The Ringer NBA Show - Pacers Annihilate Thunder In Game 6. Game 7, Here We Come! | Real Ones

Episode Date: June 20, 2025

Logan is joined by The Ringer's Tyler Parker (Oklahoma native and Thunder fan) to discuss the dismantling that was Game 6. The Thunder looked great in the very early portion of the game, but things unraveled for them very quickly. What did the Pacers do to make the high-powered Thunder offense look pedestrian. Has the media overdone it with player comps after OKC’s Jalen Williams was getting compared to Scottie Pippen? Is there a world where TJ McConnell could be the Finals MVP? If the Thunder lose on Sunday, could this shake up their very young core similar to the past with Durant, Harden and Westbrook? Hosts: Logan Murdock Guest: Tyler Parker Producers: Clifford Augustin and Victoria Valencia The Ringer is committed to responsible gaming. Please visit www.rg-help.com to learn more about the resources and helplines available. Hit the mailbag! [e-mail] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What's popping? Emergency edition of real ones after game six of the 2025 NBA finals. I am Logan Murdoch, and I will be joined by the great Tyler Parker. No Howard, no Roger today. Just me and Tyler talking about OKC's big loss. What can we expect from OKC in game seven? What can we expect from Indiana in game seven? Pascal Seacom is great.

What's up with these J-dub Scotty Pippin comparisons? That's so weird. I don't know why people are doing this. It's a lazy comparison. We'll get into that. We'll get into why. Why isn't the Ringer released Parker Tiles with me and Tyler Parker? We're going to get to the bottom of that as well. We're going to talk about all things, Oklahoma. Fort Gibson, shout out to you. We're going to talk about why I'm so pissed that I miss Caitlin Clark tonight. Still mad about that. You had to watch that weak game. Anyways, Romans, up next. This episode is brought to you by State Farm.

On the basketball court, the best players know when to pass. And off the court, you still need teammates who are there when it counts. That's where State Farm comes in. With agents and online tools to help you find the coverage you need, you could focus on what really matters, whether that's hitting game winners or just getting through the day. State Farm, with the assist, coverage options are selected by the customer, availability and eligibility vary by state.

Spavin, Real ones. Logan Murdoch here. No Roger Bell there or Howard Beck in the cut. Happy Juneteenth, ladies and gentlemen. But it's not one happy guest that we have coming on right now. Our guest host, Mr. Well, you frame that. Why you got to put those back your back?

You have to drive here. That was a nuts transition. We're going to go with it. Hey, hey, hey, hey. We're going to go with it. That is Tyler Parker talking minutes after the Indiana Pacers eviscerate the Oklahoma City Thunder in game six of the, 2025 NBA finals.

Okay, C went out to, got up to a 10 to 2 run and just kept looking back the rest of the way. And here we are. So when we first started, you know, DMing when we found out you were available to do this show. I was like,

man, it's really good to have you on this show. You said you were either going to be really, really, really happy or really, really sad. Where are you at right now, Tyler, after this game. Where are your range of emotions? You know, one of the good things about blowouts is it gives you a lot of time to sit with the result before the game is even over. And so you get to work through some emotions.

Which emotions does you work through, sir? This is a therapy session is what this is. Bewilderment emotion is rage. Confusion, I guess, isn't really an emotion. feeling like the ground was falling out from under me and also somehow the ceiling was pushing down on me but the ceiling, like it was like I was just getting shoved down as hard as possible through a never-ending black pit, you know what I mean? And so it wasn't a great time, I wouldn't say.

As a Thunder fan, it was not, it's not, it's not what I would call fun, but Game 7, baby. You know, as I said, game 7. And so, you know,

it, I, what a terrible disastrous performance by the Thunder. And I don't, I really am at this point blown away when T.J. McConnell misses a shot.

yeah yeah okay I thought there was more to that I'm sorry okay okay that was the only monologue I thought that was gonna be like a three minute answer of despair no I mean I'm trying to not go there just yet

because that way that way lies madness but how about how about I just read you some stats really quickly and let's just see where it goes right okay that sounds so great yes please So first player that just played like Boo Boo, was one Shea Gilgis Alexander, 21 points, four rebounds, two assists, eight turnovers. Yeah, the turnovers.

What do you think about his game, sir? Not good enough. Like two, I mean, the entire Thunder offense, to a man pretty much, just way too casual with the ball. So many silly turnovers. you let McConnell pick off the outlet the moment he comes in. You know you need to be aware of him and that he's going to be trying to do stuff like that from the moment he checks into the game. That something like that happens so immediately was, you know, another in a long line of red flags.

It was weird. The game was so weird because, I mean, the Thunder get in on this 10-2 run and they're bawling. I put in the real ones group chat. This is how you open a close-out game. Right? What I thought to. Right. Dude,

my, two minutes, it was one of those things where no, it was one of those things where no one responded. And then two minutes later, it's a tie game. And I just go, oh, shit, right?

So you get there, right? And then, OKC plays terribly through the first quarter, but I'm like, okay, all right, it's fine. They're only down three. Like, it's cool, right? It's,

whatever, right? right there's a halberton has that calf injury that could I don't know how it's not morphed into something else but like you know it's three points it's a three point

the avalanche happens and then the second quarter happens and then I'm talking as as the lead gets larger and larger I'm talking myself back into I mean the Thunder they still got a shot at this okay it's only a 10 point game only 10 point game

don't know how they're in this right then it gets like oh it's just a 16 point game that's not bad that's it's fine. It's fine. And then it gets to 18. I'm like, I mean, it's not insurmountable, right? And then Ben Shepard, and then Ben Shepard hits the buzzer. No, I mean,

when, yeah, when, when Lionel hit the, uh, hit the three there, I was, uh, shocked and amazed. I think that's the first three. He's in all series, maybe. I'm using purely my brain, which is much at this point. Uh, and so I'm not, I've no stats in front of me. me, I'm probably wrong. But yeah, when he hit that and turned around like he was Steph afterwards,

I did start to think, you know, it might not be the Thunder's Night. It was just, it was, yeah, the avalanche started and there was nothing defensively. They were not, there wasn't enough at the point of attack from any of the defenders to keep the Pacers from getting into their little blend and getting downhill and pulling people and everything like that. They shot the ball great, and they were getting to every single 50-50 ball. It feels like this entire series,

it's felt like if there's somehow a loose ball, whether it's like off a thunder deflection or not, it is going to wind up in the hands of a pasteur and that pasteur is going to hit a three that makes me sad. And I don't, I'm, you know, that's, I don't, I don't love that. But I mean, this, uh, this, no, I mean, this pasteur steam is just like, can we just finally just say what they are right now? They're incredible, bro. Like, I, they're incredible. I just felt like this series, and by the way, um, Lionel has, um, he's, um, he's, um, um, he's, um, um,

he had three threes coming into this game. So put some respect to the game. I mean, thanks for adding insult to injury there. I appreciate you looking that up so quick. I got you, big dog. So this series is so weird. By the way, one of the more entertaining series that we've had, probably the most entertaining.

If I didn't have any skin in the game, I would be on top of the world. This is incredible. Especially like, during, we can all agree that the parody finals have been absolutely terrible for the most part, right? The second apron finals since we've had it. We've had last year, Boston Mavericks were not great. And then we had Nuggets Heat, which was just, I don't even, I don't think anybody watched the last two games of that series.

You could just prove me wrong if you want to, but I don't think, I think a lot of people even in the Ringer didn't watch the rest of that. But then you have this series, right, where, I mean, Indiana is that they're basically, you get the same statement. Oh, they've been the best, both teams have been the best team since January 1st, right? You get that. And they're both hot teams. And then we get into this series, Indiana wins game one, which is what I, you were in the building for that. I'm surprised you're still standing. And then you still have like, oh, it's fine.

Like, okay, C. You keep, you kept talking to yourself back into OKC just being the better team all series. Sure. Now I'm not sure. Like, now I'm just like, I think. Because when I was at game, when I was at game five, it was very clear head and shoulders. When OKC turns it on, their head and shoulders better than this team. And then all of a sudden, like, we get a dud like this.

And OKC seems this seems to be OKC's postseason, right? Like when they're on, they're on. But they're also, and I said this in the last real ones, they're susceptible to these types of games. Right. I think about the game one against Denver with the bus. hazard beater. And I'm thinking about this game as well. Well, the game six against Denver, the game six against Denver was messy. And then even in even game, I mean, you know, they, the, but they're susceptible to playing

down it seems like. No, for sure. I mean, they gentlemen sweeps the wolves. But even in game three, the wolves torch them by like 40 some, right? I mean, I can't. So no, they are, they are absolutely weirdly capable of laying these eggs. I think it generally has. I think it generally happens on the road whenever not a single role player can get anything going from beyond the arc. I mean, the three-point shooting has been a disaster this series, save game two and game five for the thunder. On the road, things get really chilly on that end sometimes.

And if they're not getting enough stops on the other end to keep the pacers for getting out and running, then, yeah, things can get, it makes, the Pacers are the type of team where it makes total sense to me that a game like this could happen. The weird thing is, is that I just thought that the Thunder were going to have more fight when they had an opportunity, whether or not, yes, they got the game seven, you have that to fall back on, but to have a chance to close somebody out at any point and to not take advantage of that or not it's not it's not take advantage of it to just shit the bet right like that that's that's the weird thing um but this this this this is what the thunder are they've never

ever made anything easy um not throughout the entire course of their existence you know what i mean like these it uh things tend to be a grind and it uh i am ex i am i'm I'm nervous as hell, but also very excited to see what a game seven is like in Oklahoma City with that fan base. And then just, yeah, how does the second youngest team in finals history respond to something like this? Can they close it out or will the Pacers continue to be the great undead? You know what I mean? Like, I don't know. I don't know.

They've done such a good job. Like tonight, they just completely. completely erased home green. Jesus, two of nine, four points. There was the, there was the, uh, I texted a cliff on the side after that missed, uh, was it the Miss Dalyoop at the first half. The Miss Dalyoop was like the final nail in my hope coffin tonight. Like when I saw, when I saw that happen, I was like, oh, there's no, this is, this game is over. Like it was, that, that's one of those plays where when you see that, you're like, larger things are at work here. Uh, I, I don't understand how it's even possible to miss that because it wasn't even contested you know what i mean

but but chet's another guy that is susceptible to things like this right he can have a dominant rebounding game but like he also reminds you that he's a third best player on a championship team at his best right now right like for sure i am so the more i watch him during the postseason of the more i've been frustrated with his play and i'm guessing that i'm just an oklahoma city fan for the last six months well it's not it's not like i don't think I would describe Oklahoma City fans as being frustrated with this play because I do think he's had some great moments in the postseason. And I think he's been a frustrating offensive player at times. Sure.

That's like I think he does so much defensively in being able to be super switchy, but also protect at the rim and get these kind of crazy closeouts that he should never ever be able to get to the corner. but somehow he does. I think he's, I think he's shown a lot there during the playoffs. He has not shown that he can be a consistent shotmaker, obvious. Like it's been, it's been, how nervous are you when he goes to the, when he goes to the frito line with the game on the line?

How nervous are you? I'm actually, I'm not, which is, I probably should be, but I'm not that like he, he had those misses at the end of game one of the Nuggets series. You know, he's come back from there and had, I mean, he had a great game seven in that series. And, you know, I think being able to play off of Hartnstein and help at the rim and stuff was a big part of them being able to neutralize Yolkich enough to get out of that series. But I am completely with you that when the jumper looks like it did tonight. It could be a weird looking jumper, right?

Like, it's a weird looking jump shot. So when he's not on, you just blame the form some type of way, shape, or form, right? You just like, why are you doing that way? You know? I always feel great when it's like when it touches his hands and it's going up immediately. If there's any kind of pause of any kind. And sometimes it just takes him a little bit to load up. He doesn't, he hasn't, like, it's, you know, this is his second year playing in the NBA ultimately.

Like, I think he'll continue to speed that up as he gets older. but right now, it is, sometimes it can take him a little while to get that thing off. And it's not, it can't against this Pacer's defense, whenever they're really flying around, a lot of times you don't have that amount of time to be able to get a three off. And, you know, they see. So I, I'm with you on the, there needs to be more from him. I want to talk about Jada because I was at Game 5, the best game of his career. Yeah.

It garnered so many different comparisons and weird, some weird comparisons. Like, I think about the Scotty Pivot comparison. And I'm like, guys, let's, let's relax. Come on. Like, I think it's almost like, I feel like it's almost a diss for J.W to get that comparison this early in his career. I don't know if that's, I don't know if you feel this way. But wait, are you saying like he doesn't, he doesn't deserve the, you're saying he doesn't deserve the, you're saying he can be more than a Pippin?

I think that. I think that it's an oversimplification to call him a Scotty Pippen at this point. Oh, I think it's for sure. I think it's a very lazy comparison. No disrespect to Scotty Pippen, Hall of Famer. But I think about in this point, like, I think that J. Dubb sees himself as a number one. And I'm not trying to make any controversy here to say anything about like his dynamic within the offense.

But I think that he sees himself in like he can be in that mold one day, right? Like I think that, uh, fuck of people around him. He's one of those guys that's like at halftime. He's hitting people up like, yo, can you send me this clip of what I did? Was that a foul?

Like he's really, really, um, obsessed with the game in a way. Yeah. That I feel like he is a great teammate and he is, you know, he's,

he served Shea as a number two on in this particular role. But I think if there was another team, he would take on that mantle of a number one. and I think he has bigger, I think he has bigger goals than just being someone's sidekick is what I would say. Right. Like I think that, and I'm not saying that he wants to leave. Okay, see, that's why I don't want it to be like controversial or anything. But to call him Scotty Pippen this early basically puts a ceiling on what I think he wants to be.

And I think that's why it's an oversimplification because I feel like we've bestowed Shea as this one person. And we've already put him as like the sidekick role. when I think his game doesn't look like that. No, I mean, I think the dream is this one A1B, right? That they can... And I think eventually it's going to be that. Yeah, that they can both take over the offense at different times.

You can stagger them or you can play them together. I mean, you know, obviously a lot of the success, the thunder found in the back half of this series is whenever the two of them are in action together. You know what I mean? And so I'm, and this is really, you know, one of the first times they're exploring that a lot in big moments. So I'm excited to see just where that partnership goes from here because they're getting, they're getting used to it now.

And I think that that can be something that's brutal for people. to deal with going forward. I, yeah, I'm not, he's not somebody I worry about, like, asking out or anything like that. But I agree that his talent level, like, at its peak is, is that of, like, a dude that could be a number one, for sure. For sure. Like, I think it's like it'll be, like, the Jalen Brown, the 2J's dynamic in a, Jason Tatum, Jalen Brown dynamic in Boston. That's what I think is. It's trending towards.

So to call like him, Scotty Pippin is just, it's just, I feel like it's lazy. That's, that's all it is, you know? To me,

it just felt like, sometimes I just, all the comps are just sort of exhausting. You know what I mean? It's just like, we don't, let's just talk about what he did. We don't have to be like,

is he the next? Like, you know what I mean? Like it feels like, but I think that also goes through the thing of like where we're at right now with superstars or like, we're in a transitional phase of the NBA. So like similar to how we were in the mid-90s

where we're like, who's this next MJ, who's this next person here? I think we're doing, and we didn't learn from those mistakes. We're doing, we're just not watching the game and just being saying, oh, this is the first J-Dubb

or this is the first Shade Gilgis Alexander. Like we just won't do that. Right. We're trying to find the next as a coping mechanism because of the people that are about to leave this league. That's what I think is happening right now. I mean, that's interesting. I would generally agree with you on that. I think that the NBA is terrified of what's going to happen when this older generation finally bows out and

retires. But yeah, I have a hard time with needing a comp for something like that. Like to respond to a 40 ball with. Is this guy the net? You know what I mean? It's just sort of, it's just sort of. And I've, having listened to a bunch of podcasts, I know that Scotty never scored that.

I don't know if Scottie ever scored 40, much less than the playoffs. I think the highest he had that I heard on a pod was like 37 when he was in Houston or something, maybe 38. But never, obviously never in a football. All right. Okay. Okay. Hey, hey, hey, let's put some respect on Scotty Pippin's name, sir.

Am I wrong? Scottie Pippins' career high is 47 points, which he scored on February 18th, 1997 against the Denver targets. Then maybe I'm thinking the playoffs. Maybe that's what I was hearing. Let me look at this. Let me look up, look that up. Playoff career high is 37. That's what I was thinking. In game three of the 1999, first round series against the Lakers while playing for the Houston Rockets. There you go. Okay, yeah. Okay. That's what I was thinking about. Sorry.

But yeah, I mean, I'm I'm with you that it feels like not having to, it feels like you're trying to not think of something that is actually constructive to talk about whenever that sort of thing gets brought up. Yeah. I feel like it's just, you know, we got a lot of people that are smart in the NBA that watch a lot of basketball that saying this. That's what's disappointed. But, you know, it's fine. It is what it is. What do you want to, do you have a thought to that? Well, no, I was just going to say, like, I feel, I'm worried that we're not talking enough about the Pacers.

I mean, they were so amazing tonight. I don't, like, I don't want to. We're only 24 minutes in, buddy. Okay, you're right. You know what I mean? All right. What would impress you about the Pacers? Well, it was going to be my next question.

No, just, I mean, that, that they didn't let starting tight hurt them. You know, like, like, I, generally in these games, you're prepared for the haymaker right off the bat. You know what I mean? And the 10-2 star for the Thunder kind of wooled me to sleep a little bit. And that then the, after that, it just became lights out for them. It was just super impressive that, that, that, it didn't matter if the starters were in there or the bench. You know what I mean? Like it,

there was, defensively, they've been so impressive this series. I mean, they, to turn the thunder over as much as they did,

because the thunder are not a team that turns the ball over either. And for them to turn the thunder over as much as they did, like, that's just,

um, at, on this stage in such a big game, it's just super duper impressive. I'm just, I can't believe, that all these teams didn't take Pascal Seacom's seriously to trade for him and that he landed on this team.

There were a lot of teams that talk themselves out of trading for Pascal Seacom, including one in my backyard. Yeah. He's so good. He's so just slithery in his game. He can get boards. He's not your traditional big, but he's also not like your traditional, like KG big.

Here I go. in the comparison things. Make myself look like an idiot. But like he's, he's just, he's such a beautiful watch, right? And how he goes about through, through his post game, how we, how he kind of just find space for layups, right? Just, yeah. There were at least three or four times down the block on this game where he was just like,

just slither his way for a layup here. Got a dunk right. That dunk was fucking incredible, bro. Yeah. That was a back breaker. That was nuts. No, the back was already broken. and we were already on the ground,

but it was incredible. Was that your third or fourth tier when you dunk that? I mean, thugs don't cry, but I, so I'm not sure what you mean, but I certainly, certainly I didn't like it. No, I was, I probably, I, I, I had to eat a banana halfway through the Graham. I was so dehydrated from all the tears, to be honest.

So it was pretty rough. No, but like the pacer's though, I've been very impressed just, it's, I've been very impressed with how they keep up pace. And that's been the fun thing to see, right? Because one of the things going into this series that I thought was, Oklahoma City, they're just as athletic. They can run with people. They'll be fine right here.

That was one of the real big reasons why a lot of us picked the Thunder. I picked them in five. one of the reasons why is because I was like, oh, they can run with them. They can play at their own pace. They have the better player. I thought in Shea Gilgazander still believe that. But the pacer's have done such a good job of making the pace their own. They didn't do that in game five.

But every game that they have done that, they have been successful, right? Even in game four, which was like, they fumbled that. And I think that if they lose this series, they're going to go back to game four and saying, we had this series in the bag. I hear you on that, but the Thunder can say the same thing about game one. Like that series was probably supposed to be two, two coming out of those games. And the Thunder were supposed to win game one. The Pacers were supposed to win game four. So to me, it's just kind of like all things are equal after that.

Like both teams. I get you. I get you. I get you. But game four was just one of those games. Yeah, the basketball guys had other ideas. It was because it's because it was later in the series. I don't, I'm not sure that that's a compelling argument for me, but, but.

Which, which game made got you the more, the more depressed? The game one was far and away the most depressed. The game one loss was way harder than tonight's loss or the game three loss. Because that's, the game three loss like, you know, the, the thunder were obviously in that, but it didn't feel like necessarily, you know, that it was some. some game where they, you know, looked like clearly the better team or whatever. Like in game one, the Thunder just looked like the better team for the vast majority of the game. And then stuff slips through your fingers.

And it's the first game. You lose home quarter of damage immediately, you know what I mean? Like it was just that, that was especially difficult because you thought, too, that they would have learned their lesson in the Denver series to not let something like that happen again. And so it happens again. Tonight, a blowout, it sucked. But I have always felt that a blowout is easier to deal with than a game, like a close game. I would much rather just like the lead be so big.

I'd stop even thinking about it as a number. Take us through your night. What were you doing? Throughout the game. Take us through your night through the game. What were you doing? Like how like, okay, the 10-2, give me from 10-2 on, give me your range of emotions. What were you doing?

10-2, I start trying not to write the piece that I'm going to have to write whenever the series is over. Okay. I tend to, I'm like, just chill out. You don't need to jinks. Calm down. Yes, great start. What you want to see. Chill out.

After that, you know, there's that point where they, they, it wasn't the first time they pulled Shea, but I think it was maybe the second time they pulled Shea. The, the Pacer's going like a 9-0 run like that. And that was a point where I was like, okay, we can't have, we can't just have things falling off the table completely when he's gone.

One of the good things about this Thunder team has been that when Jalen's out there, they can sort of keep pace. You know what I mean? Well, a lot of that has to do with their defense, right? Like you're talking about game five. They just, when they lock in on a defense or locking in an offense, they can shut that shit all the way down. They did that in game five, whenever Shea was off the court, you didn't even notice.

But obviously, that was a better scoring game from J-dub. But the defensive effort was what was the catalyst for those offensive plays. No, for sure, for sure. I mean, the Pacers, when I saw at the end of the first quarter that the Pacers didn't have a single turnover, at that point, you're like, okay, like they're here in a different way tonight. You know what I mean? Like the Thunder's defense is not doing the things that it usually does. To have no turnovers at the end of the first is just weird for this Thunder team, right? Like it, you know.

And so, yeah, at that point. And then as McConnell continues, like, gets in there and just begin. begins his onslaught, you're just like, you're not even, I wasn't even exasperated at this point, because I would have been shocked if it didn't happen. If McConnell comes out in game seven and only scores like five points, I'm going to be, I will be so, so surprised. To me, at this point, this guy is good, like, if he doesn't score 20. You know what he reminds me of?

He reminds me of, like, back in my fandom days, remember when JJ Beretta just fucking tor. J.J. Borea just fucking torched the Lakers. Just fight. Unexplicably just fucking torched him. Brinette was, British him out of the sky, right? Bro, he was running. He was Steve Nash.

Andrew Bynum. What am I saying? Sorry. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. He was so good that Laker fans were like, yeah, you shouldn't have did that, Andrew.

Like, you shouldn't have did it. No, Barrea, I mean, Beria, yes, just as maddening. but yeah no whenever whenever they might they might give you know how j jrera like when shit went down in porto rico like mark hughan gave him a whole plane to help out his home country yeah i feel like if t j mccanell does something like that he is owed that so whatever he is owed that then herb sima's got to uh send him to sit him to full plane to pittsburg or something

absolutely he needs that that's what he earned. If the Pacers, I mean, if the Pacers win, uh, the finals, if you wanted to tell me that T.J. McConnell was the MVP, I would tell you, no, he's not, but I like where your head's at. You know what I mean? Like he's in the running. He's in the running. Certainly in the running. I think it's the Akum if they, if they do win. But certainly McConnell's and I think McCona is he in the conversation though to be the second. Would he be in the conversation? Would he be in the conversation with Jerry West is like the second guy ever

to win a finals MVP on a losing team? I mean, absolutely not. I tried to paint Howard the other day he wasn't going for. I mean, if he goes for 70 in game seven, then let's talk.

I don't know. I think Shrey or Double have done enough if they a thunder win. Can you imagine the basketball internet would just explode? It would be unbelievable if that I mean, hey, even if the thunder won it

and T.J. McConnell got the MVP. I think it would stop the celebration for like at least 30 seconds. Like, oh, for sure. Wait, wait, what? No, for sure. They'd lock the doors and not let the media out. They'd be like, we're not, y'all can go and we know that it wasn't one of y'all eight or whatever,

however many they picked, devoted, you know what I mean? Everybody else, all 200 of you could leave except for these eight motherfuckers right here. Oh, what do you want to see from your team in game seven, bro?

Like, other than a win, like how do they do it? How do they do it? Well, just, um, the point of attack defense needs to be a lot better.

They need to not like when the Pacers get the ball bopping around and get into their flow and get foot in the paint and start kicking it out and making the defense rotate and make decisions on the move, that's whenever they look great, right? Yeah. And the way to deal with that is to push the defense up, have the offense start higher on the floor. have the ball handler who's initiating everything to have to take a lot longer to get up the floor in the first place and then just get into the action, right? Like when this Thunder defense has been at its best, it's pushing up, you know, sometimes 94 feet, depending on the person. It's a loop door kicking Halliburton's ass. Yeah. And it's like high pickup points where you've got, you know, Hartenstein's,

showing on screens that are at half port, right? Like, it's, it's, it's, it's an exhaustive, uh, ranginess that does not stop. Well, that's how they beat, um, that's how they beat the timber wolves, right? When Ant was literally just glued to Lodort and whenever they would get off a stream, just super glue Velcro, that's what they need. That's really what they mean. And they can do that. They don't, they have there's, yeah, that's what that's, I think the reason I'm not more concerned is

they don't need to do anything that they haven't done a ton in this postseason already. If the defense plays the way it can, I mean, it's going to be a game seven in the finals. I imagine it's going to be one of the most physical games of the last

25 years, right? Like that's just generally how these things go, especially when you consider the two teams that are playing now and how much ground these defenses are having to cover against both of these offenses. So I think it'll be a wrestling match. And I think that, yeah, the Thunder's best chance is to do what they've done

when they've kind of slowed the offense down before it can even start. And you've got the second pass in the possession happening at like the six second mark and then whoever's hands it hits, they got to make a tough choice. You know what I mean? Like that's kind of when, and then whenever the Thunder have had, the role players actually hit from the outside. If they have those two things going for them, then I always like their chances. You know what I mean?

But if they play defense like they did tonight, Indies leaving happy. You know what I mean? If they shoot like they did deny, Indies leaving happy. This is the first game seven. since 2016, and only the fourth game seven in the NBA finals in the last 30 years. The last three, I believe, were 2010 Lakers Celtics. Right. 2013 Spurs Heat.

2016 Cavaliers. Yeah. All they have in common, all of these teams that I just named were down three, two, in the series and came back in one. Lakers, they did it at home. Pete, they did it at home. Cavs did it on the road in Oakland. And you got the Pacers going into. Yeah, I don't know.

I don't think that just because other teams have done that. It doesn't. I'm just throwing you stuff. I'm just trying to see what I'm just trying to see. I'm just trying to see if you're going to stay strong or not. I hear you. I love it. I'm just trying to be honest with you.

That one doesn't necessarily make my hair stand up. What makes my hair stand up is like that knee Smith could miss tonight and that Obi Topin is, you know, Boris Dio now. And, you know, T.J. McConnell is the greatest player in the history of the game. Those are the things that are scaring me right now. Okay. It's funny because I wrote this in the piece, but like, the OKC has a chance to, if they win this series, they have a chance to be a dynasty. And I'm sorry to use that word. I'm just really thinking I'm trying to see if I can break you.

I'm really just trying to see what I'm not going to wood. I'm not going to have this whole time. They have a chance to do that, right? Sure. And it's a league that is actively trying to not have dynasties. Yeah. If they lose this, it seems like a missed opportunity, but they still have the guys that are, that are, their core guys are going to be on the roster next year and can compete probably going to,

could win another 60-something games. Sure. That being said, how does that make you feel going into a game seven? I'm trying to actively not think about that it could be that the big it could be the biggest dub or the biggest disappointment in the state of all. Oh, yeah. I mean, if they lose, if they lose massive disappointment, right? For sure.

Like, what is, tell me the emotion of like that you guys are trying, that you guys are summoning right now. I feel like the ghost of Hardin, the ghost of Durant, ghost of Westbrook, all in one. The way that I feel the weight of that era is. that's why I don't, I don't want to have any dynasty discussion until, until, let's get one. Let's get, let's, let's, let's have one, right? And so it's, uh, because I know how fragile this stuff is and how quickly it can fall apart. I'm not going into the game seven thinking like, first of many, baby, like, whatever. You're like, you know, it's these, you,

they may never get back here. I'm not thinking about it like that necessarily. Um, That said, no matter what happens in Game 7, Chet and Dub have opportunities to sign their first rookie extensions in this offseason. It seems like everybody imagines that they will, and then the Thunder will have at least that core together for a long time. A long time in current NBA years at least, right? And so, and none of them are redundant with each other. I don't think, like, they all serve their purpose and bring different things to the table. And it's clear they all like winning. And this is a situation where as long as people stay healthy, you're going to win a lot of basketball games.

You know what I mean? So that's kind of where I am. But, I mean, definitely, like, I'll be 10. terrified the whole the entire game right like it'll be um it'll be you've been you've been through a game seven as you just said you know what i mean i'm sure it's just it'll it'll uh i think it'll age me but i'm looking forward to it where are you going to watch you're going to watch alone you think are you going to just where we how are we how are we planning on doing this i don't know i don't know if if i'm i don't know if i don't know if i don't know if i don't know if i don't know if i don't

or if I'll just be out here. If I'm out here, I'll just watch it by myself. Because I can't be trusted around other people during these sorts of things. Like I just, I, I, even if someone tried to talk to me, I wouldn't, it's just all white noise up here. You know what I mean? I just got to say, man, like, I was there game five and it probably was the loudest environment I've ever heard in my life. To the point where during halftime, I went like downstairs and I needed a moment.

Like, I needed to just sit down and kind of. kind of just gave my composure. It's a different beast, that place. And it is, it's not just loud, but it's loud all the time. Even when it's, even when it's not, you know, up over like 106 decibels, right? Like, even when it's not way up, I mean, it got to 111 I saw during game five. Roy's Young, who has been to damn near every Thunder Home game since the team's existence, said it was the biggest pop he ever heard in the stadium. Whenever Jalen hit that, that sort of like floating right-hander that went way, way high off the glass,

he said that was like the biggest pop that that place had ever produced. And so even on the TV, you could tell. But yeah, I mean, game one and game two, it was both games. It just, the noise swallows you, man. It just surrounds your head like a helmet. And you just can't really get away from it. It's just, yeah. So I had a hilarious story.

And I'll end it on here because I don't know how much we can talk. Maybe we can talk more. We'll see after. Whatever. Yeah, I'm good. Whatever you want to do. All right. You know, I saw my home, my guy, Marcus Peters.

He used to play for the Ravens and the Chiefs. And he was at the game. And I had no idea that he was a Thunder fan. Mind you, he was from West Oakland. I wouldn't know this. He is from West Oakland, California, known him all of my life, right? So I squint and I look. And I'm like, is that Marcus?

Yeah. And he's like, he says, man, I've been waiting years for this. I've been waiting years for this, right? He has a Chet Holmgren jersey on that he bought on site, has the, the Thunder hat, 2025 finals hat and a rally towel underneath it, right? Marcus Peters. And he said, I've been waiting a long time for this, right? And I was like, are you sure that this is your team?

He was like, yeah, man. People like the warriors when we're from, people like this. No, I like Oklahoma City. Incredible. And he flew in from Oakland to Oklahoma City, same day. And then flew back out the next morning, he had the time of his life. And I'm like, yo, what are you doing? That makes, he made all the friends, too.

He came by himself, Dolo. It was behind the Pacers bench. It was slapping hands with everybody. It was awesome. I can't tell you how happy that makes me. That is one of my favorite things. I've heard all post season. You said I had to be here.

I've been waiting years for this moment. That's incredible. I can't, Logan, that's going to make Thunder fans so happy. That's going to be. Somebody from the bay. Somebody who's being there for game seven.

If you're listening, please go back. Some will buy him a ticket. Some will buy him his airfare, get him a ticket, pull him up, pull up, you know,

and put him behind the Pacers bench. That's fantastic. The, I mean, yeah, I mean, everyone, I feel like everybody was making

the same jokes, you know, before the series started about like, oh, you can't wait to see the celebrities that show up for these two teams, blah, blah, blah, blah. Little Yaddy pulled up. I was so surprised. I was pretty, I was pretty pumped up that we got Yadi in the building. To be fair, it's really hard to get to Oklahoma City. You know, you're looking, it's going to be hard. Not from L.A. because you guys have direct flights, but from the Bay Area, it's really hard.

It's really hard. No, there's some, there's some spots in America where it's difficult to get, to get back to the middle for sure. Yeah. Yeah. How long does it take for you to get to Fort Gibson? From Oklahoma City? No, no, from where you're at right now.

From here? Oh, I mean, like I'm flying into Tulsa. You're taking six planes to get into Tulsa. I'm taking, you can, there is an American flight that will take you direct to Tulsa from LAX. And then, yeah, you're looking at like three-hour. drive to Fort Gibson after that. Okay.

It's like rural northeast Oklahoma. Okay. Yeah. I had a good time in Oklahoma. I'm not, I don't want to diss. I had a really good time in Oklahoma. I know you.

I was happy to hear that. You've been very complimentary of your, of your time there. So I'm glad the city. I dropped a Brahms reference, pre-pod in your eyes. You know, shout out Brahms.

I didn't get to get my Brahms. I didn't get my ice cream. I feel bad. If people take nothing else from this. We talk a lot of shit. There's going to be stuff that's edited in and out of this. No, I know. Victoria, you got to do what you got to do.

If you want to keep the Brahms stuff in, I love you forever. But, you know, you got to do what you got to do. Hey, Victoria, Victoria, keep the, keep the Brahms reference ins like it's Zaxby's or something. Okay, it's that level of importance. The next time you go there, get the bag of burgers. I've already ate at Brahms. I already know what the hell to do.

You know what the bag of burgers is, though. It's one of the greatest fast food deals in America. Bro, it's not quite cookout, but it's there, you know? See, I don't know. I can't speak to that. But I can just, you know, it, I'm glad that you had a good time. We got to do this more often. Yeah, man, we should.

Let's do it more often. Please. It's always great talking to you. Always great seeing. Oh, question. No, before we get out of here, I want to do this actually, because I want to actually do this. I need to ask you a question that's really important. It has nothing to do with this series between me

and you, and this is going to go on the pod for the record. What the fuck happened in my episode of Parker Tiles that we worked really hard on? It's still out there. It's an existence. It's going to come out at some point. Corey McConaugh... Is it actually? It is an existence.

I've seen... We have the full thing, and it's good. But we... That's what I thought. As you remember, as you remember, it was chaos. And we need time. Victoria was there too. It was so bad.

It was wild. We need time to whittle this shit down a little bit. And the video team is a swamp. But it will have, I swear to you on our friendship, it will, it will come out at some point. At least I've had a group chat or something. Like, dog, the streets need to see this. We'll make it happen. It'll go.

I'll, I'll get in Corey's ear. after the season and we'll get you want to do you want to do you want to tell the plot real quick though just so like just so we could just like promote it real quick the only thing that i remember is that i helped you get onto the heedles with me and that you were immediately extremely confrontational with spoh and and i was uh i think i i don't remember after that I just remember you went at it with Spoh immediately. And then I was giving you life advice. And we went on for an hour.

We got a lot of stuff. We got a lot. I think one of us cried or something. It was great. Somebody has to, at a certain point, like, we started,

we started fighting for, we probably were, like, arguing with each other for a good, like, 20 minutes. I know, I think that the video team thought we were actually fighting. I think that's what happened. No, I definitely think that they were like whenever, because you come over and take my hat off at one point and you throw it.

Yeah. And I remember thinking like, oh, this is good. Like, we're playing this, we're playing this nice and real here. But I do remember thinking, I hope that they're not worried. Yeah. Okay. Well, that needs to come out. But in the meantime, it'll come out, I promise. All right. Parker Tiles, Tyler Parker, pride of Ford Gibson, Oklahoma. Thanks so much for coming on the program, buddy. Dude, big fan, as you know, love the pod. And, yeah, always a pleasure.

I'm getting ready to do a pod special. Okay, that has been another edition of Real Ones. That is Tyler Parker. You can catch him all over the ringer site, including Real Ones in the, very near a future. Me, Raja Howard, motherfucking Beck are back on Tuesday. In the meantime,

also, you can tap in on real onesmailbag at gmail.com. Real onesmailbag at gmail.com. Real onesmailbag at gmail.com. We'll be answering

your mailback questions on Tuesday. Tap in, all the shits. Bye. Bye. See.