1 00:00:04,320 --> 00:00:08,239 Speaker 1: On today's show, we officially have some New Southern and 2 00:00:08,440 --> 00:00:12,799 Speaker 1: New Yorker blood in the postseason. The Lakers officially celebrate 3 00:00:12,880 --> 00:00:16,040 Speaker 1: their twenty twenty championship and I can feel it. The 4 00:00:16,120 --> 00:00:19,920 Speaker 1: playoffs are almost here. Hard in his back, the Blazers 5 00:00:19,920 --> 00:00:23,520 Speaker 1: are scorching. Blake Griffin wears some unique shoes, but I'm 6 00:00:23,600 --> 00:00:26,279 Speaker 1: Mick loving them. Hey, I'm tas Mellas And this is 7 00:00:26,280 --> 00:00:28,240 Speaker 1: what you need to know in the NBA for Thursday, 8 00:00:28,520 --> 00:00:38,960 Speaker 1: May thirteen, Good morning, everybody. We only have four more 9 00:00:39,200 --> 00:00:44,280 Speaker 1: nights in the regular season remaining. Oo. We can feel 10 00:00:44,280 --> 00:00:47,240 Speaker 1: the playoffs, can't we. In the Los Angeles, Lakers finally 11 00:00:47,280 --> 00:00:50,800 Speaker 1: got to unveil their seventeenth championship banner because they were 12 00:00:50,840 --> 00:00:54,240 Speaker 1: waiting for the day fans were allowed in Staple Center. 13 00:00:54,400 --> 00:00:56,960 Speaker 1: Lebron told fans our back to back journey starts in 14 00:00:57,000 --> 00:01:00,120 Speaker 1: a week, right when the play interney will be going on. 15 00:01:00,760 --> 00:01:03,120 Speaker 1: And that was just a term from the King's mouth. Yeah, 16 00:01:03,160 --> 00:01:05,800 Speaker 1: a week from now, but it's fitting because that's when 17 00:01:05,800 --> 00:01:09,319 Speaker 1: the champs could very well have to start their run. 18 00:01:09,440 --> 00:01:12,840 Speaker 1: Despite Kyle Kuzma pulling out a victory over the Rockets 19 00:01:12,840 --> 00:01:15,600 Speaker 1: with a euro stepping game winner, and despite getting the 20 00:01:15,640 --> 00:01:18,679 Speaker 1: win without Lebron, who is sitting his sixth straight game 21 00:01:19,000 --> 00:01:22,600 Speaker 1: to get his ankle right, and Anthony Davis also out 22 00:01:22,959 --> 00:01:25,479 Speaker 1: after he felt a little growing tightness in the lakers 23 00:01:25,600 --> 00:01:30,039 Speaker 1: last game. They're gonna need losses from either Dallas or Portland, 24 00:01:30,319 --> 00:01:33,199 Speaker 1: and it didn't happen last night because Portland is playing 25 00:01:33,240 --> 00:01:36,400 Speaker 1: its best ball at the right time. Portland went into 26 00:01:36,440 --> 00:01:39,319 Speaker 1: the one seeded Utah Jazz's house and just pick and 27 00:01:39,560 --> 00:01:43,200 Speaker 1: rolled or pick and popped the Jazz's great defense to 28 00:01:43,440 --> 00:01:47,840 Speaker 1: no end. Damian Lillard finding mellow for three, CEJ McCollum 29 00:01:48,000 --> 00:01:51,120 Speaker 1: going back and forth with Usef Nurkic, Dame to Mellow 30 00:01:51,200 --> 00:01:54,320 Speaker 1: to Nurkic. It didn't stop. The Blazers have turned it 31 00:01:54,360 --> 00:01:57,400 Speaker 1: on at the perfect time. They have won nine of 32 00:01:57,480 --> 00:02:00,480 Speaker 1: their last ten games. In that span, they are first 33 00:02:00,560 --> 00:02:04,480 Speaker 1: in offensive rating and eleventh in defensive rating. Those are 34 00:02:04,520 --> 00:02:07,680 Speaker 1: some improvements right there. No starting backcourt for the Jazz, 35 00:02:07,720 --> 00:02:11,119 Speaker 1: Donovan Mitchell and Mike Conley will be back for the postseason. Yeah, 36 00:02:11,160 --> 00:02:14,240 Speaker 1: I said it. Will I get real bold in this 37 00:02:14,320 --> 00:02:17,720 Speaker 1: garage really in the morning. I guess Portland or Dallas 38 00:02:17,760 --> 00:02:20,840 Speaker 1: must lose their final two games for LA to get 39 00:02:20,840 --> 00:02:23,160 Speaker 1: in and get out of the play in and Portland 40 00:02:23,280 --> 00:02:26,800 Speaker 1: visits the Suns tonight. The Suns are a team playing 41 00:02:26,800 --> 00:02:28,440 Speaker 1: for the one seed and they need a win, and 42 00:02:28,440 --> 00:02:31,440 Speaker 1: then Portland plays the MVP and the Nuggets on Sunday, 43 00:02:31,520 --> 00:02:35,240 Speaker 1: so it could happen. Unlikely the MAVs lose out, though 44 00:02:35,240 --> 00:02:38,200 Speaker 1: they've got an easier schedule and they got Christops Porzingis 45 00:02:38,200 --> 00:02:41,440 Speaker 1: back Wednesday versus the Pelicans after missing seven games with 46 00:02:41,600 --> 00:02:45,079 Speaker 1: niece sorenis. He had seventeen first half points in fourteen minutes. 47 00:02:45,720 --> 00:02:48,640 Speaker 1: When Luca was going off five for five on threas 48 00:02:48,720 --> 00:02:50,800 Speaker 1: in the second quarter, this game was over. It was 49 00:02:50,840 --> 00:02:53,160 Speaker 1: the Pelicans, though they weren't up for the challenge. They're 50 00:02:53,160 --> 00:02:55,760 Speaker 1: officially done for this season. But let's talk about teams 51 00:02:55,919 --> 00:02:59,000 Speaker 1: that are not done. Let's celebrate two Eastern Conference teams 52 00:02:59,120 --> 00:03:02,920 Speaker 1: joining the playoffs for the first time in years. The 53 00:03:03,000 --> 00:03:06,079 Speaker 1: Hawks first playoff appearance since twenty seventeen, and they did 54 00:03:06,080 --> 00:03:09,440 Speaker 1: it in style against the Wizards. Down thirteen points in 55 00:03:09,480 --> 00:03:12,800 Speaker 1: the fourth quarter, they clawed back to just down two. 56 00:03:13,280 --> 00:03:17,240 Speaker 1: With thirty five seconds left. Westbrook drove but was blocked 57 00:03:17,240 --> 00:03:19,360 Speaker 1: at the rim by Clint Capella. That's what he does 58 00:03:19,720 --> 00:03:22,600 Speaker 1: and on the runout the other way, Trey Young had 59 00:03:22,639 --> 00:03:25,480 Speaker 1: the ball, didn't force it, found John Collins in the 60 00:03:25,480 --> 00:03:29,240 Speaker 1: corner for a three Hawks up one and never looked back. 61 00:03:29,720 --> 00:03:31,520 Speaker 1: Trey Young easily could have taken that shot. He was 62 00:03:31,520 --> 00:03:33,840 Speaker 1: having a great night. He finished with thirty three points. 63 00:03:33,840 --> 00:03:37,120 Speaker 1: But he has grown under coach Nate McMillan, who has 64 00:03:37,240 --> 00:03:39,840 Speaker 1: led this team to a twenty five and eleven records 65 00:03:39,840 --> 00:03:43,360 Speaker 1: since taking over for Lloyd Pierce. Great article on The 66 00:03:43,400 --> 00:03:47,400 Speaker 1: Athletic by Chris Kershner about Trey Young's growth just dropped. 67 00:03:47,400 --> 00:03:50,640 Speaker 1: You can go check that out. Russell Westbrook scored thirty 68 00:03:50,640 --> 00:03:53,120 Speaker 1: four points and dished out fifteen assists, but it wasn't 69 00:03:53,200 --> 00:03:57,080 Speaker 1: enough to prevent another excruciating loss for the Wizards, whose 70 00:03:57,160 --> 00:04:00,800 Speaker 1: last five defeats have been by a total of ten points. 71 00:04:01,240 --> 00:04:03,760 Speaker 1: Washington was held scoreless over the final two and a 72 00:04:03,800 --> 00:04:07,720 Speaker 1: half minutes, missing its final eight shots. The Hawks currently 73 00:04:07,760 --> 00:04:10,119 Speaker 1: hold on to that four seed and home court advantage 74 00:04:10,120 --> 00:04:13,120 Speaker 1: for the opening round over the Knicks and the heat 75 00:04:13,240 --> 00:04:15,280 Speaker 1: that they're battling with. And if you forget how the 76 00:04:15,280 --> 00:04:18,200 Speaker 1: playoffs work in general, I get it. If the play 77 00:04:18,279 --> 00:04:21,360 Speaker 1: in tournament addition has made things slightly confusing. I don't 78 00:04:21,360 --> 00:04:24,520 Speaker 1: blame you. The Hawks do want home court advantage at 79 00:04:24,520 --> 00:04:27,800 Speaker 1: State Farm Arena because this was their ninth straight home 80 00:04:27,839 --> 00:04:31,320 Speaker 1: game win and their seventeen and two over their last 81 00:04:31,480 --> 00:04:36,280 Speaker 1: nineteen at the arena. WIZ clinching their play interning appearance 82 00:04:36,360 --> 00:04:39,760 Speaker 1: will have to wait another day. Bradley Beal missed this one. 83 00:04:39,800 --> 00:04:42,600 Speaker 1: His hamstring will be reevaluated to see if he can 84 00:04:42,640 --> 00:04:45,840 Speaker 1: play in the final two WIZ games, and the New 85 00:04:45,920 --> 00:04:48,800 Speaker 1: York Knicks have made the playoffs for the first time 86 00:04:48,839 --> 00:04:53,080 Speaker 1: since twenty thirteen. New York Knicks fans rejoice they did 87 00:04:53,120 --> 00:04:55,599 Speaker 1: it without even playing. It all starts with the growth 88 00:04:55,640 --> 00:04:59,520 Speaker 1: of Julius Randall, a whole new year, whole new player 89 00:04:59,600 --> 00:05:03,080 Speaker 1: for him, A joy to watch this guy work, and 90 00:05:03,200 --> 00:05:06,120 Speaker 1: when these following bonuses were written into his contract in 91 00:05:06,160 --> 00:05:09,400 Speaker 1: the twenty nineteen offseason, it seemed highly unlikely he would 92 00:05:09,400 --> 00:05:12,839 Speaker 1: reach them. Bobby Marks reported Julius Randall has earned a 93 00:05:12,960 --> 00:05:15,600 Speaker 1: nine hundred and forty five thousand dollars bonus with the 94 00:05:15,680 --> 00:05:19,640 Speaker 1: Knicks making the playoffs. He also achieved another one, a 95 00:05:19,720 --> 00:05:22,280 Speaker 1: nine hundred and forty five thousand dollars one, when he 96 00:05:22,320 --> 00:05:24,800 Speaker 1: made the All Star game. What's that one point eight 97 00:05:25,040 --> 00:05:28,680 Speaker 1: nine million in bonuses? Couldn't round it up to two million? 98 00:05:29,120 --> 00:05:32,640 Speaker 1: I kid, Congrats to Julius Randall. Congrats to New York 99 00:05:32,720 --> 00:05:37,599 Speaker 1: Knicks fans. Big day for them. Long time coming eight years, 100 00:05:37,839 --> 00:05:42,040 Speaker 1: eight years staying in New York, Spurs visiting the Nets. 101 00:05:42,120 --> 00:05:45,720 Speaker 1: James Harden returned after essentially missing six weeks with the 102 00:05:45,760 --> 00:05:48,800 Speaker 1: hamstring injury. Came off the bench for the first time 103 00:05:48,839 --> 00:05:52,640 Speaker 1: since twenty twelve, and oh yeah, the Nets handled this 104 00:05:52,800 --> 00:05:57,680 Speaker 1: injury well, hardened looking phenomenal. Eighteen points from Harden, gorgeous 105 00:05:57,720 --> 00:06:02,680 Speaker 1: passes oh through four nets on one overhand pass there 106 00:06:03,000 --> 00:06:06,120 Speaker 1: the old soccer pass. Eleven assists, seven boards in twenty 107 00:06:06,200 --> 00:06:08,400 Speaker 1: six minutes. He didn't miss a beat. He also didn't 108 00:06:08,400 --> 00:06:10,800 Speaker 1: miss a beat with the media. Listen to how he 109 00:06:11,080 --> 00:06:14,400 Speaker 1: swats away this question. Are you surprised at how quickly 110 00:06:14,520 --> 00:06:16,720 Speaker 1: it kind of came back to you and you were 111 00:06:16,760 --> 00:06:19,840 Speaker 1: back in the flow of things. Not really, that's a 112 00:06:19,960 --> 00:06:23,240 Speaker 1: like bragg or anything, but I'm like, really good at 113 00:06:23,320 --> 00:06:26,479 Speaker 1: this game. That's a humble brag right there, and a 114 00:06:26,600 --> 00:06:29,040 Speaker 1: very worthy one. He's pretty good at it. The Brooklyn 115 00:06:29,040 --> 00:06:31,400 Speaker 1: Nets didn't have Kyrie Irving because of the elbow he 116 00:06:31,480 --> 00:06:35,600 Speaker 1: took to the face from Elboka Vucevic, I mean Nikolavuchovic. 117 00:06:35,680 --> 00:06:38,400 Speaker 1: In the last game versus the Bulls, a concussion was 118 00:06:38,520 --> 00:06:40,839 Speaker 1: ruled out for Kyrie those so some good news. Hopefully 119 00:06:40,839 --> 00:06:42,880 Speaker 1: he'll be back soon. They just can't get their stars 120 00:06:42,920 --> 00:06:45,080 Speaker 1: on the floor at the same time. But what does 121 00:06:45,120 --> 00:06:48,080 Speaker 1: it matter. They got closer to clinching the two seed 122 00:06:48,160 --> 00:06:51,039 Speaker 1: in the Eastern Conference. Oh and have to highlight this 123 00:06:51,200 --> 00:06:54,960 Speaker 1: shoe that Blake Griffin was wearing, called the McLevin thirty 124 00:06:55,000 --> 00:06:58,920 Speaker 1: five mcleven thirty five with his own Hawaii ID info 125 00:06:59,040 --> 00:07:03,280 Speaker 1: on the tongue like he's mclovin himself. Blake gets it. 126 00:07:03,320 --> 00:07:05,880 Speaker 1: That's some great stuff. Thanks to Nick Depaula for that 127 00:07:06,080 --> 00:07:10,440 Speaker 1: share right there. What a shoe, What a shoe, and 128 00:07:10,520 --> 00:07:13,240 Speaker 1: a great time from Blake in those shoes. One last 129 00:07:13,280 --> 00:07:15,720 Speaker 1: game to talk about, that's a real downer. The Boston 130 00:07:15,720 --> 00:07:18,800 Speaker 1: Celtics lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers, who snapped an eleven 131 00:07:18,840 --> 00:07:22,360 Speaker 1: game losing streak versus Boston. The Jalen Brown injury the 132 00:07:22,400 --> 00:07:26,200 Speaker 1: lost season. The halftime score was forty two thirty nine. 133 00:07:26,280 --> 00:07:29,200 Speaker 1: Does it get any lower for the Celtics. Yes, it can. 134 00:07:29,320 --> 00:07:33,120 Speaker 1: The Celtics can still drop further in the playoff tournament bracket. 135 00:07:33,480 --> 00:07:35,960 Speaker 1: Over the last few days, they could get into the 136 00:07:36,120 --> 00:07:39,840 Speaker 1: nine to ten bracket of the play In turning a 137 00:07:39,960 --> 00:07:43,040 Speaker 1: couple news items to send you off with the Miami Heats, 138 00:07:43,120 --> 00:07:47,920 Speaker 1: Victor Oladipo season is over. Oladipo was traded twice this season, 139 00:07:48,240 --> 00:07:50,400 Speaker 1: first from the Pacers to the Rockets in the four 140 00:07:50,440 --> 00:07:53,800 Speaker 1: way James Harden deal, then to the Heat at the deadline. 141 00:07:54,280 --> 00:07:56,960 Speaker 1: Oladipo only played four games for the Heat and will 142 00:07:56,960 --> 00:08:00,960 Speaker 1: now undergo season ending surgery on his right Rodger Scep's tendon, 143 00:08:01,120 --> 00:08:03,560 Speaker 1: the same quad he injured and had surgery on in 144 00:08:03,680 --> 00:08:06,640 Speaker 1: January twenty nineteen when he was Pekoladipo for the Pacers. 145 00:08:06,880 --> 00:08:09,280 Speaker 1: In this case, though, it appears to have been elective 146 00:08:09,360 --> 00:08:13,200 Speaker 1: surgery trying to get right before free agency. He hasn't 147 00:08:13,200 --> 00:08:15,400 Speaker 1: been quite the same in the fifty two games he's 148 00:08:15,440 --> 00:08:19,520 Speaker 1: played since twenty nineteen, and last note here, Pistons have 149 00:08:19,640 --> 00:08:22,960 Speaker 1: extended the contract of head coach Dwayne Casey for an 150 00:08:22,960 --> 00:08:27,640 Speaker 1: additional season and is now signed through twenty twenty four. 151 00:08:27,720 --> 00:08:30,320 Speaker 1: Congrats to Dwayne forgetting that extra year. One of the 152 00:08:30,320 --> 00:08:33,520 Speaker 1: great Men in basketball on NBA TV. Quick story, I 153 00:08:33,520 --> 00:08:35,839 Speaker 1: said the Raptors letting go of Dwayne Casey after he 154 00:08:35,920 --> 00:08:37,640 Speaker 1: won the Coach of the Year was the right move. 155 00:08:38,120 --> 00:08:40,680 Speaker 1: He came on the show the next season and after 156 00:08:40,720 --> 00:08:42,760 Speaker 1: the interview kind of took me aside and he said, yeah, 157 00:08:42,800 --> 00:08:44,840 Speaker 1: I heard you say that, but I like the show, 158 00:08:44,920 --> 00:08:48,120 Speaker 1: so I still want to come on Class act. Honorable man. 159 00:08:48,160 --> 00:08:52,319 Speaker 1: Congrats to case and his family, And just a reminder, 160 00:08:52,400 --> 00:08:57,000 Speaker 1: live streamathon donation drive tonight Thursday for Saint Jude's Children's 161 00:08:57,040 --> 00:08:59,600 Speaker 1: Research Hospital. Join us on our YouTube channel. We'll have 162 00:08:59,600 --> 00:09:02,040 Speaker 1: some fun. If you can't make it, we'll tweet the link. 163 00:09:02,080 --> 00:09:04,560 Speaker 1: If you would like to donate, make sure you check 164 00:09:04,559 --> 00:09:07,679 Speaker 1: out the Thursday episode of No Dunks. I'll be back 165 00:09:07,679 --> 00:09:09,440 Speaker 1: Friday to give you the news as fast as I 166 00:09:09,480 --> 00:09:10,800 Speaker 1: possibly can talk to you then