WEBVTT - How Jokic Dominated Game 1, Prediction for Game 2, Return of Tyler Herro?

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<v Speaker 1>Jolkic spoiling away puts it the first finals game in

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<v Speaker 1>franchise history. Is a rousing success. Denver's nine and all

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<v Speaker 1>and all of the playoffs. They take Game one.

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<v Speaker 2>Welcoming into NBA Pulse, a production of iHeartRadio in the NBA.

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<v Speaker 2>I'm Sarahkustak, NBA analyst for the s Networking Today is Friday,

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<v Speaker 2>June second. From our extraordinary core group of NBA journalists.

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<v Speaker 2>We're joined now by NBA dot Com Senior writer Sean

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<v Speaker 2>pal and Sean Game one, the Finals have begun in

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<v Speaker 2>Denver took control with the score doesn't quite tell the

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<v Speaker 2>story one O four to ninety three win, but it

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<v Speaker 2>was dominant from start to finish. Nicolea Jokic ninth triple

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<v Speaker 2>double of the playoffs, sixth in his last seven games.

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<v Speaker 2>But it was a complete team effort from this Denver.

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<v Speaker 1>Teamic tomor Murray good luck for three puts.

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<v Speaker 2>It in Miami. It came out. Whether it was the

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<v Speaker 2>fatigue of having just played and finishing off that tough

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<v Speaker 2>seven game Eastern Conference final, but Bam out of Bayo

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<v Speaker 2>was really the only one that had a stat line

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<v Speaker 2>twenty six points, thirteen rebounds, five assists that was worthy

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<v Speaker 2>of a Game one Finals appearance because the rest of

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<v Speaker 2>the Miami Heat team they struggled. They shot a historic

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<v Speaker 2>low of free throw attempts, just two free throw attempts

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<v Speaker 2>on the game. But when you look at this one

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<v Speaker 2>and Sean, you're out there, You're out there in Denver,

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<v Speaker 2>up close and personal with this game. What jumped out

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<v Speaker 2>to you about the Nuggets dominance here in this opener.

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<v Speaker 3>Well, you know you mentioned Nicola Yogis's triple double. It

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<v Speaker 3>might have been one of the quietest triple doubles he's

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<v Speaker 3>had during the playoffs because he really spent much of

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<v Speaker 3>the game just passing the ball to teammates who hit

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<v Speaker 3>shots on a.

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<v Speaker 1>Bayo right into jokic fins Mari Muri wine open.

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<v Speaker 3>That alone speaks volumes about where the Nuggets are versus

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<v Speaker 3>where they've been the last couple of years. Last couple

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<v Speaker 3>of years. Nikola Jokic is passing them all the guys

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<v Speaker 3>who can't hit shots. You know, now Jamal Murray is

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<v Speaker 3>hitting shots. Michael Porter Junior, Aaron Gordon was very aggressive

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<v Speaker 3>offensively early in particular, and I think that really helped

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<v Speaker 3>Jordan again.

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<v Speaker 1>Aggressively goes right into the page scores again, L Gordon's

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<v Speaker 1>got corfield goals already. We played just over five minutes.

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<v Speaker 3>And you know, if you look at the Miami Heat,

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<v Speaker 3>you know, yes, they played some ruling series to get here.

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<v Speaker 3>They didn't really have much for res But it's not

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<v Speaker 3>the altitude, Sarah, it's the Nuggets. I mean, they're a

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<v Speaker 3>very good team, are a top seed. They didn't get

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<v Speaker 3>there by mistake. They didn't come out of the West

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<v Speaker 3>by mistake. This is a very well rounded team. It's

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<v Speaker 3>not Nikola Jokic versus you know, a bunch of role

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<v Speaker 3>players anymore. He has the confidence in his teammates. He

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<v Speaker 3>gives them the ball, he set them up, and when

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<v Speaker 3>they're rolling like that, the way they will roll the

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<v Speaker 3>first three quarters of this game. This game, Yeah, they

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<v Speaker 3>get a little sloppy at the end, but when they're

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<v Speaker 3>rolling like that, it's I would think it's very, very

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<v Speaker 3>difficult for Miami to win this series because it was

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<v Speaker 3>that dominant. The other thing is, and you mentioned the

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<v Speaker 3>historic low free throw shooting Number one, the starters did

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<v Speaker 3>not attempt a single free thiw wow, and those two

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<v Speaker 3>free throws came from bench players. Simply Miami just settled

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<v Speaker 3>on to three point shots. They didn't fall. You know

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<v Speaker 3>what did fall? Miami fell pretty pretty hard, pretty big thud.

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<v Speaker 3>And what a way to open Game one of the

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<v Speaker 3>NBA Finals.

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<v Speaker 2>And I think we've watched though playoff games long enough,

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<v Speaker 2>playoff series long enough to know how much changes gamed

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<v Speaker 2>game and you can't put too much stock in just

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<v Speaker 2>one game. However, Denver is undefeated at home throughout the

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<v Speaker 2>course of this postseason. They are the number one seed,

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<v Speaker 2>and you mentioned it. Did Denver quite frankly didn't even

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<v Speaker 2>shoot the three point shot that way well, but Miami

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<v Speaker 2>took a lot of them, just over thirty three percent

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<v Speaker 2>from the three point line, thirteen of thirty nine. What

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<v Speaker 2>can Miami do? What do you anticipate as you get

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<v Speaker 2>set for game two? You at least got two days

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<v Speaker 2>in between here, when you know the conference final games

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<v Speaker 2>were every other day, so not playing until Sunday evening.

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<v Speaker 2>What can Miami look for in terms of trying to

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<v Speaker 2>combat the way that Denver came out in particular to

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<v Speaker 2>start this one.

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<v Speaker 3>I think the heat had to go into this game thinking,

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<v Speaker 3>you know what, if we hit a couple of those

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<v Speaker 3>three point shots, maybe it's different. They have to believe that.

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<v Speaker 3>And all season long, this team has been able to

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<v Speaker 3>adjust whenever they're in trouble. We've seen it throughout the

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<v Speaker 3>playoff series, even when Boston came back and tied that

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<v Speaker 3>the Eastern Conference Finals three to three. You saw the

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<v Speaker 3>way Miami responded a Game seven in Boston, and I

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<v Speaker 3>just think that that's just tremendous. That's why you don't

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<v Speaker 3>really count as team out. I mean, it's well coached

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<v Speaker 3>by Eric Spolster, and Spolster I think is the X

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<v Speaker 3>factor from Miami because he's been able to adjust and

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<v Speaker 3>you've been able to find ways to put his players

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<v Speaker 3>in position to succeed. However, having said that, I think

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<v Speaker 3>his leash is going to be pretty short. If Max

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<v Speaker 3>Strews comes out, the guy was you know, zero for ten.

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<v Speaker 3>If he comes out and he starts hitting some more

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<v Speaker 3>you know, air balls, does he go with? You know,

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<v Speaker 3>Heyward Heismith, who by the way, looked pretty good in

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<v Speaker 3>the fourth quarter and he kind of helped to comeback.

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<v Speaker 3>Eric Spolster is not afraid to sit players. You know,

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<v Speaker 3>you saw that with Duncan Robinson. He sat him pretty

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<v Speaker 3>much all season. You know, this is a guy who

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<v Speaker 3>signed a big contract. He doesn't care. He wants to

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<v Speaker 3>put players on the floor who are going to produce.

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<v Speaker 3>This is the NBA Final Finals. Your margin for error

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<v Speaker 3>now now is very slim, particularly against another top seed.

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<v Speaker 3>And that's the other thing you have to concern yourself

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<v Speaker 3>if you're Miami, is Denver one top team too many.

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<v Speaker 3>You know, you've got through Milwaukee, you've got through the Knicks,

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<v Speaker 3>you got through the Boston Celtics, and you didn't have

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<v Speaker 3>home court advantage in any of those series. Now, all

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<v Speaker 3>of a sudden, you come to Denver, the top seed

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<v Speaker 3>in the West, a team that's been unbeaten at home.

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<v Speaker 3>I mean, sometimes, you know, you reach the end of

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<v Speaker 3>the road, you know, you push your team as far

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<v Speaker 3>as it can go. And I'm not saying that that's

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<v Speaker 3>definitely going to happen, and that's definitely the case in

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<v Speaker 3>Miami heat right now. But you know, you go through

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<v Speaker 3>those grueling series that they went to, you go to

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<v Speaker 3>the NBA Finals against some refreshed Denver team, confident Denver team.

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<v Speaker 3>You know, I don't know, We'll see what happens in

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<v Speaker 3>the next game. I will refrain from saying this series

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<v Speaker 3>is over because I've seen Eric Spolster in that coaching staff,

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<v Speaker 3>and I've seen Jimmy Butler, and I've seen this team

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<v Speaker 3>respond in the past. But Game two obviously is very crucial.

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<v Speaker 3>They have to win one game in Denver in order

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<v Speaker 3>to win this series, and I think they have to

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<v Speaker 3>show up in the game two.

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<v Speaker 2>What about Jimmy Butler. You mentioned, Hey what high Smith

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<v Speaker 2>comes away with eighteen points? He was the one Miami

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<v Speaker 2>Heat player they got himself to the free throw line.

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<v Speaker 2>I think one of the more surprising individuals not at

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<v Speaker 2>the line is Jimmy Butler. He's someone who normally finds

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<v Speaker 2>production there, not a player. We've seen him throughout the

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<v Speaker 2>course of this postseason. He's been extraordinary, but he's not

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<v Speaker 2>a player that forces anything, reads a defense, patient, poised,

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<v Speaker 2>deliberate in how he's able to attack and impose his will.

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<v Speaker 2>But do you anticipate him in Game two being more

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<v Speaker 2>aggressive and potentially having a larger imprint similar to what

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<v Speaker 2>we saw early on in this postseason?

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<v Speaker 3>You know, Sarah, I think you described Jimmy Butler perfectly.

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<v Speaker 3>I mean, he's very patient, he plays under control, and

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<v Speaker 3>Jimmy Butler is very much a team player. He's kind

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<v Speaker 3>of like Yogic in that regard. He wants to get

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<v Speaker 3>his teammates involved, particularly get him involved early so they

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<v Speaker 3>get their confidence. Throw them the ball, make sure they

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<v Speaker 3>get their shots. Jimmy Butler is not going to be

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<v Speaker 3>a player who's going to come out and aiming to

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<v Speaker 3>shoot thirty forty times. That's just not in his that's

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<v Speaker 3>not his bag, you know. And it's very important for

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<v Speaker 3>him to get his teammates involved and get them confident.

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<v Speaker 3>So when the fourth quarter rolls around, yeah, he can

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<v Speaker 3>take over. But if he's not taking over the fourth quarter,

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<v Speaker 3>they're still rolling. They still have the confidence to make

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<v Speaker 3>those shots. Having said all that, as I said before,

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<v Speaker 3>the margin for error now is a little bit short.

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<v Speaker 3>And I think Jimmy Butler can read the room, and

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<v Speaker 3>I think he knows right now that, yeah, you know what,

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<v Speaker 3>maybe I have to come out maybe a little bit

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<v Speaker 3>more aggressive. And if I'm aggressive and suddenly I'm double teamed.

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<v Speaker 3>Now these guys are open and maybe they can hit

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<v Speaker 3>those shots. And by the way, Aaron Gordon, the guy

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<v Speaker 3>who's assigned with guarding Jimmy Butler, look at the path

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<v Speaker 3>that he's been on through these playoffs, He started out

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<v Speaker 3>in the first round against Carl Anthony Towns, giving away

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<v Speaker 3>what about four or five inches there. Then he goes

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<v Speaker 3>up against Kevin Durant. Okay, we know who Kadie is.

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<v Speaker 3>And then the next round Lebron James. I mean, just

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<v Speaker 3>think about his defensive assignments in this postseason and now

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<v Speaker 3>he's got Jimmy Butler. So Aaron Gordon is not scared. There,

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<v Speaker 3>he ain't scared. He's going to be up for the challenge.

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<v Speaker 3>But again, we've seen a lot of very good to

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<v Speaker 3>great games by Jimmy Butler in this postseason. I think

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<v Speaker 3>he and sposed they're going to have a conversation between

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<v Speaker 3>now and the start of Game two, and I think

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<v Speaker 3>he might see a little bit more of aggressive and

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<v Speaker 3>assert of Jimmy Butler at the start of Game two.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, on the flip side of things, let's get back

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<v Speaker 2>to Nicola Jokic. He was tremendous, as I said, his

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<v Speaker 2>ninth triple double of this playoff set's all time all

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<v Speaker 2>time leader in a single postseason, four triple doubles, six

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<v Speaker 2>in his last seven games. He became just a second

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<v Speaker 2>player to record a triple double in their finals debut

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<v Speaker 2>joining Jason Kidd. How masterful does he continue to be

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<v Speaker 2>in your eyes in ways in which he You know,

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<v Speaker 2>the numbers speak for themselves, but when you're watching it,

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<v Speaker 2>it's the numbers, it's the eye test, it's everything. He

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<v Speaker 2>he just really seems unstoppable.

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<v Speaker 3>I'm gonna pay him the highest compliment by saying, I'm like,

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<v Speaker 3>you know, I'm not surprised. You know, we think about it.

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<v Speaker 3>Guy gets triple double here and there and everything. You're like, oh, wow,

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<v Speaker 3>that's pretty good. But to me, it's kind of routine, Sarah.

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<v Speaker 3>I mean, it doesn't blow me away anymore, and it should.

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<v Speaker 3>It should. You can't take a player like him, for granted,

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<v Speaker 3>a guy who's you know, seven foot tall and he's

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<v Speaker 3>throwing these one handed water prolo passes, bounce past his

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<v Speaker 3>pocket passes, finding guys.

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<v Speaker 2>Yo.

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<v Speaker 1>Kincher comes to double team, spins away, finds Brown wide open,

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<v Speaker 1>Bruce Brown down.

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<v Speaker 3>We've really, i mean, at least this generation, we've really

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<v Speaker 3>never seen anyone like him. You can go back to

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<v Speaker 3>our Beatus Cibotus uh, you know the former great Soviet players.

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<v Speaker 3>Obviously you know his his son Demontes cebotis the Sacramento Kings,

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<v Speaker 3>but you know, Sabonis was a little bit like that,

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<v Speaker 3>particularly before his knees really gave way. By the time

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<v Speaker 3>Sabonis came into the NBA played for the Portland Trailblazers,

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<v Speaker 3>he wasn't the player he was on international level, but

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<v Speaker 3>he was still a great passer. And also you can

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<v Speaker 3>go back even a little bit further and talk about

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<v Speaker 3>Bill Walton, the MVP of the World champion nineteen seventy

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<v Speaker 3>seven Portland Trailblazers. The offense ran through him, okay, and

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<v Speaker 3>he played the high post pretty much the way Jokic is,

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<v Speaker 3>and he was able to control a game piece of

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<v Speaker 3>pick a game apart with his passing that way. But

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<v Speaker 3>of course I'm only enlightening people who are like sixty

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<v Speaker 3>and seventy years old who can remember those two players.

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<v Speaker 3>Let's talk about the generation here and now and what

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<v Speaker 3>they're seeing from Nicola Jokic. I mean, it's just really

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<v Speaker 3>really amazing to watch. He's had a fantastic postseason run.

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<v Speaker 3>You can even make the argument over the last three

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<v Speaker 3>years he's been the best player in the NBA, certainly

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<v Speaker 3>from the MVP count. He won two of them and

0:12:00.160 --> 0:12:02.720
<v Speaker 3>finish runner up in the third and so this is

0:12:02.760 --> 0:12:05.200
<v Speaker 3>just a continuation of what we've seen from him. The

0:12:05.320 --> 0:12:09.000
<v Speaker 3>difference is, Sarah, he has better, healthier teammates and better

0:12:09.040 --> 0:12:12.319
<v Speaker 3>teammates around him in order to rack up those assists.

0:12:12.360 --> 0:12:14.920
<v Speaker 3>When he's passing the ball, those guys are making.

0:12:14.760 --> 0:12:17.959
<v Speaker 2>The shot making the shots, and that's something Miami is

0:12:17.960 --> 0:12:19.800
<v Speaker 2>gonna need to do more of. We are going to

0:12:19.840 --> 0:12:22.640
<v Speaker 2>take a break, but gets us some Game two predictions

0:12:22.679 --> 0:12:31.960
<v Speaker 2>and some potential firepower coming back for the Heat. Welcome

0:12:31.960 --> 0:12:34.560
<v Speaker 2>back to NBA Pulse, Sarahustak joined by the great Sean

0:12:34.640 --> 0:12:38.840
<v Speaker 2>Pyle and uh Sean Game two. Uh, he's gonna need

0:12:38.920 --> 0:12:42.760
<v Speaker 2>a lot more from Miami in Denver and just what

0:12:42.840 --> 0:12:45.880
<v Speaker 2>they had shown in that first opening game. But it

0:12:46.000 --> 0:12:48.880
<v Speaker 2>was reported prior to the game uh, the Tyler Hero

0:12:49.040 --> 0:12:51.760
<v Speaker 2>could come back in Game two for the Miami Heat. First,

0:12:51.760 --> 0:12:54.760
<v Speaker 2>I want to ask you about that. What difference do

0:12:54.800 --> 0:12:58.120
<v Speaker 2>you think that could make given the amount of time

0:12:58.160 --> 0:13:01.720
<v Speaker 2>that Hero has been off and obviously what he could

0:13:01.800 --> 0:13:04.120
<v Speaker 2>add to this team in terms of what they could

0:13:04.200 --> 0:13:06.679
<v Speaker 2>use after seeing the way that they played Denver there

0:13:06.720 --> 0:13:07.480
<v Speaker 2>in Game one.

0:13:07.920 --> 0:13:09.440
<v Speaker 3>Well, you know one reason why I want to see

0:13:09.480 --> 0:13:12.560
<v Speaker 3>him and uniform is out. I keep watching his his

0:13:12.640 --> 0:13:15.120
<v Speaker 3>bench attire. You know, in these games he's got the

0:13:15.200 --> 0:13:17.040
<v Speaker 3>muscle shirt on. I'm not sure he had a much

0:13:17.120 --> 0:13:20.800
<v Speaker 3>muscle definition. No offense here. You're a shooter, not a weightlifter.

0:13:21.400 --> 0:13:23.480
<v Speaker 3>And you know he's got the big hats and he's

0:13:23.480 --> 0:13:26.560
<v Speaker 3>looking at Look, nobody wants to see Tally Hero on

0:13:26.600 --> 0:13:28.880
<v Speaker 3>the floor more than Tally Hero. The guy's a competitor,

0:13:28.960 --> 0:13:32.400
<v Speaker 3>guy's a baller, sir. He wants to play. H if

0:13:32.440 --> 0:13:36.800
<v Speaker 3>he could play, he would play. Uh And you know, look, yeah,

0:13:36.840 --> 0:13:39.040
<v Speaker 3>there's a couple of games in between. There's a couple

0:13:39.080 --> 0:13:41.600
<v Speaker 3>of days in between these games. These games he could

0:13:41.679 --> 0:13:46.120
<v Speaker 3>he's ramping up his basketball activity. We all know what

0:13:46.160 --> 0:13:51.320
<v Speaker 3>type of player he is. But you know, to get

0:13:51.400 --> 0:13:54.400
<v Speaker 3>hurt and the opening game of the postseason and then

0:13:54.440 --> 0:13:57.600
<v Speaker 3>sit for multiple weeks and then come back in the

0:13:57.720 --> 0:14:00.679
<v Speaker 3>NBA Finals of all places, and to be able to

0:14:00.679 --> 0:14:03.840
<v Speaker 3>come in and have an impact. Look, I love Tyller

0:14:03.880 --> 0:14:06.360
<v Speaker 3>Hero as a player, but I would say even for

0:14:06.720 --> 0:14:10.319
<v Speaker 3>players better than Tylly Hero, that's quite the challenge. To

0:14:10.360 --> 0:14:13.360
<v Speaker 3>be able to get that rhythm back, you get that pop,

0:14:13.559 --> 0:14:15.839
<v Speaker 3>you know, with the ball off the fingers, be able

0:14:15.840 --> 0:14:20.200
<v Speaker 3>to play defense defense after missing that much time. That

0:14:20.240 --> 0:14:23.040
<v Speaker 3>would be a steep challenge. I'm rooting for it, Sarah,

0:14:23.160 --> 0:14:26.280
<v Speaker 3>because I want to see both teams at full health.

0:14:26.440 --> 0:14:29.280
<v Speaker 3>Who doesn't. I don't want to see see Denver have

0:14:29.360 --> 0:14:31.920
<v Speaker 3>any excuses, not that they need excuses of their top

0:14:32.800 --> 0:14:35.520
<v Speaker 3>top seed coming out of the West, but I like

0:14:35.600 --> 0:14:38.000
<v Speaker 3>to see teams at full strength. I like to see

0:14:38.040 --> 0:14:41.920
<v Speaker 3>what Denver can do against a Miami Heat team with

0:14:42.120 --> 0:14:45.360
<v Speaker 3>Tyler Hero. Let's just say, for argument's sake, he does

0:14:45.400 --> 0:14:49.240
<v Speaker 3>come back in this series and he's effective. Well, you know, obviously,

0:14:49.280 --> 0:14:53.000
<v Speaker 3>that's just one more weapon that Miami has, one more

0:14:53.040 --> 0:14:55.440
<v Speaker 3>teammate for Jimmy Butler. He can throw the ball to

0:14:55.600 --> 0:14:58.160
<v Speaker 3>with confidence, and all of a sudden, if the Miami

0:14:58.160 --> 0:15:00.600
<v Speaker 3>Heat is settling for three point shots and hitting him,

0:15:00.840 --> 0:15:03.560
<v Speaker 3>you have Tally Hero on the floor who can probably

0:15:03.560 --> 0:15:06.440
<v Speaker 3>solve that situation. So I'm rooting for him. I want

0:15:06.440 --> 0:15:10.400
<v Speaker 3>to see him in uniform next time. He's wearing something sleeveless.

0:15:10.560 --> 0:15:12.840
<v Speaker 3>Let's hope it's a jersey and not a T shirt

0:15:12.880 --> 0:15:13.360
<v Speaker 3>on a bench.

0:15:14.520 --> 0:15:16.640
<v Speaker 2>Sean, before we go, who do you have? Who's your

0:15:16.680 --> 0:15:17.480
<v Speaker 2>pick for Game two?

0:15:18.440 --> 0:15:20.640
<v Speaker 3>I'm going to go with Denver again. I suspect it's

0:15:20.640 --> 0:15:23.000
<v Speaker 3>going to be a lot closer through the first three quarters.

0:15:23.040 --> 0:15:26.960
<v Speaker 3>I can probably see basically a reversal closer for three

0:15:27.040 --> 0:15:29.720
<v Speaker 3>quarters and then Denver pulling away at the end. Again,

0:15:29.760 --> 0:15:32.800
<v Speaker 3>this is a team that's undefeated at home, and I

0:15:32.840 --> 0:15:35.880
<v Speaker 3>think that atmosphere in Denver is electric. I think the

0:15:35.880 --> 0:15:39.160
<v Speaker 3>fans sent something from a team making its first trip

0:15:39.200 --> 0:15:42.840
<v Speaker 3>to the NBA Finals obviously don't have an NBA championship.

0:15:43.120 --> 0:15:46.080
<v Speaker 3>I think the fans sense that something special was happening.

0:15:46.240 --> 0:15:48.680
<v Speaker 3>I see Denver going up two oh and this series

0:15:48.720 --> 0:15:49.640
<v Speaker 3>going back to Miami.

0:15:50.880 --> 0:15:53.320
<v Speaker 2>All right, well, we will see what happens on Sunday

0:15:53.400 --> 0:15:57.880
<v Speaker 2>apm Eastern on ABC. We will continue to watch and

0:15:58.000 --> 0:16:01.640
<v Speaker 2>read all your stuff Sean on NBA, and enjoy your

0:16:01.680 --> 0:16:04.120
<v Speaker 2>time there in Denver. We'll talk to you soon.

0:16:04.200 --> 0:16:05.480
<v Speaker 3>Thanks, Eric, appreciate it.

0:16:05.920 --> 0:16:08.400
<v Speaker 2>NBA Pose with Sarahustack is a production of the NBA

0:16:08.480 --> 0:16:10.960
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0:16:10.960 --> 0:16:13.720
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