SGA, Thunder Strike Back To Even NBA Finals

Summary

No Dunks Podcast Summary: "SGA, Thunder Strike Back To Even NBA Finals"

Release Date: June 9, 2025

In this episode of No Dunks, hosted by Gene Geek, Tasos Melis, Trey Kirby, JD, and Evan, the hosts delve deep into Game 2 of the NBA Finals between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Indiana Pacers. Stripping away the advertisements and non-content segments, the discussion primarily focuses on the Thunder's commanding performance that leveled the series and the strategic shifts that contributed to their victory.

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1. Game 2 Breakdown: Thunder's Dominant Comeback

The Thunder showcased a formidable performance in Game 2, overshadowing their previous loss in Game 1 and tying the series at one game each.

• Shay Gilgeous-Alexander (SGA) led the charge, scoring an impressive 34 points. Tasos Melis highlights SGA’s transformation from Game 1 to Game 2:

  "Instead of taking 12 shots like he did in game one, he only took five. He was looking to get guys involved." ([03:33])

• Alex Caruso and Aaron Wiggins made significant contributions off the bench, adding 20 and 18 points respectively. Their shooting prowess, particularly from beyond the arc, was pivotal:

  "Aaron Wiggins, as you mentioned, that guy was awesome. He was 18 points in 21 minutes. Five threes." ([04:29])

• JD commends the team’s defensive strategy:

  "They allowed zero points in the paint in the first quarter. So they set the tone, that's for sure." ([05:00])

The Thunder demonstrated resilience by bouncing back from a previous loss, maintaining their momentum throughout both the regular season and the postseason.

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2. Strategic Adjustments and Team Dynamics

The Thunder's ability to adapt their gameplay was a critical factor in their recent victory.

• Playmaking and Assist Increase: The team’s assists rose from 25 in Game 1 to 34 in Game 2, indicating a more cohesive offensive approach.

• Defensive Enhancements: The Pacers intensified their defense on Halliburton, limiting his effectiveness in scoring:

  "Halliburton was defended very hard...they allowed zero points in the paint in the first quarter." ([03:33])

• Utilizing Bigs Effectively: Chet Holmgren showed aggressiveness both offensively and defensively, contributing significantly to the Thunder's performance:

  "Chet Holmgren looked more aggressive and the Thunder just played bigger." ([06:50])

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3. Player Performances and Highlights

Individual performances were stellar, with several players stepping up to meet the team's needs.

• SGA's All-Around Game: Averaging 30.8 points, 7.6 assists, 5.6 rebounds, and 1.8 steals over 18 playoff games, SGA joins an elite group alongside Michael Jordan and LeBron James for such consistent postseason performances.

• Aaron Wiggins' Efficiency: Scoring 18 points in 21 minutes, Wiggins was lauded for his quick scoring bursts:

  "He was just awesome. So everybody around Shea, who was far more efficient himself..." ([05:00])

• Miles Turner’s Defensive Prowess: Leading the NBA playoffs with 39 blocks, Turner's defensive impact was a significant asset:

  "He's leading the NBA in terms of the playoffs. Blocks. 39. It's a lot of blocks." ([29:47])

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4. Series Implications and Future Outlook

With the series tied at one game each, anticipation builds for Game 3 in Indianapolis.

• Thunder's Momentum: The team’s ability to dominate after a loss raises questions about their potential to carry this momentum forward:

  "I do think they're not even quite there." ([05:00])

• Pacers' Challenges: Indiana needs to address their shooting efficiency and defensive strategies to counter the Thunder's aggressive play:

  "They can't be even in the three-point department not winning these games." ([38:58])

• Historical Comparisons: Hosts draw parallels to past Finals scenarios, emphasizing the unpredictability and excitement of the current matchup:

  "It definitely could be... similar to the 2001 finals." ([09:03])

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5. Random Notes and Updates

Beyond the Finals analysis, the hosts touch on various NBA-related topics and trivia.

• NBA Finals Presentation: The hosts discuss the mixed reactions to the digital Larry O’Brien Trophy presentation, which was criticized for resembling emojis and lacking the traditional grandeur:

  "Adam Silver on the phone was funny because, hey, this is clip art." ([25:00])

• Honoring Don Nelson: The episode honors Don Nelson, announced as the recipient of the Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award. His contributions to the NBA and his unique personality are celebrated:

  "He basically called what the NBA was going to become. Small ball." ([33:09])

• Injury Updates: The Grizzlies' rookie center Zach Eady suffers a left ankle re-sprain, likely sidelining him for the start of the next season. This puts additional pressure on the team's front office to find suitable replacements:

  "He's likely gonna miss the beginning of the 2526 season." ([35:23])

• Trivia Segment: A playful discussion ensues about playoff nicknames, highlighting players like Draymond Green, Rasheed Wallace, Al Horford, Miles Turner, and Chet Holmgren who have achieved impressive shooting and blocking stats in the playoffs.

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6. Closing Thoughts

As the Thunder and Pacers gear up for Game 3, the hosts express excitement and anticipation for the continuation of the Finals. They emphasize the importance of strategic adjustments, player health, and maintaining momentum to clinch the championship.

"We can't win these games if we don't hit our threes." ([38:58])

The episode wraps up with a tease for future discussions and a reminder to listeners to stay tuned for more in-depth analysis and updates as the series progresses.

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Notable Quotes:

• "Shay can shoot over the top. There was that one where he shook Ben Matheran by just left-handed dribbling 15 times in a row." — Tasos Melis ([15:09])

• "SGA through 18 games here in the postseason is averaging 30.8 points per game, 7, 6.8 assists, 5.6 rebounds, 1.8 steals." — Evan ([14:21])

• "They were much better getting out to three-point shooters. And their best defense was they were making a ton of shots and can get back on the other end." — Tasos Melis ([05:00])

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This comprehensive analysis by No Dunks provides listeners with an in-depth understanding of the Thunder's strategic improvements, standout player performances, and the evolving dynamics of the NBA Finals series. As Game 3 approaches, the podcast promises continued insightful discussions and expert commentary.

Transcript

[Tasos Melis]

I'm not saying I'm obsessed with basketball, but my neighbors definitely know when there's a new doc on prime video because I yell at the TV like I'm coaching the team. And with Amazon Prime, I can always count on fast free delivery when ordering a mini hoop, ankle socks and three different headbands because style matters even when you're missing layups. Prime is my coach, my hype man, and my gear guy all in one. Whatever you're into, it's on Prime. Visit Amazon.comprime to get more out of whatever you're into.

[Gene Geek]

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[Trey Kirby]

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[Tasos Melis]

Due to compounding current events, my freaking.

[JD]

Limit has been exceeded. O.

[Evan]

Good morning sweet world, and welcome to the no Knocks podcast presented by Amazon Prime. It's Monday, June 9, 2025. I'm Gene Geek the Classic Factory and alongside me as always, Tas Melis.

[Tasos Melis]

I love Mondays. Happy Monday everybody.

[Evan]

Next to him, it's the bearded one back from okc. Trey Kirby. Hey, hey yo. And over yonder, making the magic happen. Super producer JD Hello. There he is. Here we are. Hello to everybody on YouTube. Hit the like button. Subscribe podcast listeners five star ratings and reviews great to have you back TK good times in OKC for game one. You survived the tornado warnings.

[JD]

Great times in OKC. I felt right at home being back in Tornado alley. I don't think of Oklahoma City as the Midwest, but when I look out my hotel window and see a Casey's with a Bass Pro Shops behind it, that's when I knew I was back home.

[Tasos Melis]

Wow.

[Evan]

Now did you see any Tumbleweed?

[JD]

No, I think it's tornado season right now rather than tumbleweed season. So I don't know when they kick into overdrive, but I'm willing to go back in November and scout it out.

[Evan]

Hey, look, you got the better of the two games there in okc.

[JD]

Exactly right. Yeah.

[Evan]

The sort of instant classic, Game one, Game two, a little differently. So we're going to address here today, tas, but we got some news as well, so you just want to dive into this one. I don't know how long it's going to take, because this is sort of maybe how we thought a lot of this finals was going to go. But anyway, Shay Gilders Alexander scored 34 points. Alex Caruso added 20 off the bench. Wiggins was great off the bench as well. As the Thunder beat the Pacers 123, 107 on Sunday night. They tie these finals at one game a piece. Game three, Wednesday in Indianapolis. But this was a dominating victory as we've seen from this team all postseason, all regular season as well. After a loss, coming back and kicking ass.

[Tasos Melis]

Yeah, they looked more like them. And I know a lot of the talk afterwards was, Halliburton's gotta be better. Halliburton's gotta be better. I think the better story was OKC playing to another level. Now, Halliburton was defended very hard, but I do think SGA changed the way he played in that first quarter. Instead of taking 12 shots like he did in game one, he only took five. He was looking to get guys involved. Finding Chet, finding Jay. Jaylen Williams when he split that double team, got into the paint and found him in the corner. That was pretty stuff. So he had three assists in the first quarter. That's what he had the entire game in game number one. So I thought he played entirely different. This team played different. And Jalen Williams came alive. I thought he started bad, but in the second quarter, leading that second unit, he played a lot better. Like he was. He was 5 of 14. Nothing spectacular, but I think he had a play there in the second quarter with that layup that he can put on a. Like a. A digital frame and have in his house forever. Like, looked idyllic on that. That layup. Come on. That was. That was beautiful stuff.

[JD]

I do love a digital frame.

[Tasos Melis]

Yeah, I know.

[JD]

It's nice to be able to upload photos from far away.

[Tasos Melis]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Like from okc, if you got a tumbleweed photo. But, like. But. But I mean, a play. Now you can see a play. I know it's digital. That's true.

[JD]

You can do videos. Yeah, videos.

[Tasos Melis]

That video is gonna be beautiful. That's. That's like.

[Evan]

Do you have one in your house?

[Tasos Melis]

I do not.

[Evan]

Okay.

[JD]

Geez.

[Evan]

We have to get you something for Christmas.

[Tasos Melis]

Well, old people get it usually.

[Evan]

It's for grandkids.

[Tasos Melis]

Here's our photos.

[JD]

Great gift.

[Tasos Melis]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. We gotta. We got some. Some gramps, some of those, that's for sure. But he definitely got the group going. Yeah, you know, Chad got going. Shay Gills Alexander. When he sat in that second quarter for five minutes, they increased the lead by nine points. And Aaron Wiggins, as you mentioned, that guy was awesome. He was. Yes, he was. Fast act every time he got the ball. 18 points in 21 minutes. Five threes. I know earlier in the playoffs, Benedict Matheran had that. That time there were 20 points in 12 minutes and 29 seconds. The fewest minutes played in a 20 point game in NBA history. But I thought Wiggins in this one was way more impactful because it wasn't for the free throw line like Benedict Mathurins, but he was just awesome. So everybody around Shea, who was far more efficient himself, like after needing 30 shots in game one, he just needed 21 in game two to get to 34 points. Now the Halliburton thing, they definitely played him harder. They were showing more bodies in the lane, so he wasn't getting into the lane as well. And it showed the Thunder defense that they allowed zero points in paint, in the paint in the first quarter. So they set the tone, that's for sure. And you saw Halliburton finding Miles Turner like in the third quarter, Miles Turner was going off and people were saying, okay, we need Halliburton to get some more. And he got more, I guess in the fourth quarter. 12 of his points there where they were starting the NEM hard. You lead it up, give it off to Miles Turner and it's almost a drop off to Halliburton in the mid range thing. So they got him going. But really I think the biggest part was OKC showing why they're here. I don't think they even played exactly up to their potential. They play better, but I don't think we're even done here.

[Evan]

Yeah. Including the NBA cup title game, which doesn't count really in the standings, the Thunder are now 18 and 2 this season when coming off a loss of those 18 wins, 12 of them double digit wins. So dominant victories here. And this has been sort of the trend here in the postseason as well. A bad loss Followed up with an ass kicking. But yeah, tk, what jumped out to you? Do you start with sga or is it all these other guys helping out?

[JD]

How do you really separate them? Because I mean, eight assists for Shay Gilgis Alexander I think is a huge number as well. And that's not factoring in the hockey assist. You know, dumping it to Hartenstein who throws it over the top to chat Holmgren for a massive dunk. But Shea was just living in the lane in this one. That's the big difference between him and Halliburton right now. Halliburton can't get two feet in the lane and Shea is there basically any time he wants to. The Oklahoma City neighborhood of the Deep Deuce was very kind to Shay Gilgeous Alexander in this one. His mid range game was impeccable and the Thunder were pretty smart, putting him into a lot of empty side pick and rolls and making it really hard to help. It was either J Dub handling on usually the right wing or Shea handling on the right wing and then the other one of them is right there. So it was making it impossible for Indiana to really get somebody else raiding at the nail off these drives. Shea clearly saw something in the way the Thunder, the Pacers were defending pick and roll because he was trying to split every single pick and roll and it was working pretty good. And then suddenly it's four on three which leads to the kickouts to the corner or the bang, bang, bang, somebody else is getting a basket. I just thought the way the Thunder were setting the pick and roll so high on the floor was giving him so many options and the Pacers just couldn't really get out to the shooters. They were knocking them down as well. 4 threes from Caruso, 5 threes from Aaron Wiggins. That's huge. You factor in Jalen Williams getting downhill, getting to the free throw line. He didn't shoot very well from the floor, but was able to make it up efficiency wise by knocking down free throws. Chet Holmgren looked more aggressive and the Thunder just played bigger. In general. They did do the two big lineup in this one, only about five minutes. They were a plus four. They're saving it for when Siakam's on the bench. If Thomas Bryan is out there, they're willing to do it. But in general, no. 0 big lineups for the Thunder, which I thought was big. They controlled the glass. Hartenstein was really good in his minutes and they just always had a rim defender or at least a big dude out there. And I thought that was A big time factor like this wasn't a great defensive game for OKC, just a normal defensive game. They forced 15 turnovers, but they were much better getting out to three point shooters. And their best defense was they were making a ton of shots and can get back on the other end and actually set things up defensively, which is why Halliburton was taken out of his game.

[Evan]

Halliburton, those paint touches, you brought it up heading into this series. Tasks I remember, like, keep your eye on that. Can you get in there? Can obviously start spraying out to shooters. The numbers are sort of wild. I saw this by way of espn, this inability for Halliburton to touch the paint. And I'll give you the stats here. He touched the paint on nine of his hundred touches, 9% in game two after touching the paint. Just seven of his 108 touches in game one, which is like 6.5%. So, like these are his two lowest percentages in all of the playoff games he's played. He can't get by, mainly Dort when he's on him. He just cannot get by that first line of defense. And when he does, there's obviously a second guy helping him out, cutting them off even before he touches paint. So that's been a huge thing. And that's something that, of course needs to change in game three for them. You know, steal one at home there. I say steal at home. I know they're the home team, but they need. They. They never win game threes, so they need to fix that. They've still yet to win a game three here in the postseason. Yeah, odd. I think the Thunder are one and two though, too, so they haven't been good in game threes either.

[Tasos Melis]

But yeah, that's two to one against Denver. Yeah, it was. I think Nemhard was a little bit bigger in game one, that's for sure. At taking the ball up. But I think they did solve something a little bit in the fourth quarter when Nemhard was bringing the ball up, going to a guy in the N on the nail like Miles Turner, basically dribble handoffs to Haliburton. So starting it elsewhere to get it going for Halberton a little bit more because he did have a great fourth quarter. He hit more shots in game two than he hit in game one. Yeah, obviously we all note the end shot, which was spectacular. But I think part of it is what Trey mentioned with the. The no bigs. I mean, the. The quintuple smalls that they played in the three And a half minutes to end game one. They didn't have any bigs OKC on the floor. And so I think that's done. I mean they just can't do that anymore.

[Evan]

Well, it helps when Chad Holmgren, I thought he came out aggressive in this game too. Like he, he missed a bunny inside, but he got it right back and scored like he was looking to score. I think he had nine quick points.

[Tasos Melis]

Yeah.

[Evan]

Making plays defensively as well. Like he was just engaged. You could tell they're like, we need something from you here.

[Tasos Melis]

That was all shape. I think I was setting him up. He literally, instead of taking those shots that he took in game one, forget it. I'm finding Chet out at the three point line. And yeah, Chet was definitely more aggressive. He played a few more minutes. Basically the three more. Those three minutes when Mark Dagenau decided, yeah, we're going to play big now. That's what it was from 24 minutes up to 27 minutes. And yeah, that is never going to happen again. Either Hartenstein has to be out there or Chet Holmgren. But there were lots of flubs for the Thunder. They could play better. I mean sometimes they didn't get out to the pick and pop three point shooters. Hartenstein guilty. Even Holmgren didn't get up to a top in one. There's opportunities for them to be better and they had flubs, you know, turning it over. Obviously they can't be perfect, but I still think they're. They're not even quite there.

[Evan]

Right.

[JD]

I do think it's part of the game plan to allow Toppin and Turner to shoot three pointers. I think Top or Turner was 1 for 5 from 3 in this one. Obviously Obi shot it well in game one, didn't in game two. The Thunder, as series go on, are generally more and more bold to leave three point shooters open that they're not trusting to make them. And I, that's what it felt like to me. The way they were selling out to defend Halliburton and then smart moves to get Turner looks. But he's got to knock him down and maybe he does when they play back in Indiana. But he didn't have a very effective game. I thought especially chucking him up from three. You need to make those ones. They made them all in game one. That's how they were able to stay so close even though they were turning the ball over. The shooting just wasn't quite the same for Indiana.

[Evan]

Yeah, 41 points in the first half. They shot 35%. Indy did from the floor. That's not going to cut it against this great defensive team. It was one of their worst offensive performances of the postseason, if not all season long for Indy. But yeah, you're right, they are selling out on Haliburt. He had five turnovers, which he stepped.

[JD]

On the half court line.

[Evan]

Unheard of for him.

[JD]

Crazy.

[Evan]

Yeah. And it was like, let's see if these other guys can beat us. They did to some extent in game one. Couldn't hear in game two. And that second quarter, I mean, it was like a 19 to two run, sort of like that. That blew the game open. But now it's so funny with the Pacers. You have to be like, I don't know, I guess they're down the whole time. You're watching the scoreboard, right? You're going down 15. Oh, it's getting 20, but you're like, oh, ton of time left. You know, we've seen them do this before, but obviously I thought OKC came out locked and ready, ready to go in the second half, even into the fourth quarter. Like, no, no, no, we're not taking our foot off the gas in this one because we got burned the first game.

[Tasos Melis]

Yeah, it seemed like a blowout in that second quarter. I know you were. You were sending some messages in the chats like, it's over, like, it's going to be a blowout. It was that one weird play where Shay just got an inbound pass and Nemar was playing the wrong side of him and she just got a layup. Yeah. And that's when Mike Breen said, we've got a thunder avalanche. I mean, he was just on the wrong side. Then Nemhardt woke up and I think you shared.

[Evan]

They went on a channel run right away. Oh, what have I done? Yeah, they just. I mean, this was a must win game from is the other point.

[Tasos Melis]

Yeah, the third quarter they were. Yeah, they kept it going. They were guarding those corner threes. There was two block threes on corner. Three point shots from the Pacers. You know, Wallace got one. And then in the fourth quarter, they started it with offensive rebound after offensive rebound after offensive rebound. They had four offensive rebounds in the first two minutes of the four fourth quarter. So, yeah, they weren't going to lose the third quarter.

[Evan]

That was the free throw contest.

[JD]

Yes, it was.

[Evan]

Holy moly. We had the teams in bonus early and we had a lot of free throws. Both Scots like. I mean, I know that's where SGA got a lot of his in that quarter there, but man, Pacers Are going to line just as much.

[JD]

Like 11 for the Pacers, 13 for 14 for the Thunder. Pretty good fundamentals though, knocking them down.

[Evan]

Everybody knocking down the free throws.

[JD]

24 for 28. Can't complain.

[Evan]

SGA through 18 games here in the postseason is averaging 30.8 points per game, 7, 6.8 assists, 5.6 rebounds, 1.8 steals. How many guys have ever done that in their postseason where they've played like 16 games or more? It's two other guys. Right now. SGA would be joining this list of Michael Jordan who did it four times, and LeBron James who did it twice. It's just like, it is wild. Like, I know he's the mvp, I know he is talked about a lot, but he in a weird way is not. These are insane numbers. And the consistency, that's the whole thing. Even Riccarl like heading back to India here for game three. He's like, well, you can just put it in the box score now that SGA is going to have 34 points. He even admits like, we can't really slow the guy. Like there's been no answer all season really the last two seasons. So he's getting his. We got to like obviously shut off the other guys.

[JD]

Yeah. You watch the highlights back as they're playing through the game and this is great defense by the Pacers to even be close to him. But it just doesn't matter because Shay can shoot over the top. There was that one where he shook Ben Matheran by just left handed dribbling 15 times in a row. Wait, I'm going left, I'm going left. I'm going left. I'm going left. I'm going left. Oh, I'm shooting a jump shot and you're. It was all night for Halliburton living in the mid range and not or sorry for Shay in the mid range knocking him down when he's shooting that well. And you're getting the performances from the other Thunders. That's why they score 122 points. Good luck outscoring a Thunder team that scores this many points when they play the defense. They do. They had the top four scorers in this game.

[Evan]

Yeah, right. They're bench giving them like 50 and 20 basically to like found money right there when.

[JD]

And also.

[Evan]

And they're making Caruso shooting like he's got to be a part of the game plan.

[JD]

But he, he's killing. Yeah, yeah. And as was Wiggins, of course. Chet knocked him down. Jalen Williams, like we said, didn't shoot well, but he was good attacking. 13 assists on 39 makes in game one for OKC. In game two, they upped that to 25 assists on 40 makes. The ball was just moving a lot more smoothly, I think. Mark Degnalt afterwards said that Indiana is an acquired taste, meaning learning how to play with them. Not as if you live there. You got to get used to having corn with everything. But it is an acquired taste. And they seem to have figured out what they were going to attack on the offensive end. I thought it was smart. How many post ups Shay Gil just Alexander was getting because he was getting down into the post. Usually on Nemhard, sometimes on Matheran. And at that point, Indiana has to send help and he would just kick it to the top, who would kick it to the wing, who would kick it to the corner? They got so many good looks for their three point shooters, and to their credit, they knocked him down.

[Evan]

Yeah, and then the one time where he didn't pass out or the double didn't come, he scored over Matheren on the. On the block there and dropped the very quick. He sort of did a little finger point and then went for the too small on Matheran, on his Canadian bro there. Because he is. He's just like. He's obviously a tall dude. I mean, Doris Burke brings it up all the time. He's wiry and strong, but he is a tall point guard, so he can shoot over the top of these guys.

[Tasos Melis]

Yes. Shay got his Canadian bro and he poked it away from him on that fast break and he did the around the shoulder reach around poke away that you. You commented on skates. You're waiting for it. He got nem hard with it.

[Evan]

I thought he was really good defensively in this game. I know it's all talking about his scoring, but man, a lot of those poke from behinds, the wraparound. He had an awesome block in this game, too. I thought when your superstars like, given the effort defensively too, I mean, obviously setting the tone. Just a great game from him. And now they. I guess, I don't know. Do you believe they've taken back command of the series? Like, how do you sort of approach game three from both of these squads? TK or what do you think's gonna happen is this could be a gentleman's. No, a douchebag sweep?

[JD]

I mean, it definitely could be. It wouldn't be dissimilar to 2001 finals. Incredible performance by Allen Iverson carries the Sixers over the Lakers. They went in overtime and then Smackdown Afterwards. It definitely feels like Oklahoma City has played better so far. Through four halves, they've outplayed the Pacers in three of them. I didn't think Indiana really established themselves in this game the way they did in the second half of game one. That was Pacer style basketball in quarters three and four of game one. And this one, it was thunder throughout. So maybe they can look at the fourth quarter and say, yeah, if we have Halliburton dish the ball off to Nemharden, we're playing through dribble handoffs. That's a good way for him to get into his offense. But we got to see Halliburton be able to score a little bit more in the first half of these games. It's nice that Mike Breen tossed him that bang when he made the three pointer in the first quarter because that was his only basket in the first quarter. Little did Mike know when he said, I got to get it in early, that he really had to get it in early because there was not going to be another consequential shot from Halliburton in this game. So nice of him to slide it in there. But OKC has to win one on the road for them to really take back control. I do think you would say game to game, Indiana has lost the momentum that they had after game one.

[Tasos Melis]

Yeah, the 2001 comparison is a good one. I couldn't help but think of the 2013 NBA Finals when Tony Parker hit a game one game winner and he'd ended up winning that series and you know, a long, long seven game series. So I feel like, yeah, what are we getting here? Are we getting a bang, bang, bang, bang, Lakers four games straight or we're getting a long series? You know, we gotta, gotta give the Pacer some love. But I do think, okay, he has got it back in control even though they're going on the freaking road. Yeah, I do think they're the favorite one, sort of.

[Evan]

You guys already talked about the bigs playing or at least one always out there. The other thing was no more AJ Mitchell and it was more Wiggins and then Kenrich, William Williams as well. So a little bit of time here when in the competitive portion of the game he got an opportunity that we thought maybe would come in game one. Never really did. Didn't get out there a lot, but you see Dagnaut switching up some things here and more like, yeah, let's keep a big out here and let's stay big on this team and help our chances there.

[Tasos Melis]

Anything else well, you mentioned all the guys coming in. James Johnson playing in his first NBA finals. That's cool. Sixteen years here in the NBA. He's 38. He's an old man, but he got to be on the floor.

[Evan]

It took about eight seconds to reference how he's like the toughest guy in the league. I was happy about that.

[JD]

He scored. Yeah, he scored a basket. That's cool.

[Tasos Melis]

Yep. That's about it from him.

[Evan]

Excuse me. Anything else as I choke here?

[JD]

Yeah, I mean, we talked about the bigs. Chat went from 24 to 28 minutes and that's, you know, with the last three minutes basically being garbage time. Hartenstein went from 17 to 22 minutes and then Kendrich Williams went from 39 seconds to seven minutes and was a plus 15 without scoring. Just the physicality and having guys out there who are gonna contribute on the glass, I think was big for OKC in this one.

[Tasos Melis]

I'm not saying I'm obsessed with basketball, but my neighbors definitely know when there's a new dock on prime video because I yell at the TV like I'm coaching the team. And with Amazon Prime, I can always count on fast free delivery when ordering a mini hoop, ankle socks, and three different headbands because style matters even when you're missing layups. Amazon music. That's my pump up playlist for driveway dunks and imaginary crowd cheers. Prime is my coach, my hype man, and my gear guy all in one. Whatever you're into, it's on Prime. Visit Amazon.com prime to get more out of whatever you're into. Prime One membership, endless assists.

[JD]

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[Evan]

Race the rudders, Race the sails.

[Tasos Melis]

Race the sails. Captain, an unidentified ship is approaching. Over. Roger, Wait.

[Evan]

Is that an enterprise sales solution?

[Gene Geek]

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[Evan]

Okay, with that said, let's get to some random notes. JD Random.

[JD]

Notes.

[Evan]

Random notes. I don't have a lot from this one.

[Tasos Melis]

That was not a ton.

[Evan]

But. But NBA fans after Game one were missing the Larry o' Brien decal out on the court. We talked about it in great detail on Friday's podcast. What's going on? Why does it not look like a Finals game at all? It just looks like a regular season game. Everybody was saying this. Well, NBA and ABC slash, espn, whatever. I guess they responded. On Sunday night, though, the execution drew some mixed reactions because the league and broadcast opted for in the first quarter at least two tiny digital Larry o' Brien trophies that a lot of people said just looked like emojis.

[JD]

Yeah.

[Evan]

Just sort of thrown out there. And then in the second quarter they went to the final script. So I guess they're listening a little bit tas, but a lot of people were just clowning this just as much. I don't know if you had an opinion on it.

[Tasos Melis]

Well, the meme going around of Adam Silver on the phone was funny because, hey, this is clip art. Can we change it to the NBA Finals script? Because it didn't last long that they had the digital Larry o' Brien's out there to change it up because it does look like clip art. Yeah. Because I was watching on the the in arena feed and on the arena in arena feed, they don't have those. Okay.

[Evan]

Right.

[Tasos Melis]

They just don't have the digital abilities, I guess. I don't know.

[Evan]

So you don't get any of the other stuff. Then you don't get like Emirates and other logos and stuff like that.

[JD]

That's a good question.

[Evan]

They're obviously putting stuff up.

[Tasos Melis]

Yeah, no. Yeah. No skims, no nothing.

[JD]

Yeah, I saw, like, international viewers also don see that kind of stuff because it's sold as ads here, right?

[Tasos Melis]

Yeah.

[JD]

Oh, yeah.

[Evan]

Okay.

[Tasos Melis]

Right. Yeah. So then I saw on the tweeter on the X, hey, are these actually there? Because I'm not seeing it on my feed. So I, you know, I went over, and it had already changed to the NBA Finals script. I guess Adam's call. Adam's phone call came in. Hey, we got to change that thing. It did not look good. The NBA Finals. The final script looked better, I guess.

[Evan]

Yeah, sure.

[Tasos Melis]

I mean, that one does look like clip art, specifically.

[Evan]

What do you think, TK and we haven't even had your real reaction to what we were saying after game one when you just turned. I know you were in the arena, so it's different experience for you, but didn't feel like a finals game when we were watching game one.

[JD]

That little ad on the stanchion didn't do it for you.

[Evan]

It did not.

[JD]

No. The led. I'm in the minority here. I prefer the script to the logos.

[Evan]

Okay.

[JD]

Like, I think the logos look super dated and, like, of the 2000 and tens, but I understand why people want them back. The pageantry is there. This looks kind of weird. It looked like they were glowing. You know, I think you. They're just too obvious that they're not on the court. There's got to be a way to integrate it more smoothly, because that looked like they're like, oh, we should have put some on the court. Can you do anything in post production? Yeah, sure. I got it. Let me press this button. Here's a little guy. Yeah.

[Tasos Melis]

Look.

[JD]

Very small. Not my favorite. But, you know, they're trying.

[Evan]

They did try. They did try, but it like, they got clowned even more for. Which is my favorite part. So that's the one that everybody's talking about. I other. I have some trivia for you guys here based off of last night, because we're talking about Chet, and he is now one of these guys to have hit 25 plus threes and over 30 blocks in one postseason run.

[JD]

Okay.

[Evan]

I was wondering if you could tell me the other four guys, in addition to Chet Holmgren, that have done 25, three, 30 blocks in one playoff season. Right.

[Tasos Melis]

How many guys? How many guys you got?

[Evan]

Four other guys. And I'll tell you right now, one guy's this year.

[JD]

One guy's this year.

[Evan]

Yeah. In addition To Chad Holmgren.

[JD]

Miles Turner.

[Evan]

Correct.

[JD]

Yep.

[Evan]

Yeah. This is by way of stat Muse, by the way. Yeah. And then three other ones, and I think. I think they're all gettable.

[JD]

Kevin Durant?

[Evan]

No.

[Tasos Melis]

Timothy Duncan?

[Evan]

No. No. We're looking for a decent amount of threes here.

[JD]

Yeah, 25 threes.

[Tasos Melis]

Oh, 25. Three. So 25. Three bucks a guy.

[Evan]

I'm assuming this guy did it last season. Can we.

[JD]

I'm assuming Porzingis. No play last.

[Evan]

No.

[JD]

Jason Tatum?

[Evan]

No.

[JD]

Al Horford.

[Evan]

Al Horford.

[JD]

30 blocks. I'm surprised.

[Evan]

Al Horford and then two other guys. One.

[Tasos Melis]

Is there a Serge Ibaka in there?

[Evan]

No, there's not a Serge Ibaka.

[JD]

You like the deep deuce?

[Tasos Melis]

He did like it. I'm something. I'm thinking 2019. That was a great year for three.

[JD]

No.

[Evan]

This guy played against LeBron, a bunch of finals. I think you're surprised that he hit 25 plus Draymond Green. Yeah. But he did have, like, games where he'd hit like six and then played a lot, too. Final guy. A classic guy that people say if he played in today's era, he'd be even better than he was.

[JD]

Rasheed Wallace.

[Evan]

Bingo. Yeah. Guy could shoot.

[JD]

Yes.

[Evan]

Give you some defense as well. So there you go. Yeah. From StatMuse, 25 +3 is 30 blocks in the playoffs. Draymond Green, Rasheed Wallace, Al Horford, Miles Turner, and Chet Holmgren. That's pretty amazing. Chet Holmgren's, like, by far the youngest guy on that list.

[JD]

Yeah.

[Evan]

Like that's. To give it on both ends like that. And my final thought on him watching the game with Nora last night. She started calling Chet Holmgren. Cousin Greg from succession. So I was like. I sort of like that. I might have to start referring to him. Any other random notes?

[JD]

Miles Turner had an awesome dunk on Isaiah Hartenstein. I guess that was what the beginning of the fourth quarter came thundering down the lane. Big time jam. That was cool. Also, Thomas Bryant had a block through the rim in the third quarter and Richard Jefferson spotted it right away. Yeah, I think we're going to see that. That's a goaltending. And then it was a goaltending.

[Evan]

But not ever.

[JD]

Not called.

[Evan]

Yeah, but you're right. Like, so blatantly, too.

[JD]

His hand went straight up through the rim, not just a couple of fingers.

[Evan]

Yeah.

[Tasos Melis]

You think if Richard could see it it from courtside that a referee would be able to see it. But I guess not.

[Evan]

Didn't. It didn't matter in the end.

[JD]

It did not Matter?

[Tasos Melis]

No, Shea hit.

[Evan]

I was gonna say they kept the possession, didn't they? And then Shea scored five seconds later. Yeah.

[Tasos Melis]

Yeah.

[Evan]

Anything else?

[Tasos Melis]

Well, I just looking at. Because I am surprised that Miles Turner has so many blocks. He's leading the NBA in terms of the playoffs. Blocks. 39. It's a lot of blocks.

[Evan]

39 played in how many games? Actually, 18.

[JD]

Yeah.

[Evan]

That's pretty impressive.

[Tasos Melis]

18. So, you know, two plus blocks per game. Notes. Mike Breen noted that Andrew Nemhardt is being called Playoff Drew. He doesn't like it. He'd rather have Playoff Andrew. I'm. Excuse me. He's being called Playoff Andrew. He prefers playoff. True. That's my mistake. Yeah, that's my mistake. But, yeah, he doesn't. He doesn't really like the whole playoff thing. I guess he's better in that.

[JD]

I've been saving this. There's only three players on Basketball Reference who. Who have playoff nicknames officially.

[Evan]

Playoff Jimmy.

[JD]

Yep.

[Evan]

Oh, there's another one. An obvious one.

[Tasos Melis]

It's not. Is anybody in the current finals?

[JD]

No. Nobody in the current finals.

[Evan]

Who the hell. Why am I trying to blank on this?

[JD]

Yeah, let me know if you want a hint.

[Evan]

Well, give it to me.

[JD]

This guy gave himself his playoff nickname. Oh, it's a playoff P. And then there's one retired player I think you would probably know more. So as national TV this guy. But it is listed as Playoff this guy.

[Evan]

Mark Jackson.

[JD]

No, no, no, no, no. Kind of. He's got two championships.

[Evan]

Okay.

[JD]

Huge part of one, smaller part, but instrumental part of a second one.

[Tasos Melis]

Rajan Rondo.

[Evan]

Yeah, Playoff Rondo.

[JD]

But like I'm saying, I thought it was more national TV Rondo. Yeah. You'd have 15 assists on a national TV game. Yeah.

[Evan]

Okay, good. So what, Drew is gonna get that basketball reference nickname. They added a nickname for Tyrese Halliburton. You see that?

[JD]

What?

[Evan]

The moment.

[Tasos Melis]

Really?

[JD]

Okay.

[Evan]

Yeah. It got added to his B ball reference page.

[Tasos Melis]

This is so fun.

[Evan]

I know.

[Tasos Melis]

Samurai Miles. Miles Turner. What? His nickname is Samurai.

[Evan]

That's the thing about these things.

[JD]

He used to have definitely more of the ponytail on top. He was letting it down last night, though, I noticed. Miles Turner.

[Tasos Melis]

Yeah. They've got to add it to Nemhardt. I mean, he is ridiculous how good he's been. 29, shooting from three up to. Well, it's dropped to 45. He was over 50. But he's turned it on, man. He has turned on Playoff Drew.

[Evan]

Every time they call him Drew, I have to, like. I go. I'm always like, who are they talking about? Because you're like. Yeah, we don't ever call him Drew. It's like one of those things. All right, anything else? Any other trivias?

[JD]

I mean, yeah, I saw. I saw the guy that looks like Jesus.

[Evan]

Yeah. On the broadcast.

[JD]

I didn't see him when we were there. They brought him up, but I saw him last night.

[Evan]

They had a great shot of him. It looked like he went down to like heckle the free throw shooter and then the camera like came down the aisle.

[JD]

Right.

[Evan]

And then you could see him. That's right. Exact note that I have. Saw Jesus. Saw Jesus. There was a guy. I was just in Detroit for a show over the weekend. There's a guy driving around in a pickup truck, had like the spray painted, you know, Jesus saves but blasting Vanilla Ice.

[JD]

Detroit rap legend, I guess.

[Evan]

Weird. Very odd. Okay, I got some news for you guys. Just quickly here. Don Nelson, a basketball hall of Famer and three time NBA Coach of the Year, was announced Sunday as this year's recipient of the Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award. It was formally given out to Don Nelson on Sunday night ahead of game two. And he had a. He had a fun little zinger about his support for Luka.

[JD]

Check my shoes.

[Evan]

How could the Mavs trade him? But yeah, Don Nelson getting always, you know, there's always these awards you forget about. This is the Chuck Dillon Lifetime Achievement Award, but well deserving for a guy that coached over 30 years, has a. Has second all time in wins in games, coached. So he's very high on these lists. And they got him out of Hawaii for this.

[JD]

Looks great for 85. Living in Hawaii. Good for your longevity. That's right. He probably. He looks the same as when he retired from the NBA. I felt like. And man, he basically called what the NBA was going to become. Small ball. Used to be called Nelly ball. There was one guy who was going to do it. Chris Weber was like, no way I'm playing center. That guy would be a center from the second he got into the NBA these days. So that's a thing I'll always remember about Don Nelson. And then of course, wearing ties that look like fish.

[Evan]

Yeah.

[JD]

Nobody else does that. Straight up trout hanging from your neck. Very cool. He got my lifetime achievement award for that.

[Tasos Melis]

Right, right, 85. It's unbelievable seeing him up there. And yeah, they got him out of Hawaii for the first time in seven years to accept this award, but he wanted to make it clear that he was protesting. He called it a protest. I want everybody to know I'm wearing Luca's shoes, his new shoes from Nike that just got on the market. And I wore them in protest for the trade from Dallas because he was mad about it.

[Evan]

Tremendous mistake, he called it.

[Tasos Melis]

Right.

[Evan]

Yeah.

[Tasos Melis]

And it's because in part, I guess maybe it's a familial thing because his son drafted Luka Doncic. Right. Donnie Nelson, he was.

[Evan]

Yeah, he was part of the Mavericks organization for a long time. Right.

[Tasos Melis]

So he really. He's really mad about it. I mean, it's four months later. He's ready to talk about it for sure.

[JD]

Pack my shoes.

[Evan]

And then other news is sort of disappointing news. Grizzlies all. Rookie center Zach Eady resprained his left ankle in an off season workout earlier this week. And he's under. Gonna go under. He's undergoing surgery to restabilize the ankle, and he's likely gonna miss the beginning of the 2526 season. I'd forgotten that he had some ankle issues during the regular season. Really early in the season, in November, he missed a chunk of time. But, yeah, it sort of puts the Grizzlies in an interesting spot. They don't have a lot of bigs on their roster. I mean, Brandon Clark was injured, too. I guess they're hoping he'll be healthy by the start of next season. But any takeaways from Edie's ankle injury?

[Tasos Melis]

Well, it stinks that it happened in an off season workout in that he said part of what made him feel good during the regular season was when he got over those injuries and that he was just healthy enough to play. And the thing that he'll remember, as he said, was getting back into the flow of things and playing basketball and not being held off the floor. So this. That's. This kind of just sucks that it's another injury that stemmed from an injury that happened last season. So, yes, that's. That's the terrible part.

[Evan]

Yeah. And anytime we're talking about a guy that's. What is he, seven, four, and we're talking about an ankle injury, it's like, oh, God, yeah, that's not. Not good. But hopefully this is. You know, they take care of it here with the surgery, and he's good to go at some point earlier in the 2526 campaign.

[JD]

That's right. You got a semi truck. You better fix that flat tire.

[Evan]

That's what I'm saying.

[JD]

Yeah. Something that big, it's got to be nice. So he must really need this surgery if he's going to be out at the Start of next season, which doesn't start for four and a half months at this point. So I guess he's going to be laid up and then it'll be a bit of a rehab period to get back on the court, but better to get it done early rather than late and then hope he doesn't pick up anything nagging like this once the season starts as well.

[Evan]

The Athletic did write about his absence and how it does put the Grizzlies front office in this weird position again. Waiting on Clark a little bit, who was out with that right. PCL sprain missed the tail end of the season. But the free agent center market not exactly robust as the Athletic put it. Few names that could maybe help the Grizzlies. Stephen Adams, could they bring him back?

[JD]

Thanks, Steve.

[Evan]

2021 to 2023 was in Memphis. Obviously a fan favorite. They could also consider options like Brook Lopez, Clint Capella, Kevon Looney. They could help immediately. Probably get had at the non taxpayer mid level rate. So we'll, we'll see. I mean I'm jumping ahead here, but that was the Athletic guys bringing that up on will they just get somebody to fill the role? Because there really is not. It's like Clark and then it's like, I mean Jaren Jackson. Jeter's like, I get it, he's a four or five but it's like Jay Huff. It's like there's not a lot of big guys on the roster. Yeah, yeah.

[JD]

They also don't have a coach yet. Right?

[Evan]

They are.

[JD]

Oh, Thomas Isalo is the guy.

[Evan]

But there's somebody's rumored that they're. There's an assistant coach that they're exploring the possibility. I just saw that and I'm drawing a blank on who it was.

[Tasos Melis]

Tyre as their head coach.

[Evan]

Yeah. And it was like, oh, I thought this was this guy's job and I'm sure it is. Yeah, I just saw that over the weekend. I forget what it was. It was like a player, a former player. And we have like Jason Kidd being linked to the Knicks here. They might get permission, I guess to talk to the Dallas.

[JD]

I don't have it yet.

[Evan]

They don't have it yet.

[JD]

Can we interview your coach? Circle yes or no?

[Evan]

I guess the Rockets apparently said no. The reporting is like they wanted to speak to IME Udoka. They're like, no, I love you have to get permission. I don't know why that's so funny to me. All right, so that's the news. Sort of a quiet NBA weekend. If we're being honest. And then a bit of a blowout or a dominating victory. But we look ahead to Game 3 on Wednesday. We'll probably take tomorrow off here in no dunks land, come back on Wednesday, get you hyped for game three, then obviously be here to talk about it on Thursday. And then we'll probably do a weekend podcast as well because game four is a Friday night and that could be a big one. Oh yeah, that's gonna be a big one regardless. Somebody's gonna be up 2:1. So does it sort of close the door on a series or make things interesting? Can't wait to find out. But what do you think about game two last night? The Thunder's chances to roll this thing? Have they sort of unlocked something against Indiana or can the Pacers role players and stuff like that? And how will Burton especially aggressively from the jump, you know, shoot better? They got to just hit their threes. They can't be even in the three point department not winning these games.

[JD]

Yeah.

[Evan]

So they were even I think last night. Total makes they need like game one where they had whatever it was seven made more threes or whatever it was. Yeah.

[JD]

Hey, we barely talked about that guy.

[Evan]

He was 3 for 14.

[JD]

Very quiet, quiet game.

[Evan]

But can't wait to Talk about Game 3 on Wednesday. So hit the like button. Subscribe podcast listeners five star ratings and reviews. Till then Clipper Bros. You heard it here first.

[JD]

Have a great time. Turn up. Love you guys. Awesome.

[Tasos Melis]

Thanks for joining us. And remember Jesus was at game two of the NBA finals. Now I know he's at at every OKC game I think anyway so I don't think he was celebrating Holy Spirit Sunday for the orthodox faith, but happy Holy Spirit Monday to everybody who celebrates today.

[Evan]

Do you think Jesus hangs out with the big bellied guy that paints things on his on his chest? You think they go?

[JD]

I think so.

[Evan]

Yeah.

[JD]

Yeah yeah, yeah.

[Evan]

I like to imagine a world where they hang out.

[JD]

Yeah. When there was only one set of footprints that that was when Jesus carried paint chest into the arena.

[Evan]

Heavy looking boy Grace the day people.

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[Hannah]

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[Tasos Melis]

Which is why we're so excited to.

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[Hannah]

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