Thunder drop Knicks + Are the Magic broken?

Summary

The Athletic NBA Daily

March 30, 2026 — Thunder Drop Knicks + Are the Magic Broken?

Hosts: Dave DuFour, Zena Keita, S. Baraheni

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Overview

In today’s episode of NBA Daily, the crew dives into a jam-packed weekend of hoops, focusing on:

• The Oklahoma City Thunder’s statement win over the New York Knicks and what it revealed about both teams.
• A shocking collapse by the Orlando Magic against the Toronto Raptors and deep concerns for Orlando’s future.
• The evolving playoff race in the Eastern Conference, spotlighting the Celtics’ momentum, the surging Sixers, and the volatile 5-7 seeds.
• Memorable moments and key insights, including standout performances and major questions for playoff contenders.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Thunder vs. Knicks: Finals Preview Potential?

Segment Start: [04:31]

• Thunder’s Victory:

  • OKC claimed an 11-point win, but it was closer than the score indicated; the Knicks matched their intensity, especially through hustle plays and offensive rebounding.
  • “It was the end of the game when Shea stepped up and really just closed the door on the Knicks. But the Knicks were in this.” (Dave DeFore, 04:31)

• Knicks’ Effort and Shortfalls:

  • Impressive rebounding: 15 offensive boards, matched OKC’s physicality.
  • Carl Anthony-Towns — 18 rebounds but called a liability on offense due to OKC’s stout defense.
  • Jalen Brunson (22 shots), Mikal Bridges (11), Towns (9): Hosts critique the imbalance in shot distribution and Towns’ limited three-point attempts.
  • “This is the lowest number of three-pointers per game that he’s attempted since the 2017-2018 season.” (Dave DeFore, 07:18)

• Debate: Towns or Team Issue?

  • Is the problem schematic (process) or on Towns (player issue)? Both angles are considered, emphasizing OKC’s ability to make life tough for bigs and Towns’ need to be more assertive.

• OKC’s Inexorable Machine:

  • 59 wins and rolling; Jalen Williams (J-Dub) looking fully healthy and explosive again.
  • “That was the first one that he looked like healthy…getting into a full sprint…had that great end to end.” (Dave DeFore, 10:24)

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2. Orlando Magic’s Collapse: “Absolutely Broken”

Segment Start: [11:43]

• The Blowout:

  • Magic lost by 52 to Toronto, including an NBA-record 31-0 run.
  • “This is one of the most embarrassing professional basketball games that a supposedly good team has been in in a very long time.” (Dave DeFore, 11:43)

• Paolo Banchero’s No-Show:

  • Scored just 3-14 from the field; hosts say he was “invisible” and credit Raptors’ Scottie Barnes’ defense.
  • “You talk about lackadaisical effort, it kind of melts from the top down.” (S. Baraheni, 12:42)

• Failures Across the Board:

  • Returning players (Franz Wagner, Anthony Black) wouldn’t have changed Orlando’s fate—“That's not fixing it.” (Dave DeFore, 13:55)
  • Offensive disaster: Scoreless for 8 minutes across two quarters, 27 turnovers (18 in the first half).
  • “That is eight minutes of NBA basketball that not one of the people on the court, not one of the very many people on the coaching staff could figure out how to put that ball in the net. That is incredibly concerning.” (Basketball Analyst 1, 14:31)

• Coaching on the Hot Seat:

  • Jamahl Mosley’s job in jeopardy—panel suggests the Magic have quit on the season.
  • “I can't help but feel like this team has quit....I’m assuming, cut him loose this summer. Should they be thinking, like the Denver Nuggets last year?” (Dave DeFore, 15:48)

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3. Celtics & Jason Tatum: “Back and On Fire”

Segment Start: [20:28]

• Tatum’s Best Game Since Return:

  • 32 points, 8 assists, 5 rebounds, 12-23 FG, 5-10 3PT vs. Charlotte with Jaylen Brown and Derrick White out.
  • “This is the big thing we've been waiting on for him, the confidence in the shot and for the shots to actually fall…that was the first real Tatum game I thought we've gotten.” (Dave DeFore, 20:28)

• Debate on Celtics’ Rhythm:

  • Tracy McGrady suggests Celtics’ style is “out of whack” since Tatum’s return; hosts disagree, feeling the team’s brand is intact and poised for the playoffs.
  • “It was really nice to see him immediately take on this game—from the way that he attacked the basket…everything was clicking.” (Basketball Analyst 1, 21:18)
  • “This is the team that's going to head to the NBA Finals. I've felt that way for a little bit…” (S. Baraheni, 22:58)

• Playoff Readiness:

  • Having Tatum back at full strength, with flexible lineups, only raises Boston’s ceiling.
  • Peyton Pritchard’s emergence as a key scoring asset (28 points in this game).

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4. Sixers Return to Full Strength: “Should the East Be Worried?”

Segment Start: [25:00]

• Key Returns:

  • Paul George looks better post-suspension; Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey healthy; Kelly Oubre and others round out the rotation.
  • “Paul George looks better after his 25-game suspension than he did at any point earlier in the year.” (Dave DeFore, 25:08)

• Depth and Versatility:

  • Paul George and Embiid playing at all-NBA levels; Maxey “at an all-NBA level” too.
  • “This team has so many guys now out of nowhere.” (Dave DeFore, 25:22)
  • “If you're the Knicks, if you're the Celtics, is that the first round series you want to play against a fully healthy Sixers team? No…play the Raptors, play the Magic.” (S. Baraheni, 26:14)

• Injury Concerns Remain:

  • Panel notes Embiid’s oblique injury but say his play shows no limitations: “since he’s been back, 31 points, 7 rebounds, almost 5 assists, like he's been playing like that oblique is just fine.” (Basketball Analyst 1, 27:34)

• Philadelphia as Dangerous Out:

  • Hosts agree the Sixers are the toughest possible first-round opponent among seeds 5-7.

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5. The Eastern Conference Playoff Picture

Segment Start: [28:53]

• Current Standings (at time of recording):

  • 5. Raptors (half game ahead of Hawks & 1 over the Sixers)
  • 6. Hawks, 7. Sixers, Orlando and Charlotte chasing
  • Raptors have the easiest remaining schedule, Sixers middle of the pack, Hawks hardest.

• Predictions:

  • S. Baraheni: Toronto 5, Philly 6, Atlanta and Orlando fighting for 7-8.
    • “I think Atlanta schedule is very hard. I imagine they will fall out. I think it will be Toronto 5, Philly 6, and then Orlando, Atlanta in that 7-8 range.” (S. Baraheni, 30:11)
  • Basketball Analyst 1: Flips order: Philly 5, Toronto 6.
    • “Toronto…applause…for staying in the mix…but I think Philly might end up 5.” (Basketball Analyst 1, 30:29)

• Cavs Should Worry:

  • “If they are the 5 seed and I'm the Cleveland Cavaliers, I am freaking out.” (Dave DeFore, 29:34)

• Most Chaotic Scenario:

  • “The most chaos we could possibly get is the Sixers get that five seed.” (Dave DeFore, 30:54)
  • “Cavs versus Sixers, James Harden versus his old team — that is cinema waiting to happen.” (S. Baraheni, 31:05)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “This is the lowest number of three pointers per game that [Towns] has attempted since the 2017-2018 season.” (DeFore, 07:18)
• “Eight minutes of NBA basketball that…not one of the people on the court, not one of the very many people on the coaching staff could figure out how to put that ball in the net. I don't. That is incredibly concerning.” (Basketball Analyst 1, 14:31)
• “It was the end of the game when Shea stepped up and really just closed the door on the Knicks. But the Knicks were in this.” (DeFore, 04:31)
• “This is the team that’s going to head to the NBA Finals. I’ve felt that way for a little bit.” (S. Baraheni, 22:58)
• “I can't help but feel like this team has quit.” (DeFore, 15:48)
• “If they are the five seed and I'm the Cleveland Cavaliers, I am freaking out.” (DeFore, 29:34)
• “Cavs versus Sixers, James Harden versus his old team — that is cinema waiting to happen.” (S. Baraheni, 31:05)

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Timestamps for Major Segments

• Thunder vs. Knicks Discussion: [04:31] – [11:24]
• Magic’s Collapse & Raptors’ Record Run: [11:43] – [17:12]
• Jason Tatum & Celtics’ Playoff Readiness: [20:28] – [24:48]
• Sixers’ Return to Contention: [25:00] – [27:34]
• Eastern Playoff Race Predictions: [28:53] – [31:26]

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Tone & Style Reflected

• High energy, fast-paced, data-driven, and opinionated, with lively debate and candid, sometimes blunt, assessments.
• Frequent attributions to basketball personalities (T-Mac, Tracy McGrady) and real-time referencing of stats and standings.

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In Summary

This episode covers the high-stakes final stretch of the NBA regular season, spotlighting OKC’s prowess, the Knicks’ need for offensive balance, Orlando’s potential implosion, the Celtics’ readiness for a deep run, and the Sixers’ return as the East’s sleeping giant. The crew provides predictions, highlights looming chaos in the playoff picture, and leaves listeners with much to watch as postseason positions solidify.

Transcript

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[Dave DeFore]

Good morning and welcome to the NBA Daily for March 30, 2026. I'm Dave DeFore here with Zena Keda and S. Baraheni. Coming up, the Magic are broken. S was in the house for that Thunder. Knicks was fun and we're going to talk about the shakeup in the playoff race in the East. Good morning everybody. What is up guys? What a weekend of basketball.

[S. Baraheni]

Wow.

[Dave DeFore]

All around insane fun. Fun weekend. I actually had some time. I got to sit and watch women's tournament games on Saturday, which was awesome. First time all year. You know this is my favorite league to watch and I got a chance to do that. And then Sunday, you know, I caught that UCLA comeback against Duke again. The women's team UCLA making it the Final Four and man, Duke. What a rough day for the Duke Blue Devils. My gosh. First you give up, you know, you blow, you blow a double digit lead on the women's bracket and then the men just absolutely had their hearts ripped out. If you guys haven't seen this amazing sequence to end Duke, Yukon. I know this is an NBA show, but this is hoops and it was just insane. Yukon is down too. Duke's got the ball. All they've got to do is run the timeout, get fouled, you know, play the free throw game. Yeah, and one of the Boozer twins just made an awful pass and one of the most incredible buzzer beater shots that I can remember in my entire life. It was a 30 footer. Just cash it.

[S. Baraheni]

Honestly, kind of reminds me of the Villanova game winner from, you know, years ago, the clutch one that everybody thinks of. But then I just a little insight. We were at the Raptors magic game and it was half time of that game, so we pulled up the final possession and watching that, everybody in Meteoro just like jumped up screaming. It was. You couldn't withhold your emotion from that. Also, college basketball is great because you see a guy not or a team not be able to break up a press and boom, that's it. Game winner. It was insane.

[Basketball Analyst 1]

Well, it was, it was crazy because UConn had a 19 point deficit in this game. You thought that Duke was going to walk away with it and then, oh, poor Kaden Boozer. He is going to be thinking about that dribble throw that he did not have to throw. He could have held the ball, got tied up, but instead throws it over the top of the defense. Defense gets a hand on it. I believe it was Braylon Mullins that got a hand on it, then passes it to his teammate. Because before that shot, he was 04 through the game. He was not shooting well. And he was trying to pass to a teammate that he said, you know, had already made a shot. And then that teammate passed it right back and he, no hesitation, 5 seconds left on the clock, puts it up. Swish.

[Dave DeFore]

Yeah.

[Basketball Analyst 1]

Oh, my God, what a moment.

[Dave DeFore]

That was so. That was so fun.

[S. Baraheni]

That was awesome.

[Dave DeFore]

It was a great way to me to get ready to watch all these games. You know, that, that happened Sunday afternoon. I mean, we'll get into it maybe in the second half of the show. But Charlotte, Boston, you know, getting that matchup again and then Tatum's out there doing the stuff that he did. But I want to start with Thunder Nicks guys, because, you know, the, the NBC Sunday viewing schedule since the super bowl has been pretty incredible. We keep getting big time matchups on Sundays and Thunder Nicks. Look again, we have to keep saying this potential finals preview. And I, I mean, listen, I, I think that when you look at this game, you're going to, you're going to see, look, OKC wins by 11. But this was much more back and forth. It was the end of the game when Shea stepped up and really just closed the, the door on, on the Knicks. But the Knicks were in this. It wasn't pretty, right? But man, I really was impressed by their effort on the rebound, on the offensive rebounds and just the defensive, like the fact that they were flying all over the place, diving on the floor. This is what I expect more of from the Knicks, right? Like it looked like they had four or five Josh Harts out there at times.

[Basketball Analyst 1]

I mean, 15 offensive rebounds against a team like OKC that is pretty good at that. But getting 15 of their own 16 from that and then also turning over okc 15 times. Like you like to see the activity from New York, but it was clear that there was activity for everyone else that was on the floor. And there was a vacuum sometimes when Carl Anthony Towns was out there. And I don't want to, you know, take away the fact that he had 18 rebounds on his own. He was phenomenal from that perspective on the floor, especially at towards the end of the game trying to get things going. But he was, he was a liability on offense. He was not helpful for them overall. And I think that that was really the deficit you saw between these two teams, because other than that, it felt pretty evenly matched.

[S. Baraheni]

Yeah, I, I honestly think a lot of that has to do with OKC's defense. Like, it's so hard to get cat easy drives generally, but against the Thunder, it feels like an almost impossible task. Right. And we've, we've watched cats before, right? Like the, the wild strides that he makes trying to drive to the basket. Some of those opportunities just aren't there against okc. And so you see him take nine shots tonight. I think that's part of the problem. It's like, how do the Knicks involve him into the offense better? And you see Mikhail Bridges with 11 shots and Jalen Brunson with 22 shots. Like that shot distribution to me needs to be a little bit more even now. For what it's worth, all five of the Knicks starters scored in double digits. Like I thought, offensively, for the most part, they held their own. It's just how do you get the most out of cat?

[Dave DeFore]

Right. Well, you're getting nothing out of them. This is the thing. This is actually. And I wanted to just check this. This is the lowest number of three pointers per game that he's attempted since the 2017, 2018 season.

[S. Baraheni]

That's insane. Wow.

[Dave DeFore]

Yeah. And he shot one in this game. This is a team that needs him to space the floor, I believe, much more than they need him touching the ball in the post, which is what they were going for.

[S. Baraheni]

Let me ask you, is this a process from the Knicks perspect perspective, or is this a cat issue?

[Dave DeFore]

Well, he starts in the post often and. And in this game, you know, against the Thunder, they've got Caruso on him, who's so great at being physical and fighting, and they make you work. But I just. Why is there no. Just easy. Just spread pick and roll. Just get him some easy looks. Let him pick and pop, especially to start the game. I mean, this is a guy who. Who is self described as the best, the greatest shooting big man in NBA history, and now he's just not shooting.

[Basketball Analyst 1]

I don't know if you guys noticed, though, but the off ball movement was incredibly tough for him. So even if it wasn't just about, you know, him getting to the post, I think it was Tracy McGrady that was saying at halftime, like, he's got to really demand the ball. He's got to really demand the ball. He can't even get to his spot easily. Like, the. The traffic to even get through the paint to get to his spot on top of. Once he's getting there, he's. I don't want to say he's getting pulled, but he's getting bumped the whole way through. And so by the time he's trying to catch the ball, it's getting bobbled. Like, that happened several times on the baseline as he was going down from one post to the ball for post entry. He couldn't even get across without the ball just hitting off his fingers. And also Caruso's fingers or whoever was doubling down as soon as he got the ball in the post. So it was like to. To ask for more threes also demands screening. Like, it demands actions to get him open because it was really tough to see that. And to the point of like is. I love this question of like, is this a process thing or is this a cat thing? Like, Kat is playing some of the best basketball of his Knicks career this season. Yeah, right. And I think that that says a lot to what you were saying. As about OKC being a particular issue for. For Kat and their physicality. Like, he is averaging almost 22 points, 13 rebounds this season and he. He's been efficient, but it's just that this matchup, particularly the physicality and how they play him, really makes it tough.

[S. Baraheni]

I. I will just say that I think he is the. I mean, I. We all agree that he is the X factor for the Knicks for the rest of the season and for the playoffs. And so how they open things up for him both offensively, how they alleviate pressure for him defensively and to your point, like, he is having an incredible rebounding season. He's already a very good rebounder, but he's been elite for this team on the rebound. So just how do they make life easier for Karl Anthony Towns? I think that's the question we have to be asking ourselves as we head into the postseason. For the Knicks, for sure.

[Basketball Analyst 1]

For clarity, the 22 and 13 is since the top of March, before the season, 20 and 12. Like he has been.

[S. Baraheni]

Yeah, he's been awesome.

[Basketball Analyst 1]

Yeah.

[Dave DeFore]

For. For the Thunder. The look, the big takeaway there, the 59 wins. Right. We're not learning a ton about them, except for the fact that they are a machine that just continues to just go. Yeah. As they've gotten healthier. J Dub, though, Jalen Williams, I thought that the game yesterday, that was the first one that he looked like, healthy, like he was. Right. He was getting into a full sprint. He had that great end to end where he, you know, gets to turn over and has that layup in traffic where he lost the ball.

[S. Baraheni]

That looked like he beat three Knicks down the floor. That was insane. Yeah, that was absurd. And yeah, to your point, I agree.

[Basketball Analyst 1]

The.

[S. Baraheni]

The burst is there, the mobility is there, and they can use that in his cutting off of the ball. But also like him with the strong side cuts that he can do, it's just everything is right for him physically. It looks. It looks like that truthfully. Also, the 13 he took, he made, which is always a great sign for him and that wrist issue that he was dealing with. So it's just a great time for J Dub to be finally starting to look like himself. If you're the Thunder.

[Basketball Analyst 1]

Yeah. I love to see the fact that he was in the mid range getting past folks. It was good to see him hunting Kat, you know, particularly on those screens. Hunting matchups like this is exactly what you want to see, especially at this point. And he mentioned he just needs to get his steps in. And I mean, hell, he was Getting his.

[Dave DeFore]

And to your point as I think one big thing to watch with him is that three point volume. It's been way again, another guy is way down this year coming off that wrist injury. He just hadn't been confident. And I think if we see him start in that four to six threes a game range, I think that's going to tell us a lot about how he feels physically and how his jumper feels. Let's talk. Guys, we got to talk about Orlando because the Orlando Magic are broken, absolutely broken. The Toronto Raptors are not this good. This is one of the most embarrassing professional basketball games that a supposedly good team has been in in a very long time. 139.87. What? Yes. You were in the building for this. A, a, an NBA record 31 to 0 run happened in this game. And I mean my brain is a little bit broken with this.

[S. Baraheni]

The Raptors broke so many franchise records tonight. So many franchise records.

[Dave DeFore]

Plus 47.

[S. Baraheni]

Thank you. Yeah. Third best plus minus single game plus minus in franchise history. Mamu with 47. It genuinely, it was no competition and this was a game by the way, that was all important to both teams. One, Orlando or Toronto would have got the tiebreaker. Two, if Orlando wins, then the race for the fifth seed, six seed becomes all that more interesting. But now the Raptors, the Hawks, you know, the Sixers, they've made things sort of an A, a group among themselves chasing five and six. To me this was an all important game. And guys, I'm looking at one player for the Orlando Magic. That players, it's Paolo Banquero. Of course it is. Paolo was 3 of 14 in this game. He was almost invisible. And credit to Scotty Barnes who was the primary defender on him, but man, he was invisible throughout this entire game. You talk about lackadaisical effort, it kind of melts from the top down, if you will. They had nothing. And to your point about resolve and figuring things out, there was no game plan to get back into this game. It was at halftime we were wondering what kind of records the Raptors were going to beat because it was that type of game.

[Dave DeFore]

Xena, Franz Wagner coming back, Anthony Black coming back. I don't think that matters. I don't think that that's fixing it.

[Basketball Analyst 1]

Yeah, yeah. Because even if you account for them, there was also no Emmanuel Kickley, there was no Brent Ingram, there was no cmb. They had folks missing on the Raptor side as well. And I just, I need to, I want people to really understand what happened if you didn't watch the game. The Magic were up in the first quarter by seven points or so.

[Dave DeFore]

It was 2015 when the run started.

[S. Baraheni]

Yes, exactly.

[Dave DeFore]

Yeah.

[Basketball Analyst 1]

Orlando is held scoreless for the final five and a half minutes of the first and then two minutes of the second. Y', all, that is eight minutes of NBA basketball that not one of the people on the court, not one of the very many people on the coaching staff could figure out how to put that ball in the net. I don't. That is incredibly concerning. Meanwhile. Meanwhile, Toronto's putting on a masterclass. Like, 31 points are just being dropped in. At ease. So you're not only incapable of finding a way to score your own buckets, you're also incapable of stopping Toronto. This is. When you say broken, like, this is a collapse, like, I don't know. Because even so, they end up at half 70. 43. We've seen those. I mean, cover the Warriors. I've seen that. At half, it didn't get any better.

[Dave DeFore]

Like, the 310 run, they still lost by 21.

[Basketball Analyst 1]

That's my point. That's my point. Like, that's happened. People have had these crazy halves. They've allowed teams to score 70 and a half or whatever, but they still. Exactly. You take away that run, they still were not able to find anything. And this is the Magic.

[Dave DeFore]

We know of teams that have quit. Like, we know of teams that have quit that did not look this sad. And so I can't help but feel like this team has quit. Jamal Mosley has been on the hot seat all year. I don't know if it's rightfully or so or. Or not, but he's a lame duck coach at this point. They're gonna, I'm assuming, cut him loose this summer. And I'm starting to wonder, should they be thinking, like the Denver Nuggets last

[S. Baraheni]

year, oh, I'm cutting him loose now.

[Dave DeFore]

I. I hate. I. I hate to even operate in this, you know, this sort of mindset, but would they potentially, I don't know, give themselves a little bit of a bump? Maybe they can get themselves out of the play and. I don't know. I mean, again, there's a. There's personnel issues there, like, with the way it's. It's all put together, I don't think it's a great fit. But clearly there's a big disconnect between what the coaches are trying to do and what the team is doing.

[Basketball Analyst 1]

It's just so weird because when we were watching them at the NBA cup, we're like, look at the depth.

[S. Baraheni]

Oh man, they look at the fight in this team.

[Basketball Analyst 1]

Look at this defense. Like it feels like it's flipped us.

[S. Baraheni]

This is. I'll just bring up a really crazy stat here. So the, The Magic had 27 turnovers in this game. They had 18 in the first half. Okay, the the Toronto Raptors lead the NBA with 18 fast break points. Okay, they had 22 fast break points in the first quarter.

[Basketball Analyst 1]

Oh my gosh.

[Dave DeFore]

That is an F for effort. Guys. Stick around after the break. We're going to update the east playoffs. We're going to talk about Jason Tatum's crazy game.

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[Dave DeFore]

So as we're recording, the Celtics are now up three games in the loss column on the Knicks. I I not ready to just declare it because they do have a head to head coming up before the end of the season, but it feels like the Celtics are going to be able to hang on to that two seed Jason Tatum had. I'll say it's his best game since he's returned. His first 30 point game he had 32 points, wound up with 8 assists, 5 rebounds, 12 of 23 shooting, 5 of 10 from 3. And this is the big thing we've been waiting on for him, the confidence in the shot and for the shots to actually fall right. Like he's not been shy about shooting Xena, but we haven't seen him have this sort of an offensive output where it did. He had a stretch there where it felt like, oh okay, he's going to put him on his back and he could carry him for a while. And that was the first real Tatum game I thought we've gotten.

[Basketball Analyst 1]

It's interesting that we have the first Tatum game while Jalen Brown and Derrick White are both unavailable. It felt perfectly slotted for it to be his game, but it was really nice to see him immediately take on this game. From the way that he attacked the basket, I mean he was driving to the basket, he was shooting outside shots, he was stepping back. I mean everything was clicking. The things that we've been waiting to see because since he had returned, his field goal percentage was 38% from the floor and 30% from three and it was looking a little suspect just a little bit. And that was like people's main concern is is is his shooting capability back. Interestingly, I thought it was fascinating to hear. I keep quoting T. Mac right now. I guess I was obsessed with everything he said, but he said that since Tatum has come back, the Celtics have not played their brand of basketball and things have been out of whack. And I actually disagreed. I actually thought that it wasn't necessarily out of whack. Sure, there are some things that needed to be cleaned up, but I thought that Jayson Tatum came in and didn't really disrupt anything. Like, I didn't think that he blew anything up. And so this was really nice to see them not only play that the game that they like to play, a lot of hot potato passing the ball, a lot of assists, getting shots outside, getting Tatum going, building the gravity again that he typically has to get his teammates open. I didn't. I felt like this is exactly what you need to see to. Or direct rebuttal, at least to what T. Mac was saying. And once they get back in there with Jaylen Brown and Derrick White, it. They're going to be clicking on all cylinders. So I, I like the way Tatum looked. And I also don't think that Boston has a lot to adjust with him coming back.

[S. Baraheni]

I mean, to just double down on the point that you're making. I think this is the team that's going to head to the NBA Finals. I've felt that way for a little bit long. Yeah, we've all felt this way. And watching Tatum do that today against a Hornets team that has been playing some really good basketball and also assert himself. He had 20 points in the first half. He knocked down three threes in the first half. His rhythm, the jump shot, was there. To your point, getting downhill was really, really impressive. The. The way that he was operating made it feel like to me, he felt like he was in his prime. So that's. That's the great thing when you watch Jason Tatum, it's a level of confidence in his game that. How do you get that a month after you're coming back from an Achilles injury?

[Pebble/Robinhood Advertiser]

Right.

[S. Baraheni]

That's the crazy part about this whole Celtics process, is that you're adding a guy who has been first team all NBA in the past, top five in MVP voting. And I actually think to the point of Jalen Brown and Derrick White not being there, it. It is true that they are trying to morph two different styles together, but that's a. That's an advantage for the Celtics.

[Dave DeFore]

Well, especially come playoff time. Right. Like, number one, we. I don't know if the style of play that they employ for 82 games in regular season, I don't know if that's going to get you out of a playoff series. Right. First round, maybe second round, when everything is just a little bit tighter, the turnovers go down. You're in the half court way more. Like you're going to need a guy, another guy like Jason Tatum. Right now you swing. Swing and catches Tatum. Right. It's not catching, you know, Sam Houser or whoever's, you know, on the end of that. And you have a guy who can also, like, put the ball on the floor and make decisions. I mean, this is never a problem for teams. And I mean, realistically, they added a top 15 level talent to a team that already felt like it had a chance of coming out of the east, so.

[Basketball Analyst 1]

And meanwhile, while he was out, Peyton Pritchard became Pritchard.

[Dave DeFore]

Right?

[Basketball Analyst 1]

And you know, he scores 28 points alongside him. I mean, they just have. They have tools after tool after tool after tool after asset. It's amazing.

[S. Baraheni]

Open.

[Dave DeFore]

Yeah. Also, guys, hey, the Sixers, how about this? Everybody's back. Kelly Oubre's back.

[Basketball Analyst 1]

How about this?

[Dave DeFore]

Paul George. Paul George looks amazing. He looks. Paul George looks better after his 25 game suspension than he did at any point earlier in the year.

[S. Baraheni]

And, I mean, I feel like anybody would feel good after 25.

[Dave DeFore]

I agree. Yeah, listen, I don't know, kind of thinking about, hey, that's a pretty nice long vacation. The Sixers are. Look there. I'm not going to act like this is my favorite team to watch. Like, Joel Embiid is incredibly talented, but can also be a frustrating watch as a viewer. But this team has so many guys now out of nowhere, you know, Maxi's back. Vijay Edgecombe, we've talked about him a ton. This, his. His sliding scale of ability where he just basically can fill in any role that he needs in the starting lineup. Should the east be scared of the. Of the Sixers, or are we just, like. Are we just setting ourselves up like Lucy with the football?

[S. Baraheni]

I think they should be 100% scared.

[Basketball Analyst 1]

Yeah. I'm changing my mind. I'm changing my mind. Go ahead.

[Dave DeFore]

They look so good. I mean, Embiid has just been. What did he do? He just sat in the gym shooting jumpers all day. I mean, he just doesn't miss.

[S. Baraheni]

Now, all season, the Sixers have been a better team. When Paul George and Joel Embiid play, that's not a surprise to me at all. But now you have Paul George playing like he's playing, and hopefully this carries on for the rest of the season and on a permanent basis. Joel Embiid has been insane this year. Like, when he's played, it feels like, he is permanent one of the best scorers in the NBA. So you add that to a team that has Tyrese Maxey playing at an all NBA level. The depth that they have at the wings with Kelly Oubre and I love Dominic Barlow and what he provides for this team, it just, it all makes sense. And if you, if you're the Knicks, if you're the Celtics, is that the first round series? You want to play against a fully healthy Sixers team? No, I would, I would rather. No offense. Play the Raptors, play the Orlando Magic. Yeah, I would rather do that.

[Dave DeFore]

Would you rather play the Hornets or would you rather play the Sixers?

[S. Baraheni]

I would rather play the Hornets.

[Dave DeFore]

Yeah, I think I agree with you also. I mean, as good as the Hornets have been.

[S. Baraheni]

Yeah, they've never been there.

[Dave DeFore]

We got a little bit exposed, I think, in the last couple games. Right. Like, we saw him look a little small. I thought, like, I think it might be a year or two early, but I think the Sixers just, with the experience that they've got Xena, you know, that they can score in the half court through Embiid, but also Tyrese Maxey, Paul George, I mean, they just, they have a lot of guys.

[Basketball Analyst 1]

They do have a lot of guys. And you know, Dave, you and I talked about this last week about am I scared of the Sixers just yet or at all? And I'm like, I was, I was iffy on it, mainly because of these injury aspects. Right. And it was interesting to read this week that Joel Embiid was like, it's not my knee that's the issue. It's this oblique that's tricky. Um, and that still gives me a little pause. But since he's been back, 31 points, seven rebounds, almost five assists, like he's been playing like that oblique is just fine. And then you look at Paul George and he said the same thing. The suspension did the, you know, did my body good. I'm looking sure, 25 plus a game since he's been back. Great point of attack, defense. Like, he's been explosive. He's been, he looks, as you mentioned, like the, the suspension did his body some good. And yeah, Tyrese Maxey, VJ Edgam, I like Dominique Barlo, what he's providing as well. All of these guys very similar to what we were talking about with Boston can put the ball in the, in the basket like they can, they can find a way to get to the hoop, and that's exactly what you're looking for. So, yeah, I would, they would Run a team ragged in the.

[Dave DeFore]

And they got Uber back too. Right?

[Basketball Analyst 1]

Like right now, offense.

[Dave DeFore]

And they were. They're bringing them off the bench for at least a little bit. I mean, that just tells.

[S. Baraheni]

I mean, yeah, they have a lot of options.

[Dave DeFore]

All of a sudden. They got a lot of guys. And so I'm thinking about this 5, 6, 7 race. Okay. As we're recording right now, the Raptors are sitting in the five seed. They got a half game lead over the Hawks and a whole game lead over the Sixers. Y. I looked at strength of schedule remaining over on Tankathon shout out to them. They do a lot of hard work. Atlanta has the fifth hardest remaining schedule. Okay. The Sixers all the way down 16th. They're like middle of the pack. Toronto 20th. So Toronto has an easier schedule, an easier path here than the Sixers. But the Sixers have so much talent

[Basketball Analyst 1]

and they're the team that we have said since the beginning of the season their record does not reflect their talent.

[Dave DeFore]

If they're the five seed, period. If they are the five seed and I'm the Cleveland Cavaliers, I am freaking out.

[Basketball Analyst 1]

Yeah, I agree. Yeah, I agree. I mean, and they're a dangerous seventh seed. Like. Yeah, I agree.

[S. Baraheni]

They're just. They're a team that you don't want to face in the first round. Again, of all the options that you have, what you mentioned, Toronto or Orlando, Atlanta, you would rather not face the Philadelphia 76ers. Talent wise, they are the most talented team of that group. No question.

[Dave DeFore]

Where's it going to wind up, guys? Let's make a prediction. Who, who's going to be the five, who's gonna be six, and who's going to be fighting out of the play and out of these three teams? Cause it does feel like this is it.

[S. Baraheni]

I think Atlanta schedule is very hard. I imagine they will fall out. I think it will be Toronto 5, Philly 6, and then Orlando. Atlanta in that 7, 8 range. Maybe Hornets. Maybe the Hornets. I don't know.

[Basketball Analyst 1]

I'm going to flip it. I think Philly might get the five.

[S. Baraheni]

Okay.

[Basketball Analyst 1]

Yeah, I think Philly might get the five. Toronto, man. Applause. Okay. Not for that win against the Magic, but for staying in the mix. Okay. Been under the radar and still in the top six. Like how. How have they dodged the play in is amazing to me. But yeah, I think they might end up six and then we'll see where, you know, Atlanta and yeah, I think Atlanta might end up with the seventh.

[Dave DeFore]

We've got a ton of playoff races. It's pretty fun. And and I, I, I think that the more chaos we could like, the most chaos we could possibly get is the Sixers get that five seed.

[S. Baraheni]

It would be amazing. Cavs versus Sixers, James Harden versus His old team. That is cinema waiting to happen.

[Dave DeFore]

Yeah.

[S. Baraheni]

You know Zena, it's funny you say it's awesome that the Raptors have hung on by a thread because if you were to talk to a Raptors fan, you would feel like the sky is falling. So I mean, yeah, I hear you.

[Dave DeFore]

All right guys, well let us know in the comments who's going to win the the five seed. We're almost to the playoffs. We've got like seven games left, guys. A couple weeks and then we're there, guys. That's going to do it for the show. Thank you guys for listening. For Esperahenny and Zena Keda, I'm Dave Dufour. 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.

[Pebble/Robinhood Advertiser]

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[Dave DeFore]

Hi, this is Ben Mandelker and Ronnie Karam, hosts of the Watch what Crappens podcast here, to tell you that the

[S. Baraheni]

HBO original comedy series the Comeback is

[Dave DeFore]

back for its final season on the official Comeback Podcast.

[GNC/Boost Mobile Advertiser]

Join host Evan Ross Katz along with Lisa Kudrow and Michael Patrick King to

[S. Baraheni]

unpack each episode, hear about the show's

[Dave DeFore]

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[S. Baraheni]

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[Dave DeFore]

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Or listen wherever you get your podcasts.