Pacers Force Game 7

Summary

PTI Episode Summary: "Pacers Force Game 7"

Release Date: June 20, 2025
Hosts: Mike Wilbon and Frank Isola
Description: Tony Kornheiser and Michael Wilbon face off in the nation's capital on the day's hottest topics.

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1. Pacers Secure Elusive Game 7 Against Thunder

The episode opens with an in-depth analysis of the Indiana Pacers' surprising 17-point victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder. Both hosts express their initial doubts about Indiana's chances but acknowledge the team's resilience and playoff toughness.

Frank Isola highlights the Pacers' consistent performance throughout the playoffs:
"There's a toughness to this team... Oklahoma City was never in this game at any point." ([01:54])

Key performances included Tyrese Haliburton's effective play in 23 minutes and TJ McConnell's pivotal role, where he and Andrew Nemhard combined for 29 points. Frank points out the critical moments that shifted the game's momentum, such as Haliburton's steals and clutch shots by the Pacers.

Mike Wilbon emphasizes the intangible factors, praising Haliburton's leadership and inspirational presence on the court:
"Halliburton's the big story, because they looked at him and he inspired them." ([03:00])

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2. Anticipating Game 7: What to Expect

Looking ahead to the highly anticipated Game 7 on Sunday night in Oklahoma City, the hosts discuss the unpredictability of the matchup. Frank provides statistical insights, noting Oklahoma City's strong home record and their playoff performance, including their ability to maintain double-digit leads in games.

Frank Isola shares historical comparisons and potential outcomes:
"They're the only team in NBA history to have eight players score at least 200 total points in the playoffs." ([05:11])

Mike Wilbon refrains from making specific predictions but underscores the significance of player dynamics and team morale:
"I can't wait to see the game, Frank... I want to watch the game." ([05:57])

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3. Baseball Rivalry Heats Up: Padres vs Dodgers

The conversation shifts to Major League Baseball, focusing on the intense rivalry between the San Diego Padres and the Los Angeles Dodgers. Recent on-field altercations involving Fernando Tatis Jr. and Shohei Ohtani are dissected, highlighting the growing tensions and physical confrontations.

Frank Isola discusses the cyclical nature of sports rivalries and player accountability:
"Everyone understands it. And Mike, when Ohtani came up to the plate, you don't think that he knew that there was a chance that he was going to get drilled." ([09:14])

Mike Wilbon reflects on the broader implications for baseball, acknowledging the fans' mixed feelings but appreciating the passion it brings to the sport:
"It's great for Baseball, not good... I don't like the fighting and the intentional beaning." ([12:10])

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4. Soccer Highlights: US National Team and Messi's Impact

Transitioning to soccer, the hosts celebrate the U.S. men's national team’s victory over Saudi Arabia and Lionel Messi’s impressive performance with Inter Miami against FC Porto in the Club World Cup.

Frank Isola praises the U.S. team's advancement and Messi's standout goal:
"Sebastian Brohalter, whose dad was the manager at the last World Cup, he had the assist. But Chris Richards, who plays for Crystal Palace over in England, was good at both ends." ([16:23])

Mike Wilbon admires Messi's historic goals and the global significance of the matchups:
"It's messy scoring... these goals are all historic." ([15:11])

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5. Sammy Sosa’s Heartwarming Return to Wrigley Field

A nostalgic segment covers Sammy Sosa's return to Wrigley Field after more than two decades. The hosts reflect on Sosa's legacy with the Cubs and the emotional reception from fans.

Mike Wilbon expresses relief and joy over Sosa's reunion with the team:
"I'm glad it's done. I'm glad he's back. And we hugged him." ([17:07])

Frank Isola adds context about Sosa's impact on the Cubs and the broader baseball community:
"Sammy Sosa was that. It was warm and fuzzy. It reminds us of a great time in baseball." ([18:21])

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6. Additional Sports Updates

• Sam Bennett and the Panthers:
  Mike Wilbon discusses Sam Bennett's future with the Florida Panthers, highlighting his stellar performance in the Stanley Cup playoffs and the uncertainty surrounding his contract extension.
  “Happy 29th birthday. Sam Bennett, the Panthers surly star just won the Conspice trophy...” ([21:07])

  Frank Isola remains optimistic about Bennett’s return to Florida:
  “He's in the prime of his career... I'm bringing him back.” ([21:39])

• NBA Draft Class Anniversary:
  Celebrating seven years since the 2018 NBA Draft, the hosts reflect on how the selected players have shaped the league. They discuss the successes of Luka Dončić, Trae Young, and Shay Gilgeous-Alexander, among others.
  “Five of those top 14 picks have been to an NBA Finals.” ([21:51])

• Jonquil Jones Injury:
  The episode touches on Jonquil Jones of the Liberty Re's ankle injury during the Mercury’s loss, emphasizing its significance in the sports landscape.
  “Jonquilla Jones is a big time player... Are you surprised?” ([23:32])

• Mets' Losing Streak and Red Sox-Giants Trade:
  Frank Isola and Mike Wilbon discuss the New York Mets' six-game losing streak and the implications of a recent trade between the Red Sox and the Giants.
  “The Mets have lost six straight...” ([24:55])

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Conclusion and Upcoming Highlights

As the episode wraps up, the hosts tease the upcoming Game 7 showdown and encourage listeners to tune in for further analysis. Mike humorously addresses a missed mention of beloved Cubs figures, adding a personal touch to the sports commentary.

Mike Wilbon closes with enthusiasm for the upcoming game:
"Have a great weekend, knuckleheads." ([25:03])

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This episode of PTI provides a comprehensive and engaging overview of pivotal moments in basketball, baseball, soccer, and other sports, enriched with insightful analysis and memorable quotes from Mike Wilbon and Frank Isola. Whether you're a longtime fan or new to these discussions, the hosts deliver a nuanced perspective on the latest sporting events.

Transcript

[Frank Isola]

What is dadication?

[Mike Wilbon]

The thing that drives me every day as a dad is Dariona. We call him Dae Date for short.

[Announcer]

Every day he's hungry for something, whether.

[Mike Wilbon]

It'S attention, affection, knowledge. And there's this huge responsibility in making sure that when he's no longer under my wing that he's a good person.

[Announcer]

I want him to be able to.

[Mike Wilbon]

Sit back one day and go, we worked together. We did a good job.

[Frank Isola]

That's dadication.

[Announcer]

Find out [e-mail] brought to you by the US Department of Health and Human Services and the Ad Council.

[Mike Wilbon]

Pardon the interruption, but I'm Mike Wilbon, and today is the longest day of the year.

[Frank Isola]

I'm Frank Isola, or as I'm known twice a year, Frank Isolstice. That's what Mike calls it.

[Mike Wilbon]

We should be, you know, on a golf course, it's the beginning of summer. Those things always coincide. I thought it was the 21st, though. Today's the 20th, Mike.

[Frank Isola]

Where you are, it's always shorter. It's not summer where I am all the time. It's summer where you are all the time.

[Mike Wilbon]

Summer here, baby.

[Frank Isola]

360. Cool.

[Mike Wilbon]

113 or so. Welcome to PTI. Tony apparently prefers golf to you, so we're here. To do his work. For him is our great friend from the starting lineup on Sirius XM Radio, Mr. Frank Isola.

[Frank Isola]

Radio.

[Mike Wilbon]

Radio. Podcast.

[Frank Isola]

Three hours a day. That's a radio show.

[Mike Wilbon]

Let's start. Start. Frank. With a result neither of us saw coming. Don't know who did. The Pacers pulled away midway through the second and never looked back, beating the Thunder by 17. Tyrese Haliburton played effectively in 23 minutes, and TJ McConnell was much more than his backup. Meanwhile, OKC struggled from three early, never found a stroke. Frank, how did this game play out Differently than you expected?

[Frank Isola]

Yeah, I'm glad. We were both wrong. I thought Indiana wouldn't win, but. But the one thing you never underestimate, this team. Look at the way they've performed all playoff long. There's a toughness to this team. I was surprised by Oklahoma City's performance. They were up 102 early in the first quarter. Next thing you know, they were chasing the game for the final three periods. And you just showed the highlight. The one where Tyrese Halliburn had to steal the. No, look, pass to Siakam. He gets the dunk. 40 seconds to go. OKC was so rattled, Mike, they started walking the ball up. That's a two for one situation. SGA ends up shooting with 23 seconds ago. He misses. OKC gets the rebound, but Siakam comes down, ends up hitting a shot at the. At the buzzer the first half. So Oklahoma City, to me, was never in this game at any point. And you mentioned TJ McConnell. He and Andrew Nemhard combined for 29 points. That seemed bigger than the 30 points that Halliburton and Siakam combined for the benchhelp that they got. Obi Toppen with 20 points. Unbelievable. And then what happened to Jalen Williams? All we did for two days was talk about how great he is.

[Mike Wilbon]

He went. Scottie Pippen, I mean, Mike.

[Frank Isola]

He went from 40 points in Game 5 to a minus 40 he recorded in Game 6. I didn't see that coming. Oklahoma City with a chance to win their first ever title. That was an awful performance, Frank.

[Mike Wilbon]

I'm not even going to dwell on it. I'm not going to disagree with you necessarily, although I think there's far too much heaping criticism on okc. OKC got knocked out. They got knocked the hell out in a place. You've been there. You know what it's like in Indianapolis with that. With that crowd going in that building. Look, I'm going to. I'm going to concentrate on something that has no numbers. This gives me a chance to get on my soapbox, because numbers can't tell you what a room feels like with Halliburton's in there before the game saying whatever he's saying privately to his teammates and. And he might not have to say anything. His teammates can look at him. You know what that's like. We've been in locker rooms, so everybody wants to tell you about five, five and five. And he's the 14th player in club history. Get that garbage out of here. Halliburton's the big story, because they looked at him and he inspired them. He got out on the floor and he could move no matter how much pain he was in. I don't know if a shot taken one helps or if he had one. I don't care if he did. I said yesterday I admire Halliburton. That's what sports is about. Not advanced metrics, which can't tell you a damn thing about how a team feels about itself. And the guy next to them when they walk on the floor and line it up. That is where the Pacers got the best of okc. We can go back in history. We'll do it with Willis Reed, because that was the storyline then, because there were no numbers. People need to put the damn laptops down, their phones down, and look at what happened. Look at how the Pacers knocked OKC out of the ring. Knocked him clear out. Don't know what that means going forward, but that's what it was last night.

[Frank Isola]

You know, Halliburton had five baskets, and it felt like all five of them were big. He had the one in the second half when OKC was starting to make a run. The little give and go he had with Aaron Neesmith, where he got the layup. And I'll tell you another guy, Andrew Nemhard, who struggled in Game 5, especially in that fourth quarter with the three turnovers, when they needed points, when it looked like Oklahoma City might have a chance, he drew a shooting foul. Next possession, he hit a three. I thought for the second half, I get it, they ended up blowing him out. But in that moment, because, remember, Oklahoma City didn't score for the first five minutes of the second half, and yet they were making a bit of a run. So everyone last night contributed. I thought that was. That's a great win for them. What a way for them to close out their home schedule to win their final playoff game of the year. Now they need, of course, one more. And Mike, as you know, game seven Sunday night in Oklahoma City, home teams 15, four, all time in a game seven of the NBA Finals. And the Thunder listed as an 8 1/2 point favorite. So, Mike, what do you expect to see on Sunday?

[Mike Wilbon]

I have no idea. And I'm not going to pretend. I'm not going to try to create some scenario that I believe in because I don't know. That's the greatness of last night. Nothing was predictable about that. That's why we watch. Not so. I know everybody wants to have a prediction. That's what shows like this have to indulge in. And sometimes I tell people, stop predicting and watch the damn game. Just watch the game. I can't wait to see the game, Frank. I don't know. Like, what can Halliburton give them? Can he inspire them? Is there something that's going to inspire Oklahoma City? What are they going to draw from in their building? Is it going to be nervous in there or is it going to be, you know, raucous? And people still figuring, hey, we are going to win the first championship in this city's franchise history, although it's the second one, because the Sonics, where they were previously won, I don't know. Can Siakam play like that again? What do the Pacers have left in Them or like Edmonton in that series where they came back from 30 down to win an impossible game. Did Indiana leave it all at home or is this more like the movie Hoosiers? It kind of reminds me of that, but I don't. I'm not going to go there with OKC. I loved SGA's demeanor after the game. He said we stunk and he claimed it. He owned it. He was the adult in that room last night. How does that translate? I don't want to predict the game. I want to watch the game.

[Frank Isola]

All right, let me give you a couple of numbers. OKC during the regular season, 35, 6 at home. That's a dominant record. Playoffs 10, 2. The two losses, Mike. They were up 15 against Denver in that game one in the fourth quarter, lost the game. Then they were up 11 late in the fourth, fourth quarter of game one Indiana and lost. So even in the games that they lost, they had double digit leads. So they, those are games that they shouldn't have lost. The last road team to win a game seven in the finals, that's the LeBron team back in 2016. LeBron that night had a triple double. So LeBron, an all world player has a performance like that. Can Siakam. Could Tyrese Halliburton have a breakout game? Absolutely. But the beauty of Indiana, they're a difficult team to match up against or to game plan against because anyone could do it. How about this? They're the only team in NBA history to have eight players score at least 200 points total points in the playoff during the postseason. So different guys. Do we mention Obi Toppo with 20, what TJ McConnell has done, Andrew Nemhardt. But if I'm Oklahoma City, Mike. And this is the thing, you go back to 2016, that same year that Cleveland beat Golden State, that Oklahoma City team was up 31 on the Golden State warriors in the conference finals. Ended up losing. That's the worst loss in franchise history. When they lost that series, guess what's going to replace it if they lose on Sunday? Because this isn't a 73 win Golden State Warrior team. It's a very good 50 win Indiana Pacer team. But Oklahoma City would have had two chances. Ton of pressure on them on Sunday at home.

[Mike Wilbon]

Yeah. But this is where the great, this is where the best player theory comes in.

[Frank Isola]

Yeah.

[Mike Wilbon]

If you got the best player, and I think we're going to agree the best player is. Oh wait, the mvp Shay Gildas Alexander. It's his time, it's his stage. Let's let's, let's see what's up.

[Frank Isola]

You're right.

[Mike Wilbon]

In baseball, the Padres and Dodgers played each other with edge all week. Fernando Tatis Jr. And Shohei got drilled by pitchers for the second time in three days last night. The Tatis plunking led to the bench's clearing. Both managers got tossed in the top of the ninth, as was Padres closer Robert Suarez after he hit Ohtani in the bottom of the frame. Looked intentional to me. The Padres won last night, but the Dodgers took three or four in the series. Frank, this ongoing beef, is it good or bad for baseball?

[Frank Isola]

Well, that's like saying, is Yankee, Yankees, Red Sox good for baseball? Cubs, Cardinals, good for baseball? Dodgers, Giants? This is what happens in these rivalries. And, and last night, you know, Tatis said after the game, because Jack Little was the pitcher that hit him. He was making his major league debut. And even Tatis said, well, I don't know if it was intentional, but how many times are they going to hit me? You want to know how many times it's been? It's been three times in the last nine days. Five times since, you know, 2024. So I know fans don't like to hear this, but the players like to be in a position where they police themselves. So if you're going to hit Tatis, you, you know what the Padres are going to do? They're going to wait for Ohtani to come up and they're going to drill him with 100 mile an hour fastball. Now the fans are going to say, I don't, you know, people don't like baseball. Say, how can you have a sport like this? No one wants to see anybody get hurt. But baseball, for the longest time, the players like to police themselves in these situations. Everyone understands it. And Mike, when Ohtani came up to the plate, you don't think that he knew that there was a chance that he was going to get drilled. That's why when the benches started to clear, he told everyone, just stay, don't worry about it. I'll go to that.

[Mike Wilbon]

When he waved him off. I love that, Frank. I look, I'm, I'm watching that game live. One of the cool things is just about being out west now. I, I, I love seeing Dodgers, Giants and Dodgers, Padres, Dodgers, Padres, sorry. It's better than Yankees, Red Sox right now because of the fire and because you're getting some consistency now with personalities. You're getting it for a second full season at Otani has now been a Dodger. It's great for Baseball, not good. It's great. And by the way, the Dodgers at the center of everything because they got this going on with San Francisco, we're going to see more of that all summer. It's too bad there's a hiatus with the Padres until August. They might even have it with the Diamondbacks, who, you know, who have. Diamondbacks have flexed lately and been in the World Series. So you got this, this, this blue blood, royalty blue, literally at the center of all these things. And, man, the Padres don't back down from them. And in fact, eliminated the Dodgers once in recent time. I had three chances in the post season, but they hit Ohtani still, even though you sort of knew it, Frank, I'm sitting there thinking, are they going to hit Ohtani?

[Frank Isola]

Boom. Yeah.

[Mike Wilbon]

And it was jarring to see it was. And I don't like the fighting and the intentional beaning.

[Frank Isola]

Yeah.

[Mike Wilbon]

But I got to admit, if I'm going to make an exception, if I'm going to make one this summer, this is going to be for Dodgers podcast.

[Frank Isola]

And Mike, you know how it works, too, with players. It's one thing to get drilled in the hip, one thing to maybe get it in the back. When you get it on your hands, that's something. You know, you could be out for a long time. Do you think it was intentional to Tatis, remember, that's a picture. Coming out in relief, making his major league debut. You think he's doing that? I don't think so.

[Mike Wilbon]

No, I don't think so. But I'm like Tatis, how many times you gonna hit me? You're in that uniform. You gotta be accountable.

[Frank Isola]

Three times in nine days before a break. Crazy.

[Mike Wilbon]

Coming up, Sammy Sosa. There's a name, boys and girls. Returns to Wrigley for the first time in more than 20 years.

[Frank Isola]

And the US beats Saudi Arabia and Lionel Messi and Inter Milan. Inter Miami. I did it again. Top FC Porto, which is the bigger deal, by the way? Eight batters in that series hit by a pitch. Eight.

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[Mike Wilbon]

Time to include the viewers in the proceedings. Frank, you've got the mailbox. What's first?

[Frank Isola]

Yeah, this is how we used to communicate, Mike. Mail time before podcasts were invented, used to be just through the mail. That's how we did it. All right, Mike. Bigger deal in soccer. The U.S. men's national team beating Saudi Arabia or Lionel Messi and Inter Miami topping FC Porto in the Club World Cup.

[Mike Wilbon]

I'm going to admit the Messi goal, just watching the video of it and hearing was. It's just spectacular. It is. It's messy scoring. I always think I'm not going to feel any kind of way about it. And then when he does it, it's like, oh, my goodness. You know, these, these goals are all historic. But you know what, Frank? I'm going to go off, off script a little bit. PSG and Chelsea playing in the Club World Cup. The first Club World cup, they both lost to Brazilian teams. The Rose bowl was where PSG lost to a Brazilian team. The South American teams haven't lost. I'm going to leave the specifics of the United States and their evening up to you. But that's worldwide stuff. And you got a game in the Rose bowl, you got teams like PSG and Chelsea involved. That's that's bigger to me.

[Frank Isola]

Yeah. Watching Flamingo from Brazil just, you know, within the last couple of hours beat Chelsea from Philadelphia. I mean, the crowd, the South American crowds between the Brazilian crowds and the crowds from Argentina have been unbelievable. And for PSG to lose to but a Fogo, it's another Brazilian team. PSG just won Champions League. You know, that's the best club team and they should be the best club team in the world. That's a massive upset. As for the U.S. men's National Team, really good performance last night and somebody that has stood out.

[Mike Wilbon]

Mike.

[Frank Isola]

And you'll get a chance to see him a lot because the way that he's going, he's going to be starting at center back. And that's Chris Richards, who. Who ended up scoring off a set piece. Sebastian Brohalter, whose dad was the manager at the last World cup, he had the assist. But Chris Richards, who plays for Crystal palace over in England, was good at both ends. He's a really good player. So the US Advances like they always do in the Gold cup, the competition will get a lot harder. But that's a really good one. Really good one.

[Mike Wilbon]

Quiets down the crowd, tamps it down for now. What's next?

[Frank Isola]

All right, Mike, this is right up your rally. How did Sammy Sosa's return to Wrigley feel? Wrigley feel today? Feel for you? He's back.

[Mike Wilbon]

I'm relieved it's over. I mean, Sosa parted company. Sosa and the Cubs parted company badly. Badly. And basically the Cubs were waiting for what amounted to an apology. I don't know. There was real apology for Sosa and all that went on. We know why Sosa, like a generation of stars, is not in the hall of Fame. And we don't know he's going to get there. But for Sosa to be seen, to come back. Look. The most beloved players in the 140 year history of the Cubs, Ernie Banks, Billy Williams, Fergie Jenkins. Sammy Sosa, even more maybe than Rizzo and Chris Bryant and Javi, who won a world series after 108 years of waiting. And Sammy Sosa was that. It was warm and fuzzy. It reminds us of a great time in baseball before we were naively thinking, let these balls fly out of every ballpark, including Wrigley Field, when he and Mark McGuire kind of saved, brought baseball back. They resuscitated it off that 94 work stoppage that seemed to kill the sport. So it's belated, but I'm just glad. Relieved. I'm glad it's done. I'm glad he's back. And we hugged him. I'm sending hugs to Sammy right now.

[Frank Isola]

I can't believe you didn't mention Ryan Sandberg and Mark Grace, but, oh, well, I'm Ryan Sandberg.

[Mike Wilbon]

Rhino. Sorry, Rhino. Didn't mean to ever leave you out.

[Frank Isola]

All right. So that was his first time back at Wrigley Field since the final day of the 04 season when he just left Wrigley Field. So that was. That was part of it in the first inning of the final game. But Greg Castle had. The manager of the Cubs had a great quote. He said, the wind's blowing out today. Sammy wanted to be in the lineup. But Mike, as you know, with this whole thing with steroids and I get it, it upsets people. A lot of baseball purists. But do you think the fans really care? They didn't. Sammy Sosa brought them a lot of joy, a lot of home runs, time passes. And they're okay with him being back.

[Mike Wilbon]

21 years, a long time. But Frank, people did feel a certain way at the time.

[Frank Isola]

Yes.

[Mike Wilbon]

Now, some of those people have passed on Y. A lot of them ain't in the ballpark. A lot of them said, okay, it's been long enough. Whatever the case is, individually, hugs for Sammy. Welcome back. Thanks for your email. We're gonna take one last break. But still to come, did Sam Bennett just reveal whether he's gonna be returning to the Panthers?

[Frank Isola]

And will the Mets six game losing streak continue in their showdown with the Phillies? Just for the record, Mike did not mention beloved Cubs Ryan Samberg, Mark Grace.

[Mike Wilbon]

I apologize to Samberg and he's not with. He's not more popular than Ernie or Sosa, I think.

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[Mike Wilbon]

You need to get happy people. Happy 29th birthday. Sam Bennett, the Panthers surly star just won the Conspice trophy to go along with the team Stanley cup, but his future is still in question as he's due to become a free agent. But last night at a Cup celebration in Miami, Bennett borrowed from the Wolf of Wall street and told Panthers fans, I ain't bleeping leaving behind him, the screen read. Eight more years. Despite the optimism, Sportsnet reports that no extension has been reached. Not yet.

[Frank Isola]

I mean, he's in the prime of his career, Mike. He scored 15 goals in the playoffs, five in the Stanley cup finals. I'm bringing him back. I think he'll be back with Florida as a group.

[Mike Wilbon]

You got to do whatever you need to bring him back.

[Frank Isola]

Yep.

[Mike Wilbon]

Happy anniversary Tomorrow to the 2018 NBA Draft class around this day seven years ago, a series of players entered the league that shaped this season. Luka went third to the Hawks, who traded him to the Mavs for the fifth pick, Trae Young at number 11. The Hornets took Shay Gildas Alexander, number 11, Frank, who they later traded to the Clippers, who eventually traded him to the Thunder, where he just won the mvp. And early in the second round, the Mavericks selected Jalen Brunson, who later left, of course, the Knicks. Other big names Jaren Jackson, Mikhail bridges, Michael Porter Jr. If we redrafted today, would first pick Deandre Ayton and second pick Marvin Bagley Jr. Even make the top 10?

[Frank Isola]

Maybe not. And based on this year, you'd probably go SGA Luka Jalen Brunson 1, 2, 3. You know, five of those top 14 picks have been to an NBA Finals. Michael Porter Jr. Of course, won it with the Denver Nuggets.

[Mike Wilbon]

Yeah, and Ayton wouldn't be in the top 10. But he did get to the NBA Finals.

[Frank Isola]

That's right.

[Mike Wilbon]

Happy trails to Jonathan Taze's absence. While it won't be official until July 1st, the longtime Blackhawks captain is reportedly returning to the NHL with his hometown Winnipeg Jets. 37 year old Tay set out the last two seasons as he battled the effects of long Covid. He and Patrick Kane led my Blackhawks to three Stanley Cups and he won two Olympic gold medals with Canada. Taze was also named one of the top 100 players in the first 100 years of the NHL. I'll miss him on my Blackhawks, Frank, but we'll continue to root for him. As a gym it'd be a pretty.

[Frank Isola]

Cool story if he wins one with Winnipeg the President's trophy winners this year knocked out in the second round by Dallas. Would you be okay if they won it? Winnipeg, I know you root for Edmonton.

[Mike Wilbon]

Winnipeg, I would be okay if they won it. It would be a good story. You're right about that. Yeah, absolutely. He and Kane, what a tag team. Man, I'm longing for those days now. All right, let's move to the big finish. Jonquill Jones of the Liberty Re injured her ankle last night in the loss of the Mercury. Is that significant?

[Frank Isola]

It is. You know, everyone talks about Breanna stuff. Stewart, Sabrina Onesku. Jonquil Jones is a big time player. The Stanley cup ratings were below those of the four nations face off. Are you surprised?

[Mike Wilbon]

Florida, Edmonton, June, the month of June. Maybe I'm not that surprised. The four cups was in February when you play hockey. Yahoo reports that the University of Wisconsin is suing the University of Miami for poaching a player under contract in college football.

[Frank Isola]

Frank, your thoughts Gentlemen. Start your attorneys. Mike, this is the first, not going to be the last with all this nil stuff and transfer portal. It's ridiculous. All right. The Red Sox and the Giants for the first time since Sir Rafael Des was traded. What do you expect?

[Mike Wilbon]

Not much. Fans of the barrier don't care about that. It's too bad this isn't in Fenway. Last one. The Mets have lost six straight. How they gonna do in that battle for first place in the division with the first Phils over the next three.

[Frank Isola]

Phillies have won seven and eight. Both teams tied at 45 and 30. That's going to be a good series right of time. Thanks for watching. I'm Frank Isola.

[Mike Wilbon]

And I'm Mike Wilbon. Have a great weekend, knuckleheads. Frank, you know we got coming up Sunday night, game seven here, Sports Center.

[Damian Lillard]

In case you didn't know, these young men are driven. They are prodigies. The savants. The ones we've been waiting for. Like Damian Lillard for instance. He doesn't seek guidance or mentorship. He's a leader. He isn't waiting for the baton to be passed to him. He's taking it for himself. He's relentless in a pursuit of greatness, always pushing to one up himself. He is accomplished, but far from satisfied. He embodies what it means to have an unstoppable drive and are shaking up the status quo in their community and beyond. And Damian Lillard drives a Toyota. A new generation of Toyota drivers are here and they want you to know one thing. You can't stop my drive.