Nerd Sesh - Game 3 Reactions: Nuggets OUTLAST Thunder, Cavs BEST Pacers - The Volume

Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
The volume. Oh my god, how could he do that?

Speaker 2 (00:18):
What Charles Darwin? The nerves is where it's at. Welcome
everybody back into Nerd Sesh as always, I'm Carson Bradburn.
Alongside me is Logan Camden and you already know the drill.
We have some amazing playoff basketball to talk about today,
and I really truly do mean that. The chaos, the

(00:39):
mayhem just continues, and we got another incredible down to
the wire finish in Game three of Nuggets Thunder. For
the second time in three games in this series. Logan
Denver comes out with a win in the most dramatic
fashion possible. Once again, it is Aaron Gordon hitting a
big shot, not a game winner, but a tire this

(01:00):
time in regulation to send things to overtime where Denver
pulls away and wins this game. And they did this
in spite of the worst Nikola Jokic game we've seen
in the playoffs since he reached an MVP level as
a basketball player.

Speaker 1 (01:16):
I would see I think this was worse than the
one earlier in these playoffs, because I know you had
the same take about like.

Speaker 2 (01:22):
No, no, no, no no. What I said in that game
was that was the least impactful he'd been in a win.
But he didn't really do anything that was hurting the
Nuggets in that game. He just wasn't super efficient. Then
he just wasn't super involved down the Stretchcas, I think
Jamal really took over. He was horrible in this game.
He had eight turnovers, He was eight of twenty five
from the field, He was oh of ten from deep.

(01:43):
How did Denver manage to win this game?

Speaker 1 (01:46):
Down the last logan, It's honestly a little bit of
both sides. I think this is in part a little
bit of an Oklahoma City choke. But you got to
give credit for Denver staying around in this game. And
this is what I said about Denver coming into this
series and after they eked out a close win earlier
in this series. The Denver Nuggets are like a radio
active cockroach. You can't kill them like you have got

(02:09):
to slam the door when the opportunity presents itself on
this team, because I'll tell you, Carson, they're one of
the if I was the opposing team, they would be
like they strike the most fear in me in terms
of the opposing team's clutch offense. They are the last
offense that includes like great offenses like Indiana and Cleveland,

(02:30):
who were Number one and very high up there this season. Denver,
to me, is still the scariest late game offense in
basketball and the team you least want lingering around late
in an important basketball game. And it's because of the
gravity that like Jokic and Jamal can still garner even
when Jokic is having an off game. But that's a

(02:51):
component of it. But it's really the supporting cast in
this game. First, guy, I want to give props to
Michael Porter Junior. All of the Denver supporting cast pulled
their weight tonight. But I have been very critical of
MPJ throughout these playoffs in this series. One, I want
to direct a apology first and foremost MPJ for how
we were talking about him earlier in this series, because

(03:14):
I didn't know his shoulder injury was this severe. Like
I knew it was bad, I didn't know it was
to the extent that the broadcasters were talking about tonight.

Speaker 2 (03:21):
Like okay, speak for yourself on that one, because I didn't.

Speaker 1 (03:24):
I didn't know it was this ridiculous, like they were
really gassing it up earlier in this game. I didn't
know we.

Speaker 2 (03:29):
Mentioned that it's an ac sprain, you're supposed to sit out.
I think it's normally like four weeks.

Speaker 1 (03:36):
That being said, I don't think it excuses the effort
that we've gotten out of MPJ over these last couple
of games. But to play through to pain, I think
is one thing, But to produce while you're dealing with
that pain is truly remarkable.

Speaker 2 (03:47):
Hit.

Speaker 1 (03:47):
A bunch of big shots was hustling. We're having a
bunch of boards super imperative to this victory. The next guy,
Aaron Gordon, I think you got to give props to
You mentioned the late shot, but I mean he does
everything for his team, and AG is one of those
guys I want on my team in a big spot, Dude,
he does not fear the moment. AG stays ready. I
mean he's doing like Robert horri shit in these playoffs, Carson,

(04:09):
any big spot, he is delivering. And then you gotta
give proft to Jamal Murray. Who dude, when Jamal enters
that flow state, I'm gonna just get out the way.

Speaker 2 (04:20):
Dude.

Speaker 1 (04:20):
It was like he was moving in slow motion in
this game. The way it felt like he controlled it.
Man to finishes at the basket. The defensive stopped late
in this game on JADUB, like to see that happening
like that was such a big play. That turnover into
the bucket was huge tonight. And to with stand a
Yokich game like this is super, super impressive, the collective shooting,

(04:42):
the defense. What a win for Denver, man, and what
a collapse for Okay See. I just think this is
an excusable loss on their end, and I think that
lays mostly at the feet of Sga. But this is
why I said the series is gonna go game seven.

Speaker 3 (04:57):
Man.

Speaker 1 (04:57):
I thought the Nuggets were gonna eke out some of
these close games, and they really have. Okay s He's
got to do a better job of slam than the
door man. I mean, this clutch offense is one of
the scariest I've ever seen.

Speaker 2 (05:09):
This is how Denver wins this series. They have to
be flawless in these clutch games because, as we talked
about after Game two, like OKAC is the team with
the potential to run the other out of the gym
when everything is working for them, just because they play
so hard, they're so athletic, they can force so many
turnovers and then if they're also locked in offensively and
they're shooting the ball really well, they can just pull

(05:30):
away from you and separate at a rate that nobody
else can. Denver can't do that to Okay. See, but
what Denver can do is out execute them in the clutch,
And so far they're two of two executing that formula
in those clutch games, and it's given them a two
to one series lead. But Denver right now is showing
an ability to do something that they never have before,

(05:51):
and that is when when Nikole Jokic is bad or
completely unremarkable in the playoffs, like this is not a
one off. Now, this was exceptional because Okac is so
good and Jokic was so bad. But Game seven against
the Clippers, the Nuggets were dominant in a well below
average Jokich performance. Well below average Game five against the Clippers,

(06:13):
the Nuggets were dominant in a well below average Jokis performance.
And now in this one, Okase executed their game plan
against him to perfection. They were super physical, they were
aggressive with the doubles, they were so feisty and pestering
with their hands, and they had him in hell. He
had eight turnovers in this game logan, he has more

(06:34):
turnovers than assists in this series. Nikol Jokic is averaging
seven turnovers per game. And then what happens is he's
getting so flustered and frustrated with all of this pressure
on the interior, all these extra bodies coming at him
and all these hands swiping at the ball and all
this physicality, that they start getting him to settle and
he starts living behind the three point line. Yogics had

(06:54):
an amazing three point shooting season, but he's not as
consistently great from beyond the arc as he is in
the of course, and he was way off in this one.
He was zero of ten from deep. So every single
box that they could have wanted to check they checked
perfectly in terms of guarding Jokic. And guess what overcame that,
Jamal Murray giving you an efficient twenty seven points and

(07:16):
eight assists in so many clutch buckets down the stretch
of this game, a lot of them difficult, man, A
tough step back over, iHeart off, a switch, so much
difficult shot making with lou Dort attached to him, pretty well,
a couple of really tough finishes. Aaron Gordon twenty two
points on eleven shots. He continues to show that he
has taken maybe the most dramatic single season jump shooting

(07:40):
leap I've ever seen from a player of his age. Man, Like,
the only comparisons I can really even draw would be
like an Al Horford or a Brook Lopez, who became
volume three point shooters late into their career because the
game had changed, but those guys always had shooting touch,
like in every way. As a jump shooter, Aaron Gordon

(08:00):
an entirely different player. He was under thirty percent from
mid range last year. He was a fifty percent mid
range shooter this year. He was twenty nine percent from
deep last year. He is forty three percent from deep
this season. He was sixty five percent from the line
last year. He's eighty one percent from the line this year.
And time and again it has been that jump shooting
that has come through the game one game winner, and

(08:22):
you just see it, like in a multitude of different ways.
He's comfortable pulling in transition. He just walks in to
a pull up three against drop late in this game,
and then obviously he hits the big one, And I
don't know how you could possibly lose Gordon in a
semi transition spot like that, Like he is one of
the most lethal dudes on the floor.

Speaker 1 (08:41):
I think the dude in the Coroner whoever his garden
and was trying to play off the Murray yoke pick
and roll. Yeah, I think he just gambled too much.
And Gordon Gordon can't say that. Man, Gordon stays ready.

Speaker 2 (08:50):
Can't do that. It's incredible how fluid his release is,
how good his touch is. Now, Like Aaron Gordon has
been an elite shooter of the basketball and to end
this year, and that's not going to change at this point.
Like that's who he is now. So that makes him
a different level of basketball player. And he already was
so damn good.

Speaker 1 (09:08):
One of the best role players in basketball. Like, if
you were asking me to draft a role player, like
you know, we exclude stars, Gordon would be one of
the first names off the board for me. Man.

Speaker 2 (09:18):
Yeah, he's a top fifty player in the league. So
he's extremely impactful and like role player, it's such a
weird term because a guy like Gordon is still.

Speaker 1 (09:25):
He's an elite defender, an elite connector, like now that
he's an elite shooter, like it's he's he's a perfect man.

Speaker 2 (09:33):
He's just incredible. And then MPJ, I thought, really kept
them in this game in the first half just with
that sort of ridiculous contested shot making from beyond the
arc that he's capable of. And he's just one of
the most special pure jump shooting talents we've seen in
this league, and to do that in spite of the
energy is so impressive. And to do it while he's
being engaged in this game.

Speaker 1 (09:54):
Did you see that loose ball he grab two.

Speaker 2 (09:57):
With the lock man he was fighting, He was fighting
in this one, and that was absolutely massive. So I
don't think there's any question that Denver supporting cast is
the story of the playoffs for them, because this is overall,
if we look at the ten playoff games that we've
gotten from Yokic, very easily the worst that he has
played in the playoffs since he reached that MVP level. Like,

(10:17):
there have been a number of clunkers. Game two obviously
was one. He's faced a couple of really difficult defensive matchups,
but Minnesota was an extremely difficult defensive matchup, and like
he always found a way to still put up monster
production against them, and solve them in some really big
moments like Games four and five last year, or to
the best offensive games back to back I've ever seen
from a player. This year, he has not been nearly

(10:40):
at that level of consistency that we're accustomed to. And
here the Nuggets are. Man, They're up to one on
the Thunder. I just think you have to give so
much credit to that. For so much of the year
you felt was holding Jokic back or was limiting this
team in various ways, and now it's like they're the
ones who are stepping up and they're the heroes of
this journey.

Speaker 1 (11:01):
Do you think OKC defends Jokic better than anybody else
in the league.

Speaker 2 (11:06):
I think that they are just flat out, by far,
the best defense in the league. So I think they
have incredible versatility. I think that they certainly force him
into turnovers at a rate that nobody else can match.
I think that they frustrate him with their raw activity
and their speed certainly more than anybody else. Zoo was
certainly the guy who guards him best on an island,

(11:26):
but the Thunder don't even try to do that. So
I think that Jokic has faced the two most difficult
defenses that he could have, Like I think the Clippers
in the Thunder, in very different ways defend him better
than anybody else. But that still doesn't excuse this performance.
And yet the Nuggets won this game. And I just
would not have believed you if you told me coming
into this series that they won a game where Jokic

(11:47):
was eight of twenty five with eight turnovers. Now, part
of this is Shay being so bad on the other end,
both superstars really really struggled, but I still wouldn't have
believed you.

Speaker 1 (11:56):
I mean, I think that a part of it is
that championship composure from Denver Oklahoma City. This is still
the final prove it test to me with Oklahoma City
that they have to get over. It's closing games out confidently,
and really it's something that they didn't deal with a
lot in the regular season, and that's why I think

(12:16):
it's posing such a big challenge for this team now
that they're going up against it. Not that they didn't
have close games or close finishes in the regular season,
but a lot of their victories were blowouts, were by
really large margins where they're just running the other team
off the floor, and so you can just coast and
go on cruise control. Denver is one of these teams
that is battle tested and then already did it and
got to their championship. And the way they did it

(12:38):
was the way they won this game. It's late game
offense and just better execution in the most important stretch
of games, and that's where Oklahoma City I think leaves
the most to be desired. I thought SGA was pretty
bad start to finish in this game. This is one
of the worst games I've seen him play this year,
bar none. SGA looked really rattled, even down to late

(12:58):
in this game into overtime. I thought their late game
execution was horrible in the overtime period. Now, I don't
want to give them a pass for that, I do
think their confidence was rattled. I think when Denver put
this thing into OT I think all of Oklahoma City's
confidence just evaporated instantly. It was like a punch to

(13:18):
the gut that takes the air out of your system,
Like damn, we let that slip through the fingers and
you just kind of felt like all the momentum it
shifted in this game was wraps. But even down to
their process I thought was bad. It was a lot
of attacking and isolation one v one. That's not how
this team generates good looks. And damn man, they waste

(13:40):
a great Jada game. Dude, Jada firing me up in
this one. But that's what it came down to. And
I think this is the final test that Oklahoma City's
got to prove man, and it's really rough on Sga. Man,
this is the worst game I've seen him play, and
I think he's probably the biggest okase. He didn't shoot
well either from behind the arc in this game. The
shooting discrepancy was really large, and I think that was

(14:02):
definitely a component. But the guy that I'm gonna lay
this at defeat the most is definitely Sga. This is
again one of the worst games I've seen him play
this year, and he's my MVP.

Speaker 2 (14:13):
Yeah, he was really bad, and especially down the stretch.
This entire offense was out of sorts. But Shay is
supposed to be the guy who can stabilize, who can
cover all that up, and who can consistently get you
a great shot in the half court, and instead I
just thought there were stretches of this game throughout the
first three quarters where he was playmaking really well, even
though he had a bad scoring first half, I thought

(14:35):
that he was creating some good shots for teammates, and
he was penetrating the zone, getting into the middle and
finding other guys for open looks. And then in the
third quarter, I thought that he got going as a scorer,
but down the stretch time and again, I just thought
that he settled for some really tough pull up looks
when the defense loaded up on him, instead of swinging
the ball and just getting things moving right, like if

(14:59):
there's two on you, if your side is loaded up,
then you have an advantage elsewhere. And he just did
not do a good job of diagnosing that. He also
specifically really relied on the step back threes in isolation
because he didn't want to deal with all the traffic
it was in those paintspecially late.

Speaker 1 (15:14):
That was one of the last shots that he went to,
and it just confused me because that's the that's the
shot that I want to give you if I'm the defense,
Like I'm happy with that.

Speaker 2 (15:22):
Well, especially right now, I mean, Shay has not shot
the three well in these playoffs. He's at like twenty
seven percent. So there was a time in this game
where it was like, Okay, he's under control, and he's
getting consistently into the paint, and he's finishing well, and
the short shot making is pretty good and the playmaking
is pretty good, and that just all fell apart in
the home stretch when his team needed him most.

Speaker 1 (15:42):
He looked rattled.

Speaker 2 (15:43):
Yeah, absolutely, absolutely. I think that the entire OKC team
outside of Jadab looked rattled. And that's why we can
talk about the dudes for Denver stepping up and they
deserve so much credit. But Jadab was really phenomenal in
this game. I thought that he was so good getting
down hill consistently, but he also saw just like some
of his bad work bag work, his herky jerkiness. He

(16:05):
hits such a nasty up and under, and then last
couple possessions like Shaye is bleeding the shot clock and
like he knows that that double is coming eventually and
he's kind of either jacking up a pretty tough shot
or in overtime, you see him a couple of times
try to get the ball to iHeart, whose pushot was
off late in this one, but Jadub hits a three

(16:25):
off the catch when Shae finds him off a double
as the shot clock is winding down. That was huge.
Next possession, Jadub draws a foul attacking off the catch
off of a Shade double. So like he did his
job throughout this entire game and on those last couple
possessions of regulation to win this team the game in
spite of Shay's really bad performance. But then in overtime,
nobody was good for Okay. See, I thought their entire

(16:47):
process was bad. I thought that Jadob started forcing a
couple of very questionable drives into packed paints. I heart
just looked super tight, man. I mean, he was missing
those push shots there badly. When early in this game,
first quarter he was automatic. I mean, obviously he's like
sixty percent on those shots. So their entire offense was
very stagnant. It was very ice so heavy, and obviously,

(17:10):
like Shay is a special isolationist, but he wasn't in
this game. He was really really struggling in this game.
And they're loading up and they're packing paints, and I
just think the thunder have to do a better job
of getting the ball moving. Shooters have to be more
comfortable off the catch, Like lou Dort looked like he
didn't want to take a look late this game. The
last three he did take he bricked so badly. Chet

(17:30):
stopped wanting to take looks off the catch like this
really felt like an experienced thing, which I've been someone
who has downplayed. I'm like, okay SE's just so great,
but in these clutch moments, Denver has been here so
many times. Their process is so automatic, and even when
Jokic is off, Jamal is just one of the best
difficult shot makers the two man game is going to

(17:51):
get great shots. He can make something special happens. Man,
they know what they're going to they know their bread
and butter, and Okayse just did not have that at all.
And it was the stars and the role players alike.
They all were just totally out of sorts.

Speaker 1 (18:05):
And what really didn't make sense to me about Oklahoma
City is one again, I think this is an excusable
loss with what you got out of Jokic, and but
more importantly, the strangest thing to me was how the
momentum completely flipped like one eighty in this game, because
I'd say for the first three quarters into the beginning

(18:25):
of the fourth, I thought Oklahoma City was dictating. I
thought they were kind of bullying and moving Denver around
like they were playing physical with them.

Speaker 2 (18:34):
I mean, they were getting great shots. The only thing
that kept them from pulling away by Moore was the
outside shooting. They were missing good looks from three.

Speaker 1 (18:42):
I mean they were manufacturing. And that is where I
want to also be critical of Yokic, because it was
a really bad Yokic offensive game. I thought it was
a really bad Jokic defensive game in the beginning too,
just a lot of easy straight line drives and again,
these guys aren't easy to guard. It's not easy guarding
a jade ub, but it was just too easy, and
I felt like Okase was really winning the physicality battle.

(19:06):
And then in the fourth all of that went away,
like they just they crumbled. I don't know a better
word for it.

Speaker 2 (19:13):
No, that is what happened. And I agree okay See
was getting what they wanted in the paint. Jokis just
obviously has his limitations as a rimp protector, not being
a vertical athlete. Like I thought he made some plays
with his hands. I thought that he was fine defensively
in this game. I thought they were really struggling to
contain the ball for most of this game early on,
so okay See was getting great shots until they weren't,

(19:36):
and down the stretch they really really weren't. They also
were busting Denver's ass on the glass, which like should
not happen. The Nuggets have the size advantage, they are
the better rebounding team, but okay See was just so
much quicker to the ball. They were so much more active.
So they go plus thirteen. They're getting great shots and
they just couldn't make enough of them. And then there

(19:58):
couldn't have been a more drastic difference in terms of
the comfort between these two teams down the stretch, special
stuff from Jamal Murray, Like I think he mpj Aaron Gordon,
they all need their credit, but it really is Jamal
who just shines down the stretch and playoff Jamal Murray, Man,
we're seeing him right now.

Speaker 1 (20:15):
It's awesome. Jortin they got clutch on ninety nine. Man.

Speaker 2 (20:18):
They do also huge. The Nuggets won the non Jokic
minus today. Man, they were plus four and the non Yoksmiths.
A lot of that was MPG shooting the shit out
of the ball in those minutes, so like they checked
every box around Jokic at such an incredibly high level
that they were still able to pull this one out
even though he could not have played worse in this
basketball game. And he makes a couple of shots in

(20:39):
ot but they had to get there, man, in spite
of him being as bad as he was.

Speaker 1 (20:43):
Jokic play made well and stuff. But like it's the standard,
it's the standard of the Yokas.

Speaker 2 (20:47):
Come on, man, Yeah, let's be real, we're as big
of Yokis glazers as they come. He played horribly. Yeah,
the best player in the world. We want to talk
about him as the best player in the world. Like
there's no if sands or butts. You have to hold
him to a standard, and this is so so so
far below his standard.

Speaker 1 (21:01):
Yeah, I'm not cutting him slack. I'm just saying he
did play make a right, but he and he had
won layup. I think at the end it was a
pretty big like they needed a bucket. But yeah, this
is to the rim, really easy to It's one of
the worst Yokic games I've seen though, man, And for
Denver to survive it, it's it's ridiculous.

Speaker 2 (21:20):
Man.

Speaker 1 (21:20):
I I if you had told me, like you said, Man,
if you had told me coming into this series, that
the Nuggets would be up two to one, I would
have said, all right, Denver's nice, they got Yokic, I
can buy it. Two to one like this, no shot,
no shot. I'm so I'm really disappointed in Oklahoma City.
And now ironically the pressures on them. Man, you gotta

(21:42):
steal a game because they stole the game on your floor.
You got to get that lick back. And if they don't,
I'm really nervous. Like, obviously, three to one, it's a
really hard hole to dig out, you know, dig out
of anyway. But yeah, I'm I'm nervous for Oklahoma City. Man,
I am, like, I don't. It feels like they're reeling
and on the ropes right now.

Speaker 2 (22:01):
I do think there's a lot of positive indicators for
OKC in a sense, and what I mean by that
is they are doing an unbelievable job on Jokic, and
outside of the fourth quarter of Game one, that has
been consistent throughout this entire series. Like, he put up
big numbers in the first three quarters in Game one,
but he was turning the ball over a lot. He

(22:21):
wasn't efficient. Game two, he was really bad. At Game three,
he was really bad. That's huge to be able to
give him as much trouble as they have. There are
certain areas where out in transition they are consistently winning.
The fact that they were able to win on the
glass in a game like this, like TJ McConnell had
a quote that I really liked recently, playing hard is
a skill, and Denver's been playing hard in this game. Obviously,

(22:42):
Game two they didn't play hard whatsoever. They didn't even
show up to that game mentally. But nobody plays harder
than OKC, so that is consistent. I still trust their
depth more. I think for the most part they will
win the non superstar minutes. And again they got a
lot of good shots, but they didn't make those shots,
and so you feel like they have to create a
lot of separation to feel confident in them winning the

(23:03):
game because if they don't, if it comes down to
another spot like this in game four, game five, game six,
game seven, like I'm gonna be more confident in Denver
in that spot. They showed the stat Okay sees average
margin to victory in this matchup is twenty seven points
and Denver's is five point seven. Like that's very fitting,
and you know that that's how Denver has to win
these games, and you think that's hard to do four times,

(23:25):
but the gap in those spots has been big. So
I still think okay See is clearly the better basketball team.
But the better basketball team doesn't always win, like okay
See will have the higher point differential in this series.
That's not the objective though. We're not measuring net rating here.
We're measuring who can win four out of seven games,
And whether you win by thirty or you win by three,

(23:46):
it counts the same. That's Denver's advantage, man, Like you
trust them to win by three. So I still think
okay See is probably gonna win this series, but I
wouldn't be surprised if Denver did.

Speaker 1 (23:58):
You know what just reminds me of Carson?

Speaker 2 (24:00):
What does it remind you of? Man?

Speaker 1 (24:02):
Dude? The nineteen sixty World Series between the Yankees and
the Pirates.

Speaker 2 (24:05):
Man, tell me more such sharp.

Speaker 1 (24:09):
The Pirates end up winning this series, yeah, four to
three and seven. All the games the Yankees wins are
all blowouts, ten to nothing, sixteen to three. They're kicking
the Pirates ass, but the Pirates eke out and they
win all of the close games. And so to point
differential in then Yankees won, but the Pirates got four.
It's similar.

Speaker 2 (24:30):
I had a question, so are you saying that you
think Denver is gonna win this series? Is that what
you're saying with that comparison.

Speaker 1 (24:36):
No, my take originally was thunder and seven, and I
think we're building up to thunder and seven. I think that,
like you said, this is a really bad OKC game,
But holy shit, has everything had to go right for Denver?
And I don't want to take any This is not
me taking anything away from Denver in Game three or one,
but they defended Jokics really well. They shot like ass.

(24:58):
SGA had a whole game, no points, no buckets in
the fourth or overtime. To me, the shooting, this is
the best shooting team in the regular season. SGA was
the one of the best offensive players in basketball. I
don't expect them to crumble like that. I expect the
basketball pendulum to swing back into their favor. Here's what

(25:19):
I'm saying. I'm gonna stick to my guns, and I'm
will say thunder and seven, but I would not at
all be surprised if the Nuggets win this series. I'm
I'll put some respect on them. Man, I'm I'm thoroughly impressed.
I didn't want to ask you though. We haven't gotten
there yet. But if we do, if the Nuggets win
this thing, they get to the Western Conference Finals. Using
that big old brainy Ords Carson. Is there any team

(25:39):
that you can remember in basketball history that has fired
their coach mid season and went to the conference finals
or further midseason?

Speaker 2 (25:49):
Yeah, I mean there's a number of examples. Actually, you
have the six heat did it. You have the twenty
sixteen Cavs fired David Blatten they brought and Tylu. You
have the Lakers with Paul west Head in nineteen eighty two.
Those are all teams who went on to win the title.
Was there ever a team to do it with three

(26:10):
games remaining in the season.

Speaker 1 (26:11):
No.

Speaker 2 (26:11):
And that's why you can't overstate how impressive it is
that Denver has rallied and they have found their defensive
identity in big moments, and they are getting like such
phenomenal performances out of Aaron Gordon, out of Jamal Murray.
It's such a collective achievement and it is historically unprecedented.
When it comes down to where this series is headed,

(26:32):
from here, I would tend to agree and think that
the Thunders still gut it out and seven, and the
reason is what we've talked about. I do think they
have so much more margin and if they get one
clutch game, they'll win the series. Like Denver has to
be perfect in those spots, because Okase, he's gonna win
another game by fifteen to twenty. Like they can just
bludgeon you in a way that is so rare on

(26:54):
both sides of the ball, and that will happen again.
But shake Gilgess, Alexander Logan, this is unexcusable man. And
Jokic it was also unexcusable. Again, it just comes down to, like,
whose teammates were able to make enough plays down the stretch.
But at least Jokic made a couple of plays in overtime.
Sga was one of eight in the fourth quarter. Can't

(27:16):
do that, Man, just absolutely cannot excuse that. And in
the fourth quarter of Game one, it's Yoki who comes
in with eighteen. It's Yoki who has a superhuman performance
in that one. And Shay was not bad down the stretch.
But Shay was not great down the stretch of that game.
He definitely wasn't great. So he has got to play
at the level that he is capable of. And I
think a lot of it just comes down to playmaking,

(27:38):
to getting off the ball more quickly, to trusting his teammates,
to trying to get downhill and get the driving kick
games started. And then guys around him have to be
able to knock down shots, which again, like you haven't
felt great about them doing down the stretch. It really
is so mental. It feels so mental right now between
these two teams. That's Denver's big advantage. Anything else do

(27:59):
you want to say about this game? Logan, No, I.

Speaker 1 (28:04):
Think I think we hit on it. I mean, the
only thing, yeah, that I emphasize is just how bad
Oklahoma City shot from behind the three point line. Like
I think that Chet could have shot better. I think
Sga obviously Caruso. But yeah, I think it's gonna balance out. Man.
I think I said it when we came in, I
thought we were getting seven. I thought this is gonna

(28:24):
be an absolute war. And uh, this has been such
an awesome series, even with these collapses, like these two
games have been. I think the two best in the playoffs.

Speaker 2 (28:33):
Man, I guess that's great game.

Speaker 1 (28:36):
I guess if you're an Okay, I guess if you're
an OKC fan, maybe you don't feel that well. The
other Nuggets buzzer beater, I think the Nuggets and who
are your two favorite watches? I think the Nuggets, Nuggets,
and Pacers might beat there.

Speaker 2 (28:49):
They might Nugets, Thunder, Pacers, Calves, who ironically they're all
playing each other. Those are probably my four favorite teams
to watch. Off the top of my head. I couldn't
put this game up there, even though the ending was
so insane, just because like Shaye and it were both
so bad.

Speaker 1 (29:05):
Did you want to talk about the dumbass challenge it, Dan,
that's a good point, yeah, the hartensteinfol the dagnaal one, Yeah.

Speaker 2 (29:13):
Yeah, yeah. I mean that was a terrible challenge cost
him a timeout. But I don't know was there another
play that they would have wanted to use that challenge
for later? I can't think of one like chat Gott
Murray's arm on that contest. That's the only other call
that comes to mind that was like contested where they
would have been able to use it. So I didn't

(29:35):
think that cost them, but I did think that that
was a terrible challenge. Would you have a couple of
super chats. Mawi says, can't believe you guys ranked Chet
above Jadab.

Speaker 1 (29:42):
I have Chet above Jadob. I mean, look, yeah, one,
I say this about every sport. Every play with one
good game does not a player make. And I think
Jado's really great. Like, if there's one thing I might adjust,
I might slide Jada up in there and move like
I know, I won't say maybe I'm not gonna have
no cavat. I would slide Jada ub in there over
some of the guys I had in my top thirty,
I'd have him above Jaw. I think i'd probably have

(30:05):
him above Fox. I'm trying to think about that. I'm
really considering him over Jaylen Brown the way you did
in our list. So I think Jadob's top thirty. I
think I was too low on Jadab. I will say
that hand up the total impact that you're getting from Jadab, defense, rebounding,
and scoring. I think he is a top thirty player.
So I was too low on Jadab. That being said,

(30:27):
I would still have Chet above him. And despite chet
struggles in game one, the collapse, despite him not shooting
the ball well, in this one. I thought it was
a really impressive check game for the most part, especially
defensively in what you got from him on the glass,
So it might be closer between him and I would
have Jadob in my top thirty shoutout Jada, but I
would still have Chet above him.

Speaker 2 (30:46):
I do think it gets more interesting in a playoff
environment where that ability to create becomes so valuable. I
think that Chet is pretty clearly the more valuable regular
season player, but Jadub does have an ability to take
over again game like this down the stretch that Chet
does not. He doesn't have that level of offensive comfort.
That being said, so much of what Chet does that

(31:07):
is so insanely impactful isn't like super sexy necessarily. It's
being a top five defensive player on the planet protecting
the rim at an unfathomable level, which he did in
this game. You mentioned he was phenomenal on the boards
sixteen rebounds in total, and he was playing really well
offensively in the first half. He was getting out in transition,

(31:27):
he was using his speed to get past Jokic in
the half court, he was finishing a couple of lobs,
and then he really shot poorly down the stretch, so
I wouldn't be mad at all by a Jadab over
Chet take. I do think that Jadab has been the
better player in the playoffs overall, although they were very
close in Round one. They were both exceptional, but Jada
was really bad in Game one of this series, but

(31:47):
then he was good last game and he was great
in this one, so I wouldn't be mad at it.
I would say Chet's consistent top five defensive impact, with
his offensive versatility, with his normally offensive efficiency, that gives
him the slight edge. But the three point shot has
to hold up for him, and I do have some

(32:08):
hesitations with it at this point in the playoffs. There
are times where you feel like he's a little bit
nervous or maybe he doesn't fully have his legs and
he starts sort of shooting those line drives and Jadab
I do feel more confident in just offensively being comfortable
in those spots. We have another donation from Gabriel, thank
you very much. Between Gordon Healed and Nemhard, McDaniel, Struse, etc.

(32:30):
Is this the most impactful role players have ever been
in the postseason.

Speaker 1 (32:35):
It's a good question. I think role players always swing
games every single postseason, no matter the team, I think
there's always gonna be guys to step up and pick
up this leg. But I think you should. I'm going
to turn it over to you, Carson, And I think
it goes into the part that you've been talking about
just with depth and everything and how that works in
I do think the league's more talented now. But uh hey,
I think teams are just deeper. I think depth is

(32:56):
just better.

Speaker 2 (32:58):
Yeah, role players are just capable of a lot more.
Like when we talk about Aaron Gordon. First of all,
I do think he's like a top fifty player in basketball,
and we're calling him a role player just because he
doesn't have like the offensive volume of a conventional star,
but all the things that he can do at a
high level. Defensively, he can guard multiple positions at a
high level. He is a really effective mismatch attacker. He

(33:21):
is now an elite shooter of the basketball. He's a
really good offensive rebounder. He is excellent as a cutter.
He's excellent in the duncker spot. He's a good connective passer.
Like his skill set is so multifaceted, and that is
why we are seeing more highly impactful role player performances
because there are more dudes like that and Alex Caruso,
who is such a freakish versatile defensive talent and then

(33:41):
also a good versatile offensive player who can shoot, who
can pass, who can attack close outs, who's fast in
the full court. There are just more of those awesome
role players on rosters because that's where talent in the
NBA has improved. The most superstars have gotten better, but
the biggest improvement has been among the role players because

(34:02):
so much more is expected of you now to be
able to play big playoff minutes because the game has
changed so much. Shooting is such an important barrier to entry.
If you want to not hamstring your offense. It's so
important that you are not a defensive liability because switching
is so common in today's NBA, and if you are
a defensive liability, the other team will attack you so relentlessly.

(34:22):
So we've just prioritized versatility on both sides of the
ball so much, and that just results in better, more
complete role players who are more capable of swinging games
and especially just three point shooting on its own, you
can have such a massive impact. Like Buddy Heel is
not a great all around basket. He can give you
thirty something if he catches fire.

Speaker 1 (34:40):
We talk about this all the time, like throughout the
regular season, but I'm so excited for where the league's
going to be man in ten years, and just like
I can't even imagine it right now. Man, Like I think, yeah,
I know everybody. Everybody's gonna be jump both sized, everybody's
gonna be able to put the ball on the floor.
It gets at a rim, shoot, defend. Like, I just
think basketball is in such that's a good space right now.

Speaker 2 (35:01):
The worst thing is going to be when they try
to tell us that Lebron wasn't remarkable because.

Speaker 1 (35:05):
He was playing against podcasters. Bro, he's playing as podcasters.

Speaker 2 (35:09):
Okay, But to be fairs, everybody's gonna be a podcaster
in ten years, so actually that won't work. Everybody's gonna
be a podcaster or TikTok or whatever the next version is.
We got one more great question from Gabriel. If y'all
had to pick one contender to not come back from
the deficit, are you picking the Celtics or the Thunder.

Speaker 1 (35:25):
Your word to Gabriel, I'm definitely taking the Thunder. The
only reason I'm gonna I would take okay, see, just
because that's how much faith I have in Denver. Dead ass.
I'm being real with y'all. If the Celtics do not
beat the Knicks is one of the most shocking results
of my lifetime. And that's not me not respecting the Knicks.

(35:46):
That's just how good I think Boston is and I
will be stunned if they don't win this series, Like
this is gut check time for him. They're in a
bad spot down oh two with two of the worst
collapses ever. But I just got too much respet for Boston.
Like literally, that will be a to me like a
twenty eleven MAVs or like a seven like we Believe

(36:10):
like Dubs kind of win, Like it will be bigger shocking.
It may be bigger than both.

Speaker 2 (36:15):
It would be the most shocking, Like even when I
look at the best of seven one seed upsets, like
do we believe Warriors two thousand and seven, one of
the best teams in the league down the stretch, they
won like I want to say, twenty one of their
last twenty five games or something. They had owned the MAVs.
They beat them in all of their regular season meetings
like that was a team that was red hot and
it was a really good matchup for them. You think

(36:37):
about the Grizzlies getting the Spurs. That was a really, really,
really good two way Grizzlies team, and that was a
more fallible Spurs team. The Celtics are supposed to have
some of the biggest margins we have ever seen, because
of their insane depth, because of their insane two way talent,
because of their insane shooting. The KNICKXAR team that I've
viewed as very flawed coming into this matchup, so it

(36:58):
would be the most shocking series result of my life
watching the NBA. And for that reason, I do think
it's less likely that the Celtics do not come back. Basically,
I trust the Thunder more than Boston, like with what
Boston's offense is doing right now, because they are struggling

(37:20):
at a very very concerning level. The Thunder had major
issues in the clutch tonight, but I think Boston's issues
have been more inexcusable and more persistent over the first
two games. But I just think Denver is a much
better team than New York. I think the Denver has
the Yokic factor. I think that Jamal is playing at
a really really high level. I think Aaron Gordon is
playing at a really really high level. I just view
them as more of a threat to knock off any

(37:42):
top dog, and like maybe if they caught fire actually
push for the title. I can't see the Nixt doing that.
So I would be so disappointed in the Celtics that
they couldn't come back, and I would still be disappointed
in the Thunder, But like if it ends up being
that in game six, Game seven, Yolkic throws best punch,
Murray plays out of his mind, I think that you

(38:03):
can live with that more than losing to the Knicks,
no disrespect to the Knicks. It's more just like the
Nuggets are former champs. Man, they won a title two
years ago, and now Aaron Gordon is playing better than
he was even in that run, and like this team
is still very talented at the top end of their roster.
We've just been waiting for things to click into place
throughout this year, and now they're really clicking, and it's scary.

(38:26):
It is scary for everybody. I do think both teams
will come back, but even though they're down two to oh,
I feel more confident saying that Boston will come back,
but I'm not sure about either one, that's for sure.
I definitely could see an upset going down in either
one of those series, but more so with Denver upsetting. Okay, see,
we're gonna take a quick break to get into words

(38:46):
and draftings. Then we will talk about another team that
found themselves in a very difficult position to be upset
down two. Oh, the Cleveland Cavaliers who responded with a
big win today. We will talk about that after the break.

(39:12):
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Speaker 2 (41:47):
The Calves got a huge win tonight, Logan, and not
just that they got all their guys back. They were
without Darius Garland for the first two games of this series,
they were without Evan Mobley for game two, and they
were without DeAndre Hunter for Game two, which they of
course lost in heartbreaking fashion. They get them all back
for this one, and they get a convincing win over Indiana,

(42:07):
And yet maybe even the bigger story than those guys
coming back is what we got from Donovan Mitchell Tonight,
who was just sensational. What did you take away from
this Cleveland win and how did they get it done well?

Speaker 1 (42:21):
I'm kind of just wondering, like if Donovan should be
even higher than where we ranked him. Man, Like, I
just wonder what right now where he ranks among the
league's best guards. In this series, He's given you forty one,
six and six on fifty seven percent true shooting. And
what really stuck out to me about him in this
game was just how versatile and impactful Donovan has really

(42:42):
become as a complete offensive player. And what I mean
by that is the different play types that he's so effective.
If it's in transition, if it's out of pick and roll,
if it's off dribble handoffs, he is so good with,
Like you give him a slight advantage and he's so
good at turning that into a big one. And I
think you also see how much better he is as
a playmaker when he's got those guys out there. I

(43:03):
think he's more willing to share the rock and spread
the love and generate open looks for his teammates too.
He's a monster. I think he deserved to be over
Devin Booker. Him and Brunson is really interesting. I think
I still prefer him over like Halle. But Mitchell's special.
Mitchell's really really special, and in these playoff environments, he's

(43:26):
one of those guys I want most on my team.
I didn't think Mitchell was the only guy in this game, though.
I thought Cleveland's elite defense and their ability to manufacture
extra possessions was really crucial in this one. I thought
the stretch of the game Cleveland won this game in
was in the second quarter. They win the second quarter
thirty four to thirteen. Indiana shoots oh of eleven from

(43:49):
deep against the zone in that period, and in that run.
In that quarter, Cleveland goes on a fifteen to two
run on the game, Carson, Cleveland was plus nineteen on
the last they were plus fourteen on the offensive glass,
and they shot twenty more field goal attempts than Indiana.
I'm sorry, Indiana, you are never winning a game in

(44:10):
which you allow that many extra possessions like you got crushed.
And I think Evan Mobley deserves a ton of props
for that. I thought this was an elite dominant Evan
Mobley game. Not just statistically he gives you eighteen thirteen
and four with six stocks, three steals, three blocks. I
also thought how you saw him completely change the game
in that second quarter at the top of the zone

(44:31):
was super impressive to me. And I liked that look
from Cleveland Carson because they had Mobley Campton Lane for
a little bit where he was protecting the rim and
taking that away, and then when Indiana was trying to
figure that lookout, they moved Mobley to the top of
the zone and he was super disruptive over there as well.
I think you saw a defensive Player of the Year
level impact for Mobley in this game. And then the

(44:53):
other Cavaliers give you some great games man, Jared Allen,
I want to give props to specifically his short role
play making this game. I thought he was passing his
ass off, especially early. Max Screuz gives you a great game.
I thought you got good DeAndre Hunter minutes too. I
continue to be disappointed in Ty Jerome, but Donovan Donovan
Mitchell gave you juice. You got some good shooting, but

(45:15):
it was that the defense and the extra possession battle.
To me, that's the area that I expect Cleveland to
continue winning this series is extra possessions. I think Indiana
can do better offensively. I think they can play better
against the zone. Specifically, I think they just need to
shoot better against the zone. They got some open threes,
they just weren't hitting any. They went stone cold from deep.

(45:37):
So I think they can do better. But the real
advantage I see for Cleveland in the rest of this
series is on the glass and specifically, you know, second
chance points, extra possessions, extra field goal attempts, all of that.
I really think Cleveland has a big advantage.

Speaker 2 (45:50):
I absolutely agree, But I do think probably the biggest
factor in this game was just that Donnovan Mitchell is
playing at an absolutely special level. Right now, you already
read off the number for this series. They don't even
seem real. And these last two games in particular, he
has been so completely and utterly dominant because he is

(46:10):
playing so relentlessly downhill, which is always when he is
at his best. He can catch fire as a pull
up shooter, but he has such a ridiculous combination of
burst paint, footwork, a bag in the paint, all the
different gathers that he has his finishing, his touch like
he's such a special downhill guard and he is maximizing

(46:34):
the value of that. Last two games logan, he is
averaging twenty nine points per game in the paint and
off of free throws combined. Like that's stupid. That doesn't
seem like it should be possible, but it is. And
he's also on top of that playmaking really well. He
made a couple of big defensive plays in this game,
and he was super active on the offensive glass. He
is just reaching a level of all around dominance. It's

(46:57):
absolutely wild. Like if we're gonna give credit to a
guy like Anthony Edwards for playing at a top five
level last series, we got to give credit to a
guy like Donovan Mitchell for playing at that level this series.
We're obviously not putting him in those conversations big picture,
but he has been that unbelievable. He's been the best
player in the second round of the playoffs across all series,

(47:18):
and I really don't think that that's even up for debate.
So it's just huge having him be the best player
on the floor by that wide a margin. And I
really don't think the Pacers have any prayer of slowing
him down, Like I think the only course of action
would be to straight up start doubling him and trying
to trap him. And I just don't think you can
do that with the level of offensive talent and shooting

(47:41):
and passing and cutting that they have around him in Cleveland.
Like this is a historic offense, not just because of
Donovan Mitchell, and that's why you can't commit that aggressively
to him, especially now that all the other dudes are
out there on the floor. But he's playing at just
an unstoppable level, and I don't think that they have
the personnel on the perimeter or the interior to keep

(48:01):
him from getting what he wants at the rim. His
finishing through contact has also just been ridiculous. And the
scariest part for Indiana should be, Like, he's not doing
this as a jump shooter. This isn't something that we've
seen from Donovan Mitchell in playoff runs passed, especially if
you think about Utah where it's putting up ten threes
a game and making forty three percent of them catching
fire there, which isn't necessarily as sustainable. This is him

(48:25):
getting into the heart of your defense over and over
again and getting whatever he wants and that's always when
he's at his best, So he's not going to be denied.
He's going to maximize his impact every single game. And
I think this is up there for the best back
to back games I've ever seen from him in the playoffs.
The reason that I can't say that outright is because
what he did in Game six and seven versus Orlando

(48:48):
last year was equally dominant, and it was so similar
in that it was just downhill over and over and
over again. But man, is he scary when he gets
in that mode and just completely taking over right now.
But I did think that the returns of the other
guys were massive too, especially Evan Mobley. I thought that
he was dominant defensively, Like you said, he was phenomenal

(49:09):
at the top of the three to two zone. Nobody
could shoot over him. He's got super active hands, he's
got great feet. So like the Pacers' best guards were
really stymied, and they were kind of stumped by that
look because like Memhard would kind of test him just
by putting up these pretty difficult threes that were really
well contested, and Halle wouldn't test him at all. Halley
was just immediately moving the rock whenever he had Mobile

(49:32):
matched up the right call. Honestly, yeah, I don't know
if I fully agree with that. I think he's got
to at least try to get past him, like not
to shoot. He's not got to force out, try to
penetrate the zone in some way. You're your team's best
offensive player. I thought this was a horrible Halle game.

Speaker 1 (49:53):
Like the last dude, I'm isoing, That's.

Speaker 2 (49:55):
What I'm saying. I'm not isoing him to score. I'm
just trying to get by him and see if I
can actually create an advantage so we can get the
drive and kick game going. Something to actually create a
good shot against this zone that isn't just settling for
a well contested three, because that's all that the Pacers
were getting. They only had eighteen points in twenty four

(50:16):
possessions against the zone. But I also thought that Mobley
was phenomenal anchoring the zone in the middle in the pain.
I thought that he was incredible protecting the rim in
this game, and he was dominant on the boards, absolutely
dominant there. And he was great as a roller. He
pushed and transition some. He had a really nice takeoff
inverted pick and roll. He was good in the dunker spot.
He made some really nice passes, Like he was awesome
at everything in this game outside of literally just catching

(50:38):
passes where he had real butterfingers in this one. But
he was by far the second best player on the floor.
So Donovan Mitchell was in a tier above everybody else,
and then Mobley was in a tier above everybody else,
And in a tier somewhere down in hell was Tyrese Halliburton,
who I was so disappointed in. I love Ali just
made a video glazing him, calling him the most misunderstood
offensive genius in the NBA. And and of course he

(51:00):
comes out and lays a clunker, but the zone really
kept him in check and kept the whole Indiana offense
in check. Like I said, he would not try to
attack mobilely at all, and he just became a non
factor on way too many possessions where he's just too
quick passing out immediately to teammates who didn't really know
how to attack the zone. That's where I think I

(51:22):
just need Halley's decision making to be more active. I
need him to take control of the offensive approach, and
he was too passive. And like whenever you have that
bad Halle game, it's usually because he's too passive. I
love his selflessness, but there's a line that he can cross,
and there's a possession in this game that stands out
whenever there's a Halle game where he's too passive, there's
one possession where you're just like, how did you not

(51:43):
put up a shot there? And he cut to the
nail against the zone and the floater was there, and
he did not look at the basket and he just
sort of jumped passed out to a player on the
wing who was already covered, like, that's the moment where
I need you to take the shot, and he got
in that mode where he was just a little bit
too tentative to do it. And the Kas are also
just great against him, like in single coverage too. They

(52:05):
were all up in his airspace, they were contesting his passes,
they were contesting jumpers really well. And another huge benefit
of the zone was that it gave Halle far fewer
opportunities to attack Jared Allen out in space. That's where
he's been most successful in this series, getting that Allen
switch and then either blowing by him or threatening the
drive to create separation for the step back when Jared

(52:25):
Allen is planted in the middle of the paint because
he's anchoring that zone, Like, you're not going to be
able to get him out in space. You're not going
to be able to get that matchup. So they limited
what he's been doing best. They were super physical with
him on his drives. I thought that bothered him and
he was way too passive. So it was like the
worst possible version of a Halle game that you can get.
And I think that there's always two sides of that equation.

(52:47):
Perhaps to the defense for doing a great job, but
Hallie also has to be able to assert himself more,
like way more.

Speaker 1 (52:53):
Yeah, he's got to and the Spacers team, I think
just has to get it going collectively. I think Cleveland
should go back to the zone. Though. Man, even if
they can disrupt Indiana for one quarter, I think that's
enough to win them games. It's like that's really all
that Cleveland needs. I think their gap defensively is so

(53:14):
large that if they can just slow down Indiana for
a big portion of the game, give me eight minutes
where they're they're a little cold and like obviously this
was to an extreme extent in the second quarter, but again,
if you can disrupt them that much, you're gonna win
the rebound battle. And I trust this Cleveland offense along
with anybody. Now, Darius Garland has to be out there.
I think two for me to have like full confidence,

(53:35):
because I think Garland is really important. He just gets
so many easy things going for this offense, if it's
a connective pass, if it's blowing by a guy on
the perimeter to get to an easy shot at the rim.
I thought that foul in this game was so stupid
where he gets him so did he have three or
four in the second quarter.

Speaker 2 (53:53):
He got three in the second quarter, but then he
picked up his fourth early in the third.

Speaker 1 (53:59):
Onoth those fouls. The one early in the second and
when the early in the third were both really dumb.
Darius is going to stay on the floor because I
think he's the guy that really puts this Cleveland offense
over the top. To me, I want to give cred
it to some of the other calves like I mentioned though,
other than Mobley, who I thought defended really well in
this game, I thought Strews defended really well. I thought
Hunter had a good defensive game as well, And just overall,

(54:21):
this was what I expected more from Cleveland. Obviously, now
that they're healthier, we got it all right. Do you
want to dunk on people who were super critical of
the Cavs after the first two games, Man, do you
think that discourse is pretty funny?

Speaker 2 (54:36):
I mean, it was just really stupid. I wasn't laughing, man,
I was see then. I was pissed. I just think
it's insane to look at a team that had such
an incredible season and then they lose one game by
one point when their second, third, and fifth best players,
two of whom are all NBA caliber and we're all stars,
aren't in the game. Like okay, man, that doesn't tell
you anything. And also the Pacers are really really good.

(54:58):
But that was super stupid. And I was very, very
very happy to see that the Cavs were able to
get healthy so quick because, like this is what I
said after Game two, if the Calves can get their
guys back quickly, they have a real chance to win
this series. I just wasn't sure if they could, Like
I thought, it was very very concerning that they all
missed Game two, but they did get them back. That

(55:18):
was massive. This was the biggest game of the series.
And I do feel like they've put themselves on a
good trajectory to come back and win this series. That's
not going to be easy, but if I had to
pick right now, I would slightly favor the Calves. The
one thing that does concern me in terms of them
being able to pull that off is that Garland is

(55:40):
not close to one hundred percent. I think that that's
very apparent, and obviously had been taking his time coming
back from the toe't brain, but could not explode. Balance
wasn't right.

Speaker 1 (55:50):
I mean even I think he might even reinjured it
in this game.

Speaker 2 (55:53):
He fell down multiple times. There were multiple times where
you could see that he tried to go and just
lost his balance and then the hand got a little
bit loose.

Speaker 1 (56:01):
And it's big.

Speaker 2 (56:02):
Oh yeah, I think it's his big toe.

Speaker 1 (56:04):
That's the one that's it's most important. I mean for everything,
it's the most important toe on your foot.

Speaker 2 (56:09):
Yeah, that's why it's the big one. And uh, he's
really really relying on that jumper, like he's not using
his quickness as much to get downhill. So he's three
of eleven with four turnovers in this game. I am
not expecting them to get a great version of Darius
Garland in this series. I'm not expecting them to get
Darius Garland as needs to be out there. I agree.

(56:31):
I still think I don't even know if he's at
seventy percent. But he's such an elite shooter, he's such
an elite passer, he's such a great decision maker. He
is still a real positive force for this offense, and
they especially need him because Ty Jerome is lost out
there right now. I think that the Monstars have paid
a visit to him and taking his power. Theyfed his floater. Bro.

Speaker 1 (56:50):
Dude, he just looks so und He doesn't look confident
at all anymore. Man, it's really it's really lost as mojo.
He's yeah, he really has. He's lost all of it.

Speaker 2 (57:00):
The runner, which was so automatic for him all year,
just has been consistently off and he's taking some really
tough ones. But he's missing every three short, has some
bad turnovers against Pressure's two of twenty two in the
last two games. I mean, if Garland's back out there
and he can play legitimate minutes, I probably agree.

Speaker 1 (57:23):
It just sucks.

Speaker 2 (57:23):
Kidrome is so good, but right now he's so bad.

Speaker 1 (57:27):
I'm just giving Strews and Meryl minutes and I'm giving
a tie is gonna be on like my TVD list.
I'm gonna give him eight minutes in the second quarter
and if he looks like he can play the second half,
but if he don't, he's on the bench.

Speaker 2 (57:37):
Yeah. I have no problem with the trial run policy.
I think that he has to earn his minutes, and
like they got trimmed significantly down in this one with
Garland back, he only plays thirteen minutes in this game.
You mentioned Max shrews Man, he is so good. I mean,
he can really pass. He is an elite shooter. I
was praising him after last game and then a group
of Max Struce haters came out that I didn't know,
saying I was overrated.

Speaker 1 (57:58):
So many haters, man, I.

Speaker 2 (57:59):
Think because the twenty twenty three finals. I think maybe
they're all heat fans. I don't know, people have beef
with them. He's averaging fourteen, six and four something like
that in these playoffs on sixty four per century shooting.
He's a baller, dude, He's a baller. He's a really
good all around offensive player. So shout out to him,
Shout out to Jared Allen and like, I think you
touched on one of the major keys, Donovan Mitchell being

(58:23):
insanely dominant, the defense being as good as it was,
and then them just completely dominating the offensive glass and
that was really mobile and Alan although it was a
collective effort, but defensively, like, not only do they stifle
Hallie Siakam really got nothing going in this game until
the fourth quarter, and even then it was like mostly
off cuts or offensive rebound or in transition, like he

(58:47):
has not been able to get things going in isolation,
like as a creator at all in this match up.
He's had three quiet games in that regard. Really, the
only guy who steped up for Indiana was Benedict Mathern, who,
like last two games, he's been pretty explosive with the
cutting and the shooting and the finishing. Really good athlete
shooting the ball really well right now. But they did
a great job. So I am leaning on the side

(59:11):
that the Calves are going to pull out this series.
I thought that their defensive level was really impressive in
this game. I think that their advantage on the glass
is very real. Donovan Mitchell is playing out of his mind,
and I don't think the Pacers have an answer for him,
and the Calves still haven't shot well from deep man.
They haven't shot thirty percent from three in a single game,
and yet shorthanded they almost won game two, and they

(59:32):
convincingly won Game three. They're certainly not all going to
be as easy as this one. Like the Pacers offense
is awesome, Hallie will play significantly better. They are one
hundred percent gonna get theirs and they can definitely still
win this series. Like Indiana is certainly capable of getting
two of the next four games, that's still a challenge
for the Calves, But this was the one that they

(59:55):
had to get. This was the one where they had
to get their guys back out there, and now they've
put themselves in a position where it's like, yeah, you
gotta get three out of four. That's easier than four
out of five. And at least you know now that
Evan Mobley is right and Garland isn't one hundred percent,
but he can play, and DeAndre Hunter did look good
and at full strength. I just do think that they're
the better team. I think they're the even more dynamic offense,

(01:00:16):
and I do think that they are the better defense.
So this was a massive, massive win for the Calves
for so many reasons, and I was happy to see it.
I love the Pacers, I love Hallie. But if the
Calves season ended up being determined by injuries, and like
not just one injury, three injuries, I would have been sick.
I would have been pissed. And they still got a

(01:00:37):
long road back. But at least they're going to have
their guys out there now and they can fight with
honor instead of limping out and.

Speaker 1 (01:00:44):
Letting the narratives take over and all the negativity and
the stupidity. Before we go on, Carson, I should have
mentioned this. We were talking about Nuggets series. Yeah, what
do you think they run? Differential was in the nineteen
sixty World Series Pirates win in seven?

Speaker 2 (01:00:58):
Okay, I'm gonna guess that the Yankees based on what
you were saying, I don't know. Maybe they're plus twenty
seven plus twenty eight.

Speaker 1 (01:01:07):
I was almost right in a seven game series that
you lose.

Speaker 2 (01:01:11):
Did you just think of that example right off the
top of your head.

Speaker 1 (01:01:13):
No, that's Max Kellerman's best example. I watched him on
was he on Sports Nation? I'll watched Max break that
out yearly in a close series so no, that was
for Max. But shout on my pops.

Speaker 3 (01:01:24):
Man.

Speaker 1 (01:01:25):
My pops knew to dude who hit the homer in
net World Series.

Speaker 2 (01:01:27):
Immediately big ups that shout out that's crazy.

Speaker 1 (01:01:32):
Recall, bro, No, I don't have that in my bag.

Speaker 2 (01:01:34):
I don't have any baseball.

Speaker 1 (01:01:35):
Starting point guard for the Chicago Zephyrs.

Speaker 2 (01:01:39):
Man nineteen fifty three.

Speaker 1 (01:01:43):
I don't know.

Speaker 2 (01:01:43):
I was hoping you were gonna ask me something about
the Rochester Royals, and I was gonna be able to say,
Bobby Wanzer.

Speaker 1 (01:01:48):
All right, leading scorer for the nineteen sixty two.

Speaker 2 (01:01:52):
What are we doing here? Oh that's Ritchie Garan. That's easy.
Richie Garant went.

Speaker 1 (01:01:55):
Crazy, gets you in your bag one time.

Speaker 2 (01:01:57):
Bro, Yeah, Bro, once we get into the sixties, it's automatic.
The early fifties can be a little dicey sometimes. Let's
talk about Wolves Warriors logan. This series has unfortunately lost
a lot of intrigue and excitement for me, because obviously
Steph Curry is out until at least Game six, if
there is to be a game six. But this was

(01:02:17):
a comfortable win for Minnesota. We didn't get to talk
about it last night, so we're gonna talk about it.
Right now, quickly, what did you take away from this one? Man?

Speaker 1 (01:02:27):
The Minnesota Timberwolves against the Warriors with those Steph Curry
are really good. Man, They're like way better than the Doves.
I'm gonna look at this from the Doves perspective because
I think this is a pretty easy win for the
t Wolves. I thought they shot really well defended. I mean,
this game was over pretty early, Like they got out
to a big lead in the first quarter and didn't
really look back. Jimmy has got to be better, and

(01:02:49):
like he's got a big burden on his shoulders and
this isn't the easiest matchup, but if they're gonna be
down Steph, I think like a prerequisite to winning a
game is gonna be and we saw it in Game
one when Stephan missed the majority of the game. But
now this is a different kind of You're doing it
for four quarters. And I really hope Steph is back
for this series, because I don't know if that's any guaranteed,
just because hamstring injuries are so debilitating, just to like

(01:03:13):
the rest of your body and how everything else works.
You know, you're nothing's gonna feel right if your hand
he's off.

Speaker 2 (01:03:19):
So your hip bones connected to your thigh bone, that
whole sort of thing exactly.

Speaker 1 (01:03:23):
So that's problematic, which means that the other guys are
gonna have to pick up the slack. Buddy's gonna have
to be nails from behind. The art be Pods is
going to have to be really nice, and Jimmy's gonna
have to entertakeover mode. But Shanna Johnathan Kamena man. I
thought Kamingo played nai game like he was filling up
the statu sheet a little bit in his minutes. I

(01:03:45):
guess they needed him.

Speaker 2 (01:03:46):
But well, again, you bastard. The Zephyrs weren't even around
in nineteen fifty. Yes, they're only around. I think they
were only the Zephyrs for like one year, and it
was Walt Bellamy's rookie year and they became the Packers
or no, they were the Packers and then they became
the Zephyrs for one year. I think. Anyways, it's not

(01:04:07):
really what it's about, sided. I don't want you ask
me a trick question.

Speaker 1 (01:04:10):
Man, my fault, my fault, Bro.

Speaker 2 (01:04:12):
That's okay. I forgive you because I love you.

Speaker 1 (01:04:13):
Yeah, I love you too. Man. Warriors are chopped with
al Steph. They need him. That's that's my big analysis
for this game. But if the Doves are gonna be
with al Steph like, they're gonna have to play perfect,
there's no more margin, and I just think it's really hard.
I would be if the Wolves, if Steph doesn't play
again in this series. I would be shocked if the
Wolves didn't sweep the Doves. I just think they're on

(01:04:35):
different planes as teams.

Speaker 2 (01:04:38):
Gentlemen sweep that is, sweep them from.

Speaker 1 (01:04:40):
This yeah, yeah, exactly from this point.

Speaker 2 (01:04:42):
Yeah yeah. I think that this game was very concerning
for the Warriors, although not surprising, just because they are
so limited offensively without Steph. But I also thought that
their defense was phenomenal in Game one, and that's how
they were able to win it. Like, yes, they shot
the ball pretty well from deep, but they held Minnesota
eighty eight points, and they confounded Julius Randall and Anthony

(01:05:04):
Edwards and forced them both into really bad games. So
that was the first thing that Minnesota had to address,
and I thought that they really improved in game two.
I thought that Julius Randall was excellent. He was consistently
playing volleyball, especially against everybody other than Draymond Green, and
he was consistently drawing doubles or they were digging on
his post ups, and he was just kicking out to

(01:05:25):
shooters and creating good shots for his teammates. And I
also liked that he did a lot more work out
of the post as opposed to trying to initiate from
the perimeter, where I thought the Wolves were just very
sped up by the Warriors ball pressure, and I think
that that's where you got some of those sort of
frantic and franatic possessions where they're just like driving into
the paint without a plan and they're forcing the issue.

(01:05:47):
It was more calm, I've got an advantage, I've got
good position, let me go to work, simplify the attack,
make the reads after I collapse the defense, and I
thought that Randal did a really great job of that,
and just the collective. The ball movement from Minnesota was
a lot better. They had thirty three assists in game
two compared to nineteen in game one, so they were

(01:06:07):
able to get much better, more open looks from deep,
and they accordingly shot the ball really well, and they
broke out of that two game slump that they had
been in and they took better care of the ball,
again just a product of not being sped up and
not getting reckless with it. So they cut down a
few turnovers and Ant was better in this game too.
He was really bad in Game one. I thought Randall

(01:06:28):
was better between the two of them, but Ant was
much more under control. He was more willing passing, and
they sort of mitigated the pressure on him in another
way where they had him doing more off ball stuff
cutting coming off of screens to get him a little advantage.
So much much better offensive performance from Minnesota, both in
terms of process and just shooting the basketball. The one

(01:06:49):
thing with Ant they really does have to improve, and
that has been an issue throughout these playoffs. His finishing
man in the regular season, he was over sixty three
percent in the stricted area, which is still not a
great number, but there's a lot of contested finishes in there.
In the playoffs, he's under fifty three percent are It's befuddling,
It doesn't make any sense.

Speaker 1 (01:07:10):
And dude, they're not even like fully some of these
aren't even like fully contested.

Speaker 2 (01:07:14):
Dude, they're just open a lot of really makeable layups.
And this was the thing against the Lakers, and this
is a thing against the Warriors. It's got a great
touch around the rim. But it's still crazy.

Speaker 1 (01:07:24):
He's been not he texts me every time I misses
a layup.

Speaker 2 (01:07:26):
Man, it's a real trend. It's a real pattern at
this point. So it's a really good bad etpeck performance
from the timberlves Like, of course, the Warriors defense is
great and they deserve their credit for the Game one performance,
and I gave it to him, but it was kind
of cracking me up, like people were being like, oh,
how can you not just give credit to a great
defense for this performance. It's like, yeah, they deserve their credit.

(01:07:48):
But at the same time, when an offense looks it's bad, sure,
it's both. If the offense looks as bad as Minnesota's
did in Game one, it's always both. Like the defensive
performance can be really impressive and yet the offense is
especially the Stars can't improve a lot. Anthony Edwards and
Julius Randall are capable of making the reads they needed
to make and settling down and making better decisions, and

(01:08:08):
they did so. The whole offense was let me shot the.

Speaker 1 (01:08:11):
Ball really really well, man, Yeah, good looks they shot, well,
it is a game for him.

Speaker 2 (01:08:18):
My concern for the Warriors offensively, well, I have many,
but the one swing factor that could have made me
feel more decent about their chances to, like at least
steal a game with Steph fully out of the picture
or until he can return, is if Jimmy Butler had
shown the ability to just turn up the dial, flip

(01:08:39):
the switch, be more of a consistent assert.

Speaker 1 (01:08:43):
I felt like the Dubs in that game, kind of
like the Nuggets in Game two, just kind of mailed
it in.

Speaker 2 (01:08:48):
You know, I'm concerned that it's more than that.

Speaker 1 (01:08:52):
No, I'm not saying no, no, I agree with you.
I'm just saying I think in this I'm not super
confident that I think Jimmy can turn it up when
he's got that number one that can relieve that pressure
off of him and he can play off of a
guy like Steph. I'm also concerned with you when it's
just him solo, you know, John Wayne Cowboy out there

(01:09:13):
alone trying to get it done. I'm with you. All
I'm saying is I also don't think that I think
the Warriors checked out pretty early in this game.

Speaker 2 (01:09:21):
Well, they were getting doubled up pretty early, but I
felt like they competed decently well. It certainly wasn't at
the level of like Nuggets Game two, where they were
just like, all right, Cyan or Si you later, we're
giving up on this game after a quarter. My concern
though with Jimmy is like I do think that the
glute is affecting him. That's not an excuse, but I
just don't think that he can be what they need
him to be to win games without Steph. Like two

(01:09:44):
games into this series, he's averaging eighteen and a half points,
six assists on under forty nine percent true shooting. That's
not close to cutting it. And I just think he's
really really struggling to explode. I don't think he has burst.
He's not getting by people. He's been super inefficient as
a finisher on drives. He's driving less than he was
in the regular season. That's not good. He's playing more minutes,

(01:10:05):
he's got a bigger offensive role. You want to see
him driving more. And he shot forty nine percent on
drives in the regular season. He is shooting thirty seven
percent on drives in the playoffs. So again, he's the
one guy who maybe could have had the ability to
really turn up and take over offensively, and I just
don't think that he has that kind of juice right now.
And when Minnesota dials up the ball pressure, I think

(01:10:29):
we've seen it in multiple stretches in this series, Like
none of the Warriors are going to get anything off
the bounce, and all of their shooting and all of
their finishing is very unreliable, and the offense just becomes
very labored.

Speaker 1 (01:10:41):
In chaotic nobody you can create an advantage.

Speaker 2 (01:10:45):
Yeah, yeah, And you're going to a lot of Buddy
healed off the bounce, which I don't like nearly as
much as Buddy healed off the catch or Buddy healed
coming around to screen. They just don't have the dudes.
And this is why I'm good with Kaminga playing more
while Steph is out. I am anti Kuminga playing when
he has to try to fit into a role and
do all the little things. But right now, the Warriors

(01:11:07):
just desperately need offensive juice wherever they can get it.
And he's at least a dude who is a really
high level athlete. His mid range jumper was fallen in
Game two. That's not going to be sustainable. But he
was also cutting nicely and like he was just able
to give him eighteen points. And there's not a lot
of dudes on this roster who are capable of that,
and that does become more of a priority, much more
of a priority when Steph is out. Best case scenario,

(01:11:30):
Steph comes back for game six. Do you think the
Warriors get their logan? Do you think they steal in
one of the next three he can't play before they've said,
like that's the soonest possible return for him.

Speaker 1 (01:11:43):
I think the series is done.

Speaker 2 (01:11:46):
Yeah, I don't think the Warriors are going to get there. Unfortunately,
I would love to see Steph play in this series
because it's a total bummer that he's out, and I
thought that he was playing really really well in Game
one before he got hurt. It's always possible you get
a shooting variance game. Obviously they got Game one and
they did a decent amount of that with Steph out.

(01:12:08):
But if Aunt and Randall just play up to the
level that they should be at, like not even a
remarkable level, just again making the right reads, finding their teammates,
and if the Timberwolves are consistently engaged defensively, I think
they can make life so so hard on the Warriors
offense and just get good enough shots that it's tough

(01:12:29):
to see that upset if Jimmy can't turn it up
to another level. So I do think that we're probably
looking at a Wolves in five kind of deal here, unfortunately,
which would mean Steph doesn't have a chance to come back.
And you want to give one more shout out Jade
McDaniel slogan, what a postseason he is having, just like
night after night, super comfortable attack and close out, super
comfortable getting into the lane and finishing. He's averaging better

(01:12:52):
than sixteen points per game on fifty eight percent from
the field. So shout out to him.

Speaker 1 (01:12:58):
Man.

Speaker 2 (01:12:58):
He has been as insistent as they come.

Speaker 1 (01:13:01):
For the Wolves, and they paid him. Man, he took
a leap this year.

Speaker 2 (01:13:06):
They did pay him. He took a leap mid year.
He was struggling early and we didn't even talk about.
Tell me I was reading Man in transition. Especially you
get him going downhill and that is a big man
who can move, who can handle, and who can finish
at the rim. We do have two more super chats,
Thank you guys, Cheese and the Bear Podcast love the show.

(01:13:28):
Thank you very much. Trilogies Edgar worse performance than SGA.

Speaker 1 (01:13:34):
Damn they cooking Edgar?

Speaker 2 (01:13:39):
Who's Edgar? The guy from Despicable Me?

Speaker 1 (01:13:41):
Cooking Edgar? Man?

Speaker 2 (01:13:43):
Are they saying the Jokic looks like him?

Speaker 1 (01:13:45):
They're cooking Edgar in the chat? He's getting cooked?

Speaker 2 (01:13:49):
Is that the dude from Despicable Me? Am I making
that up?

Speaker 3 (01:13:58):
No?

Speaker 2 (01:13:59):
That's Oh, that's Vector. He's got an Edgar ass haircut. Yeah,
I guess Edgar was worse than SGA. I guess Edgar
was worse.

Speaker 1 (01:14:07):
Than SGA, and yet they got me. Man.

Speaker 2 (01:14:10):
I'm just trying to figure out what this Edgar Fellows
deal is. Terrible stuff from both SGA and Yokics tonight,
but still a really good basketball game. I'm very, very
very interested to see where that series goes from here.
Interested to see how much more we see Denver mix
in that zone. I think it makes sense. Okay, so
he wasn't very efficient against it tonight, although I thought

(01:14:31):
a lot of that was them missing pretty good looks.
But they've got to be way better in the clutch,
and Shay has to be way better in the clutch
or else we are demoting him to Edgar status. On
that note, everybody, go enjoy your Friday night, late Friday night.
Hopefully there's still something to be salvaged of this evening
for all of you. For you, Logan, it's probably long gone.

(01:14:53):
Probably just gonna get in your cryo chamber.

Speaker 1 (01:14:55):
And I'm still chained to my radiator till.

Speaker 2 (01:14:58):
Next That's right. That's right, because we still have a
couple more months of this playoff stuff, don't we accept, Logan. Actually,
tomorrow you have something to do. You have to go
to your sister's graduation. I shouldn't say have to go.
You get to go?

Speaker 1 (01:15:10):
Do you shout out to Lily bro she address. I
just want to say, I'm super proud of my sister Man.
She got that master's degree in four years. She is
such a beast, tough as hell, buddy, big OUs to
Lily Man. She works so hard. I'm so excited for her.
So you, guys, Unfortunately I will not be here tomorrow.
You will be treated to a solo episode of NERD
Sesh with Carson, but I'm sure it will be excellent.

Speaker 2 (01:15:33):
As always, We're just gonna be talking about straight balls,
Oh yeah, straight balls, and lots of long intimate stares.
Into the camera where I'm gonna imagine that I'm looking
at Logan's eyes, but he's not gonna be there. I
think what we're gonna do is I will go live
solo tomorrow. Unfortunately, I will miss my bald buddy just
after Nick's Celtics because that game is such a big deal.

(01:15:57):
Not unfortunately as compelled by Wolves Warriors right now. So
we'll probably just touch on that on our Sunday night
show with the Sunday games, which are going to be awesome,
and we will have Logan back for that one. So
with that, as always appreciate you guys, hope you enjoyed
this one. If you want more of our content, there
is plenty more of it our YouTube channel all of
our full episodes. You can also listen to all of

(01:16:19):
the full shows across all audio platforms, and you can
follow us across social TikTok, Instagram at nerd sesh, Twitter
at nerd Underscore Session. You can also join our discord
if you want. That is linked at the link tree
across our social media bios. And with that, as always
appreciate you, guys. I've been Carson Braber, I have been
Logan Tandon and this was nerd Sash

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Nerd Sesh - Game 3 Reactions: Nuggets OUTLAST Thunder, Cavs BEST Pacers

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.css-14f5ked{margin:0;word-break:break-word;display:-webkit-box;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;box-orient:vertical;-webkit-line-clamp:2;overflow:hidden;}Nerd Sesh - Game 3 Reactions: Nuggets OUTLAST Thunder, Cavs BEST Pacers