No Dunks – “NBA Playoff Matchups Set, Play-In Previews & Doc Rivers Out As Bucks Coach”
Date: April 13, 2026
Hosts: J. Skeets, Tas Melas, Trey Kirby, JD Hello
Episode Overview
The No Dunks crew returns fully assembled to tackle a jam-packed episode focused on the chaotic final day of the NBA regular season, the newly-set playoff bracket, play-in tournament previews, and breaking news on Doc Rivers’ ouster as Bucks coach. The hosts also do a post-mortem on their preseason win total picks and riff on some of the NBA’s quirkiest end-of-season stats and moments.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. NBA Regular Season Chaos & Standings Fallout (06:30–15:38)
- Wild Final Day: All 30 teams played, setting up a “crazy” last day with playoff seeds up for grabs. Notable was the decision-making by the Hawks, Magic, and others affecting the matchups.
- Bracket Breakdown: The 4/5 and 3/6 series are set (West: Lakers/Rockets, Nuggets/Wolves; East: Cavs/Raptors, Knicks/Hawks). Top seeds await play-in winners (07:13).
- JD Hello: “Raptors always one o’clock on a Saturday. Not on NBA TV anymore though. No, no, we’re on prime, baby.” (07:14)
- Biggest Takeaways:
- Tas Melas highlights Atlanta “deciding they’re fine playing the Knicks,” resting players and falling into a coin-toss matchup with New York (07:45).
- Trey Kirby surprised Hawks seemingly preferred 6th over 5th, theorizing Trae Young’s excellent MSG record factored in (09:47).
- Magic Collapse: Orlando’s inability to beat Boston's C-team leads to play-in disappointment—“It’s just so embarrassing that they lost. Nobody has any faith in them … they’ve seemed to have quit.” – J. Skeets (13:31)
- Spurs Odd Choices: The Spurs’ lineup and resting decisions versus Denver judged as “perplexing” given matchup implications (13:52).
Notable Quote:
- Tas Melas (on gamesmanship): “Boston comes out and gives it to them. What a fun game that was to see three guys get their career high in that game...Those three guys combined to score 84 points. So they win and the Hawks are fine playing the Knicks.” (08:43)
2. End-of-Season Performances & Records (11:22–15:07)
- Wedgie Watch: Celebrating a record-breaking season (73 regular season wedgies, potential to reach 80 including playoffs), evoking Dennis Rodman’s Lakers jersey number 73 (05:12–06:30).
- Meaningless, But Fun Stats:
- Wild individual stat lines from “Mickey Mouse March/April” games (Oscar Sheewe, Joe Ingles, Baylor Baggins, etc.).
- Clint Capela hits his career’s first three-pointer in his 739th game (12:14).
- Timberwolves welcome back Kevin Garnett: Ant daps him up, signifying a thaw in prior ownership tensions (15:07).
3. League & Awards Update (19:46–25:48)
- Eligibility Locked: Both Wembanyama and Jokic reach required games to be on all-NBA and MVP ballots (Wemby also secures DPOY candidacy) (20:06).
- J. Skeets: “Wemby winning a defensive player of the year, we all know that. I wonder, does that hurt his MVP chances just a little bit?” (20:22)
- Ballot Delays: Media can’t vote yet due to pending Luka Doncic games eligibility arbitration (21:23).
- Rookie of the Year Race: Koenig Canipple could sway voters with play-in performance, despite votes not supposed to count play-in (22:20).
- Trey Kirby on Canipple: “He gets one last chance to prove he’s rookie of the year. I think it’s kind of interesting.”
4. NBA Quirks: Streaks & Stats (25:53–30:45)
- Mikal Bridges’ Ironman “Streak” Extended: Bridges plays 23 seconds to keep games-played streak alive; the hosts debate if it’s “shammy” (25:53).
- Tas Melas: “I'm sham free...That's an accomplishment.”
- Trey Kirby: “If you play 81 games in today’s NBA, you should be allowed one silly one at the end.” (26:54)
- Other Quirks:
- A.J. Green surpasses Ray Allen’s Bucks 3PT season record.
- Wizards set new standard for futility: first NBA team ever to lose 64 games in three straight seasons (30:45).
- JD Hello: “That’s a Tank dynasty.” (30:47)
5. Breaking News: Doc Rivers Out as Bucks Coach (32:45–38:15)
- Doc Gone: Rivers ousted after a disappointing 97–103 record and consecutive playoff losses to the Pacers. He’ll get paid out the remaining contract year (~$40M) (32:45).
- Trey Kirby on Rivers’ infamous quotes:
- “I wouldn’t wish this on anyone.”
- “It’s been harder than I thought.”
- “Everybody seems happy except for me.”
- Future of Bucks & Giannis:
- Hosts discuss whether Giannis stays or gets traded (36:45).
- Tas Melas: “His trade value did get diminished just a little bit.”
6. NBA Play-In Tournament Preview (41:37–56:34)
East Play-In
-
10 Heat vs. 9 Hornets:
- “Place should be bumping in Charlotte,” with canipple slumping adding intrigue (43:46).
- All hosts favor the Hornets, but Trey predicts the Heat: “I would rather see the Hornets win, but unfortunately they're the only team...better road record than home record.” (45:10)
- J. Skeets: “Somebody scoring 140 points…feels like every Heat game goes wild.” (44:58)
-
7 Sixers vs. 8 Magic:
- Sixers favored, all agree Tyrese Maxey is the “most reliable player in the game” (52:28).
- Magic “look like a team that doesn’t want to be around anymore” (53:14).
West Play-In
7. Over/Under Win Total Results & Accountability (58:43–64:39)
- All three hosts underperform against last year’s records:
- Trey Kirby: 11–19 this year, after 20–10 last year (“I look at it as over .500 across two years.” – 59:54)
- Tas Melas: 12–18; 0–6 on locks.
- J. Skeets: 13–17 (“Bad news: my record was 13–17.” – 63:03)
- J. Skeets compares to other pods: “Not even one guy here went .500. Tough.” (64:10)
8. Woah Boy of the Night & Closing Bits (64:47–66:39)
- Woah Boy Award sponsored by a listener: Gave it to Pistons’ Paul Reed for a flawless 26-point, 11–11 FG, 6-rebound, 3-steal, 3-block, 3-assist game (66:10).
- Hosts recap the story behind the sponsor’s connection—a proposal under DC cherry blossoms after a Magic-Wizards game.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- “Raptors always one o’clock on a Saturday. Not on NBA TV anymore though. No, no, we’re on prime, baby.” – JD Hello (07:14)
- "If you play 81 games in today’s NBA, you should be allowed one silly one at the end." – Trey Kirby (26:54)
- “I wouldn’t wish this on anyone.” – Doc Rivers, as quoted by the hosts (35:14)
- “Somebody scoring 140 points. I don’t know which team it is, but someone is...” – J. Skeets (44:58)
- “I look at it as over .500 across a long two-year span.” – Trey Kirby (59:54)
- “We're gonna be better in the playoffs...when we make our predictions!” – J. Skeets (64:10)
Timestamps for Key Segments
- 03:20 – Full crew return, playoff bracket intro
- 06:30 – Weekend and last-day chaos, major seeding decisions
- 19:46 – Wembanyama & Jokic awards eligibility
- 25:53 – Mikal Bridges streak extension debate
- 32:45 – Doc Rivers out in Milwaukee
- 41:37 – Play-In Tournament preview: all four matchups and predictions
- 58:43 – Hosts’ over/under win total results & accountability
- 64:47 – Woah Boy award and closing sponsorships
Tone & Style
Energetic, irreverent, and packed with inside jokes, the No Dunks crew blends sharp NBA analysis with playful banter. Listeners are treated to both pointed commentary (“Magic have quit!”), fun debates (the legitimacy of streaks), and self-deprecating humor over their failed gambling picks.
For Listeners Who Missed the Show
This episode is a brisk but thorough rundown of the tumultuous NBA regular season finish and the start of “season two.” The hosts dissect the most consequential (and absurd) seeding decisions, preview the pivotal play-in games with true fan perspective, break the news on Milwaukee’s coaching change, and lend much-needed context (and comic relief) to the quirks that make NBA spring so unpredictable.