NBC's Awesome Throwback Broadcast, Cavs-Pistons Split Season Series, Magic City Luke

Summary

No Dunks - March 4, 2026

Episode Overview

In this lively episode, the No Dunks crew — JD Skeets, Tas Melas, and Trey Kirby — recap the NBA’s Tuesday slate, with deep-dives into NBC’s much-hyped throwback broadcast, meaningful recaps of the Spurs’ and Cavaliers’ wins, an examination of the Knicks' dominance over the Raptors, analysis of the Hornets’ rise, and a spirited debate about the Atlanta Hawks’ controversial Magic City promotional night. The guys also engage in playful side-banter about poutine, deep-fried pickles, “who the hell is that guy” moments, and NBA Ironman streaks.

---

Main Theme

Nostalgia Meets the Modern NBA: The episode revolves around the NBA on NBC’s throwback night, exploring both the positives and the oddities of embracing 90s nostalgia in today’s game. The crew also dissects meaningful recent NBA games and quirky off-court headlines, especially the blending of sports culture and broader city life.

---

Key Discussion Points

1. NBC’s Throwback Broadcast — Spurs Destroy 76ers

(04:26–14:57)

• NBC assembled a full retro experience: Bob Costas, Doug Collins, Mike Fratello, and Hannah Storm returned to the airwaves, with classic graphics and 90s-style intros.
• The game itself: Spurs routed the Sixers 131–91, with eight Spurs in double-figures and Victor Wembanyama drawing double teams on every pick-and-roll.
• “If you’re an old person like us, this was great.” — Tas Melas (04:47)
• The nostalgia was almost too good, with the team nerding out over SD-quality highlight packages and Fratello’s classic Telestrator moments.
  • “NBC puts the N in nostalgia. They might as well just be the Nostalgia Broadcasting Company.” — Tas Melas (11:47)
• Critique: The crew wished the throwback game had been Bulls or Knicks, aligning with 90s broadcast tradition.
• On the Sixers, lack of Joel Embiid doomed the home team: “It was a 30 point blowout all game long.” — JD Skeets (06:58)
• Big picture: The guys debate how often to pull the nostalgia lever, landing on “maybe once a year” (07:57).

2. Spurs’ Team Domination & Awards

(13:33–14:53)

• Spurs stats nugget: “They are 18 and one this season when they make 15 or more [threes]… If they hit 15 or more, they won.” — Tas Melas (13:33)
• Spurs swept NBA monthly awards in February: Coach Mitch Johnson, Rookie Dylan Harper, DPOY Wemby.

3. Cavaliers Get Revenge on Pistons, Split Season Series

(15:05–22:28)

• Cavs, missing Donovan Mitchell, win 113–109 behind Jalen Tyson and James Harden. Team effort with key bench performances, especially Dennis Schroder down the stretch.
• Jalen Tyson steps into the starting lineup and earns praise for his two-way effort: “His effort level was extremely high… Tyson did a pretty good job on Cade Cunningham.” — Tas Melas (15:30)
• Pistons’ Cade Cunningham wore down under heavy minutes and constant defensive attention. Detroit’s lack of secondary shot creators is a looming playoff concern.
• Tyson vs. Wade: The guys debate whether Tyson has overtaken Dean Wade for a starting spot.
• “The bench was basically non-existent for the Pistons.” — Tas Melas (17:02)
• “If you stop Cade Cunningham, you’re going to like your chances to stop the Pistons.” — JD Skeets (19:08)
• Stat splits: Cade in wins shoots 48%/35%, in losses 39%/27% (19:08).

4. Knicks Maintain Dominion Over Raptors

(26:23–33:22)

• Knicks’ 111–95 win over Toronto extends their streak to 12 straight vs the Raptors; Raptors unable to close after a late-game collapse.
• “It was a two-point game… then [the Raptors] got obliterated.” — Taz Melas (27:35)
• “Different classes of teams… the Knicks look connected … Raptors, it was basically just Ingram and RJ Barrett hitting tough shots.” — Tas Melas (29:22)
• Knicks’ defense is peaking: “Since that embarrassing defeat on MLK Day versus the Mavericks, they have the number one defense in the NBA.” — JD Skeets (30:31)
• Raptors’ bench woes, athletic drop-off, and play-in anxiety discussed.

5. Around the League: Notable Quick Hits

Timberwolves, Hornets, Magic, Suns, and more
(34:23–41:16)

• Anthony Edwards’ 41-point takeover (see timestamp 71:12) powers Wolves over Grizzlies: “He scored seven straight in two minutes, all on jumpers.” — Trey Kirby (34:23)
• Hornets have won five straight, returning to .500: “That starting five just works.” — JD Skeets (37:24)
• Magic “Barbs”: Possible summer shakeup hinted as Mosley and Paolo Banchero exchange pointed postgame remarks.
  • “Things are going to change for the Magic in the summer in some way…” — Tas Melas (39:45)
• Suns’ NBC broadcast game praised for Booker's return and highlight plays.

6. Fun & Banter: Pickle Poutine and Fast Food Talk

(41:16–46:57)

• Taz introduces the “Pickle Poutine” trend, sparking a detailed play-by-play on deep-fried pickles and comparisons of Harvey’s to U.S. burger joints.
• “They throw in a couple deep fried pickles on top… Oh, my God, they’re huge.” — Taz Melas (41:19)
• Mixed feelings on fried pickles, pickle slicing methods, and the “sandwich saver.”

7. “Who the Hell is That Guy?” NBA Player Alert

(45:39–47:26)

• With end-of-season rotations in flux, the crew proposes a new segment for emerging no-name NBA contributors.
• “Let’s accumulate a list of those guys and maybe we could do a funny short out of that.” — JD Skeets (46:57)

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “It would have been fantastic if Embiid was playing... It is amazing to think back to Wemby’s rookie season when Embiid dropped 70 points versus Wemby.” — Taz Melas (05:40)
• “NBC puts the N in nostalgia. They might as well just be the Nostalgia Broadcasting Company.” — Tas Melas (11:47)
• “Do you guys like the idea of a pickle poutine? Because that’s what’s happening in Canada.” — Taz Melas (41:16)
• “Who is that guy? Alert. Let us know in the stream team or even better in the YouTube comments.” — JD Skeets (46:57)

---

Off-Court Headlines & Debates

NBA “Ironman” Streaks (Harrison Barnes)

(51:06–56:59)

• Barnes’ 364-game streak ends due to a sore ankle.
• The guys celebrate NBA “Ironmen,” with Mikal Bridges’ remarkable 617 consecutive games highlighted.
• Trivia on the all-time Ironman streaks is peppered with NBA history and good-natured ribbing.

JJ Redick vs. Luka Doncic Sideline Moment

(61:15–63:29)

• Viral sideline moment gets play, but crew agrees it’s a non-story: “Not news, but eye candy.” — Taz Melas (61:45)
• Reassured it’s just classic competitive friction, nothing more.

Magic City Promotional Night Controversy

(63:29–69:11)

• Spurs’ Luke Kornet publicly asks Hawks to cancel their Magic City (strip club) “cultural institution” night.
• Hosts debate moral implications, Atlanta’s culture, and the fine line between “iconic” and “inappropriate.”
  • “I don’t really care what Luke Cornett thinks in particular, but I do want to discuss… Do you want to glorify this industry with a lot of girls and women that are in this industry because they had no other options?” — Taz Melas (64:45)
  • “I’m also really not down with Cornet getting to define what protecting the esteem of women is. I think women can do that.” — JD Skeets (67:15)
• The event’s mixtape and music origins are praised; the crew expects the actual in-arena experience to be tame and Hawks’ rebranding efforts tongue-in-cheek.

---

Timestamps for Important Segments

• NBC’s Throwback Broadcast: 04:26–14:57
• Spurs' Awards & Team Play: 13:33–14:53
• Cavs-Pistons, Team Breakdowns: 15:05–22:28
• Knicks-Raptors Late-Game Collapse: 26:23–33:22
• Around-the-League Rapid Fire: 34:23–41:16
• Pickle Poutine Riff: 41:16–46:57
• “Who the Hell is That Guy?”: 45:39–47:26
• Ironman Streaks: 51:06–56:59
• JJ Redick/Luka Sideline: 61:15–63:29
• Magic City/Hawks Discourse: 63:29–69:11
• Woboy (Anthony Edwards highlight): 71:12

---

Tone and Style

Highly conversational, rapid-fire, and irreverent, with classic No Dunks energy — a mix of serious analysis, pop culture references, and inside jokes.

---

Summary Takeaways

• NBC’s retro broadcast delighted basketball lifers but highlighted the disconnect between nostalgia and today’s product.
• Spurs, Cavs, and Knicks earned signature wins, with star and role-player dynamics under the microscope.
• Off-court, the NBA’s intertwining with city culture (and controversy) took center stage through Atlanta’s Magic City promo and debates over player durability.
• And as always, No Dunks delivers expert analysis, playful debates, and a reminder not to take it all too seriously — except, maybe, when it comes to deep-fried pickles.

---

For listeners: This episode is a must for fans of NBA history, behind-the-scenes culture talk, and those who relish both the analytics and the lighter side of basketball.

Transcript

[Taz Melas]

This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.

[Tas Melas]

An ordinary day can become a memorable one when you're with the right people. That's why Toyota believes people are the destination. The Toyota Highlander is built for everyday routines and special moments, with space, comfort and flexibility to handle whatever the day brings. From busy mornings to memorable game days, it keeps everyone connected. Learn [e-mail] and find the vehicle that fits your people.

[JD Skeets]

Thy ticket, lady Jennifer of Coolidge.

[Discover Card Advertiser]

Well, many thanks, good sir. Here is my Discover card. They accept Discover at Renaissance fairs? Yeah, they do.

[Taz Melas]

Here.

[Discover Card Advertiser]

Discover is accepted at the places I love to shop. Get it with the times.

[Bowen Yang]

With the times.

[Discover Card Advertiser]

You're playing the loot. Yeah, and it sounds pretty good, right?

[Taz Melas]

Discover is accepted at 99% of places

[Tas Melas]

that take credit cards nationwide, based on the February 2025 Nielsen report.

[Matt Rogers]

This is Matt Rogers from Los Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang.

[Bowen Yang]

This is Bowen Yang from Los Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang.

[Matt Rogers]

Hey, so what if you could boost the WI fi to one of your

[Taz Melas]

devices when you need it most?

[Bowen Yang]

Because Xfinity WI fi can. And what if your WI fi could fix itself before there's even really a problem? Xfinity is so reliable. It does that too.

[Matt Rogers]

What if your wifi had parental instincts? Xfinity WI fi is part nanny, part ninja. Protect while they're online.

[Bowen Yang]

And finally, what if your wi fi was like the smartest WI fi?

[Matt Rogers]

Yeah, it's WI fi that is so smart it makes everything work better together.

[Bowen Yang]

Bottom line, Xfinity is smart and reliable. You deserve the peace of mind of having WI fi that's got your back.

[Matt Rogers]

Xfinity.

[Public Investing Advertiser]

Imagine that support for the show comes from Public, the investing platform for those who take it seriously. On Public, you can build a multi asset portfolio of stocks, bonds, options, crypto and now generated assets which allow you to turn any idea into an investable inde. With AI. It all starts with your prompt. From renewable energy companies with high free cash flow to semiconductor suppliers growing revenue over 20% year over year, you can literally type any prompt and put the AI to work. It screens thousands of stocks, builds a one of a kind index and lets you back test it against the S&P 500. Then you can invest in a few clicks. Generated assets are like ETFs with infinite possibilities, completely customizable and based on your thesis, not someone else's. Go to public.com podcast and earn an uncapped 1% bonus when you transfer your portfolio. That's public.com podcast podcast paid for by Public Investing Brokerage Services by Open to the Public Investing Inc. Member FINRA and SIPC Advisory Services by Public Advisors, llc. SEC Registered Advisor Generated Assets is an interactive analysis tool. Output is for informational purposes only and is not an investment recommendation or advice. Complete disclosures available at public.com disclosures.

[JD Skeets]

Good morning sweet world, and welcome to the no Dunks podcast presented by FanDuel. It's Wednesday, March 4, 2026. I'm JD Skeets here in the classic factory and alongside me, as always, Tas Melas.

[Taz Melas]

Basketball fans. This is for you.

[JD Skeets]

Next to him, it's my top shot, hot boy Trey. Kirby Ayo.

[Taz Melas]

Hey.

[JD Skeets]

Oh, and over yonder, making the magic Happen, Super Producer J.D.

[Taz Melas]

hello.

[JD Skeets]

There he is. Here we are. Hello, YouTube. Hello podcast listeners. We got a little is this news to play later today. We'll recap last night's games. But first we had another wedgie. Javon Carter in the quarter in Orlando sticking the three point wedgie. So wedgie number 53, 10 to go. Let's go to tie the all time record for wedgies in a season which is 63. Happened a couple years ago, 11 to beat it. So I don't know what number we want heading into the postseason.

[Taz Melas]

It's a good question.

[JD Skeets]

We usually get what, four, I don't know, four, maybe three to five in the playoffs. So we need to add here over the couple final weeks of the regular season to really give us a chance.

[Tas Melas]

You think we can get there before the end of the regular season? We got what, like probably 150 games left?

[JD Skeets]

I'm going to say we don't. But it will happen in the playoffs.

[Tas Melas]

Yeah, yeah, that's most likely.

[JD Skeets]

But man, wow, wow.

[Tas Melas]

What if the playoffs are just gravy? Wedgie gravy.

[JD Skeets]

Just trying to shoot for 70.

[Tas Melas]

That'd be amazing.

[JD Skeets]

It'd be like Barry Bond style.

[Taz Melas]

I'm going to talk about Poutine's later. So it's funny you mentioned gravy.

[Tas Melas]

Good tease.

[JD Skeets]

Yep, Very nice tease.

[Taz Melas]

Thank you.

[JD Skeets]

Let's get into some of last night's games and we're going to start with a blowout. The spurs crushed the 76ers 131 to 91, but it was on NBC's throwback broadcast. Little reunion game here with Bob Costas and friends. They brought back everybody for this one and we got the retro graphics. What did you think of the overall presentation here from NBC?

[Tas Melas]

Hey, if you're an old person like us, this was great. Bob Costa started off by saying Crosby Stills And Nash, but not young. And that's how I felt. I felt young watching this again, a little uncanny valley. I thought seeing the 90s graphics done with 2020s technology. So they are a little crispier.

[JD Skeets]

Yeah.

[Tas Melas]

But no, this was pretty cool. I thought it was hilarious that they had to interview Kyle Lowry of everybody because they're like, we got to find somebody who saw these broadcasts back in the day. You're old enough. What did you think about it? So Jim Gray was out there. It was cool though. It was cool to see. Realistically, this should have been a Bulls Knicks game or at least a Bulls game. I don't want to see him on national tv. But that is the team of the NBA on NBC. The Knicks, I think would be so as well. I don't really think of spurs in Philadelphia for that era, but no, it was cool. For a random game on a Tuesday

[Taz Melas]

night, it would have been fantastic if Embiid was playing on the other side, that would have made it juicier. When I saw that he wasn't playing, yeah, I was a little disappointed just in the matchup. It is amazing to think back to Wemby's rookie season when Embiid dropped 70 points versus Wemby. I mean, he's only played him twice in his career and one of them was a 70 point game. But yeah, Bob Costas went way back. He went back as far as he could go. I mean, the opening segment, the. The opening intro was we're here in Philadelphia where American democracy was born in 1776, hence the name for the Philadelphia 76ers a mere 250 years ago. So we went back, man, we went back.

[JD Skeets]

But it looked great.

[Taz Melas]

It looked awesome.

[JD Skeets]

It did. From that intro video package and like the final sign off and all these appearances. Jim Gray, we got Hannah Storm back on our screens there. That was a complete hit. I think from what I've seen online, everyone's like, yeah, that was great. Thing that sucked is the game was absolutely a blowout. Yeah, super lopsided. San Antonio played basically a perfect game. Eight players finished in double figures for them. And yeah, the nombeed factor. Sixers were just playing behind the eight ball all night. Felt like a 30 point blowout all game long.

[Tas Melas]

Yeah, this crew probably didn't think we're going to have to tap dance for garbage time for 24 minutes of the second half, but they absolutely had to. Like. I was hoping to hear Doug Collins talking about how you got to close out quarters. That's the main thing, I think of when I think of Doug, totally. That guy loves to tell you, the last three minutes of the third quarter are just as important as any three minutes of the game. But the last three minutes of the third quarter weren't that important. But, you know, Doug still got his own highlight pack. Showing him playing for the Sixers back in the day. Showing him coaching the Sixers back in the day. I like when they came back from halftime and they made the highlights look like they were SD with the black bars on the side. And I really loved the Mike Fratello czar of the telestrator pack, where they were showing his old breakdowns from the 90s and early 2000s. Hilarious.

[JD Skeets]

And he. And he even busted out the telestrator. He did the actual game, getting on the screen a couple times and doing his X's and his circles and stuff like that.

[Taz Melas]

It was fun.

[JD Skeets]

I think it's one of these things, like, I am curious, like, how often you can go back to doing something like this. Like, once a year, maybe. Like, you can do it too many times, and then it feels overdone. So you got to strike that balance of, like, when to play the nostalgia card and when not to. But, yeah, once. Once a year would be totally fine.

[Taz Melas]

The second NBC game of the night, Suns Kings, they went to the NBC old graphics package, but it just wasn't as much.

[JD Skeets]

Well, they didn't have the. The OGs on the call. Yeah, that's. You're right. You're right. They sort of kept it going a little bit. They did, but not with the team.

[Taz Melas]

Yes, serious old GS. Good for them. I say old GS because that's what they are. I mean, those guys are all in their 70s, still kicking it, still doing well. Costas, Collins, and Fratello. So that was cool. I liked Colin saying, literally, his reaction to the one of Victor Wembanyama's three baskets. That was awesome. Was wow. Because that's all you can say when it was a fast break and Wemby is running down the middle of the floor and the ball's way behind him, and he literally turned around to look back at the ball and did three steps, backpedaling towards the rim and caught it perfectly all in one motion, pirouetted for a dunk. It was amazing. That's how on balance this guy is. He didn't have to stop for anything. He made three baskets. All he had to do because he had eight guys in double digits. And because the attention is on him. I thought champagne coming up to the top. When he got all the attention, when we. When we got all the attention, he was able to just drive down the middle of the floor. It happens. Every team's like, okay, if there's a pick and roll with Wemby, we got two guys on him, and then the other guy can take advantage of that. So him, Vassell, Dylan Harper, I think maybe watch no dunks yesterday and said I didn't get enough love in the all rookie teams rankings. What are we talking about?

[JD Skeets]

We had him on the first team.

[Taz Melas]

You got him on the first team?

[JD Skeets]

Yeah, I did.

[Taz Melas]

Oh. Oh, good for you guys.

[JD Skeets]

So you didn't give him enough love?

[Taz Melas]

Well, I give him a love. I mean, I gave. I was. He was high on the second team, that's for sure. See, I still think of guards when I go first team. And when you got a. You got a. You got a caniple, a coupe and a Vijay Edgecombe, I mean, yeah, we're going teeny tiny and I had those guys on my first team. Vijay Edgecombe hit the floor hard in this game. Hopefully he'll be back. I mean, he literally went hard down hard.

[JD Skeets]

My other thought on the whole broadcast of it all, it did remind me a little bit of when we did our April Fool's Day show and pretended like it was, I guess, 1993, I think, was the year we picked way back. I'm talking about the starters. Just that idea. J.D. you can speak to this of like trying to take, obviously today's like HD television and make it standard definition or try and make it even look like it's old timey.

[Taz Melas]

Yeah. I had to give them a heads up like, hey, we're doing today's show in sd.

[Tas Melas]

Brent Bergman was like, what?

[JD Skeets]

He worked obviously at NBA TV and Turner, but you figured it out. You got it in sd.

[Taz Melas]

Yeah, we got it in sd.

[JD Skeets]

So do you wish they had done that? Because they didn't go that, you know, the extra step.

[Taz Melas]

Now that's too much. You're watching them. You are watching a basketball game.

[JD Skeets]

Yeah, I like that the Sixers were playing obviously on that court, too. The retro Sixers court, which looked awesome. Just. It went. It went perfectly with obviously the broadcast.

[Taz Melas]

Yeah.

[Tas Melas]

And the spurs have the same uniforms that they wore.

[JD Skeets]

Yeah.

[Tas Melas]

Forever, basically. I like that they show the Sean Elliott tippy toes outside of like on the sideline hitting the shot. You got Costas on the call for that one, which is very cool. I didn't need to see any highlights that weren't regarding the Sixers or The spurs, that felt weird to me, where they're like, hey, just check out Richie Miller hitting a show that seemed unnecessary and not relevant to the game. But they're like, hey, check it out. We used to have basketball back in the day. NBC puts the N in nostalgia. They might as well just be the Nostalgia Broadcasting Company. That's all the NBA wants from them is remind us of the 90s.

[JD Skeets]

Yeah, you're not wrong.

[Taz Melas]

They're doing a good job of it.

[Tas Melas]

Yeah, but they should tell Jim Gray his name is pronounced Wembanyama, not Wembanyama. The guy is the face of the NBA for the future. You can't bring a 70 year old man out and have him mispronounce a young guy's name. Come on, that's ridiculous. For a huge.

[JD Skeets]

We have unfortunately. Unfortunately have a lot of younger guys on television that can't pronounce other guys names. Hey, look, I understand castle and vessel.

[Tas Melas]

Yes, yes. But I mean, come on, if you're marketing the game, that's a guy's name you should say, right?

[Taz Melas]

Yeah, sure, yeah. If you want to get into the weeds. Costas pronounces him Wemban Yama instead of a Wembanyama. It doesn't roll. But he, he looks at the pronunciation and he looks at that big A and he says a lot of people do just call him Wemby, man. Stick with that.

[JD Skeets]

I guess the one part you're right, Trey, like you sort of said, this does feel like it should be Bulls or Knicks, if not both teams. But at least they have Wemby. You get to compare them to the Duncan David Robinson of the spurs side. And then you got Maxi playing for the Sixers and you sort of get to compare him to iverson from the 90s. At least that sort of lined up. Yes, I like that synergy, I guess.

[Taz Melas]

Yeah, yeah. The tie in for the second game ideally would have been Lakers Pelicans as well, considering Zion's plan. LeBron Luca playing. You know, it's better than an injured Suns team out some degree. I mean, it's really Suns Kings, you know.

[JD Skeets]

You know, well, the Kings were at their best in the 90s. Well, early 2000s they were getting better is my point.

[Bowen Yang]

Late 90s.

[JD Skeets]

Yeah. Yeah. Anyway, we're not talking about that game, but spurs take care of business. Anything else from that? Or get to some of these actual competitive games.

[Tas Melas]

Spurs at 18 threes last night. They are 18 and one this season. When they make 15 or more, that's a good number to keep track of just look at the box score. If they hit 15 or more, they won because they got Wemby shutting it down inside, drawing a ton of attention. Like you said, Taz, the guy took. Took five shots last night. He was a plus 41.

[Taz Melas]

Yeah, the passing was hot. Doug Collins on the broadcast was super excited. He said, hey, coaches put that in a textbook because they were moving the ball really well. It was disappointing on the Sixer side that they weren't able to move fast enough on the defensive end, you know? No, no. Kelly Uber out there. I guess he was. He was out with an illness maybe he sustained in YouTube University. I don't know what happened to him. Paul George?

[JD Skeets]

No.

[Taz Melas]

Joel Embiid. And then Edgecombe goes down. So it's just a little disappointing. Home court. They just weren't moving all that fast, those guys, because they're super athletic and can move. They're also running the fast break a lot. They got killed.

[JD Skeets]

And the spurs, we learned yesterday, swept the month of February. NBA awards. Did you see this? They took everything.

[Tas Melas]

Oh, really?

[JD Skeets]

Yes. They got coach in Mitch Johnson. They got rookie and Dylan Harper of the month. They got Wemby, I guess took defensive player of the month, I would imagine.

[Taz Melas]

Yeah. Because they only player.

[JD Skeets]

Did he also get player? Yeah, I'm not sure.

[Tas Melas]

Probably.

[JD Skeets]

Yeah. Maybe that's what it was. So, anyway, I know they do have

[Tas Melas]

a defensive player of the month, though. That does exist, right?

[JD Skeets]

Yeah, it was definitely Wemby. But check on Player of the Month. It must have been him.

[Taz Melas]

Who else would have? And it's for each conference. It's not for. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I guess. Yeah. It's hard to keep track, honestly.

[JD Skeets]

There's a lot of them. There's a lot of awards. Let's move on to the Cavaliers beating the Pistons 113. 109. Without Donovan Mitchell. But this was Jalen Tyson. This was James Harden sort of leading the way. But a good team effort here, Tas, with the Cavs taking this and splitting the season series two games apiece. This was like a little turnaround. Quick revenge here for the Cavs after just having lost to the Pistons. What were your takeaways?

[Taz Melas]

Yeah, they played four days before that, and the Pistons had 21 offensive rebounds in that game. And so the Cavs were ready, especially Jalen Tyson. It's great you mentioned him because I thought his effort level was extremely high. They've got some issues. Donovan Mitchell, as you said, Dean Wade is also hurt. And Jaylon Tyson, who's been put to the bench put right in for Dean Wade in the starting lineup. But then the bench coming through. This was a team win. This was a phenomenal team win. Dennis Schroeder against his old team, kicking ass, finishing the game there. But it went up and down. I mean, really, there's four guys. I thought Craig Porter Jr. A teeny tiny guy. A teeny tiny guard on. There's the smallest guy on the floor. Grabbed five offensive rebounds. Just when their plays weren't working all that well. That guy was out there grabbing boards. Smallest player on the floor for sure. He had seven points and eight rebounds. Schroeder had 15 points and five assists. That key finish with that layup with a minute left. Thomas Bryant, nine points and five boards. Keonella, seven points and four boards. I thought Jaylon Tyson did a pretty good job on Kate Cunningham when thrown at him just to slow him down a little bit. I think they wore down. They picked up Cunningham.

[JD Skeets]

They picked him up a lot. Full court just to try and tire him out.

[Taz Melas]

Yeah, and it worked. It worked. Yeah. So it was a little disappointing that the Pistons bench didn't do enough in this game. Maybe it's because it's Isaiah Stewart's first game back and he's leading that defense. But either way, they didn't have the energy level that the Cavs had. They just. They just did not because the starters matched each other fairly well. But the bench, not so good.

[Tas Melas]

Yeah, the bench was basically non existent for the Pistons. They made one move at the deadline. They brought in Kevin Herder. Guy doesn't even play for this team. So disappointing. And to me, Cade was looking pretty tired. He had a really tough second half in this one over five from the field. He did have eight assists, but four turnovers. His last made shot was early in the second quarter. And you just look at every possession for him. There's three or four guys just waiting in the lane for him to get there. So post all star. His minutes are up, his usage is up, shooting is down, turnovers are up. He looks tired from the load that he's had to carry for the entire season and even more so it feels like right now. So he's played in 54 of 60 games for the Pistons in their last 22 games. They've got five back to backs. They're looking pretty good for the one seed in the Eastern Conference. They're still in the mix for the one seed overall. They got to find a way to get this guy some rest in the last month and a half that we Got going there so he can be as fresh as possible and still in a rhythm for the playoffs. Because it just looked a little bit to me like the defensive intensity and the focus on him was completely wearing on him because they got nobody else to turn to to really get their own basket. So that's to me really how it played out for Kate in the second half. But you're right, it was a complet complete team win for the cavaliers. They had 17 threes last night. 14 of them were assisted. It was drive and kick, drive and kick, drive and kick. Or Schroeder hitting this one handed scoop. He must have made four of those layups where he doesn't touch the ball with his left hand. Just gets it up so quick to the rim. And then yeah, Porter was everywhere. And the Harden Jalen Tyson pairing is perfect. Harden knows exactly how to use this guy. He finds him on the driving kicks, was knocking down threes. But Tyson is a good, is good at attacking closeouts as well. And Harden gets him the ball exactly when he needs it. He uses them as a short roll.

[JD Skeets]

Man.

[Tas Melas]

I know Dean Wade is like their locked in starter at the three because they like the size he brings and maybe having Tyson off the bench is good because he can really stretch his legs on the second unit. But I would be playing Tyson more than Wade going forward. We'll see what they end up doing there.

[JD Skeets]

Just to go back to Cade, I think of course the game plan here and it's going to be that moving into postseason, it's like you stop Cade Cunningham, you're going to like your chances to stop the Pistons. I mean it's just we're sort of at that now. He set up a lot of guys. He had a lot of assists last night, but only 10 points on 4 of 16 shooting and the five turnovers and they lost the minutes that, that he was out there, Cade was out there. I think they lost them by 11. Great job by Tyson. Great job by Kean Ellis tiring him out. Just pick him up full court, just you know, put pressure on him. He's already has to do so much. So just wear him down. And if you look at his splits, Cade Cunningham this season, you know he gets his points in wins or losses. Like he still gets there and he gets his numbers but efficiently. It's a fall off between wins and losses. In wins, Cade shoots 48% from the floor and a really respectable 35% from deep. In losses it craters sub 39% from the floor and 27% from deep. So like you said with the spurs, watch the box score on three pointers made. It's a little bit of this with Cade and he's going to need help in some of these games in the postseason because this is going to be the game plan. We do not care about these other guys out there half the time. Asar Thompson, even we'll live with Tobias Harris like that. It's just the game plan. And so he's going to, you know, he can do it. He's won a lot of games where especially takeovers. But get ready for more of that and even more intense basketball in the postseason when that's just the game plan for an entire week against the Pistons.

[Taz Melas]

Yeah. On the other side, Dennis Schroeder was that guy for Kate Cunningham last year in the playoffs. Helpful. Yeah. He closed out games just like he was closing out a game yesterday for the Cats. You need an opportunity here. Schroeder will break down a defense. They need a guy like that. And I was wrong about Carousel Vert and that he can't be that guy at this point. He's just not not that guy. Especially when the defenses do pick up. And listen, the defense picked up as well in this game because they were responding to a loss four days before. So there was there. That was that part of it. But yeah, the Kenny Atkinson now can push the right buttons. Jalen Tyson could start and Dean Wade could sit now that they got DeAndre Hunter out of there, who was starting for way too long this season. They've got options. But the Pistons, yeah, they. The scary part is that that secondary. Secondary guy. Because James Earn, I thought was awesome yesterday catching and scoring and he didn't necessarily make his own plays, although he did do it once to Jared Allen, who left this game with an injury and he. And he dunked on him, which was an awesome move. And he did another time where he got fouled and he kept going to the free throw line in this game. But is it gonna be consistent in the playoffs and we could get this

[JD Skeets]

matchup, we could very likely get this in a second round series. Yeah, the way the standings are. So that'd be a great test for both these teams. If the Pistons can advance and the Cats can advance and maybe we see it in the second round.

[Taz Melas]

So yeah, yeah.

[JD Skeets]

I mean, it'd be entertaining. So yeah, great series. Awesome.

[Taz Melas]

Cavs just felt deep yesterday. I mean, I thought Mowgli baskets. How many do you make? Like five. It's kind of like what Wemmy did in the first game. Didn't make all that many baskets but they were great when he did make

[Tas Melas]

them big three pointer late. Thomas Bryant also to me is one of the most hilarious players to watch. He had a four point play in this game and held the pose for so long. I laugh at almost everything he does on the court. He's like an Andre Blatch esque character to me. Or it's just funny to watch him out there. So boyish looking. Feels like he celebrates every basket he makes. I love it.

[Taz Melas]

Yeah, on that four point basket, I'm going way too deep. But the assistance on the Pistons bench, all three of them was Luke Walton, Fred Vincent and Jared Jack. They all threw their hands up like this all at the same time because it was a foul. It just, it's way too deep to memify assistant coaches, but because we're getting the memeification of everything, you could, you could beam that, you could flip that. So yeah, that was, that was a funny one. Very funny.

[Tas Melas]

Some days feel ordinary. Others turn into memories without warning. Most of them start in the car. All of them involve people you love. That's why Toyota believes people are the destination. The Toyota Highlander is built to support life's rhythm. With room for passengers, gear and plans that change on the fly. It adapts to whatever comes next. From early morning practices to packed drives, to big games, to quiet rides home after a long weekend. It's made to keep you comfortable and connected the whole way. Because the best sports memories aren't just about the final score. They're about the people you experienced it with. Because people are the destination. Learn [e-mail] and find the vehicle that fits your people.

[Matt Rogers]

This is Matt Rogers from Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang.

[Bowen Yang]

This is Bowen Yang from Lost Culturistos with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang. What if your WI fi was more than just WI fi? What if your WI fi made everything in your whole house just work together better?

[Matt Rogers]

Well, Xfinity WI Fi pretty much does exactly that. It's powered by their best, most elite, high performing tech.

[Bowen Yang]

Allow us to paint a very realistic example. Everyone in your house, everyone is on their devices at the exact same time. Gaming, working, swiping. Right. Because of course they are. And the finale of your favorite show of all time of the week is on at the exact same, exact same moment. Well, you can boost the WI fi to your device with Xfinity.

[Matt Rogers]

And have you ever asked yourself, what if my WI fi could keep watch over my kids for me?

[JD Skeets]

Well, probably not.

[Matt Rogers]

Because that's a weird thing to ask yourself, but Xfinity Wi Fi has parenting skills, even if you sometimes forget yours. Xfinity's like, don't worry, I'll monitor the Wi Fi.

[Bowen Yang]

It's completely proactive, fixing issues before they even happen. Bottom line, Xfinity is smart and reliable. You deserve the peace of mind of having WI Fi that's got your back.

[Matt Rogers]

Xfinity Imagine that support for the show

[Public Investing Advertiser]

comes from Public, the investing platform for those who take it seriously. On Public, you can build a multi asset portfolio of stocks, bonds, options, crypto and now generated assets which allow you to turn any idea into an investable index with AI. It all starts with your prompt. From renewable energy companies with high free cash flow to semiconductor suppliers growing revenue over 20% year over year, you can literally type any prompt and put the AI to work. It screens thousands of stocks, builds a one of a kind index, and lets you back test it against the S&P 500. Then you can invest in a few clicks. Generated assets are like ETFs with infinite possibilities, completely customizable and based on your thesis, not someone else's. Go to public.com podcast and earn an uncapped 1% bonus when you transfer your portfolio. That's public.com podcast paid for by Public Investing Brokerage Services by Open to the Public Investing Inc. Member FINRA and SIPC Advisory Services by Public Advisors, llc, SEC Registered Advisors. Generated Assets is an interactive analysis tool. Output is for informational purposes only and is not an investment recommendation or advice. Complete disclosures available at public.com disclosures this

[Jacob Goldstein]

is Jacob Goldstein from what's yous Problem? When you buy business software from lots of vendors, the costs add up and it gets complicated and confusing. Odoo solves this. It's a single company that sells a suite of enterprise apps that handles everything from accounting to inventory to sales. Odoo is all connected on a single platform in a simple and affordable way. You can save money without missing out on the features you need. Check out Odoo at o d o o dot com. That's o d o o dot com

[JD Skeets]

let's talk about Jalen Brunson scoring 26 as the Knicks beat the Raptors 111.95. I know that looks like a blowout and an ass kicking. It really wasn't until the final like what, like five minutes?

[Tas Melas]

Four minutes?

[JD Skeets]

It was like a one possession game. Yeah, then Hart hit bridges cutting back door for the dunk and it was like then the Knicks run was on. Yeah, but it was a Close game until the end, but it doesn't matter. The Knicks own Toronto. They extended their win streak to 12 straight. The last time the Raptors beat the Knicks, I think Fred Van Vliet was still a Raptor.

[Taz Melas]

Wow.

[JD Skeets]

So it's been a minute.

[Taz Melas]

When Matt Devlin told his co host the analysts, I think it was Alan Williams, Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady were on the call. They were like, What? They've won 11 straight. Like they couldn't believe it. Yeah, yeah.

[Tas Melas]

It's felt like an absolute clown picking the Raptors in our pick them. And the game starts with Devlin saying that The Raptors are 16 and 15 and home and have lost 11 straight to the Knicks. I was like, okay, well mark that one down as a loss.

[JD Skeets]

Yeah. And can't be good teams. I said it yesterday, I'm like, why

[Taz Melas]

didn't I do that?

[Tas Melas]

What a dumb pick.

[JD Skeets]

Anyway, it was close. They looked like they maybe could cover, maybe not. But then, yeah, that final run there by the Knicks, but. But other takeaways from this one.

[Taz Melas]

Well, coming into this game it felt like the Raptors, maybe this is why you picked them. Just wanted to show that hey, we can win some games against teams that matter in the Eastern Conference. It felt like a playoff environment in, in that building. It felt like they wanted to show out. And six minutes left or 5,52 left in the fourth quarter. This is a two point game. The Knicks are only up two points. And then they got obliterated that six minute mark. It was time to prove it. Can we beat somebody? And unfortunately possessing after possession, just the Raptors couldn't score. And it was a dejecting loss, very dejecting loss. And you could see it, especially when that Mikhail Bridges dunk happened with two and a half minutes left. The game's not completely over, but it just felt like it was all over. And you had Darko yelling about it, but it just started every single possession. It was just kind of a one guy possession. It started with that weird Jamal Shed turnover when Emmanuel Quickley's up on the left wing who had just made a great three point contest. And then the ball was led too far for Emmanuel Quickley wanted to slow down. I just did all that work on the three point line. Man, why you gotta throw it ahead of me? And then Scotty Barnes missed an open 3. It's a decent shot. Ingram ISO. Then they can't get Ingram. The ball, which is going to happen in the playoffs is had flashbacks to Lou Dort guarding him in the playoffs. Then you had A Barnes ISO miss because of they didn't give the ball to Ingram, then an Ingram miss, and then it was over. I mean, you had one guy just making shots in Jalen Brunson and then the other team just unable to make anything, really. Yeah, you had RJ Barrett in the fourth quarter as the only guy who made multiple shots. But that was all before that last six minute run which was just deflating. Very deflating.

[Tas Melas]

Yeah, it felt almost like two different classes of teams just watching the way the offense was playing. For the knicks, they had 32 assists. The ball movement was pretty crisp. The Raptors turned them over a little bit, especially there in the third quarter when Toronto really made their run. But they look connected on the offensive end. I thought the Knicks did. Meanwhile, like you're saying, it just felt like Brandon Ingram and RJ Barrett hitting tough shots. And that was the majority of the offense for the Raptors. But the Knicks defense has been pretty good lately. They've held four of their last five opponents under 100 points, including the Raptors last night. Now the spurs are the best offense that they've played in those four games. It's like they held the Bulls and maybe the Bucks as well, under 100. So not the greatest teams, but still they're up to eighth in defense on that side of the ball. That's good. Like it's. It's easy to see the bad defense when the Knicks aren't looking good. But they have strung together some decent games now that they've got OG back playing regularly. Mitchell Robinson back though.

[Jacob Goldstein]

He did.

[Tas Melas]

He had like a little ankle thing and came last night. But a nice game for Towns. Like I thought he was good. Like you're saying Brunson was hitting. They're clicking a little bit right now, I think.

[JD Skeets]

I think the defense is better than pretty good Ziller I saw right since that embarrassing defeat on MLK Day versus the Mavericks. They have the number one defense in the NBA. The Knicks do. That's like 1920 games. That's over a month of basketball here. Best net rating since January 20th. So yeah, they're, they're putting it together right now. They just, they have all the confidence in the world they can beat this Raptors team. Like that's, that's four straight now this year. Obviously 12 if we're going back a couple years. I think they play them one more time still. So it's going to be one of those weird five games versus the Knicks for the Raptors and then our guy will lose. Saying on the hello and welcome podcast. Putting this out into existence, speaking it into existence. Like we could see this matchup in the first round. And he's like, oh God, what if the Knicks sweep them? That'd be. They go nine and oh. Against the Raptors this year. Like, don't do that. Come on.

[Tas Melas]

You can't beat a team nine times.

[JD Skeets]

I know it's impossible, but. But obviously different classes here, different talent across the board. And the Raptors, when they had that good stretch early in the season, their bench was contributing. And now when they can't beat any of these good teams like it is, it's basically an over. Like Mamu. Remember Mamu when he was good?

[Tas Melas]

They got eight points.

[JD Skeets]

He does nothing. Now teams have figured out how to play him. Put a smaller guy on him. He won't do anything. Shed, you know, not a great game from him. Walter Grady Dick doesn't even play. It's not. They're getting nothing here now from the bench. It's like. And not. And I'm saying like the starters are fine. They're not obviously Knicks level starters. They're good. But you got to get some help here. And they've sort of fallen off a cliff. I feel like this bench.

[Taz Melas]

Yeah. The beginning of the second quarter was extremely deflating for the Raptors. I thought there's just massive turnovers. The effort level just stopped there. So the Knicks went on their little run there. I think it was like it, it wasn't a big one, but it was really deflating. Cause it was a super close game. And then it ended up being an 11 point lead for the Knicks there. And then that 162 run at the end of the fourth quarter was what really did it. That being said about the bench, if you get some buckets at the end of the game, then it doesn't matter to me. Again, it's a two point game. But I do think that that part where they got down double digits and had to fight back because of that hurt everybody. Both starters and the bench. And then it's a lot of ISO ball when it comes to the end of it. It's hey Brandon, do it. And they almost couldn't get him the ball at times. As, as I said, because that's going to happen in, in the first pass option is going to be denied in the playoffs. So there wasn't a lot of secondary action. It just. My man Emmanuel quickly got super tired and Jamal Shed ain't doing that and Scotty Barnes ain't doing that. It's just a lot of Standing around. And so that team just, just fell apart. I mean, as you said, that fast break, everybody yelling. They got two offensive rebounds. The Knicks did on one possession. It just all went to poop because they don't have faith in each other at the end of games. It's really deflating. Yeah.

[JD Skeets]

Raptors are going to have to hold on here to a playoff spot, an actual playoff spot. Not hopefully following the play in because you got teams like the Hornets are like, ripping right now as they're trying to, like, climb up the standings. The Hawks have figured things out. They've had a weaker part of their schedule. I get all that, but. But, you know, I'm just saying, like, it looked like it was almost a given. The Raps would be probably in the playoffs, maybe fifth, maybe sixth seed. It's not a given, as they sort of like have been. They've just been an average team since a very hot stretch when they played crappy teams early in the year. That's just the honest truth. And that's why, you know, we're probably spending too much time on them. I have no faith in them in any sort of playoff series, no matter who they're playing. When I look at the rest of the East.

[Taz Melas]

Yeah, that's why this win mattered. Just go into the playoffs with a potential playoff magic to trick yourself into. Maybe we can compete somebody to play them.

[JD Skeets]

Yeah. Let's show you last night's other results. We'll chuck them up there on screen for you. Take a look at them. I won't read out every result for you podcast listeners. You'll have to fire up the box scores yourself. But any other takeaways? Trey Kirby from last night's games.

[Tas Melas]

Yeah, I thought the Timberwolves flipped the switch last night. Kind of slacked in the first half against the Grizzlies, but then used a big third quarter and an Anthony Edwards takeover in the fourth quarter quarter to pull out the win. He scored seven straight in two minutes, all on jumpers. He hit a deep three, a 30 footer from the left wing. And then like west side Story, he was going back to. Hey, hey, hey. So, you know, he was feeling good. We'll talk about his game a little bit later. I said I was going to be watching the Timberwolves pretty closely here the last quarter of the season. They beat some good teams, but it was almost more of a worry that they were going to struggle against the easier teams. And you could even hear Grady and Peterson on their broadcast. They're like, the Wolves need to pick up their effort here in the second half. They did and they dominated the second half.

[JD Skeets]

I thought.

[Taz Melas]

Yeah, I thought a couple. A couple things. I mentioned the Sun's Kings being part of that second part of that NBC broadcast. It's good to see Devin Booker back from injury. It was great to see that Al OOP dunk after a great Colin Gillespie steel to Jaylen Green.

[JD Skeets]

Oh, my play of the night.

[Taz Melas]

That was incredible on NBA, period. Yeah, yeah. Good win. Fun, fun win for them. I would say, like, not a terrible game to have on NBC like I did. I mean, it's not terrible teams, but it was.

[JD Skeets]

Anyway, you were the one saying it was bad, not. Not the best.

[Taz Melas]

I was just doing with yourself. No, no, no, no gameplay game wise as far the game. Oh, yeah, we got it. If you want to go old school style as an NBC broadcast, it's great to see Russell Westbrook hustling out there. It's great to see DeMar DeRozan still playing out there. Anyways, I came back. That was a thing against the Lakers. Yeah, because he went into LA and of course you got to do the car wash, the media car wash. So he had an interview with ESPN and Malika Andrews and he said, yeah, I'll be back. And he was, you know, he played 35 straight. Missed one. He came back. Although I got to say about the. The City Edition, as I. I complimented all the courts yesterday. Yesterday. Yeah, I complimented all the City Edition courts in general. But watching the Lakers one, it's got so much black on it and it's got those triangle. Los Angeles jersey says Los Angeles in an upward triangle. Whatever. A chevron sort of. That's weird, man. I don't like it like those ones. Yeah, it's weird. I don't. It's too much. That's too much. That's all I got to say about that.

[JD Skeets]

The Hornets, I said they won again. They're 31 and 31. They're back to 500.

[Tas Melas]

Wow.

[JD Skeets]

After obviously a bit of a sluggish start here. And then they found this starting five that just works for them and it is clicking here. So they've won five straight. Charlotte Hornets, one of the hottest teams in the league here. Seven and three in their last 10. And yeah, they're in the play in spots. The Heat also won last night. I guess the Magic did as well, so didn't gain any ground really on those teams. But, you know, they're not super far out, I'm saying here of the Raptors and Sixers and five, six. It's you know, it's. What is it? Five to three games depending on the team I'm talking about there. That a team like the Hornets are back from them. But they're just like this, this five, this starting five just works, man.

[Tas Melas]

They work.

[JD Skeets]

They're fun as hell. And like I like. I like having a team like whether it's in the play in which it probably will be like, let's be honest, they'll probably be in a play in. It's just like fun to have like sort of some new blood, so to speak. Like a team that people sort of want to root for a little bit. Like, oh yeah, they're an exciting young team. See what they can do against some of these other teams, these staples when it comes to the play in the Miami Heat and Atlanta Hawks, at least.

[Taz Melas]

Yeah. As far as the Miami Heat goes, Tyler Hero has been in the starting lineup for two games. We wondered whether Tyler Hero is going to be coming off the bench after injury. He did that, but he's been the starting lineup two games because. Question mark. Mainly because Norman Powell has been injured that he's been out both of those games. So it is still a question. Style Hero going to continue to be in the starting lineup or is he going to go to the bench? Well, I don't think it's for Norman Powell. It'd probably be for Pelly Larson if he does start. It's not going to be for Norman Powell. Forget that. It would be for Pelly Larson. But it's still a question. I don't know if he's going to be in the starting line, so that's interesting to me.

[JD Skeets]

Any other games of note? I saw Jared McCain had a good game against your Bulls.

[Tas Melas]

Jared McCain did have a good game for the Bulls. Cool. 37, 5 and 6 for Paolo last night in a win over the wizards. And his seven games post All Star, 27 points, nine rebounds, six assists per game, shooting 48 from the field, 38 from three, 85 from the line. That's good. I think the Magic have played a little bit better recently. But you know, I think in those seven games there may be four and three. One of them was a double overtime loss on the. I think on that Jalen Green shot perhaps. But we still don't know what's going on with Franz. Like, he's been out for quite some time. They're like, you got to play in this game in Germany and everything else. You can sit out after that. It's kind of how it went.

[JD Skeets]

We gotta move These German tickets, man.

[Tas Melas]

We gotta move these German tickets.

[JD Skeets]

Mo's not moving the needle, man. We need you, Franz.

[Tas Melas]

Yeah, we need Franz. Franz gets the Fonz in the Steets, right? The Stahns.

[JD Skeets]

We never talked about the Paolo Banchero, Jamal Mosley, Barbs, I guess, if you want to call it being sort of shot back and forth in the media press conferences.

[Tas Melas]

Paulo said, we got no adjustments to the adjustments. And Mosley said, yeah, our star player doesn't play hard enough and never passes the ball. Yeah, that's cool. Things are going to change for the Magic in the summer in some way shape or.

[JD Skeets]

I think it's mostly probably has the change.

[Tas Melas]

That's most likely.

[JD Skeets]

You've been saying that for a while, actually.

[Tas Melas]

I mean, this is a. Even though the Magic looked better right now, this is a disappointing season for them. They had expectations on par with the Detroit Pistons coming into the year. And the Magic made moves in the off season to take a step forward. The Pistons didn't really, and they still took a step forward. So I think there are a lot of questions to be answered for this team. Starting first and foremost with the coaching and do our star players even fit well together? So that's definitely something to keep an eye on. But they'll. He'll finish out this well. I would say he would finish out the season. Last year, remember, we had guys getting fired with like a week left.

[JD Skeets]

You took the words right out of my mouth. I was like, they are playing a little bit better here, the Magic. And is that enough to sort of save his job? Because. Yeah, I'm sorry. In today's NBA, you could easily be fired with like 15 games, 10 games to go. It's happened. It's a thing that teams and franchises are doing more. Yeah. So I'm with you. I don't think the Magic, they sort of slow play things, so I don't think there'll be a team to do that. Mosley will get a chance again in the postseason, stuff like that. Playing postseason wherever they end up. But probably they move off of them in the summer. Unless they make a surprising sort of run here to the second, third round, something like that.

[Taz Melas]

Here's a question about a far less important topic as far as basketball goes. But for me, it's important. Do you guys like the idea of a pickle poutine? Because that's what's happening in Canada. And let me tell you about it. Harvey's. Our old friend Harvey's. So it's a. It's a. Starts with A regular poutine. It's fries, gravy, cheese curds.

[JD Skeets]

Yeah.

[Taz Melas]

Then they do have some diced pickles on there, but then they throw in a couple deep fried pickles on top. Oh, my God, they're huge. And then they drizzle that. Those pickles, which are probably like pickle spears, you know, that are deep fried.

[JD Skeets]

Okay.

[Taz Melas]

With a little ranch.

[JD Skeets]

Okay.

[Taz Melas]

It's a lot. There's a lot happening now.

[Tas Melas]

There's a lot going on.

[JD Skeets]

You're a pickle guy, though.

[Taz Melas]

Huge pickle guy.

[JD Skeets]

So intrigued. I mean, you would have to try it, I imagine.

[Taz Melas]

Yeah, I would try it. I don't think you need those deep fried pickles on top. There's too much going on. I like the pickle part of a pickle.

[JD Skeets]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Taz Melas]

You know, not the little acidic. Yeah, yeah, it's great. Yeah. And so the dice part is. Sounds all right. Give it a shot. But I like a pickle spear. Like, I like my pickle like a. Like a. Like I like my marks. Mark spears. Give me. Give me that. That's all I want. But they deep fry it.

[Tas Melas]

They deep fry it.

[Taz Melas]

Shout out to our man, Mark Spears. That pickle that they throw on top, that's a biggie. Okay.

[JD Skeets]

I haven't seen it.

[Tas Melas]

Yeah, I gotta see a photo of this. In general, I don't think that deep fried pickles work.

[Taz Melas]

Yeah, I hear you.

[Tas Melas]

They're just at odds with each other. Too juicy. So it makes the crust on the outside soft and soggy. They don't make sense.

[JD Skeets]

You think the furthest you can go with that? Like, it works? Not all the time with onions and onion rings. Yeah, but even then, I'm with you. Sometimes if it's done incorrectly, it's like, what was the point of this? It's all just coming off. It's too juicy. But the pickle. You're right. Extra juice, extra juice.

[Tas Melas]

Extra juice levels.

[Taz Melas]

You said you want to see pictures you don't want to see?

[JD Skeets]

No, probably disgusting. I mean, it's Harvey's to begin with.

[Taz Melas]

Oh. No disrespect. Come on.

[JD Skeets]

Come on.

[Taz Melas]

Harvey's knows how to do a pickle.

[JD Skeets]

Let's get Luke Cornett's thoughts on hooker Harvey's in Toronto? Does that place still exist? Jd, do you know you used to live by. Why would I know?

[Taz Melas]

I want to call it. Come on, you know, it's so.

[JD Skeets]

Well, I thought you lived right by there.

[Taz Melas]

I've lived here for 12 years. I did walk by it. I did walk by it. Recently? This year. It seemed it was there. Wasn't open.

[JD Skeets]

I feel like they fixed it up, haven't they? No, really.

[Taz Melas]

I mean, maybe around Hooker Harvey's, but it looks to me like her car. Harvey's has not changed at all.

[JD Skeets]

Okay.

[Taz Melas]

Okay.

[JD Skeets]

It's by our old school, which was Ryerson, now tmu.

[Taz Melas]

Yeah. It's fast food for everybody that doesn't know it's a burger spot.

[JD Skeets]

What would you compare it to? How would you compare it to an American chain? Wendy's? Sort of.

[Tas Melas]

Harvey's is very burger forward.

[JD Skeets]

Yeah. To me. Yeah.

[Taz Melas]

Yeah, yeah. The burger looks fresh because they grill that thing. It ain't out of a microwave.

[JD Skeets]

Oh, here's the pickle. Pickle Poutine Double pickle. I like the name.

[Taz Melas]

And the pickles also seasoned, I think. I think that pickle. Yeah, it looks seasoned for sure. I think their ranch is too much. Yeah. Everything else I'd be fine with. Oh, yeah, give it up.

[Tas Melas]

Diced pickles and deep fried.

[Jacob Goldstein]

Yeah.

[Tas Melas]

Marks.

[JD Skeets]

Yeah. Well, it. Like Taz said, it unfortunately looks nothing like that when you go and buy it, so.

[Taz Melas]

Right.

[JD Skeets]

Guarantee you that.

[Taz Melas]

Yeah.

[JD Skeets]

A lot soggier. Let's just say that. Yeah.

[Taz Melas]

I did watch a short video of somebody unveiling opening a Pickle poutine. Gross. Unfortunately, Harvey's, like, I got lots of love for Harvey's, but like, I tried on our sub stack, I tried a. Some Taco Bell recently. It's so weird to be eating on camera. So strange. The whole thing is strange. But people watch Greg Anthony anyway. Yeah. Not if you're Greg Innovator, man. God. But the pickles at Harvey's are delicious. The way they slice them for a burger. It's not a spear. It's just a nice fatty. I say fatty, but it's just. It's like a filet of a pickle. Lengthwise. Lengthwise.

[JD Skeets]

When was the last time you had Harvey's?

[Taz Melas]

Years ago.

[JD Skeets]

Yeah,

[Taz Melas]

but the burgers are. All right.

[JD Skeets]

All right.

[Tas Melas]

What is that form of pickle called when you slice it, like you're saying long ways, like with.

[JD Skeets]

Oh, yeah, with the spear.

[Taz Melas]

My brother calls it a sandwich saver.

[Tas Melas]

Okay.

[Taz Melas]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Tas Melas]

It's like surfboard shaped almost.

[JD Skeets]

Yeah, that's good.

[Tas Melas]

Pickle.

[Taz Melas]

Surfboards. Yeah. Like I said filet because it feels like you're filleting a fish the way it looks. But I don't know. I don't know what you call it.

[Tas Melas]

Yeah, we got to get into that. Let's get associated with that and see what's going on when you started this whole thing saying, this is important to me. I thought you were going to say new Greek alert. There's a new Greek American player, played his first game last night for the Dallas Mavericks. John Pulikitis.

[Taz Melas]

Oh, yeah, I know that guy.

[Tas Melas]

Two Greek parents, but from Naperville, Illinois.

[JD Skeets]

Oh, wow. So yeah, it's both of you guys.

[Tas Melas]

That's right.

[JD Skeets]

Do you know, are you familiar with this guy?

[Taz Melas]

Yeah, it's a big school he played at. And this is his.

[Tas Melas]

He went to Yale. Was his college experience. I see he was a Neuqua Valley guy.

[JD Skeets]

Smart guy, genius man.

[Tas Melas]

Nerd alert.

[Jacob Goldstein]

Yeah.

[JD Skeets]

Interesting. We should do a short. Maybe we've done this before. I think we did, but like new guy alert. Basically like. Or who the hell is this guy? Because there's a lot right now in some of these games.

[Tas Melas]

Oh yeah.

[JD Skeets]

Like, I mean, not even just getting minutes in some cases starting.

[Tas Melas]

Yes.

[JD Skeets]

Where you're like, what the. Who the hell is this guy? I mean, we talked about Julian Reese. Obviously we sort of know him because of his sister. But like, there are many guys where I'm like, I got no idea who that guy is. Why is he playing 25?

[Taz Melas]

Yeah. Angel Reese was at Julian's game yesterday.

[JD Skeets]

That's right.

[Taz Melas]

Yeah. The guy that we mentioned recently. Okay, forget what I'm gonna say. I gotta look for his name. Forget it.

[JD Skeets]

Okay, here's what we're gonna do though. This is good, good crowdsourcing here. Who is that guy? Alert. Let us know in the stream team or even better in the YouTube comments. Like a guy over the next couple weeks here, let's call it that. Pops up. Either starts, comes off the bench, plays significant minutes where you're like, who the hell is that guy? Usually they don't have a photo on their NBA.com bio, right. Or profile page, I should say. So let's. Let's accumulate a list of those guys and maybe we could do a funny short out of that.

[Taz Melas]

We've said this guy before as one of those guys, but I just laughed because it's funny to see Leaky Black's name.

[JD Skeets]

Oh yeah, Leaky Black guy's a legend now. But we need. We need deeper cuts than. Than Leaky Black. Okay, let's take a break and when we come back, we'll get into is this news. College basketball is non stop. Big games, tight spreads, momentum swings every night. And now FanDuel is giving you a way to turn that energy into even bigger wins with a college basketball parlay. Profit boost. So here's how this Works. You build any college hoops parlay you like, Maybe early game, rivalry game, ranked matchup, late night, west coast shootout, mixed spreads, totals, props, whatever fits your read of the slate there. And then you just apply your profit boost and instantly bump up that potential payout. So that's what we're talking here. You know, I'm not the biggest college basketball guy, but even I get in the spirit of things here. As these games start to matter, big wins. I see over the last couple of weeks here, like you're in the dance. You know, if you get said win, you beat said team. Obviously, we got the tournaments coming up to get into the actual March Madness. So if you're a college basketball fan, you're loving March. So go safe, go spicy. Go with the team you've been following all season. It's your parlay, your style now with more upside behind it. Fanduel. Play your game. In fact, I went to watch our friend Jared play soccer last night. They were in their championship game. And one guy, he was like, he was distracted by the game that he was supposed to play in. I didn't know the guy, but he was playing in the game because he was really into. I want to say it was Georgia State maybe was playing a big game. I think they're playing a ranked team and he's like, if we win, we're probably making obviously March Madness. So I don't know if they won or not. I should have.

[Jacob Goldstein]

They.

[Tas Melas]

They didn't. Unfortunately they didn't.

[JD Skeets]

Sorry for that guy.

[Tas Melas]

But our guy Trey Scott had four points last night in 16 minutes.

[JD Skeets]

Oh, right. He plays for them.

[Tas Melas]

Yeah. Against Louisiana. Just Louisiana.

[JD Skeets]

That's who they played last night.

[Tas Melas]

Yeah. I think this, this appears to be whatever. They're in the Sunbelt Conference.

[JD Skeets]

Okay.

[Tas Melas]

And I think they were actually both pretty low seated because I'm looking at the records here. 10 and 22 for Georgia State, 11 and 21 for Louisville.

[JD Skeets]

What was this guy talking about? Maybe. Hold on. I may be mixing up my Georgia teams. Maybe he meant straight up Georgia, potentially. It was a Georgia team, this guy said. And I was like, why do you care so much about that? He's like, well, if we win this, we're probably in. We haven't been in the dance forever. So anyway, okay. Whatever the team was and whoever the guy was, that's a cool story, bro.

[Tas Melas]

Oh, they play okay.

[Bowen Yang]

Georgia boy.

[Tas Melas]

Bulldogs played the Alabama Crimson.

[JD Skeets]

That's what it was. Alabama is good.

[Tas Melas]

Yes. And the Bulldogs pulled it off. 10 point victory.

[JD Skeets]

Oh, so they're in this guy told me last night to my face, a stranger. We're in the dance if we win this game.

[Tas Melas]

Okay, 21 and 9 got to check their Ken Palm ratings, but maybe they're good.

[JD Skeets]

I'm calling it now. They're going to be at a an 11th seed.

[Tas Melas]

That sounds about right. With that record.

[Taz Melas]

Yeah.

[JD Skeets]

Maybe 10.

[Bowen Yang]

I don't know.

[JD Skeets]

710 game. Yeah, 10.

[Taz Melas]

They rolled the Tide.

[JD Skeets]

They did, yeah. Okay, let's play a little. Is this news? Is this news? The segment where I give the guys a headline and they tell me whether or not it's newsworthy. First one from espn. Harrison Barnes has iron man streak ended by sore ankle. So we didn't bring this up when we were talking about that spurs blowout victory. But Harrison Barnes missed his first game since 2021 because he woke up from a pre game nap with a sore left ankle.

[Tas Melas]

Whoa.

[JD Skeets]

You gotta untuck the bed sheets, man. I think that's what happened here. You gotta go Costanza style and untuck them. But anyway, it snapped Harrison Barnes streak of 364 straight games played. Is this news testimony?

[Taz Melas]

Absolutely. They should be celebrated. Guys play hundreds of games in a row. Just in general, when guys play every single game in a season. There's guys out there right now that are played every single game that are probably going to play all 82 like oldies like Demar, Bruce Brown, Youngies rookie Jeremiah Fierce, former all stars like Julius Randle. I think we should just celebrate these guys at the end of the season because this guy's not been celebrated. I know he's not a huge name, but I had totally forgotten about Harrison Barnes having not missed a game since 2021. You know, we just belittle everybody who's sitting because of wrest. So this needs to be celebrated. Yes, absolutely.

[JD Skeets]

TK newsworthy.

[Tas Melas]

Yeah, it was news to me that he had an iron man streak. I don't keep track of the second longest streak in anything.

[JD Skeets]

This was a test. Guys. This is not news.

[Tas Melas]

Not news at all. Second longest streak. Everybody knows who's got the longest streak.

[JD Skeets]

Mikael Bridges.

[Tas Melas]

Absolutely. Hasn't missed a game since high school.

[JD Skeets]

I don't think.

[Tas Melas]

I don't think he missed a game in high school.

[Taz Melas]

Right.

[Tas Melas]

So it extends even further back.

[JD Skeets]

We talked about team infrastructure. Two guys that were Ironmen.

[Tas Melas]

Wow.

[JD Skeets]

We're on team infrastructure. Bridges you can make out iron and Barnes more. Usually made out of wood, but iron involved still. Yeah.

[Taz Melas]

Still played every single game.

[JD Skeets]

And Jamal Shed people did bring up could have been on team infrastructure. At least in the running. I don't think he would have made that team but could have come off the bench.

[Taz Melas]

No, he's not quite a bridge as a shed. But still team infrastructure is important.

[JD Skeets]

Do you know how many games Mikhail Bridges has played at this point? With his longest active consecutive game streak.

[Taz Melas]

Oh, let me think about this. So he's played every single game. Let me do the math. It's probably almost a little.

[Tas Melas]

A longer career I think than you would imagine. Maybe.

[Taz Melas]

I think it's. I was going to say 500, but I'm going to say 600. A little over 616.

[JD Skeets]

Damn, you are so close. I think after playing last night at 6:17. Oh, I think is what he's at.

[Taz Melas]

Yeah. I thought I was just being smart because I read the article that was created before this game. I guess I totally forgot he played last night. It is surprising though because we, we always say that Mikhail Burgess has played in every single game since high school. I don't know, I just. Maybe because he got traded, I thought he missed one somewhere.

[Tas Melas]

Well, he did miss a game like during the trade. Right. Like and his. All of the stuff hadn't gone through yet. But they're like, like it's not your fault you're missing the game.

[JD Skeets]

Yeah.

[Taz Melas]

Because the physicals hadn't gone through and all that also.

[JD Skeets]

And we talked about it when it happened. Like we can roll our eyes at it. There has been Mikael Bridges games played where he starts the game, he plays a couple minutes and then he fell like just takes himself off the floor. Right. That's happened. Am I crazy? It's happened maybe more than once over this streak. So you know, look, they're. They're game in the system to keep it going. Sure.

[Taz Melas]

Cool.

[JD Skeets]

Otherwise, he does play a lot. I mean obviously plays a lot. He never misses a game.

[Taz Melas]

Although there's sometimes he played six seconds last year. That was that.

[JD Skeets]

That was that one. Yeah.

[Taz Melas]

That was the 82nd game of the season when they played the broken. Here you're starting.

[JD Skeets]

Yeah.

[Taz Melas]

And they subbed him out after six seconds when he committed a foul. Yeah.

[Tas Melas]

I also got one of the coolest things you can get on a basketball reference page which is 83 games played in the season.

[JD Skeets]

That's right.

[Tas Melas]

You got to feel like a ballerina.

[JD Skeets]

That's pretty fun because that happened with a trade year.

[Taz Melas]

Yeah.

[JD Skeets]

I was going to ask you guys just a quick little trivia question. Guys in NBA history who have played more than 600 consecutive games, there are some names that are impossible for you to get. But can you name any of the guys? There's eight in total above Mikhail Bridges. I should have said above Mikhail Bridges. In more games played. Can you name them?

[Tas Melas]

AC Green, obviously number one is the lock.

[JD Skeets]

1192 is.

[Taz Melas]

Is Andre Miller on there?

[JD Skeets]

That's right. 632 games. He got up to good pull. But now and then it's tough. I think Trey Kirby shared a photo of this guy. Maybe from a Sports Illustrated.

[Tas Melas]

Bill Lambert.

[JD Skeets]

Bill Lambert. Did you share that the other day? Yeah, yeah. 685 for Bill Laimbeer and then it's tough. So I'm just going to give him to you. Randy Smith.

[Tas Melas]

Okay. Randy.

[JD Skeets]

Yeah. He played over 900 straight games. I know that surprised me. He played for like the Buffalo Braves. Right. And I think they're Clippers franchise anyway. Red Kerr.

[Tas Melas]

Oh yeah. Excellent.

[JD Skeets]

Yeah. Michael Cage incredibly got up to 736 straight games. Dolph Shays. Dolph, yeah. Hall of Famer. And then Bill Laimbeer and then the Nate and then Andre Miller. But Harry Gallatin, the horse. That's the horse himself. Yeah.

[Tas Melas]

He's an early horse.

[JD Skeets]

Really? Yeah, he is the horse.

[Bowen Yang]

Yeah, for sure.

[JD Skeets]

This is Jokic, his favorite player. Yeah.

[Tas Melas]

Have I put the word horse into the basketball reference search box? Of course I have.

[JD Skeets]

And he came up.

[Tas Melas]

Of course I have.

[JD Skeets]

Yeah, it comes up.

[Tas Melas]

You got a lot of. A lot of nuggets stuff because Dan Essel, I think he's a horse as well.

[Taz Melas]

Yeah, he's a horse.

[JD Skeets]

The horse. The first horse, of course. From Edwardsville. Sorry. Roxana, Illinois. Great. Do you know where that is?

[Tas Melas]

You said Edwardsville.

[JD Skeets]

He died in Edwardsville. He was born in Roxanna.

[Tas Melas]

My guess is it's probably central to south Illinois. Just guessing.

[JD Skeets]

Okay. Yeah, sure.

[Tas Melas]

I don't think I've ever been to Roxanna, Illinois.

[JD Skeets]

That's a shame.

[Tas Melas]

Sorry. I mean yet I haven't been there yet.

[JD Skeets]

Good point, good point. I can't wait for your dad, Steve Kirby to write in.

[Tas Melas]

Oh, he's gonna know.

[Taz Melas]

He knows.

[JD Skeets]

He has a story about Roxanna, Illinois.

[Tas Melas]

Oh, wow. Okay, so this is southwest Illinois. It appears near St. Louis down close to Granite City, where I have been. My mom used to live in Granite City.

[JD Skeets]

Do you think there's a lot of. A lot of farms down there?

[Tas Melas]

Yes.

[JD Skeets]

A lot of pastures.

[Tas Melas]

Yeah.

[JD Skeets]

Hence the nickname.

[Taz Melas]

Yeah, exactly.

[Tas Melas]

I guarantee there is.

[JD Skeets]

No, he was just hung like a horse. Guy had a massive donk, big ding dong.

[Tas Melas]

Some days feel ordinary. Others turn into memories without warning. Most of them start in the car. All of them involve people you love. That's why Toyota believed people are the destination. The Toyota Highlander is built to support life's rhythm, with room for passengers, gear and plans that change on the fly. It adapts to whatever comes next. From early morning practices to packed drives to big games to quiet rides home after a long weekend. It's made to keep you comfortable and connected the whole way. Because the best sports memories aren't just about the final score. They're about the people you experienced it with. Because people are the destination. Learn [e-mail] and find the vehicle that fits your people.

[Matt Rogers]

This is Matt Rogers from Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang.

[Bowen Yang]

This is Bowen Yang from Los Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang. What if your WI fi was more than just WI fi? What if your WI fi made everything in your whole house just work together better?

[Matt Rogers]

Well, Xfinity WI Fi pretty much does exactly that. It's powered by their best, most elite high performing tech.

[Bowen Yang]

Allow us to paint a very realistic example. Everyone in your house, everyone is on their devices at the exact same time. Gaming, working, swiping, right? Because of course they are. And the finale of your favorite show of all time of the week is on at the exact same moment. Well, you can boost the WI fi to your device with Xfinity.

[Matt Rogers]

And have you ever asked yourself, what if my wi fi could keep watch over my kids for me? Well, probably not, because that's a weird

[JD Skeets]

thing to ask yourself.

[Matt Rogers]

But Xfinity WI Fi has parenting skills even if you sometimes forget yours. Xfinity's like don't worry, I'll monitor the WI fi.

[Bowen Yang]

It's completely proactive, fixing issues before they even happen. Bottom line, Xfinity is smart and reliable. You deserve the peace of mind of having WI fi that's got your back.

[Matt Rogers]

Xfinity.

[Public Investing Advertiser]

Imagine that support for the show comes from public, the investing platform for those who take it seriously. On public, you can build a multi asset portfolio of stocks, bonds, options, crypto and now generated assets which allow you to turn any idea into an investable index. With AI, it all starts with your prompt. From renewable energy companies with high free cash flow to semiconductor suppliers growing revenue over 20% year over year. You can literally type any prompt and put the AI to work. It screens thousands of stocks, builds a one of a kind index and lets you back test it against the S&P 500. Then you can invest in a few clicks. Generated assets are like ETFs with infinite possibilities, completely customizable and based on your thesis, not someone else's. Go to public.com podcast and earn an uncapped 1% bonus when you transfer your portfolio. That's public.com podcast paid for by Public Investing Brokerage Services by Open to the Public Investing Inc. Member FINRA and SIPC Advisory Services by Public Advisors, llc. SEC Registered Advisor Generated Assets is an interactive analysis tool. Output is for informational purposes only and is not an investment recommendation or advice. Complete disclosures available at public.com disclosures this

[Jacob Goldstein]

is Jacob Goldstein from what's yous Problem? Business software is expensive and when you buy software from lots of different companies, it's not only expensive, it gets confusing. Slow to use, hard to integrate. Odoo solves that because all Odoo software is connected on a single affordable platform. Save money without missing out on the features you need. Odoo has no hidden costs and no limit on features or data. Odoo has over 60 apps available for any needs your business might have, all at no additional charge. Everything from websites to sales to inventory to accounting. All linked and talking to each other. Check out Odoo at O D O o dot com. That's O D O o dot com

[JD Skeets]

Next one here from the athletic oh, our old stomping grounds the headline JJ Redick Downplays Viral Sideline Interaction with Luka. Don't Trey Kirby is this news? And we can show the clip for everyone where yeah, Luca was walking past Reddick and he sort of grabbed him like a small child. Hey, let me talk to you. This happened on the weekend, but they've sort of joked about it since. Is it newsworthy though?

[Tas Melas]

I don't think so. JJ's a fiery competitor. Luke is a fiery competitor. As JJ explained, everything is amplified when you are a Laker. Everything is amplified when you are on LeBron James's team. Yep, these are two of the most famous guys in the NBA and they both just want to win and they weren't getting along. It was just as big of a story when JJ was making fun of the jacket that Luka wore when he sat out a game and then Luka got him the exact same jacket. So this is just like the flip side of that coin to me.

[Taz Melas]

I would say. No, it's not news, but it is eye candy. People enjoy it.

[JD Skeets]

I love it in isolation. It looked intense, the exchange.

[Taz Melas]

It did.

[JD Skeets]

But this is something that happens, I think more times, more often than you maybe think on benches.

[Taz Melas]

Right, right, right. It should be in basketball. Textbook type stuff These should happen. These are very, very, very intense competitors. Now, it is interesting to watch if you want to break down each part frame by frame of that video. Luca looks like he wants to walk around J.J. redick. He kind of sees him at the beginning, you know, look at multiple angles.

[JD Skeets]

He doesn't want to hear whatever he's going to tell him.

[Taz Melas]

He's like, I'm gonna. I'm gonna literally walk way around you. I'm not coming anywhere close to you. And then Reddick goes and does what he should. He needs to settle it right then and there. He follows him all the way to the end of the bench and then proceeds to leave. And, Luca, this is the best camera angle that you got here, Skeet.

[JD Skeets]

Thank you. I shot it.

[Taz Melas]

Yeah. Yeah. Because, like, directly on Luke, on the camera, not as good or not on the bench, I should say. But, like, from the corner, it's way better because you see Luca get up.

[JD Skeets]

Yeah. He showed something at him.

[Taz Melas]

Yeah.

[JD Skeets]

And then Vanderbilt sort of plays peacemaker. The best part is they made fun of this last night. If you saw that clip going around, like, they basically jokingly, along with Vanderbilt, like, Luca mockingly was going to get upset again with Reddick. So they're already making fun of it, and they addressed it, and they're like, yeah, it's called a competitive disagreement.

[Taz Melas]

Yeah. That was in the third quarter of that game.

[JD Skeets]

Yeah.

[Taz Melas]

They were buddies by the end of that game.

[JD Skeets]

Yeah. It's also funny to remember that they were teammates.

[Taz Melas]

Yeah.

[JD Skeets]

Yeah.

[Tas Melas]

You know, you don't think about JJ's Dallas tenure very often.

[JD Skeets]

No, but they were legit. Just teammates.

[Taz Melas]

Yeah. Jj, Dallas, New Orleans.

[JD Skeets]

All right, final one here from CBS Sports. The Hawks will not cancel Magic City event despite Luke Cornett's public plea. If you're not familiar with the story, I'll break it down here really quickly. The Hawks announced last week that their March 16 game against the Orlando Magic will be preceded by a celebration of Atlanta's quote, as they put it, iconic cultural institution, Magic City. So the press release did not say that Magic City is a strip club, which is what it is. Well, spurs backup center Luke Cornett suddenly a blog boy. We got blog boys back in our lives. He published a blog this week, taking issue with that fact. I'm not going to read the whole thing. A lot of you, I'm sure, have seen it by now. But in part, Cornett wrote, I would like to respectively ask that the Hawks canceled this promotional night with Magic City. The NBA should desire to protect and esteem women many of whom work diligently every day to make this the best basketball league in the world. Again, more to say than that. But is this news that, you know, Cornet said this, wrote this. He was asked about it, sort of backed up his words that he wrote. Al Horford also echoed the sentiment. But the Hawks are saying, well, no, we're not. We're not canceling it by any means. Is this news at all? Because it is news. Because it was everywhere for a couple days. But what do you think?

[Tas Melas]

Discourse.

[JD Skeets]

Yeah.

[Taz Melas]

Yeah. That's what I like about it, is that we're all just talking about something and making this a discussion. I don't really care what Luke Cornett thinks in particular, but I do want to discuss with anybody. I started discussing this with Danielle what she thinks about this, what we all think about this, that this industry is being glorified by the Atlanta Hawks. Do you want to glorify this industry with a lot of girls and women that are in this industry? Because likely they had no other options. That's what it comes down to. They are, you know, dancers and performers, and they jump up on the ceiling and there's these bars at Magic City that they're hanging on. So they're sort of acrobats.

[JD Skeets]

No, they're more athletic than half the NBA players in the league.

[Tas Melas]

Yeah.

[Taz Melas]

More athletic than Luke Cornett, I would say.

[Public Investing Advertiser]

Oh, God, yeah.

[Taz Melas]

That being said, it is odd that this is being put hand in hand with the Atlanta Hawks as an organization. It is an odd match. We go from kids night two weeks before that to this. And not. Not to compare the. Like they can be separate events. But it is odd, that is for sure. It is a strange matchup, a strange relationship that it is an industry being glorified by the Atlanta Hawks. So I like it as a discourse and I totally understand what Luke Cornett is saying. I hate the. Yeah, well, okay, I'll stop there. I'll just stop there.

[JD Skeets]

What do you think?

[Tas Melas]

I think Taz is right.

[Taz Melas]

It.

[Tas Melas]

It's an odd partnership for a family friendly thing, which the NBA is. And you can tell the Hawks understand that that's the case too, because they're calling it a cultural institution rather than a strip club, which everybody knows it is. That being said, it is a cultural institution in Atlanta. I think only the Hawks could do this. We were trying to think of other famous strip clubs in the United States. Couldn't name one that's in an NBA town now. Like Las Vegas is different. I suppose if they ever got a team, they could do something similar. But the Hawks also say that they are doing the best of the club, which means they're taking the family friendly parts of a strip club and bringing them to the basketball game. They're doing wings, they're doing hoodies, they're doing a pregame podcast. TI Is performing at halftime. DJ Esco is doing the music in the arena. These are all things that could happen for any sort of a partner. But it is Magic City, and there are probably going to be parents that have take their kids through the game and they're like, what's Magic City?

[Taz Melas]

Right.

[Tas Melas]

And that's a weird place to have to have that conversation with your kids.

[JD Skeets]

Sure. I'm also really not down with Cornet getting to define what protecting the esteem of women is. I think women can do that. But he took offense to it. He wrote about it. That's his right too. You know, like, I don't have to follow him on medium if I don't want to. He shared his thoughts and then you can. We can put aside all the what about ism as well with. With this league. That's a whole other thing. But yeah, the Hawks say we're going through with this and we're gonna get these hoodies that like, did you see they did a pre order? They like, sold out, obviously. Yeah, instantaneously. They're gonna do the Wings, they're gonna have music, but there are not gonna be, you know, strippers going through the aisles here. So, like, it's like, my point is they're not creating an atmosphere that I think on Monday night here during this game that's going to disrespect or have any lack of safety for women in the, in the arena there at the State Farm. That's not going to happen.

[Taz Melas]

Absolutely not.

[JD Skeets]

You can still have the opinion that it's weird. We said it when the first news broker, like, this is a little weird and like, there's a reason you're not saying strip club.

[Tas Melas]

Yes.

[JD Skeets]

But yeah, Atlanta has a relationship with this strip club big time. Obviously.

[Tas Melas]

And I mean, I haven't watched the Jamie Gertz documentary, but I do think it's notable. This whole thing is being spearheaded by a woman. And the music factor is huge as well here. That's what they're going to be playing up. A lot of local acts have gone national after getting their start by like handing a mixtape to the dj, and suddenly the song becomes huge in the club. It explodes out of the club. And now we know about Migos, you know. Yeah, that Kind of thing. So, yeah, my guess is that you could go to this game and if you didn't know anything about Magic City, you wouldn't even know it's a thing. It would be like this. Having TI perform at halftime. That's happened before for the Hawks. Yes, I saw Quavo. Yeah, I saw Quavo opening night. Yeah, he took me through there. It was awesome. Yeah, they're getting a great act to perform.

[JD Skeets]

So everyone's got an opinion on this. I'm sure the Stream team sharing it now. Let us know in the comments. But. But March 16th is still going down here in Atlanta with the Magic, which I still do like that touch.

[Tas Melas]

Meet me at the club. It's going down. Shout out to young jock. I hope they do the Clermont Lounge next. Oh, man, that would be awesome.

[JD Skeets]

Wow.

[Tas Melas]

Also a cultural institution.

[JD Skeets]

It is.

[Tas Melas]

Anthony Bourdain made a show about it.

[JD Skeets]

You're right. A long time ago. You're right.

[Tas Melas]

Let's get Blondie out there.

[JD Skeets]

You can't have matches in the State Farm Arena. I don't think it's gonna be a problem. It took you a second to get

[Taz Melas]

that one, didn't it? I don't know them by name. I don't know the performance by name, but yes, Blondie. Yes, yes, yes, yes.

[JD Skeets]

Of the night. Sponsored by the Shively show on YouTube. Now, Shively said, next time an Atlanta Hawk wins it, can you guys tell me happy birthday? Well, no, we can't do that. That first off may never happen. We don't know how these are gonna shake out. I guess it could. Jaylen Johnson's had some big lines, Kaminga's biggest on fire kill. Alexander Walker even. But it wouldn't be your birthday either is the problem here. So we're just going to say happy birthday today to Shively. Happy birthday. Happy birthday and thank you for sponsoring Woah, boy. And we go back to Anthony Edwards, who got woah, 41 points as the Wolves beat the Grizzlies 117, 110. Their seventh win in their last eight games. They're rolling right now. He shot 15, 29 from the field, hit seven from deep, six rebounds, five steals, one block. Took over in the fourth quarter like Trey said. He had that stretch where he hit like three three pointers as the Wolves pulled away. He had a sick ass block too. He. Scott. I forget who he blocked. Damn.

[Tas Melas]

It was during his little run.

[JD Skeets]

Yeah, yeah. Somebody attacked and tried to do a floater, but he went so goddamn high to get that.

[Tas Melas]

So High up in the air on that.

[JD Skeets]

That was ants 9th 40 point game of the season and the fans were hitting him with the MVP chance there. Well deserved. Anthony Edwards.

[Tas Melas]

Yeah, he was. He was great. He dominated.

[JD Skeets]

Pick him. We're all tied up. 1 1, everybody here in the month of March because task got the victory going against his team picking against his Raptors wisely taking the Knicks. And this is going to go or pair nicely with with tonight's game because a big reason why I took the Raptors even though they can't beat good teams is like I thought the Knicks might have a classic trap game ahead of them there last night because they play a big one tonight. Tess.

[Taz Melas]

OKC coming to New York for the first time this season. Well, they only come there once, but this is the first time they're playing this season. Is this a preview of the NBA Finals?

[JD Skeets]

Thunder Knicks.

[Taz Melas]

The Knicks getting four and a half points at home. Juicy. You can lose by four and still cover. That's why I'm comfortable. Felt comfortable taking the Knicks as did Trey Skeets. You're taking okc. They got one by five or more.

[JD Skeets]

Do we know the status of one Shay Gilders Alexander who did not play yesterday?

[Tas Melas]

Yeah, no shade, no. Isaiah Hartenstein against the Bulls last night. And I thought they sat so that they would be ready for this.

[JD Skeets]

That was my reading of the line too, so. So yeah, I. I feel a lot better if SGA is playing an msg. Yeah, yeah, I was.

[Tas Melas]

I'm not quite as comfortable as you, but I like the points.

[JD Skeets]

Okay.

[Taz Melas]

Okay.

[JD Skeets]

Well, good luck. I mean, it's still early. Still early.

[Taz Melas]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[JD Skeets]

And if you've missed the last couple shows, Tas lost February. He'll be paying it off at the end of this week. Friday show with some smelling salts. Did they arrive? Did they arrive?

[Taz Melas]

Yeah.

[JD Skeets]

Yay.

[Taz Melas]

Yeah, they're not happy about it, but yeah, they arrive.

[JD Skeets]

You've looked at the too much, right?

[Taz Melas]

Well, yeah. I'm still gonna go get that other bottle.

[JD Skeets]

Oh, you are gonna.

[Taz Melas]

Yes, yes. We're gonna have both and I'll decide. Maybe I'll return the one.

[Bowen Yang]

Okay.

[JD Skeets]

You gotta return it and say this didn't work. I didn't. I didn't react enough to this.

[Taz Melas]

Right. These aren't good enough.

[JD Skeets]

Okay, well, that's later this week. We got a few more shows until then. Well, I guess we only have one more tomorrow. Thursday and we'll be back. There's some good games on tonight, so we'll have those. We'll get into some More fun as well. So join us. Hit the like button. Subscribe. You know, you can hit the little bell. Be notified when we're going live. That's a nice little feature, isn't it? Good stuff. YouTube. Also, you can listen to us on Apple, Spotify, wherever you download and listen to podcasts. And if you do leave your boys a five star rating and review, don't be afraid to jump in those Spotify comments as well. We see everything. We like. Everything. Yeah, almost everything. Don't be a dick.

[Tas Melas]

That's the only rule.

[JD Skeets]

It's really the only rule, man. We.

[Tas Melas]

We're even very, like, very permissive with

[JD Skeets]

how far the line is going.

[Tas Melas]

Being a dick.

[JD Skeets]

Yeah, don't be a racist, misogynistic. Don't be a complete and utter. I mean, Leo's an. But we put up with him every day. Like, he's a sort of a lovable. You know, he's like a curmudgeon. Yeah. We're not asking a lot here. Okay. Am I wrong?

[Taz Melas]

Oh, that's his shtick. Oh, I'm not saying it's a. That's a. That's who he is. Yeah.

[JD Skeets]

Right. Yeah, that's a great.

[Taz Melas]

So that's why it's funny.

[JD Skeets]

Yeah, it's great.

[Taz Melas]

It's accurate. It's funny because it's true.

[JD Skeets]

That's right. I don't even know if. Is he here today? I didn't check.

[Tas Melas]

I don't remember.

[JD Skeets]

Okay, well, I'll tell you how, you know he would shout out.

[Jacob Goldstein]

Me.

[Taz Melas]

No.

[JD Skeets]

There you go. There you go. What's up, Leo? All right, guys, we'll see you tomorrow. Until then, Clipper Bros. You heard it here first. Have a great time. Turn up. Love you guys. Awesome.

[Taz Melas]

Thanks for joining us. And remember, Tracy McGrady and Vince Carter are minority owners of the Buffalo Bills.

[JD Skeets]

It was Bill's night.

[Taz Melas]

Yeah, they did a whole cross promotion.

[JD Skeets]

The shirts look cool. You see the shirts? I thought you'd like one of those.

[Taz Melas]

No, they're nice. Yeah, I've already emailed the little rap. Yeah, they look pretty cool. I thought the best part was Alvin Williams, another raptor. Teammates of these guys, also on the broadcast, asked, okay, you guys are owners. How do we get, you know, get some stuff, you know, get into. And Trace McGrady answered with, we don't got time. We got to go to commercial. In 5, 4, 3. He counted it down, just like us. We gotta go. It's five, four, three, two.

[JD Skeets]

Embrace the day, people.

[Tas Melas]

An ordinary day can become a memorable one. When you're with the right people. That's why Toyota believes people are the destination. The Toyota Highlander is built for everyday routines and special moments, with space, comfort and flexibility to handle whatever the day brings. From busy mornings to memorable game days, it keeps everyone connected. Learn [e-mail] and find the vehicle that fits your people.

[JD Skeets]

I'm U.S. transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. We all get distracted when we drive, whether it's from our phones or kids in the backseat bickering. But how we handle these distractions can be a matter of life or death. Before you get on the road for your next road trip, please put your phones on silent and take a mental note to focus on driving. Paid for by NHTSA

[Discover Card Advertiser]

when you manage procurement for multiple facilities, every order matters. But when it's for a hospital system, they matter even more. Grainger gets it and knows there's no time for managing multiple suppliers and no room for shipping delays. That's why Grainger offers millions of products in fast, dependable delivery so you can keep your facility stocked, safe, and running smoothly. Call 1-800-GRAINGER Click grainger.com or just stop by Grainger for the ones who get it done.

[Matt Rogers]

This is Matt Rogers from Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang.

[Bowen Yang]

This is Bowen Yang from Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang.

[Matt Rogers]

Hey, so what if you could boost the WI fi to one of your

[Taz Melas]

devices when you need it most?

[Bowen Yang]

Because Xfinity WI fi can. And what if your WI fi could fix itself before there's even really a problem? Xfinity is so reliable it does that too.

[Matt Rogers]

What if your wifi had parental instincts? Xfinity WI fi is part nanny, part ninja, protecting your kids while they' and

[Bowen Yang]

finally, what if your WI fi was like, the smartest WI fi?

[Matt Rogers]

Yeah, it's WI fi that is so smart it makes everything work better together.

[Bowen Yang]

Bottom line, Xfinity is smart and reliable. You deserve the peace of mind of having WI fi that's got your back.

[Matt Rogers]

Xfinity.

[JD Skeets]

Imagine that this is an iHeart podcast.

[Taz Melas]

Guaranteed Human.