Did the Wolves end the Nuggets?

Summary

Podcast Summary

Podcast: The Athletic NBA Daily
Episode: Did the Wolves end the Nuggets?
Date: May 1, 2026
Hosts: Dave DuFour & E (Esfandiar Baraheni)

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Episode Overview

This episode dives deep into the Minnesota Timberwolves’ shocking playoff victory over the Denver Nuggets, signaling potential end-of-era questions for Denver. The hosts also recap a historic Knicks blowout of the Hawks and the Sixers forcing Game 7 against the Celtics. They discuss what the future holds for ousted teams, spotlight standout performances, and preview the next playoff matchups with honest, fast-paced banter.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Timberwolves Eliminate Nuggets

[02:55–08:32]

• Game Recap: Wolves, despite being severely shorthanded, controlled the game nearly start to finish, beating Denver 110-98.
  • “The Wolves, honestly, man, just shockingly controlled this game almost start to finish.” — Dave DuFour [02:55]
• Nuggets’ Defensive Collapse:
  • Their interior defense struggled all year; it was “a straight line drive, layup line, every single trip down the floor” for the Wolves. — E [03:08]
  • Wolves won points in the paint 64-40 and dominated second-chance points.
• Wolves’ Shorthanded Heroics:
  • Wolves were missing Anthony Edwards, Io Dosunmu, and Dante DiVincenzo.
  • Terence Shannon Jr., making his first playoff start, dropped 24 points on efficient shooting, strong defense.
  • Jaden McDaniels erupted for 32 points, 10 rebounds, and clamped down on Jamal Murray (4-17 FG).
    • “I think the star of the show was Jaden McDaniels. 32 points, 10 rebounds, hit big clutch shots to put the game away. But also his defense against Jamal Murray just made Jamal Murray non existent.” — Dave DuFour [04:39]
• Rudy Gobert’s Career Moment:
  • 8 assists (most on short rolls), anchoring Minnesota’s offense and defense.
  • “This is a career defining moment for Rudy Gobert. …Can he lock up the best of the best? And he literally did all of that in this series.” — E [06:22]
• Denver’s Struggles:
  • Jokic had good counting stats (28-10-9), but struggled for efficiency and impact under Wolves’ defensive scheme.
  • “In the series, Nikola Jokic shot 44% from the field, 19 from three…that, that in and of itself tells you the series right there.” — Dave DuFour [07:08]
• Coaching & Tactical Adjustments:
  • Chris Finch turned to three-big lineups (Nas Reed, Julius Randle, Rudy Gobert) to blunt Denver’s attack. — [07:41]
  • Wolves’ “defensive intensity is almost non-negotiable” — E [08:01]

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2. Denver’s Existential Offseason

[08:32–14:24]

• Big Questions Ahead:
  • Coaching: “You’re probably looking for a new coach. David Adelman didn't show us anything this season.” — Dave DuFour [08:45]
  • Roster Moves: Decision looming on Cam Johnson (impressive recent games), whether to pay Peyton Watson, lack of youth and athleticism.
    • “There’s three dominoes right off the bat...Who’s the coach going to be? Are we going to move Cam Johnson? Are we going to resign Peyton Watson?” — Dave DuFour [09:24]
• Perspective on the Season:
  • Was it just injuries? Or are deeper changes needed with the West’s rising powers (Thunder, Spurs)?
  • “We now have this new group in the San Antonio Spurs that is going to be just as competitive. We have had this exact same nucleus for what, eight seasons now and we can't beat the Timberwolves.” — E [11:10]
• Time for Big Changes?
  • “That big change, the Nuggets might blow it up or need to think about blowing it up.” — Dave DuFour [11:42]
  • Nuggets are up against the tax, haven’t been a multi-year taxpayer—may need to make tough decisions on the “big three.”
  • “Do they entertain the idea of maybe breaking up the Murray-Gordon aspect of things?” — E [12:25]
• Youth & Athleticism:
  • By minutes played, Denver is the league’s 6th oldest team.
  • “It just feels like having…ten guys that are like 24 to 28.” — Dave DuFour [12:44]
  • Compared to the Bucks’ dilemma: “Gotta get some athletes out there next to Jokic. The same stuff we were saying about the Bucks, gotta get some athletes out there next to Giannis, some shooters.” — Dave DuFour [13:07]
• Both hosts agree: This will be one of the most pivotal offseasons in Nuggets history.

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3. Knicks Annihilate Hawks in Historic Fashion

[16:42–22:26]

• Game Recap: Knicks led Atlanta by 47 at half, win by 51; “most crushing closing game I have ever seen in my life.” — Dave DuFour [16:42]
• Historic Margin:
  • “There have been nearly 38,000 games…this is the first where the road team scored 100 before the home team had 50.” — E, quoting Kirk Goldsberry [17:37]
• Key Performers:
  • OG Anunoby, Karl-Anthony Towns (KAT), Mikal Bridges: all lauded for their impact and playmaking.
  • “This Knicks team may have figured out the formula that gets them to the finals. And it starts with Karl-Anthony Towns and involving him in the offense.” — Dave DuFour [18:54]
  • Unlocking KAT at the elbow/wing opens up the floor for others.
• Matchup Implications:
  • Knicks’ methods match up well with Celtics or Sixers due to dribble handoffs and forcing bigs out of drop coverage.
  • “If they're going to play offense like this, they're going to the finals.” — Dave DuFour [19:15]
  • E: “They have this identity now.” [20:51]
• Consistency Remains Key:
  • Questioned if Knicks will maintain this offensive posture or revert to old habits.

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4. Hawks’ Future After the Beatdown

[22:10–25:37]

• Team Outlook:
  • “They make the Trae Young trade and change eras…it seems like we're going to go into the Jalen Johnson era after this playoff series.” — Dave DuFour [22:38]
  • Nikhil Alexander-Walker wins “Most Improved Player”—both hosts agree this was a just selection.
• Offseason Priorities:
  • They could land a high lottery pick via the Pelicans—adding a top-tier young talent shapes their path.
  • Roster questions: CJ McCollum, Jonathan Kuminga. “They need to go out and get a big man.” — Dave DuFour [23:50]
  • “Could they get Anthony Davis? ...We're hearing reports he might get traded.” [24:04]
• Zaccharie Risacher watch:
  • “Hopefully he finds a new home.” — E [24:04]
  • “He could turn into a later-career Nicolas Batum...gotta find the right circumstance.” — Dave DuFour [24:10]

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5. Sixers Force Game 7 v. Celtics

[25:37–32:13]

• Game Recap: Sixers win 106–93, pushing the series to a deciding game in Boston.
  • Dave jokes: “The secret to their success may have been that they booked Red Panda for the halftime show…Home teams are 5–0 when they book Red Panda at halftime.” [25:43]
• Joel Embiid’s Return to Form:
  • “The last two games…the Embiid bump has happened for the Sixers. …I thought the thing that he did best in this game was his playmaking.” — Dave DuFour [25:43]
  • “This is the version of Joel Embiid that is the MVP…Kornet cannot guard him, Vucevic cannot guard him, Garza has barely played.” — E [27:22]
• Sixers Defensive Edge:
  • “The Sixers defense around Joel Embiid has been excellent…Paul George, especially off the ball, I just think has been amazing in this series.” — Dave DuFour [28:17]
  • Paul George praised for embracing a “supercharged role player” identity, guarding Tatum/Brown and chipping in offensively. — E [28:34]
• Celtics’ Struggles:
  • Poor shooting (12/41 from three), lack of in-game adjustments, inability to attack Embiid inside.
  • E questions, “Are the Celtics being too stubborn?” [29:57]
  • Missed opportunities to capitalize on mid-range strengths.
  • Jason Tatum’s injury status is unclear—major swing factor for Game 7.
• Picks for Game 7:
  • Both hosts, despite doubts, stick with Boston: “I still think the Celtics will win in seven...It's really hard to come back from down 3–1.” — E [31:46]
  • Dave: “I'm going Boston, too...can’t embarrass myself anymore on these predictions.” [32:13]

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6. Quickfire Predictions & Notable Quotes

[32:25–33:13]

• Eastern & Western Playoff Previews:
  • “Detroit–Orlando: I think the Magic close them out.” — Dave [32:33]
  • “Cavs–Raptors: Are we getting a Game 7?” — Dave; Both take Toronto [32:44]
  • “Lakers–Rockets: Can Houston force Game 7 after being down 3–0?” — E picks Houston, Dave picks Lakers [33:04]
  • “LeBron is tired. Time to take a break.” — Dave [33:07]

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Most Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Happy International Workers Day, everybody. Hey, speaking of getting work, the Nuggets got worked last night.” — Dave Dufour [02:45]
• “It came down to how absolutely disastrous the Nuggets defense was. It was a straight line drive, layup line, every single trip down the floor.” — E [03:08]
• “This is a career defining moment for Rudy Gobert…And he literally did all of that in this series.” — E [06:22]
• “I think this Knicks team may have figured out the formula that gets them to the finals. And it starts with Karl-Anthony Towns.” — Dave Dufour [18:54]
• “Are the Celtics being too stubborn? Because we're not seeing adjustments.” — Dave Dufour [29:57]
• “Paul George…is a supercharged role player for this Sixers team.” — E [28:34]
• “This will be one of the most important off seasons in Nuggets franchise history. That's how crazy it is.” — E [13:58]

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• 02:55: Start of Wolves/Nuggets analysis
• 03:39: Wolves dominating every statistical category
• 04:39: Jaden McDaniels’ game and series impact
• 06:22: Rudy Gobert’s legacy performance
• 08:45: Nuggets’ future – coach & roster evaluation
• 11:10: Macro perspective on Denver’s core vs Western Conference rise
• 13:07: Youth, athleticism, and Bucks–Nuggets comparison
• 16:42: Knicks’ historic blowout of Hawks
• 17:37: Historic statistical milestone from K. Goldsberry tweet
• 18:54: Knicks’ offensive evolution with KAT
• 22:38: Hawks’ offseason and Nikhil Alexander-Walker’s MIP award
• 25:43: Sixers force Game 7; Red Panda superstition
• 27:22: Embiid’s dominance, Celtics’ defensive problems
• 28:34: Paul George’s vital role
• 29:57: Celtics’ offensive stubbornness and injury concern
• 31:46: Game 7 predictions for Celtics/Sixers
• 32:33–33:13: Rapid playoff predictions for other first-round matchups

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Final Thoughts

This episode was a jam-packed playoff breakdown, balancing on-court X’s and O’s with larger strategic implications for teams facing crossroads. The hosts’ blend of wit and honest critique—plus memorable analogies and deep-dive analysis—make it a must-listen for NBA fans wanting quick yet insightful playoff reflections.

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For fans and non-listeners:
This summary brings you all the decisive playoff moments, strategic postmortems for losing squads, and the underlying intrigue of an NBA in transition—without the fluff of intros or ad reads.

Transcript

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[Dave Dufour]

Good morning and welcome to the NBA Daily for May 1, 2026. I'm Dave Dufour here with Esperahenne. Coming up, the Nuggets are going home. The Wolves are moving on. The Knicks blew out the Hawks and the Sixers survived to game. Good morning everybody. What is up, S? How's it going buddy?

[Esperahenne]

What's Up. Who's getting dunked on today?

[Dave Dufour]

Who got dunked on?

[Esperahenne]

No, I'm just saying.

[Dave Dufour]

That's my catchphrase.

[Esperahenne]

I'm work.

[Dave Dufour]

I'm working. We're gonna do a different one every day.

[Esperahenne]

A different one every day. Just try it out. Someone recommended it in the YouTube comments. I figured I'd bring it.

[Dave Dufour]

Yeah. Okay. Well, happy International Workers Day, everybody. Hey, speaking of getting work, the Nuggets got worked last night.

[Esperahenne]

Yes.

[Dave Dufour]

Wow. Timberwolves sent them home as shorthanded as you can get. 110, 98. And the wolves, honestly, man, just shockingly controlled this game almost start to finish.

[Esperahenne]

Yeah, I mean, look, all of it came down to how absolutely disastrous the Nuggets defense was. It was a straight line drive, layup line, every single trip down the floor for Jaden McDaniels, for Terence Shannon Jr. Who we talked about earlier about, like, this is a major factor for the rest of this series given the Wolves injuries. And you look at the box score,

[Dave Dufour]

64 to 40, they win. The Wolves win the points in the paint. And that's absurd.

[Esperahenne]

I mean, 24 in terms of second chance points. I mean, they got worked in every category. Every single category.

[Dave Dufour]

And I. Look, I know that the Nuggets are missing, you know, Aaron Gordon and Peyton Watson, and they are huge parts of their team, especially Aaron Gordon.

[Interjection Speaker]

Y.

[Dave Dufour]

That's inexcusable. And. And this goes back to my complaint about the Nuggets during the regular season. That interior defense, Nicole Jokic, the layup line, and we saw that from the Wolves and like, tip your cap to the Wolves IO dunu had to miss this game. He was a late scratched, already down. Anthony Edwards, obviously, Dante DiVincenzo now out, you know, until probably this time next year. With that. That blown achilles, Terence Shannon Jr gets his first playoff start. 24 points, 5 of 5 from the. From the free throw line, gets six rebounds, plays really solid defense without fouling, which is just. It's very difficult against this Nuggets team because the way that YIC and Murray like to put you in actions, and they bring a third guy to come screen. Excellent start from him. But I think the star of the show was Jaden McDaniels. 32 points, 10 rebounds, hit big clutch shots to put the game away. But also his defense against Jamal Murray just made Jamal Murray non existent in this game. 4:17 from the field for Jamal Murray.

[Esperahenne]

Man, Jada McDaniels talked a lot in this series and he backed every single little bit up, every single part of it. I Mean, he talked. He talked about how the Nuggets don't have any defenders. That is evidence. He talked about. I mean, Anthony Edwards has brought up. They got Kevin Durant, we got Jada McDaniels. This is the version that they have wanted, right? The offense, the ability to get downhill and create and get his own shot. They needed that tonight given how undermanned they were. And Dave, you just mentioned, of course, Aaron Gordon, Peyton Watson not available for the Nuggets, but you know who wasn't available for the Wolves? Anthony Edwards. Injury. Injury issues can't be an excuse for the Nuggets at this point because of how absolutely decimated the Wolves are on their end. And you know, you mentioned IO Dasuma not playing. You've got a little bit of that production from Terence Shannon Jr. Jada McDaniels, though, and Rudy Gobert. They are the stars of this series. They outplayed Nicola Jokic and Jamal Murray. Their offense, their ability to create for themselves. Rudy Gobert had eight assists in this game, most of them in the short roll.

[Dave Dufour]

That amazing lefty kind of scooped around the defender hammer pass to the, to the corner that Terrence Shannon Jr. Actually stuck, which of course makes it a great pass just out of nowhere from Rudy Gobert.

[Esperahenne]

It was insane. I. Look, this is a, I think this is a career defining moment for Rudy Gobert. Career defining, right. You think about all of the conversation about Gobert as how effective he is in the playoffs and can he stay on the floor? Is his offense worthy enough? Can he lock up the best of the best? And he literally did all of that in this series. The offense was much better. Like I said, the playmaking really popped tonight. And even despite the fact that Jokic had a pretty good game offensively, like 28 points, 10 assists, nine rebounds on 19 shots. You saw how hard it was for him to get to that. Not just tonight, but every single night in this series. Genuinely, it was career defining from Rudy Gobert.

[Dave Dufour]

Yeah, absolutely. In the series, Nikola Jokic shot 44% from the field, 19 from three. I mean, that, that in and of itself tells you the series right there. I think that the look for the Nuggets, they got big questions for the Wolves. They've got the spurs coming up and I, I don't. I don't know that they can give them much of a challenge, especially if Anthony Edwards is not going to be healthy. I don't think it's going to be a fun. Even if it's a sweep, let's say the spurs sweep Them. I don't think it's going to be a fun game. It'll be competitive.

[Esperahenne]

Yeah, I agree with you.

[Dave Dufour]

Well, in this game, Chris Finch was really just grasping at straws at points. He was playing three big man lineups, Nas Reed, Julius Randle and Rudy Gobert. And I mean they were, they were just mashing the Nuggets. They were clogging the paint. I mean, tip your cap, man. That, that was a pretty good coaching job.

[Esperahenne]

Yeah, yeah, it was. And you know what? I will say the Wolves have something that's almost a non negotiable and that's their defensive intensity. Like you're going to get far in the playoffs or at least you're going to get far in each game in the playoffs just by your defensive intensity. Even in the Blazers series, like you saw their ability to lock up in certain moments, make the games a little bit more competitive. Now of course, San Antonio took care of business and I expect them to do that against the Timberwolves, especially an undermanned Timberwolves team.

[GNC Announcer]

Right.

[Esperahenne]

But some of those games, especially at the start of the series, was a little bit more competitive because of the defensive prowess of the Blazers. I want to ask you this. Yeah. What happens for the Nuggets now? Like what do, what do you think is the.

[Dave Dufour]

Well, they've got a lot of, a lot of questions. Right. Yeah. What happens next? Number one, I think you probably are looking for a new coach. David Adelman didn't show us anything this season in my opinion and he got

[Esperahenne]

out coached in this series.

[Dave Dufour]

Severely out coached in the playoffs. I mean again, by the time you get to the playoffs you need some curveballs, you need a slider. I mean the great teams have four or five different pitches. And I'm sorry, but the Jokic Murray two man game wasn't working and you had nothing else to go to. I will say Cam Johnson just had his, maybe his best game as a nugget in this game.

[Esperahenne]

Honestly, back to back, very good games from Cam Johnson. He looked good.

[Dave Dufour]

Part of it was because he got used a little bit more and you know, some of that was inserting himself being a little bit more aggressive about, about taking chances. But you know, I, I have to think they drew up a couple more plays for him after he hit a few shots. And, and maybe that's the, the issue is like a lack of confidence in, in Cam Johnson. And you know, he, he actually didn't have much of a chance to prove it this season. Like he just felt like he couldn't really get in a rhythm. But they've got a Cam Johnson decision to make because they need to decide on paying Peyton Watson. And so in order to do that, I just think that there's. There's three dominoes right off the bat that you've got to take care of. Who's the coach going to be? Are we going to move Cam Johnson? Are we going to resign Peyton Watson? Those are the first three questions to me that they've got to start answering tomorrow.

[Esperahenne]

Yeah, I mean, there's. There's sort of two ways to look at this nugget season as a whole, right? You can look at this and say, well, Nikola Jokic, his knee injury midway through the year derailed our season. Jamal Murray had an all NBA all star level year, one of the healthiest seasons of his career. We got what we needed from him. If we were even a little bit more healthy, comparing, you know, obviously Aaron Gordon, Peyton Watson, those guys playing in this series, that would have been the difference for us. They are so important to what they want to do that they would help them win this series. That would dictate the terms of this series. That's one way to look at it. The other way is to say the Oklahoma City Thunder are going to come and be championship contenders basically every single year. We now have this new group in the San Antonio spurs that is going to be just as competitive. We have had this exact same nucleus for what, eight seasons now.

[Dave Dufour]

And we can't beat the Timberwolves and

[Esperahenne]

we cannot beat the Timberwolves in the first round. Despite the fact that we had a great Jamal Murray season, despite the fact that we had outlier development. You know, you got Spencer Jones playing in the playoffs for you because that was a little bit of development. The Christian Brown contract has not worked out for them in the way that they foresaw. Cam Johnson, good year, good finish to his year, not what they foresaw when they traded Michael Porter Jr. I just. It feels like there has to be a big change.

[Dave Dufour]

And that big change, the Nuggets might blow it up or need to think about blowing it up.

[Esperahenne]

I'm just saying that, like, at this point, you know, I don't think it was ever on the table for them to. Sure, I really don't think they ever considered it. But at this point, given the circumstance of the league in the Western Conference, you do wonder if they should restructure and what does restructuring look like for a Nuggets team that one is pushing up against the tax historically has not been willing to Be a multi year taxpayer, if you will. What does that mean for their contracts? Do you try and look at trading one of their big three? I don't know. I'm not sure.

[Dave Dufour]

I.

[Esperahenne]

They're never going to trade Nicola Jokic. It would be crazy for them to do that. They're never going to do that. But do they entertain the idea of maybe breaking up the Murray Gordon aspect of things?

[Dave Dufour]

You know, they are there by minutes. They're the sixth oldest team in the NBA.

[Esperahenne]

Yeah. Wow, that's crazy.

[Dave Dufour]

And we've, we talked about how depth is so important, but I think youth is actually another edge. I mean, you look at again, the Timberwolves, they've. They've got a lot of young guys who can fly. You look at Oklahoma City, you look at the Spurs, I mean, it just feels like having. Not just having 10 guys, having 10 guys that are like 24 to 28.

[Esperahenne]

The athleticism difference in this series was massive.

[Dave Dufour]

It feels like the Bucks from a few years ago, like the stuff that we've been saying about the Bucks and we've been saying this about the Nuggets too, since that title run. Hey, you got to get some more athletes out there next to yic. The same stuff we were saying about the Bucks, got to get some athletes out there next to Giannis, some shooters.

[Esperahenne]

Yep.

[Dave Dufour]

This, this feels very similar. And I mean, listen, I, I think that with a guy like Murray, unless you have someone better coming in, it's hard to replace. You can't replace him.

[Esperahenne]

The season he had, it just feels weird to. It feels weird.

[Dave Dufour]

We're talking about a guy who might make all NBA this year.

[Esperahenne]

I think he's guaranteed to make all NBA honestly.

[Dave Dufour]

So, so it's, you know, like, how do you upgrade on that? And maybe it's not. I don't know if it's an upgrade there, but I, I think everything would be on the table. I mean, Aaron Gordon, as important as he is, hasn't really been all that reliable from a. Health.

[Esperahenne]

Yeah, the injuries have hurt in the last couple years. I don't, I don't know. This is a fascinating situation. I mean, we, we could not have foresaw this. I, I had picked the Nuggets to go to the Finals, you know, and they're now in this situation where they have to reassess everything from the coach to the organization to the role players that they've brought in. It's fascinating. I mean, it's going to be one of the most important off seasons in Nuggets franchise history. That's how crazy it is.

[Dave Dufour]

Yeah, guys, stick around after the break. We're going to talk about the Knicks blowing out the Hawks and the Sixers making it to Game seven.

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[Dave Dufour]

If you weren't watching Hawks Nicks game six but you were scrolling social media, there might have been a moment where you saw a screenshot that looked fake. The first screenshot I saw now I was watching the game so I knew how ridiculous the score was. But I saw 72 to 22. Yeah was the first one I saw posted. That's when everyone started clicking over. I started getting texts from like friends non basketball people saying hey what is going on? Is this score real? The the Knicks had a 47 point lead at halftime. They win by 51. This is the most crushing closing game I have ever seen in my life. The Knicks were just absolutely disgusted with the Hawks. Wanted this thing over with. The Hawks did on the bright side, have a 10 point lead at halftime over OG Anunoby, 36 to 26.

[Esperahenne]

That's incredible, man. I just. There, there are not words to describe it. Like it's, it's a whooping, it's Molly whopped, it's a sheing. These are the words, these are the adjective. This, it just. You can't put it into, you can't put it into words. Our, our friend Kirk, she had a tweet. I thought it was excellent. So. There have been nearly 38,000 games in the NBA since the 1996, 1997 season, regular season and playoffs included. Hawks, Knicks is the first game where the road team scored 100 points before the home team had 50 points.

[Dave Dufour]

99 to 38. I think I saw.

[Esperahenne]

Yes, that was another one that I saw. That was 40 to 15 after the first quarter. I. Other than telling you that the Knicks, including obviously OG Anunoby who had an incredible game and Carl Anthony Towns who looks spectacular. Mikhail Bridges, playmaker Mikhail Bridges. You could name everybody up and down the roster after this game. Now the Knicks move on to the second round and I'm curious to get your thoughts given, you know, the Celtics and some of the questions that we'll have talking about them and going seven. How do you feel about the Knicks? Well, I'm.

[Dave Dufour]

I think that this Knicks team may have figured out the formula that gets him to the finals. And it starts with Carl Anthony Towns and involving him in the offense. Every time he touches the ball at the elbow or the wing, they're getting a good look out of it. And now this could be just the matchup. Right. The Hawks just did not have a big man. That definitely helps it.

[Esperahenne]

Definitely.

[Dave Dufour]

They had to be so worried about him. He was putting pressure on the defense, he was getting to the free throw line mean he was doing everything I. Carl Anthony Towns, when he thinks he's the best player on the court, is something else. I mean he really is an extremely talented guy and it, it does seem like when his confidence is high, it, it really shows like he was the best guy on the court in the first half. To me, for the Knicks and it wasn't like he was hitting a ton of shots. He was just making so much stuff happen. Obviously super active on the glass, but figuring out the one of the more talented offensive players on your roster and unlocking that. I think the last two games that we've seen from the Knicks, they really did figure some stuff out. And if they're going to play offense like this, they're going to the finals.

[Esperahenne]

Yeah, I mean, look, I do, I do think it is the matchup because I didn't think any Eka Kongu were really any Hawks big could stop Cat in terms of what he wanted to get to playmaking wise. And they ran like flex actions all the time, especially with him above the break to get like cutters. That's also what really fueled OG Anunoby towards the tail end of the series, those back cuts. And he's such a great athlete, he can get downhill very easily. But I also think that matches up really well against the Boston Celtics if they play the Boston Celtics because Keda has struggled to not. I mean, the only defensive coverage he can really play in is a drop and you can't do that against Karl Anthony Towns. Especially the dribble handoff stuff. You got all these great shooters on the Knicks as well. It's just going to put so much pressure on your defense that. Yeah, I agree with you. They have, they have this identity, I think Sixers.

[Dave Dufour]

Sixers or Celtics, because, I mean, and we'll get to this a little bit. But Embiid is stuck in a drop too. So, you know, the Knicks are going to get a lot of time against a drop. You know, Jalen Brunson loves that because he's going to get into his little pull up. I mean, again, I think what the Knicks have done the last couple games because they've been tweaking, they've been making changes and I, I do believe that just cat touching the ball way more opens up a ton for them.

[Esperahenne]

Yeah. You know, it also opens up more for Jalen Brunson, you know, like just giving him easier opportunities. Just.

[Dave Dufour]

Well, he's such a great catch and shoot three point shooter that you would assume that you would build in two or three times. You know, every stretch run for him where he is off the ball. You know, you've got other guys that can theoretically bring the ball up. Josh Hart does sometimes, you know, Mikhail Bridges can dribble at least to get the ball up into the, into the front court. So, you know, I, I'm curious if we're going to see this, you know, game one of the next round. Like will they stick with this or will they go back to the old habits? Because you know, that has also been an issue with, with this Knicks team. Like, we'll see flashes.

[Esperahenne]

Yeah. Oh, okay.

[Dave Dufour]

They're all playing together. Mikhail Bridges doesn't seem like he's scared to, to touch the ball or touch a guy on defense and, and everyone Looks great. What happens if they revert to the old style?

[Esperahenne]

Yeah, it just, it's all about consistency when it comes to cap. That's what it is.

[Dave Dufour]

The Hawks going home. Man, I don't know where, you know, where are they going on vacation?

[Esperahenne]

They. What's a great place in Georgia? I don't know.

[Dave Dufour]

Well, Savannah's great, but. Yeah, yeah.

[Esperahenne]

No, not at all.

[Dave Dufour]

I don't know. I don't know what they're going to do, but they are not going to continue on in the NBA playoffs. So that means we're thinking about their off season. They were such a great story. Their turnaround this year.

[GNC Announcer]

They.

[Dave Dufour]

They make the Trey Young trade and change eras and it seems like we're going to go into the Jalen Johnson era after this playoff series. You know, Jaylen Johnson, Nikhil Alexander Walker. I think Nikhil had a really good series. Jalen had an up and down series. But there were some bright spots, certainly some low lights. What do you see as their, their biggest priorities as they look ahead to the offseason?

[Esperahenne]

This is, this is a team that if they win the lottery, courtesy of the New Orleans Pelicans, that could really change the trajectory of them. Well, yeah, like, I mean, they already have a very good nucleus, but you insert a top tier talent like AJ DeBonso or Darren Peterson or someone, it just takes them to a different tier in terms of young groups and young collectives at the same time. They're going to get a lottery pick. So nailing that is very important. They got to decide what they do with CJ McCollum and Jonathan Kaminga, two

[Dave Dufour]

guys who, I'm guessing they're bringing them back.

[Esperahenne]

I would, I would imagine they bring both of those guys back, especially because of how good they were in spurts during the playoffs. Right. And then the other side, like, they, they will have cap space if they decide to not bring one of those guys back. Do they add rotation players? It's just they need a big man away at things. Right?

[Dave Dufour]

Yeah, they need to go out and get a big man. I'm not sure who it may be. I. I don't know. Maybe. Could they get Anthony Davis? Does that make any sense? You know, we're. We're hearing reports that Anthony Davis might get traded before next season starts.

[Esperahenne]

Also Zachary Re Sachet. Hopefully he finds a new home.

[Dave Dufour]

I think Richochet is going to be on the move. You know, my, my personal thing is like I'm rooting for him to go somewhere like San Antonio because I do think that he Is a, he's going to wind up being a pretty good player I'm thinking about, and maybe it's the French bias here, but I feel like he could turn into a, a later career Nicholas Batum type of wing who shoots threes, who can pass, who can handle, you know, a guy, let's see if his defense ever gets there. But he's got some, some tools.

[Esperahenne]

It's just, yeah, I'm not gonna say he had too good of a rookie season to fail, but he showed enough in the, in his rookie year to like believe that he will be an NBA player. It's just gotta find the right circumstance.

[Dave Dufour]

Yeah. And his minutes kind of got squeezed out a little bit too because Jalen Johnson had such a, you know, a come up. So I, I do, I do think it, it's a little bit of a tough choice. We should note Nikhil Alexander Walker wins the most improve award.

[Esperahenne]

Yes, he does.

[Dave Dufour]

Do you have any issue, take any problems with that?

[Esperahenne]

No, I, I, I think that is the essence of the award, honestly. Yeah, I think it's like one of the best MIP selections we've seen in recent years. Just like that is the perfect version of the award. Yeah, you don't, you don't expect that type of pop, especially a guy who's like been in his career for what, six, seven seasons now, to have that scoring jump, to have the three point shooting be as prolific as it is. Not surprised whatsoever. Not at all.

[Dave Dufour]

The Sixers are shocking the world right now.

[Esperahenne]

All right, let's talk about it. Okay.

[Dave Dufour]

Huge win. 106. 93. The secret to their success may have been that they booked Red Panda for the halftime show. Because look, this is anecdotal record. All right, I, I will say this. I have seen every playoff game. I am pretty sure that I have noted every Red Panda appearance. Okay, Correct me if I'm wrong out there, guys. Believe it or not, there's no tracking data for this. You can't find her schedule anywhere. So I did try to Fact Check this. 50 Home teams are, when they book Red Panda at halftime. According to me. Right? By my notes, by my handwritten notes, that's where we're at. 5 and. Oh, all right, we're keeping track of that now. The Red Panda bump might be real. The truth is the embiid bump has happened for the Sixers. Take everything that I said about his first game back and just throw it out the window. Because the last two games, again, similar to the Knicks, where they're using Cat more as A Hub Embiid offensive hub. And I thought the thing that he did best in this game was his playmaking. The Celtics, after. After game five, where they just could not handle him, they started to load up when he got the ball. I mean, he had some amazing passes in this game. One behind the back catching a cutter for a layup, which I just didn't realize was in his bag. But I think Joel Embiid, if this is the guy that they're going to get on the offensive end and the Celtics have done such a poor job of actually attacking him and making him work on the defensive end, I would be extremely scared if I'm the Celtics going into game seven.

[Esperahenne]

Absolutely. I mean, especially with the game Joel had in Boston to keep them in this series and push it to six. That is the version of Joel Embiid that is the mvp, right. The way he was scoring in that mid post area. K cannot guard him in this series. Vucovic cannot guard him in this series. Garza hasn't really got much opportunity, but I, I would recommend that he cannot guard Joel Embiid either. Where's the solution for Boston? Like, what is the. What is the guy you put on him in game seven? I. I don't know.

[Dave Dufour]

I mean, they don't have that guy. It's not V for sure. And Vuch is not even helping you on the offensive end. You don't. They don't have a big. That can match up with Joel Embiid one on one. It's gotta be a schematic change defensively and send help.

[Esperahenne]

And then hopefully the other guys like the shooting falls.

[Dave Dufour]

But this is helping rotate, which is what the Sixers have been doing actually so well.

[Esperahenne]

Exactly.

[Dave Dufour]

The Sixers defense around Joel Embiid has been. Has been excellent. It's part of the reason why, like, Boston has not specifically done a great job of attacking Embiid, but when they have the Sixers, Paul George, especially off the ball, I just think has been amazing in this series.

[Esperahenne]

I actually, I would say, you know, as much as it has been Embiid, it's also been Paul George because he's been this. He's kind of in the OG Anunoby role for the Sixers, where he is the guy guarding Jalen Brown, he's the guy guarding Jason Tatum, he is guarding in isolations, he's, you know, a cookie. He knocks down threes. He's able to create his own shot every now and then when you need him. He is a supercharged role player for this Sixers team and it's, it's something that he's also been used to. Like this was Paul George early in his career in Indiana, before he had that superstar pop, he was a role player for the Pacers. Now he's just fitting into a role that's, that's kind of similar to that, but just at a, at a different context and a different team. I also think the speed that the Sixers are playing with is really messing with the Celtics. The Celtics were dead last in pace in the regular season. They like to slow it down. They like to have Jaylen Brown and Jason Tatum kind of like probe and get into the mid range area. And the Sixers with Maxi and with Edgecomb and Paul George and Kelly Oubre, they are running, they are running it down their throats and it's just, there's not that many solutions for them.

[Dave Dufour]

Yeah, the Celtics had another poor shooting night. 12:41 from 3. They're not attacking Embiid really in the drive.

[Esperahenne]

Yeah.

[Dave Dufour]

Let me ask you, are the Celtics being too stubborn? Because they're, we're not seeing adjustments.

[Esperahenne]

I mean the only, the only adjustment I would say is I would like to see them get into the mid range area more. You know, especially in this game, we didn't see them get into that mid range stuff. And this is a team that especially this year was I think in the top five mid range frequency wise, especially mid range efficiency wise. Jalen Brown was having a career year in the mid range area. Peyton Pritchard obviously a very good mid range player. Jason Tatum can do that as well. They, they have, they haven't gone to that. It's kind of been like only six points die by the three and they, they don't get to the rim that often either. So you're, you're, you become one track minded in the way that you approach the offensive team side of the game. And now with Jason Tatum being hurt, I, I don't know what's going to happen now. Also, it's worth noting that after the game Joe Missoula said that Tatum is not hurt, but he left the game, did not return the rest of the game, was on the bike for a little bit, then was on the bench. I don't know. We don't know. It's kind of up in the air. But the fact that his status is up in the air for game seven is a huge question because that's, that's the margin right there for Philly to potentially win this.

[Dave Dufour]

Also, Jalen Brown had an awful game. I mean this was maybe his worst game of the series so far. And you know, to. To have to follow that up with a Game seven. Couple of bad shooting performances in a row. Derrick White shot is completely broken.

[Esperahenne]

Yeah.

[Dave Dufour]

Who are you picking in game seven?

[Esperahenne]

Man, it's. It's crazy. Cause the. The team I had most confidence in in the Eastern Conference was the Boston Celtics.

[Dave Dufour]

Picked him to go to the finals. Going to have an easy road.

[Esperahenne]

Yeah, Yeah. I. I still think the Celtics will win in seven. I think they will figure it out, especially if Tatum plays. I think they will. They'll win this game. It'll be the response you need. It's really hard to come back from down three one.

[Dave Dufour]

This is the 37th time a team has forced a game seven after being

[Esperahenne]

down three one and what, 12 of them have won? Yeah, yeah. I'm going to say Boston wins in game seven. How about you?

[Dave Dufour]

I'm going Boston, too. I'm just going to. I'm going to Tin cup this whole thing. I've said Boston now three games in a row. Why not? You know, can't embarrass myself anymore on this, on these predictions. All right, guys, that's going to do it for the show.

[Esperahenne]

Quick predictions. Give me, give me. Give me your predictions for game six.

[Dave Dufour]

We got game sixes tonight. Okay? Yeah, yeah, we'll get that before we

[Esperahenne]

get out of here.

[Dave Dufour]

Game six, Detroit, Orlando. You know what? I think I believe in the Magic on that one. I think the Magic close them out.

[Esperahenne]

I agree with you. I agree with you. Yeah, I think they do.

[Dave Dufour]

Cleveland Cavaliers, Toronto, Raptors. Are we getting a game seven?

[Esperahenne]

I think we are.

[Dave Dufour]

How about you Raps at home? I'm taking them. I again, I'm all in on Scotty Barnes. Lakers, Rockets in Houston. Can the Rockets do it? Can they force a game seven after being down three. Zero?

[Esperahenne]

I think they can. I think it'll be going seven.

[Dave Dufour]

I don't. I think LeBron is going to get it done. I think LeBron is tired. Time to take a break.

[Esperahenne]

I was tired two games ago.

[Dave Dufour]

That's right. He's even more tired of it now. Hey, look, let's wrap it up. Austin, you better hit some shots, buddy. All right, that's going to do it for the show. Thank you guys for hanging out with us. Breast bear Henny. I'm Dave DeFore and this has been the NBA Daily. Thanks for waking up with us. Thanks for listening. Make sure you hit the subscribe or follow button so you never miss an episode if you enjoyed it. Drop a like leave a rating or let us know in the comments. Thank you guys for waking up with us.

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