1
00:00:04,120 --> 00:00:08,320
Speaker 1: On today's show, Luka Doncic. What else is there to say?

2
00:00:08,360 --> 00:00:11,360
Speaker 1: After that, Luca Leaner, We'll try and find some words.

3
00:00:11,600 --> 00:00:14,280
Speaker 1: Steph Curry is coming for that play in tournament and

4
00:00:14,360 --> 00:00:18,319
Speaker 1: the scoring crown and the Clippers gave us a lovely moment. Yes,

5
00:00:18,720 --> 00:00:21,600
Speaker 1: the Clippers gave us a lovely moment. You're smiling, whether

6
00:00:21,640 --> 00:00:23,880
Speaker 1: you like it or not. Is a twelve game night

7
00:00:23,920 --> 00:00:26,920
Speaker 1: in the Association. Let's go. I'm tas Malis and this

8
00:00:26,960 --> 00:00:29,080
Speaker 1: is what you need to know in the NBA for Thursday,

9
00:00:29,280 --> 00:00:40,920
Speaker 1: April fifteenth. Good morning, everybody. Let's start with Luca the Magician.

10
00:00:41,080 --> 00:00:44,680
Speaker 1: Of course we're starting there. We are not worthy Dallas

11
00:00:44,800 --> 00:00:47,280
Speaker 1: in Memphis. It looked like Memphis had this one. It

12
00:00:47,320 --> 00:00:49,440
Speaker 1: looked like it was over. I'm glad I stayed up

13
00:00:49,520 --> 00:00:52,800
Speaker 1: late after midnight Eastern is late for me doing this

14
00:00:52,880 --> 00:00:56,120
Speaker 1: early morning show. But it's always a lot more special

15
00:00:56,600 --> 00:01:01,120
Speaker 1: seeing these moments live. And this moment we'll remember and

16
00:01:01,200 --> 00:01:04,080
Speaker 1: thank you to Grayson Allen. It was all worth it

17
00:01:04,240 --> 00:01:07,040
Speaker 1: the Grizzlies. Grayson Allen missed two free throws with Memphis

18
00:01:07,160 --> 00:01:11,360
Speaker 1: up too with two seconds left, leaving the door open.

19
00:01:11,440 --> 00:01:14,120
Speaker 1: Let's all thank Grayson Allen. Because it gave us the

20
00:01:14,240 --> 00:01:18,479
Speaker 1: Luca leaner. Luca got the inbound, had to step around

21
00:01:18,560 --> 00:01:22,360
Speaker 1: Yonas Valanciunas, who wasn't gonna foul. Luca planted his foot

22
00:01:22,840 --> 00:01:26,319
Speaker 1: behind the three point line, leaned in, was off bounce.

23
00:01:26,360 --> 00:01:29,120
Speaker 1: He was like at a forty five degree and chucked

24
00:01:29,160 --> 00:01:32,160
Speaker 1: in a three with one hand on the ball. This

25
00:01:32,440 --> 00:01:36,240
Speaker 1: letter float, Oh my goodness, what is there to say?

26
00:01:36,480 --> 00:01:40,840
Speaker 1: Great Grizzlies response on Twitter of just bruh, that's it.

27
00:01:41,080 --> 00:01:44,679
Speaker 1: Four letters bruh. Yeah, because it looked like it was over,

28
00:01:45,200 --> 00:01:51,720
Speaker 1: and that floater is pretty unbelievable, the photos coming from it, everything,

29
00:01:52,000 --> 00:01:57,080
Speaker 1: just how he was falling down on the floor and

30
00:01:57,120 --> 00:01:59,520
Speaker 1: it looked like Doncich had made a mistake. With twelve

31
00:01:59,560 --> 00:02:02,840
Speaker 1: seconds left, down three, Doncic kind of looked for a

32
00:02:02,920 --> 00:02:04,720
Speaker 1: three himself, but it wasn't there, so he went into

33
00:02:04,760 --> 00:02:07,120
Speaker 1: the lane. It was foul taking a two. Other guys

34
00:02:07,120 --> 00:02:11,160
Speaker 1: were available for a three, but with only three seconds

35
00:02:11,240 --> 00:02:13,160
Speaker 1: left at that point, he got hit, went to the

36
00:02:13,160 --> 00:02:15,840
Speaker 1: free throw line, hit only one free throw, so the

37
00:02:15,880 --> 00:02:18,480
Speaker 1: MAVs were down two, and then Grayson Allen missed those

38
00:02:18,520 --> 00:02:21,520
Speaker 1: two free throws and then we got this. I flashed

39
00:02:21,520 --> 00:02:24,200
Speaker 1: back to last year's playoffs where Luca had that wild

40
00:02:24,240 --> 00:02:26,799
Speaker 1: game winner versus the Clippers in ot game four. If

41
00:02:26,800 --> 00:02:29,600
Speaker 1: you remember that step back the double bang from Mike

42
00:02:29,680 --> 00:02:33,000
Speaker 1: Breen on the call bang bang, We got that from Brien.

43
00:02:34,040 --> 00:02:37,720
Speaker 1: That was special. This guy is special, My fricking goodness.

44
00:02:38,160 --> 00:02:42,880
Speaker 1: The Mavericks are only one game back of six, and

45
00:02:42,919 --> 00:02:44,880
Speaker 1: they despise the play in tournament, so they want to

46
00:02:44,880 --> 00:02:46,840
Speaker 1: get up to six and the rest of their schedule

47
00:02:47,440 --> 00:02:49,760
Speaker 1: is as easy against in the NBA, So Luca could

48
00:02:49,840 --> 00:02:53,280
Speaker 1: be starting here a run for the Mavericks to get

49
00:02:53,320 --> 00:02:55,519
Speaker 1: them out of the play in tournament spot. We might

50
00:02:55,560 --> 00:02:57,480
Speaker 1: not get Luca in the play in tournament, but it

51
00:02:57,639 --> 00:03:01,200
Speaker 1: sure looks like we're getting Steph Curry forty two points

52
00:03:01,240 --> 00:03:04,079
Speaker 1: in just twenty nine minutes versus ok Se. He hit

53
00:03:04,080 --> 00:03:06,840
Speaker 1: eleven threes, had a perfect third quarter where he went

54
00:03:06,919 --> 00:03:11,080
Speaker 1: eight for eight and scored twenty five points in that quarter,

55
00:03:12,360 --> 00:03:14,680
Speaker 1: and he could catch Bradley Beal for the scoring lead

56
00:03:14,720 --> 00:03:17,720
Speaker 1: in the coming weeks. Bill is at thirty one point oh,

57
00:03:17,880 --> 00:03:20,280
Speaker 1: Steph is at thirty point seven. That would be his

58
00:03:20,360 --> 00:03:24,120
Speaker 1: second scoring title of his career. The Warriors locked in

59
00:03:24,560 --> 00:03:26,600
Speaker 1: and got a win to stay in the play in tournament.

60
00:03:26,720 --> 00:03:29,160
Speaker 1: If the season ended today and they got a little

61
00:03:29,200 --> 00:03:32,520
Speaker 1: more breathing room with the Pelicans loss behind them, the

62
00:03:32,560 --> 00:03:36,800
Speaker 1: Pelicans took on the Knicks. We had Zion Williamson comparisons

63
00:03:36,920 --> 00:03:40,520
Speaker 1: on our Beach Step In podcast on Wednesday. I compared

64
00:03:40,600 --> 00:03:43,600
Speaker 1: him to Charles Barkley and Lebron the handle of a

65
00:03:43,600 --> 00:03:46,520
Speaker 1: big man in Charles Barkley, the finishing of Lebron, James

66
00:03:46,920 --> 00:03:49,880
Speaker 1: Trey went a little off the board. He went with

67
00:03:49,960 --> 00:03:53,560
Speaker 1: Tony Parker along with Shaquille O'Neil because Parker could get

68
00:03:53,560 --> 00:03:56,000
Speaker 1: into the lame but didn't shoot threes and Shack's finishing.

69
00:03:56,200 --> 00:04:00,560
Speaker 1: Whatever your comparison is, the Pelicans need to get more

70
00:04:00,600 --> 00:04:04,400
Speaker 1: three point shooting around Zion this offseason. They hit eleven

71
00:04:04,440 --> 00:04:07,040
Speaker 1: fewer threes than the Knicks, and they're shooting under twenty

72
00:04:07,080 --> 00:04:11,320
Speaker 1: five percent from three the last five games. The Zion's

73
00:04:11,360 --> 00:04:14,080
Speaker 1: still getting his points without shooting around him because he's

74
00:04:14,080 --> 00:04:16,680
Speaker 1: that frickin good, but life would be so much easier.

75
00:04:16,680 --> 00:04:18,960
Speaker 1: He had twenty five points on ten of nineteen shooting

76
00:04:19,000 --> 00:04:23,320
Speaker 1: in this one. I overestimated Steven Adams addition to this team.

77
00:04:23,360 --> 00:04:25,720
Speaker 1: I just thought he'd be tough and help out, but him,

78
00:04:25,720 --> 00:04:29,040
Speaker 1: combined with Eric Bledsoe's struggles and lonso ball out, there's

79
00:04:29,120 --> 00:04:31,599
Speaker 1: just not enough shooting. They haven't been able to find

80
00:04:31,600 --> 00:04:34,840
Speaker 1: it around Zion Williamson. There is going to be some

81
00:04:35,480 --> 00:04:38,920
Speaker 1: rejigging of that lineup in the offseason. Let's stick in

82
00:04:38,960 --> 00:04:42,919
Speaker 1: the West before jumping to the East on Wednesday's busy schedule,

83
00:04:42,920 --> 00:04:45,400
Speaker 1: because we got a heartwarmer here. The Clippers got a

84
00:04:45,480 --> 00:04:47,960
Speaker 1: nice win in the standings without Kawhi Leonard or Paul

85
00:04:47,960 --> 00:04:49,800
Speaker 1: George in the lineup. When it didn't look like it

86
00:04:49,839 --> 00:04:53,000
Speaker 1: was gonna happen down eleven late in this game, they

87
00:04:53,040 --> 00:04:56,400
Speaker 1: came back and their hero was Reggie Jackson, playing in

88
00:04:56,480 --> 00:04:59,279
Speaker 1: his first game in Detroit since being waived last season.

89
00:04:59,520 --> 00:05:04,440
Speaker 1: He buried the game winner with only two seconds remaining

90
00:05:04,520 --> 00:05:09,880
Speaker 1: on the clock, and the camaraderie afterwards is some nice morale.

91
00:05:09,960 --> 00:05:13,279
Speaker 1: The celebration after the shot call me the body language doctor.

92
00:05:13,320 --> 00:05:16,080
Speaker 1: But I like this for the Los Angeles Clippers. Even

93
00:05:16,160 --> 00:05:19,479
Speaker 1: Kawhi Leonard had to freak and smile. And now just

94
00:05:19,520 --> 00:05:22,240
Speaker 1: one note here, Nikolebatum coming off the bench but closing

95
00:05:22,279 --> 00:05:25,200
Speaker 1: games for the Clippers. He had a three block game

96
00:05:25,200 --> 00:05:27,600
Speaker 1: and then a five block game recently coming into this

97
00:05:27,640 --> 00:05:30,440
Speaker 1: one him along with Kawhi and Paul George throwing a

98
00:05:30,440 --> 00:05:33,080
Speaker 1: point guard, whether it's Beverly or Rondo, and then a

99
00:05:33,080 --> 00:05:36,200
Speaker 1: bigger guy Marcus Morris or Zubots. That's their closing lineup.

100
00:05:36,320 --> 00:05:39,440
Speaker 1: It's looking great. They're shooting great from the three point line.

101
00:05:40,160 --> 00:05:42,360
Speaker 1: Always a question mark when we get into the postseason

102
00:05:42,560 --> 00:05:46,520
Speaker 1: will they deal with adversity well? But right now they're

103
00:05:46,560 --> 00:05:49,880
Speaker 1: playing so so well. The Clippers look like they'll finish

104
00:05:49,960 --> 00:05:51,839
Speaker 1: no lower than third in the standings because it'll be

105
00:05:51,880 --> 00:05:55,080
Speaker 1: hard for Denver to catch them without Jamal Murray. Although

106
00:05:55,080 --> 00:05:58,239
Speaker 1: they took care of Miami as they started life without Jamal,

107
00:05:59,000 --> 00:06:01,240
Speaker 1: Michael port Junior had one to lead six guys in

108
00:06:01,279 --> 00:06:05,280
Speaker 1: double figures. Yelkitch Nikola Jokich's triple double getting everybody involved

109
00:06:05,279 --> 00:06:07,240
Speaker 1: with a nice guy right, it's on his shoulders and

110
00:06:07,279 --> 00:06:10,320
Speaker 1: he tore up the heat defense to the East, we

111
00:06:10,400 --> 00:06:14,920
Speaker 1: go Orlando Chicago. The Bulls Knight peaked pre game when

112
00:06:15,000 --> 00:06:20,360
Speaker 1: Josh Robbins of the Athletic tweeted a joke that Nikolavuvich

113
00:06:20,600 --> 00:06:23,920
Speaker 1: responded to, Orvuovich made the joke anyways, Josh Robbins reporting

114
00:06:24,279 --> 00:06:28,240
Speaker 1: for the Magic that Mobamba wasn't going to play, and

115
00:06:28,320 --> 00:06:33,240
Speaker 1: Vuchovich responded with vucevitish playing against his old team. But

116
00:06:33,400 --> 00:06:35,320
Speaker 1: my god, that was the peak of the night because

117
00:06:35,360 --> 00:06:40,040
Speaker 1: the Magic got everything they wanted against the Bulls defense.

118
00:06:40,279 --> 00:06:43,719
Speaker 1: Everything got on the offensive, glass or cutting well on offense,

119
00:06:43,760 --> 00:06:46,560
Speaker 1: getting to the hoop way too easily. Vucha twenty nine points,

120
00:06:46,680 --> 00:06:50,400
Speaker 1: hitting over half his shots. A good night, but my goodness,

121
00:06:50,520 --> 00:06:56,119
Speaker 1: the Bulls defense laughable. Combined with the Raptors win, Chicago

122
00:06:56,240 --> 00:07:00,240
Speaker 1: only one point five games from being in eleventh of

123
00:07:00,279 --> 00:07:02,600
Speaker 1: the play in tournament. There's currently in tenth. They hold

124
00:07:02,600 --> 00:07:05,640
Speaker 1: the tiebreaker with Toronto if it comes to that. Are

125
00:07:05,640 --> 00:07:08,400
Speaker 1: we doing tie breakers for playing spots now? I guess so?

126
00:07:08,600 --> 00:07:13,600
Speaker 1: We absolutely are move into those Raptors. Raptor forever DeMar

127
00:07:13,720 --> 00:07:17,000
Speaker 1: Derozen came to town with the San Antonio Spurs, but this

128
00:07:17,160 --> 00:07:20,200
Speaker 1: was Toronto's night. The Raps went real big ogn and

129
00:07:20,240 --> 00:07:22,960
Speaker 1: Obi was playing the two and he was being featured.

130
00:07:23,000 --> 00:07:27,040
Speaker 1: He was banging home jumpers. Recent pickup Cam Birch made

131
00:07:27,080 --> 00:07:29,800
Speaker 1: his first start with Toronto. Given the Raptors plenty of

132
00:07:29,840 --> 00:07:32,560
Speaker 1: solidity at that center spot, something they have been lacking.

133
00:07:32,920 --> 00:07:35,880
Speaker 1: Why didn't Orlando give him to Toronto just a little

134
00:07:35,920 --> 00:07:39,360
Speaker 1: bit sooner. The Raptors got six guys in double figures,

135
00:07:40,080 --> 00:07:42,800
Speaker 1: and the best eleventh place team in NBA history could

136
00:07:42,840 --> 00:07:45,679
Speaker 1: fight for a playoff spot because of this new format.

137
00:07:45,720 --> 00:07:47,960
Speaker 1: It's not over, and it's not over for the Wizards either.

138
00:07:48,120 --> 00:07:50,040
Speaker 1: As we've said on What You Need to Know many

139
00:07:50,040 --> 00:07:52,720
Speaker 1: of times, Westbrook's second half of the season last year

140
00:07:52,880 --> 00:07:54,920
Speaker 1: with the Rockets is where he really turned it on

141
00:07:54,960 --> 00:07:59,000
Speaker 1: and played well well. Russell Westbrook is playing very, very

142
00:07:59,160 --> 00:08:04,120
Speaker 1: very well his last eighteen games in thirty one days.

143
00:08:04,160 --> 00:08:05,880
Speaker 1: So he's played eighteen games in thirty one days. He

144
00:08:05,880 --> 00:08:08,440
Speaker 1: has had a triple double in all but four of

145
00:08:08,480 --> 00:08:11,920
Speaker 1: those games. He's averaging twenty four, thirteen, and thirteen in

146
00:08:11,960 --> 00:08:15,400
Speaker 1: that span. Thanks to stat mus for that that the

147
00:08:15,440 --> 00:08:18,960
Speaker 1: Wizards gotta win over the Sacramento Kings. Of course, another

148
00:08:19,080 --> 00:08:23,400
Speaker 1: Russell Westbrook triple double, his sixth straight triple double. They're

149
00:08:23,400 --> 00:08:26,240
Speaker 1: tied with the Raptors for eleventh in the East. Yeah,

150
00:08:26,320 --> 00:08:30,160
Speaker 1: we're watching eleventh spot in the Eastern Conference standings. This

151
00:08:30,240 --> 00:08:33,400
Speaker 1: playoff format looks to be working. To the top Nets

152
00:08:33,440 --> 00:08:36,680
Speaker 1: seventy six ers, no Harden or Durant. Harden is hurt,

153
00:08:37,120 --> 00:08:39,120
Speaker 1: Kevin Durant resting on a back to back, So this

154
00:08:39,240 --> 00:08:41,640
Speaker 1: wasn't Steve Nash sitting guys in order to give Philly

155
00:08:41,720 --> 00:08:45,240
Speaker 1: fewer reps against his guys before the playoffs, although that

156
00:08:45,280 --> 00:08:47,200
Speaker 1: would be great if he was doing that. No Blake

157
00:08:47,200 --> 00:08:51,040
Speaker 1: Griffin or LaMarcus Aldridge either. Yes, a lot of good

158
00:08:51,040 --> 00:08:53,640
Speaker 1: things happening there in Brooklyn, but nothing really to learn

159
00:08:53,679 --> 00:08:56,120
Speaker 1: from this game other than Aldridge better be ready to

160
00:08:56,160 --> 00:08:58,520
Speaker 1: guard Joel Andbiid if they face off in the Eastern

161
00:08:58,559 --> 00:09:01,719
Speaker 1: Conference Final, because that's like where they'd meet. Because Embiid

162
00:09:01,800 --> 00:09:06,000
Speaker 1: torched DeAndre Jordan for thirty nine points, Kyrie had thirty seven.

163
00:09:06,600 --> 00:09:08,960
Speaker 1: The two were tied for first in the East coming in,

164
00:09:09,120 --> 00:09:11,320
Speaker 1: but Philly's now a game up and they got the tiebreaker.

165
00:09:11,480 --> 00:09:14,400
Speaker 1: Got to love those tiebreakers. They held off a late

166
00:09:14,520 --> 00:09:17,880
Speaker 1: rally by the Nets bench players. A little further down

167
00:09:18,240 --> 00:09:22,240
Speaker 1: in the Eastern Conference, Milwaukee visiting Minnesota, Karl Anthony town

168
00:09:22,280 --> 00:09:26,319
Speaker 1: sitting out the second of two games because of personal reasons.

169
00:09:26,559 --> 00:09:29,240
Speaker 1: His mom passed away almost a year to the day,

170
00:09:29,320 --> 00:09:31,400
Speaker 1: so he was sitting out two games, and like the

171
00:09:31,400 --> 00:09:34,160
Speaker 1: first game, I was played a little earlier in the

172
00:09:34,240 --> 00:09:36,319
Speaker 1: day in front of no fans as a safety precaution

173
00:09:36,400 --> 00:09:40,760
Speaker 1: in the Minnesota area. Milwaukee now two games back of

174
00:09:40,760 --> 00:09:42,720
Speaker 1: Brooklyn for the two spot in the East, and some

175
00:09:42,800 --> 00:09:45,880
Speaker 1: injury news. PJ. Tucker played after missing ten games. He's

176
00:09:45,880 --> 00:09:48,960
Speaker 1: played sparingly since being acquired from Houston a month ago.

177
00:09:49,000 --> 00:09:52,000
Speaker 1: He's going to be a player for them in the postseason,

178
00:09:52,000 --> 00:09:55,760
Speaker 1: but Yanni is also continuing to sit out with knee issue.

179
00:09:55,760 --> 00:09:59,200
Speaker 1: Cleveland Charlotte. This was a bit of a Kevin Love

180
00:09:59,240 --> 00:10:02,800
Speaker 1: throwback game, playing through the thirty two year old Cavaliers

181
00:10:02,840 --> 00:10:06,360
Speaker 1: big man late what he had seventeen points, two more

182
00:10:06,400 --> 00:10:09,200
Speaker 1: seasons left on that juicy contract. Next year, he'll be

183
00:10:09,240 --> 00:10:11,559
Speaker 1: more tradeable. Toy and Prince. He had one of those

184
00:10:11,559 --> 00:10:13,959
Speaker 1: scorching hot games that Prince has every once in a while.

185
00:10:14,040 --> 00:10:16,840
Speaker 1: Twenty five off the bench. Charlotte lost three in a row.

186
00:10:17,640 --> 00:10:20,199
Speaker 1: Very unlikely they'll fall out of the play in tournament though,

187
00:10:20,400 --> 00:10:23,760
Speaker 1: Gordon Hayward LaMelo Ball. Hopefully those guys come back soon.

188
00:10:23,960 --> 00:10:26,520
Speaker 1: Last game here on the docket, Pacers beat the Rockets.

189
00:10:26,559 --> 00:10:30,280
Speaker 1: India is getting healthy. They're absolutely not a pushover of

190
00:10:30,320 --> 00:10:32,480
Speaker 1: a team down the stretch, and the rockets. They're just

191
00:10:32,520 --> 00:10:34,959
Speaker 1: playing out the stray and there's twelve games. Try to

192
00:10:34,960 --> 00:10:36,760
Speaker 1: wrap it up for you as quickly as I can.

193
00:10:36,960 --> 00:10:38,959
Speaker 1: Make sure to join me tomorrow, or I'll give you

194
00:10:39,000 --> 00:10:41,839
Speaker 1: the news again as fast as I possibly can. I'll

195
00:10:41,880 --> 00:10:43,360
Speaker 1: see that