May 29, 2024 • 38 mins
Jason and Mike react to the Wolves forcing a Game 5 against the Mavericks with NBA Insider Marc Stein. Plus, Marc shares some of his favorite Bill Walton memories!
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Thanks for listening to The Jason Smith Show with Mike
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Speaker 2 (00:23):
You're listening to Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 1 (00:29):
Hello and welcome in side hour two The Jason Smith
Show with my best friend Mike Harmon Live from the
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(00:51):
to go. In the fourth quarter, it was just an
eight point lead for the Timberwolves. However, Luca Donsig draws
the sixth and fateful foul on Carl Anthony Towns, who
was fouled out of the game. This after Towns has
caught fire in the second half. The last three minutes,
he had three threes to help give the Timberwolves that
(01:11):
big lead, but Dallas has cut it to three. Time
out on the floor now is Anthony Edwards is finally
showing up saying, hey, maybe I am the next Michael Jordan.
The last minute or so, it has been all Edwards
getting to the hoop using the glass, hitting a twenty
footer and it's a five point lead right now for
the Tagles. Still a lot of time left. I mean,
if you're Rick Carlisle's not a lot of time left
(01:33):
because you'll have the clock tick down, but a lot
of time left here. But it is the Tea Wolves
trying to stay alive. They are up one oh two
ninety seven. Edwards, I believe is right near a triple double.
He may just need one rebound to get to a
one more assist to get to that triple double. He's
got twenty nine, ten and nine, and look in the
last minute f Towns hit those three threes. He has
(01:54):
hit some big shots and the Maverick's gonna have to
do something because I'm surprised they they allowed him to
stay as one on one as he was making those
big hoops, especially now the Towns is out of the game.
He's the only guy that's gonna make these shots. You
kind of have to do something here the last minute. Yeah,
just a curiosity of how they've played it out. And
Edwards for his part, you know, really expending a lot
(02:15):
of energy on both ends of the court. That's been
one of the tails. In the background of this right
of him guarding Kyrie whatever, he's twenty two, keep going,
keep that motor moving. But the shot he made in
the lane.
Speaker 3 (02:29):
Was one of those kind of dipped in, dip back out,
dip back in defenders with Drew just enough fired it
off the glass as the shot clock expired, right, So
one of those that looked like it was gonna be
an empty possession. Does he recognize that he's got to
get it off before the red light? And he does
and he makes a count. The loss of towns was huge, right,
(02:53):
He steps in on Luca and tries to I mean,
he did a really good acting job. You want to
talk about a guy that could be in the next Godfather,
moving the mountain. He was talking with his hands. Come on, referee,
Oh my hair. He referenced the Hero before I'll bring
you back into it. So, yeah, just a curious sequence.
Speaker 1 (03:09):
There, and uh, after the time out, a really bad
pass by Kyrie Irving. He turns it over, So now
the Timberwolves have the ball and the lead with twenty
seconds left to go one oh two ninety seven. It
looked like Kyrie was trying to thread the needle and
he just missed. He just missed. Anybody he was trying
to get that ball to straight to a defender stand
(03:31):
k who yeah, I mean, all of a sudden, it
take this long for Kyrie ever to turn back into Kyrie.
But that was such an unbelievably bad pass. I'm watching it, going, Okay,
they'll get in and get a hoop here, don't need
a three. There's a lot of time left, but they
took their time a little bit. And then Kyrie just
throws it through the lane and the Tea Wolves get
it and they're able to take another fifteen seconds off
(03:52):
the clock. So it's again one o two ninety seven
to twenty seconds left to.
Speaker 3 (03:55):
Go, and then back to the freight throw line we go.
And now he played game that Rick Carlisle didn't. How
long can you extend this if you're the Dallas Mavericks
to try to find yourself some opportunities. Now, I was
surprised nobody was hurt off the last three point shot
attempt that was made by PJ. Washington, because that was
a brick if there ever was one. Irving didn't get
(04:18):
the put back to cut the lead momentarily. But yeah,
it's been a curious run. And now, I mean, that's
just absurd what we just witnessed. Now I'll let you
use Wow.
Speaker 1 (04:29):
It is one oh three, one hundred with thirteen seconds left,
and I believe Luca is going to the free throw line.
Luca takes the ball down after a missed free throw
by the Tea Wolves, and Luca with two guys on him,
including Anthony Edwards in his face. Luca chucks it up
(04:49):
looking for the contact. Looks like he draws the foul
just enough. Anthony Edwards is incredulous, really, so lucas at
the free throw line for a four point play. It
is one oh three to one hundred with twelve point
eight seconds left to go.
Speaker 3 (05:05):
Now what's funny is you and I here in the studio.
Obviously we don't have the benefit of sound. So the
curiosity was Edwards reacting to the to the whistle, and
that was the incredulity, or had the ball gone through
the net and now he realized that it was a
potential four point play either way. A huge reaction. Yeah,
(05:25):
just an insane shot from Luca to Jason yea, Luka
does not want us to have nine days.
Speaker 1 (05:29):
Off, No, Luca. Luca goes to the free throw line
and misses the free throw. It looked like he hesitated
just an extra an extra tick before the shot, and
it was a little short and it rolled off the rim.
Would have been one oh three, one oh one with
thirteen seconds left, but instead one o three, one hundred.
(05:49):
The Mavericks had to foul. So the Timberls are gonna
be going to the free throw line with a chance
to potentially ice the game, making it making one out
of the they make one free throw, it's gonna be
nearly impossible for the Mavericks to win.
Speaker 3 (06:01):
Now, you know, I want to just cycle back to
a lot of what we talked about yesterday.
Speaker 1 (06:06):
I would have loved to hear Bill Walton call that
right there, Oh, Luco, Luca, how do you not put
a little bit more legs into that shot? John Wooden
would always say, you put the legs in, put the
work in. On the pyramid, it is on the left
side about halfway up. It's not a pyramid scheme. It's
just a part of the pyramid. And oh, by the way,
(06:28):
that was a horrible pass by Kyrie Irving. What was
he thinking? Was he trying to pass the ball to me?
Because I was the only one that you could see
wearing the same colored shirt as him, and my shirt
is tied eyed because it's a grateful dead shirt. I
don't know what that pass was all about.
Speaker 3 (06:45):
Do you think anybody ever asked John Wooden if he
thought his pyramid approach inspired pyramid schemes.
Speaker 1 (06:55):
No, I don't think that question pas on our levels. Yeah,
unless and said, oh you kidding? That was me? How
much money I made off of those things? Are you kidding?
I got all kinds of cash.
Speaker 3 (07:04):
Well that's how we had the guy walking around with
bags and cash. I just ta't care the guy. I
just get checks every day.
Speaker 1 (07:09):
Man, It's like people in Shawshank every time it's on
royalty check gets set to their house on every day.
The money. I don't even know where this money comes from.
Pyramid pyramid scheme, that's me. Well it's a hot take.
You think John wouldn't invent it inspired?
Speaker 3 (07:22):
Well, maybe he inspired it. I mean, I'd probably make
a movie on that based on a true theory.
Speaker 1 (07:32):
Uh, time out on the floor, the tea Wolves make
both are the tea Wolves make their layup? Yeah? Nas
Reed goes in fast for a score. You think, okay,
they're gonna foul it. No, no, no, they're able to
get in for a hoot one oh five, one hundred.
With eleven seconds to go in the fourth quarter, Mavericks
take a time out. They will have the ball still
(07:54):
a little bit of time with w how you're talking
about a five point lead with eleven seconds but.
Speaker 3 (07:57):
On the plus side, didn't take a lot of time
off the clock. No, yeah, soe No, you're right, and
the old advanced the ball and blah blah blah. Hey
he's also stupid.
Speaker 1 (08:06):
If Rick Carlisle is coaching the team, then you know
we're gonna let it take all the way Just let
it take all the way down, just let it. Let
him shoot. But the shot clock the game's gonna end,
doesn't matter. Let the clock tick down. We're not about
fouling at the end of games. We don't do that.
I'd rather go.
Speaker 3 (08:18):
Home on We'll have five seconds left if he misses,
let's go we're down three zip.
Speaker 1 (08:22):
Okay, hey, we're down. What's gonna happen? So obviously with
this going on, you're gonna see Dallas most likely go
for a three because you can't settle for a quick
two and hope they miss a free throw. You gotta
kind of push things a little bit. And uh, PJ.
Washing Luca misses a three and PJ. Washington misses a three,
and that's it. It is. Washington was broken. Tonight. We
(08:44):
are going back to Minnesota for Game five. The door
is open. They stay alive thanks to a huge night
from Anthony Edwards, who continued to make shot after shot
down the stretch. They beat Dallas one oh five, one
hundred to take Game four. And I'll tell you watching
this game down the stretch, and we talked about how
(09:07):
this was going, and it seemed like Dallas is just
waiting for a chance to take over this game. Except defensively,
the teables were able to get the shots they needed.
And this is where I always want to say, at
some point, defensive philosophies have to change in the NBA.
(09:29):
When a player has the ball and he's a really
good one on one point, we talked about this the
other night with Jalen Brown, right with the whole Hey,
Pascal Siakam doesn't get in there to try to foul
him and allows him to throw up that Three. The
shooters are too good now, right, The best players on
teams are too good now. You can't rely on just Hey,
we're gonna have one guy on you, and if we
can keep you fifteen or twenty feet out, we're happy
(09:51):
with that. No, the good players, the great players are
gonna make those shots. You have to make it where
they have to give up the ball. And not once
in the final minute did the did the Dallas Mavericks
make Anthony Edwards give up the basketball? I mean, at
some point you have to say, all right, we're gonna
throw two guys at you, and we're gonna see what happens.
We're and and and if somebody else hits a shot, Hey,
(10:13):
if go Bear hits a shot or Mike Conley hits
a shot, okay, then these guys hit a shot. But
we gotta make sure that we we make you give
up the basketball. And instead he's able to get his
shot all the way down because that because Dallas decides
we're gonna allow you to stay out out at the perimeter,
and Anthony Edwards does this thing, dribble in a little
bit to see where the defense is. I dribble out,
dribble in a little bit to see where the defense is,
(10:34):
see what's gonna happen reading the play, and then okay,
I know I'm taking this step back jumper. I may
be able to get close as I can, and I'm
gonna go in for for a little runner, or I
can get all the way to the rim. Like he
sees exactly what the defense is gonna do, and because
he's one on one, he can do whatever he wants to. Like,
I don't understand how you I mean. And look in
the Mavericks, we're a good defensive team, and you look
(10:55):
at the end of the game, I'm going, how do
you let him get those shots? This is not the
way the NBA is anymore. We've seen it how many
times now, Boy, that's a really tough shot by a
guy in that situation. These are great players and they
make shots like this. I don't get what we're trying
to do. Well.
Speaker 3 (11:12):
I think when you get to the case of Anthony
Edwards is he hadn't been hitting his shots right and
even tonight. I mean he's three or seven in the
in the fourth quarter from the field. Couple of shots
down the end. Of course, the twenty foot knockdown jumper
just inside a three point arc was a big deal.
But the other one that we described as best we
could one of those you put your right foot in,
(11:34):
put your right foot out and then calling bank and
getting that shot. I mean they defended that as well
as he could, right, I mean that's one with one
second left on the shot clot. Yeah, it didn't come
off his hands, but again, he hadn't been terribly afficient
all series. Like Carl Anthony Towns, tonight was the guy
that you didn't want the ball finding him with an
(11:54):
open look. I think he was nine of thirteen from
the field before he filed out, and you know, and
obviously heated up quite a bit in the fourth Edwards
made a couple of shots. I would owe to what
you say is, well, what's the other shot maker? Then,
with Towns already disqualified from the game.
Speaker 1 (12:14):
Bags make Kevin Garnett make a shot. This is where
google Ona make a shot.
Speaker 3 (12:18):
Well, Nazri did have the quick layup right, and we've
seen him make big plays for them all season. Obviously
the sixth man of the year, so he got a
little bit of run. But yeah, I mean Edwards clearly
had seen all the headlines, heard all of the talking
heads trying to anoint him, and look, he wants to
(12:40):
put on a show, right, That's what he kept talking about.
He was a big talker after every game, no matter
how crushing the losses might have been. And we we've
seen it from Minnesota where they've they've had their chances
and let them let them off the hook.
Speaker 1 (12:55):
I it's we've seen it enough now to know that, Okay,
when your best player has a well, he can't be
taking a shot, right, he can't. It's different if you
can't get the shot off. Like if you're Steph Curry
and you have one guy out there. Guess what, Steth
is not great at getting his own shot off. He's
got to pass out of it. But you see teams,
what do you do for the Warriors, We're gonna go
(13:16):
and put two guys out there on stuff because he
can't pass out. If he can't get his own shot,
we're making him give the ball up. How do you
not make Anthony Edwards give the ball up? Do you
how do you not make great How do you not
make Jalen Brown, how do you not make Jason Tatum?
Make them get rid of the ball, Make somebody else
make a shot? What you're starting to sound like that?
As good as a player as he is, Derek White
makes a shot, he makes a three. Okay, you live
(13:37):
with that, But how do you live with Yeah? Their
best player and what you do to stop him? Yeah,
we had one guy on him and what happened? He
really started him well though, Yeah, he gart it well
up until he scored, Like it was great. It was
great defense right up until he scored. Repeatedly like I
don't get how that's a thing. I really don't. It's insane.
Uh So, we will have more on this game coming
up next. Mark Stein gonna stop by NBA Insider. Meanwhile,
(14:00):
in Florida, it is over in overtime. The Panthers they're
throwing rats on the ice, not real rats, the plastic
rats that they threw a whole lot that they don't
they don't, they don't look good, right they would be
eating pizza. Oh god, that would be in New York.
Speaker 3 (14:16):
In Florida, Well, that's how they disrespect them. On their ice,
they'd be they'd be putting on sun tann Locean.
Speaker 1 (14:22):
That's what they be doing in Florida. Snow birds bring
the routes with them. Jack, No, no, no, no, This
is left over from nineteen ninety six when when Scott
mellanbie and the rat turns left. That is true. Uh
so the Panthers scoring overtime, Shahstorking gets beat top glove
side and it is now to two. Headed back to
New York for Game five. So you got a couple
of game fives coming up? Is Game five gonna go
(14:44):
any better for the Mavericks? How's it gonna go for
the Mavericks? If and when they face the Celtics. Yes,
nobody better to break this down with than Mark Stein.
He is coming up next right here, Jason and Mike,
you are listening to Fox Sports Radio. Well, you put
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Speaker 2 (15:50):
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 Two.
Speaker 4 (16:01):
NBA Insiders podcasting twice a week to plug you right
into the NBA Grape.
Speaker 5 (16:06):
Five, all happening in only one place this league. Uncut
the new NBA Podcast with Me, Chris Haynes and me.
Speaker 2 (16:15):
Mark Stein join.
Speaker 5 (16:17):
Us as we team up to expound on everything we're covering.
Hearing and Chason.
Speaker 4 (16:21):
Listen to This League Uncut with Chris Haynes and Mark Stein.
Speaker 5 (16:25):
On the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get
your podcasts.
Speaker 1 (16:31):
Fox Sports Radio. The Jason Smith Show with my best
friend Mike Harmon Live from the Tireck dot Com studios
where we just watched the Timberwolves upset the Mavericks. Game
four was supposed to be. It was supposed to be
an exhibition, an exhibition. Everybody's man too.
Speaker 3 (16:49):
All the guys on set because they were packed and
ready to go, found their own vacation.
Speaker 1 (16:53):
Had a nine day vacation. Nine days. It's like in
the TV show where the guy comes into work. Hey,
come on, we had a vacation. Now we all gotta
work through it. Nine days, I add, and these guys
are like, gay, we're done.
Speaker 2 (17:04):
Four months.
Speaker 1 (17:05):
I had it all looked TN, T don't know the finals.
We're out T and T was like, we're finished. The
show is going away. Oh no, we got a couple
more days. Oh all right, we couple more days.
Speaker 3 (17:14):
A couple more days for Chuck to get after the
bosses their business decisions.
Speaker 4 (17:20):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (17:21):
The t Wells beat the Mavericks one oh five to
one hundred to force Game five back in Minnesota. So
the Salad Days from Minnesota still going on. Greatest time
Minnesota sports history. Twins great t Golves their first Western
Conference Final win in twenty years. Look at them keeping
this alive. And we talked about the heroics of Anthony
(17:42):
Edwards and Karl Anthony Towns hitting three pointer after three
pointer in the final couple of minutes where he came alive.
And while the Minnesota you give Minnesota all the credit
in the world, and they could have packed it up,
they could have gone home. They're on the road, they're
down three zip. They know it's impossible. I never got
the sense for Alice where it was like, okay, we
kept waiting for them to take over again. I never
(18:04):
got the sense of Okay, now things are getting serious.
You know, we watched Kyrie turn the ball over late,
we watched Luca miss a big free throw. I never
got that sense of urgency from the Mavericks, where hey,
now it's winning time, like normally you get, hey now,
like we saw that from the Celtics and the Pacers
the other Hey, now it's winning time now, Jason Tatum's
gonna start blowing by you. Now you're gonna get a
(18:25):
big three from Derek. We're finding the right guy. Jalen
Brown's gonna get a big hoop here, Like I got
that from them. They say what you want about the Celtics,
they knew time to throw the hammer down now and
win this game, and they did, and Rick Carlisle helped.
But I never saw that point tonight where I said, Okay,
now the Mavericks know it's winning time. Like I'm just
watching the Tea Wolves continue to get hoops and it's
(18:47):
almost like I felt like the Mavericks going well, eventually
one of them is gonna miss. You know, we're gonna
sing guard Anthony Edwards. We're not gonna make them give
up the ball. And and they just kept making shots
in the final three minutes.
Speaker 3 (18:56):
Maybe it's just as simple as the shots that didn't
fall for the t Wolves and pass games did tonight
and PJ. Washington needs to pay for repairs to the basket.
Speaker 1 (19:08):
Joining us now the hotline to break it all down.
No body better NBA Insider. Check them out on substack.
You can follow him on Twitter at the Steinline. It
is Mark Stein, Mark, what's happening about? How are you, Kent?
Speaker 4 (19:20):
I'm good. I'm good, all right? So I mean without
surviving without your nicks.
Speaker 1 (19:26):
Yeah, it's okay, it's I mean a little. He's still
got the Mets.
Speaker 4 (19:29):
Mark.
Speaker 1 (19:29):
No, so I don't have that anymore either. I don't
have that. No, I'm good, I'm good. No, I just
I just keep I just keep thinking about what it's
gonna be like for Jerry Jones. And all the Dallas
area teams are in the finals this year and not
the Cowboys. That's like that, That's like, keep putting a
smile on my face.
Speaker 4 (19:43):
It's it is remarkable to see the Cowboys have not
advanced this deep into the playoffs for almost thirty years,
and all these other teams are just RAMBAGEO it is.
You're not the first one to bring it up.
Speaker 1 (19:59):
Yeah, we've storyboarded an entire mini series, all right, So
let's deal with this. Tonight, we watched the t Wolves
win scale of one to ten, with one being you
were completely surprised and ten not surprised at all. How surprised?
Are you that this series is still going on? This
wasn't the Mavericks winning and four?
Speaker 4 (20:18):
Oh, I think a solid seven or eight if that
really is the not surprised end of the scale, since
I think you did that backwards, I mean, you know.
Speaker 1 (20:26):
I just want to make sure you're paying attention.
Speaker 4 (20:29):
I mean, yes, this is late late hour for math,
but I mean I never thought this series was going
to be a sweep. And you have to give the
Wolves a lot of credit, you know, just like you
would say about Indiana, the way they battled facing a
sweep without Halliburton. And you know, so often when teams
(20:50):
get down three to zero, you do wonder if they're
going to just say, you know what, there's no way
we can win this. It's never happened in NBA history.
But you know, the Wolves do have two of the
next three games at home. They have been as confident
as you can be in this situation. I'm sure you
guys have heard the anecdote with Mike Conley telling John
(21:13):
Krasinski of The Athletic longtime Wolves beat reporter that you
know you're going to be covering history. We're coming all
the way back. So I mean, look, they're saying all
the right things, and you know, tonight offensively, they finally delivered.
We've heard Chris Finch talk about how badly the last
three minutes of each of the first four, you know,
(21:36):
the first three games, how badly the last three minutes
of the fourth quarter went from Minnesota. Well, this was different.
And you know, Karl Anthony Towns has been dealing with
a lot of heat and he answered tonight.
Speaker 3 (21:48):
Huge game from him before he falls out trying to
step in on that Luca ridiculous three point attempt. When
we look at the the Mavericks going for the how
bad is the injury to Lively.
Speaker 4 (22:04):
Well, the initial fears were much worse. I don't know
that he can make it back in time for Game five.
And look, there's no question that defensively they're much more
vulnerable without him. I mean, he is the best rim
protector they have. But I really think tonight they lost
(22:29):
it offensively. I mean this was just you know, Tyrie
and Luca combined to shoot thirteen for thirty nine. PJ.
Washington was three for thirteen. I mean, this was this
was an offensive struggle again, because the MAVs have basically
just been so good in crunch time throughout this series.
(22:51):
So obviously you're going to point to Lively's absence, but
this was a winnable game without Lively tonight. I mean,
they just didn't have anywhere near the fourth quarter production
the closing that we've seen, and I mean Karl Anthony Towns,
I mean, is it is still astounding to think that
he was three for twenty two from three coming into
(23:14):
this game and made four to three tonight and did
a lot of that damage after he had already picked
up five bouls. The way Towns played with foul trouble,
with so much scrutiny and after so much criticism, I mean,
game the Wolf season. It's too much to say that
because it's only one win, but certainly as responsible as
(23:39):
anyone from the Wolves in extending this series.
Speaker 1 (23:43):
NBA insider Mark Stide with us A Jason Smithcher with
Mike Harmon, live from the TIREC dot Com studios. All right, now,
getting down to the final couple of minutes of this game.
Look you so all the threes from Towns which were terrific.
They're able to hold on Anthony Edward's able to get
to the rim, He's able to hit step back jumpers.
I was really surprised Mark, especially after Towns fouled out,
the Mavericks didn't do more to try to get the
(24:03):
ball out of his hands like they were. They seemed
comfortable they were going to single guard him and see
how things go, and it didn't go very well. That's
kind of the theme of the playoffs. Hey, great one
on one players are winning all these battles offensively.
Speaker 4 (24:18):
Well, I mean, look, you know I again, I'm I'm
more focused on where the Mavericks were offensively tonight, and
this was a huge opportunity for them to try to
finish this thing off because to me, honestly, the big
winners tonight of the Boston Celtics. You know Luka Doncic,
(24:39):
you know, eight or nine nights off with the basketball,
not good for your show, not good for me, not
good for basketball. But I think I think, I think
Luka Doncic would have loved to have a week plus
off to recharge. I honestly think he would benefit from
that as much as Anyonebviously, you know Lively has this
(25:01):
injury now for Zingis, we know that all the extra
reps he's going to get the Celtics able to get
through the first Celtics able to get through two rounds
without Porzingis, and now he gets an additional week. But
I really think Luca would have benefited as much as
anyone you could have looked at on either team. And
now Dallas has to go to Minnesota and try to
(25:24):
win for the third time on the Wolves floor, because
if not, you know, all the pressure shifts back to
Dallas to finish that thing off in Game six on
Saturday night. Back on Therefore, because again the Wolves, the
one thing they can really point to, besides the fact
that Towns bounced back in such huge fashion tonight, is
(25:46):
that they do have two of these remaining three games
at home mark.
Speaker 3 (25:50):
As we look at the way the Wolves attack things,
all five guys in double figures, Rudy Gobert has become
He's always been polarizing, but certainly everybody taking their shots
at Draymond Green on the broadcast included, but he goes
for thirteen and ten tonight.
Speaker 1 (26:07):
Size.
Speaker 3 (26:08):
You know, we always joke size matters, but we watched
the big guys kind of force that offense to bog
down to where you're settling for jump shots.
Speaker 1 (26:19):
And for PJ.
Speaker 3 (26:19):
Washington, who's been great tonight it just was not his night.
A couple that were really the antithesis of what he's
been truly all through these playoffs.
Speaker 4 (26:30):
And honestly, what I would say is, I think what
it wasn't just Towns go Bear and had Qritch for
in foul trouble too sure, and you know the Wolves bench.
You obviously nos Reed reigning six Man of the Year now,
but the Wolves didn't get a ton off their bench.
They're only going with the eight guys. It's really just
nos Reed, Kyle Anderson, Nikhail, Alexander Walker. So the ability
(26:56):
for Towns Edwards Bear to all be able to make
it to the finish line in this game when they
all played through foul trouble and the muster nearly seventy
points among the three of them. Again, I think if
you really listen to Chris Finch, you know his concerns
(27:17):
throughout this series had been offense and just the way
that things have been just bogged down in crunch time.
So this, you know, you know, I don't think I'm
not sure that a lot of my colleagues were expecting
sweep because again, Minnesota was such a good team this
(27:39):
season and the best defense in the league. And I mean,
you know, did anybody pick Dallas to win this thing
in four? No? I mean did anyone really so, But
saying all that, I do think the Wolf showed us
something tonight.
Speaker 1 (27:53):
Now, Mark outside of it. You know, you wrote a
great column on Substack and you get to the link
is on marks page at the steinline about how the
luckiest guy in the world has left us. We spent
a lot of time last night talking about the life
of Bill Walton. What are just some things that have
been going through your head in the last twenty four hours,
trying to process what happened.
Speaker 4 (28:13):
Yeah, I mean it's just you know, Bill Walton was
you know, and I think this has been a common
refrain I'm sure from whoever you've spoken to, but just
over the last thirty years, after everything that happened to
him in his pro career with injuries and again we're
talking about someone who endured nearly forty surgeries, not for
(28:38):
forty but in his broadcaster life. When you would encounter
Bill Walton, I mean, he was just so relentlessly positive,
in love with the game, and you know, Bill himself
as the guy in the world when you think about
(29:02):
what happened in his playing career and how could he
adopt that approach, and so, you know, I was it is.
It is a terrible loss. I mean, he was beloved
by so many people in basketball, the college game and
the pro game, and so it did, frankly take me
(29:23):
a while to put my remembrance piece together. And you know,
I was. I was tremendously lucky. I started out covering
the Clippers at a very young age when Bill was
the team's color analysts alongside the Hall of Famer Ralph Lawler,
and for a very young reporter. I mean when I
(29:44):
was young, Bill would call me and ask me, you know,
what I was hearing about other teams, what I was
hearing within the Clippers, and just you know, he made
me feel like such a part of it when I
didn't like a part of it. And I was, you know,
again just starting out, and I you know, I was
(30:04):
right around you know, I was like twenty five. I
was one of the youngest beat writers, maybe the youngest
traveling beat writer in the league when I started, and
you know, I would sit there thinking, like I've been
covering the endgame for five minutes. Why is Bill Walton
asking me to share things with him. But I mean,
(30:26):
I'm sure you guys have heard this from anyone you've
talked to about Bill. I mean, he just had this
incredible ability to make you feel like you were the
most important guy in the room and maybe even the
most important guy in the world. I mean, he just
he he did that for so many people, and he
(30:46):
made friends with again, so many people inside the NBA
and the college game. And you know, there's there's literally
zillions of us who adored him, and it's it's just
an incredible it's incredibly bad to lose him, and he's
for me in my thirty thirty odd years doing this,
(31:08):
just one of my favorite people who I've ever encountered.
Speaker 1 (31:13):
The piece is the luckiest guy in the world has
left us. You can check it out on substack or
get the link off of Mark Stein's Twitter account that's
at the Steinline. Also podcast This League Uncut. Mark as
always appreciate your time. We'll talk to you as the
Western Conference Finals goes on.
Speaker 4 (31:29):
Sound good, guys, appreciate it.
Speaker 1 (31:30):
Mark. Thanks great stuff from Mark Stein there. You know
it's funny here the stories that my I think my
favorite story today the last few days. You know, like
I said last night, you're gonna hear a thousand stories
are all gonna be true. I think my favorite was
Dave Pash, who was his Bill Walton's longtime broadcaster and
now is his last partner doing all the PAC twelve
After Dark games. And he told a story that Bill
(31:51):
would he'd be on vacation somewhere and would Textam and go, Dave,
are you watching this game between Arizona and here are you?
This is what's happened? Knowing well that Dave Patch is
announcing the game, but Texas, you should watch this game.
You should watch more basketball. Dave so and so is
having a big game. Knowing that he's broadcasting the game,
He's sending him these texts, you should watch this game.
(32:13):
Why need you to be.
Speaker 3 (32:14):
Keep aprized with important things?
Speaker 6 (32:17):
Oh?
Speaker 1 (32:18):
I just thought that was the best teammate right there.
Coming up next, it was a huge night from Anthony
Edwards a near triple double as the t Wolves stave
off elimination. But did he have the best night of
anybody in basketball? That's coming up next right here, Jason
and Mike Fox.
Speaker 2 (32:35):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Jason Smith Show.
With Mike Harmon weekdays at ten pm Eastern, seven pm Pacific,
Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 1 (32:44):
The Jason Smith Show with My best Friend Mike Harmon,
Live from the tire Rag dot Com Studios. So a
near triple double for Anthony Edwards tonight he and Karl
Anthony Towns lead the Timberwolves by the Dallas Mavericks. Hey
now force game five in the Western Conference Finals.
Speaker 6 (33:05):
But did Anthony Edwards really have the best game of
anybody tonight because having her best game as a pro
in defeat was Caitlyn Clark thirty points, three steals, three blocks,
six assists.
Speaker 1 (33:20):
They lose again, So again next year, Caitlin Clark and
Page Beckers are going to be awesome on the fever.
Speaker 3 (33:27):
Man stop them. They Boston working in the low post.
I mean that trilogy right there, first rookie to go
thirty three and three in a game in WNBA history.
They do lose to the Sparks. So Caitlyn Clark and
They're going, Hey, we're all fine, we know this is
not our year. We know we're all good.
Speaker 1 (33:45):
But here's where you know, I don't want to say
I told you so, but I will is that this
has been a gauntlet for her since she's come into
the to the league and seven games in the first
eleven days, and now you're playing the Sparks again. You're
playing five games against the best defensive teams in the WNBA. Okay,
even I thought, hey, she's gonna hit the skids a
(34:07):
little bit. It's a lot of basketball. She's got a
lot of basketball coming up this year. It's it's they're
jamming in a lot of games now because of the
nd season tournament they have coming up, and they have
the long break for the UH for the Olympics. Full
we got all kinds of stuff. But here she is,
maybe playing through that, putting up thirty, getting back to
being Caitlin Clark. Yes, it was kind of a volume
(34:28):
shooting night for but seven out of sixteen, within seven
out of thirty. I told you she was gonna be fine.
There was gonna be the the rough adjustment to the
WNBA was gonna be very brief. And that looks like
that's what it is. She's starting to get her shots
more and more. She's getting comfortable with her new teammates.
It's a new star and a new offense, and it's
all happening for her. And just for a second before
(34:50):
you want to say, oh, the rookies are playing well,
other rookies are playing well. You saw the viral video
that's making its way tonight where McDonald in knowing she
was the one guarding Caitlyn Clark after she makes a
free throw, she shoots a free throw, runs to Caitlin
Clark right because the inbounds play is coming, except she
forgot she had another free throw coming. So wrapped up
in I gotta get to Caitlin Clark because after the
(35:12):
mad free throw, they're gonna get the ball into her.
She forgets she had a second free throw. So this
is just a look. It just happened. But this shows
you no other rookie, no other player in the WNBA,
is getting the defensive attention of Caitlyn Clark. And still
she has started out pretty well and is just getting
better and again having her best game as a pro. Now,
(35:33):
told you the adjustment was going to be quick, told
her she was going to be a superstar very quickly.
And she's on their way now. There may not be
a lot of wins, just ask Wemby, but she's on
her way. No, a lot of tough sledding ahead.
Speaker 3 (35:46):
I got to watch about probably the first almost the
first half of this one earlier, and it was ugly.
I mean, neither team shooting particularly well early on, but
she did live at the free throw line, took care
of business, picked up another early technical, which really changed
how she has to play the game, because even in
(36:07):
the announcer, like you know, I don't think in this
league they're afraid of giving her the second one. No,
unlike the NBA, Like they didn't really call out the
NBA fully, but they kind of went down that road.
It's like, eh, I don't think she's gonna be able
to get away with what she just did to that official.
So I took the early tech, but thirteen to fifteen
from the foul line, hit a couple of big three
(36:29):
point shots. After some early struggles. We got to watch
Cameron Brink on the other side mcdonald' who you mentioned,
game high twenty one for her, like that was a
season high for her. She game in, averaging three points
a game, getting her minutes up and had a fantastic outing.
Except for the viral blooper that will be shown ad
nauseum for the next forty eight hours and for whatever
(36:52):
she faces Kate La Clark again. But yeah, it's all
growing pains like all of the you know, Angel Reese
has made headlines talking about it.
Speaker 1 (36:58):
Yeah, come at me with that.
Speaker 3 (37:00):
And you just interpret it as you will, right, because yes,
part of the narrative is you are rookies and you're
getting a welcome to the league moment, and then it's
how you respond, right, That's all it is. It's like
anything in life. Are you gonna get punched in the face?
And I'm not going full Rocky speech, but how do
you respond to it? You get better, You learn how
to work off a screen a little bit better. You
(37:22):
learn how to communicate with your teammates, so the turnovers
go down. You know, the bounce pass that worked at Iowa.
They're not used to that bounce pass that doctor Tom
Davis brought in in the eighties.
Speaker 1 (37:32):
It's not there. It's it's all fine for her. She's
playing terrific again. She's carrying the league, she's carrying the attention.
And I have to say for coming into a league
with the attention on her, I mean maybe like Wemby,
but more like Lebron when he came at What what's
this wonder kid going to be like, because Wemby was
(37:55):
someone who was kind of an unknown where everybody knew
about Lebron coming in and had them. I mean, that's
what she's come in and all of a sudden, it's hey, yeah, okay,
I'm dusting myself off here after all of this, and
here I come and get ready because the Caitlin Clark
era is here.
Speaker 3 (38:08):
I just appreciate that she puts her head down and
goes to work. Now you can complain, talk about her
complaining about officiating and whatever. That's what superstars do, right,
that's what non superstars do. Everybody's looking for the next call.
I mean, it's growing pains and as long as she
sticks on the basketball so that sh'll be just fine.
Speaker 1 (38:26):
Exit out about a Fresco exit swollen dome. We get
back into the biggest game of the night next. This
is
Thanks for listening to The Jason Smith Show with Mike
Harmon podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weeknight
ten pm to two am Eastern seven to eleven pm
Pacific on Fox Sports Radio. Find your local station for
The Jason Smith Show with Mike Harmon at Foxsports Radio
dot com, or stream us live every night on the
iHeartRadio app by searching FSR. Let's give this part.
Speaker 2 (00:23):
You're listening to Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 1 (00:29):
Hello and welcome in side hour two The Jason Smith
Show with my best friend Mike Harmon Live from the
tire rack dot Com Studios tirec dot com. I'll help
you get there an unmatched selection, fast, free shipping, free
road hazard protection, and over ten thousand recommended installers tirack
dot com. The way tire buying should be a minute
(00:51):
to go. In the fourth quarter, it was just an
eight point lead for the Timberwolves. However, Luca Donsig draws
the sixth and fateful foul on Carl Anthony Towns, who
was fouled out of the game. This after Towns has
caught fire in the second half. The last three minutes,
he had three threes to help give the Timberwolves that
(01:11):
big lead, but Dallas has cut it to three. Time
out on the floor now is Anthony Edwards is finally
showing up saying, hey, maybe I am the next Michael Jordan.
The last minute or so, it has been all Edwards
getting to the hoop using the glass, hitting a twenty
footer and it's a five point lead right now for
the Tagles. Still a lot of time left. I mean,
if you're Rick Carlisle's not a lot of time left
(01:33):
because you'll have the clock tick down, but a lot
of time left here. But it is the Tea Wolves
trying to stay alive. They are up one oh two
ninety seven. Edwards, I believe is right near a triple double.
He may just need one rebound to get to a
one more assist to get to that triple double. He's
got twenty nine, ten and nine, and look in the
last minute f Towns hit those three threes. He has
(01:54):
hit some big shots and the Maverick's gonna have to
do something because I'm surprised they they allowed him to
stay as one on one as he was making those
big hoops, especially now the Towns is out of the game.
He's the only guy that's gonna make these shots. You
kind of have to do something here the last minute. Yeah,
just a curiosity of how they've played it out. And
Edwards for his part, you know, really expending a lot
(02:15):
of energy on both ends of the court. That's been
one of the tails. In the background of this right
of him guarding Kyrie whatever, he's twenty two, keep going,
keep that motor moving. But the shot he made in
the lane.
Speaker 3 (02:29):
Was one of those kind of dipped in, dip back out,
dip back in defenders with Drew just enough fired it
off the glass as the shot clock expired, right, So
one of those that looked like it was gonna be
an empty possession. Does he recognize that he's got to
get it off before the red light? And he does
and he makes a count. The loss of towns was huge, right,
(02:53):
He steps in on Luca and tries to I mean,
he did a really good acting job. You want to
talk about a guy that could be in the next Godfather,
moving the mountain. He was talking with his hands. Come on, referee,
Oh my hair. He referenced the Hero before I'll bring
you back into it. So, yeah, just a curious sequence.
Speaker 1 (03:09):
There, and uh, after the time out, a really bad
pass by Kyrie Irving. He turns it over, So now
the Timberwolves have the ball and the lead with twenty
seconds left to go one oh two ninety seven. It
looked like Kyrie was trying to thread the needle and
he just missed. He just missed. Anybody he was trying
to get that ball to straight to a defender stand
(03:31):
k who yeah, I mean, all of a sudden, it
take this long for Kyrie ever to turn back into Kyrie.
But that was such an unbelievably bad pass. I'm watching it, going, Okay,
they'll get in and get a hoop here, don't need
a three. There's a lot of time left, but they
took their time a little bit. And then Kyrie just
throws it through the lane and the Tea Wolves get
it and they're able to take another fifteen seconds off
(03:52):
the clock. So it's again one o two ninety seven
to twenty seconds left to.
Speaker 3 (03:55):
Go, and then back to the freight throw line we go.
And now he played game that Rick Carlisle didn't. How
long can you extend this if you're the Dallas Mavericks
to try to find yourself some opportunities. Now, I was
surprised nobody was hurt off the last three point shot
attempt that was made by PJ. Washington, because that was
a brick if there ever was one. Irving didn't get
(04:18):
the put back to cut the lead momentarily. But yeah,
it's been a curious run. And now, I mean, that's
just absurd what we just witnessed. Now I'll let you
use Wow.
Speaker 1 (04:29):
It is one oh three, one hundred with thirteen seconds left,
and I believe Luca is going to the free throw line.
Luca takes the ball down after a missed free throw
by the Tea Wolves, and Luca with two guys on him,
including Anthony Edwards in his face. Luca chucks it up
(04:49):
looking for the contact. Looks like he draws the foul
just enough. Anthony Edwards is incredulous, really, so lucas at
the free throw line for a four point play. It
is one oh three to one hundred with twelve point
eight seconds left to go.
Speaker 3 (05:05):
Now what's funny is you and I here in the studio.
Obviously we don't have the benefit of sound. So the
curiosity was Edwards reacting to the to the whistle, and
that was the incredulity, or had the ball gone through
the net and now he realized that it was a
potential four point play either way. A huge reaction. Yeah,
(05:25):
just an insane shot from Luca to Jason yea, Luka
does not want us to have nine days.
Speaker 1 (05:29):
Off, No, Luca. Luca goes to the free throw line
and misses the free throw. It looked like he hesitated
just an extra an extra tick before the shot, and
it was a little short and it rolled off the rim.
Would have been one oh three, one oh one with
thirteen seconds left, but instead one o three, one hundred.
(05:49):
The Mavericks had to foul. So the Timberls are gonna
be going to the free throw line with a chance
to potentially ice the game, making it making one out
of the they make one free throw, it's gonna be
nearly impossible for the Mavericks to win.
Speaker 3 (06:01):
Now, you know, I want to just cycle back to
a lot of what we talked about yesterday.
Speaker 1 (06:06):
I would have loved to hear Bill Walton call that
right there, Oh, Luco, Luca, how do you not put
a little bit more legs into that shot? John Wooden
would always say, you put the legs in, put the
work in. On the pyramid, it is on the left
side about halfway up. It's not a pyramid scheme. It's
just a part of the pyramid. And oh, by the way,
(06:28):
that was a horrible pass by Kyrie Irving. What was
he thinking? Was he trying to pass the ball to me?
Because I was the only one that you could see
wearing the same colored shirt as him, and my shirt
is tied eyed because it's a grateful dead shirt. I
don't know what that pass was all about.
Speaker 3 (06:45):
Do you think anybody ever asked John Wooden if he
thought his pyramid approach inspired pyramid schemes.
Speaker 1 (06:55):
No, I don't think that question pas on our levels. Yeah,
unless and said, oh you kidding? That was me? How
much money I made off of those things? Are you kidding?
I got all kinds of cash.
Speaker 3 (07:04):
Well that's how we had the guy walking around with
bags and cash. I just ta't care the guy. I
just get checks every day.
Speaker 1 (07:09):
Man, It's like people in Shawshank every time it's on
royalty check gets set to their house on every day.
The money. I don't even know where this money comes from.
Pyramid pyramid scheme, that's me. Well it's a hot take.
You think John wouldn't invent it inspired?
Speaker 3 (07:22):
Well, maybe he inspired it. I mean, I'd probably make
a movie on that based on a true theory.
Speaker 1 (07:32):
Uh, time out on the floor, the tea Wolves make
both are the tea Wolves make their layup? Yeah? Nas
Reed goes in fast for a score. You think, okay,
they're gonna foul it. No, no, no, they're able to
get in for a hoot one oh five, one hundred.
With eleven seconds to go in the fourth quarter, Mavericks
take a time out. They will have the ball still
(07:54):
a little bit of time with w how you're talking
about a five point lead with eleven seconds but.
Speaker 3 (07:57):
On the plus side, didn't take a lot of time
off the clock. No, yeah, soe No, you're right, and
the old advanced the ball and blah blah blah. Hey
he's also stupid.
Speaker 1 (08:06):
If Rick Carlisle is coaching the team, then you know
we're gonna let it take all the way Just let
it take all the way down, just let it. Let
him shoot. But the shot clock the game's gonna end,
doesn't matter. Let the clock tick down. We're not about
fouling at the end of games. We don't do that.
I'd rather go.
Speaker 3 (08:18):
Home on We'll have five seconds left if he misses,
let's go we're down three zip.
Speaker 1 (08:22):
Okay, hey, we're down. What's gonna happen? So obviously with
this going on, you're gonna see Dallas most likely go
for a three because you can't settle for a quick
two and hope they miss a free throw. You gotta
kind of push things a little bit. And uh, PJ.
Washing Luca misses a three and PJ. Washington misses a three,
and that's it. It is. Washington was broken. Tonight. We
(08:44):
are going back to Minnesota for Game five. The door
is open. They stay alive thanks to a huge night
from Anthony Edwards, who continued to make shot after shot
down the stretch. They beat Dallas one oh five, one
hundred to take Game four. And I'll tell you watching
this game down the stretch, and we talked about how
(09:07):
this was going, and it seemed like Dallas is just
waiting for a chance to take over this game. Except defensively,
the teables were able to get the shots they needed.
And this is where I always want to say, at
some point, defensive philosophies have to change in the NBA.
(09:29):
When a player has the ball and he's a really
good one on one point, we talked about this the
other night with Jalen Brown, right with the whole Hey,
Pascal Siakam doesn't get in there to try to foul
him and allows him to throw up that Three. The
shooters are too good now, right, The best players on
teams are too good now. You can't rely on just Hey,
we're gonna have one guy on you, and if we
can keep you fifteen or twenty feet out, we're happy
(09:51):
with that. No, the good players, the great players are
gonna make those shots. You have to make it where
they have to give up the ball. And not once
in the final minute did the did the Dallas Mavericks
make Anthony Edwards give up the basketball? I mean, at
some point you have to say, all right, we're gonna
throw two guys at you, and we're gonna see what happens.
We're and and and if somebody else hits a shot, Hey,
(10:13):
if go Bear hits a shot or Mike Conley hits
a shot, okay, then these guys hit a shot. But
we gotta make sure that we we make you give
up the basketball. And instead he's able to get his
shot all the way down because that because Dallas decides
we're gonna allow you to stay out out at the perimeter,
and Anthony Edwards does this thing, dribble in a little
bit to see where the defense is. I dribble out,
dribble in a little bit to see where the defense is,
(10:34):
see what's gonna happen reading the play, and then okay,
I know I'm taking this step back jumper. I may
be able to get close as I can, and I'm
gonna go in for for a little runner, or I
can get all the way to the rim. Like he
sees exactly what the defense is gonna do, and because
he's one on one, he can do whatever he wants to. Like,
I don't understand how you I mean. And look in
the Mavericks, we're a good defensive team, and you look
(10:55):
at the end of the game, I'm going, how do
you let him get those shots? This is not the
way the NBA is anymore. We've seen it how many
times now, Boy, that's a really tough shot by a
guy in that situation. These are great players and they
make shots like this. I don't get what we're trying
to do. Well.
Speaker 3 (11:12):
I think when you get to the case of Anthony
Edwards is he hadn't been hitting his shots right and
even tonight. I mean he's three or seven in the
in the fourth quarter from the field. Couple of shots
down the end. Of course, the twenty foot knockdown jumper
just inside a three point arc was a big deal.
But the other one that we described as best we
could one of those you put your right foot in,
(11:34):
put your right foot out and then calling bank and
getting that shot. I mean they defended that as well
as he could, right, I mean that's one with one
second left on the shot clot. Yeah, it didn't come
off his hands, but again, he hadn't been terribly afficient
all series. Like Carl Anthony Towns, tonight was the guy
that you didn't want the ball finding him with an
(11:54):
open look. I think he was nine of thirteen from
the field before he filed out, and you know, and
obviously heated up quite a bit in the fourth Edwards
made a couple of shots. I would owe to what
you say is, well, what's the other shot maker? Then,
with Towns already disqualified from the game.
Speaker 1 (12:14):
Bags make Kevin Garnett make a shot. This is where
google Ona make a shot.
Speaker 3 (12:18):
Well, Nazri did have the quick layup right, and we've
seen him make big plays for them all season. Obviously
the sixth man of the year, so he got a
little bit of run. But yeah, I mean Edwards clearly
had seen all the headlines, heard all of the talking
heads trying to anoint him, and look, he wants to
(12:40):
put on a show, right, That's what he kept talking about.
He was a big talker after every game, no matter
how crushing the losses might have been. And we we've
seen it from Minnesota where they've they've had their chances
and let them let them off the hook.
Speaker 1 (12:55):
I it's we've seen it enough now to know that, Okay,
when your best player has a well, he can't be
taking a shot, right, he can't. It's different if you
can't get the shot off. Like if you're Steph Curry
and you have one guy out there. Guess what, Steth
is not great at getting his own shot off. He's
got to pass out of it. But you see teams,
what do you do for the Warriors, We're gonna go
(13:16):
and put two guys out there on stuff because he
can't pass out. If he can't get his own shot,
we're making him give the ball up. How do you
not make Anthony Edwards give the ball up? Do you
how do you not make great How do you not
make Jalen Brown, how do you not make Jason Tatum?
Make them get rid of the ball, Make somebody else
make a shot? What you're starting to sound like that?
As good as a player as he is, Derek White
makes a shot, he makes a three. Okay, you live
(13:37):
with that, But how do you live with Yeah? Their
best player and what you do to stop him? Yeah,
we had one guy on him and what happened? He
really started him well though, Yeah, he gart it well
up until he scored, Like it was great. It was
great defense right up until he scored. Repeatedly like I
don't get how that's a thing. I really don't. It's insane.
Uh So, we will have more on this game coming
up next. Mark Stein gonna stop by NBA Insider. Meanwhile,
(14:00):
in Florida, it is over in overtime. The Panthers they're
throwing rats on the ice, not real rats, the plastic
rats that they threw a whole lot that they don't
they don't, they don't look good, right they would be
eating pizza. Oh god, that would be in New York.
Speaker 3 (14:16):
In Florida, Well, that's how they disrespect them. On their ice,
they'd be they'd be putting on sun tann Locean.
Speaker 1 (14:22):
That's what they be doing in Florida. Snow birds bring
the routes with them. Jack, No, no, no, no, This
is left over from nineteen ninety six when when Scott
mellanbie and the rat turns left. That is true. Uh
so the Panthers scoring overtime, Shahstorking gets beat top glove
side and it is now to two. Headed back to
New York for Game five. So you got a couple
of game fives coming up? Is Game five gonna go
(14:44):
any better for the Mavericks? How's it gonna go for
the Mavericks? If and when they face the Celtics. Yes,
nobody better to break this down with than Mark Stein.
He is coming up next right here, Jason and Mike,
you are listening to Fox Sports Radio. Well, you put
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Speaker 2 (15:50):
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 Two.
Speaker 4 (16:01):
NBA Insiders podcasting twice a week to plug you right
into the NBA Grape.
Speaker 5 (16:06):
Five, all happening in only one place this league. Uncut
the new NBA Podcast with Me, Chris Haynes and me.
Speaker 2 (16:15):
Mark Stein join.
Speaker 5 (16:17):
Us as we team up to expound on everything we're covering.
Hearing and Chason.
Speaker 4 (16:21):
Listen to This League Uncut with Chris Haynes and Mark Stein.
Speaker 5 (16:25):
On the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get
your podcasts.
Speaker 1 (16:31):
Fox Sports Radio. The Jason Smith Show with my best
friend Mike Harmon Live from the Tireck dot Com studios
where we just watched the Timberwolves upset the Mavericks. Game
four was supposed to be. It was supposed to be
an exhibition, an exhibition. Everybody's man too.
Speaker 3 (16:49):
All the guys on set because they were packed and
ready to go, found their own vacation.
Speaker 1 (16:53):
Had a nine day vacation. Nine days. It's like in
the TV show where the guy comes into work. Hey,
come on, we had a vacation. Now we all gotta
work through it. Nine days, I add, and these guys
are like, gay, we're done.
Speaker 2 (17:04):
Four months.
Speaker 1 (17:05):
I had it all looked TN, T don't know the finals.
We're out T and T was like, we're finished. The
show is going away. Oh no, we got a couple
more days. Oh all right, we couple more days.
Speaker 3 (17:14):
A couple more days for Chuck to get after the
bosses their business decisions.
Speaker 4 (17:20):
Uh.
Speaker 1 (17:21):
The t Wells beat the Mavericks one oh five to
one hundred to force Game five back in Minnesota. So
the Salad Days from Minnesota still going on. Greatest time
Minnesota sports history. Twins great t Golves their first Western
Conference Final win in twenty years. Look at them keeping
this alive. And we talked about the heroics of Anthony
(17:42):
Edwards and Karl Anthony Towns hitting three pointer after three
pointer in the final couple of minutes where he came alive.
And while the Minnesota you give Minnesota all the credit
in the world, and they could have packed it up,
they could have gone home. They're on the road, they're
down three zip. They know it's impossible. I never got
the sense for Alice where it was like, okay, we
kept waiting for them to take over again. I never
(18:04):
got the sense of Okay, now things are getting serious.
You know, we watched Kyrie turn the ball over late,
we watched Luca miss a big free throw. I never
got that sense of urgency from the Mavericks, where hey,
now it's winning time, like normally you get, hey now,
like we saw that from the Celtics and the Pacers
the other Hey, now it's winning time now, Jason Tatum's
gonna start blowing by you. Now you're gonna get a
(18:25):
big three from Derek. We're finding the right guy. Jalen
Brown's gonna get a big hoop here, Like I got
that from them. They say what you want about the Celtics,
they knew time to throw the hammer down now and
win this game, and they did, and Rick Carlisle helped.
But I never saw that point tonight where I said, Okay,
now the Mavericks know it's winning time. Like I'm just
watching the Tea Wolves continue to get hoops and it's
(18:47):
almost like I felt like the Mavericks going well, eventually
one of them is gonna miss. You know, we're gonna
sing guard Anthony Edwards. We're not gonna make them give
up the ball. And and they just kept making shots
in the final three minutes.
Speaker 3 (18:56):
Maybe it's just as simple as the shots that didn't
fall for the t Wolves and pass games did tonight
and PJ. Washington needs to pay for repairs to the basket.
Speaker 1 (19:08):
Joining us now the hotline to break it all down.
No body better NBA Insider. Check them out on substack.
You can follow him on Twitter at the Steinline. It
is Mark Stein, Mark, what's happening about? How are you, Kent?
Speaker 4 (19:20):
I'm good. I'm good, all right? So I mean without
surviving without your nicks.
Speaker 1 (19:26):
Yeah, it's okay, it's I mean a little. He's still
got the Mets.
Speaker 4 (19:29):
Mark.
Speaker 1 (19:29):
No, so I don't have that anymore either. I don't
have that. No, I'm good, I'm good. No, I just
I just keep I just keep thinking about what it's
gonna be like for Jerry Jones. And all the Dallas
area teams are in the finals this year and not
the Cowboys. That's like that, That's like, keep putting a
smile on my face.
Speaker 4 (19:43):
It's it is remarkable to see the Cowboys have not
advanced this deep into the playoffs for almost thirty years,
and all these other teams are just RAMBAGEO it is.
You're not the first one to bring it up.
Speaker 1 (19:59):
Yeah, we've storyboarded an entire mini series, all right, So
let's deal with this. Tonight, we watched the t Wolves
win scale of one to ten, with one being you
were completely surprised and ten not surprised at all. How surprised?
Are you that this series is still going on? This
wasn't the Mavericks winning and four?
Speaker 4 (20:18):
Oh, I think a solid seven or eight if that
really is the not surprised end of the scale, since
I think you did that backwards, I mean, you know.
Speaker 1 (20:26):
I just want to make sure you're paying attention.
Speaker 4 (20:29):
I mean, yes, this is late late hour for math,
but I mean I never thought this series was going
to be a sweep. And you have to give the
Wolves a lot of credit, you know, just like you
would say about Indiana, the way they battled facing a
sweep without Halliburton. And you know, so often when teams
(20:50):
get down three to zero, you do wonder if they're
going to just say, you know what, there's no way
we can win this. It's never happened in NBA history.
But you know, the Wolves do have two of the
next three games at home. They have been as confident
as you can be in this situation. I'm sure you
guys have heard the anecdote with Mike Conley telling John
(21:13):
Krasinski of The Athletic longtime Wolves beat reporter that you
know you're going to be covering history. We're coming all
the way back. So I mean, look, they're saying all
the right things, and you know, tonight offensively, they finally delivered.
We've heard Chris Finch talk about how badly the last
three minutes of each of the first four, you know,
(21:36):
the first three games, how badly the last three minutes
of the fourth quarter went from Minnesota. Well, this was different.
And you know, Karl Anthony Towns has been dealing with
a lot of heat and he answered tonight.
Speaker 3 (21:48):
Huge game from him before he falls out trying to
step in on that Luca ridiculous three point attempt. When
we look at the the Mavericks going for the how
bad is the injury to Lively.
Speaker 4 (22:04):
Well, the initial fears were much worse. I don't know
that he can make it back in time for Game five.
And look, there's no question that defensively they're much more
vulnerable without him. I mean, he is the best rim
protector they have. But I really think tonight they lost
(22:29):
it offensively. I mean this was just you know, Tyrie
and Luca combined to shoot thirteen for thirty nine. PJ.
Washington was three for thirteen. I mean, this was this
was an offensive struggle again, because the MAVs have basically
just been so good in crunch time throughout this series.
(22:51):
So obviously you're going to point to Lively's absence, but
this was a winnable game without Lively tonight. I mean,
they just didn't have anywhere near the fourth quarter production
the closing that we've seen, and I mean Karl Anthony Towns,
I mean, is it is still astounding to think that
he was three for twenty two from three coming into
(23:14):
this game and made four to three tonight and did
a lot of that damage after he had already picked
up five bouls. The way Towns played with foul trouble,
with so much scrutiny and after so much criticism, I mean,
game the Wolf season. It's too much to say that
because it's only one win, but certainly as responsible as
(23:39):
anyone from the Wolves in extending this series.
Speaker 1 (23:43):
NBA insider Mark Stide with us A Jason Smithcher with
Mike Harmon, live from the TIREC dot Com studios. All right, now,
getting down to the final couple of minutes of this game.
Look you so all the threes from Towns which were terrific.
They're able to hold on Anthony Edward's able to get
to the rim, He's able to hit step back jumpers.
I was really surprised Mark, especially after Towns fouled out,
the Mavericks didn't do more to try to get the
(24:03):
ball out of his hands like they were. They seemed
comfortable they were going to single guard him and see
how things go, and it didn't go very well. That's
kind of the theme of the playoffs. Hey, great one
on one players are winning all these battles offensively.
Speaker 4 (24:18):
Well, I mean, look, you know I again, I'm I'm
more focused on where the Mavericks were offensively tonight, and
this was a huge opportunity for them to try to
finish this thing off because to me, honestly, the big
winners tonight of the Boston Celtics. You know Luka Doncic,
(24:39):
you know, eight or nine nights off with the basketball,
not good for your show, not good for me, not
good for basketball. But I think I think, I think
Luka Doncic would have loved to have a week plus
off to recharge. I honestly think he would benefit from
that as much as Anyonebviously, you know Lively has this
(25:01):
injury now for Zingis, we know that all the extra
reps he's going to get the Celtics able to get
through the first Celtics able to get through two rounds
without Porzingis, and now he gets an additional week. But
I really think Luca would have benefited as much as
anyone you could have looked at on either team. And
now Dallas has to go to Minnesota and try to
(25:24):
win for the third time on the Wolves floor, because
if not, you know, all the pressure shifts back to
Dallas to finish that thing off in Game six on
Saturday night. Back on Therefore, because again the Wolves, the
one thing they can really point to, besides the fact
that Towns bounced back in such huge fashion tonight, is
(25:46):
that they do have two of these remaining three games
at home mark.
Speaker 3 (25:50):
As we look at the way the Wolves attack things,
all five guys in double figures, Rudy Gobert has become
He's always been polarizing, but certainly everybody taking their shots
at Draymond Green on the broadcast included, but he goes
for thirteen and ten tonight.
Speaker 1 (26:07):
Size.
Speaker 3 (26:08):
You know, we always joke size matters, but we watched
the big guys kind of force that offense to bog
down to where you're settling for jump shots.
Speaker 1 (26:19):
And for PJ.
Speaker 3 (26:19):
Washington, who's been great tonight it just was not his night.
A couple that were really the antithesis of what he's
been truly all through these playoffs.
Speaker 4 (26:30):
And honestly, what I would say is, I think what
it wasn't just Towns go Bear and had Qritch for
in foul trouble too sure, and you know the Wolves bench.
You obviously nos Reed reigning six Man of the Year now,
but the Wolves didn't get a ton off their bench.
They're only going with the eight guys. It's really just
nos Reed, Kyle Anderson, Nikhail, Alexander Walker. So the ability
(26:56):
for Towns Edwards Bear to all be able to make
it to the finish line in this game when they
all played through foul trouble and the muster nearly seventy
points among the three of them. Again, I think if
you really listen to Chris Finch, you know his concerns
(27:17):
throughout this series had been offense and just the way
that things have been just bogged down in crunch time.
So this, you know, you know, I don't think I'm
not sure that a lot of my colleagues were expecting
sweep because again, Minnesota was such a good team this
(27:39):
season and the best defense in the league. And I mean,
you know, did anybody pick Dallas to win this thing
in four? No? I mean did anyone really so, But
saying all that, I do think the Wolf showed us
something tonight.
Speaker 1 (27:53):
Now, Mark outside of it. You know, you wrote a
great column on Substack and you get to the link
is on marks page at the steinline about how the
luckiest guy in the world has left us. We spent
a lot of time last night talking about the life
of Bill Walton. What are just some things that have
been going through your head in the last twenty four hours,
trying to process what happened.
Speaker 4 (28:13):
Yeah, I mean it's just you know, Bill Walton was
you know, and I think this has been a common
refrain I'm sure from whoever you've spoken to, but just
over the last thirty years, after everything that happened to
him in his pro career with injuries and again we're
talking about someone who endured nearly forty surgeries, not for
(28:38):
forty but in his broadcaster life. When you would encounter
Bill Walton, I mean, he was just so relentlessly positive,
in love with the game, and you know, Bill himself
as the guy in the world when you think about
(29:02):
what happened in his playing career and how could he
adopt that approach, and so, you know, I was it is.
It is a terrible loss. I mean, he was beloved
by so many people in basketball, the college game and
the pro game, and so it did, frankly take me
(29:23):
a while to put my remembrance piece together. And you know,
I was. I was tremendously lucky. I started out covering
the Clippers at a very young age when Bill was
the team's color analysts alongside the Hall of Famer Ralph Lawler,
and for a very young reporter. I mean when I
(29:44):
was young, Bill would call me and ask me, you know,
what I was hearing about other teams, what I was
hearing within the Clippers, and just you know, he made
me feel like such a part of it when I
didn't like a part of it. And I was, you know,
again just starting out, and I you know, I was
(30:04):
right around you know, I was like twenty five. I
was one of the youngest beat writers, maybe the youngest
traveling beat writer in the league when I started, and
you know, I would sit there thinking, like I've been
covering the endgame for five minutes. Why is Bill Walton
asking me to share things with him. But I mean,
(30:26):
I'm sure you guys have heard this from anyone you've
talked to about Bill. I mean, he just had this
incredible ability to make you feel like you were the
most important guy in the room and maybe even the
most important guy in the world. I mean, he just
he he did that for so many people, and he
(30:46):
made friends with again, so many people inside the NBA
and the college game. And you know, there's there's literally
zillions of us who adored him, and it's it's just
an incredible it's incredibly bad to lose him, and he's
for me in my thirty thirty odd years doing this,
(31:08):
just one of my favorite people who I've ever encountered.
Speaker 1 (31:13):
The piece is the luckiest guy in the world has
left us. You can check it out on substack or
get the link off of Mark Stein's Twitter account that's
at the Steinline. Also podcast This League Uncut. Mark as
always appreciate your time. We'll talk to you as the
Western Conference Finals goes on.
Speaker 4 (31:29):
Sound good, guys, appreciate it.
Speaker 1 (31:30):
Mark. Thanks great stuff from Mark Stein there. You know
it's funny here the stories that my I think my
favorite story today the last few days. You know, like
I said last night, you're gonna hear a thousand stories
are all gonna be true. I think my favorite was
Dave Pash, who was his Bill Walton's longtime broadcaster and
now is his last partner doing all the PAC twelve
After Dark games. And he told a story that Bill
(31:51):
would he'd be on vacation somewhere and would Textam and go, Dave,
are you watching this game between Arizona and here are you?
This is what's happened? Knowing well that Dave Patch is
announcing the game, but Texas, you should watch this game.
You should watch more basketball. Dave so and so is
having a big game. Knowing that he's broadcasting the game,
He's sending him these texts, you should watch this game.
(32:13):
Why need you to be.
Speaker 3 (32:14):
Keep aprized with important things?
Speaker 6 (32:17):
Oh?
Speaker 1 (32:18):
I just thought that was the best teammate right there.
Coming up next, it was a huge night from Anthony
Edwards a near triple double as the t Wolves stave
off elimination. But did he have the best night of
anybody in basketball? That's coming up next right here, Jason
and Mike Fox.
Speaker 2 (32:35):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Jason Smith Show.
With Mike Harmon weekdays at ten pm Eastern, seven pm Pacific,
Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 1 (32:44):
The Jason Smith Show with My best Friend Mike Harmon,
Live from the tire Rag dot Com Studios. So a
near triple double for Anthony Edwards tonight he and Karl
Anthony Towns lead the Timberwolves by the Dallas Mavericks. Hey
now force game five in the Western Conference Finals.
Speaker 6 (33:05):
But did Anthony Edwards really have the best game of
anybody tonight because having her best game as a pro
in defeat was Caitlyn Clark thirty points, three steals, three blocks,
six assists.
Speaker 1 (33:20):
They lose again, So again next year, Caitlin Clark and
Page Beckers are going to be awesome on the fever.
Speaker 3 (33:27):
Man stop them. They Boston working in the low post.
I mean that trilogy right there, first rookie to go
thirty three and three in a game in WNBA history.
They do lose to the Sparks. So Caitlyn Clark and
They're going, Hey, we're all fine, we know this is
not our year. We know we're all good.
Speaker 1 (33:45):
But here's where you know, I don't want to say
I told you so, but I will is that this
has been a gauntlet for her since she's come into
the to the league and seven games in the first
eleven days, and now you're playing the Sparks again. You're
playing five games against the best defensive teams in the WNBA. Okay,
even I thought, hey, she's gonna hit the skids a
(34:07):
little bit. It's a lot of basketball. She's got a
lot of basketball coming up this year. It's it's they're
jamming in a lot of games now because of the
nd season tournament they have coming up, and they have
the long break for the UH for the Olympics. Full
we got all kinds of stuff. But here she is,
maybe playing through that, putting up thirty, getting back to
being Caitlin Clark. Yes, it was kind of a volume
(34:28):
shooting night for but seven out of sixteen, within seven
out of thirty. I told you she was gonna be fine.
There was gonna be the the rough adjustment to the
WNBA was gonna be very brief. And that looks like
that's what it is. She's starting to get her shots
more and more. She's getting comfortable with her new teammates.
It's a new star and a new offense, and it's
all happening for her. And just for a second before
(34:50):
you want to say, oh, the rookies are playing well,
other rookies are playing well. You saw the viral video
that's making its way tonight where McDonald in knowing she
was the one guarding Caitlyn Clark after she makes a
free throw, she shoots a free throw, runs to Caitlin
Clark right because the inbounds play is coming, except she
forgot she had another free throw coming. So wrapped up
in I gotta get to Caitlin Clark because after the
(35:12):
mad free throw, they're gonna get the ball into her.
She forgets she had a second free throw. So this
is just a look. It just happened. But this shows
you no other rookie, no other player in the WNBA,
is getting the defensive attention of Caitlyn Clark. And still
she has started out pretty well and is just getting
better and again having her best game as a pro. Now,
(35:33):
told you the adjustment was going to be quick, told
her she was going to be a superstar very quickly.
And she's on their way now. There may not be
a lot of wins, just ask Wemby, but she's on
her way. No, a lot of tough sledding ahead.
Speaker 3 (35:46):
I got to watch about probably the first almost the
first half of this one earlier, and it was ugly.
I mean, neither team shooting particularly well early on, but
she did live at the free throw line, took care
of business, picked up another early technical, which really changed
how she has to play the game, because even in
(36:07):
the announcer, like you know, I don't think in this
league they're afraid of giving her the second one. No,
unlike the NBA, Like they didn't really call out the
NBA fully, but they kind of went down that road.
It's like, eh, I don't think she's gonna be able
to get away with what she just did to that official.
So I took the early tech, but thirteen to fifteen
from the foul line, hit a couple of big three
(36:29):
point shots. After some early struggles. We got to watch
Cameron Brink on the other side mcdonald' who you mentioned,
game high twenty one for her, like that was a
season high for her. She game in, averaging three points
a game, getting her minutes up and had a fantastic outing.
Except for the viral blooper that will be shown ad
nauseum for the next forty eight hours and for whatever
(36:52):
she faces Kate La Clark again. But yeah, it's all
growing pains like all of the you know, Angel Reese
has made headlines talking about it.
Speaker 1 (36:58):
Yeah, come at me with that.
Speaker 3 (37:00):
And you just interpret it as you will, right, because yes,
part of the narrative is you are rookies and you're
getting a welcome to the league moment, and then it's
how you respond, right, That's all it is. It's like
anything in life. Are you gonna get punched in the face?
And I'm not going full Rocky speech, but how do
you respond to it? You get better, You learn how
to work off a screen a little bit better. You
(37:22):
learn how to communicate with your teammates, so the turnovers
go down. You know, the bounce pass that worked at Iowa.
They're not used to that bounce pass that doctor Tom
Davis brought in in the eighties.
Speaker 1 (37:32):
It's not there. It's it's all fine for her. She's
playing terrific again. She's carrying the league, she's carrying the attention.
And I have to say for coming into a league
with the attention on her, I mean maybe like Wemby,
but more like Lebron when he came at What what's
this wonder kid going to be like, because Wemby was
(37:55):
someone who was kind of an unknown where everybody knew
about Lebron coming in and had them. I mean, that's
what she's come in and all of a sudden, it's hey, yeah, okay,
I'm dusting myself off here after all of this, and
here I come and get ready because the Caitlin Clark
era is here.
Speaker 3 (38:08):
I just appreciate that she puts her head down and
goes to work. Now you can complain, talk about her
complaining about officiating and whatever. That's what superstars do, right,
that's what non superstars do. Everybody's looking for the next call.
I mean, it's growing pains and as long as she
sticks on the basketball so that sh'll be just fine.
Speaker 1 (38:26):
Exit out about a Fresco exit swollen dome. We get
back into the biggest game of the night next. This
is
Hosts And Creators
Jason Smith
Mike Harmon
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