Is it OVER for the Knicks?

Summary

Podcast Title: PTI
Episode: "Is it OVER for the Knicks?"
Release Date: May 28, 2025
Hosts: ESPN’s Tony Kornheiser and Mike Wilbon

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Episode Overview

In this episode of Pardon the Interruption (PTI), Tony Kornheiser and Mike Wilbon delve into the pressing question: Is it over for the New York Knicks? The discussion spans across the NBA and NHL playoffs, touches on notable NFL opinions, and briefly covers updates in MLB and the PGA Tour. The hosts provide in-depth analysis, share insights from experts, and incorporate notable quotes with relevant timestamps to enrich the conversation.

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NBA Playoffs: Indiana Pacers vs. New York Knicks

Tyrese Halliburton’s Stellar Performance

The episode opens with a focus on Tyrese Halliburton's impressive performance, leading the Indiana Pacers to a 130-121 victory over the New York Knicks, securing a 3-1 series lead.

• Tony Kornheiser [01:00]: "Tyrese Halliburton is on the cusp of leading a number four seed to the NBA Finals."

• Mike Wilbon [01:30]: Describes Halliburton's game as "decisive" and likens his performance to "Magic Johnson," emphasizing his ability to exploit the Knicks' exhausted state.

Analyzing Halliburton’s Impact

Kornheiser defends Halliburton against claims of being overrated, asserting his significance in the playoffs.

• Tony Kornheiser [03:43]: "He had the tying shot in New York. He has done this, right? I mean, he had a tremendous triple double last night."

Wilbon agrees with Halliburton’s pivotal role, highlighting his assist numbers and defensive efforts.

Series Outlook

Kornheiser expresses skepticism about the Knicks’ ability to recover, asserting that the Pacers have the upper hand.

• Tony Kornheiser [04:43]: "I do not [think the Knicks can win it]."

Wilbon concurs, suggesting the series may not favor the Knicks moving forward.

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NHL Playoffs: Edmonton Oilers vs. Dallas Stars

Oilers’ Recent Success

The conversation shifts to the NHL, where the Edmonton Oilers have beaten the Dallas Stars 4-1, taking a 3-1 series lead.

• Tony Kornheiser [04:43]: "Oilers have won 13 of their last 15 games."

Wilbon discusses the Oilers' home advantage and their consistent performance.

• Mike Wilbon [05:03]: "Edmonton has been really good at home and explosive."

Player Health Concerns

Kornheiser touches on the absence of key player Connor Hyman due to injury, emphasizing its impact.

• Tony Kornheiser [05:53]: "Hyman is out. That's a big deal."

Wilbon notes the Oilers' improvement in penalty killing since game one.

• Mike Wilbon [07:16]: "Since then they've killed off seven out of eight. They've gotten better."

Series Dynamics

Kornheiser observes that multiple conference finals are at a 3-1 juncture, a trend not always leading to seven-game series.

• Tony Kornheiser [05:59]: "I know you like long, tight series... But not every series goes seven."

Wilbon acknowledges the Oilers' control over the series but maintains Dallas still has a fighting chance.

• Mike Wilbon [05:49]: "I think Dallas is not out of it, though."

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NFL: Steelers and Aaron Rodgers

Terry Bradshaw’s Critique

Tony and Mike discuss Terry Bradshaw’s harsh remarks about Aaron Rodgers and the Steelers' pursuit of him.

• Mike Wilbon [07:22]: "Terry Bradshaw says Rodgers needs to stay in California. 'Go anywhere and chew on bark.'"

• Tony Kornheiser [08:30]: "Bradshaw is one of the most beloved Steelers of all time... He just said he could stay in California."

Debating the Move

Kornheiser defends the Steelers’ potential to benefit from acquiring Rodgers, despite acknowledging his diva tendencies.

• Tony Kornheiser [09:10]: "Do you want Aaron Rodgers or do you want Mason Rudolph?"

Wilbon criticizes the Steelers' decision as out of character and dumb.

• Mike Wilbon [09:43]: "This looks embarrassingly stupid for the Pittsburgh Steelers."

Differing Opinions

The hosts reveal their disagreement on the matter, highlighting the complexity of the decision.

• Tony Kornheiser [10:16]: "So you're saying we have a difference of opinion."

• Mike Wilbon [10:18]: "Yeah, we do."

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NBA Analysis: Minnesota Timberwolves vs. Oklahoma City Thunder

Julius Randle’s Struggles

The discussion moves to the Timberwolves’ Julius Randle, who struggled in their latest loss.

• Mike Wilbon [12:22]: "Julius Randle went 1 for 7, scored just five points."

Bryan Windhorst’s Insights

Bryan Windhorst joins the conversation to analyze Randle’s performance and the Thunder’s defensive strategies.

• Bryan Windhorst [12:32]: "Randle was reminding me of LeBron... He needs to step up in playmaking."

Anthony Edwards vs. Thunder Defense

Wilbon and Windhorst discuss Anthony Edwards’ challenges against the Thunder’s defensive schemes.

• Bryan Windhorst [13:36]: Suggests moving Edwards away from the center of the court and increasing his desperation to overcome the Thunder’s traps.

Future Outlook

Windhorst speaks on the Thunder’s long-term potential and the league’s evolving team-building strategies.

• Bryan Windhorst [15:40]: "This team has a long-term potential with their current players and draft picks."

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MLB Updates: Dwayne Ward, Klay Thompson, Bryce Harper

Dwayne Ward’s Anniversary

Kornheiser celebrates Dwayne Ward’s 61st birthday, highlighting his achievements with the Toronto Blue Jays.

• Tony Kornheiser [19:29]: "Ward made eight appearances in the 1992 and 1993 World Series with a 1.93 ERA."

Klay Thompson’s Anniversary

The hosts reflect on Klay Thompson’s pivotal Game 6 performance nine years ago.

• Tony Kornheiser [20:21]: "Klay Thompson dropped 41 points, including a playoff record 11 threes."

Bryce Harper Incident

Discussion centers on Bryce Harper's exit from a game due to being hit by Spencer Strider.

• Tony Kornheiser [21:18]: "Harper was forced to leave after taking a fastball off his surgically repaired right elbow."

• Mike Wilbon [21:52]: Criticizes Harper for leaving the Nationals for a division rival without bringing championship success.

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Other Sports Topics

Rockies’ Losing Streak

Wilbon mentions the Colorado Rockies' 21 consecutive series losses, marking the longest streak in MLB history.

• Mike Wilbon [22:22]: "The Rockies have now lost 21 consecutive series, the most in MLB history."

PGA Tour Championship Changes

Kornheiser and Wilbon discuss the PGA Tour eliminating the starting strokes for the Tour Championship.

• Tony Kornheiser [22:40]: "The PGA Tour has eliminated the starting strokes for the Tour Championship, which I hated."

• Mike Wilbon [23:03]: "Apparently it is [winner-take-all]."

Panthers vs. Hurricanes NHL Series

Brief analysis of the Carolina Panthers' chances against the Hurricanes in their series.

• Tony Kornheiser [23:15]: "The Panthers are gonna be out tonight to get this over."

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Conclusion

Tony Kornheiser and Mike Wilbon wrap up the episode with their signature banter, providing a comprehensive analysis of the current sports landscape. They revisit key points discussed, reaffirm their differing opinions on certain topics, and tease upcoming segments for future episodes.

• Tony Kornheiser [23:42]: "I'm Tony Kornheiser."

• Mike Wilbon [23:42]: "And I'm Mike Wilbon. Same time tomorrow, knuckleheads."

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This episode of PTI offers a thorough examination of pivotal moments in the NBA and NHL playoffs, provides critical insights into NFL team decisions, and touches upon notable events in MLB and the PGA Tour. The hosts balance statistical analysis with personal opinions, enriched by expert commentary from Bryan Windhorst, making it an engaging listen for sports enthusiasts.

Transcript

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[Mike Wilbon]

Pardon the interruption, but I'm Mike Welbon. Tony. A new study says strength training is the best way to combat aging.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I'm Tony Kornheiser and it's easy. You can use your spare Emmys. 98, 99, 100, 100, 102, 103.

[Mike Wilbon]

Much better if we had four instead of three. Cause then we could do simultaneous curls. Yeah, bicep curls.

[Tony Kornheiser]

But we got three. Right. And that's three more than a lot of. Okay, we got three.

[Mike Wilbon]

Yeah.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Welcome to pti, boys and girls. In today's episode, the Oilers win again. Terry Bradshaw shares thoughts on Aaron Rodgers in the Steelers. And Bryan Windhorst joins us for five good minutes. But we begin today with Tyrese Halliburton getting a triple double of 32 points, 12 rebounds and 15 assists to lead Indiana past the Knicks 130, 121 to take a 3 to 1 lead in this series. Last night, the Pacers became the first home team to win in this series. I believe I had that Wilbon.

[Mike Wilbon]

You did. You did.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Wilbon. How does last night's result feel to you?

[Mike Wilbon]

Decisive. Tony. It felt like Halliburton threw a perfecto. He went straight Magic Johnson. He went to a place to get to lead his team. And for whatever reason, I thought he overreacted when he blamed himself for the loss in game three, he just walked right out there live time and said I wasn't good enough. He was good enough last night. Whether it was finding guys who were wide open, pushing the pace against a tired Knicks team, I don't want to hear the Knicks aren't tired. They're beat up tired. You know, a person that we know and respect who's a lifer in the NBA said to me yesterday, there's no more elegant basketball. Everybody's hurt and bruised and exhausted. And if you can find a player who can take advantage of that in the other team and, and its vulnerabilities, you got an advantage. Well, guess what? Halliburton is that guy and I'm concentrating on him. Even though there were other players on Indiana niece Smith. I mean, seriously, I mean, Matherin. I mean, the other Day. I was teasing you because Matheran. Who knows Matheran unless you follow the NBA? Nobody. People know him now. He had 20 points last night in about 12 minutes. So they all got it done in an ensemble way. And that's where they're better than the Knicks.

[Tony Kornheiser]

But Halliburton, I'm going to give Legler credit for what he said yesterday. He said, when Neesmith is not on Jalen Brunson. Jalen Brunson is great, but he can shut him down, which is what happened. And he talked about Matheran. He said this would be a game for Matheran. So we give Legler credit. And I'm going to go to something that I've gone to before on this show recently, and that is that survey in the Athletic about a month ago in which NBA players said that the most overrated player in the league is Tyrese Halliburton. Now, maybe they dislike him personally or maybe they were annoyed that he was on the Olympic team and they were not. But the people who said he is the most overrated player in the league need to step up and be accountable because they are dopes. We have seen Halliburton. I believe he's the best player in the playoffs so far. I believe he's better than Brunson, better than Gilgeous Alexander, better than Ant Man. So far in these playoffs, we have seen him on multiple times, hit shots that beat teams.

[Mike Wilbon]

Yes.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Did it to Milwaukee, did it to Cleveland.

[Mike Wilbon]

Tonight.

[Tony Kornheiser]

He had the tying shot in New York. Like he's. He has done this, right? I mean, he had a tremendous triple double last night. Not just the numbers in the lead. He had no turnovers, so he has no turnovers. The Knicks as a team have 17 turnovers. He has 15 assists. The Knicks as a team have 17 assists. And Mike, he is on the cusp of leading a number four seed to the NBA Finals. I watched last night, and I remember this because the score at the end of the first quarter was 43, 35, which is a lot of scoring. And I thought every time that Halliburton came down the field, down the court, every time that Brunson did that, they were making shots. But Halliburton was also finding guys at the rim and finding guys open for threes. And I didn't think the Knicks were playing any defense.

[Mike Wilbon]

And the Knicks were playing five tomorrow night in New York City, Madison Square Garden, that paved the building.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Of course.

[Mike Wilbon]

Of course they can extend it. But you don't think they can win it?

[Tony Kornheiser]

I do not.

[Mike Wilbon]

Great.

[Tony Kornheiser]

We move to hockey, where last night Edmonton beat Dallas 4 1. This was Edmonton's third straight win over Dallas and it gave the Oilers a 3 to 1 lead in this series. Both Connor McDavid and Ryan Nugent Hopkins had two assists. Wilbon, the stars are still alive. But does it feel to you like they're still in it?

[Mike Wilbon]

In it? Yeah. I mean, I'm doing this like you did the Knicks just now. You're playing game five in Dallas and they would have five and seven. But of course you gotta win game five and then think about going on the road. But before you think about going back to Edmonton, they played Edmonton pretty darn even last night. And so, yeah, they needed that game to change the tenor of this series. But playing, playing this game at home, where Dallas has been a good home.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I see seven and two in the playoffs at home.

[Mike Wilbon]

Yeah. Can they, can they keep. Can they extend this series? And then you see what happens. The problem is Edmonds has been really good at home and explosive. They held them down last night. People have to remember that late goal was empty net, empty net. But that Tony, I don't think Dallas is out of it, though. I think that Edmonton is in control of it.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Okay. So I find it very interesting.

[Mike Wilbon]

And by the way, we'll talk about Hyman in a second.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yeah. He had today doubt for the rest of the play.

[Mike Wilbon]

Yeah.

[Tony Kornheiser]

And that, that is a big deal.

[Mike Wilbon]

Kurtz. Edmonton. Yeah.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I find it very interesting that the four conference final series we're talking about in the NBA and the NHL are all right now, three to one. I know you very well. I know you like long, tight series. I know you want game seven. I know when I ask you to pick who's gonna win, you go, oh, I can't pick. Oh, it's too close. I can't pick. It's a long series. But not every series goes seven.

[Mike Wilbon]

No.

[Tony Kornheiser]

And not. And not every series is close. The NHL series don't appear to be close at all. He asked me this a little while ago. I believe that really the only series that could go to six games is New York and Indiana. Of the four series that I'm talking about, and I think you have to look at Edmonton in this regard. Edmonton has outscored Dallas in the last three games, I believe 13 to 2. Edmonton has won 13 of their last 15 games. I know what you're saying about home ice. I know what you're saying. The last time they were on that home ice, Edmonton won three. Nothing. So, I mean, honestly, I'm going to be Very surprised if Dallas.

[Mike Wilbon]

Let's just go back to this for a second. Hyman. Not only is their big goal scorer the last two years, he's a tough, tough guy. Them in hits as well.

[Tony Kornheiser]

I know.

[Mike Wilbon]

So you're missing a presence and someone who's effective when it comes to goal scoring. And he's out. He's out.

[Tony Kornheiser]

There's one other thing. The reason Edmonton lost game one was cause they couldn't kill off penalties. Remember three in a row?

[Mike Wilbon]

Yes, yes.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Since then they've killed off seven out of eight. They've gotten better.

[Mike Wilbon]

They're getting better.

[Tony Kornheiser]

They're better now. They're better.

[Mike Wilbon]

They appear to be. Let's move now to quarterback on quarterback Crime hall of Fame Pittsburgh Steeler Terry Bradshaw, who we love on this show just call the Steelers interest in Aaron Rodgers a joke. Bradshaw told 103.7 the buzz in Arkansas quote. What are you gonna do? Bring him in for one year? Are you kidding me? That guy needs to stay in California. Go somewhere and chew on bark and whisper to the gods out there. Close quote. Love that tone. You agree with Bradshaw's criticism of the Steelers?

[Tony Kornheiser]

This is amazing. This is utterly amazing. Terry Bradshaw won four Super Bowls in Pittsburgh. He is one of the most beloved Steelers of all time. He may be the most beloved cuz he's been on television for 40 years. He's done a Fox show for more than 30 years. Right. Every single Sunday. And he just said of Aaron Rodgers who won a Super bowl himself, of Aaron Rodgers who's a dead solid lock to be in the hall of Fame with Terry Bradshaw. With Terry Bradshaw. He just said he could stay in California.

[Mike Wilbon]

Bark.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Shoes. Bark. It's great. Okay, so that's a. Wow. I just assumed they were tight. Now I will get to the question. Are the Steelers making a mistake in pursuing Aaron Rodgers? I'm telling you no. I'm going to tell you no. And this is why I understand that Aaron Rodgers is a prima donna. I understand he puts his own interest above everybody else's. I understand he's an egomaniac. I like him personally, but I understand all these things. But the question then becomes do you want Aaron Rodgers or do you want Mason Rudolph? And I watched the Jets a little bit last is out there. Well, I think so. I thought Aaron Rodgers could still throw it. So I would say okay for one year. And the reason I would say for one year it's this year. Mike. It's not five years from now, it's this year.

[Mike Wilbon]

Pickens appears. They appear to have Other elements. I would do it even though they let Pickens go, but they appear to have the other elements. No, no, no. Terry Breschaw's on the money at this point. Aaron Rod, have you paid attention to the last three years? Aaron Rodgers has been nothing for the last three years. Certainly when he has, he appears on television more than we do and he comes on, he does himself. That's why Terry Bradshaw's look, go eat bark is so great. Go take ayahuasca.

[Tony Kornheiser]

One of the greatest quotes on the.

[Mike Wilbon]

It is so great, the notion that the Steelers, the picture of stability and Mike Tomlinson, they don't do anything out of character. This is beyond out of character. This looks, let me say this, let me be very plain about this. This looks dumb as hell. It looks embarrassingly stupid for the Pittsburgh Steelers and all they stand for and their consistency of behavior to just lay out in the highway for Aaron Rodgers, who hasn't done jack for three years.

[Tony Kornheiser]

So you're saying we have a difference of opinion.

[Mike Wilbon]

Yeah, we do.

[Tony Kornheiser]

You're saying. Let's take a break. Which camera? Which camera? That camera. Coming up. Why did Julius. Ray, you gotta tell me, why did Julius Randall struggle so much in Minnesota's latest loss? I'm not here that often. We'll ask Brian Windhorst.

[Mike Wilbon]

We'll also ask him how people around the game are looking at the long term potential of this Thunder team. And we might ask him about Aaron Rodgers.

[Tony Kornheiser]

You're not high on Aaron, are you? Not anymore, no. No.

[Mike Wilbon]

He's a figment of the imagination of.

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[Tony Kornheiser]

The Timberwolves and the Thunder play Game five tonight in Oklahoma City, which is where we find our great friend ESPN senior writer and the host of the Hoop Collective podcast, Mr. Bryan Windoris. We'll start with this. Before the series began, Wilbon, of course, said Julius Randle is the X factor from Minnesota.

[Mike Wilbon]

He did well.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Here's the question. Julius Randle went 1 for 7, scored just five points in the Timberwolves loss the other night. What's happening here?

[Bryan Windhorst]

Sounds like Wilbon was right. You know what happened in the last series against the Warriors. Randle was an awesome playmaker. I think I was saying he was reminding me of LeBron. He averaged 20 in this series. He's only averaging like three and a half assists a game. And that difference is huge because what's been going on is the Thunder have been camping down on Ant. He's needed an outlet to have more playmaking and Randle hasn't been able to deliver. The five turnovers were a big issue, especially when he's not able to make a difference as a playmaker. So Randall definitely needs to step up tonight. Not necessarily in points. He needs to step up in playmaking because it's too easy to defend him when he's not.

[Mike Wilbon]

All right, if we're talking about stepping up in Minnesota, we gotta go to the Ant Man. Anthony Edwards and Brian. The Thunder went straight Bad Boy Pistons. Jordan rules on Ant man the other night, double teaming him repeatedly. What, if anything, can Ant and the staff and his teammates do to counter this tonight?

[Bryan Windhorst]

Well, I think a key will be don't have him with the ball at the top of the key, attacking straight onto the defense. Move him away from the center of the court so that he's not easy to set up against. But the Thunder are very good. Like part of what's going on here is the Thunder have decided no matter what happens, they're going to trap him in the paint and they're not going to let him beat them. When you have a great defensive team with depth and size that can bat guys up, that can give great fundamental defense, it's going to be hard. The answer is not just to have Ant fire the ball into the crowd, but I do expect some wrinkles, especially getting him coming from off the ball. So the Thunder can't have all five sets of eyes with him in front of them. They made it too easy. The Other thing is ant played with desperation in game three. He would admit even if he doesn't think he struggled, he would admit he didn't play with desperation in game four. I expect to see more of that tonight in Game 5.

[Mike Wilbon]

Will he better or the Thunder will be headed to the NBA Finals, which they may anyway. Brian, you talk to people around the league every day. How are folks in general seeing the Thunder when we look forward with that team if they win at this age, the next, I don't know, five to seven years.

[Bryan Windhorst]

Well, the people would whisper about the Thunder was that their big three wasn't good enough. They didn't think that Jalen Williams was a true number two. They didn't necessarily think that Chet Holmgren was built enough to be a difference making player when it really mattered. Everybody respects Shea, that's not an issue. But they didn't believe in that top end talent. Well, that's been blown apart in this postseason. Especially Jalen Williams who had a huge shot in game five of the series against Denver last round. And that that game against Denver where they were down on this court by nine going into the fourth quarter, Shay brought brings them back. Jalen Williams brings them home. That may end up being the most important game of the postseason. We'll see whether that actually happens. But the fact that these three top guys potentially could be good enough to win a title and then they're back loaded with all these draft picks and all of that they can maneuver, it can be pretty frightening for where this team could go going forward.

[Tony Kornheiser]

You see them then if they win the championship this year, you don't see, as with other teams, a brief window opening. You see a long term potential here with this team. Yes.

[Bryan Windhorst]

So I'm really loathe to bring this up, not to get rebuked by Wilbon, but if you remember the bulls in the 90s, okay, he's gonna let me go. The team that Jordan and Pippen won with in the second three, Pete was completely different. They retrofitted the entire team around them. In this era, the Apron era, which I know is boring to talk about, the aprons, but in the Apron era, the hard thing to do is to build around star players. In fact, teams are going to have to start breaking off big threes to big twos to try to build the round. These Thunder are so equipped with current players and then the ability to replace them in the next three to five years with all the draft picks that they have and the flexibility that they have, that's what's scary. What will be. The defining moment is whether this big three are good enough to win multiple titles like we were, like we ended up seeing with those Bulls teams. We don't know the answer to that yet.

[Tony Kornheiser]

We'll get you out of here on this and we'll switch to the other series. The Pacers can close out the Knicks tomorrow night. What, if anything, has surprised you about how this series has played out?

[Bryan Windhorst]

I'm not really surprised by it. I'm surprised that the Knicks let game one get away because the truth is there's not much separation between these teams. Ok, that Halliburton was unbelievable in game four. This series really should be two two. Now look, the Pacers wanted fair and square. The Knicks helped them out in game one. This series should be 2 2. The big problem for the Knicks going forward, Towns and Brunson defensively are a bad matchup against the Pacers. The Pacers just stress them out. One of the big reasons is that OG Anunoby, who probably should be the guy guarding Haliburton, can't guard Halliburton because you take him off Siakam in the previous rounds. The matchups worked a little cleaner. And then you have Brunson and Towns. They're -24 on the court together in this round. These are two all NBA players. You need them to be -24, not -24. And it's happened because the Pacers attacked them on defense. That's a medium term problem that goes beyond just this series.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Brian, thank you so much.

[Mike Wilbon]

Thanks so much Brian. Appreciate you.

[Bryan Windhorst]

Take care. Guys.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Let's take one last break. Still to come, some unexpected thoughts from the pitcher who hit Rice Harper last night.

[Mike Wilbon]

And the PGA Tour makes some changes to his championship. Brian's analogy with the Bulls was right on the money. Right on. It was so different because you had Rodman replacing Horace Grant on the second three peat team and it was just very, very different. Steve Kerr, not John Paxton.

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[Unknown]

Pardon the Interruption is brought to you by Real Steel. Find [e-mail] Happy time people.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Happy 61st birthday. Dwyane Ward. No, not Dwyane Wade. Dwayne Ward. He was the reliever most noted for his work on the Toronto Blue Jays from 1986 to 1995 when Toronto acquired him in a trade from Atlanta. He still has the second most saves in the history of that franchise. Ward made the all star game in 1993 when he led the American League in saves with 45. He was on the Blue Jays team that won the World Series back to back in 1992 and 93. In those World Series, Ward made eight appearances, pitched eight innings, had a 193 ERA. He was 302 saves, 13 strikeouts, one walk. Ward had 121 career saves.

[Mike Wilbon]

Why don't we know more about that stretch of time when he was clearly brilliant at the important time of the year? The reason, I think, is because career wise, he's like 129th in saves.

[Tony Kornheiser]

That's how we judge the leader has over 600. If you have 121, it's not feeding the bulldog, of course, the Hammer Happy anniversary Klay Thompson on this day nine years ago, the other Splash Brother dropped 41 points, including a then NBA playoff record 11 threes, to lead the warriors to a comeback. 108, 101. Game 6 Western Conference Final win in Oklahoma City Evening that series at 3:3. Oklahoma City was up 3:1 in the series and their collapse led Kevin Durant to join Golden State that summer. Durant was in Golden State with Thompson, Steph Curry, Draymond Green for a couple of titles before leaving, first for Brooklyn and then for Phoenix and now for who knows where as he continues to chase titles without really coming close.

[Mike Wilbon]

He's going to get traded again this summer, probably in a couple of weeks. My list, short list of most underrated players of all time. Scottie Pippen, Klay Thompson, they're both as great as they are, but they're still.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Underappreciated because they played with people better. Okay, right in the shadow of people better. Happy trails. Bryce Harper the Phillies star was forced to leave last night's game against the Braves in the first inning after taking a fastball off his surgically repaired Right elbow X rays were negative. Spencer Strider through the pitch said he wasn't trying to hit Harper, adding, quote, I'm not a complete sociopath, so I have some empathy. I just assumed he had a guard on and was just pissed that I hit him. Saw him in pain. That was tough. I'm definitely relieved he's okay. He's one of the best players this century. He needs to be on the field. Unquote.

[Mike Wilbon]

Why don't you hate Bryce Harper more? He left your beloved Nationals.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yep.

[Mike Wilbon]

He went to a division rival. Now, granted, he hasn't won and you did.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yes.

[Mike Wilbon]

But Harper, he just. He leaves like that.

[Tony Kornheiser]

No. Everybody hated him for leaving and staying close like that down the street. But the Nats won the World Series after he left and he hasn't won one yet. So I don't begrudge him as much as some.

[Mike Wilbon]

He is a great player. He's a great, great player.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Yes. He's a two time mvp. You ready to go to the big finish?

[Mike Wilbon]

Let's do it.

[Tony Kornheiser]

After a Cubs walk off, last night made you happy?

[Mike Wilbon]

Yeah.

[Tony Kornheiser]

The Rockies have now lost 21 consecutive series, the most in MLB history. Your thoughts?

[Mike Wilbon]

Very nervous last night in the 11th. We had to go that long to beat the Rockies. They need the Rockies to lose again tonight. SEC coaches are intrigued by a college playoff field of five conference champs and 11 at one largest. You okay with that?

[Tony Kornheiser]

It's weighted towards the SEC in the Big Ten. It's a chance that they could get almost every at large bid. All I really care about do we get the best team at the end. And I think we will. Diverse. The PGA Tour has eliminated the starting strokes for him out of the Tour Championship. Which I hated.

[Mike Wilbon]

I know you do.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Is this okay with you?

[Mike Wilbon]

I don't care that much about the T. There's something kind of cool and funky about it. It's weird.

[Tony Kornheiser]

It should be winner take all now.

[Mike Wilbon]

Apparently it is.

[Tony Kornheiser]

But I k with the best 30. That's good.

[Mike Wilbon]

Take it or leave it. Astro starter Ronnell Blanco will have Tommy John out for the season. That's significant.

[Tony Kornheiser]

Was 13 and 6 last year with a 280-era. Yeah. This is a plague among pitchers. It's a total plague. Last one. Panthers. Hurricanes. Game five tonight. Does Carolina get it to a game six?

[Mike Wilbon]

As you accurately said, I like to see long, tense, dramatic series. I know this not one of them. No. The Panthers are gonna be out tonight to get this over. Okay.

[Tony Kornheiser]

So how about Spencer Strider saying I'm not a complete sociopath? What percentage is he? We're out of time. We'll try and do better the next time. I'm Tony Kornheim.

[Mike Wilbon]

And I'm Mike Lobon. Same time tomorrow, knuckleheads.