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- [00:01]
Max Kellerman
Lamine Yamal steps into McDonald's, looks left, sees Pulisic, looks right, sees Jimenez, gives a nod to Ronaldinho in the corner with a FIFA World cup meal. Ronaldinho sees son in the booth. Son finds Beckham going for extra Big Mac sauce. He's got Davies at the table just behind him. Davey's going for his collectible cup. A steal by Henry, who pulls his own collectible cup. Collect one of nine legendary cups with a FIFA World cup meal at participating McDonald's for a limited time while supplies last. All rights reserved. 20:26 McDonald's at FIFA World Cup 20:26 Ready to soundtrack your summer with Red Bull Summer All Day Play? 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. All right, Special Almost like an emergency edition of Game over with Max Kellerman and Rich Paul. I'm Max Kellerman and Rich Paul is going to zoom in at some point, but you know, we got to react to this game right now. Knicks, spurs or spurs at Knicks? Game three, Madison Square Garden. They shut down half of New York. It felt like a huge perimeter around the Garden. Even just getting here just now, you can't drive this way, you can't walk that way. Everything shut down. And partly that's because James Dolan decided to invite Donald Trump. No one wanted him at the Garden except James Dolan. But he came and the Knicks lost. And now no one can walk or drive anywhere. I gotta say this about the game that the spurs just won and I have my notes in my phone. There's so much to talk about here. The spurs are a tough team and, well, of course they made the finals. No, no, no, no. The spurs are an unusually tough team, especially for a young team. And they were. They're not punks. They weren't going to go out like that. Didn't mean they weren't in danger of being swept. They could have easily lost this game tonight. I know. Well, the Knicks could have easily lost Game 2, but they didn't. The spurs could have lost this game tonight. They didn't. But had they, they're down.03. They're getting swept in this series. So it's not that they, you know, a bad thing like that for them couldn't have happened. But they're an unusually tough team, and you knew even were they to have gotten swept, they weren't going to go down without a fight. They were going to make the games close and play with heart, which they did. Wemby had a huge influence on this game and wasn't even particularly good by his standards. It was just like a. Like it was a Wemby game, but it wasn't like, oh, my God, did you see Wemby in that game? And he's the youngest player ever to drop 30 in a finals game at 22 years old. And he's like the elder statesman between him and Castle and Harper. Harper's a teenager. Castle's 21. It's ridiculous, and I'm going to get to those guys in a second. But Wemby is just on both sides of the. Of the floor a lot. He's a lot. Especially. And I'm sure he helps this, but especially when you consider how those. Like, if you look at this team in the fourth quarter, the spurs team in the fourth quarter, and the level of defense they were playing, those rotations were as good as you will ever see. I don't know. Well, no one can. Can move as fast as the ball, right? That's why you swing the ball. And the Knicks kept giving up good shots for better shots or at least for a shot, giving up the ball for it so they can get a good look. And, and they were swinging it well and passing it well. It wasn't like they were hesitant or not getting it to their man on their. On his steps or in the right position. They were. They were passing crisply and moving it well in the fourth quarter. And those spurs rotations, like they say, you can't outrun the ball. I think the spurs can with guys like Castle and Harper and Wemby, I think they can. Those were as crisp, as crisp of rotations as you could possibly make. And that had a huge influence in the game, by the way, de' Aaron Fox had a bad game. He had a bad game, but still, at the end of the game, has the block on Karl Anthony Towns, and in between two incredibly clutch Castle little sequences, Fox hit a jumper that. I mean, anything goes the other way for the Spurs. They lose this game tonight. So even in his bad game, he. He was clutch. So I wanted to give the spurs their flowers for what they just did on the road in a hostile environment in Madison Square Garden, in a New York City right now that's ready to explode. For the Knicks to be that young and to do what they just did. Amazing. And Castle's defense on Brunson, you know, was, you know, the difference in the game, you could argue. But that said, all that said, Mike Brown was right about the officials. After the game, he. Mike Brown said that, hey, we. All those possessions and we get four trips to the line for eight free throws. He's right about the refs. And in these playoffs, it has seemed to me that in two consecutive series now, the refs have had an influence on the game in a. In a way that makes you think, when people talk about the NBA is rigged and the league wants this to happen or that to happen, you're thinking, come on. But sometimes you look at it and you go, the refs, when San Antonio was at home, were calling the games basically straight up and down. I mean, they would sometimes give. Give SGA a whistle he didn't deserve when he flopped. But by and large, you're going to miss some of them. And SGA is good at that, which, you know, he gets those calls. But by and large, they called the games up and down, straight up at San Antonio. But they were lopsided when the game was at okc. And it made you think, does the league want this series extended? Is there some kind of favoritism toward Oklahoma City? Right. Like, why aren't the spurs getting all the whistles at home if it seems like the Thunder are? And is it confirmation bias? Because I did pick the spurs to win that series, by the way, in retrospect, had Jalen Williams been available really and healthy in that series? I think I was wrong when from the middle of the series, I said the spurs are getting out of the West. Had Jalen Williams been healthy, I think maybe the Thunder get out of the west, but that's with a lot of help from the refs. At any rate, same thing seems to be happening here, as though the league or the refs or someone doesn't want a short series. Because this was what Mike Brown said was egregious. Not just in terms of the sheer number of free throws, is 20 something to four in the second half of the game, but. But because of certain, like, certain egregious missed calls that the refs didn't make in plain view, like when the foul was in plain view of everyone. I want to go over them now. There's the flagrant foul that should have been called on Castle when he ran into Jalen Brunson. Now, a foul was called, yes, and Brunson got the free throws, but it really was a Free throw. A flagrant foul. And I didn't hear them talk about this. I haven't heard this discussed. Because it's not just that he ran into Brunson, but when Castle ran into Brunson. Yeah, he's already has a head of steam. He didn't, like, lunge into him kind of, but he raises his forearm. And not just raises his forearm, but jabs it out and pushes like, you know, that's not a basketball move. This is not a basketball move. It's a forearm. It's a WWE move. And Brunson fell. Did Brunson sell it at all and sell the fact that, oh, I hurt my back on the hardwood and all this? Did he have to fall that hard? I don't know. That's actually debatable, maybe, if you want to argue. Well, he sold it a little bit. It's possible. It didn't look like it to me, but it's possible. But that doesn't change the fact that it's not just that Castle ran into Brunson. It's that as he ran into Brunson, he extended his forearm, and that's what knocked Brunson down with force. That is clearly a fl. Flagrant foul. It happened in front of everybody on the Knicks home floor. Nothing. And Wemby, when he threw Brunson down in front of everybody and laughed about it, that wasn't. No foul was called on that play. That is also a flagrant foul. That's a flagrant foul. And nothing was called on the Knicks. Best player at home in the finals, in plain view of everyone. So I do. Like when Mike Brown complains about the officials. Is there something there? Yeah. And then you look at the discrepancy in free throw attempts, and it does seem like there was severe favoritism toward the Spurs. In fact, the Knicks were successful with their challenges. Like, they had to challenge plays a couple times. And I don't think that was biased with the refs. It went off. You know, this was. You know, it was out on the spurs, not on the Knicks. They had to get it overturned. Wemby was the last guy to touch it. Fine. Maybe the refs legitimately missed that. But the Knicks use successful challenges in key moments to get things to go their way that the refs just missed. And then the refs missed. Egregious, obvious, you know, should have been texts, and they weren't called. But there's a. I don't want to sound like making excuses for the Knicks. That's why I started with what the spurs did. Well, let me talk about what the Knicks didn't do. Well, number one, they didn't play through CAT today. Tonight they didn't play through them and as a result two things happened. Brunson played especially in the third quarter down the stretch where the Knicks coughed up the lead. Brunson played way too much one on one and that's when the Knicks, who had a seven point lead coming out of the half going into the third quarter, it evaporated and suddenly the spurs are playing with the lead. Not just because Brunson has Castle on him who's doing as good a job as you can possibly do and he's facing a team that then has a 7 foot 5 guy behind Castle who's nimble and also just a team full of hungry defenders, but because everyone else gets cold. So, so then, so they played through Brunson too much for sure. Especially in that stretch in the third quarter when the, and another thing happens when Brunson over dribbles and is playing too much one on one and the Knicks don't play through Karl Anthony Towns, you know who goes cold, I've noticed and who just doesn't get touches is Mikhail Bridges. When the ball, when the, when the offense runs through Towns, the ball moves. He makes really good decisions with the ball and of course it also runs through Brunson at all times. But, but when Towns is more heavily involved in the offense and it's running through him more often and he gets more touches and, and he's making more decisions, more guys are getting touches, not just Brunson. And so they stay hot. And so this was a really like an invisible game on offense from Mikhail Bridges wound up with a bucket one. And the problem for the Knicks now is I mentioned before the series started when Josh Hart's shots are falling from the perimeter, Knicks are almost impossible to beat like that. That's a very tough team to beat when Hart's shot is falling. Well, this was the job I mentioned Bill Simmons and I talked about it when I did his pod last week is, you know, and he acknowledged like, yeah, Hart's going to have the Josh Hart game. He had a Josh Hart game. He had the Josh Hart game. The Knicks better hope there's more than one in terms of the offense, you know, he's always going to be there on defense and in terms of offensive plays where he's not scoring, he'll also be there. But in terms of him actually scoring, hitting shots from the perimeter, this was that game Knicks were supposed to win that game. They lost the Josh Hart game at home and that's bad news for them. OG was great, of course. Game over is brought to you by fanduel. It's all come down to this. Who do you think will be wearing the ring at the end of the NBA Finals? Make your call with FanDuel right now. New customers can hit the court with $350 in bonus bets guaranteed after betting $5 for seven straight days. FanDuel's the best place to bet all your favorite players during the Finals. Bet on their baskets and boards or build the same game parlay for a chance at a bigger payout. Just visit fanduel.com gameover to get started 21 and over in select states 18 and over in DC, Kentucky or Wyoming. 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- [13:44]
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- [15:16]
Max Kellerman
the only reason that the spurs and I still like who do I like in the rest of the series? The Knicks. I think the Knicks are going to win the series. But the reason if the Knicks go on to win the series, meaning the spurs don't start their dynasty now because they're going to have a dynasty, you know, health permitting. And I was talking about this since All Star Weekend, said the spurs are the best and I got to put a compilation of this together because it sounds like it's not even true. But I said since the All Star since All Star Weekend and I must have said it a dozen times on this show. The spurs are going to get out of the West. They're the best team in basketball. The only thing that could stop them from winning the championship this year, from grabbing one and jump starting the dynasty a year early, let's say, is if the Knicks get out of the east, which I wasn't sure was going to happen, because the Knicks match up well with the Spurs. They beat them for the Emirates cup mid season tournament. That was on neutral ground. They beat them at the Garden. They lost by a single possession at San Antonio. And the reason I think the Knicks could do that is they can slow the spurs up and then hit shots late in the clock because they can roll out a version of the Golden State death lineup, especially when they're running more of the offense through Towns and Josh Hart is hitting shots. When you have that lineup with Bridges and Hart and Brunson and OG and Towns, you know you can really spread teams out because they can all shoot on a night when Hart is really hitting his shots. So the matchup is good with the Spurs. They showed it in the regular season. They beat a men's twice in San Antonio. But the reason the spurs may not by the way, and I have to admit, as I mentioned earlier, if Jalen Williams is healthy, maybe I was wrong about the spurs being the best team in the Western Conference because that went seven games and it was a tight seven games and they didn't have their second best player in Oklahoma City. Nevertheless, it's not so. There are a couple things going on. They run into a buzzsaw in the Knicks. The Knicks have the best point differential ever over a 13 game stretch in NBA history. Regular season or playoffs, the best ever. They're the hottest team of all time. And the fact that they're doing it in the playoffs, so they're playing well. The east is weak and stop. Embiid wasn't 100% stop. They're playing. There he is. Rich. Paul shows up. It's about time, Max. Talking into the wind right now, but I was saying, Rich, the one reason I thought the spurs might not kick start the dynasty, maybe a little early, a little ahead of schedule, is one, because the Knicks match up really well with them, but two, because the Knicks are on fire unlike any team has ever been on fire. And. But still, with both those things, the San Antonio team has enough character, even though they're very young, that they're turning this into a dogfight. The last two games came down to end of game possessions. So, Rich, I know you have some stuff you have to take care of today, some personal stuff, but I thought maybe you could zoom in. So I'm not sitting here all by myself today.
- [18:41]
Rich Paul
Yeah, yeah. I watched the game, Max, and I think you're right in terms of dog fight. Listen, going into that hostile environment, being down 20 as a young team, they still showed a lot of resilience, a lot of poise there. There were stretches in that game tonight that they could have easily folded, being up early, giving up the lead. They had some calls, I think both teams had some calls where the coaches did a really good job of challenging certain calls in the right moments that could have swung things either way. And, you know, San Antonio hit big shot after big shot after big shot. And really, when you think about the last three games, anybody's game, I thought any team could have came out victorious, including Game 1, when the spurs was up 14 and didn't really manage the game properly. I thought they had moments tonight where, you know, sometimes you, you may think you have a layup or you may think you have a fast break, but it's the finals and how important those moments are to just pull the ball out, set something up, get a great shot. I think for the spurs, they have to focus more on getting great shots every time. And the Knicks tonight, I think Carl, Carl just wasn't involved. He wasn't. He wasn't in the algorithm at all of the game, and neither was Macau. But still a really good game for, you know, spurs went one one away, which. Which again, shows a lot. Now, guess what? You got to do it again, tie the series up.
- [20:18]
Max Kellerman
So the Knicks have now lost three games in these playoffs. That was their first loss in 46 days. The third loss of the playoffs. The first two losses came by a point and this loss comes by a possession. Like the spurs, this young spurs team deserves so much credit for doing what they just did. Against a team that seemed like a team of destiny. Against a team that has had the most dominant stretch. Not against bad teams. You can say what you want about the Eastern Conference, they're doing this against playoff teams in the history of the NBA. Think about that. Of every regular season team that's been dominant and has played a bunch of bad teams in the regular season, out of every team ever against playoff teams, they're coming off the most dominant stretch ever in the history of basketball. And in the face of that on the road, a young spurs team comes in and not only weathers the storm where it looks like when they jumped out to that early lead and they're up 12 points in the first half and then the 12 becomes 11, 12, 10, 11, 8, 10, 7, 9, 6, 5, right. They're whittling it away and it goes all the way the other way till the Knicks are up seven at the half. Yes, you're thinking, well, come on, here comes the avalanche. But the spurs fought through it.
- [21:36]
Rich Paul
Yeah, the beginning, the beginning of that third quarter reminded me of the 2016 Finals. Game 7, third quarter where Cavs were down and it could have went either way. If the Knicks jump out in the first three minutes, the game is out of reach and instead, you know, they brought the game within one or two points to keep it close and then to go on and win the game. I think game four would be a lot different. I think going into game four. Obviously the spurs have some guys that got to play better. I think for sale and Fox has to really be themselves if they, if they can. I thought tonight Castle was phenomenal, especially early on. And Wimby, although he wasn't like, wasn't dominant, he had a really strong game on both ends of the floor.
- [22:24]
Max Kellerman
He was the best player in the game. He wasn't, it wasn't like dominant for him. He was the best player in the, the game and wasn't even in a finals game full of stars. He wasn't like, oh my God, that's the best Wemby we've seen. And yet he was the best player in the game.
- [22:37]
Rich Paul
But I thought they had times tonight where they were more patient, you know, they couldn't, they, they were open for certain shots, decided to get, get paint touches and move the ball, which again, was great. But listen, for the Knicks, I mean, Josh Hart had an unbelievable game tonight. Alvarado and Clarkson come off the bench, made big plays, big shots. And for you to lose that game, it's a little confusing because normally that's the game you win. But it's like anything else. You just got to stay the course as the first of four, not two, obviously. And, you know, it's a boxing match. Every. You're not going to win every round. You got to win more rounds than you lose.
- [23:20]
Max Kellerman
You bring up Castle, your guy. I mean, de' Aaron Fox had a bad game by his stand, like, he had a bad game. And yet at the end of the game, he blocked Karl Anthony Town's shot. That was a huge play. And then in between these two clutch Castle sequences, he hit a big jumper. But I want to talk about Castle for a second there. The three he hit as time was expiring on the shot clock to put The spurs up seven in a normal situation. Game's over right there. There's 58 seconds left. You're up seven. You're going to win that game. Like, 99% of the time, people don't understand how rare it is for an NBA team even to come back from down five with five minutes left. You're like over 80% likely to win by the numbers when you're up even five points. Think about that. It feels like five minutes in an NBA game is forever. You're up five points. That doesn't mean anything. No, it means the vast majority of the time you're going to win. When you're up seven points with 58 seconds left, you're going to win that game. Except the Knicks have so much heart and are so good that if it wasn't for Fox's shot in between that sequence and the block. And the block. But then, Rich, after all that, he's not a very good shooter. Castle, he goes to the line. He's 21 years old. He needs to hit both, really, to salt away the game. Right. Because at that point, you're up 4 with less than a shot clock's worth of possessions left in the game. It is. It is so unlikely that the Knicks can win if you hit both shots. On the other hand, if you only hit one, Knicks could hit a three and tie it up. That. Ha. That stuff happens.
- [25:02]
Rich Paul
Yes, yes.
- [25:04]
Max Kellerman
The fact that he hit both those free throws and after hitting that three at 21 years old, that kid is something special.
- [25:12]
Rich Paul
He is.
- [25:13]
Max Kellerman
After all the defense he played on Brunson that kid is something special.
- [25:16]
Rich Paul
And I thought he adjusted tonight. There was times where he got to the pain and was very patient with that slow, you know, Euro step to be able to get guys off their feet and be at an advantage as it pertains to taking his shot selection. I thought tonight though, I thought the Knicks, the ball kind of stuck more than it has lately with the Knicks. A lot of ISO actions there tonight where the ball was moving a little bit more freely in the past few games. And then, and then I thought for the spurs, they made an adjustment. They were, they were getting wimby in more of the pick and roll action where he was actually rolling and you know, throwing that pocket pass where he has a cleaner look free throw line extended to where if you look at the game at the end of Game 2, he didn't really set a screen. He had more of a brush screen which didn't get anybody open himself or the man with the ball, which in that case was de'. Aaron. But tonight he was doing more of a screen setting and actually holding that screen and then rolling. So it gets you more of a pocket pass to be able to, even if it's a short roll, it's a much better shot for him. And so I thought that was a good adjustment there. And then I thought they ran more dribble handoff action to get guys getting downhill. And, and so, you know, look, this is one of those things where you watching film, you got all hands on deck to be able to make adjustments. The stakes are high and so I'm not surprised by any of it. You know, game four should be just as exciting as game three. All these games have been exciting no matter what the lead has been. And you know, these are two teams that we talked about all year with the possibility, possibility of being here and they're giving everyone their money's worth.
- [27:12]
Max Kellerman
I'll tell you what, this is another must win game for the spurs coming up.
- [27:19]
Rich Paul
It's also a must pressure on the
- [27:21]
Max Kellerman
Knicks if, if they lose game four and it's a real series, if the Knicks win game four, they're going to win the series. If, if they lose game four, who knows, right? That is a huge, huge game. So by the way, before I knew if you'd be able to zoom in, I sent out a tweet. Hey, send me, I'm flying solo tonight on Game over after the game. Send me questions and you know, I'll answer them. But since you're here, you want to answer some tweets.
- [27:45]
Rich Paul
Yeah, sure, let's do it.
- [27:47]
Max Kellerman
All right. John writes, Nick Vibes were immaculate. And Trump flipped the whole feel of the Finals. Everything turned the media story headlines, and Vibes went from feel good to angry. Angry man ruins everything good. Midas in reverse. On the money. On the money. As soon as you heard Trump was gonna come to the game, as soon as you heard it, you thought, New Yorkers don't want him there. Knicks fans don't want him there. He does. Like, everything he touches goes bad. He shows up at the Garden immediately. All the watch parties around the area are canceled. A huge swath of the city in midtown is shut down for blocks and blocks and blocks. The vibe, by the way, the ticket prices cratered at the Garden. Cratered. I saw a couple of tickets on one of the secondary vendors that were, I want to say, center court, more or less three rows back, going by like 20 minutes before game time. I want to say it was like 11 GS, a pop down from a billion dollars or whatever it was. Right. No one wanted to deal with the security, the whole thing. Now, did it affect the outcome of the game? Who knows? But it definitely turned it from like a feel good party from the Knicks to, oh, who wants to put up with this shit? That vibe was definitely in the city, Rich.
- [29:12]
Rich Paul
Yeah, and that's unfortunate. I saw the difficulty. It was for fans to get in, not, you know, Shams lost his AirPods because Secret Service, he dropped one on the ground and they approached him, you know, and you have situations where, you know, people can't get in. There's delay on people getting in. It actually takes away from the fact that I thought that the block parties, whether it's at the Garden or in the boroughs, this is actually pretty cool. I was thinking to myself last night how cool it has to be to be a young kid and on your block, you got people like Jadakiss performing, and then you got the big trucks out there with the games on the tents. Everybody. Like, to me, when you think about sports and what it does to us as humans, across all genders, all races, in a time like this, in a time, you know, where the world is today, look at what sports is doing. It's bringing everyone together for the greater good and having a great time. And so it's unfortunate that it kind of puts a, you know, I would say a stain on that. But, you know, I'm. I'm leaning more into the positive side of things and how cool it is to have these block parties with the Knicks and that energy and in the cities and the boroughs and even outside of boroughs, you were sending me things that had nothing to do, not even close to New York City. And people were, Were. Were watching the game in, in, in droves.
- [30:45]
Max Kellerman
So, you know, I saw a kid on my. On one of these reels from England talking about he's a soccer fan and he doesn't even really. He's. He wasn't a Knicks fan until now. He's like. But the energy that the Knicks are bringing and the fans are bringing are making him interested in following the Knicks. Yeah, right. Like, he's. But there's something. I mean, and you saw reels on social media where you. When the Knicks won game two, they weren't even playing in New York. They're in San Antonio. You could hear the celebration from Jersey. You could hear the Knicks fans in Manhattan from Jersey, and I'm sure from the Bronx. And Brook and I guess would be, you know, Staten island, too. You could hear it from Jersey. I just hope, I hope Trump stays away. Game four.
- [31:32]
Rich Paul
People might go back to game four.
- [31:34]
Max Kellerman
Oh, he. If he goes back to game four at that point, and the fact that Dolan invited him, can Dolan just let something be good? I'm about to come on this show, Rich, and say, hey, I gotta give Dolan his props for, you know, you can't undo the past. As much as a Knicks fan, in a way, should feel like a chump, even if they won the championship, because you gotta wait 52 years for one measly championship in New York City basketball. At the same time, you can't change the past. Dolan, maybe it took him two decades to figure out how to own the team, but eventually he hired the right people and got out of the way. And I was literally going to come on this show tonight and say, you know what? I gotta hand it to Dolan, X, Y and Z. And then he invites Trump to the game, ruins the vibe, and the Knicks lose. I just get out of the way.
- [32:24]
Rich Paul
I think that's a little unfair.
- [32:26]
Max Kellerman
Dolan, you suck. Get out of the way.
- [32:28]
Rich Paul
I think that's a little unfair to the President and I think it's a little unfair to Dolan. First of all, look, they were in a suite, in attendance, in a suite.
- [32:41]
Max Kellerman
So they were not wanted them there.
- [32:43]
Rich Paul
Yeah, but they were not trying to show anybody up or make it about them. They were in a suite. Now they were courtside, different story, because you know that's going to be a distraction. But they were in the suite, so they were being respectful to that. You know, the President has been to many Knicks games and other games before he was the President and obviously Jim owns the team. So I think, I think people, outside of the fact that there's, there was difficulty getting in, that's a safety measure, by the way. You have to do that. There's so many people coming into this arena and you have the President there,
- [33:23]
Max Kellerman
therefore the President should listen. I used to get annoyed when Barack Obama, who I voted for, who was an excellent president, would show up in la, somewhere near my neighborhood to raise money for a campaign because I thought, like, this is not official state business. This is for your campaign. And because of that, I am having a hard time getting home. Like that annoys me. That annoys me. But for the Knicks game three, when the vibes are good in the city and people are feeling good, all of a sudden everyone's like, oh, they got to wait around for two hours to get. By the way, there was no vehicular or pedestrian traffic. Pedestrian traffic allowed within what was like an eight block radius starting at like five o'. Clock.
- [34:07]
Rich Paul
That's safety, man. You got it. You have to do right.
- [34:10]
Max Kellerman
So don't, don't go. His approval rate is at 27%. He ought to be ashamed of himself. Go hide in the bunker he made at the White House. This is what everyone's talking about. Everything's on the table. This is what champions come to take. This is what everyone came to see. No do overs, no second chances.
- [34:36]
Rich Paul
No more Mr. Nice Guy.
- [34:39]
Max Kellerman
This is winner take all. The NBA finals continue on ABC and the ESPN app. Study and play come together on a Windows 11 PC. And for a limited time, college students get the best of both worlds. Get the unreal college deal. Everything you need to study and play with select Windows 11 PCs. Eligible students get a year of Microsoft 365 Premium and a year of Xbox game Pass ultimate with a custom color Xbox wireless controller. Learn more@windows.com studentoffer law supplies last ends June 30th turns at aka mscollegepc.
- [35:19]
Rich Paul
So what happens game four? What do you think?
- [35:24]
Max Kellerman
I mean, I think, look, the spurs are so good that even when the Knicks won in San Antonio, it was a one possession game, right? And this was a one possession game. Both those sec. Those second two games could have gone either way. But that's how good the spurs are. If it weren't for the Knicks, they would be champions this year. But they're not. It's the double whammy, Rich. They're running into not only a Bad matchup for them. But it just so happens that that bad matchup is also as the hottest any team has ever been. In fact, I wonder if their point differential still has set records over 14 games because remember, the three losses are by a point, a point and a possession. And in between they're trouncing teams even against the Spurs. Game one, where the spurs had a lead, the Knicks wound up winning by double digits on the road and they were down like 15 at one point. This is so, so I do think the Knicks will win. I think now that the spurs have won this game, maybe it's a six game series and I think the Knicks take game four and maybe the spurs, you know, get one at home and then the Knicks have to close it out in the Garden in a game six would be, that'd be my guess. Where do you, how do you think game four goes?
- [36:36]
Rich Paul
It's interesting because all the pressure goes back on the Knicks. Oddly enough, they don't really play well at home in a very weird way. They're much different team on the road. And so, you know, you would, if you were a betting man, you would probably say the Knicks win game four just because you don't, you know, you don't, you don't bank on them to lose both at home. But I don't know, I mean, look, the spurs won tonight and they had several guys that didn't play well, so they haven't really strung together one of those games where they were clicking on all cylinders. And so if that's in the wings, then the spurs win game four. But I think if, if Cat can have a big game and, and you get some more out of Hart like he, like you got out of him tonight, then the Knicks win. So, you know, I'm, I'm, I don't know, I'm on the fence. I don't know. I can't call it just yet.
- [37:34]
Max Kellerman
Leland hammonds the second Brunson quietly 30 for 81 in this first three games. Not good shooting. But again, look, on the one hand you have to live with a bad shooting game from Brunson because he's so great and has so much heart and he is able to get his own shot and all that stuff is important. On the other hand, what it suggests is maybe he shouldn't be putting up as many shots as he's putting.
- [38:03]
Rich Paul
He made some big, big shots tonight. Deep three tonight he made but 30 for 81. I wasn't keeping track of that one.
- [38:13]
Max Kellerman
Ass officiating again, says Beansyg. I agree because. Mainly because Rich, when Castle ran Brunson over and they didn't call a flagrant. The problem with that, it is 100%, absolutely. Every time a tech right there. And the reason is not that he ran into him, but he extended his forearm when he did.
- [38:38]
Rich Paul
I didn't extend it on that one, though. I thought Wimy was more of a
- [38:43]
Max Kellerman
tech than a hunt. Well, I'll get to that in a second. At least they called the foul. Right? At least they called the foul on, on Castle there. But if you do this and extend your forearm and that's not a flop, that's like you knock the guy down. It's not a basketball move. You don't. Once you put the forearm out, that's a flagrant foul Wasn't called. Wemby didn't even get called for the foul. Yeah, he threw Brunson on the ground in front of all the officials and laughed about it. He laughed about it.
- [39:16]
Rich Paul
That was a miss. That was a miss by the ref. There's no, there's no excuse for that one.
- [39:21]
Max Kellerman
You better call out your boy Brunson for his play. Writes Adrian lately like you would have so easily for Luka. 100%.
- [39:28]
Rich Paul
Who?
- [39:28]
Max Kellerman
Adrian wrote this. 100%. Brunson played tonight and Brunson is already one of my favorite New York athletes of all time. But Brunson played tonight, a non championship brand of basketball for stretches of the game, yes. Did he come up big at different times? Of course he did. Because he's Brunson. He's going to do that. But, but like Luka, like when I watch Luka sometimes or I watched James Harden, I thought that's not how you win a championship. Not with that style of play. I felt. And I can't. I can only get on Brunson so much because sometimes what he did works even in these playoffs. Right. But I did feel like. And maybe he took those, some of those shots because other guys weren't stepping up other than really, you know, Josh Hart always is playing the same way and was hitting his shots. OG was kind of bailing the Knicks out at times. But other guys weren't stepping up.
- [40:22]
Rich Paul
Spamming tonight. No, no. McBride tonight they didn't, they didn't get nothing from those guys tonight.
- [40:26]
Max Kellerman
But, but Rich, the Adrian's right. I called out Luka for this during the season. I, I called out James Harden in the past. I felt at a critical stretch in that game, third quarter, when the Knicks had a nice little lead coming out of the half. Brunson reverted to a style of play that does not win championships. I agree. I agree with that.
- [40:47]
Rich Paul
Yeah. I have no argument there.
- [40:50]
Max Kellerman
Yeah, right. Spurs says Buchachu is what this at tis Tatar rich. Spurs need to continue to let Brunson play one on one ball, make him beat you and stay back on three point shooters. Additionally, spurs offense is night and day. When they get Wemby the ball near the rim. Series is 2:1 Knicks. Could easily be 2:1 spurs if Vic hits that three, not even three if
- [41:16]
Rich Paul
he just rose instead of Pop, it could easily be two one Spurs. Yeah, he's right.
- [41:20]
Max Kellerman
Yeah, it could. I agree. I agree with everything he said too. I agree. Encourage. If I'm the Spurs, I'm encouraging Brunson to play one on one max. Can you talk about the physical defense being played on Brunson which is clearly wearing him down and effectively he's shooting sub 40% from the field in this series. Says Muhammad Saliji. Once again, OG Anunoby stepping up big time has just been consistent through these players.
- [41:43]
Rich Paul
Oh, she's been playing unbelievable.
- [41:45]
Max Kellerman
You got to talk about OG Right. Like we just hit on Brunson. We all agree about that. OG has been rich. That that's the trade. I couldn't believe when the Knicks got like, wait, quickly. And we. You and I talked about this before game two, but quickly. And. And we.
- [42:03]
Rich Paul
And the next guy.
- [42:05]
Max Kellerman
It's amazing. What an amazing deal.
- [42:08]
Rich Paul
Yeah. And he's been every. He's been. He's been every bit worth of what they paid him. He's been great.
- [42:17]
Max Kellerman
Who called it out on the broadcast when it was Hart. I'm forgetting who called it out on the broadcast. Hart gets the ball to OG in the corner. Both the pass to get the ball to OG in the corner and the shot he hit. If the spurs didn't have the kind of character that they have when so many central pieces for them are this young. The Knicks win that game. It's like the spurs are a team of real character to withstand what the Knicks did at the end of that game.
- [42:47]
Rich Paul
Yeah. Yeah.
- [42:50]
Max Kellerman
Harper is the one looking composed and is the rookie. I agree with that too. Harper is like the scary thing about these Spurs. I've been saying it throughout the playoffs. Harper and Castle don't even know what's going on yet. And they're this good.
- [43:06]
Rich Paul
Yeah.
- [43:06]
Max Kellerman
Like they can't even shoot yet. And they're this.
- [43:09]
Rich Paul
They're just fearless. And you know what? I'm not gonna say sneaky, athletic. Because when you're that athletic, it's hard to sneak up on somebody, but they dunk things you think would be layups. It's like in a weird way, but for them to be so young, they bar none. They bar none.
- [43:33]
Max Kellerman
Well, I think there was a sense, as I said, Trump showed up and the ticket prices plummeted. And I think also there was a sense that maybe the vibes were killed and the spurs were due anyway and they would make adjustments and win this game three.
- [43:45]
Rich Paul
Look, you win 13 games in a row in the playoffs, and even if
- [43:48]
Max Kellerman
the Knicks win this game, it's not the deciding game. So everyone was planning on really spending the money on game four. If you look at the ticket prices and the secondary market right now, they're through the roof. I do think the Knicks win game for Rich. I think they will play through Towns more. I thought there were moments in this game early where Towns was playing really good defense on Wemby. You know, he was like, Wemby took a shot. I think it was late in the first quarter that you knew wasn't going to be good because even though he was fighting for position, Towns was fighting a little harder and just moved him off his spot a little bit. And I think if the Knicks play through Towns more and again, I don't know how much of that was Towns and Bridges, especially not stepping up and how much of that was by design the Knicks weren't playing through in the
- [44:36]
Rich Paul
beginning of the game. You see, Max, when we wasn't on Towns.
- [44:40]
Max Kellerman
Yeah, right. Not in the beginning. Yep.
- [44:42]
Rich Paul
I told you that would be an adjustment. I thought they should have started the series that way.
- [44:46]
Max Kellerman
Yeah.
- [44:46]
Rich Paul
And then he switched over Towns.
- [44:48]
Max Kellerman
They wrong put Bryant on. On Towns.
- [44:51]
Rich Paul
Yeah, yeah. Or, or, but in this case, they put. I think they guarded him with Castle or Versaille, whoever you switched off on. But, but I just thought that that was. That was helpful. And then Brian gave him good minutes and then later on in the. In the game, they switched and put him back on Towns once Towns wasn't really in the floor of the offense, so.
- [45:17]
Max Kellerman
All right, so listen, Rich, I know you zoomed in.
- [45:21]
Rich Paul
Yeah.
- [45:21]
Max Kellerman
And you got stuff to take care of. I have a five minute max, but you don't have to stick around for it if you don't.
- [45:29]
Rich Paul
Yeah, I mean, I basically did the whole show, Max.
- [45:31]
Max Kellerman
Yeah.
- [45:32]
Rich Paul
Yeah. I thought I had the night off. You called me in. What else?
- [45:36]
Max Kellerman
New pressure duty.
- [45:37]
Rich Paul
Yeah. You pressured me to do the show, which was fine. It's my job. No problem. And you know, I look, I'm looking forward to game Four. I'm not looking forward to your five minute max, although I am looking forward to your five minute max because. Because it's the Knicks, it could be very interesting.
- [45:54]
Max Kellerman
Yeah.
- [45:55]
Rich Paul
So what is your five minute max about? Before I go, I want Mikhail Bridges.
- [45:59]
Max Kellerman
I'm doing a. I'm doing. Even though he was kind of invisible on offense tonight. I have all season going at the Knicks for that five, those five first rounders for Mikhail Bridges.
- [46:10]
Rich Paul
Are you apologizing?
- [46:11]
Max Kellerman
I am, yep.
- [46:12]
Rich Paul
Senator, you owe my client an apology.
- [46:15]
Max Kellerman
Yeah. Because the Kefabric committee, the House UN American Activities Committee from the Godfather. Yeah.
- [46:22]
Rich Paul
Everyone makes this big stink about the picks, but. But people count the quantity of the picks, but you also have to count the quality of the picks. Just like for ad you got, you know, it's like got all these picks, but what are they actually you got to count the quality of the picks. So I think you should look deeper into the quality of the picks. And when you got a guy like Mikal Bridges, again, the Knicks not following what normal process would be. They wouldn't get the. Went to get their guy and you know, he's a value add.
- [46:56]
Max Kellerman
So talk what it comes down to. Now I don't even have to do the five minute max. Because what it comes down to is if it's a moment of leverage and you think you can get a championship out of it and you wind up getting a championship out of it. And I think this Knicks core could win not only this year, but another one in the next three or four years. Like I think this core is good enough to win two of them. And I'll tell you why in a second. But if you think that you're at that moment and that guy actually helps you do it, then unless one of those picks turns out to be the centerpiece of a dynasty, you did the right thing. You know, as. As Les Sneed says, fuck them picks, right? Like that's what it comes down to. That's what it comes down to. You, you, you. So and the Knicks went in and the idea of the Nova Knicks rich. That Villanova team didn't win a single championship. They won two.
- [47:53]
Rich Paul
Well, you know, many people thought that they didn't have an NBA player on that roster.
- [47:58]
Max Kellerman
I've been seeing that going around social media.
- [47:59]
Rich Paul
I don't know how they thought that, but they thought it.
- [48:03]
Max Kellerman
I get it. But it's so hard to win.
- [48:07]
Rich Paul
Maybe not a superstar, you could say that. But like not an NBA player, but an NBA.
- [48:12]
Max Kellerman
They had obvious at least rotation pie
- [48:14]
Rich Paul
I can see that from a mile away.
- [48:15]
Max Kellerman
It's so hard to even win a single tournament in the NCAA because it's one and done. And the best team doesn't always win. So when you can win two championships with the same core guys. At least two of them.
- [48:28]
Rich Paul
least.
- [48:29]
Max Kellerman
At least Hart and. And. Or Mikhail and. And. And Brunson. Brunson. But then also they had DiVincenzo and. And it means there's something extra going on. You know, that's a super rare thing to do. And the fact that they transplanted that core. And that's really the reason right now, as much as anything, why the Knicks are. Why the. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts with this team deserves recognition. The Knicks front office saw that Villanova nucleus was special. We have a chance to put that together. Never mind the fact that Mikhail Bridges is also a really good 3&D guy. 3&D plus, he can also create a little bit. But we also have a chance to put something. The only reason they broke it up with DiVincenzo is because they could get cat. They had to do it. But the. But they recognized they had a chance to put something special together. They turned out. It seems to me, like they're going to be right about that. And in Bridges, you have a guy tonight notwithstanding, who has consistently been a good enough regular season performer, but an excellent playoff performer. Not just this year, the year before, and the year before that. And I have to tip my cat to the Knicks front office, people like me who are killing them about giving up five firsts for Bridges. It looks at this moment like they were right and we were wrong. And I wanted to acknowledge that even though Bridges was kind of invisible on offense tonight and they lost.
- [50:04]
Rich Paul
Well, he just was in the Florida game, but. Okay, Max, I'm proud of you. Great job.
- [50:08]
Max Kellerman
Well, thank you. Thank you. Pat myself on the back.
- [50:11]
Rich Paul
Yeah.
- [50:12]
Max Kellerman
All right, Rich, thanks for zooming in. I know you have a lot of big things to take care of.
- [50:17]
Rich Paul
No problem. Of course. And let me find out.
- [50:19]
Max Kellerman
You were golfing and that's the.
- [50:21]
Rich Paul
No, no, no. No golfing. No golfing.
- [50:23]
Max Kellerman
Did you fit golfing in around whatever emergency there was? Was there a golfing in?
- [50:27]
Rich Paul
No, not at all.
- [50:29]
Max Kellerman
Are you going to go golfing at least between now and the next time I see you?
- [50:33]
Rich Paul
Yes, I will.
- [50:34]
Max Kellerman
Yes, Yes, I will. Yes, yes.
- [50:36]
Rich Paul
But it won't be tomorrow.
- [50:37]
Max Kellerman
All right?
- [50:38]
Rich Paul
I have a big. I have a long day. I have a board meeting first thing in the morning, so those things are long Gotcha. Yeah.
- [50:44]
Max Kellerman
So, well, listen, you did the right thing here zooming into this show.
- [50:48]
Rich Paul
Of course, it's my job, Max. I do my job.
- [50:52]
Max Kellerman
Yes, it is. Listen, so I take back the did the right thing because it's your job,
- [50:57]
Rich Paul
but we actually had a really good show. So I'm happy I was able to join. And it's game over@Spotify.com game over with
- [51:03]
Max Kellerman
Max Kellerman and Rich Paul.
- [51:04]
Rich Paul
Yeah.
- [51:05]
Max Kellerman
And you're in New York, your emails or voicemails. But today it was reacting to tweets.
- [51:09]
Rich Paul
It's all good. There's a lot to talk about before the next game. Looking forward to that. And also post game.
- [51:18]
Max Kellerman
So, yeah, we're gonna do it after the next game, after the next game, after the next. We're going to wrap up game four either we're going to be back Wednesday night. So. So you'll see. Sorry. Yeah, Wednesday night. You'll see it Thursday morning. Either we're going to be back talking about this series is a wrap. Knicks are on the brink of a championship for the first time in 52 years. Or we're going to be like, oh, this is any one series.
- [51:40]
Rich Paul
It's the best of three series. Yeah.
- [51:42]
Max Kellerman
Yeah. Okay. Rich, great to see you. And we will see you. You'll see us Thursday morning.
- [51:49]
Rich Paul
Yes, you'll see us Thursday morning. Thanks, Max. Great to see you.
- [51:53]
Max Kellerman
You too. 21 and over in select states. For Kansas, an affiliation with Kansas Star Casino or 18 and over and present in D.C. kentucky or Wyoming. Gambling problem, call 1-800- GAMBLER or 1-800-MY-RESET. Call 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.orgchattinconenetic or visit mdgamblinghelp.org in Maryland. Hope is here. Visit Gambling Helpline ma.org or call 800-327-5050. For 24. 7 support in Massachusetts or call 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY in New York. For Louisiana, call 1-877-770-7867.