Gil's Arena - The NBA Playoffs' Night Of Upsets STUNS Gil's Arena

Episode Date: April 22, 2026

The NBA Playoffs' Night Of Upsets STUNS Gil's Arena as the Gil's Arena Crew react to all 3 underdogs coming out on top in their Game 2's of the NBA Playoffs and discuss all the storylines that came along with it. They tip things off with the Los Angeles Lakers as they react to LeBron James continuing to put the Lake Show on his back with Luka Doncic & Austin Reaves out of the lineup and debate if this level of play from the shorthanded Lakers is sustainable throughout the rest of the series before breaking down Kevin Durant's rusty return to the NBA Playoffs and discussing the biggest issue faceing KD's Rockets. Next, they turn their attention to San Antonio where Victor Wembanyama's breakout was spoiled after the french phenom went down with a concussion, allowing the Portland Trailblazers to squeek out a win and get themselves back into the series. They discuss how concerning Wemby's concussion is for the Spurs if they have to play on in the series without their superstar and highlight Scoot Henderson as the difference maker in the series as the former #3 overall pick shined with his first 30 point playoff game. Finally, they break down VJ Edgecombe and Tyrese Maxey stunning the Boston Celtics at home to even the series for the Philadelphia 76ers and debate if this stunning victory changes the perception of the Sixers in the NBA Playoffs, before giving their take on what could be the end of the Golden State Warriors dynasty as Steph Curry, Draymond Green and Steve Kerr all teased an uncertain future following their elimination from the Play-In tournament. PLEASE give us a LIKE and SUBSCRIBE!! Today's Gil's Arena Crew : Josiah Johnson, Skip Bayless, Rashad McCants, Kenyon Martin, & Brandon Jennings Gil's Arena premieres every Wednesday & Thursday at 11:30am PT / 2:30pm ET. Sign up for Underdog HERE with promo code GIL and play $5 to get $50 in bonus funds or bonus entries https://play.underdogfantasy.com/p-gi... SUBSCRIBE:    / @thearena0   Read Rashad's Blog - https://rawrashad.com/?blog=y Join the Underdog discord for access to exclusive giveaways and promos!   / discord   Must be 18+ (19+ in AL, NE; 19+ in CO for some games; 21+ in AZ & MA) and present in a state where Underdog Fantasy operates. Terms apply. Concerned with your play? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit www.ncpgambling.org; NY: Call the 24/7 HOPEline at 1-877-8-HOPENY or Text HOPENY (467369) 2 Min Countdown 0:00:00 Show Start 0:01:55 Lakers Take Game 2 0:04:45 Wemby Goes Down In Game 2 0:48:20 76ers STUN The Celtics In Game 2 1:17:03 Tonight's Game Picks 1:55:21 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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CBC News. Welcome back to Gills Arena presented by Underdog. Whoa, whoa, whoa. Glorious day here in the arena. Sun is shiny. Beautiful evening last night. Saw some of the Twitch watch party. I know y'all got to watch these Lakers.

Yeah, we did. It was a little quiet. Not everybody, we good. Okay. They're watching. I won, shit. We won, shit. We won.

The people won. He won one game. We won. We got a lot. Four and four. I think I'm four and four. I have to discuss on the show today. This is Gilles Arena, presented by Underdog Woot Woke.

I'm merely a host, Josiah Johnson. We got one of the biggest legends in the sports media game. Skip Bayliss back with us on the couch. It's my turn! Got you a sound effects, Skip. We worked our magic. Representing tough crowd and a car carrying country club member, we got Mr. B, Brandon, Jenny. Yes, sir.

Ho! Ho! Ho! Ho! Ho! Come on. That new tough crowd, I like it. What, that? A little brown coming. May 15, when they're hitting this door? After the Drake album. Okay.

On this side of the couch, we got the distinguished gentleman from Oak Cliff, former number one pick, Kenyon Martin. Yeah. What's that, Mike? And last but not least, the man they call Cemetery Larry, NCAA champion of the world, Dr. Rashob McCants, Ph.D. Yeah. I like the sign Julius Irving? Oh, yeah. I don't know.

Philly. Philly. Show some love to Philly. Sixers are doing their thing. We got a lot to discuss. Here's what's cracking in Gills Arena today. KD's return didn't stop the Lakers from taking a 2-0 lead in their series.

What's Houston's biggest problem right now? You see it. The Spurs lost women to a concussion in game two. Proceeded to lose to the Blazers to even the series. Can San Antonio stay afloat without their alien? And the Sixers back court bounced back in game, too, to tie things up heading back to Philly. How concerned should the Celtics be with losing home court advantage in the series? But before we get to all that, as always, the show is brought to you by Underdog.

Underdogs available in most states, including Texas, California, and Florida, new customers get $50 in bonus entries when they play just $5. And to celebrate the start of the NBA playoffs, Underdogs launched a special offer where if you play $50 on NBA playoff games, you'll receive a 50% boost token to get started to use Code Gill when you sign up and it'll load instantly. Underdog, make picks, win money with Code Gill. And if you can't watch this show live with us on YouTube, we got audio versions available on Apple or Spotify,

wherever you get your podcast from. So we're going to start this one in L.A. Saw you gentlemen had the Twitch Live party, watch party last night. Watch these Lakers. Lakers put together one of their best performances of the season on both sides of the ball to take game one Saturday. Rockets were without Kevin Durant, who was ruled out with a knee injury.

KD. made his return. for game two and its Rockets playoff debut as Houston looked to even the series. But the Lakers' makeshift Big Three was up to the challenge and continued to give Houston problems on both sides of the ball. Let's check out the highlights, please. These glorious highlights if we can. Lakers' offense came out on fire once again shooting 61% from the field, nearly 56% from three in the first quarter. Marcus Martin, Luke Kinnard, aka Luca Nardt, combined for 24 points in the first frame, including five threes. Purple and gold led by seven after the first quarter of action.

You see Luke Carnard doing it. Represent it for this Lakers squad. Oh, it was beautiful to see in person. I'm not going to lie. Lakers led by as much as 15 in the second quarter. Thanks to shots like that from Brown, but the Rockets responded. It closed the half with a 17-5 run.

to cut the deficit to three at the break. Boom. Kevin Durant Pace of Rockers with 20 points in the first half was held to just three points in the second half with the Lakers' defense forcing Durant into a game high, nine turnovers with endless double team.

Opera and Shangoon had 20 points, 11 boards, and five dime. Jabari Smith added 18 and A.M.N. Thompson had 16 and nine assists. But fourth quarter, LeBron put his team on his back once again. Brown had 28 points, seven rebounds and seven assists. NBA record extending 155th career playoff game with at least 25, 5, and 5.

More than double the next closest player, none other than Michael Jeffrey Jordan. Marcus Smart had 25 points on 8 to 13 shooting. He was 5 for 7 from 3, along with 7 assists and 5 steals, while Luke Kinnard once again lit up the Rockets with 23 points on 8 to 13 shooting and 3 steals. Rockers tried to make things interesting in the fourth quarter, cutting the deficit of 3 midway. But it was just not their day. As LeBron was doing things that no 41-year-old man should be able to do with under a minute remaining, got the dunk to help seal the win after catching the rocket's defense slipping.

Lakers defense dominant again in this one, holding the rockets to 40% shooting, 24% from 3. Purple and gold now take a 2-0 lead in the series heading to Houston for game 3. So Skip, we're going to start with you. How impressive have these short-handed Lakers been in the first two games of the game? this series? Obviously, extremely. I love hearing you say that. Yes, sir. And I'm going to take it one level higher or maybe lower. I just think they're a little better basketball team on both ends of the floor

without Luca. The last time I saw Luca in the lineup was against a really good team on April 2nd at Oklahoma City. And it was 44 to 21 after the first quarter, and it was 82 to 51 at half time. And last night, and obviously in game one, I saw a team with LeBron orchestrating. LeBron has far less ego than Luca does. Wow. Luca has to be the whole show, and obviously can be a defensive liability.

But Luca is the most inefficient player in the league. He obviously is an offensive scoring genius, but he led the league in shots attempted per game. He led the league in three-point attempts per game. He led the league in free-throw attempts per game, and he led the league in turnovers. He also led the league in scoring, but he's the Showtime Laker singular,

where the whole show, the whole world revolves around Luca. And last night, especially on defense, I saw connection. I saw trust. I saw positivity and momentum on defense that fed the offense. I saw, I don't know, Kevin Durant just drives me crazy. But, you know, they had soft doubles in the first half and he makes six and seven. Then they come with hard doubles in the second half, and he just shrinks like he's never played the game before.

and he has a poor handle against doubles, always has had, and he has nine turnovers, but it's because Marcus Smart is up into him, and Rui is up into him, and they just intimidated him into this passive drifting on his heels, shadow of himself in the second half, and he goes one of five, has five more turnovers. And it's just a disaster,

but it was because the Lakers are playing real live team basketball. And I haven't said that in a long time, it seems like, where they're fun to watch. This is much more fun for me. And I'm a nut. Now, I'm like an addict. I'm a fanatic. I love the game you guys played at the highest level. I'm in love with it. And I love to see it played correctly. And last night, it was played correctly. And against a Rockets team with no point guard. Reed Shepherd tried last night, and Kevin got mad at him when he jacked up a three on a semi-break, and then he was just a shell of himself.

Reed Shepherd goes 0 for 4 and 0-4 and 0-4 from 3, so they don't have that. And it just looked like the Lakers were a lot better, and the shock to me is I look at the point spread for game 3 at Houston, and Vegas is still not buying the Lakers, and I think they're sleeping on this new Lakers team without Luka, because they're saying Rockets are 10-point favorite, favorites at home in game third.

10? I'll take some. I'm not a bet, man, but if I were, I'd jump all over 10. Yeah, that's a good bet. I'm a lot of two, Skip. Okay? Fire away.

Let's stay on this side of the couch. All right. You, Mr. B. First, Los Angeles native, part-time Lakers fan. Well, the person who just changed the whole game was Market Smart for the joke.

He came out, got an N-1, lay-up. Next play came down with guarded KD full court rip team and I think that was just it right there I think that just changed the whole game the momentum You know they didn't go away from their game plan JJ Reddick is really out coaching right now LeBron Luke I'm surprised that no no coach in the NBA has really realized how good he's been has been nine he's been in the league with nine seasons

And he's finally now just getting this chance and he's doing He's playing unbelievable right now. But I mean, you know, hats off to LeBron, 41 years old still doing it, putting the team behind him. You know, I know it's Katie, you know, I know Kevin Durant's one of the greatest scores ever, but nine turnovers he just looked out of sync.

When it comes to leadership and just getting the guys together, they didn't have it at all. That was one thing that maybe why he didn't want to come on the show because me and Rashid, we question his leadership. And it's not, and it hasn't been showing. So it was just, you know, That was one of the worst performances I've seen from KD,

you know, just overall, just mentally, just mentally, just frustrated, just really looked like he didn't know how to play basketball. So, but pats out to the Lakers for not deviating from the game plan and everything and still sticking with it. Interesting to watch in the arena, first half KD. Cooking 20 points doing his thing. Second half, tried to be a facilitator. Did not work well, obviously, for the Houston Rockets,

for the shift over this side, Kenya. Lakers take a 2-0 series lead without Luka, without AR, but we got new Luka, Luka. Nard. What's your reaction to Lakers going up to O'O on the Rockets? Oh, yeah, no, I like what Skip said about they are playing better basketball without Luka. They're taking on the identity of LeBron, right?

Because the Bron is the ace again, they're taking on that identity, right, of him and his voice is resonating again with the group, right? So I think that's the difference right now, the way they're defending, how they in tune to the game playing. They're hearing his voice, right? And when the other guys there, there's no accountability for the other end of the floor, so it resonates throughout the roster, right? Luca doesn't get back, then the next guy not going to get back.

So it's a domino effect in their regard. But LeBron, I think he has the air right now while Lucas is out, which I think is a good thing. Yeah, no, yeah, they implemented a game plan last night, the Lakers, that is. And they had a game plan and they went out and implemented it. And that was to frustrate KD. They did that. Made some tough shots early. But yeah, now the game plan was to do.

exactly what they did. They double Sangoon early, double KD early, got them out of rhythm, got Sangoon the thinking. He didn't know when and where the double team was going to come from. Had him playing on the perimeter, which I think is playing in the Lakers favor.

Him at the three point line, taking six, seven, eight, nine, ten dribbles to get to a bad jump hook, right? It's not winning basketball. It's not a winning recipe. But yeah, now, the It's nasty work, man, when you're getting by both teams off the bench.

You're getting 10 points from one team off the bench and six points from another team off the bench. That's nasty basketball at its finest. Jackson has the only Lakers to score off the bench with six points. And then Tauriessen is the only rocket to score off the bench with 10. That's nasty basketball. But it's the way the Lakers need to play right now. and they're going out and doing this way I thought the Rockets would have played against them right nasty game muck it up make it a half-court defensive nasty game but that's what the Lakers are doing right now and they're up two games man so they took care home we'll see how the Rockets respond going home but yeah this was this was a a telling sign of the lack of offense that the Rockets have right but if you take Katie out of it and you have Sangoon thinking it's it's sketchy after that at best so good luck

moving forward so all Rockets players arguing with each other yeah yeah yeah Tari east argon Katie yelling at the offensive goal 10 yeah yeah yeah getting into Reesheper yeah also you know LeBron is uh 24 and 0 when he starts off to 2 and 0 24 and oh yeah that's a good sign for them so i i'm just saying they could be going play yeah and i'm and i'm never lost a when it seems was up to on the panel. Let's shift over to doctor. I'm eating crow right now, so. It's fine.

Can you came in here flamed up yesterday with the rocket's red, or more neutral gray? Okay, okay, I didn't know. Cincinnati Barrican red and blue. Just making sure. Don't do that. Didn't know. Don't do that.

Just didn't know. Didn't know. Let's move over to Dr. Rashal McKiss, PhD. You're an expert professional opinion. I appreciate the intro. Um, aside from the fact that LeBron went out of his way to impress me in the game two win, I think that ultimately me not being impressed is pushing him to go and be impressive. I think that this particular way is how you formed it is how the team is playing with his guidance.

And it looks different because he's experienced with knowing where people need to be in order for them to execute the strategy. I think from Brandon's point, definitely being out-coached when you talk about taking the ball out of Sangoon's hand, Katie's hand right away, early in the shot clock, making you guys play on the backside. What are your other guys going to do? When you don't have a solution for that and you haven't prepped for that, it's going to leave your team in dismay. You're going to have scrambles where guys are not going to know where to go, where to play. You're just playing accidental basketball at that point. not as if they weren't playing it before, but you knew you could go to KD to get a bucket.

And he did that in the first half. He forced his way into getting the buckets because as we were watching, there were openings in the seams where if he did play aggressive, he could get to those openings and get his shot off. And he did. And that was the soft double that they was implemented.

And so you go into the second half and you say, let's amp it up a little bit. Let's push the pressure up on KED. And to Brandon's point again, Katie played the worst basketball we've seen because initially he just gave up on what the strategy could be outside of which team's guy is going to show up for the team. LeBron showed up for the Lakers the whole game. He was the magnet. Come double me. Come get the ball out of my hands. I'm the initiator. If you guys can isolate and diminish what I'm doing, you got a chance to win. Marcus Smart stepped up, Luke Canary stepped up, Roy stepped up.

DeAndre Ait stepped up at certain points too. But you look at KD, it's like at some point you have to show up for your team that you're the guy that's going to get rid of this little bullshit-ass double they're doing. I got to figure something out. And I don't think he did that. I think he stood there and he waited for his teammates to bail him out, which would give him an excuse of why he's standing there passing the ball from the top. Yeah, to your point, I'm glad you said that. right. You know the double team coming and you steady inviting it, right?

You're waiting on it. Now, you know it's coming and you're waiting on it. No. If they're double team, who you go attack? You got to take it. The lesser of the two, you know of one of the two is a lesser defender, right? They wouldn't be running at you if it wasn't, right?

Attack the lesser defender, right? Get to your strong hand, get to your right? You know you're trying to get right, right. Get right. You backing up, backing up, backing up, backing up. They just, they, they prove to you they're not going to stop coming. You back it up, they keep coming forward, right?

That's how you had now in turn over. He's trying to look like he's trying to trust into the team in the coaches, in the coaches strategy, right? That ain't what got you the fourth seed. And it's not. And you look at the dynamic between him and him and EMA don't look like they own the same

accord based on KD's literally saying, I'm doing what you're telling me to do. I'm inviting the double team. you got to tell them to make plays. Well, Tyrese taking 14 shots. First game, Reed Shepherd taking 20 shots. Tyrese took the play to 14 this game.

It's... It's still fools' goal to me with the Lakers, though. I mean, I still feel like this situation, the way they play this team makes them look good. With or without Luca, they look great against Houston because Houston still ain't figured out how to fucking play against this bullshit zone

with this bullshit-ey-double team that should not. be, it shouldn't be effective. It should not be against a good NBA team. But I guess the Houston Rockers aren't as good as, like I said, they're going to lose that game with or without KD because they just ain't got it. They just ain't got it. And it looks like that.

Don't look like E-Mate's coaching the team. They're out there playing pickup with a bunch of dudes that don't like each other. So we're talking more Rockers in a second, but to your point, let's talk a little bit about what's become the Lakers, make shift big three with Luke and Reeves sideline. So in the first two games in the series, Brian averaging 24 points, 10 assists, 8 rebounds, shooting 49% from the field, 43% from 3.

Luke Knard, averaging 25 points on 65, 73, 80 splits. 65% from the field, 73% from 3, Kenyon. So this is what the point I'll let you finish with you. No, the point I made yesterday, right? He's the only shooter they got out there. How is he shooting 73%, man? Y'all not paying attention to the game plan, man. Sense of Virgins.

See. Like, dude, I'm cool with you running them off the line and him getting them layups that he was getting. I'm okay with that. Him shooting 65 from two, I can live with that. Yeah. That ain't going to beat him shooting twos ain't going to beat us. It's not. Him shooting 73 from 3? At the way he's, that's going to beat us. And that was the Lakers issue all season, three-point shooting. Incredibly nasty. I obviously traded Gabe Benson for Luke Kinnard.

Some among us were not fans with that trade initially. But I've since started to refer as Luke as the YN with the Zen. Marcus Smart putting up 20 points, eight assists, three steals in the series. So I asked the couch, how sustainable is this level of play from the Lakers makeshift big three for the rest of this series? After game one, it was like, ah. For the rest of the series? Yes. Yeah, it's momentum right now.

Yeah, I think it's sustainable. They can sweep them. Yeah, they can sweep them for sure. Yeah, I think it's sustainable. Look at Swaveman. Yeah, that's a good thing. Just don't go away from what you've been doing. Yeah, that's all.

I'm going to just do the keep, I'm going to the same game playing the same. I'm taking the same game playing the court. But what are they doing? What are we seeing the same game playing Houston? What's the difference, though? They actually playing harder than Houston. Yes, they're playing harder. For sure.

50, 50 balls. Yeah, I'm going to get it. All the little things that, like I said, all the things where I expect the Houston to play them is what they're doing. They're making it a dog fight, sense of urgency. they know they're short-handed, so they're playing at a higher level than each guy is doing a little more in order for them to be up two games right now. That's what you need when you're missing 33 at night and 24. Next guy up. Next guy, but them dudes, they do something different than the other two.

Right? I just worry about they bench on the road. Yeah, that'd be a bit. I mean, because they, you know. Same game playing. It could be Jake. Jake from State Farm, he ain't showed up yet. He ain't really played his game yet.

And, you know, Yandre Aitin might, like, go off, go crazy. Just the fact that Sangoon don't know what he on right now. Game one, game two. Defensively, the message should, listen, we're up two games, right? We know what we have defense. We got to take that intensity up a notch, right? We got to make it harder on KD. We got to make it harder on Sangu.

They home and think they're comfortable. They get to sleep at their own bed, all these things. No, we need to turn it up a notch. And send a message. Send a message. So, Rashad, do you still think the bullshit Lakers can win this series? This series, yes. Okay.

Without Luca and Austin Reeves, I think, and again, to Brandon's point, KD has shown something that he hasn't shown in a long time, is him not being able to handle this moment. without a number two, without a number three, KD, we're all looking at you. Although, if you remember him in Brooklyn against the Celtics, he was a disaster. They got swept by the Celtics his last year in Brooklyn. Then he goes to Phoenix, and remember, they crapped out a couple times there where I was saying, Kevin, what are you doing, man?

I don't know. He also was back-to-back finals MVP's, but he's surrounded by Steph and Clay and Dremont, and he did not have to, to your point, lead the basketball team in Golden State, right? And I'm with you guys. I have questioned Kevin's leadership. He always just says, I just want to hoop. He doesn't want to lead. And now they're up against a team that doesn't have much of a backbone.

Because remember, I think it was a big deal in February, even though it was never proven about this latest burner account that Kevin had. and I don't know, it's reported, speculated, but it sure sounded like Kevin, and he's blasting the hell out of Jabari Smith calling him a word I'm not going to say out loud. Skip, you can say it here and give us. I know, but that's a bad, this is just like not suitable for anywhere. We're on the dark side of you too.

Okay. I understand. But it's like a word, it's a line. Yeah, don't cross that line. Okay. But then he's blasting, Shingoon saying he can't shoot and he can't defend. And it sounded like Kevin, and I think they thought it was Kevin. And Kevin tried to dismiss it as just a bunch of Twitter nonsense.

That's what he called it. Twitter nonsense. No, I don't know, man, because that team last night looked like it had no backbone to me. Like it's got no real fight in it. And I like EMA a lot. I really do. And he's the toughest guy on that team, but he can't play. He's got you in him. You know, like he's a fight. fighter. That one night, a couple of years back, he wanted to fight LeBron during the game. He said, you want to come over here and discuss it with me? Just playing up for the cameras. Okay. I want Brown. Maybe. Did he call LeBron and B word, though.

So what does this say if Houston can't get out of this first round? This is another playoff series that Kevin Noreen hasn't been able to get past the same now since Golden State World. That is true. You know, I know we talk about a lot of other players. You know, we talk about Russ, we talk about James, we talk about all these other guys, but, you know, since the Golden State Warriors, you know, what, what is this? We don't, you know. So, so should I add the image of KD in the backpack with Draymond on Steph Curry's back? No. No.

No? No, because he was MVP before that. No. He was already him for that. He didn't win a championship before that. No. Yeah, but he was him, though, before that, though. See, this is my thing.

It's not because of lack of effort, right? You go out and you compete, but to Brandon's point, right? So what's next, right? So where do we go from here, right? Me and Rashad was saying that now you have to look in that mirror like, was it a mistake of trading Jalen Green and Dillon Brooks? Right. We've never got a chance to build this.

Right. Right? Jump shit right away. You jumped out. That's true. You saw a crack in the bitch and stuff. Hey, yeah, we can seal that. With this.

Yeah, with this, we can seal that. Oh, yeah, we could definitely get this. Life, fucking everything overboard. Life is, hey, Ben's like, no, that ain't the move right now, we don't think. But now you're here. So what now? So let's talk a little bit more about KD. Obviously left much to be desired in his Rockets playoff debut.

Like we mentioned, took just 12 shots in the game. me seven for 12 from the field. Just one for five in the second half. Lakers defense, forcing him to make nine terminers tied for the most in his playoff career. So after the game, Duran had this to say about his performance.

Felt good. Glad to be back out there playing high-pressure moments. But, yeah, bad game for me today. Tonight. They start doubling me from possession one, man. I think I got to be better at

not put my teammates in bad positions when I swing that ball. Sometimes I could beat the double, get downhill, make the shot a little easier for him. Shoot the ball. I mean, two to three people on me, I shoot the ball, we can get off as a rebound. So I'm trying to make passes. I'm trying to make the correct, you know, swing the ball sometimes. But I feel like I got to shoot more of those and put my teammates in a better position. So, Skip, like you mentioned, Durrack, Duran struggled.

His post-Warriars career has now lost seven straight playoff games. Two to the Nuggets in 2023 got swept by the wolves. Now, his first game back with Houston. So what has KD shown you as of late in? What did he show you in this playoff debut with the Rockets? You know, it's just, I've been closely watching Kevin. I've gone back and forth with him on social media many times. But since he entered the league, I was a big fan of his when he was.

was at Texas. Defended him. Everybody said he's too skinny. Couldn't bench press one time. You know, like he's just, he doesn't have enough strength. No, no. He's seven feet tall and he shoots it up here and he's going to be unstoppable. And at times, many times he has been. But he is the weirdest superstar in any sport I have ever closely observed because he's just a weird dude, man. Just really a weird dude where you can't explain the mood swings. This was classic. This is as classic KD as you'll ever see. He can be Kevin DuCant. You know, like all of a sudden when you when you least expect it, it's like what? You go six of seven in the first half and score 20 and look completely unstoppable. And he said after the game in that interview that we saw, I can

shoot over those. He can shoot over anybody at any time. He has to go. In the first half, he was going quick against the soft double, and he'd get one big dribble step because he's so long, and he gets one big dribble and goes up. It's either going to be make or miss, because nobody's going to bother it. I can tell you that. You can't defend it unless you jump it so hard that, as you guys talk about, he starts backing up. Like, I don't know how to do this, man. I don't know, I'm going to lose the handle on the basketball. And in the second half, he not once tried to shoot over anybody, where he took a hard dribble and said, I'm just going up to shoot it.

And as you and I both said, how can you go from 20 in the first half to look like you've never played the game before? Like you ain't never been double-team? Seriously. He ain't never been double-team before. Yeah. And he tried to say in that interview, he said, I was double from Possession 1 tonight. Okay, it was soft versus hard. But still, yeah, there was somebody coming every time. And he just said, I'm going to do this. And what happens in the second half? I don't know.

Where he's just a weird dude. I'm just, it's been so. This dates back to Oklahoma City when, remember when Westbrook got his knee hurt by Pat Beverly and was lost? go look at what happened to Kevin after that. Go look at the Memphis series. Go look at the numbers of that series. It's the same stuff that we're talking about. Where you're saying, what is that? And then when I least expected it, he joins forces with the team that they had down three to one

in the conference finals. And he goes back-to-back game three is in LeBron's house, in LeBron's face, and wins MVP and look like all-world. And he did that. And I give that up, because I didn't see that coming. But he had the weight of the NBA world on his slender little shoulders, and he just lived up and lived up. And he's a made man. And now I feel like he doesn't really, and he's killed me for this, but that's fine.

But he feels semi-retired to me where he doesn't care that much. He still loves to hoop, and he loves to be out there in the spotlight. It's fun. He had fun last night. He said, I felt good. And he did. He looked great in the first half. And then, like, that's enough.

I don't really care that much. And I don't know if he loves these guys. So I don't care if he cares that much about winning and advancing in the playoffs. And I think he looks at Oklahoma City sitting there, and he's like, I don't want to eat that. I don't really care about it. You know, I did enough.

I scored 20 the first half. I showed you. You don't want to go back to OK season? No, I don't think he wants to go there and get humiliated. Yeah. I think he feels loved for what he's done and what he's brought to the game too because of the decision he made to go to the Warriors. Yeah.

You know, you could feel not really appreciated that much when it's all said and done. I just saw somebody say something about him being top 10 all the time and maybe not being. So it's just all type of things, you know, I feel like. And then, you know, closing end of your career, you're not on your own team that was projected to be top three. from last year and then you come back and they make a trade for you. You know, I'm sure you probably thought he was going to be in Phoenix. Yeah.

And he said it hurt him, you know, like that was the first time where he felt where he got pushed out the back door. Brooklyn. Brooklyn was promising, you know, the thing happened with Kyrie, if that doesn't, you know, they're probably holding up a banner. So it's all these steps that's just been disappointing since Golden State. Cemetery aside, can't put everything on KD at this particular moment. I think joint blame is EMA for sure.

You have to show up with your superstar and you have to have a game plan in an alternative to the things that they're doing and they're not doing anything new that they've done in the regular season, which is really frustrating for me for them not to have a counter for it by now. And so you can say, KD, you played bad,

you did this, you did that. But ultimately, KD can't go to the clipboard and be like, yo, let's do this. that you see them doing this and it's like we were saying last night why is katie bringing the ball up to court when he knows they're going to get double soon as he cross half and i'm like where is the play calls when you talk about draw up a play where katy gets the ball on the side pick and roll with sangoon we know they're coming across they're loading up the lakers are literally loading up and this is what we used to do back in the day with every superstar we see them hey load up make sure he sees two three bodies in front of them that he got to make a extra pass, whether it's across the court or to the top of the key. And at that point, we match up. The Lakers not doing anything different. JJ's smart enough to know it's a chess match between him and E.

And E. May's losing dismally because he's trying to appease Kevin instead of coaching the team. You've got other players that can play. We talked about A-Men. We talked about Jabari. We talked about Rees Sheper. He only took four shots. This is the only other shot maker that you have on the floor that can actually ease off the tension

that Kevin is receiving from these doubles. And then you got San Gung, who's supposed to be your brightest spot when you talk about your number two. He looked trash last night. I ain't never seen a player looked as bad as he looked last night in situations where you're supposed

to take advantage of the mismatches out of the fucking double team. He passed you the ball. You pump faking and doing all this with Marcus smart in front of you and certain guys that are just like, bro, go up. Right? And so Kevin has to be frustrated with seeing that his window is closing from getting the ball and getting it back.

How do I get the ball? Give it up and get it back and be in scoring position. And that's hard to do when your team don't know what to do on the backside. And we're not scoring. So you got to commend the Lakers on taking advantage of the chess match that's going on between E. May and JJ and then you would say that LeBron and KD matchup should be

favorable based on the history. And LeBron's like, I got a better team than you. I got a better team. And my whole team ain't even here. I'm showing you what it looked like if me and you didn't have Steph and Kyrie and we just had a bunch of motherfucking role players

out here. This is what it looks like with me out here commanding this and this would it look like with you over here commanding this. We got you because you ain't going to do what I'm going to do. I'm going to put my head down. I'm going to back these motherfuckers down and I'm going to make them foul me. I'm a pass. LeBron did shit that we see Magic Johnson do in situations where you come, you're even going to come get me or I'm going to pass it. One of the other, I'm going to score. I'm going to do something.

And that just shows the genius of Brian. You know, he's always been the type of guy that can do things like that. But when you're talking about putting KD top 10, you talk about giving him the credit he deserves of being a score. Man, this is complete. player shit now. You gotta be complete player shit now. This is show up and dissect the game and not just I'm a bucking, I'm a hoop. Well, it's time for he need to hit the fucking button. Fuck it button for sure. Do we have that? You not have that button. It's all we got. He said himself, I got it, you got to hit the fucking button, right? When you, you got guys, you limit it out there, you got to do more, right? shooting over two, shooting over three, attacking at times, forcing the issue,

you can't not, you can't have five shots and a half, bro. No. Like that, you can't, like, not on that team. Like, you was efficient in the first half, right? You got to, yeah, you got to hit the fucking button, bro. Like, go through somebody, run somebody over instead of backing up. Like, hey, is he scared to hit the fucking button, no? You need to look like Steph Curry in that clipper game.

Yeah, one leg. Yeah. Fuck it. Hey, man. If he ever hit the fucking button? We're going to win or lose. Has he ever hit the fucking button? I don't think he's ever hit it.

We're going to win or lose with this right here. Okay, see. When he was. We're about to see. So we're shot back to the bullshit Lakers. So if they do pull this off, if they do advance, they're going to have to open game one at the defending champs at Oklahoma City. and now what happens?

What do you think? Do the bullshit Lakers get exposed, the way they got exposed with Luca in the starting lineup on April 2nd at Oklahoma City when he did in the third quarter pull his hamstring? Do they get exposed like that? I would say, do they change their game plan? This is a thing with basketball NBA

is you would think that if it worked here, it's going to work with the next team. And I would say, Shea isn't, Kevin Durant, but he is a singular force on that team that if you did isolate and make the other players play, let's see what happens. You still got Chad, you still got J-dub, and you still got those shooters around. But I would like to see JJ change the game plan because that wasn't their game plan against OKC. And if they do show up and give SGA a challenge, which is going to be probably Marcus smart. Will, for sure.

And if Marcus can stay out of foul trouble and actually give him some work, and they actually have a cohesive unit the way that they have, they got a chance against them. Now, is Austin and Luke are going to be playing? That's the question because we talk about how they look now as a unit. That's without guys who don't have accountability

for those rotations, for those defensive, like those things are mishaps or it's benefits for us. So when you were moving around and rotating and scrambling and getting up to the, that is. all the hustle role player shit. But when you got your two star guys,

afraid to go out there and show that they can't play defense as much, but you still hustle, that's what OKC breaks you down. That's what OKC challenges you to make substitutions and stuff like that. So I would say that the Lakers with the full roster can win a couple, but they can't have the same game plan that they had when they got their ass blown out the little two times. They got to change it up.

From what JJ said before the game last night, it sounds like Austin Reeves is more of a candidate to play sooner than later. So he might be able to play a little in this Rocket series, but definitely if they get to Oklahoma City. And he will fit in what they're doing a lot better than Laca can be refit into this new Lakers. Bullshit they might be. But it has a lot better chance. Do I think they can beat Oklahoma City?

I do not. Do I think they could win a game? Maybe a game. But the point is, they got annihilated on April the 2nd. And that was a big measuring stick game where they're rolling in Oklahoma City just kind of be in Oklahoma City. Okay, what you got? You know, let's see. And it's 82 to 51 at halftime, and then Luca pulls his hamstring. And it became actually a weird good thing for the Lakers because now you're getting this version. And this version has a lot better chance against Oklahoma City's team basketball than the Luca version. Wow. So Luca likely to miss this entire series, like you said, reads further along in his rehab process, could potentially come back later in the series.

NBA obviously blessed the Lakers with a favorable playoff schedule. You've got three days off. If you know this comes back, do you start it? Who? Luca? No. Who, Austin? If Austin coming back, do you start him?

Nah. With the way the guys are playing? Luke Karnar playing right now. The way the guys are playing, that five at the start, do you disrupt it? Do you bring him off the bench? Because you only got 10 points off your bench. We've brought them off the bench.

Six points off your bench. This sounds like a conversation somebody brought up. A few months ago to have people in their feelings. Say it again? I said, depends on how game three go. Reeves is a six man? I don't know. Because he'll come back this serious, right?

Yeah. What are you saying? Just like, good or bad? I don't know. I mean, I'll bring him off the bench. Just being there. Watching that game, and this is no shade to Luca, but watching Luca in the first quarter of games, dudes just standing around watching him go one-on-one doing what he does.

It's not, yeah. It's tough. I'm seeing the ball move, but they're knocking down shots. It's a different-granting for each other. This is a different feeling when you think you're going to get that, bitch, man. Hell yeah. And you play on the defense, you play on the defense. That's why, Karnar going crazy.

Yeah. But Austin Reeves would be happy coming off the, not happy, but he'll do it. I think he's got the mentality, say, okay, if that's what you need to. I'll do this. Your points off the bench. Yeah, and I'll come in and I'll light it up for a while. You got six points off your bench.

No, you're right. You're right. You're right. You're right. You're right. Right away. You're right. Yeah, I'm bringing in my bench.

And the ball moving. If you think about the way that you're saying that. And then you're Brian go out. Now you feature A. Now you feature AR when Brian is off the floor, right? Mm-hmm. Then you bring him back in. Then it's like, now the, now the game is in flow and there's a rhythm to it now.

Yeah. But think about it. Just starting the game, you throw it to Luca, he do his thing, you throw it to AR, he do his thing, you throw it to the BR, he do his thing. Now you repeat this same fucking, throw it to Luca, he do his thing, throw it to Luka, he do his thing, throw it to Luka, he do his thing. Like, that's the way they play in the first quarter, right? That became the identity. Yeah, yeah. I think this is a new identity for them.

If you think about LeBron playing the way he's playing, he's playing, he's playing more pinch-post, Joker, NB, give me the ball, let's play through me. This is the team that he? The team that they played when they owe the team that lost to San Antonio in the finals. That was a lesser team. He had to do more, but he was more of a, right? Go to me. Go through me. But what I'm saying is for Austin Reeves, if we're going through Brian, it don't matter who those pieces are on the floor.

Somebody's going to catch the ball based on the defense's mistakes. We're waiting for the defense to make the mistake. Brung, go force the mistake. He's going to force it. So you either going to come double me in this post where I got a mismatch or I got Luke Kinnard right there. I got Austin Reeves right here. I got Rui over here.

I got Aiton in the Dunker. We got pieces now to know where they're supposed to be. I don't even have to really act like I'm going to go do my thing. And I think once he activates that post, that mid-post where he's making that shit, he's turning around, he's hitting that shit four out of five, three out of five times. The turnaround. He's missing a lot of them, but I think those are still ones that if he get it going, that's his shot.

That's his shot. So now you're looking at Austin Reeves being like just one of those guys you could just put in. Like, hey, look, we don't need you doing ISO shit, comfortable shit. Catch and shoot. Catch and shoot, drive and get your freet throws. And we're good. This not disrupt was working for us right now. I agree with you.

Yeah, because he is a catching and I need the massage. Boom, boom. Now, if everybody else, if it's moving, pop, pop, pop. you're the second pass, you got to shoot it. Right. Suit it or drive it? I ain't got time for you to be going into your package right now. Right, right.

We ain't got time for you to be hesitant. But the OKC, they're going to need to. That OKC series would be different. Let's get you shooting, though. They're good defenders, right? I'm saying they good defender. OKC, good defender on the ball. So catching shoot is, catch and shoot it, catching,

catching, drive it. It's your best option against them, right? Yeah. Make them make a mistake, right? Catch it. I'm saying drive it the first. three, four times you get it. Unless you're wide open, right?

Catch it, drive, and make them collapse. And then the bad ball is, now they're scrambling. Now them on ball defenders, Lou Doord and Wiggins and all them dudes, they're not as effective as they. Making them work. You're making them move. There's a different game for defenders when you're making them move. So you're sitting there and we get to watch y'all.

It's shit. It's break time. You ain't doing shit. We're good on the ball. For sure. Lakers riding high right now. Obviously, 2-0 lead. LeBron, 32-0 when his teams have a 2-0 lead in a playoff series in his career, but a lot of basketball left to be played.

See if they can sustain that level. That's a good sign. Very good sign. But heading into game three in Houston for the next two games. But let's keep this thing moving. Stay in the Western Conference. Wimby made history in his first career playoff game. Sending the Spurs franchise record for most points in a playoff debut with 35.

San Antonio got the double-digit win. Wimby was presented with his defensive player of the year trophy before game two. after becoming the first unanimous and youngest winner of the award. But the Blazers came out firing in game, too, taking an early first quarter lead. And early in the second quarter, there was a scary moment for the Spurs and their franchise player. Let's take a look.

So Wimby drove to the basket, which was fouled by Drew Holiday, landed face first to the ground. Appeared to be knocked out momentarily before regaining consciousness. Stayed on the ground for several moments before trying to get up but was unable to do so. And when he finally did get up, darted to the locker room, was ruled out for the remainder of the game while in percussion protocol later announced that he indeed did suffer a concussion. So the game was close until the Spurs started the fourth quarter with a 13-0 run, take a 14-point lead with under nine minutes ago.

But the Blazers caught firing crunch time outscoring the Spurs, 27 to 10 from that point on. Scoot Henderson hit a big three with under three minutes remaining to cut the deficit to one. Then Drew, and Robert Williams, put him ahead. So Scoot had 31 points in the game. Then 12 seconds left. Danny Obdia lob to Robert Williams the third. And Bacier put the Blazers up through Devin. Bacel had a chance to send it to OT.

We missed a potential game time three. So Spurs offense struggled in clutch time. Blazers held them without a field goal for the final 3 minutes 37 seconds of game action, closing the game on an 11-2 run. on an 11-2 run. Scoot Hederson led the players with a game-high, 31 points. He was 11 to 17 from the field,

including 5-09 from 3. Drew Holliday had 16 and 9 assists. Danny Obdi, a cool-off in game 2. After his 30 and 10, finishing with 14 points on 5 or 13 shooting. And Robert Williams' third big off the bench, 11 points, 9 rebounds, 5 of 6 from the field.

Safon Castle led the Spurs with 18 points in the air Fox at 17, and Devon Vassell had 16 and 12 boards, but the Spurs' trio combined 19 for 52 from the field, Three for 14 from three. San Antonio had won 76 straight playoff games when leading by 14 points or more in the fourth quarter. Obviously, that streak snapped the last time that didn't happen back in 2003 against the map. So we're going to talk to the game shortly, but let's talk about Wimby first. So Aileen will be sidelined for at least game three as he looks to complete the required return to participation process.

Obviously, suffered the concussion. Has to sit at a minimum of 48 hours. He can resume gradual activity in 24 hours as long as the symptoms don't want. worsen, but must hit several benchmarks before he can return to a game. So the average time missed for a concussion seven to ten days, which means Wimby could be out until game six or game seven. Skip, when you look at the situation going on with Wimby, how concerning is Wimby's concussion for the Spurs moving forward in this series? Extremely. And just quickly, on the fall that he took, it was a weird play because

He's got Drew Holiday up in him at the top of the circle, and at 7-4, he is so skilled. He tries to do a 360 spin on him, a dribble spin, where he's going whirling dervish at 7-4, and Drew said, I didn't foul him, and I don't think he fouls him on the play. But Wimby is going so fast that he gets his own feet mixed up underneath him, and he sort of tripped himself up.

and as you guys know from falling many times that you fell there are two ways that you can fall in basketball one's with the basketball and one's without the basketball well he's still trying to hang on to the basketball if you fall without the basketball you can brace yourself and maybe maybe sort of make it a little better on yourself unless you break your wrist but but again you can keep your head up

off the floor with your hands and he lost his hands trying to hold on to the basketball, and it's a long way to fall from 7-4, and he face-planted on the hardwood. And to me, the first thing I thought, he hit his jaw so hard on the hardwood, I wondered if it broke his jaw, but it obviously can cuss from there.

But it was a nasty fall. It was a full speed for 7-4 face-pulled. plant and it looked bad to me and he tried to get up and he wobbled. Then it was a very good sign that he then bolted up the tunnel to the locker room. But the problem with last night was I was highly impressed with how they all took it up a level and they're down three when he got hurt. And then I look up with five and a half minutes left, six and a half minutes left. They're up 14 at home.

Come on, man. And Deer and Fox a year ago was the clutch player of the year. And I'm thinking, oh, he'll close this. Or Castle will close this or Vassell or Keldon will come in and he'll close. Somebody's going to close this. And they all go cold down the stretch. And Joe mentioned it. They get outscored 27 to 10 from that point on.

And I'm looking at all the missed shots. Deere and Fox with 138 had two. They got an offensive rebound. He missed a three, and he missed a little wide-open floater. You got to make one of them. And then Castle misses a 14-footer, and Vassell misses a three. And finally, it comes down to Robert Williams' time lords in there, and he gets just a wide-open lob dunk from Denny on a downhill drive.

And then that's it. All of a sudden, you look up and you're like, wait a second, they're going to lose this game at home. and Kamara, listen, they got athletes everywhere. They're coming in. Even Thibel, who's their designated defender, did a really nice job on Vasell on the lap, because he had a shot to tie it

and got a nice look from the corner, and Thibble was all over him and didn't foul him. And I just, I like Portland. I've liked them. They've been quietly hot down the stretch. They've been really good at home. They won eight of their last 10 at home. I just, I don't think San Antonio can beat them without Wimby at Portland in these two games because they're coming fast.

They're coming Friday night and Sunday afternoon. And I just think this is going to be a three to one deficit going back to San Antonio. And then maybe it'll be borderline whether Wemby could come back. But to your point, conventional wisdom would say he's not going to be back for game five. And if he's not, I just, I hate this for them because I was looking forward. to see in Oklahoma City in San Antonio and see what who's got what. And with No Wimby, boy, this changes the balance of power, man. And so because they failed so miserably down the stretch and they shot from three,

there's seven or 24 last night. And then on the other side, Scoot Henderson has not lived up to the third overall pick. That was his coming out party last night, to me, where he didn't score 30, even close to 31 all year, average 13. And he came out like he was all business last night. For the first time since I've been watching him since before he got drafted when he played those exhibitions against Wemby, that was the first time. It looked like he grew up last night. And from start to finish, he played

grown man basketball. And he looks like a grown man now. And he's grown up, he's spiritual kid. And I just liked what I saw from him and from them, and I think they're going to be a handful for a no-wimby San Antonio in Portland. I think you're overreacting, Skip. Yeah. I think you're overreacting. You know why? Because you look at this game particularly, Wimby goes out.

There's an adjustment that needs to happen right away. That adjustment means to we need to go to our alternatives. Our alternative option is Deerrin Fox, like you said. We're up 14. Yep. Take us home, right? I think that take us home moment comes with the conflict of every team is going to make runs. It's a game of runs.

And it was time for Portland's run to make a comeback in the fourth quarter. The difference with the spurs with Wembe and the Spurs without Wemby is sustaining those runs. Being able to cut the run off sooner rather than later. They cut it off later, which means that there's a close game now. Now it's a two-point game. It's a one-point game. You got Denny Avia. You got certain guys that can make plays that are going up against your so-called stoppers,

which would be Castle, which would be Dylan Harper, Vassell, so-so be it. But you don't have a win, but you have a Luke Cornyette. So when I look at the game and I look in these final moments and I say, okay, if we're going to face Portland in the next three, four games, and we're going to have to make adjustments based on not having Wembe, those adjustments need to be on the defensive end. That needs to be, we need to make stops.

And if we don't make shots, not allow our missed shots to disrupt our defense because it usually happens when you deflate on not making shots on the offensive end. It affects you on the defensive end. I think a lot of that was happening where they knew they needed to make shots. They did and they came

and it affected them on the defensive end. I don't think that Portland has anything or shown anything that should be a threat to how they play defense. I think they just need to lock in on certain moments. Certain guys need to make big shots and big plays down the stretch that didn't happen. Caldon Johnson didn't step into his rightful role. Champagne didn't hit a bunch of the shots that he should have taken and should have made. He was two for three. Vassel was 0 for 5.

I mean, your identity is lost for a temporary space because you got a big piece of your puzzle gone. But it's always next man up. And that next man has to be Deering Fax. It does. I agree. He can't waver in these moments just because the guy's down. And you'd be like, well, I guess it's on me. No, it's on you.

It's been on you from the start. You're the vet. You have to show up. And so with this being said, I'm looking at Ms. Johnson. to really change the identity around more Fox-centric and getting him downhill, getting him to his mid-range, allowing Vassel and Castle to drive and be slashes and allowing Champagne and maybe Harrison Barnes more time to hit shots in the opening. Other than that, I think it's going to be a battle. I already said they can win two with Wembe.

So still in this one was nothing, I think. So would you displace? This is a fluke win for Portland. Yeah. Yeah? It was a must win when you got the big guy out. Must win when you got big guy out? Must win.

I don't think it's a fluke win. Up 14? That's not a fluke at all. You have, not a fluke at all. You got the 14 at home. They took that. No, I don't think it was a flu. They took that.

Yep. They took that. Robin Williams, he had a night for himself. He did. He went crazy. Didn't play in game one, did he? Things needed to go. their way for them to get that.

Things needed to go there. I don't think they took it. I think that things went their way where the stops didn't happen. They came down and capitalized on certain things that the spurs just simple mishapsed on simple things. Just remember, Avdia had a weirdly

quiet night. Shot two free throws when he usually shoots 10. Yep. So that'll change at Portland. Going home too. Yeah. I mean, six for 16. They played different at home. Six for 16.

I mean, when Wimby went out, they were 17. That's at home. That's at home. They were three for 12. Then he was in a style of trouble in the game too. But those six for 16, six for 16, seven for 20, that's at home. But that's forced to. But you don't think they're going on the road.

He looked like he was back in Portland. We had to talk Boston. We have to change our mindset. Think about it. On the road, we know we got to take good shots. We know every possession counts. At home, we're thinking that we can just. go out here and take these shots.

Seven for 20s, six for 16, six for 16. Three of your next man ups, they got to take better shots. They got to put themselves in position to do better for the team efficiency. But just hear me out, too. Hey, it is going to be so loud. Rip City for sure.

In Portland. I just want you all to know this. Very loud. With no experience on that roster besides Deeran Fox having playoff, game, good luck. Hey man, it might be a blowout in game three. No, listen, it might be, they might be a blowout.

They might be good. Come out there, come out there, don't come back. Listen, man, it's going to be so loud in there, dog. Blasier's fans will not have t-shirts. Drew Holiday got experience, you already know what's up. Yeah, dog. It's going to be loud in there, man. No T-shirts for Blasier fans, their owner.

And I like the way Drew played last night. What he said he wasn't cutting? Very cheap. Don't want to pay the life bill Yeah he played good last night Yeah no I'm excited to see the way Portland Go look at home Yeah right

Yeah They ain't had a playoff game in forever And get these fans something Yeah man No Wimby Hey we Listen Robin Witt

Just keep doing what you did last night They protect the point He's gonna do that If he's on the floor You know what he's gonna do Well when the league MVP's on the floor Man you got a chance to win I get it

So the league MVP being Victor Wimbayama. When he's off the floor, you've got a chance. But when he get back, he's the rest of problems. He might not. He might be, you better open sooner than later. Might be too late. So 48-hour minimum, so he could be back as early as game three.

But like I mentioned, average, non-frey incutcheons of return to the court seven to ten days. Yeah. So that ain't happened. So you said it, Skip, I didn't think Drew found him. Drew pulled a chair on him, right? He was trying to get into Drew Holiday body, and Drew moved. Mm-hmm.

He tripped himself and stumbled in, it was a long way down. Me and Brandon talked about last night when we were first, I'm like, dude, you don't know how to fall? Like, you ain't, and another thing, right, you said he couldn't get up right away. I would have laid there until I got my bearings together. Ain't no way, no, it's just, these games too mean too much right now. I get if you hurt, you hurt, you can't continue.

I understand that. Do you ever hit your face on the court? No. Like, that's why we said the way he fell. No way he failed. he would have went. Yeah, like, I'm going to break a finger or a rib before I hit my face. He had the basketball. He's losing that. Can we see it one more time? Damn the ball. Yeah, damn that ball.

Watch it. Drew moved. He tried to bump and then Drew moved. He did. Drew pulled back. Yeah. And I think he did pull the chair too. Yeah. Pull the chair. Yes. Out to take a look at Wembeenama. And the coach, hey, so this is, so this is, but this is, but this is, but this is, but this is, but this is. is the inexperience here, right? What should Mitch had done?

Time out. Thank you, Kay. All right? To the time out. Give him time to see if he came. Right? Get it because he couldn't get up right away,

maybe because when he ran back to the tunnel, that could have been the... They talked about in the game broadcasts if it wasn't a shooting foul, but if he would have to stay in and shoot those free throws. But take time out, though, right? take the time out give them a chance to

recover but the inexperience of being in that situation um yeah but no it's yeah you gotta learn how to fall man yeah you obviously this is the playoffs but regular season Spurs were 12 and 6

without winby 2 and 1 against the Blazers yeah during that 18 game stretch that he missed so one other quick point ESPN reported That you want to go? No, one of my friends in Portland, fans here mad at the new owner over the T-shirts.

Can't get a T-shirt? He lives in Portland, a kid. I went to high school. T-shirt, no running water, no running. Didn't travel to two-way players on the road. Shut out to prep, man. Appreciate you. Speaking of that, ESPN did report this morning that the new owner, the cheap skate owner,

is already interviewing coaches for Tiago Splitters, position as a head coach. And I think this team, from what I've heard and what I see, I think they like playing for him. And so this is going to further inspire them to play hard for Tiago. He said, I'm just trying to be a professional. I'm trying to do the best I can. That was his comment, his reaction.

And I think that lights their fire even a little stronger that the new owner is out trying to find another coach. while they're still in the playoffs trying to win a playoff series against one of the favorites so I like that for Portland that's a plus for Portland yeah fans gonna rally man they gonna show up in yeah yeah yeah that shit sound good those and birds man they got some good momenters jailblazers documentary out yeah yeah that's crazy you watch it yeah I did watch it yeah I was Rashid was crazy crazy crazy crazy crazy crazy crazy crazy I was just saying like the momentum over there in Portland.

Like they got that. According to the Blazers' new owner, I think, was in talks with Chicago Splitter about contract extension. First he was, but he's offering him so little money that he just said, let's table it. I can't give you no money, but I got these cheeseburgers for you and it's now going around saying who want these cheeseburgers to come coach the Blazers.

But just to even have that being reported while this series is going on. Blazers obviously first time in the playoffs in a while. It's just nasty work as the young kids. It is. I mean, it's the same thing like in Orlando right now with the coach. They said, you know, he could be gone at the end of the year no matter what, and you see how their team responded.

Yeah, they did. So you've got to wait and see. Well, let's talk a little more Blazers. Blazers took advantage of Wemby being sideline to even the series. Scoot Henderson delivering a monster game. His 31 points was the highest scoring performance since January 20, 25. Scoot was asked when was the moment he knew he was going to have a big game, gave this response.

When I woke up. Elaborate. What went through your mind? What you woke up and did what? I woke up, brushed my teeth, went downstairs, got dressed for shoot around. I say right after I brushed my teeth going downstairs.

So why then? I don't know. It's just a feeling. I get it kind of just telling myself the night before like attack. They can't mess with you. So, yeah, that was my goal to come here in attack, get downhill, play hard, and whatever happens, happens. So Scoot now joins Wimby as the only players from the 2023 draft class with a 30-point playoff game.

For the series, he's averaged 25 points, shooting 64% from the field, 54% from three. So we talked about this, I believe, yesterday. But what has Scoot Henderson shown you so far in this series? He took off them goggles. It's on now. The goggles were a questionable. Call them goggles. It's on now, baby. As you guys say, you do not respect most hoopers that wear goggles. I did not say that.

No, sorry? They came, you might have. Real glasses. James Worthy. Oh, the real, real with the strap. The name worthy was a four, though. You hooping real glasses. The sunset park.

But, no, he had to pick one. He either had to pick double zero or the goggles. One got a good. One had to go. He couldn't wear a boat. Yeah, one had to go. And he picked one, he's playing better. But my thing is so about, you woke up and you woke up

and you felt, well, what happened like all the other games that you didn't play? Yo, you could stop. What? Stop. He woke up on Demon Time. He was ready to go.

Game two, I need to do more. This year three, right? He was hurt. All of them? Most of them. So, when an old day, you felt good when you woke up? See, the nigga couldn't even see.

He had the goggles on. He couldn't even see what kind of breakfast he was eating. He don't know how to feel in the morning. I like the response. months though. I mean, I understand what he was saying. I get it, but it's just the word. I said the same thing you said, though. I was actually thinking like, what happened to rest of it?

I get what I understand. You woke up like this day. Yeah, I woke up. I felt good, right? Okay, yeah. No, but you being in this for as long as you're supposed to like, don't have bad days, but there are more good days than bad days. Trust me. Like, you have those, right? You should have more good ones. This is first playoff experience? Yeah.

But we show. What this show you, though, if you're a coach, right? It was different. Remember how the coach used to be like, they give you the test on running the sprints. And if you made a certain time, we're like, now you got to make this time every time. Setting the bar. You set the bar for yourself. Right?

So for this, it's like setting the bar. Like, we know you can cut it on. You woke up this morning and you said, this is what I'm going to do. I feel this is going to, like, all right. So when you wake up in the morning, you don't feel that. You need to give us a call. Give us the call or something. Hey, I did not have that feeling this morning.

I need a nap. Let me go ahead and get something for this. This isn't working tonight. So, yeah, I mean, at this point, he got to wake up like this day and day for them to get this kind of performance out of it. I was happy to hear that he brushes his teeth, though. That's overlooked by something.

Tom do not choose that out route drops when they wake up. Dave. Oh, no, I just, no, I mean, as far as with scoop, I mean, it's his first time in the playoffs, man. So, you know, the first thing you do, you definitely want to get your first home road win. Like you said, the playoffs doesn't start to the road team get a win.

For his confidence, I know he's been over there working with Poo Jeter, the guy that grew up in Arcina. LA Legend Poo Jeter. Yep. With myself. So, and, you know, you see his pull-up, his jumper is getting better. So I'm happy for him. I'm happy for Portland.

And, you know, they're going to make this series interesting. And that's all you can ask for. Also, that solid vets and Drew Holiday Dame, obviously, over there. Dane. It might be a rumor day might come back, depending on, you know, how the series goes. Oh. You know? Yeah.

So early in the season, he tore his hamstring. And I'm pretty sure it was torn because he missed all but the last 30 games. Then he comes back, starts playing his way into shape. And in the first playoff game that he ever played in game one, he shot it pretty, he made 7 of 11. I'm like, okay, I'm starting to see, oh, there he is, there's that guy. And to your points, I usually I would just laugh at talk like that, but he did walk his talk last night. He ran his talk. I mean, he just looked like he had conviction from his first shot. He made his first shot, and it just looked right to me like it looked real, like he wasn't, oh, maybe not on this one.

It just looked like I shot that like I'm going to make it and it went in. And from that point on, that's the way he played the whole way through. And I don't think he's ever had a game like that in his whole career and he was a third overall pick. And you keep waiting and waiting and he's been hurt and hurt and hurt. And I also think he was just a kid. I just think he was just a baby who played with G League Ignite instead of playing in college. And it's, I don't know, G League Ignite, the competition. competition is high, but it's not like playing for a year at Duke or somewhere and playing in the

final four. I just think it took him a long time to sort of to figure it out, to figure out his rhythm. And it looked like last night he just, I don't think he's a big trash talker or a bullshit artist. I think he's real. And I liked what I saw last night. And I think he'll sustain this from here on. I like what he's made of. I, I, I like, I, I like, The other funny thing about his line last night, he had zero assists when he's supposed to be kind of point guarded. So he just said, I'm, he just said it, I'm going to attack. And I'm not going to pass a bag. Every time I have a hint of a shot, I'm going to take that shot like I mean it.

And that's what you, I saw it all game long. He was not passing the basketball. And Obdea just kept looking at him like, oh. Yeah. Oh, you can't. You showed up. Yeah. Oh, you want to do this.

Well, I'm okay. And Obdia took a back seat to him and took only, what, 13 shots last night. I mean, for him, he's a 30 shot guy. You know, okay. I think, you know, it helps though Drew Holiday being out there for school. Like the way Drew was playing yesterday, school was able to just play. Now, just play freely. I'll handle it, getting everybody involved.

Drew had nine assists, so that's it. There it is. Yeah. I pass and you shoot it. That's right. You're the youngest one. You can keep up with them. Let's go. Okay, go. He can keep up with them. He's got that kind of.

He's playing the two. It's a bona fide two car position right now. And no pressure. Thinking about pressure release guys. Yeah. For Denny and for Drew, you know, both being out there and you still got guys like Shaden and Jeremy Grant that could be in Scoot's position.

I think they're all three like guys who are trying to chip off the shoulder. I want to show you that I can do it. Yeah. And I think when you talk about waking up with the conviction of I'm going to do this, there's a lot of times you look at film and you see all the things you could have took advantage of in film. And you're like, damn, why didn't I drive right there? Like when I do drive, I could do more here to get my bucket if I don't give up for the past at that particular moment. So you look at a lot of dynamic scores.

get into the lane and then they pass because that's the next play. But for him, no assist, it means there is no next play. This is Cam Thomas type of mentality. Now, let me get inside here. Let me go to my shit. And regardless of if it goes in or not, I have to shoot it with confidence. To let

my teammates know that I'm custom to making these type of shots and shooting these type of shots. And him being the only real other guard out there that can really get to the bucket against them type of defenders. Like, he wasn't scared to go against Castle. It wasn't scared against Vassil.

He feels like I can take y'all to the bucket and I can finish y'all off. That's the type of fear that San Antonio is going to have for a guard like that. I don't think any of the other guards, they fear, but him is one of the guys like, they can sustain Drew. I don't think they're scared of Drew. I think that a guy like Scoot, a guy like Shade and Sharp, very explosive guards that can get down and hit mid-ranges and get to the rim, that's scary for them. They show up again for the next two, three games.

On top of Denny figuring out what he going to do, if you're going to give me 20 shots or you're going to give me 16. Like I said, they stole this one based on Denny not really being the guy that was going to take it over the top. They found a way to win that game. But this next game, if they actually implement these things as what we're going to do, it's a different story, for sure. We will see how the rest of that series pans out,

but let's keep this thing moving. Now shift over to the Eastern Conference. So Celtics came through with their largest playoff opening win of franchise history in game one win over the Sixers. After that game, this didn't look like it was going to be much of a series, but the Sixers back court bounced back with a monster performance in game two to even things up. Let's take a look at the highlights, if we can, please. So Vijay Edgecombe delivered one of his best performances of the season, despite playing through a back injury he suffered early in the game.

the third overall pick, led the Sixers with a team high 30 points. Tim Boards. That was nasty. Damn a damn bono. Prayers for the Bruin. So Vijay's second 30-point game against the Celtics this season, you may recall, he dropped 34 at Boston in his rookie debut back in October. Edgecombe, first rookie to record at least 30 points in 10 boards in a playoff game

since Tim Duncan back in 1998. Also surpassed Magic Johnson as the youngest player to do it. Tyrese Max came through with 29 points. on 11 of 26 shooting and 9 assists. Sixers back court combined to shoot 11 for 22 from distance. So the sixers were 19 for 39 from deep in game two after making just four of their 23 attempts in game one. Jaylon Brown, Jason Tatum, the only two Celtics to score

in double figures in this game. Brown putting up a team high 36 points along with seven rebounds. Tatum coming to assist shy of Triple-Dubbley at 19, 14 boards, and nine assists. Celtics out or Sixers outscored the Celtics 3726 in the second quarter taking eight-point lead in the break led by seven points heading to the fourth quarter Celtics tried to mount a comeback cutting the deficit to two The Sixers went on an 11-0 run to take control of the game, including that nice lay by Tyrese Maxie. Oh, my Lord. Touch Earth.

Joe Missoula pulled the Celtics starters with the many remaining, conceding defeat. Philly had Boston to just 43 points in the second half. Celtics shot just 39% in the game. Now the series is tied, heading back to Philly for Game 3 Friday. After the game, Jalen Brown and Paul George had high praise for Ville. VJ. I thought H. It was just too comfortable.

He built the rhythm and was able to just, you know, have a extreme impact on the game. He also, he has six threes, which, you know, he's a capable shooter. So we just got to be able to adjust and be ready to guard him in because he's a ball player. You know, he's not, he's a rookie, but he could play. So we got to be better on him. Gee, I was curious. The guy next to you is the first rookie since Tim Duncan, that 30 and 10 at a playoff game. and you surpass magic of the youngest guy to ever do that in a Welfkin.

I was curious where your thoughts are. You did that? A wallet? A Wally. You wallet? Wallying. So you rocking. A fellow doctor of the Julius Irving, Sixers, Jersey.

Autograph. One of one. One of one. Biggest takeaways from the Sixers game to win over the Celtics. in Boston. Energy. Energy, energy. That's definitely the difference that I've seen.

Maxie came out with energy. I mean, especially from game one. I think the Celtics set the tone early with shot making and their defensive stops, being able to get the ball off the rim and get it out early. But I think Maxie's seen film. I think he said with Vijay, they all

came to the conclusion that they needed to play faster. They needed to get off the ball. and get to the rim quicker and shoot the shots, believe in the shots. And I think that that's what you've seen in Vijay. He was really shooting comfortably. If those shots don't go down, it's a different game. But when you talk about confidence with guys who can score,

the last thing you want to do is give them two guys confidence. You want to at least leave it to Paul George and Kelly Ubre to have them be the streaky guys that win the game for you. When you got those two guys out there, playing at that level is difficult because you don't have Jason Tatum stepping up to be a stopper and you only got Jalen Brown

he got to pick and choose his battles because he don't have Derek White don't want to challenge and I'm going to say that for sure Derek Wright looked like he's scared as fuck he don't want neither one of them on either one of the sides so Jalen Brown will have to figure out which one is more important to stop picking rolls

they're going to have to figure out whether to blitz that or make him come off the ball because he's shooting those three points coming off that picking roll. That's deadly. And he's being able to catch VJ on the side. Kelly hasn't really caught fire yet. I still think he has a couple games that he's going to catch fire. This could be trouble for the Celtics for sure.

This doesn't look like a cakewalk as they thought it was after game one. I think this was a big statement game for the Sixers in game two going into game three, back to Philly. Like you said about Portland being loud. Philly going to be loud. Philly going to be loud as hell. Let's hope Juella M.B. They ain't going to be healthy for that game.

You hope Dwell L.B. will not be healthy. Obviously, you had an appendectomy still recovering from that surgery. You're saying the Sixers don't need the former MVP? Not at the moment. Let's hope that they can hold him off. So, I mean, I still look at him. He can still be somebody to return and still get him hope. But it's trouble.

in paradise right now for the green. So they need to get, they need to get their shit together. Can this sit trouble? Do you agree with the Rashad that there's trouble for the Celtics right now? After that, 32-point game one win. We thought this was going to be a cakewalk for them. Obviously, Sixers' back court had other plans. Yeah, I thought they would at least take care of home for sure.

But you got to give, you got to tilt your hat to Philly for responding after game one. came out and looked theirself in the mirror and realized what happened they got punched in the mouth in game one and came back and responded. We all thought that Boston would have their way with Philly without knowing Bid there. But they had something different to say. And that's to Rash's point. Yeah, they went out of man. They were just attacking. They were going downhill.

Reckless, abandoned, fearless. There's no shot blockers. So, yeah, now, they realize that we have a foot speed advantage on these guys, so we need to use it. And that's what I saw a lot of. Tyrese getting to his spots, Vijay getting to his spots. Yeah, just being aggressive and effective, man. Going home, we'll see how, to Shia's point, Philly fans respond. We know how they can be, right?

So, no, it's a series now. I didn't think that it would be, but it's a series now. And see how long it goes. But yeah, I want to see how Boston responds. I want to see how they respond to this going to Philly, right? Let's shift over to you to Mr. B. Yeah. Representing Tough Crowd, Tough Crowd University.

Hard-carrying Country Club member also. I'm not going to take too much from this game because Boston shot terribly from the three. I think they went 13 for 50, and this is like the second time they've done this in the playoffs where they shot themselves out the game. But shout out to Vijay for having an incredible game, especially for a young rookie coming in, especially in the playoffs. But I just think, you know, Boston just took their foot off the gas a little bit. I'm not going to put too much on it. Yes, their back court played great with Maxie and Vijay. But, I mean, this is a Boston team that's been in every situation.

They live and die by the three, so they're going to shoot a lot of. threes and a lot of games is going to cost them. But I'm not going to put too much in it. I think Boston gets this series done in five and they just run through it because Jaylon Brown, he's going to, and you know, they'll adjust. I mean, that's one thing I've seen and I've seen Boston play this year. And one thing they do, they lock in. So I'm not worried too much about them.

And I am with the tough crowd. And I may wind up in Larry's Cemetery sooner than later, but I'm with you. I think that was a fluke and an aberration. And Boston will win the next two games at Philly, and they're going to win this in five, because they're just way better than Philly is. And to your point, they tried this year to less live and die by the three

because they cut it back from a year ago. They were 48 threes a game. This year they cut it to 42. And then last night, when I least expected it, they went all the way back up to 50. And they made 13 of 50, which is 26%. That means 37 times at home they missed three-point shot. And the one thing about the three to me is it can ignite a home crowd.

It can also deflate a home crowd. Where after a while, if you miss 37 of them, after a while, people are like, damn, another. Come on. Somebody make one. about a three, die about a three. Okay, well, that's what happened. They died by it last night because Philly was making 19 to 39. That's 49%.

And as you guys point out, I think Josiahe pointed out, four of 23 in the first game. And the incredible thing was, I'm watching the game. Boston goes on a 16 to nothing run in the first quarter, and all of a sudden it's 26 to 13 home team, and Philly calls a time. time out and I said, damn, do I have to watch this? Do I, can I do something else? And I'm kind of doing

some playing around with this and that. And I look up and here comes Philly because Boston went deadly cold from three. And yet they kind of scratched and clawed back into it. And then I look up and all of a sudden it's 91-89, Philly with 625 left. And Maxie missed a shot. And Jason Tatum comes down and has a wide open three to put them ahead with five minutes left, and he missed it. And Tyrese Maxi goes down, you just showed the highlights, and goes boom and boom, and makes two straight threes, and then Edgecom makes another three, and then Ubre makes another three, and it's way over. And Tyrese-Marie, to me, as the 21st overall pick, is he not one of the all-time steals at 21? Amazing. God.

Amazing. He's just amazing. What were you looking at when you were watching? I don't know. Because he's just little, you know, like he's like Iverson's size or, you know. Park plug, though. Oh, you talk about extreme energy. You said he's their igniter.

And when he plays with that kind of energy from end to end and just make stuff happen, that was his night. And Edgecombe plays like he's 30 years old, you know. He's not a baby. I got an ax. You know, is it more that we can defend the three or is it that we're just missing shots? So I'm asking from Boston standpoint. Yeah. All right.

We're used to taking this many threes. We live by the three, die by the three. But were they guarding the three better in this game for us to miss these threes? Or are we taking the bad three-point shots that are allowing them back in the three? the game. It's like a second chance point for me. If you take a bad three point shot, we come down, we get a rebound. That's like a turnover to me. That's not an execution play. That's a play that you're just giving us based on you feeling like you want to shoot a three. And I think that that's always been Joe Missoula's mindset, but it's been flawed to me

because you can, that's just like the same Phoenix Suns back in the day with Steve Nash and those guys live by the three, die by the three. So you look at Philly and you're saying if If I'm in the huddle, I'm like, hey, man, let's just put a hand up on these threes. Let's make sure we're there. We'll live with it. Okay. Because Boston doesn't defend the three at a high level. And that's why Vijay said after the game, baby that he is, he just said, we knew we'd have the shots.

We knew we could get the shot. We just have to make the shots. Boston Pact the paint, man. They try to protect the rim, forcing the three. Yeah. So their game plan is giving up the three. Yeah. We're going to make more than y'all.

Y'all got to hit shots to beat us. That's what I said. That's why I think game two was a flu. Because they hit shots. Now you've got to go back and hit the same. Listen, Boston's not going to stop shooting threes. But we're not changing our game plan. We actually have shot makers, though.

Philly? For Philly, we got guys that can hit shots if you're giving us. Yeah, but you got to match it. Remember, we're shooting over 50. We shoot over 50-some three. So if we make half these, you still got to, You still got to make half. Yeah, we're going to give you your shots.

But remember, this is what we do. That's how we want a championship. So we're not going to get it. That was a difference maker. The difference maker is we, if we hitting shots as Philly, we got a chance. If we're not hitting shots, we're down 20. For sure. But I think also the advantage was taking advantage of Pritchard

and Derek White on the defensive end, taking them out of the game offensively. They wasn't even factors. wasn't a factor. He was not. If you guys aren't getting shots, which to me, game plan-wise, if I'm Nick Nurse, hey, Jalen and Jason Tatum, let them do them. They're not going to be finding these shooters to do what they need to do to take them

over the top. Yeah. Yeah, I mean, they're two for eight, O for four. Yeah. The biggest igniter for them at home is Peyton Pritchard, the sixth man of the year a year ago. And that crowd waits for him to make one from like half court. You know, like he, that's who he is. And he usually makes four or five at home, and he went 0 for four, okay?

You got a shot. Now the door is open. And if Derek White goes two of ten, now you really got a chance. Yeah. He's shooting. He still shoots a lot of three. He got a three. He has the green light.

All he shoot. That's all he shoots. The real question. is Mr. Vukovic going to show up. Yeah, he will. That's going to be the difference maker. I think that's been the difference maker as far as waiting for somebody to come back

before they can be a bona fide top contender. I don't think he's shown yet where his place is amongst those two great players. And you can't have Derek White in Houser and Pritchard. under 10 points. No. But it happens, though. I'm telling you,

Boston has these games in the playoffs. They've had them. We've seen it. But you can take them out of the game. We've, like we've seen them have these games. Them three?

You get to them? Yeah, you can test them shot. Hey, I want Peyton pitchers putting the ball on the floor. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Take them off the line. I want to put the ball on the floor. I want to Derek White putting the ball on the floor.

I can, I can. So as a unit, as a unit, that's our game plan. It should be. Run it off the line. Run it to the paint. That's what I would say. We know how they play with Peyton Pritchin gets it going.

We know how they, when Sam Houser is making shots. We know this. Do we need more from JT? What? He almost had a triple double. 19. He almost had triple double. Come up a fucking Achilles.

36 and 19 between the two. That's almost a triple double with the other ones. That's fine. Yeah, Jalen was 36, 74. J.T. is the reason why they're going to go. They're going to win the next four I'm trying to get to Philly in. You're about to get the Philly in.

Because they fans is worse than Phillies. This ain't nothing. If it's everybody else, isn't that our game plan? Yes. To make it just y'all two? Yes. The J's part of the day. Them two are really good.

We can turn the rest of y'all water off, but them two guys, they can get their own shot. The rest of y'all came. Yeah. And we still make it. I think they still made it tough for both of them. Yeah, but if Jay's, Jaylen drive, if Jaylen Brown drive, we're not going to overreact, right?

You guys don't let them straight line, no straight line drive, so we ain't got to react right away. Yep. Make them make a couple moves off the bounce. Stay home, contest shots. Stay home. Run Pritchett off the line, run house off the line as much as we can. Contest it. If you're late, make sure you get a hand up.

Yep. It's all those little things, man. Pre-rotate type shit. Get to the shooters. Know who the shooters are first and four. Know where they are. So, Rashaw, speaking to. the jersey you're wearing.

The last time Philly beat Boston a playoff series was 1982. A great year. 19882. So it's been six straight playoff series won by Boston over Philadelphia.

I think they got Philly's number. Think so? Just historically? Well, hopefully Philly's saying that's the wrong number. Just historically. That jersey right there, he knows.

He got the fight of the Boston cards. Something in the wall. with these first rounds. Something in the water. I think the Hawks got some shit to say over there in New York. No, you know the NBA liked to make it. You know, we gotta make it look interesting.

It's the way it looked though. Like, sometimes you get a couple wins and they just like, all right, we knew they was gonna get that. I just don't think there's no separation in teams. I don't think there, you got a couple really good teams, and I think everybody else is right in this mesh. Solid? It's solid teams, but you got a couple really good teams, right?

but the rest of the people is like I think I can beat you on any given night that's what I'm still yeah I'm getting at that on any given night I feel I can take you I can beat you on any given night that's what I'm saying about the magic in this playoff series each game is different

all I gotta get the I think I can beat you four times I can stay in this game I think I can beat you four times I'm saying once I get one I feel like if we stay in the game to the fourth quarter it's down to three

right don't let me get two on you I'm really feeling different at that point one on your floor what right still one when one on your floor I feel great about myself that's the scary part about the spurs and the blazers it's still one oh that's nasty

hawk still one ooh that's nasty magic still one hey man y'all got to come to play now no you definitely do shy you mentioned the hawks so let's talk a little bit about that game that went down Monday. Knicks tricked off a golden opportunity to take a 2-0 lead in their series against the Hawks. Entering this game, the Knicks were 64 and 1 when holding a double-digit lead entering the fourth quarter in the postseason. New York was up by as much as 14 in that final frame. But then the Hawks started to soar.

Let's take a look at those fourth quarter highlights if we can. Please. Like I said, Nick's up by 8 under five minutes remaining. But Atlanta caught fire going on in 11-0 run. Oh, yeah, no, they put in that stretch. Take a three-point lead with 133 remaining the game Jalen Johnson Dune's thinking C.J. McCollum

wanting smoke with Jailen Brunson looking for that one-on-one matchup. Oh, boy, have mercy. Did I do that? Did I do that? My, my, my. With the gist.

You show you who. McCollum put him up three with a minute 33 remaining Jailen Brunson responded three of his own to tie things up. But hold that. With that in your pipe and small.

DJ with the fade away in the garden. Over O. Jananobee, on the Knicks' next possession, Brunson got stripped by Nikiel Alexander Walker, found Jalen Johnson for the dunk to put the hawks back up for it with 10 seconds left. But Jalen Brunson, tried to put the team on his back. Closing the gap to one. C.J. McCollum missed two straight free throws, but the Knicks did not have a timeout. Mike Brown had called one with like 240, left to go in that fourth quarter. So they had to get it up to court, McHale Bridges, missed a 12-flitter.

From 15 down. To get the win, C.J. McCollum led the Hawks with 32 points, six dimes. Jaylon Johnson had 17 and 8 boards. Jonathan Caminga, playing in the playoffs. His former team is not added 19 points on 7 to 12 shooting and 35 minutes off the bench, along with two steals. Nix had six players in double figures led by Brunson. He had 29 and 7 assists but was 10 of 26 from the field.

Cat added 18 and 8. Josh Hart had 15 and 13 boards. C.J. McCollum, of the story of this game, it's not the first time. Hawks Guard has rolled into Madison Square Garden and cooked the Knicks. So after McCollum and his former Pelicans teammate, Jose Alvarado, got into it in the third quarter and were both giving texts. Knicks fans gave CJ the Tray Young treatment, complete with an expletive field chant. So McCollum had this to say about the Knicks fans chanting at him during the game. I am no villain.

I'm a nice guy with two kids and a wife. I think it's admiration. Great, passionate fans in a really hostile environment. is fun, it's basketball, it's the playoffs. And if anything, I think it's a sign of respect. So, Skip, we will start with you, sir. What did C.J. McCollum and the Hawks

show you in their game two win over the Knicks? So I often hear from various people on this couch about the clippers. Clippers are going to clipper. And I would say the same thing about the Knicks, that the Knicks are going to nick. They're just going to nick. when you least expect it.

Oh, you can say knicks are going to knicker. You can just say that. No. Nicker, Bucker, please. Nicks are going to knicker, boy? Well, you knickers out there. Y'all going to do knickers shit. Skip again, we are on the dark side of you, too.

Yes, we are. What's the pronunciation of it? It's the pronunciation of it. I got it. I'm going to say it for you, though, because I fuck me. All right. Awesome. Improptu's smoke.

There you go. He is risen. So to the point of your stats, 64 and 1, with a 13 or more point lead going to the 4th, remember what the 1 was? Reggie scored 25 in the 4th and 94 in that game 5. So here they went again, and I know Mike Brown's taking a lot of heat for burning that timeout a little prematurely, and I got that. But you get outscored at home in the fourth quarter 28 to 15.

It's just wrong. And Jalen was okay. You can't blame Jalen. He didn't make that one big clutch three that kept him in it. But Carl Anthony and the fourth goes 0 for two. Jordan Clarkson goes one for four. And then Bridges is 0 for 3 including. He had a nice look at the end to walk it off 14 feet and missed it.

And the hawks are good, man. But as Kenyon just said, There are a lot of, you know, sort of pretty goods out there, and they're pretty good. And they're much better without Trey Young, who to me is like a miniature Luca. He's just, I know they were traded for each other, but he's just like a miniature Luca who plays no defense liability and takes too many threes and leads the league in turnovers. And they just look like a better basketball team with CJ as their Drew Holiday, you know, who came in and sort of solidified it for him.

And at 34, after, what's he played, 13 seasons, man, he went Jordan at the garden down the stretch. And I made three tough shots, big shots. And then incredibly, he misses two free throws at five seconds left. I thought that, he just reopened the door, but the Knicks couldn't walk through it. So it didn't surprise me. I know we had my man, Stephen A. on at the Super Bowl on Arena Gridiron, and he and I got into it about the Knicks. And I just said, they'll just blow it on schedule. He said, no, this is the year. We're different this year. And I said, no, you're not different. You're still the Knicks. And here they come. And can they get by Atlanta?

I still give them a pretty good shot to get by Atlanta, but it's going to be a battle. It's going to be a seven-game battle. and then they're going to run into the Celtics and they're going to go home. That's what's going to happen. Kay, your former team? The New York Knicks. Yeah, one of them. We're the New York Knicks.

Suck our New York, you can feel in the rest. But if you think about the Hawks coming in, Madison Square, Game 2, C.J. McCollum, 32-piece, one in that one-on-one matchup when Jaylenin Brunson and Mike Brown. Some questionable lineups in that game. Yeah, but, hey, it's the playoffs, man. You got to expect anything, for one.

Yeah, I just don't trust the Knicks. Didn't all season. But at one point, like, so Carl Anthony Town is the second best player. Do we agree? And he gets two shots in the fourth quarter? Yeah, started the game 8 for 10. And that comes down to coaching and game planning and different things like that, right?

There is no way feasible that my second best player is getting two shots in a fourth quarter where the game is decided at down the stretch where he's playing big minutes. Now, I'm going to make sure that he get a touch. I'm going to make sure that he get multiple touches. Did he not want to touch? But that's where we'll find out, right? But the way the game is played, it's easy to get lost in the game to where. everybody's playing on the perimeter and guys are rotating

and he's in a pick and roll, he popped, they rotate to him, he don't want to force it and I get that. So therefore I got to run a play for him. I got to run a set for him. I got to run a way to get him a touch. They just stood out to me that he only got two shots.

But you got to give credit to Atlanta coming in there and competing when no one really gave him a shot. and just going out, man, and recognizing matchups, old school way of doing things.

You have a defensive liability out there. They're trying to exploit it in Jalen Brunson. We all know CJ, he can put the ball in the basket with the best of them. I think having them there with those young guys is a breadth of fresh air for Quinn Snyder. Having a guy like that he can lean on.

in clutch times and having comminga there, energetic, having something to prove, I think helps. It's going to be a good series, long series. Don't know I don't have a favorite

in this series, but I don't, I can see it going six, I can see it going seven either way. That part, Joe. Yeah, I can see the team pulling it off, but I'm not hell bent on the Knicks getting through Atlanta.

I ain't going to say Atlanta's going to to beat them. But getting a road win in the playoff series when some thought that you might have gotten swept is a huge deal, especially going home, man. Great confidence booster for Atlanta Hawks. Hmm. I think I said they was cooked ever since that boy put his finger in that boy sandbox. They've been cooked ever since. That was...

Since you checked that man oil, yeah. Check that man oil. Yeah. Yeah, you said that season was over. Let that car go right through the trend. They went right through the operating system, man. And to me, I think they cook for two particular reasons. One, Jalen Brunson's ineffectiveness to recognize time and score at the point guard position

to see who needs the ball and what positions. I think he gets tunnel vision when it becomes crunch time that he only sees his shot as the shot. He wants the ball and pick and roll so he can make the play. And I think that's where it leaves Cat on the island. Now, not only did he do what he did as far as the second half, you know, those two shots, he had no fritos. Whole game. Now, this shows just ineffectiveness of being aggressive.

I think for a guy like Kat just going to get position, you don't have no defensive stoppers on that block that's going to stop you from being Carl Anthony Towns. that's number one. I think he needs to go back to the essence of what really gave him the name when he came out of college. And his first two, three years in the league, he was on that block. He was serving cold dishes. And now it's more of, if I'm not getting my jump shot on, I'm not being effective.

You can see even with the rebound and like I think he gets more of his, his hunger for playing both sides when he actually is scoring the ball. And it affects the rebound. It's not really the reason why they lost. But when you talk about matchups, Akango versus you, 18 points. You didn't dominate that matchup.

McCullough took it personal. Of course, you know, when you got a guy you don't think can guard you, you're going to take it personal. But I think it's scary for the Knicks because Nikiel Walker didn't play great. Jalen Johnson didn't play great. Kaminga played.

good, he didn't play great. I think all of them can play better on the Hawks. But you look at the Knicks and you say, well, who the hell on the Knicks is supposed to play better for them to go over the top? Bridges possibly. He had 10 points.

Avarado is not going to be the guy's going to step up. Jordan Clarkson don't play enough minutes to step up. Mitchell Robinson does Mitchell Robinson stuff. So you're looking at OG or Josh Hart to be your bridge guys? No, not a chance. Not a chance, not a chance.

And, you know, the next fans are going to feel the way they feel about it. But I think they see what I see when it comes down to, we barely lost that game, but we were still so far away from actually winning it. And if you don't clean up the small Mike Brown stuff, you're going to find yourself down 3-1 coming back to New York. And that's a nasty feeling because you don't got no, you don't have a guy. that don't know what to do in these positions in the play. C.J. McCullough know what to do. He knows to put the dagger in the coffin. And I think that if you give an opportunity up 3-1, shit, fill luck.

I mean, to me, I think it's all Brunson. I think they just exploded something with Brunson as far as the defense's end. The way C.J. McCullors was going at him, you know, in the fourth quarter, making him work. You know, they already said that Carrington Town, it was like he went 8 for 10, and then only two shots, that can't happen. I know C.J. McCollins don't want to be known as a villain, but this is your opportunity right now to be the villain, and to be a villain in New York City as far as basketball,

that means you're doing something insane, crazy. Like, they don't just pick on certain players because they're not good. It's because, no, you're actually doing something that, you know, they love. So, you know, you have an opportunity right now to get them up out of here, become the villain of New York, and move forward. But I don't know, man. I don't know.

I think defense league, man, you got to keep going at Brunson all game. And you got to go from the jump from the start. So, C.J. McCom was asked by a reporter if you looking for that one-on-one matchup with Jalen Brunson, had this response. What you think? What do you think? Yeah.

Yeah. All right. Thank you. I mean, that's a villain. That's a villain. Hey, yo, shout out CJ, too. He got some good wine, too, by the way. He does have a good one.

A fan of Gills Arena as well? He's a villain. I'm a nice guy with two kids. We'll care about all that. A lot of people got kids and what? Who care of all that? You're a villain between them lines. Facts.

Yeah, that's the way it used to be, man. I don't know, like, this new style of basketball that everybody gets an opportunity and all that. No. Come to the hot hand. Let me get him. I got the hot hand. We're going to search out this matchup

because the thing about it, the Knicks need him on the floor in order to be successful. So he is going to be out there. So guess what? May I have this dance? Thank you very much. Hey, CJ, out there, my.

You touch that white girl on the shoulder right there. Can I have this dance number 11? Save the last dance for me. Hey, shit. So that's where we're at with it. And I'm all for it, man. Like, either you're going to buckle down or Mike Brown going to have to make a decision.

Right? So. We're coming at you. Oh, and he won't even one of them, McBride, Clarkson, Alvarado, Sin, who you better put O. And Alexander over there, too. He's nice, too.

He ain't got hot yet. Your best bet, you've got to go big on him. And then, for somebody else. Then that's your best bet. I don't even think Josh Hart big enough. Right? You got to put OG or one. McKell Bridges on CJ

in order. But then you can't switch it though because they just going to search them out and the way they play basketball is the easy switch, right? They switch unnecessarily and he's just going to keep searching them out. We're going to find him.

You're going to get this picture. You're going to get this work. You're going to get this work. They don't get enough credit. Because you can't put him out to to the one time, I think McBride or Brunson got stuck on Camigo on the wing

in front of the nils. bench, man, he watch out. Straight to it. Back you down. Hey, man. Watch out. So you can't hide him. Because if you put him on Alexander Walker, he's aggressive, put him on Camiga, he's aggressive, CJ's aggressive,

Johnson's aggressive, he can't hide him. So whatever, he's going to be in the post, or he's going to be on the perimeter, and you're going to have to make some decisions, Mike Brown. CJ, a real-time Hooper, though. One of the most underrated basketball players. Like, you say Hooper, the guys that just, oh, just roll the ball out.

This is a dude you're going to pick on your team in any league, any age. Wherever you go, he got game in this game. The game of basketball? The man went to LaSalle. Man, that boy can play. Want a tournament game. That boy can play. In the tournament.

He can play. He know how to get a bucket. He know what to do in crunch time. And, you know, guys have given up. on him throughout the years, him being number two with Dame and going to the world. Don't you think he played in his shadow a little bit? He played in the shadow, but he was a good shadow guy. He was a good shadow guy.

You think about times when Dame wasn't out, he still gave you 30. He can still go out and be efficient. But I think this is a perfect opportunity for him to show his multifaceted ability to be able to not only score the ball but help the other guys that's on his team feed them. I mean, Kamiga didn't go without eating last night. And that's important because he needed to show he can do this at this level again outside of the Warriors. And you look at Johnson out there. You don't know what you're going to get from him because he's an anomaly.

He's six, nine, he can move, he can hit open shots, he can offensive rebound. And you got all these guards out here playing the way that they're playing. The Knicks are in trouble. They do not have answers. The only answer they do have is to out shoot you. Let's make more shots than you. You're not stopping shit. And until you get called Anthony Towns to buy in to going to get to the Frito line,

putting pressure on them bigs, making them go to their bench, and making them say, look, we're going to put this whole, this whole series going to be around Carl. It can't be no guard play. Brunson, I don't think he's going to outlast him. Nick's still a one-point favorite at Atlanta in game three. Of course, you know, people, yeah. Man, Nick's do something different, man, Richard Mitchell Robertson,

is a game changer. Like he was in game one, offensive rebound, different things like that what was going to help. But, yeah, you still got to, hey, still got to stop that ball, man. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

We will see what happens. That's here ships back to Atlanta. So let's wrap up today with our playoff picks throughout the postseason. We'll be making team picks using underdogs prediction markets,

which you can do as well. We'll keep a leaderboard of the couch's picks throughout the entire playoffs. But let's take a look at the updated standings on our leaderboard, if we can, please. Ah, that shit went bad. A whole lot of nastiness up there. Shai, you were in first place now four and five.

This looks like the Eastern Conference right now. Yeah. Canyon. Was two and two and two yesterday. Me and B both was two and two yesterday. That fucking went just went nasty. Two and five better than two and two? No, we were two and two yesterday.

Better than being two and seven. Two and five. Definitely better than two and seven. You know what, Gil's gonna not pick just so he's going to not pick just so he's he could say he would have picked winners. Gil currently in first place? I would have picked them. He's going to keep his shit all at the lowest.

First place, two and two. So why don't we just, I think we should pick every day, every game. That's what I'm saying, yeah, no, yeah. You know, every day. And then in the chat, we should just pick and then come back. Yeah, whatever do you pick every day? Yeah, I'm picking every day.

Swaggy, holding down last place. Because he got nine picks. Nine picks, yeah, me and swag, because we did the first day. We did the first two days. Yeah, first two days. Swaggy, 2 and 7 right now. I believe we reviewed the tape.

His picks were not accurate like it again. Yeah, like I said, we knew we was going to go to the tape, baby. Let's say. Let's go to the tape. Hey, we're reviewing shit around here. So only two games on the slate tonight, starting Detroit, where the Atlanta Magic has taken a surprising 1-0 lead over the top-seated Pissons. So tonight in Game 2, the Pissons, our heavy favorites with a 78% chance to win.

The Magic have a 23% chance to take a 2-0 series league. heading back to Orlando so shy we will start with you who you got in Magic Pistons game to yeah my sacrifice um I'm gonna go Pistons shot taking the Detroit Pistons thing you're taking the Pistons as well yeah I think they bounced back I'm Pistons Skip who do you like in that shit magic Pistons game I'm glad you didn't put me up there because I think I've made a couple picks and got none right so far in both of them I'm Owen Lowe, but the team that has just bedeviled me is Orlando.

Every time I think, yeah, because I had Orlando at Philly and they just didn't show up. They didn't show up at all. Yeah. And then. That's the team we love. Yeah, that's what we lost. And Charlotte has got Orlando at, no, I'm sorry, they went to Orlando, Charlotte, Orlando. And Orlando did show up.

And then they really showed up in game one. and yet the Pistons are just better. I mean, the Pistons won the East by four games. So I'm definitely going Pistons. They're, what, eight and a half point favorite in this game? So I'm going Pistons. Come on, let's go. Come on, Pistons.

Okay, so let's move on to the second game of Slate in the West after a blowout winning game one, Thunder. Look to take care of business again against the Suns. Thunder are monster favorites in this game. 92% chance. We get one back for sure at least. Is anyone taking a shot on the massive underdog

Phoenix Suns in this game? Shout, I see your eyes lighting up. You're in deep thought right now. Dylan Brooks. Ooh, Devin Booker. I saw you feel? You didn't say Jalen Green at all. The Filipino Curl.

Jalen Green. I'm on O KC. I don't know. I ain't going to even play that game. He ain't going to play that game? Hell no. Boy, defend too much. The way that shit looked in game one.

Hey man, they was defending them boys. He was begging for that shit out there. He was begging. Hey, the way they were defending them boys, man. And they ain't got no answer for chat. So I don't. Phoenix, they got no answer for chat. They're going to thunder.

Go thunder. Yeah, I'm going to. Yeah, I'm going to go thunder. Thunder are going to thunder. They're going to bring out the webbing. The boom. The boom. I don't think it's going to be a boom, though.

No. That's why I'm really like here, because I'm like, Phoenix has to be a 40 boom. Phoenix has to show up. It's going to be a four-old boom. I think it's going to be a closer game. And we think. Because this is 17 and a half points.

It's got to be closer. It's got to be closer. They're going to boom them people. Got to be close. Yeah, it's over. It's over. Boom what? Devon Booker has to show the fuck up.

I'm just saying they, he got to show the fuck up. He got to show the fuck up. But I'm just saying, the perimeter of. for the Oklahoma City Thunder, man. They get away with a lot of shit. Because they defend, yeah, if you defend Ron used to, Tony Allen used to, Bruce Bowen used to, Shane Badeier used to, all the motherfucking winged defendants hacks. But if you do enough of it, they can't call all of them.

Call all of it. Well, they can't. Give me one game when you're calling that shit. They're not going to call all of them, so they're climbing in your jersey, and they're no freedom of movement with Oklahoma City on their perimeter. So we will find out tonight. If your picks are correct, we can get you guys moving up with the Underdog Gills Arena Playoff leaderboard.

Shout out to Underdog Prediction Markets. Shout out to everybody in the chat pulling up, Skip. Thank you again for making your presence fell here on this glorious wind day. Wednesday, excuse me, shout to every. Wind day. Come on, man. We ain't out yet. Ween out, yeah.

I see the snacks in the back. Shout to everybody else on this couch. This has been another episode of Gills Arena, presented by Underdog. Dog. Whoa, well, we will see y'all tomorrow.