The Herd with Colin Cowherd - Hoops Tonight - Thunder-Mavericks Reaction: OKC comeback STUNS Luka Doncic & Dallas, series tied 2-2

Episode Date: May 14, 2024

Jason Timpf reacts to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren, and the Oklahoma City Thunder's stunning 100-96 Game 4 win over Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving, and the Dallas Mavericks to even their series at 2-2. Jason breaks down the biggest highlights from the game and shares his predictions ahead of Game 5 in OKC. #volume #HerdSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is an I-Heart podcast. Guaranteed Human. Another podcast from some SNL, late-night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smygel and friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman help make you funnier. This week, my guest, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer, Streeter Seidel, help an a cappella band with their between songs banter.

Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes. Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and friends on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal, but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque.

Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, this is Robert from the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast. Joe and I are both lifelong Star Wars fan, so we're celebrating May the 4th with a brand new week of fun, thought-provoking Star Wars-related episodes.

Join us as we tackle science and culture topics from a galaxy far, far away, such as the biology of tauntons and wampas on the ice planet hot, or the practicality and corporate business sense of the Sith ruling. of two. Listen to Stuff to Blow Your Mind on the Iheart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. On the Look Back at it podcast. From 1979, that was a big moment for me.

84 was big to me. I'm Sam J. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick a year, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it with our friends, fellow comedians, and favorite authors. Like Mark Lamont Hill on the 80s. 84 was a wild year. It was a wild year.

I don't think there's a more important year for black. people. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. The volume. The NBA playoffs are heating up, and so is the action at Draft King Sportsbook, an official sports betting partner of the NBA with same game parlays, live betting, odds boosts, and so much more, don't miss out as the NBA postseason winds down.

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All right, welcome to Hips tonight here at the volume. Happy Monday, everybody. Hope all you guys are having a great start to your week. Got a jam-pack show for you tonight. We're going to do a breakdown of that epic showdown. between the Thunder and the Mavericks. Really weird game stuck in the mud. But Shea Gildes Alexander makes a couple of big shots, a couple of big kickout passes. Ksaint Wallace and Chet Holmgren hit some big threes. And Oklahoma City gets out of there with the win. And we're

two to two headed back to Oklahoma for game five. We're going to be breaking that game down from the perspective of both teams. And then at the end of the show today, I had mentioned, I sent out a tweet with a mailbag earlier today. We got a bunch of questions. So I'm going to go through probably a dozen or so mailback questions at the tail end of the show. You guys are the drill before we get started. Subscribe to a brand of YouTube channel so you don't miss any more of our videos. Follow me on Twitter and underscore Jason LT so you guys don't miss show announcements. Don't forget about a podcast feed wherever you get your podcast under hoops tonight. And keep dropping mailback questions in those YouTube comments. We keep hitting them throughout the rest of the postseason.

All right. Let's talk some basketball. So this was a bizarre game and what's been a pretty bizarre series. Both teams are really, really struggling to score. These are two teams that have a plethora of perimeter speed and outstanding perimeter defenders. Derek Jones Jr. has been probably the best veteran minimum signing in the league this year. Just an outstanding perimeter defender that's doing a good amount of damage in spot-up situations and in transition on the other end of the floor. Obviously, PJ Washington's competing really well on that end. Josh Green's competing really well on that end.

Kyrie Irving's competing really well on that end. Then you go to Oklahoma City. They got a bunch of professional perimeter defenders. Like Lou Dort, that's a guy that's going to be in this league for a long time. time doing what he's doing to Luca Donchich in this series. Same thing goes for Casano Wallace. Aaron Wiggins comes in the game. He brings perimeter defense. Jalen Williams has done a really nice job as well. And so all these guys are really struggling to get their game off. And I really think it's coming down to decision making in a lot of cases. We're going to get into some of those

details. But both teams are really struggling to score. Both teams were below 88 points per 100 half court plays according to cleaning the glass. According to cleaning glass in this game. These are two teams that were both over 100 points per 100 half court plays during the regular season. For the series now through four games, Oklahoma City is winning that battle rather convincingly. They're up 96 to 89 in terms of points per 100 half court plays. All four stars were struggling today. Kyrie was having a poor shooting game. He's only four for 11, only scored nine points.

J. Dub was five for 19, was really struggling with reading the floor, challenging rim protectors, missing extra defenders that were coming over. a lot of young basketball player stuff from Oklahoma City that they fought through at the end of the day. But you could see them struggling with Luca Donchich was six for 20. He's just having a nightmare of a time dealing with Lou Dort. Lou Dord has him in the torture chamber right now. Shea Gilgast Alexander was really struggling up until about the last 15 minutes or so. And he was the one guy who broke out. And that's really what determined this game. That said, like as much as Shea broke out as a shot maker, I did think that Luca and Kyrie were doing a much better job.

hunting their teammates for spot-up opportunities. This is an interesting trend for Oklahoma City. A big part of how they got going down the stretch of this game was taking advantage of easy reads that are available when Dallas is collapsing on them around the rim. And they've done mostly a poor job in this series of making those kickout reads. While even though Luca has struggled with missing shots and with turnovers, he's making those kickout reads a lot. Even though Kyrie hasn't been really scoring all that much, he's been making those kickout reads. And again, like, this game was 100 to 96 and came down to what? It was tied. It was tied late before that last three that Chet Holmgren hit. So like this game could have gone either way. And obviously the free throws were a huge issue for Dallas in this game. Oklahoma City was struggling with their decision making. Like everyone was really struggling. But Shea was the one guy that broke out. And a lot of those little short textbook stepback jumpers going left. And right that is in that short range that I talk about like long twos out by like 17 18 19 feet those

can dip in percentage considerably but shea gets good separation around like you know 15 14 feet and he gets to these looks that are actually pretty high percentage and he was struggling to make them for the most part in this series but really he caught a little hot streak at the right time there in the fourth quarter and then he finally made some good kickout reads this is something like again, when you are, how many times did it seem like you saw a Thunder player, whether it was Shea or Chet or a guy driving a close out, like get into the lane and then try to try to just throw their body into traffic with all of the rim protection that Dallas has and force something up and then get blocked. Dallas had 13 blocks in this game. I pulled up the numbers in the first three games of the series, Oklahoma City shot just 62% in the restricted area. they were 69% in the restricted area in the regular season. It's a substantial dip from where they're usually at.

And so again, when I put in my notes, Oklahoma City has the talent to win this series. They have more offensive talent, in my opinion. They have more off ball shooting, more guys that are better at attacking closeouts. Obviously, PJ Washington and Derek Jones Jr. have capitalized on the fact that Luca and Kyrie keep hunting them and they're making shots. But Shea and Jaylon Williams, they've got to do a better job of making those kickout reads. And finally, at the end of that game, Shea started making those reads.

There was a strong side corner help from Luca for the big one that Chad Holmgren hit. Luca was helping a lot off of Cason Wallace on that weak side down the stretch of that game. And they were missing that read. So there's a lot more opportunity there. In that third quarter, there were a lot of plays where like Shea would collapse the defense and like make the right read. But he'd throw like a kind of a janky pass that either get deflected or he'd lose his balance and throw a bad pass. I did a video on the on the Nuggets Timberwolf series today where I talked about the importance of making the pass to the shooting pocket. And the reason why is very simple because these are elite defenses with a ton of speed that are closing out at you.

And so like again, if I'm starting 20 feet away from you or let's say 15 feet away from you and I throw the pass at your feet, I'm going to close out well. And I'm going to be able to chase you off of the line. but if someone throws the pass directly into your shooting pocket, it's really difficult for me to get out there in time. And so, like, honestly, like, there's a lot of room for improvement for Oklahoma City, which is what's kind of scary is like, like, they're missing a lot of reads. They're not making good kickout passes. Jalen Williams is still, like, really struggling to read the floor out there.

Totally predictable for a guy in just his second year playing NBA basketball and his first time playing in the playoffs at this level, right? Shea, his first playoff run is the number one option on the playoff team. And, you know, there's just so much more room for improvement there for them. But Shea finally did make some plays down the stretch of this game, some good kickout passes, some good short midrange jumpers. And on the other end of the floor, like Lou Dort just continues to with his like just overwhelming physicality, just you can tell it's really starting to rattle Luca. He's starting to he he's complaining at the refs constantly he's constantly on the ground he's constantly

the big one for luca that's the surprise to me is the turnovers and what he's doing is he's over penetrating and then he's getting himself surrounded by bodies and he's throwing kickout passes when he's being swarmed that are getting deflected or going right to the next guy in the rotation that are getting it and running out the other way like lucca really needs to just calm the hell down and and just kind of kind of like what we were talking about with Jamal Murray early in the in the wolf series where it's like, hey, you've handled ball pressure before. Luca has seen a good perimeter defender before. He has seen physical ball pressure before.

He has seen a guy that he can't overpower physically before. He's capable of handling this a lot better than he has. And I'm going to say the exact same thing to Luca or about Luca that I said about Jamal Murray. When it comes to Jamal Murray, yeah, I get it. You got a calf injury, man. But everyone in the playoffs is hurt. You better just find a way.

And when I went and looked at the tape, it really looked like Jamal just wasn't handling the ball pressure well, even though I know he can handle it. Then he goes into the two games in Minnesota does a masterful job of handling the ball pressure and everything comes together. Lucas in that phase, kind of where Jamal Murray was in game two, where he's getting super worked up and he's super involved with the officials. And he is capable of handling this a lot better than he is. not over, not over penetrating, better shot selection, playing and taking what the defense is giving you. He's capable of turning this series around. Both teams are capable of playing a lot better than they have been. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal but encouraged.

It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games, and with the athletes for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the I-Hard Radio app,

Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care which I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media.

Well, somewhere along the way, This platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment. And the next, we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast.

It's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So, if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes,

follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. Do you remember when Diana Ross double-tap Little Kim's boobs at the VMAs? Or when Kanye said that George Bush didn't like black people. I know what you're thinking. What the hell does George Bush got to do with Little Kim? Well, you're going to be. You can find out on The Look Back at it podcast.

I'm Sam Jett. And I'm Alex English. Each episode, we pick it here, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it. Including a recent episode with Mark Lamont Hill waxing all about crack in the 80s. To be clear, 84 is big to me, not just because of crack. I'm down to talk about crack on day, but just so you all know. I mean, at this point, Mark, this is the second episode where we've discussed crack. So I'm starting to see that there's a through line.

We also have AIDS on the table right now. Thank you for finishing that sentence. Yes. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Really? Yeah. For me, it's one of the most important years for black people in American history. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Welcome to my new podcast, Learn the Hard Way with me, your host, and your favorite therapist, Kear Games. And in recognition of mental health awareness month, I'm bringing over a decade of my own experience in the mental health field and confidence. conversations with so many incredible guests. I'm talking. Tripp Fontaine, Ryan Clark. Sometimes when we're in the pursuit of the thing, we get so wrapped up in the chase that we don't realize that we are in possession of the thing.

And we're still chasing it. And we don't know when we've done enough. Because people scoreboard watch. Life becomes about wins and losses. Steve Burns, Dustin Ross. Because you find it important to be a good person while you hear on earth? Or are you a good person because you're afraid?

Because that's two different intentions. bro absolutely and that that's two different levels of trust i want you to just really be a good person join me keer gains is we have real conversations about healing growth fatherhood pressure and purpose on my new podcast learn the hard way open your free iHeart radio app search learn the hard way and listen now but i did think it was super impressive that shea broke out it felt like his first real kind of playoff moment didn't it obviously hit that game winner against the pelicans but the pelicans are the worst team out of all the Western Conference teams that got into the playoffs, right? So like, given the stakes, given the situation, down to one on the road, you're trailing

in the second half. I think they went down by 13, 14 points in the early portion of the third quarter. If I remember correctly, like they were really in a tough spot. And they just kept chugging along and they kept making plays. And then Shea hit a level there in that fourth quarter run that was able to carry his team home to the finish line. Again, Oklahoma City does have the talent to win the series. It's all going to be about being sharper with their decision making. When you get into the lane and multiple bodies converge on you, your percentages will dip. And again, like, it's all about shot value, right? You don't want to just take threes if they're chasing you off the three point line and they're not high quality threes. Yeah, three points is

worth more than two, but not if it's contested and not if it's a good shot. Same thing goes for the rim. The rim is the highest value shot in the NBA, but not if you're not if you're shooting like 59% down there, right? Or I think it was 62%. or whatever. I'll have to pull the numbers from from this particular game. But they shot 38% from the field in this game. I would imagine after they got blocked 13 times. I would imagine after I go back and look at

the tape or excuse me, look at the numbers when the analytics update, I would venture to guess that their shooting percentage in the restricted area has dipped below 60%. Now we're not talking about you know, 1.3 or 1.4 points per shot down there. Now we're

talking about barely over a point per shot. And that's not the best value that's available there on the floor. You have the talent. You just have to make those kickout passes, play advantage basketball. Again, like, it's very simple. If you are playing one-on-one against an elite perimeter defender, it's generally going to be a pretty low percentage shot.

If you're challenging athletic seven-footers at the rim, it's generally going to be a low percentage shot. But if I give Kaysa-Wallis or Lou Dord or any of these guys, a defender closing out at them, it infinitely increases their, dramatically increases their efficiency on those plays. And so that that to me is the encouraging part for Oklahoma City. You played like shit most of this game and you got out of there with the win and tied the series. Shout out to Case on Wall. It's a bunch of big shots there down the stretch. Shout out to

Chet Holmgren as well. He was getting, he was a victim of a lot of that physicality as well. There was a swim move that Derek lively hit him with in the second half where he just elbowed him right in the side of the temple and just kept hanging around, kept making plays, hit that big three and then ice the game at the foul line late. On the Dallas front, again, Luca, the shot selection, I understand why he's taking those shots. He's trying to get his rhythm back. I get it. I think he can be a little bit better there. The big one is the mistakes. I think Kyrie and Luca are both doing a really good job of what Oklahoma City is not doing, which is making those kickout passes and generating close out opportunities for their teammates, which they are taking advantage of. For Luca, it's the mistakes

against Oklahoma City with how good they are in transition. Turnovers are a death sentence. That is the entire way their offense, I shouldn't say the entire way. That is a significant portion of their basketball identity. Playing passing lanes, physical aggression on the ball, and passing lanes, forcing turnovers, getting out in transition and getting easy looks. Luca has to cut down on his mistakes. And I know what every Mavericks fan in the world is going to be saying. Lucas knee is hurt.

Yeah, you're right. Everyone's hurt, though. He's got to find a way to play, right? Lou George's foul in him. Yeah, you're right. So is every elite perimeter defender in the league in every series. everyone's foul in the hell out of everybody. Luca is not the only primary ball handler out there

who's getting hacked and slashed on every single drive to the basket. It's happening to everybody. He has to find a way to weather through that and make a bigger impact on this game. I also thought Jason Kitt, it was interesting that he leaned so much on Tim Hardaway, Jr. late. Derek Jones Jr. is playing really well. 17 points in this game.

He had four blocks. He was plus nine. Only played 27 minutes. And I get it. Tim Hardaway hit a huge three late in the game. But Derek Jones Jr. is the guy that's been doing the best job guarding Shea. And Tim Hardaway, Tim Hardaway, Jr. made a critical mistake at the end of the game on that little post entry to Luca Donchichup on the right wing. So like, like, I just, I didn't really understand that specific move there.

I get kind of the offense, defense sub angle. But like Derek Jones is, in my opinion, like someone that has to be on the floor as much as possible when you get into these situations. So tough to get a real feel for this game at this series because here, I'll just put it this simply. Both of these teams have so much room for improvement that I really could see this series going either way. Like Dallas is capable of playing so much better. Like Kyrie and Luca combined for 27 points tonight.

Like you bet your ass they're due for a 55, 60 point night between those two, right? And also, Oklahoma City is capable of much better offensive process, getting more advantage basketball type of possessions where guys are attacking closeouts. And it's just going to be this simple. Whichever team snaps out of it and starts playing more to their advantages is going to win the series.

No one's playing well. And it's two, too. So like this is there for the taking. Somebody's just got to rise from the pack tonight. Shea was the guy who rose. We'll see what happens in game five. Obviously, we'll be there live on YouTube after the final buzzer on.

on Wednesday night. The volume. Another podcast from some SNL late night comedy guy, not quite. Unhumor me with Robert Smygel and friends. Me and hilarious guests from Bob Odenkirk to David Letterman

help make you funnier. This week, my guest, SNL's Mikey Day and head writer Streeter Seidel help an a cappella band with their between songs banter. Where does your group perform? We do some retirement homes.

Those people are starving for banter. Listen to humor me with Robert Smigel and Friends on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Imagine an Olympics where doping is not only legal, but encouraged. It's the enhanced games. Some call it grotesque. Others say it's unleashing human potential. Either way, the podcast's Superhuman documented it all, embedded in the games and with the athletes

for a full year. Within probably 10 days, I'd put on 10 pounds. I was having trouble stopping the muscle growth. Listen to Superhuman on the eye heart. radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hey, this is Robert from the Stuff to Blow Your Mind podcast. Joe and I are both lifelong Star Wars fan, so we're celebrating May the 4th with a brand new week of fun, thought-provoking Star Wars-related episodes. Join us as we tackle science and culture topics from a galaxy far, far away,

such as the biology of Tontans and Wampas on the ice planet hot, or the practicality and corporate business sense of the Sith rule of two. Listen to stuff to blow your mind, and on the IHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. On The Look Back at it podcast. From 1979, that was a big moment for me. 84 was big to me. I'm Sam Jay. And I'm Alex English.

Each episode, we pick a year, unpack what went down, and try to make sense of how we survived it with our friends, fellow comedians, and favorite authors. Like Mark Lamont Hill on the 80s. 84 was a wild year. It was a wild year. I don't think there's a more important year for black people. Listen to look back at it on the IHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.