Brunson sends Pistons packing

Summary

Podcast Summary: Brunson Sends Pistons Packing The Athletic NBA Daily
Release Date: May 2, 2025
Host/Authors: The Athletic (Dave DeFore, Zena Cato, Esfandiar Baraheni)
Guests: James Edwards III, Dave DeFore

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1. New York Knicks vs. Detroit Pistons: A Historic First-Round Series

Overview of the Series
Zena Cato opens the discussion by highlighting the intensity and competitiveness of the Knicks-Pistons series. She notes, “New York Detroit was pretty much the most interesting, most fun series overall” (02:13). The series concluded with six tightly contested games, each decided by three points or fewer—a rare occurrence second only to the 1984 Eastern Conference Finals between the Celtics and the 76ers.

Jalen Brunson’s Clutch Performances
James Edwards III delves into Jalen Brunson's remarkable performance throughout the series. “This guy just has a poise about him,” Edwards remarks at [03:36]. He emphasizes Brunson’s ability to deliver game-winning shots under pressure, citing a pivotal moment: “...his first game winner in a high school game. This guy, there's something about him. The it factor is real” (04:12). Edwards asserts that Brunson’s clutch gene is instrumental in the Knicks’ success, significantly impacting the franchise’s future and their matchup against Boston.

Series Implications and Future Matchups
Zena Cato questions the sustainability of the Knicks' offensive strategies against Boston’s formidable defense. Edwards responds by acknowledging the Knicks' talent but points out Boston’s defensive versatility: “Boston has at most times five guys on the floor that can defend and that can switch across the board” (06:09). He predicts that the matchup against Boston will be a tough challenge for the Knicks, given Boston’s ability to exploit defensive weaknesses.

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2. Detroit Pistons: Building for the Future

Performance Analysis
The conversation shifts to the Detroit Pistons, with Edwards expressing pride in their journey: “They have an identity. And when shots don't fall, they can still stay in games. And defense travels, defense carries” (08:47). Despite losing in six games, Edwards praises the Pistons for their defensive prowess and resilience without their primary defender, Isaiah Stewart.

Cade Cunningham’s Development
Edwards discusses Cade Cunningham’s growth, noting, “He was able to do some of the stuff he did in his first series without a true number two option just tells you how talented this guy is” (11:15). He highlights Cunningham’s need to tighten his handle and adapt to the increased physicality of playoff basketball. Edwards believes Cunningham and the Pistons will return stronger, having gained invaluable playoff experience.

Future Prospects
Edwards is optimistic about the Pistons' future, citing their solid foundation and cap space: “They can now trade picks. Like, this is the worst they're going to be. This is the worst their roster is going to look” (09:54). He underscores the team's defensive identity and the importance of their playoff experience in shaping a promising future.

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3. LA Clippers vs. Denver Nuggets: Western Conference Showdown

James Harden’s Inconsistent Play
Dave DeFore provides an in-depth analysis of James Harden’s fluctuating performance in the series. “I would make an argument that it's been a dud since about halftime of game three” (15:44). DeFore criticizes Harden’s lack of consistency, particularly in crucial moments, which has been detrimental to the Clippers’ efforts.

Kawhi Leonard and Norman Powell’s Impact
The discussion highlights Kawhi Leonard’s steady contribution: “Kawhi Leonard has been incredibly consistent... he can seal the game” (16:55). Norman Powell’s defensive efforts are also praised, especially his key block: “Nico Batum guarded Nikola Jokic for, like, five minutes in the fourth quarter, and somehow the Nuggets didn’t go on a huge run” (17:20).

Nico Batum’s Defensive Prowess
Zena Cato and Dave DeFore both emphasize Nico Batum’s crucial role in the Clippers’ defense. DeFore states, “Batum makes that big block, and that was what stymied the Nuggets comeback at the end” (17:28). Cato adds, “Batumi didn’t stand a chance if they're giving us a regular season whistle, but in the playoffs, you know, these guys know we can give a little bit of extra juice” (19:00).

Denver Nuggets’ Offensive Struggles
The Nuggets’ offense is critiqued, particularly Michael Porter Jr.’s limited performance due to injury: “This guy's had a back surgery... he's been laboring the entire time,” DeFore explains (22:22). He notes that Porter’s injury has hampered the Nuggets’ rebounding and overall offensive efficiency.

Clippers’ Strategic Advantages
DeFore praises the Clippers’ strategic adjustments and depth: “The Clippers have been able to survive going small... that's a luxury for the Clippers” (26:16). He credits the team's ability to maintain defensive intensity and offensive versatility as key factors leading them to force a Game 7.

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4. Predictions and Final Insights

Clippers vs. Nuggets Game 7 Prediction
As the series heads to Game 7, both hosts share their predictions. Zena Cato confidently supports the Clippers: “I'm going Clippers” (30:36). Dave DeFore concurs, adding, “I think the Clippers are going to do it” (30:38). They both highlight the Nuggets’ fatigue and the Clippers’ strategic advantages as determining factors in the upcoming game.

Final Thoughts on Key Players
The hosts discuss the pivotal roles of Nikola Jokic and Kawhi Leonard. DeFore praises Jokic’s clutch abilities but acknowledges Kawhi’s crucial performances: “Nikola Jokic is like the most clutch guy in the league... but the person I'm going to choose is Kawhi” (28:08). Cato emphasizes Kawhi’s offensive ingenuity, making him a cornerstone for the Clippers’ potential victory.

Closing Remarks
Zena Cato wraps up the discussion by appreciating the in-depth analysis from James Edwards III and Dave DeFore, emphasizing the excitement of the ongoing playoff battles. She concludes, “Have a great weekend. More playoff basketball ahead” (30:54).

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Jalen Brunson about clutch performance:
  “This guy just has a poise about him.” – James Edwards III (03:36)

• Brunson’s historical impact on Knicks:
  “This shot had ramifications that could alter the franchise.” – James Edwards III (05:30)

• Clippers' defensive strategy:
  “Batum makes that big block, and that was what stymied the Nuggets comeback at the end.” – Dave DeFore (17:28)

• Prediction for Game 7:
  “I think the Clippers are going to do it.” – Dave DeFore (30:38)

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Conclusion

In this episode of The Athletic NBA Daily, the hosts and guests provided a comprehensive analysis of the Knicks-Pistons and Clippers-Nuggets first-round playoff series. They highlighted standout performances, strategic insights, and future implications for both teams. With Game 7 on the horizon, the anticipation is high for another thrilling conclusion to these tightly contested matchups.

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Transcript Excerpts

(For reference, here are the timestamps referenced in the summary above)

• 02:13
• 03:36
• 04:12
• 05:30
• 06:09
• 08:47
• 09:54
• 11:15
• 15:44
• 16:55
• 17:20
• 17:28
• 19:00
• 22:22
• 26:16
• 28:08
• 30:36
• 30:38
• 30:54

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This summary aims to provide a thorough overview of the podcast episode, capturing essential discussions, insights, and notable quotes to engage both regular listeners and newcomers.

Transcript

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[James Edwards III]

As.

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[Zena Cato]

Good morning and welcome to the NBA Daily. I'm Zena Cato. We are going to be covering the game sixes across the Western and Eastern Conference. David DeFore is actually at the LA Clippers Denver Nuggets game. We'll catch up with him in a second. But first, James Edwards III is here to break down how the Detroit Pistons ended their James, how are you?

[James Edwards III]

I'm good, I'm good. Running on fumes, but that's. That's playoff basketball. I think we all are.

[Zena Cato]

I think we all are. Including the New York Knicks and the Detroit Pistons. They close out their series. I think. You know, if you're looking at the two sides of the NBA sphere, New York Detroit was pretty much the most interesting, most fun series overall. You think about a series that ended four, two decisive scores, 15 point differential between all six games. Very tight series, actually second in NBA history to have four straight games decided by three points or fewer. The last time that happened was in 1984 in the Eastern Conference finals with the Celtics and the 76ers. So New York Detroit making some history. Of course, Detroit made their own History, getting to the playoffs, winning a playoff game, but they weren't able to win at home. James, I want to start first and foremost with the Knicks because we saw a Brunson clinic, a Brunson burner, as the Knicks would say, bad boy. Brunson came out, I mean, 40 burger, four rebounds, seven assists. But particularly once again, another unbelievable clutch performance. I mean, he cooks up the craziest moves despite Sarah Thompson having unbelievable clamps on him in the fourth quarter. Like, are you surprised at all by what Brunson is capable of doing in the fourth quarter?

[James Edwards III]

No, it's, it's, it's hard to describe or it's, it's, I'm tired of describing it. Not hard to describe. I'm tired of describing it. This guy's been doing it all year. Listen, there's been numerous game winners. Numerous. Go ahead buckets. If somebody tells you they remember them all this season, they're lying. There was like a five or six game stretch at the end of February and early March where he had four or five game winning or go ahead buckets that really in the end were beneficial to the Knicks clinching home court advantage. This guy just has a poise about him. I asked him a few weeks ago if he remembers this first, like clutch moment. And he talked about in high school how he shot a shot in a high school game without confidence. And his dad sent him videos of NBA players shooting clips or shooting shots, make or miss, with confidence in within the clutch time. And a week later he hit his first game winner in a high school game. This guy, there's something about him. The it factor is real. I believe in clutch jeans. I, I do think that is a real gene, even though we can't define it. And I mean, I'm going to write about this for my story that you guys can read on on Friday morning. But this bucket may have had big ramifications, right? Like if they lose to the Pistons in seven games, this franchise, there's, there was going to be changes that came. I don't think that the owner would be okay with investing all this, their draft capital, their money, and they couldn't get out of the first round. And the Pistons have won in New York twice. So who's to say that if the Pistons take a Game 7 to Madison Square Garden that they wouldn't win? Like this shot had ramifications that could alter the franchise. That's how big this was. Even though it's the first round and even though people might say that they shouldn't have Struggled with the Pistons. This was a big shot. This, this was a very big shot. Now the reward is going to play Boston.

[Zena Cato]

There you go. And that's the thing though, as you look ahead to the next series, I'm looking at the New York offense. Of course, Tobias Harris did his thing in shutting down a Karl Anthony Towns finished with 10 points, yes, 15 rebounds, but definitely not the production that you'd expect out of the two man game. Jalen and Kat a lot more so out of Mikhail Bridges and OG Anunoby who combined for 57 points like they were the offense for the Knicks alongside Jalen. Now is that sustainable going against Boston, especially considering the size that Boston has?

[James Edwards III]

Yeah, I mean, I, I think the Knicks are going to have pockets in this series where they score because there's talent, there's talent there and they are very talented. And while Detroit does play very physical and I'm sure Knicks fans are happy to get away from the physicality of the Pistons. Boston has at most times five guys on the floor that can defend and that can switch across the board. And the Knicks really struggle against teams that can guard one on one, that can get into their man they can guard. They've put Drew on Cat and seen success baiting him into post ups and not taking threes. Boston's just a different animal. The playoffs are more about. It's less about the best team and the team with the fewest flaws. And Boston has the fewest flaws. And I think that's why New York squeezed out the series against the Pistons. They are the team with fewest flaws and I think Boston just has too much switchability across the board. Then they can go score on you. I just think it's a bad matchup and it's going to be. And now they went to six games with the Pistons, all dog fights. Like Boston's rested, the Knicks will get a couple days, but I think this is going to be a really tough hill to climb for the Knicks.

[Zena Cato]

And they just also played the Thibodeau marathon, which is, you know, Brunson ending with 42 minutes in that game, putting up 33 shots. Like the volume of energy expenditure that the New York Knicks just did against a Detroit Pistons defense is crazy. And then you have to go and go against the Boston Celtics. It's going to be crazy. I want to also ask you though about Detroit because obviously you used to cover Detroit, so I'm sure there's a spot in your heart that you're like, you're proud of them. They got to the big stage. They felt the lights. And let's be real in this game six, it felt as if in the beginning of the game the lights were a little too bright. They were putting a little, some, some of the shades on. Cade Cunningham couldn't figure out his shot early in the game. Um, he did end up with nine points in that first quarter, but over the course of the game, particularly in the fourth quarter, that's where they needed him to step up and bring that offense that he's used to bringing and he could not find a shot. I think he ended up just four points in the fourth quarter. But it makes you think about the future with the way that Jaylen Duran was playing this series and the. And you think about the backcourt. Of course Tim Hardway Jr. Struggled in this game, only scoring seven points. But imagine if that's Jaden Ivey out there again, right? Like there were so many aspects of it. What, what do you think when you're looking at the destroyed Pistons team and the way they played in this series? Like, what was most exciting for you, having known the history of how they got to this place?

[James Edwards III]

Yeah, I am very happy for a lot of the people over there, the people that I've covered from Cade. Obviously Isaiah Stewart didn't get to play and I thought he deserved that moment to show what he can do in a bit with the bright lights and Tobias I've known and the peripheral people. So very happy for, for that, that team and that fan base. It's a, as you guys heard on tv, it's. It's one of the most rabid in basketball. They love their team and I think what's most important is they have an identity. And when shots don't fall, they can still stay in games. And defense travels, defense carries. And they did that without their 1A, 1B defender. Isaiah Stewart missed basically the whole series and they were still able to defend at a very high level. So now you have Cade. He now has playoff experience under his belt. They have a lot of cap space coming up. They have, they can now trade picks. Like, this is the worst the Pistons are going to be. This is the worst they're going to be. This is the worst their roster is going to look.

[Zena Cato]

I just got chilled. That's kind of scary.

[James Edwards III]

It's because they beat. They built a foundation on defense and hard nose play. And now you add the skill, you add the secondary creator, whether that's Ivy, whether that's somebody else next to Cade. Cat said it in the post game. This Detroit team is built for the playoffs and a bright future. It's hard to say otherwise just based on what they did with even limited resources in this series.

[Zena Cato]

I mean, they had a season, they end up 44 of 38. They won 14 games last season and found themselves going to six. And you were there for all of that. And we used to commend you. Like, how is James writing about this day in, day out. And of course you find a way to still celebrate them right in this series. And I'm wondering, you know, lessons learned, of course, going into the next year of the playoff stage because you literally saw Jalen Brunson show up in a way, in a superstar way. He showed up and was the best player in this game. Not necessarily, I wouldn't say the best player in the series. Series, but definitely in this game and in the wins that they had, he was the one that showed up and stepped up. So what are the lessons, particularly from maybe a Cade Cunningham going to close out this year and get ready for the next opportunity to get on that stage?

[James Edwards III]

Yeah, there's nothing that I can say that he doesn't know. It's a. There's a different level of physicality. Right. He knows that now. He knows he needs to tighten up his handle. He was a little loosey goosey with the ball in this series, but the fact that he was able to do some of the stuff he did in his first series without a true number two option just tells you how talented this guy is. And it's not like he was getting guarded by Joe Schmoes. It was Og Anunoby and Nikol Bridges the whole time. Like tightening. He's going to tighten his handle. He knows that's important. He knows what the physicality, it takes, the attention to detail late in games. This is a great learning experience for him and that dude. I guess people were surprised that he became this. It was there last year. Cade was really good last year too. He's as talented as they come. And now just the experience like we always, we go to college, right. We have to get this degree to get jobs. But what really prepares us for the jobs is the experience, the internship. You have the opportunity somebody gave you, the on hand, on site opportunities and he got it and this young team got it. They know what it tastes like and the way that they lost. I'm sure they walk away from this thinking they, they lost this series, not that the Knicks won this year. I could see them thinking that. And so now they're going to come back hungry. They're going to come back hungry and it's not. That's not bad for a team that plays like a pit bull with rabies. Anyway.

[Zena Cato]

James, you always come with the wisdom. I appreciate that. There you go.

[James Edwards III]

I don't even know what I just said.

[Zena Cato]

I love it. You were cooking. Don't you worry. Go read James over at the Athletic. Got the story over the Knicks. Now going to the series with the Boston Celtics. When does that start, by the way? Do you know?

[James Edwards III]

Monday. Monday in Boston.

[Zena Cato]

Monday night. Eastern Conference is heating up. Appreciate you, James. Now go to bed. I know it's been a long one. Foreign.

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[James Edwards III]

As.

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[Dave DeFore]

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[Zena Cato]

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[Zena Cato]

Now if New York and Detroit were the most interesting series in the east, Dave DeFore was actually at the most interesting series of the west. And really the entire NBA. Denver Nuggets and LA Clippers have been battling and it's not finished yet, y'all. There's still a Game 7 as the Clippers forced that beating the Nuggets in game six one eleven to one. Oh five. Dave, you're. You were there. You were there for the clinic that Norman Powell, Kawhi Leonard and particularly James Harden put on Denver from the top of this game. Would you have expected the way that James Harden played, especially considering the dud that he laid in game five?

[Dave DeFore]

I mean, I would make an argument that it's been a dud since about halftime of game three. Right. Like, he had that amazing first half, put up 20, 20 points the first half, game three, and then back to back games was six points, 11 points in the last two games. This is the game that they needed from James Harden two games ago. Right. If they get this in game four, they win that game. Obviously, they get it in game five, it's a little bit closer, but this is the sort of night that they need from Harden to win. Like, we saw this in game one, where, you know, obviously they lost a close game, but Harden really does stir the drink for them. Kawhi Leonard has been incredibly consistent and him having 27 points and being able to turn it on in the fourth quarter to seal the game. It really stems from Harden picking up so much of the burden throughout the game. And so, you know, you see him, Norm Powell has a huge game, as you mentioned, they get about 80 points out of their top three guys. You do that, you're setting yourself up to win. They also happen to get some, you know, a couple of key threes from like, bogdanovich. Derrick Jones Jr hit some threes. They were able to buy some time out there without Zubac. I mean, basically everything kind of went right for the Clippers. And it still got close at the end because that's how close this series is.

[Zena Cato]

Well, you. I'm happy you mentioned the entire board of all the people that contributed to this, but let's just be real. My French flag is. Is waving right now. Nick Batum, amazing. All the way up. I mean, I think the stats say he had two blocks. I felt like he had like 30. He was everywhere. And he was hitting big shots as well. I mean, how key was Batum stepping up in particularly this game in this series?

[Dave DeFore]

Massive. I mean, you know, he gets that big block on Russell Westbrook going to the basket at the end. I mean, and Russ had an awful end of this game.

[Zena Cato]

Yeah.

[Dave DeFore]

But Batum makes that big block, and that was what really stymied the Nuggets comeback at the end. That was what shut him down momentum wise. You know, the Clippers get the ball back, they come back and score on the other end. And. And that was basically the end of that run. But Nico, you know, it's nice, like, he was throwing these little passes. I don't know if you guys caught this on the broadcast, but he's like these little sneak passes to the corner. When he was on the break, he was, you know, he obviously Got the no dip, three down. So, which is great for the. For the Clippers because they like to run the clock down, so he winds up with a lot of grenades. And this is just, again, this is what happens for the Clippers, especially at home. These role players step up. I also want to point out that Nico Batum guarded Nicola Jokic for, like, I don't know, five minutes in the fourth quarter, and somehow the Nuggets didn't go on a huge run in spite of, if it's a zubac being on the bench, I mean, it was a team effort, but btoom was just. I mean, you talk about a battle. I mean, you got a guy that you're giving up maybe like 40, 50 pounds to, and it's just give everything you got. And it's a testament to the way that this game was called. You know, I'm sure down the stretch, and we'll probably hear about this in post game, but down the stretch, I'm sure that the Nuggets were a little frustrated because the Clippers were still allowed to be so physical and they kept him off the line. But this was another example of that. Nico Batum doesn't stand a chance if they're giving us a regular season whistle, but in the playoffs, you know, these guys know we can give a little bit of extra juice. And I mean, the defensive effort from Batum, you know, the block shots were great, but also just standing up Jokic in the post when they needed it, I thought that was massive for them.

[Zena Cato]

I am so happy you brought that up. And I really love. When I was listening to the broadcast, Sam Von Gundy was bringing this up about the fact that having a Batum in there obviously allows you to have some spacing and be able to add some shooting, but it's a more agile option on the pick and roll, particularly just to back down Jokic out of his position. And that's exactly what you saw him doing all night, like. And I think it was really funny because his brother technically probably made that decision as the defensive coordinator for, you know, the Clippers. But I'm looking at the adjustment that the Clippers made on defense. I'm looking at the way that their Big Three showed up. Offensively, everything was clicking, but particularly defensively, things were clicking at the end of that game. And I look at Denver and you love this word, the grenades. How many times did we see Jamal Murray at the end of the shot clock throw a grenade over to. To Russell Westbrook thr know, put Nikola Jokic in A position where he's trying to force something up. It looked as if the offense stalled for Denver, which is kind of crazy to say.

[Dave DeFore]

Well, I. I actually think that Jokic was a little bit too passive in this game. I mean, even down at the end of the game, you know, he passes up what felt like an open 3 to drive to the basket, trying to draw contact, maybe go for the N1, but, you know, they needed a three about a minute before that, and to pass up an open three. And it's almost like to try to prove a point because he wasn't getting the free throw call, you know, the free throws and the foul calls that he expected. But that was a little bit indicative of their whole night. I think Jamal Murray, he hit a couple of tough shots. I mean, this is. This was not the explosion that, you know, we saw from Jamal Murray in Game 5, but he hit tough shots when they needed it. The issue is, you know, you just didn't have enough guys hitting shots. You had Russell Westbrook, you know, he blows a dunk, blows a big layup. You know, he misses a wide open three from the top of the key. You know, those are back breakers for a team that is trying to fight back. And. But this is sort of where the Nuggets are. You know, they have, I guess what, four guys, four and a half guys that you really can count on for. For the full 48 minutes. And it depends on what you're getting out of Jamal Murray. I mean, looking ahead to Game 7. I don't want to get too ahead of ourselves, Zena, but, you know, Jamal Murray tends to step up in. In big moments, right? This was a moment I thought that Jamal really needed to back up, you know, from game five, he put up 43. I think he needed to have another huge night in this game and try to try to shut the Clippers down. Otherwise, you know, you need just more out of Yokic. He's got to be more aggressive. And it's tough. It's tough to ask this guy that's done so much to get him here to continue to do it every single night. You know, at some point, somebody else has stepped up like they. Like we saw in game four and five.

[Zena Cato]

I mean, yeah, Jokic ended up with 25 points, seven rebounds, eight assists, like three steals. I mean, like, he had a crazy stat line.

[Dave DeFore]

Can you do more?

[Zena Cato]

Is. Can you do more? Right? It's like, it's a big burden to ask, but it's true. When you're talking about the numbers from the Denver side of things, like six guys maybe, you know, Watson added in there, but it is six guys. And one of the six, Michael Porter Jr. I don't know if it was the shoulder that caught up to him or what, but he just was non existent in this matchup. Only five points. Did not. He attempted two threes. Like, what'd you see out of Michael Porter Jr. That was significantly different than what we've seen in the last two games?

[Dave DeFore]

Yeah, it's physical. This guy, I, I, I want to give him credit, right? Like, this guy's had a back surgery. He's obviously had an injury history that is a mile long. We know about the red flags for him coming out in the draft. He hasn't been healthy his entire career and then he, he suffers this shoulder injury in this series and I mean, he's been laboring the entire time he's been coming back. And I think it's one of those, one of those injuries where he's going to have it some nights and he's not some others. And it's got to be tough with the short turnaround. You know, they, they finish up the game the other night, they hop on a plane, fly out here, and now they got to turn around and go, go back to Denver to do this again Saturday night. And so, you know, you start to worry like, okay, well, if he looks like this in game six, it's only going to maybe be worse in game seven. But that they closed with Russell Westbrook and I think that that's pretty telling, right? Like, he had a really great Game five, but you know how it is with Russ, right? Like, you're going to get the good and you're going to get the bad and hope they even out, right? And you hope they even out. And I think that if, if Game 5 was that top of the roller coaster, you know, right before you get to the huge drop tonight was a huge drop. And they would have really probably rather had Michael Porter out there, especially just for his rebounding. I mean, just think about how many times the Clippers were able to, to tap the ball out, you know, gang rebound on Jokic even when they were playing small. So, you know, it just, I just can't imagine what it's like to be able to play in an NBA game with only one arm functioning. So, you know, tip the captain, Michael Porter Jr. For what he's done so far. But yeah, it wasn't a great game for him.

[Zena Cato]

All right, let's turn the attention to the Clippers because the onus is really on them. They are the ones trying to keep their season alive. And they, I mean, they did that tonight, being able to last night, excuse me, but being able to force a game seven. But now they are going into Denver trying to keep their season alive. And of course, you know, you can get this offense out of Norman Powell and James Harden and Kawhi Leonard and. But you mentioned it, Kawhi's consistency, that is the key thread that needs to be through the. The Clippers team, not just on defense, but particularly on offense.

[Dave DeFore]

Yeah.

[Zena Cato]

Throughout this series, you've seen the Clippers pretty much be consistent with that aspect of their game, but their offense has been inconsistent. What is it that Denver is doing that allows James Harden to have a Dude then have 47 minutes played, 28 points, unbelievable game. How are they guarding these guys that it keeps being up and down with their performance?

[Dave DeFore]

If, If I could answer that question, if, if the Clippers could answer that question, I, I feel like we would probably know, you know, we would know it out loud.

[Zena Cato]

Yeah.

[Dave DeFore]

With Harden, it does seem like you, you know which Harden you're going to get at the start of the game, right? Does he have the juice? I mean, he starts out this game obviously, like attacking the basket and against this nugget scene that is the recipe for success, especially for the Clippers. James Harden can get to the basket at will. He just needs to do it. He basically needs to put them in the blender, right. Like just over and over again running those pick and rolls with zoo and then they surround him with shooters. And you look at the way that Kawhi actually plays off the ball from, from James Harden. It's not like, you know, he's not out there making tons of cuts. He's not out there, but he's not out there standing around, right. He's actually clearing out space in the lane. They have a system. It's just so often that system seems to be, hey, beat your man. And you know, that's. I think with Harden, if he's. If he doesn't have that first step that day, he's not beat this man. And with his physical, as Christian Brown and Aaron Gordon have been, you know, when they're out guarding him, it's. It's not surprising to me, right? Like the, the referees allowing those guys to guard with their body, guard with their hands, I think that that has bothered James Harden a little bit.

[James Edwards III]

And.

[Dave DeFore]

Which is funny to say because he is such a physical offensive player. He's constantly creating contact to create space. But I Do think that the Nuggets defense has bothered him and tonight they just didn't have it. I mean, he was just blowing past them. It must have been nice to sleep in his own bed or something. You know what I mean? I'm gonna figure out what it is. But, you know, he just looked faster. He was getting into his actions faster. And then, you know, down the stretch when he's starting to milk clock, it just. We saw him pick them apart and, and the Clippers made him pay. They were getting open looks. As soon as they sent the second man over onto Harden, he let the ball go and the. And the ball found an open shooter. So I think if the Clippers stick to that, I mean, that game plan can work against the Nuggets. The Nuggets looked slow starting about, you know, the middle of the third quarter. And, and this was one of the first times that the Clippers have been able to survive going small. So they even found a way to get Zubaj off the court and give him some rest. I mean, you saw how fresh he looked. Came in with like 4 minutes left in the fourth quarter. That's a luxury for the Clippers. You know, usually they don't have the defense without him as the anchor. So, yeah, I think that the Clippers might have figured some stuff out rotation wise in this game. You know, it takes a while before you can figure those things out. But six games mean it's better than, you know, going home after game six.

[Zena Cato]

And that's. I think that's why. The reason I asked that question is because it's one thing to be able to do this against an opponent that is scouting you and consistently adjusting to what you're doing, not only in game, but obviously being able to watch film and then come back and attack it in a different way. But how does this translate to potentially the next round if you don't have your offense in a, like, go to type of plan? Like, I know what Denver wants to do at the end of a game, how they want to get into a pick and roll situation with Jamal Murray or get the ball in Nikola Yic's hand and figure it out from there. It feels a little bit as if we still haven't figured that out for the Clippers, even though their offense was humming at the end of the season, of the regular season, at least. Yeah, they.

[Dave DeFore]

They make so many shots, right? Like, they have three guys that are advanced shot makers. Norm Powell kind of gets lost in this, but it does seem like anytime they need a big shot Norm has got to do it. He also does a good job of attacking closeouts, getting to the basket, putting pressure on the rim. I would say that this was a textbook example of what they want their offense to be. James Harden initiate, hopefully get into the pick and roll, drive, create a lane, you know, make the pass, kick it around, and then if you have to, Kawhi is able to catch the ball on the, on the correct. Get a clear out in isolation. And I mean, look, the mid range is automatic for him, right? And we see this in fourth quarter after fourth quarter, when it comes time, they need a basket, they need a tough shot. Give it to Kawhi, he's going to get the shot over anybody. I mean, he had a, he had a shot over Jokic, you know, in the four and that's tough because guys, seven, two, it just doesn't matter for Kawhi. So I think that the big, the big key for game six, can James Harden keep these guys in the blender? Can Norm Powell make shots he did or. Excuse me, for game seven? Yeah. Can. Can Norm Powell continue to make shots? And then is everybody going to allow Kawhi to continue to be Kawhi? I. The Clippers, if they can just do what they did in game six, which is easier said than done. I mean, I think that they should be looking pretty good for game seven. Now the difference is Nikola Jokic is like the most clutch guy in the league. And when it comes to time to get a bucket, that's the guy I'm choosing, no matter the award. So if the game is close in game seven and you're playing in Denver and you've got his home crowd there, I. There's no chance in a close game I'm going against Jokic. So I don't know, I'm. I'm kind of pumped for this game seven. I don't know if you can tell. I don't come to a lot of games. Zena and I had to come to this one.

[Zena Cato]

Yeah, I mean, of course, I mean it's the best series in the entire NBA. And I don't know, I mean, you're right. I feel like Nicole Yokiches clutch. Not even just in clutch five minutes. He's clutch, period, in the way at the end of shot clause, et cetera, you need him. But the person I'm going to choose is the person that went five of seven for the mid range tonight, including one over that seven footer and that's. That's Kawhi. Kawhi's got that ability to create. So either way, as you mentioned, it's going to be an unbelievably entertaining close to an already unbelievable series. It's kind of crazy. This already happened in the first round.

[Dave DeFore]

I know. We need it though, Xena. We need a good seven game series. You want to make a prediction?

[Zena Cato]

I'm going Clippers.

[Dave DeFore]

I think the Clippers are going to do it. I think the Clippers are going to do it.

[Zena Cato]

Yeah.

[Dave DeFore]

The Nuggets look tired down the stretch of this game.

[Zena Cato]

You. The Nuggets played seven people like that. That is. That's fatigue. Okay.

[Dave DeFore]

What do you think, Jad?

[Zena Cato]

Even if you're going to about that conditioning. On that note. On that note, appreciate you hanging out with us, Dave DeFore, making the time to go to the arena, be in the building and allow me to get into the pilot seat. And appreciate all of you guys listening in thanks to James Edward III and Dave defore. I'm Zena Kada. Appreciate you guys listening. Have a great weekend. More playoff basketball ahead.