Cavs more dominant than Thunder? + Playoff Jimmy saves Warriors

Summary

The Athletic NBA Daily: Cavs More Dominant than Thunder? + Playoff Jimmy Saves Warriors Release Date: April 29, 2025

In this episode of The Athletic NBA Daily, hosts Dave DuFour, S (Zena Keita), and guest analyst Anthony Slater delve deep into the latest NBA playoff developments. The discussion covers Jimmy Butler's pivotal role in the Warriors' victory, a comparative analysis of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Oklahoma City Thunder's dominant playoff sweeps, and an in-depth look at other key playoff series, including the Clippers vs. Nuggets matchup. Here's a comprehensive breakdown of the episode's key points, enriched with notable quotes and timestamps for reference.

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1. Jimmy Butler's Crucial Performance Against the Warriors

The episode kicks off with an analysis of Jimmy Butler's standout performance in the Warriors vs. Rockets Game 4. Despite battling a hip injury, Butler's determination and clutch plays were instrumental in securing the win for his team.

• Butler's Resilience and Impact:

  • [03:11] Guest Analyst: "Jimmy Butler had 27 points and 12 free throws, showcasing his ability to perform under pressure despite his injury."
  • [04:59] Dave DuFour: "Jimmy Butler got it off the rim and grabbed the rebound at the basket, highlighting his playoff instincts."

• Injury Concerns:

  • [03:11] Guest Analyst: "Butler discussed his injury postgame, mentioning how playing Game 3 could have seen him 'waddling on the court.'"
  • [07:40] Dave DuFour: "Butler’s textbook playoff foul by Dylan Brooks didn't go unnoticed, indicating his strategic approach even when hurt."

• Postgame Reflections:

  • [08:16] Guest Analyst: "Butler maintains professionalism with referees, accumulating few technical fouls throughout his career."
  • [09:10] Guest Analyst: "Butler emphasized the competitiveness of the playoffs, stating, 'This is your moment. This is the last ride.'"

2. Cavaliers vs. Thunder: A Comparative Sweep Analysis

The hosts engage in a spirited debate over which team exhibited greater dominance in their respective playoff sweeps: the Cavaliers over the Heat or the Thunder over the Grizzlies.

• Cavaliers' Historic Sweep:

  • [17:25] Dave DuFour: "The Cavs swept the Heat 4-0 with a staggering 122-point margin, marking the most lopsided playoff series in NBA history."
  • [19:41] S (Zena Keita): "Ty Jerome put up 22 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists, playing at an all-star level from the bench."

• Thunder's Resilient Sweep:

  • [18:31] S: "The Thunder achieved a remarkable 29-point halftime comeback against the Grizzlies, one of the best comebacks in playoff history."
  • [19:06] Dave DuFour: "Despite a challenging series, the Thunder demonstrated their toughness by overcoming the Grizzlies and securing the sweep."

• Final Verdict:

  • [19:40] S: "The Cavs' dominance was unparalleled, especially with key players performing exceptionally even without Darius Garland in two games."

3. Key Players to Watch: Chet Holmgren vs. Evan Mobley

A significant portion of the discussion centers on identifying the most crucial players for both the Thunder and Cavs as they advance in the playoffs.

• For the Thunder:

  • [20:38] Dave DuFour: "Chet Holmgren is emerging as the X-factor for the Thunder, poised to take the lead offensively in the absence of Donovan Mitchell."
  • [21:33] S: "Darius Garland and Jalen Williams are pivotal, with Garland's defensive prowess and Williams' energetic playmaking."

• For the Cavaliers:

  • [20:38] Dave DuFour: "Evan Mobley stands out as the cornerstone for the Cavs, expected to deliver big-time offensively in critical moments."
  • [21:33] S: "J Dub's scoring ability and synergy with teammate Hartenstein are essential for the Cavs' continued success."

4. Other Playoff Series Updates

The hosts provide updates and insights into other ongoing playoff series, highlighting potential outcomes and pivotal moments.

• Bucks vs. Pacers:

  • [22:53] Dave DuFour: "With Damian Lillard sidelined, the Pacers hold a 3-1 lead, and it's likely they will clinch the series comfortably."

• Knicks vs. Pistons:

  • [23:51] S: "The Pistons have a strong chance to steal a game at Madison Square Garden, potentially extending the series to a Game 6."

• Celtics vs. Orlando:

  • [24:38] Dave DuFour: "Boston faces injuries with Drew Holiday out and Jason Tatum managing a knee issue, making it imperative to close out the series swiftly."

5. Clippers vs. Nuggets: A Clash of Titans

The episode delves into the eagerly anticipated Clippers vs. Nuggets series, currently tied at 2-2. The discussion highlights key players, strategic adjustments, and predictions for the remaining games.

• Nuggets' Star Power:

  • [26:26] Guest Analyst: "With Jokic’s stellar performances, including a 36-point, 20-rebound game, the Nuggets remain a formidable force."
  • [27:00] Dave DuFour: "Jamal Murray's inconsistency could be a determining factor, as his dynamic scoring ability can swing the series."

• Clippers' Resilience:

  • [26:28] Dave DuFour: "The Clippers showcased depth with players like Michael Porter Jr. and Christian Brown delivering crucial performances."
  • [28:06] Dave DuFour: "Evita Zubac’s defensive skills in guarding Jokic add a strategic edge for the Clippers."

• Series Prediction:

  • [26:59] S: "If Jamal Murray can find his rhythm, the Nuggets might have the upper hand, but the Clippers' adaptability could push the series to a decisive Game 7."
  • [27:03] Dave DuFour: "Ultimately, the Clippers' experience and defensive strategies might give them the edge in a tightly contested series."

6. Looking Ahead: Future Matchups and Strategies

As the playoffs progress, the hosts speculate on potential future matchups and the strategies teams might employ to advance further.

• [22:53] Dave DuFour: "Upcoming series include the Bucks vs. Pacers, Knicks vs. Pistons, and Celtics vs. Orlando, each with their own set of challenges and key players to watch."

• [25:05] S: "Health remains a critical factor, especially for the Celtics, who need to manage injuries to key players like Jalen Brown and Jason Tatum to secure their advancement."

• [28:58] Dave DuFour: "With the intensity ramping up, the emotional and physical demands on players will be paramount, making depth and resilience crucial for teams aiming to triumph in the later rounds."

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Conclusion

This episode of The Athletic NBA Daily provides a thorough examination of the current NBA playoff landscape. From Jimmy Butler's heroic efforts bolstering the Warriors to the Cavaliers' historic sweep over the Heat, and the Thunder's resilient performance against the Grizzlies, the hosts offer insightful analysis and engaging debate. The discussion extends to pivotal matchups like the Clippers vs. Nuggets, emphasizing the importance of key players and strategic adjustments. For basketball enthusiasts seeking a detailed recap and expert opinions on the latest playoff developments, this episode serves as an invaluable resource.

Transcript

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[Dave Dufour]

Good morning and welcome to the NBA Daily. Coming up, big game last night. Jimmy Butler showed up big time. Playoff Jimmy wins the game. Anthony Slater's here to talk about it. S and I break down the Cav and Thunder sweeps to see who was more dominant in the first round. Good morning, everybody. Good morning, fellas. Anthony Slater hanging out late after the warriors pick up a big win in game four to go up three one. Anthony, I think we saw playoff Jimmy between the clutch free throws and the clutch rebound. They were probably glad to have him out there last night.

[Guest Analyst]

Yeah, it was a great day to be Jimmy Butler for not only, obviously they won the game and he had a flying rebound. 27 points, 12 free throws. But in front of me right now, I'm seeing a replay of the Heat game and currently they're. The cavalier are up 38 to 12. And I'm not gonna, I'm not gonna call Jimmy Butler a petty individual, you know, but I, I have an inkling that he may have enjoyed both NBA playoff games tonight, if you know what I mean. But yeah, it's 40:12, the Cavaliers, by the way, at this point in this replay. But yeah, I mean, Jimmy Butler, to me, like he said. I talked to him just a little bit at his locker postgame. He talked about how painful the injury was. Steve Kerr saying he probably would have missed one to two weeks. Jimmy kind of confirmed that was the regular season and he kind of tried to play game three, but admitted that like, it was, it was a good decision and he would have like basically been waddling on the court if they had allowed him to play game three. And tonight he mentioned he's like, look at me running in the first three quarters. He remember when he had the chase down hard foul on Dylan Brooks, he was like, go rewatch that play. I'm scooting up the court because he said not only did he fall hard on the, you know, kind of his ass, I guess can I say that on this podcast? But yeah, his like, hip kind of like tailbone area kind of came up and it's made it really hard for him to like lift his left leg as he's running. I guess he loosened up in the fourth. He was really good in the fourth, the five free throws that clinched the game, right? He gets fouled on a pretty bad Dylan Bryce Corn foul in the corner for three. And then the rebound was a lot of people were talking about post game. Draymond Green gets to stop on Sengu late, but Adams has know he's muscling great position. Yeah, he does. Adams gets that rebound. If there's, you know, 99% of wings in the league are, are the one protecting the corner. Jimmy Butler.

[Dave Dufour]

Jimmy Butler got it off the rim. Yeah, I mean I, I, your video actually if you guys look on social media, on Anthony's social media, you, you posted a great angle of it and Jimmy Butler reads the, reads the play. As soon as the shot goes up, he breaks to the rim and he literally grabs the, the rebound at the basket. I mean it just, if he's, if he's a half second late, Stephen Adams gets that back probably with the put.

[Guest Analyst]

Back and Rockets are one with five seconds left. I agree. Instead he gets the foul, hits both free throws. Of course, again, 12, 12 from the line in it.

[Dave Dufour]

Right.

[Guest Analyst]

In a series, by the way, that you could say maybe he's partly decided at the line. Houston's missed now at this point probably it was 35 free throws in the series at one point. 12.

[Dave Dufour]

I know they missed 12 last night.

[Guest Analyst]

Yeah, 12 in a, in a one possession game. They missed 12 free throws. I mean like. And again, that's partly who you're dealing with, right? This is a lower skilled, kind of like offensively deficient tough team that I think, you know, we are seeing their flaws in this first round series and we are thinking we are seeing the things they need to go into the off season and potentially try to correct.

[S]

Well, it felt like a lot of the decision making from the Rocket side of things was a little uneven in the fourth quarter. You think about the challenge on that Jimmy Butler foul. Some of the double big lineups going back and forth between Shen and Adams, which was working, I thought, against the, the warriors that size. What do you think from, from seeing it live, were there any major mistakes from the Rockets that jumped out to you where it's like that's the game. Other than the free throws, obviously, you.

[Guest Analyst]

Know, taking Stephen Adams out with like, what was it, four and a half, five minutes left because the warriors started hacking and they're making it clear, Steven, you know, we're talking about free throw misses. I think he's 46% from the line. They hacked him twice to get all the way up to the bonus with Looney. Put Looney in and he made Udoka, took him out and you know, I get it. Right. You don't want all your offensive possessions to suddenly be Steven Adams free throws. But he was so good leading up to that. Protecting the rim, unlike I've seen him since.

[S]

Massive.

[Guest Analyst]

I covered him in Oklahoma City like a decade ago. And then, yeah, obviously, the rebounding, the toughness, all that. So, I mean, maybe that's a mistake you could look at. You mentioned the challenge. I think sometimes the. The ability to challenge really tests, like, the. The patience of coaches and like, you know, the cautionary. Because, you know, and again, I. It's not like we. You can then look at a call that wasn't made in the last three seconds and say, oh, what if they had a challenge? So maybe that didn't kill him. How about just the foul by Dylan Brooks? That's a mistake. Like, that was like, that's. Jimmy Butler didn't want to take that shot. It was like three on the shot clock. It was. It was like a prayer. And he wasn't going to make it the game. Like, Houston might win if Dylan Brooks doesn't commit that foul.

[Dave Dufour]

Well, Houston might win if Dylan Brooks isn't on the court at all that last night. Because, I mean, it seems like not only did he get Draymond going, he got Jimmy. Jimmy Butler going by. By talking to him at the free throw line. I mean, the hard foul that Jimmy Butler delivered, by the way, textbook playoff foul. No wind up whatsoever. And Jimmy Butler's super nice to the ref, so they're not even going to review that. But Dylan Brooks gets Jimmy Butler fired up. That big foul.

[Guest Analyst]

Jimmy Butler is really nice to the reps. It's funny, that's one of the things I've noticed.

[Dave Dufour]

And go look at how few technical fouls he's had over the course of his career.

[Guest Analyst]

Purposeful.

[Dave Dufour]

Never been.

[Guest Analyst]

It is. It is. So Dylan Brooks has also actually been pretty good on the floor of this series. I think he should get some credit. Like. Like the warriors, like, view him as a shooter they need to get out on. He's not the guy right back in the Memphis series, he's the guy that used to be funneling the ball through. That's no longer the case. He's actually. I actually think he's played well. But yes, Got Draymond Green going and Jimmy Butler even just said, post game. Get me on record, I don't like Dylan Brooks because somebody. You know how Dylan Brooks laughed when Jimmy Butler was like curling some insult somebody. It was. It was presented to Jimmy Butler in postgame, like, look like you two were having fun. Out there and he's like, no, no, no, no, no. Like, he. I think he respects the competitive level of Dylan Brooks, but he's like, that was not fun. And I do not like Dylan Brooks. Get that on record. So maybe, I don't know, you know how, like, it's like, competitive championship level athletes are.

[Dave Dufour]

Sure.

[S]

It's like, yeah, sure.

[Guest Analyst]

Dylan Brooks is the reason you got going. Like, no, Game four is the reason you got going. Like, you need to win this. Jimmy Butler, you're 35. You do not have a championship at this stage of your career. Like, this is your moment. That's why he played well.

[Dave Dufour]

This is the last ride, right?

[Guest Analyst]

Well, it's. It's two or three years they believe, you know, they think they can win next year. Honestly, I think. I'd say in this Jimmy Butler era, which we can now call this, like, last stage of the Warriors, I think they've always viewed the second season when they can maybe make some roster tweaks this summer.

[S]

Yeah.

[Guest Analyst]

As the. The one to go after. I say that while also knowing the fact that they chased themselves all the way up to the seven seed and got the path that they got, which is a very beatable Houston team at the 2. And then, you know, probably the Wolves in the next round, if they advance. Like, this might be the year, even if the roster maybe is not as sharpened as they want it to be.

[S]

25 and 8 when Jimmy Butler is in the lineup. So that is a pretty good proof of concept for next season if they want to roll with it. Another guy who was massive in this game was Brandon Pajimski. Huge rebounds, massive shot making for him to come out with this type of game. I mean, it's. He's been pretty good all series for them, I feel, stepping into that role. But would you. What'd you see from.

[Guest Analyst]

You know, he ate some really bad seafood in Houston before game two.

[S]

Yep.

[Guest Analyst]

And said basically, I had to go 72 hours without eating again. It was that bad. Tried to play game two. One of the weirder moments of the series was Jimmy Butler comes down on that wild foul, like, really nasty fall, obviously. And I went to the back right. You know, especially out of the Houston arena set up. And I'm sitting there trying to watch Jimmy Butler stretch it out. He goes to the X ray room. He's walking at like 0.1 miles an hour, waddling. And like, that's the. It feels like the warriors entire season is like, resting on what's going on in this tunnel. All their doctors and Trainers are coming through and Brandon Pajemski suddenly looks like he, you know, he's ghost white and he's coming back followed by one of their kind of like middle or tier trainers. Because everybody else was worried about Jimmy Butler and I was like, oh, man, project. He looks horrible. And it was like nobody cared at the time because it was like, Jimmy Butler, like, did you just break his hip? But that was like lost in, in the game two loss was like, yes. Pajemski was good in game one. Really good. Has fourth best player for two months now and then was like horrific in game two because he was just like really ill. He, he went 05 shooting. I don't think he hit rim on the five shots and then was benched down the stretch. You know, he took ivy at halftime trying to play. Anyway, to your point, like, he's, he. He said he felt a little better in game three. Right. I mean, everybody's been through a sickness like that where, okay, two days later, you're not as. I don't feel as horrible as I did it.

[S]

Like, you're not 100% like, all right.

[Guest Analyst]

I just went 72 hours without eating. I've now eight for 24 hours. But I'm not quite myself. Tonight. He looked like himself again. And what did he finish with? 28. That's huge. There are completely different team when he's playing like that.

[S]

Pre game Sushi. Not the Houston seafood.

[Dave Dufour]

Not in Houston.

[Guest Analyst]

Don't do it in Houston.

[Dave Dufour]

Yeah, I mean, you know, respectfully, it's not that far from the ocean. It's funny to, to be talking about a big warriors playoff win and to spend 10 minutes without talking about Steph Curry. The Rockets did a really good job of just limiting his shots and making him work to, to get open. I mean, it wasn't even like he necessarily had like a bad game. The Rockets game plan really just took him out of it, you know. You worried at all? Like, did they figure something out now the warriors have to sweat this in game five? Or is this one of those ones that's going to happen every now and then?

[Guest Analyst]

Well, I'll say a few things. He had a really bad stretch. I would say that late second quarter after all, like just the dust ups and mix ups. They threw four straight pick six turnovers to put Houston up 57, 50. It happened. Steph was bad during that stretch. I would in no way say Houston has figured anything out. Now. They did do more double big. They did his own with the double big. They've got a Lot of long athletes. Like it's. They're here, you know, Houston's here for a reason. They won 52 games. They're two seed. We clearly see it's not their half court offense or their star perimeter scoring. So they're play calling. They're very difficult to, to deal with. For Steph Curry now, he's found ways and found, you know, cracks and, and you know, success in this series. So you know, again, I'm not like he'll probably have a productive game five, Game six, whatever. As far as, yeah, game five is concerned. Like the Warriors. I, I would favor Houston. The warriors show this in the championship season. They get up three one.

[S]

Oh, okay.

[Guest Analyst]

They get up not for the series, but for game five. Right. Y'all remember the Memphis series, which by the way, there's been a lot of on the ground from the warriors and from people around comparing this Houston series to the 22 second round Memphis series. Really physical, bruising young team that just want, you know, Dylan Brooks heavily involved. And that series was a game one warriors win in Memphis. Game two loss, come home squeak two by go up three one, go to Houston and get blown out like the Heat got blown out tonight. Right. I think they were down 55 in that game. And then come home for game six and close it out. So if, if this is going to continue on that Memphis formula. That's what I'm thinking. Do y'all remember who was the head coach of the warriors for Game 6 to close out the Memphis cruises? Not Steve Kerr.

[S]

Was it Jab Kenny? Yeah, maybe Kenny Atkinson.

[Dave Dufour]

Mike Brown. Oh my gosh.

[Guest Analyst]

Yes.

[S]

Oh my goodness.

[Dave Dufour]

What a Raymond whole job.

[Guest Analyst]

Raymond Ritter came in pregame and, and said Steve car has Covid and Mike Brown will be the head coach tonight. Mike Brown is like has an. You know, he has an undefeated record as a playoff head coach of the warriors. He went like 120 when Steve career is about. Anyway, sorry, I took you guys pretty good coach.

[Dave Dufour]

That's a good trivia bit. No, I forgot completely. I mean I just memory hold that whole championship run to a certain degree. Anthony, go and read Anthony over at the Athletic. Thanks for hanging out. Staying up late for us guys. Stick around after the break. S and I are going to debate who's been more dominant so far, the Thunder or the Cavs. Anthony.

[Guest Analyst]

I'm gonna go with the Cavs because I'm looking up right now it's 4919 right now in the street.

[S]

It's a good pick.

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[Dave Dufour]

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[Dave Dufour]

In the other game last night, can.

[S]

You call it a game?

[Dave Dufour]

The the Cavs played a game. The Miami Heat just decided not to show up. The the Cavs were completely locked in from the jump. They won the game 138 to 83. Oh man, they won the series in a sweep by 122 points and that is the most lopsided playoff series in NBA history. It was very impressive. Obviously the Thunder also swept the Grizzlies, although the last couple games, you know, I think not close. Yeah, a little closer for the Thunder. I begs the question S I mean these were the two best teams all year, man. I think you know, they they coasted through through their playoff series to a certain degree. I mean again, the Thunder did did have some adversity, but the Cavs definitely didn't. Thunder had to play a tougher opponent. Like the Grizzlies are not as bad as the Miami.

[S]

They are not the Miami Heat. No.

[Dave Dufour]

Right.

[S]

Yeah, that is true. Yeah.

[Dave Dufour]

Who had the most impressive sweep to you?

[Guest Analyst]

Wow.

[S]

Well, you could argue this a couple different ways. You could say, look, the Oklahoma City Thunder had a 29 point comeback, one of the best comebacks in playoff history. That in itself is impressive.

[Guest Analyst]

The bit.

[S]

The best halftime comeback ever.

[Dave Dufour]

Right? Yeah.

[S]

That is an impressive thing to do.

[Dave Dufour]

Now, which is a very old reference, but wow.

[S]

All right. And they did it. Obviously, the caveat of John Morant and all that type of stuff. That is one impressive part to this also. I don't think they had the best SGA series like SGA was kind of.

[Dave Dufour]

Did he even really pop off for one?

[S]

He had. The final game was the most impressive game that he had. In game four, he really cooked and it obviously sent the Grizzlies home, but for the most part, not a great series from. From sga. And they still handled business.

[Dave Dufour]

Right.

[S]

So you can argue one side that way from the Cav side. Darius Garland didn't play for two of these games, Right?

[Dave Dufour]

Yeah.

[S]

They basically just walked out there in Miami and dominated. Wasn't even a chance. There was bickering and smack talking and trash talking between Tyler Herro and Darius Garland. Didn't even matter.

[Dave Dufour]

For no reason.

[S]

Yeah, for no reason. Wasn't even a conversation. It was like they were trying to stir up something. Nothing could even remotely be stirred up. I'm going to say it's the Cavs. The Cavs did have the better sweep just because of how absolutely dominant they were. You think about Ty Jerome, who basically put up 22, six and five in this series through four games. Wildly impressive. And that's from your six, man. That's a guy who's coming off the bench for you, putting up, you know, all star levelish numbers through four games. I. I think it's the Cavs. But in terms of looking forward, I have a question for you. I'll throw a question back at you.

[Dave Dufour]

Okay.

[Guest Analyst]

Okay.

[Dave Dufour]

All right.

[S]

I like it from both of these teams, which I think there. There's a likely ch. Both of them make a pretty decent run here. We see them for at least one more round. We'll see.

[Dave Dufour]

We're gonna see them in the next round. They've made it, Right?

[S]

Yeah, true. Who is the most important player now? This is different than best player. Right? Who is their most important player?

[Dave Dufour]

Yeah, I mean, I like, obviously, like Shay Gil, just Alexander is the most important player. Right. Like, we all know this.

[S]

Yeah.

[Dave Dufour]

But we know for me, for the Thunder, I think it's Chet Holmgren and for the Cavs, I think it's Evan Mobley. I think those are the guys that are going to have to have big time offensive series in going forward because it's going to be harder for Donovan Mitchell. You know, let's see how Darius Garland looks. I mean, I'm assuming he's going to be fine for, for the next round. It's going to be harder for Mitchell, it's going to be harder for Shay. I mean, we know what they're going to do, right? We saw this last year and last year I thought it was going to be Jalen Williams, you know, that would step up for okc. But so far, just what I've seen here the last few weeks, I really think it's, it's Chet. I think Chad is the guy that's going to be the X factor or whatever moniker we want to give that player, but the guy who's going to have to perform. What, what about for you? Did I just steal both you guys?

[S]

So I'll play devil's advocate here because I, I do agree with those picks. Those are fine picks. I think I would go with Darius Garland and Jalen Williams. So like I said, Shay didn't have the greatest first round series, but you know who did? J Dub. J Dub was awesome in round one. Very, very assertive as a. Was great settling into those mid range shots, creating his own shot. I thought the chemistry between him and Hartenstein and those bench units looked really, really good. So he's important because he keeps them afloat offensively when Shay's off the floor. And I agree that to a certain extent Chet does the same, that offensive pairing with him and Hartenstein makes sense. But to me, I think J Dub, the, the ceiling as a score is higher, especially right now. So he can get to a level that I don't think check can. Yeah, yeah, absolutely. And like he can create off the bounce a little bit more. So I'd say J Dub and then for Garland it's how much are teams going to hunt you out on the defensive end? Because if there is one weak and weak link is a tough way to call it. But look, you're in the playoffs, you're going to get targeted. You know, we saw Jalen Green in this Rockets warriors game get targeted. So how are you able to stay on the floor defensively when it's the Pacers or in the Celtics games or series moving forward, can those guys target you and get you off the floor? That's the big question I have with Darius Garland.

[Dave Dufour]

Yeah. I mean, again, none of these teams are perfect, but I know I do very good.

[S]

Incredible.

[Dave Dufour]

I do think Oklahoma City, I mean, especially the energy that they've. They've come out with in pretty much every game. Looking ahead to tomorrow, we've got some series that are 3:1. Obviously Bucks Pacers, you know, with the, the Damian Lillard injury has kind of lost the juice. The Pacer up 3:1. The Knicks going back to the Garden with a 3:1 lead on the Pistons. The, the Celtics up 3:1, going back to the Garden, wait a second over Orlando. And. And then we've got Clippers and Nuggets, which is 2:2. And it's probably like I, I think the series of the first round so far when you consider how.

[S]

Absolutely.

[Dave Dufour]

I mean, yeah, it, it doesn't get any closer than the buzzer beater from Aaron Gordon the other night. Let's talk about the three ones. I mean, which one of these three ones do you think is. You think they're all done?

[S]

I think Bucks Pacers for sure is done. And again, really, really unfortunate situation with Damian Lillard. Hopefully he's back spirits high and all that, because it's just tough to see him go out like that. Right. But I do think that series is over, and I think Indiana ends up winning this pretty comfortably in Indy. I. The only team that I see extending their series tonight or in on Tuesday would be the Knicks and the Pistons. I think the Pistons can steal a game here in MSG and send it back to Game 6, especially with the way the, that game ended with the officiating and the, the physicality. I think the Pistons come out hungry. I think they can, they can extend the series, but I think Boston finishes them off and I think Indiana finishes.

[Dave Dufour]

Boston needs to finish him off, actually.

[Guest Analyst]

Yes.

[Dave Dufour]

I think that of the three, Boston probably needs it the worst just because of the injuries. You know, Drew Holiday's probably not going to play in this game. Jason Tatum's banged up. We, we've been talking about Jalen Brown's knee for the last few weeks, although, you know, it hasn't really slowed him down all that much in the, in the playoffs. But, yeah, I think, you know, Boston last year, they had a, an amazing run, and it, I think health was such a key component of that run.

[S]

It always is. It always is in every team.

[Guest Analyst]

Yeah.

[Dave Dufour]

And it feels like they're starting this out, you know, a little bit stuck in the mud because of. Of some injury stuff. So, yeah, I think they need to close it out. Let's Talk Clippers and Nuggets before we get out of here because again, this is the most compelling series. I mean, it's this or maybe Rockets, warriors before, before last night's game, but Clippers, Nuggets. I don't know what to think about the Nuggets because I, I thought we were all going to be talking about how they were done and oh, what happens this summer, what happens next. And they managed to win this game and now they're going back to Denver where that's a tough place to play, you know, and, and you're going from, from the beach straight there. I don't know how you feel about the Clippers.

[S]

I was going to throw back at you. I was going to ask.

[Dave Dufour]

I'll tell you the way I think this is going to play out. I, I think the Clippers, the Clippers are going to lose to the Nuggets in Denver. I just think when you lose a game like that, it's deflating, especially after the comeback. Right? Like the, the emotional roller coaster that you've got to go through. And you know, you're watching that film and you're saying, oh, well, we didn't lose it necessarily on this last second play. You know, we lost it here, we lost it here. And I just think it's come, it's tough to come back from, but I do think, I think this is going to go seven.

[Guest Analyst]

Yeah.

[Dave Dufour]

And I think the Clippers just have, you know, more legs. I mean, like you look at the game the other night and they, the Nuggets are forced to play everybody for the, for the, you know, majority of the second half of the game. They just don't have the guys. You know, Michael Porter Jr. Took an amazing game from him, took one of the best games I've seen from Christian Brown. Two way games. And they win it on, you know, on the closest buzzer beater I've ever seen in my life. So, yeah, I just think that when it push comes to shove, like Jokic.

[S]

Is, the Clippers have more.

[Dave Dufour]

He's human. I just think that the Clippers have more.

[S]

Yeah, I mean, how many more times are you going to replicate the formula that you did in game four where you played all these guys massive minutes and to your point, Michael Porter junior's shoulder, Russell Westbrook, the ankle situation, I will say I think the wild card here for Denver is Jamal Murray hasn't really had one of those games, you know, and he usually has at least one of those types of games. So maybe that ends up swinging the series in favor of Denver if he just goes ballistic for like a 35, 40 point night, which he's capable of doing. So I think that's, that's the one key. That's kind of like the swing factor here for Denver. But the other thing is pace, right? Every game, whatever team has won has dictated the pace, has won the turnover battle, has won the offensive rebounding battle. So whatever team ends up doing that through the next three games, because I do agree with you, it'll go seven, they'll end up winning the series. I think the Clippers have more, more legs. That's undoubtedly true. But I mean, the Nuggets have the best player in the world, man. You know, and you can't discount that.

[Dave Dufour]

I will say this, though. The Clippers have the guy in, in Evita Zubac who guards him.

[S]

Who can guard him.

[Dave Dufour]

Yeah, and this is, we're saying this on the heels of a. Well, what did Yokic have? 36, 20 and 8. You know, the other. So, I mean, take that with a grain of salt, but I mean, this is. I, I think the Clippers are very well suited to, to be able to, to, to take Jokic out of it a little bit.

[S]

And Kawhi can raise to that level too, which is just another, I mean.

[Dave Dufour]

James Harden, I, I like he had a bad Game four and I just, I don't know if, if he's going to be that bad again. You know, if he, if he's just has an average game that, you know, the Clippers are, are more in it when they start the comeback.

[S]

So the Nuggets played so desperate in game four and it's like, can you continue to do that through three more games in the series with five guys? Yeah, exactly.

[Dave Dufour]

The hardest part. All right, that's going to do it for the show, folks. Enjoy the games tonight. Thanks to Anthony Slater for joining us and staying up late after the warriors game for Espera Henny. I'm Dave Dufour and this is Ben the NBA Daily. Thanks for waking up with us.