The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz - Hour 2: The Biggest Choke Job In NBA History

Episode Date: May 26, 2025

It's been less than a week since the Pacers came back and beat the Knicks in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals, but that doesn't mean it's too soon to look back at the laughs it provided for our show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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that started it all. Cuervo. Cuervo. The tequila that invented tequila. proximo.cuervo.com please drink responsibly. queervo. shadow show shadow show shadow show shadow show shadow show shadow show shadow show shadow show shadowing it shadowing it. I have never had an experience like I did yesterday during the day when I just got up in the morning projectile vomiting and couldn't move around, couldn't do much of anything. The only thing I was able to do is successfully take my dog to the front of the grass and then immediately bring him right back because I couldn't stay out there. But late last night, as the Knicks started vomiting,

I started feeling better. I believe that Naismith could have cured COVID. Naismith, it's fine. Naismith is a good doctor by the way, he invented the game. Give him some grace, he watches everything on mute. Dr. Neesmith. I'm right there with you pal. What happened last night, I don't like what I'm seeing in the mirror. I don't, I'm just hating. I'm only watching to hate.

It's not like I'm rude, what the Pacers did should be celebrated. I'm so confused as to who I'm going for in this series. I was literally putting my hat like Memphis Bleak any time the Knicks had the ball, but then I wanted to watch them choke. I was just such a fan of the theater last night, and they provided one of the greatest spectacles

in the history of basketball. It became crystal clear last night what I was rooting for. Once the pain's, I was like, oh, this is the good stuff. I gotta tell you though, it kinda flipped though, because he hits the choke He has the layup, but he pulls back like a badass gonna take the reading again He has the choke and you're like, oh my god, that's badass But then you realize his foot was on the line. You're like, oh, I kind of want him to be embarrassed out, too

I mean did he have the layup because I thought Mitchell Robinson was going to prevent him from the layup But it was still badass what he did that he decided to step back on that. Yeah, I think, I don't know whether it was because Mitchell Robinson was there or that was his plan all along. Either way, pretty badass to step back, hit that shot. By the way, the way the ball hit the rim, went up in the end and dropped down,

remind me of Don Nelson in the Celtics championship, like years and years ago. Nelly. Yeah. Reminded me of the Sixth Man, only instead of Kadim Hortus and it's Jim Orsay. Let's hold that for the real show. I got, I have accompanying imagery.

And even if he didn't have the layup though, he had an easy runner in that pain. So if he was reading Mitchell Robinson and he decided to pull back, Mitchell Robinson was going to the cup, so I can understand the contention that it would have been contested at the very least. I like Halliburton's chances as an All-Star,

but so badass to be like, no, I'm going for the win. He makes those shots a lot more than anybody does. Like, the stats are 12 for 14, late in games, two minutes left to tie or take the lead. It's the luckiest shot in the history of basketball, no? I mean, that thing bounced on the rim? Just once. Just once.

Me and Tony, Tony, were you making the argument that that wasn't luck? No, I wasn't making the argument it wasn't luck. It felt like the moment that it went up in the air, I was like, oh, that's going in. The way that this game is going, that ball's going in. And sure as hell, boop, straight through. As soon as it bounced that high, I was like,

it's it, it's it. Ersay's gonna wish that one in. We've seen a shot go in like that during games. I've never seen it at the buzzer. At the buzzer, that's not- Don Nelson. I've not seen that. I know you mentioned it,

but I don't remember what you're talking about. I don't know, I've never seen a buzzer beater that does that. Kwai Leonard? Yeah, yeah, that one danced a little bit. It didn't bounce as high, I've never I've never seen a buzzer beater that does that why Leonard yeah Yeah, that one day. It didn't it didn't bounce as high Yeah, you could I that the half second that it was in the air was just the greatest thing when you realize Oh shit, it's coming straight back down. I mean, I mean you can't tell on television You're saying the koi Leonard that bounced on the rim a dozen times.

The same thing with the Allen Houston shot. The thing that was great and perplexing about this is a ball that ricochets like that never goes back in the basket and the angles on television make it so. That's not going in. There's no way that went straight up and it's just gonna, it's gonna swish from the rafters. I knew it, I knew it.

The moment it went up, it went straight down. I knew it. This is the Don LeBattor Show with the Stoogats Podcast. So I often say my father did this when he was younger. I've never seen something like that in my life, and it's covering a lot of ground. But what you saw from the New York Knicks and the Indiana Pacers last night is something that none of us have ever seen. And the way that it escalated, Stugatz, that made it so fun, is how quiet and scared you can feel and hear New York

being. Halliburton was quoted yelling as he ran to the locker room, why is it so quiet in here? And the sheer balls, Stu Gatz, just the unbelievable strength in him saying that he was gonna go for the floater then Bridges hits the ball. Then he backs up and tries to take a three but in that moment Stugatz for him to immediately recognize now's a good time to do the choke sign for the history of, to be standing in the center of Madison Square Garden and to immediately do that because you're not caught up in your own emotion as you've just won the game. You're as interested in breaking the other people, being the villain and mocking them

as you are at winning Stugats when you go that early to the that quickly to that kind of celebration that mocks all of New York, and we haven't had a lot of players willing to do that. Reggie Miller did it once upon a time, but a lot of players who are willing to embrace that, that doesn't happen a whole lot. Well, shout out to Tyrese for a couple of things. Number one, he said, had I known it was a two,

I wouldn't have done that celebration. Right, I thought I won the game, and he said I probably can't do it anymore because then it'll seem a little disingenuous. He also said he didn't talk to Reggie but he did lock eyes with him when he did it. And finally he said he respects and knows the history and he knows Reggie Miller did that choke sign. That was the series they lost in 94 and he said I'm not trying to do that I'm trying to win. Pretty aware.

And also, last night, he became a superstar. 100%. And this is why having the Knicks and that platform, that stage, the Mecca is so big for guys like Halliburton. It doesn't register the same. Maybe it does with the defending champion, Boston Celtics, but. You needed this.

In the same way that Shay Gilder's Alexander would have if he had done it against the Warriors, not that the Warriors are great, but just because of the attention that Steph Curry brings, that would have catapulted him. Or flip side, Anthony Edwards needed like the Lakers to be on this stage or someone like that. Obviously that wasn't gonna be a

An option for him because he played them already But that's that's the part of these passing the torch is you need that high profile moment, right? And what the Knicks do is they provide a built-in doesn't matter how good they are It's gonna be a high profile moment if you do it against the Knicks. Dan, yesterday we were talking about this NBA reset. Getting away from LeBron and Steph can't count on them anymore, and you have to put in the sweat, put in the time to develop these new superstars.

Moment like last night, a moment like last night, really fast tracks this for the NBA. Halliburton has done this in every series so far in the playoffs. He's had a moment where it's like crossing Yonis game winner at the bucket. He did the same thing against Cleveland where he looped back, went back, shot a three. I don't think it was a game winner, but it was to go ahead. It was the end of being a game winner. Okay.

It's going to be remembered the way that Ray Allen was like, everyone remembers that shot, right? But they don't know exactly how Miami won that game. It's conflated. Like Miami won the game on that shot. No, no, no. History is always going to remember that Halliburton shot even though it wasn't a game winner. It's interesting that we're starting here

when you consider that we had one of the biggest collapses in hockey history last night. I mean, certainly, the Oilers are up 3-1 headed into the third period. They haven't played a game in a week. They beat the Knights in five games. I mean, the Dallas Stars, they just came off a seven-game series with the Jets. That series ended, I think, on Saturday.

They had no rest. They're down 3-1 at home. They come back, they get the job done. This is an Euler team that has the best hockey player in the world. This is an Euler team that went to the Stanley Cup a year ago. This is an Euler team that's finally trying to win a Stanley Cup for the country of Canada. They are up 3-1 headed into the third period and they blow that lead. And five goals they give up to the Stars in the third. What a joke. How are you feeling today, Stugant? I feel great. I feel fine. Why? I had the stars last night. Had the Knicks in the first half.

Attaboy. How are you feeling, Dan? Like it's unfair to Neesmith to make it all about Halliburton. Yeah. That's how I'm feeling. Guy made six threes in the fourth quarter. It's never happened before in a playoff game.

And the way that that happened ever so slowly where knee smith is making not just threes but absurd threes and you can just feel like he's up in the air is changing flight in air and the what was happening in madison square garden amin is like this is what this is how it felt to me, because it's been 25 years of suffering, and you also understand, right? They're overreacting to early playoff wins as a city because they're so starved.

Nobody reacts this noisy to first and second round victories. And so they're feeling themselves yesterday. They're up 17 points. They're showing all of the celebrities and indiana is taking new york's best shot this is brunson going efficiently for forty this is calling anthony towns being efficient uh... in getting his point totaled

your up early in the game even though you're up in the first period even though indiana shoots seventy four percent in the game even though, you're up in the first period even though Indiana shoots 74% in the first quarter. And at the half, you're winning by seven, and it's a wonderful game to watch. But then in the fourth quarter, New York goes up 17, and what we've never seen statistically, like this is the stat. NBA teams were 0 and 970, went down by 14 or more points in the final two minutes. Is that bad? 50 seconds of regulation in the playoffs

over the last 27 post-seasons. They're now 1 and 970. Prior to last night, teams leading by nine plus points in the final one minute of the fourth quarter of an NBA playoff game were 1434 and oh since 1997. They would do. Law of averages. Indiana's done this four times. Yeah.

Coming down. I thought it's never happened. No, from down 15, excuse me. From down 15, they've come back four times during just this post-season. That's a product of the way the game is played today, right? That's just, all that is, like those. The Knicks came back from 20 down, two games in Boston.

So yeah, I think it's a product of how the game is played today, of course. The Threes can get you back in the game very quick. Well, the Knicks, when they came back, the Threes product of how the game is played today. Of course, the threes can get you back in the game very quickly. Well, like the Knicks, when they came back, the threes got them in the game, but it wasn't their threes that got them back in the game. It was the Celtics, the Messers. They got them back in the game.

Why are you talking like that? I don't know. So Halliburton is now 12 for 14, 12 for 14 when he's shooting to tie or lead in the last two minutes of the game. And Mike's saying, well, that's what makes you a superstar. And I'd say, yeah, you need moments like that. But what's going to make him a superstar is that he's got personality.

Well, I mean, that was on display. His personality with that platform, with that moment for a guy that's had a lot of moments. And I would bet dollars to donuts. That dude shows up at SummerSlam and MetLife Stadium. I don't know why you keep betting dollars to donuts, I don't know why the state's happening. Very Dave Sampson thing to say, right? It always gets a reaction.

Dollars to donuts. Let me put on my Dan hat and say, where does that saying come from? Donuts are cheaper, so he... Someone do some research on that. It always works, it always works. It's just, it's unnecessary. That's the sticky stuff.

Polarizing saying. Put it on the poll, I love it. It's just, it's unnecessary. That's the sticky stuff. Polarizing saying. Put it on the poll. That makes me an ascending personality. Do you believe in the saying, betting dollars to doughnuts? Because. How about Stuart Skinner last night, huh? I don't trust him.

The weight of a nation and Stu Skinner. They gotta go back to Pickard, right? He either has a shutout or is the worst goalie in playoff history. That's a crazy thing. In the mid-1800s, donuts could be bought for just a few nickels. So, dollars to donuts. Yeah, you'd bet dollars because they're worth more because you're that convinced of it. The thing about Halliburton though, when it comes to personality,

Jokic, what's the personality? No, I'm gonna do it. I can do it to all of them though Donchich, what's the personality hookah? Yeah, like but I John Morant guns Okay, well, he's got some person Style it back. I don't know how to do this one today. The guys in the league, Anthony Edwards is a bit unvarnished, right? So part of his personality traffics

in what today passes for the modern day Allen Iverson, where, oh, he's a little dangerous. Yes, he's going to get fined for stuff. He says what he wants. Modern day Cromartie also. But when you look at doing that, Stugatz, in Madison Square Garden, and at the end, the story becomes all about Halliburton when they were down 17, and Neesmith, who isn't

the guy you fear there, he's just not the, he's not, I'm not saying he's not good, he's just not the- He's capable of that game, though. But he's just not the guy that you're fearing for six threes. And not missing, Ben. Not missing, Ben. Not well, this is the thing, right? Like I know it's gonna be a historic choke.

I know there were turnovers and missed free throws. And I know in overtime, the Knicks fell apart. But the Pacers did take it from them. Like the last five minutes of the game, they made all their threes, and the one that wasn't a three was Halliburton Steffan on the line. That should have been a three.

Like they didn't miss a shot. It wasn't, so you can say that, holy shit, I can't believe they scored 20 points that fast, but the Knicks also scored. Like it wasn't a 20-nothing run. It's just that the Knicks weren't making these crazy threes that Neesmith was making. I'm gonna fight backicks weren't making these crazy threes that that knee Smith was making I'm gonna fight back on nice with making crazy threes. Yes

He hit them all and you know, no one is expected to hit a hundred percent But he got great looks because the next day Yeah, the Knicks defense gives up a lot of open looks and we talked about this against the Celtics the Celtics Yes, they took too many threes should have drove especially up 20 But I understand why I took them because they were open. I don't want to be the guy to blame people that do things, but OG Ananobe. Oh boy! Buddy, if you don't go above the screen one time, okay?

You're playing drop coverage like Needsmith hasn't hit 19 shots in a row. OG, please. And hit a free throw, by the way. That would have been the game. They were up nine with under a minute to go. I had the Knicks. Haven't hit 19 shots in a row. OG, please. And hit a free throw, by the way. That would've been the game. They were up nine with under a minute to go. I had the Knicks. Cat two.

Cats skating on that miss. Going over screens. Brunson also missed. Brunson was terrible. He was terrible in the final moments of that game. There were at least three or four almost turnovers that the Knicks didn't turn over, but there were almost turnovers.

It was uncharacteristic how unclutched they were. What is Halliburton's ceiling? In terms of superstardom, because we were talking back here off mic, he reminds me a lot of Damian Lillard, made me wish, because I was a big Dame guy. I know Dame had some moments in the playoffs, but he never really got,

he went to the Western Conference Finals one time. Got swept though. Yeah, got swept, even though they led every game in that series. Yes they did. The rare, they didn't really get swept. Wasn't swept, yeah. Yeah, it was a Brendan Moore sweep.

He had the game to have those moments, the moments just never came to him. Halliburton's had a lot of these moments. But is his ceiling Damien Lillard type superstar, or are we pushing into like, this guy can be face of the league marketable, like Damien or Steph territory. So, Dame at his peak was marketable,

maybe not face of the league, but I think- Signature shoe. The signature shoe, like a brand ambassador for Adidas and all that stuff stuff and a host of other national brands. I don't think Halliburton is as good as Damien Lillard's peak, but he definitely I think has a more engaging person. Damien's still kind of a gruff, reserved kind of old school professional in his approach.

Halliburton's willing to put on that black hat and mix it up a little bit and be a little bit of a dick, you know, and I think that helps significantly in like how big his brand could be. I'll tell you who's most upset today, out of anybody in the world. Reggie Miller? Nope, no, Reggie's happy.

Reggie loves it, Reggie loves it. No, because Reggie's back in the head lines. Stuart Skinner, I mean. That Skinner! Superintendent Chalmers, no. It's Trey Young. Cause he's like, that was my corner! That was my lane!

I rolled dice at half court, and now you're taking away my lane! We need our own! That was the least! That was the least! Well, and the irony is, is that Halliburton is basically a better version of Trey Young in every way. Because Trey Young might lead the league in assists,

but he also has a ton of turnovers and what makes Halliburton so unbelievable and his future so bright is that he's basically a perfect point guard there on April 2nd on April 2nd he recorded his 14th game with 20 points 10 assists and zero turnovers that was the most in NBA history since they started counting for turnovers he passed Chris Paul who had 13 such games. So he's already there and he's in his 20s. So among other things also that helps Tyrese Halliburton that he has, that not too many people in the sport have,

some people do, some people do, but not too many people have. He's got a great personality, but you know what else? His dad has a great personality. And so I don't know if you guys got to see how John Halliburton experienced that game and that game winner last night, but he did and he was glorious, glorious in his,

put it on the screen, look at him right there. Choke signal. He's got choke signals. He's a game tire. He's at a bar, a sports bar. Where is he? Probably in Indiana. That's our testers. That's our testers. I mean, look, this is this right here, ladies and gentlemen. This is like PEDs, right?

Because you got a guy who's got a great personality, who's got a dad who's got a great personality, come bring it together, give him a TV show called Highly Questionable. Seems he's learned his lesson. Seems like he's watching Highly Questionable. He's staying out of the spotlight good try Mike what happened everybody it's Mike Ryan now the weather is warming up that means summer concert season is right around the corner and so many great acts are releasing albums and touring those albums over the summer. We got stadium shows, amphitheaters, people that want to wear shorts and party all night long.

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What two gods now you are yeah? Good this is the down libertar show with a stew gods What? Stugats! Now you are. Yeah. The, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the,

the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, headlines today because it happened against New York and at least in parts Dugats because if you stuck with that game after the Knicks took a 17-point lead. There's a lot of people who didn't by the way right they woke up today thinking the Knicks won. Anyway sorry. I've got to assume so I have to assume that that's what happened today that a lot of people gave up on that because if you just rewind and it's hard to fathom, right, how quickly all of this stuff changes, I simply wanna take you back to how good New York felt and how many people were yelling at Neesmith and others

for continually fouling Knicks three-point shooters, stinky Knicks three-point shooters, stinky Knicks three-point shooters, as Brunson left the game with foul trouble, and that seemed to be Indiana's best chance to win the basketball game. They were down two, Brunson leaves the game. He's leaving the game for eight minutes. At the end of it, the Knicks are up 14.

I remind you how good New York felt right then. Scrappy underdog, we don't even have to do it with the smallest player on the court our guys are clutch you remember how we'd love heartenstein and those villanova great and we didn't want diva chen so the foreigner to be traded because we loved all of that great but now at the end of that

sequence they're feeling great about their role players. They're feeling great about everything that just happened. And then their heads get caved in. You have to imagine, Knicks fans, all of them, slept poorly last night, right? Every last one. You have them sleeping. Every last one.

Well, the ones that went to sleep when they were up 17, they slept like a baby. The ones who watched the entire game, they didn't get a wink. I mean, none of them. Seriously. It was embarrassing. Put it on the poll at LeBattard Show, did a single Knicks fan sleep well last night? The Halliburton discussion is interesting because I would say his upside is I think he's better than Damian Lillard.

This is a guy, is the best guy on his team. He's taken his team to the conference finals two years in a row, and now he's on the verge of going to the NBA finals. I mean, Damian never did that. Relax. Oh, come on. On the verge of.

What are you doing? What are you doing? I will say this. He's the best player on his team. He's taken them to the Eastern Conference finals twice. Damian went once. In terms of surrounding talent, I, he does have an argument. This isn't an uber-talented team around Tyrese Halliburton. Lillard never really had a super-talented team around him.

Lillard never had a super-talented team around him. Also, Lillard played with Warriors and Thunder and Rockets and all these 65-win teams left and right. Yeah, that's probably their point. Also, the supporting cast is like, I think that's the big reason none of us expected any of this from the Pacers the last couple of years, is because no one around the NBA respects people like Neesmith and Nemhard enough.

These guys are really, really, really good two-way players. Dan, I'd like to shift gears to something a little bit more somber here. I'm sorry, I know we're all excited to talk about the game. No, it's not about hockey. It's still about the game, but I'm really concerned. I'm very concerned. A dear friend of mine, his name is Elite, the producer.

He's a Grammy-winning producer for Dreamville. And he disappeared somewhere within that nine-point blown lead for the Knicks. And we haven't heard from him since. Like a missing person? Like we pinged him, we added him, we sent text direct messages. He's not responding.

So I know this is live. If you know Elite and you've seen him, please tell him his friends miss him and are worried about him and his good, and his health. I'm hoping everything's okay. I know last night must have been tough, but buddy, we're really worried.

Thank you. Sorry guys, as you were. (*whistle*) (*crowd cheering*) Minor penalty, two minutes high sticking. (*upbeat music*) You thought it was that high? Ew.

I'm joking. (*upbeat music*) The Pacers- Is there blood? Nope, we're good. The Pacers are 43 and 16 this calendar year, okay? They started a bit slowly, and I understand how it is that both you can underestimate this before it starts,

and then you get a moment like that and get carried away and make him better than Damien Lillard. But I will say that when I was introduced to Halliburton, and I don't know how or when this happened for you, but for me, it was when he was playing here against the Heat and he started pulling up from 35 and 40 feet, and I'm like, oh, there's another one who could do what Steph and Damian Lillard

do and trade less efficiently. But it was the first time I'd seen another player extend the range. And when Jeremy says, and he is right about this, when he says you underestimate Neesmith as a two-way player, you really do understand that when Ananobi doesn't look like an athlete against other athletes, you've got on the court a bunch of hybrids who can play a lot of different kinds of basketball against against people and and what it is that you're watching with with the sport changing because it's not just that it moves from Steph and LeBron to a new

kind of stardom and younger players, it's a style of play that's different to Gotts because I also remember, I remember coming in here all excited one day because I was watching early Golden State Warriors basketball and they had a three on one break and two of their guys went to the corner three spots instead of going for the layup. It's the most excited I've ever seen you. No, but I'm like, what the hell? What the hell is happening out here with this? The idea that you have a player in the league, okay,

who's miked up during the game and he's saying, of Mitchell Robinson, that guy doesn't even have to like jump or anything because he's got like, his fingers go down to his ankles and so Mitchell Robinson, he's like, I love that guy because Mitchell Robinson is is just he's very long and and what Halliburton was articulating is that's what's defending him at the end of the game that size mismatch and he's going at it it's what it is that he's attacking he says afterward that he was

thinking about the floater Bridges sort of hits the ball. The idea to step back there, Stu Gottson, be like, I want to win this game. I don't want to tie it right now. Right. If you're going to step back, though, step back. All the way back. That's a great point. And he would have been totally crushed had he not

stepped all the way back. And then he would have been a punchline forever more. It teetered that much. They had to handle business in overtime, but they've shown the play a bunch of times since you had the take. You weren't so sure that he had a lane to a layup. I'm kind of siding with you.

I see it. It did seem like Mitchell Robinson had good positioning and while he would have had an attempt at the rim, it would have been difficult. So I think he made the right basketball move outside of, you know, not maybe being an inch further. You guys do understand though, that this moment that we're talking about this moment this wonderful moment pure luck the ball went above the shot clock

it went twice as high as I remember it was on a good trajectory though like it was it looked it looked kind of pure it didn't barely bounce up it went up to the shot clock yeah that's the highest apex I've ever seen on a rebound is crazy And then swished like didn't do that Marissa just blew that one into the Nelson 1969 Nelly would you guys please for a moment? Understand that I went 17 times, I projectile vomited yesterday.

But about as good as I felt watching sports is the one second that that ball hung in the air. After watching the previous six minutes of I'm watching New York deflate, these people are scared, these crowd shots are great, they're better than the basketball, these crowd shots of just sweeping fear, just waves of fear through the building.

They know what's coming and then just freeze it on that one second. Do you know how painful it is? Because they're like, we're going to lose. We're going to lose. I feel like we're going to lose. We're going to lose now. Oh, the ball's in the air.

We're going to lose. Then they go to replay and they nullify the whole thing. We're still going to lose. I know we're going to lose. You know why? Because for 25 years we've lost. Then they get out to that four-point lead over times, New York Yeah, you choke you shouldn't have done that Look I'm gonna tell you right now

The book on how the basketball gods work says because he celebrated too much despite stepping on the line the way that overtime started I was like oh This is gonna turn into an even more obnoxious win for the Knicks. And then they fell apart. And why didn't they follow Obie Toppin? Why is McHale Bridges trying to block Obie Toppin at the rim? And they didn't call it, which they got lucky.

That was crazy. What a flip back though. If anybody is interested in a top shot NFT. Oh, it's never been higher than this. It's ever been higher than this. It's the moment. It's 20 bucks. I'll take it.

And Venmo right now, it's yours. I think of you every time he does something. My mentions still get flooded. Top shot was a moment in time, I guess. I really registered it. I'd like to bring up something here though for Amin because Amin was saying earlier in the show and I don't want to skip past this, okay.

Empirically, Jalen Brunson is the most clutch player in the league by leaps and bounds. He scores more in the fourth quarter than anybody else. What I will tell you is the expectations on Jalen Brunson right now are different than they've ever been. The fear in that building is something that I could feel. The fear in that building is something

that I could feel on my television and brunson totally fell apart at the end of that game he did that that would be in bounding by the next and specifically brunson just he had a historic throwaway that unknowingly happen to get it made corporate he was trying to hit somebody he was trying to hit them up a sir in the leg and it would have been a disastrous turnover and he had others during the game and what I'm telling you is when you see the shift and it's only

one game and we'll see this story play out on whether or not Brunson can take this from Halliburton as they're trying to fight over the league who gets to take the league but in clutch moments last night haliburton's your guy brunson fell apart it's a it's a one game and I'm just talking about the end he had a good statistical game I mean you can't tell me he was having trouble bringing the ball up so he was great through up until he got his fifth foul and his fourth and fifth fouls were both really dumb fouls Carl Anthony Towns level fouls were like, what are you doing? That's not what you do. You're the smart guy, right? And so then after that fifth foul it kind of I think you know

He came back in and I don't know if his confidence was messed up or something But clearly the pressure got turned up on him and he looked uncharacteristic. It was weird. We don't see him look like that ever. That's what made it stand out. He looked clumsy. He looked clumsy. That pass in particular, the one that ended up in O.G. Ananobe's hands, like that was a oh my god he just blew the game right there and I was like oh O.G. caught it never mind game over all he's got to do is hit these two free throws which of course we know didn't happen. The other play by the way Dan was the in oh, OG caught it, never mind, game over. All he's gotta do is hit these two free throws, which of course we know didn't happen. The other play, by the way, Dan, was the inbound pass, I think it was on a side out of bounds,

where Josh Hart slips. Oh! And like, was it, Nem Hart was, Nem Hart, if he had not just tried to get the ball immediately, if he had taken one step, that was gonna be a steal and a turnover the other way as well. What I'm saying to you guys though,

is it really is a cool thing to watch happen in real time. Watch. Watch. The fear of that building is something that a team that hasn't been this deep can feel a little extra. I mean Halliburton doesn't have a whole lot of reason to be scared of these moments, Dugan. Because he's had many of them.

It's just if he's that good in the clutch, my guess is if confidence and successes stack the top of each other, you don't go from a two to a three to immediately a choke sign unless you're super confident about what you do for a living. Well, Dan, his exploits are very well publicized at this point from this postseason alone. Everyone knows this is what this guy does. So now it's like the mythology built for him. But I want to ask a question to the room. I submit to you, there is no greater sound in the world of sports than hearing shocked Madison square garden. That sound, there's no other arena. There's no other team where it happens where like they like like, catastrophe is hit and it's just like, oh!

Shock Toronto Maple Leafs fans was nice. No, they left. The guard doesn't leave. They sit there and they sit in that shock and that's what makes it different. It's not just that they sit in the shock, they then immediately realize, oh, I hope, I shouldn't hope.

I had feelings. Ah! That's well- I stayed because I hope and I shouldn't hope because I had feelings. Ah! That's well- I stayed because I hope and I shouldn't hope because they always betray my hope because they're the next. And I do ask you, I ask the audience, do you believe that the clutchiest of clutch players

can feel that that fan base, which he has allowed to dare to hope, Stots they believe in him they believe in him late Yes, that is the that's the great thing to have in sports. That's having Mahomes. That's having Tom Brady You have the closer you you have the guy that finishes people but what happens when they've got the better finisher? And and he's not the better player And he's not the better player. He's not. He's a better finisher. He might be a better player, but for right now, he's a better,

I guess, he's a better finisher. Brunson won, clutched his player in the league. Brunson, he had 43. We're killing him right now. Well, at the end of the game though, look. He had seven turnovers. Wait a minute. Hold on a second.

Okay. Look. Yes, of course, Brunson isson's great great story all of that stuff and uh... and you know that i'd prefer most times to celebrate instead of criticize i'm i'm telling you right now i'm actively hating while watching sports that's not something i do i was rooting only for boston's fan base to suffer i thought that boston had a better chance and and

did you have a better chance to win the championship than this Knicks team does. And so I figured that I would root for Boston to lose first and then root for New York to lose next. It's like winning a title. I'm going to put up banners. I'm going to put up banners of just sad faces. Dan, if you want me to be honest, this is like Heat haters are down bad this post season,

right? Boston, Boston fans, gone. New York going through this and then if Indiana goes next and they get beat by sweeper or gentlemen sweep, all of a sudden all these Heat fans are like, yeah. Then we stopped caring. We did it, baby. This is not the way to watch sports. I don't think but I Every night every night you're a winner one way or another

so but when I say though that I don't like to to to blame and You say we're killing Brunson today when he goes for an efficient 42 43 but but what I'm saying is simply when faced with What will go down as? one of the most Historic chokes in the history of all of sports and may not be the most Historic choke in the rivalry simply between these two teams or last night. I mean the Oilers I Don't know if this is a bigger choke than Reggie Miller's choke.

I mean, statistically it's a bigger choke. It's even more improbable than Reggie Miller's making. There is no bigger choke in the history of the sport. What's a bigger choke? Especially like maybe there's a bigger one in the regular season where a team got caught napping in a meaningless game. Maybe there's something like that. But look at the odds, statistically.

This is the first time this has happened in the playoffs. All right, yes, yes. But I submit to you, eight points in nine seconds is kind of crazy. Yeah, that's crazy. 17 points in a matter of two minutes is insane. It was a group effort. They were down nine with 51 seconds left.

What's the poll question then bigger choke? Okay, eight points in nine seconds or how do I phrase the next one to make it either down? 17 with 240 something left or it's down nine with 44 seconds to go. What's the bigger choke? They choked twice in that game. I think it's nine with 40 I mean the Bulls had a pretty crazy comeback this year against the Lakers. Yeah. Oh yeah. Where the win probability, I'm curious to see what the win probability was for the Lakers there. What we're trying to balance here is like the size of the deficit and the time remaining, right? Right. And that's the real thing. That's how it works, yes. I think the Bulls was probably a little

bit more impressive. Let him finish though, I like this, he's organizing it. But by that formula, by that very obvulous formula that Amin has laid out for us, I think the Bulls over Lakers was more impressive. So we're claiming this is the biggest choke ever? We're coming in here for- While also suggesting maybe Bulls Lakers in a meaningless regular season game was probably bigger bigger Tracy McGrady 13 points in 30 seconds

I watched that game live and I remember thinking this games over and every time he kept every time he kept making a shout I was like, alright, come on. This is ridiculous when that last turnover happened I can't remember the little guards name Brown I think Brown slips and turns it over and Tracy's bringing the ball up and everyone was like, oh my god, is this about to happen? Is this about to happen? It was Devon Brown. And then Tracy pulls up from like 30 feet and then the shot goes in and everyone loses their mo- that- oh man, I might have to put that one above. I might have to put that one above last night. I want to do analysis of greatest chokes ever. I also want to point out to Stu Gotts that I just saw on the television that when the

Knicks were up 14 with three minutes and 44 seconds left, the win probability for them in that spot was 99.8%. Pretty good. I don't know which is the bigger choke though in the rivalry between these two teams like are you guys telling me? You guys are telling me that you think years from now in a game one in a in an Eastern Conference finals that we're gonna do a 30 for 30 and and Associate somewhat Halliburton like we associate Reggie Miller for all time with with those nine seconds Well, I don't I just want to point out something because I'm looking at that same stat

you just mentioned 99.8% win probability with 344 left up 14 that doesn't sound right that sounds like a typo that like 99.8% for a 14 point lead with almost four minutes to go how about that can't be right how about the the stat that they had under that? Yeah. There was a five minute span in which the Pacers scored 40 points. In five minutes they outscored them 40 to 24.

What are we doing? No, that can't be right either. I mean, it's overtime. No, they added overtime. They would've added overtime. It said in five minutes they outscored them 40 to 24. I'm with him. I mean, you think 99.8% is a very large percentage.

You think it should be 99.9%? You don't understand what I'm saying. I'm saying 344 left, up 14. That number sounds completely erroneous. It's too high, you're saying. Way too high. My bad. Like Jim Ursa.

What? That's his power. Too soon. We're that show now. Don't put that on us. Just lack of class, those Levitard guys. Hey friends, it's Jarrah Bear here, and I'm here to tell you all about Boost Mobile, which is now a legit nationwide 5G network.

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