WEBVTT - First Round Check-In with Nik Stauskas 0:00:49.259 --> 0:00:51.539 I'm Tari's Mike Si and you're listening to the seventy 0:00:51.579 --> 0:00:53.419 six Ers Insider's podcast. 0:00:53.699 --> 0:00:56.619 This podcast is part of the seventy six Ers podcast network, 0:00:56.659 --> 0:00:58.459 presented by Stern and Cohen Law. 0:00:58.299 --> 0:01:01.299 Search seventy six Ers Insiders wherever you get your podcasts. 0:01:01.659 --> 0:01:04.419 Suffering an injury at work can cause physical pain, but 0:01:04.499 --> 0:01:07.659 also great uncertainty about your rights. You need to retain 0:01:07.699 --> 0:01:10.419 a worker's compensation law firm that is a winner like 0:01:10.499 --> 0:01:13.379 our sixers, a firm that gets some of the best settlements, 0:01:13.459 --> 0:01:15.539 but is also willing to go toe to toe with 0:01:15.659 --> 0:01:19.379 the insurance company. No settling on the cheap. This is Philly. 0:01:19.539 --> 0:01:21.939 We have grit and fight in us. Call the workers 0:01:22.019 --> 0:01:25.259 Compensation law firm of Stern and Cohen or visit their 0:01:25.299 --> 0:01:29.779 site Sterncohenlaw dot com. The consultation is free. Stern and 0:01:29.819 --> 0:01:32.539 Cohen are the official partners of the seventy six Ers. 0:01:32.819 --> 0:01:46.259 They'll go ring the insurance company's bell. Welcome back to 0:01:46.299 --> 0:01:49.899 the seventy six Ers Insiders Podcast. Two games into the 0:01:49.899 --> 0:01:52.619 first round for the Philadelphia seventy six Ers against the 0:01:52.659 --> 0:01:55.699 New York Knicks, Matt Murphy with Lauren Rosen and our 0:01:55.739 --> 0:01:59.099 friend Nick Stauskas is back. Nick. It's been a little bit. 0:01:59.299 --> 0:02:00.739 How are you great to have you. 0:02:00.939 --> 0:02:04.019 I'm doing great, could be a little bit better, but 0:02:04.699 --> 0:02:07.299 it's it's always good to see you. Know these two 0:02:07.379 --> 0:02:09.379 faces I'm with right now. I miss you guys. It's 0:02:09.379 --> 0:02:11.779 been a little bit, but anytime we're here talking six 0:02:11.859 --> 0:02:13.899 Ers basketball have some fun with it. 0:02:13.979 --> 0:02:15.139 So I'm looking forward to it. 0:02:15.379 --> 0:02:18.899 And who knows, Lauren, maybe we'll even release the bonus 0:02:18.899 --> 0:02:21.459 episode that the three of us taped. Were among other 0:02:21.539 --> 0:02:24.459 riveting topics, we talked about our favorite and least favorite 0:02:24.579 --> 0:02:25.779 subjects in school. 0:02:26.339 --> 0:02:28.659 I'm down. I'm absolutely down. And listen. 0:02:29.419 --> 0:02:31.099 As if we needed another excuse to go on a 0:02:31.099 --> 0:02:33.539 long run, here, Nick stauskis back in the fold. We 0:02:33.579 --> 0:02:35.099 got to get this man on the pod at least 0:02:35.099 --> 0:02:37.179 a few more times for weeks to come. 0:02:37.579 --> 0:02:40.979 I'm available, I'm free. I have no job, i have 0:02:41.579 --> 0:02:44.459 no prospects. I'm ready to talk the. 0:02:44.459 --> 0:02:49.099 Task at hand. The first round series second Sea to 0:02:49.139 --> 0:02:51.939 New York Knicks seventh seeded Philadelphia seventy six Ers. If 0:02:51.979 --> 0:02:55.819 you're not already subscribed to the seventy six Ers Insiders podcast, 0:02:55.899 --> 0:02:58.739 please do also subscribe to the Sixers YouTube channel check 0:02:58.739 --> 0:03:02.939 out a content day series we put out with most 0:03:02.979 --> 0:03:07.699 of this Sixers playoff roster and potentially a bonus episode 0:03:07.779 --> 0:03:11.139 with this trio that we've got going right now. But 0:03:11.859 --> 0:03:15.339 it's the series Nick starting with your takeaways through the 0:03:15.339 --> 0:03:20.139 first two games that I mean national media, local media obviously, 0:03:20.219 --> 0:03:23.459 but nationally it's it's the series maybe that's the most 0:03:23.499 --> 0:03:27.179 intriguing to everyone. This six Ers Nicks series. I called 0:03:27.219 --> 0:03:30.339 it the most second round feeling the first round series 0:03:30.379 --> 0:03:33.819 maybe of all time. And the games have delivered, just 0:03:33.979 --> 0:03:36.659 going the next way in in close fashion, but they 0:03:36.779 --> 0:03:40.099 defended their home court. So we'll get into the nitty 0:03:40.099 --> 0:03:43.139 gritty of some stuff from game two and a little 0:03:43.179 --> 0:03:47.699 bit from game one, but from an overall standpoint, what 0:03:47.819 --> 0:03:49.739 have been some of your takeaways? 0:03:50.059 --> 0:03:55.299 Well, coming into this series, you could argue potentially, you know, 0:03:55.379 --> 0:03:58.979 two of the best players in the Eastern Conference in 0:03:59.099 --> 0:04:02.579 Jalen Brunson and Joel Embiid playing in a first round matchup, 0:04:02.619 --> 0:04:07.179 which obviously makes it exciting and you know, to your point, 0:04:07.179 --> 0:04:10.899 feeling more like a second round matchup. The Sixers aren't 0:04:10.899 --> 0:04:14.019 a normal seventh seed because you look at their record 0:04:14.059 --> 0:04:17.499 with Joel and obviously towards the beginning of the season, 0:04:17.539 --> 0:04:19.779 they were a top tier team not only in the 0:04:19.819 --> 0:04:23.299 Eastern Conference but the entire league. So this was definitely 0:04:23.299 --> 0:04:26.419 a series, you know, beyond my bias of you know, 0:04:26.499 --> 0:04:29.499 being here in Philly and you know, working with you guys. 0:04:29.859 --> 0:04:32.299 Was definitely the series that I had circled in terms 0:04:32.339 --> 0:04:35.659 of most excited to watch. And as you mentioned, the 0:04:35.699 --> 0:04:36.939 games have lived up to it. 0:04:37.499 --> 0:04:37.659 You know. 0:04:37.699 --> 0:04:41.099 The crazy part for me is just how quickly the 0:04:41.219 --> 0:04:42.459 narrative or. 0:04:42.419 --> 0:04:43.859 A series can change. 0:04:44.259 --> 0:04:47.859 And just within seconds in Game two, we you know, 0:04:47.899 --> 0:04:50.499 went from coming back Philly one to one to now 0:04:50.899 --> 0:04:55.539 to nothing, bunch of controversy, a lot of different storylines, 0:04:55.699 --> 0:04:58.419 you know, coming into game three. So uh, that's the 0:04:58.539 --> 0:05:00.819 NBA Playoffs for you. And it just goes, you know, 0:05:01.019 --> 0:05:03.739 goes to show you how important every second of every 0:05:03.739 --> 0:05:04.219 game is. 0:05:04.979 --> 0:05:08.899 And Nick Nurse had an interesting response to Lauren after 0:05:09.059 --> 0:05:12.539 Game two that spoke to what you just said, basically 0:05:12.579 --> 0:05:15.259 about how if the end of Game two had gone 0:05:15.379 --> 0:05:18.219 just a little bit different, the feeling would have been. 0:05:18.859 --> 0:05:21.419 We came on the road, we stole a game on 0:05:21.459 --> 0:05:23.579 the road, like that saying of steal one on the 0:05:23.659 --> 0:05:26.979 road to recapture the home court, and he spoke to 0:05:27.019 --> 0:05:28.899 you about just how close they were to doing that. 0:05:29.339 --> 0:05:33.699 Yeah, and what's interesting, Matt is, yes, the Sixers are 0:05:33.739 --> 0:05:38.099 facing a difficult to nothing Knick series lead right now, 0:05:38.179 --> 0:05:41.659 but the games were so much closer than that would 0:05:41.699 --> 0:05:44.699 have indicated. Every time the Sixers fell back, they fought 0:05:44.739 --> 0:05:47.979 back in Both games were close down the stretch, especially 0:05:48.019 --> 0:05:51.619 obviously Game two. So if you take and obviously wins 0:05:51.619 --> 0:05:55.499 and losses are literally the most important stats in the 0:05:55.499 --> 0:05:58.259 regular season and especially in the playoffs, But if you 0:05:58.339 --> 0:06:01.579 strip both games of the win and lost column, this 0:06:01.699 --> 0:06:03.819 is an extremely close series. 0:06:04.139 --> 0:06:05.739 The margins are razor thin. 0:06:06.019 --> 0:06:08.019 There's an argument to be made that the Sixers have 0:06:08.219 --> 0:06:12.979 played better than the Knicks have in most of this 0:06:13.099 --> 0:06:19.739 series thus far. So I'll let Kyle Lowry's words replace mine. 0:06:19.779 --> 0:06:22.379 He immediately and the being the pro that he is 0:06:22.419 --> 0:06:24.379 with the playoff experience that he has. In the locker 0:06:24.419 --> 0:06:28.619 room following Game two, said Listen, he had nothing to 0:06:28.619 --> 0:06:30.739 say about the game, about the forty eight minutes that 0:06:30.779 --> 0:06:33.459 had transpired, He said, they took care of business on 0:06:33.499 --> 0:06:36.499 their home floor. They're up too to Oho. Now we 0:06:36.539 --> 0:06:38.499 have to go take care business on our home floor. 0:06:38.819 --> 0:06:42.899 Come back here to too. It was simple, measured exactly 0:06:42.899 --> 0:06:46.499 what you expect from Kyle Lowry and honestly describes what's 0:06:46.539 --> 0:06:49.539 happened pretty well. And of course it stays you wish 0:06:49.539 --> 0:06:51.339 you'd get back one to one and you get to 0:06:51.379 --> 0:06:53.179 play at home for a chance to go up three 0:06:53.179 --> 0:06:57.859 to one. But having watched both games closely and now 0:06:57.899 --> 0:07:01.819 rewatched both games, Sixers have played really well in this series, 0:07:01.859 --> 0:07:06.579 despite certain intangibles not falling their way, Joelle Embiid not 0:07:06.619 --> 0:07:07.939 being able to play as much as he would have 0:07:07.979 --> 0:07:10.299 wanted to in Game one, Tyrese Maxi dealing with an 0:07:10.299 --> 0:07:13.259 illness in Game two, and still for things to be 0:07:13.379 --> 0:07:18.099 this close, pretty impressive stuff from the Sixers all things considered. 0:07:18.379 --> 0:07:21.979 And we know the stats about two to zero series deficits. 0:07:22.219 --> 0:07:26.099 Thirty three teams have overcome that in the NBA playoffs, 0:07:26.739 --> 0:07:29.499 including Nick Nurse's twenty nineteen Raptors that went on to 0:07:29.539 --> 0:07:32.379 win the championship. They lost both in Milwaukee to start 0:07:32.419 --> 0:07:36.059 the Eastern Conference Finals, and then one four straight. It's 0:07:36.099 --> 0:07:40.099 also it's happened in each of the last few postseasons, 0:07:40.099 --> 0:07:43.059 including with the Warriors dropping two in the first round 0:07:43.099 --> 0:07:47.499 at Sacramento just last playoffs ended up winning in seven 0:07:47.659 --> 0:07:50.459 in Sacramento, so we know about that. Nick, what are 0:07:50.499 --> 0:07:53.099 your thoughts on people who say the way that they 0:07:53.579 --> 0:07:57.019 lost game two can have an effect because Kyle Lowry 0:07:57.059 --> 0:08:01.339 is already flushing it. But there are people who say, 0:08:01.819 --> 0:08:05.779 perhaps could it be too demoralizing to carry over into 0:08:05.819 --> 0:08:07.739 game three and it might be too hard of a 0:08:07.779 --> 0:08:10.099 finish to wipe out for the next two. 0:08:10.499 --> 0:08:11.939 You know, I think it's important to. 0:08:13.459 --> 0:08:16.979 Focus on the positives if you're Philadelphia in terms of 0:08:17.779 --> 0:08:21.579 not overthinking things or getting too demoralized or too beaten up. 0:08:21.979 --> 0:08:24.659 You know, especially with you know, the last two minute 0:08:24.659 --> 0:08:28.139 reports that are coming out, it's so easy to focus 0:08:28.179 --> 0:08:30.779 on those and get caught up in everything that's being 0:08:30.859 --> 0:08:33.099 said in the media and you know, be a little 0:08:33.099 --> 0:08:35.939 bit demoralized, like you said, But I think for them, 0:08:35.979 --> 0:08:38.619 they do need to focus on the fact that that 0:08:38.779 --> 0:08:41.699 was their game to win. They put themselves, they did 0:08:41.699 --> 0:08:44.499 everything they could do to put themselves in a position 0:08:44.539 --> 0:08:49.739 to win, and you know, a brief thirty second lapse 0:08:49.859 --> 0:08:52.899 towards the end of the game, you know, change the outcome. 0:08:53.179 --> 0:08:57.059 But that shouldn't make them think they can't win games coming, 0:08:57.139 --> 0:08:58.659 you know, moving forward in this series, and you know, 0:08:58.739 --> 0:08:59.939 Joelle even said it. 0:08:59.859 --> 0:09:03.019 Like we're the better team. You know they truly believe that. 0:09:03.619 --> 0:09:05.459 But on the flip side, I will say this, My 0:09:05.539 --> 0:09:08.539 other argument is and like this could be a good thing, 0:09:08.579 --> 0:09:11.019 could be a bad thing. But if you told me 0:09:11.219 --> 0:09:14.939 after two games Jalen Brunson was sixteen for fifty five 0:09:15.179 --> 0:09:17.139 from the field, I would have told you Sixers are 0:09:17.179 --> 0:09:21.259 up to nothing. So from the Knixt perspective, they're like, 0:09:21.299 --> 0:09:24.539 we're up to and our best player hasn't really played 0:09:24.539 --> 0:09:28.219 well yet. So if you're a Philly, you have to 0:09:28.299 --> 0:09:30.059 know that. That's if you're the Sixer, you have to 0:09:30.099 --> 0:09:32.339 know that's coming. Like he's not going to continue shooting 0:09:32.379 --> 0:09:34.379 like that for a seven game series. 0:09:34.499 --> 0:09:37.339 So I guess we'll see how that plays out. 0:09:37.499 --> 0:09:39.859 Would it be fair to suggest that perhaps the Sixers 0:09:39.939 --> 0:09:42.259 best player also may feel that way and has said 0:09:42.299 --> 0:09:45.419 as much himself, Right, Joel knows that he can put 0:09:45.419 --> 0:09:47.859 more into these games, and we have not seen him 0:09:48.179 --> 0:09:51.899 at peak Joel Embiid quite yet, Right, So I don't know. 0:09:51.939 --> 0:09:54.579 I'm still excited about it. I'm so excited about what's 0:09:54.619 --> 0:09:55.659 to come. I think this is going to be a 0:09:55.779 --> 0:09:57.779 very long and continue to be a very close series. 0:09:57.939 --> 0:10:00.379 I guess the two sides I was presenting to Nick 0:10:00.419 --> 0:10:03.339 originally was like, on one hand, if you're the Sixers, 0:10:03.379 --> 0:10:05.739 you're like, we should have won that game. But on 0:10:05.779 --> 0:10:08.659 the other hand, and this is the side that to 0:10:08.699 --> 0:10:12.459 the point of excitement, you're like, we were right there 0:10:12.459 --> 0:10:14.859 and we should have won that game. So like, you 0:10:14.859 --> 0:10:16.819 can look at we should have won that game as 0:10:17.019 --> 0:10:20.459 a negative or a positive, and maybe coming home with 0:10:20.539 --> 0:10:22.499 the two days in between will help them look at 0:10:23.179 --> 0:10:25.499 it as more of a positive. To the point about 0:10:25.499 --> 0:10:30.299 brunson twenty nine percent shooting, this is from Justin Kabatco 0:10:30.459 --> 0:10:34.499 from Stattitudes, really great newsletter that he puts out. It's 0:10:34.539 --> 0:10:37.219 over the last sixty seasons, no player with at least 0:10:37.259 --> 0:10:40.179 fifty attempts has recorded a lower field goal percentage over 0:10:40.219 --> 0:10:43.939 the first two games of a playoff series. And Lauren 0:10:43.979 --> 0:10:47.139 who has stood out for the Sixers in defending Jalen 0:10:47.139 --> 0:10:51.219 Brunson because it hasn't always been Kelly, but toom it's 0:10:51.219 --> 0:10:54.099 a Maxie just the way that they're defending him as 0:10:54.099 --> 0:10:55.419 a team. What has jumped out to here. 0:10:55.299 --> 0:10:56.459 Sim Lowry as well. 0:10:56.539 --> 0:10:59.299 I think maybe that could be part of why Brunson's 0:10:59.339 --> 0:11:01.179 taking a little bit longer to figure out what he's 0:11:01.219 --> 0:11:06.939 dealing with is how well this committee has shared defensive responsibility, 0:11:07.299 --> 0:11:10.659 and you ask about Brunson specifically more holistically defensively. The 0:11:11.099 --> 0:11:14.979 improvements we saw in game two I thought were pretty special, 0:11:15.219 --> 0:11:18.779 and the offensive rebounding discrepancy that they dealt with in 0:11:18.819 --> 0:11:22.579 game one to erase it in game two extremely impressive 0:11:22.659 --> 0:11:24.779 right out the gate. This was a team that understood 0:11:25.379 --> 0:11:29.779 where they faltered in game one and adjusted right away. 0:11:29.899 --> 0:11:32.779 And that was something that the players and coach alike 0:11:32.819 --> 0:11:35.259 said that they were going to pride themselves in themselves 0:11:35.259 --> 0:11:37.339 in being able to do in this playoffs. So to 0:11:37.379 --> 0:11:39.499 see the way that they responded, and again, it's tough 0:11:39.539 --> 0:11:41.459 to talk about game two, it felt so much like 0:11:41.499 --> 0:11:43.179 a win, right We're talking about it as though they 0:11:43.179 --> 0:11:44.059 made all the adjustments. 0:11:44.059 --> 0:11:46.259 They did exactly what they needed to do right. 0:11:47.259 --> 0:11:50.339 Difficult to stomach the idea that it didn't result in 0:11:50.379 --> 0:11:52.979 a victory, But they made so many positive adjustments and 0:11:52.979 --> 0:11:56.179 improvements that I would expect them to continue doing exactly 0:11:56.259 --> 0:11:57.859 that in these next couple of games. 0:11:58.099 --> 0:12:01.579 Sixers were up one oh one ninety six late in 0:12:01.619 --> 0:12:05.179 that game end up losing one four one oh one. Maxi, 0:12:05.499 --> 0:12:08.859 while questionable because he was under the weather, goes for 0:12:09.179 --> 0:12:12.459 a near triple double with thirty five, nine and ten. 0:12:12.539 --> 0:12:14.699 I want to stay on Brunson for one more second. Nick, 0:12:14.739 --> 0:12:19.099 with your background as a as a professional player NBA player, 0:12:19.939 --> 0:12:21.459 the way that he shoots the ball and the way 0:12:21.499 --> 0:12:23.779 that the pace that he plays at. I saw this 0:12:23.859 --> 0:12:26.259 going around X a little bit with like a two 0:12:26.419 --> 0:12:29.899 motion shot, like his release is kind of in two 0:12:29.939 --> 0:12:32.379 parts almost, and Maxi had a block in Game one 0:12:32.419 --> 0:12:35.179 that people were pointing to that the Sixers have through 0:12:35.219 --> 0:12:38.659 two games sort of figured out how to time when 0:12:38.739 --> 0:12:40.659 he's going to shoot, because he'll get to that elbow 0:12:40.699 --> 0:12:42.659 and he'll rise, but it takes him a second to 0:12:42.979 --> 0:12:44.899 actually release the ball. And you can see it on 0:12:44.939 --> 0:12:48.819 a play like Maxi blocking him from behind his pace 0:12:49.019 --> 0:12:50.899 and how that affects everything in the way that he 0:12:51.539 --> 0:12:53.699 shoots the ball. It seems like the Sixers have sort 0:12:53.739 --> 0:12:56.579 of figured it out from the jump on when they 0:12:56.659 --> 0:12:57.219 watch film. 0:12:57.739 --> 0:12:59.979 I wouldn't go as far as say that they've they've 0:12:59.979 --> 0:13:02.779 figured it out, because I'm sure Brunson will still you know, 0:13:02.859 --> 0:13:05.179 he'll respond, he'll make adjustments and he'll find a way 0:13:05.179 --> 0:13:08.099 to get his But they've done a phenomenal job, as 0:13:08.139 --> 0:13:10.499 good as any team has done this year at slowing 0:13:10.579 --> 0:13:13.939 him down, because this is an all NBA type of 0:13:13.979 --> 0:13:17.419 player who's had an incredible season that's put the Knicks 0:13:17.419 --> 0:13:19.179 in a position where they're the number two seed in 0:13:19.219 --> 0:13:23.019 the East. So you know, many coaches have touched on 0:13:23.059 --> 0:13:25.259 the fact that there's not much you can do to 0:13:25.299 --> 0:13:28.179 slow Brunson down, that that pace he plays with, the 0:13:28.219 --> 0:13:31.659 stop and go, the change of speed, you know, his hesitations, 0:13:31.699 --> 0:13:33.939 his ability to shoot from deep, get to the basket, 0:13:33.979 --> 0:13:37.659 crafty finishes like the mid range. There really isn't any 0:13:37.699 --> 0:13:40.819 gaps in his offensive repertoire. But you know, to both 0:13:40.819 --> 0:13:43.859 of your points, I think by committee they've done a 0:13:43.899 --> 0:13:46.539 good job of just throwing bodies at him, being physical. 0:13:46.859 --> 0:13:48.939 And again, the Sixers do have size and that's something 0:13:49.179 --> 0:13:52.339 that's working to their advantage with Brunson being a smaller guard. 0:13:52.539 --> 0:13:55.019 Again on that part, they need to just continue doing 0:13:55.019 --> 0:13:57.619 what they're doing on the defensive end and hope that 0:13:57.659 --> 0:14:01.939 Brunson doesn't, you know, make his adjustments and catch fire, 0:14:02.059 --> 0:14:05.139 because you know, I'm sure he's probably Brunson's probably watching 0:14:05.179 --> 0:14:07.099 the tape and trying to figure out where he can 0:14:07.139 --> 0:14:08.179 get some better looks at. 0:14:08.499 --> 0:14:10.779 And look, we're going to talk about the positives, more 0:14:10.859 --> 0:14:13.579 positives than just the defense on Jalen Brunson for the Sixers, 0:14:13.659 --> 0:14:16.859 some offensive positives and stuff like that as we move 0:14:16.899 --> 0:14:20.299 along here after games one and two, before the Sixers 0:14:20.299 --> 0:14:24.539 come home. But going off the defense one more time, 0:14:25.819 --> 0:14:29.979 how have you seen this storyline of playing off some 0:14:30.139 --> 0:14:33.219 of the other players in the Knicks lineup, such as 0:14:33.299 --> 0:14:36.819 Josh Hart. How have you seen that play out? Because 0:14:36.819 --> 0:14:39.219 it's going the next way, but it's another thing that 0:14:39.259 --> 0:14:42.579 could shift as the series continues. 0:14:42.979 --> 0:14:46.059 It's a slippery slope with that because you know, to 0:14:46.099 --> 0:14:48.299 a certain extent, you're like, well, you know, make someone 0:14:48.339 --> 0:14:51.459 else beat you. That's always what you hear as a coach, 0:14:51.499 --> 0:14:53.539 We'll talk about, you know, make someone other than the 0:14:53.579 --> 0:14:56.179 star player on the other team beat you. And that's 0:14:56.179 --> 0:14:58.019 what you have to give the Knixt credit where they 0:14:58.019 --> 0:15:01.059 have had a number of different guys step up. You know, 0:15:01.059 --> 0:15:04.299 we saw Miles McBride in game one, even game two, 0:15:04.379 --> 0:15:08.939 make big shots, Bogdanovic, Josh Hart, I mean, Devincenzo. These 0:15:08.979 --> 0:15:11.659 are all guys that are stepping in on the big 0:15:11.699 --> 0:15:16.219 stage and you know, helping their team get meaningful victories. 0:15:16.219 --> 0:15:19.459 And I think that's where the Sixers, I feel like, 0:15:19.579 --> 0:15:21.779 could make some improvements. You look at Game two, they 0:15:21.779 --> 0:15:25.139 didn't other than Joelle and Tyresee, they didn't really have 0:15:25.699 --> 0:15:28.659 a third guy come in and make that huge impact. 0:15:28.699 --> 0:15:32.099 Where the Knicks have, They've had by committee, multiple players 0:15:32.099 --> 0:15:35.819 affecting the game on the offensive end. So you know, 0:15:36.379 --> 0:15:38.779 you're not gonna be able to take everything away. You 0:15:38.819 --> 0:15:40.459 know you're not gonna be able to limit everyone to 0:15:40.619 --> 0:15:42.979 under ten points. It just it just doesn't work like that. 0:15:43.139 --> 0:15:48.579 But I think just not as many open threes for 0:15:48.659 --> 0:15:50.859 those supporting cast players on the Knicks, like that's going 0:15:50.899 --> 0:15:53.179 to be important. Like even that last possession, the fact 0:15:53.179 --> 0:15:57.939 that Devincenzo got too wide open step in threes to 0:15:57.979 --> 0:16:00.099 make them go up one. You know, that's one of 0:16:00.139 --> 0:16:02.219 the best shooters in the NBA this year. It's just 0:16:02.739 --> 0:16:06.139 that can't happen late in the game. And so I 0:16:06.139 --> 0:16:08.099 think they can do just a better job of limiting 0:16:08.099 --> 0:16:10.739 those good looks. But also at the same time, you 0:16:10.819 --> 0:16:13.059 still got to show bodies with Brunson and make sure 0:16:13.059 --> 0:16:14.539 that he's seen a crowd at all times. 0:16:14.979 --> 0:16:18.059 Do you buy the supporting cast the role players play 0:16:18.099 --> 0:16:20.059 better at home things? I know, it's the garden, it's 0:16:20.059 --> 0:16:23.179 the bright lights that the Sixers were facing. 0:16:23.579 --> 0:16:24.259 I do think so. 0:16:24.819 --> 0:16:28.699 Personally, I've always felt like in this situation, I'd probably 0:16:28.739 --> 0:16:33.059 be more comfortable, more hyped up at home. But also 0:16:33.059 --> 0:16:35.219 there's some guys that like playing into the villain role. Like, 0:16:35.259 --> 0:16:38.779 I don't know, do the Sixers have any villain type 0:16:38.779 --> 0:16:40.659 players in the supporting cast? 0:16:40.979 --> 0:16:44.779 I mean potentially, right, what I will say story maybe 0:16:45.059 --> 0:16:49.459 Kyle Kelly. These guys got pretty hyped up by the 0:16:49.499 --> 0:16:51.419 noise in that building. What I will say is it 0:16:51.459 --> 0:16:55.099 was a very special environment. The Knicks fans showed up. 0:16:55.379 --> 0:16:58.139 They came out running out onto the court for Game one, 0:16:58.339 --> 0:17:00.459 the Sixers, of course, running out onto the court with 0:17:00.499 --> 0:17:03.139 about twenty minutes left on the clock. This was including 0:17:03.179 --> 0:17:05.379 a tip slide, right, So like these fans have waited 0:17:05.419 --> 0:17:07.459 for a while, they got there early. They're there to 0:17:07.579 --> 0:17:11.899 just boo the Sixers from the moment they run out 0:17:11.899 --> 0:17:14.739 onto the floor. And what I will say, observing that moment, 0:17:15.219 --> 0:17:17.459 Sixers were not afraid of that. They kind of liked it, 0:17:17.539 --> 0:17:21.859 Like They liked that energy, they liked that tension that 0:17:21.899 --> 0:17:25.259 they ran into literally in that building, and I think 0:17:25.299 --> 0:17:27.419 again by and large, they responded to it pretty well. 0:17:27.779 --> 0:17:30.779 That being said, we know the Sixers fans will bring 0:17:30.979 --> 0:17:38.099 a similar special, different Philly style energy that hopefully motivates 0:17:38.219 --> 0:17:41.019 the Sixers in another way, Hopefully that positive energy can 0:17:41.099 --> 0:17:43.179 get some win in the sales of some of the 0:17:43.259 --> 0:17:47.179 role players that you mentioned, Nick Stawskis. Yes, there are 0:17:47.219 --> 0:17:49.499 guys that are that can embrace the villain role on 0:17:49.539 --> 0:17:51.899 this team, for sure, but there are also a lot 0:17:51.939 --> 0:17:54.619 of guys on this team that have credited the environment 0:17:54.659 --> 0:17:56.699 at home and the building that they're able to play 0:17:56.699 --> 0:17:58.779 in with some of their success. So looking forward to 0:17:58.779 --> 0:18:00.819 seeing that dynamic shift in games three and four. 0:18:01.139 --> 0:18:04.579 By the way, Devincenzo two and eighty three regular season 0:18:04.579 --> 0:18:07.739 threes was third to your point, Nick, Steph was three 0:18:07.739 --> 0:18:10.819 point fifty seven, Luca was two eighty four, So Dante 0:18:10.859 --> 0:18:15.019 Devincenzo was only one three pointer. It's incredible, credible. Yeah, 0:18:15.019 --> 0:18:17.779 he's had a great turnaround under Tibbs in New York. 0:18:17.899 --> 0:18:20.459 So and then in game two we saw how it 0:18:20.699 --> 0:18:24.379 ended for the Knicks because of him putting them ahead 0:18:24.939 --> 0:18:27.539 and uh Lauren Game one though, just to put a 0:18:27.539 --> 0:18:30.859 bow on it, because Nick talked about McBride's stepping up. 0:18:31.219 --> 0:18:34.459 They had three twenty point scores, including Deuce McBride off 0:18:34.499 --> 0:18:36.739 the bench. But for the Sixers, the way that they 0:18:36.779 --> 0:18:39.739 came back from double digits down at halftime was the 0:18:39.779 --> 0:18:42.779 Maxi and Lowry show in the third quarter. It was 0:18:42.819 --> 0:18:45.459 even Lowry getting an and one while still down double 0:18:45.499 --> 0:18:47.979 digits early in the third quarter. That kind of fired them. 0:18:47.939 --> 0:18:50.539 Up a bit, and some of them have both had 0:18:51.299 --> 0:18:53.579 truly a great playoff run thus far, especially when you 0:18:53.579 --> 0:18:55.499 think about the limited amount of reps that they have together. 0:18:55.539 --> 0:18:57.659 This is still a team that's getting to know each other, 0:18:58.019 --> 0:19:00.259 that was getting to know each other in the absence 0:19:00.339 --> 0:19:03.899 of its thirty five point a night man in Joel Embiid, right, 0:19:03.939 --> 0:19:06.699 So now having them all together, they continuing to get 0:19:06.739 --> 0:19:08.819 to know each other. I agree with you. I liked 0:19:08.859 --> 0:19:11.179 what we were able to see from Kyle Lowry in 0:19:11.219 --> 0:19:14.699 the second half of Game two. I liked what we 0:19:14.739 --> 0:19:17.779 saw from Tyrese Maxey in the second half of Game two. 0:19:17.819 --> 0:19:19.259 And I know we've already talked about it, but he 0:19:19.299 --> 0:19:20.779 really was sick, you know what I mean? 0:19:20.819 --> 0:19:22.299 And to be able to put that. 0:19:24.299 --> 0:19:26.859 He was both types of sick in game two, and 0:19:27.939 --> 0:19:31.819 to see someone that this city and this franchise No 0:19:31.939 --> 0:19:36.179 Pun Intended, has believed in all along excel on that level. 0:19:36.219 --> 0:19:38.499 You just wish, you just wish that they had been 0:19:38.539 --> 0:19:42.379 able to get that win because of how extraordinary Tyrese 0:19:42.459 --> 0:19:44.259 Maxie's performance was in game two. 0:19:44.939 --> 0:19:47.939 The most improved player in the twenty twenty three to 0:19:47.979 --> 0:19:51.099 twenty four NBA season, the Keia most Improved Tyrese MAXI 0:19:51.219 --> 0:19:51.499 and I. 0:19:51.459 --> 0:19:55.699 Had some stats queued up to discuss snaps for tyres 0:19:57.539 --> 0:20:01.099 to discuss how special year four was. I wanted to highlight, 0:20:01.139 --> 0:20:04.099 as we did upon the announcement that Tyrese would win 0:20:04.179 --> 0:20:07.419 his first Most Improved Player award of his career, I 0:20:07.419 --> 0:20:10.379 wanted to highlight the fact that he probably could have 0:20:10.459 --> 0:20:13.939 won it before. For example, his rookie season to his 0:20:13.979 --> 0:20:17.739 sophomore season, he earned six votes, a modest amount of 0:20:17.819 --> 0:20:21.019 votes for most Improved Player. Two years ago, he scored 0:20:21.219 --> 0:20:24.579 eight points a game as a rookie, eighteen points a 0:20:24.619 --> 0:20:27.739 game as a sophomore, twenty points a game last season, 0:20:28.019 --> 0:20:30.979 twenty six points a game this season. He has improved 0:20:31.099 --> 0:20:33.619 so mightily. Every year, and of course at a certain 0:20:33.659 --> 0:20:37.779 point you get into historic territory, right if you're looking 0:20:37.779 --> 0:20:40.539 at these types of increments. If he adds six points 0:20:40.579 --> 0:20:45.019 a game to his cumulative season stats every year for 0:20:45.059 --> 0:20:47.259 the next four or five years, at a certain point, 0:20:47.259 --> 0:20:49.659 he's going to be averaging like fifty something points a game. 0:20:49.819 --> 0:20:52.259 My brain, we would love to see the equations over 0:20:52.259 --> 0:20:53.339 my head right now, which. 0:20:53.459 --> 0:20:56.419 Which obviously listen. If anyone could do it, it's probably 0:20:56.459 --> 0:20:58.739 Tyrese Maxie. I don't want to limit this man, but 0:20:59.379 --> 0:21:01.379 the way that he's continued to grow his game in 0:21:01.379 --> 0:21:04.859 different ways every single season, to me, he's been the 0:21:04.859 --> 0:21:07.819 most improved player every season he's been allowed to play 0:21:07.819 --> 0:21:11.299 in the NBA. Last season, of course, limited in games 0:21:11.339 --> 0:21:14.819