Pacers down Cavs again + are the Warriors done without Steph?

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Athletic NBA Daily – "Pacers Down Cavs Again + Are the Warriors Done Without Steph?"

Introduction

In the May 7, 2025 episode of The Athletic NBA Daily, hosts Dave DuFour, Zena Keita, and Esfandiar Baraheni delve into the intense developments of the NBA playoffs. This episode focuses on two pivotal narratives: the Indiana Pacers' remarkable comeback against the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Golden State Warriors' struggles in the absence of their star, Steph Curry. The discussion is enriched by insights from NBA analysts and regular appearances by award-winning reporters, providing listeners with a comprehensive analysis of the unfolding playoff drama.

Pacers vs. Cavaliers: A Wild Comeback

The episode opens with a detailed analysis of Game 2 between the Indiana Pacers and the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Cavaliers, despite featuring standout players like Evan Mobley, Darius Garland, and Donovan Mitchell, experienced a heartbreaking collapse after establishing a 20-point lead. The Pacers, led by Tyrese Halliburton, orchestrated a stunning comeback, ultimately securing a 20-point victory over the Cavaliers, who hold the top seed in the Eastern Conference.

Key Moments and Player Performances

NBA Analyst 1 highlights the critical errors made by the Cavaliers in the fourth quarter, including a pivotal fumble on the inbound pass that allowed the Pacers to steal possession. "[Tyrese Halliburton] hits a game winner and he also did the big balls celebration," Analyst 1 notes at [03:52], emphasizing Halliburton's decisive role in the comeback.

Donovan Mitchell's performance is scrutinized, especially his high usage rate of 47.5% compared to Giannis Antetokounmpo's 35%. Analyst 1 remarks at [06:46], "He was the guy for them," underscoring Mitchell's burden on the Cavaliers' offense. Despite Mitchell's 30 shots, including 19 in the paint, the Cavaliers struggled defensively, with Jared Allen being their only significant presence in the finals.

The Pacers' resilience is further attributed to their defensive adjustments and offensive rebounds. Analyst 1 praises Indiana's effort: "I love the defensive effort from Indiana all night" ([04:24]). Max Strus's energy and Ben Simmons's 13 assists are highlighted as pivotal factors contributing to Indiana's advantageous position in the series.

Strategic Insights and Tactical Adjustments

During the halftime break, the Pacers made crucial adjustments, increasing their transition play and defensive intensity. Host Dave DuFour observes at [04:24], "the Pacers had more of that Pacers energy. They started running on makes again." This strategic shift allowed Indiana to capitalize on Cleveland's fatigue and forced turnovers, leading to pivotal plays in the latter stages of the game.

Analyst 1 emphasizes the importance of team depth and playmaking, stating at [13:06], "the Pacers also adjusted to the switch. Heavy defense. Cleveland started switching in this game more often." This flexibility in defense enabled the Pacers to effectively counteract the Cavaliers' offensive strategies.

Warriors vs. Wolves: Steph Curry's Absence and Its Impact

Shifting focus, the discussion transitions to the Golden State Warriors' performance against the Minnesota Timberwolves in their second-round series. Steph Curry's injury looms large over the Warriors' prospects, raising concerns about their competitiveness without their marquee player.

At [16:26], Host Dave DuFour introduces guest John Krasinski, who provides an in-depth analysis of the Wolves' disappointing Game 1 performance. Analyst 2 critiques the Warriors' execution, noting, "Steph goes out with an injury, and they just played so flat and they were so poor from a shooting perspective."

The Warriors' struggles are compounded by their inability to rebound effectively, losing 51 to 41 against the Wolves. Analyst 2 remarks at [22:38], "they did lose the rebounding battle, 51 to 41. And they can’t do that." This deficiency hampers their ability to control the game's pace and maintain possession.

Team Dynamics and Future Outlook

The Wolves' lackluster shooting performance, particularly from three-point range, is dissected with Analyst 2 pointing out, "they were a step behind all game long." Despite being one of the league's top three-point shooting teams in the regular season, their 17% efficiency in this playoff game raises questions about their shot selection and execution under pressure.

The potential long-term impact of Curry's absence is a significant concern. Analyst 2 posits, "it becomes really, really difficult for the Warriors to score," suggesting that the Warriors may face an uphill battle in maintaining their competitive edge throughout the series.

Insights and Conclusions

The episode concludes with a reflection on the broader implications of these playoff developments. The Pacers' ability to mount a comeback against a top-seeded Cavaliers team underscores their potential as serious title contenders. Analyst 1 praises their depth and playmaking, asserting, "you look at the Pacers depth and it was somehow underrated in this series because I thought Ben Bishop had a really great game."

Conversely, the Warriors' struggle without Steph Curry highlights the critical role he plays in their success. The conversation underscores the uncertainty surrounding the Warriors' future performance and their chances of advancing further in the playoffs without their star guard.

Notable Quotes

• Analyst 1 at [03:37]: "Halliburton has his second game winner of the playoffs too, like Aaron Gordon."

• Host Dave DuFour at [07:55]: "This was the path to success for them all night."

• Analyst 2 at [18:51]: "Chris Finch was very frustrated with just the lack of finishing at the rim."

• Analyst 2 at [22:58]: "Jimmy Butler, Draymond. Buddy. Heald at eight."

Conclusion

This episode of The Athletic NBA Daily provides a nuanced exploration of pivotal playoff moments, emphasizing the Pacers' impressive resilience and the Warriors' vulnerability in the face of key injuries. With in-depth analyses and timely insights, listeners gain a comprehensive understanding of the current NBA playoff landscape, highlighting both emerging threats and enduring strengths among the league's top contenders.

Transcript

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[NBA Host]

Good morning and welcome to the NBA Daily. Coming up, the Pacers win a wild comeback win in Game 2 over the Cavs. And we got John Krasinski to talk about the Timberwolves loss even though Steph Curry was out for the Warriors.

[NBA Analyst 1]

Foreign.

[NBA Host]

Everybody, Good morning. S horrible night.

[NBA Analyst 2]

Oh my God.

[NBA Host]

If you were in Cleveland or a Cavaliers fan or I can't believe it. Mitchell fan. Maybe in Utah. Yep Yeah. Unbelievable game. The Cleveland Cavaliers just. They had no business being in the position they were in. They were down, you know, Evan Mobley, Darius Garland, DeAndre Hunter in the game, ran up a 20 point lead. And then to just have it ripped away from you like that when you think you stole one, it's gotta feel awful. Tyrese Halliburton hits a game winner and The Pacers are up 20 on the number one seed in the east squad.

[NBA Analyst 1]

It's so funny that we have back to back game winners based on terrible execution from young number one seeds in each conference. I heard you and Xena talk about OKC and the bad communication, the fouling up three, all that. That led to the Gordon game winner.

[NBA Analyst 2]

Right.

[NBA Analyst 1]

And it's funny because now Halliburton has his second game winner of the playoffs too, like Aaron Gordon. And it's because the Cavs made so many mistakes in that fourth quarter. I'm thinking about the. The fumble of the inbound pass.

[NBA Host]

Yeah.

[NBA Analyst 1]

That led to the nem. Hard. You know, Nemhard got steal and then they went down and I believe it was Halliburton who got fouled. And then offensive rebound Halliburton hits the game winner and he also did the. He did the big balls celebration. I don't know if you saw that.

[NBA Host]

Yeah, I mean, listen, you're up two. Oh, and you won two games. You do whatever celebration you want. Also. Hey, look, shout out Aaron Nesmith. That guy once again down the stretch of a game, his energy shifted.

[NBA Analyst 1]

Yep.

[NBA Host]

Everything. I mean, he had a crazy foul guarding Donovan Mitchell where he, you know, he throws his, like, hurdles. Donovan Mitchell, that's how aggressive he. He was playing down the stretch. But also he gets that. That big put back. And you know that. To be honest with you, the little bit of the replay review there gives Indy a little bit of a chance to kind of catch their breath, you know, and set their defense. So they kind of lucked into a little bit of a break there. Right, Like Nismith then draws that offensive foul.

[NBA Analyst 1]

Yeah. Nith draws the offensive foul. And you know what? Like, I. I love the defensive effort from Indiana all night. This is. This is a crazy. Because you think about like Donovan Mitchell, folks, had a crazy performance same game.

[NBA Host]

We thought we were. We thought this was going to be the Max Drus show and we were going to talk about how playoff Donovan Mitchell, which we still will because they were great. But.

[NBA Analyst 1]

But I. I thought Indy turned it up in the second half. They got out and transitioned more. I thought Halliburton Gave them tons of juice in transition. And part of that is the turnovers. Forcing more. More turnovers in the second half. Pushing it. And then to your point, Niecemith making tons of awesome shots. Five threes in that game. Massive shot making. Right?

[NBA Host]

Well, it was a, it was a little bit of a weird game for the Pacers, especially in the first half, but, you know, we're thinking, okay, hey, they got a real shot to go up 2 0, and they came out flat. You know, they were talking about it on the halftime show even it was that obvious that they came out flat. And then when you go in, if you just look at the box score, look, I think the Cavs did a good job. Obviously, their game plan, don't let Sekam beat us, don't let Halberton beat us. Now, of course, you know, down the stretch of the game, I mean, he takes four shots in the last, I think two, two and a half minutes. So, you know, yeah, they, they had eight shots for Siakam, only 11 for Halliburton. Those guys don't have big games, but, you know, the other guys did. Miles Turner had a good game, scoring the ball nice. Smith puts up 23. And then the other, the other thing was coming out of the halftime break, it just felt like the Pacers had more of that Pacers energy. They. They started running on makes again, right? They weren't doing that in the first half and it was almost a little bit. And I'm not going to give them credit for this because I, I don't think that they planned it this way, but there was almost a little bit of rope, a dope, you know. Did the Cavs run out of gas? A little bit. I mean, I think you could argue certainly they look tired. I mean, Jared Allen basically, you know, the only big man for them.

[NBA Analyst 1]

So you saw like, you saw Donovan Mitchell towards the end of the game, like every stoppage, hands on knees, looking exhausted, and, dude, you take 30 shots in this game, you play 35 minutes. He had a usage rate of 47 and a half percent, which, by the way, to contextualize what that means for everybody, right, Giannis Antonokounmpo leads the league this season in usage rate at 35%. That means he held on to the ball 12 and a half percent more than Giannis does on a regular basis. Like, it was just. He was the guy for them, right?

[NBA Host]

His shot chart, you know, so he puts up 30 shots. And. And nowadays when a guard does that, you're thinking, oh, he must have shot 15, threes he took seven. Right. But he attacked the. He attacked the basket. How many paint? He had 19 shots in the paint? Yeah.

[NBA Analyst 1]

He took 23 shots. That.

[NBA Host]

22. That's it. Yeah.

[NBA Analyst 1]

19 of them were in the paint, basically. 15 of them were in the restricted area, which is just absurd for a guy his size. He took 21 free throws, but I don't think anybody can call him a free throw merchant here tonight, because he was just barreling his way to the basket.

[NBA Host]

Well, he got. He got free throws that you. You're. Actually, this is what we point to when we say a guy has a lot of free throws. Right. Like, when we're making the argument that a guy does deserve free throws, it's this sort of rim pressure. And I mean, again, this was the path to success for them all night. You know, Max Drew benefited from that quite a bit, hit five threes. But the other thing is, I think defensively, the way that the Cavs came out, I think they did a pretty good job. They just ran out of steam. And the Pacers made the bigger plays down the stretch. That.

[NBA Analyst 1]

Yeah.

[NBA Host]

Plain and simple.

[NBA Analyst 2]

Yeah.

[NBA Analyst 1]

I think the Pacers also adjusted to the switch. Heavy defense. Cleveland started switching in this game more often, especially early, to not let Halliburton and Siakam get downhill more often. But the Pacers adjusted really well by, like, moving Halley off the ball, getting him to, like, attack from a different angle. And it worked really well because he was just cooking. I mean, look, again, this is a guy who is just incredible. Also, Andrew Nemhar, 13 assists tonight. You know, the playmaking ability, that's what comes with getting H off the ball, getting nem hard to be your facilitator, and then working and trying to get those other guys to score for you.

[NBA Host]

Yeah. And Hal Burton picked up a. A wrist injury somewhere along the way. I. I wonder if not matter.

[NBA Analyst 1]

Apparently, didn't.

[NBA Host]

Didn't matter at the end. Right. But. But I wonder if that might have, you know, been part of that. Nemhardt, you know, we talked about how he's a playoff riser. The shots didn't fall, but. But you mentioned makes a big play, gets big rebounds. You know, he had two offensive rebounds. He comes up with that with that steal.

[NBA Analyst 1]

Yeah.

[NBA Host]

At the end of the game to get the possession back again. Just everywhere you look for this Pacers team, they look. They look more and more like a team that belongs in the title picture. Right.

[NBA Analyst 1]

Like, they, like, they have some dog in them. You know, like the fact that they were down 20 very early in this game. And then clawed back, kept chipping away. Kept chipping away. It kind of reminded me exactly of Denver vs. OK State. See, in the sense that, like how. How was. How did Indiana somehow make it a five point game? How did Indiana somehow make it an eight point game? But it was just. There.

[NBA Host]

Never felt in the fourth quarter, actually. Right. Like a lot of teams do. And it's. This is. You know, you and I, we were talking, you know, in our group chat, but, you know, during the game and I was saying my concern with the Cavs is can they keep up the scoring? Right. They. They can defend, but we know that the Pacers, their offense is going to win most of those battles. But. But can the Cavs continue to score?

[NBA Analyst 1]

And then, especially without Garland and Mobley.

[NBA Host]

And all, everything was kind of. I mean, it was a bit of a chore. I mean, Donovan Mitchell puts up 48 points and they were hard. 48. It reminded me of like LeBron in the Finals in 2015, where it's like he. It's just him, basically. I'm going to put everybody back and hopefully I can make this happen. But, you know, just. Just wasn't enough.

[NBA Analyst 1]

And was Max Stru. In the Matthew Della Vova role? Was that.

[NBA Host]

I don't know about that. I mean, I don't know about that. I will say some str. Bruce had some defensive possessions that were. That were impressive, especially like Miles Turner down the stretch of the game. I thought the guards, when they were switched on to Miles Turner, gave him a really hard time around the basket. And, you know, like, I was thinking we were coming into this one one. I was going to talk about some of the things that. Look, the Cavs are missing these guys in game three. They found some things that's working for them, but, man, now they're down 2 0. And you just started thinking, ooh, buddy, yeah.

[NBA Analyst 1]

Oh, my God. Are you saying. I mean, look, it was. It was impressive enough from the Cavs where you're like, all right, maybe they can go into Game 3 in Indiana and put up a competitive fight, right? That's their season on the line right there. Like that.

[NBA Host]

You.

[NBA Analyst 1]

You have to win that game because going up, going down three. Oh, you're basically done.

[NBA Host]

That's it.

[NBA Analyst 1]

Yeah, right? Do you think they're done? Is this it?

[NBA Host]

I don't know, man. The Pacers are pretty good, and I think for them to lose four of the next six, I mean, it's tough. That's tough to see four of the next. Yeah, yeah. Four of the next.

[NBA Analyst 1]

Whatever.

[NBA Host]

Yeah, yeah. For the next five, not six. Excuse me. Yeah, that would be pretty tough. The matchup is, is just too even. Even though like the records weren't like in the regular season, obviously the Cavs had a great year. But as the Cavs lose people, you know, if Garland's not back, which we talked about this the other night, they, they said that this would be a multiple week injury if it was a regular season. Evan Mobley, they were talking on the broadcast. He's. He's limping. Right. He can't put full weight on his foot. So, you know, they've got to be at least doubtful for game three. And I would say, you know, I don't, I don't expect those guys to be able to play. So, you know, you're looking at a potential. You know, this was a home run game from Donovan Mitchell. Can you repeat that and expect, you know, 20 and 22 and 12 from Jared Allen. You get 23 from Max Druce. It's a little bit like OKC.

[NBA Analyst 1]

You know, it really doesn't feel like game.

[NBA Host]

Right. You lose the game where you get the huge Caruso night.

[NBA Analyst 1]

Yeah.

[NBA Host]

You know, and you lose it in heartbreaking fashion. Yeah. It's very similar. So. But to go down 20 with home court, I don't know, man.

[NBA Analyst 1]

It's, you know. You know what's impressive. I'll just, I'll mention one more thing about Indiana. Obviously Cleveland is missing three rotation players. Right. Which hurts their depth. You know, Ty Jerome is having a step up. He, he was really bad tonight. 1 of 14. I think you look at the Pacers depth and it was somehow underrated in this series because I thought Ben Matherin had a really great game. 19 points. Most of that was in the second half. Again, forcing it in transition allows these guys to thrive. They just find answers. And to your point about them being in like the championship consideration, you look at the Eastern Conference and you're like, why not? Why can't it be the Indiana Pacers to make it to the NBA Finals?

[NBA Host]

Do they not look the best right now?

[NBA Analyst 1]

Right now? Yeah.

[NBA Host]

I mean, they're up 2 0.

[NBA Analyst 1]

I think they're in very good position. You know, the play. The playoffs can move really quickly and things can change and we'll see how the Halliburton wrist thing goes and all that.

[NBA Host]

But right now, yeah, they look very hotels in Indiana. Yeah. Indianapolis. I, I don't eat steak anymore, but I, you know, we. There's good places to eat there.

[NBA Analyst 1]

They got a Good spot. Yeah.

[NBA Host]

Yeah. Guys, stick around. After the break, we got John Krasinski to talk about the Wolves and Warriors.

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[NBA Host]

After the warriors pick up a game one win in their second round series against the Wolves. Road teams in the playoff second round are now 5.0Here to talk about it, John Krasinski, who covers Minnesota Timberwolves for us. John, I want to start with what you had to say on Blue sky about this game, because I feel like you kind of nailed it. The wolves lose Game 1amid a rash of missed threes and blown defensive coverages. Even a B Minus game would have won this With Steph out, they're probably okay. This was a massively disappointing game. John, why was this game so disappointing outside of the loss?

[NBA Analyst 2]

Yeah, Dave, I mean, you know, they. They come into this series with home court advantage. They played really well against the Lakers and just handled them. And then you have the fans getting all geeked up because they're facing the two biggest villains in Timberwolves lore, Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green. And I do think that they wanted to come in and set a tone right away and just say that, hey, this is going to be our series. We are the better, deeper team and we're going to show what we can do. But instead, Steph goes out with an injury, and they just played so flat and they were so poor from a shooting perspective. And then even when they really needed to lock down defensively, they were, you know, just missing assignments. It was, you know, one of those things where the Warriors, 99 points, 39 field goals, 18 turnovers. Like, this was a team that was so beatable and in a long series. Are they going to be okay? Yeah, there's a good chance of that, but you just know that you never want to give away games, especially against a team like this, and give them some belief.

[NBA Host]

And so I think in the last round, right, like Jimmy Butler misses a game, the Rockets blow that one, and then they lose in seven.

[NBA Analyst 2]

Yeah, exactly. Right. And so, you know, they have the benefit of more time here, but you just, like in these playoffs, whenever you have a team that you that down, you have to get the win anytime you can.

[NBA Host]

And.

[NBA Analyst 2]

And so that's why, you know, everyone was massively disappointed with the effort, with the execution, with all of it coming out of this game.

[NBA Analyst 1]

Well, what was being said post game about, you know, the slow effort and slow start for this team between, you know, Chris Finch and Anthony Edwards?

[NBA Analyst 2]

Yeah, I mean, you know, Chris Finch was very frontal with about Anthony Edwards and just said that he expects him to set a tone from the start that Ant didn't set. I mean, he started over 10 from the game. He had one point in the first half. He still rebounded well. He made a few plays defensively, but he also missed. Buddy healed on many assignments defensively as well. And so Finch was really kind of as critical of Ant as I've seen him. He was really frustrated with just the lack of finishing at the rim, with the lack of urgency from Anthony Edwards. Ant was a little more pragmatic about the situation. That's typically what Ann is after a Loss. He's never, he's very rarely one to sound the alarm, to kind of really, kind of add fuel to the fire. He just said, I didn't play well. I've got to play better. We all have to play better as a team. But I'm not here to blame anyone and just move forward. So ants try to move forward. I think Chris Finch was definitely more frustrated just knowing the opportunity that they let slip through their, through their fingers.

[NBA Host]

They follow up the 7 of 47 game the other night with a 5 of 29 from 3. 17%. And this at least look 29 threes. That's a, that's a moderate amount. You can't say there's going to be.

[NBA Analyst 1]

Some positive aggression here.

[NBA Host]

You can't say that they were just out there chucking. But, you know, is there a point where they have to question the approach? You know, I mean, or do you feel like they're getting good looks? I mean, in. For me, it's like these are not shots that they should be missing at this rate.

[NBA Analyst 2]

Right?

[NBA Host]

Yeah.

[NBA Analyst 2]

Dave, I thought especially in the Laker game, they're 7 for 47, but it was great ball movement to wide open shooters who always make them and they just missed tonight. I thought largely it was pretty good process. You know, there were a few maybe rushed or forced shots, but in general, the reason that they had 29 was I do think in the second half especially they did start to pass those up and get downhill more. You saw and attacking the basket, you saw Nazri doing it, you saw Divincenzo going to the basket. And so I do not think this was a case of just irresponsibly chucking. Right. They just, they were, they were missing shots. And you know, it is weird, I would say, because this is the team that had the fourth highest three point percentage in the league during the regular season and the fifth most makes in the league during the regular season. So this is a very, very good three point shooting team. No one made more threes in the regular season than Anthony Edwards did. And he was 1 for 5. He was over 11 with the Lakers in the Lakers game. So I mean, it's probably just a little slump, but I did see as we got into that second quarter and the bricks kept coming, you saw, it looked like guys were a little gun.

[NBA Host]

Shy as an guys A little bit.

[NBA Analyst 2]

Yeah, right. I think so. And so you could see like everyone when they were taking a shot was trying to make three of them to make up for all these misses. And I do think that the weight of that was on their shoulders a bit.

[NBA Analyst 1]

Yeah. 29 is not enough. You look at it, it's like 29 opposite of the Boston Celtics curve here of three point shooting. I thought Nas Reed also brought a bit of shooting and firepower in that second half, which was massive for them. How much do you think this team. The size was a question going into the series. Minnesota is so much bigger than what Golden State can provide. But how much do you think Golden States. I guess small ball lineup affected any of what they were doing on the offensive end?

[NBA Analyst 2]

You know, I think that it was more so. What Rudy Gobert said was they were a step behind all game long because, you know, they. They did lose the rebounding battle, 51 to 41. And they can. The Wolves can't do that. Like, that just cannot be. You know, Jimmy Butler, Draymond. Buddy. Healed at eight.

[NBA Host]

Buddy. He had four.

[NBA Analyst 2]

Yeah, yeah.

[NBA Host]

Offensive rebounds.

[NBA Analyst 2]

Yeah, yeah. And Jimmy had seven offensive rebounds. I. Yeah, that's just getting out worked. And so I don't expect that to happen going forward. But another reason it was really disappointing is because that is an area of the game that is usually about effort. Julius Randle said it. He had three rebounds in the whole game. Like, that's impossible. Right. For someone like him. So it seemed more of a product of. You know, I don't want to attribute it all to rust, but there was definitely a lack of edge and urgency that the Wolves lost. I mean, they really chewed up the Lakers in five games. I mean, they. They attacked them and went right at them. And I feel like this was. Just felt different all game long. They just did not feel like they had that same connectivity, that same edge for them. Right.

[NBA Host]

To start a game.

[NBA Analyst 2]

Yeah. And I don't know if this was a case of, like, the big stage. I'm not sure that it was that, at least from my perspective, Dave. I think it was more of just like, hey, wait, wake up.

[NBA Host]

Like, wake up. Yeah, yeah.

[NBA Analyst 2]

This is not. You're asleep right now. And this team that just went through a battle in game seven has that edge and is playing like their life depends on it. Rudy Gobert said that they were. They were playing like their life depends on it and we weren't. And that's.

[NBA Host]

Stylistically, I think going from that Lakers team that's, you know, Luka's going to dribble a lot of the air out of the ball to this warriors team where the ball is popping a little bit more. A lot more defensive pressure. I mean, you know, it's a different thing. And they are coming in, like you mentioned, coming off that Game seven where they were just in a super physical series. So they are probably on edge. But. All right, I want to. You got to put your Anthony Slater hat on here because I think it's pretty clear what the, what the Wolves need to do, right? They got to shoot better, defend better. But the warriors lost Steph Curry for at least Game 2, and we don't know what beyond that, but it does look like he's going to miss game two. How the heck do the warriors stay competitive without Steph Curry against this Wolves team?

[NBA Analyst 2]

Yeah, I really don't know, Dave, because I do. I do think this is going to be the worst that the Wolves play in this series. And it just like he is the center of their universe, everything revolves around him. And I thought, you know, kudos to Jimmy and Draymond and Buddy and everyone for the way they picked up the slack once he left. But it's one thing to do that for two or three quarters. It's another thing to do that for whole games, you know, one game, even more. You know, I, I guess I would be surprised if he doesn't miss multiple games. So I, I just think that it becomes really, really difficult for the warriors to score. I mean, I, I looked at some of those lineups out there tonight. You know, it was Jimmy and you know, Pat Spencer is getting run. Pat Spencer?

[NBA Analyst 1]

Yeah, he was good, though.

[NBA Analyst 2]

Yeah, exactly. You know, like, hey, kudos again. Kudos. They played really hard. They, they earned this victory. But it just seems like if you extrapolate this over the course of the next five or six games, right, it, it really just becomes difficult to see an avenue for the warriors to win. If, if they do, it will be one of the great achievements in NBA playoff history. I really believe that we'll have to.

[NBA Host]

Give Steve Kerr the Coach of the Year award. Jimmy Butler combining for six threes is unlikely.

[NBA Analyst 2]

Yeah, he should get it right now. Steve should get it right now. After Kenny is down 02 playing 13.

[NBA Host]

Guys butt off last night, those guys popping and he knew the guys, he was pushing the right buttons. I, I feel like Steve Kerr, he's one of those basketball coach sickos that he's never like. He doesn't love losing guys, obviously, but secretly likes tweaking his rosters a little bit too much. All right, that's going to do it for the show. John. Thanks for hanging out, staying up late. Go and read John Krasinski over at the Athletic again. He's one of the best covering any team in the league and he happens to cover a team. Just fascinating. So go and check that out over at the Athletic. I'm sure he's gonna have a big game story there. For John Krasinski and Esperahenny, I'm Dave Dufour and this has been the NBA Daily. Thanks for waking up with us.

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