't listen to anything you just said.

[Don Hahn]

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

[Peter Rosenberg]

Hey Met fans, get ready to roll with DiPietro and Rothenberg for the third annual pregame party at Old Hampton. Hang on. June 12th. Come join Rick and Dave Live at Publicans in Manhasset from 6 to 10am for the ultimate pregame party. Then ride the train with them to Manhassett Station to Citi Field. The fun keeps going in Lot e starting at 11:30 right up to first pitch when the Mets take on the Nationals. It's all brought to you by Yinling Traditional logger legends stand the test of time and tell them are due because when it's game time, it's Tully time. That was a great idea by them a couple of years ago. They're playing the Marlins. Hey, let's, let's all go out to the game and it's really been a great idea. It's now in year three, so good on them, man.

[Ebro Darden]

They're doing a killer job. I mean, they work like scabs, unfortunately, and, and really make things worse for everybody else around them. But they do a terrific show.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Wonder if it'll be at all uncomfortable tomorrow when we're with Michael in that transition. Oh, after what happened from his show to our show since I was so. No, no, no, no, no, no, no. Because, you know, well, he's, he's. We were above working Memorial Day, which.

[Ebro Darden]

By the way, him of all people. Can you believe it?

[Peter Rosenberg]

But I will give Michael.

[Alan Hahn]

Should we do a crossover?

[Peter Rosenberg]

I hope so.

[Alan Hahn]

Maybe we should sit in with him and have it out.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Well, here's the thing. I don't think he's going to stay much past three. I don't know that for a fact, but I give Michael credit. He's calling the game tonight in anaheim. So a 9:38 start, local 6:38 out in Anaheim. He's taking the red eye after the game.

[Ebro Darden]

You Mean the. He with the, with the commoners.

[Peter Rosenberg]

With the commoners, not with the team. Well, because after the Angels, the Yankees are going to, to the Dodgers. But there's no. I don't think any of the games are on. Yes, because I think it's going to be national Apple. You know, Fox, that stinks. Yeah, that's kind of a rip off.

[Ebro Darden]

Especially for, you know, not to, not to cry for Michael. But you go out and do the Anaheim game and you don't get one Dodger game while you're there. Come on.

[Peter Rosenberg]

So, so he's not doing the Series, all right? So he's getting on a red eye. So by the time he lands a JFK and then gets home, he anticipates he probably won't walk into his door till like 11am quick shower, get in the car and then drive over to Stout for one o' clock. So he's gonna be. Unless he gets to sleep on the plane, he's gonna have no sleep.

[Ebro Darden]

I gotta tell you guys right now, I've never been more disgusted with Michael K. Okay? The man that I know, the man who's always about himself, who's always about a dollar between working extra time on a holiday, working on a holiday period and then doing this much work to make it to Stout, this isn't the man that I know.

[Peter Rosenberg]

But that's how much he loves you.

[Alan Hahn]

Can I also just point out that I have. I am not impressed whatsoever. Oh, because, oh, like what am I doing here?

[Ebro Darden]

What do you mean?

[Alan Hahn]

Like you just gave me a breakdown of a day that for me has been a month.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I know.

[Ebro Darden]

Yeah. Listen to what about, what about Alan.

[Alan Hahn]

Hobbs doing over there?

[Ebro Darden]

All right, well, every single day. Every single day.

[Alan Hahn]

See, Peter, this is where you still see the love. There is still. He has not let go.

[Ebro Darden]

Even though.

[Alan Hahn]

Not get over it.

[Ebro Darden]

Even as he's mad at him.

[Alan Hahn]

No matter how he's still in love. Right. He can't let go. I gotta tell you, he'll never love me the way he loves Michael.

[Ebro Darden]

No, never.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Because.

[Alan Hahn]

And I. I gotta stop trying. I gotta stop trying.

[Ebro Darden]

But guess what? He also won't hate you the way it's. It's a. He won't love you the same way. You're right. But he won't hate you the same either.

[Alan Hahn]

But it'll never. But you know what? It'll never be good enough. No matter what I did, it's never going to happen because Michael used to do it like this. You know, Michael did this.

[Peter Rosenberg]

But Peter said it. This is not like Michael and the fact that he's doing it. Because here's the thing, here's the. Whether you like it or not, I have to accept it. I had to accept it for 24 years.

[Ebro Darden]

Right.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Michael has the ability to do something that we don't. Whatever he wants. When they ask him to do the show at Stout, he could say no. Oh, yeah, he could. Now we could say no. And they'll be like, oh, that's, that's a nice opinion that you had on the subject. But you're doing it. And then I got to do it. But Right, Peter. Michael could say, I'm not, I'm not taking the red eye and be on no sleep and do a show from Stout. Not doing it, but he's doing it. So I'm just giving him some kudos. I, I, it's amazing what you're doing with the get up and the MSG stuff. He was brilliant on msg. He's better than Wally.

[Alan Hahn]

Not.

[Ebro Darden]

Well, better than Wally. I like what you're doing now.

[Alan Hahn]

You're causing problems. I really feel like you're patronizing. Let's just move.

[Ebro Darden]

How dare you.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I am just a yo, yo that after the game said, you know what? I'm going to turn on msg. I didn't have to. I could have went to bed. You know my sleeping habits now.

[Ebro Darden]

Sure.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And I said, you know what? I'm going to go put on MSG because even though I watch the game, I want to hear what the experts say.

[Ebro Darden]

And you want to feel close to Alan.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I love Bill Pedo and Wally, but my guy Allen is going to break it down. Alan was the best on the show. I feel smarter because I heard him. And that's not Don Allen's friend? No, Don Allen, coworker. No, that's Don viewer.

[Ebro Darden]

Right.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And I'm allowed to have an opinion.

[Ebro Darden]

That's Don, man with ears.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And I, you know what I mean?

[Ebro Darden]

That's a man who plays the Celtics.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I know Wally played for the T Wolves and I know he played for the Celtics.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah.

[Ebro Darden]

Barely remember it.

[Alan Hahn]

It was there.

[Ebro Darden]

Respectfully, he's a T wolf. He's a 12 in my eye, but.

[Alan Hahn]

He killed it very much.

[Peter Rosenberg]

He won the face off clean. Matter of fact, he won it so clean it split the defense and still cleared the puck, but he still won the face off clean.

[Ebro Darden]

You're trying to make up for something Don you can't make up for. He's this, he feels how he feels. You know what I mean?

[Peter Rosenberg]

Let's go to Doughboy in Queens. You're on ESPN New York. What's up, Doughboy?

[Caller]

Hey, what's up, guys? What's going on? First time calling, but me and Han be having a conversation with Beth when.

[Ebro Darden]

They was on.

[Caller]

The man, like I said a long time ago, with nobody. Nobody's really saying Tim is not going to be the head coach when this team win the championship. I. I don't know what else. What else to prove it to y' all and that he's not. He's not. He's not the guy that. That f. That first seat is too heavy for him. He's assistant. He's a system for defense, man.

[Ebro Darden]

You have to admit, though, I hear what you're saying, and I. I'm not. I'm not going to say it's an invalid opinion. But what more. But what more should this particular group have done? How much better should they be than he has?

[Caller]

I understand that. You know why they're not no better? Because he don't try to get them better during the season. He's too busy trying to win 55 games every year instead of building his.

[Ebro Darden]

How did that have a negative effect, though? How them working hard and playing all year. How has that affected them negatively in the postseason?

[Caller]

Now that affect them now because you can't draw to your bench to extend the game. Now you put Mitchell Robinson into the center to start, but now he's not bringing the same funk like he did the last two games because he don't play that much minutes. He's just coming back. Now you're running up his minute in the middle of the playoffs. You should have. Honestly, the start should have been for achiever. I just thought of chewing and kept. And kept Hart on the bench with Robinson and Keith Robinson coming on with his regular routine, and he give him another pot. And then Han, I'm very shocked that you crying about right happen. Talking about when wrestling said that on the mic. Oh, when the Knicks win one game in the season, they came down. The whole city let them have what they got. They can't. They. They deserve it. They busted. They busted our butt. They deserve to celebrate the way that they want to because when we win one regular season game, we act like we win the championship so we get what we deserve. Don't start crying now.

[Alan Hahn]

Thanks, though.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Yeah.

[Alan Hahn]

First of all, I don't think I was crying. I think I was just making an observation of a very. Of a very. Just odd moment for the NBA to have that happen in an arena in the midst of a game. And apparently I didn't see it because it wasn't on tv. I don't think I didn't see it, but it was brought to my attention.

[Peter Rosenberg]

This morning just in the arena.

[Alan Hahn]

And it was in the arena. And, and it was, I guess, before the fourth quarter, which is even. Like, like, what are we doing? And, And I just. I just felt like pointing it out that it just seemed like an odd, vulgar moment to have in the midst of a. Of a playoff game, that's all, at the conference finals. And I was just like, knick fans get dragged for just celebrating in the street. And this is what Indiana wants to be represented as. And I just found that to be odd, that's all.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Well, listen, we found out at the end of Boys in the Hood that Doughboy died a few days later. So I'm upset, by the way.

[Ebro Darden]

I'm upset that you reminded me of that. I never remember.

[Peter Rosenberg]

They didn't have to do that, by the way.

[Ebro Darden]

It's like upsetting that they did because you're heartbroken in that moment. But then he says, you still got one brother left. And you have that moment.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah, where.

[Ebro Darden]

Where Cuba Gooding Jr says to ice Cube, you still got one brother left. After Doughboy's like, I ain't got no brother. And you're heartbroken.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah.

[Ebro Darden]

But then you remember, oh, but they have each other. And then it comes up right away and tells you, by the way, Doughboy's dead.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah, he's gone too. We just didn't want to show it on film.

[Peter Rosenberg]

But I'm sure the message. It hit home harder. You live that life, that's the way it's gonna end. But I tell you, that's been on quite a bit on the premium channels. Oh, I can't. I can't turn it on. It's one of my favorite movies. It's too sad. It's just, It's. That would be a great top five, like, movies just too sad to rewatch. I, I, I movie. Can't do it, can't do it.

[Ebro Darden]

Can't do it.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I just can't.

[Ebro Darden]

I hear you.

[Peter Rosenberg]

That scene when. What was the character's name again?

[Ebro Darden]

Which one?

[Peter Rosenberg]

That gets the Ricky. Ricky.

[Alan Hahn]

Ricky. Morris Chestnut.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And just bringing it back in the living room. I got your test scores right. She comes out here tonight and holding his bait. It's just. I can't. I can't.

[Alan Hahn]

Why did he run straight?

[Ebro Darden]

He should have zagged. Why did he run straight to zag?

[Alan Hahn]

Well, he was about to cut down.

[Ebro Darden]

The alley, and by the way it's the worst. Because, you know, his character more than any other character is the most innocent.

[Alan Hahn]

Yep.

[Ebro Darden]

He's the best of. I mean, as good as a guy. Cuba Goody jr. Is a great kid too, but more chestnut. Ricky's character is just like he was all sweet. Nothing, you know, went well. And that's why. That's why the beauty of menace to society. On the flip side, which comes out two years later, the O Dog character is sitting there at the end when the final drive by happens. All the bullets are whizzing by. O Dog's just standing there shooting. And in the middle of bullets flying by, everyone else dies. And O Dog, who's a monster from the second the movie starts, nothing touched.

[Alan Hahn]

Nothing touched. Right.

[Ebro Darden]

Because that's life, baby.

[Alan Hahn]

Which is. Which is right. That. That's the whole point.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And speaking of crying. You're going to find out, Peter.

[Ebro Darden]

I'm finding out right now.

[Alan Hahn]

You're going to.

[Peter Rosenberg]

You're going to take Maya to these kids movies.

[Alan Hahn]

Oh, yeah.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And you're going to have to turn away.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah.

[Peter Rosenberg]

It's Lilo and Stitch. Same thing now.

[Alan Hahn]

I can't believe you said that. Lilo and Stitch ends with you in tears.

[Peter Rosenberg]

I almost got there. I was able to contain myself. But you know, all these. All these. When I watch.

[Ebro Darden]

What's the. What's the old one called? The old. What's it called?

[Peter Rosenberg]

The one.

[Ebro Darden]

What's the one where the opening scene is the old couple.

[Alan Hahn]

Oh, the.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Up, up, up.

[Alan Hahn]

Oh, yeah, it's in. That's hard.

[Ebro Darden]

I'm on the floor.

[Alan Hahn]

Yes.

[Ebro Darden]

It's face down.

[Alan Hahn]

Toy Story 2. Once your kids grow up.

[Ebro Darden]

That's a. That's a strong one.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Oh, get two or four. What, What's.

[Alan Hahn]

It was two.

[Peter Rosenberg]

What's the one? Two.

[Alan Hahn]

When he goes to school, right. Yeah.

[Peter Rosenberg]

He brings the box of the toy.

[Ebro Darden]

Yeah.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah. I don't remember what puts it in the attic. The mother says goodbye. Like the whole thing.

[Peter Rosenberg]

The kids don't know.

[Alan Hahn]

And they show him as a little kid. Then they show him growing up. And they have to do that whole.

[Ebro Darden]

Guys, I'm telling you right now, my number one take. And I've never been through it. And unfortunately one day I will go through it. But my number one take that I'm so dead on about is. And Alan has been through it. I'm sure he can corroborate. Every adult will tell you when their dog is getting old. They'll try to pretend that they're okay and they go, I'm just Worried about the kids. If your kid is young, like 6 or 7. They don't understand finality. So, like you think they're gonna be as broken as you do. And then two days later they're like. They see a puppy on the street.

[Alan Hahn]

And they chase the next puppy. Yeah.

[Ebro Darden]

Meanwhile, as Alan could attest to. And now I sadly can't.

[Alan Hahn]

Callie took Charlotte took it really hard. She was like.

[Peter Rosenberg]

But your wife.

[Ebro Darden]

But as an adult. You're crippled. But there is a crippling emotionally. Kids. And the same with the movie. The movie ends. You got tears in your eyes and the kids just going, I want ice cream. Like what?

[Peter Rosenberg]

By the way, get to an age where I'm not going to cry because they're crying. And then you get in protect mode. And then you don't want to show the vulnerability. Right now you have. They don't know.

[Ebro Darden]

Fight against it. Show them. Keep showing it.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Because the two. I never saw my dad cry. I don't know I'd be able to handle seeing my dad cry or throw up. Those are the two things I never saw my dad do.

[Ebro Darden]

You ever saw him throw up either?

[Peter Rosenberg]

No. Because it would be a weakness. He called in sick one day from work. I was like slack jawed.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah. Because.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Just didn't do it. But now we don't. We're not that. We don't have to play the tough guy mode like back in the day. But you want to be there. And if they. If they'll be.

[Ebro Darden]

This is a deeper conversation about, like where you draw the line of. Is it. How tough do you want to be? What's the real. Is it just that we were taught. You're supposed to.

[Peter Rosenberg]

You want to be. What's the wit for them?

[Alan Hahn]

At some point you just.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Everybody just can't be sobbing.

[Ebro Darden]

I mean. But what if you have one tear and you wipe it away and you go. It's okay to go.

[Alan Hahn]

Yeah.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Somebody's got to stay. You know, to look up to the whole. Like, what's with the Knicks? Everybody can't be in a panic. Then everybody's turning the ball over. Now we're down 20. Somebody's got to stand up and be the pillar.

[Alan Hahn]

By the way, Marley and me.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Oh, I won't watch.

[Ebro Darden]

Don't even talk about it.

[Peter Rosenberg]

It's like, Nestor. I can't.

[Ebro Darden]

By the way, I believe the movie should be banned.

[Alan Hahn]

Never again.

[Ebro Darden]

That movie should not have been made. It's not right.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Just what are you? Who you entertaining?

[Alan Hahn]

Like what.

[Peter Rosenberg]

What's there?

[Ebro Darden]

Turner and Hooch was bad enough it.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Took me years to recover from before that. Right, exactly. So we're some Marley. You know how that's ended?

[Ebro Darden]

For the very beginning, just.

[Peter Rosenberg]

All right.

[Alan Hahn]

Nothing accomplished there.

[Ebro Darden]

The Marley estate should sue for even using the name.

[Alan Hahn]

We'll get back to your call, but right now. Hey, everybody, it's Alan Hahn here to tell you about my friends at Bath Fitter. They remodeled the bath in my house. My wife Stephanie was so excited about this because as I've been telling you, we updated a bath by our pool. So we converted this old tub that nobody used into a shower. So now we use it regularly. As the pool's open, we have guests to come over. You want to wash off that chlorine or just freshen up. And then when the kids have sleepovers, they all like to sleep downstairs. They have that bathroom to use. And it is not embarrassing anymore. It's beautiful. A bathroom consultant took us through the process with a free in home consultation. And so Stephanie picked out the style and color and all the specifics and accessories to update the bath. Customize just the way she wanted it. Now, this was quick. It was two days. A bath fitter worked fast. They delivered the highest quality work with no delay. Now it's a permanent solution, everybody. It's a one piece seamless wall for a watertight fit. And if you're wondering, it has a lifetime guarantee. So you can trust the Bath Fitter team like we did. They've been in business for 40 years with millions of happy customers. So we have the best savings of the season for you. Listen. For a limited time, you can save up to $750 on a complete Bath Fitter system. So hurry. This offer expires May 31st. Start designing your bath like we did. Visit bathfitter.com for more details.

[Kaley Cuoco]

This episode is brought to you by Amazon Prime. From streaming to shopping, prime helps you get more out of your passion. So whether you're a fan of true crime or prefer a nail biting novel from time to time, with services like Prime Video, Amazon Music and fast free delivery, prime makes it easy to get more out of whatever you're into or getting into. Visit Amazon.comprime to learn more.

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[Alan Hahn]

Switch upfront payment of $45 for 3 month plan equivalent to $15 per month required intro rate first 3 months only then full price plan options available, taxes and fees extra. See full [e-mail] thanks for listening to.

[Don Hahn]

The Don Hahn and Rosenberg podcast.

[Ebro Darden]

I didn't listen to anything you just said.

[Don Hahn]

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

[Peter Rosenberg]

Game time is brought to you by Tullibardoo Irish Whiskey because when it's game.

[Ebro Darden]

Time.

[Peter Rosenberg]

It'S tolly time. Mets lost to the White Sox 9 4. Sosa went Soto went over 4. By the way, NYC FC hosts Houston at Yankee Stadium at 7:30. Red Bulls will welcome in Charlotte at 7:30 and the Yankees wrap up their series in Anaheim with the Angels at 9:38. Tullamore due the original triple distill, triple blended and triple cast matured Iris whiskey, be sure to grab a Tullamore Dew or try the new Tullamore Dew honey during today's action. Glasses up to enjoying Tullamore Dew responsibly. Soto's now down to.224 with his batting average and he is just a mess. It's not getting better and it's completely being ignored because of the Knicks. But I'm telling you, when we come out from under this, no matter what happens with the Knicks, there is going to be hell to pay. And I was listening to the game driving in and he grounded out with runner at scoring position. You started to hear the boots. Oh booze. Yeah, I heard booze. They didn't acknowledge it during the broadcast, but I heard booze.

[Alan Hahn]

Well, you're not going to acknowledge it.

[Peter Rosenberg]

You know, but he's starting to Hear it, man. 224. And you know, now we're, we're, we're significantly into the season here and it just doesn't look like it's getting any better. He's awful with runners in scoring position. The last couple of times he's come through with runners in scoring position, it's been like a sacrifice Fly. It's, it's, it's not good. Now, you know, the Mets still took two out of three from Chicago. So that's all you're looking to do is win series. You got Colorado coming in this weekend and they're God awful. So I think the Mets can continue to win, but it's, it's something for after the Knicks that is gonna be a topic of conversation. Nevermind the whole Soto versus Judge. No, it's an issue now. We're getting to the end of May.

[Alan Hahn]

And you know what you're also seeing? Because I'll flip it. The Yankees side of things now continues to be. The conversation of the pivot has worked out brilliantly. And that's like, because this feeling, again, the off season feeling of a massive loss where a superstar did not want to play for you and he instead crossed, you know, crossed the river and played for the other team in town that was considered to be a massive, that was a damaging to the brand and all the things that you wanted to feel. And then when you look at it right now, the pivot has been brilliant. Well, six games up now, right? They're like six games up already in the, in the east and they're, the offense looks good.

[Peter Rosenberg]

It's not a freedom.

[Alan Hahn]

It's been an absolute monster. Radon's been very good. I got to keep eating crow on him and I'll continue to do it. But it, it really is two sides to the story. That's why Don being in the same town, there's always going to be two sides. The one side is for the Mets, they're not getting bang for their buck out of the gate. And for the Yankees, the pivot has been brilliant.

[Peter Rosenberg]

The pivot's been brilliant. But again, if you remember, like the odds didn't change because the American League stinks. Everybody expected them to win the division. Where it's really going to show is what do you do in the postseason? Because last year they went to the World Series with Soto. So they can win 100 games this year. But if they get bounced in the postseason early and don't go to the World Series, then it's not going to matter in Yankee land, right? It's going to be what'd you do in the playoffs? And the Mets, even though they're not in first place anymore, are still, you know, winning. But I don't know how sustainable that is. If you're not getting that kind of, you're getting zero production from, you know, they moved them from second to third. They're trying different things. Like it's. We're entering June now. You know, we always said we'll assess where we are on Memorial Day. Well, Memorial Day was a few days ago.

[Alan Hahn]

That's right.

[Peter Rosenberg]

It's not getting any better. Lang in Connecticut. You're on espn. New York.

[Ebro Darden]

Big Lang.

[I]

Yeah. Gentlemen, I need to bring to the forefront a aspect of the Knicks that I think contributes to the results. You know, when you look at last night, there was a number of, you know, questionable calls against the Knicks, but it was a byproduct. It was a function of the Pacers physicality and aggression. Right? And it all goes back to this Knicks team. And Alan, before you disparage me and shoot me down and tell me that this is not today's NBA, okay, it goes back to this next team being too nice to their opponents. I don't care that Brunson and Halliburton are friends. What I don't need to see when we're trying to mount a comeback is Brunson getting the ball stripped and coughing corner and having Brunson helping Halliburton up.

[Peter Rosenberg]

Maybe.

[I]

Maybe Bronson should go and check Halberton's wrist after he completely raked OG on the lab to make sure he's okay. And after the game, maybe Brunson should have went to the Pacers locker room to make sure Howell Burton was physically and mentally okay. Because I'm not. Because this team is too nice. It's too nice. So I need to talk to them. I need to talk to them next, and I need to let them know that they shouldn't be helping the other team up from the floor when you just got stripped. Maybe you should stand on top of him and play the game within the game the right way. Maybe you should get in the guy's face when he knocks down your player and let them know that you're there. Because then they won't be as comfortable to make the shots that they make. Everything is interrelated. You should know this. You play basketball, Lang.

[Alan Hahn]

I'm gonna shock you right now. You ready? Take a breath.

[I]

Yeah, I'm here.

[Ebro Darden]

Okay.

[Alan Hahn]

You're right.

[Peter Rosenberg]

He's not wrong. I.

[Alan Hahn]

You are right. Everything. Every. Every thing you said. I have witnessed this whole series, and it has bothered me.

[I]

And I watch every second of every game.

[Alan Hahn]

And this is. You're right.

[I]

Time and time again, you're right.

[Alan Hahn]

And it goes back to Trey Young, Roland Dice. It goes. There's. There's just. There is something about this team that they don't really take things personal on that level. They feel like revenge is. The best way to get revenge is to win the game and to have your chance to celebrate. It's like the fan in Detroit, that was rock. He was in Brunson's face the whole time, this guy. And when Brunson hit that shot, the first guy he pointed to was that fan. That was his way of slaying the dragon. But there are. There are times, though, it does call for a little extra something on the foul. Like, all right, dude, that's three times you've gotten to the basket. The fourth time, I'm not getting. Like, you're gonna. You're gonna feel this foul. But they don't have guys that do that. Yeah.

[Peter Rosenberg]

And that means you got to go get them. You can't make them be that way. If it's not your nature, then it's not. It's not going to happen. That's an acquisition during the off season.

[Don Hahn]

Thanks for listening to the Don Hahn and Rosenberg podcast.

[Alan Hahn]

I don't want to know how to the sausage is made, man. I just want to know. It's good.

[Don Hahn]

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.