June 17, 2025 • 41 mins
Jason, Mike and NBA Insider Ric Bucher react and breakdown Game 5 of the Finals. Ric also dished out his surprise landing spot for Kevin Durant. Plus, Tyrese Haliburton admits he was not great tonight by any means!
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
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
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iHeartRadio app by searching FSR give this you're.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
Listening to Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 1 (00:30):
Hello, Welcome in Side hour three The Jason Smith Show
with my best friend Mike Harmon. Yeah. F one the
movie Get Ready June twenty seventh, Apple Original Films and
Warner Brothers. The director of Top Gun, Maverick gives you
Top Gun on wheels. F one the movie starring Brad Pitt.
See it on the biggest screen possible, only in theaters
(00:51):
in Imax June twenty seventh, rated PG thirteen. Mike and
I got to see it. We saw at Imax Theater.
That's how you do it, man, It will blow you away.
Great soundtrack, just two hours of fun and adrenaline. It's
Brad Pitt in a racing movie.
Speaker 3 (01:06):
Yes, good smack talk, a lot of stark bar Damn
Carrie Condon, Who's now up the rankings. The band Cheese.
Uh you might know her from there, and now take
it to another level.
Speaker 1 (01:16):
She's in Susie in the Banshees. No, oh okay, sorry,
she's in the band Shee's of an Issuant. Yes, she's
Banshee from the X Men. WHOA, Now we're going I'm
out of Bansheees. Now I'm yeah, I'm out. I'm out.
That's pretty good. Nobody go free deep on Banshee.
Speaker 3 (01:33):
I think I probably have a couple of jet throw
tall lyrics I can fire off from back in the day,
feeling like a dead Banshee.
Speaker 1 (01:40):
Dude, dude, how dare you so? The Jalen Williams game,
which was the TJ McConnell game until jan Williams decided
I'm going for forty forty from the thunderstud one twenty
to one oh nine is your final Oklahoma City now
one game away from winning the Larry O'Brien Trophy, wanting
us now on the hot line to break it all down.
(02:02):
Nobody better, nobody happier, because it's going to be a
conversation about something that does not include who the Knicks
head coach is going to do? Unless he has something
now you never know. It's f S one Insider Extraordinaries
on Twitter at Rick Buker. Check out the On the
Ball podcast as well. Maybe the On the Ball podcast
has to do with that, but Rick joins us right now,
what's happening.
Speaker 4 (02:23):
Man, oh live in the dream looking for well, I
don't think that the Pace is going to win in
six now, So that's take breakdown. There's simulating insider news.
Speaker 1 (02:45):
Wow, okay, I thought there was still.
Speaker 4 (02:50):
I thought that they blew their their opportunity in game four.
We haven't talked since since Friday night's game. I thought
that that was their window, but I held out the possibilities.
Still not not one thousand percent sold on the Oklahoma
City Thunder, maybe nine hundred and ninety nine percent. I'm
(03:11):
now a thousand percent sold. They've taken me over the thresholder.
It's there there. Their stars are coming through at the
right time and the collective efforts. Ultimately, when you win
a championship, you know we've we've gone away from the
Big three, but you still need when it comes to
(03:35):
this point in the playoffs, in the finals, when the
teams are so familiar with each other, you need guys.
You could just go get a bucket, and the Oklahoma
City Thunder have two guys who are capable of doing that.
And I would say that the Indiana Pacers have won,
but for some reason they don't. They neglect getting him
(03:58):
the ball on a regular basis, and that's pass and
so they ultimately have none. And then so you get
results like you got tonight.
Speaker 1 (04:06):
Yeah, obviously Rick will start with Tyre's Halliburton, who didn't
look good before he dinged up his calf, came back
in the game, still played thirty four minutes and really
could not get in this game. Now. We talked about
it last hour and I said, you know what's kind
of becoming from me with Haliburt. And I get he's
not one hundred percent, but there's lots of players that
aren't one hundred percent. And already Rick Carlisle has said
(04:27):
he's gonna play the next game. I feel like Halliburton
is a great front runner when he gets out early
in the game, when he's motivated, and when he can
get out early, he plays fantastic. And this even games
where as long as he's not completely shut down early,
he can still affect the game like game one, hits
the game winning shot, but when he can't do anything,
or when he gets shut down that first eight minutes
(04:48):
of the game, like he's done, like he has cooked,
and we see a shell of what we normally get,
like he's a great front runner, but when it really
hits adversity that he can't get past in the first
few minutes of a game, like the other the team
has won because suddenly it's you know, you're not worried
about him the rest.
Speaker 4 (05:03):
Of the night, Yeah, whatever, whatever it may be. I
don't like that he concedes so easily, and for a
point guard, he picks up his dribble in some of
the worst places before he knows where he's going to
go with the ball, and a lot of his turnovers
are a result of that. I also was completely and
(05:25):
and it was it was evident tonight. But you know,
you set picks in order to get switches to get
the matchup you want, and multiple times he got the
matchup that he wanted. He got switched on to Isaiah
Hartenstein or Chet Holmes, and he got switched on to
a big and then he didn't attack it, and it's
(05:47):
it's like, so, what are we doing?
Speaker 1 (05:49):
Here.
Speaker 4 (05:49):
Why do we go through all the like the effort
to get the switch if you're not going to attack
it once you get it. And the difference in the
in the end Indiana Pacers when he's getting two feet
in the paint. I'm not sharing anything that I don't
think anybody doesn't know at this point, including Tyres, including
(06:10):
the Oklahoma City Thunder is it's not necessarily scoring, but
it's simply attacking and getting to the paint. And yes,
I'm taking anything away from Oklahoma City's defense, but we've
seen him. He's demonstrated he has the capability of doing that.
And yet there are times where he picks up his
dribble without ever attempting to get there. And I can't
(06:34):
explain to you why that is, but it undercuts the
Indiana Pacers in a massive way. You just and what's
baffling and what kind of exposes it is. On the
flip side, you have a guy like TJ. McConnell who
just continually is attacking the paint and as a result,
(06:55):
more often than not, is very productive with that second
you And so I don't I'm not giving up on
Tyree because he has made strides, certainly since the beginning
of the year, but until he realizes that he needs
to be in attack mode all the time or there's
(07:19):
really no point in this because it's the worst thing
for a team when the guy with voll in his
hands and arguably one of your two best players, you
don't know whether he's going to bring the lumber or
not on a given night. That's a very treacherous place
for a team to be.
Speaker 1 (07:37):
Watch the Thunder.
Speaker 3 (07:38):
You get out to a big halftime lead, but because
of McConnell, they get back in the game, does Indiana,
and then Jalen Williams with the takeover game twenty five attempts.
I think I have to go back to the game
log to see when he ever had that rick and
the quiet SGA something we've talked about before, bleeding you
for another thirty one when it mattered. So for the Thunder,
(08:03):
not eight games from their their top guys, but far
more than enough to take care of business.
Speaker 4 (08:08):
Yeah, no question. And I think what they've done is,
you know, over the course of this series, I thought
Andrew Nemhart and aaron Ne Smith initially were doing really
good jobs on them and making the game hard on them,
and as the series has gone on, these guys have
figured out how to get to their spot and how
(08:29):
to get a step on them. And Nemhart to me
was he has been the bellweather for the Pacers throughout
these playoffs. When he's a plus, they win, and when
he's a minus, they lose. He was a minus twelve
tonight and I was stocked. And Rick Carlisle has done
this a couple of times in the last two games now,
(08:51):
where he stayed with guys who are clearly not effective,
and Nemhart was afraid. I was just stunned, and having
seen the way he's played for the better part of
this year and earlier on in this series and in
these playoffs, he was afraid to shoot the ball. He
would get the spot. And there's when you're playing against
(09:11):
a defense like Oklahoma City and in the finals like this,
when you get a look, you need to take that shot.
Everybody knows, like, oh, that's the chants. If you pass
it up, you may not get another opportunity to shoot
unless it's under severe duress on that possession. And he
did that. Not only did he not take the shot,
(09:33):
but then he would pick up his dribble and try
to pass it and as a result, the Oklahoma citys
under were swarming and his turnovers were live turnovers, not
only resulting in him not shooting and scoring, but Oklahoma
City getting an easy bucket the other way, you know.
Speaker 1 (09:50):
I can look at it this way, Rick, when you
see the confidence level. The Pacers obviously played with a
much different confidence level against a less team defensively in
the Knicks, and now things have gotten a little bit
more difficult for him now, and I feel like I
question themselves and it's like, wait, this is not as
easy as you thought. Of course it's not going to be.
Is he one of the best defensive teams in the
league versus the next of course it's going to be harder.
Speaker 4 (10:11):
Yeah. Yeah, Well and it's nice of you to slide
into New York Knick shade.
Speaker 1 (10:16):
Well yeah, but you know it was.
Speaker 4 (10:22):
As I've watched this series, what has what they've struggled
with is obviously turnovers were a big huge issue tonight
and have been for them throughout the series. When they've
been able to maintain, like lower their turnovers, they've been successful,
but they they struggle to play at the pace they
want to play at against this thunder defense and not
(10:47):
turn the ball over. And that's the next step for them,
which is being you know, finding a way to be aggressive,
but to be aggressive under control. And a lot of
it just is when you don't have guys that can
break down the defense, it makes everything hard. When everybody
(11:08):
when everybody can kind of stay at home and you
don't have to come over, you don't have to slide
over to help on a guy, then it makes everything hard.
And Tyreek Caliburton is one of those guys who he's
capable of that, and the Pacers are a completely different
team when he does that. But when he doesn't against
(11:30):
a team like Oklahoma City, you really just don't have
a chance.
Speaker 3 (11:33):
Rick, we got the draft just over the horizon, starting
to see trades. Desmond Bain gets dealt and now we
have the preferred destinations for Kevin Durant. And look, so
san Antonio in the leading leader in the clubhouse, does
he get what he wants?
Speaker 4 (11:50):
Well, the question of if he like with a star
like KD and with his contract coming up, the particulars
are are they going to extend him? He's a little
bit like in the Jimmy Butler situation. Does he want
to be extended and and what is that team willing
or capable of giving up? And is he going to
(12:13):
work with the Phoenix Suns in terms of making sure
they get something back for him, because I think ultimately
the best spot for him would be the Miami Heat.
That's a team that they desperately need exactly what he gives.
I think if he goes there, there are a lot
to be a playoff team. He can be a difference
maker there. It's a culture that's already set. He doesn't
(12:36):
have to be a leader. He's got a coach who
is not going to take any guff. I don't like
with Mit Mitch Johnson and the San Antonio Spurs. I
don't think they're close enough for him to be that
difference maker that's going to take them to the next level.
I like what they have there, but the fact of
(12:58):
the matter is, you know, having the Rookie of the
Year and having Victor winmbin Yama and and all that
they had, you know, they still were thirteenth in the
Western Conference. Is is kd at this stage of his career?
Is he going to elevate them into where I mean?
(13:21):
Is he gonna be a fourteen win difference because that's
that's what he'd has to be in order for them
to be a factor. And meanwhile, you know with Miami
in the Eastern Conference, you have a winning record, your
your golden So you know it really comes down to
can San Antonio probably put together the best package. Can
(13:42):
Houston put a better package than Miami? Yeah, I'm fairly easily.
I would think depending on what Phoenix wants. If they
want a starter kit, I think if you if you
didn't have those three preference places, and I got to
ask like is there like did he pick the states
that have no state tax?
Speaker 3 (14:02):
Yeah, he's getting getting down from that two point five
flat tax in Arizona.
Speaker 1 (14:06):
He wants out. I wanted to zero.
Speaker 4 (14:09):
That was too that was too much there. We got
to go to zero because I think ultimately the best
place for him, if Phoenix were willing to do it,
is to send him to the Denver Nuggets. And I
would even say Jamal Murray to make that happen. If
I if I have Aaron Gordon and Kevin Durant, I
(14:30):
would I first like try to see if I could
make a deal built around Michael Porter Jr. But if
they don't go for that I would. I would deal
Jamal Murray if I could get KD, Aaron Gordon and Joki,
because Jokic is my He's my He's kind of my
point center anyway, right, I can play through him and
the idea of having KD and Aaron Gordon working on
(14:52):
on on both sides of the floor. Off of that,
I can fill the rest of the blanks. And I
would if you put KD there. I look at that
team and I think they can contend with the Oklahoma
City right now?
Speaker 1 (15:03):
Who Twitter at Rick Buker. That is at Rick Buker.
Check out the on the Ball podcast as well, throwing
absolute fire. All right, really quick, Rick, When we talk
to you Thursday night, are we previewing Game seven or
are we talking about the Thunder winning the title?
Speaker 4 (15:20):
We are talking about the Oklahoma City Thunder winning the
first championship in the franchisees history in Oklahoma City.
Speaker 1 (15:30):
There we go talk to you on Thursday. Maybe the
Necks have a coach that night. Who knows. You never know,
Rick is always buddy appreciated. Man, enjoy the games. We'll
talk to you then you got it, Throve Yoe, KD,
Aaron Gordon. I like that jok to the Nuggets. That's tasty. Wow. Yeah,
I mean we had a lot more. I mean obviously
from this match.
Speaker 3 (15:50):
A matheriin outside of a block shot was a no show, right,
Just seven points two of eleven from the field for Indiana,
all those turnovers, but that just gets wiped away by
thinking of Kevin Durank going a mile high working with
Nikola Jokic.
Speaker 1 (16:04):
Wow, exit out by to Fresca, Exit Swollen Dome. The
Jason Smith Show with Mike Harmon live from the Fox
Sports Radio Studios. Great stuff there from Rick Buker coming
up next. Oh, by the way, we got a big show.
Hey o Tani update coming your way. Plus why the
word satisfied plays into maybe why we see the NBA
(16:25):
Finals at three to two Oklahoma City. That's next right here,
Jason and Mike Fox Sports Radio. Well, drum roll, drum roll,
drum roll, drum roll. The Big five Oh is in
our sights, not Hawaii five Oh Bo by by by
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(16:46):
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one harmon one of those last three.
Speaker 2 (17:41):
Numbers seven seven seven Fox. 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 In sixteen.
Speaker 1 (17:57):
Eighty one, Wolfgamadas Mozart becomes a free Mason. In twenty
twenty five, Tyre's Holliburton doesn't score in the first half
of a playoff game. The Pacers would lose that game.
Forty years ago today, rock Me Amadeus. You know, we
(18:18):
had a teacher in high school. Okay, just take it back.
I had a teacher. He was He was doctor Amendola
was his name. And his first name was Amideo, so
he was Amideo Amendola. I can't tell you how many
people had a different version of rock Me Amadeus. They
would sing when he was around there, go Amideo a Mondola,
(18:38):
Amideo Amidla, Amideo, rock me Amideo. They would do all
the time, all the time. That was his name, Amideo
Amadeo Amendola's it. I think that some people called him
a Mendola, But but I remember I knew him as Amidola.
Speaker 3 (18:54):
Yeah, I mean Amidola was the you know, famous slot receiver.
Speaker 1 (18:57):
Rock me a Mondola, Amideo a Mondola, doctor Amadeo Amandola.
About that, I'mideo. I ha gotten to rock me Almada's
forty years ago.
Speaker 3 (19:05):
This day in Germany would not become a single in
the US till the following March. But because we love
history and we love that song, uh, and it gave
you an opportunity to rip and bring up a man's
name that I what, what's the etymology?
Speaker 1 (19:22):
I don't. I don't know abid. I don't know a Medeo.
He's probably he's probably some sort of long lost relative
to add his name is his name was the first
name was Amadeo. Yeah, rock me Amadeo, i'mideo I Mondola,
i'm Adeo, i'm Adeo Amendola. Do you think he encouraged
people to say that? I don't if I remember rock
Me Amadeo, I don't think he encouraged people. But I
(19:44):
don't think it was one of those I already stop
that right now. It wasn't. It wasn't like that either.
If you just walk by him in the hallway and
go i'mido and someone would go Avandola arvendel iman, I
would make them stop.
Speaker 3 (19:55):
You got to give me a history and a factoid
out of Amadeus.
Speaker 1 (20:00):
In seventeen forty one, Mozart composed the Magic Flute. In
twenty twenty five, show he O Tani returned to the
man for the first time in two years. Susu Susu Superstar,
Susu su Su Superstar. You know. The magic flute later
became a device for the Smurfs. Jason, don't put Otani's
name on this garbage. Maddie Machado should have been called
out in a check swing in the first inning, but
(20:21):
was allowed to continue to bower. You hit a sacrifice
fly's name back? Since you're doing that, can you do
like an airplane call? What do you mean, like an
airplane call?
Speaker 5 (20:32):
Like you know how like the fights, like we the
flight attendants, like you've knows or like you know it's
the pilot.
Speaker 1 (20:38):
You've now reached Los Angeles. Tonight's in flight movie is
Top Gun Maverick. Although now you can just watch anything
you want to on your seats because it's twenty twenty
five not nineteen eighty eight. Thank you and have a
great flight. And we will have you on the ground shortly,
not categorically true. Notice how they say they always say
will we'll we'll have you on the ground shortly, Like
(20:59):
how about just we'll be landing shortly on the ground,
on the ground. I like the ambiguity or when they
say we'll be making our final approach. Well, I want
to think there's another one out there, just in case
I don't know, is there another one? I want to
be my last one. I don't know there's another one,
another one. It's the last time wants to make it
a good one. And now you just hit bing seat
(21:20):
belts a man rough eras coming seat belts. And I
don't like that. I don't like when they just say
seat belts because it makes me think like they're dealing
with a whole bunch of crap that might be. And
I don't want no, I want them to be cool
and then keeping and argument about what they're doing in
the videos. I just I just picture like stuff from
airplane with the automatic pilot popping out and just get it,
(21:40):
pulling Kareem out in his Laker jersey. This is actually
not a puff for pilots or airplanes at all. This
is actually an introduction to Mett's baseball. This says Roger
on before the game start. That's uh, that's that's best
team in the National League. Oh, by the way, you
make sure you put that walk best team in the
(22:00):
National league. Make sure you say which national league. There's
one National League. Not what do you mean? What do
you mean? There's not and the Mets is the best
the Mets.
Speaker 3 (22:08):
Mary doesn't recognize that league in Mary's an American League purist.
Speaker 1 (22:12):
She's a junior circuit purist. Mets have the best record
in the National League. Well, then look show. But the
National League recognized the futility which one the National League
of Baseball.
Speaker 3 (22:24):
The National League recognized the futility of their ways by
adopting the d H and getting rid of the wave
batwaving competition.
Speaker 1 (22:31):
That was pitcher's hitting best record in the National Mary,
look it up. Look it up. My phone's gonna blow up.
If I do that, I'm gonna start getting spammed by
MLB dot com.
Speaker 3 (22:44):
Well, it's already happening. We've already spoken into existence. Follow
Mary's phone.
Speaker 1 (22:49):
The big news out of baseball tonight, right currently, the
other big story besides the NBA Playoffs. In Game five
of the NBA Finals, sho Hao Tani return to pitching
tonight for the first time in nearly two years. Pitched
the first thing against the Padres twenty eight pitches, gave
up a couple of hits. He know a leadoff batter
for Nando Tatis a little bit of a looper. Arias
(23:10):
with a looper. Machado should have been called out on strikes,
went way too far with his swing, but the first
base umpire bailed him out. He's able to hit a
sacrifice fly. So Otani goes one inning, gives up a
run twenty eight pitches. Now he's two for four with
two RBI. So if you're doing Otani versus the Padres,
Otani two Padres one, it's actually six three Dodgers in
(23:32):
the bottom of the seventh. But everything we saw on
what I saw from Otani tonight. He hit ninety eight
ninety nine on the gun his first few pitches of
the game right now. Obviously you're getting a little bit
of adrenaline in that when it's your first time pitching.
So I wouldn't be surprised if boy, he was hitting
ninety five ninety six up until tonight. Now you get
those extra couple miles an hour, But the bottom line
(23:53):
is ninety eight ninety nine. His breaking pitches look good.
You know, he threw a wild pitch on one because
it broke so sharply nearly hit Ariaz. Yes, he gave
up a run but I did not see anything tonight
that made me think, oh boy, Otani is anything more
than just hey, getting some reps and knocking off the
rust and seeing him again in five days, even if
it's just for an inning or an inning plus, Otani
(24:15):
is absolutely fine. It's exactly what the Dodgers need, considering
every other pitcher they've signed the last five years is
on the injured list, and no matter what happens, you
still get back to well Kershaw to be starting Game
two of the NLC as if we had it right now,
which is where the Dodgers are. But everything from Otani tonight,
he looked good. He looked confident. Yes, was he a
little rusty, Yeah, but this has happens when you don't
(24:35):
pitch for the first time in two years, and you'd
expect to maybe if you wouldn't be surprised. He was
a little bit rustier, but he didn't walk anybody. He
was able to get out of the jam with first
and third and nobody out and only allowing run run
and that was on a sacrifice fly. Nothing bad tonight.
Everything look good for Otani. I feel great if I'm
the Dodgers. I feel great if I'm Otani. I feel
great if I'm a baseball fan, because now it looks
(24:57):
like we'll get more of what's made Otani Otani, which
we haven't seen in nearly two years. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (25:02):
I mean the base hits were bloopers, right, nothing hard
hit coming out of those. You look at the movement
on his pitches, fine and the extra juice, the overthrow
early right with the wild pitch, just amped up to
be out there. But twenty eight pitches nice and easy,
get out of the inning, and then obviously helping himself
at the plate. But for baseball, you know, to take
(25:25):
this pilot thing a little bit further. You got Dave
Roberts show Aotani will return to the mound.
Speaker 1 (25:31):
We're never gonna see Rokiaki getive? What was that?
Speaker 3 (25:35):
Dave Sasaki may not no, but we got Otani back.
That's what we need to focus on. The positivity there.
Blake Snell throwing bullpen sessions, all of that great news
on his bibblehead night with Blake Snell tonight first, forty
thousand and they let him in an hour early. The
anticipation with the announcement of Otani's return. But for those
(25:58):
twenty eight pitches, I don't know. I said at the
edge of my seat. Well, we got the NBA Finals
game on, and that's all fine.
Speaker 1 (26:04):
The playoff game, you saw the equal They showed the
shots of all the fans who were there. They're all
there there early, and the media that was there covering it.
It wasn't just another Otani game like you could see that.
The tonight was special and Ota again, Otani looked good.
There was nothing bad tonight. There was nothing where I thought,
well he was doing this, or his his motion was
a little different, he was pulling off the nut. It
(26:25):
was just he has a pitch in two years. He
looked pretty good.
Speaker 3 (26:28):
Yeah, you're hitting that level on the radar gun. You're
feeling pretty good about it. You're feeling watching him work
in other pitches, which is great. And again the two
hits were bloops. All right, guess right, but didn't get
all of it because that's the thing, right, is he
gonna be throwing dead red fastballs just trying to figure
out his space. No, I mean playing the work, work,
(26:50):
the plan, and those twenty eight pitches reverberate around baseball
because it's an exciting day for the game. You see
the crowd in attendance. Obviously, have the pot, you have
the bobble ahead night. You got a lot of factors.
Speaker 1 (27:02):
But it's a.
Speaker 3 (27:03):
Monday night on early summer, and folks asses in seats
long before that seven to ten pitch in anticipation. Again,
we had the NBA Finals game on where were your eyes?
Mine were on every pitch that the guy threw.
Speaker 1 (27:15):
Yeah, I mean because look because well actually I was
playing Solitaire, and then I would watch the game when
I had a chance. So you are you were multitask Yeah,
you know, I'd watch a multi multitasking Otani would throw
a pitch, I would check the score, I would make
a play on you know, you put the red seven
on the black eight, and then I would realize, okay,
maybe that's our whole line. Yeah, I didn't know you
(27:36):
gotta put you got an alternate red and black cars.
I did not know that. Who knew? I did not?
It's crazy about that. But I'll also tell you this now,
and Otani is opening now because I'm going to go
back to what I've said from the beginning, is that
eventually the best thing for him is to be a closer. Right.
The opener is great for now because Obviously you want
him in there with less pressure situations, and he hasn't
pitched in a couple of years. You know, look, I'm
(27:58):
not saying, hey throw him right out there in the ninth,
but once he gets back, what's gonna be the better
strategy of keeping him healthy and throwing for you every
single season? Is it gonna be starting? No, we've seen
him already, two big arm surgeries before he was thirty
years old. Do you really think he's gonna be able
to withstand and pitch one hundred and fifty innings now,
(28:19):
Dannevin two or one hundred and fifty? No, he's not.
We've shown you he can't do it, and he's and
again now that he's thirty one, you want to make
sure you sign him with that big contract. You're getting
the most out of him. And while he still has
stuff that's filthy, he'd be great to have him every
fifth day. But you know, you want to think, at
some point, well we have our starting pitches coming back,
think about what it would mean to make him a closer.
(28:40):
He's got the stuff to close, he's got the mentality
to close. You don't have to worry about the pitching
and the lineup all game. Well, you have a DH,
you lose a DH. If you're putting him in there
the ninth inning to close, you have the lead. This
is what works, and you think about what it would
mean for the team, the bolt of energy, what would
mean closing at home when you're putting him on the
mount of the night thinning. It's a big, big advantage
(29:02):
the Dodger would have and that's gonna keep him in
the in the pitching orbit for the next few years.
We've seen that happen at pitchers before, whether it's Dennis
Eckersley or John Smoltz, when the stress on their arms
became too much, or maybe as a we couldn't they
couldn't start anymore, they went and had Hall of Fame
careers as closures, and they closed until they were thirty
nine forty years old. Like Otani could have a five
(29:25):
six seven year careers an elite closer, because he can
do it for an inning every three or four days,
you could do he can. He can give you sixty
some Aditningszy, I feel really good about Otani sixty sixty
five innings a year pitching in you know every three
or four games that I would feel about anything else. Really, Okay,
then we'll keep them on the mountain. You've taken care
of the ninth inning.
Speaker 3 (29:45):
I like the theory, right, and certainly you still get
the unicorn aspect of it. And he'll have to pick
a really killer closer song. So I'd love to see
what that contest becomes.
Speaker 1 (29:56):
I love la that would be a song Wow finishes
and dunk dude. But he played it at four and
they play it after they play it before.
Speaker 3 (30:06):
And a does he have it in his contract that
Randy Newman has to show up and deliver it personally?
Speaker 1 (30:11):
Oh yeah, like Timmy Trumpet playing yeah, playing Edward Yeah, yeah, yeah.
It's just no, we have the best wreck in the
National League. It's just Timmy Trumpet, just Timmy Trumpet, Timmy Trumpet,
Jimmy Timpy, Timmy Timpy, tim be to b Il Trumpet,
tim bil Trumpet, Timmy Trumpet. Uh no, there you go,
there you play, you play Rady Newman after every strikeout, dude.
Speaker 3 (30:33):
The curiosity it just becomes with it, right of how
much he wants to push versus right, you know. And
Dave Roberts, who's usually on the cautious side with his
pictures and and let's face it, you know, Tim Fay,
you mentioned the fact that he's already had two surgeries,
and yeah, the last pitching appearance was you know, on
the twenty third of August and twenty twenty three. He
(30:54):
got it out for another week and then he had
to go on the shelf. So while we have proof
of concept while covering he can hit and run. That
was also with a full off season recovery. So you
don't want to tempt fate with a team that's destined
to me playing meaningful baseball in October. So trying to
figure out where the metrics are. And look, this is
(31:15):
where you have to have some outside consultants as well.
Speaker 1 (31:17):
I'll just track record with pictures. The less you can pitched,
the better off you're gonna be. Telling you again, Osaki
may not preturn time now to find out what's trending
in the wide world of sports. Man has been called
the Randy Newman of Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 2 (31:32):
Hello Newman.
Speaker 1 (31:33):
He has deep feelings about the Imperial Highway. If Steve
Disager that is one of the lines.
Speaker 6 (31:38):
For those who are unaware, Imperial Highway is simply a
long street, not at all notable Aside from the songs.
Speaker 1 (31:47):
Stormers are on either side if they stand there as
you go buy Darth Vader.
Speaker 6 (31:51):
Lanes had the right syllables compared to what roadscrans.
Speaker 1 (31:58):
I can't say one oh five. Instead, I'll just say
Imperial Highway. That looks better. I don't know.
Speaker 6 (32:04):
It's like the Missus Robinson saw that. That is what
Paul Simon said. One picky mandles have come. I Hi,
how come you can get tomasho in there? I didn't
get a syllablesmith, Sorry.
Speaker 1 (32:15):
Four O five, one oh one, west Man, I'm getting
all the way to Universal Studios. Get on the five,
get off on that south exit, make that turning. Then
you want to look it.
Speaker 6 (32:27):
This could be an episode of the California.
Speaker 1 (32:31):
Well the.
Speaker 2 (32:36):
No.
Speaker 6 (32:39):
Just for the record, there's a reason why people who
live in southern California talk freeways. I went to a
March Madness game driving from La to Anaheim. One's literally
took eleven different freeways to get Yeah, Steve.
Speaker 1 (32:54):
I totally thought you were gonna say it took you
eleven hours.
Speaker 7 (32:57):
Well that too, eleven hours, eleven freeways, eleven hours, eleven
three with Dodgers are onto their sixth pitcher of the night,
and they'll use the rest of the staff no doubt
tomorrow night, because yet again it'll be a bullpen game show.
Speaker 6 (33:12):
Hey O'tani opened tonight's game in the first inning against
the Padres, allowed one run on a sack fly.
Speaker 1 (33:18):
It's now LA six y three in the lead.
Speaker 6 (33:20):
Over San Diego. In the top of the eighth, Otani
as a hitter, and yes he's still DH still leading
off in the order. Hit an RBI double in the third,
RBI single in the fourth. Everything else is final. The
A's have just hit a walk off homer. Beat Houston
three to one. Nick Kurtz the hero, the loss to
reliever Brian abra You. Houston had won five in a row.
(33:40):
Boston won at six straight game two nothing at Seattle.
Lucas Giolito the winning pitcher, six scoreless innings, ten strikeouts, rookie.
Speaker 1 (33:48):
Roman Anthony with a home run.
Speaker 6 (33:50):
Each team's offense went just four for thirty at Seattle.
Tampa Bay seven to one over Baltimore. The winner Ryan Pepio,
former Dodger, eight innings, eleven strikeouts for the Red High
Rays Angels in eleven innings, won one nothing over the Yankees.
Speaker 1 (34:04):
In New York.
Speaker 6 (34:04):
The Yanks left bases loaded in the bottom of the eleven.
In fact, the Yankee lineup with runners in scoring position
one for eighteen. Tonight, Colorado hit two homers in the
top of the ninth and won six to four at Washington.
Nationals have lost nine straight. Philadelphia won its fifth straight game,
five to two at Miami. In Game five in the
NBA Finals, Oklahoma City, a winner over Indiana, won twenty
(34:27):
to one oh nine forty points for Jalen Williams, three
games to two lead for the Thunder Game six at Indiana.
On Thursday. At the FIFA Club World Cup, Chelsea beat
LAFC two to nothing in Atlanta. LAFC had won a
playoff recently for the final spot in this big tournament.
The playoff winner, just by getting into this tourney gets
at least nine and a half million dollars in guaranteed
(34:49):
prize money in a tournament that is shared by the
big clubs like Real Madrid, who opens this week. Manchester City.
Bayern Munich won ten to nothing today yesterday in Cincinnati.
Turns out they were playing a completely amateur side in
Auckland City, but hey, a win's a win.
Speaker 1 (35:04):
Back to you. Thank you, Steve, Jason Smith, Mike Harmon
live from the Fox Sports Radio Studios coming up next. Yeah,
we get into a guy that's going to dominate the
conversation in sports. The next twenty four hours, you will
hear from the man who didn't bring us enough, Tyre's Halliburton.
That's next, Jason and Mike Fuffa Fuff of Fox Sports
Radio Radio Radio not a Superstar.
Speaker 2 (35:28):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Jason Smith
Show with Mike Harmon weekdays at ten pm Eastern, seven
pm Pacific.
Speaker 1 (35:37):
Fox Sports Radio. The Jason Smith Show with My best
friend Mike Carmon. Thunderbeat the Pacers tonight, one twenty to
one oh nine. Oklahoma City is one game away from
the NBA title and while yes, big stuff to talk
about with Jalen Williams and SGA, the conversation surrounds Tyres Halliburton,
(35:59):
who had one of the worst NBA Finals game a
quote star has ever had. Was bad tonight, dinged up
his calf, came back into the game still played the
second most minutes of anyone on the Pacers oh for
six from the floor, four points, seven rebounds, and six
assists as the Pacers fall one game away from elimination.
(36:23):
So what was at the core and the root of
his game? What's his status like for game six? Here
was Haliburton just a few moments ago. I mean's NBA Finals.
Speaker 8 (36:32):
It's the finals, man, I've worked my whole life to
be here, and I want to be out there to compete,
you know how my teammates anyway, I can you know,
I was not great tonight by any means, but uh,
you know, it's not really a.
Speaker 5 (36:46):
Thought of mine to to not play here. You know,
if I fucking uh you know, walk and then I
want to play, so you know they understand that, and uh,
you know is what it is, and uh you know,
I'll be ready to go Game six.
Speaker 1 (37:01):
All right. I would say, I mean play or or
like really try to affect the game, like like because
you played tonight, but you didn't really affect the game
you played. I saw you it was a decoy. No,
I think show it decoy was the better decoy tonight
than Halliburton, who was a decoy. And you take that back.
I said decoy was the better decoy tonight. I just
(37:22):
threw it up.
Speaker 3 (37:23):
As an option in a Okay, you guys want to
bludgeon me with the baseball bat, have at it in
the pit.
Speaker 1 (37:28):
Oh okay, he's just giving us permission to hitim with
a baseball back, all right, I want ahead. This is
this is like, that's that's a face. This is like,
that's what are you doing? That's seen from airplane touching
the hair where the woman was hysterical. They all waited
in line with all different things that all the different implements. Yeah,
I'm distracted pipe the Uh yeah, look, here's the deal.
(37:49):
Halliburton was awful tonight and there's no way through it. Yeah,
it's yet another game in which Haliburton shows up and
plays tentative, which we saw from anthonyards right, very very
similar couple of games a series where Anthony Edwards is
tentative and all of a sudden the Tea Wolves find
themselves on the losing end and they go home. Because
(38:10):
when you're a superstar, you can't have games like that.
You can't he tentative, and Halliburton is the same guy,
and stars can't have games like this. He's tended to. Look,
you heard Rick Buker talk about it earlier this hour
where he said, you know he picks up his dribble
too much. He doesn't get in. I don't know what
he's doing. I don't know why, but this is what
Halliburton is doing. He doesn't get aggressive. TJ McConnell pushes
(38:31):
the ball. That's why it such a big night tonight.
He pushes the ball into the paint. And I'm telling
you watch Tyres Halliburton play. He is a front running player.
When he can start out well and affect the game,
he has an incredible game when he can start out
okay enough. Maybe won't have a great game, but he
still can have games like Game one where I'll hit
the game winning shot at the endzill a pretty good
(38:52):
all around game, like a fourteen ten and six game.
I'll still love that kind of night, right. But when
he gets stopped early and all, he starts out zero
for four and there's no points the first five or
six minutes, he's done. He's done for the game. He
is in the tank. He doesn't come back from that.
So all of a sudden, if I'm the thunder, I
go oh boom. You could just shut him down the
(39:13):
first five six minutes when he can't overcome adversity This
is when he has games like this tonight where he
doesn't affect the game, he doesn't get in, he doesn't
find a way. SGA always finds a way if it's
not my night. He gets his teammates involved, he gets
the free throw line. This is what superstars do. It's
why he still scores thirty points a night even when
it's not his night. Tonight with Jalen Williams Knight still
(39:34):
SGA had thirty and ten because he's that good. But
Haliburton is someone who just has games where if you can,
if you stop him in the beginning, he just completely
goes into a mode where it's almost like shutdown, like
when your battery goes in a low power mode. Hey,
we're gonna shut down and go to low power mode.
Because that's how and it happens to him at least
a couple times a series. And if you're a superstar player,
you don't have that happen, but it still happens him
(39:56):
because he's a front runner.
Speaker 3 (39:57):
What's funny is we did get to the the point
where down towards the eight and a half minute mark,
you have the three point make from Pascal Siakam and
party is like, all right, is does he have anything
in him?
Speaker 1 (40:11):
Right?
Speaker 3 (40:11):
Are we going to get one of those where he's
been ineffective, invisible much of the night, but then suddenly
in the two minutes you get a burst. And the
answer was a resounding no. Quite obviously, But but you
just open the door because we've seen it before, or
we've seen him passive, we've seen the teammates pick him up,
whether it's McConnell or we've seen Mathn with his heroics
(40:33):
throughout the playoffs, Pascal Siakam again hitting that three point shot.
He had three on the night and they made it
a two point game. To all of a sudden, you're
all right, the door is open for him to have
one of these, put the cape on and get it done.
But a couple of turnovers made, a couple of free throws,
had to assist, but overall ineffective and down the stretch.
(40:53):
Nobody that could count on a bunch of bad passes.
And even though Alex Caruso, the guy we've seen offensively
for the Thunder, has been huge. He neutralized these guys
on the defensive end every fifty to fifty ball his way.
Speaker 1 (41:06):
If you really want to be a star. You find
a way to stay aggressive, you find a way to
affect the game and not just basically pack it in
for the game, which is what he did well back
to back third All NBA teams. You're expecting more come
up next, a big hot take on NBA Finals ratings
and the word that might really come back to haunt
the pacer.
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 give this you're.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
Listening to Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 1 (00:30):
Hello, Welcome in Side hour three The Jason Smith Show
with my best friend Mike Harmon. Yeah. F one the
movie Get Ready June twenty seventh, Apple Original Films and
Warner Brothers. The director of Top Gun, Maverick gives you
Top Gun on wheels. F one the movie starring Brad Pitt.
See it on the biggest screen possible, only in theaters
(00:51):
in Imax June twenty seventh, rated PG thirteen. Mike and
I got to see it. We saw at Imax Theater.
That's how you do it, man, It will blow you away.
Great soundtrack, just two hours of fun and adrenaline. It's
Brad Pitt in a racing movie.
Speaker 3 (01:06):
Yes, good smack talk, a lot of stark bar Damn
Carrie Condon, Who's now up the rankings. The band Cheese.
Uh you might know her from there, and now take
it to another level.
Speaker 1 (01:16):
She's in Susie in the Banshees. No, oh okay, sorry,
she's in the band Shee's of an Issuant. Yes, she's
Banshee from the X Men. WHOA, Now we're going I'm
out of Bansheees. Now I'm yeah, I'm out. I'm out.
That's pretty good. Nobody go free deep on Banshee.
Speaker 3 (01:33):
I think I probably have a couple of jet throw
tall lyrics I can fire off from back in the day,
feeling like a dead Banshee.
Speaker 1 (01:40):
Dude, dude, how dare you so? The Jalen Williams game,
which was the TJ McConnell game until jan Williams decided
I'm going for forty forty from the thunderstud one twenty
to one oh nine is your final Oklahoma City now
one game away from winning the Larry O'Brien Trophy, wanting
us now on the hot line to break it all down.
(02:02):
Nobody better, nobody happier, because it's going to be a
conversation about something that does not include who the Knicks
head coach is going to do? Unless he has something
now you never know. It's f S one Insider Extraordinaries
on Twitter at Rick Buker. Check out the On the
Ball podcast as well. Maybe the On the Ball podcast
has to do with that, but Rick joins us right now,
what's happening.
Speaker 4 (02:23):
Man, oh live in the dream looking for well, I
don't think that the Pace is going to win in
six now, So that's take breakdown. There's simulating insider news.
Speaker 1 (02:45):
Wow, okay, I thought there was still.
Speaker 4 (02:50):
I thought that they blew their their opportunity in game four.
We haven't talked since since Friday night's game. I thought
that that was their window, but I held out the possibilities.
Still not not one thousand percent sold on the Oklahoma
City Thunder, maybe nine hundred and ninety nine percent. I'm
(03:11):
now a thousand percent sold. They've taken me over the thresholder.
It's there there. Their stars are coming through at the
right time and the collective efforts. Ultimately, when you win
a championship, you know we've we've gone away from the
Big three, but you still need when it comes to
(03:35):
this point in the playoffs, in the finals, when the
teams are so familiar with each other, you need guys.
You could just go get a bucket, and the Oklahoma
City Thunder have two guys who are capable of doing that.
And I would say that the Indiana Pacers have won,
but for some reason they don't. They neglect getting him
(03:58):
the ball on a regular basis, and that's pass and
so they ultimately have none. And then so you get
results like you got tonight.
Speaker 1 (04:06):
Yeah, obviously Rick will start with Tyre's Halliburton, who didn't
look good before he dinged up his calf, came back
in the game, still played thirty four minutes and really
could not get in this game. Now. We talked about
it last hour and I said, you know what's kind
of becoming from me with Haliburt. And I get he's
not one hundred percent, but there's lots of players that
aren't one hundred percent. And already Rick Carlisle has said
(04:27):
he's gonna play the next game. I feel like Halliburton
is a great front runner when he gets out early
in the game, when he's motivated, and when he can
get out early, he plays fantastic. And this even games
where as long as he's not completely shut down early,
he can still affect the game like game one, hits
the game winning shot, but when he can't do anything,
or when he gets shut down that first eight minutes
(04:48):
of the game, like he's done, like he has cooked,
and we see a shell of what we normally get,
like he's a great front runner, but when it really
hits adversity that he can't get past in the first
few minutes of a game, like the other the team
has won because suddenly it's you know, you're not worried
about him the rest.
Speaker 4 (05:03):
Of the night, Yeah, whatever, whatever it may be. I
don't like that he concedes so easily, and for a
point guard, he picks up his dribble in some of
the worst places before he knows where he's going to
go with the ball, and a lot of his turnovers
are a result of that. I also was completely and
(05:25):
and it was it was evident tonight. But you know,
you set picks in order to get switches to get
the matchup you want, and multiple times he got the
matchup that he wanted. He got switched on to Isaiah
Hartenstein or Chet Holmes, and he got switched on to
a big and then he didn't attack it, and it's
(05:47):
it's like, so, what are we doing?
Speaker 1 (05:49):
Here.
Speaker 4 (05:49):
Why do we go through all the like the effort
to get the switch if you're not going to attack
it once you get it. And the difference in the
in the end Indiana Pacers when he's getting two feet
in the paint. I'm not sharing anything that I don't
think anybody doesn't know at this point, including Tyres, including
(06:10):
the Oklahoma City Thunder is it's not necessarily scoring, but
it's simply attacking and getting to the paint. And yes,
I'm taking anything away from Oklahoma City's defense, but we've
seen him. He's demonstrated he has the capability of doing that.
And yet there are times where he picks up his
dribble without ever attempting to get there. And I can't
(06:34):
explain to you why that is, but it undercuts the
Indiana Pacers in a massive way. You just and what's
baffling and what kind of exposes it is. On the
flip side, you have a guy like TJ. McConnell who
just continually is attacking the paint and as a result,
(06:55):
more often than not, is very productive with that second
you And so I don't I'm not giving up on
Tyree because he has made strides, certainly since the beginning
of the year, but until he realizes that he needs
to be in attack mode all the time or there's
(07:19):
really no point in this because it's the worst thing
for a team when the guy with voll in his
hands and arguably one of your two best players, you
don't know whether he's going to bring the lumber or
not on a given night. That's a very treacherous place
for a team to be.
Speaker 1 (07:37):
Watch the Thunder.
Speaker 3 (07:38):
You get out to a big halftime lead, but because
of McConnell, they get back in the game, does Indiana,
and then Jalen Williams with the takeover game twenty five attempts.
I think I have to go back to the game
log to see when he ever had that rick and
the quiet SGA something we've talked about before, bleeding you
for another thirty one when it mattered. So for the Thunder,
(08:03):
not eight games from their their top guys, but far
more than enough to take care of business.
Speaker 4 (08:08):
Yeah, no question. And I think what they've done is,
you know, over the course of this series, I thought
Andrew Nemhart and aaron Ne Smith initially were doing really
good jobs on them and making the game hard on them,
and as the series has gone on, these guys have
figured out how to get to their spot and how
(08:29):
to get a step on them. And Nemhart to me
was he has been the bellweather for the Pacers throughout
these playoffs. When he's a plus, they win, and when
he's a minus, they lose. He was a minus twelve
tonight and I was stocked. And Rick Carlisle has done
this a couple of times in the last two games now,
(08:51):
where he stayed with guys who are clearly not effective,
and Nemhart was afraid. I was just stunned, and having
seen the way he's played for the better part of
this year and earlier on in this series and in
these playoffs, he was afraid to shoot the ball. He
would get the spot. And there's when you're playing against
(09:11):
a defense like Oklahoma City and in the finals like this,
when you get a look, you need to take that shot.
Everybody knows, like, oh, that's the chants. If you pass
it up, you may not get another opportunity to shoot
unless it's under severe duress on that possession. And he
did that. Not only did he not take the shot,
(09:33):
but then he would pick up his dribble and try
to pass it and as a result, the Oklahoma citys
under were swarming and his turnovers were live turnovers, not
only resulting in him not shooting and scoring, but Oklahoma
City getting an easy bucket the other way, you know.
Speaker 1 (09:50):
I can look at it this way, Rick, when you
see the confidence level. The Pacers obviously played with a
much different confidence level against a less team defensively in
the Knicks, and now things have gotten a little bit
more difficult for him now, and I feel like I
question themselves and it's like, wait, this is not as
easy as you thought. Of course it's not going to be.
Is he one of the best defensive teams in the
league versus the next of course it's going to be harder.
Speaker 4 (10:11):
Yeah. Yeah, Well and it's nice of you to slide
into New York Knick shade.
Speaker 1 (10:16):
Well yeah, but you know it was.
Speaker 4 (10:22):
As I've watched this series, what has what they've struggled
with is obviously turnovers were a big huge issue tonight
and have been for them throughout the series. When they've
been able to maintain, like lower their turnovers, they've been successful,
but they they struggle to play at the pace they
want to play at against this thunder defense and not
(10:47):
turn the ball over. And that's the next step for them,
which is being you know, finding a way to be aggressive,
but to be aggressive under control. And a lot of
it just is when you don't have guys that can
break down the defense, it makes everything hard. When everybody
(11:08):
when everybody can kind of stay at home and you
don't have to come over, you don't have to slide
over to help on a guy, then it makes everything hard.
And Tyreek Caliburton is one of those guys who he's
capable of that, and the Pacers are a completely different
team when he does that. But when he doesn't against
(11:30):
a team like Oklahoma City, you really just don't have
a chance.
Speaker 3 (11:33):
Rick, we got the draft just over the horizon, starting
to see trades. Desmond Bain gets dealt and now we
have the preferred destinations for Kevin Durant. And look, so
san Antonio in the leading leader in the clubhouse, does
he get what he wants?
Speaker 4 (11:50):
Well, the question of if he like with a star
like KD and with his contract coming up, the particulars
are are they going to extend him? He's a little
bit like in the Jimmy Butler situation. Does he want
to be extended and and what is that team willing
or capable of giving up? And is he going to
(12:13):
work with the Phoenix Suns in terms of making sure
they get something back for him, because I think ultimately
the best spot for him would be the Miami Heat.
That's a team that they desperately need exactly what he gives.
I think if he goes there, there are a lot
to be a playoff team. He can be a difference
maker there. It's a culture that's already set. He doesn't
(12:36):
have to be a leader. He's got a coach who
is not going to take any guff. I don't like
with Mit Mitch Johnson and the San Antonio Spurs. I
don't think they're close enough for him to be that
difference maker that's going to take them to the next level.
I like what they have there, but the fact of
(12:58):
the matter is, you know, having the Rookie of the
Year and having Victor winmbin Yama and and all that
they had, you know, they still were thirteenth in the
Western Conference. Is is kd at this stage of his career?
Is he going to elevate them into where I mean?
(13:21):
Is he gonna be a fourteen win difference because that's
that's what he'd has to be in order for them
to be a factor. And meanwhile, you know with Miami
in the Eastern Conference, you have a winning record, your
your golden So you know it really comes down to
can San Antonio probably put together the best package. Can
(13:42):
Houston put a better package than Miami? Yeah, I'm fairly easily.
I would think depending on what Phoenix wants. If they
want a starter kit, I think if you if you
didn't have those three preference places, and I got to
ask like is there like did he pick the states
that have no state tax?
Speaker 3 (14:02):
Yeah, he's getting getting down from that two point five
flat tax in Arizona.
Speaker 1 (14:06):
He wants out. I wanted to zero.
Speaker 4 (14:09):
That was too that was too much there. We got
to go to zero because I think ultimately the best
place for him, if Phoenix were willing to do it,
is to send him to the Denver Nuggets. And I
would even say Jamal Murray to make that happen. If
I if I have Aaron Gordon and Kevin Durant, I
(14:30):
would I first like try to see if I could
make a deal built around Michael Porter Jr. But if
they don't go for that I would. I would deal
Jamal Murray if I could get KD, Aaron Gordon and Joki,
because Jokic is my He's my He's kind of my
point center anyway, right, I can play through him and
the idea of having KD and Aaron Gordon working on
(14:52):
on on both sides of the floor. Off of that,
I can fill the rest of the blanks. And I
would if you put KD there. I look at that
team and I think they can contend with the Oklahoma
City right now?
Speaker 1 (15:03):
Who Twitter at Rick Buker. That is at Rick Buker.
Check out the on the Ball podcast as well, throwing
absolute fire. All right, really quick, Rick, When we talk
to you Thursday night, are we previewing Game seven or
are we talking about the Thunder winning the title?
Speaker 4 (15:20):
We are talking about the Oklahoma City Thunder winning the
first championship in the franchisees history in Oklahoma City.
Speaker 1 (15:30):
There we go talk to you on Thursday. Maybe the
Necks have a coach that night. Who knows. You never know,
Rick is always buddy appreciated. Man, enjoy the games. We'll
talk to you then you got it, Throve Yoe, KD,
Aaron Gordon. I like that jok to the Nuggets. That's tasty. Wow. Yeah,
I mean we had a lot more. I mean obviously
from this match.
Speaker 3 (15:50):
A matheriin outside of a block shot was a no show, right,
Just seven points two of eleven from the field for Indiana,
all those turnovers, but that just gets wiped away by
thinking of Kevin Durank going a mile high working with
Nikola Jokic.
Speaker 1 (16:04):
Wow, exit out by to Fresca, Exit Swollen Dome. The
Jason Smith Show with Mike Harmon live from the Fox
Sports Radio Studios. Great stuff there from Rick Buker coming
up next. Oh, by the way, we got a big show.
Hey o Tani update coming your way. Plus why the
word satisfied plays into maybe why we see the NBA
(16:25):
Finals at three to two Oklahoma City. That's next right here,
Jason and Mike Fox Sports Radio. Well, drum roll, drum roll,
drum roll, drum roll. The Big five Oh is in
our sights, not Hawaii five Oh Bo by by by
bo fifty as in pounds, that's how much weight both
Mike and I have nearly lost thanks to PhD weight loss.
(16:46):
We can see fifty. We are almost there. The program
has been great for us. It can be great for
you guys who was an average of three to five
pounds a week, women two to three. It works with
your schedule and you are put in a position to
succeed with weekly and conversations with your own nutritionists. You'll
sleep better, your joints will feel better. How do you
take advantage of this phone number? Eight six four five
(17:08):
o two one, seven seven seven. If you're sick and
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oh two one triple seven call PhD Weight Loss Mention
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backed by PhDs. Get results guarantee myphdweight loss dot Com.
That's ny phdweight loss dot Com. Eight six four five
(17:31):
oh two one seven seven seven Again mention Jason and
Mike Fox Sports Radio. Get two free weeks added to
your weight loss program. Eight six four five oh two
one harmon one of those last three.
Speaker 2 (17:41):
Numbers seven seven seven Fox. 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 In sixteen.
Speaker 1 (17:57):
Eighty one, Wolfgamadas Mozart becomes a free Mason. In twenty
twenty five, Tyre's Holliburton doesn't score in the first half
of a playoff game. The Pacers would lose that game.
Forty years ago today, rock Me Amadeus. You know, we
(18:18):
had a teacher in high school. Okay, just take it back.
I had a teacher. He was He was doctor Amendola
was his name. And his first name was Amideo, so
he was Amideo Amendola. I can't tell you how many
people had a different version of rock Me Amadeus. They
would sing when he was around there, go Amideo a Mondola,
(18:38):
Amideo Amidla, Amideo, rock me Amideo. They would do all
the time, all the time. That was his name, Amideo
Amadeo Amendola's it. I think that some people called him
a Mendola, But but I remember I knew him as Amidola.
Speaker 3 (18:54):
Yeah, I mean Amidola was the you know, famous slot receiver.
Speaker 1 (18:57):
Rock me a Mondola, Amideo a Mondola, doctor Amadeo Amandola.
About that, I'mideo. I ha gotten to rock me Almada's
forty years ago.
Speaker 3 (19:05):
This day in Germany would not become a single in
the US till the following March. But because we love
history and we love that song, uh, and it gave
you an opportunity to rip and bring up a man's
name that I what, what's the etymology?
Speaker 1 (19:22):
I don't. I don't know abid. I don't know a Medeo.
He's probably he's probably some sort of long lost relative
to add his name is his name was the first
name was Amadeo. Yeah, rock me Amadeo, i'mideo I Mondola,
i'm Adeo, i'm Adeo Amendola. Do you think he encouraged
people to say that? I don't if I remember rock
Me Amadeo, I don't think he encouraged people. But I
(19:44):
don't think it was one of those I already stop
that right now. It wasn't. It wasn't like that either.
If you just walk by him in the hallway and
go i'mido and someone would go Avandola arvendel iman, I
would make them stop.
Speaker 3 (19:55):
You got to give me a history and a factoid
out of Amadeus.
Speaker 1 (20:00):
In seventeen forty one, Mozart composed the Magic Flute. In
twenty twenty five, show he O Tani returned to the
man for the first time in two years. Susu Susu Superstar,
Susu su Su Superstar. You know. The magic flute later
became a device for the Smurfs. Jason, don't put Otani's
name on this garbage. Maddie Machado should have been called
out in a check swing in the first inning, but
(20:21):
was allowed to continue to bower. You hit a sacrifice
fly's name back? Since you're doing that, can you do
like an airplane call? What do you mean, like an
airplane call?
Speaker 5 (20:32):
Like you know how like the fights, like we the
flight attendants, like you've knows or like you know it's
the pilot.
Speaker 1 (20:38):
You've now reached Los Angeles. Tonight's in flight movie is
Top Gun Maverick. Although now you can just watch anything
you want to on your seats because it's twenty twenty
five not nineteen eighty eight. Thank you and have a
great flight. And we will have you on the ground shortly,
not categorically true. Notice how they say they always say
will we'll we'll have you on the ground shortly, Like
(20:59):
how about just we'll be landing shortly on the ground,
on the ground. I like the ambiguity or when they
say we'll be making our final approach. Well, I want
to think there's another one out there, just in case
I don't know, is there another one? I want to
be my last one. I don't know there's another one,
another one. It's the last time wants to make it
a good one. And now you just hit bing seat
(21:20):
belts a man rough eras coming seat belts. And I
don't like that. I don't like when they just say
seat belts because it makes me think like they're dealing
with a whole bunch of crap that might be. And
I don't want no, I want them to be cool
and then keeping and argument about what they're doing in
the videos. I just I just picture like stuff from
airplane with the automatic pilot popping out and just get it,
(21:40):
pulling Kareem out in his Laker jersey. This is actually
not a puff for pilots or airplanes at all. This
is actually an introduction to Mett's baseball. This says Roger
on before the game start. That's uh, that's that's best
team in the National League. Oh, by the way, you
make sure you put that walk best team in the
(22:00):
National league. Make sure you say which national league. There's
one National League. Not what do you mean? What do
you mean? There's not and the Mets is the best
the Mets.
Speaker 3 (22:08):
Mary doesn't recognize that league in Mary's an American League purist.
Speaker 1 (22:12):
She's a junior circuit purist. Mets have the best record
in the National League. Well, then look show. But the
National League recognized the futility which one the National League
of Baseball.
Speaker 3 (22:24):
The National League recognized the futility of their ways by
adopting the d H and getting rid of the wave
batwaving competition.
Speaker 1 (22:31):
That was pitcher's hitting best record in the National Mary,
look it up. Look it up. My phone's gonna blow up.
If I do that, I'm gonna start getting spammed by
MLB dot com.
Speaker 3 (22:44):
Well, it's already happening. We've already spoken into existence. Follow
Mary's phone.
Speaker 1 (22:49):
The big news out of baseball tonight, right currently, the
other big story besides the NBA Playoffs. In Game five
of the NBA Finals, sho Hao Tani return to pitching
tonight for the first time in nearly two years. Pitched
the first thing against the Padres twenty eight pitches, gave
up a couple of hits. He know a leadoff batter
for Nando Tatis a little bit of a looper. Arias
(23:10):
with a looper. Machado should have been called out on strikes,
went way too far with his swing, but the first
base umpire bailed him out. He's able to hit a
sacrifice fly. So Otani goes one inning, gives up a
run twenty eight pitches. Now he's two for four with
two RBI. So if you're doing Otani versus the Padres,
Otani two Padres one, it's actually six three Dodgers in
(23:32):
the bottom of the seventh. But everything we saw on
what I saw from Otani tonight. He hit ninety eight
ninety nine on the gun his first few pitches of
the game right now. Obviously you're getting a little bit
of adrenaline in that when it's your first time pitching.
So I wouldn't be surprised if boy, he was hitting
ninety five ninety six up until tonight. Now you get
those extra couple miles an hour, But the bottom line
(23:53):
is ninety eight ninety nine. His breaking pitches look good.
You know, he threw a wild pitch on one because
it broke so sharply nearly hit Ariaz. Yes, he gave
up a run but I did not see anything tonight
that made me think, oh boy, Otani is anything more
than just hey, getting some reps and knocking off the
rust and seeing him again in five days, even if
it's just for an inning or an inning plus, Otani
(24:15):
is absolutely fine. It's exactly what the Dodgers need, considering
every other pitcher they've signed the last five years is
on the injured list, and no matter what happens, you
still get back to well Kershaw to be starting Game
two of the NLC as if we had it right now,
which is where the Dodgers are. But everything from Otani tonight,
he looked good. He looked confident. Yes, was he a
little rusty, Yeah, but this has happens when you don't
(24:35):
pitch for the first time in two years, and you'd
expect to maybe if you wouldn't be surprised. He was
a little bit rustier, but he didn't walk anybody. He
was able to get out of the jam with first
and third and nobody out and only allowing run run
and that was on a sacrifice fly. Nothing bad tonight.
Everything look good for Otani. I feel great if I'm
the Dodgers. I feel great if I'm Otani. I feel
great if I'm a baseball fan, because now it looks
(24:57):
like we'll get more of what's made Otani Otani, which
we haven't seen in nearly two years. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (25:02):
I mean the base hits were bloopers, right, nothing hard
hit coming out of those. You look at the movement
on his pitches, fine and the extra juice, the overthrow
early right with the wild pitch, just amped up to
be out there. But twenty eight pitches nice and easy,
get out of the inning, and then obviously helping himself
at the plate. But for baseball, you know, to take
(25:25):
this pilot thing a little bit further. You got Dave
Roberts show Aotani will return to the mound.
Speaker 1 (25:31):
We're never gonna see Rokiaki getive? What was that?
Speaker 3 (25:35):
Dave Sasaki may not no, but we got Otani back.
That's what we need to focus on. The positivity there.
Blake Snell throwing bullpen sessions, all of that great news
on his bibblehead night with Blake Snell tonight first, forty
thousand and they let him in an hour early. The
anticipation with the announcement of Otani's return. But for those
(25:58):
twenty eight pitches, I don't know. I said at the
edge of my seat. Well, we got the NBA Finals
game on, and that's all fine.
Speaker 1 (26:04):
The playoff game, you saw the equal They showed the
shots of all the fans who were there. They're all
there there early, and the media that was there covering it.
It wasn't just another Otani game like you could see that.
The tonight was special and Ota again, Otani looked good.
There was nothing bad tonight. There was nothing where I thought,
well he was doing this, or his his motion was
a little different, he was pulling off the nut. It
(26:25):
was just he has a pitch in two years. He
looked pretty good.
Speaker 3 (26:28):
Yeah, you're hitting that level on the radar gun. You're
feeling pretty good about it. You're feeling watching him work
in other pitches, which is great. And again the two
hits were bloops. All right, guess right, but didn't get
all of it because that's the thing, right, is he
gonna be throwing dead red fastballs just trying to figure
out his space. No, I mean playing the work, work,
(26:50):
the plan, and those twenty eight pitches reverberate around baseball
because it's an exciting day for the game. You see
the crowd in attendance. Obviously, have the pot, you have
the bobble ahead night. You got a lot of factors.
Speaker 1 (27:02):
But it's a.
Speaker 3 (27:03):
Monday night on early summer, and folks asses in seats
long before that seven to ten pitch in anticipation. Again,
we had the NBA Finals game on where were your eyes?
Mine were on every pitch that the guy threw.
Speaker 1 (27:15):
Yeah, I mean because look because well actually I was
playing Solitaire, and then I would watch the game when
I had a chance. So you are you were multitask Yeah,
you know, I'd watch a multi multitasking Otani would throw
a pitch, I would check the score, I would make
a play on you know, you put the red seven
on the black eight, and then I would realize, okay,
maybe that's our whole line. Yeah, I didn't know you
(27:36):
gotta put you got an alternate red and black cars.
I did not know that. Who knew? I did not?
It's crazy about that. But I'll also tell you this now,
and Otani is opening now because I'm going to go
back to what I've said from the beginning, is that
eventually the best thing for him is to be a closer. Right.
The opener is great for now because Obviously you want
him in there with less pressure situations, and he hasn't
pitched in a couple of years. You know, look, I'm
(27:58):
not saying, hey throw him right out there in the ninth,
but once he gets back, what's gonna be the better
strategy of keeping him healthy and throwing for you every
single season? Is it gonna be starting? No, we've seen
him already, two big arm surgeries before he was thirty
years old. Do you really think he's gonna be able
to withstand and pitch one hundred and fifty innings now,
(28:19):
Dannevin two or one hundred and fifty? No, he's not.
We've shown you he can't do it, and he's and
again now that he's thirty one, you want to make
sure you sign him with that big contract. You're getting
the most out of him. And while he still has
stuff that's filthy, he'd be great to have him every
fifth day. But you know, you want to think, at
some point, well we have our starting pitches coming back,
think about what it would mean to make him a closer.
(28:40):
He's got the stuff to close, he's got the mentality
to close. You don't have to worry about the pitching
and the lineup all game. Well, you have a DH,
you lose a DH. If you're putting him in there
the ninth inning to close, you have the lead. This
is what works, and you think about what it would
mean for the team, the bolt of energy, what would
mean closing at home when you're putting him on the
mount of the night thinning. It's a big, big advantage
(29:02):
the Dodger would have and that's gonna keep him in
the in the pitching orbit for the next few years.
We've seen that happen at pitchers before, whether it's Dennis
Eckersley or John Smoltz, when the stress on their arms
became too much, or maybe as a we couldn't they
couldn't start anymore, they went and had Hall of Fame
careers as closures, and they closed until they were thirty
nine forty years old. Like Otani could have a five
(29:25):
six seven year careers an elite closer, because he can
do it for an inning every three or four days,
you could do he can. He can give you sixty
some Aditningszy, I feel really good about Otani sixty sixty
five innings a year pitching in you know every three
or four games that I would feel about anything else. Really, Okay,
then we'll keep them on the mountain. You've taken care
of the ninth inning.
Speaker 3 (29:45):
I like the theory, right, and certainly you still get
the unicorn aspect of it. And he'll have to pick
a really killer closer song. So I'd love to see
what that contest becomes.
Speaker 1 (29:56):
I love la that would be a song Wow finishes
and dunk dude. But he played it at four and
they play it after they play it before.
Speaker 3 (30:06):
And a does he have it in his contract that
Randy Newman has to show up and deliver it personally?
Speaker 1 (30:11):
Oh yeah, like Timmy Trumpet playing yeah, playing Edward Yeah, yeah, yeah.
It's just no, we have the best wreck in the
National League. It's just Timmy Trumpet, just Timmy Trumpet, Timmy Trumpet,
Jimmy Timpy, Timmy Timpy, tim be to b Il Trumpet,
tim bil Trumpet, Timmy Trumpet. Uh no, there you go,
there you play, you play Rady Newman after every strikeout, dude.
Speaker 3 (30:33):
The curiosity it just becomes with it, right of how
much he wants to push versus right, you know. And
Dave Roberts, who's usually on the cautious side with his
pictures and and let's face it, you know, Tim Fay,
you mentioned the fact that he's already had two surgeries,
and yeah, the last pitching appearance was you know, on
the twenty third of August and twenty twenty three. He
(30:54):
got it out for another week and then he had
to go on the shelf. So while we have proof
of concept while covering he can hit and run. That
was also with a full off season recovery. So you
don't want to tempt fate with a team that's destined
to me playing meaningful baseball in October. So trying to
figure out where the metrics are. And look, this is
(31:15):
where you have to have some outside consultants as well.
Speaker 1 (31:17):
I'll just track record with pictures. The less you can pitched,
the better off you're gonna be. Telling you again, Osaki
may not preturn time now to find out what's trending
in the wide world of sports. Man has been called
the Randy Newman of Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 2 (31:32):
Hello Newman.
Speaker 1 (31:33):
He has deep feelings about the Imperial Highway. If Steve
Disager that is one of the lines.
Speaker 6 (31:38):
For those who are unaware, Imperial Highway is simply a
long street, not at all notable Aside from the songs.
Speaker 1 (31:47):
Stormers are on either side if they stand there as
you go buy Darth Vader.
Speaker 6 (31:51):
Lanes had the right syllables compared to what roadscrans.
Speaker 1 (31:58):
I can't say one oh five. Instead, I'll just say
Imperial Highway. That looks better. I don't know.
Speaker 6 (32:04):
It's like the Missus Robinson saw that. That is what
Paul Simon said. One picky mandles have come. I Hi,
how come you can get tomasho in there? I didn't
get a syllablesmith, Sorry.
Speaker 1 (32:15):
Four O five, one oh one, west Man, I'm getting
all the way to Universal Studios. Get on the five,
get off on that south exit, make that turning. Then
you want to look it.
Speaker 6 (32:27):
This could be an episode of the California.
Speaker 1 (32:31):
Well the.
Speaker 2 (32:36):
No.
Speaker 6 (32:39):
Just for the record, there's a reason why people who
live in southern California talk freeways. I went to a
March Madness game driving from La to Anaheim. One's literally
took eleven different freeways to get Yeah, Steve.
Speaker 1 (32:54):
I totally thought you were gonna say it took you
eleven hours.
Speaker 7 (32:57):
Well that too, eleven hours, eleven freeways, eleven hours, eleven
three with Dodgers are onto their sixth pitcher of the night,
and they'll use the rest of the staff no doubt
tomorrow night, because yet again it'll be a bullpen game show.
Speaker 6 (33:12):
Hey O'tani opened tonight's game in the first inning against
the Padres, allowed one run on a sack fly.
Speaker 1 (33:18):
It's now LA six y three in the lead.
Speaker 6 (33:20):
Over San Diego. In the top of the eighth, Otani
as a hitter, and yes he's still DH still leading
off in the order. Hit an RBI double in the third,
RBI single in the fourth. Everything else is final. The
A's have just hit a walk off homer. Beat Houston
three to one. Nick Kurtz the hero, the loss to
reliever Brian abra You. Houston had won five in a row.
(33:40):
Boston won at six straight game two nothing at Seattle.
Lucas Giolito the winning pitcher, six scoreless innings, ten strikeouts, rookie.
Speaker 1 (33:48):
Roman Anthony with a home run.
Speaker 6 (33:50):
Each team's offense went just four for thirty at Seattle.
Tampa Bay seven to one over Baltimore. The winner Ryan Pepio,
former Dodger, eight innings, eleven strikeouts for the Red High
Rays Angels in eleven innings, won one nothing over the Yankees.
Speaker 1 (34:04):
In New York.
Speaker 6 (34:04):
The Yanks left bases loaded in the bottom of the eleven.
In fact, the Yankee lineup with runners in scoring position
one for eighteen. Tonight, Colorado hit two homers in the
top of the ninth and won six to four at Washington.
Nationals have lost nine straight. Philadelphia won its fifth straight game,
five to two at Miami. In Game five in the
NBA Finals, Oklahoma City, a winner over Indiana, won twenty
(34:27):
to one oh nine forty points for Jalen Williams, three
games to two lead for the Thunder Game six at Indiana.
On Thursday. At the FIFA Club World Cup, Chelsea beat
LAFC two to nothing in Atlanta. LAFC had won a
playoff recently for the final spot in this big tournament.
The playoff winner, just by getting into this tourney gets
at least nine and a half million dollars in guaranteed
(34:49):
prize money in a tournament that is shared by the
big clubs like Real Madrid, who opens this week. Manchester City.
Bayern Munich won ten to nothing today yesterday in Cincinnati.
Turns out they were playing a completely amateur side in
Auckland City, but hey, a win's a win.
Speaker 1 (35:04):
Back to you. Thank you, Steve, Jason Smith, Mike Harmon
live from the Fox Sports Radio Studios coming up next. Yeah,
we get into a guy that's going to dominate the
conversation in sports. The next twenty four hours, you will
hear from the man who didn't bring us enough, Tyre's Halliburton.
That's next, Jason and Mike Fuffa Fuff of Fox Sports
Radio Radio Radio not a Superstar.
Speaker 2 (35:28):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Jason Smith
Show with Mike Harmon weekdays at ten pm Eastern, seven
pm Pacific.
Speaker 1 (35:37):
Fox Sports Radio. The Jason Smith Show with My best
friend Mike Carmon. Thunderbeat the Pacers tonight, one twenty to
one oh nine. Oklahoma City is one game away from
the NBA title and while yes, big stuff to talk
about with Jalen Williams and SGA, the conversation surrounds Tyres Halliburton,
(35:59):
who had one of the worst NBA Finals game a
quote star has ever had. Was bad tonight, dinged up
his calf, came back into the game still played the
second most minutes of anyone on the Pacers oh for
six from the floor, four points, seven rebounds, and six
assists as the Pacers fall one game away from elimination.
(36:23):
So what was at the core and the root of
his game? What's his status like for game six? Here
was Haliburton just a few moments ago. I mean's NBA Finals.
Speaker 8 (36:32):
It's the finals, man, I've worked my whole life to
be here, and I want to be out there to compete,
you know how my teammates anyway, I can you know,
I was not great tonight by any means, but uh,
you know, it's not really a.
Speaker 5 (36:46):
Thought of mine to to not play here. You know,
if I fucking uh you know, walk and then I
want to play, so you know they understand that, and uh,
you know is what it is, and uh you know,
I'll be ready to go Game six.
Speaker 1 (37:01):
All right. I would say, I mean play or or
like really try to affect the game, like like because
you played tonight, but you didn't really affect the game
you played. I saw you it was a decoy. No,
I think show it decoy was the better decoy tonight
than Halliburton, who was a decoy. And you take that back.
I said decoy was the better decoy tonight. I just
(37:22):
threw it up.
Speaker 3 (37:23):
As an option in a Okay, you guys want to
bludgeon me with the baseball bat, have at it in
the pit.
Speaker 1 (37:28):
Oh okay, he's just giving us permission to hitim with
a baseball back, all right, I want ahead. This is
this is like, that's that's a face. This is like,
that's what are you doing? That's seen from airplane touching
the hair where the woman was hysterical. They all waited
in line with all different things that all the different implements. Yeah,
I'm distracted pipe the Uh yeah, look, here's the deal.
(37:49):
Halliburton was awful tonight and there's no way through it. Yeah,
it's yet another game in which Haliburton shows up and
plays tentative, which we saw from anthonyards right, very very
similar couple of games a series where Anthony Edwards is
tentative and all of a sudden the Tea Wolves find
themselves on the losing end and they go home. Because
(38:10):
when you're a superstar, you can't have games like that.
You can't he tentative, and Halliburton is the same guy,
and stars can't have games like this. He's tended to. Look,
you heard Rick Buker talk about it earlier this hour
where he said, you know he picks up his dribble
too much. He doesn't get in. I don't know what
he's doing. I don't know why, but this is what
Halliburton is doing. He doesn't get aggressive. TJ McConnell pushes
(38:31):
the ball. That's why it such a big night tonight.
He pushes the ball into the paint. And I'm telling
you watch Tyres Halliburton play. He is a front running player.
When he can start out well and affect the game,
he has an incredible game when he can start out
okay enough. Maybe won't have a great game, but he
still can have games like Game one where I'll hit
the game winning shot at the endzill a pretty good
(38:52):
all around game, like a fourteen ten and six game.
I'll still love that kind of night, right. But when
he gets stopped early and all, he starts out zero
for four and there's no points the first five or
six minutes, he's done. He's done for the game. He
is in the tank. He doesn't come back from that.
So all of a sudden, if I'm the thunder, I
go oh boom. You could just shut him down the
(39:13):
first five six minutes when he can't overcome adversity This
is when he has games like this tonight where he
doesn't affect the game, he doesn't get in, he doesn't
find a way. SGA always finds a way if it's
not my night. He gets his teammates involved, he gets
the free throw line. This is what superstars do. It's
why he still scores thirty points a night even when
it's not his night. Tonight with Jalen Williams Knight still
(39:34):
SGA had thirty and ten because he's that good. But
Haliburton is someone who just has games where if you can,
if you stop him in the beginning, he just completely
goes into a mode where it's almost like shutdown, like
when your battery goes in a low power mode. Hey,
we're gonna shut down and go to low power mode.
Because that's how and it happens to him at least
a couple times a series. And if you're a superstar player,
you don't have that happen, but it still happens him
(39:56):
because he's a front runner.
Speaker 3 (39:57):
What's funny is we did get to the the point
where down towards the eight and a half minute mark,
you have the three point make from Pascal Siakam and
party is like, all right, is does he have anything
in him?
Speaker 1 (40:11):
Right?
Speaker 3 (40:11):
Are we going to get one of those where he's
been ineffective, invisible much of the night, but then suddenly
in the two minutes you get a burst. And the
answer was a resounding no. Quite obviously, But but you
just open the door because we've seen it before, or
we've seen him passive, we've seen the teammates pick him up,
whether it's McConnell or we've seen Mathn with his heroics
(40:33):
throughout the playoffs, Pascal Siakam again hitting that three point shot.
He had three on the night and they made it
a two point game. To all of a sudden, you're
all right, the door is open for him to have
one of these, put the cape on and get it done.
But a couple of turnovers made, a couple of free throws,
had to assist, but overall ineffective and down the stretch.
(40:53):
Nobody that could count on a bunch of bad passes.
And even though Alex Caruso, the guy we've seen offensively
for the Thunder, has been huge. He neutralized these guys
on the defensive end every fifty to fifty ball his way.
Speaker 1 (41:06):
If you really want to be a star. You find
a way to stay aggressive, you find a way to
affect the game and not just basically pack it in
for the game, which is what he did well back
to back third All NBA teams. You're expecting more come
up next, a big hot take on NBA Finals ratings
and the word that might really come back to haunt
the pacer.
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Jason Smith
Mike Harmon
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