Nightcap - Nightcap - Hour 1: Thunder Destroy Nuggets + Celtics Down 2-0 to Knicks
Episode Date: May 8, 2025Shannon Sharpe, Chad "Ochocinco" Johnson, and NBA Legend Joe Johnson react to Round 2 of the NBA Playoffs featuring, Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets getting blown out by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander an...d the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 2, Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics falling behind 2-0 to Jalen Brunson and the New York Knicks, and much more!01:47 - Introduction04:00 - OKC v Denver19:10 - Knicks v Celtics57:00 - Antman’s effort called out by coach last night(Timestamps may vary based on advertisements.)#Volume #ClubSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Hello, ladies and gentlemen, and thank you for joining us for another episode of Nightcap.
We are so, so sorry about this game tonight.
But you know what?
We're here.
149-106.
OKC dropped 45 in the first quarter, 42 in the second quarter,
87 points, the most points scored in a half of a playoff game.
And then they dropped another 37 for good measure in the third quarter.
And we knew it was over.
Well, we knew it was over in the first quarter, but we had to watch anyway.
But we thank you for joining us for Nightcap.
I am your favorite on Shannon Sharp, my partner and co-host,
the Liberty City legend, the Bengal Ring of Fame honoree, the pro bowler, Pepe.
That's Ocho Cinco Johnson.
And all the way from Arkansas, Little Rock, Arkansas, that is,
from the University of Arkansas, ISO Joe Johnson.
Joe, thank you for joining us to talk all things basketball.
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out. Before we get into this
exciting game, the Thunder Pummel
the...
Woo!
It's been a while.
You know what?
I remember, Joe,
I don't know if you remember this, Ocho.
Yeah.
In game four in 2017,
I think that was the first year KD was in Golden State.
In game four, Cleveland dropped 86 in the first half
against Golden State. And it kind of Cleveland dropped 86 in the first half against Golden
State. And it kind of reminded
me of this situation like this.
Most points in the first half of a
playoff game in NBA history. I thought
they had an outside chance
to break the Celtics' record. Because if I'm not
mistaken, I think in game two,
the Celtics scored 157 against the
Knicks. Now, they weren't the same Celtics
that, you know,
that was winning championships in the 80s,
but they were still a good team.
They had started to age, but they dropped did-did a number on the Knicks.
Shea Gilgis-Alexander was sensational,
and it showed you why he's going to win the MVP.
33 points in 30 minutes.
Eight assists.
11 of 13.
He was perfect from the field.
Free throw line.
11 of 11.
I don't know if I've ever seen a stat like this
Joe plus 51
and plus minus
plus 51 plus minus
Chet Holmgren plus 34
Jalen Williams
plus 23 Isaiah Hardenstein
plus 19
Shea plus 51
Lou Dort plus 34
they had 8 guys in double figures
everybody if you touch the floor for the
OKC Thunder you scored
in this basketball game
as a matter of fact hell I wish I
was in attendance
I was walking by some yards they about to put me
in the 8
SGA is the first
check this out Joe the highest
plus minus in playoff history since the play by play era SGA is the first take this out Joe go ahead the highest plus minus in playoff history
since the play-by-play era
SGA is the first
player this century
to be plus 50
in a playoff game
and he did it
in three quarters
Joe I
I mean we gotta talk about it
but it damn sure
ain't much to talk about
I mean from the
look
this is how you make amends
you don't dilly-dally
around. You let one slip away the other night.
You had the game in control, and you
bull-jibed around, and you let them get a
you missed two free throws at the end.
Braun rebounds the ball,
passes out to Russ. Russ gets it ahead to
Aaron Gordon. He knocks down a three, and
you lose a game. They didn't dwell
on it. All they did was come out
here and drop 149 and say,
you know what? That was an aberration.
You're going to need to be on your best behavior
if you want to get rid of us. When you watch
this team play tonight, what
impressed you most about the Thunder?
Man, just how
poised and resilient they were to
start the game. They came out
with that desperation that you need. You know what I
mean? We know we squandered one
in game one, but we can't
let this one game two get by.
So, I thought they came out, man,
with so much energy
and they just fed off it. Now,
Shea 11 for 13, I thought he kind of
got off to a great start. He got off to a great start
putting pressure on the defense, getting
into the teeth of the defense, not only getting his own,
but making plays for others.
And the one thing I love about OKC, man,
not only do they control pretty much the whole game,
but, man, they're so unselfish and play for one another.
They look like so much fun.
You know what I mean?
31 assists.
Oh, man, they were moving that ball.
But they know when it's time to get it to their money,
they get it to their money, which is shade.
And I love how he get to a spot.
Okay.
Oh, Joe, he gets to it.
Yeah.
So he raised up and shooting.
None.
You can do about it.
You know what I mean?
So tonight, collectively from a team standpoint,
they always hit on all cylinders.
Everybody was shooting pretty much, you know,
in the high fifties or, you know, from, from the field.
I thought they'd done a great job tonight.
You know, just really bouncing back,
knowing that they had to win this game too
by the degree to go on the road to Denver.
Like, this was a pivotal win for them.
Nikola Jokic had his worst night.
Minus 36, plus minus.
Lowest plus minus for his career.
He had six fouls, six turnovers.
He had six buckets.
I agree with you.
I thought everybody came out with a sense of urgency, with a purpose.
They are very unselfish.
They only had nine turnovers, but they turned the nuggets over 20 times.
And when you turn a team over that many times, you're going to get some easy buckets.
You get easy buckets, and all of a sudden you got the crowd into the game,
and they didn't stop.
Everything.
I mean, they got so many easy shots.
You look at Shea with 11 of 13, Hardenstein 6 of 7, Jalen Williams 6 of 11,
1 of 2, 1 of 1.
I mean, you got the role players coming in, but for the most part,
at one point in time, they were shooting 59, 60% from the floor.
Yeah, it's just this.
You let a team shoot 60% from the floor.
You let a team shoot over 40% from the three. You let a team shoot over 90% from the floor. Yeah, this, this, this. You let a team shoot 60% from the floor. You let a team shoot
over 40% from the three.
You let a team shoot
over 90% from the free throw line.
This is what you're going to get, Ocho.
It's kind of like you got
a guy throws for 300,
he got a 200-yard rusher,
and two receivers
over 100 yards.
100 yards.
They're going to have
40-plus points.
Milder.
Milder, yeah.
Ocho, when you look
at the Nuggets,
106 points,
considering how well they played to come back and win that game.
What was most disappointing about what you saw from the Nuggets?
I mean, obviously, they allowed SGA to set the tone.
I mean, the entire team, there was really nothing they could do.
There was really nothing.
Yoko's obviously had a bad night.
Yoko's had a bad night.
Porter didn't do much.
Aaron Gordon didn't do much. Porter hasn't done much this series,
but go ahead.
He hasn't,
but I think it's not what the Nuggets didn't do,
but it's what,
it's what,
it's what OKC did.
They came out on fire, boy.
They came out on fire,
and they understood,
you know what,
there was no reason we was supposed to let that first game.
Y'all wasn't supposed to win the first game.
So we don't come in here.
We ain't finna play around.
We ain't finna bull drive around.
We finna set the tone earlier and everything coming, everything starting,
stops.
Where's Yate?
Man, he set the tone right away.
On how he 11, he was 11 for 11 from the line.
Then he 11 for 13 in field goals.
Then he had, man, he was efficient all night.
Then you got the bench, the goddamn bench
going crazy, Joe.
Yeah.
Them boys coming in,
they scoring.
So, I mean,
I don't think there was
anything the men
could have done
to win this game tonight.
Absolutely not.
I agree with you.
I think the thing is
that he's the head
of the snake.
And so when he goes,
all of a sudden,
he see a couple shots go in.
Everybody saw a couple
shots go in.
Chen got off to a really
great start.
He atoned for those two missed free throws. I'm sure he'd like to have those back,
but unfortunately, you don't get those back. He was perfect from the free throw line. I mean,
they were 33 of 36. So even though they shot 36 threes, 36 free throw attempts tell me they were still extremely aggressive, Joe. Yeah. Because when you shoot that many threes,
that's telling me you are extremely aggressive.
Even though you still got 30 plus three-point shots up,
you got 36 attempts from the free throw line.
So I'm not settling.
Hit, hit, Boston, we're going to get to you in just a second.
They're putting pressure on the defense.
Hey, you're going to have to slide, continuously slide.
And guess what?
They're on the glass. They were on the glass tonight. They get
second chance. They were diving on the floor.
They were getting loose balls. They were not
going to let this game slip by them tonight.
And they won the ball game. I thought
they were going to win by 50, have another 50
point win, because if I'm not mistaken,
they beat Memphis, I think, the first
game by 50 plus. And it looked
like they were about to have another one.
But when you score 45, 42, 37, that game is over.
I mean, by the time your start is going to be set,
that big one will be chilling.
Because, well, SGA played 30 minutes.
Nobody else played more than 30 minutes.
SGA played the most.
Holmgren played 26.
Jalen Williams played 26.
Hartenstein played 22.
Lou Dort played 27. And then you played 26. Hartenstein played 22. Lou Dort played 27.
And then you got your role players playing 12.
The most, I'd say, Joe, he played 17.
He had 14 points.
But that's good.
The next game is what, Saturday?
I think the next game is Saturday.
So now you get a head start on rest.
You get recovery.
The guys probably had ice on their knees and their ankles at the start.
And now you get two days
off, so they're going to... Huh?
Oh, the game is Friday? Okay.
Well, hell, this was an easy game
for them. This was an easy lift. This was like a shoot-around.
Yeah.
Okay, see, this is good for them, though.
You know, a good confidence boost for getting ready to go on
the road, you know, playing in Denver. It's going
to be a tough atmosphere, you know. You know, Denver
is going to play a lot better at home.
You know Porter, hopefully he plays better, him and Gordon.
I'm not so sure I wouldn't start Russ.
I mean, I've seen it.
I mean, at some point in time, I got to get more out of him, Joe.
I mean, I'm getting zero points.
I'm getting two points in the first half.
That's not enough.
But don't you think it's better to have Russ coming off the bench
to give you that energy, to give you that spark?
I know you're giving that energy, but he's giving
you energy and you're so far in the hole.
Yeah, yeah. You see what I'm saying? Because
you see, you spotted him. I mean, you have
a 2-0 lead, and the next thing you know,
your down is 20-4.
And the next thing you know, it's
36-12. I don't think they're going to do
that, though. Okay, old Chuck. I don't think so either.
I think they're going to keep Westbrook coming off the bench because of his spark,
you know, his emotional leadership that he brings.
Right.
They need that.
They don't need him in their starting lineup.
I'm sorry.
I don't want to see him in the starting lineup.
I want to see him continue to come off the bench.
But I think if you Denver, man, you got to kind of just ball this one up and throw it
out the window, bro.
You got to watch him.
You can't even watch film on this, man.
We down.
There's no pluses that you could take away from it.
You just got to be happy with the fact that you went to OKC.
You won the first game.
You got the game.
You got one.
So, to me, it kind of looked like they just kind of, you know, they were.
It looked like they were satisfied with that one.
That's exactly what I was going to say. It looked like they were kind of satisfied a little bit
as I'm watching it, because they ain't had
that bite back or that sense
of urgency that you need to compete on the road.
And I'm like, man, being down 50 on the road,
that's crazy. In the playoffs, like,
I've never seen nothing like that. Like, okay,
we're ready for this moment.
Hey, I know, and Joe,
I know it's really early,
but did the Thunder official announce themselves as a legit finals threat?
Or do you still think them is going to come out with the series?
Oh, they been did that.
I mean, you don't win as many games as they won and not be a serious contender.
I know everybody said they're young.
They're still the youngest team in the NBA.
But if you look at this, Ocho, they've beaten a lot of teams like this in the regular season.
Yeah, but this is a seven-game series, though.
It's different.
It's the playoffs.
It's a seven-game series.
Can they continuously do this throughout the series, though?
The way they play tonight.
No, nobody can do that.
I mean, there's a reason why.
Think about what they did.
Think about what you just said.
Can they continuously do this?
But yeah, can they continuously?
They won 67 games for a reason.
Right. They beat the best teams
in the NBA and they beat them decisively.
If you look at that plus
margin of victory, it's been
sensational. It's been one of the best
in NBA history. So absolutely
they've been announced themselves
because if you think about it, last year
they kind of underperformed
because Luka
and Kyrie did a number on them.
They were really young.
They're still the youngest team in the NBA, but they're absolutely,
you know what you're going to get.
They got those two bigs and they got the MVP.
Now, Jalen Williams had his best game, but if you think about it,
he still didn't shoot.
He wasn't that efficient.
He's better than, he's an all-star.
He's better than what he's been showing in the postseason.
So what happens when he gets it going?
This was Shea's best game.
Now, Shea has played some games, but he was shooting 41% coming into this game.
Well, 42%, 41.7%.
So now this is more like the Shea we're used to seeing.
A guy that can give you 30 or 50-plus percent shooting.
That's what we're used to seeing.
Them playing like that, no.
Do I think they're going to get to 149?
Probably not.
No.
But do I think they can play just the—
even if you don't score 149,
you can still play well and not get 149.
You can play well and get 120 or 125, 130.
But you have—I mean, think about it, Ocho.
That's the most points in NBA history in a half.
Yeah.
Yeah.
The NBA been going on
for 77,
damn near 80 years.
Yeah.
So the Nuggets team,
they don't have nothing
to be worried about.
Nuggets fans,
is it a bad,
it's just a bad,
is this a bad game
or should they be worried?
They should be worried.
I mean,
the Thunder was
the number one seed
for a reason.
Okay.
They're not a fluke.
They're not.
This has been building.
And it goes, you know, last year probably was a year early.
Right.
They've arrived.
Yeah.
They've arrived.
They believe.
I think they definitely have arrived, but, you know, they've been tested
because now they got to go on the road
to play against a tough Denver team, and they
have to win in Denver.
They got to win one to get their home court back.
They got to win one to get their home court back.
Look, I think coming
into this series with OKC
being out for such time
in Denver, going through that grueling
seven-game series with the Clippers,
they came in with a little momentum.
And I think they kind of hit OKC in the mouth and it shocked them.
Now, I think they took a step back, but today they took a step forward
as far as regaining their confidence, coming out playing OKC basketball,
playing their pressed-up, dogged-up defense from start to finish.
I mean, this was an awesome game by OKC,
and it's just momentum going into game three in Denver.
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The Knicks storm back to beat
the Celtics. The Knicks are going home with a 2-0 lead in the number two seed Boston Celtics.
20-point comeback.
Consecutive days.
This is the first time this has happened in the playoffs since the tracking started in 1998.
Jalen Brunson, again, nine points, three of six, two of two from the free throw line.
The Knicks, I mean, uh-huh.
17 points.
Oh, this is a fourth quarter stat.
Oh, okay.
The Knicks have scored 226 points in the fourth quarter of this postseason.
This is the most by any team.
There's a reason why Jalen Brunson won the Clutch Award.
He's that.
But I thought the guy that really saved them was Mikael Bridges.
Mikael Bridges had no points.
And in the fourth quarter, he goes and gets 14.
Yeah.
And the Celtics are not going to learn.
You keep saying that they won the championship.
At some point in time, they're going to realize.
You see what happens when them threes don't follow, Joe?
Yeah.
You get a 20-point lead and you keep shooting threes.
And the next thing you know, it's a 12-point lead.
It's an eight-point lead.
And now, all of a sudden, they got a one-point lead or three-point lead on you. Well, hold on. I got a question, Joe. It's an eight point lead. And now all of a sudden they got a one point lead or three point lead on you.
Well, hold on. I got a question, Joe.
Listen, if you live and die
by the three, at what point do you make adjustments?
Isn't that on the head coach? If you know
you have a team, you have players
that can play. You have offensive
players that you can run. And you
steadily just chucking up threes and they not
going in. At what point
do you call the time out
and change something about Ocho Ocho they ain't got nothing to do with Joe Mazzola they ain't got
nothing to do with the coach I put the the onus and blame on Tatum and Brown you know yes because
they are the most talented duo that we have in the NBA right now right nobody can guard them too
it took it took them halfway through the first quarter
before Jalen Brown decided to go mid-post.
And, you know, he got an end one from the mid-post.
He shot the ball, got an end one.
Come right back down, he in the mid-post again.
He scored another bucket.
Well, that kind of got him going.
Then next thing you know, he in his bag to start off.
I think he got off to a great start.
He was ready.
Right, right.
And then what happened, Joe?
They started jacking up threes.
It's like, they started jacking up all these threes.
I'm like, bro, y'all got to keep going to the wheel.
You know, keep getting water from there, man.
Like, keep milking that.
Because even though New York got some wings that can guard,
I just don't think, I think if Tatum,
I think Tatum and Brown got another level they can go to,
and I think they just letting them dudes off the hook, man,
going with them step-back jump shots.
Them dudes shooting 10, 11, 12, 15 threes a game.
Okay, Ocho, we're in the playoffs, man.
I expect the best, the cream to rise to the top as far as talent-wise,
and I look forward to Tatum and Brown, man,
starting to get to that cup, bro.
Like, you can't keep selling for all these threes.
You know, the middie, I always talk about the mid-range game,
but it's always open because they got a lot in their bag.
And what we got to do is give New York a lot of credit, though.
Give New York a lot of credit for them guys sitting down,
switching on defense, and just playing man-to-man,
good one-on-one man-to-man defense and making them dudes take tough shots.
When you look at it,
Mikael Bridges in game two
in the fourth quarter, he was sensational. 14 points.
All of his points came in the fourth quarter. He had
seven rebounds, five assists, and two steals.
But like you said, Jason Tatum,
5 of 20 from the field.
Jalen Brown, 8 of 23 from the field.
2 of 7 from the 3, 1 of 5.
Al Horford has been bad.
The first two games, Al Horford has been bad.
And you see, this is the cat I've been asking for.
What did he do, Ocho?
He took his big butt down to the post.
In the block, in the post.
And gave it to Al.
Yeah.
He wasn't selling for no threes.
He shouldn't settle for the three. He attempted one three tonight. Yeah. He wasn't selling for no threes. He shouldn't settle for the three.
He attempted one three tonight.
Yeah.
One.
He was aggressive.
This is, see, this is Cat.
Carl Anthony Towns liked to shoot threes.
Cat liked to get his big butt down on the block and punish folks.
They got nobody can guard him.
Don't let him off the hook.
Yeah.
Yeah.
I agree. I agree.
I agree.
Say all.
Hey.
Hey, Cat controlled the interior man against the Celtics all game long.
He out-rebounded the Knicks.
I mean, hold on.
He out-rebounded the Knicks.
I mean, the Knicks.
He out-rebounded the Celtics.
Damn, they're all by itself.
Yeah.
The thing is. itself. Yeah.
The thing is, this family. Yeah, 21-17.
Yeah.
I still don't understand, Joe and Unk.
I don't understand.
Unk, when we play two halves, right, and we go into halftime,
the first thing we do if something's not working,
what we normally do, we scrap it.
We go to something else.
So y'all two sitting here telling me this is the way they play,
and they're going to live and die by the three.
Well, something got to change because this
is looking, y'all told me,
both of y'all told me that the Celtics
is gonna win this series. And the way it's looking
right now, it's about to be a gentleman's sweep.
The other guy's the other way.
Oh, look. Now,
we do have to
pause a little bit because this series
ain't over, bro.
I know, I know, I know.
But down two, that makes it that much more difficult.
Yeah, but they the best road team in the NBA.
For whatever reason, they've been the best road team in the NBA and they play well on the road.
Whether it's just because it's just them players in their locker room,
I don't know what it is, but they squandered away two games.
So I look for a sense of desperation coming from the Celtics
when they go to New York.
Now, New York going to be live.
Them people going to be in there ready, man.
They going to be in there ready.
And Best Bank League will be out of the day.
Oh, man, man.
It's going to be – he looking to do the right thing.
Hold on.
Hey, you know what?
He going to be crooked.
He's cool days.
However you want to say it.
Spike going to be on one.
Yeah.
Hey, Joe.
What's up?
I'm glad you just said that.
You said the Celtics now are being an act of desperation.
Yeah.
So, what's the first thing when a team that is desperate,
what's the first thing they're going to do?
Go do what they know how to do best, right?
And jack up three.
Nah.
And how has that worked the past two games?
I got them.
Joe, you said it.
Joe, they were doing good too, Joe.
I know.
They were driving the ball, getting the ball to the paint,
and then all of a sudden.
I mean, they got
through like three offensive rebounds.
Three, miss, three,
miss, three, and they're talking about
I'm not talking about, it's like
in the second half, I could kind of
feel it, like, just dwindling away.
It's like, I don't know, man. New York,
you know, in the fourth quarter especially, they just
went into another gear, and the only thing New York want to do, in the fourth quarter especially, they just went into another gear.
And the only thing New York want to do, they just want to hang around.
Okay, Ocho.
That's it.
They want to be.
They just want to have a fighting chance with the last five minutes of the game.
And it's like from the Detroit series now to this series against Boston,
they have kept themselves alive.
Man, they've been down 20 points in both games on the road,
and you come back, and in the fourth quarter,
under five minutes, you have a fighting chance.
And every time they've came through in clutch moments,
they've made big plays defensively.
Give Mikael Bridges his props because he's played.
Josh Hart, too.
Yeah, give Josh Hart his credit, too.
But I'm just speaking from Mikael making these huge plays
at the end of game one
and the end of game two.
Yep.
Yeah.
I don't know.
I got to bet.
Coach O, they had gotten so far out of rhythm.
See, the thing is, when you take so many threes,
you've forgotten how to run set plays.
Because all you're doing is used to jacking up threes.
You put the high pick, and guess what?
Launch a three.
They get the switch launcher
three three launcher three so now in the fourth and now in the last final two minutes of the game
when you need something going to the basket it's hard to get some now they gotta had a great play
with jason tatum they got the high pick and he split it and he dunked the ball they tried to run
that same play but og did a great job of sinking and wouldn't let it, so they had it leveled off.
And they pushed him to the corner.
And so he got there, and there's Mitchell Robinson,
and there's Mikael Bridges.
So they had him hemmed up, and he really couldn't go anywhere.
So he's looking to pass the ball.
Mikael Bridges deflected.
He got it and threw it ahead.
But that's what happens.
When you're used to jacking up, it's like a football game.
When all you're doing is used to Atlanta.
All they were used to doing was throwing the ball, throwing the ball.
Now, all of a sudden, Ocho, you need to run the ball to take some time off the clock.
We ain't got no running players, Ocho.
Oh, it's a New England game.
Yes.
So because guess what?
In the second half, you ran the ball less than the new england and they were the
ones that was down 28 to 3 so how is that possible you got fewer rush attempts and you up by 25
then the team that's down by 25 make it make sense yeah and you see what happens think about
how they got the lead got a 20 point lead they running the ball lay up holiday doing what he's
doing look they're trying to get
Holiday. They're trying to pick Holiday off of
Brunson. They want anybody
else. They're trying to get the matchup. They're going to
get the matchup with Pritchett. If he's in there, they
want that matchup. If they got
Al
Horford. Hey, Al,
you busy? Come in and let me holler at you right quick.
So, hey,
you see Brunson? He has it. He got that right quick. So he, hey, and you see brother, he has it.
He got that heavy.
Hey, he up fake him.
You jump, he going around you.
Now, if you sit, hand down, Mark Jackson.
If you hand down, man down.
Yeah, right.
And he pulling.
So, look, at some point in time, it looks good, Ocho.
They took, and you're not Golden State.
Jason Tatum and Jalen Brown, you're not Golden State.
You're not Stephen Clay.
You're never going to be known as the greatest shooting backcourt
in NBA history.
It's not going to happen.
So I don't care if you shoot 1,000 threes each of you.
I mean, you shoot 1,000.
Derek White shoot 1,000.
That's 3,000 threes
between those three players.
Nobody is ever going to confuse
you three guys with Steph and Clay.
It's not going to happen.
Man, listen.
We got to give New York credit, though.
Okay, Ocho.
You know, see,
the thing that's keeping Al
and their bigs, you know, limited
is because when they run a pick and roll,
they're not doubling the ball,
they're not doing nothing, they're is because when they run a pick and roll, they're not doubling the ball. They're not doing nothing.
They're switching.
And they make Jalen Brown and Jason Tatum
going to their bag.
And you're going to have to show us something
to where if you can score 30 or 40 one-on-one,
okay, cool, we're going to deal with that.
But the thing is, Boston has had a hard time.
Jalen Brown and Jason Tatum has had a tough time
against Mikael Bridges, OG.
Josh Hart.
Josh Hart.
OG.
You know, even Kat.
Kat just sat down and guarded Tatum and Brown on multiple occasions.
So, you know, those dudes are there for the fight, man.
They ain't playing.
They come to win.
And they've shown in both games just such a gritty, gritty, tough team, bro.
They've been like that the whole year.
And when you watch these dudes play, you look at they starting five and all the
minutes that they packing in, I'm like,
man.
Mikel Bridges had 43 tonight.
OG had 38.
Towns had 35.
Brunson had 38. Josh Hart had 43.
Yeah.
Maybe it's just me,
but Jalen Brown got the loosest
handles I've seen in about NBA superstar
player. A guy that that's good,
his handles shouldn't be that loose, Joe.
No, they shouldn't be.
He had six turnovers a day.
Yeah, I'm talking about his handles.
And it plagued him.
You remember when they lost to Golden State?
It was his handles. He kept getting the ball
swiped. He couldn't score consistent.
And Jason Tatum was even worse than Jalen Brown, if you can believe that.
But they fixed it.
They righted it wrong.
They ended up winning the championship.
But they better get in there.
Hey, the worst thing you can do is give a guy confidence.
Oh, man.
A guy knock you down in a fight, he might not.
Oh, he a heavy underdog.
And the longer you leave a guy around, Ocho,
the more he think he can beat you. That's what
happened with Buster Douglas. See, all of a sudden,
Mike Tyson been getting him out there in the first three.
And now we in deep water.
I don't know how well you can swim. I know in the
kiddie pool you can stand your ass up, and the
water's only waist deep. I got your
ass right here. Your feet can't touch the bottom.
Hey, listen. New York
don't plan on coming back to Boston, guys.
They don't plan. No, I know they don't. They don't plan on it. Hey, listen. New York don't plan on coming back to Boston, guys. They don't plan. No, I don't.
They don't plan on it.
Hey, listen, it's not looking good.
I don't know how many Celtics fans we have in the chat that are watching.
I would like to know in the chat if you feel like the Celtics have
an opportunity or a chance to come back.
Please let me know.
Please let me know because based on what I've seen the past two games
and the little bit of knowledge I know from watching the games the past two,
three years, it's not looking good.
Chan, I know you're mad, you're upset.
Nixon 5.
Hey.
Think about the Celtics shot 15 free throws.
Now, they've missed 75 threes in two games.
Damn. Damn.
75.
They shot 25%.
They shot 25% tonight.
Ash, what did they shoot the other night on Monday?
It was 15 or 60.
Hey, listen.
Hey, Joe, they're not going to look like that the rest of the series, though. They're going to have a game with Derek White as well. Yeah, you said they weren't not gonna look like that
the rest of the series though
they don't have a game
with Derek White as well
with Daniel Brown as well
you said they weren't gonna look
like this in game two
that's two games
who said that
I said that
they shot
guess what
they shot 25%
the first game
yeah I think
I think the Knicks
I think the Knicks
making an emphasis
you know I know
I know the Celtics missed a few wide opens but I think the Knicks making an emphasis. You know, I know the Celtics missed a few wide opens,
but I think the Knicks making an emphasis not to give up wide open,
you know, too many wide opens.
Yes.
Right.
They contested everything.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
They making it tough, man.
They making them dudes work, you know, on both ends of the floor.
And I'm not sure if it's taking their legs, but Boston do look a little hobbled.
They got a guy that, you know, Tatum don't look like he moving that great.
Holiday don't look like he moving that great. Holiday don't look like he moving that great.
Well, Holiday's just coming off that hamstring, so I expect him to be,
and, you know, they're making him work.
I mean, the guard Brunson, I mean, he's taking all he got because Brunson,
hey, they running them off picks and they keep picking him
and doing all those things.
They're going to make you go side to side.
Cat, this is what I'm talking about, Cat.
One three-point attempt. He punished
Al on the block.
They ended up having to put Jalen Brown on him, but
Jalen too small.
You're too small. Jalen too small.
Jason Tatum too small. They ain't got nobody that can deal
with Cat. If Cat make up in his mind,
and this is what we've been asking
Cat to do. See, this is what we asked
Cat to do against
Dallas last year.
But no, he wanted to shoot threes.
And the game that he went down
on the block, they ended up winning, Ocho.
But then guess what? Next game, he come back out there.
Hold on. Porzingis?
They can't make the adjustment
to Porzingis at the final?
He too light, right? He needs some
cinder blocks in his back pocket. I know.
But see, you got to have somebody with some size and some length in order to deal with cattle.
You're going to get the same goddamn results.
Hey, look here.
You not catching no tuna on no cane pole.
Cane pole is for brim.
Cane pole is for small catfish.
But listen to what you just said, Joe.
You're not even the coach for the Celtics.
Matter of fact, hold on.
You're not even the coach for the Knicks.
But you just said what to do to win this series.
Yeah.
Do the same thing.
They didn't got nobody to deal with cat.
Go back to old school ball.
Go back to old school.
Have Brunson bring it up.
And have that goddamn
cat ass in that
goddamn post
or instead of
the top of the key.
I think,
I think Tibbs,
Coach Tibbs,
he like getting
cat on the move
on the goal.
Like,
I don't think he really
want him in like
stand still.
You know what I mean?
Like,
he's dumping it down
there to him.
Like,
I know they will do it,
especially in the
fourth quarter.
They've done it quite a bit,
you know, going down the stretch, but to start the game off, they try to get it moving more. Pick do it, especially in the fourth quarter. They've done it quite a bit, going down the stretch, but
to start the game off, they try to get it moving.
More pick and roll, pick and pop,
things of that sort, but
it's kind of Boston taking that pick and pop away
a little bit, too, because they switch everything as well
on each other.
They do.
And they got Lillie to defend.
Al's normally a better defender
than that, but Derrick White can defend.
Holiday and Derrick White both was all on the all-defensive team.
We saw Jalen Brown do a great job on Luka last year in the playoffs.
Al Horford is normally a better defender
than what he's been showing these first two games.
I think he'll pick that up.
But the thing is, is that, you know, like you said,
we got to give the Knicks some credit.
The Knicks are executing their offense,
especially when the rubber needs to meet the roll.
This is, look, I don't want to hear how good your offense is
or your defense is if you can't get done what you need to get done
when you absolutely got to have it.
We talk about this all the time, Joe, in football.
Ocho and I, I said, yeah, man, they got the best offense in football,
but they couldn't stay on the field on third down.
They couldn't get a first down.
They couldn't get the ball in field goal range.
Well, that don't tell me how good you are.
Okay, my defense, they're giving up 10 points a game.
Well, why you let them go right down the field and score a touchdown
and win the game?
So it doesn't matter what your statistics say.
It only matters can you get done what you need to get done
when you absolutely have to have it.
And right now when the Knicks need to get it, I don't know what they are offensively in the regular season.
I don't know what they are defensively in the regular season.
But I know this, when they need to get stops, they get them.
I know when they need to get buckets, they get it.
It's really that simple.
I mean, we can make sports as complicated as we want to we could talk about the
one you know we could do one flat you know one floor and we could do the pick and pop and we
can do all we can do all this we can do floppy we can do pin downs and we can do flares call it
whatever you want can you put the ball in the bucket when you need to need it can you stop them
from putting the ball in the bucket when they need to and right now one team from putting the ball in the bucket when they need to? And right now, one team can put the ball
in the bucket when they need to and stop
the team from putting it in the bucket when they need to
and the other team can't. It's really that simple.
Yeah, I want to play devil's advocate
real quick, Uncle Joe.
So think about this.
Now, I'm assuming at some point
that the Celtics are going to
play well, right?
Derek White's going to be on.
Jalen Brown's going to be on.
Tatum's going to show up and do what he's used to doing, right?
But what happens if they go in the Knicks, win game three?
What happens?
Just so happens they steal a game.
They ain't winning 4-3.
Because, Ocho, you said what happened when the Celtics play?
Well,
what happened when the Knicks play?
Well,
the Knicks shot 43%.
They shot 29% from the three.
Right.
Make it seem like they playing.
Well,
they're not.
Okay.
But I'm just saying,
that's why I said,
let me,
let me,
let's play devil advocate game three.
What happens if they steal game three to New York?
Yeah.
And they bossing back against the wall.
They can't,
man,
listen,
they got to do
whatever they can
game three
to go into Madison Square
and win their game,
bro.
I don't care how,
you can win ugly,
you can win pretty,
but you can't.
But you got to win.
Ocho,
they can't go in
that game three
and come out of there
down 0-3,
bro.
Nah,
they can't.
I don't see a scenario
where they winning four straight. You don't see a scenario where they winning
four straight.
You don't see a scenario
where...
If they go down 0-3,
I don't see a scenario
where Boston win
four straight.
Nah.
See, I knew I should've bet,
y'all.
I knew I should've bet
because some just told me
everybody,
every analyst,
every punnett,
the basketball experts,
everybody had themselves
just winning
and the Knicks are proving
everybody wrong. Well, they proving all y'all, and the Knicks are proving everybody wrong.
Well, they're proving all y'all wrong,
and I just, I don't know.
I know what I'm seeing.
I know what I'm seeing,
and I just don't,
for the life of me,
I don't understand.
Okay, the threes aren't working.
Run some goddamn plays.
What the F are we doing?
I'm saying not we,
excuse me, my bad,
but what are they doing?
It's kind of, Ocho, in the football term, when you're throwing the ball,
bro, run it.
Bro, it's like Kansas City.
We saw that in the Super Bowl.
We were like, hey, man, you got to take some pressure off Patrick Mahomes.
But they really ain't run the ball all year.
Their offensive line has been bad.
Yeah.
And so now you get Pacheco who's just coming back off injury.
Clyde Edwards and Laird, they had released him
because he had some things going on, dealing with some things.
They signed some running, but I forget who they signed.
And they had the guy from Cincinnati.
What's the guy?
With the big beard.
I forgot his name.
I forgot his last name.
I forget him.
He caught the play in the championship game against Buffalo
to run the timeout.
But when you're not used to doing something, Ocho,
it's hard to go...
You're used to throwing the ball. Boston's used to
shooting the three. So it's hard to tell them,
okay, guys, let's just run some sets now.
Well, we've been jacking up threes all year.
They can't run sets, though,
because
New York is switching
everything. So they switch
and you may catch Brunson, Gardner, Al Horford.
You know what I mean?
You want to try to take Brunson to that.
But outside of that, you know, you just hope that Tatum or Brown just take the initiative.
Catch it at the elbow, catch it at the high post or whatever.
They probably ain't even got to take a dribble to even get a shot out.
But you need them dudes more aggressive, more active,
probably even less picking roles,
and they got to try to get to the basket, man.
If not, settle for some of them mid-range shots
versus just settling for 15 threes a night, you know, a piece.
You can't have that.
Yeah, they need to play better.
Cat versus Boston, he had 21.17 rebounds.
He's the first Knicks to reach those numbers in a playoff game
since Carmelo did it in 2011.
Jason Tatum in game two, he was 13 points, 14 rebounds,
shot five of 20 from the field.
Is it time to talk about Jason Tatum?
Because he has not shot the ball well.
See, we go back and look at those 35.
Oh, he had three straight games of 35 points,
30 plus more points against Orlando.
But look at the shooting percentage.
Look how many shots it took him to get that.
He's shooting 40% from the floor.
Yeah, it is time to have a serious conversation
about Jason Tatum.
Because everybody still want to harp
on what happened in France.
That happened.
We can't go back.
We won the gold medal.
Yeah, I'm sure
everybody would have
loved to play
17 to 20 minutes.
But that wasn't
going to be the case.
It's never been the case.
Just like on the
original Dream Team
in 96 and 2000,
the Redeem Team
in a row,
or whatever the case may be.
Everybody over there
is deserving.
And, well, he got guys on his teammates holiday playing.
I don't care about that.
That's over.
We got the gold medal.
Let's talk about him now in the playoffs and those shooting percentage.
They beat an Orlando team that they should have beat.
Now he struggled shooting the basketball in these playoffs.
And he struggled struggling
shooting it again.
And it's time to have a conversation.
It ain't about no hate. We're going to take
the face of the NBA off the table.
They got nothing to do with it right now.
Let's talk about him
and his play currently.
Yeah. He's not the face. We know who the
face of the NBA is. No, I'm saying we're going to take that off the table for the time being. In currently. Yeah. He's not the face. We know who the face of the NBA is. No, I'm saying,
we're going to take that off the table
for the time being.
The conversation in general.
Right.
I think he still has a chance to,
you know,
come out and redeem himself
in this series.
Like I said,
the series ain't over.
I think they're a great,
you know,
road team,
and the testament of a true champion
is how you bounce back and defeat.
Right. I think, you know, if, obviously, we know they got championship pedigree. and the testament of a true champion is how you bounce back and defeat.
Right.
I think, you know, if – obviously, we know they got championship pedigree.
They won last year.
This is probably going to be the hardest task that they're going to have to deal with going into New York trying to win game three.
That's all they need to be trying to do at this point.
Don't even worry about game four.
We just need to do whatever we can to get game three.
And that's their biggest challenge at this point. I'm Michael Kasson, founder and CEO of 3C Ventures and your guide on Good Company,
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Get some confidence. They need confidence.
Because right now, I don't care what they're saying.
Now, they're going to say all the right things, Ocho.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
It's kind of like you in the corner,
and that guy done beat the hell out of you for six rounds.
You right there, champ.
He fading.
No, he not, coach.
Somebody here helping him.
Somebody helping him because I'm looking for the right.
He's killing me with that lead.
You know, it's only one way for him to get confidence, right?
Your shot's got to fall. In order for Jason Tatum to get in rhythm he gotta
keep shooting even if
I'm sure obviously it depends I don't know
how his mental is you know some players
are mentally strong they could be
in a slump they don't care they gonna keep
pulling the trigger
if he have a mental block but his
series might be over especially
if they come to the guard
and they win game three
man please
I got Boston showing some grit
I got them showing
they
so you
hold on
hold on Joe
hold on now
go ahead
when is game three
Saturday
Saturday
so Joe you got Boston you got Boston winning game three Saturday yeah I got Boston winning game three on saturday saturday so so joe you got you got boston you got boston winning game
three saturday yeah i got boston winning game three are you sure about that you want you want
to put a look you want to pull a change on that man you so flickle bro i'm scared to even bet
but you ain't gonna lie to you joe no no we're gonna make it light i'm saying how would you go
bet it mojo huh how would you go bet it just acho? Huh? How much you going to bet it? Just a light $100. Nah, okay.
All right, all right, Ocho.
Yeah, a little $100.
A little $100.
A little $100.
That ain't nothing.
That ain't nothing.
Hey, this is how you know Jason Tatum not being aggressive.
He shot two free throws.
Yeah.
Jalen Brown shot four free throws.
Those are your two best players,
and they shot a combined six free throws between the two of them.
Yeah.
Wait, it's hard to get to the hole.
It's hard to get to the paint. It's hard to get to the paint. It's hard to
even get in there.
It's hard to shoot free throws when you're shooting threes.
Oh, Joe, I ain't following
no jump shooter. Hell, I'm going to let you shoot it.
If you want to stand up there and chunk it,
hey, if you want to stand up there and chunk
it in the ocean, go right ahead.
You ain't doing no damage.
That's why I say we got to give new york credit man it ain't it ain't that it ain't that easy like them dudes sitting down
they they playing they gone they playing you know i mean like they ain't just giving them dudes no
layups i just think tatum and brown are so talented they talented enough to be able to impose their
will as far as scoring the basketball like nobody should be able to stop
them too they too gifted bro they got too many tools in a toolbox they just using this one wrench
man you gotta bring something else about that toolbox bro but but but joe you know when you
have success doing something it's hard for you you hey if kareem would have his i mean think about it
if somebody could take away that sky hook what is k Kareem going to go to? He's had success with the sky
hook so much, that's all he knows.
Because they've shot the ball so
well from three. They've made the three.
Oh, you know, when they lose a
game and they shot 33s, I tell them what the problem
is, we should have shot 40. We should have shot
50. So that's ingrained in their mind.
So now, hey, let's
not go to the basket. Let's not try to get fouled.
Let's not try to do that. Let's just stand back here and jack threes. Eventually, they're going to go in. They now, hey, let's not go to the basket. Let's not try to get fouled. Let's not try to do that.
Let's just stand back here and jack threes.
Eventually, they're going to go in.
They might, but they might not go in in this series.
They are deadly when they're attacking the basket.
Like I say, early in the game, man, when they were getting to the cup,
making plays, you know, getting second chance offensive points,
you know, things of that sort.
Because, see, when you attack the basket, even if you don't miss,
you give yourself a chance to get a putback or something.
But, man, when you're just out there shooting them long threes, man,
and they bouncing out,
they fast breaking it the other way.
You know what I mean?
It's a momentum buster.
And that's what them threes are doing, man.
They lead to, you know, mismatches on the other end.
I mean, I'm looking at Al Horford. the other end. I'm not Cleo.
You know, I'm not really one that's able to tell the future.
I think the final going to be Nixon-Walls.
You think Nixon who?
Walls.
Walls. You think Nixon who? Wolves. Wolves.
I know y'all probably don't like it.
Hey, far-fetched, JoJo.
Yeah, I'm telling you.
I don't know if the Wolves can beat the Thunder.
I'm telling you.
Or a lisp.
Because here's the thing. If the Wolves play their best and the thunder play their best who you taking joe i'm probably taking okay see
you told y'all told me it was gonna be a gentleman sweeping this series and they down to oh so
i mean but that ain't okay see hey yeah ifOTP. I think if you'd have said, if you'd have said, if you'd have said,
I think you said to Nick,
hey, we're going to talk about them in a minute,
but don't you sleep on Indiana now.
Yeah.
Because Indiana's going to push the pace, make a miss.
They'll get it out the basket or they'll get it out the rim,
but they're pushing tempo.
Right.
They're going to make you, they're going to make you,
they're going to make you defend quick.
They're cutting their backs. they're doing an unbelievable job and they jason tatum in the first jason tatum in the first half one for seven two
points jaylen brown in the second half one for seven three points four turnovers now your two
best players that's what they gave you yeah they need they need way more contribution from them, too. Like I say, man, I just think they have to assert themselves into the game, you know, not waiting for these three-point opportunities or these switches and mismatches. Man, sometimes you got to go take it, bro. You got to initiate yourself with this crash in the glass, getting easy layups, backdoor, setting picks, things of that sort. Because they're too talented, Argon Ocho. They're too talented.
And like I said, they won.
A proven champion. They won it last year.
This is just a test and a
stepping stone into their
legacy as far as how they want to be
remembered.
If they're trying to repeat,
obviously they know they got to dig themselves out this deep
hole, which I think they can do.
The thing I like to tell people
all the time Joe
I say there have been
plenty of teams
that's won one in a row
right
right
to be special go repeat
football
basketball
baseball
hockey
it doesn't matter
repeat
there have been a lot of teams
that won one in a row
yeah
you got to be locked in
there's a reason why
you have so many
have so few
repeat champions
go look at the sports
now you know
I mean way back
we used to get it a lot
I mean I think the Islanders
I mean back in the late 70s
80s they won four straight
Stanley Cups
basketball you get
I mean think about it
you get the three-peat Lakers
you get the three-peat Celtics
did it twice
nobody else three-peated nowakers. You get the three-peat Celtics. Did it twice. Nobody else three-peated.
Now, the Celtics ran off eight straight.
But the great Spurs team, they never three-peated.
That big three Celtics, they never three-peated.
I mean, as a matter of fact, the Celtics and Spurs never won back-to-back.
It's hard to do to keep that focus
year after year
after year
it's special it's hard
you damn right it's hard
because everybody's gunning for you
one slip up
now I think it's easier
to repeat
in series sports
than in football sports than in football.
Because, see, in football, every playoff game is a game seven.
Yeah.
You don't have to be the best team that day.
That's it.
Yeah.
See, the number of times the best team will normally, in a series,
it's hard to hit four good game buzzer beaters.
Right, right, right.
Hey, all I got to do, hey, Ocho, I force a fumble, hard to hit for a good game buzzer beat right right right hey all i gotta do hey ocho yeah i
forced a fumble hey kick the walk-off game winning field goal that's it it is well my season's over
yeah i agree but i know them two big guns they better start firing
yeah tatum and brown they better start playing better hey but listen what's all you got all
they got to do is stop shooting threes.
Hey, Joe, you just said it. They got a bag, huh?
They got tools in the box.
Get to your spot.
Get to the hole. Use your MIDI.
Put the ball on the
floor. Create space.
Call for the ISO. Do something.
Or just watch the film
of the two games. It's been a tale of two halves,
man. Like, you've been up 20 in both games.
Yeah.
You know what I'm saying?
And in the third quarter.
Not the first half, because, you know, the first half,
you kind of throw that away, Joe, because, you know,
because with that three ball, anything can happen.
Right.
But you've been up by 20 in the second half.
Yeah.
Midway through the third quarter, and they walk you down.
Yeah, the past two games.
I don't know how you let that happen, man,
especially after the first one.
You know, you think you'll be prepared,
but they looked shell-shocked down the stretch, man.
They looked like they didn't know what to do
or how to do it or get to their spots.
Like, it was a lot of indecisiveness
that I wasn't used to seeing from the Celtics.
So I expect them to watch the film
and then get back to the drawing board
as far as, you know, game three,
I expect them to be a totally different team.
Meaning,
I'm not saying Tatum and Brown probably won't shoot
threes. They're going to shoot threes, but I
expect for them to be attacking, getting
to that basket,
putting the onus on the referees to make
plays, call fouls.
Hmm.
Yeah.
All season fans have asked, what do the Knicks get for the five first round picks they got
Mikael Bridges because think about it they gave up all those picks for him and I'm like that's
I'm like damn you give up those kind of picks for a guy like a Luka like a KD like a Shea or
Giannis or Yoke or Mikael Bridges I had the game winning steal and then he had the game winning
deflection so I guess that's what you got for it yeah this is why you go get Mikael Bridges? He had the game winning steal and then he had the game winning deflection. So I guess that's what you got for it.
Yeah, this is why you go get Mikael Bridges, OG.
Because you want them guys to pair
and be able to guard Tatum and Brown
and take them to the break,
which they've done these past two games.
Getting those two guys and Josh Hart,
you know, they all take turns.
By committee, defensively,
they're doing a pretty good job, man.
And they've left themselves in a chance to lay down the stretch
where they're able to win games.
Like, when it doesn't even look that pretty.
Like, they haven't even played a great brand of basketball by the way.
You know what I mean?
They still win these ugly games on the road.
So it says a lot about the New York Knicks and Coach Tom Thibodeau,
you know, and the schemes that he's been able to, you know,
oppose on the Celtics within these first couple games.
But that's the Thibs.
I mean, you'll make a look at when he coached the Bulls.
They won ugly games.
They're not a team that's going to, you know, aesthetically,
everything is flowing and looks smooth and everything.
It looks chaotic.
But they find a way to win.
They play tough, gritty basketball.
And you're absolutely right.
We need wing players.
This is why they got
Mikael Bridges.
We need somebody
that can guard Tatum and Brown.
OG can guard
and he got a big body.
You can't run through it.
Mikael Bridges is long and lanky.
Got great wingspan.
Hey, he can deflect
a lot of passes.
He can contest a lot of shots.
Now, and they still have Princess Achua.
They still got Josh Hart.
So like you said, most times they got three guys that can defend at a very, very high level.
Yeah.
Yes.
And now you got Brunson.
You got a guy like Brunson who's clutch.
Last five minutes of the ball game, game within five points.
Hey, I'm putting the ball in his
hand. It's hard to find somebody better than
Josh Hart, excuse me, than
Brunson.
It is. And a clutch situation.
It is. Big Brody Brunson.
He's shown and proven
over the years, man,
late in games, he can get to the Cups
and he's going to get you a foul or a bucket every
time. Yeah. One of the other.
It's something about them lefties though, Joe.
Why them mofos so crafty?
James Harden is like that. He's
like that. All them left-handed men, that herky
Manu Ginobili. All that
herky-jerky-ass motion. Ain't Jalen
Brown left-handed? Nah. Who?
Nah. Jalen. No?
Are you right-handed? He should never put the ball in his left hand.
No. Absolutely not.
He should not dribble left.
I agree, though.
Them lefties, I told you,
they seem like they got an advantage from the jump.
I don't know what it is,
but he is so crafty,
and he turned into the biggest five man
I ever seen in life when he get in the paint.
He go to pivoting and jump hooking up.
Like, man.
But he has been their heart and
soul bro their team you know
for the past couple years
and he will not let them lose
nope
Ant-Man effort was called
out by his head coach last night speaking to
reporters following the defeat Chris Finch said
it starts with Ant I thought he struggled
and you can just kind of see the light go out a little bit for a while but then finch expanded
on his thoughts adding what is there to talk about you're the leader of the team you got to come in
and set the tone if your shot is not going in you still have to carry that energy if i got to talk
if i've got to talk about guys having the right energy coming into over the second round we're
not on the same page and my response is, people are going to try to blame whatever,
blame whoever.
They can blame me, but we just didn't play good enough.
I like that.
I like that.
No, you.
You're the table setter, Ant.
Oh, yeah.
Ocho.
I like that.
You got to set the table.
You got to come.
I mean, what was he like?
At one point in time,
Ant-Man was like
0 for 9.
Yeah.
Mm-hmm.
He can't be that way.
Right.
Nah,
because he,
hey,
look,
he called out,
he said he wanted to smoke.
Yeah,
he wanted that.
He called all the warriors out.
He said he wanted to play
against the warriors
because Draymond
talking trash.
Well,
you know what you're going to get.
You got to step to the table.
You got to come out
with that sense of urgency, bro.
Let them dudes know
that you here.
You know what I mean?
Like, you got to come out
forcefully.
You have to force it
to start out,
but you got to put
your mark and stamp
on the game.
And I thought it took him
too long
to kind of get going.
And, hey, man,
go to stay tough, bro.
They remind me
a little bit of the Knicks
as far as defensively how they switch,
keep guys in front, and make you take tough shots.
I know they're a little small down there, but listen, Draymond and them dudes down there.
Butler.
Butler, they fighting, bro.
They fighting.
Yeah.
And they even got Buddy Hill thinking he can play defense.
Oh, man.
Buddy feeling good since they gained seven, ain't he? Yeah. They got Buddy. Hey, can play defense. Oh, man. Buddy feeling good since they gained 7-8.
Yeah. They got Buddy.
Hey, Buddy's sitting in the chair.
I'm like, what you doing?
You know that ain't your game.
You know that's the rub off, man.
When you got them hard work. It does.
It rub off on you in a way
you probably didn't even know that you could do.
But I'm worried about the Warriors
because of Steph. Even if he do come back okay ocho with a hamstring injury y'all know that it takes
time to that thing for a minute and without running oh yeah that's what his game is predicated on
yeah yeah yeah hey uh you see it you see how i told you exactly what it was i told you it was a
great one it was a great one
and I said he's going to miss
a week maybe two
he's going to miss this one but I think
especially with Coach saying
every coach can't come out and talk about your player
like that every coach can't come out
and say something like that because some of them don't respond
to criticism that way very well
and is a perfect example
of a player that can take that.
Not only can he take that,
watch how he answer to it.
Watch how he answer to it.
Well, he better answer.
Huh?
He better answer.
Go down home to it.
He won't do it.
He gonna answer to it now.
Listen,
the cream always rise to the top.
Always.
And that's the way,
that's the way
for a coach
to say something
and get his player
not only motivated, not that he needs it, but just to keep just a reminder.
Now, everything starts with you.
You said you wanted that smoke.
This comes with it.
Including me being able to chastise you publicly to let you know, come on now.
We got to have it.
Normally, Ocho, the coach wouldn't call out the best player.
He would call out Bobby Mitchell.
Used to say, Paul Brown used to get on him to get Jim's attention.
Telling him, you got to do a better job of holding on to the ball.
Well, Coach, I didn't find what Jim did.
But he's talking to Jim because he couldn't say what he wanted to say to Jim.
That's how
Mike was with me. Mike was like,
you got to do a better job at this.
I wasn't the one that missed the block.
I get it. I get it. Where he calls out
Shannon, you know, if he's going to call out Shannon,
he's going to, I get it. Okay.
That's on me.
That's on me. But
your best
player, when you ask for something, yeah. What'd your grandma tell you, Ocho? when you ask for something
yeah
what you grab
I tell you Ocho
don't ask for something
you ain't gonna be
hey boy I done spent
all my money for that toy
you better play with that toy
play with that toy
yeah
and don't ask for
and don't ask for nothing else
thank you
don't you
don't you ask me
as long as you
damn
you know I'm only six right
Ocho tell my dog don't ask me nothing for as long as you damn yeah you know i'm only six right when it comes to professional when it comes to professional athletes you you understand how
sensitive players are in this era but ant-man is one of the few and it's only a handful on
where your coach can come out come out and say the things he say because he knows I know my player.
I know how he is. I know how he's going to respond
to this. He's not going to shut down.
Most players, they shut down.
They shut down when they hear something like that.
Absolutely no.
I mean, Joe,
you know this.
And I tell people,
I say the greater the player,
the bigger the ego.
Listen to me.
The greater the player, the greater the ego.
And you have to walk that balance.
And, you know, the way you talk to somebody else, I mean,
oh, you could talk.
No, no, you ain't talking to Jordan like you talking to the 12th guy on the field.
No, you're not cursing at him.
You're not raising your voice at him.
You're like, come on, Mike.
Come on now.
We got to have that.
That's what you're telling him.
But you're telling BJ, damn, BJ, come on, bro.
Right, right, right, right.
I totally.
But I think, go ahead, but that's the really great coaches,
they really understand what to say and who to say it to and how to say it. Yeah.
Because you can't coach everybody.
You treat them all fair.
Coach Davis, my coach in college, he used to tell us all the time,
I'm going to treat y'all all fair, but I ain't going to treat y'all the same.
Right, right.
Hey, look, I piggyback what Ocho said.
I think he's right.
I think Ant is the kind of guy that Coach knew that he can kind of call out
and say, you know, hey, you didn't ask for this smoke.
Let's step up.
Let's step up to the challenge.
Like, we're here now.
And I look forward to him having a much, much better game, too.
Obviously, you know, I picked Timberwolves in this series,
and I still think they got a chance, man.
Obviously, they got some work to do ahead of them,
but I think they still got a great chance.
Yeah.
I think the thing is, like, when Ed gets it going,
not everybody else can relax and they stop making shots.
When Ed's struggling, like, damn.
They dialed in on him, man.
They ain't giving any.
He got loose in that second half, but for the most part, man,
Jimmy Butler, Draymond,
them all them dudes, bro, they sitting down.
Yeah.
Or GP the second.
Yeah, yeah.
He picking him.
Hey, look, you know, he got that extended pressure on him.
He picking him up full.
And, hey, look, like I always say, you want to just try to wear a guy down like Ant.
You know, he's a special talent.
We all know that.
And we can't give him nothing easy.
That's what the Warriors are saying. So we're going to make everything tough. And he's a special talent. We all know that. And we can't give him nothing easy. That's what the Warriors are saying.
So we're going to make everything tough.
And he has to know and understand that.
So I'm sure, you know, he done watched the tape, watched film,
and he going to get back game two, Ocho.
He going to be a different Adam.
Oh, yeah.
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