← The Herd with Colin Cowherd
The Herd with Colin Cowherd
Hoops Tonight - LIVE: Jokic & Murray lead Nuggets over SGA's Thunder + Cavs smoke Pacers in big response
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- [00:00]
Host 1
You're listening to an iHeart podcast. AI is redefining what's possible for your business. With more unique challenges to solve and higher stakes than ever, Microsoft helps you stay ahead. Our trustworthy AI tools and guidance can empower leaders like you to drive greater impact. And with Azure's simplified platform management, we're helping businesses go further and faster by unlocking up to 150% improved output. Whatever challenges come next, let Microsoft help you keep pushing forward. For more details, visit Microsoft.com challengers T Mobile Stats are as impressive as your favorite athlete's highlight reel because T Mobile helps keep you connected from the heart of Portland to right where you are on America's largest 5G network switch. Now keep your phone and T Mobile will pay it off at the $800 per line via prepaid card. Visit your local T Mobile location or learn more@t mobile.com KeepAndSwitch up to four lines of a virtual prepaid card allowed 15 days qualifying unlocked device credit service report in 90 plus days device ineligible carrier and timely redemption required Card has no cash access and expires in six.
- [00:59]
Dan Flores
Months.
- [01:03]
Host 2
Men, if you're ready to reclaim your edge, listen up. I used to be held back by constant bathroom trips with multiple wake ups during my sleep and looking for restrooms whenever I was out. Then I discovered Better Man. After just two months I started experiencing fewer trips to bathroom, the less urge to go and I even slept through some nights. I feel a noticeable boost in my overall well being, even sexual stamina. It gives me the freedom and confidence to live life on my terms. Better man is clinically tested and trusted by thousands of men over 25 years ready to take back control. Go to be better now.com to order your supply today. That's be better now.com these statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Use is directed. Individual results may vary.
- [01:49]
Dan Flores
Why is a soap opera Western like Yellowstone so wildly successful? The American west with Dan Flores is the latest show from the Meat Eater Podcast Network. So join me starting Tuesday, May 6th where we'll delve into stories of the west and come to understand how it helps inform the ways in which we experience the region today.
- [02:11]
Host 1
Listen to the American west with Dan Flores on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
- [02:20]
Host 2
The volume Blending Vice's signature dynamic storytelling with the high octane world of sports, Vice Sports brings an exciting and diverse range of programming that goes beyond the game from action packed live events to gripping behind the scenes documentaries to hard hitting investigative pieces and in depth profiles of athletes, coaches, teams. Vice Sports captures the raw energy, drama and passion that makes sports truly unforgettable. Catch live events and other exclusive sports programs Only on Vice TV. Go to Vicetv.com to find your cable channel.
- [02:58]
Host 1
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New DraftKings customers bet $5 to get $200 in bonus bets Instantly make it a playoff run to remember with DraftKings. Download the DraftKings sportsbook app and use code HOOPS. That's H O o p S. That's code Hoops for new customers to get $200 in bonus bets. When you bet just five bucks only on DraftKings, the crown is yours. Gambling problem. Call 1-800-Gambler in New York. Call 877-8-HOPE NY or text Hopeny to 467369 in Connecticut. Help is available for problem gambling. Call 888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org Please play responsibly on behalf of Boot Hill Casino and Resort in Kansas. 21 plus. Age and eligibility varies by jurisdiction. Void In Ontario, new customers only. Bonus bets expire 168 hours after issuance. For additional terms and responsible gaming resources, see DKNG co Audio. All right, Wolfman Hoops tonight here at the volume. Happy Friday everybody. Hope all of you guys are having a great start to your weekend. The NBA playoffs have been very good to us this year as we continue to just get incredible night of Hoops after incredible night of hoops. The Cleveland Cavaliers go into Indiana and look like the Cleveland Cavaliers. For the first time in this series, we're going to be breaking that game down at the tail end of the show, but we're going to be starting with yet another classic between the Denver Nuggets and the Oklahoma City Thunder. Uh, we were joking. The guys and I were joking before we started the show. The Nuggets have now won probably the best game I've ever seen YIC play and the worst game I've ever seen YIC play in the same series, which was super fascinating. So many different angles to get into a bunch of guys for. Denver stepped up some really exciting stuff for Oklahoma City in their future, but then some of the classic concerns surrounding the team coming to the surface late in the game as their offense generates just 21 points in the last 17 minutes of the game. A lot of really ugly high ISO stuff. We're going to be breaking that down. We'll get into both of those games from the perspective of both teams. At the tail end of the show, we'll take about 10 minutes of questions from the chat, so make sure you guys in in the stream here. Subscribe to The Hoops Tonight YouTube channel. Drop your questions in there. We'll get to the chat at the tail end and then when we are done here tonight, we'll be heading over to playback for our after show. We have the link in the description here. It's just Playback TV Hoops Tonight. We'll be hanging out there for an extra half hour, 45 minutes or so, taking some questions. We can take callers, we'll watch some film. We'll take into a bunch of stuff in the after show. You guys know the drill before we get started. Subscribe to the Hoops Tonight YouTube channel so you don't miss any more of our videos. Follow me on Twitter at_jason lt so you guys don't miss show announcements. Don't forget about our podcast fee. Wherever you get your podcast under Hoops Tonight, it's also super helpful if you leave a rating a review on that front. Don't forget about our social media feeds, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, where Jackson's releasing content throughout the year. Make sure you guys subscribe or excuse me, follow us there. And last but not least, keep dropping those mailbag questions for the chat at the tail end of the show. So that was probably the worst Jokic game I've ever seen. Shades of the the Minnesota Timberwolves series last year where his jump shot completely leaves him. You know, I I thought Jokic made a concerted effort early in this game to try to hunt scoring opportunities. It kind of like became one of those things where at first he was hunting scoring cause he knew that was what his team needed. And then it became almost like a come hell or high water, I'm finding a way to make a jump shot. And he just, he just couldn't get one to go. And it. And it was, he was also just struggling making reads. OKC was bringing some baseline doubles and doing a good job gapping on the weak side in the two on one. And so Jokic was turning the ball over and getting himself into some trouble. He was struggling to finish around the rim. Smoked several shots at like point blank range right at the front of the rim. And yet here we are, Denver's up 2:1 in this series and in a really strong position. When you consider the fact that it's highly likely that Nicola Jokic has a massive bounce back type of game in game four, a very, very important game of this series. My guess is that whoever wins game four will win this series. And if Denver's going to win, they're going to need a much better effort from Jokic. That said, I want to give Yogic some credit. He wanted some defensive battles late, he won some rebounding battles late, and he did get two big buckets in ot. But I want to focus on a couple of other nuggets that I thought stepped up in a big way down the stretch of this game. First of all, Jamal Murray. As it became obvious that Jokic was not able to generate a quality look for himself, at least not one that he could knock down down the stretch of this game, Jamal Murray had to really hit the gas as a scorer and it wasn't always pretty. Again, like people, when you're playing against a defense like this, especially as a guard, it's not going to be pretty, it's not going to be super efficient. It's going to be a chore. Jamal Murray missed more shots than he made tonight. There were some ugly ones. He had a couple shots around the room. He had an airball layup, he had a spinning like he tried to like shoot a 360 layup in traffic that he kind of just threw into the bottom of the rim. They were difficult shots because there were a lot of late clock situations where he had to generate something. But then there were also situations where he was able to make something happen a little step back over Isaiah Hartenstein along the left baseline. Big threes. At a couple of points in this game, he would just found a way to Generate offense. He's been always a very gifted finisher in traffic too. A couple of nifty finishes right at the front of the rim. And then Aaron Gordon. There are so many players in the league this year that have just in this playoff run that have just been consistently great in the clutch over and over again. Tyrese Halliburton, Jalen Brunson. Aaron Gordon again, he's already had two game winners in this postseason run. Hits the three. That sends this to overtime and extends the game. I want to shout out Aaron Gordon defensively as well. He got cooked a little bit by J Dub at various points in the fourth quarter, but he was playing good defense. To his credit. He was hitting some tough contested shots and then he got several stops late when he needed to. And then I also have to shine the light on Christian Brown. I thought Christian Brown, you know, it's been interesting. There have been two stretches of this series where I feel like he's played good defense on Shay Gilgeous Alexander. Crunch time of game one. Crunch time of game three. Now, I think there's kind of a overarching theme there involving slow down half court basketball and we'll dive further into that concept a little bit later on in the show. But there was a stretch there in that third quarter where I'm like, he's just not doing a good enough job on Shay or J Dub. He's just getting beat to the spot over and over again at the point of attack. A lot of times he wasn't even offering any sort of physical contact or resistance until Shay or, or or J Dev were in the lane. He just wasn't doing a good enough job there in crunch time over and over again, beating Shay to the spot on multiple occasions, actually forcing Shay into trying to grip for fouls, which obviously wasn't going to work in this type of game. Late Christian Brown, to his credit, I talk about all the time. The playoffs are about solving puzzles. And while he struggled in the meat and potatoes of this series, there have been two pivotal stretches where he's been able to get multiple stops against Jay Gilders. Alexander solving the puzzle in that sort of situation. And honestly guys, like if we zoom out on this series, it's a whole lot of OKC outplaying Denver and Denver just pulling these games out late. And there's two different ways to look at that. Right there's the obvious fact that Oklahoma City is very, very good and that they're going to be very difficult to put out of their misery. This is not a oh, you're up two one. You're in control. This is they win game four, that thing's going back to Oklahoma City. You're probably not winning this series. So, like, everything still hangs in the balance. But the flip side to look at that is there's a lot of opportunity for Denver to play better. I thought Oklahoma City outworked Denver tonight. I thought they played with more force throughout the games tonight. They got, Denver got demolished on the glass again, giving up 18 offensive rebounds. If you. They only got five offensive rebounds. And if we go back, because even further back into, into Game two, they didn't have much success on the offensive glass relative to Game one in that game either. They had more, more rebounds offensively in Game one than they did in Game two in Game three combined. And so OKC is like completely flipped the script on the whole Jokic dominating inside dynamic. They flipped the script on the whole offensive rebounding dynamic. They've taken the two, arguably the two biggest advantages that Denver has in this series and they've flipped them in their direction as Jokic has been pretty bad the last two games and they haven't been able to do much damage on the offensive glass. And so again, there's two ways to look at that. There's OKC has clear advantages that they're showing and, and then there's this obvious fact that Denver can play much better. Denver is capable of doing more physical damage on the glass than they've been doing. Jokic is obviously capable of playing a lot better. I talked about this after game two. The advantages for the two teams are pretty clear, right? Like for okc, it's dribble penetration. They are, they are dominating these games in the meat and potatoes. Just in those semi transition pushes with Shay and J Dub quickly, within like the first, you know, seven to ten seconds of the shot clock, getting deep dribble penetration and then everything really cascading from there. All of a sudden you're drawing tons of helpers, which is putting your defense in rotation. OKC it outside of crunch time in the series is pass the ball very well. They're moving the ball out of those dribble penetration situations as Denver's rotating. OKC is getting offensive rebounds because guys aren't matched up box out because they're in rotation. There's a lot of damage that Oklahoma City is doing early in, early in possessions with their dribble penetration that is trickling down to all of these other elements of the game. And for Denver, their advantage is very clearly the size with Jokic on the interior and their ability to contend on the offensive glass. And what's crazy is for the most part throughout this series, OKC has done a better job of leveraging their advantages. But Denver, over and over again, as long as they're within striking distance late, has been the better half court team. And that's where we got to dig into it a little bit deeper. So J Dub had a beautiful game tonight. I thought he was in command of the floor, moved the ball well on ball and off ball, scoring, good on ball playmaking. J Dub had a great game, but once again when things got slowed down, when things really slowed down late in the game, those semi transition opportunities aren't there. The I've got ahead of steam because I started my drive out 50ft from the basket and Christian Brown's picking me up at the foul line. That's not there anymore. It's slow down, it's a knockdown, drag out half court fight. And in those situations in both games in game one and game two, it's turned into a lot of high isos. A lot of high isos for J Dub, a lot of high isos for Shea, a lot of tough in traffic contested shots in the middle of the floor, not a lot of kickouts. How many times did you see a kick out out of those clutch situations for the Thunder? They're not there. So similarly to game one, Denver was consistently able to offer late help there. A lot of these shots are being shot over double teams over late secondary contests. Just a lot of traffic in the middle of the floor. Whereas with Denver there's like a solid two man game taking place in the middle of the floor where you don't know where it's going to go. It might be Jamal running action and looking for something from the three point line, something in the mid range. It might be Jokic in the pocket, it might be Jokic in the post. Oh, you overplayed Jokic on a roll and left Aaron Gordon wide open in the left corner. He's going to hit a three to burn you and tie the game. There's more variety, there's more consistency. There is a better, more reliable clutch offense for Denver in this series. And so that's really where this is going to swing. I think if it's close in Game 4 late, Denver's going to win and they're probably going to win the series. Oklahoma City does have a pathway though with their speed, with their defense to build margin against this team. It's kind of similar to the way I felt about the Clippers series. There's just not a team in the league that's going to be able to execute the way Denver does in the half court latent games. They're just the very best at it. You know, I, I used to, you know, I have a lot of like random basketball debates with my friends who cover different teams around the league. And I remember Samus Fandiari, who covers the warriors. He texted me once after the Lakers lost that regular season game, the late regular season game, the first Luka Doncic game against the warriors. And he goes, he just said to me, he goes, like, I love it when teams go small ball against the warriors because just no one's ever going to play small ball as well as we do. And it's such a simple idea, but it's so true because the warriors have been doing the Draymond at center thing literally since 2014. Like they've been doing it over a decade. They have every detail of that style of game down pat. Same thing goes for Denver. You're just not going to beat them in the clutch. When you do, it's bizarre. What was the, the game they lost to the Clippers? You had Aaron Gordon missed a wide open dunk right under the rim. I can't remember what mistake Yokich made, but Yokich made a big mistake down the stretch of that game. They just, that was like the exception. Every other time you end up in these close games against Denver, I've been up, I've been on the wrong side of this, guys. I've rooted for the Lakers the last couple of years. So, like, they are just completely indomitable in a tie game with five minutes left. It's, it's one of the crazier things I've seen in my time following the league. And they just got it done again tonight against Oklahoma City. And like, there's obvious the main thing if you're looking at it from OKC standpoint, in the way that they can try to avoid that slowdown environment. Can't change the way you play. Can't change the way you play. Change just because it slows down late. Especially when you're going against Denver. You gotta keep pushing in transition. You gotta attack early in possessions, you gotta move the ball. A good semi transition drive that kicks leads to an advantage. Yeah, you're right. You're gonna have to count on somebody like a Lou Dort to drive a closeout, but you're gonna start the engine. And your speed is such an advantage when you're in motion when there's ball and player movement against this team. But when you just stare down Jamal Murray in an ISO at the top of the key and you can gap into driving lanes, it's just an easier thing for Denver to deal with. You're playing into their style of game and so that's going to be the main thing that they're going to have to flip again moving forward in the series. I left game two feeling coin flip, slight edge, okc. Now at game three, I'm coin flip, slight edge, Denver. Denver will be likely. I'm not even sure what the line is in game four. I haven't looked yet, but I give Denver a slightly better than a coin flip chance of winning game four at home. And if they win that game, I think they're going to win the series because all of a sudden OKC has to win three games in a row and Denver just has the best player in the world on the team. And it can go either way. But I mean, you gotta be kicking yourself if you're a Thunder fan because you played well enough to win all three of these games and you're down to one in this series. And like, I've gotten into this argument a lot with a bunch of people and like, I want to be clear. This series is not over. I would not be the slightest bit surprised if Oklahoma City won this series. And with the way Boston's playing, guys, you could talk me into Oklahoma City right now being the most likely team to win the championship. So this is not some sort of big sweeping Oklahoma City's bad kind of take. But I've been, I've been preaching this all year. The team full of early 20 year olds that's going to play way harder than everybody in the regular season, that's going to put up dramatic statistical markers that are going to do things like Jackson. What was the odds before it was minus 600 after. Minus. Yeah, after game one when Denver won, OKC was minus 600 to win the series. Like the odds are being fed by these numbers. And it's everyone, it's breaking everybody's brain. Greatest net rating in NBA history and all this kind of stuff. And all year long I've said, yeah, they're, they're awesome. But young basketball players, I've been preaching this for years. What are young basketball players? What is the behavior of young basketball players? They struggle to have success and then replicate it, and they struggle to have failure, identify it and avoid it. Veteran basketball teams have succeeded and failed so many times. That when they identify success as they hammer it and when they see failure, they quickly identify it and they remove it from their diet. They trim the fat. That is the difference between grown ass men playing basketball and dudes in their early 20s. And again, that does not mean OKC can't win the series. I wouldn't be the least bit surprised if they won game four one, Game five, won game six, beat the shit out of Minnesota, went into the finals and beat Boston or New York or Indiana or Cleveland or whoever it is that comes out. I would not be surprised. But they are vulnerable. And they are vulnerable because when they get into these situations they are young and inexperienced in the veteran older team who's been here a million times is very comfortable in these settings. And they have lost two games that they should have won in this series. And so like that's, that's, that is why like the next time this happens, the next time we see a team full of early 20 year olds that wins 60 something games and dominates in the regular season. That is why I bring this talking point up. It is not a attempting to prevent them from getting the shine they deserve. It is simply just something I've learned from a long time watching basketball. The older veteran teams are just way more comfortable in adversity than the younger basketball teams. And maybe this will be the lesson, maybe this will be the one that triggers it. Maybe they beat the Thunder six times in this, or maybe they beat the Nuggets six times in the series. But I just think it's a really fascinating concept. The Thunder were torching the Nuggets with a high variety attack. Moving the ball, driving kick, hitting cutters, hitting shooters and then they went brain dead late in the game and played high ISO because that's the kind of thing that can happen with a young basketball team. In those sorts of settings, AI is redefining what's possible for your business. Are you up to the challenge? Microsoft is helping leaders like you get AI ready faster with unified data and simplified platform management unlocking up to 150% improved output. Cross industries leaders are turning to Microsoft's AI tools and guidance to rise to the challenge. For the NBA that means using AI powered insights to deliver more personalized fan experience from for BMW, it means innovating their development process safely and securely. And for LEGO House, it means creating new interactive experiences for people to explore. With Microsoft's trustworthy AI tools and guidance, you can drive greater impact. 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- [23:33]
Host 2
If you're ready to reclaim your edge, listen up. I used to be held back by constant bathroom trips with multiple wake ups during my sleep and looking for restrooms whenever I was out. Then I discovered Better Man. After just two months, I started experiencing fewer trips to the bathroom, less urge to go, and I even slept through some nights. I feel a noticeable boost in my overall well being, even sexual stamina. It gives me the freedom and confidence to live life on my terms. Better Better man is clinically tested and trusted by thousands of men over 25 years, ready to take back control. Go to be betternow.com to order your supply today. That's be betternow.com these statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Use as directed.
- [24:17]
Host 3
Individual results may vary Made for this Mountain is a podcast that exists to empower listeners to rise above their struggles, break free from the chains of trauma and silence the negative voice that have kept them small. Through raw conversations, real stories and actionable guidance, you can learn to face the mountain that is in front of you.
- [24:35]
Host 4
You will never be able to change or grow through the thing that you refuse to identify. The thing that you refuse to say. Hey, this is my mountain. This is the struggle. This is the thing that's in front of me. You can't make that mountain move without actually diving into that.
- [24:48]
Host 3
May is Mental Health Awareness Month, a time to conquer the things that once felt impossible and step boldly into the best version of yourself to awaken the unstoppable strength that's inside of us all. So tune into the podcast, focus on your emotional well being and climb your.
- [25:02]
Host 4
Personal mountain because it's impossible for you to be the most authentic you. It's impossible for you to love you fully if all you're doing is living to please people. Your mountain is that.
- [25:12]
Host 3
Listen to Made for this mountain on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
- [25:19]
Dan Flores
The American west with Dan Flores is the latest show from the Meat Eater Podcast Network. Hosted by me writer and historian Dan Flores and brought to you by Velvet Buck, this podcast looks at a West available nowhere else. Each episode I'll be diving into some of the lesser known histories of the West. I'll then be joined in conversation by guests such as Western historian Dr. Dr. Randall Williams and best selling author and Meat Eater founder Stephen Rinella.
- [25:50]
Host 2
I'll correct my kids now and then where they'll say when cave people were.
- [25:53]
Host 1
Here, and I'll say it seems like the Ice Age people that were here didn't have a real affinity for caves.
- [25:59]
Dan Flores
So join me starting Tuesday, May 6, where we'll delve into stories of the west and come to understand how it helps inform the ways in which we experience the real region today.
- [26:11]
Host 1
Listen to the American west with Dan Flores on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. All right, let's move on to Cavs Pacers Donovan Mitchell just logged back to back 40 point games in the playoffs for the Cleveland Cavaliers for the first time since LeBron James did so in the 2016 NBA Finals. Finally got his three point shot going a little bit. He was 2 for 18 in the first two games, but he got several clean catch and shoot looks that helped him build that rhythm. He got one on the left wing in transition, a couple ones on like other trans sequences. Just those easy catch and shoot threes are great ways to build rhythm as a three point shooter. He actually hit five in this game and he was able to go to one of his patented step backs. After the Pacers cut the lead down to 11 in the early fourth quarter, it was kind of like it felt like one of those Pacers runs was coming. He had a huge step back three that kind of stymied them, brought it back to 14. They never got that close again. That that three point shot is a big piece of it because especially when you're in a high volume offensive role like he was before Garland got in the series. And even now with Garland being in kind of a smaller, he's just leaned on for so much offensively and if you can step into threes and knock them down, it's such a great way to provide scoring without having to like really exert yourself physically. But we gotta emphasize the job he was doing athletically. Donovan's moving probably like he's always been an elite athlete, but it looks to me like he's moving as well as ever and he's having these insane contact finishes in this series where he's like, it's almost like he gets that first angle and then he just pops off the ground and just improvises like he pops off the ground and then the ball just starts windmilling around at all these different angles and then he finds a finishing angle to get a shot off, whether it's like below the rim scoop or it's he shoots like a really Soft, almost like floater layup that he'll get a lot of really good rolls on right at the front of the rim. I just thought he was fantastic tonight as he goes for a second consecutive 40 point game. Streuss had his second consecutive 20 point game. Little bit of everything. Open catch and shoot, jump shots, contested catch and shoot, jump shots, cutting, driving, closeouts, running second side action, you know, big transition dunk there. In the fourth quarter, Darius Garland came back and like he was a little rusty, but you could just tell how much it greases the wheels for the offense. He brings the ball up with pace, hits some sort of action early in the possession, and usually we'll get the defense in rotation. And again, look beyond the box score. The Cavs logged a 1:35 offensive rating tonight when Darius Garland was on the floor. But what I want to zoom in on tonight is the defensive end for the Cavs, because this is what I thought was the ultimate, like, kind of revealing thing that came out of this game. We knew that the Cavs could score in this matchup. Donovan's been pretty comfortable all series. Obviously, even down bodies, they were in position to win game two. But one of the things we talked about after game two is like their defense got cut to pieces in game one. And yeah, they came out in the first quarter of game two and they held the Pacers down. But then for three straight quarters after that, they gave up at least 34 points. They hadn't had any sort of sustained success defensively against Indiana. Tonight, they finally did. They held him to just 38 points total in the second and fourth quarters combined when they built the first big lead and when they put the game away. So another way of looking at it is this was the first time the Cavs had some defensive success against the Pacers. So let's talk about how there's three concepts that I want to get into. One, the denial of Tyrese Halliburton. Two, the zone defense that worked tonight. And then three, the job that Evan Mobley and Jared Allen did on the back line tonight. So the denial of Halliburton. This has been the Cavs game plan the entire series started in game one with Sam Merrill. They just, in the early part of that game, didn't take the ball out of the net enough times for them to be able to do it as effectively. But basically what they're doing is just trying to prevent Tyrese Halliburton from ever having the basketball. So any made basket or defensive rebound, whoever is closest to Halliburton, will just run up and basically hug him, like position themselves directly between Halliburton and the ball and just not let him go get it. Then on any ball screen action, they're coming up super aggressive and high to get him to get rid of the ball if he ever does get the ball. So like Tyrese will just sometimes like just do a little shove off move. He'll get the ball, they'll run a ball screen, they'll just immediately get the ball out of his hands. And it's worked to varying degrees in this series. In game one, they tried Merrill on him and Halle still got into a rhythm and he was still great. Game two, they switched truce onto him and it worked much better. But then they lost control of Halberton late in the game. You could tell the difference between Streuss and Merrill Stru when he's kind of like bear hug denying Halliburton, he's just stronger. So when Halliburton tries to shed him through that off ball contact, he's just having a harder time than he did on Sam Merrill. But it succeeded in a big way tonight in game three, and it succeeded in that. It just killed his aggression. After taking 15 shots in game one, he's taken just 19 shots total in the last two games. Took only eight shots tonight. Finished with just four points and five assists. Couple things, you can tell that even when he has the ball, he's rushing, he's missing reads that he doesn't usually miss and he's not looking to be aggressive to score. So the game plan is working. It's psyching Halliburton out. We'll talk about Halliburton and how he can adjust to that later. But that's the first piece of how the Cavs are finally getting some defensive success against Indiana. Denying Tyrese Halliburton the basketball whenever they can. The second piece of it was his own defense we saw tonight. The second quarter, with about 11 minutes left, the game was tied at 34. The Cavs ran 15 possessions of a 3, 2 zone. We'll get into that concept here in a minute. The Pacers scored just seven points on those 15 possessions of zone. By the end of the second quarter, the Cavs were up by 21 points. So from a tie game to a blowout, in large part because the Pacers couldn't score against the zone. Now, a three, two zone is very different from a two, three zone. A two, three zone is built around taking away the rim. And usually if you move the ball well against it you'll get wide open, catch and shoot threes. Essentially you have the middleman whose responsibility it is to cover the basket. And depending on the scheme, up to the elbows. So like anybody who catches in the middle, sometimes the middle guy will cover that. Sometimes different zones will use different guys to cover that when they want to keep someone at the basket. Like we saw Houston in games when they weren't playing Steph Curry, they would have Stephen Adams just sit right underneath the basket in their zone. But a three, two zone is very different because in a two, three zone, the other four guys are splitting the remainder of the three point line, right? But in a three, two zone, both of the bottom guys. So again, there's three guys up top, guy on the top guy on the wings, two guys that are on the bottom. Both of those bottom guys are actually responsible for the corner. So as a result, all five players have responsibility at the three point line. And with the way that the Cavs were doing it too, it's kind of similar to what Houston was doing in the sense that like as ball and player movement would occur, guys would be willing to change spots to make the whole thing function. But there are opportunities against a 3, 2 zone in the interior that are not there against the outside. And it just flummoxed Indiana early in the game. They did do much better in the second half. They scored 11 points in just nine possessions against the 3 2. So they did have some success there. The main thing they started doing is two things. One, high ball, screens. They started just screening the top man and having that man roll into the middle of the floor. So they were able to get some pocket passes into the middle of the floor. They also got like a deep seal for Thomas Bryant on a play where they had a shooter in one corner that occupied one of the low men. And then they had Thomas Bryant just seal the other low man. So it created a very big passing window. They were able to throw him the ball and he got a big dunk. So they kind of figured it out in the second half. And I don't think we're going to see a ton of that zone moving forward. I think we'll see it a little bit here and there, but again, as I often talk about, zone defenses are not meant to like permanently flummox NBA teams. If they do, you stick with it. And we'll see that from time to time. Like you'll see long stretches of it, like saw it a lot today. You'll see it, you know, like in what was a game Six against the. The warriors when the Rockets ran a bunch of their zone. But, like, it's primarily, its primary purpose is to just disrupt rhythm. Oh, you're used to playing this way. Well, how about we just, you know, throw a giant wrench in things and make you play a very different style of basketball? And it worked for 15 possessions in the second quarter. It threw the Pacers out of whack. Yeah, they eventually figured it out, but it didn't matter because they were already down 21 at that point. So, like, just this is why, like, when I talk about with coaches mixing up coverages, like, you can't just run the same damn thing every time. You got to do something that just kind of disrupts the flow. It's like you can't just, you know, run high drop 10 possessions in a row, then low drop 10 possessions in a row in a. In an adjustment. A lot of time, the best coaches will mix in various different coverages multiple times in the same quarter just to keep a. An offensive player or an entire offense off balance. The third piece of it, Evan Mobley and Jared Allen. Multiple efforts at the rim. Defensively, those two guys were pretty rough in Game 1, and they've had their playoff moments where they haven't been very good defensively over the years, but I thought they were amazing tonight. This Indiana Pacers team applies so much rim pressure with their speed, and they're just in a lot of positions. In a lot of times, they're expected to be in multiple places at once, step up and contest a driver, then recover to someone at the basket. They forced a bunch of misses at the rim or near the rim for the Pacers tonight with their activity. All three of those guys just did a really. Or excuse me, all three of those factors, I should say. Mobley and Allen on the back line. The zone defense. The denial of Halliburton finally had some sustained success slowing down Indiana's offense, which I thought was the main takeaway from tonight's game. And then for the Pacers moving forward, Tyrus Halliburton's got to find a way to get involved. The opportunities are still there. When he is aggressive to the ball, he can still get a catch. He can shed the deny. Then once they get up the floor, he's rushing. Against the blitzes, he's usually so comfortable. He's like rushing that pass and not putting it in a place where they can quickly compromise the defense. He missed two floaters early in the game, one where he got blocked and one where he missed it. Long and on both of them there were kick out reads but he's like rushed. You can tell like this is legitimately just kind of getting him out of sorts. And so some of this is like Haliburton just needs to take a deep breath, understand the coverage and what it's doing and find a way to be impactful anyway. Meaning like overcome that circumstance. We talked about shedding the, shedding the deny and still looking to be aggressive making the proper reads. There's also when you're being face guarded, that guy is most likely not going to help as a script on a screening action. I would like to see Carlisle really be aggressive with Halliburton as a screener in game four to try to just generate some openings for him there. If he sets good screens, Streuss will have no choice but to help. If Streuss doesn't help if he sets a good screen then there's an opportunity for someone to drive downhill. Just I would just run a bunch of Siakam Halliburton inverted pick and roll and just try to get Siakam going downhill or get Streuss off of Halliburton with a slower defender on Halliburton so that he can get going with the with the dribble. But your offense is predicated on Tyrese and his advantage creation and right now he's all out of whack and you got to find a way to get that right. AI is redefining what's possible for your business. Are you up to the challenge? Microsoft is helping leaders like you get AI ready faster with unified data and simplified platform management, unlocking up to 150% improved output across industries. Leaders are turning to Microsoft's AI tools and guidance to rise to the challenge. For the NBA, that means using AI powered insights to deliver more personalized fan experience. For for BMW, it means innovating their development process safely and securely. And for Lego House, it means creating new interactive experiences for people to explore. With Microsoft's trustworthy AI tools and guidance, you can drive greater impact. Business leaders Microsoft surveyed saw an average of 3.7 times ROI per $1 invested in generative AI. Whatever challenge comes next, let Microsoft help keep pushing you forward. For more details, visit Microsoft.com challengers men.
- [38:54]
Host 2
If you're ready to reclaim your edge, listen up. I used to be held back by constant bathroom trips with multiple wake ups during my sleep and looking for restrooms whenever I was out. Then I discovered better man. After just two months, I started experiencing fewer trips to the bathroom, less urge to go and I even slept through some nights. I feel a noticeable boost in my overall well being, even sexual stamina. It gives me the freedom and confidence to live life on my terms. Better man is clinically tested and trusted by thousands of men over 25 years ready to take back control. Go to be betternow.com to order your supply today. That's be better now.com these statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Use is directed.
- [39:38]
Host 3
Individual results may vary Made for this Mountain is a podcast that exists to empower listeners to rise above their struggles, break free from the chains of trauma and silence the negative voice choices that have kept them small. Through raw conversations, real stories and actionable guidance, you can learn to face the mountain that is in front of you.
- [39:56]
Host 4
You will never be able to change or grow through the thing that you refuse to identify. The thing that you refuse to say. Hey, this is my mountain. This is the struggle. This is the thing that's in front of me. You can't make that mountain move without actually diving into that.
- [40:08]
Host 3
May is Mental Health Awareness Month, a time to conquer the things that once felt impossible and step boldly into the best version of yourself, to awaken the unstoppable strength that's inside of us all. So tune into the podcast, focus on your emotional well being and climb your personal mountain.
- [40:24]
Host 4
Because it's impossible for you to be the most authentic you. It's impossible for you to love you fully if all you're doing is living to please people. Your mountain is that.
- [40:33]
Host 3
Listen to Made for this mountain on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.
- [40:40]
Dan Flores
The American west with Dan Flores is the latest show from the Meat Eater Podcast Network. Hosted by me, writer and historian Dan Flores and brought to you by Velvet Buck, this podcast looks at a West available nowhere else. Each episode I'll be diving into some of the lesser known histories of the West. I'll then be joined in conversation by guests such as Western historians, Dr. Randall Williams and best selling author and meat Eater founder Stephen Rinella.
- [41:10]
Host 2
I'll correct my kids now and then where they'll say when cave people were here.
- [41:14]
Host 1
And I'll say it seems like the.
- [41:16]
Host 2
Ice Age people that were here didn't.
- [41:18]
Host 1
Have a real affinity for caves.
- [41:20]
Dan Flores
So join me starting Tuesday, May 6th where we'll delve into stories of the west and come to understand how it helps inform the ways in which we experience the region today.
- [41:32]
Host 1
Listen to the American west with Dan Flores on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. All right, for about 10 minutes before we get outta here, we're gonna take some questions from the chat. We're gonna bring Jackson up on stage.
- [41:45]
Jackson
Let's do it. First question is about Shay Gilgis Alexander, who also had a bit of a stinker tonight. Do you believe that SJ can solve the puzzles against elite slash smart defenses? Slash. What is he actually struggling with so far in this series?
- [42:00]
Host 1
You know, it's interesting because I feel like J Dub has been more the player that has been like the get the defense in rotation guy. He's bringing a lot of downhill force, he's moving the ball quickly through action, and it feels like Shay is more leaning on his shot making in this series. That said, I did think there were sequences in this game where he passed the ball. Well, it was mostly in that late game sequence where he just completely went away from the player movement. Also secondarily, I thought that he and, you know, Jackson, you and I were talking about this texting while the game is still going, but he kind of got into like the foul baity thing late against Christian Brown and like, that just wasn't the right approach in that sort of situation. Especially since, like, he hit some shots. Like there was a Shay and J Dub kind of had a nice shot making fourth quarter there. There were like five or six, like, pretty tough jump shots that those dudes hit. But in general, the two of them, you know, we, we talked about this a lot on the show. Like there's a flow of the game piece that comes from a ball handler. Like you've got to be in charge of the flow of the game. And when you've got Chad Holmgren on the floor, you got to find a way to keep him involved in those late game sequences when, like, you, like, you've just got to keep that flow, keep that motion late in games. And that's the main thing is in both of these games that they've lost, Shay has kind of hijacked things into a slow, high ISO attack. And I just don't think it's been the right move.
- [43:24]
Jackson
Yeah, I agree. It does feel like they're in. They're choosing to. To drag the pace of it down at the end of the possession, at the end of the games. Why? Why are they doing that? They don't need to do that. That's not where they have advantages. Why are you. Why, why Isoche against Christian Brown, who, you know, who isn't a perfect defender, but is their best defender for Shay. Why not involve Jokic in the pick and roll? Why not try to do something on the second side? It seems like from a strategic standpoint, whether it's coaching or Shay, they're, they're. It seems like they're intentionally putting themselves in tougher spots.
- [43:59]
Host 1
No, they absolutely are. It's a, there's a very difficult way to play basketball. Trust me. I figured this out with the, with the Lakers this year. You know, like, everyone keeps wondering, like, what's going on? Like, why is it that Golden State is causing so many more problems for Minnesota? And it's like, here's the thing. I've watched Luca before do this spam heliocentric thing and I've seen it work, but it hasn't worked in a championship context. And really the only player ever in NBA history that's won a championship with a heliocentric style is LeBron James. And even then he became a very good off ball player. Played off of Kyrie Irving and that sort of thing. And he's probably the most conditioned athlete in the history of the sport. So, like, they're. That's an exception. The truth is that's just a really hard way to play basketball. It's a really hard way to play basketball, to hunt matchups in the middle of the floor, especially against these elite defenses. That, and that's the thing, like even Denver, a weaker defense that doesn't have elite defensive personnel can have success when you become predictable with the way that you attack, especially when the physicality is allowed. And so it's like ultimately the way they need to approach these late game situations is through the scale, through the scope of advantage creation. So if they're just going to switch any action with Shay and J Dub and, or Dort, for instance, bring up Jokic into the screening action, find a way to get the defense in rotation and play the driving kick style that was actually giving you the success you were having throughout the rest of the game.
- [45:35]
Jackson
Yeah, 100%, sort of. On this note, can you evaluate. Question is, can you evaluate Mark Dagenault after fouling early in the game in game one? And then tonight he had the weird challenge. He didn't call timeout at the end of the fourth quarter and then he started overtime with Chet on the bench where. How do you feel like he's handled the series so far?
- [45:55]
Host 1
I don't necessarily have an issue with the, the lack of the time out there because J Dub, it's kind of a similar concept to what, what you do with Tatum on that game winning attempt in the second Knicks game, in that situation, you're going high ISO. Obviously that's the game plan. That's what they were doing. And there's something to be said about like, dad needs to do a better job of kind of like orchestrating the offense from the sideline and being like, hey guys, if we do this, we're playing directly into their hands. But like, I thought where they went wrong on that possession is they gave the ball to J Dub on the inbound and then J Dub gave the ball to Shay. And like, even though Shea hit a couple of shots in that stretch, I thought J Dub had a better matchup and was in better rhythm. And so that was where it got weird. But you know, in a lot of these situations, you know how it is with me guys. Like when it comes to on court decision making, I primarily focus on the players, right? The, the challenge piece, the, the Chet Holmgare piece. Chet wasn't involved in the offense at all at that point in the game. So like I, I kind of see where he's, he's probably just thinking I want to get an extra like perimeter defender on the floor in that situation. Especially since Jamal Murray was attacking the way that he was attacking at that point in the game. I'm just not going to be as on the coach for the decisions the players are making on the floor, if that makes sense. But yeah, Mark does need to do a good job in the off day here of expressing to his team how they need to change their approach when they end up in these late game situations.
- [47:31]
Dan Flores
For sure.
- [47:31]
Jackson
Next question. What does Minnesota have that OKC is seemingly unable to replicate against Denver? It seems like OKC has more weapons and talent and skill almost across the board. Is it just go Bear. What's the. Why does Minnesota seem to have Denver's number?
- [47:45]
Host 1
Compare compared to size, Minnesota is substantially bigger than Oklahoma City. Substantially bigger. It was like Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. And all these guys, all of their individual matchups are several inches taller than what you have in the OKC matchup. It's just, there's also a frontline depth piece. Like it's all Hartenstein and Chet. You had a steady diet of Carl, Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert and Nas Reed in that series. They were just cycling bigs in to just beat the shit out of yic. But like, I mean the other thing too is like the, there is a little bit of a rim pressure piece with Ant that is very different than the Rim pressure piece you get from even Shay and J Dub like ant cut Denver to pieces in that series. And like even in Game 7 when he wasn't putting up the big numbers necessarily, like efficiency wise in that second half, he was in attack mode and he was getting that defense in rotation consistently. And like there's a little bit of like when this game slowed down, it's like, oh wait, J Dub is an elite athlete, but he's not like ant athlete. And Shay's an elite athlete but he's not like ant athlete. And they can actually kind of manage that dynamic a little bit better. But I just. The simple answer to your question is just that Minnesota's defense is substantially bigger than Oklahoma City for sure.
- [49:05]
Jackson
Let's do one more question and then we'll go over to playback for a bit. Aaron Gordon has now hit obviously the game winning three in game one. Hit a very, very clutch three again tonight. Have you ever seen a shooting turnaround this drastic?
- [49:19]
Host 1
Okay, let's have some fun here. Jackson. What are examples of guys in our lives that we can remember that sucked at shooting and then became good at it?
- [49:27]
Jackson
Kawhi Leonard is one that pops to mind for me.
- [49:28]
Host 1
Kawhi Leonard is a great example.
- [49:30]
Jackson
I don't know statistically whether if it's as drastic, but he pops to mind for me.
- [49:34]
Host 1
Yeah, I'm trying to think like Jason Kidd.
- [49:39]
Jackson
That's a good one.
- [49:40]
Host 1
Towards the tail end of his career, who's the Brooke Lopez?
- [49:45]
Jackson
I don't think Kawhi is even the best example. Kawhi is shockingly good 3 point percentage. Early on in his career, he. I don't know if he's even the best example, frankly.
- [49:55]
Host 1
No, yeah, you're right. Yeah, it was like weirdly good with touch. He just wasn't a volume shooter until later in his career. I remember that was the thing with Kawhi is everyone was like in his pre draft workout he made like 85% of his free throws or something and everyone was like, oh, this means he can shoot.
- [50:10]
Jackson
Right? Right, right. One that came to mind for me is not as obvious one, but just as I watched it a lot is Derek White. The season that he, he was not that he was as bad of a shooter as Aaron Gordon was, but he was like low 30s, 31%. 30%. And then in that finals year that they lost to the warriors, it was like we're going to just let him shoot it in the corner and he missed a bunch of shots and now he's like 38.
- [50:33]
Host 1
That's a good one now Derek White's a good one there. Yeah, this is a, this is a good question. But Aaron Gordon is one of the classic ones in the sense that it wasn't like typical player development. Like, I mean you could be like, you could go to like LeBron became a better shooter over the course of his career, but it's like he never was that bad. You know, he just got bad. Aaron Gordon was a guy that like, that you would just leave completely wide open. And now he's become a guy that like legitimately is a knockdown three point shooter and I feel like it's going to go in every time. Sneaky guy on this list too is Russell Westbrook. At this point in his career is like suddenly becoming a guy that like he had a big three out of the left corner or was it out of the right corner in tonight's game? But that's a very good question. All right guys, we're going to head over to playback again. Playback TV slash hoops tonight. We're going to go a little bit shorter tonight just for about a half hour, 45 minutes. But we'll meet you guys over there in just a few minutes. We'll take some callers, we'll take some questions from the chat. We may watch a little bit of film Again. I always appreciate you guys for rocking with us and walking rocking with the show. We will see you guys over on playback. What's up guys? As always, I appreciate you for listening to and supporting supporting Hoops tonight. It would actually be really helpful for us if you guys would take a second and leave a rating and a review. As always, I appreciate you guys supporting us, but if you could take a minute to do that, I'd really appreciate it.
- [51:47]
Host 2
The volume.
- [51:51]
Host 1
AI is redefining what's possible for your business. With more unique challenges to solve and higher stakes than ever, Microsoft helps you stay ahead. Our trustworthy AI tools and guidance can empower leaders like you to drive greater impact. And with Azure's simplified platform management, we're helping businesses go further and faster by unlocking up to 150% improved output. Whatever challenges come next, let Microsoft help you keep pushing forward. For more details, visit Microsoft.com challengers man.
- [52:19]
Host 2
If you're ready to reclaim your edge, listen up. I used to be held back by constant bathroom trips with multiple wake ups during my sleep and looking for restrooms whenever I was out. Then I discovered Betterman. After just two months, I started experiencing fewer trips to the bathroom, less urge to go, and I even slept through some nights I feel a noticeable boost in my overall well being, even sexual stamina. It gives me the freedom and confidence to live life on my terms. Betterman is clinically tested and trusted by thousands of men over 25 years, ready to take back control. Go to be betternow.com to order your supply today. That's be better now.com these statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Use as directed. Individual results may vary.
- [53:05]
Dan Flores
Why is a soap opera Western like Yellowstone so wildly successful? The American west with Dan Flores is the latest show from the Meat Eater Podcast Network. So join me starting Tuesday, May 6, where we'll delve into stories of the west and come to understand how it helps in the ways in which we experience the region today.
- [53:28]
Host 1
Listen to the American west with Dan Flores on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Hi, I'm Sam Mullins and I've got a new podcast coming out called Go Boy. The gritty true story of how one man fought his way out of some of the darkest places imaginable. Roger Caron was 16 when first convicted, has spent 24 of those years year in jail. But when Roger Karan picked up a pen and paper, he went from an ex con to a literary darling from Campside Media and iHeart Podcasts. Listen to GoBoy on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. You're listening to an iHeart podcast.