PTI - Are the Pacers the MOST Clutch Team in the NBA?

Episode Date: May 22, 2025

Michael Wilbon and Tony Kornheiser discuss the NBA Playoffs, NHL Playoffs, and foul baiting. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hey, sports fans, the ESPN app has all of ESPN all in one place. The ESPN app is your home to thousands of live events, ESPN shows, and originals across every ESPN network and service. And now you can check if you already have ESPN Unlimited as part of your TV package for no additional calls. Visit activate.esPN.com to learn how to access your account or sign up, then start streaming in the ESPN app. It's all of ESPN all in one place. Sign up or activate now. Pardon the interruption, but I'm Mike Wilbon. It's World Goth Day, Tony. Did you ever have a goth face?

I'm Tony Kornheiser briefly. Do not get your septum pierced. Do not. Yeah, I think I'm going to stay with all piercings, goth or otherwise. No piercings. My son just got both ears pierced. Both ears. Really?

Yeah. And you allowed that? His grandfather was rolling over in his grave. You allowed? I did. You didn't say, wait. It was either that or ink. Get out of the house. The ink I have a problem with. I let the ear piercings go.

I'll let it go. Get him out of the house. Man, no, no. Can't have that. Welcome to PTI boys and girls. In today's episode, The Stars, Overtake the Oilers, Shee Gilgis, Alexander wins MVP, and the Tigers have the best record in baseball.

But we begin today with the Indiana Pacers, making up 14 points in the last two minutes and 51 seconds, and eight points in the last 35 seconds, and forcing overtime where they beat the Knicks 138 to 135. In those frantic last few minutes, Aaron Neesmith hit four three-pointers, and Tyrese Halliburton hit what looked like a three-pointer to win, but was ruled a two to tie. Indiana outscored New York 33 to 16 from the 251 mark and through the overtime.

Wilbon, how do you make sense of what happened in Madison Square Garden last night? I can't. I can't. There's no making sense of it. You can be in awe of it. You can scream out loud. I'm surprised my voice is back between screaming over the Northwestern women winning the NCAA golf championship against Stanford

and then this game back to back. Surprise I have a voice. I can't make sense of it, Tony. You were at the closest thing to this. You were at the Reggie Miller game. And I know you love being there. You can't make sense of it 30 years later. Some things you just,

Just enjoy. You just sit there and you marvel at it. And I can pick apart the Knicks. I don't think I want to say the Knicks choked. I mean, they kind of did. But I don't think that's my main takeaway. It's that the Pacers have done this now. They did this against Milwaukee.

They did this to a degree against Cleveland. Halliburton does this right down to the choke sign, which I love, which was, of course, derivative. And Reggie Miller's there. Tony, it was such great theater. How can this go up? How can it get any better? And it just, it was so cool to have this game play out in the guard last time.

But make sense of it? Maybe you can because I can't. No, what happened last night was actually impossible. Things went on that were not possible. And we'll start with Niesmith. Neesmith hit six threes. Went six for six in the fourth quarter, six threes. Now, he's a good three-point shooter.

His percentage is 43.1%. This was 100%. Halliburton's shot was impossible. When you hit the back rim, it does not go straight up in the air and fall cleanly to the net. Because if it worked like that, Butler would have been the national champions. Now, you can say that the Knicks played no defense at the end, and maybe they played no defense at the end, Mike. But you and I have watched enough basketball games to know that all these shots don't go in. There's not a game where they all go in quite like this.

So I'm going to refer to my notes. I don't know what this means for the series. I prefer to think of it right now without any other context, without game two, three, four, yeah, sort of as an outlier. But as you said, the Pacers have been doing this through the playoffs, where they are now, I was wrong the other day, but they are now five and one on the road. They came from eight back, closed eight nothing to beat Milwaukee.

They closed eight nothing. to beat in the second round. Cleveland. Cleveland. Yeah. Cleveland. And now they do this. You know, I mentioned this to you on the phone today. Nick's got 78 points from Brunson in towns. Seventy-eight. And they lost. Nobody has ever gotten 78 lost. And how often are you going to get 78? So this is what I would worry about if I was the Knicks that I just had the best game I was going to have. did not win it because of this combination of impossible things. And Tony, you just put a punctuation here. The Pacers didn't play much defense at all.

The first three quarters and eight minutes, they finally got to, and even they couldn't get consistent stops late. So the Pacers have, I mean, it's not like Rick Carlisle doesn't have anything to work with on the film study today, because he does.

So the Pacers can walk in here and say, wait a minute, we sort of got away with an A-plus, plus, plus, plus, plus ending on C work. Maybe they don't have C work tomorrow. I can't wait for game two in this thing. Look, it started off irresistible, and it's gone up. I don't know if it's sustainable, but my goodness.

The Stanley Cup playoffs provided a compelling comeback as well. Dallas Stars were down to the Oilers 3-1 entering the third. The Stars then scored five times in the final period, including three power play goals, The first six minutes in route to a six-three winning game one. Tony, do you frame this as a star's comeback or an Edmonton collapse? Okay, so as you're fond of saying, both things can be true. There's no doubt in my mind that Edmonton is the agent of its own destruction here

because it gave up penalty after penalty after penalty. You're up three-one. What are you doing? Okay, the first penalty carries over from the second period into the early third period, Dallas scores. The second penalty is two minutes later, Dallas scores. The third penalty is less than two minutes later, and Dallas scores. I mean, did you learn nothing here? Apparently not. So you go, if you're Edmonton, from 3-1 up to 4-3 down in less than five minutes. Now, I don't want to say this is a collapse because these are power play goals. That's a different thing. Other sports don't have this. This is a

Five on four. You know, it's a different thing. But Edmonton is responsible for what happened in this particular case. Meanwhile, Dallas scores five goals in a third. Who gets five goals in the third in the playoffs other than Florida? Maybe they do. Edmonton had gone, Mike, 13 playoff games in a row winning them where they led going into the third. So, I mean, this doesn't happen.

Late team game. Yeah, it doesn't really happen to. It, look, it feels like an. echo from the Knicks and the Pacers. And you have to ask the same question and the question is this. Is this a shattering loss? Is this a series

dispiriting loss? The difference in hockey is if they don't make those penalties, they win the game. So their film study today is play clean. Just play clean. I'm putting this entirely in Edmund's lap. It is downright stupid

and irresponsible to have three penalties two of them for high sticks in that shorter time frame. You knew at the end of the second period you've given them that advantage going into the third. You give up the goal there. What are you doing? I mean, that's just unbelievably almost arrogant. And the Oilers have not played that way.

They're still seeking a championship with the best player in the world. With these guys. And maybe the best teammates in the world? No, they haven't. So what are you doing? No, you're not going to give a championship. up five goals in the third, unless three of them, one empty net and three power plays. Come on now, I'm putting this on the Oilers. They got some redeeming to do. That's fair. That's fair. That's fair.

Let's go back to basketball and Shay Gilgis Alexander officially winning the MVP award. Gilgis Alexander got 71 first place votes out of 100. Nicole Eokch got the other 29. This is the seventh straight season of foreign-born player as one MVP. There is some backlash, though. Some people are saying Gilgis Alexander goes out of. of his way to draw fouls and that he flops a lot. This was evidenced in game one when Gilgius Alexander took 14 free throws. Wilbon, you voted for him. Yes.

Should we deride or respect his penchant for drawing fouls? You should pay no attention to it. It's fine. It's part and parcel. He's not floating around 28 feet from the basket. That's not his game. He's actually paying attention to the mid-range. And he's honoring a part of the game that most people have bailed

Because they don't want to have any contact. I'm not talking about, obviously, the Steph Curry's of the world, and the Dame Lillers and the truly great three-point shooters. Everybody wants to shoot threes, even if they're six, eight, two hundred and forty pounds. No, Shea has taken his butt into the paint and playing in it with the trees. And if he gets an elbow or hip and he goes down and it's an N-1, I don't want to hear it. I don't want to hear anybody detracting from this kid because he's a great player. He led his team to the best record.

he lapped the field, which is why I voted for him and not the Joker, who was historically great again. I don't want to hear this nonsense. Yeah, I would love to disagree. I don't think I can disagree with this. There are certain players who do annoying things. For example, for years, James Hardin did this all the time. He would stop outside the three-point line.

He would fake and fake and fake until you went into the air, and then he would put up a ridiculous shot and draw the contact and go for three. I always felt that was not an ethical way to play basketball, but I love James Harden, and that was the way he got 30 points a game, right? That's what he did. My feeling about basketball is that it pays off

if you score the most amount of points. So if you can go to the line and score points, you ought to do it. If you get referees to be complicit with you, then I honestly think, Mike, that you ought to do it. And as you say, Gilgis Alexander, he's not staying out at 23 feet and shooting threes. He, I believe, he took 15 shots in the paint on game one. How many did you boy Ant Man take in the paint?

Took none, I believe, in the paint. Yeah. So I think that that should be rewarded. I'll make one other small point, and it's about Jalen Brunson, who deliberately initiates contact with every dribble he makes when he is closely guarded. And if that bumping gets him to the line,

that strikes me as strategic. has done his job. Referees tend to call more defensive fouls than offensive fouls. And if you can get them to be on your side and Gilgis Alexander has done it, I like you, I'm not going to yell and scream like you, but I think, you know, he's playing basketball. And as you say, they had more wins than anybody else. Let's take the break. And game two is tonight, by the way.

Coming up. Yeah. Thanks for that promo. I'm sure the network loves it. The Tigers have baseball's best record through 50 games. What's the word for that? And how best to describe Novak Djokovic's chances of winning the French Open. By the way, Miko Ranton scored no goals last night and the team got six.

Right? They can come up. They haven't scored the whole series. You know, you're playing five on four. You ought to be able to score some goals. Seriously. Time for little commentator nomenclator. What's first?

It's blank that the Tigers have baseball's best record through 50. 50 games. My word is unexpected. The Tigers are 33 and 17. I believe the Phillies and the Dodgers each have 31 wins. I believe you are Cubs and the Mets each have 30 wins. And the Tigers were a playoff team last year, but they were a playoff team because they got hot very late.

They were selling off assets at the trade deadline when they were 52 and 17. And after that, they went 34 and 19. Even with that, Mike, nobody would have predicted. they'd have the best record in baseball after 50 games. Because one of the reasons is, other than Tariq Scoobel, you can't name anybody on the Tigers, and they play in the toughest division in the American League, where Kansas City and Cleveland and Minnesota are also over 500. I believe that they start a series today, the Tigers, with Cleveland, which knocked them out of

the playoffs last year. Here's the one thing I'm sure of. A.J. Hinch can manage. He can. I'm sure. I don't need to go back to last year. I just got to go to this year. First of all, it's contextual.

The context is the Tigers have had the 17th most difficult schedule so far this year. Tigers haven't played anybody. Good, they're going to play Cleveland. Good they'll get into division play, and their record will come back. The Cubbies, who you mentioned already, even despite playing the last nine games against the White Sox and Marlins, have the third most difficult schedule so far in the main. major league. So, no, it's just context. The Tigers haven't done anything yet. Some of those other teams have played more difficult schedules until the White Sox and Marlins cluttered the cup schedule.

Thank God they did. We went seven and two. We had the most difficult schedule. Context is everything. What's next? Novak Djokovic's chances of winning the French Open are blank. Come see, come saw. You see what I did there? I did that in French. I did that in French. I did that in French. everybody. Novat Jokovic, I believe, is 38 years old today. Only one man in history has won a major at the age 37 or older, and that was Roy Emerson, right? Long time ago. I thought it was Rosewall. Ken Rosewall. Ken Rosewell. Yeah. A peer of Lever and Emerson, a peer. So yes, Ken Rosewell. His record this year, Djokovic's record, I believe, is 13 and 7. He hasn't actually won anything. And he just split up with Andy Murray, who is his coach for an hour and a

Yeah. Right. So there's a tendency for me to write him off, but I'm not going to do it, and I'm going to tell you why. Because the last time he played in the French Open without leaving because of injury problems, he won it. And that was two years ago. And the last time he played on the red clay and Roland Garros was last summer in Paris in the Olympics, and he won it. And I believe he beat Alciras. And so, yes, I'm giving him a chance. Well, even though he won today to a... improved the 14 and 7, I'm giving him zero chance. That's my word, zero. And you know the last couple of years I would say to you, Tony, Jokovic is going to make himself the goat because he's going to get out there and he's going to have a couple more and he's going to separate himself enough from the doll and Federer.

He's going to be the goat. Okay. But it's over for the French. It's done. He can't win. He fired Andy Murray, as you mentioned, because he got so frustrated and lost like first. like first round like three times in a row. Zero chance, tone.

He's not going to win there. I'm not saying you won't win another one, but he ain't going to win the French. And if he has to be playing Alcaraz, he's going down. Can you say zero in French in the way that I said come see from San? I wanted to say SETO, but that's not it. So I don't know. No, that would be Spanish.

Serial would sound more Spanish than French. That's a final word. Let's take one last break still to come. Well, the hurricanes even up their series with the Panthers tonight. Not a panthers score like they've been scoring. And is it a big blow that Christian Policicic won't join the U.S. squad for the Gold Cup? Tony, did you watch the Northwestern women make the putt? Deanna Lee to win, to beat Stanford?

Would I have seen that on ESPN 14? No, golf channel. On the golf channel. Happy time, people. Happy 23rd birthday, Anthony. Richardson. The 6-4-245-pound quarterback was drafted number four overall by the Indianapolis Colts in 2003 out of Florida, where he had started there for just one season. He started for the Colts as a rookie who got hurt after four games in a two-and-two record. Richardson has a

huge arm and great athletic ability, but last season he was benched in favor of Joe Flacco after a terrible 47.3 completion percentage and eight touchdowns and 12 interceptions. This year, Richardson will have to compete with Daniel Jones and drafty Riley Leonard from in-state Notre Dame. So Richardson's future in Indianapolis is anything but assured. And Tony, if that's the case, I would blame it on the team. Why rush him into that? The talk when he was drafted was of not enough college reps and experience to go right into a starting lineup and be successful. Then why do it?

Blame the team. Happy anniversary Kentucky Colonels. On this day, 50 years ago, the colonels beat the Indiana Pacers 110105 in Freedom Hall to win the next to last ABA championship in five games. The New York Nets won the following year, and after that, the leagues merged, and New York, San Antonio, Indiana, and Denver joined the NBA. Kentucky was left out. In this game, Artis Gilmore led the colonels with 28 points and 31 rebounds. Gilmore is one of four Hall of Famers from that team along with Dan Issel, Louis Dampier, and Kentucky's coach, UB Brown.

Indiana was coached by Hall of Famer Slick Leonard and featured league MVP George McGinnis, veteran Roger Brown, Billy Knight who had 40 in this game and our friend Len Elmore. Gilmore and Isle. And because Kentucky was aced out, Gilmore went into some kind of draft

and he wound up with the Bulls. And so we were thrilled for a while that we got the great artist Gilmore. He and Issel. That's the front line right there. Take that today. A melancholy trails Jim Ursay. The Colts owner passed away yesterday at the age of 65.

Ursay took over the team in 1997 after the passing of his father, Bob, who had notoriously moved the team to Indianapolis from Baltimore. The Colts made two Super Bowls under Jim Ursey, winning one in 2007 when Peyton Manning and company beat Wilbon's Bears. Erse was open about his decades-long struggles with addiction. He loved rock music. He had a fabulous guitar collection. The team is expected to be transferred to his daughters.

Tony, he might have had a team with more appearances in Super Bowls if Andrew Luck had been able to stay healthy and sort of reach the great, great, great potential. We saw a little bit of it, not nearly enough, but that might have sort of changed the way we look back at things. This is nothing to do with Jim Ursay, but when Bob Ursae moved that team in the middle of the night with the Mayflower bands, that was one of the biggest stories ever in sports. It really was. mission, Brendan Shanahan will not return as president of the Maple Leafs.

Are you surprised? Not really. 11 years, no conference final. You know the pressure? Not really. Really? Pretty big name, Brendan Shanahan. It is. Pretty big name. Very successful. Let's go to the big finish. Let's do it. The Nuggets have officially hired David Adelman as their permanent head coach. Is that a good decision? No, I think it's a great decision with the way that team rallied around each other,

the players in the locker room and him. Ann Adam and Rick's son. Good for him, good for them. Christian Polisic will not join the U.S. Gold Cup team because he needs recovery time. Your thoughts? If somebody's injured, they're injured. He played all year in Europe, right?

I mean, didn't they call him Wonderboy at one point, so it can't help us, got to hurt us. The Blackhawks hired Jeff Glasshill as their new head coach. Is that okay with you? I mean, he's got the requisite experience, having me with the lightning and the red wings. We need players and lots of. of them sooner the better.

The college football playoff will move to a straight seeding method this fall. The top four get buys. You okay with that? That's the way it should be. It didn't work last year. They tried to fool around with it from conferences and all of that. No, the top four teams should get the buys. That's it.

Last one, Panthers, Game 2 tonight. Who you got? Hurricane going to stand up to the Panthers? Are they going to stand up to them and put together an effort? you would think they would have to do it down 1-0 and playing game 2 at home. So I guess that's my way of saying, I'm going to take Carolina to even the series tonight.

We are out of time. We will try and do better the next time. I'm Tony Kornheuser. And I'm Mike Lobon. Same time tomorrow, I'm knucklehead. You can get the podcast on the app or Apple podcast. Emily Fletcher, Deanna Lee, the Northwestern Women's Golf Team. National Champions, baby.

Cheers. That's what I heard.