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Dan LeBatard
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Stugotz
Now's a good time to remember where tequila's story truly began. In 1795, Cuervo invented tequila. Cuervo, what are you doing here?
Amin Elhassan
Cuervo? Anytime someone says Cuervo, I show up.
Stugotz
Well, I do know that to be true. But even during ad reads like Cuervo, I think he could lay out especially for one of our great partners.
Amin Elhassan
Sweet, delicious Cuervo.
Stugotz
Since then, Cuervo has stayed true to its roots. The same family, the same land, the same passion.
Amin Elhassan
Cuervo.
Stugotz
So enjoy the tequila that started it all.
Chris Cody
Cuervo.
Stugotz
Cuervo the tequila that invented tequila. Proximo Cuervo.com, please drink responsibly.
Amin Elhassan
Cuervo. Welcome to the Big Sui presented by DraftKings. Why are you listening to this show? The podcast that seems very similar to the other Dan LeBatard podcast? I'm sorry, I'm not gonna apologize for that. In fact, the only difference seems to be this imaging. I have been tempted in restaurants just walking past tables to grab somebody's fries if they're just there. That hasn't happened to you guys. I've done it. And now here's the marching man to Nowhere, Fat Face and the habitual Liar.
Dan LeBatard
This episode is presented by DraftKings. DraftKings. The crown is yours.
Stugotz
Musetti takes the first set. Chris Cody, do you know why?
Amin Elhassan
Why.
Stugotz
All my homies love Musetti. Amino Hassan, you were at the game last night and because we're in another group chat with you, we know exactly what that room smells like right now. So thank you for the update.
Mike Ryan
Unnecessary.
Stugotz
One thing that was not shitty was game one. Game one was awesome and I was cherry picking my favorite stat. There were a lot of stats but having 17 more turnovers and 16 fewer shots. Yes, they out rebounded them. That could answer them. But that is probably a huge indicator that we got a real good series on our hands and Indiana can actually win this thing. I mean you need no more proof than them taking game one your game one thoughts?
Amin Elhassan
I mean El Hassan, you know we've seen so many of these massive comebacks in these playoffs. Whether it was the Pacers against the Knicks, the Knicks against the Celtics, the Pacers against the Bucks, The. The Nuggets against the Thunder. The. We've seen a lot of these, and they all seem to follow pretty much the same formula, which is the team that was up has a massive collapse, missing all their shots and taking too many threes and not making them and turning it over. And the team that comes back hits a flurry of threes, someone goes on fire like Aaron Nesmith against the Knicks. That didn't happen last night. It was a weird kind of chip away, chip away. The paces were far from perfect down the stretch. The Thunder were far from collapsing down the stretch. And yet it was a little bit of we. They scored 2. These guys scored 3. These guys scored 2. These guys scored 3. These guys got an offensive rebound here. These guys got an N1 here. And next thing you know, Halliburton has the ball with a chance to win the game. And we're all looking at, like, the. The arena didn't realize it, like, all those other games that I mentioned. Think about it. Everyone in the crowd is gasping and groaning like, oh, no, what's happening? The Thunder crowd never saw it coming, dude, because it just felt like, nah, they got this. They got this. They got. Oh, look, a review out of bounds of Siakam. Game over. And literally Halliburton hits that shot, and everyone's like, holy, holy crap, are the Pacers going to win this game? And so it was just a remarkable. It's one of, like, I've never seen so many NBA media and NBA league office personnel legitimately giddy after an NBA Finals game. Because it was the type of game that makes you happy. If you love basketball, if you don't care which one of these teams win that game made you have a. I was in such a good mood yesterday.
Dan LeBatard
After that game, and because it makes it feel like we're gonna get a series now, right? Because everyone was feeling like this could be a short series. So it just is like, okay, this is gonna be good now.
Amin Elhassan
No, for sure. I mean, there was. There was a fear. Obviously, the Thunder open one of the biggest favorites in the last 25 years or whatever. There was a fear that, oh, my God, it's not that. It's two small markets. The fear was that Oklahoma City is going to annihi these guys, and everyone's going to be like, what a boring finals that was. So this thing kind of put tilts everything on its head. And then, of course, the other part of it is the Pacers mountain this incredible comeback. Halberton played pretty poorly most of the night, but he hits that shot. Press. Well, that's the funny thing. Kason Wallace is on him on that last possession and who, who still played great defensively, but Halon hits that shot, gets to put on the sunglasses and put his shoes who had just, just come out, the new signature shoes on the table at the press conference. And we all remarked, no one's ever going to remember he had a bad game. All they'll remember is this moment and kudos to him for understanding. Mike, I know you're a big wrestling guy. He knows how to play that heel role perfectly.
Jonathan Zaslow
I mean, you mentioned Kason Wallace. He got the start over Isaiah Hartenstein in the beginning of the game. Their first kind of roster, their first kind of starting lineup change that they've done in these, in these playoffs. They've been so good with the two big lineup. Why do you think that they went to the one big and then really they kind of played small ball for a lot of the game. You saw Chet go 2 for 9. You saw him play 20 some odd minutes. You had Hartenstein play sparingly at 17 minutes. They got out, rebounded by 17. It's not like Miles Turner is this great defensive rebounding fight force. What was the issue with their bigs and, and with their rotation?
Amin Elhassan
Well, I think, you know, Mark Dagnaut responded to that and he said, first of all, we've played a lot of different starting lineups during the regular season. We did that on purpose so that if we ever do it in the finals or in the playoffs, it's not like, whoa, you getting a call tonight? So Casey Wallace had started 40 games for them this, this season. So they, they, they felt comfortable with that, number one. Number two, Dagault cited the need for kind of optionality and a more perimeter based defense through this series because of the Pacers person. It's almost exactly what you're talking about, Tony. It's almost like the opposite. It's like, because Miles Turners are only like true big and even he likes to step out, the need for size is lessened and the need for perimeter defense and perimeter switching is increased. And then the third thing I'd say is it worked, man. The part that didn't work, which is the part you would think which is the offense wasn't as good, they turned them over 19 times in the first half and only scored nine points off of it. So from the Thunder standpoint, it wasn't about like, oh man, we should have gone big. I can't believe we did that. It was like, guys, we got to make shots. We're turning them over. We have to convert on the other end.
Tony
It's actually a good point because we were talking earlier about why is sounds so surprised.
Mike Ryan
It's Amino Hassan.
Tony
No, no, but. But it's. It's a good point because we didn't acknowledge this. Where were talking earlier about why is Oklahoma City adjusting to Indiana before the game even started? That was weird. They were up 15 with seven minutes left in the game. Like, the starting lineup change really had nothing to do with Oklahoma City not winning that game last night.
Amin Elhassan
They were winning. They were. They were busting ass.
Dan LeBatard
Yeah.
Amin Elhassan
Like, that's, that's like if. If they lost that game, it wasn't a strategic reason they lost that game. It was guys didn't make shots. And the Pacers and you know, the whole time throughout that first half when everyone, we were like, oh, my God. Because that first half, I' never seen. It was like, you know, in the movies, whenever they say, oh, there's piranha in here and they take like, you put your hand in there and it comes out and it's just a bone. Like. Or in the cartoons, I guess. Not really in the movie Lasers, right. Like, it's just. Just like a furry of bubbles. That's a. That's. That's what it works, man. That was all of them. Anytime like any Pacer had the ball for more than a second, it was getting deflected or tipped away. Like it was crazy. It was like you can't look around. It's like being a pickpocket in a European city. Like, it's like if you're a tourist, like, the moment you turn around, someone's got your wallet.
Mike Ryan
But I mean, was that great defense or was that bad? Sort of lazy offense because they were used to playing the Knicks for six games.
Amin Elhassan
I'm all for shots at the Knicks at this point. They deserve it after that.
Stugotz
It's a third place finisher.
Amin Elhassan
Yeah, there you go.
Stugotz
Be careful.
Amin Elhassan
Yeah. But, you know, it was. It was. I've never seen anything like that. And they all do. Like, we talked about this, Izzy on oddball. It's like they all do it. There's no guy out there. It's like, it's not like the Pacers, where it's like we have a bunch of guys who do it. Halliburton really doesn't do it, though. He doesn't defend like that. But for the, for the Thunders, like everybody on the court Everybody on the court is liable to steal the ball from you. And that's kind of a real pressure packed situation. Kudos to the Pacers for keeping their cool throughout that all and then in the second half doing a much better job of being cognizant of where the crowds are, where the roaming hands are and moving the ball quickly. And I think that really helped them.
Stugotz
Yep.
Tony
Is Tyrese Halberton the most clutch player in Pacers history?
Amin Elhassan
You know the. In the words of St, do it and do it, then do it again next season. Right? Then do like that's what Reggie is. It's Reggie's. Like I didn't have a.
Stugotz
He's 13 of 15 in the final two minutes on go ahead or tying shots.
Amin Elhassan
I get it. But Reggie Miller didn't do an A postseason. He did it almost every single postseason. Right? So Hal Burton, this is one of the most incredible runs I've ever seen for sure. But if you want to be the most clutch in Pacers, play his playoff history, you got to do it again and again and again.
Dan LeBatard
But he's already tied Reggie. They showed the stat last night where all like since 97 playoffs, he hasn't.
Stugotz
Tied him in longevity.
Amin Elhassan
So let me ask you guys this. Like, let's say Ty Sa plays 10 more years for the Pacers and never has another one.
Stugotz
They're still tied.
Tony
But did they win the title this year?
Stugotz
Yeah.
Amin Elhassan
And they don't win the title.
Stugotz
Okay.
Dan LeBatard
Ah, there it is.
Amin Elhassan
If they do, of course, if they win, then it's like, okay, now, now we have to. Right? That's kind of like the unwritten rule. If you want to change it, you have to be.
Stugotz
I mean, it's pretty obvious what's going to happen to Tyrese Halliburton if they win this championship superstardom appearance at SummerSlam in New York. The guy is going to be every bit the star that he seems to be leaning into. Oh, he's absolutely showing up at SummerSlam. Absolutely showing up at SummerSlam.
Amin Elhassan
But win or lose, what?
Stugotz
Yeah, for sure. What do we do with Rick Carlisle? Because Rick Carlisle, I think the biggest NBA finals you've seen in your upset in your lifetime was the Pistons over the Lakers. Right. But second was probably The Mavericks over LeBron James's Heat with JJ Beret and them boys. If Indiana wins this one, it's probably third in your lifetime. Maybe. Possibly. I'd like to get your perspective on that.
Tony
Toronto over Golden State was pretty big.
Stugotz
I mean, when you contextualize the injuries. But fair enough. That's certainly, that's certainly in the debate. We'll get a means answer on that. But Rick Carlisle would be the head coach for two of the greatest NBA Finals upsets of all time. Like, what do we do with that? What do we do with his legacy? And I guess we found a pretty interesting question, which is rank your biggest upsets in NBA Finals history and where would this be placed?
Amin Elhassan
I think it's more fun to rank the upsets. Like where Carlisle. Come on, he's great. He's one of the greatest coaches ever. We know that. We've been talking about that. Like he had some lean years and he had to adjust and grow. Right. To understand, look, the modern game is less kind of controlling the game from the sideline and more trusting the guy has. And again, when you have Tyrese Halliburton as your point guard, that's pretty easy. It's a lot easier to do than say if your point guard was, you know, I don't know, Tyler Hero or whatever. Right. But the biggest upsets, it's crazy. Pistons over Lakers because that Lakers team was such a, it was such a machine. It's up, it's up there. I think this is, would be bigger than Heat vs. Mavs. And the reason why I say that is the Heat didn't have a convincing regular season. Right. That was the first year of the Big three and there it never kind of really looked at the end. They started getting a little momentum, but it wasn't the daunting machine. Right. The Lakers that year started like 15 and one or something.
Tony
Pretty dominant. Pretty dominant postseason like they ran through the Eastern Conference.
Amin Elhassan
Yeah.
Mike Ryan
It wasn't a, a young up and coming Dallas Mavericks team with a star who hasn't established himself yet. It was Dirk Frickin Navitzky and a.
Stugotz
Bunch of like former stars that became role players. Really interesting.
Amin Elhassan
Yeah.
Tony
But at the same time, like which is more impressive? Beating that LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Miami Heat, or an OKC team that's literally never been here?
Mike Ryan
Impressive or shocking are two different questions. I think shocking is what we're talking about.
Amin Elhassan
This OKC team has like the highest point differential in the history of the NBA. Right. Like it's. They didn't just win 68 games, they beat the out of everybody. That was the thing. I remember looking up the stat, the least amount of double digit losses in an NBA season. And for the longest time the Thunder were tied with like the 96 bulls. Again, it's not just that they win games, they beat your ass it's not just that they don't lose. It's not just that they don't lose often. It's when they lose, it's like, okay, that was. You barely beat us.
Tony
I mean, I think they said on the.
Amin Elhassan
Excellent.
Tony
I think they said on the radio broadcast last night when the Thunder went up by 10 in the second quarter and they said it's the 62nd game this year that the Thunder have a double digit lead.
Stugotz
Like what.
Mike Ryan
I mean, what do you think about the 2016 Cavs against the 73 and 9?
Amin Elhassan
Oh, I'm sorry, that's. That's the, that's the biggest one.
Stugotz
Yeah. Especially given your takes on the matter entering that one.
Amin Elhassan
That's. Dude like that the warriors team is still the. That 2016 season is still the best basketball I've ever seen front to back of an NBA season of any team ever. And that includes like the 96 Bulls. That includes the 86 Celtics. I know a lot of LeBron.
Stugotz
It feels ridiculous to say that's one of the biggest upsets of all time when they have.
Amin Elhassan
They should not have won that series. No, I know that they should not have won that series. They should not have even had had a molecule of oxygen in their lungs.
Tony
But don't we contextualize that series as well based on what happened with Draymond Green?
Amin Elhassan
Sure, sure. But it's still like Draymond sat out game five. He still played game six and seven. That's the point. Like there's. Look, trust me, I've done, I've done the whole like, look, Bogut got hurt. Steph was compromised from the injury earlier. Like Harrison bars can hit the broadside of a barn. Like I've done all that. And, and Kevin Love had to have one of the greatest defensive stances of his entire career happen in the most clutch moment. Steve Kerr had to play the only three guys on his whole rotation who are negative plus, minus all in the fourth quarter. Right. There's a lot of things that led up to them losing that series. That's kind of how upsets work. It's not, hey, we played perfect and they still beat our ass. Right? Like it always. It's, it's like this chain reaction, like how the Death Star blew up. It's like there's something that happened, that happened, that happened. And then next year we, this unstoppable force fell. So yeah, I would say warriors losing to the Cavs is one. Two would be Lakers losing to the Pistons and this would be three for me.
Stugotz
Well, the serious Prices don't agree with you. Golden State was -200 as a series favorite in 2016 before the NBA Finals. I know, like, you were all about Golden State. That feels ridiculous in retrospect. I mean, that's not that big of a line.
Tony
That's all LeBron.
Mike Ryan
What was this one?
Stugotz
Yeah, this was 2016.
Mike Ryan
No, no, what was this line?
Tony
It's like 700.
Stugotz
Yeah.
Amin Elhassan
Wow.
Stugotz
Massive. Would this be a. This would be a bigger upset than. I think he just gave us the answer. Than Toronto be. I think Toronto. Yeah, that Toronto championship. Everyone's going to say the injuries and all that. It kind of felt like that Golden State team with Kevin Durant was at the end of its run. I like them. Even if Golden State stayed healthy, I don't know if you felt the same way.
Amin Elhassan
Again. I think, like, the injuries certainly color how that thing went. And. But you're right. Mike Durant gets hurt, but, like, Clay is healthy. The momentum is still in Toronto's favor. Even though the. The warriors had done very well without Durant in those playoffs. He got hurt in the second round. I want to say they blitzed the Rockets, they sweep the. The Blazers in the conference finals, and then they get to the finals, and, you know, it was first two games kind of here and there, and then, like, the Durant injury happens and it starts to fall away. I think Kawhi Leonard obviously changes that math. Like, we had such immense respect for him as a. As a champion, and then Nick Nurse had kind of solidified himself as one of the great coaches in the league. I don't. Yeah, I guess it's an upset, but it didn't feel as shocking as some of the other ones that we're talking about.
Mike Ryan
I mean, how are we supposed to think of Chet Holmgren? I'm still trying to figure out what to think of him. I don't think he should be wearing the same clothes as SGA in that commercial because he's just kind of a role player at the time.
Amin Elhassan
I thought J. D played well last night. I mean, obviously he didn't shoot a great. But he play. He played all right. Last. Chet's the one that's like, that can't happen. You got. You have to. You have to win your matchup. And that's not a slight on Miles Turner, who absolutely won the matchup. Had big plays, big blocks, big shots. That bank shot on the side, that was crazy.
Jonathan Zaslow
Did he call that? You were there?
Amin Elhassan
No, he definitely didn't call it. And by the way, we didn't know because we're sitting behind. No, it's. It's not. It's not even that. It's because we're sitting behind the basket that he was shooting at. And so. And obviously, they don't play replays for the opposing team. So he makes that shot. I'm like, did he bank that? Did he. And no one around me knew. And so I had to, like, wait. And then I asked, like, people on Twitter or whatever or on threads, and because the delay, I'm like, I stopped. I forgot to check the answer. So I didn't find out until doing the post game with Juju and Trista. Tristo's like. And that crazy bank shot. Like, oh, so it was a bank shot.
Tony
I mean, I saw where you were sitting based on your video. You were in, like, the auxiliary seats. And you said, there, behind the basket. Like, is that insulting? Should you have been placed in better seats?
Amin Elhassan
You know, I mean, so the NBA Finals, 90% of the media is going to be upstairs. Right. The people who are downstairs are like, either I'm covering this team. Right.
Mike Ryan
Or George Sadano.
Stugotz
Sadano had good.
Amin Elhassan
He was there, guys. Sedano's doing courtside reporting for ESPN Radio. He's not just hanging out, like me or, you know, any number of the other media, like, he's actually doing. He's going in, asking questions.
Mike Ryan
He's just hanging out in his seat, though.
Amin Elhassan
Sure. But it's like the same thing that Lisa Salters is doing. It would be like, why is Lisa Salters down there? Like, yeah, that's. That's kind of the job is to be a court side reporter, not a upstairs reporter. Wait a second. Let me get an elevator, go downstairs to ask this question, and then come back upstairs.
Stugotz
That's what you have to do.
Tony
All right. I think you should have been closer. That's all I'm saying.
Mike Ryan
Upstairs reporter Amino Hassan.
Amin Elhassan
You know, it's funny because people always say, oh, man, great seats. Like, I didn't look, dude. Like, I'm not buying these seats. Right? This is where they place us. And they're in the bar again, everybody's upstairs. Everybody. Unless you're covering the team. Who else?
Tony
Give us a big name that was sitting by you. Who else?
Stugotz
I like that question.
Amin Elhassan
Who was upstairs? Like, actually, my seats were pretty good up the stairs. There's levels upstairs, so that's my seats.
Tony
Who was behind? Let's hear that. Who was behind?
Amin Elhassan
Behind me was NBA staff, NBA league staff. The whole row was just all smiles.
Dan LeBatard
I saw that the Pacers, like, sent a Ton of their, like, crew there. Like, there was, like. The upper deck was, like, filled with Pacer staff.
Stugotz
Yes, sir.
Amin Elhassan
It was one section, and it was to the left of us. And so the video I posted on Instagram is of that last play by Halliburton. And then I literally turn and I look up there, and they're going crazy. At one point, by the way, when it started to sink in, like, oh, shit, they might actually do this. It was during the timeout, and then they just started chanting, let's go, Pacers. And it was loud. And then the arena went crazy. Oklahoma. Said, by the way, we can say this right now. It's a cult. It's a cult. It's a cult. It's a cult, dude. First of all, they don't have a single. They don't have a single chant that they post on that board. Then people just do it. They just know. This is when we're all gonna say. They all have these clap. Clapper things. And. Oh, Casey. Then the other thing is, I don't know how many of you guys know this. Apparently every game they sing Sia Titanium, like, in a timeout, like, they'll sing.
Stugotz
Like, the World Championship of Darts.
Jonathan Zaslow
That's kind of fire, actually.
Tony
That's their sweet hairline.
Amin Elhassan
Everybody in the arena. Old ladies, baby.
Dan LeBatard
That's an absolute.
Amin Elhassan
This year, I don't know.
Stugotz
They got it from the darts. There's a guy that comes out to that. And that crowd.
Dan LeBatard
That crowd knowing Titanium is an upset.
Amin Elhassan
That's perfect.
Stugotz
That's a top 40 crowd right there. Pitch perfect. That listens to top 40. It's OKC.
Dan LeBatard
Looks like a lot of old white people there.
Amin Elhassan
The way it is. It's a lot of white people, Chris. It's a lot of white people there. Let me tell you something.
Tony
How shook was that crowd?
Stugotz
I do like the Super Mario Brothers defense thing that they got going on there, but yeah.
Amin Elhassan
Oh, yeah, was they do that.
Stugotz
All right, y' all, the super bowl is in the rearview mirror. The draft has come and gone. So now what?
Dan LeBatard
Now it's time to get the crew together. You keep the fandom energy going. It doesn't stop when the Super Bowl's gone. We gather.
Stugotz
Exactly. And look, just because the pads are off doesn't mean game day stops around here. We do game days even in the off season. And what better way to do that than with a cold drink and your people around?
Dan LeBatard
You've heard it all season long. Football is not a solo thing. This is not a me thing. This is not an I thing. This is a we thing.
Stugotz
There is no I in fandom, baby. So grab your crew, grab some Smirnoff and get into that off season. Improve summer workouts, training camp rumors, fantasy football prep. It's all coming, folks.
Dan LeBatard
And listen, if you're gonna sip something while plotting your team's comeback, Smirnoff's got you. It's the perfect vodka for crafting cocktails that are easy and tasty for anyone 21 and up.
Stugotz
Smirnoff isn't just a vodka. It's the number one vodka in the world and the official partner of the NFL. Grab a bottle of Smirnoff at your local retailer and head to smirnoff.com to find recipes of delicious cocktails perfect for game day. Please drink responsibly. Smirnoff number 21 vodka distilled from grain, 40% alcohol by volume. The Smirnoff Co. New York, NY please do not share with anyone under legal drinking age.
Jonathan Zaslow
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Stugotz
Look, as a small business, we don't get to clock out. Ever. We're always on nights, weekends, holidays. So when it came time to hire someone, we couldn't waste time. We needed help. Real help. Not Stugot's nose, a guy help we use LinkedIn jobs. And we'll be honest, we didn't expect it to be that easy. We posted the job for free. LinkedIn basically held our hand and wrote the description for us. Next thing you know. Candidates, qualified ones. Not resumes written in crayon. Real people who want to work. Imagine that LinkedIn gives you all the tools, deep insights and easy filtering. One place to manage everything. We even threw the little hashtag hiring frame on our profile picture. Doubled the number of applicants. Now we're part of that. 72% of small businesses that say LinkedIn helps them find high quality candidates. Post your job for free@LinkedIn.com dls that's LinkedIn.com dls to post your job for free. Terms and conditions apply. Don LeBatard.
Amin Elhassan
If Daniel Day Lewis did it, you'd be jerking off all over yourself.
Stugotz
Oh, come on. Yeah, I would be aggressive. Description.
Amin Elhassan
I mean, what is it? What is that? I'm just saying. What?
Stugotz
That's me. Daniel Day. Yeah. I see that photo of Daniel Day Lewis looking like Lincoln before he's about to start filming. Lincoln. And you know what I do? Amin stugats. I jerk off all over myself. That's what I do. Lincoln, who you outed the other day. Don't make this a rejoin. This is the Dan Levatar show with the stugats. What were the buttholes like over there? Tight.
Amin Elhassan
Yeah. You know, it's crazy. Again. No, because they didn't realize it was happening.
Stugotz
Yeah, it was.
Amin Elhassan
It was such a. If we were literally like. None of us. We were like, okay. Oh, the Pacers still hang around. Okay, all right. Okay. Well, because the other thing is, because it wasn't a collapse. Shay was getting to the free throw line. Shay was making shots. It was. Dude, literally, with three minutes ago. Whatever. When he makes that tough layup that we thought would have been an one but didn't call a foul, the guy next to me looks at me and says, that's some MVP right there. And I'm like, yeah, yeah. 38. The third highest debut of an NBA finals in NBA history. Like, there was no part of this that felt like it was no part of this that felt like, oh, they're blowing this. Oh, my God. And so when it happened, like, when Halliburton hit the shot, you know how I said the. The best sound in the world is Madison Square Garden when that kind of happens? It didn't sound like that, but it was getting there. It was like, wait a second, wait a second. Are we down? Like, it just hit them in that.
Stugotz
Moment, there was a pretty big moment in that game that we haven't talked about at all. And it ended up being the difference. I know Haliburn makes a shot, but they don't go ahead. Were not for the lane violation.
Amin Elhassan
Huge.
Stugotz
And dude, I don't understand this rule. I don't. Because that didn't look any different. I feel like there's a lane violation.
Tony
Second free throw.
Stugotz
Every second free throw. There's a wild spot to call that. It didn't look particularly egregious. And I know Halliburton hits a shot and he has the moment. And the comeback is such that people aren't going to identify that as a controversial point, nor should they. But let's, let's. Let's revisit that a little bit because that did not look super legit.
Amin Elhassan
I. Again, we never saw a replay.
Stugotz
I saw it on the TV broadcast. There was.
Jonathan Zaslow
Yeah, everybody was. Everybody was over the line on the replay. I was trying to figure out who it was.
Dan LeBatard
And everybody was.
Stugotz
It was mostly Pacers were in lockstep with OKC players expecting. Because Siakam has struggled from the stripe this season, this postseason. Everybody was anticipating the miss. How does it. How does it get blamed on okc? What'd you think of that call in that spot? I know you haven't seen a replay, so.
Amin Elhassan
Right.
Stugotz
I mean, if they called it, clearly on the replay, you see people cross and there's a lane violation. Yes, but it's one of those things. Honor amongst thieves. We don't call this.
Amin Elhassan
So. So first of all, the thing I was thinking about at the time was, oh, Siakam just missed two in a row in the fourth quarter of an NBA Finals game. Is this going to be his Nick Anderson moment? Like, like where, you know.
Tony
And he's just a terrible free throw shooter the rest of his career.
Stugotz
I mean, he's flirting with that.
Mike Ryan
So flat.
Amin Elhassan
It was. It was. So he looks.
Stugotz
He takes his hand off the ball on the release.
Amin Elhassan
He looks so tight. And I think the important thing to point out is if he were just like. If it were Benedict Matheran, we'd be like, oh, okay. But it's like, you're the guy who's been here. You' supposed to be. I'm the sage adult who's. Guys, I will show you the way. He looks so tight. Right? So he misses that second one. We get a lane violation. We didn't. I'm like, what? What happened? It's like lane violation. Really? Okay. And then he just gets back There. And he makes that one. That was huge. But I'm going to tell you the biggest GTFO moment. It was a Nem Heart three. Yes.
Stugotz
Dude.
Amin Elhassan
He dribbled, and I was like, what are you. What are you doing? What are you doing? What are you. What are you doing, kid? This is the NBA Finals. This ain't your game. And then he steps back and he launches that, and it drops. And I was like. I literally just said, oh, my God. Oh, my God. And then, you know, the funny thing is, he tried doing it, like, a couple possessions later, and he got an airball, But Siakam grabs the offensive rebound on that one. So there's a lot of these little moments. Again, it's crazy that Halliburton gets to be the hero when it was like all these other guys. It's Siakam. It was nemhard. It was topping Obi Toppin. Five to Obi Toppin. Kept them in this game.
Jonathan Zaslow
And he looked terrible.
Tony
It was so bad early.
Stugotz
He was wide open on Halliburton. Shot wide open. Give it to Hobie.
Tony
I mean, was there any moments in the game before the Halliburton? Make that. You said that Pacers are gonna go in this game.
Amin Elhassan
I said they're hanging around. I just kept saying they're hanging around.
Tony
No, you said, wow, Pacers are gonna.
Stugotz
Win 3/10 of a second.
Amin Elhassan
When. When. Yes, when Halliburton grabbed the rebound or whoever grabbed the rebound off the Shea miss, and they were dribbling up court. And when I pull. I pulled out my phone and said, let me start recording this. Wow. That's when I was like, I think they're actually going to win this game.
Stugotz
That's crazy. Carl Anthony Towns gets a lot of crap for changing his voice in. In certain interviews. There's something that happened with Tyrese Halliburton. I'll get your opinion on. Let's fire up that video here from the post game.
Chris Cody
Here's the thing is, like, we've had to win in so many different ways all year. We've had so many weird wins during the season, during the playoffs. So why would that change? Because we're here in the finals. It's not. It's not changing. So me and we just keep staying at it and just keep believing, and, you know, that's the result we get.
Dan LeBatard
He, like, turns into Patrick Mahomes there. The first, like, 10 seconds, he sounds like, Halliburton turns into Patrick Mahomes. And then for the last five seconds, I want to play this again. The last five seconds goes back to being Halliburton.
Chris Cody
Here's the thing is, like, we've had to win in so many different ways all year. We've had so many weird wins during the regular season, during the playoffs, so why would that change? Because we're here in the finals. It's not. It's not changing. So, you know, we just keep staying at it and just keep believing. And, you know, that's the result. We get.
Dan LeBatard
A phlegm situation.
Tony
Here's the thing. Yes, he changes his voice, literally, when he. When he says the word change.
Stugotz
Yeah, that's gotta be on purpose. I was thinking Flem, because this happens to Dan all the time in this scene. We're always like, clear your throat.
Amin Elhassan
Maybe he just ate.
Stugotz
But play one more time. If it's a phlegm situation, you'd hear him clear it. He keeps talking, and then the voice normalizes on its own. Equalizes. That's a brand new word that was recently invented. Can we hear that one more?
Dan LeBatard
Did it again.
Chris Cody
Here's the thing is, like, we've had to win in so many different ways all year. We've had so many weird wins during the regular season, during the playoffs, so why would that change? Because we're here in the finals. It's not. It's not changing. So, you know, we just keep staying at it and just keep believing, and, you know, that's the result we get.
Amin Elhassan
So Carl Anthony Towns. This is what I give credit to Halliburton. He has said, I know this happens. I don't know why. I don't realize when it's happening. But I. I have been told throughout my life that this happens. So Tyrese Halliburton, I give him credit for, like, at least owning up to it, whereas I don't think I've ever heard Towns address why sometimes he's. He's shouting out the guys at Rocco, yo, this is for the people.
Stugotz
Did you see the photos of him in the club after they got eliminated? I was rolling. He was doing all like that.
Amin Elhassan
Let them boys live, man. Like, what are they going to be sad? Like, yeah, all right.
Jonathan Zaslow
You're a millionaire.
Stugotz
No, no, no. I had with it. I only took issue with Cat's poses in the club. He's walking in slow motion.
Amin Elhassan
Mike, what would you. Would you want? No, Tax would be cool.
Stugotz
Like, no, he delivers on expectations every time, Cat.
Amin Elhassan
Yeah. Like, I'm like, yo, man, I'm all for yo. Just play into whatever character we've created for you. And then I was like, all right, now it's easy for us to kind of build, like, a narrative and kind of a thing about you, man. The same way, like, Haliburton, man. Like, yeah, he's a. Like, he's his father's son for sure. Let's just put it that way.
Mike Ryan
I mean, the Knicks can't hire Rick Brunson as their head coach, can they?
Amin Elhassan
No, I don't. And I don't think that's even an option that's on the table. Okay. Like, and I don't think, you know, I mean, I'm sure Rick wants to be a head coach in this league. I don't know if this is the situation he wants to do it in. I. I just. This is one of those things. It's weird. It's been a weird week, right? Well, of, like, obviously, Tibbs gets fired and then this report comes out and. And Izzy, we talked about this, but a reporter who's really not known speak their name. I'm not gonna do that. I don't need to. First of all, like, I don't need to do that, because why would I give that person any more shine? But second of all, it's irrelevant. Like, the point is, like, when you. When you. When you've been covering this sport for as long as you have, like me and Izzy have, you begin to realize there's a rhythm to news that comes out. And that rhythm is. There are certain names that, like, if Ian Begley had reported it, I'm like, oh, okay, wow. I didn't know that about how they felt about Rick Brunson. If, If James Edwards, if Fred Katz, if obviously, like, a national guy like Sam Amick or Mark Spears or Chris Haynes or. Or Shams. If any of those guys were the ones that reported, I'd be like, oh, wow, this guy, like, is notorious for not like, he's. He always comes out with the salacious stuff, and it's never founded anything, and it rarely ever comes true. So I'm like, I'm not listening to this. I'm not running with this. I think Rick. Rick, excuse me, Rick Brunson is going to be. Whoever is. Get hired next, is going to be the assistant coach for the next coach. It's one of the reasons why Izzy and I talked about this on a. On a Instagram video about. I think Johnny Bryant is going to be the next head coach of the New York Knicks. Part of that familiarity is like, yo, you know the staff already. You know a lot of these guys, obviously the players know you and so it's a lot more seamless than, say, bringing in Michael Malone or someone like that.
Stugotz
I mean, I. I'm sure you have reasons as to why you don't want to speak their name. I've been asking around. Do you know who he's talking about? I don't. I don't know. Who reported that? Who are you talking about? Who reported this?
Amin Elhassan
Cool. I'll text you guys later. But like, oh, it just.
Stugotz
Okay. I just. Izzy was the only person in the room. He just wrote it down for me. I got it. Okay.
Amin Elhassan
Yeah.
Stugotz
Cool. I'm driving the audience crazy right now by not revealing it.
Jonathan Zaslow
Another. Another question on the Rick Brunson front. I mean, do you think that if a new coach comes in, they obviously like to get their own stat. They like to get their own guys. And with. Even if it's not true, right? Even if the players in Rick Brunson, everybody is cool and everything's huggy dory. Like, don't you want, as a coach coming in be like, hey, I'm gonna bring my guys in. I don't need a retread from the previous administration. And even if it's Jalen's dad, like, that whole thing is weird, right?
Amin Elhassan
So. So, Tony, I'm a big proponent of if you hire a guy, you gotta let him hire the staff. That's not been the case in, like the last five, six years in the NBA. A lot of these teams are hiring a head coach. And by the way, here's your step. You can bring one guy, or you can bring two guys or whatever, or you can bring an assistant coach and a video coordina. A lot of teams are doing that. I'm not a fan of that. Having said that, I think if I were a new head coach and they said, I mean, you can hire anybody you want, I would absolutely want Rick Brunson on my staff. Because, number one, Rick's been around. He's a former player. He played for a long time. He was not a great player. He was a. He was a cerebral player. He's a guy who existed on his, like, know how, number one. Number two, obviously you don't want to start. Hey, franchise player. Nice to meet you. Yeah. Fired your pops. Get him out of here. Like, that's just a wild way to do it. I don't even think the team has to tell you to keep Rick Brunson. Anyone with a brain would know, let me keep one of the most influential guys to. In the ear of my best player around.
Tony
I mean, obviously, every Job in the NBA is good. It's. It's 1 out of 30 in the entire world. But right now, coming off of Thibodeau and the success that the Knicks have had the last few years, they've not had this type of success in a quarter century. Maybe the owner is the one who fired Dolan. Who the hell knows what's going on? Is that a good job, Zaz?
Amin Elhassan
I'll tell you like this, first of all, like, oh yeah, one of 30. But in a lot of these other markets, you come in and it's like, all right, we're going to give you, because we're still paying our last coach, we'll give you like a three year deal, our option on the fourth, and you're gonna make low money. The thing about the Knicks job that makes it great is they almost always give you a four to five year deal, right? Like think about Hornisette got that fizz. Derek Fisher got that. Like they all got like multi year deals and they never come in entry level. They're good money. So that alone is like, yes, I'll do it. It's a good team. And I think most importantly, it's a good locker room. There's not a lot. It's not like a wild ass locker room. It's not like, for instance, when I say a good locker, I'm not talking about like, oh, they're like Aaron Hernandez type going on. I'm just saying like, imagine going into Charlotte, for instance. They've got some talent, but it's like, these guys don't know how to win. A lot of these guys don't know even how to be professional. I got to teach all this stuff, right? Versus you come in here. These guys know like Bridges and Brunson and og. These guys are pros. They show up to work, they take care of what needs to be taken care of. All I have to do really is put them in a position to be successful. But I'm not gonna get like laziness. I'm not gonna get people late to practice or late to buses or late to shoot arounds. I'm not gonna get any of that kind of stuff. I just need to coach them on like strategy. What's our strategy, how we want to play. And so for that reason, I think it's actually a really good job. Plus the money, plus the guarantees. Plus you live in New York.
Mike Ryan
I mean, have you visited okc's cock ring? I'm sorry, no, you heard me right. Oklahoma City, they have this art installation in downtown and they call it the cock ring because it just says OKC and a bunch of different letters all over it, and it sort of forms a ring. And, you know, OKC is all the letters you need.
Dan LeBatard
The city calls it that.
Mike Ryan
You know, the fans. The mayor did have to address this last year because people have been talking, calling it what I just called it for the last, last several years. So you haven't visited it?
Amin Elhassan
Okay, no, yeah, I'm wearing it now. I don't know. Got it on right now. A little tight. Little tight.
Stugotz
That's the point. Someone saying. All right, so what's your prediction for the rest of this series? I'm gonna pin you down.
Amin Elhassan
Yeah, I, I, I had Thunder and five before, and I also said if the Pacers are going to win one, game one is their best shot, man.
Stugotz
Do you think that's what Thunder and five looks like?
Amin Elhassan
I don't think so. I mean, you reserve the right to pick. So this, this is, this is what, What a lot of people. It's funny, there are a lot of people last night who were like, oh, I don't know, now maybe the Pacers can win this thing. And my thing is game one always favors the underdog in the sense that the underdog has all this time to lead up, to find, like a gimmick or something that's going to be different, that's going to change how the favorite is approached once game one is in the books. Now we know, oh, that's what you guys are trying to do. Okay, we're gonna go back and make our adjustments. And now the underdog has to make their adjustments to the adjustments, and the Grant the grand dance begins. But that first game is the first unknown. Like, I don't know how they're gonna come out to guard us. I don't know how they're gonna try to attack us. I don't know what the strategy is going to be. So before the game, I was telling people, like, if they're gonna steal one, this is the one that they're gonna steal. But I think Oklahoma City, as they've shown time and time again in these playoffs, they're going to learn, they're going to adjust, and they're going to come back pretty harshly. I think we're going to get a great series, regardless whether it's five, whether it's six, whether the Pacers win, whether the Thunder win. I don't think it's going to be four blowouts and we're over, but I do think the Thunder going to win.
Stugotz
So did Jonathan Zasla. What was your prediction?
Tony
I'm the only person. I'm the only expert on ESPN.com who had thunder and for.
Stugotz
So how does that work with our Pacers fans already blowing you up? Because I know when. When the heat get doubted or.
Tony
Here's how it works. All right? Here's how it works. You got Everybody on that ESPN.com. thunder and five, thunder and six. How about you grow a pair? All right, so I had Thunder and four. That's right.
Jonathan Zaslow
How are that pair?
Tony
The pair is fine. I don't get everything right.
Stugotz
All right.
Tony
But how about you have a little guts?
Stugotz
Fine.
Tony
Anyone could say thunder and five, Thunder and six.
Mike Ryan
Cockering.
Amin Elhassan
See, now, here's. Here's where Zaz is, right? Right. If the Thunder end up winning this series, no one is going to go back and say, look at that doofus. He had thundered four. They really wanted him five or six.
Tony
That's right.
Amin Elhassan
But if the Thunder had swept.
Tony
I'm a legend.
Amin Elhassan
Guess who gets carried on the show. Exactly.
Tony
I know the games.
Mike Ryan
When did they start asking the radio personalities for them?
Amin Elhassan
I don't know, man.
Tony
But I was. I was happy to. I was happy to be a part of it.
Amin Elhassan
Come on.
Mike Ryan
I think they're running out of other staff.
Amin Elhassan
No offense. Oh, man.
Stugotz
Well, you gotta take a selfie from the cock ring today. I mean, it's. Okay. See, what else is there to do? You gotta. It just. I'm giving you an idea of something.
Mike Ryan
Just to prove it's real. Not that one.
Stugotz
Not the one.
Amin Elhassan
Oh, please. Yeah, but that's the one. That's the one. See, because. Because my hog is so massive.
Stugotz
That's what they're expecting. You gotta use it.
Amin Elhassan
Hog talk.
Mike Ryan
I did actually have a question. If you're going to hog, do thick wrists imply you have a beer can?
Dan LeBatard
I've always. You know, I'm just doing my own math over here.
Amin Elhassan
Real quick.
Dan LeBatard
I've always thought bone structure. Like, if you got, like, really thick legs.
Tony
My wrist, dainty.
Dan LeBatard
It'd be weird if it's really thin. Right? I mean, there's got to be some correlation.
Stugotz
Like a pencil. Go ahead.
Amin Elhassan
I mean, guys, before we get out of here, we have to do this. Where's Dan Lebatard? We need his tears. He said the Thunder were unstoppable.
Jonathan Zaslow
He's a Pacers fan.
Amin Elhassan
I mean, it's convenient that on the day that he was supposed to, like, when the Pacers won, that he's not in here. Oh, we have to ham it up. Because apparently whenever you miss a show, it's because you have tears. Remember that.
Stugotz
Look, as a small business, we don't get to clock out. Ever. We're always on nights, weekends, holidays. So when it came time to hire someone, we couldn't waste time. We needed help. Real help. Not Stugot's nose. A guy helped. We used LinkedIn jobs. And we'll be honest, we didn't expect it to be that easy. We posted the job for free. LinkedIn basically held our hand and wrote the description for us. Next thing you know. Candidates. Qualified ones. Not resumes written in crayon. Real people who want to work. Imagine that LinkedIn gives you all the tools. Deep insights, easy filtering. One place to manage everything. We even threw the little hashtag hiring frame on our profile picture. Doubled the number of applicants. Now we're part of that 72% of small businesses that say LinkedIn helps them find high quality candidates. Post your job for free@LinkedIn.com dls that's LinkedIn.com dls to post your job for free. Terms and conditions apply.
Jenna
Hey friends, it's Jerra Baer here and.
Amin Elhassan
I'm here to tell you all about.
Jenna
Boost Mobile, which is now a legit nationwide 5G network. So I must take a break from.
Dan LeBatard
The jokes here for a second and.
Jenna
Put on my serious voice. Because I would never, ever joke about a 5G network that has invested billions building 5G towers across the country. Not even once. Not even if Mr. Boost Mobile himself asked me to. There is nothing funny about it. Boost Mobile is now a legit nationwide 5G network and also provides coverage across 90 99% of America. Seriously? Visit boostmobile.com or your nearest Boost Mobile store location to learn more. The Boost Mobile network, together with our roaming partners, covers 99% of the US population. 5G speeds not available in all areas.
Podcast Summary: The Big Suey - "Dainty Hogs" (feat. Amin El Hassan)
The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz
Release Date: June 6, 2025
Introduction
In this episode of The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz, hosts Dan Le Batard and Stugotz, alongside guest Amin El Hassan, deliver an in-depth analysis of the first game of the NBA Finals between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Indiana Pacers. The discussion delves into game statistics, team strategies, player performances, historical NBA Finals upsets, and coaching legacies. The conversation is punctuated with the hosts' signature humor and banter, providing both insightful sports commentary and entertaining dialogue for listeners.
Game One Analysis: Thunder vs. Pacers
The episode kicks off with a detailed breakdown of Game One's pivotal moments and statistics that set the tone for the Finals series.
Turnovers and Rebounding:
Stugotz highlights significant statistics such as the Thunder committing 17 more turnovers and taking 16 fewer shots compared to the Pacers. He remarks, “...but that is probably a huge indicator that we got a real good series on our hands and Indiana can actually win this thing” (02:05).
Defensive Strategies:
Amin El Hassan explains the Thunder's perimeter-based defense, emphasizing their ability to switch and deflect the ball. He notes, “...any Pacer had the ball for more than a second, it was getting deflected or tipped away” (07:03), showcasing the Thunder's defensive prowess.
Clutch Performances:
A significant portion of the discussion centers around Pacers' Tyrese Halliburton's clutch performance. Stugotz poses the question, “Is Tyrese Halberton the most clutch player in Pacers history?” (09:16), leading to a comparison with legendary shooter Reggie Miller. Amin states, “...But if you want to be the most clutch in Pacers, play his playoff history, you got to do it again and again and again” (09:38), emphasizing the need for consistent postseason performances.
Historical NBA Finals Upsets
The conversation shifts to a comparative analysis of some of the most significant upsets in NBA Finals history, with a focus on Rick Carlisle's coaching legacy.
Ranking the Biggest Upsets:
Amin outlines his top upsets, placing the Pistons over the Lakers and the Mavericks over the Heat above the Warriors' defeat to the Cavaliers in 2016. He argues, “...the Pistons over Lakers because that Lakers team was such a... was such a machine” (14:06), positioning it as a more convincing upset compared to the Cavs' victory, which he attributes to injuries and strategic shortcomings.
Impact of Star Players and Injuries:
The discussion delves into the 2016 Finals where Draymond Green's injury and other factors contributed to the Warriors' loss. Amin reflects, “...there's a lot of things that led up to them losing that series” (14:19), highlighting the multifaceted nature of upsets.
Comparison with Current Finals:
Drawing parallels to the current Finals, the hosts examine whether the Thunder-Pacers matchup could establish a similarly memorable upset, considering the Thunder's historically strong performance during the regular season.
Critical Game Moments and Controversies
The hosts dissect specific moments from Game One that could influence the outcome of the series.
Lane Violation Controversy:
A debated call regarding a potential lane violation is discussed extensively. Stugotz questions, “I don't understand this rule... it was like lane violation. Really?” (26:20), expressing skepticism over the officiating decision that favored Halliburton's pivotal shot.
Defining Plays:
Amin recounts the critical moments leading to Halliburton's game-winning shot, noting, “...with three minutes ago...he makes that tough layup that we thought would have been one but didn't call a foul” (25:13). This play not only secured the game for the Pacers but also ignited widespread debate over officiating standards.
Coaching Legacy: Rick Brunson and the Knicks
The episode transitions to discussions about coaching dynamics and potential hirings within the NBA.
Rick Brunson's Legacy:
Amin explores the impact of Rick Brunson, citing his role in two of the greatest NBA Finals upsets. “...Rick Carlisle would be the head coach for two of the greatest NBA Finals upsets of all time” (11:00), questioning how future upsets might influence Brunson's coaching legacy.
Potential Knicks Hire:
The possibility of Rick Brunson being hired as the New York Knicks' head coach is deliberated. Amin expresses support, stating, “...if I were a new head coach and they said...I would absolutely want Rick Brunson on my staff” (36:08), highlighting Brunson's extensive experience and influence.
Light-Hearted Banter and Stadium Culture
Injecting their trademark humor, the hosts engage in a playful conversation about Oklahoma City's unique stadium aesthetic.
Final Thoughts and Series Predictions
Wrapping up the episode, the hosts share their predictions and reflections on the NBA Finals series.
Series Outlook:
Amin maintains his optimistic stance on the Thunder's chances, predicting a hard-fought series regardless of the outcome. “I think we're going to get a great series, regardless whether it's five, whether it's six, whether the Pacers win, whether the Thunder win” (38:58).
Host Predictions:
Tony humorously admits to his prediction of a Thunder sweep, while Amin counters with a more nuanced view, indicating the unpredictability of the Finals.
Conclusion
"The Big Suey: Dainty Hogs" episode delivers a comprehensive analysis of the NBA Finals' opening game, blending statistical insights with rich discussions on team strategies and player performances. The hosts' dynamic interplay, combined with Amin El Hassan's expert commentary, offers listeners both depth and entertainment. From dissecting pivotal game moments to reflecting on historical upsets and coaching legacies, this episode serves as an engaging resource for fans seeking a deeper understanding of one of basketball's most anticipated series.
Notable Quotes:
Stugotz on series potential: “...that's probably a huge indicator that we got a real good series on our hands and Indiana can actually win this thing” (02:05).
Amin on clutch performances: “...if you want to be the most clutch in Pacers, play his playoff history, you got to do it again and again and again” (09:38).
Amin ranking upsets: “I think it's more fun to rank the upsets” (11:25).
Stugotz on lane violation: “...if they called it, clearly on the replay, you see people cross and there's a lane violation” (26:48).
Tony on series prediction: “...all right, so how does that work with our Pacers fans already blowing you up?” (40:13).
This summary captures the essence of the episode, highlighting key discussions and providing timestamped quotes for reference. Whether you're catching up or reliving the episode, these insights offer a comprehensive overview of the Thunder-Pacers NBA Finals showdown.