PTI - The Masters, Doc Rivers Fallout, and NBA Playoffs

Episode Date: April 13, 2026

Michael Wilbon and Tony Kornheiser dive into The Masters, react to the Doc Rivers–Milwaukee breakup, and size up the NBA playoff picture. 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. Tony, police in Northern Virginia arrested a naked man for a string of home burglaries. Tony Cornhizer, oh, please, I wasn't naked.

I was wearing sneakers. Oh, wow, that changes it, doesn't it? Yes, not naked. They just change it from a Florida man. That's all the way. We don't believe that happened in Fairfax for Arlington, Alexandria, because we live 10 minutes away. No, we don't. We don't.

We don't believe. No, we don't believe. We don't. But we need an open. We need an open. Welcome to PTI, boys and girls in today's episode. Doc Rivers is out. The NBA playoffs are set, and Alexander Ovetkin says he has not decided whether he's retiring.

But we begin today with the Masters and the roller coaster ride between Friday and Sunday of Rory McElroy. On Friday, McElroy was six shots ahead of everyone. By the sixth hole Sunday, McElroy was two shots down to Cameron Young and later two shots down to Justin Rose. McElroy recovered, had four birdies between holes seven and third. and one barely when he made a bogey from behind a tree on 18. Wilbon, we both watched. What do you make of how Rory did this? And where does this place him historically

among the greatest golfers? The historical placement I'll get to it a second. Tony, it was rousing. I mean, the fact that he built that crazy lead and that's all people talked about for, you know, overnight. And then it just, it's frittered away so quickly. gave it back. Right?

Yes. And so we got the drama that I think a lot of us were hoping for. Not to root anything bad for Rory, because I'm one of those people who generally roots for Rory and thinks he's just a sort of a fine person and a champion. But he had to wilt a little bit to get the drama. And then he had to show one of the overused words in sports I find is resolve. Everybody thinks they have resolve. They don't have anything.

That took resolve. He's looking at the board, and Rory does look at the board as opposed to some golfers who do not. He's looking at the board. He sees himself, and he just pulls it together. Yeah. And other people, I told you,

you texted me and you said, it looks like he's done. Yes. I said, hold on. He was over pared by three holes on the first par, three's in the course. All true,

but I thought nerves were going to set in on the others, and that's exactly what happened. And Rory survived it. It became a marathon. It was so cool really quickly. The historical placement. Tony, if you get to seven, he's at six now, majors, championships,

you get to seven, you're with Arnold Palmer and Bobby Jones. And there's guys above that, but if you get to seven, and Rory is now within one of that. I'm going to give you another R word that I don't like, but it applies in the same way, and that is resilience. Yes, yes, yes, yes. He lost the lead, he regained. Look, I'll give you a statistic that I think is fabulous

that I heard this morning from our friend Steve Sands from the Golf Channel. Everybody thinks Rory is the greatest driver of the golf ball in the world, certainly the longest. 91 people played in this Masters. Rory was ranked 90th in driving accuracy, 90th, and he still won. The drive on 18 could have landed in South Carolina. It could have. So Rory was great when he had to be great.

He was great on that stretch from 12 through 18 on Friday with six birdies. He was great yesterday in the middle of the course, getting four birdies in a stretch from seven through 13. He showed resilience, he regained the lead. And he was great on that putt on 16 away from the hole. That was Tiger-esque. That was a great play. He was also remarkably lucky. He was lucky that Justin Rose gave.

I'm going to keep going for a while. That gagged in front of him, you know, on the back night. He was lucky that neither Cameron Young, who's the other person I'm thinking about, Russell Henley. Oh, I'm getting to him. Henley. That they didn't press him. late in the round and he was extremely lucky

that Scotty Sheffler missed a birdie put on 17 by one inch on the left hand side. Okay, extremely lucky. So it's that way nobody was within one of him. They were within two of him. He said that. He could afford that drive on 18. Yes. I can afford that. In terms of where he ranks overall, so I'm sorry to go way through the bell like this. Rory McElroy now is one of four people ever.

now he's the fifth, no, he's the fourth, ever to repeat at the master, back to back. There's Jack, there's Tiger, there's Fowth, and now, Roy, this is an elite group. He has a grand slam. He is part of an elite group. If he gets to 10, I believe that he will be

one of the five or six greatest golfers of all time. Tends a lot, so. I understand that. I think that's it. But I would, I'd also tell you this. He reminds me most of Phil Mickelson because of the way he wins, because of the roller coaster effect.

He went wire to wire technically in this, and it was always in doubt. It was always that. So I equate him with Phil, with Arnie, with Sevee, that it's a wild ride. It's a fun ride. Yes, it's great. It's thrilling. If you're a consumer, Rory was only part

of a leading peloton for much of the round. Scotty Schaeffler, as we mentioned, made his big run and route to a second place finish. Cam Young and Justin Rose both led briefly, and then fell off. Colin Morcowowal, who I know I like a lot. I know.

I finished tied for seventh, despite being hobbled by back issues. So of the others who were in contention, tone, for whom did you find yourself rooting? I think everybody roots for Justin Rose. And Justin Rose is star crossed at the Masters. He has lost two playoffs in the Masters. This was different. He had three second place finishes. He had the lead.

Okay. After the front nine, he had the lead. He was walking a 10 with a two-shot lead, and then he gagged. He gagged. In fact, he missed something like a one-foot put. late. So he gagged on that. And I think we all feel sorry for him. I will repeat on Sheffler. If Scottie Sheffler makes that put on 17, we're going to a playoff. I mean, Scottie Sheffler was even par for the first two rounds. Minus 11 on the weekend. 65, 68. Had no bogies on the weekend,

none. He didn't make that put. So, and I think he would have won. I do think he would have won. So now he has a second place with two first in that particular tournament. I found myself, and I want to pronounce this name correct, rooting a little, that's Jack Nicholas territory, by the way, that he's got in his last 20 majors, Schaeffler is in the top 10, 16 times. What? 16 times.

Houtong Lee from China, with whom I was unfamiliar. But as you know, because you watched, on Friday and Saturday, he hit arms to two feet from everywhere on the course. And then he had a disastrous back nine. He shot 40. He shot 40. He shot 40.

Shot 80. He had a 10. We have 10. He put it into the water. off the green completely. That meltdown, and by the way, we didn't see any of it. We don't have tens because we just take it eight. I don't want to be critical.

We're picking up. We're picking up. Stop. Hunting off. Things happened that you want more explanation for. It sounded Vandeveldian, but we didn't actually see it when he shot 80. I, like you, I was rooting for Justin Rose. Yeah.

And I was rooting for Roar. I was always for Roar. I was overall rooting for Roar. As you know. I know. I thought he was. was going to have to withdraw. He suffered the injury last week, and he had this late charge and made five

birdies in a row on Sunday. Are you kidding? Harold Hatton had a late charge, too. He got to 10. He did. You know what? The tournament is always rewarding for some reason or another. You can find something about the Masters to be happy with.

You've got this drama involving usually the sports greatest names for four days. But I thought this was particularly. that way because it gave you so many characters and teased you and pulled them back. The critical moment in what you're saying is when Rory gives back the lead on Saturday. Yeah, fairly quickly. And that makes a drama. I just need to add one more thing here. The second shot for Rory on 18, we didn't know where it landed. No, for a while. Two to three minutes. This is

the most important shot in the tournament. We didn't know where it was. Suddenly it's in the sand. It could have been on the moon. We did not. No, that was amazing. Let's move to the NBA and what feels like the first of what might become many coaching changes. Doc Rivers out in Milwaukee took the job two and a half seasons ago, went 97 and 103 and never advanced in the playoffs despite the presence of Janice Antecoombo. Wilbon, does this parting of ways make sense to you? Yes. Yeah, it does make sense to me. And I'm looking at this from a different perspective. I've been friends with Glenn Rivers for decades. Long time. For decades. Long time. Okay, so I'm not going to sit in and try to act like I'm new.

I'm not. Janice hasn't done a damn thing for five years, but sort of put it out there that he doesn't really know what he wants to do. He's not available for any important game in the playoffs. Let me say it again for five years. Since winning a championship, he starts every season like a house of fire. And everybody says, oh, Janus is one of the three or four greatest players in the game. And you get the game three in the playoffs and he ain't there.

So they should have traded Janus. before. You thought he'd be traded by the deadline. I did. You said that a number of times. I worried about Doc in this job because it's tied directly to what Yonis can or cannot do. Any NBA head coaching job has that dynamic. And I got tired of Yonis, even though he's a great player when he's there.

But in the playoffs, what? Let me give you a statistic that you're going to like. He has not played more than 67 games out of 82 only. once in the last seven seasons, something like that. So what he is basically is Joelle Ambide without laying on the ground holding his leg. That's what he has become. Look, last week we had Brian Winthorst on this show. The first question of Brian was, what's happening in Milwaukee?

And he said he did not think neither Doc nor Janus would be there next year. So so far he's one for one. And I agree with you that Janus is a great player. He's got a ring. He's a great player. But he also appears to be a device of human being on that team. He has gotten rid of two coaches already, I believe, and you agree with me on that. And I guess he liked Doc for an hour.

We don't know what happened there for that. There's no work between Doc and Yonnas. It's not working there. They got to get rid of him. Okay. I have grown weary. I have grown weary of Yonis saying I'm going to be here next year. And then 24 hours later saying, I don't know if they want me to be here next year.

For all I know, he's buying a house in another city someplace. I don't have any idea. But it's not working there and it's got to change. And so the parting of the ways, which you asked me, it needed to be, look, Doc Rivers has, first of all, had a Hall of Fame career, just winning the Hall of Fame. Got a ring. Okay?

He got a ring, Hall of Fame. He had a distinguished playing career. And his Doc said the other night, he's got X number of grandkids. I forget the numbers. He's either six or nine. He's got grandchildren now. I don't know how Doc got their grandchildren before I did. He also got a membership in Bel Air.

He's got sets of clubs. And he said that, right? So go do it. So do that. He doesn't need any more of this. Do you think a lot of coaches will get fired or you think we won't have many? No, I don't think he's going to be on. I was surprised Doug Christie was kept on in Sacramento.

Okay, but wait a minute. Wait, wait, wait, wait, but you know why? No, I'm asking you. The organizations wanted these teams to tank and lose. Okay. So your coach in Washington is not going to be fired either. No, he's not. Keith, everybody thinks he's gone.

No, he's not gone because he's doing what the owner and the general manager said to lose. They finished one and 26. Let me repeat that. What? What's the win? One and twenty- They beat Utah because Utah tanked in front of them. One and 26.

You should not get a draft pick for that. Is Adam Silver paying attention? You should not. Let's take a break. Coming up with the regular season over, what should we be looking forward to in the NBA's postseason? And is Alexander Ovechkin

retiring or not retiring? The regular NBA season just smelled. It was awful. Too many teams tanking. It was God awful. It was just awful. And people don't play. Now, luckily, the playoffs,

which I guess the teams care now. Let's find out what's moving the masses in mail time. I'll get the first one. Okay, put on my glasses to read it. Here we go. Which is the most compelling upcoming NBA playoff series that we know about? Tony, I think there's a couple in the West.

I mean, we get Kevin Durant versus LeBron James. This is probably the last time we're going to see that. So I find that alone compelling, even though the Lakers are not a real threat without Luca Donchich, even though Doncha is going to rejoin the team this week. Really? Yes. Is it going to fly back from Spain? Yeah.

Okay. I got no problem with him going to wherever he can be treated to get back in. I'd love to see Luca in the playoffs, but we're not going to see that. So anyway, that's compelling. Minnesota and Denver, a series we've seen a couple of times. Minnesota knocked Denver out when they were defending champs. I love that matchup again.

And so we see that. Anytime there's Win Banjama, it's fun to watch. And the Knicks, Atlanta. See, I think that the Atlanta could actually beat the New York meets. How did Wenbanyama get into this? How did you mention him? You just wanted to mention him? Yes, it was just gratuitous.

Okay. It was just, you know, you know. So, but that, so I gave you three series. Right. If I had to pick one, I would say Denver, Minnesota. Okay. So we're waiting for the play-ins to determine the one-eighths and the two-sevents. Right.

I'm not going to try to sell you on a one-eight. I'm not going to do that. I agree with you that the Denver-Minnesota series and the Lakers series with Houston are good. I think I should say that it's important that we mention the Lakers on this show and we attack all the other shows that do nothing but talk about the Lakers

and the Cowboys, because that's what we do. And that series isn't going to be much because Reeves is not going to play. I don't know if Donchette's going to play. This is not going to be much. So I'm going to agree with you because the last two years, Minnesota has gotten to the conference finals.

And a couple of years ago, or three years ago at the most, Denver won the whole thing. Yeah. So that's, I mean, you know, you want to, that may be the best first round series in any sport. Great. No, in any sport. It's great.

You know, because you have a guy, Yokic is the best basketball player in the world, and Anthony Edwards would like to be. So yes, I'll agree with you. bail. Yes. I agree with me. Has been a giant slayer, by the way. He's eliminated some people. I agree.

He really has. The Knicks, you're not. I know. I didn't say the Knicks. I know. You skipped over the Knicks. I didn't say Wembañama or the Knicks. I didn't say it.

You know I'm going to say Wembaoniana. Yeah. OV. What do you think it means that Alex O'Vecan waved off the post-game farewell handshake with the penguins? The penguins seemed very, like, respectful. Like, they wanted to do this, and Ovi was like, no, no, no, no, no. I mean, the only thing I can think of is that he doesn't believe his season is over. Maybe that happens in the final game of the season, but not just the final home game in the season.

It was very ceremonial, and he did not want it. You realize- I thought it was cool. The capitals can still make the playoffs. They got to have the players have to lose twice. But if they do, they play Pittsburgh. So there's plenty of time for more face-offs between Crosby and Ovechkin, who came in basically together, who are giant Hall of Fame stars and who each have won cups. So that's important.

You know, so, I mean, the other, what hangs over this is, is Ovechkin retiring? Is he retiring? Is he staying? Is he on the fence? We don't know where he is at the moment. So I think maybe he just felt that this was a premature congratulations in walkoff. I think he absolutely felt that way. And it was, you know, there's so many things that we might feel critical about the way people handle, you know, their own careers at the end or late or not knowing to do.

I thought that was just very cool. Yeah. And he wasn't upset with anybody. He was just saying, hold on, let's not rush this, Sparky. And I like that. But Ovitz, can he play anymore? If he comes back, he can't defend. How many goals did he have this year?

I know he can score. He got a bunch of goals. He can score, but there's other parts of the game and the Capitals may miss the playoffs. It's 32 goals. Let me say again. He's 40 years old. The Capitals, okay.

So he's got this thing he does. Are you saying you're saying he shouldn't have fired? No, I'm saying that that has to be an examination. And the team, if they're going to really try to be a real team again and win another Stanley Cup. Right, they're years away from that. Okay. They will never just cut him or.

or they ask him to leave. They will not do that because he's a draw. He's the reason people walk into that gym. I know, but if they don't ask him to stay, what does that mean? I think they will ask him to stay. That's enough email. I don't know he will. Let's take one last break.

Sylvan's son to come. Yonix Sinner, not Jacob's sinner. Yonik Sinner beats that's his brother, Carlos Alcaraz for his third straight tournament win. And who will go first in tonight's WNBA draft? We got locals. Who got going first? There's a European woman who sticks four low post practice. So you don't have a focus.

You don't have Bud or Keithi Rice. I want Tiki Rice in Chicago. You know where I want her to go. Fifth. Happy time. People happy 26th birthday, Rasmus Dahlene. The Buffalo Sabres defenseman and captain was the first overall pick in the 2018 NHL draft. Dahlene has 19 goals and 53 assists this season.

Played for Sweden in the Winter Olympics a couple of months ago. The Sabres lead the Atlantic Division with 100. And they will make the playoffs for the first time since 2011, ending a 14-year playoff drought. I was stunned to learn that the Detroit Red Wings now own the longest playoff drought in the NHL 10 years. Wow. Stunned because the Red Wings were the best American team of the original six. They won four Stanley Cups between 1997 and 2008. And they made the playoffs 25 straight years between 1991 and 2016.

Aren't their fortunes so like the Raiders? And one of the Raiders were the winnings team in the NFL. I hadn't thought of that. And then it just went away? Yes. The Red Wings going away. It can't be good for the sport. No, no, no, no, no.

Happy anniversary, Kobe Bryant. This is posthumous, but on this day, 10 years ago, in his last NBA game, the 37-year-old Black Mamba, scored an NBA season high of 60 points against Utah. Bryant, who retired after the season, outscored the entire jazz team in the fourth quarter, 23 to 12, in the Lakers 10196 victory. At 37 years and 234 days old, Brian became the oldest player to score 60 or more in a single game. Brian took a personal record 50 shots in that game. According to stathead, only Bryant, George Gervin, Michael Jordan, Chris Weber, Russell Westbrook,

and recently Dejante Murray, Kate Cunningham, and Jalen Brunson have taken 44 shots in one game in the last 50 years. They all did it once. Kobe did it six times. Wilbon, you could have been at this game, right? Yeah, could have been. I exercise what we call bad judgment. I was off, the producers said pick one. Golden State breaking.

To go for 73. Right. Or stay right here in L.A. where across the street you can go over and see Mamba's last game. I chose to go to see the Warriors. I got a phone call later, taunting from somebody.

You want to imagine who that was saying? I bet it's Kobe Bryant. Where were you? I'll bet it's Kobe Bryant. What kind of choice was that? A melancholy trails to Phil Garner, the longtime infielder and manager, passed away on Saturday from pancreatic cancer at the age of 76. Garner, who had the fabulous

nickname of Scrap Iron, was a three-time All-Star, breaking in with Charlie Finley's A's before winning a World Series with the Pirates We Are Family Team of 1979. In that seven-game win over the Orioles, Garner went 12 for 24. He followed a 16-year playing career with 15 years as a manager, leading Houston to the World Series in 2005, where they were swept by the White Sox. Garner and Davy Lopes who died last week followed similar arcs across their career. There were glamorous, more glamorous people on that We Are family team. Sergeantle and Parker. Sargill and Parker.

But he seemed to personify the grit and the scrappiness, the nickname Scrap Iron, of that team, which was very memorable. A couple of corrections. Yannick Sinner's brother's name is Mark, not Jacob. Apparently local news in D.C. has video the naked Berger. Let's see it. Maybe we should have believed that. Quick to the Big Finner.

Let's do it. Christian yellow to the Brewer's injured a hamstring. Big deal? Yes. The brewers themselves admitted publicly. They don't think there's going to be good news regarding this. And he's their best player, the Yankees' kids, have both lost five in a row. Who should be more concerned?

Mets, they spend more money and they don't make the playoffs ever. Sinner beat Alcaraz and Monte Carlo to retake the world number one ranking. Is that significant? No, they're going to ping pong this thing all summer long, and then for the next eight to ten years. Rangers goalie, Jonathan, quick. Going to make his final start of his career tonight. How are you going to remember him? One, two cups with the Kings as the starting goalie.

Yeah. None with the Rangers. Last one, the WNBA draft is tonight. You're glued to the set. Who goes first? Yes. Our fan of Spain? Seems like she might be the first pick for Dallas. Seems like a logical first pick to me.

If it's not, you have to apologize tomorrow. We're out of time. Trying to do better the next time. I'm Tony Kornheye. I'm Mike Wilburne. Same time tomorrow on knuckleheads. And now. Supposes Lauren Betts.

That's fine. We got kids here from the University of Maryland, right? VATI.