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- [00:01]
Host 1
As you've probably heard by now, we've teamed up with BetMGM this season. We'll be using BetMGM lines to make all of our picks and we'll have special offers for our listeners each week. If you haven't signed up for BetMGM yet, use bonus code TheAthletic and you'll get a one year subscription to the Athletic plus up to a fifteen hundred dollar first bet offer on your first wager with BetMGM. Here's how it works. Download the BetMGM app and sign up using bonus code TheAthletic. Make your first deposit of at least ten dollars. Place bet on any game and claim your voucher for a one year subscription to the Athletic.
- [00:37]
Host 2
See betmgm.com for terms. U.S. promotional offers not available in D.C. mississippi, New York, Nevada, Ontario or Puerto Rico gambling problem call 1-800- gambler available in the U.S. call 877-8-HOPE NY or text HOPE NY 467-369 in New York, call 1-800- NEXT STEP in Arizona, 1-800-327-5050 Massachusetts 1, 800, bets off in Iowa, 1-800-270-7117 for confidential help in Michigan, 1-800-981-0023 in Puerto Rico for first bet offer for new customers only in partnership with Kansas Crossing Casino and Hotel.
- [01:01]
Host 1
Don't forget, if you haven't signed up for BetMGM yet, use bonus code TheAthletic and you'll get a one year subscription to the Athletic plus up to a fifteen hundred dollar first bet offer on your first wager.
- [01:14]
Host 3
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- [01:29]
Host 4
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- [01:34]
Host 2
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Host 3
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- [01:54]
Host 4
Good morning and welcome to the NBA Daily. Coming up, the Thunder showed up for Game 2, the Denver Nuggets did not, and the Knicks with another huge comeback. We have Jared Weiss to talk about that from outside of TD Garden where there was an evacuation. Good morning everybody.
- [02:14]
Host 5
Good morning S. Good morning to everyone in the Tri State area. New York specifically, right?
- [02:23]
Host 4
What an insane Another insane night. What do you know?
- [02:26]
Host 5
Insane.
- [02:26]
Host 4
The second round has been incredibly unpredictable. The the Knicks pull off another 20 point comeback against the Celtics. I, I want to call it a comeback and not a Celtics blown lead. It is both, right?
- [02:42]
Host 5
Yeah.
- [02:42]
Host 4
But the, the Knicks have once again manufactured a huge comeback. You know, we hit the Celtic side of this after the break with, with Jared Weiss, but as, but before we get to the, the Thunder just dominating the Nuggets, I wanted to talk about the Knicks side of this because look, they're now up two games to none in a series that I don't think most people pick them to win. You know, I mean, they haven't, they didn't beat anyone all year. And by anyone, I mean okc, Cleveland and Boston didn't beat them all year and now, now they're up to two to nothing, have come back from two 20 point victories. And they've done it because of the defense. It isn't because they're outscoring Boston. They've done it because they have gotten key stops every single time they needed to in the clutch.
- [03:30]
Host 5
Yeah. Especially in the second half. And what's been surprising to me about the Knicks defense is how willing they've been to switch because that was an issue against these teams against the okcs in Boston's in New York. So the world in the regular season, it was all right. Co those teams are going to hunt out Brunson, they're going to hunt out Cat in the pick and roll. But now they're sort of living with the consequences of that. They're forcing Brunson to play better defense one on one. And to their credit, the wingstop guys are doing an incredible job. Mikhail Bridges, OG Anunoby, Josh Hart, those guys are pinching in on drives. They're helping in these isolation situations. They're getting deflections, they're getting steals. OG had four steals tonight, a lot of them on Jaylen Brown. I think the activity off ball from those guys is allowing them to live with Brunson dealing with switches to deal with Cat in the, in isolation. And like Mikhail Bridges, two game winning, game winning steals.
- [04:29]
Host 3
It's incredible.
- [04:31]
Host 4
Yeah, yeah. Timely, right? Like, I mean just, just again, every time they've needed a play made on the defensive end in the clutch, they've made it. And by the way, if you guys didn't read, Fred Katz wrote a piece about Bridges and how he's been more physical because one of the knocks on Bridges and it's partially how he doesn't miss games, is that he does not actually play physical defense. He doesn't make a lot of contact, right? Yeah, he, he goes away from contact he, you know, avoids screens. You know, he won't fight through them necessarily. And so this is a kind of. He has ratcheted up his physicality and intensity with OG I mean, I think that this is just who OG is just about every single game defensively. The, the big thing to me that they figured out in Game 1 was that Mitchell Robinson is, is super useful against the Celtics, especially with Porzingis being limited. You know, Horford's not really much of a matchup for, for Mitchell Robinson and, and having Mitchell Robinson play with Cat some, I think has worked out well. It, it makes me think back to last year at Minnesota, the way Cat was able to, to guard a little bit better because he had, you know.
- [05:43]
Host 5
Yeah, man. So Robinson and cat are plus 21 in this series in, you know, 22 minutes together, which is really impressive. I mean, they've just been dominant in the time that they've played together in this series. And to your point, it makes a lot of sense. You know, Mitch, Mitch Robinson after the game said that like, hey, if they're hacking me like this, that means I'm a threat. They want to get me off the court. And it's been that way through the first two games. The Shop blocking, a lot of people won't talk about it because Mikhail Bridges got the game winning steel, but.
- [06:13]
Host 3
Right.
- [06:14]
Host 5
Robinson switched out on Tatum, contained the drive, didn't let him get downhill. Especially after he let Tatum get a layup. The possession beforehand. Yeah, it was massive to try and get that stop and force him and shade him into og so yeah, Mitch has been huge in this game. Even despite the hack of Mitch situation and missing free throws and all that type of stuff, he's really changed the way this team could be. And you know, we've talked about this all season where it's like he's the missing piece. He's the thing that they need. He's been that so far hitting the.
- [06:48]
Host 4
Offensive glass for them. You know, it can't just be Josh Hart. Mitchell Robinson solves a lot of that, so. Absolutely, man. Just. How about the Knicks?
- [06:56]
Host 3
Bing.
- [06:56]
Host 5
Ball, man.
- [06:57]
Host 4
I just. They are, they're Jalen Brunson, by the way. Mr. Clutch. We, we didn't even talk about this. Like Jalen Brunson, Mr. Clutch hits the free throws. You know, again, he had eight points going into the fourth quarter and he just is able to, to turn it up. You know, puts up, puts up nine in. In the first.
- [07:15]
Host 5
Bridges having zero points going into the fourth quarter and then hitting 14 points. It was just it was an incredible game. I mean, it was one of those things where it's like you had to be there to experience this Knicks team over the last couple games.
- [07:28]
Host 4
It's mirror of game one. Exactly.
- [07:32]
Host 3
A mirror.
- [07:32]
Host 4
I mean, right down.
- [07:34]
Host 5
Yeah.
- [07:35]
Host 4
10 of 40 from 3 for the Celtics too. Right. So a lot of people are going to be pointing to that. We get into it with Jared and you know Jared. Jared doesn't think this is over. I'll just. Just to tease that Jared, that's that the Celtics could still do this potentially even in six. Hey, look. Which I.
- [07:51]
Host 5
The Celtics.
- [07:52]
Host 4
Interesting.
- [07:53]
Host 5
Yeah. To win four in a row is going to be interesting. The Celtics had the best away record in the NBA, so I do that. That is a fair point to make.
- [08:00]
Host 4
We'll see what those guys are not pushovers. Okay. Speaking of being pushed over the other night, after the Thunder lost game one, Andrew Schleicht was on the show and he. He kept emphasizing that the Thunder did not execute well. S. They executed the Denver Nuggets on the court last night. Oh my God. 43 point win. Shake Alexander put up 34 on 13 shots plus 51, which is the highest single game plus minus in NBA playoff history since, you know, naturally was was tracked absurd game from okc. This is what we expected in game one, right. Like the Nuggets would just be dead coming off a series seven game series, man, Thunder looked pretty good.
- [08:53]
Host 5
They look like we expected them to in game one. You know, you could. We kind of had this conversation off air, but you could have kind of flipped these two games and it would have felt the exact same way. I. I expected Denver off a crazy series with the Clippers to look flat. They look flat tonight. And OKC took advantage. I thought OKC just came out as a team and was like, we're not letting you score. At some point the game was like 40 to 13 in the first quarter. And you're like, well, are they going to. Are they going to Celtics this? Is that what's going to happen? No, they stepped on the gas even more to make it to a point where it was just not possible. And look, they had a bunch of guys scoring double digits. All of their starters scored in double digits. You talked about Shea, the dominance.
- [09:38]
Host 3
They.
- [09:39]
Host 5
They were awesome. 12 steals and 8 blocks. 20 stocks in this game. That's how great this defense was. And it's what we expect now. I guess I'll throw it back to you.
- [09:48]
Host 4
Okay.
- [09:49]
Host 3
Does.
- [09:49]
Host 5
Does this. Does the first two games change anything for you when it comes to this? Series and how it looks headed to Denver.
- [09:57]
Host 4
No, I think that this is, this is kind of, again, what you would expect if they had gotten blown out in Game one. And then the Nuggets win a tight game, too. That feels about right for a 14 series anyway. But especially this one where you look at it and Jokic is the best player in the world, right. He puts up 42 and 20 in one of the games. You say, oh, wow, crazy Jokic game. Now they've just got to figure out, when does the Jamal Murray game come? You know, I, I, you and I, we, we talk pretty much every day. I know this Nuggets team really well.
- [10:28]
Host 3
Right.
- [10:28]
Host 4
Like, like we all do. We've, we've watched them grow into what they are. This game felt like one they were going to lose, you know, just because they won Game one on the road. And it just is, historically, it feels like the Nuggets tend to drop these, and I, I wasn't completely shocked to see them come out flat. You know, this, this isn't a team that, that has done the whole, like, killer instinct thing where they'll double down on a win like that. It does seem like they're pretty comfortable heading back to, to Denver with a split, which, I mean, to their credit, like, game three in Denver, that's tough. It's a short turnaround. I mean, you're the one who actually pointed out to me that this series is every other day. It's the only series break.
- [11:12]
Host 5
Yeah. I wonder if that catches up with Denver a little bit, though. Just, they don't have any guys.
- [11:17]
Host 4
And the Thunder, I mean, what do they have, nine guys, eight guys? Double double figures. I mean, they got Isaiah Joe going. Yeah. Like, who hadn't gotten going all the playoffs yet? So, like, now they got another guy that they could throw out there and play. I, I, I don't know. That's, I've been worried about the Nuggets running out of gas since, like, I don't know, but we, they fired Michael Malone.
- [11:41]
Host 5
How many game sevens have this, this version of the Nuggets gone to. You know what I mean? They do let playoff series linger.
- [11:49]
Host 4
We should have thought about this to look it up, but, I mean, it is like they like the team that, that seems like six or seven games is what you're gonna do every time.
- [11:57]
Host 5
Yeah.
- [11:57]
Host 4
Every single time, man. Gonna be a battle, though. I think that, oh, yeah. I think now we're, we're over the initial. You know, the Thunder bounce back. We saw how they responded to getting punched in the mouth, which we've been waiting for. Right. And so now it's, it's Denver's turn to respond, which they normally do. I, I, I don't know. It's gonna be a great series.
- [12:18]
Host 5
It is. It's good that they responded, though, because that could have been very dangerous. We don't look at Clevel. Could have gotten very, very dangerous there.
- [12:26]
Host 4
I will say this. The Cleveland series, Cleveland and Indiana has obviously gotten a little less compelling, giving the injuries.
- [12:33]
Host 5
Injuries. Yeah, yeah.
- [12:35]
Host 4
Boston and, and New York is still compelling because the Celtics are good enough to be able to, to win.
- [12:42]
Host 5
They're the F champs.
- [12:43]
Host 4
Yeah. Yeah. Speaking of compelling, the, the other series that we haven't had a chance to talk about, Golden State Warriors, Minnesota Timberwolves, we got some news. Unfortunately, Steph Curry is going to be out at least a week. They're going to reevaluate him. What's the math on that? S. That puts him back for which game?
- [13:01]
Host 5
So basically, if they do straight a week, if it's just he's back in seven games, he. Seven days, he could be back for game five. But the likely scenario, given all the, the kind of information we have, if he's out at least a week, he's probably out for seven to 10 days.
- [13:16]
Host 3
Yeah.
- [13:17]
Host 5
And so that puts it at game six. Game six is the time. Because there's 12 days between when he got injured and game six should give him more than enough time to be ready for game six. Now the question is, can the warriors get it to six games?
- [13:34]
Host 4
Feels like, Look, I know that everyone is ready to write them off without Steph, and I understand it because, yeah.
- [13:41]
Host 5
He'S the heart and soul.
- [13:42]
Host 4
He's everything. Well, he's also the only source of offense, and every bit of other offense comes off of him. You know, I mean, it. Jimmy Butler has helped take on the playmaking burden, and he gets the free throw line and whatnot. But Steph Curry's out there really making that stuff happen. So. I understand. But I do think that their ability to defend, I mean, I think that gives him a chance against a team like Minnesota that has sometimes struggled to score. Like this is not the gangbusters offense that, that it really ought to be. And it sometimes it has these games, like game one or like the game that they, that they actually beat the Lakers where they couldn't hit a shot. So, yeah, I'm not ready to say that Jimmy Butler can't be the number one guy and win a game. You know what I mean?
- [14:28]
Host 3
Yeah.
- [14:29]
Host 5
They just need one. Yeah, that's it. You know, that's the only. And like you think about. All right, maybe it's not game two in Minnesota. Right. Minnesota is going to be angry. They're going to want to punch back all that type of stuff. But in Golden State, in Chase, there's a decent chance that you have your role players play a little bit better. Brandon Pajimski hit some shots, buddy healed. That's sort of the equation here for Golden State to steal one more game. And to your point about their defense. Yeah. It's locking in on the defensive end. I, I will say Minnesota is also one of those teams that during the regular season has played with their food.
- [15:03]
Host 4
Yeah.
- [15:03]
Host 5
And so if you have that like mental note of oh, Steph's not in the game, you know, Steph's not in the series anymore, you kind of ease up off the pedal and I wonder if that will also catch me.
- [15:14]
Host 4
I think it will be an issue for game two. I, I do think the Wolves are going to come out tonight for game two and I do think we're going to get their, their best effort right off.
- [15:23]
Host 5
They're going to have the OKC response game type of thing.
- [15:26]
Host 4
Yes, of course they have to because they came out, it was so flat in, in game one. Apparently they had a, a brutal film session which good. You know what I mean? Like that they clearly needed that. But yeah, I don't think it'll that first game back in the Bay. You know, I, I do think, you know, you, if you equate for the role players stepping up, Jimmy Butler having a big game.
- [15:47]
Host 5
There's a chance.
- [15:48]
Host 4
Yeah, there's a chance. I'm not ready to write them off but man, I will say this, don't rush back because warriors fans 100% know rushing back from a hamstring is not a great idea. So there's always next season. But anyway guys, stick around after the break. We got Jared Weiss from outside TD Garden. Don't mind the fire trucks.
- [16:18]
Host 1
As you've probably heard by now, we've teamed up with BetMGM. This season we'll be using BETMGM lines to make all of our picks and we'll have special offers for our listeners each week. If you haven't signed up for BETMGM yet, use bonus code theathletic and you'll get a one year subscription to the Athletic plus up to a fifteen hundred dollar first bet offer on your first wager with BetMGM. Here's how it works. Download the betmgm app and sign up using bonus code theathletic. Make your first deposit of at least $10. Place your first bet on any game and claim your voucher for a one year subscription to the Athletic.
- [16:54]
Host 2
See betmgm.com for terms. U.S. promotional offers not available in D.C. mississippi, New York, Nevada, Ontario or Puerto Rico. Gambling problem call 1-800- gambler available in the U.S. call 877-8-HOPENY or text hopeny467 369 in New York, call 1-800- NEXT STEP in Arizona, 1-800-327-5050 in Massachusetts, 1-800-bets off in Iowa, 1-800-270-7117 for confidential help in Michigan, 1-800-981-0023 in Puerto Rico. First bet offer for new customers only in partnership with Kansas Crossing Casino and Hotel.
- [17:19]
Host 1
Don't forget, if you haven't signed up for BetMGM yet, use bonus code TheAthletic and you'll get a one year subscription to the Athletic plus up to a 1500 dollar first bet offer on your first wager.
- [17:32]
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- [19:32]
Host 4
Well, the Boston Celtics set fire to another 20 point lead and then the TD Garden was evacuated. Joining us from outside TD Garden after the game, Jared Weiss who was in the building to watch the Celtics blow another 20 point lead and the Knicks are now up 2 0.
- [19:54]
Host 3
Let's emphasize was in the building. The night went so poorly. We have now been kicked out of the building and I'm standing in front of two fire trucks.
- [20:01]
Host 4
I gotta, I gotta ask you. What? Why didn't Joe Missoula take a timeout on that before that final possession? You know I, I did he answer that question? Did anyone ask that question?
- [20:13]
Host 3
You know he sort of let explosion heard another lot of children. Another one. Yeah, I think we're okay. He, he should have. Right? Because at a certain point when you haven't created the advantage that you want, you call timeout. You pull a Steve Kerr while the play is happening in the middle of the play, if it's not going the way you want, call the timeout. They have an opportunity. I don't know why, I don't know why. It doesn't make sense. I understand the. You know, it's kind of like when you're a golfer and you feel like your backswing's bad. There's this one famous video of Tiger woods where he stopped himself in the middle of a backswing cuz somebody took a photo and you're at the shutter and everyone's like that's remarkable that he was able to somehow get his brain to stop in the backswing. It's harder than you think when the flow of the play when you're trying to do the whole no timeout gambit isn't working out. But like they should have, they should have done it there. They could have done it there. They could have Tiger woods it and they showed up.
- [21:06]
Host 5
Jared, the threes are always going to be a conversation with the Boston Celtics. They have been a conversation after tonight. What do you make of this drought that they're on right now and sort of the shots that they are getting even though they're missing them?
- [21:21]
Host 3
Well the irony is aren't the wolves on the same drought and they just won two in a row yeah, so it's like they, they should win around this drought. They take 43s, they make a few more than their opponent. That gives it the reg. But the thing is the execution not been good. Brown and Tatum both look like they're playing hobbled. I mean everybody's hobbled right now. Yeah, I made that point to one of the Knicks players after the game and they're like, bro, we're hurt. We're only playing five guys, so everybody is hurt. It's the playoffs and we expect more from Jason Tatum and Jaylen Brown. It's pretty simple. I like to do pretty nuanced analysis of X&O's and down screens and wedges and whatever the hell this is. Just Jalen Brown and Jason Tatums do not have it right now. Plain and simple.
- [22:05]
Host 4
Yeah, well and the other thing is that the refusal to just put their head down and attack the basket over and over and over again to protect the lead, you know, again Jared, you know. Well, we've had this conversation for years now about the Celtics last year. In spite of themselves, they, they win a title. But this is indicative of kind of who they've been and now over multiple coaches. When it gets down to the stretch of games, they don't run offense. They go into sort of prevent mode where they really are just limiting their own options when they can just score. I mean it's not like the Knicks have this amazing defense just, just continue to score the basketball anyway. I know I'm kind of like pontificating here, but Jared, why does it keep happening?
- [22:48]
Host 3
So this is the thing though. I would have connected to the pre last year Celtics. Like there's been evolutions right now. We are seeing some of it, but I also think these guys are just pretty hurt. But also like the Knicks defense is not the same defense from the regular season. Talking to some of the Knicks staffers, they're like, we've been wondering this whole year, is our defense actually going to be better in the postseason like we kind of predicted before the season when they made the McHale bridges trade it ever since. Ever, you know, halfway through that Piston series, Mikhail Bridges said, all right, I'm tired of Cade Cunningham. I'm tired of losing time to play some defense. And his defense has just really, really taken the step forward. Two game winning seals in a row in this series. Amazing. I've never seen that before. I'm sure it's happened. I've never seen it like his defense is better. OG's defense has been really good. When they're able to keep their non elite wings on the ball at the top. And those guys are filling the gaps in the lanes. The Celtics are not going anywhere. They're not getting anywhere with the ball. And they don't have Porzingis to play over the top right now. Like, Porzingis is sick, whatever this is. He says that he's ill. It's a. It's some sort of recurrence of what he had before. You know, we've heard bronchitis, but like, this is a lineup with bronchitis. Does it. So whatever's going on there, like, they don't have their edges that they usually have that make them better than everybody else.
- [24:09]
Host 5
Yeah. To your point about the Knicks defense, they've been more comfortable switching. They're. They're mixing in some drop every now and then. Then. But they're. They're like living with switches with Brunson taking on small, bigger guys. It seems like they're just more comfortable right now. I guess the question I have for you, Jared, the situation is not good. Down 02. The stats, the history usually says that the team who loses the first two games at home in a series ends up losing. Is it over?
- [24:42]
Host 3
No. No. Okay. The stats say usually yes, and then sometime. Then there's sometimes, and this is probably a sometimes. Doesn't mean that the Celtics shouldn't win the series. But the Celtics have proven themselves at this point. They can adjust. They can find different ways to attack. They have the defensive talent. Like, these guys know how to dig deep. I think this is more of a question of attrition. You know, teams don't repeat because they break down, because they don't have the edge of the emotional try of that first time they do it. It's hard. Jason Tatum said at some point in the last couple of weeks during a presser that this season was different because he didn't feel that. That edge of like, not being champion anymore. He was basking in the glow. And he played great. Like, Jason Tatum had a great season. He's better this year than he was last year. And in the playoffs, his defense has been great. Playmaking's been great. But this next series has just been different. And everyone's different right now. There's nobody on the Celtics team that's playing really well right now. While, like, at least like New York has OG and Jalen in the fourth quarter. Like, they have these guys. And so, you know, the Celtics, they lost these games on a steal on the last play. Like, they're not far right. It's one, it's one thing here or there, and this is a totally different narrative. So I expect this series to even up. At the very least, I expect the series to get to six and I, I just, I just don't see the Celtics wilting here. There's nothing to indicate that at this.
- [26:12]
Host 4
Point there, you know, they're getting crushed in the Mitchell Robinson minutes and that's.
- [26:17]
Host 3
Who would have thought, who would have.
- [26:19]
Host 4
Well, honestly, like, I mean, if you had asked me before he got hurt last year, I thought that he would be a key part of this team. I mean his defense and his rebounding. But this is really where the Porzingis absence, right, and, and even just being subpar, right, is. Is hurting him most. Like what, what do you think they need to counter with in game three? Like, do you expect, I mean, is it going to be. Get Xavier Tillman out there? I, I mean, you know, I know he hasn't. Isn't really in the rotation this round, but what do you think they do to try to counter Mitchell Robinson and just like how aggressive the Knicks have been able to be?
- [26:54]
Host 3
Well, here's the problem. So one their best, their best adjustment is Chris Osfor Zingis to play well. But they can't count on that right now, apparently. And then the other thing is pick and pop. Like Mitch does not want to switch. He wants to guard at the screen level. Pick and pop. And they need KP for that. Horford can do that, but Cornet doesn't shoot. You know, maybe they need to do Tatum at the five so they could do stuff like that. Like they're gonna, you know. Right. Also, don't forget they didn't have Sam Houser in this game. He's a good three point shooter. They definitely, I feel like they definitely would have gone to Hauser in this game if they had him available just to get them some better shooting just to like to have someone that could run a curl so that they can like run a play for someone else to give their guys a break. So, you know, they have, you know, if, if Hauser can come back from his ankle sprain without. They have several days off here, you know, maybe that will be helpful. But like they need Porzingis like right now. They really need him. And you know, they try, they tried going over the top to him at the end of the game and they're like, I think it worked. I think if I remember correctly, like they, they tried a little bit of the stuff that they do with KP and it just didn't work and they eat that stuff back because that's the stuff that, you know, those little like, kind of like cross match post punk stuff at the nail that they do with him. That's the stuff that gives guys like Jalen Jason and Derrick White breathers throughout the game and allows them to pace themselves so that they can execute at the end. And they don't have that right now.
- [28:21]
Host 5
Yeah, you know, this is just a bizarre league wide thing that's happening with all these blown leads, the history of the road teams winning. Jared, have you, have you like made anything of why this is how I know you watch the, the rest of the league too. Have you made anything of why this is happening right now?
- [28:40]
Host 3
You know, the Cleveland one is interesting. Like Cleveland is hurt and Halliburton has just been, you know, cooking at the end of these games. You know, the playoffs is, is a battle of attrition. I think I said that earlier. I'll say it again. It's a battle of attrition. The team that wins the championship usually is the healthiest team. Like that's, that's one of the main, main factors of, of the champion every year. And sometimes the warriors just have 50 hall of Famers, but like, usually it's health. And that's why the Celtics stampeded through the league last year. And I think the Celtics would have won the championship last year even if everybody was around the league was relatively healthy. But like we're seeing teams are hurt right now. We're seeing layoffs because there's one team sweeping and there's another team going seven. Like there's just a ton of randomness in the league. This is inherent to the three point era and the three point era and the teams taking 40 threes has evened out a lot of the home court advantage. It's even out a lot of the disparities. It's a lot of disparities in talent. Like this stuff happens. And also once you get to the second round, the playing field is much more level. And maybe that's a credit to the lottery and the play in changes in the last half decade that have even out the league a little bit more. But like, let's not forget Cleveland and OKC won an insane number of games this year. And yet it feels like everything's kind of leveled out here. But this is, this is why we play. As the NBA used to say, like these series are probably all going to go a long time. Hopefully it's going to be one of the best second rounds.
- [30:08]
Host 4
We've had in a while already has been it's been a fun playoffs. We're having a blast. Jared Weiss, by the way one of the most one of the most thoughtful NBA guys that there is out there. Thank you for joining us and appreciate you getting the action shot in the background. Hopefully that is cool on the pod and not annoying. That's gonna do it for the show folks. Thanks to Jared. Thanks to Esperahenny. I'm Dave defore. This has been the NBA Daily. Thanks for waking up with us.
- [31:01]
Host 3
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Advertiser 3
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Advertiser 2
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