May 9, 2026 • 43 mins
Jason Smith and Mike Harmon celebrate the greatness of the NBA playoffs the best way we know how... with over saturation of New York Knicks talk!!! Plus, the guys let you know why the Thunder are god's chosen team while being absolutely boring and LeBron may never win another championship again!
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Thanks for listening to the best of The Jason Smith
Show with Mike Carmen podcast. Be sure to catch us
live every weeknight from ten pm to two am Eastern
seven to eleven pm Pacific on Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Find your local station for The Jason Smith.
Speaker 1 (00:13):
Show with Mike Harmon at Fox Sports Radio dot com,
or stream us live every night on the iHeartRadio app
by searching FSR.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
This is the best of The Jason Smith Show with
Mike Harmon on Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 1 (00:29):
Well, I feel great, I feel nervous. I got a
lot of stuff going on right now.
Speaker 3 (00:32):
Mike car there are so many sporting events going on
that we want to pay attention to it. We don't
have enough damn screens. I've got a lot of stuff happening,
multiple hockey games. We got Yamamoto Knight in Uston. We
got the Knicks bludgeoning the Sixers. We've got Anthony Edwards
return against the Spurs.
Speaker 1 (00:47):
There's so much going on. I got the Hurricanes in
overtime with the Flyers. I got a lot of stuff
happening right now.
Speaker 3 (00:52):
Yeah, I mean, I mean, yeah, it's insane.
Speaker 1 (00:56):
But I do want to say this. I think this
is the first Okay, there's big, crowded landscape tonight. Lots
of things happening, as I said, but I do want
to say this, not a great first half for the
The Knicks will never win anything with Jalen Brunson as
their one crowd.
Speaker 3 (01:13):
Now you were gonna go with for those one thing
to say, traumatic pause and then start singing, you're stupid,
Go New York Go.
Speaker 1 (01:21):
No, I just went because, not a great first half
for all of the you know, the nickt Jalen Brunson's
not on one. They're not gonna win. They need something else.
If they just had something else, like if if they
had Kobe, or if they had Lebron when he was
twenty six, or maybe I don't know, halflichak Or or
Bill Russell. You know that I could see the next winning,
but you know, Brunch, they can't. He's too small, doesn't
do it. Not a great first half for that. Not
(01:43):
a great first half of that crowd.
Speaker 3 (01:45):
Twenty seven points in the first half, an absolute operation
domination cat with big shot after big shot, your guy
o Geana Nobi. I mean the only scare was after
a dunk couple seconds later Mitchell Robinson hobbled a little
bit and went to the locker, and then he was
back and started dominating it. So, I mean, there's really
not a whole lot for Knicks fans other than can
(02:07):
we just have a running clock to make sure we
actually get to the finish line?
Speaker 2 (02:10):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (02:10):
So far.
Speaker 1 (02:11):
I mean it is a twenty eight point lead for
the Knicks right now, Nurse coaching his ass off down
twenty nine. When the Sixers call the time out. That
when they went down twenty six and Nick Nurse is
yelling at the official I'm like, really.
Speaker 3 (02:27):
No, no, you were not. Really you were screaming at
the TV and mocking him. Well as if you were
sitting three feet from what I was doing was doing
my dick fight.
Speaker 2 (02:35):
Tael Oh, get a time out, Nick Nurse, Oh, get
a time out? Got it?
Speaker 1 (02:39):
But like to see him stoping, I'm gonna go yell
at the official lit dude, you're down twenty six?
Speaker 3 (02:42):
Man, Well, what's working on him for the next game?
Speaker 2 (02:45):
What are you doing? What are you doing?
Speaker 3 (02:47):
You're working on him for game two?
Speaker 2 (02:49):
Now? Now.
Speaker 1 (02:49):
This is the thing is that you know, being the
Knicks fan, I always know disasters around another corner. I'm like, okay,
they cut this to twenty at the end of three,
then it's fifteen.
Speaker 2 (02:57):
Then hurt the Knicks hed to stop, but stop with
the injury thing, Rothberg.
Speaker 1 (03:02):
So it is it is that. But I will say,
what happened this game? Why are we sitting here with
a twenty eight point lead with the Knicks here in
the third quarter? Number one? Yes, Jalen Brunson came in
and said, okay, yeah, I'm going to be the guy
that hit every shot. First quarter when it was a
back and forth battle, Brunson would simply come down and
be the equalizer because the game offensively for the Sixers,
(03:25):
the first quarter of this game was going exactly how
they wanted to go. They were getting the ball to
Mbeid and bed got two quick fouls on Karl Anthony Towns.
Then they had to take him out of the game.
They brought in Mitchell Robinson. They started hacking Mitchell Robinson
right away. He missed four free throws. They had to
take him out of the game. Huck Porty came in,
They took him out of the game. Then the Animal
(03:45):
Banister came in. They took him out of the game.
Ewing came in. They took him out of the game,
everything was going according to plan for the Sixers. Embiid
was getting everybody in foul trouble, and then there was
a little bit of a reset. And while this is
all going on, Brunson just keeps hitting shot, shot, a
three in the lane, step back, He's doing everything, and
it was really something going. My goodness, man, he's I mean,
(04:07):
he might score one hundred tonight. But after the Knicks
kind of got their legs under them, when when Karl
Anthony Towns checks back in the game, what you saw
was something that that I thought coming into Game one
was gonna be a big deal. It was eight hours
ago that the Sixers knocked out the Celtics, right, I mean,
we're still talking about Jalen Brown being upset about how
Embiid is being officiated in this and they have to
(04:29):
come back and play game one like this is a
this is a really bad I mean look, and that's
how the series goes, right. You know, you're down to
not saying anything was done unfairly, but just when you
have one team that is a veteran team that's getting
their rest and the other one that has just getting
even as hot as they are, you're asking the Sixers
to come back from the emotion of a three to
one series, come back and win win Game seven on
the road. They're still basking then to come back. You know,
(04:51):
the first quarter or so is going to be adrenaline
and on vape, but they'll be on vapors at some point.
And the Knicks just look like they have they have
much more hop in in this game. And that's really
what it was. Once Karl Anthony Towns checked back into
the game, that's when they started going on their run.
Speaker 3 (05:06):
I mean, if you go back to the way Game
seven played out for the Sixers, I mean they came
out like a house of fire, built a big lead
and then had to vigorously defend and stave off the
charge that the Celtics made to ultimately get the nine
point win in the series victory. But it looked like
they were going to cruise to it, right Jason Tatum.
(05:28):
A lot of controversy over the late scratch. That's something
that still needs to be looked at by the NBA
in terms of how that all went down, in terms
of flow of information, gamesmanship, whatever you want to call it.
But yeah, to your point, they they had to work
every minute of that game, like there was no coasting
to the end, and then immediately you come after into
(05:50):
this what do we call it the beehive, even though
some folks might not be there because of the met
galap mets gallup tonight, like Ben Stiller was.
Speaker 1 (05:58):
Wearing an orange tous He was there very I think
he was there early just so we could leave and
I got to get the end of this game, all
of us.
Speaker 3 (06:06):
Yeah, even if he didn't show up at the at MSG,
somewhere he is eating well and watching the name.
Speaker 2 (06:13):
No listen, he is.
Speaker 1 (06:13):
He is all of us who have ever had something
on a Saturday or a Sunday and there's nothing we
can do, and you have to go but the game.
I'm sorry, you can't miss a game. What if we
go really early, like he was on the red carpet,
I think before anybody.
Speaker 3 (06:27):
I think they weren't even set up on the red
car because like the photographers are, like, wait, he's here already.
Speaker 1 (06:32):
I could do my two hours here and then I
could go to the NIXT game, or at least then
I can go watch it whatever it is. So he
like he was all when I saw him on the
red car, Like there's nobody else.
Speaker 3 (06:41):
Is it something where though, where you have to stay
long enough so you shake Anna Winter's hands so she
knows that you showed up. Oh yeah, something like that.
There's some kind of protocol there.
Speaker 1 (06:50):
Yeah, but I'm sure people know it doesn't If they
don't know you're there, you may as well not even
go out.
Speaker 3 (06:55):
But I mean you get a lot of run for
the fact that you have to decide between that and
the next game. So everybody knew where he was, like
there was no, hey he really was here. No, no,
he was photographed and made sure. Hey I got my
wave in. But yeah, this has just been an absolute beatdown.
And you've seen even the quicks of Maxie. He's getting
tested bringing the ball up at half court. They're meeting
(07:18):
him and forcing forcing him to pick up his dribble,
which has caused a number of Aaron passes, turnovers, embiid
looking when he's had to pass out of the double team.
He's been terrible in terms of his anticipation. So about
as clean a Knicks game as you can see on
both so far so far. Now, like the other part
of it, and you mentioned too, is Maxie was having
(07:39):
a difficult time and this is this is a byproduct
of the Sixers and how they were able to come
from behind they beat the Celtics. Everything worked in Unison right,
and Embiid was able to come in and was able
to get his points. As the game went on, he
took over. But watching the game today as we started,
they said, Okay, let's see we did this with Embiid
(08:02):
and we're gonna push the ball to him. We know
we can get Karl Anthony Towns in foul trouble and
this is how we're gonna win. Okay, so I get that,
and they gave the ball to Embiid. Exclude it was
embiiding Paul George and beating Paul George early on. Maxie
and Edgecumbe really did not have a chance to affect
the game. And these are the guys you want the
ball in their hands early. You want the veterans. They
(08:22):
know how to get into a game, right. Embiid knows
how to get into a game. Paul George knows how
to get into it. Maxi, you would think, me, he's
in the league six years now, but you know Edgecumb's
a rookie like but these are your young guys that
you want to push the pace early.
Speaker 2 (08:33):
I mean, you know what I mean.
Speaker 1 (08:33):
I was, I was, I was realizing this is a
great benefit for the Nicks. I'm going if they're just
going Embiid and Paul George, now, well they're gonna be
exhausted by by the time you get to halftime, they're
gonna be exhausted. And so now you saw Maxie's had
a tough time getting into the game. It's been and
it's been a tough time for the backcourt to get
into the game. For the Sixers, well, what he's also
going to be true, at least early on, is there's
(08:54):
there's no bench for either of these teams. Yeah, it's
Robinson and have a better mix. This bench looks like
the Pistons compared to what the stuff they have one
guy against the Sixers none. I mean, I think Andrew
Tony is coming off the.
Speaker 3 (09:06):
Best of the six nicely to Tony, but yeah, it's
one of those as you mentioned, just out the at
the outsets like you gass the the veterans, because it's
like Paul George missed a bunch of time, but not
necessarily in the best shape for Joel Embiid. You got
four games where he averaged heavy minutes in the last series. Uh,
(09:28):
and the quick turnaround, so getting dragged up and down
a little bit physicality for Cat and for og and
Robinson certainly for the nine minutes that he did play
in this game. Cautionary, you know, you sit him down
with the knee with the massive lead, No need to
stress that. We'll wait further results later on. But yeah,
(09:49):
the Guards haven't done much and even Edgecombe has been
hit or miss from an offensive standpoint throughout the year. Right,
He's had some massive games, but there have been some
disappearing act and we'd be remissive we didn't just round
out all the players. Don't throw out by just mentioning Oubra.
I mean we got the other five guys, and hey
there's the six But so yeah, it's it's just that
(10:12):
that question of all right, how about you just chalk
up to fatigue, et cetera, because that's seven and a
half is looking easy. Everybody was plus seven and a half.
Look at the sixers, look at it, and they just
got run out of the gym.
Speaker 1 (10:25):
So we'll keep you updated on this game again. One
O two seventy three. The Knicks with the lead over
the Sixers third quarter in the third it's okay, it's okay.
What you got, Frostburg. This lead might not last too long.
Why not just showed lind Door on the big screen.
Speaker 2 (10:40):
Come there.
Speaker 1 (10:41):
As long as Steve Cohen's not there, I'm feeling okay.
He was there with his rat. Uh now, okay, okay
for all, Kay, mister funny man, you want it, you
want it?
Speaker 2 (10:51):
You want to Jason, by the way, yeah, what good
to see you.
Speaker 3 (10:54):
What time's the Rockets game?
Speaker 2 (10:55):
Yeah? What did the Rockets plays?
Speaker 3 (10:57):
Jason?
Speaker 1 (10:58):
Did I or did Iakers are so much trouble? Did
I or did I not pick the Lakers to win
the series?
Speaker 2 (11:03):
Did I not do? I think.
Speaker 3 (11:06):
I'm pretty sure trouble.
Speaker 2 (11:07):
I'm pretty sure I picked them to win the Sea.
Speaker 3 (11:10):
They were done.
Speaker 2 (11:11):
I'm pretty sure I picked the la can't play cooked.
Speaker 1 (11:14):
But now, okay, now, mister smart, mister helper, oh you
want my internet's out?
Speaker 3 (11:17):
What times the Rockets game?
Speaker 2 (11:19):
The Rockets said, it's after the next game. It's on
right after this.
Speaker 1 (11:22):
Uh now, because I want to say this, because this
this is a thing. Right now, the other game happening
going to the second quarter. Obviously, look at the B
game tonight. Obviously it's the Spurs and the Teels. It's
not the Knicks, but the b games like the junior
varsity and half the line on that right now, twenty
four to twenty three, Minnesota with the lead. Yes, Anthony
Edwards is back tonight. He has made both of his
shot attempts, including a three. He's got five tonight, wemby
(11:46):
two points at the end of.
Speaker 3 (11:47):
The first quarter.
Speaker 1 (11:48):
But we have now watched in the last couple of days, right,
Jason Tatum come back for the Celtics, I mean didn't
really help, and then he got hurt and he couldn't
play in Game seven, but he returned to play, and
then we walked and Edward's come back after we thought
he's gonna be out a month, He's gonna be this.
All injuries are not equal, and they are completely different
(12:09):
injuries than what we've talked about. But boy, with every
waking moment, I keep thinking, are we really not gonna
see Luca after Game one?
Speaker 2 (12:17):
Like I don't.
Speaker 1 (12:19):
I get maybe tomorrow, but really, are we really not
gonna see him in game two? I have a hard
time believing we're not going to see him for Game
two would be pretty shocking. Remember it was game three
and look what over always underpromise, over deliver, right, the
old EBITDA and everything you would do for earnings reports
as a fortune five hundred or a publicly traded company
(12:40):
in the stock marks like, well, you said you're gonna
now look, I mean, come on, it was Gangbuster's quarter.
Speaker 2 (12:44):
What do you want?
Speaker 3 (12:45):
Same thing here? Ah, he's out indefinitely.
Speaker 2 (12:47):
Now.
Speaker 3 (12:47):
The one thing that we can't say now that the
first round is finally done. Remember last day of the
NBA's regular season was April twelfth, And now that we're
finally into Round two, is that boy protecting home court
late really failed remeddly these teams Orlando and Boston, and
(13:08):
and he was, I mean, just some really suspect efforts
in front of the home crowds.
Speaker 1 (13:12):
But I bet really I find a hard time believing
that we're not gonna see him in game game two,
get game one, potentially, I can, yeah, I could see
it being okay, look they did have an extra day,
but wow, another few days. Are we really not gonna
see him? I mean, and it doesn't matter that these
injuries are all different, right, different injury for Luca, different
Jayson Tatum, different injury for Brande's but it's the playoffs.
Speaker 3 (13:34):
It's really an indictment on Spain, Like if he can't
get back.
Speaker 2 (13:38):
Yeah, why are we going over there again?
Speaker 1 (13:39):
Like?
Speaker 2 (13:39):
Wait, why do we go there?
Speaker 3 (13:40):
If he can't get back.
Speaker 2 (13:41):
On I wouldn't go to Spec. Gotta go someplace. I
was gonna go to Germany, Right, Kobe would go to Germany?
Speaker 3 (13:45):
Right, you go to Majorca? Yeah, I mean what do
we got? I mean I don't know.
Speaker 1 (13:49):
Yeah, you gotta go to these places, man, I mean
Spain is really disappointing.
Speaker 3 (13:52):
Yeah, they did not accelerated like we anticipated.
Speaker 1 (13:56):
But really, I gotta think game two, we're gonna see Lucas.
Speaker 3 (14:00):
Waiting for Luca instead of a GOODO, We're waiting on Luke.
How about the rockets chasing?
Speaker 2 (14:07):
What' about the rockets?
Speaker 1 (14:08):
Patty about the rockets, Always about the Rockets.
Speaker 2 (14:12):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Jason Smith
Show with Mike Harmon weekdays at ten pm Eastern, seven
pm Pacific, as much as it is during the NBA playoffs. Oh,
I have a night off. Yeah, the nixer up. They
would by fifty. Everybody else is sweating it out.
Speaker 1 (14:29):
We jump right in with the NBA playoffs TONIGHTO, you've
been living in a dream in a universe all these years.
I'm living it up on top right now, mane. I
don't know when it's gonna be summertime in hell again,
and I gotta go back's up, living it up on top.
Speaker 3 (14:44):
Right now like an eighties staying down below and every
year and finally finally wait for me. Yeah, I'm coming.
Speaker 2 (14:53):
Let's go.
Speaker 1 (14:54):
Halftime Thunder and the Lakers. The good news, good news
and bad news. Actually, there's good news, good news and
bad news.
Speaker 2 (15:03):
For the Lakers. Okay, all right. The good news is.
Speaker 1 (15:07):
I really thought they'd be losing by a lot more.
It is a sixty one to fifty three deficit. Lebron
has been fantastic so far, has taken over the scoring
onus again.
Speaker 2 (15:16):
It's an eight point game. At halftime. It was a
big lead. They had cut it to one.
Speaker 1 (15:21):
Oklahoma City goes up by a bit at the end
of the first half, but still this game is still
there for the Lakers.
Speaker 2 (15:27):
That's the good news.
Speaker 1 (15:29):
I can't give you the the other good news until
I give you the bad news, so I gotta give
them the bad news next Okay, Austin Reeves has continued
to be terrible and tonight, I mean, they're not gonna
win this game. They're not gonna even be close unless
Austin Reeves is Austin Reeves. And so far in the
first half tonight, four points one out of seven from
(15:50):
the floor. He has just not found his stroke since
coming back from injury. He's not been able to be
the number two guy the Lakers needed him to be
jumping in and they're not gonna win and I will
come close to winning if he doesn't pick it up
in the second half. He's the most important player on
the floor right now.
Speaker 2 (16:06):
Now.
Speaker 1 (16:06):
The good news is, at least he's making it easier
for the Lakers to keep him in the offseason, because
you know, he's got that option that he's gonna decline.
Speaker 2 (16:13):
He's gonna be more money, So you know, hey.
Speaker 1 (16:15):
Coming off this, if this is his playoff's gonna make
it much easier for the Lakers to keep him next season.
So there is a silver lining in all of this.
Speaker 3 (16:23):
Mic Well eleven of thirty in his two games returning
in that Houston series. You know your rocketstead are at
home tonight in that second game, the close out game,
so you'll take that, you'll wear that. What's curious as
you go through and I was finding the stats because
you know Lebron James not only does he love a
(16:44):
Taco Tuesday, he has been magnificent historically on the Cinco Demayo.
Well it's Taco Tuesday and Sigma Tobaio the same day,
but that's shit. They may mash up here. He is
on these. He's never scored fewer than thirty two points
in a game on Cinco Demayo.
Speaker 2 (17:01):
So like, I got this for you, though, smart guy.
If that's Lebron so far, what about Chet Holmgren?
Speaker 1 (17:06):
Maybe maybe Cinco de Mayo on Taco Tuesday at Chet
Holmgren's day, he's got twenty just another alley.
Speaker 2 (17:12):
I feel like every play is an alley up for
Chet Holmgren.
Speaker 3 (17:14):
Well, I mean it's the Mike Harmon Spectacular because you
know nobody loves him, some Chet Holmgren more than me.
But here's Lebron all time Cinco de Mayo, thirty two,
thirty four, thirty five, thirty eight, and then you have
your requisites seven to ten rebounds and seven assists in
three of those four games. So he comes to play,
(17:36):
it's just a matter of whether everybody else can match
his energy. I love when he was ball hawking and
he had that big steal on the laziness of Shay
Gilgess Alexander who had an uncharacteristic four turnovers. They were
asking it and half is theyre going, It's like, what
the hell you guys had eight turnovers? What's going on
in there? It's like, calm down, calm down, It'll be
(17:56):
just fine, but a little sloppy with the basketball to
let the Lakers hang around.
Speaker 1 (18:01):
So wait, So what you're saying is, if I'm getting
everything you're saying, you are, you are basically accusing the
NBA and Adam Silver of pushing this Lakers game an
extra day to Tuesday, not just to get Luca potentially
healthy to play, which they didn't, but to get Lebron
to play on Taco Tuesday, on Sinco de Maya.
Speaker 3 (18:21):
That's it, because he is a more motivated, consistent, and
brilliant operator when tacos are on the line.
Speaker 1 (18:28):
Yeah yeah, yeah, I mean really well, I mean, and
plus I mean being Synco de Mayo.
Speaker 2 (18:32):
I mean, I mean, I I can see that, man.
I feel like Silver.
Speaker 1 (18:37):
I can see Adam Silver doing that. What do we
need You want me to get Scott Foster there, No, no, no, no, no,
not not yet. Don't worry about it. We'll do something
else first, We'll do the whole Hey s that's what
the Lakers are going to play. But boy, really they
should really play on Monday because they've had rest and
maybe the Nicks and the six No, no, no, we
need the Knicks to make it to the finals.
Speaker 2 (18:55):
Let's put this.
Speaker 1 (18:56):
Let's put the Sixers up on Monday where they're really
really exhausted and the nick can win by fifty Wait wait,
do you see what social media is like the next
day for the Knicks.
Speaker 2 (19:04):
Now, let's do that.
Speaker 1 (19:05):
Screw the Sixers, make them play Monday, Put the Lakers
on Tuesday.
Speaker 2 (19:09):
We gotta have it.
Speaker 3 (19:10):
Yeah, all in you know the invisible hand, right, just
like we'll all be anxiously awaiting the results of the
draft lottery when that goes down. Right, One chance that
Dallas was able to at least save some face after
the Luka Doncis trade last year. Tana Hey, the kid
from Akrons coming out in two thousand and three, Hey,
(19:32):
it was number one Cleveland. Hey, Derek Rose, you like Chicago, Hey,
go to the Bulls. It's almost like you can pick
your spot. It's almost like, hey, I mean, don't draft
at all.
Speaker 2 (19:42):
And I think I think you're I think you're you're, you're, you're, uh,
you know, blowing past the big thing a.
Speaker 1 (19:47):
Congratulations Toronto Maple Leafs. They basically tank this year and
they get the number one pick in the NHL draft
that just came out today.
Speaker 2 (19:53):
Congratulations Toronto.
Speaker 3 (19:55):
See they worked themselves right into that. Never mind me
the whole thing. Hey, who works really well with big men?
Great Popovich, Hey, Victor Wenbikam, go to San Antonio. And
then we'll do it again and again, and now we'll
act some rules so you can't do those things. But
all of that is secondary. I mean, Detroit Basketball holds
(20:16):
serve Game one and now we've got, you know this,
the second half of OKC and the Lakers underway.
Speaker 1 (20:24):
So again eight and a half to go in the
third quarter, still a ten point lead for the thunder
game is still there for the Lakers. It's not been
a an SGA takeover, which I thought. Look, I told
you last night, Hey, whatever the spread is, what was
it fifteen and a half went off that ye, yeah,
I'll take you give me the thunder and twenty five
give me twenty five, give me almost thirty.
Speaker 2 (20:43):
This game is still there for the Lakers. SGA is
not taking it over.
Speaker 1 (20:47):
He's had a customer an unaccustomary, unaccustomed slower type of
first half. But chet Holmgren's played really well. He's hit
a couple of threes. Now it's a seven point game.
This game is still there for the Lakers.
Speaker 2 (21:01):
I mean I think.
Speaker 1 (21:04):
Right now, Yeah, Ruy Hachimora, not talk about the not
talk about about it.
Speaker 3 (21:10):
Yes, well, he was looking for you to have a
big opening on the Houston Rockets, which is because you
sent that three or four times. One thing to be
said though, is certainly in the first quarter, maybe a
little less than the second, but first quarter, they they
let them get physical and even you know, as as
I was in my commute to the studios and listening
to a little of the local broadcast, and they're like, Wow,
(21:35):
they're letting him beat each other up either physicality on
Lebron and and look, he's just gonna bulldoze through people
like he tried to do at the end of the
half when they threw it up and he ran through
three guys uh fell harmlessly on to the to the
floor and missed the shot. But for shay Gil just
Alexander only three free throw attempts in the first half,
(21:55):
so he got bodied up a little bit, tried to
create a little bit of contact and the refer he's
just looked Adam and smiled literally, So it'll be curious
to see how that's adjudicated here in the second half.
Speaker 1 (22:06):
So we'll keep you updated here again. Seven point game
for the Thunder and the Lakers. Meanwhile, earlier tonight, game
one of the East Semifinals, the Pistons, despite a subpar
shooting game from Caid Cunningham and that's being kind six
out of nineteen tonight, but he still went nine to
leven from the free throw line, the Pistons outlast the
(22:27):
Cavs one eleven to one oh one.
Speaker 2 (22:30):
And this is.
Speaker 1 (22:30):
Probably, I would say the biggest nightmare for the rest
of the Eastern Conference is that tonight the Pistons looked like, hey,
we shook off the first round. This is who we are,
Like they had like the way they played tonight, their
body language they had turned into in the first round.
They were kid Cunningham and that's it, right. They had
a tough time seeing their supporting cast step up and
(22:53):
it was hey, Caid's gotta save us. Then you know,
Orlando blows the three to one lead, they come back.
The Pistons were real on the ropes tonight. They looked
like a team that had figured it out.
Speaker 2 (23:03):
Right.
Speaker 1 (23:03):
They jump out to a huge lead right away in
the first quarter and they kind of coast from there.
You know, a couple of mini runs by Cleveland and boy,
you talk about a horrendous game. Jared Allen just eighteen minutes,
two points in that one. But James Harden going very
much James Harden in the second round of the playoffs
six out of fifteen, seven assists, seven turnovers. Right like
(23:25):
this series, this might be a Pistons sweep because it
looks like the Pistons have figured it out in the
combination of the Cavaliers. And again, this is why I
always say, I don't know why people think there were
James Harden away from anything, because this is who Harden is. Yeah,
he'll still show I can do it in the regular season.
The playoffs come when he's playing every other night, he
gets tired by the time you get to the second
(23:45):
or third round, this is who James Harden is. He
fell down like three times, just dribbling the basketball, trying
to go, trying to attack the basket. He just fell
and the ball fell out of his arms. Like this
is the James Harden that, unfortunately we have seen, and
I have seen so many times in the last few years, Like, like, okay,
James Harden's not going to carry you anywhere in the playoffs, right.
(24:07):
He was much better in the regular season than I
thought he would be, and he continues to do that.
Every time I think he's done in the regular season,
he shows I still have a little bit left. But
he has been the same guy in the playoffs for
the last few years. And again, seven assists, seven turnovers,
you can't have it. I mean some really bad time.
He had a turnover on a three on one. I
just said, what the hell is that?
Speaker 2 (24:26):
Man?
Speaker 1 (24:27):
Like what get you got two guys wide open? You
dribbled off your foot, off the defender's foot and it
went the other way, Like what is happening here?
Speaker 3 (24:33):
You've never gotten over excited. I mean any type of
moment like that.
Speaker 1 (24:38):
And you're likely in the drive throughout McDonald's I think, yeah,
especially when they tell me, hey, you know the value
man you when you get two things off the value maning,
it's two for one. Oh really yeah yeah, oh it
give me two things.
Speaker 3 (24:49):
Off the value that takes.
Speaker 1 (24:51):
So I mean, really, I mean this. I've seen this
from James Harden. I've seen this so many times and
this is what we get from Harden. And at this point, honestly,
I'm thinking this is going to be a Pistons swing
and they're gonna be waiting around for the Knicks and
the Sixers as they finished their series.
Speaker 3 (25:03):
Six to fifteen from the field, one up, seven from
three point rans to your point. The seven turnovers, but
another one of those. You're trying to find some help
somewhere else. Struce had had nineteen off the bench. It's fantastic.
But Wade and Allen played a total of forty six minutes.
They gave you seven points. Donovan Mitchell went to the
free throw line twice for the night. So I mean
(25:26):
you add it all up, it's a losing proposition for Detroit.
You had good balance, all five starters in double figures,
including five to three pointers from Duncan Robinson, a huge
effort nineteen points for him, and you had Tobias Harris
with another twenty. So you're looking at your starters taking
care of business. Jenkins, Stewart, Holland all gave you contributions
(25:48):
from the bench. So you know the old it's not
a series until you know a home team loses or whatever.
But I don't know that we're gonna see it. The
James Harden thing is, oh, he's It's always tough to
watch because you know he's a guy that during the
course of a regular season, you'll you'll see those games
where clearly huffing and puffing and grinding through heavy minutes.
(26:10):
But by the time you get to the postseason, he's
got nothing left.
Speaker 2 (26:14):
I mean, that's James Harden. That's been James Harden.
Speaker 3 (26:17):
Is every man because you want a cheer for him
because he is every man grinding away, and then we
got nothing left when we needed most.
Speaker 1 (26:25):
I mean, these teams that still think, yeah, we'll go
get somebody in their thirties to.
Speaker 2 (26:30):
Play such a huge role for us and think that
that's gonna get us to the NBA finals. Stop.
Speaker 1 (26:35):
It's never been a younger man's league than the NBA
is right now and James Harden is that. Look, James
Harden was getting tired of the playoff when he was
twenty eight. Yeah, but you would get to the end.
He would get to the end of the game in
the second round. Harden would be tired, He'd miss a shot,
he'd turned the ball over. Like That's been James Harden's
entire career, man like.
Speaker 3 (26:52):
But it's also that argument though, Jason of you know,
we were talking about it. I said it jokingly. With
the Kevin durant uh An injury that pops up after
he plays seventy eight regular season games, young guys didn't
know what to do because suddenly the guy that was
doing all the shooting and taking care of the ball
at the end of games isn't there. So they were confused.
With James Harden, go back and look at his game log.
(27:15):
You know, he would have been one of those guys
that we would have championed him for at least, hey,
at least you tried. He would have gotten the Bart
Simpson cake once upon a time for showing up seventy
five games a year, So at least, you know, he
has that to hang his hat on.
Speaker 2 (27:28):
Exit.
Speaker 1 (27:29):
How about a Fresca exit Swollen Dome, the Jason Smith
Show with my bass friend Mike Harmon. So again, a
seven point lead for the Thunder has just turned into
a four point lead for the Thunder. Rui Hachimura buries
a three big, big third quarter so far for the Lakers,
(27:49):
staying in this game again six and a half to go.
It is a four point lead now. Hatchamura up to twelve.
Marcus mart has twelve. Austin Reeves still with four points,
one out of eight from the floor. He's just gone
down in a heap. So we'll keep you up here.
Speaker 3 (28:02):
You just started talking about them.
Speaker 1 (28:04):
I mean, dude, I mean this has been Austin Reeves man.
The guys got hurt. You come back, cut the hyalo.
Speaker 3 (28:10):
Austin is hurt and they're done.
Speaker 1 (28:11):
Now he's getting I got to tell people what's happening
for I can't lie to people, like when I say
the Knicks are going to the finals, I can't lie.
Speaker 2 (28:18):
You can't do that was three years ago.
Speaker 3 (28:21):
You've come back to that one a bunch.
Speaker 1 (28:23):
Yeah, well is it nice you're giving us our house
ban Geeese the worst band in the world.
Speaker 3 (28:28):
I actually had an ads show up as they're on
like some concert tours like go see these guys live,
and it was all these headliners, you know, Rodrigo and
whatever else, and it mentioned Geese, So.
Speaker 2 (28:39):
Like, what the hell our house band, worst band in
the world, it's Geese. Everybody. Be sure to catch live
editions of The Jason Smith Show with Mike harmon weekdays
at ten pm Eastern, seven pm Pacific on Fox Sports
Radio and the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 1 (28:54):
Nix and four nix in four Nix and four Nicks
in four.
Speaker 3 (29:00):
They got to clear the benches to my the seventy
six ers on their home court. They sound pretty good
from Arizona.
Speaker 1 (29:07):
Yeah, I do well, I do I heard so clear.
Do a lot of things, man, do a lot of things.
Frostburg's upset that I'm wearing a Mets T shirt tonight
with the Knicks playing, and I had to explain, dude,
all my Knick stuff is in the I gotta wash
tomorrow for the rest of the weekend, for next week.
Speaker 2 (29:21):
Dude.
Speaker 1 (29:22):
I thought you're a winner. Tonight, You're losing. I'm always winning, man,
I am rolling sevens.
Speaker 2 (29:28):
Man.
Speaker 1 (29:29):
It's so good that Mets are actually winning too. I'm
worried about Mike's eyes.
Speaker 3 (29:33):
No, the orange, the Orge gets me.
Speaker 2 (29:35):
It's still orange.
Speaker 1 (29:37):
Go New York, Go New York, Go, go New York,
Go New York go.
Speaker 3 (29:41):
Yeah. Every time it looked like these Sixers might have
a little bit of fighting to them, yeah, Joel Embiid
would pull up for the three.
Speaker 1 (29:47):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (29:48):
Look, Jason, you got like one week left to wear
Knicks gear?
Speaker 1 (29:51):
Dude, No, No, I got a long time dude going
to last.
Speaker 2 (29:58):
That. Look.
Speaker 1 (30:00):
The Knicks win tonight one, eight ninety four over the Sixers,
and there's a lot of stuff to get to. But
I'll tell you the two biggest things right, number one,
the biggest thing.
Speaker 2 (30:09):
That's a lot to get you.
Speaker 3 (30:10):
They're on the door step of the no Conference finals
in the Sixers are putting up no resistance.
Speaker 1 (30:16):
No Ognunobi doesn't matter, right, doesn't matter. Jalen Brunson goes
for thirty three Mical Bridges is terrific. But really it's
the Landry Shammitt game.
Speaker 2 (30:26):
Shammitt. How many big shots did Landry shammy Man? Look
we Cam Shammitt. You go back and look.
Speaker 1 (30:31):
At any series in NBA history, right, any series NBA history,
the team that won. You can look down and say
the reason they went not is because their star goes
for thirty three or one of their you know, one
of their top three guys goes for twenty five. You
find one guy off the bench that is not supposed
to play and have this kind of game, and he
has a game like that, and that tilts the series
(30:53):
forever in their favor. And Landry Shammitt fifteen points off
the bench tonight, five out of six from the floor,
made a huge tree the end of the third quarter,
like it was the Landry Shammitt game. Like you'll look
back at this series when the Knicks win in four,
you'll look back at the series ago.
Speaker 2 (31:06):
Wow, look at that game three. Where what did they get?
Speaker 1 (31:09):
They got fifteen from Landry Shammitt off the bench, and
that's it again. It's great to look at you look
and say, okay, well here's this. Oh no, no, so
and so had twenty five off the bench in that game.
You weren't expecting that. Everywhere you want to go, it's
the Landry Shammitt game, the Landry sham You keep that.
Speaker 3 (31:24):
I'm going cat once again, just doing the dirty work.
Doesn't have to do it in the scoring column. Just
eight points on three of eight, shooting a couple of
three point misses, only two free throw attempts, but twelve board,
seven assists. I'll take that. My big guy is going
to be distributing the ball like that and keep it
moving and keep the defense feet moving, because again we've
(31:47):
talked about this series not a lot of depth necessarily
when you get down to it, even though I think
every kid in New York's gonna want that Mitchell Robinson poster.
Speaker 2 (31:57):
Going over and beat.
Speaker 3 (31:59):
He said, yeah, scared looking Joel Embiid. That was everything
that picture of him dunking over Embiid, where Embiid looks
like a guy in a park watching someone play a game,
and like the ball is good, is falling coming into
the stands and he's ducking his head so he doesn't
get hit by it. Yeah, like that's what Mbiid looks like.
(32:19):
It looks like a great shot. It really is one
of my favorite action photos that we've seen. But we've
counted on him. He's back in the lineup right. Gives
you nineteen minutes, six points and six boards. But yeah,
Landry Shammitt, you needed one more score to be the
difference maker, and you watched as the sixers. As I said,
(32:39):
every time it looked like they were starting to make
a little bit of a push, and you get it
down to seven or five, it swelled right back out
to a double digit lead after a couple of dubious
shots selections, some really poor ball handling, right, just situational
awareness of hey, you know the second guy is coming
(33:00):
playing raptor defense on you, and the second guy's coming
from behind, so don't be loose with your dribble.
Speaker 1 (33:04):
Well, look, here's the look. There's two points. One is
a really fun one. One to do x's and o's.
First is that you can point to a lot of things, right,
Karl Anthony Towns becoming the facilitator, right, not a guy
that needs to go twenty four and twelve anymore. The
best version of the Knicks is when the offenses kind
of run through him and seven assists tonight, twelve rebounds.
(33:26):
He doesn't need to score twenty four again. They don't
need to make sure we get him going in the post.
They got to make sure he stays out of bleep
in foul trouble, which is becoming a thing for him.
But as you see, they can pick up their scoring
in other places. Right, So you have Karl Anthony Towns
finally has hit the best version of himself. And look
at where the Knicks are defensively the last month of
the season. They really hit their stride. And what are
(33:47):
they doing here in the playoffs so far? There's not
a lot of room for the Sixers unless you are saying,
here's one of your fourth or fifth best player on
the floor open for a three. That's what the Knicks
are allowing the six You could talk about the Sixers
missing and look Paul George fifteen points in the first
quarter and scoreless the rest of the way. But you
watch the way the Knicks play defense in the second half,
(34:08):
and this was we are gonna stop your top three
threats from getting to the hoop when we're not in transition,
and we're okay leaving your fourth or fifth best guy
open for three, right, And that's the only open shots
the Sixers got. They couldn't make them. This is the
best version of the Knicks of the last three years.
(34:28):
If they don't go to the finals this year, it's
never going to happen. It's never stopped with that negativity,
it's never gonna happen.
Speaker 2 (34:35):
Before this is it.
Speaker 1 (34:37):
We'll be fists and four first over the Calves. Then
it'll be the Knicks. But if they don't go this year,
they're never gonna go because everything is in line for them.
Speaker 2 (34:46):
Yes, you're gonna.
Speaker 1 (34:46):
Play somebody tough in the Eastern Conference finals, but it's
the Pistons. They had trouble in the first round. They
seem to have hit their stride. This is why the
playoffs they go really weird. And with the Celtics being
knocked out, sometimes the path gets a little bit easier.
Right the Nuggets when they won their title, that everybody
had their superstar out like that was one of the
easiest roads to a title you've ever seen. The best
(35:08):
player and every other team was hurt all the way through.
If they don't go this year, I don't know when
they're gonna go. Like this is it like that all
of a sudden, And I'm happy because what did I
say during the season? Boy, maybe the window is closed
because the ascending teams like the Pistons and the Celtics
are still really good. Uh, you're seeing the Magic are
really or even though they had a bad record, but
(35:29):
like middle of the seas, like maybe the window is shut.
But now like this is the most open it's ever
gonna be this year, this moment in time, right now,
they're better than the Sixers. They're just a better basketball team.
They're better everywhere than Philadelphia, and they're showing it.
Speaker 2 (35:43):
Well.
Speaker 3 (35:43):
Your nervousness coming into the series, uh, clearly unfounded. I'm
still nervous now at three to ozho if anybody can
blow it. Celtics falling to the wayside and going down
as they did Jalen Brown continuing to do interviews and
talk about how he was done wrong along the way,
but they fall off to the side. I mean, look,
(36:05):
a week and a half ago, you wanted to fire everybody.
It was here's Giannis and a Knick's uniform. Who else
can he bring with him? You were trying to figure
out his friends list. You were trying to find his Facebook,
his Instagram, close friends list, all of that stuff to
decide who you could start a letter writing campaign. You
know you're you're not a free agent yet, but are
(36:25):
you happy where you are? Let me tell you on
New York and going through that process. But as it
stands right now, the world, you oyster, I mean, you've
you've got Karl Anthony Towns whatever that switches, and we
talk about it with guys that are that are A
or B stars right at the one A, one B
and having to redefine the roles? Can we talk about
(36:47):
in football all the time? Right, you're a number one
wide receiver? Maybe you're slowing down a little bit. Hey,
can you work inside a little bit more? Are you
willing to not be the number one target and extend
your career? You'll still catch eighty back eighty footballs, but
you're not gonna do it necessarily with the glory touches
that you did once upon a time? Are you good
with that? And plenty of wide receivers, no, they're not, right, cornerbacks,
(37:11):
et cetera. As the game goes on for NBA players,
it's been that same question, right. That's why I think
a lot of folks really, if they were on the fence,
which is hard to be with Lebron James this year
finally might have pushed them over. I was like, all right,
he accepted the number three role. Now he didn't have
to do it for long because both those guys got hurt,
so he was back to number one again. But there
(37:33):
was something about the way he changed his game to
make the team flow. Same thing with Karl Anthony Towns here,
because in the past he would have pouted. Right, in
the past, you gotten no effort on defense, and you
would have had issues just in terms of him forcing
up a bad shot. Whatever he's bought into, whether it's Hart,
whether it's Brunson, Mike Brown, Timothy Shallow May, whoever has
(37:57):
show Ben Stiller and his Orange, don't know who it is.
Whoever got through to him to say, hey, sure's how
this should go and it runs through him. Maybe he's
watching Ted Lasso and talking about, Hey, work with Jamie.
Speaker 1 (38:10):
You know what I mean, go throw go through me,
Jamie Tark dude. And you know the other part of it. Now,
to to wind it out a bit, you mentioned his name.
Notice how nobody has said at any point in the
last few weeks, oh boy, you know, Tibbs might have
been better off. They might have been bet No one
is saying that the Knicks are exactly where they hoped
(38:30):
they would be with the hiring of Mike Brown. Because
I guarantee you this right, that big blank you, because
that was a huge blank you to the Sixers.
Speaker 3 (38:38):
Mike Brown half Mike.
Speaker 1 (38:39):
Brown taking everybody out except for Brunson, who's at the
free throw line. He's taken everybody out and he is
and he is emptied, like Tyler Kolett got in, like
he was the first guy to check in. Like that's
such a huge blank you. Josh Hart is waving to
the Sixers fans. They're coming out really slow. They're leaving
the court really you could tell there's a.
Speaker 3 (38:57):
Lot of small cattle on back like that, you know.
Speaker 1 (39:00):
And then Brunson coming out of the game, and the
fans were really just honking it up because again it
was about split between the Knicks and Sixers fans, which
we'll get into in a few minutes. But the Knicks
are exactly where they should be. With Mike Brown, he
is coming. It took him longer than expected, right, I
thought it would be. You know, hey, these guys have
been playing together now with Mike Brown, with the system
(39:21):
commitment to defense, it's gonna be a month or so,
a couple of months, but maybe by the time you
flip the calendar in the new year, they'll get it.
Took longer, maybe a little bit nervous, but getting closer
to the end of the season when you saw them
pick it up defensively. The flip the switch was flipped
in the playoffs, and now is anybody doubting that that
was the right call?
Speaker 2 (39:40):
Anybody texted him? How do you do that?
Speaker 1 (39:42):
No, I'm waiting to text him after a game four,
after game four, I'll text him, so well. No, after
the Knicks win game four. No, this is normally when
you win game four.
Speaker 3 (39:51):
This is normally when you text coaches when they're on
top of the world, and then it crumbles underneath it.
Speaker 1 (39:56):
I have to I just have to make because Ryan
Hollins refuse to give me Mike Brown's cell phone number,
which he had the other night. Luckily, justin Frostburg has it.
I didn't know he had. He found it and sent
it to me. So now it's got to wait until.
Speaker 2 (40:08):
The right moment. Just sound it.
Speaker 1 (40:09):
Yeah, I mean that was pretty great that you were
able to send it to the other Mike Brown.
Speaker 3 (40:13):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (40:13):
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (40:13):
Hollins goes the other way. I said, what do you
mean other Mike Brown? Like, what other Mike Brown? Bengals
owner Mike Brown?
Speaker 2 (40:18):
Is that who it is?
Speaker 3 (40:19):
Hey, where's the money on the field? No, so I
have Mike Brown's cell phone number on my phone. That's
a dangerous thing.
Speaker 2 (40:25):
Go New York, Go, New York.
Speaker 3 (40:26):
Go. I mean it's Friday night. Yeah, you might get
a little loose, and then in the late nine hours.
Speaker 1 (40:31):
Now game four, you get out of this into the finals.
Then then you're in Arizona at the metskin. You don't
even know the next one, no idea. You're still lamenting
that are not a home run. But yeah, I'll text him,
but I'll text him.
Speaker 2 (40:45):
You know.
Speaker 3 (40:45):
It's just that that time for New York in that
it's rolled up and it's opened up the door. You
mentioned the Denver run to their title and how things
had to happen here same thing. Were you afraid because
of the lack of depth. I still am doing degree.
But in the Eastern Conference, you you're sitting pretty You
(41:05):
only need seven guys Robinson and the occasional Landry Sham
Landry Shammitt.
Speaker 2 (41:11):
It's the Landry Shammock game.
Speaker 3 (41:13):
I was looking at game, looking at the fourth quarter
shoot shooting grid for the UH sixers. A zero for
Paul George, just no, no, no George. But if you
just go and look at their shot chart, you've got
three at point blank range, three of eleven from three
point range, and an awful lot. I mean, it's a
nice coloring page if you want to teach the kids
(41:33):
out of you know, color in a bubble there. You
had a lot of circles I think.
Speaker 1 (41:38):
Defensively, so when the Sixers really had to get back
in like watching the Knicks play the end of last
year against the Pacers, right to go back to a
really bad memory Game one of the Eastern Conference Finals
where the Knicks continually left the Pacers open for threes
because the pace had a lot of guys can shoot threes,
and they kept hitting threes in Game one and threes
and Halliburton hits that shot that bounces up, bounces down,
(41:58):
does the choke sign? They win Game one on the road,
they go to the finals. Incredibly painful. That's not happening now.
Like I said, the Knicks are saying, we'll leave your
worst three point shooter open. He's got no choice but
to take that shot. Right. They're not allowing They didn't
allow Maxi to get to the loop. They didn't allow
edgecumbe any room. They didn't allow Paul George. At one
point there was just a dude just go, shoot, you're
not making anything.
Speaker 3 (42:17):
Many six of eighteen the field fift team in the
first quarter. Yeah, zero points in the last three quarters.
By the way, just to close the loop, you know,
Tom Thibodeau is rumored to be returning to Chicago.
Speaker 1 (42:28):
Yeah, yeah, well still, but he's still gonna wear the Knicks.
Uh uh the jack, the jacket and the and the
yeah president yea, yeah, yeah, it looks close enough, right yeah, no, no, no, no, no, no, no,
I think it's I think what he's got is like
with with the Velcrow, where he could pull the Knicks
patch off and just put the Bulls patch on that. Fine, Yeah,
he's still he'll look exactly the same, arms folded. Yeah,
(42:51):
he'll leave all your starters in until there's like a
minute left in the game. But we're up by twenty five,
doesn't matter. Leaving all the guys in, leaving Brunton.
Speaker 2 (42:57):
In, coach, it's okay, you could take no no, no, no,
no no, Now we're gonna leave Brunzone. Gonna leave me
in the end of the game.
Speaker 1 (43:03):
Okay, okay, So the Knicks up three zip over the
Sixers Knicks in four. We have more on this game
coming up, including a surprise, surprise, crazy thing from the
Knicks and the Sixers. Meanwhile, Spurs and the Tea Wolves
right now, late in the first quarter, and Edwards has
(43:23):
just hit a bucket to cut the Spurs lead to
four twenty three point nineteen. We'll have more on this
game coming up as well, straight ahead, So more NBA,
more NFL. It is a big party Friday night right here.
Jason Smith, Mike Harmon, Fox Sports Radio,
Thanks for listening to the best of The Jason Smith
Show with Mike Carmen podcast. Be sure to catch us
live every weeknight from ten pm to two am Eastern
seven to eleven pm Pacific on Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 2 (00:11):
Find your local station for The Jason Smith.
Speaker 1 (00:13):
Show with Mike Harmon at Fox Sports Radio dot com,
or stream us live every night on the iHeartRadio app
by searching FSR.
Speaker 2 (00:21):
This is the best of The Jason Smith Show with
Mike Harmon on Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 1 (00:29):
Well, I feel great, I feel nervous. I got a
lot of stuff going on right now.
Speaker 3 (00:32):
Mike car there are so many sporting events going on
that we want to pay attention to it. We don't
have enough damn screens. I've got a lot of stuff happening,
multiple hockey games. We got Yamamoto Knight in Uston. We
got the Knicks bludgeoning the Sixers. We've got Anthony Edwards
return against the Spurs.
Speaker 1 (00:47):
There's so much going on. I got the Hurricanes in
overtime with the Flyers. I got a lot of stuff
happening right now.
Speaker 3 (00:52):
Yeah, I mean, I mean, yeah, it's insane.
Speaker 1 (00:56):
But I do want to say this. I think this
is the first Okay, there's big, crowded landscape tonight. Lots
of things happening, as I said, but I do want
to say this, not a great first half for the
The Knicks will never win anything with Jalen Brunson as
their one crowd.
Speaker 3 (01:13):
Now you were gonna go with for those one thing
to say, traumatic pause and then start singing, you're stupid,
Go New York Go.
Speaker 1 (01:21):
No, I just went because, not a great first half
for all of the you know, the nickt Jalen Brunson's
not on one. They're not gonna win. They need something else.
If they just had something else, like if if they
had Kobe, or if they had Lebron when he was
twenty six, or maybe I don't know, halflichak Or or
Bill Russell. You know that I could see the next winning,
but you know, Brunch, they can't. He's too small, doesn't
do it. Not a great first half for that. Not
(01:43):
a great first half of that crowd.
Speaker 3 (01:45):
Twenty seven points in the first half, an absolute operation
domination cat with big shot after big shot, your guy
o Geana Nobi. I mean the only scare was after
a dunk couple seconds later Mitchell Robinson hobbled a little
bit and went to the locker, and then he was
back and started dominating it. So, I mean, there's really
not a whole lot for Knicks fans other than can
(02:07):
we just have a running clock to make sure we
actually get to the finish line?
Speaker 2 (02:10):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (02:10):
So far.
Speaker 1 (02:11):
I mean it is a twenty eight point lead for
the Knicks right now, Nurse coaching his ass off down
twenty nine. When the Sixers call the time out. That
when they went down twenty six and Nick Nurse is
yelling at the official I'm like, really.
Speaker 3 (02:27):
No, no, you were not. Really you were screaming at
the TV and mocking him. Well as if you were
sitting three feet from what I was doing was doing
my dick fight.
Speaker 2 (02:35):
Tael Oh, get a time out, Nick Nurse, Oh, get
a time out? Got it?
Speaker 1 (02:39):
But like to see him stoping, I'm gonna go yell
at the official lit dude, you're down twenty six?
Speaker 3 (02:42):
Man, Well, what's working on him for the next game?
Speaker 2 (02:45):
What are you doing? What are you doing?
Speaker 3 (02:47):
You're working on him for game two?
Speaker 2 (02:49):
Now? Now.
Speaker 1 (02:49):
This is the thing is that you know, being the
Knicks fan, I always know disasters around another corner. I'm like, okay,
they cut this to twenty at the end of three,
then it's fifteen.
Speaker 2 (02:57):
Then hurt the Knicks hed to stop, but stop with
the injury thing, Rothberg.
Speaker 1 (03:02):
So it is it is that. But I will say,
what happened this game? Why are we sitting here with
a twenty eight point lead with the Knicks here in
the third quarter? Number one? Yes, Jalen Brunson came in
and said, okay, yeah, I'm going to be the guy
that hit every shot. First quarter when it was a
back and forth battle, Brunson would simply come down and
be the equalizer because the game offensively for the Sixers,
(03:25):
the first quarter of this game was going exactly how
they wanted to go. They were getting the ball to
Mbeid and bed got two quick fouls on Karl Anthony Towns.
Then they had to take him out of the game.
They brought in Mitchell Robinson. They started hacking Mitchell Robinson
right away. He missed four free throws. They had to
take him out of the game. Huck Porty came in,
They took him out of the game. Then the Animal
(03:45):
Banister came in. They took him out of the game.
Ewing came in. They took him out of the game,
everything was going according to plan for the Sixers. Embiid
was getting everybody in foul trouble, and then there was
a little bit of a reset. And while this is
all going on, Brunson just keeps hitting shot, shot, a
three in the lane, step back, He's doing everything, and
it was really something going. My goodness, man, he's I mean,
(04:07):
he might score one hundred tonight. But after the Knicks
kind of got their legs under them, when when Karl
Anthony Towns checks back in the game, what you saw
was something that that I thought coming into Game one
was gonna be a big deal. It was eight hours
ago that the Sixers knocked out the Celtics, right, I mean,
we're still talking about Jalen Brown being upset about how
Embiid is being officiated in this and they have to
(04:29):
come back and play game one like this is a
this is a really bad I mean look, and that's
how the series goes, right. You know, you're down to
not saying anything was done unfairly, but just when you
have one team that is a veteran team that's getting
their rest and the other one that has just getting
even as hot as they are, you're asking the Sixers
to come back from the emotion of a three to
one series, come back and win win Game seven on
the road. They're still basking then to come back. You know,
(04:51):
the first quarter or so is going to be adrenaline
and on vape, but they'll be on vapors at some point.
And the Knicks just look like they have they have
much more hop in in this game. And that's really
what it was. Once Karl Anthony Towns checked back into
the game, that's when they started going on their run.
Speaker 3 (05:06):
I mean, if you go back to the way Game
seven played out for the Sixers, I mean they came
out like a house of fire, built a big lead
and then had to vigorously defend and stave off the
charge that the Celtics made to ultimately get the nine
point win in the series victory. But it looked like
they were going to cruise to it, right Jason Tatum.
(05:28):
A lot of controversy over the late scratch. That's something
that still needs to be looked at by the NBA
in terms of how that all went down, in terms
of flow of information, gamesmanship, whatever you want to call it.
But yeah, to your point, they they had to work
every minute of that game, like there was no coasting
to the end, and then immediately you come after into
(05:50):
this what do we call it the beehive, even though
some folks might not be there because of the met
galap mets gallup tonight, like Ben Stiller was.
Speaker 1 (05:58):
Wearing an orange tous He was there very I think
he was there early just so we could leave and
I got to get the end of this game, all
of us.
Speaker 3 (06:06):
Yeah, even if he didn't show up at the at MSG,
somewhere he is eating well and watching the name.
Speaker 2 (06:13):
No listen, he is.
Speaker 1 (06:13):
He is all of us who have ever had something
on a Saturday or a Sunday and there's nothing we
can do, and you have to go but the game.
I'm sorry, you can't miss a game. What if we
go really early, like he was on the red carpet,
I think before anybody.
Speaker 3 (06:27):
I think they weren't even set up on the red
car because like the photographers are, like, wait, he's here already.
Speaker 1 (06:32):
I could do my two hours here and then I
could go to the NIXT game, or at least then
I can go watch it whatever it is. So he
like he was all when I saw him on the
red car, Like there's nobody else.
Speaker 3 (06:41):
Is it something where though, where you have to stay
long enough so you shake Anna Winter's hands so she
knows that you showed up. Oh yeah, something like that.
There's some kind of protocol there.
Speaker 1 (06:50):
Yeah, but I'm sure people know it doesn't If they
don't know you're there, you may as well not even
go out.
Speaker 3 (06:55):
But I mean you get a lot of run for
the fact that you have to decide between that and
the next game. So everybody knew where he was, like
there was no, hey he really was here. No, no,
he was photographed and made sure. Hey I got my
wave in. But yeah, this has just been an absolute beatdown.
And you've seen even the quicks of Maxie. He's getting
tested bringing the ball up at half court. They're meeting
(07:18):
him and forcing forcing him to pick up his dribble,
which has caused a number of Aaron passes, turnovers, embiid
looking when he's had to pass out of the double team.
He's been terrible in terms of his anticipation. So about
as clean a Knicks game as you can see on
both so far so far. Now, like the other part
of it, and you mentioned too, is Maxie was having
(07:39):
a difficult time and this is this is a byproduct
of the Sixers and how they were able to come
from behind they beat the Celtics. Everything worked in Unison right,
and Embiid was able to come in and was able
to get his points. As the game went on, he
took over. But watching the game today as we started,
they said, Okay, let's see we did this with Embiid
(08:02):
and we're gonna push the ball to him. We know
we can get Karl Anthony Towns in foul trouble and
this is how we're gonna win. Okay, so I get that,
and they gave the ball to Embiid. Exclude it was
embiiding Paul George and beating Paul George early on. Maxie
and Edgecumbe really did not have a chance to affect
the game. And these are the guys you want the
ball in their hands early. You want the veterans. They
(08:22):
know how to get into a game, right. Embiid knows
how to get into a game. Paul George knows how
to get into it. Maxi, you would think, me, he's
in the league six years now, but you know Edgecumb's
a rookie like but these are your young guys that
you want to push the pace early.
Speaker 2 (08:33):
I mean, you know what I mean.
Speaker 1 (08:33):
I was, I was, I was realizing this is a
great benefit for the Nicks. I'm going if they're just
going Embiid and Paul George, now, well they're gonna be
exhausted by by the time you get to halftime, they're
gonna be exhausted. And so now you saw Maxie's had
a tough time getting into the game. It's been and
it's been a tough time for the backcourt to get
into the game. For the Sixers, well, what he's also
going to be true, at least early on, is there's
(08:54):
there's no bench for either of these teams. Yeah, it's
Robinson and have a better mix. This bench looks like
the Pistons compared to what the stuff they have one
guy against the Sixers none. I mean, I think Andrew
Tony is coming off the.
Speaker 3 (09:06):
Best of the six nicely to Tony, but yeah, it's
one of those as you mentioned, just out the at
the outsets like you gass the the veterans, because it's
like Paul George missed a bunch of time, but not
necessarily in the best shape for Joel Embiid. You got
four games where he averaged heavy minutes in the last series. Uh,
(09:28):
and the quick turnaround, so getting dragged up and down
a little bit physicality for Cat and for og and
Robinson certainly for the nine minutes that he did play
in this game. Cautionary, you know, you sit him down
with the knee with the massive lead, No need to
stress that. We'll wait further results later on. But yeah,
(09:49):
the Guards haven't done much and even Edgecombe has been
hit or miss from an offensive standpoint throughout the year. Right,
He's had some massive games, but there have been some
disappearing act and we'd be remissive we didn't just round
out all the players. Don't throw out by just mentioning Oubra.
I mean we got the other five guys, and hey
there's the six But so yeah, it's it's just that
(10:12):
that question of all right, how about you just chalk
up to fatigue, et cetera, because that's seven and a
half is looking easy. Everybody was plus seven and a half.
Look at the sixers, look at it, and they just
got run out of the gym.
Speaker 1 (10:25):
So we'll keep you updated on this game again. One
O two seventy three. The Knicks with the lead over
the Sixers third quarter in the third it's okay, it's okay.
What you got, Frostburg. This lead might not last too long.
Why not just showed lind Door on the big screen.
Speaker 2 (10:40):
Come there.
Speaker 1 (10:41):
As long as Steve Cohen's not there, I'm feeling okay.
He was there with his rat. Uh now, okay, okay
for all, Kay, mister funny man, you want it, you
want it?
Speaker 2 (10:51):
You want to Jason, by the way, yeah, what good
to see you.
Speaker 3 (10:54):
What time's the Rockets game?
Speaker 2 (10:55):
Yeah? What did the Rockets plays?
Speaker 3 (10:57):
Jason?
Speaker 1 (10:58):
Did I or did Iakers are so much trouble? Did
I or did I not pick the Lakers to win
the series?
Speaker 2 (11:03):
Did I not do? I think.
Speaker 3 (11:06):
I'm pretty sure trouble.
Speaker 2 (11:07):
I'm pretty sure I picked them to win the Sea.
Speaker 3 (11:10):
They were done.
Speaker 2 (11:11):
I'm pretty sure I picked the la can't play cooked.
Speaker 1 (11:14):
But now, okay, now, mister smart, mister helper, oh you
want my internet's out?
Speaker 3 (11:17):
What times the Rockets game?
Speaker 2 (11:19):
The Rockets said, it's after the next game. It's on
right after this.
Speaker 1 (11:22):
Uh now, because I want to say this, because this
this is a thing. Right now, the other game happening
going to the second quarter. Obviously, look at the B
game tonight. Obviously it's the Spurs and the Teels. It's
not the Knicks, but the b games like the junior
varsity and half the line on that right now, twenty
four to twenty three, Minnesota with the lead. Yes, Anthony
Edwards is back tonight. He has made both of his
shot attempts, including a three. He's got five tonight, wemby
(11:46):
two points at the end of.
Speaker 3 (11:47):
The first quarter.
Speaker 1 (11:48):
But we have now watched in the last couple of days, right,
Jason Tatum come back for the Celtics, I mean didn't
really help, and then he got hurt and he couldn't
play in Game seven, but he returned to play, and
then we walked and Edward's come back after we thought
he's gonna be out a month, He's gonna be this.
All injuries are not equal, and they are completely different
(12:09):
injuries than what we've talked about. But boy, with every
waking moment, I keep thinking, are we really not gonna
see Luca after Game one?
Speaker 2 (12:17):
Like I don't.
Speaker 1 (12:19):
I get maybe tomorrow, but really, are we really not
gonna see him in game two? I have a hard
time believing we're not going to see him for Game
two would be pretty shocking. Remember it was game three
and look what over always underpromise, over deliver, right, the
old EBITDA and everything you would do for earnings reports
as a fortune five hundred or a publicly traded company
(12:40):
in the stock marks like, well, you said you're gonna
now look, I mean, come on, it was Gangbuster's quarter.
Speaker 2 (12:44):
What do you want?
Speaker 3 (12:45):
Same thing here? Ah, he's out indefinitely.
Speaker 2 (12:47):
Now.
Speaker 3 (12:47):
The one thing that we can't say now that the
first round is finally done. Remember last day of the
NBA's regular season was April twelfth, And now that we're
finally into Round two, is that boy protecting home court
late really failed remeddly these teams Orlando and Boston, and
(13:08):
and he was, I mean, just some really suspect efforts
in front of the home crowds.
Speaker 1 (13:12):
But I bet really I find a hard time believing
that we're not gonna see him in game game two,
get game one, potentially, I can, yeah, I could see
it being okay, look they did have an extra day,
but wow, another few days. Are we really not gonna
see him? I mean, and it doesn't matter that these
injuries are all different, right, different injury for Luca, different
Jayson Tatum, different injury for Brande's but it's the playoffs.
Speaker 3 (13:34):
It's really an indictment on Spain, Like if he can't
get back.
Speaker 2 (13:38):
Yeah, why are we going over there again?
Speaker 1 (13:39):
Like?
Speaker 2 (13:39):
Wait, why do we go there?
Speaker 3 (13:40):
If he can't get back.
Speaker 2 (13:41):
On I wouldn't go to Spec. Gotta go someplace. I
was gonna go to Germany, Right, Kobe would go to Germany?
Speaker 3 (13:45):
Right, you go to Majorca? Yeah, I mean what do
we got? I mean I don't know.
Speaker 1 (13:49):
Yeah, you gotta go to these places, man, I mean
Spain is really disappointing.
Speaker 3 (13:52):
Yeah, they did not accelerated like we anticipated.
Speaker 1 (13:56):
But really, I gotta think game two, we're gonna see Lucas.
Speaker 3 (14:00):
Waiting for Luca instead of a GOODO, We're waiting on Luke.
How about the rockets chasing?
Speaker 2 (14:07):
What' about the rockets?
Speaker 1 (14:08):
Patty about the rockets, Always about the Rockets.
Speaker 2 (14:12):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Jason Smith
Show with Mike Harmon weekdays at ten pm Eastern, seven
pm Pacific, as much as it is during the NBA playoffs. Oh,
I have a night off. Yeah, the nixer up. They
would by fifty. Everybody else is sweating it out.
Speaker 1 (14:29):
We jump right in with the NBA playoffs TONIGHTO, you've
been living in a dream in a universe all these years.
I'm living it up on top right now, mane. I
don't know when it's gonna be summertime in hell again,
and I gotta go back's up, living it up on top.
Speaker 3 (14:44):
Right now like an eighties staying down below and every
year and finally finally wait for me. Yeah, I'm coming.
Speaker 2 (14:53):
Let's go.
Speaker 1 (14:54):
Halftime Thunder and the Lakers. The good news, good news
and bad news. Actually, there's good news, good news and
bad news.
Speaker 2 (15:03):
For the Lakers. Okay, all right. The good news is.
Speaker 1 (15:07):
I really thought they'd be losing by a lot more.
It is a sixty one to fifty three deficit. Lebron
has been fantastic so far, has taken over the scoring
onus again.
Speaker 2 (15:16):
It's an eight point game. At halftime. It was a
big lead. They had cut it to one.
Speaker 1 (15:21):
Oklahoma City goes up by a bit at the end
of the first half, but still this game is still
there for the Lakers.
Speaker 2 (15:27):
That's the good news.
Speaker 1 (15:29):
I can't give you the the other good news until
I give you the bad news, so I gotta give
them the bad news next Okay, Austin Reeves has continued
to be terrible and tonight, I mean, they're not gonna
win this game. They're not gonna even be close unless
Austin Reeves is Austin Reeves. And so far in the
first half tonight, four points one out of seven from
(15:50):
the floor. He has just not found his stroke since
coming back from injury. He's not been able to be
the number two guy the Lakers needed him to be
jumping in and they're not gonna win and I will
come close to winning if he doesn't pick it up
in the second half. He's the most important player on
the floor right now.
Speaker 2 (16:06):
Now.
Speaker 1 (16:06):
The good news is, at least he's making it easier
for the Lakers to keep him in the offseason, because
you know, he's got that option that he's gonna decline.
Speaker 2 (16:13):
He's gonna be more money, So you know, hey.
Speaker 1 (16:15):
Coming off this, if this is his playoff's gonna make
it much easier for the Lakers to keep him next season.
So there is a silver lining in all of this.
Speaker 3 (16:23):
Mic Well eleven of thirty in his two games returning
in that Houston series. You know your rocketstead are at
home tonight in that second game, the close out game,
so you'll take that, you'll wear that. What's curious as
you go through and I was finding the stats because
you know Lebron James not only does he love a
(16:44):
Taco Tuesday, he has been magnificent historically on the Cinco Demayo.
Well it's Taco Tuesday and Sigma Tobaio the same day,
but that's shit. They may mash up here. He is
on these. He's never scored fewer than thirty two points
in a game on Cinco Demayo.
Speaker 2 (17:01):
So like, I got this for you, though, smart guy.
If that's Lebron so far, what about Chet Holmgren?
Speaker 1 (17:06):
Maybe maybe Cinco de Mayo on Taco Tuesday at Chet
Holmgren's day, he's got twenty just another alley.
Speaker 2 (17:12):
I feel like every play is an alley up for
Chet Holmgren.
Speaker 3 (17:14):
Well, I mean it's the Mike Harmon Spectacular because you
know nobody loves him, some Chet Holmgren more than me.
But here's Lebron all time Cinco de Mayo, thirty two,
thirty four, thirty five, thirty eight, and then you have
your requisites seven to ten rebounds and seven assists in
three of those four games. So he comes to play,
(17:36):
it's just a matter of whether everybody else can match
his energy. I love when he was ball hawking and
he had that big steal on the laziness of Shay
Gilgess Alexander who had an uncharacteristic four turnovers. They were
asking it and half is theyre going, It's like, what
the hell you guys had eight turnovers? What's going on
in there? It's like, calm down, calm down, It'll be
(17:56):
just fine, but a little sloppy with the basketball to
let the Lakers hang around.
Speaker 1 (18:01):
So wait, So what you're saying is, if I'm getting
everything you're saying, you are, you are basically accusing the
NBA and Adam Silver of pushing this Lakers game an
extra day to Tuesday, not just to get Luca potentially
healthy to play, which they didn't, but to get Lebron
to play on Taco Tuesday, on Sinco de Maya.
Speaker 3 (18:21):
That's it, because he is a more motivated, consistent, and
brilliant operator when tacos are on the line.
Speaker 1 (18:28):
Yeah yeah, yeah, I mean really well, I mean, and
plus I mean being Synco de Mayo.
Speaker 2 (18:32):
I mean, I mean, I I can see that, man.
I feel like Silver.
Speaker 1 (18:37):
I can see Adam Silver doing that. What do we
need You want me to get Scott Foster there, No, no, no, no, no,
not not yet. Don't worry about it. We'll do something
else first, We'll do the whole Hey s that's what
the Lakers are going to play. But boy, really they
should really play on Monday because they've had rest and
maybe the Nicks and the six No, no, no, we
need the Knicks to make it to the finals.
Speaker 2 (18:55):
Let's put this.
Speaker 1 (18:56):
Let's put the Sixers up on Monday where they're really
really exhausted and the nick can win by fifty Wait wait,
do you see what social media is like the next
day for the Knicks.
Speaker 2 (19:04):
Now, let's do that.
Speaker 1 (19:05):
Screw the Sixers, make them play Monday, Put the Lakers
on Tuesday.
Speaker 2 (19:09):
We gotta have it.
Speaker 3 (19:10):
Yeah, all in you know the invisible hand, right, just
like we'll all be anxiously awaiting the results of the
draft lottery when that goes down. Right, One chance that
Dallas was able to at least save some face after
the Luka Doncis trade last year. Tana Hey, the kid
from Akrons coming out in two thousand and three, Hey,
(19:32):
it was number one Cleveland. Hey, Derek Rose, you like Chicago, Hey,
go to the Bulls. It's almost like you can pick
your spot. It's almost like, hey, I mean, don't draft
at all.
Speaker 2 (19:42):
And I think I think you're I think you're you're, you're, you're, uh,
you know, blowing past the big thing a.
Speaker 1 (19:47):
Congratulations Toronto Maple Leafs. They basically tank this year and
they get the number one pick in the NHL draft
that just came out today.
Speaker 2 (19:53):
Congratulations Toronto.
Speaker 3 (19:55):
See they worked themselves right into that. Never mind me
the whole thing. Hey, who works really well with big men?
Great Popovich, Hey, Victor Wenbikam, go to San Antonio. And
then we'll do it again and again, and now we'll
act some rules so you can't do those things. But
all of that is secondary. I mean, Detroit Basketball holds
(20:16):
serve Game one and now we've got, you know this,
the second half of OKC and the Lakers underway.
Speaker 1 (20:24):
So again eight and a half to go in the
third quarter, still a ten point lead for the thunder
game is still there for the Lakers. It's not been
a an SGA takeover, which I thought. Look, I told
you last night, Hey, whatever the spread is, what was
it fifteen and a half went off that ye, yeah,
I'll take you give me the thunder and twenty five
give me twenty five, give me almost thirty.
Speaker 2 (20:43):
This game is still there for the Lakers. SGA is
not taking it over.
Speaker 1 (20:47):
He's had a customer an unaccustomary, unaccustomed slower type of
first half. But chet Holmgren's played really well. He's hit
a couple of threes. Now it's a seven point game.
This game is still there for the Lakers.
Speaker 2 (21:01):
I mean I think.
Speaker 1 (21:04):
Right now, Yeah, Ruy Hachimora, not talk about the not
talk about about it.
Speaker 3 (21:10):
Yes, well, he was looking for you to have a
big opening on the Houston Rockets, which is because you
sent that three or four times. One thing to be
said though, is certainly in the first quarter, maybe a
little less than the second, but first quarter, they they
let them get physical and even you know, as as
I was in my commute to the studios and listening
to a little of the local broadcast, and they're like, Wow,
(21:35):
they're letting him beat each other up either physicality on
Lebron and and look, he's just gonna bulldoze through people
like he tried to do at the end of the
half when they threw it up and he ran through
three guys uh fell harmlessly on to the to the
floor and missed the shot. But for shay Gil just
Alexander only three free throw attempts in the first half,
(21:55):
so he got bodied up a little bit, tried to
create a little bit of contact and the refer he's
just looked Adam and smiled literally, So it'll be curious
to see how that's adjudicated here in the second half.
Speaker 1 (22:06):
So we'll keep you updated here again. Seven point game
for the Thunder and the Lakers. Meanwhile, earlier tonight, game
one of the East Semifinals, the Pistons, despite a subpar
shooting game from Caid Cunningham and that's being kind six
out of nineteen tonight, but he still went nine to
leven from the free throw line, the Pistons outlast the
(22:27):
Cavs one eleven to one oh one.
Speaker 2 (22:30):
And this is.
Speaker 1 (22:30):
Probably, I would say the biggest nightmare for the rest
of the Eastern Conference is that tonight the Pistons looked like, hey,
we shook off the first round. This is who we are,
Like they had like the way they played tonight, their
body language they had turned into in the first round.
They were kid Cunningham and that's it, right. They had
a tough time seeing their supporting cast step up and
(22:53):
it was hey, Caid's gotta save us. Then you know,
Orlando blows the three to one lead, they come back.
The Pistons were real on the ropes tonight. They looked
like a team that had figured it out.
Speaker 2 (23:03):
Right.
Speaker 1 (23:03):
They jump out to a huge lead right away in
the first quarter and they kind of coast from there.
You know, a couple of mini runs by Cleveland and boy,
you talk about a horrendous game. Jared Allen just eighteen minutes,
two points in that one. But James Harden going very
much James Harden in the second round of the playoffs
six out of fifteen, seven assists, seven turnovers. Right like
(23:25):
this series, this might be a Pistons sweep because it
looks like the Pistons have figured it out in the
combination of the Cavaliers. And again, this is why I
always say, I don't know why people think there were
James Harden away from anything, because this is who Harden is. Yeah,
he'll still show I can do it in the regular season.
The playoffs come when he's playing every other night, he
gets tired by the time you get to the second
(23:45):
or third round, this is who James Harden is. He
fell down like three times, just dribbling the basketball, trying
to go, trying to attack the basket. He just fell
and the ball fell out of his arms. Like this
is the James Harden that, unfortunately we have seen, and
I have seen so many times in the last few years, Like, like, okay,
James Harden's not going to carry you anywhere in the playoffs, right.
(24:07):
He was much better in the regular season than I
thought he would be, and he continues to do that.
Every time I think he's done in the regular season,
he shows I still have a little bit left. But
he has been the same guy in the playoffs for
the last few years. And again, seven assists, seven turnovers,
you can't have it. I mean some really bad time.
He had a turnover on a three on one. I
just said, what the hell is that?
Speaker 2 (24:26):
Man?
Speaker 1 (24:27):
Like what get you got two guys wide open? You
dribbled off your foot, off the defender's foot and it
went the other way, Like what is happening here?
Speaker 3 (24:33):
You've never gotten over excited. I mean any type of
moment like that.
Speaker 1 (24:38):
And you're likely in the drive throughout McDonald's I think, yeah,
especially when they tell me, hey, you know the value
man you when you get two things off the value maning,
it's two for one. Oh really yeah yeah, oh it
give me two things.
Speaker 3 (24:49):
Off the value that takes.
Speaker 1 (24:51):
So I mean, really, I mean this. I've seen this
from James Harden. I've seen this so many times and
this is what we get from Harden. And at this point, honestly,
I'm thinking this is going to be a Pistons swing
and they're gonna be waiting around for the Knicks and
the Sixers as they finished their series.
Speaker 3 (25:03):
Six to fifteen from the field, one up, seven from
three point rans to your point. The seven turnovers, but
another one of those. You're trying to find some help
somewhere else. Struce had had nineteen off the bench. It's fantastic.
But Wade and Allen played a total of forty six minutes.
They gave you seven points. Donovan Mitchell went to the
free throw line twice for the night. So I mean
(25:26):
you add it all up, it's a losing proposition for Detroit.
You had good balance, all five starters in double figures,
including five to three pointers from Duncan Robinson, a huge
effort nineteen points for him, and you had Tobias Harris
with another twenty. So you're looking at your starters taking
care of business. Jenkins, Stewart, Holland all gave you contributions
(25:48):
from the bench. So you know the old it's not
a series until you know a home team loses or whatever.
But I don't know that we're gonna see it. The
James Harden thing is, oh, he's It's always tough to
watch because you know he's a guy that during the
course of a regular season, you'll you'll see those games
where clearly huffing and puffing and grinding through heavy minutes.
(26:10):
But by the time you get to the postseason, he's
got nothing left.
Speaker 2 (26:14):
I mean, that's James Harden. That's been James Harden.
Speaker 3 (26:17):
Is every man because you want a cheer for him
because he is every man grinding away, and then we
got nothing left when we needed most.
Speaker 1 (26:25):
I mean, these teams that still think, yeah, we'll go
get somebody in their thirties to.
Speaker 2 (26:30):
Play such a huge role for us and think that
that's gonna get us to the NBA finals. Stop.
Speaker 1 (26:35):
It's never been a younger man's league than the NBA
is right now and James Harden is that. Look, James
Harden was getting tired of the playoff when he was
twenty eight. Yeah, but you would get to the end.
He would get to the end of the game in
the second round. Harden would be tired, He'd miss a shot,
he'd turned the ball over. Like That's been James Harden's
entire career, man like.
Speaker 3 (26:52):
But it's also that argument though, Jason of you know,
we were talking about it. I said it jokingly. With
the Kevin durant uh An injury that pops up after
he plays seventy eight regular season games, young guys didn't
know what to do because suddenly the guy that was
doing all the shooting and taking care of the ball
at the end of games isn't there. So they were confused.
With James Harden, go back and look at his game log.
(27:15):
You know, he would have been one of those guys
that we would have championed him for at least, hey,
at least you tried. He would have gotten the Bart
Simpson cake once upon a time for showing up seventy
five games a year, So at least, you know, he
has that to hang his hat on.
Speaker 2 (27:28):
Exit.
Speaker 1 (27:29):
How about a Fresca exit Swollen Dome, the Jason Smith
Show with my bass friend Mike Harmon. So again, a
seven point lead for the Thunder has just turned into
a four point lead for the Thunder. Rui Hachimura buries
a three big, big third quarter so far for the Lakers,
(27:49):
staying in this game again six and a half to go.
It is a four point lead now. Hatchamura up to twelve.
Marcus mart has twelve. Austin Reeves still with four points,
one out of eight from the floor. He's just gone
down in a heap. So we'll keep you up here.
Speaker 3 (28:02):
You just started talking about them.
Speaker 1 (28:04):
I mean, dude, I mean this has been Austin Reeves man.
The guys got hurt. You come back, cut the hyalo.
Speaker 3 (28:10):
Austin is hurt and they're done.
Speaker 1 (28:11):
Now he's getting I got to tell people what's happening
for I can't lie to people, like when I say
the Knicks are going to the finals, I can't lie.
Speaker 2 (28:18):
You can't do that was three years ago.
Speaker 3 (28:21):
You've come back to that one a bunch.
Speaker 1 (28:23):
Yeah, well is it nice you're giving us our house
ban Geeese the worst band in the world.
Speaker 3 (28:28):
I actually had an ads show up as they're on
like some concert tours like go see these guys live,
and it was all these headliners, you know, Rodrigo and
whatever else, and it mentioned Geese, So.
Speaker 2 (28:39):
Like, what the hell our house band, worst band in
the world, it's Geese. Everybody. Be sure to catch live
editions of The Jason Smith Show with Mike harmon weekdays
at ten pm Eastern, seven pm Pacific on Fox Sports
Radio and the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 1 (28:54):
Nix and four nix in four Nix and four Nicks
in four.
Speaker 3 (29:00):
They got to clear the benches to my the seventy
six ers on their home court. They sound pretty good
from Arizona.
Speaker 1 (29:07):
Yeah, I do well, I do I heard so clear.
Do a lot of things, man, do a lot of things.
Frostburg's upset that I'm wearing a Mets T shirt tonight
with the Knicks playing, and I had to explain, dude,
all my Knick stuff is in the I gotta wash
tomorrow for the rest of the weekend, for next week.
Speaker 2 (29:21):
Dude.
Speaker 1 (29:22):
I thought you're a winner. Tonight, You're losing. I'm always winning, man,
I am rolling sevens.
Speaker 2 (29:28):
Man.
Speaker 1 (29:29):
It's so good that Mets are actually winning too. I'm
worried about Mike's eyes.
Speaker 3 (29:33):
No, the orange, the Orge gets me.
Speaker 2 (29:35):
It's still orange.
Speaker 1 (29:37):
Go New York, Go New York, Go, go New York,
Go New York go.
Speaker 3 (29:41):
Yeah. Every time it looked like these Sixers might have
a little bit of fighting to them, yeah, Joel Embiid
would pull up for the three.
Speaker 1 (29:47):
Uh.
Speaker 3 (29:48):
Look, Jason, you got like one week left to wear
Knicks gear?
Speaker 1 (29:51):
Dude, No, No, I got a long time dude going
to last.
Speaker 2 (29:58):
That. Look.
Speaker 1 (30:00):
The Knicks win tonight one, eight ninety four over the Sixers,
and there's a lot of stuff to get to. But
I'll tell you the two biggest things right, number one,
the biggest thing.
Speaker 2 (30:09):
That's a lot to get you.
Speaker 3 (30:10):
They're on the door step of the no Conference finals
in the Sixers are putting up no resistance.
Speaker 1 (30:16):
No Ognunobi doesn't matter, right, doesn't matter. Jalen Brunson goes
for thirty three Mical Bridges is terrific. But really it's
the Landry Shammitt game.
Speaker 2 (30:26):
Shammitt. How many big shots did Landry shammy Man? Look
we Cam Shammitt. You go back and look.
Speaker 1 (30:31):
At any series in NBA history, right, any series NBA history,
the team that won. You can look down and say
the reason they went not is because their star goes
for thirty three or one of their you know, one
of their top three guys goes for twenty five. You
find one guy off the bench that is not supposed
to play and have this kind of game, and he
has a game like that, and that tilts the series
(30:53):
forever in their favor. And Landry Shammitt fifteen points off
the bench tonight, five out of six from the floor,
made a huge tree the end of the third quarter,
like it was the Landry Shammitt game. Like you'll look
back at this series when the Knicks win in four,
you'll look back at the series ago.
Speaker 2 (31:06):
Wow, look at that game three. Where what did they get?
Speaker 1 (31:09):
They got fifteen from Landry Shammitt off the bench, and
that's it again. It's great to look at you look
and say, okay, well here's this. Oh no, no, so
and so had twenty five off the bench in that game.
You weren't expecting that. Everywhere you want to go, it's
the Landry Shammitt game, the Landry sham You keep that.
Speaker 3 (31:24):
I'm going cat once again, just doing the dirty work.
Doesn't have to do it in the scoring column. Just
eight points on three of eight, shooting a couple of
three point misses, only two free throw attempts, but twelve board,
seven assists. I'll take that. My big guy is going
to be distributing the ball like that and keep it
moving and keep the defense feet moving, because again we've
(31:47):
talked about this series not a lot of depth necessarily
when you get down to it, even though I think
every kid in New York's gonna want that Mitchell Robinson poster.
Speaker 2 (31:57):
Going over and beat.
Speaker 3 (31:59):
He said, yeah, scared looking Joel Embiid. That was everything
that picture of him dunking over Embiid, where Embiid looks
like a guy in a park watching someone play a game,
and like the ball is good, is falling coming into
the stands and he's ducking his head so he doesn't
get hit by it. Yeah, like that's what Mbiid looks like.
(32:19):
It looks like a great shot. It really is one
of my favorite action photos that we've seen. But we've
counted on him. He's back in the lineup right. Gives
you nineteen minutes, six points and six boards. But yeah,
Landry Shammitt, you needed one more score to be the
difference maker, and you watched as the sixers. As I said,
(32:39):
every time it looked like they were starting to make
a little bit of a push, and you get it
down to seven or five, it swelled right back out
to a double digit lead after a couple of dubious
shots selections, some really poor ball handling, right, just situational
awareness of hey, you know the second guy is coming
(33:00):
playing raptor defense on you, and the second guy's coming
from behind, so don't be loose with your dribble.
Speaker 1 (33:04):
Well, look, here's the look. There's two points. One is
a really fun one. One to do x's and o's.
First is that you can point to a lot of things, right,
Karl Anthony Towns becoming the facilitator, right, not a guy
that needs to go twenty four and twelve anymore. The
best version of the Knicks is when the offenses kind
of run through him and seven assists tonight, twelve rebounds.
(33:26):
He doesn't need to score twenty four again. They don't
need to make sure we get him going in the post.
They got to make sure he stays out of bleep
in foul trouble, which is becoming a thing for him.
But as you see, they can pick up their scoring
in other places. Right, So you have Karl Anthony Towns
finally has hit the best version of himself. And look
at where the Knicks are defensively the last month of
the season. They really hit their stride. And what are
(33:47):
they doing here in the playoffs so far? There's not
a lot of room for the Sixers unless you are saying,
here's one of your fourth or fifth best player on
the floor open for a three. That's what the Knicks
are allowing the six You could talk about the Sixers
missing and look Paul George fifteen points in the first
quarter and scoreless the rest of the way. But you
watch the way the Knicks play defense in the second half,
(34:08):
and this was we are gonna stop your top three
threats from getting to the hoop when we're not in transition,
and we're okay leaving your fourth or fifth best guy
open for three, right, And that's the only open shots
the Sixers got. They couldn't make them. This is the
best version of the Knicks of the last three years.
(34:28):
If they don't go to the finals this year, it's
never going to happen. It's never stopped with that negativity,
it's never gonna happen.
Speaker 2 (34:35):
Before this is it.
Speaker 1 (34:37):
We'll be fists and four first over the Calves. Then
it'll be the Knicks. But if they don't go this year,
they're never gonna go because everything is in line for them.
Speaker 2 (34:46):
Yes, you're gonna.
Speaker 1 (34:46):
Play somebody tough in the Eastern Conference finals, but it's
the Pistons. They had trouble in the first round. They
seem to have hit their stride. This is why the
playoffs they go really weird. And with the Celtics being
knocked out, sometimes the path gets a little bit easier.
Right the Nuggets when they won their title, that everybody
had their superstar out like that was one of the
easiest roads to a title you've ever seen. The best
(35:08):
player and every other team was hurt all the way through.
If they don't go this year, I don't know when
they're gonna go. Like this is it like that all
of a sudden, And I'm happy because what did I
say during the season? Boy, maybe the window is closed
because the ascending teams like the Pistons and the Celtics
are still really good. Uh, you're seeing the Magic are
really or even though they had a bad record, but
(35:29):
like middle of the seas, like maybe the window is shut.
But now like this is the most open it's ever
gonna be this year, this moment in time, right now,
they're better than the Sixers. They're just a better basketball team.
They're better everywhere than Philadelphia, and they're showing it.
Speaker 2 (35:43):
Well.
Speaker 3 (35:43):
Your nervousness coming into the series, uh, clearly unfounded. I'm
still nervous now at three to ozho if anybody can
blow it. Celtics falling to the wayside and going down
as they did Jalen Brown continuing to do interviews and
talk about how he was done wrong along the way,
but they fall off to the side. I mean, look,
(36:05):
a week and a half ago, you wanted to fire everybody.
It was here's Giannis and a Knick's uniform. Who else
can he bring with him? You were trying to figure
out his friends list. You were trying to find his Facebook,
his Instagram, close friends list, all of that stuff to
decide who you could start a letter writing campaign. You
know you're you're not a free agent yet, but are
(36:25):
you happy where you are? Let me tell you on
New York and going through that process. But as it
stands right now, the world, you oyster, I mean, you've
you've got Karl Anthony Towns whatever that switches, and we
talk about it with guys that are that are A
or B stars right at the one A, one B
and having to redefine the roles? Can we talk about
(36:47):
in football all the time? Right, you're a number one
wide receiver? Maybe you're slowing down a little bit. Hey,
can you work inside a little bit more? Are you
willing to not be the number one target and extend
your career? You'll still catch eighty back eighty footballs, but
you're not gonna do it necessarily with the glory touches
that you did once upon a time? Are you good
with that? And plenty of wide receivers, no, they're not, right, cornerbacks,
(37:11):
et cetera. As the game goes on for NBA players,
it's been that same question, right. That's why I think
a lot of folks really, if they were on the fence,
which is hard to be with Lebron James this year
finally might have pushed them over. I was like, all right,
he accepted the number three role. Now he didn't have
to do it for long because both those guys got hurt,
so he was back to number one again. But there
(37:33):
was something about the way he changed his game to
make the team flow. Same thing with Karl Anthony Towns here,
because in the past he would have pouted. Right, in
the past, you gotten no effort on defense, and you
would have had issues just in terms of him forcing
up a bad shot. Whatever he's bought into, whether it's Hart,
whether it's Brunson, Mike Brown, Timothy Shallow May, whoever has
(37:57):
show Ben Stiller and his Orange, don't know who it is.
Whoever got through to him to say, hey, sure's how
this should go and it runs through him. Maybe he's
watching Ted Lasso and talking about, Hey, work with Jamie.
Speaker 1 (38:10):
You know what I mean, go throw go through me,
Jamie Tark dude. And you know the other part of it. Now,
to to wind it out a bit, you mentioned his name.
Notice how nobody has said at any point in the
last few weeks, oh boy, you know, Tibbs might have
been better off. They might have been bet No one
is saying that the Knicks are exactly where they hoped
(38:30):
they would be with the hiring of Mike Brown. Because
I guarantee you this right, that big blank you, because
that was a huge blank you to the Sixers.
Speaker 3 (38:38):
Mike Brown half Mike.
Speaker 1 (38:39):
Brown taking everybody out except for Brunson, who's at the
free throw line. He's taken everybody out and he is
and he is emptied, like Tyler Kolett got in, like
he was the first guy to check in. Like that's
such a huge blank you. Josh Hart is waving to
the Sixers fans. They're coming out really slow. They're leaving
the court really you could tell there's a.
Speaker 3 (38:57):
Lot of small cattle on back like that, you know.
Speaker 1 (39:00):
And then Brunson coming out of the game, and the
fans were really just honking it up because again it
was about split between the Knicks and Sixers fans, which
we'll get into in a few minutes. But the Knicks
are exactly where they should be. With Mike Brown, he
is coming. It took him longer than expected, right, I
thought it would be. You know, hey, these guys have
been playing together now with Mike Brown, with the system
(39:21):
commitment to defense, it's gonna be a month or so,
a couple of months, but maybe by the time you
flip the calendar in the new year, they'll get it.
Took longer, maybe a little bit nervous, but getting closer
to the end of the season when you saw them
pick it up defensively. The flip the switch was flipped
in the playoffs, and now is anybody doubting that that
was the right call?
Speaker 2 (39:40):
Anybody texted him? How do you do that?
Speaker 1 (39:42):
No, I'm waiting to text him after a game four,
after game four, I'll text him, so well. No, after
the Knicks win game four. No, this is normally when
you win game four.
Speaker 3 (39:51):
This is normally when you text coaches when they're on
top of the world, and then it crumbles underneath it.
Speaker 1 (39:56):
I have to I just have to make because Ryan
Hollins refuse to give me Mike Brown's cell phone number,
which he had the other night. Luckily, justin Frostburg has it.
I didn't know he had. He found it and sent
it to me. So now it's got to wait until.
Speaker 2 (40:08):
The right moment. Just sound it.
Speaker 1 (40:09):
Yeah, I mean that was pretty great that you were
able to send it to the other Mike Brown.
Speaker 3 (40:13):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (40:13):
Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1 (40:13):
Hollins goes the other way. I said, what do you
mean other Mike Brown? Like, what other Mike Brown? Bengals
owner Mike Brown?
Speaker 2 (40:18):
Is that who it is?
Speaker 3 (40:19):
Hey, where's the money on the field? No, so I
have Mike Brown's cell phone number on my phone. That's
a dangerous thing.
Speaker 2 (40:25):
Go New York, Go, New York.
Speaker 3 (40:26):
Go. I mean it's Friday night. Yeah, you might get
a little loose, and then in the late nine hours.
Speaker 1 (40:31):
Now game four, you get out of this into the finals.
Then then you're in Arizona at the metskin. You don't
even know the next one, no idea. You're still lamenting
that are not a home run. But yeah, I'll text him,
but I'll text him.
Speaker 2 (40:45):
You know.
Speaker 3 (40:45):
It's just that that time for New York in that
it's rolled up and it's opened up the door. You
mentioned the Denver run to their title and how things
had to happen here same thing. Were you afraid because
of the lack of depth. I still am doing degree.
But in the Eastern Conference, you you're sitting pretty You
(41:05):
only need seven guys Robinson and the occasional Landry Sham
Landry Shammitt.
Speaker 2 (41:11):
It's the Landry Shammock game.
Speaker 3 (41:13):
I was looking at game, looking at the fourth quarter
shoot shooting grid for the UH sixers. A zero for
Paul George, just no, no, no George. But if you
just go and look at their shot chart, you've got
three at point blank range, three of eleven from three
point range, and an awful lot. I mean, it's a
nice coloring page if you want to teach the kids
(41:33):
out of you know, color in a bubble there. You
had a lot of circles I think.
Speaker 1 (41:38):
Defensively, so when the Sixers really had to get back
in like watching the Knicks play the end of last
year against the Pacers, right to go back to a
really bad memory Game one of the Eastern Conference Finals
where the Knicks continually left the Pacers open for threes
because the pace had a lot of guys can shoot threes,
and they kept hitting threes in Game one and threes
and Halliburton hits that shot that bounces up, bounces down,
(41:58):
does the choke sign? They win Game one on the road,
they go to the finals. Incredibly painful. That's not happening now.
Like I said, the Knicks are saying, we'll leave your
worst three point shooter open. He's got no choice but
to take that shot. Right. They're not allowing They didn't
allow Maxi to get to the loop. They didn't allow
edgecumbe any room. They didn't allow Paul George. At one
point there was just a dude just go, shoot, you're
not making anything.
Speaker 3 (42:17):
Many six of eighteen the field fift team in the
first quarter. Yeah, zero points in the last three quarters.
By the way, just to close the loop, you know,
Tom Thibodeau is rumored to be returning to Chicago.
Speaker 1 (42:28):
Yeah, yeah, well still, but he's still gonna wear the Knicks.
Uh uh the jack, the jacket and the and the
yeah president yea, yeah, yeah, it looks close enough, right yeah, no, no, no, no, no, no, no,
I think it's I think what he's got is like
with with the Velcrow, where he could pull the Knicks
patch off and just put the Bulls patch on that. Fine, Yeah,
he's still he'll look exactly the same, arms folded. Yeah,
(42:51):
he'll leave all your starters in until there's like a
minute left in the game. But we're up by twenty five,
doesn't matter. Leaving all the guys in, leaving Brunton.
Speaker 2 (42:57):
In, coach, it's okay, you could take no no, no, no,
no no, Now we're gonna leave Brunzone. Gonna leave me
in the end of the game.
Speaker 1 (43:03):
Okay, okay, So the Knicks up three zip over the
Sixers Knicks in four. We have more on this game
coming up, including a surprise, surprise, crazy thing from the
Knicks and the Sixers. Meanwhile, Spurs and the Tea Wolves
right now, late in the first quarter, and Edwards has
(43:23):
just hit a bucket to cut the Spurs lead to
four twenty three point nineteen. We'll have more on this
game coming up as well, straight ahead, So more NBA,
more NFL. It is a big party Friday night right here.
Jason Smith, Mike Harmon, Fox Sports Radio,
Hosts And Creators
Jason Smith
Mike Harmon
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Hey Jonas!
Hey Jonas! The official Jonas Brothers podcast. Hosted by Kevin, Joe, and Nick Jonas. It’s the Jonas Brothers you know... musicians, actors, and well, yes, brothers. Now, they’re sharing another side of themselves in the playful, intimate, and irreverent way only they can. Spend time with the Jonas Brothers here and stay a little bit longer for deep conversations like never before.