1 00:00:01,280 --> 00:00:06,520 Speaker 1: The volume. The eighty two game preseason is in the books, 2 00:00:06,519 --> 00:00:09,920 Speaker 1: and now it's finally time for the real season. Don't 3 00:00:09,960 --> 00:00:13,200 Speaker 1: miss out on any of the NBA playoff action at 4 00:00:13,240 --> 00:00:16,800 Speaker 1: DraftKings Sportsbook, an official sports betting partner of the NBA. 5 00:00:16,920 --> 00:00:20,200 Speaker 1: From the play in tournament through the finals, DraftKings Sportsbook 6 00:00:20,200 --> 00:00:24,160 Speaker 1: has you covered with same game parlays, live betting odds, boosts, 7 00:00:24,160 --> 00:00:26,960 Speaker 1: and so much more. The Boston Celtics are currently the 8 00:00:27,080 --> 00:00:30,600 Speaker 1: favorite at plus one sixty, but the team that's third 9 00:00:30,640 --> 00:00:33,599 Speaker 1: in my championship rankings the Dallas Mavericks. 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Everybody, Oh ball, If you guys 28 00:01:51,760 --> 00:01:53,960 Speaker 1: are having an incredible week, Well, we just got an 29 00:01:54,000 --> 00:01:58,440 Speaker 1: absolutely unbelievable basketball game, and we're gonna be breaking down 30 00:01:58,520 --> 00:02:02,160 Speaker 1: Lakers Nuggets as well as Nick Sixers. Man. I had 31 00:02:02,160 --> 00:02:03,760 Speaker 1: to take a few minutes after that one just to 32 00:02:03,840 --> 00:02:07,320 Speaker 1: kind of soak it all in. That was literally unbelievable. 33 00:02:07,360 --> 00:02:09,400 Speaker 1: Before we even get into the show, I just want 34 00:02:09,400 --> 00:02:13,480 Speaker 1: to say I am so happy for Nuggets fans because 35 00:02:14,040 --> 00:02:16,440 Speaker 1: that is a truly special basketball team you have there, 36 00:02:17,080 --> 00:02:20,440 Speaker 1: And as heart wrenching as that was for myself and 37 00:02:20,480 --> 00:02:24,080 Speaker 1: for so many Lakers fans out there, I'm sure it 38 00:02:24,160 --> 00:02:26,800 Speaker 1: was the exact opposite in a good way for all 39 00:02:26,840 --> 00:02:28,960 Speaker 1: of you Nuggets fans. And again, like this is just 40 00:02:29,000 --> 00:02:31,440 Speaker 1: the beginning too. I think this team is gonna be 41 00:02:31,440 --> 00:02:33,040 Speaker 1: around for a long time, and I think they're gonna 42 00:02:33,040 --> 00:02:36,799 Speaker 1: win a lot of basketball games in multiple championships, and 43 00:02:36,880 --> 00:02:39,280 Speaker 1: so tonight is like one of those special kind of 44 00:02:39,320 --> 00:02:42,160 Speaker 1: like checkpoints along the way in that journey. So I 45 00:02:42,200 --> 00:02:43,840 Speaker 1: just want to say that I'm happy for you Nuggets 46 00:02:43,880 --> 00:02:48,239 Speaker 1: fans because, like, man, what a special basketball team you 47 00:02:48,280 --> 00:02:50,080 Speaker 1: guys are. The joefore we get started. Subscribe to a 48 00:02:50,080 --> 00:02:51,880 Speaker 1: brand new YouTube channel so you don't miss any more 49 00:02:52,400 --> 00:02:55,160 Speaker 1: of our videos. Follow me on Twitter at underscore jcnlt 50 00:02:55,240 --> 00:02:56,960 Speaker 1: so you guys don't misshow announcements as well as the 51 00:02:56,960 --> 00:02:59,639 Speaker 1: film threads that I do from time to time. Don't 52 00:02:59,639 --> 00:03:01,760 Speaker 1: forget podcast feed wherever you get your podcast on our 53 00:03:01,760 --> 00:03:03,880 Speaker 1: Hoops tonight. No, that's not least, keep dropping mail back 54 00:03:03,919 --> 00:03:07,120 Speaker 1: questions in those YouTube comments so we can keep hitting 55 00:03:07,120 --> 00:03:10,680 Speaker 1: them throughout the rest of this week. All right, Paul, 56 00:03:10,840 --> 00:03:12,639 Speaker 1: my producer, has been telling me, you guys in the 57 00:03:12,720 --> 00:03:14,880 Speaker 1: chat are bringing your a game with the trash talk. 58 00:03:14,919 --> 00:03:17,400 Speaker 1: I love it. Keep it coming. We're gonna get into it. 59 00:03:17,840 --> 00:03:21,360 Speaker 1: I want to start by just saluting all the players 60 00:03:21,919 --> 00:03:25,079 Speaker 1: in this game, the stars in particular, because all four 61 00:03:25,160 --> 00:03:30,200 Speaker 1: of them gave us just unbelievable nights. Lebron James at 62 00:03:30,240 --> 00:03:34,560 Speaker 1: age thirty nine, you can tell he wants this so bad. 63 00:03:34,680 --> 00:03:37,480 Speaker 1: Remember last year in the postseason, it was his inability 64 00:03:37,520 --> 00:03:39,480 Speaker 1: to hit shots over the top that was a big 65 00:03:39,560 --> 00:03:43,640 Speaker 1: factor in their late game execution struggles. And he went 66 00:03:43,680 --> 00:03:45,920 Speaker 1: into the lab all summer long and he worked on 67 00:03:45,960 --> 00:03:47,920 Speaker 1: his jump shot, and he came back and had the 68 00:03:47,920 --> 00:03:50,600 Speaker 1: best jump shooting season of his career. And here in 69 00:03:50,640 --> 00:03:53,840 Speaker 1: this environment when he desperately needed to make some shots, 70 00:03:54,120 --> 00:03:58,520 Speaker 1: he hit three four actually massive jump shots in the 71 00:03:58,560 --> 00:04:01,320 Speaker 1: fourth quarter, left it all out there on the floor, 72 00:04:01,720 --> 00:04:04,119 Speaker 1: gave his everything on the defensive end of the floor. 73 00:04:04,160 --> 00:04:07,520 Speaker 1: I had multiple big time swing plays down the stretch, 74 00:04:08,000 --> 00:04:09,880 Speaker 1: and he got a loss out of it. And so 75 00:04:10,400 --> 00:04:12,480 Speaker 1: you know, here's the thing. He's one of the all 76 00:04:12,520 --> 00:04:14,880 Speaker 1: time greats. He's not going to be around much longer. 77 00:04:15,320 --> 00:04:17,760 Speaker 1: And that fight that you just saw from that guy 78 00:04:17,960 --> 00:04:20,720 Speaker 1: at thirty nine years old, that's the reason why he's 79 00:04:20,720 --> 00:04:22,520 Speaker 1: had the success he's had in his career. It didn't 80 00:04:22,520 --> 00:04:24,960 Speaker 1: happen on accident. It's because he's wired the way that 81 00:04:25,000 --> 00:04:27,680 Speaker 1: he's wired. Anthony Davis, this is the guy who's gotten 82 00:04:27,720 --> 00:04:30,520 Speaker 1: his ass kicked by Jokich at every single turn or 83 00:04:30,800 --> 00:04:34,160 Speaker 1: for years now, and he went right at him in 84 00:04:34,240 --> 00:04:37,000 Speaker 1: this game and had one of his best scoring games 85 00:04:37,000 --> 00:04:41,160 Speaker 1: of his career. Actually forced the I should say in 86 00:04:41,279 --> 00:04:43,480 Speaker 1: terms of efficiency, because he makes fourteen out of his 87 00:04:43,480 --> 00:04:49,480 Speaker 1: first fifteen shots. He actually forced Denver to make an adjustment, 88 00:04:49,600 --> 00:04:53,640 Speaker 1: which is something substantial adjustment, which is something they hadn't 89 00:04:53,680 --> 00:04:55,760 Speaker 1: had to do for the most part over the course 90 00:04:55,800 --> 00:04:58,400 Speaker 1: of these two series. To this point, I thought he 91 00:04:58,440 --> 00:05:00,880 Speaker 1: was amazing up int till the end of the game 92 00:05:00,880 --> 00:05:03,679 Speaker 1: when he got into some foul trouble Nikole Jokich again, 93 00:05:03,839 --> 00:05:06,240 Speaker 1: ad going right at him all game. By the way 94 00:05:06,240 --> 00:05:08,840 Speaker 1: that happens in the NBA. Sometimes a guy that you 95 00:05:08,839 --> 00:05:12,320 Speaker 1: know that's not as good as you gets on a 96 00:05:12,400 --> 00:05:15,400 Speaker 1: heater and makes a bunch of shots, and he was 97 00:05:15,400 --> 00:05:18,840 Speaker 1: defended relatively well, just forcing Ad into his weakness, which 98 00:05:18,880 --> 00:05:20,800 Speaker 1: is over the top shot making. That's something that for 99 00:05:20,839 --> 00:05:23,080 Speaker 1: the most part over the last four years has been 100 00:05:23,120 --> 00:05:25,760 Speaker 1: a weak point of his and he just stepped up 101 00:05:26,200 --> 00:05:29,520 Speaker 1: and knocked down shots. That's that that you kind of 102 00:05:29,560 --> 00:05:31,080 Speaker 1: just have to tip the cap. But you know what 103 00:05:31,160 --> 00:05:35,160 Speaker 1: Jokic did, grabbed twenty something rebounds and down the stretch 104 00:05:35,200 --> 00:05:38,279 Speaker 1: of the game, took Ad into his office there on 105 00:05:38,320 --> 00:05:41,880 Speaker 1: the right block and gave him bucket after bucket as 106 00:05:41,960 --> 00:05:44,960 Speaker 1: the Nuggets walked down the Lakers and then finally Jamal 107 00:05:45,040 --> 00:05:49,279 Speaker 1: Murray struggled really for what the first seven quarters of 108 00:05:49,320 --> 00:05:51,760 Speaker 1: this series. Shout out to Austin Reeves, a guy that 109 00:05:52,560 --> 00:05:55,520 Speaker 1: you know, it's kind of gotten lost in the in 110 00:05:55,600 --> 00:05:58,920 Speaker 1: the offensive surge from the Lakers over the course of 111 00:05:58,960 --> 00:06:01,840 Speaker 1: the last like three four but Austin Reeves has been 112 00:06:01,839 --> 00:06:04,719 Speaker 1: forced to take some high leverage point of attack assignments, 113 00:06:04,720 --> 00:06:06,920 Speaker 1: and he's been really good for a couple of months now, 114 00:06:07,240 --> 00:06:11,120 Speaker 1: and he did an amazing job on Jamal Murray over 115 00:06:11,120 --> 00:06:15,400 Speaker 1: the course of the first three quarters of this game. Honestly, 116 00:06:15,400 --> 00:06:17,560 Speaker 1: if there's something that you could kind of nitpick with 117 00:06:17,640 --> 00:06:19,480 Speaker 1: the Lakers down the stretch, I thought they got a 118 00:06:19,480 --> 00:06:21,680 Speaker 1: little cute in their coverages and probably should have left 119 00:06:21,760 --> 00:06:26,320 Speaker 1: Austin on Austin on Jamal because Jamal was able to 120 00:06:26,320 --> 00:06:29,159 Speaker 1: shake free from Lebron and Ad down the stretch for 121 00:06:29,200 --> 00:06:32,760 Speaker 1: pull up jump shots. But Jamal Murray nightmare seven quarters, 122 00:06:33,160 --> 00:06:37,200 Speaker 1: nightmare seven quarters, and he just completely takes over the 123 00:06:37,200 --> 00:06:40,960 Speaker 1: game down the stretch in its massive shot after massive shot, 124 00:06:41,480 --> 00:06:45,839 Speaker 1: all contested, all absolutely necessary for them to win the game. 125 00:06:46,120 --> 00:06:47,760 Speaker 1: So again, I just want to tip the cap to 126 00:06:47,839 --> 00:06:51,600 Speaker 1: all four of those guys because we get that amazing product, 127 00:06:51,720 --> 00:06:55,240 Speaker 1: that unbelievable basketball game that we saw because of the 128 00:06:55,320 --> 00:06:58,919 Speaker 1: supreme competitive energy that you get from four of the 129 00:06:59,040 --> 00:07:01,760 Speaker 1: very best players in this world. I think Jamal Murray 130 00:07:01,839 --> 00:07:03,960 Speaker 1: is a top ten playoff player in the world. I 131 00:07:03,960 --> 00:07:06,000 Speaker 1: think Lebron has been the third best player in the 132 00:07:06,040 --> 00:07:10,480 Speaker 1: league since the All Star Break, behind Jokich and Luka Doncic. 133 00:07:10,640 --> 00:07:13,640 Speaker 1: Anthony Davis showed you tonight how he's capable of playing 134 00:07:13,640 --> 00:07:15,680 Speaker 1: like a top tier superstar when he's at his best, 135 00:07:15,800 --> 00:07:19,520 Speaker 1: and Nikola Jokic is the bona fide, undisputed best player 136 00:07:19,520 --> 00:07:21,240 Speaker 1: in the world, and we got to watch them all 137 00:07:21,240 --> 00:07:24,880 Speaker 1: tonight have massive moments in a big time playoff game. 138 00:07:25,280 --> 00:07:27,600 Speaker 1: That was just fun as a basketball fan. Again, Like 139 00:07:27,800 --> 00:07:30,120 Speaker 1: it's crazy because I had to as I was invested 140 00:07:30,160 --> 00:07:34,240 Speaker 1: in that as a fan watching right and and like 141 00:07:34,520 --> 00:07:37,280 Speaker 1: down the stretch of that game, it's like it just feel. 142 00:07:37,440 --> 00:07:39,880 Speaker 1: It just felt like Denver was coming, and they were coming, 143 00:07:39,920 --> 00:07:43,000 Speaker 1: and the Lakers kept throwing the jab and trying to 144 00:07:43,000 --> 00:07:45,720 Speaker 1: hold them off, and then they just couldn't get that 145 00:07:45,880 --> 00:07:48,559 Speaker 1: one stop that they needed. As a matter of fact, 146 00:07:49,320 --> 00:07:54,080 Speaker 1: the Nuggets scored on eight of their last nine possessions 147 00:07:54,080 --> 00:07:57,440 Speaker 1: in this game, and with exception of that chaotic sequence 148 00:07:57,480 --> 00:08:00,320 Speaker 1: where there was the transition kick ahead passage. By the way, 149 00:08:00,320 --> 00:08:02,240 Speaker 1: this gets lost in the shuffle of all this, the 150 00:08:02,320 --> 00:08:05,120 Speaker 1: Nuggets every single time the Lakers would make or miss 151 00:08:05,120 --> 00:08:08,120 Speaker 1: a layup, but even after makes they were looking to 152 00:08:08,160 --> 00:08:10,880 Speaker 1: push and Lebron gets downhill and he makes that layup 153 00:08:11,200 --> 00:08:14,000 Speaker 1: to put the Lakers up three. They immediately get the 154 00:08:14,040 --> 00:08:16,080 Speaker 1: ball in bounds and whip it down the floor, and 155 00:08:16,120 --> 00:08:18,280 Speaker 1: it was kind of a dangerous sequence because Austin Ryes 156 00:08:18,280 --> 00:08:20,720 Speaker 1: almost broke the play up, but Aaron Gordon saves it 157 00:08:20,760 --> 00:08:23,000 Speaker 1: in bounds and swings it back to Michael Porter Junior. 158 00:08:23,320 --> 00:08:25,000 Speaker 1: D Loo comes back into the play and gets a 159 00:08:25,040 --> 00:08:28,160 Speaker 1: nice rearview can tested the last second, but just bottoms 160 00:08:28,480 --> 00:08:31,560 Speaker 1: from Michael Porter Junior to tie the game. With exception 161 00:08:31,680 --> 00:08:35,360 Speaker 1: of that shot, all of the other eight buckets that 162 00:08:35,400 --> 00:08:38,880 Speaker 1: the Nuggets scored on their last nine possessions or Jokichen Murray, 163 00:08:39,280 --> 00:08:44,320 Speaker 1: Jokic cooking Ad on the block and hitting easy shots 164 00:08:44,320 --> 00:08:46,040 Speaker 1: off offensive rebounds, and he hit I think he hit 165 00:08:46,040 --> 00:08:48,280 Speaker 1: a little jumper at the right elbow if I remember 166 00:08:48,320 --> 00:08:50,600 Speaker 1: correctly as well, and then Jamal Murray just doing what 167 00:08:50,679 --> 00:08:52,680 Speaker 1: he does again, like we get it gets lost in 168 00:08:52,720 --> 00:08:56,160 Speaker 1: the shuffle of the Jokic storyline. But like as much 169 00:08:56,200 --> 00:08:59,960 Speaker 1: as Jokich is this like deadly accurate shot maker around 170 00:09:00,040 --> 00:09:02,000 Speaker 1: on the rim, and he is, like he's a high 171 00:09:02,040 --> 00:09:04,640 Speaker 1: sixty percent guy when he gets within you know, seven 172 00:09:04,679 --> 00:09:07,560 Speaker 1: eight feet from the rim. Jabal Murray shoots forty six 173 00:09:07,640 --> 00:09:10,760 Speaker 1: percent on pull up jump shots this year. Not effective 174 00:09:10,800 --> 00:09:14,439 Speaker 1: field goal percentage, not weighted for threes field goal percentage. 175 00:09:14,640 --> 00:09:17,240 Speaker 1: Like he makes half of them. That's what he does. 176 00:09:17,559 --> 00:09:19,800 Speaker 1: He makes half of them, and so that means, yeah, 177 00:09:19,840 --> 00:09:21,559 Speaker 1: he might have stretching the game, and he had plenty 178 00:09:21,559 --> 00:09:24,080 Speaker 1: of them over the first seven quarters where he misses 179 00:09:24,080 --> 00:09:26,880 Speaker 1: three four in a row, but he's absolutely capable of 180 00:09:26,920 --> 00:09:29,000 Speaker 1: going ahead and making three four in a row, and 181 00:09:29,040 --> 00:09:30,480 Speaker 1: he made three or four in a row there at 182 00:09:30,520 --> 00:09:33,560 Speaker 1: the end of the game. I thought Lebron and Ad 183 00:09:33,800 --> 00:09:36,600 Speaker 1: got solid contests on the last two, but not as 184 00:09:36,640 --> 00:09:38,240 Speaker 1: good as they could have gotten out that they were 185 00:09:38,280 --> 00:09:42,360 Speaker 1: both super fatigued. And that's the problem. Like you know, 186 00:09:42,600 --> 00:09:44,360 Speaker 1: and this is kind of to kind of tilted back 187 00:09:44,400 --> 00:09:47,040 Speaker 1: towards the Lakers for a second, Like this is the 188 00:09:47,160 --> 00:09:51,679 Speaker 1: problem with having a team where your core five players 189 00:09:52,280 --> 00:09:56,839 Speaker 1: Ruey Austin and Di Loo can't engage physically on the 190 00:09:56,960 --> 00:10:02,120 Speaker 1: level that KCP Aaron Gordon can't. Right, So the problem 191 00:10:02,200 --> 00:10:05,600 Speaker 1: is Lebron and Ad, your two best players, are also 192 00:10:05,720 --> 00:10:09,520 Speaker 1: your most physically imposing players. And so if you're gonna 193 00:10:09,559 --> 00:10:12,959 Speaker 1: do something like slow down that massive Denver Nuggets front line, 194 00:10:13,440 --> 00:10:16,520 Speaker 1: you need Lebron James and Anthony Davis to bring chaotic, 195 00:10:17,200 --> 00:10:21,240 Speaker 1: unrelenting defensive energy. And they did. I want to shout 196 00:10:21,240 --> 00:10:23,440 Speaker 1: those guys out. They did a really nice job in 197 00:10:23,480 --> 00:10:26,200 Speaker 1: this game, and then they ran out of gas. And 198 00:10:26,240 --> 00:10:28,720 Speaker 1: that's why AD went cold down the stretch. That's why 199 00:10:28,840 --> 00:10:31,720 Speaker 1: Lebron could barely make a layup in that third quarter, 200 00:10:32,240 --> 00:10:34,079 Speaker 1: and that's why down the stretch of the game, AD 201 00:10:34,120 --> 00:10:37,400 Speaker 1: and Lebron were on their heels defensively against Jamal Murray. 202 00:10:38,440 --> 00:10:41,040 Speaker 1: And again, this is a team build thing, Like the 203 00:10:41,160 --> 00:10:44,240 Speaker 1: reality we can talk about this all we want. The 204 00:10:44,320 --> 00:10:46,640 Speaker 1: Nuggets in crunch time and two games against the Lakers 205 00:10:46,679 --> 00:10:50,600 Speaker 1: in the regular season had an offensive rating over one ninety. Okay, 206 00:10:51,400 --> 00:10:53,439 Speaker 1: you gave up a bucket on eight of your last 207 00:10:53,559 --> 00:10:58,360 Speaker 1: nine possessions. This is not like a You're close to 208 00:10:58,400 --> 00:11:00,760 Speaker 1: being able to guard Denver's late game offense. No, you're 209 00:11:00,840 --> 00:11:05,440 Speaker 1: fucking hopeless. You you cannot stop them. And and that 210 00:11:06,200 --> 00:11:10,040 Speaker 1: is one hundred percent on the team building. That's on 211 00:11:10,880 --> 00:11:16,000 Speaker 1: a Rob Polinka. They knew after last year's series that 212 00:11:16,040 --> 00:11:19,560 Speaker 1: they did not have a starting caliber defender to throw 213 00:11:19,600 --> 00:11:23,240 Speaker 1: on Jamal Murray. They knew they didn't have one. They 214 00:11:23,320 --> 00:11:26,360 Speaker 1: knew it right after the Nuggets series. Oh shit, Dennis 215 00:11:26,400 --> 00:11:29,600 Speaker 1: Charter's too small. That's not gonna work. They need somebody. 216 00:11:29,640 --> 00:11:31,640 Speaker 1: They needed to go get a bigger guard, a guard 217 00:11:31,679 --> 00:11:36,120 Speaker 1: who could defend but also stay on the floor offensively 218 00:11:36,280 --> 00:11:38,000 Speaker 1: and be like a fuck. That's why I say, that's 219 00:11:38,040 --> 00:11:40,520 Speaker 1: what I mean. Want to say starting caliber, Right, anybody 220 00:11:40,520 --> 00:11:43,480 Speaker 1: who's a legitimate starter for a good NBA team has 221 00:11:43,480 --> 00:11:46,160 Speaker 1: to be a two way player. Like if you're Aaron 222 00:11:46,200 --> 00:11:47,840 Speaker 1: Gordon and you're not a great jump shooter, you have 223 00:11:47,880 --> 00:11:50,319 Speaker 1: to be great at all of these other things offensively 224 00:11:50,720 --> 00:11:52,839 Speaker 1: to be able to make that work, right, they didn't 225 00:11:52,880 --> 00:11:55,920 Speaker 1: do it. And so when Pushkamp comes to shove at 226 00:11:55,920 --> 00:11:58,160 Speaker 1: the end of every single one of these games, it's 227 00:11:58,240 --> 00:12:01,720 Speaker 1: Jamal Murray that they can't handle. You know, with Jokich, 228 00:12:01,760 --> 00:12:03,680 Speaker 1: they can shade him and they can send multiple defenders 229 00:12:03,679 --> 00:12:05,880 Speaker 1: and they could do all those things, but they cannot 230 00:12:05,920 --> 00:12:08,480 Speaker 1: handle Jamal Murray because they do not have a quality 231 00:12:08,520 --> 00:12:10,840 Speaker 1: perimeter defender on the roster that can stay on the 232 00:12:10,840 --> 00:12:13,880 Speaker 1: floor as a starter. So, like that's the thing. Like, 233 00:12:14,360 --> 00:12:18,520 Speaker 1: if you the Nuggets are so good, they might score 234 00:12:18,559 --> 00:12:21,920 Speaker 1: on six of their last nine possessions against most teams, 235 00:12:22,800 --> 00:12:25,280 Speaker 1: the Nuggets are so good they might have a one 236 00:12:25,480 --> 00:12:29,080 Speaker 1: thirty offensive rating against you when they're really locked in 237 00:12:29,200 --> 00:12:31,840 Speaker 1: down the stretch. When you're giving up one hundred and 238 00:12:31,920 --> 00:12:34,439 Speaker 1: ninety something points per one hundred possessions and crunch time 239 00:12:34,480 --> 00:12:37,040 Speaker 1: against this team over two clutch time games in the 240 00:12:37,040 --> 00:12:39,360 Speaker 1: regular season, and you give up a bucket on eight 241 00:12:39,400 --> 00:12:43,439 Speaker 1: of your last nine possessions, that's not oh, we're playing 242 00:12:43,559 --> 00:12:46,080 Speaker 1: really good defense and Denver's just hitting shots. No, they're 243 00:12:46,160 --> 00:12:49,680 Speaker 1: barbecuing you. They're scoring every single time down the floor. 244 00:12:50,280 --> 00:12:53,720 Speaker 1: You literally cannot get a stop, and so like, that's 245 00:12:53,720 --> 00:12:56,480 Speaker 1: the thing, Like when I when I looked at all 246 00:12:56,559 --> 00:13:01,040 Speaker 1: the teams after the Boston Denver tier, you know, dall Clippers, 247 00:13:01,080 --> 00:13:04,320 Speaker 1: the Suns, the Lakers, the Wolves, the Thunder, all those teams, 248 00:13:04,480 --> 00:13:07,640 Speaker 1: every single one of them has a gaping hole, not 249 00:13:07,679 --> 00:13:10,040 Speaker 1: just a hole, but like a gaping hole somewhere on 250 00:13:10,080 --> 00:13:13,240 Speaker 1: their roster, like a massive issue that they have to 251 00:13:13,280 --> 00:13:16,640 Speaker 1: deal with. Denver doesn't have that, and Boston doesn't have that, 252 00:13:17,040 --> 00:13:19,440 Speaker 1: and that's why they're so head and shoulders above the 253 00:13:19,440 --> 00:13:22,480 Speaker 1: rest of the league. The Lakers problem is they do 254 00:13:22,559 --> 00:13:25,600 Speaker 1: not have a starting quality perimeter defender on the roster. 255 00:13:26,520 --> 00:13:29,320 Speaker 1: It burned them in the regular season, burned them right 256 00:13:29,320 --> 00:13:31,679 Speaker 1: here now, and so you did everything you could. You 257 00:13:32,880 --> 00:13:35,800 Speaker 1: took all the punches, and you played a great game, 258 00:13:35,840 --> 00:13:37,560 Speaker 1: and you put yourself in a position to win, and 259 00:13:37,600 --> 00:13:39,920 Speaker 1: then Denver walked you down and scored every single time 260 00:13:39,920 --> 00:13:42,800 Speaker 1: down the floor. So like again, when this is all done, 261 00:13:42,800 --> 00:13:45,720 Speaker 1: when the when the you know, I still I still 262 00:13:45,760 --> 00:13:48,679 Speaker 1: think that the Lakers are going to get one in 263 00:13:48,720 --> 00:13:51,400 Speaker 1: this series. Maybe I'm wrong, Maybe maybe Denver's just hell 264 00:13:51,440 --> 00:13:53,679 Speaker 1: bent on sweeping these guys into oblivion, and maybe that's 265 00:13:53,679 --> 00:13:56,480 Speaker 1: what will happen. But I think the Lakers will get 266 00:13:56,480 --> 00:14:00,360 Speaker 1: one regardless when we get to the obitual are here 267 00:14:00,360 --> 00:14:03,040 Speaker 1: because the Nuggets are going to win the series. By 268 00:14:03,080 --> 00:14:04,600 Speaker 1: the way, I would have come on the show had 269 00:14:04,600 --> 00:14:06,360 Speaker 1: the Lakers one game too, I would have come on 270 00:14:06,400 --> 00:14:07,960 Speaker 1: the show and told you I still think Denver's gonna 271 00:14:07,960 --> 00:14:09,599 Speaker 1: win the series. Yeah, I mean, all you had to 272 00:14:09,640 --> 00:14:11,800 Speaker 1: do was watch that game to know that, like, the 273 00:14:11,880 --> 00:14:16,320 Speaker 1: Lakers outshot them. They played the game of their lives 274 00:14:16,679 --> 00:14:19,520 Speaker 1: and they and they were just barely clinging on for 275 00:14:19,600 --> 00:14:22,520 Speaker 1: dear life. So like, I didn't see this as a 276 00:14:22,560 --> 00:14:25,360 Speaker 1: series that was tilting towards the Lakers either way. I 277 00:14:25,440 --> 00:14:28,600 Speaker 1: kind of looked at it vaguely similar to Lebron's game 278 00:14:29,360 --> 00:14:31,640 Speaker 1: again in Game one against the Warriors in the twenty 279 00:14:31,720 --> 00:14:34,160 Speaker 1: eighteen Finals, Like, yeah, it would have been a cool 280 00:14:34,200 --> 00:14:37,600 Speaker 1: story for a few days if if you know, if 281 00:14:37,680 --> 00:14:40,640 Speaker 1: jarr Smith doesn't forget that the game is tied and 282 00:14:41,000 --> 00:14:42,760 Speaker 1: kicks the ball out to Lebron and Lebron hits a 283 00:14:42,800 --> 00:14:44,560 Speaker 1: three at the top of the key, or George Hill 284 00:14:44,640 --> 00:14:47,960 Speaker 1: makes that extra free throw or or whatever it is. 285 00:14:48,160 --> 00:14:50,080 Speaker 1: The Lebron and that ISO against Steph at the top 286 00:14:50,080 --> 00:14:51,720 Speaker 1: of the key. If you would have scored somehow there, 287 00:14:51,800 --> 00:14:53,520 Speaker 1: they wouldn't that game. It would have been a cute story. 288 00:14:53,520 --> 00:14:54,920 Speaker 1: You would have come out of them and like, man, 289 00:14:55,480 --> 00:14:58,640 Speaker 1: what a battle. But the Warriors were just better. They 290 00:14:58,680 --> 00:15:01,640 Speaker 1: were gonna win that series and five had that not happened. 291 00:15:01,880 --> 00:15:03,400 Speaker 1: And that's kind of how I felt about this game. 292 00:15:03,480 --> 00:15:07,120 Speaker 1: The Lakers literally threw the punch of their lives and 293 00:15:07,160 --> 00:15:11,600 Speaker 1: did everything they could and it still wasn't enough. And 294 00:15:11,640 --> 00:15:14,880 Speaker 1: so again, like I just want to I like, there 295 00:15:15,120 --> 00:15:19,360 Speaker 1: is a certain there is a certain inevitability that happens 296 00:15:19,360 --> 00:15:21,080 Speaker 1: with Denver. And I've talked about this quite a bit, 297 00:15:22,080 --> 00:15:24,960 Speaker 1: but I think when we really start to sift through this, 298 00:15:26,080 --> 00:15:30,320 Speaker 1: they literally could not stop Denver. Ever in these clutch 299 00:15:30,360 --> 00:15:34,600 Speaker 1: time situations. They're getting damn near two points of possession 300 00:15:34,720 --> 00:15:38,280 Speaker 1: against the Lakers in the clutch over a large sample size. 301 00:15:38,320 --> 00:15:41,760 Speaker 1: Now that you're not close, the Lakers are not close 302 00:15:41,800 --> 00:15:44,920 Speaker 1: to beating Denver. They are there is a chasm between 303 00:15:44,960 --> 00:15:46,240 Speaker 1: these two teams, and by the way, I think there's 304 00:15:46,240 --> 00:15:48,120 Speaker 1: a chasm between Denver and every team in the West. 305 00:15:48,440 --> 00:15:51,640 Speaker 1: So that's why I told you guys during the season. 306 00:15:52,000 --> 00:15:55,280 Speaker 1: Unless Denver suffers an injury to one of their five starters. 307 00:15:55,640 --> 00:15:59,320 Speaker 1: I personally would be surprised if they didn't win the conference, 308 00:15:59,320 --> 00:16:01,920 Speaker 1: and honestly if they didn't win the title. That's how 309 00:16:01,920 --> 00:16:03,400 Speaker 1: I feel about this Denver team. So to kind of 310 00:16:03,400 --> 00:16:05,880 Speaker 1: bring it back to what I said at the top 311 00:16:05,920 --> 00:16:08,240 Speaker 1: of the show, just like, I'm really happy for you 312 00:16:08,320 --> 00:16:11,240 Speaker 1: Denver fans because you guys got yourselves a real special 313 00:16:11,280 --> 00:16:14,520 Speaker 1: one here, not just the team, but the player. I 314 00:16:14,560 --> 00:16:19,640 Speaker 1: said this with Colin last night. I don't Nikola Jokic 315 00:16:20,520 --> 00:16:24,120 Speaker 1: is playing on the offensive end at a higher level 316 00:16:24,480 --> 00:16:27,520 Speaker 1: than any player that I've personally ever watched to play basketball. 317 00:16:28,360 --> 00:16:31,600 Speaker 1: That's what he's at right now. He had a relatively 318 00:16:31,640 --> 00:16:34,880 Speaker 1: bad game and then he walked down the best defensive 319 00:16:34,880 --> 00:16:36,160 Speaker 1: player in the world at the end of the game 320 00:16:36,160 --> 00:16:39,560 Speaker 1: and gave him easy buckets. Not just buckets, easy buckets. 321 00:16:40,320 --> 00:16:43,840 Speaker 1: This is a special group, major issue at the end 322 00:16:43,880 --> 00:16:46,560 Speaker 1: of the game. I again, bad calls happen, and I 323 00:16:46,560 --> 00:16:49,560 Speaker 1: think complaining about bad calls is stupid and I think 324 00:16:49,560 --> 00:16:52,800 Speaker 1: it's a loser mentality. But when I thought there was 325 00:16:52,920 --> 00:16:54,520 Speaker 1: a questionable call at the end of the game where 326 00:16:54,640 --> 00:16:56,680 Speaker 1: Lebron kind of bumped Jamal Murray a little bit on 327 00:16:56,720 --> 00:17:01,120 Speaker 1: a drive and I thought Darvin ham with he had 328 00:17:01,160 --> 00:17:04,960 Speaker 1: two timeouts left and it was a penalty. It was 329 00:17:05,000 --> 00:17:06,880 Speaker 1: a it was a foul in the penalty that would 330 00:17:06,880 --> 00:17:09,800 Speaker 1: have sent Jamal Murray to the line, and he just 331 00:17:10,720 --> 00:17:14,000 Speaker 1: saved it, just didn't use it. I don't understand what 332 00:17:14,080 --> 00:17:15,760 Speaker 1: he was saving it for. You had two timeouts left, 333 00:17:15,800 --> 00:17:16,960 Speaker 1: so even if you use it and it gets it 334 00:17:16,960 --> 00:17:19,800 Speaker 1: doesn't get overturned, you still have your other time out left. 335 00:17:20,480 --> 00:17:24,000 Speaker 1: And and literally those free throws tied the game. And 336 00:17:24,080 --> 00:17:26,000 Speaker 1: if you go back through the game, there was a 337 00:17:26,040 --> 00:17:28,680 Speaker 1: ton of contact that was getting allowed. On every drive. 338 00:17:29,160 --> 00:17:33,800 Speaker 1: Ad is fouling Nicole Jokic on every post up, Christian 339 00:17:33,840 --> 00:17:36,679 Speaker 1: Brown and Jamal Murray are fouling Lebron and every single iso. 340 00:17:37,000 --> 00:17:39,400 Speaker 1: Ad is getting fouled by Aaron Gordon on his last 341 00:17:39,440 --> 00:17:42,760 Speaker 1: couple of post ups. Like everyone's fouling everybody. And when 342 00:17:42,800 --> 00:17:45,560 Speaker 1: they go to these the challenge board and it's like 343 00:17:46,080 --> 00:17:48,680 Speaker 1: it's like marginal contact, this marginal contact out. There was 344 00:17:48,720 --> 00:17:51,240 Speaker 1: a play where d Lo got literally raked across the 345 00:17:51,280 --> 00:17:54,239 Speaker 1: face and it was overturned on a challenge. So, like 346 00:17:54,480 --> 00:17:57,080 Speaker 1: the point is, the refs were allowing a certain amount 347 00:17:57,080 --> 00:17:59,399 Speaker 1: of physicality, So that was more or less, in the 348 00:17:59,400 --> 00:18:02,520 Speaker 1: scope of the game, a bad call. So Darvin, that's 349 00:18:02,560 --> 00:18:05,160 Speaker 1: his job there. Everyone else is doing their job, right, 350 00:18:05,480 --> 00:18:07,560 Speaker 1: Lebron's doing his job, eighty's doing their job. They're all 351 00:18:07,600 --> 00:18:11,560 Speaker 1: fighting and scratching and clawing to try to win the game. 352 00:18:12,240 --> 00:18:14,199 Speaker 1: And Darvin sitting on the sideline with his hands in 353 00:18:14,240 --> 00:18:17,600 Speaker 1: his pockets not challenging a pivotal call in the game. 354 00:18:17,640 --> 00:18:20,280 Speaker 1: I thought that was bizarre. Also a little side note there, 355 00:18:20,560 --> 00:18:23,400 Speaker 1: the Nuggets had a seventeen to thirteen free throw advantage, 356 00:18:23,440 --> 00:18:25,480 Speaker 1: so to just kind of tie it all together, the 357 00:18:25,560 --> 00:18:27,520 Speaker 1: Lakers had a nineteen to six free throw advantage in 358 00:18:27,520 --> 00:18:30,160 Speaker 1: Game one in Denver one, and then in this game, 359 00:18:30,160 --> 00:18:32,439 Speaker 1: Denver had a seventeen to thirteen free throw advantage and 360 00:18:32,480 --> 00:18:35,399 Speaker 1: got a crucial call down the stretch. So hopefully we 361 00:18:35,440 --> 00:18:38,879 Speaker 1: can just put that stupid ass the league is trying 362 00:18:38,920 --> 00:18:42,639 Speaker 1: to give the Lakers an abnormal free throw differential so 363 00:18:42,680 --> 00:18:45,240 Speaker 1: that they could try to win the That was one 364 00:18:45,280 --> 00:18:47,240 Speaker 1: of the dumbest things I've ever seen, And hopefully after 365 00:18:47,240 --> 00:18:49,359 Speaker 1: tonight we can finally put that to rest. Which, by 366 00:18:49,400 --> 00:18:51,960 Speaker 1: the way, as I mentioned on the show the other day, 367 00:18:52,000 --> 00:18:55,440 Speaker 1: this current Lakers team free throw differential doesn't even crack 368 00:18:55,520 --> 00:18:59,800 Speaker 1: the top forty for highest free throw differential teams since 369 00:18:59,840 --> 00:19:03,000 Speaker 1: the So there's literally nothing exceptional about the Lakers free 370 00:19:03,040 --> 00:19:05,880 Speaker 1: throw differential except for the fact that they're the Lakers. 371 00:19:06,080 --> 00:19:08,520 Speaker 1: And that was really dumb and I'm hoping after tonight 372 00:19:08,560 --> 00:19:12,040 Speaker 1: we can finally put that to rest Denver second half front. 373 00:19:12,240 --> 00:19:13,879 Speaker 1: So the Lakers, one of the big ways they were 374 00:19:13,880 --> 00:19:15,920 Speaker 1: getting going in this game, especially in the third quarter, 375 00:19:16,440 --> 00:19:19,159 Speaker 1: was through Lebron ad pick and roll. So one of 376 00:19:19,200 --> 00:19:21,000 Speaker 1: the reasons why I talked about how I expected the 377 00:19:21,080 --> 00:19:24,159 Speaker 1: Lakers to be able to score in this series is 378 00:19:24,200 --> 00:19:27,520 Speaker 1: there are baked in coverage advantages against Denvers that the 379 00:19:27,560 --> 00:19:30,360 Speaker 1: Lakers struggle with against other teams. So for instance, when 380 00:19:30,359 --> 00:19:33,840 Speaker 1: they play against switching teams like the Clippers. For instance, 381 00:19:34,480 --> 00:19:36,760 Speaker 1: when teams do a lot of switching against the Lakers, 382 00:19:36,800 --> 00:19:40,520 Speaker 1: they get super stagnant and they struggle to score. And 383 00:19:40,560 --> 00:19:42,160 Speaker 1: one of the main reasons why is like, when you're 384 00:19:42,160 --> 00:19:45,200 Speaker 1: playing switching teams, you really have to play with force, 385 00:19:45,359 --> 00:19:48,240 Speaker 1: and it requires Lebron and Ad to beat mismatches. Why 386 00:19:48,720 --> 00:19:51,600 Speaker 1: because Austin and Di Loo are not guys that can 387 00:19:51,600 --> 00:19:54,200 Speaker 1: beat people off the dribble. Rui's not really a guy 388 00:19:54,240 --> 00:19:55,800 Speaker 1: that can beat someone off the dribble. He has to 389 00:19:55,800 --> 00:19:57,960 Speaker 1: get like a really good guard matchup for it to work. 390 00:19:58,160 --> 00:20:01,040 Speaker 1: So the Laker offense can really get stagged against switching defense. 391 00:20:01,119 --> 00:20:03,000 Speaker 1: Is it, by the way, that's happening against Denver in 392 00:20:03,080 --> 00:20:06,080 Speaker 1: this series in the minutes when Yokic is off the floor, right, 393 00:20:07,200 --> 00:20:10,160 Speaker 1: But they have guys that are really good at navigating 394 00:20:10,200 --> 00:20:13,359 Speaker 1: screening actions when teams are in traditional coverages, and so 395 00:20:13,520 --> 00:20:15,800 Speaker 1: in this series, like you saw at the start of 396 00:20:15,800 --> 00:20:18,199 Speaker 1: this game, Austin reeves a ton of stuff on the 397 00:20:18,200 --> 00:20:21,879 Speaker 1: ball to make Jamal Murray guard right, and Jamal's chasing 398 00:20:21,920 --> 00:20:24,280 Speaker 1: over the top of screens. So Austin's getting into the 399 00:20:24,359 --> 00:20:27,240 Speaker 1: lane that's a baked in driving lane. If it's a switch, 400 00:20:27,400 --> 00:20:29,160 Speaker 1: Austin has to beat someone off the dribble. If it's 401 00:20:29,160 --> 00:20:30,960 Speaker 1: a ball screen, Austin all he has to do is 402 00:20:30,960 --> 00:20:32,760 Speaker 1: set his man up for the screen and then he 403 00:20:32,760 --> 00:20:35,520 Speaker 1: can get over the top and get downhill right. So 404 00:20:35,720 --> 00:20:39,679 Speaker 1: like in general, the Laker the lebron Ad pick and roll. 405 00:20:39,720 --> 00:20:41,960 Speaker 1: Most teams switch the lebron Ad pick and roll right, 406 00:20:42,640 --> 00:20:44,919 Speaker 1: not the Nuggets they have Joki, John Ad. They have 407 00:20:45,040 --> 00:20:47,800 Speaker 1: Gordon on Lebron, they chase over the top. That allows 408 00:20:48,000 --> 00:20:50,639 Speaker 1: the Laker, the Lebron to get downhill, pull in Jokic 409 00:20:50,840 --> 00:20:54,080 Speaker 1: make those pocket passes to at so Ad. So in general, 410 00:20:54,440 --> 00:20:56,439 Speaker 1: the Lakers were able to kind of take advantage of 411 00:20:56,480 --> 00:21:01,120 Speaker 1: some baked in coverage advantages with Denver right, but there 412 00:21:01,160 --> 00:21:03,240 Speaker 1: is an adjustment. So they're in that middle of that 413 00:21:03,280 --> 00:21:05,360 Speaker 1: third quarter, Mike Malone calls the time out. They come 414 00:21:05,400 --> 00:21:07,520 Speaker 1: out and they change the matchups and so again I 415 00:21:07,520 --> 00:21:09,040 Speaker 1: want to put some of this credit to Ad as well, 416 00:21:09,080 --> 00:21:11,280 Speaker 1: because it wasn't just the ball screens. AD was also 417 00:21:11,320 --> 00:21:14,840 Speaker 1: doing some damage to yokch in the post. So they 418 00:21:14,880 --> 00:21:19,159 Speaker 1: put Aaron Gordon on Anthony Davis, they put Jokic on Ruey, 419 00:21:19,720 --> 00:21:22,720 Speaker 1: and they move KCP to Lebron And that helps in 420 00:21:22,720 --> 00:21:25,200 Speaker 1: a bunch of different ways. It gives Ad a different 421 00:21:25,320 --> 00:21:28,520 Speaker 1: look in the post. The main difference was ball pressure. 422 00:21:28,800 --> 00:21:32,639 Speaker 1: Jokic was basically playing on his heels and allowing Ad 423 00:21:32,760 --> 00:21:35,119 Speaker 1: to shoot over the top shots and he was making them. 424 00:21:35,280 --> 00:21:37,560 Speaker 1: Gordon was pressuring like you could see AD's in his 425 00:21:37,600 --> 00:21:41,320 Speaker 1: triple threat, Jokic or Gordon swiping down at the ball, 426 00:21:41,359 --> 00:21:44,080 Speaker 1: getting up on him. So now Ady's capable of beating 427 00:21:44,080 --> 00:21:46,240 Speaker 1: Gordon in the post too, but it's a different look, right, 428 00:21:46,440 --> 00:21:49,040 Speaker 1: And Gordon's big enough that Ad is not just gonna 429 00:21:49,040 --> 00:21:51,879 Speaker 1: be able to rip through him easily. Right, So that's 430 00:21:51,960 --> 00:21:56,280 Speaker 1: a heece of defensive versatility with Aaron Gordon. He can 431 00:21:56,359 --> 00:21:59,760 Speaker 1: guard a D and be the low man, or he 432 00:21:59,760 --> 00:22:02,840 Speaker 1: can guard Ruey and be the low man. Right. So 433 00:22:02,920 --> 00:22:05,640 Speaker 1: like those are advantages there, right, Jokic moves to Ruey 434 00:22:05,880 --> 00:22:08,320 Speaker 1: KCP on Lebron. I thought KCP did a solid job 435 00:22:08,359 --> 00:22:10,080 Speaker 1: on Lebron at the end of this game. He actually 436 00:22:10,080 --> 00:22:12,360 Speaker 1: stripped him in a post up off the left block. Now, 437 00:22:12,480 --> 00:22:15,879 Speaker 1: Lebron hit some shots because Lebron's Lebron, and he obviously 438 00:22:16,000 --> 00:22:18,040 Speaker 1: is one of the greatest players of all time, and 439 00:22:18,080 --> 00:22:20,080 Speaker 1: he's gonna win some battles no matter what you do. 440 00:22:20,160 --> 00:22:23,200 Speaker 1: But this is why I always talk about defensive versatility 441 00:22:23,920 --> 00:22:26,720 Speaker 1: during the regular season. It's not so much about your 442 00:22:26,840 --> 00:22:30,159 Speaker 1: baseline coverage. Your baseline coverage is what carries you for 443 00:22:30,200 --> 00:22:34,119 Speaker 1: the eighty two. Your baseline coverage is literally just a 444 00:22:36,000 --> 00:22:38,520 Speaker 1: Your baseline coverage is literally just something that carries you. 445 00:22:38,520 --> 00:22:41,840 Speaker 1: It's an innings eater, right. Utah Jazz used to have 446 00:22:41,880 --> 00:22:44,760 Speaker 1: some really good defenses around Rudy Gobert that they could 447 00:22:44,840 --> 00:22:47,320 Speaker 1: eat innings with over the eighty two. But then as 448 00:22:47,320 --> 00:22:49,359 Speaker 1: soon as they ran into teams that could pull Rudy 449 00:22:49,359 --> 00:22:51,879 Speaker 1: Gobert away from the rim, it exposed all of the 450 00:22:51,920 --> 00:22:57,520 Speaker 1: weaker defensive personnel around it. Defensive versatility is okay, your 451 00:22:57,600 --> 00:23:00,679 Speaker 1: base coverage doesn't work anymore. Do you have personnel that 452 00:23:00,720 --> 00:23:05,959 Speaker 1: can do something different? And they do. Anthony Davis didn't 453 00:23:06,160 --> 00:23:09,000 Speaker 1: just start bullying Aaron Gordon because Aaron Gordon can guard 454 00:23:09,320 --> 00:23:13,840 Speaker 1: bigger post scorers, right. KCP didn't just get ripped up 455 00:23:13,960 --> 00:23:17,640 Speaker 1: by Lebron because he can guard bigger forward defenders right, 456 00:23:17,720 --> 00:23:20,560 Speaker 1: or bigger forward offensive players. Right. That's why I talk 457 00:23:20,640 --> 00:23:23,359 Speaker 1: so much about offensive versatility. And so basically the Lakers 458 00:23:23,440 --> 00:23:26,920 Speaker 1: countered that by bringing Ruey up into ball screens instead, 459 00:23:27,680 --> 00:23:30,800 Speaker 1: and now as a result, it left Aaron Gordon as 460 00:23:30,840 --> 00:23:33,520 Speaker 1: the low man. So one of the problems with the 461 00:23:33,600 --> 00:23:35,520 Speaker 1: lebron Ada pick and roll when Yo Kicch and Gordon 462 00:23:35,600 --> 00:23:39,280 Speaker 1: were guarding them. If Gordon's on the ball and Yo 463 00:23:39,400 --> 00:23:42,080 Speaker 1: Kicch is on Lebron in a drop, who's on the 464 00:23:42,119 --> 00:23:45,280 Speaker 1: back line? Do you remember when Ad got those back 465 00:23:45,320 --> 00:23:47,880 Speaker 1: to back and ones to start the third quarter. Who 466 00:23:47,920 --> 00:23:52,000 Speaker 1: is the back line, Jamal Murray. When you move KCP 467 00:23:52,200 --> 00:23:55,159 Speaker 1: to the ball and you put Aaron Gordon on a 468 00:23:55,320 --> 00:23:58,240 Speaker 1: d a guy who made some jumpers in the first 469 00:23:58,280 --> 00:24:00,440 Speaker 1: half but didn't make any in the in this and half, 470 00:24:00,440 --> 00:24:02,880 Speaker 1: and so he kind of Gordon was able to help 471 00:24:02,920 --> 00:24:06,159 Speaker 1: off of him. Now Gordon's on the back line, and 472 00:24:06,240 --> 00:24:10,600 Speaker 1: so then what started happening, What was made layups turned 473 00:24:10,640 --> 00:24:14,960 Speaker 1: into miss layups. Now there were some really easy missed 474 00:24:15,000 --> 00:24:17,240 Speaker 1: ones there. Ruey missed a dunk right under the rim. 475 00:24:17,680 --> 00:24:21,320 Speaker 1: After the miss dunk, AD missed a completely uncontested put 476 00:24:21,359 --> 00:24:23,119 Speaker 1: back layup. That was weird. There was a lot of 477 00:24:23,160 --> 00:24:25,400 Speaker 1: weird shooting in this game, Like in the third quarter, 478 00:24:25,480 --> 00:24:28,320 Speaker 1: the Nuggets missed a bunch of good looks from jump 479 00:24:28,320 --> 00:24:31,359 Speaker 1: shot range and the Lakers missed like a half dozen 480 00:24:31,520 --> 00:24:35,680 Speaker 1: layups around the rim. But some of that was defensive 481 00:24:35,680 --> 00:24:38,240 Speaker 1: effort from the Lakers making things more difficult for the Nuggets, 482 00:24:38,280 --> 00:24:41,360 Speaker 1: and Aaron Gordon on the back line making things more 483 00:24:41,680 --> 00:24:44,000 Speaker 1: difficult for the Lakers, Right, But I thought that was 484 00:24:44,000 --> 00:24:47,600 Speaker 1: a really interesting adjustment and it showed just the versatility 485 00:24:47,600 --> 00:24:49,960 Speaker 1: that Denver has defensively that they were able to switch 486 00:24:50,000 --> 00:24:53,200 Speaker 1: up their look and slow down the Laker offense. And again, 487 00:24:53,200 --> 00:24:55,720 Speaker 1: I thought putting Gordon on the back line as opposed 488 00:24:55,720 --> 00:24:58,359 Speaker 1: to on the ball kind of unlocked all of that. Also, 489 00:24:58,520 --> 00:25:01,840 Speaker 1: like Ruyachimura rolling to the basket just not the same 490 00:25:02,240 --> 00:25:05,280 Speaker 1: as Anthony Davis and Ruey the first game. I won't 491 00:25:05,280 --> 00:25:07,880 Speaker 1: blame him because he had to guard it Jokic so much. 492 00:25:08,520 --> 00:25:12,640 Speaker 1: Ruey was just asleep this game. I don't know what 493 00:25:12,680 --> 00:25:14,840 Speaker 1: was going on with him. He missed in the first half, 494 00:25:14,840 --> 00:25:17,919 Speaker 1: he missed a couple of point blank layups. He just 495 00:25:18,320 --> 00:25:22,280 Speaker 1: in general just didn't seem very focused in this particular 496 00:25:22,320 --> 00:25:24,320 Speaker 1: game for whatever reason. And that's something that he's gonna 497 00:25:24,320 --> 00:25:26,960 Speaker 1: have to fix when they get back to LA. But yeah, 498 00:25:26,960 --> 00:25:29,280 Speaker 1: like I thought, putting him in the situation where he 499 00:25:29,359 --> 00:25:33,040 Speaker 1: was the role man and Gordon as the low man, 500 00:25:33,080 --> 00:25:35,520 Speaker 1: I thought, really changed the outlook of that game. And 501 00:25:35,520 --> 00:25:37,800 Speaker 1: then from there that was what turned the twenty point 502 00:25:37,880 --> 00:25:40,360 Speaker 1: lead into a ten point lead, right. And then some 503 00:25:40,400 --> 00:25:42,560 Speaker 1: of it was bad execution too. Like I talked about 504 00:25:42,560 --> 00:25:46,200 Speaker 1: with the Lakers, it's not about forty six minutes of execution. 505 00:25:46,359 --> 00:25:49,919 Speaker 1: It's about forty eight minutes of execution. Just ask Sixers fans. 506 00:25:50,480 --> 00:25:52,879 Speaker 1: They did a really good job keeping New York off 507 00:25:52,920 --> 00:25:55,560 Speaker 1: the offensive glass for forty seven and a half minutes, 508 00:25:55,640 --> 00:25:58,159 Speaker 1: and then they let go of the rope for thirty 509 00:25:58,160 --> 00:25:59,919 Speaker 1: seconds at the end of the game when they were tired, 510 00:26:00,000 --> 00:26:02,600 Speaker 1: and it cost him a playoff game. That can happen, 511 00:26:03,280 --> 00:26:06,840 Speaker 1: and so kind of on the Lakers side of it here, 512 00:26:07,200 --> 00:26:09,080 Speaker 1: like there was a stretch there. Do you remember Delo's 513 00:26:09,160 --> 00:26:13,000 Speaker 1: ridiculous lob pass to Anthony Davis that was promptly followed 514 00:26:13,040 --> 00:26:16,840 Speaker 1: by Torrian Prince randomly going Kevin Durant on the left 515 00:26:16,840 --> 00:26:20,000 Speaker 1: wing and clanging a jumper that was with plenty of 516 00:26:20,040 --> 00:26:23,199 Speaker 1: time on the shot clock. Spencer Dinwoodie just randomly in 517 00:26:23,240 --> 00:26:27,280 Speaker 1: transition against Peyton Watson, who's one of the best athletic 518 00:26:27,400 --> 00:26:31,399 Speaker 1: rim protector defenders that Denver has, Spencer just goes, screw it, 519 00:26:31,480 --> 00:26:35,919 Speaker 1: I'm gonna drive and shoot. Here these are critical execution 520 00:26:36,119 --> 00:26:40,040 Speaker 1: errors like and again, you can't get into crunch time 521 00:26:40,080 --> 00:26:43,520 Speaker 1: with Denver because you can't guard Denver. They score on you. 522 00:26:43,560 --> 00:26:45,680 Speaker 1: They don't score on you half the time, they score 523 00:26:45,720 --> 00:26:48,240 Speaker 1: on you every time in crunch time. So you got 524 00:26:48,240 --> 00:26:51,080 Speaker 1: to keep your lead. The game was lost when they 525 00:26:51,119 --> 00:26:53,000 Speaker 1: allowed it to get from twenty to ten there in 526 00:26:53,000 --> 00:26:55,359 Speaker 1: the middle of the end of that third quarter. And 527 00:26:55,400 --> 00:26:57,640 Speaker 1: there were some execution errors in there. Obviously I want 528 00:26:57,680 --> 00:27:00,440 Speaker 1: to credit Denver for the adjustment as well, but the 529 00:27:00,520 --> 00:27:03,040 Speaker 1: Lakers had some execution errors. And again against Denver, what 530 00:27:03,080 --> 00:27:06,840 Speaker 1: do they do? What does Denver do? Denver never lets 531 00:27:06,880 --> 00:27:08,720 Speaker 1: go of the rope, and so when you do, they 532 00:27:08,760 --> 00:27:11,840 Speaker 1: immediately gain ground and they can put you into some trouble. 533 00:27:11,840 --> 00:27:14,880 Speaker 1: There got into a crunch time situation that couldn't get stops, 534 00:27:15,119 --> 00:27:19,000 Speaker 1: and that was it. Looking forward, Like I said, I 535 00:27:19,680 --> 00:27:22,399 Speaker 1: didn't see this series tilting towards the Lakers even if 536 00:27:22,440 --> 00:27:25,320 Speaker 1: they had one tonight. But that's gonna be really bad, 537 00:27:25,600 --> 00:27:28,560 Speaker 1: really difficult to bounce back from. I still think the 538 00:27:28,600 --> 00:27:31,520 Speaker 1: Lakers are gonna get one. I'll go. I'll go with 539 00:27:31,640 --> 00:27:34,800 Speaker 1: Game three. The one thing that could be interesting is 540 00:27:34,840 --> 00:27:37,480 Speaker 1: if the Nuggets stick with that adjustment and keep Gordon 541 00:27:37,560 --> 00:27:41,359 Speaker 1: on Ad and you'll get John Rui. That could cause 542 00:27:41,400 --> 00:27:44,040 Speaker 1: them some problems because anytime Ad is in a spot 543 00:27:44,119 --> 00:27:46,800 Speaker 1: up role, he's just not as good as a spot 544 00:27:46,880 --> 00:27:49,280 Speaker 1: up player as Ruey is, and Ruey's not as good 545 00:27:49,280 --> 00:27:51,280 Speaker 1: of a role man as Ad is. So that adjustment 546 00:27:51,359 --> 00:27:54,920 Speaker 1: just kind of puts them into some into a predicament, right, 547 00:27:56,119 --> 00:27:57,679 Speaker 1: And I don't know the Lakers. There's some things they 548 00:27:57,680 --> 00:27:59,320 Speaker 1: could do. They could try to run screening actions like 549 00:27:59,359 --> 00:28:01,040 Speaker 1: a ram screen. It would be an interesting one. So 550 00:28:01,359 --> 00:28:03,560 Speaker 1: a RAMS screen is a downscreen for a ball screener 551 00:28:03,560 --> 00:28:06,000 Speaker 1: when he comes up to the level. So basically, imagine 552 00:28:06,000 --> 00:28:08,879 Speaker 1: Ad standing under the basket guarded by Gordon. You have 553 00:28:09,000 --> 00:28:13,159 Speaker 1: Ruy run down and make sure he hits Aaron Gordon. 554 00:28:13,440 --> 00:28:15,879 Speaker 1: If he hits Aaron Gordon and Ad sprints up to 555 00:28:15,920 --> 00:28:19,000 Speaker 1: the ball screen, chances are Jokich will follow him. That's 556 00:28:19,440 --> 00:28:21,159 Speaker 1: an action that you can run to try to get 557 00:28:21,200 --> 00:28:24,040 Speaker 1: a switch. It's no different than Jalen Brunson running a 558 00:28:24,640 --> 00:28:27,320 Speaker 1: guard guard screen to get tyres Maxy on him before 559 00:28:27,359 --> 00:28:29,480 Speaker 1: he flows into the ball screen. Like, those are little 560 00:28:29,560 --> 00:28:32,240 Speaker 1: intricacies you can use to try to fight against these adjustments. 561 00:28:32,240 --> 00:28:36,480 Speaker 1: I think that's something that they will do again. We 562 00:28:36,520 --> 00:28:39,040 Speaker 1: saw a little bit of Lebron on Jamal Murray tonight. 563 00:28:39,680 --> 00:28:43,360 Speaker 1: I think that could work better in a game where 564 00:28:43,360 --> 00:28:46,560 Speaker 1: the Lakers role players carry them and Lebron has the energy. 565 00:28:47,160 --> 00:28:49,760 Speaker 1: But in a night like tonight, and if Game three 566 00:28:49,880 --> 00:28:52,120 Speaker 1: ends up being like this where Lebron and ad really 567 00:28:52,160 --> 00:28:55,000 Speaker 1: have to engage themselves physically to keep the game close, 568 00:28:55,320 --> 00:28:58,480 Speaker 1: I think you stick with Austin just because it doesn't 569 00:28:58,520 --> 00:29:01,520 Speaker 1: matter if Lebron's capable, if he's too tired, right, and 570 00:29:01,600 --> 00:29:03,680 Speaker 1: so I think that I think that's something that they'll 571 00:29:03,680 --> 00:29:07,200 Speaker 1: look at. But there's not really a fix. Denver's better 572 00:29:07,200 --> 00:29:11,520 Speaker 1: than you. That's just the reality. It's just unfortunate because again, 573 00:29:11,560 --> 00:29:13,920 Speaker 1: like I said, I thought the I thought the Lakers, 574 00:29:13,920 --> 00:29:17,360 Speaker 1: specifically Lebron, a D d Lo, there were some guys 575 00:29:17,360 --> 00:29:19,720 Speaker 1: for the Lakers that really left it all out there tonight, 576 00:29:19,840 --> 00:29:22,640 Speaker 1: and they played well enough to win. But Denver's Denver, 577 00:29:22,680 --> 00:29:24,920 Speaker 1: and so it was a loss instead. So it is 578 00:29:24,960 --> 00:29:27,440 Speaker 1: what it is. Again, I'm gonna I'm gonna go Denver 579 00:29:27,520 --> 00:29:30,920 Speaker 1: and five. At this point. Any hope of Denver and 580 00:29:30,960 --> 00:29:33,680 Speaker 1: six I think fell apart with them losing tonight's game. 581 00:29:33,680 --> 00:29:36,560 Speaker 1: It's just it's just really difficult to bounce back from that. 582 00:29:36,680 --> 00:29:40,480 Speaker 1: But man, what a basketball game. Moving on to Nick Sixers, 583 00:29:40,480 --> 00:29:42,080 Speaker 1: I'm gonna I'm not gonna spend too much time on 584 00:29:42,120 --> 00:29:44,400 Speaker 1: this one just because we've been going for a while already, 585 00:29:44,440 --> 00:29:47,720 Speaker 1: and I'm gonna spend more time on this series during 586 00:29:47,720 --> 00:29:50,040 Speaker 1: the during the week the rest of the week. But 587 00:29:50,360 --> 00:29:54,640 Speaker 1: as we talked about in our series preview, the Sixers 588 00:29:54,760 --> 00:29:56,440 Speaker 1: I have more talent in the half court, right, and 589 00:29:56,520 --> 00:29:57,920 Speaker 1: so one of the things we talked about is like, 590 00:29:57,960 --> 00:29:59,800 Speaker 1: if they can just hold up better and the physical 591 00:30:00,000 --> 00:30:01,320 Speaker 1: areas of the game. I don't have the numbers right 592 00:30:01,320 --> 00:30:02,680 Speaker 1: in front of me because it's in a different note, 593 00:30:02,760 --> 00:30:06,600 Speaker 1: but they outscored the Knicks in the half court by 594 00:30:06,600 --> 00:30:09,680 Speaker 1: twenty two points per one hundred posessions in Game one, 595 00:30:09,800 --> 00:30:14,280 Speaker 1: and then they lost second chance points in fast break 596 00:30:14,280 --> 00:30:17,040 Speaker 1: points by something crazy like thirty five points or something 597 00:30:17,080 --> 00:30:19,800 Speaker 1: like that. They got absolutely blitzed, right, so they needed 598 00:30:19,840 --> 00:30:22,200 Speaker 1: to hold up better. They did. They won the fast 599 00:30:22,200 --> 00:30:25,440 Speaker 1: breakpoints battle, I think fourteen to ten. They held up 600 00:30:25,480 --> 00:30:28,120 Speaker 1: much better on the glass. They gave up twelve offensive 601 00:30:28,120 --> 00:30:30,160 Speaker 1: rebounds and got ten of their own, so they held 602 00:30:30,200 --> 00:30:35,360 Speaker 1: up better, right. But that final sequence, again, like I thought, 603 00:30:35,560 --> 00:30:38,840 Speaker 1: the critical error there was they rushed their inbound and 604 00:30:39,280 --> 00:30:42,280 Speaker 1: Tyres was kind of running along the baseline and had 605 00:30:42,320 --> 00:30:45,240 Speaker 1: guys in pursuit. That's a difficult play no matter what. 606 00:30:45,520 --> 00:30:49,640 Speaker 1: And again you gotta understand the predicament, so like in 607 00:30:49,680 --> 00:30:52,240 Speaker 1: the same way that Darvin Ham needs to be able 608 00:30:52,320 --> 00:30:55,040 Speaker 1: to read the situation and go, hey, this game's a 609 00:30:55,040 --> 00:30:59,160 Speaker 1: blood path, so if I challenge this, it might get overturned. Earlier, 610 00:30:59,240 --> 00:31:02,480 Speaker 1: Mike Malone challenged d Lo getting slapped across the face 611 00:31:02,520 --> 00:31:05,719 Speaker 1: on a layup attempt, clearly on video, and it got overturned. 612 00:31:05,920 --> 00:31:09,680 Speaker 1: So maybe I should challenge this one too. That's reading 613 00:31:09,680 --> 00:31:12,160 Speaker 1: the situation. Nick Nurse should have looked at the situation 614 00:31:12,240 --> 00:31:16,000 Speaker 1: and been like, holy shit, this game has been super physical. 615 00:31:16,360 --> 00:31:19,640 Speaker 1: Everyone's getting away with everything. I probably should call a 616 00:31:19,640 --> 00:31:22,480 Speaker 1: time out here to make sure we get a clean catch. No, 617 00:31:22,600 --> 00:31:24,440 Speaker 1: he didn't. He tried to call a time out after 618 00:31:24,520 --> 00:31:26,560 Speaker 1: the ball got inbounded. If I remember correctly, there's some 619 00:31:26,600 --> 00:31:31,400 Speaker 1: footage going around. I think he called the timeout. He 620 00:31:31,480 --> 00:31:34,360 Speaker 1: tried to call a time out right when Tyre's caught it, 621 00:31:34,360 --> 00:31:35,440 Speaker 1: and then I think he tried to call it again 622 00:31:35,440 --> 00:31:37,959 Speaker 1: when Tyrese was on the ground, and that, you know, 623 00:31:38,040 --> 00:31:42,360 Speaker 1: here's the thing. Probably should have been accounted for by 624 00:31:42,360 --> 00:31:45,120 Speaker 1: the refs. But as soon as that chaos is happening, 625 00:31:45,440 --> 00:31:48,880 Speaker 1: everyone's caught up in the chaos, including the refs. So like, 626 00:31:49,120 --> 00:31:51,960 Speaker 1: the reality is they should never have thrown that inbound pass. 627 00:31:52,360 --> 00:31:54,520 Speaker 1: They should never have thrown that inbound pass. They should 628 00:31:54,560 --> 00:31:57,120 Speaker 1: have identified that that was a high risk situation and 629 00:31:57,200 --> 00:32:00,280 Speaker 1: called a timeout before the ball even got inbound. And 630 00:32:00,280 --> 00:32:03,560 Speaker 1: I haven't seen the replay yet, So if I if 631 00:32:03,680 --> 00:32:06,080 Speaker 1: Nick Nurse did end up calling it before the inbounds 632 00:32:06,080 --> 00:32:08,360 Speaker 1: pass was thrown that brown, then maybe that's something different. 633 00:32:08,440 --> 00:32:10,160 Speaker 1: But from what I could tell, it looked like the 634 00:32:10,160 --> 00:32:11,960 Speaker 1: timeout call was after the inbound I have to go 635 00:32:12,000 --> 00:32:15,800 Speaker 1: back and look at it. But again, like that's that's 636 00:32:15,840 --> 00:32:18,760 Speaker 1: just about as catastrophic a loss as you'll see too. 637 00:32:18,760 --> 00:32:20,920 Speaker 1: It's it's so funny because the Lakers got out done 638 00:32:21,200 --> 00:32:24,880 Speaker 1: in Game two, but man, like, you do everything right 639 00:32:25,480 --> 00:32:29,240 Speaker 1: and you're literally up by five in the final minute 640 00:32:29,440 --> 00:32:33,760 Speaker 1: and offensive rebounds just once again, just inability to control 641 00:32:33,880 --> 00:32:37,680 Speaker 1: the offensive glass giving multiple opportunities. Jalen Brunson gets an 642 00:32:37,720 --> 00:32:40,440 Speaker 1: extra shot in the corner. Then Dante DiVincenzo gets two 643 00:32:40,880 --> 00:32:42,880 Speaker 1: looks at the top of the key and Dante had 644 00:32:42,920 --> 00:32:45,000 Speaker 1: it going that game, big bounce back game from Dante, 645 00:32:45,040 --> 00:32:46,960 Speaker 1: and he hit the game would ended up being the 646 00:32:46,960 --> 00:32:49,600 Speaker 1: game winner. One last note on this one. It's not 647 00:32:49,640 --> 00:32:54,160 Speaker 1: really gonna be a Brunson series in my opinion, Like 648 00:32:54,160 --> 00:32:56,320 Speaker 1: like the way that the Sixers are kind of loading up, 649 00:32:57,040 --> 00:33:00,800 Speaker 1: like the poor shooting Brunson numbers are, they're not a coincidence, 650 00:33:00,840 --> 00:33:04,040 Speaker 1: They're not just bad luck. Like the Sixers are throwing 651 00:33:04,080 --> 00:33:06,200 Speaker 1: the kitchen sink at him. They have lanky defenders on 652 00:33:06,280 --> 00:33:08,200 Speaker 1: him all the time, even when he has got Tyree 653 00:33:08,240 --> 00:33:10,160 Speaker 1: s Maxie on him. Tyres Maxie's done a great job 654 00:33:10,160 --> 00:33:12,800 Speaker 1: with back pressure and Joel embiad is anchoring things around 655 00:33:12,840 --> 00:33:15,680 Speaker 1: the rim. This is not going to be a super 656 00:33:15,760 --> 00:33:19,120 Speaker 1: high percentage efficient Brunson series. He might have a game 657 00:33:19,200 --> 00:33:21,560 Speaker 1: or two or he shoots over fifty percent because he's 658 00:33:21,600 --> 00:33:23,680 Speaker 1: a superstar in my opinion, and he's capable of that, 659 00:33:24,000 --> 00:33:26,240 Speaker 1: but this is really going to be the pendulum is 660 00:33:26,240 --> 00:33:28,600 Speaker 1: going to be dirty work. Brunson has just had a 661 00:33:28,680 --> 00:33:32,479 Speaker 1: huge disadvantage personnel wise as a shot creator compared to 662 00:33:32,520 --> 00:33:34,920 Speaker 1: where Tyrese Maxi and Joel Embiid are. And you saw 663 00:33:34,920 --> 00:33:36,320 Speaker 1: that down the stretch of that game. Who got better 664 00:33:36,320 --> 00:33:39,480 Speaker 1: shots down the end the Sixers did, with exception of 665 00:33:39,480 --> 00:33:42,520 Speaker 1: those offensive rebound jumpers that the Knicks got late. So 666 00:33:43,440 --> 00:33:46,000 Speaker 1: that dynamic is not going to change this game. This 667 00:33:46,120 --> 00:33:49,440 Speaker 1: series will continue to oscillate back and forth on the 668 00:33:49,480 --> 00:33:53,160 Speaker 1: dirty work, the offensive glass, and the transition sequence. I 669 00:33:54,280 --> 00:33:57,200 Speaker 1: believe that the Sixers are going to blow the Knicks 670 00:33:57,200 --> 00:34:00,320 Speaker 1: out in game three. I would not be surprised at 671 00:34:00,360 --> 00:34:02,640 Speaker 1: all if they tied up this series. This series is 672 00:34:02,680 --> 00:34:07,160 Speaker 1: not over that set. It is really difficult to beat 673 00:34:07,200 --> 00:34:10,840 Speaker 1: a team four times out of seven without home court advantage, 674 00:34:11,160 --> 00:34:14,839 Speaker 1: let alone five. And you beat the Knicks tonight for 675 00:34:14,840 --> 00:34:17,480 Speaker 1: forty seven and a half minutes and they came back 676 00:34:17,480 --> 00:34:19,960 Speaker 1: and got you on a crazy sequence at the end 677 00:34:20,000 --> 00:34:22,200 Speaker 1: of the game. So now you basically have to beat 678 00:34:22,239 --> 00:34:24,400 Speaker 1: them five times out of seven. That is not going 679 00:34:24,480 --> 00:34:28,200 Speaker 1: to be easy. But go home. You're the more talented team. 680 00:34:28,320 --> 00:34:31,520 Speaker 1: You're at home. You're desperate beat them up in game three. 681 00:34:31,960 --> 00:34:34,640 Speaker 1: Game four will be close. If m beating MAXI can 682 00:34:34,640 --> 00:34:37,400 Speaker 1: close the deal and if they can control those things 683 00:34:37,400 --> 00:34:40,359 Speaker 1: on the margins too to two series, then you get 684 00:34:40,400 --> 00:34:45,040 Speaker 1: your rematch in New York to try to undo what 685 00:34:45,120 --> 00:34:48,000 Speaker 1: happened in this particular game. But I mean, that's gonna 686 00:34:48,000 --> 00:34:49,759 Speaker 1: be really tough to balance back from no matter how 687 00:34:49,800 --> 00:34:54,279 Speaker 1: you slice it. That's a really really tough set of circumstances. 688 00:34:54,320 --> 00:34:57,840 Speaker 1: I want to shout Tyris Maxi in this game again. 689 00:34:58,400 --> 00:35:01,600 Speaker 1: I've always been a big Tyres mac fan. I've told 690 00:35:01,640 --> 00:35:03,840 Speaker 1: you guys this before, but I ran into him in Vegas. 691 00:35:04,280 --> 00:35:07,600 Speaker 1: And I've seen forty NBA players hanging out in Vegas, 692 00:35:07,640 --> 00:35:10,200 Speaker 1: and he was the only guy I saw working out. Now, 693 00:35:10,400 --> 00:35:12,920 Speaker 1: to be clear, I'm sure most of those players were 694 00:35:12,960 --> 00:35:15,239 Speaker 1: working out while they're in Vegas, but just when I 695 00:35:15,280 --> 00:35:17,359 Speaker 1: saw him, it just was just it was just cool 696 00:35:17,400 --> 00:35:18,920 Speaker 1: because I was like, Man, this guy's here, but he's 697 00:35:19,160 --> 00:35:21,360 Speaker 1: he's like this business trip. I'm hanging out, gonna have 698 00:35:21,400 --> 00:35:23,480 Speaker 1: some fun, but it's a business trip. And I just 699 00:35:23,520 --> 00:35:25,239 Speaker 1: have always been a fan of Tyres Maxzin in general. 700 00:35:25,280 --> 00:35:28,600 Speaker 1: I think he's got a really fun game and came 701 00:35:28,640 --> 00:35:30,239 Speaker 1: out this game super hot, by the way, playing through 702 00:35:30,280 --> 00:35:33,120 Speaker 1: flu like symptoms. Came out super hot, and he got 703 00:35:33,160 --> 00:35:35,080 Speaker 1: ice cold there in that third quarter stretch, and he 704 00:35:35,080 --> 00:35:37,640 Speaker 1: couldn't hit a jumper to save his life, and obviously 705 00:35:37,760 --> 00:35:40,480 Speaker 1: Joel Embiid was super fatigued there down the stretch of 706 00:35:40,520 --> 00:35:42,920 Speaker 1: the game. But I thought, I thought max he was 707 00:35:42,960 --> 00:35:46,080 Speaker 1: magnificent down the stretch of this game, and I thought 708 00:35:46,120 --> 00:35:50,200 Speaker 1: that you know, for this being his first opportunity to 709 00:35:50,239 --> 00:35:52,799 Speaker 1: be kind of the tip of the spear in an 710 00:35:52,880 --> 00:35:57,239 Speaker 1: NBA playoff environment for a team with real expectations, he's 711 00:35:57,320 --> 00:35:59,799 Speaker 1: showing us that he can do this. He can do 712 00:35:59,840 --> 00:36:01,840 Speaker 1: this at a really high level. I think he's a 713 00:36:01,920 --> 00:36:06,600 Speaker 1: legitimate number two. And he just went into MSG and 714 00:36:06,680 --> 00:36:08,640 Speaker 1: hit a big shot after big shot down the stretch 715 00:36:08,680 --> 00:36:10,319 Speaker 1: and gave his team a really good chance to win. 716 00:36:10,400 --> 00:36:13,360 Speaker 1: And honestly, like I don't blame him for that final sequence. 717 00:36:13,400 --> 00:36:16,040 Speaker 1: That's on the coach in my opinion, that that ball 718 00:36:16,080 --> 00:36:18,359 Speaker 1: should never have been inbounded, that should never have made 719 00:36:18,360 --> 00:36:21,680 Speaker 1: its way to Tyris Maxi under the circumstances again, and 720 00:36:21,719 --> 00:36:25,920 Speaker 1: this is something everyone's got to adjust, including the coaching stabs. 721 00:36:26,280 --> 00:36:29,480 Speaker 1: They got to adjust and understand that this is brutally 722 00:36:29,560 --> 00:36:32,520 Speaker 1: physical basketball that we're seeing in most of these games. 723 00:36:32,960 --> 00:36:37,880 Speaker 1: And you got to understand that if you allow like 724 00:36:38,280 --> 00:36:41,600 Speaker 1: congested environments to take place, guys might get fouled and 725 00:36:41,640 --> 00:36:43,560 Speaker 1: it just might not get called. And you have to 726 00:36:43,600 --> 00:36:46,720 Speaker 1: account for that in your game planning. All right, guys, 727 00:36:46,760 --> 00:36:48,400 Speaker 1: that is all I have for tonight. As always, I 728 00:36:48,480 --> 00:36:52,759 Speaker 1: sincerely appreciate you for supporting the show probably going to 729 00:36:52,800 --> 00:36:56,320 Speaker 1: take the daytime tomorrow off, but we will be back 730 00:36:56,760 --> 00:37:00,200 Speaker 1: later in the evening for an instant reaction video after 731 00:37:00,239 --> 00:37:02,200 Speaker 1: the final game of the night. I will see you 732 00:37:02,239 --> 00:37:04,880 Speaker 1: guys then. Thanks for rocking with me, See you tomorrow. 733 00:37:29,000 --> 00:37:29,640 Speaker 1: The volume