Speaker 1: Bokom in the NBA puls A production of iHeartRadio in
Speaker 1: the NBA. I'm Saracusack, NBA analysts for the y S Networking.
Speaker 1: Today is Friday, April seventh, and from our incredible core
Speaker 1: group of NBA journalists were joined now by NBA dot
Speaker 1: Com senior writer Sean Poll and Sean, it's almost time.
Speaker 1: We're getting down to the nitty gritty of the final
Speaker 1: days of this regular season before were determining what exactly
Speaker 1: the playoff picture will look like, and there's still a
Speaker 1: handful of things left in the balance, in particular the
Speaker 1: Western Conference, of which we have talked about for quite
Speaker 1: some time. Also at the point of the season where
Speaker 1: gonna be interesting to see what lineups a couple of
Speaker 1: these teams and games are rolled out given the scenarios
Speaker 1: and the situations that teams are currently locked into. So
Speaker 1: let's start in the Western Conference. For you, what are
Speaker 1: you most intrigued about to either learn in terms of
Speaker 1: playoff matchups or to learn who will slide into where
Speaker 1: with these standings, Well, the team that has the biggest
Speaker 1: urgency obviously is a Dallas Mavericks because they're not on
Speaker 1: the edge of getting a top six automatic birth or
Speaker 1: going into the play in situation. They're on the edge
Speaker 1: of missing everything, all the fun and you know, and
Speaker 1: then compounding that, this is a team that made the
Speaker 1: big trade for Kyrie Irving, putting them in the backcourt
Speaker 1: with Luca to creative ball handlers and scores, and they've
Speaker 1: had the sixth worst record in the NBA since those
Speaker 1: two became a tandem. I mean, it just hasn't worked
Speaker 1: out well. And so now they're teetering on the edge.
Speaker 1: They don't control their own destiny. And that's whenever a
Speaker 1: team is in that kind of situation, it's you know,
Speaker 1: you're just you feel helpless basically because you need someone
Speaker 1: to help you out. Unfortunately, for the Dallas Mavericks, the
Speaker 1: Oklahoma City is not helping them out. Okay, they win
Speaker 1: last night and now they have one more game. Oklahoma
Speaker 1: City beats Memphis, it is all over for the Dallas Mavericks.
Speaker 1: So it has been a slippery slope for them ever
Speaker 1: since Kyrie Irving came to the team, and this team
Speaker 1: went to the Western Conference Finals last year, Sarah, without Kyrie,
Speaker 1: I just want to remind you of that. So the
Speaker 1: Big D stands for disappointment as simple as that, and
Speaker 1: a lot of what happens may determine not for us
Speaker 1: to get into now, but not just this season, not
Speaker 1: just this postseason, but how things look this offseason. And
Speaker 1: as you continue on to the picture of the Dallas
Speaker 1: Mavericks future, let's switch to the Los Angeles Lakers, because
Speaker 1: they obviously lost that game against the Clippers on Wednesday night,
Speaker 1: but the second of the back to back certainly a
Speaker 1: tough turnaround for Los Angeles and they play tonight against
Speaker 1: the Phoenix Suns on NBA TV at ten thirty Eastern.
Speaker 1: Phoenix coming off of a win against Denver, of which
Speaker 1: never didn't play Yokich Murray Porter. Phoenix has won seventh straight,
Speaker 1: but they're pretty much locked into that fourth spot. That
Speaker 1: will be interesting to see what runway they feel like
Speaker 1: in acclimating now that Kevin Durant is back. But the
Speaker 1: Lakers in the seventh spot, do they have a chance
Speaker 1: to move up into that sixth spot? What things look
Speaker 1: like for them? How do you frame where the Lakers
Speaker 1: are at at this point, which is the Sun's here
Speaker 1: tonight and then the Jazz will finish them or finish
Speaker 1: with them at home on Sunday. Well, I'll give you
Speaker 1: the good news for the Lakers. Everyone's healthy. That's first
Speaker 1: good news. The second good news is they play they
Speaker 1: close out against Phoenix and Utah. My gut feelings that
Speaker 1: the Phoenix Suns, who are pretty much locked in the
Speaker 1: fourth place, I don't think they're going to play everyone.
Speaker 1: Same thing with the Utah Jaz Utah jadd Right now,
Speaker 1: they're holding tryouts for next season. They're putting guys off
Speaker 1: the bench and giving them thirty five minutes a night.
Speaker 1: So I don't think either of those teams will probably
Speaker 1: be an issue for the Lakers. The problem with the
Speaker 1: Lakers that they don't control their own destiny, and so
Speaker 1: again you know you need help the Clippers on the
Speaker 1: tie breaker over the Lakers. The Golden State Warriors are
Speaker 1: sitting ahead of the Lakers, and the key game is
Speaker 1: going to be the Warriors versus the Sacramento Kings. The
Speaker 1: Warriors win that game is pretty much all over. The
Speaker 1: Lakers will be in the play in situation. Now. The
Speaker 1: other thing is with the Lakers in the play in situation,
Speaker 1: it's not such a terrible place to be. I just
Speaker 1: think that they're just so much better than the other
Speaker 1: teams in the play in situation that I think that
Speaker 1: the odds are they're definitely going to make the playoffs.
Speaker 1: But again, when you're in that tournament, that play in tournament,
Speaker 1: you know, any freaky thing that happens, you know it
Speaker 1: could cost you. And I understand if the Lakers get
Speaker 1: the number seven spot, they would have to lose two games,
Speaker 1: you know, when you have to play that extra game
Speaker 1: or two extra games, anything can happen. I like their
Speaker 1: chances of making the playoffs eventually, but I don't think
Speaker 1: they're going to be in the top six. The odds
Speaker 1: are against and they're going to have to go through
Speaker 1: that tournament. Yeah, and as you mentioned, you know, with
Speaker 1: the Lakers or one team that we've had an eye
Speaker 1: on trying to get into that top six, but the
Speaker 1: other two that we've had a lot of focus on
Speaker 1: have been the Golden State Warriors and the Los Angeles
Speaker 1: Clippers currently with the same record, though the Clippers do
Speaker 1: own the tiebreaker. As you mentioned, Golden State Warriors are
Speaker 1: at the kings here tonight. In some of this you
Speaker 1: look at you're not just looking at the staying at
Speaker 1: that top six, so you don't have to play in
Speaker 1: the playing game, but also who your opponent may be.
Speaker 1: As Sacramento is locked into the third spot, Phoenix locked
Speaker 1: into that fourth spot. What is your take on where
Speaker 1: things are at right now for both the Clippers and
Speaker 1: the Warriors. Well, you know, Sarah, no one's going to
Speaker 1: say this to you with straight vase and you know,
Speaker 1: but everybody wants to be in that six spot. They
Speaker 1: sends that the Sacramento Kings. You know, all due respect
Speaker 1: to the Sacramento Kings that given a choice between playing
Speaker 1: Sacramento or Kevin Durant infused Phoenix Suns team in the
Speaker 1: first round at four, let me think about that, Okay,
Speaker 1: So I think ideally, for if you're the Clippers, if
Speaker 1: you're the Warriors, or even if you're the Lakers, if
Speaker 1: you're lucky, you probably want to avoid that number five
Speaker 1: spot because that means you're locked into the first round
Speaker 1: series against a Sun's team that has been rejuvenated that
Speaker 1: has Kevin Durant next to Devin Book and Chris Paul
Speaker 1: and DeAndre Ayton. So that would probably be a little
Speaker 1: bit difficult, no disrespect to the Sacramento Kings, but the
Speaker 1: number six spot would probably be favorable now, having said that,
Speaker 1: if the Warriors get to five or the Clippers at five,
Speaker 1: I think if you're the Phoenix Suns, you know that's
Speaker 1: a tough matchup for YouTube now. So I mean, I'm
Speaker 1: not putting it all on the team that's going up
Speaker 1: against Phoenix. I think it would be tough with the
Speaker 1: Phoenix Sun. And again, you get Kevin Durant. You didn't
Speaker 1: have him for a whole season. You've had him forward
Speaker 1: a hand for games and you've got to figure it
Speaker 1: out real quick to play a tough first round matchup
Speaker 1: against one of those two teams. So it look it
Speaker 1: won't be a holiday for them either. I agree, Sean
Speaker 1: co sign what you're saying, and you know every time
Speaker 1: that you say no disrespect compliments are not necessarily a
Speaker 1: little bit coming with it. And we've got more to come.
Speaker 1: We're gonna take a quick break here, but up next
Speaker 1: we are get going to get over to the Eastern
Speaker 1: Conference on some of the unknowns of the standings to
Speaker 1: this point of the season. Well come into NBA pul
Speaker 1: Saracousta joined by Sean Pyle and Sean the West has
Speaker 1: taken a lot of the highlights of what we've looked
Speaker 1: at of where the standings have lied, but things on
Speaker 1: the East two have been interesting and in particular as
Speaker 1: you look at just trying to solidify, getting yourself outside
Speaker 1: the playing game. That's something Brooklyn Nets have been searching
Speaker 1: to do, and the Miami Heat knocking at the door.
Speaker 1: They came away with a big win against the seventy
Speaker 1: six ers, final meeting of the year. Between these two,
Speaker 1: the road team has won each of the first two games.
Speaker 1: Tyler Hero it's a three in the corner. Last night
Speaker 1: in Philly one twenty nine one on one. Everyone played
Speaker 1: for Philly except for Tyrese Maxie. However, the Heat are
Speaker 1: starting to roll into their playoff form, despite the fact
Speaker 1: that they would need some help to move into that
Speaker 1: six spot. Brooklyn playing Orlando here tonight, they will play
Speaker 1: Philadelphia at home on Sunday, and as for Miami, they're
Speaker 1: a game behind. The Nets do hold the tie breaker.
Speaker 1: How do you look at just not just how things
Speaker 1: will shake out in the Eastern Conference, but also what
Speaker 1: some of these matchups may look like here in the
Speaker 1: first round. Well, the difference between the East and West
Speaker 1: is the East is pretty much, It's not pretty much,
Speaker 1: it's set you know what teams are going to be
Speaker 1: in the top ten, and the only mystery is whether
Speaker 1: Miami can overcome Brooklyn for the number six spot. Obviously,
Speaker 1: as you said, the Brooklyn Nets owned the tiebreaker. And again,
Speaker 1: when these teams that are contending for something are playing
Speaker 1: the last few games, their opponents will probably be resting people.
Speaker 1: Even if their opponent it's like the Philadelphia seventy six ers,
Speaker 1: I can't imagine Joe and Bid James Harden those guys
Speaker 1: will play that final game, they're going to rest him.
Speaker 1: Or even if you're playing a team that's already ticketed
Speaker 1: for the draft lottery, and those teams aren't playing anybody.
Speaker 1: I mean, they're resting guys and everything. So you know,
Speaker 1: again it's probably it should It's probably an easier situation
Speaker 1: that maybe it should be for the Brooklyn Nets, but
Speaker 1: they own the tide breaker and or what And how
Speaker 1: about the Miamie Heat. This is a team that just
Speaker 1: clinched the Southeast Division title and may be ticketed for
Speaker 1: the play in tournament. Think about that. You would think
Speaker 1: that in the standings, if you actually clinch something that's good,
Speaker 1: that you should be rewarded for it. Oh No, In
Speaker 1: the situation with the Miami Heat. It looks like that
Speaker 1: this team that by the way, came a Jimmy Butler's
Speaker 1: shop from reaching the NBA Finals last year for the
Speaker 1: second time in three seasons, will have to go through
Speaker 1: the play in scenario. And again I compare the Miami
Speaker 1: Heat to the Los Angeles Lakers. If the Miami Heats
Speaker 1: in the play in the situation, I like them. I
Speaker 1: think that they're probably they'll probably be better than any
Speaker 1: other team in that situation. Jimmy Butler's healthy, this Butler
Speaker 1: and he's foul fouls him from behind and you know
Speaker 1: he got bam out of Bio Tyler Hero. I think
Speaker 1: that you know they'll be in the playoffs. But again,
Speaker 1: if you're in that playing tournament, strange things can happen.
Speaker 1: You know, one of your stars could twist an ankle,
Speaker 1: knock on wood, or whatever could be, and it could
Speaker 1: go against you. The Miamie Heat all season long, they've
Speaker 1: had problems scoring, that's been their big thing, and then
Speaker 1: when they don't play defense, then they have no shot
Speaker 1: at winning a game. So I think that this is
Speaker 1: a time for them to re establish your identity, find
Speaker 1: some way to get buckets and put themselves into position
Speaker 1: to succeed. If they get that number seven stot, that
Speaker 1: number seven spot and they have to play, it would
Speaker 1: be what the Boston Celtics at number two at this point,
Speaker 1: So that would not be an easy task for the Celtics,
Speaker 1: even though I do think they're the superior team, but
Speaker 1: I think that they would be in a bit of
Speaker 1: a dog fight against the Miamie Heat as they were
Speaker 1: last year in the Eastern Conference lines. Keep an eye
Speaker 1: out for Eric Spoelstra and Jimmy playoffs. He always takes
Speaker 1: his game to another level and brings his team with them.
Speaker 1: The one series in the East we're going to close
Speaker 1: out with in the first round that is already locked
Speaker 1: in in All eyes will be on the New York
Speaker 1: Knicks and the Cleveland Cavaliers. Storyline after storyline with this
Speaker 1: one in particular, just the competitiveness of the balance between
Speaker 1: both these teams. Give us your preview of what you
Speaker 1: think that series could entail. Well, these two teams basically
Speaker 1: changed their fortunes by obtaining guards in the offseason. You know,
Speaker 1: Donathan Mitchell going to the Cleveland Cavaliers and Jalon Bronson
Speaker 1: going to the Knicks. And it's real. I mean when
Speaker 1: you really look at it. I mean, those two players
Speaker 1: have upgraded their teams pretty much in every and every
Speaker 1: way they handle the ball, they win close games, You
Speaker 1: trust them, you know. It's just when you when you
Speaker 1: really look at those teams where they were last year
Speaker 1: versus this year. The friendses are those two players. And
Speaker 1: what's interesting is that the Knicks, I guess, had a
Speaker 1: shot of getting Donovan Mitchell also last year and pairing
Speaker 1: him with Jalen Brunson. They would have had to give
Speaker 1: up you know, the store, the house, and a neighborhood
Speaker 1: to get him, but they didn't. So now that's the intrigue.
Speaker 1: When you talk about storylines, you're talking about Donovan Mitchell,
Speaker 1: who grew up in you know, suburban Connecticut, grew up
Speaker 1: a Knicks fan, played ball during the summers in Harlem,
Speaker 1: came down to New York looking for the greatest games
Speaker 1: all of the sis father worked for the New York Mets.
Speaker 1: All of a sudden, you know, he's coming back to
Speaker 1: New York as sort of the enemy, trying to deny
Speaker 1: the Knicks going to the second round. And if you're
Speaker 1: the Knicks, you've been waiting for a moment like this,
Speaker 1: particularly Knicks fans, you know, they've been starved for so long,
Speaker 1: ever since really the Carmelo Anthony years, when they really had,
Speaker 1: you know, a shot up doing something and they didn't
Speaker 1: punch their ticket. Then I think, you know, with Julius Randall,
Speaker 1: you know, Jadon Bronson, Thibodeau pulling the right strings. He's
Speaker 1: had a good gear as far as a coach. I
Speaker 1: think people in New York are thinking this team can
Speaker 1: get to the second round. It's going to be fun,
Speaker 1: to say the least. And when we come back on Monday,
Speaker 1: we'll have a much clearer picture on what the postseason
Speaker 1: we'll start to look like. Sean, As always, we appreciate
Speaker 1: you and your time, No problem, Sarah. NBA Pulse with
Speaker 1: Sara Kustack as a production of the NBA and iHeartRadio.
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