WEBVTT - What's Wright - Lakers-Timberwolves Game 4 Reaction: LeBron & LA NIGHTMARE finish, is season over? 0:00:09.600 --> 0:00:12.760 Welcome in What's Right with Nick Wright, a quick Monday 0:00:12.880 --> 0:00:18.919 morning pod after what was a remarkable and unbelievable weekend 0:00:19.400 --> 0:00:23.400 of NBA basketball, and also the weekend that almost assuredly 0:00:23.520 --> 0:00:28.080 marked the end of the Los Angeles Lakers season. And 0:00:28.080 --> 0:00:33.440 that's not even because I think necessarily they are drawing 0:00:33.640 --> 0:00:36.600 dead to execute a three to one comeback. They're obviously 0:00:36.720 --> 0:00:39.879 drawing very slim, but I don't think they are at 0:00:40.000 --> 0:00:44.360 zero percent. However, the present they will get if they 0:00:44.400 --> 0:00:47.680 somehow do execute a three to one comeback with a 0:00:47.800 --> 0:00:50.720 rotation that clearly only has five players the head coach 0:00:50.800 --> 0:00:55.360 trusts is either going to be the Golden State Warriors 0:00:55.400 --> 0:00:59.560 or or the Houston Rockets, both of which present massive 0:00:59.600 --> 0:01:03.920 problem for this team in this moment. And if you 0:01:03.960 --> 0:01:08.119 were like me and you really thought this team's high 0:01:08.280 --> 0:01:12.680 end was not just conference finals caliber, not just NBA 0:01:12.840 --> 0:01:17.520 Finals caliber, but championship caliber, this weekend was a hard 0:01:17.560 --> 0:01:22.120 punch in the face about that. And if you want 0:01:22.120 --> 0:01:29.119 to chalk up Friday to man, Luca was sick and 0:01:29.200 --> 0:01:32.959 played like it and didn't have it and they ran 0:01:33.000 --> 0:01:36.759 out of gas at the end. Fine, but then Sunday 0:01:36.800 --> 0:01:46.479 presented far more problems issues concerns that obviously, as they 0:01:46.520 --> 0:01:50.920 now face elimination games for the rest of their season, 0:01:52.080 --> 0:01:54.720 and the only way to not face elimination games the 0:01:54.720 --> 0:01:56.880 rest of their season is to win three straight elimination 0:01:57.040 --> 0:02:00.000 games and then get a fresh start after a seven 0:02:00.120 --> 0:02:04.880 game war. Then you've got to be honest about what 0:02:04.920 --> 0:02:06.880 we're seeing, and I want to be I want to 0:02:06.920 --> 0:02:12.520 give credit words due Anthony Edwards is having his moment, 0:02:14.000 --> 0:02:16.560 and I know people here want to hear, probably you know, 0:02:16.680 --> 0:02:18.880 me talking about Lebron and Luca in the end of 0:02:18.919 --> 0:02:23.519 that game, and we will. But Anthony Edwards forty three points, 0:02:24.120 --> 0:02:27.560 forty three to nine and six, going to war with 0:02:27.720 --> 0:02:32.640 Lebron throughout the game, suffering what the broadcast seemed to 0:02:32.639 --> 0:02:36.640 think was a catastrophic injury, and Anthony in the moment 0:02:37.160 --> 0:02:40.760 reacted like it was a catastrophic injury. Everyone's heart sank 0:02:40.800 --> 0:02:44.200 when they saw it, and he pops up. It doesn't matter. 0:02:44.560 --> 0:02:48.840 He plays forty four minutes, is brilliant in the fourth quarter, 0:02:49.280 --> 0:02:52.760 and that has been the key to this series, and 0:02:52.880 --> 0:02:56.560 obviously the key to Game four is the Timberwolves, a 0:02:56.639 --> 0:03:01.040 team that was not good in clutch situation closing out 0:03:01.120 --> 0:03:06.720 games It's really where you thought the Lakers were going 0:03:06.760 --> 0:03:11.320 to have a decided advantage in this series, was let 0:03:11.400 --> 0:03:15.800 it be close late and have Lebron and Luca take over. 0:03:16.120 --> 0:03:20.480 The opposite has happened. It's been close late the last 0:03:20.480 --> 0:03:25.680 couple games. Lebron and Luca have been absolutely out of gas, 0:03:26.520 --> 0:03:31.040 and Anthony Edwards has taken over Julius Randall exercising some 0:03:31.120 --> 0:03:35.000 playoff demons, and now you're in a spot that I 0:03:35.000 --> 0:03:39.920 don't think anyone anticipated, even the most ardent Timberwolves fans, 0:03:40.560 --> 0:03:44.360 even after they took Game one. I don't think thought 0:03:44.880 --> 0:03:48.200 it would be three to one in this fashion going 0:03:48.280 --> 0:03:52.640 back to Los Angeles. And so let's get into Game four. 0:03:52.640 --> 0:03:55.960 And by the way, we'll talk Steph was played one 0:03:55.960 --> 0:04:00.000 of the most remarkable playoff games of his career this week, 0:04:00.000 --> 0:04:04.279 and we'll get into that. Dame sadly, i mean tragically 0:04:04.360 --> 0:04:07.240 tore his achilles. That's probably we're going to get into 0:04:07.280 --> 0:04:11.040 that more tomorrow. And obviously Nuggets Clippers with a finish 0:04:11.120 --> 0:04:13.160 for the ages, so we'll try to quickly hit on 0:04:13.240 --> 0:04:15.800 all those. But where we have to start is with 0:04:17.680 --> 0:04:23.960 JJ Reddick and I I am not going to act 0:04:24.320 --> 0:04:27.120 as if JJ hasn't been awesome this year. He has. 0:04:28.279 --> 0:04:30.599 And I'm not going to act as if the you 0:04:30.640 --> 0:04:34.040 know that JJ Reddick is the problem for the Lakers. 0:04:34.040 --> 0:04:41.200 Far from it. However, when a rookie head coach does 0:04:41.279 --> 0:04:47.640 something that, according to you know, the stats and information, folks, 0:04:47.680 --> 0:04:52.360 no coach has ever done in modern playoff history, maybe 0:04:52.520 --> 0:04:56.480 in all of playoff history, which is play the exact 0:04:56.880 --> 0:05:02.479 same five guys for the entirety of a second half 0:05:02.520 --> 0:05:08.599 of a playoff game, and then those five guys are totally, absolutely, 0:05:08.760 --> 0:05:13.320 unequivocally out of gas at the end. That's going to 0:05:13.440 --> 0:05:19.080 be a story. And JJ was left without a lot 0:05:19.120 --> 0:05:24.560 of great options. He decided after the opening couple minutes understandably, 0:05:24.880 --> 0:05:30.120 he couldn't trust Jackson Hayes. I thought he would try 0:05:30.160 --> 0:05:36.240 to steal a few minutes for Lebron or Luca with 0:05:36.920 --> 0:05:41.200 Vanderbilt or Gabe or even Goodwin. He decided not to. 0:05:42.040 --> 0:05:45.000 And he was in a weird spot because the Lakers 0:05:45.120 --> 0:05:52.039 had that great third quarter which allowed them to go 0:05:52.080 --> 0:05:54.640 into the fourth with a lead, a position they have 0:05:54.800 --> 0:05:58.599 been brilliant all year. I don't know what the record was, 0:05:58.600 --> 0:06:02.679 something like forty five and four or something outrageous going 0:06:02.720 --> 0:06:05.960 into the fourth quarter with a lead, they outscore the 0:06:05.960 --> 0:06:09.240 Turbles by thirteen, and I think JJ's thought process was, 0:06:10.720 --> 0:06:13.800 if we can in the opening few minutes of the 0:06:13.920 --> 0:06:18.680 fourth hold or even push this lead a bit, then 0:06:18.839 --> 0:06:20.839 maybe I'll steal a couple of minutes to rest. But 0:06:20.880 --> 0:06:25.320 that's how what happened. Aunt kept coming down and making plays. 0:06:26.360 --> 0:06:30.440 The Timberwolves stayed right in that down four to down 0:06:30.600 --> 0:06:37.680 seven range, and JJ never felt comfortable taking those five 0:06:37.760 --> 0:06:41.080 off the court, and by the very end of the 0:06:41.160 --> 0:06:46.800 game they were all on fumes. Lebron somehow found a 0:06:46.880 --> 0:06:50.560 couple bursts of energy on the defensive end the steal 0:06:50.640 --> 0:06:53.039 in the block, and I thought that was going to 0:06:53.120 --> 0:06:57.120 be the story of the game that Lebron after is 0:06:57.160 --> 0:07:00.440 I think one hundred and fourth career playoff twenty points half, 0:07:01.520 --> 0:07:05.000 plays a wildly efficient game twenty seven to twelve and eight, 0:07:05.600 --> 0:07:09.200 and then makes the key defensive plays down the stretch 0:07:09.600 --> 0:07:13.680 to turn a four point deficit into a six point 0:07:13.760 --> 0:07:18.200 lead after the huge Austin Rui threes. But of course 0:07:18.280 --> 0:07:24.400 that's not what happened, and you saw the fatigue kicking 0:07:24.440 --> 0:07:27.360 in at various moments before the final couple of minutes 0:07:27.640 --> 0:07:31.000 Luca got I think it was Jade McDaniels on his hip, 0:07:31.440 --> 0:07:34.280 or maybe it was Julius had to lay up, missed it. 0:07:34.640 --> 0:07:38.880 Lebron out of a time out, great play, had to 0:07:38.960 --> 0:07:44.840 lay up, missed it, And I said it was Austin 0:07:45.000 --> 0:07:47.320 and Ruy hit the three. Was Austin and Dorian Finney 0:07:47.320 --> 0:07:50.360 Smith that hit the threes. But despite all of that, 0:07:51.560 --> 0:07:56.920 it's Lakers up two with the ball after the Lebron 0:07:57.040 --> 0:08:04.880 block with a minute ten left. And yeah, if I mean, 0:08:04.880 --> 0:08:09.520 this is a keep you up at night restless, bad 0:08:09.680 --> 0:08:17.080 sleep game because there's so many moments that you just wonder, man, 0:08:17.160 --> 0:08:21.160 if they just do this a little bit better, change 0:08:21.200 --> 0:08:23.960 one thing. And by the way, those moments existed in 0:08:24.000 --> 0:08:26.920 the first half. I was watching the game with my 0:08:26.960 --> 0:08:30.560 best friend and co worker at FS one, Danny Parkins, 0:08:30.600 --> 0:08:36.040 over at his house, and the whole first half, even 0:08:36.080 --> 0:08:39.800 in the first quarter when they were leading, I said 0:08:39.800 --> 0:08:42.640 to him, four minutes left in the first quarter, Man, 0:08:43.720 --> 0:08:46.199 they should be up thirteen, they should be up fifteen, 0:08:46.600 --> 0:08:48.960 And this is gonna end up being a situation where 0:08:49.520 --> 0:08:53.040 they're up seven and you feel sick about it. They 0:08:53.040 --> 0:08:55.520 were only actually up four at the end of that quarter, 0:08:57.440 --> 0:09:00.360 Then the second quarter the Timberwolves go on the run. 0:09:00.400 --> 0:09:03.640 All of a sudden, you're trailing at the half. Then 0:09:03.679 --> 0:09:06.240 they do have that great third quarter, and now to 0:09:06.280 --> 0:09:10.640 get back to where we were. The highest leverage possession 0:09:10.679 --> 0:09:15.679 of the season for the Lakers ends up being no 0:09:15.840 --> 0:09:20.520 real ball movement. Guys standing around Luca dribbling the ball 0:09:21.760 --> 0:09:27.920 up to minute left, finds Lebron. Lebron takes an exhausted three, 0:09:28.080 --> 0:09:34.240 and I understand like there is going to be a 0:09:34.280 --> 0:09:38.439 carve out of folks that either why doesn't he drive there? 0:09:38.960 --> 0:09:42.960 Or that focus on Lebron's fourth quarter zero points and 0:09:43.080 --> 0:09:45.560 the turnover, which I'll get to in a moment, which 0:09:46.200 --> 0:09:50.760 I understand, And I'm not even saying that's totally unfair. 0:09:51.679 --> 0:09:56.199 I am saying that when the last two games Lebron 0:09:56.320 --> 0:10:01.280 is played are the two greatest playoff games by a 0:10:01.400 --> 0:10:03.840 super old guy in league history, I'm gonna have a 0:10:03.840 --> 0:10:09.840 little bit of grace. But the Lebron three with fifty 0:10:09.920 --> 0:10:15.720 four seconds left in that spot, you wonder, when JJ 0:10:15.920 --> 0:10:19.040 sees that possession is going nowhere and sees how dead 0:10:19.160 --> 0:10:25.080 everybody is, is that a time to use your final timeout? 0:10:25.120 --> 0:10:28.880 Probably not. You probably don't want to use your last 0:10:28.920 --> 0:10:31.480 time out in that spot. But if you get a 0:10:31.520 --> 0:10:36.680 basket there, you win the game. Then next time Timberwolves 0:10:36.720 --> 0:10:45.560 ball up to forty seconds left, the Lakers understand, just 0:10:45.720 --> 0:10:49.839 can't allow a three. You don't allow a three, You're 0:10:49.880 --> 0:10:52.720 gonna be in great shape tied with the ball with 0:10:52.800 --> 0:10:56.680 a two for one opportunity. They don't allow a three, 0:10:57.320 --> 0:11:03.120 and Austin makes his biggest mistake of the season, fouling Jaden. 0:11:03.240 --> 0:11:08.280 McDaniels on it, no hope to alter the shot foul. Jaden, 0:11:08.320 --> 0:11:11.880 to his credit, makes the free throw, and now all 0:11:11.880 --> 0:11:15.760 of a sudden, you're trailing for the first time in 0:11:15.920 --> 0:11:18.880 basically the entirety of the second half after the opening 0:11:18.920 --> 0:11:21.160 few minutes when you took the lead in the second half. 0:11:21.600 --> 0:11:24.480 That's not true, you were trailing a couple minutes earlier. 0:11:24.679 --> 0:11:28.520 But you're trailing with forty seconds left, down one with 0:11:28.640 --> 0:11:34.600 the ball, Luca gets tripped. I don't think I'll be honest. 0:11:34.640 --> 0:11:37.040 I disagree with JJ. I don't think it was a foul. 0:11:37.280 --> 0:11:40.400 I think it was fine that they didn't call that. 0:11:41.040 --> 0:11:45.960 Lebron with the bad inbounds pass and then this is 0:11:46.000 --> 0:11:52.920 the one. I just hate the challenge the out of 0:11:52.960 --> 0:11:57.119 bounds call that now can retroactively turn into a foul. 0:11:57.640 --> 0:12:01.559 All of a sudden, Anthony Edward's going to the line. 0:12:01.640 --> 0:12:04.800 He was a killer. He makes both three throws, and 0:12:04.840 --> 0:12:08.679 then the Lakers I thought got lucky that the Timberwolves 0:12:08.679 --> 0:12:12.560 didn't foul Luke in the back court or foul lebron 0:12:13.200 --> 0:12:15.960 As on the catch. Austin got a decent look, he 0:12:16.040 --> 0:12:22.400 missed it. Now you're down three to one, and you 0:12:22.640 --> 0:12:27.440 still see moments flashes from this team that show the 0:12:27.640 --> 0:12:33.440 highest end. And I understand some folks are going to say, listen, 0:12:34.160 --> 0:12:37.320 we knew this was a mismatched roster when you traded 0:12:37.360 --> 0:12:40.880 for a guy at mid season that you need an offseason. 0:12:41.679 --> 0:12:44.800 I don't buy all that, or maybe I should buy it, 0:12:44.880 --> 0:12:48.760 but I I knew all that. Going into these playoffs, 0:12:49.160 --> 0:12:52.880 I thought they got the perfect draw. I thought the 0:12:52.920 --> 0:13:01.160 Timberwolves would be athletic and feisty, but I did not 0:13:01.400 --> 0:13:05.280 think that in close games late they would have the edge. 0:13:05.320 --> 0:13:09.959 And they have. And I looked at the Lakers path 0:13:10.000 --> 0:13:13.680 and I said, Okay, you have the Timberwolves in Round 0:13:13.720 --> 0:13:16.800 one with home court. You have been dominant against the 0:13:16.800 --> 0:13:19.600 Western Conference this year. You have been dominated at home 0:13:19.679 --> 0:13:22.840 this year. Then in round two you're going to have 0:13:23.320 --> 0:13:27.439 either a young Rockets team that doesn't have a go 0:13:27.520 --> 0:13:31.760 to scorer or a Warriors team, where again you have 0:13:31.840 --> 0:13:36.200 home court, and the Warriors will have just been coming 0:13:36.240 --> 0:13:40.719 off a seven game absolute war with Houston. It saw 0:13:40.760 --> 0:13:47.360 a real path, a real path, and instead Friday Night 0:13:48.480 --> 0:13:53.200 they waste a Lebron masterpiece where they can't finish at 0:13:53.240 --> 0:13:56.400 the end of thirteen to one run. Luca is sick 0:13:56.480 --> 0:14:03.280 and pretty ineffective, and is once again awesome. Another eight 0:14:03.320 --> 0:14:07.959 assist game for Friday Night. Jaden McDaniels has the game 0:14:08.000 --> 0:14:13.280 of his life, almost all targeting. Luca Julius has another 0:14:13.320 --> 0:14:17.000 good playoff game. You lose that fourth quarter by ten. 0:14:19.720 --> 0:14:24.000 Lebron seems gassed the final few minutes there despite giving 0:14:24.000 --> 0:14:27.040 you thirty eight, ten to four to two and two. 0:14:28.760 --> 0:14:36.800 And then Sunday afternoon JJ goes for it, the smallest 0:14:37.960 --> 0:14:43.920 interval between games they'll have all postseason, from a Friday 0:14:44.040 --> 0:14:50.200 night to a Sunday afternoon. JJ understanding we have two 0:14:50.280 --> 0:14:57.760 days off before Game five, gotta win. This goes for it. 0:14:57.800 --> 0:15:02.720 Plays Austin, Luca, Ruey and Dorian All twenty four minutes 0:15:02.760 --> 0:15:08.440 of the second half and they can't hit the tape 0:15:09.280 --> 0:15:17.360 and can they win Wednesday? Yeah? They should. And if 0:15:17.400 --> 0:15:25.720 they win Wednesday, will I be on here Thursday feeling like, well, 0:15:25.800 --> 0:15:30.680 you know, you got a shot Friday and then it's 0:15:30.680 --> 0:15:36.680 a game seven in your building? Yeah? Maybe? But if 0:15:37.080 --> 0:15:41.400 the goal for this Lakers team and this was the goal. 0:15:41.440 --> 0:15:44.240 When you have Lebron James, I don't care that he's forty. 0:15:44.880 --> 0:15:53.880 He is still unequivocally what top eight playoff guy right 0:15:53.920 --> 0:16:01.600 now this moment, like I'm not I'm not sure the 0:16:01.680 --> 0:16:06.560 what's the full list of guys this postseason who you'd 0:16:06.640 --> 0:16:10.960 say either have been better you'd rather have in no 0:16:11.040 --> 0:16:16.080 particular order, just going through the series, Tatum, Giannis, aunt 0:16:16.800 --> 0:16:26.400 Ants earned it, Joker, Steph who I'll get to, there's 0:16:26.400 --> 0:16:35.320 an argument for it. Fair's fair, Kawhi maybe maybe Jalen Brunson. 0:16:36.120 --> 0:16:40.440 So what's that seven six, seven, eight when you have 0:16:40.880 --> 0:16:43.520 I don't even at his age, a guy who's still 0:16:43.520 --> 0:16:49.200 a top eight, let's go conservatively playoff performer this moment 0:16:49.760 --> 0:16:55.000 and Luca getting bounced in round one when you're a 0:16:55.000 --> 0:17:02.480 minus two hundred favorite is a disaster. And even if 0:17:02.520 --> 0:17:09.359 somehow you are able to dig deep and overcome and 0:17:09.440 --> 0:17:15.320 come back from this deficit. What legs are you going 0:17:15.400 --> 0:17:20.119 to have going into Round two when the series basically 0:17:20.160 --> 0:17:24.440 start going every other day. I don't know that you're 0:17:24.440 --> 0:17:31.600 gonna have them. And so that's why started the pod 0:17:31.680 --> 0:17:37.960 by saying the season ended on Sunday. They needed the 0:17:38.080 --> 0:17:43.360 Round one to be done in six or less, and 0:17:43.400 --> 0:17:50.240 they needed to demonstrate to themselves and their team that 0:17:52.400 --> 0:17:57.280 they had at least seven guys they trusted. Even if 0:17:57.359 --> 0:18:01.280 you don't trust Austin or I'm sorry up Jackson Hayes, 0:18:01.480 --> 0:18:10.680 who I wouldn't. You got to at least trust Vanderbilt 0:18:11.160 --> 0:18:18.000 or Vincent more than you have, and they haven't. They 0:18:18.040 --> 0:18:22.280 can't steal minutes. It's why I thought Kerr as brilliant, 0:18:22.320 --> 0:18:26.159 and it'll get to Steph shortly. As brilliant as Steph 0:18:26.400 --> 0:18:29.960 was this weekend, all the games are running together? Was 0:18:30.000 --> 0:18:33.640 that Saturday? Was that Friday? I don't even remember Friday night? 0:18:33.840 --> 0:18:43.280 Saturday night. Kerr deserves massive credit himself for finding his 0:18:43.400 --> 0:18:49.240 way through without Jimmy Butler, for massaging the rotation the 0:18:49.240 --> 0:18:53.760 way he did, and the Lakers didn't think they had 0:18:53.800 --> 0:19:01.960 that luxury. They play four guys forty plus minutes. They 0:19:02.000 --> 0:19:06.879 play Luca coming off whatever illness he was dealing with. 0:19:06.920 --> 0:19:10.760 Forty six, They play Lebron in his two hundred and 0:19:10.840 --> 0:19:15.200 eighty fourth career playoff game, forty six, and they don't 0:19:15.200 --> 0:19:19.080 get to the finish line. And it's just a damn 0:19:19.119 --> 0:19:27.159 shame to waste. And this is and then I'll get 0:19:27.200 --> 0:19:33.000 to ant. We're all focused on Lebron, every single one 0:19:33.040 --> 0:19:41.359 of these man. Every single time we're watching, we might 0:19:41.440 --> 0:19:47.880 be watching the final great playoff game of the greatest 0:19:47.880 --> 0:19:53.640 playoff performer in NBA history's career. Like Friday Night, the 0:19:53.640 --> 0:19:59.080 odds are, the odds are that's the most points Lebron 0:19:59.080 --> 0:20:02.720 will ever scorre in a playoff game. Again, all the 0:20:03.000 --> 0:20:05.960 none of the records. At this point, it's just he's 0:20:06.000 --> 0:20:09.480 just passing his own oldest ever records again and again 0:20:09.520 --> 0:20:15.600 and again. But thirty eight last on Friday Night, that's 0:20:15.640 --> 0:20:19.440 like a minus three hundred favorite to be the most 0:20:19.440 --> 0:20:21.600 points Lebron ever scores in a playoff game the rest 0:20:21.600 --> 0:20:29.760 of his career. Sunday afternoon twenty seven to twelve eight, 0:20:29.960 --> 0:20:37.600 three and three. The best Laker on the defensive end 0:20:38.160 --> 0:20:42.600 and arguably the best Laker on the offensive end and 0:20:42.640 --> 0:20:48.720 it's wasted. And listen, the Lebron missed the three. Lebron 0:20:48.800 --> 0:20:54.880 turned the ball over on the end bounds, and I Lebron, 0:20:54.920 --> 0:20:58.360 I suppose you can say fouled Anthony Edwards. I'm that one. 0:20:58.400 --> 0:21:00.879 I'm not gonna kill him on I thought that the 0:21:01.480 --> 0:21:06.280 US going to the Zapruder review and the Timberwolves challenging 0:21:06.320 --> 0:21:08.200 the out of bounds, not even hoping to get the 0:21:08.240 --> 0:21:11.439 out of bounds, but hoping to then retroactively get the foul. 0:21:11.520 --> 0:21:13.119 I don't love any of that, but the rules are 0:21:13.119 --> 0:21:21.640 the rules, and so now we see. And the other 0:21:23.880 --> 0:21:31.040 story here is, of course Anthony Edwards and Anthony Edwards, 0:21:32.280 --> 0:21:39.960 who is putting a whole lot of pelts on his 0:21:40.080 --> 0:21:46.359 wall at such a young age. We have now seen 0:21:46.400 --> 0:21:52.760 Anthony Edwards not Kevin Durant and Devin Booker out of 0:21:52.800 --> 0:21:58.800 a playoff series, Nikola Jokic out of a playoff series, 0:22:00.080 --> 0:22:03.360 then get bounced by Luca and say I was out 0:22:03.400 --> 0:22:09.080 of gas. And he now is this close to knocking 0:22:09.840 --> 0:22:13.600 Lebron James and Luka Doncic out of a playoff series 0:22:16.040 --> 0:22:21.240 in a postseason where through four games he's averaging thirty 0:22:21.880 --> 0:22:27.919 eight and six on forty three percent from three forty 0:22:27.960 --> 0:22:33.280 five forty three eighty three splits. Listen, he can say 0:22:33.320 --> 0:22:37.520 all he wants about not wanting to be the face 0:22:37.600 --> 0:22:41.119 of the league, and the fact of the matter is, 0:22:41.160 --> 0:22:45.400 as long as Lebron and Steph are playing, that spot 0:22:45.520 --> 0:22:54.360 is probably not really open. But his charisma, his style, 0:22:54.840 --> 0:23:01.679 his competitiveness, his athleticism, his ferocity, his listeners, all of that, 0:23:03.560 --> 0:23:09.840 all of that is face of the league's stuff. And 0:23:10.400 --> 0:23:14.119 it certainly doesn't hurt that folks in the media seem 0:23:14.200 --> 0:23:17.639 convinced he looks like and reminds them of Michael Jordan, 0:23:18.720 --> 0:23:23.879 and so this is a huge moment for Aunt and Ant. 0:23:24.000 --> 0:23:30.080 Then I just mentioned beat Durant, beat Joker, is this 0:23:30.200 --> 0:23:32.840 close to beating Lebron and Luca and then in the 0:23:32.880 --> 0:23:38.080 next round would have a chance to beat Steph. Now, 0:23:38.119 --> 0:23:40.440 I still think Houston has a shot in that series, 0:23:40.480 --> 0:23:43.960 but obviously Golden State's in great position is the favorite 0:23:44.040 --> 0:23:50.600 right now. He's building quite the resume at twenty three 0:23:50.680 --> 0:23:58.679 years old, and it's really really impressive and credit to 0:23:59.240 --> 0:24:04.000 Chris Finch and that entire listen. Jaden McDaniels has been 0:24:04.119 --> 0:24:09.919 awesome they have. I think Rudy Rudy has had his 0:24:10.160 --> 0:24:13.040 moments on the offensive, I mean on the defensive end 0:24:13.320 --> 0:24:15.960 more than his moments. He's been good on the defensive end, 0:24:16.640 --> 0:24:19.840 but he has been His total inability to take advantage 0:24:19.880 --> 0:24:24.960 of the lakers lack of size has been a little embarrassing. 0:24:25.040 --> 0:24:28.160 And I understand he's not an offensive player, but he's 0:24:28.160 --> 0:24:31.200 not a four point a game guy. In the regular season, 0:24:31.200 --> 0:24:34.280 He's a dozen points a game. In this series, he's 0:24:34.320 --> 0:24:38.160 been a zero on offense. Hasn't mattered because An's been 0:24:38.160 --> 0:24:43.560 that good, Julius is exercising some playoff demons, Jaden's been great, 0:24:44.480 --> 0:24:48.159 and then Nas. They've had different role players step up, 0:24:50.119 --> 0:24:52.919 and so they they've gotten away with the fact that 0:24:52.960 --> 0:24:56.760 Mike Connley was about as unplayable as I thought he 0:24:56.800 --> 0:24:59.760 would be. That's the crazy part to me about this 0:24:59.800 --> 0:25:07.199 sies a lot of my pre series analysis of go 0:25:07.320 --> 0:25:09.920 Beart's not gonna take advantage of their lack of size. 0:25:10.160 --> 0:25:14.919 Conley's not going to be playable. You can pencil Luca 0:25:15.040 --> 0:25:18.600 in for thirty a game and Lebron will be great. 0:25:19.920 --> 0:25:24.240 They've come to fruition and it hasn't mattered because the 0:25:24.320 --> 0:25:30.639 Lakers have been The fourth quarter margins in this series 0:25:31.200 --> 0:25:36.639 have been mortified. Game one twenty three to seventeen, so 0:25:36.720 --> 0:25:42.119 the Timberwolves are plus six. Game two, the Lakers won it, 0:25:42.920 --> 0:25:45.880 but it was twenty to thirteen, So now the Timberwolves 0:25:45.920 --> 0:25:51.560 are plus seven. Plus seven there, so plus thirteen overall. 0:25:52.040 --> 0:25:56.719 Game three thirty to twenty, So now the Timberwolves are 0:25:56.720 --> 0:26:04.840 plus seventeen. Game four thirty two to nineteen, So now 0:26:04.840 --> 0:26:08.920 the Timbrelves are plus thirty. You lose the fourth quarters 0:26:09.760 --> 0:26:18.640 by thirty points in an otherwise tightly contested series, You're 0:26:18.680 --> 0:26:23.440 in terrible shape. And so shout out to the Timberwolves. 0:26:25.480 --> 0:26:31.840 This was truly a wake up in the middle of 0:26:31.880 --> 0:26:41.320 the night think about it game, and it is obviously 0:26:41.520 --> 0:26:48.240 a think about all off season game. If this series 0:26:48.359 --> 0:26:54.560 goes the way one thinks it's likely to go, I mean, 0:26:54.720 --> 0:26:59.480 I'll look right now the series odds. They've got to 0:26:59.520 --> 0:27:05.200 be like minus one thousand, right, series markets minus five 0:27:05.280 --> 0:27:09.000 hundred minus on thousand. I guess was too strong, and 0:27:09.040 --> 0:27:12.000 then so that means the Lakers must be big favorites. 0:27:12.320 --> 0:27:14.879 Let me check with our friends at DraftKings, and then 0:27:14.880 --> 0:27:17.800 I'm gonna tell you about DraftKings Lakers five and a 0:27:17.840 --> 0:27:23.360 half point favorites Game five. Yeah, but Lakers who went 0:27:23.400 --> 0:27:28.520 into this postseason with seventeen to one to win the 0:27:28.520 --> 0:27:33.879 title now forty to one, and honestly, that feels a 0:27:33.880 --> 0:27:38.600 little strong because even if they were to execute the 0:27:38.600 --> 0:27:44.000 three to one comeback, what legs are they going to 0:27:44.080 --> 0:27:47.240 have for round two? Much less Round three and four, 0:27:47.280 --> 0:27:49.159 which doesn't seem to be It's gonna be a problem 0:27:49.240 --> 0:27:51.399 they have to deal with. The eighty two game grind 0:27:51.640 --> 0:27:56.200 is done and now the real fun begins. The NBA 0:27:56.280 --> 0:27:59.119 Playoffs are here. Time for all the high stakes drama, 0:27:59.119 --> 0:28:02.840 clutch moments, and jaw dropping plays. I know you can't wait. 0:28:02.920 --> 0:28:05.640 If you're looking to make the playoffs even more exciting, 0:28:05.880 --> 0:28:09.960 Draftings Sportsbook has you covered as an official sports betting 0:28:10.000 --> 0:28:13.200 partner of the NBA from the play in games all 0:28:13.240 --> 0:28:15.679 the way through to the finals. Now's the time to 0:28:15.720 --> 0:28:19.720 back your favorite players and teams as they chase glory. 0:28:19.760 --> 0:28:22.560 All season long. DraftKings has been the go to spot 0:28:22.640 --> 0:28:26.160 for NBA player props and that doesn't stop now. Want 0:28:26.160 --> 0:28:29.159 to make your playoff experience even more intense, try placing 0:28:29.160 --> 0:28:31.879 a bet on your favorite players performance will they drop thirty, 0:28:32.119 --> 0:28:34.719 forty or more? 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I thought Steph was unbelievable Saturday evening. And 0:30:03.000 --> 0:30:08.600 it wasn't just that he was getting beat up the 0:30:08.640 --> 0:30:09.200 whole game. 0:30:09.680 --> 0:30:16.720 And it wasn't just that the Rockets understood, if we 0:30:16.920 --> 0:30:23.120 can somehow contain him, the Warriors have no other offense. 0:30:24.280 --> 0:30:38.520 It was his just other worldly stamina from start to 0:30:38.600 --> 0:30:43.800 finish in that game, in a game that it would 0:30:43.800 --> 0:30:49.160 have been really easy for the Warriors, and for Steph 0:30:49.200 --> 0:30:57.680 to say, Okay, we don't have Jimmy Houston was dialed 0:30:58.320 --> 0:31:02.880 that first quarter defense they're gonna be beating us up, 0:31:04.000 --> 0:31:08.680 and Steph very early on didn't have it going Okay, 0:31:08.720 --> 0:31:13.560 no problem, long series, Jimmy, we'll be back, And instead 0:31:15.400 --> 0:31:22.520 stephannswers with thirty six, seven and nine. In his forty 0:31:22.600 --> 0:31:26.040 one minutes, they're plus eighteen, which means in the seven 0:31:26.080 --> 0:31:31.200 minutes he sat, they were minus seven. They needed one 0:31:31.280 --> 0:31:35.600 other guy to show up offensively. They got two other 0:31:35.640 --> 0:31:38.800 guys to show up offensively, Gary Payton the second and 0:31:38.880 --> 0:31:44.080 obviously Buddy Hit the huge threes and the Rockets. On 0:31:44.120 --> 0:31:49.800 the other hand, Jalen Green responds to his thirty eight 0:31:49.840 --> 0:31:55.400 point game with his fifth single digit game in his 0:31:55.520 --> 0:32:01.360 last six games. Jalen Green has not been the same 0:32:01.440 --> 0:32:04.360 guy since they clinched that two seed. Now, his minutes 0:32:04.360 --> 0:32:06.360 weren't the same at the end of the regular season, 0:32:06.400 --> 0:32:10.840 but still he had the one explosion in Game three, 0:32:11.000 --> 0:32:16.480 gets utterly shut down the Warriors, and Fred van Vliet, 0:32:16.880 --> 0:32:21.520 after hitting two threes to open that game, went right 0:32:21.600 --> 0:32:23.840 back to what he had been. He's two for two 0:32:23.880 --> 0:32:27.960 to start the game, three for twelve and one for 0:32:28.040 --> 0:32:31.040