May 6, 2025 • 42 mins
Sean Brace and Sam Oshtry talk the latest action in the #NBAPlayoffs... #Knicks shock the #Celtics at home!
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Number one on your car radio preset hand the new
and improved Diehard Radio WA and WD two seven three
D Philadelphia, Ice, Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 2 (00:08):
The Gambler.
Speaker 1 (00:11):
Them dogs are barking in a big, big way. Let's
do it. NBA Playoffs front and center. Good afternoon, shabras,
Sam Astree. We are all things picks and roll here
on the Gambler. NBA Playoffs. As I said, nothing better.
Have you been tuning in? Have you seen the upsets? Man?
Last night was incredible? First and foremost, I do want
(00:34):
to put this stat out that is on my television
screen right now as we speak. Cursey, other fine folks
over at ESPN, Sam Ostrie from the score. Teams to
lose game one at home in a best of seven series.
There has been six straight series losses by those teams,
including the Lakers and Rockets last round. Dodo, Wow, how
(01:00):
about last night?
Speaker 2 (01:01):
That was amazing, amazing night in the NBA, like a
lot of these nights have been. This has been an
incredible playoffs from the first round to now the second
round and these are all just been Game one one
so far, so look parody. Finally, after like a decade,
you could say, if not a lot of parody in
the NBA.
Speaker 3 (01:20):
This is what Adam Silver wanted.
Speaker 2 (01:21):
He wanted parody, with the collective bargaining agreement, with all
of the playing tournament, all these different things. He created
a system of parody and we have it, and it
creates awesome matchups where you have no idea who's gonna
win this title right now, no idea.
Speaker 1 (01:36):
You're right about that. We do have a we have
two games tonight. We do have a game one in
the Golden State Warriors of Minnesota Timberwolves. So will the
dog tren continue to bark? We'll talk about that game.
Of course. We got game two with Pacers and Cavaliers.
Dare I say, must win territory for the Cleveland Cavaliers kid.
But then again with just throwing that out there and
(01:56):
the like, that's what it comes back to for me, Sammers.
These are all good teams, right like the Knicks going
into Boston or shocking, but the Knicks are a good
basketball team. Knicks won fifty plus games, Pacers one fifty
plus games. I don't need to go into the Nuggets.
We know damn well how good the Nuggets are. And
the Warriors are the Warriors, right like these are all
(02:17):
really good basketball teams that have won a bunch of games,
some have won championships and may run runs before. But like,
it shouldn't shock us that we are seeing these types
of just wins. I would say covers shouldn't shock us
to win as a different monster. So I got to
take that back, but it's been a lot of fun
(02:38):
talking about him. Of course, we'll go ahead and jump
right into let's do it with the Knicks and Celtics
first up last night, the Celtics credit first.
Speaker 2 (02:46):
Can take your victory lat first for predicting that series
or the Knicks upset to a t.
Speaker 1 (02:52):
No. Well, look, I wish I could even go a
little bit further, but obviously I didn't have it. I
just said that if the Knicks were if the Boston Celtics,
not even if the Knicks were to win a game.
It was more along the lines of, if the Celtics
lose a game, it's going to be because they don't
make their three point shots. And we all agreed, of course,
(03:12):
and I just said, what's the percentage, Because they shoot
a ridiculous amount of three pointers. So if they shoot
twenty five percent from downtown, that's gonna be an ugly night.
I didn't think forty five miss three pointers, don't sam
NBA playoff record.
Speaker 2 (03:26):
Forty five misses an NBA playoff record, and then sixty
attempts an NBA playoff record, just absurd.
Speaker 1 (03:34):
So good, well, look again, just like the Cavaliers and Pacers,
though I want to be careful because that game was
the Pacers or the Cavs were up by a point
with I think six five minutes to go, and then
they went on their run. The Boston Celtics were up
by twenty points. You know, Like I get it. We
(03:56):
give all the credit in the world to New York
and they deserve even more than that. But like Boston
being up by twenty, the three pointers weren't falling. They
they kind of got rattled. In my opinion, It's just like, dude,
just if they're not falling, can you do something else?
And I know Brown and Tatum are incredible one on one,
but like, I don't know, maybe I would have liked
(04:18):
to see that a little bit featured more slow it down,
Let's get one of them on the block, and this
is what we're gonna do every single time. Down If
the three pointers aren't falling. But that's easy for me
to say from the couch.
Speaker 2 (04:29):
So I don't have a problem with the three point volume,
Like this is who the Celtics are. They won a
championship with it, shooting a ton of threes, the most
threes in NBA history they shot this season, And I
don't have a problem with the volume. But they take
that approach because of their personnel. When their personnel is
they almost always have five shooters on the floid all
times and a lot of perimeter guys who can break
(04:51):
their defenders down, driving kick, get in the lane, put
two on the ball, and that's what generates good threes.
So I don't have a problem with the volume, have
a problem with how they generated their threes yesterday because
they weren't doing that at all.
Speaker 3 (05:04):
They were not.
Speaker 2 (05:05):
I mean they were in the first half, but in
that second half it became so much isolation, so much
one on one basketball, where they weren't generating looks by
putting two on the ball.
Speaker 3 (05:15):
And the Knicks Knicks main.
Speaker 2 (05:16):
Adjustment from the regular season matchups where the Knicks in
the regular season, when Karnthon Towns or Mitch or Karnthon
Towns really was in the pick and roll. He was
always in drop coverage, always hanging out by the rim.
Speaker 3 (05:27):
They had him switch.
Speaker 2 (05:28):
Almost everything against the Celtics ball screens, so he was
switching almost everything, and the Knicks were switching all ball screens,
really any ball screen that jenlen Brunson wasn't involved in,
which is a good approach because now you have you're
not the Celtics don't put two on the ball and
they don't get teams in rotation, and that's what the
Magic did, and the Magic kind of unlocked something where
they limited the Celtics threes. So I like that approach.
(05:50):
I like that Bibbs made that adjustment for this game.
The problem that the Celtics didn't exploit is they didn't
exploit those mismatches good enough, and particularly Jason Tatum, who
I thought had one of his worst playoff games I've
seen in a long time from him, and he had
one of the he probably had the best season of
his career this season, but this playoff game was on
a business performance to him, and it was his decision
(06:12):
making off of these switches in the second half. They
were generating these switches that they wanted. He had opportunities
to take it to the rim against kar Anthony Town's,
against Mitchell Robinson in overtime against Jalen Bruntson. Jalen Brunson
got caught in a couple switches when they were really
trying to hedge and recover. But Brunton got caught in
a couple of switches on Tatum. And what Tatum did?
What did Tatum do? He settled for contested dribble, really
(06:36):
just isolation one on one three point jumpers.
Speaker 3 (06:38):
Those are awful looks.
Speaker 2 (06:40):
He has to get to the rim and the Celtics
as a group have to get in the paint to
draw two to kick and get the Nixon rotation because
that's how they generate good looks, so that they're usually
great at that, so they can shoot a lot of
threes because they generate good looks. They did not do
that last night at all. And it started with Jason
Tatum in that fourth quarter in overtime.
Speaker 1 (07:02):
What a game. And for the Knicks to go into
Boston again, like I said, just you want to cover
the number, that's great, you know nine, whatever, it was
a tip off. You want to cover that. That's what
it's all about. But it's a different animal to go
in there and to win on the road, to take
game one in a game seven, best of seven series,
(07:22):
and oh, by the way, go to overtime, like I said,
where road dogs go to die. And they just did
not back down. Og. I gotta give him a ton
of credit. He was hitting some big shots. Wasn't shy
the moment, you know, the Knicks just kept on like
that was the thing that stood out to me. And
that fourth quarter was like once they got into it
(07:43):
was like, no, they belong, they belong. They're not scared
of the Boston Celtics right now. Og was awesome.
Speaker 2 (07:48):
You had twenty nine points, tied for the most of
them team with bruntson. But more importantly, what he did
defensively is he held the Celtics starters to one for
one for fifteen shooting as the primary defender.
Speaker 3 (08:00):
So he just courted.
Speaker 2 (08:01):
He was cording everybody one through five and he did
a phenomenal job. And Michael Bridges was phenomenal defensively in
that game, and really late in that game when he
had two big steels on a block, especially of course
on the last play when he just ripped the ball
out of Jalen Brown's hands, but him, Michel Bridges, og
Nnobi and Josh Hart, those three were flying all over
(08:23):
and their closed outs, the rotations, the recoveries, they were
flying all over defensively yesterday, and they made up for
the defensive live bills the Knicks have, which is Carnthine Towns,
which is Jalen Brunston, who the Celtics attacked and targeted
and tried to get in action all the time. And
it's really more in the Celtics for not taking advantage
of it. But those three guys defensively were phenomenal.
Speaker 1 (08:46):
All right, which one surprised you more outright victory the
Knicks going into Boston and the Nuggets going into Okace
and winning.
Speaker 3 (08:53):
The Nuggets going to Okay, see just because of the rest.
Speaker 2 (08:56):
Like the Nuggets just came off of let's seven games
series against the Clippers when they had one day of rest,
when the Thunder had this eight day layover. So really
the rest factor, and we saw the stat yesterday that
was the first time in NBA history a team had
only one day of rest playing a team with eight
plus days of rest and.
Speaker 3 (09:15):
They beat them.
Speaker 2 (09:16):
So really the rest factor and how the thunder fell
apart late. But I'm I'm not very confident in the
Knicks moving forward, if we're gonna be honest, but I
said before, they don't have a chance. I'm not confident
that moving forward.
Speaker 1 (09:29):
Yeah, Look, I think you know there's levels to this
and I'm not going to panic in the best of
seven if you lost game one. It's definitely not how
you draw it up. But we know what Boston is
capable of, and I would say that they are the
better team, but their superstars need to play like it.
And they got to hit a few more three pointers. Yeah,
if you're gonna pull up sixty plus, man, you can't
miss forty five of those bad boys or else you're
(09:51):
going to lose. Like we discussed yesterday.
Speaker 2 (09:53):
And I had a problem with how they generated the threes,
But at the same time, they were seven for twenty
five on unguarded catch and shoot three. That number will
never be that low again, right, Like, they're just going
to shoot better from three. And I think it's a
pretty easy adjustment because when the Knicks switch these ball
screens and they get cat on an island or they
force Jalen Brunson in action, the adjustment is Tatum take
(10:14):
it to the rim, like get two feet in the
lane and create for yourself and your teammates. Don't settle.
Don't settle for these poor step back jumpers. So it's
a pretty easy fix and adjustment because the Knicks don't
really have the defensive personnel when they have Corinthony Towns
and Jalen Brunson, two guys that they just can be
targeted relentlessly. And it's really just on Jason Tatum especially,
(10:34):
but also Jalen Brown and these guys to take advantage
of those switches and those mismatches. So I think it's
a relatively easy adjustment that Knicks have to make, and
of course it's just making more shots. And so I'm
not really convinced unless they go ice cold. And like
I said earlier or what like I said yesterday to
you is which the only way the Celtics or the
Knicks win this series or really compete for an entire
series is if they're ice cold from three, like shoot
(10:56):
thirty percent from three for the entire series, and Chris
STAPs catching gets injured. So two of those things hit
yesterday and like you got a Drew Holli, they get
hurt too, So your STEP's left with an illness and
he actually missed significant time in the regular season with
an illness, so we don't know how.
Speaker 3 (11:10):
That will progress. But assuming we'll be back, I'm not
worried about the Celtics.
Speaker 1 (11:15):
It's pretty funny because our resident New York Nick hater
Sean Bernard, was at the Kendrick Lamar Show last night,
of course, and it was funny because you know, obviously
that game was a blowout. Everything was going as expected.
And then and then I texted the group like Nick's
about to make this interesting because it was like a
seven to eight point game at that point in time,
(11:37):
and it just had the vibe of like, all right,
boss is playing with their food. Nicks are going to
tie this up, right, Bronson just putting the team on
his back. But Sean Bernard checking in, goes check it
in from a concert.
Speaker 3 (11:49):
But I'm not.
Speaker 1 (11:50):
But if I'm not mistaken, they are down nine at
the end of the third, right, Like, don't give them
any credit whatsoever. You saw it though, right, you Like
that's not something that I was, you know, hallucinating in
my living room. I just felt like, Okay, Nick's are
for real, right, now and again it starts and ends
with Brunton. Let's get a minute on him. Come on, dude.
(12:11):
And I said it last week speaking of Shan Bearnard,
and I said, dude, when you watch this guy play
right now, he's given me like visions of speaking hallucinating
Kawhi Leonard, Like when Kawhi goes up, it's going in.
You know, things changed in that series that just happened.
Kaui struggled down the stretch, wasn't as automatic. But I'm
at the point right now saying when when Brunson misses
(12:33):
a shot, specifically like he did on that layup, I'm
shocked by it.
Speaker 2 (12:38):
I'm shocked. I think he was shocked. I think every
Knicks fan was shocked. It's just when when Brunson has
the ball late in his hands, late in the game,
everyone expects it to go in and look at a
great back door cut, great pass, some cornthon Towns, and
he just he missed the bunny that he typically makes.
If the Micks lost that game, he would have just
been destroying himself because that's just a shot he alwa
(13:00):
he's makes and obviously a very winnable game. They ended
up escaping in overtime and he wasn't great in that
overtime period, but kel Bridges hit a huge shot though.
Again Ognobi was the star of this game on both ends.
The Knicks really had to adjust to the to the
referee and how this game was officiated because that Piston
series was you could get away with murder both teams.
I mean, it was just fouling every single possession that
(13:21):
weren't being cold.
Speaker 3 (13:22):
That was not the case.
Speaker 2 (13:23):
And the Knicks dealt with foul trouble because of It's
Karl Anthony Towns, Josh Hart earlier to Jalen Brunson, because
that physicality level what just wasn't the same. Like the
refs were just calling more tikie tax stuff than they
were in that Piston series. So it's really hard to
go from a six game series against the Pistons where
it's an all at war to something like what it
was yesterday.
Speaker 1 (13:43):
Yeah, what a game it was, man, That's how we
got the party started last night. And then on to
the next one. Again, Aaron Gordon coming through in the
Claude hitting that three joker masterful forty two, twenty two
to six, just a fifth forty twenty five postseason game. Ever,
I just you know, it's just playoff basketball. And I
(14:04):
hate to say things so plain as day as that,
because you know, when you play forty eight minutes, there's
a hell of a lot more that goes into a game,
a result on why a team won and why a
team lost. But this is another game where Oklahoma City
has the game by the throat. They're up by twelve
thirteen points, but it was whatever in the fourth quarter
at home places got juice. Deva's just a battle tested,
(14:27):
championship mentality type of team. And oh, by the way,
some might say the best players on their team. I'm
not here to r U Sga versus Joker. You know,
you tell me you'll take Joker over Sga if you're
starting the team right now, You're not wrong. You tell
me you're gonna take sgover Joker to start a team
right now. You're not wrong those are You are.
Speaker 3 (14:46):
Wrong with the With the second one, you're wrong.
Speaker 1 (14:48):
Sga? Yeah, I would, I would, and I would tend
to take Joker as well. But isn't what type of
age are we talking about? Right?
Speaker 2 (14:56):
SGA's a little younger, a little younger, how old Joker's
probably about thirty one at this point.
Speaker 1 (15:01):
Okay, yeah again, thirty thirty, thirty thirty, we're splitting hairs.
He is incredible. So I just ask you, like again,
it goes back to that question from the beginning. It
was like, how surprised were you with both of those results?
But you know, just the way it played out, and
I'll give the credit to the CHAMPIONIPNT tell you they
fired their head coach a week before the game and
now they're up one nothing on the team with the
(15:22):
best record in the NBA.
Speaker 3 (15:24):
It kind of.
Speaker 2 (15:25):
Shows that we've seen throughout the last few years that
owners and franchises don't value head coaches right now, and
you're kind of seeing why that. I think a lot
of team owners and franchises just think they're a lot
of they're very replaceable, Like a lot of these guys
can do the similar things, and so they're very replaceable,
which is why you see organizations fire their head coaches
(15:45):
every few years, because like, all right, we can get
another guy in here here who can do just.
Speaker 3 (15:48):
As good of a job.
Speaker 2 (15:49):
And so that's why head coaches aren't really valued right now,
and you just see guys recycling in and out from
job to job, and there's very very few that stick
around in one place, like Spo with the Heat and
Steve Kerr with the with the Warriors.
Speaker 3 (16:02):
Or are they really only ones?
Speaker 2 (16:04):
Maybe I'm missing one, but I think those are the
only two that have really been there for extended period.
It's time and you're kind of seeing why with this
Nugget series where it's like maybe it can be a jolt,
which I wasn't really buying, but it's hard to deny.
Right now. It feels like Jokic is coaching this team
just as much as David Aolms, and he's really emerged
as a great leader.
Speaker 3 (16:21):
Over the last few seasons.
Speaker 2 (16:22):
But yeah, I mean they're they're doing an awesome job
down the stretch of games despite being so tired because
they don't have a lot of depth. The problem with
this game for me was the rebounding battle. It was
just the Nuggets got to excuse me, the thunder got
destroying the rebounding battle. The Nuggets won in by twenty
and the Nuggets had twenty one offensive rebounds.
Speaker 1 (16:43):
That was the that was their big issue last year.
That wasn't an issue this year as far as.
Speaker 2 (16:49):
Though it wasn't so so to set it to the
stage for you. Last year, they had the fourth worst
defensive rebounding percentage in the entire NBA, which made sense
because they're playing Chet at the five, and obviously Chets
the skinny kind of frail dude, great rim protector, but
skinny frail dude is a rebounder.
Speaker 3 (17:06):
They bring in Isaiah Hartenstein for that exact reason to
pair him with Chet.
Speaker 2 (17:10):
Holmgan to build a huge front court and Chet and
Isaiah is an awesome center and a great rebounder, and
it actually worked. Like obviously, Chet started the year out
injured than Isaiah got hurt, so those guys never really
played that much together in the first half of the season.
But since the All Star break, they were a top
ten rebounding team in terms of opponent offensive rebound percentage.
They were limiting teams from getting offensive rebounds and limiting
(17:32):
second chance points. That just completely went away this this series.
Speaker 3 (17:36):
Like that.
Speaker 2 (17:37):
They got Isaiah Hartenstein for this series, so they don't
lose the rebounded battle like that, and they can win
the physicality and toughness on the front line against the
matchup like Jokic.
Speaker 3 (17:46):
But that just didn't happen at all. Like they just
the Nuggets out rebound them by twenty.
Speaker 2 (17:49):
The Nuggets got twenty one offensive rebounds, they had eight
more second chance points. Jokic dominated both Chet and Isaiah
Hartenstein whoever was matched up with him. He was dominating
that matchup, and the Thunder need to send more help.
But the rebounding bound in the physicality. I was shocked
how the Nuggets just dominated that matchup, especially because the
Nuggets just finished up at Game seven series two days
(18:11):
ago and the Thunder were well rested and hadn't playing
eight plus d's, So that that is the biggest adjustment
for me. It's you have to secure the rebound battle.
You can't give up that many offensive rebounds, and you
have to throw more help at Yokic, like he can't
go for forty and grab twenty two rebounds.
Speaker 1 (18:26):
That's just it just can't happen. Well again, just a
great game, great finish. Gordon comes down there, down by One,
pulls up from downtown on like a fast break, nails it,
uh the inbound, no timeout, just back the other way,
no good and just scenes, absolute scenes, and I love, love,
(18:49):
love love like the tist. You can hear to pen drop,
especially in Oklahoma City. Look, those folks packed the place
and they wear the shirts. It gets loud. Not much
to do in Oklahoma City, I assume. So every but
he goes to that type of game and go into
that environment and come away with the victory.
Speaker 3 (19:06):
Just incredible.
Speaker 2 (19:07):
So well, everyone talk is talking about the shot, which
of course is the biggest storyline, Aaron Gordon's second game
winner this postseason. All right, the biggest storyline to me
is chet Holmgrin missed two free throws, like a really
good free throw shooter, just in the clutch moment, got
to him, just missed two free throws. Because you're not
having that conversation right now if chet Holmgren makes those
(19:28):
two free throws, because then presumably it's a it's a
three point game. And not only is a three point game,
but the Nuggets aren't going down the court in a
fast break against the jumble defense when Russ Westbroo can
get in the lane and kick to a relatively open
Aaron Gordon. Because if you make those two free throws,
they have to inbound, the defense is more set, and
of course at the worst you're going overtime. So chet
Holmgren missed those two free throws. And that's kind of
(19:48):
what this series is going to come down to, is
how much help is Shay gonna get. Like Jenn Williams
struggled that last night, and that's a problem considering that
he struggled in the second round against the MAVs last
year with his efficiency and s. He was five for
twenty last night for sixteen points. That's not good enough
for the secondary crater and the secondary score on.
Speaker 3 (20:06):
This team that is Jileen Williams. Chet Holmgan did not
have a good game.
Speaker 2 (20:09):
He only need six rebounds against what you need to
rebound the basketball. He had six rebounds, and then of
course he misses those two crucial free throws that ultimately
decided the game. So chet wasn't good enough. Shay is
gonna need extra help from his two through five for
the Thunder to get through this.
Speaker 1 (20:26):
Yeah, and Gordon made those two free throws on the
previous possession by the Nuggets. I mean, he's battle tested.
He's a damn good player, man, And that was a
heck of a shot to pull up.
Speaker 2 (20:37):
People really pissed about that too, because the Thunder fouled
up three and people don't think that the Thunder should
have done that.
Speaker 3 (20:43):
I don't really mind the fouling up three. I'm usually
a big proponent for fouling up three.
Speaker 2 (20:47):
Actually it was a little too early, though, like most
coaches will tell you like seven six seconds when you
want to foul up three. The Thunder did it with
about over ten seconds left. And it also gave an
opportunity for Jokic to enter the game because of that,
because he was out and the Nuggets didn't have a timeout,
which I mean, yo, it wasn't even really involved in
the final play. So yeah, obviously it's not good, but
it didn't really end up mattering that much. The biggest
(21:08):
problem for me is how early they fouled up three,
because I'm usually a big.
Speaker 3 (21:11):
Fan of fouling up three.
Speaker 1 (21:17):
All right, know, with that, Sam, let's go ahead and
keep it moving from last night into tonight. We got
two games. With that being said, of course, I have
to ask you whether or not the dogs will continue
to bark here, especially from the Warriors' perspective in game one.
But let's put the Warriors and te Wolves to the
side for.
Speaker 3 (21:36):
Just a second.
Speaker 1 (21:37):
Let's talk about the other three series that we already
had one game, And of course you know where I'm
going Underdog took all three if there's one that you're
looking at right now, not your best odds, not anything
from a gambling perspective. I just want to know to Samash,
will we have an upset in one of those series?
Speaker 2 (21:57):
Yeah, I think it's going to be the uh, the
Pacers Cavs series. And let me let me just rule
out the Knick Celtics, the three point variants. It's just
it's just not gonna it's just not gonna keep up
like they're gonna be able to generate good looks based
off of attacking Karnathine Towns and Jalen bruntson.
Speaker 1 (22:12):
Let me just say this right now. I hope you're right.
I hope you're right because.
Speaker 3 (22:18):
Knicks fans are too unbearable for you.
Speaker 1 (22:20):
You couldn't even you couldn't even like forget it, who cares?
But like I could not even get it out of
my mouth to give them the credit that they deserved
last night via social media any like. And I don't
even care about shoppin Ark because he's got me wrapped
up in like the webs of these maniacs out there.
But like, I just want to be like man, it
(22:42):
was a great one. And then you just see these
Knicks fans.
Speaker 2 (22:45):
Go, No, I told you they're legit lunatics, Like legit lunatics.
Got like when I go to MSG, they are the
most lunat like lunacy fan base in the NBA.
Speaker 3 (22:56):
Like they are just rabid.
Speaker 2 (22:57):
Like it's it's like cards to even describe these people,
but they are there. They're lunatics. And I don't even
mean that in a derogatory way.
Speaker 3 (23:05):
That could be a compliment.
Speaker 2 (23:07):
Yeah, So when you see Jerry Ferrara a turtle from
Entourage saying that's the top three win of his life
since he became a fan in the last like four decades.
Guy's forty five years old, which hasn't been too many
happy moments. But like, if the Celtics win this in five,
nobody cares about that game.
Speaker 3 (23:23):
What so let's just relax for a second.
Speaker 1 (23:24):
But he's caught up in the moment. He's caught up
on the social media high plus he's one to always
go a little bit crazy. But yeah, I'm with you.
I don't think that the Celtics are going to lose
that series, and I just hope that that is correct.
But you think the Pacers over the Cavs though.
Speaker 2 (23:39):
Yeah, and I'll rule out the Nuggets over the Thunder
for another reason too, is I mean that Jokic matchup
is a problem just his The physicality he showed against
Isaiah Hartenstein and chet Holmgrim, which is a tall, big
front line, was overpowering. So I think that's gonna be
a difficult matchup for the Thunder moving forward. The problem
is the Nuggets just played their eighth game in the
(24:00):
last sixteen days. Moving forward, they only have one day
of rest in between every game until a potential game seven.
If it gets that, they'll left two days off before that.
That is in just there, exhaustion is gonna kick in
because the Nuggets are not a deep team. They're not
like the Pacers where they play ten deep like Jokic
and all these guys have to play a huge load.
(24:20):
And again, Michael Borr Junior wasn't good last night, and
Jamal Murray was good in stretches, but he also had
some poor moments last night, and so I don't really
trust the consistency. I think the fatigue is going to
kick in. So I'm not on the Nuggets. I am
on the pat Pacers. I think the Pacers are the
underdog to Vet and the reason why is because this
Calves team is just becoming depleted by the day.
Speaker 3 (24:43):
Darius Garland didn't play Game one.
Speaker 2 (24:45):
Obviously, he's dealing with a tow injury, so even if
he plays, he's probably not gonna be one hundred percent
or close to it. The Calves need his secondary creation
like him and Donovan Mitchell have done a great job
of complimenting each other as as primary and secondary creator
with Darris Garland too much relies on Donovan Mitchell and
we saw that in game one and it wasn't enough.
They need a second day creator. They need Darris Garland.
(25:08):
And if he's hurt, he obviously is a liability defensively.
Teams are gonna target and we saw that against the
with the Heat series. But if he's hurt, that makes
him even bigger liability defensively, especially if it's a tow injury,
which seems to be pretty bad.
Speaker 3 (25:20):
So we don't know his status.
Speaker 2 (25:21):
And now Evan Mobley is questionable for this game tonight
and DeAndre Hunter is questionable for this game tonight.
Speaker 3 (25:29):
So this Calves team is just dropping like flies.
Speaker 2 (25:31):
If they're down two or three starters against a really
good Pacers team that is deep, that moves the ball
exceptional wial tyres Halburn is playing awesome and he's winning
the defense and an all NBA.
Speaker 3 (25:40):
Level right now, and they just get five guys involved.
They lead the NBA and passes.
Speaker 2 (25:44):
They just play such a high, fast paced that this team,
this Pacers team, is hard to guard.
Speaker 3 (25:49):
And they're also defending right now at a pretty high level.
Speaker 2 (25:52):
So if the Calves are injured and depleted and they
don't have a couple of starters, Pacers are gonna take
this series.
Speaker 1 (25:58):
Yeah, I think we're agreement on that one, because I
can't necessarily I do know this much. I believe it's
been twenty sixteen since the last time we saw somebody
win the MVP and win the championship in the same
season with Steph Curry. Since then, it's just it's not
to say it's an uphill climb, but there's just a
lot of expectation that comes with it. And now I know
(26:19):
Oklahoma City's deep and possibly deeper than some of those
other teams that had the MVP, But still, I just.
Speaker 3 (26:26):
Wait, didn't didn't Yo, didn' Yoki win it when he
won MVP.
Speaker 1 (26:28):
I don't believe so, no, no, Joel Embiid won it
that year. Didn't he.
Speaker 3 (26:36):
Was that twenty twenty three? Yeah, yeah, I guess you're right. Yeah,
you're right about that.
Speaker 1 (26:41):
That one finally got one on, Sam. How about so
I'm right there with you. But let's go ahead and
slide into it. Let's talk about the Golden State Warriors
and the Minnesota templelves How about this from the NBA
communication right on point here, Sam, Now we just went
in that three game one's were won by the road teams. Now,
(27:03):
that's the seventh time in NBA history that that has happened.
Did you know, Sam Austrey that it's never happened before.
We're all four road teams won game one. So will
we see history tonight? Golden State plus six and a
half on the road in Minnesota. Of course that's the
second game up this evening. Two ten is our total
(27:26):
nine to thirty five? Start time, Sam, Osh to your
thoughts on game one there, it's.
Speaker 2 (27:31):
This is a really tough series and I've gone back
and forth so many times on this. I think this
is going to be the most competitive series. I bet
it to go seven at plus one ninety five at
most books I believe in, including DraftKings, so I would
bet on it to go seven.
Speaker 3 (27:44):
I think it's that competitive of a series in terms
of Game one.
Speaker 2 (27:47):
I'm not too camm from the Warriors tonight, and it's
because of their aging old roster coming off of Game seven.
And we saw with the Nuggets it didn't affect the
Nuggets when they played a youthful team like the Thunder.
Speaker 3 (27:57):
But the Warriors are older than the Nuggets.
Speaker 2 (28:00):
I mean, Seph Curry is approaching thirty seven, or maybe
he's already thirty seven. Jimmy Butler is up there in
ad Draymond Green's been around for like. This Warriors team
is older and coming off a seven game series is
just tough against the pretty young.
Speaker 3 (28:13):
Minnesota team who who has the size advantage.
Speaker 2 (28:17):
Over the Warriors. But they also are capable of playing
small ball lineups with Naswed at the five, so they
can match the Warriors small ball lineup if they need to.
If Rudy Gobert for some reason, it can't take advantage
of his size and has to be played off the
four in this series, which we've seen in previous series.
Speaker 3 (28:31):
Even though he's great.
Speaker 2 (28:32):
In that Game five against the Lakers went off for
twenty seven points and twenty four boards. So they have
the size advantge, but they're also capable of playing small.
So I really like this Wolves team against this matchup,
and I think they win in Game one tonight.
Speaker 1 (28:44):
Wow. Okay, all right, So the money line on that
one minus two sixty five for the t Wolves plus
two fifteen. Just as far as the series price is concerned,
T Wolves minus one eighty Golden State. We talked about
this one yesterday plus one fifty five. This is the
first time Golden State's history with Steve Kurrz the head coach,
that they are an underdog heading into a playoff series.
(29:06):
Pretty surprising stuff there, But.
Speaker 3 (29:07):
It's I take the Wolves to cover in two at
six and a half.
Speaker 2 (29:11):
I think they win like somewhat handily, just the fatigue
factor sets in late in the fourth quarter for the Warriors.
Speaker 1 (29:16):
Yeah, I think, Look, if you're gonna roll with the
Timroves to win, you have to take, you have to
give the six and a half. So I don't have
an issue with that whatsoever. All right, who's going out
for Minnesota though? Is it all based around Ant yeah.
Speaker 2 (29:31):
I mean, look, they're gonna send doubles at Ant, and
but he's done such a great job of reading and
reacting off doubles and constantly making.
Speaker 3 (29:37):
The right place.
Speaker 2 (29:38):
So I think Julius Randall is a great series. He
kind of brushed off the playoff woes that he's experienced
in the past, and he was awesome against the Lakers,
and he was really awesome taking advantage of four and
three situations. So I would look at his points and
assists because because that's really where he generates buckets is
when the other team is doubling Ant and Julius Randall
comes in for some relief and takes advantge of four
(29:59):
and three either as a score or as a passer
out of the short role. So I really think Julius
Randall is gonna have another big series. So I would
take his points and assists tonight.
Speaker 1 (30:11):
Points only here Anthony Edwards twenty seven and a half,
Steph Curry twenty six and a half. Both their leaders
on their teams there, Jamie Butler twenty two and a half,
Julius is nineteen and a half.
Speaker 2 (30:22):
Just points, points and assists is twenty five and a
half for Julius Randall.
Speaker 1 (30:26):
All right, I definitely think that's a good play there.
Gotta find it from somebody else, right, you know, we
know how this one's gonna play, especially in game one.
All right, again over to the Golden State or over
to game one. We do have two games going off
this evening, and it's the Pacers and Cabs seven and
a half two twenty nine. We just discussed the series,
but game two do or die for Cleveland? Are you
(30:48):
gonna give the seven and a half or do you
think the PACER's going to play this evening?
Speaker 2 (30:52):
So this line is telling us that they think these
injuries aren't a concern and those guys are gonna play.
So none of them were at shooter around this morning.
Darvis Garlan wasn't a shot around. DeAndre Hunter wasn't that
shoot around. Evan Mobley wasn't that shoot around. So I
don't know how much we should look into that, but
it's certainly a concern. Like this line, if those three
don't end up playing, this line is going to drop dramatically.
So this line is telling us that they believe the
(31:13):
odds makers believe that those three are going to play,
at least two of them, Like at least Evan Mobley
and DeAndre Hunter will play, and if two of them
do play, I think the Calves get it back and
cover and win it substantially. So I'd wait until that
injury report comes out because I don't think this line
will move that much in the Calves direction. If assuming
those guys are all playing, maybe like a point at most,
(31:34):
and if they do well play, I think the Calves
get this one back. The three point variant was a
big one in this one too. That the Pacers hit
nineteen threes and shot fifty two percent from three in
game one, while the Calves made nine threes and shot
twenty three percent in game one, so I.
Speaker 3 (31:48):
Don't think that that's not something that will continue.
Speaker 2 (31:50):
The Calves are one of the better three point shooting
teams in the NBA, and the Pacer are a good
three point shooting team two but not that good, so
each of those teams will go back towards their mean,
and that all obviously favor the Calves, So I'd wait
until the injury report comes down it's official those guys
are playing, but assuming they do, I think the Calves
role and I take the Caves with the points.
Speaker 1 (32:09):
Calves got to figure it out and get again. They
were up by a point in the final couple of
minutes of the game, so it wasn't a blowout. But
if I'm not mistaken, it was just the don Ofan
Mitchell show from I think he was shot thirty times.
If him not, I believe.
Speaker 2 (32:26):
And that's that's what happens when you miss Darius Garland
because you need that secondary shock creation. You need another
reliable scorer you can create for himself, and they don't
have that without Darris Garland. Time Jerome shot the ball
twenty times, like that's too much for Tide.
Speaker 3 (32:41):
Jerome to shoot and to play like.
Speaker 2 (32:43):
He's a great bench guy who can come in and
give you great sporadic minutes. Back to that word, sporadic,
great minutes, sporadically. But he's not a guy that can
shoot should shoot the ball twenty times. He's not a
guy that can really create for himself at that high
of a level. So you need Darius Garlands. You don't
want to be all on Donovan Mitchells shoulders.
Speaker 1 (33:01):
Forgive me if you said that he picked up a knock.
He's not listed on DraftKings Tygerum. Did he get injured
at all, or are they just he's a key, like
they know that everybody's waiting for his numbers. Because he is,
he can go out there and fill it up. And
if especially he's gonna take twenty shots and he's got
to replace the Garland production so on and so forth.
Does that why DraftKings doesn't have him up yet?
Speaker 3 (33:23):
Yeah, I would assume so.
Speaker 2 (33:24):
Because there's no injury from him, he should be expected
to play. But I think it really depends on his load.
Is just gonna depend on those injuries and then how
much he has to play. So yeah, that's probably why
they're holding out on that interesting stuff there.
Speaker 1 (33:37):
That's game one this evening. Man, I'll tell you, I
think I might take the Pacers plus seven and a
half here.
Speaker 3 (33:47):
It's it's gonna be all about the injury report for me.
Like it's just it's if like.
Speaker 2 (33:51):
There's Garland and even DeAndre Hunter or out, the Pacers
could easily win this out right, not just cover when
this out right, but if those three guys are playing,
it's just even if they're a little injured, it's gonna
be hard for the Calves. And it's also at home
like this is that it is a home for the Calves, Like,
are they really gonna lose two at home?
Speaker 3 (34:10):
If they do that, they'll probably cooked, Like it really is,
you're not done?
Speaker 1 (34:13):
Yeah, there's yeah. We've seen teams go down oh two
before and come back and when it doesn't happen often,
but but.
Speaker 3 (34:20):
Not with that, not when they blow home court advantage.
That's rare.
Speaker 1 (34:24):
It's about asda as it could possibly get. And yeah,
on the flip side of that, I'll back the Minnesota table.
So one dog, one favor. I'm gonna take the tea
will it's minus the six and a half here. I
think that they will be fired up at home, rested,
and it's gonna put on a show. And oh, by
the way, have some pride, Rudy Gobert, Like, you know,
you've been getting punked by Draymond for years now. Have
(34:47):
some pride. You're coming off the best game in your
in your playoff and your career, not just playoffs. Like,
show some pride, show some fight, go out there and
don't let Draymond bully you all over the court. How about.
Speaker 2 (34:59):
But at the same time time we talked about this yesterday,
Draymond has to control his emotions.
Speaker 3 (35:04):
He has genuine hatred.
Speaker 2 (35:06):
He he talks, smacked a lot of people and tries
to get under people's skin and we'll and we'll get
in their head and and go head to head with them. Sure,
this is genuine hatred he has for for Rudy go Beert.
I mean we see it when he makes fun of
him every chance he gets he can get to make
fun of Rudy Gobert for crying when he to make
the All Star Game, like when that play that he
got suspended and he had to go to therapy for
(35:26):
and and he was suspended for quite a bit and
stepped away from the team. It was because he choked
Rudy Gobert out like that was that was the catalyst,
catalyst find all of that. And he wasn't even involved
in the play. He saw an opportunity to choke Rudy Gobert.
He jumped in and said, I'm taking Rudy's neck out,
and and that he is genuine hatred for Rudy Gobert.
So he has to control his emotions because they're not
(35:46):
gonna let I mean they let a lot go last series,
like they weren't. They did not kick him out when
he probably deserved to be kicked out in one of
two of those games. They were just signing the technicals
instead of multiple flagrants or flagrant twos. I don't based
on the history with him and rudygo I don't know
if the refs are gonna allow him to do that
this series. So he has to be careful and controls emotions.
But at the same time, Rudy Gobert like this guy
(36:08):
hates you, like this guy's been coming for your throat.
Are you gonna take that or or how how are
you gonna approach it?
Speaker 1 (36:13):
That's my point. So I played with some damn pride, dude,
like we know what's being said, we know that there's
no love between you guys. Go out there and why
don't you run your like I know you don't want
to change your game up, but just don't back down.
You're at home, your favored summer saying you're the better team.
Go out there and show it right like you were
disrespected in the Lakers series. You let everybody know and
(36:37):
you proved it. Now you got an opportunity to knock
off Golden State, and I know that and has knocked
off a lot of great players. I'm I totally I
am fully aware of that. But this is a big
ask here, and I think it's a roll the dice
really to back the te Wilson this, but the odds
makers are telling you the rest we went over, Like
what we saw last night was special to Steph and
(36:58):
Golden State have that spe performance in them and Minnesota
LA's a dud. I think that's a difficult combination to have.
So I think he Wolves are gonna play well Golden State.
Could they hit a couple of threes? That's always a
question mark, right six and a half through light three pointer?
And it's like, you know, I knew I should have
took Golden State, but that's not the way I view it.
If I think Minnesota's gonna win the game, I'll give
(37:20):
the six and a half here.
Speaker 2 (37:22):
Yeah, No, I'm one hundred percent with you on that.
Because it's also when you talk about the factor with
Warriors making threes, it's not about Steph Curry and Jimmy
Butler and Draymond Green.
Speaker 3 (37:32):
We know what those guys are gonna do.
Speaker 2 (37:33):
It's about Moody Moody, It's about Buddy Heald, who obviously
had a great series all around last year. He's been
especially great Game seven when he hit a record nine
threes in Game seven. But it's about Moses Moody, who's
been inconsistent a shooter. Gary Payton should be back from
an illness that he dealt with. How is he going
to be as a shooter. He's hit or miss, you
know what he is as a defender, but offensively like
(37:54):
he's had good at shooting knights and he also has
knights where he bricks it like, you know what. Curry
is gonna bring the series because the Wolves can't match
the physicality the Rockets did both just splitzing him as
off ball when they were really just holding him, doubling
him off the ball. The Wolves just don't have the
defenders to match that the of physicality on Curry. So
Unick Curry's gonna have a great series, no doubt. It's
(38:14):
about the others for the Warriors. And are those guys
gonna make threes?
Speaker 3 (38:19):
All right?
Speaker 1 (38:19):
Once again? Our series prices right now on DraftKings Sports.
But Calves and Pacers Game two tonight, Cavaliers trailing one
a nothing to the Pacers game in Cleveland, Calves minus
one ninety five Pacers plus one sixty t Wolves just
getting started tonight Game one. They're minus one eighty favorites
plus one fifty five for Golden State Celtics to win
(38:41):
the series, now trailing by one game down one zero
to the New York Knicks, minus three forty for the
Celtics plus two seventy for the Knicks there. And then
finally Oklahoma City minus two to ninety trailing one game
to none to the Denver Nuggets, who are plus two
thirty five on draft sportsbook to win the series and
(39:02):
nice money there to be made. Hopefully those books took
a little bit of a hit yesterday because the Dogs
were barking in a big way.
Speaker 2 (39:10):
First time in any playoff night that two teams who
were not at least nine.
Speaker 3 (39:16):
Point underdogs won in the same night. So the Wild
Wild Night.
Speaker 1 (39:20):
Dogs didn't just cover. They cooked man. They cooked yesterday.
It was it was a lot of fun to watch.
Hopefully we see some more of that, but we also
want the series to be stretched out a little bit too,
so it would be nice to go and get a
one to one series and that Pacers calves and then
of course let's see the Teaballs open up with a
victory there, all right? Any final thoughts were we get
out of here working on some stuff for the score?
Speaker 2 (39:42):
Yes, sir, a lot lot today about all those first
round upsets and which one, which team is the best
chance of coming back, which I think is the Pacers.
How the Celtics are pretty cooked or excuse me, the
Knicks are pretty cooked even after taking a one zero lead.
Speaker 3 (39:55):
And you saw that where the odds moved.
Speaker 2 (39:57):
Of course in the nixt favor for the series price,
but not drastically. And same thing with the Thunder Nuggets
where the Thunder have glaring issues rebounding, secondary scoring, but
the Nuggets are gonna fatigue is gonna kick in for
the Nuggets. So all that stuff coming out at the score.
And like we talked about all day, all.
Speaker 1 (40:16):
Right, just to let everybody know, some weathers in the
area over these next couple days, but it's not gonna
stop us. We're gonna be broadcasting live on Friday from
the Truest Championship PGA's tour. Top players like Rory McRoy
and Justin Thomas. Yeah, they're all playing at Philadelphia's cricket club,
the Wist the Hicking Course, May three, eleventh. Tickets are
(40:38):
on sale right now as we speak at Truest Championship
dot com. I got some really cool things going on,
including michelob Ultra Club, a lot of Philadelphia or excuse me,
Philly bites, Philly food out there all around the golf course.
Some great, great kids fun spots that you can roll into.
And I did see this yesterday, matter of fact, shared
(41:00):
it on Instagram. Speaking of kids, I apologize about this.
Kids are Free, Sam Austria.
Speaker 3 (41:06):
I saw that. That's crazy.
Speaker 1 (41:08):
Yeah, nice work by them on that. I thought, Yeah,
that's awesome. Kids get in free May seventh through the eleventh.
Need a family friendly, family friendly activity. Kids fifteen and
under get in for free with a general mission ticket.
So just check out what Truest Championship has to say
as far as on Instagram and you'll see the advertisement there.
(41:31):
Kids getting in free all week and long, some prequel
stuff there. Like I said, we'll be broadcasting live on
Friday and on Wednesday tomorrow, the Creator Classic. We're gonna
be out there getting a lot of videos done, a
lot of content, having some fun. You're gonna hear a
lot of the Daily Ticket being recorded out there. Try
and make my way back to be live tomorrow, but
if not, we'll be back at it on Thursday and
(41:53):
then Friday from the Truest Championship and the Gambler Gang
will be in full at ten. Looking forward to that one,
looking forward to get back tomorrow. But if you miss anything,
once again, everything can be found over at Foxspatial Gambler
dot com. Keep it locked right here to the Gambler
Number one on your car radio preset hand the new
and improved Diehard Radio WA and WD two seven three
D Philadelphia, Ice, Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 2 (00:08):
The Gambler.
Speaker 1 (00:11):
Them dogs are barking in a big, big way. Let's
do it. NBA Playoffs front and center. Good afternoon, shabras,
Sam Astree. We are all things picks and roll here
on the Gambler. NBA Playoffs. As I said, nothing better.
Have you been tuning in? Have you seen the upsets? Man?
Last night was incredible? First and foremost, I do want
(00:34):
to put this stat out that is on my television
screen right now as we speak. Cursey, other fine folks
over at ESPN, Sam Ostrie from the score. Teams to
lose game one at home in a best of seven series.
There has been six straight series losses by those teams,
including the Lakers and Rockets last round. Dodo, Wow, how
(01:00):
about last night?
Speaker 2 (01:01):
That was amazing, amazing night in the NBA, like a
lot of these nights have been. This has been an
incredible playoffs from the first round to now the second
round and these are all just been Game one one
so far, so look parody. Finally, after like a decade,
you could say, if not a lot of parody in
the NBA.
Speaker 3 (01:20):
This is what Adam Silver wanted.
Speaker 2 (01:21):
He wanted parody, with the collective bargaining agreement, with all
of the playing tournament, all these different things. He created
a system of parody and we have it, and it
creates awesome matchups where you have no idea who's gonna
win this title right now, no idea.
Speaker 1 (01:36):
You're right about that. We do have a we have
two games tonight. We do have a game one in
the Golden State Warriors of Minnesota Timberwolves. So will the
dog tren continue to bark? We'll talk about that game.
Of course. We got game two with Pacers and Cavaliers.
Dare I say, must win territory for the Cleveland Cavaliers kid.
But then again with just throwing that out there and
(01:56):
the like, that's what it comes back to for me, Sammers.
These are all good teams, right like the Knicks going
into Boston or shocking, but the Knicks are a good
basketball team. Knicks won fifty plus games, Pacers one fifty
plus games. I don't need to go into the Nuggets.
We know damn well how good the Nuggets are. And
the Warriors are the Warriors, right like these are all
(02:17):
really good basketball teams that have won a bunch of games,
some have won championships and may run runs before. But like,
it shouldn't shock us that we are seeing these types
of just wins. I would say covers shouldn't shock us
to win as a different monster. So I got to
take that back, but it's been a lot of fun
(02:38):
talking about him. Of course, we'll go ahead and jump
right into let's do it with the Knicks and Celtics
first up last night, the Celtics credit first.
Speaker 2 (02:46):
Can take your victory lat first for predicting that series
or the Knicks upset to a t.
Speaker 1 (02:52):
No. Well, look, I wish I could even go a
little bit further, but obviously I didn't have it. I
just said that if the Knicks were if the Boston Celtics,
not even if the Knicks were to win a game.
It was more along the lines of, if the Celtics
lose a game, it's going to be because they don't
make their three point shots. And we all agreed, of course,
(03:12):
and I just said, what's the percentage, Because they shoot
a ridiculous amount of three pointers. So if they shoot
twenty five percent from downtown, that's gonna be an ugly night.
I didn't think forty five miss three pointers, don't sam
NBA playoff record.
Speaker 2 (03:26):
Forty five misses an NBA playoff record, and then sixty
attempts an NBA playoff record, just absurd.
Speaker 1 (03:34):
So good, well, look again, just like the Cavaliers and Pacers,
though I want to be careful because that game was
the Pacers or the Cavs were up by a point
with I think six five minutes to go, and then
they went on their run. The Boston Celtics were up
by twenty points. You know, Like I get it. We
(03:56):
give all the credit in the world to New York
and they deserve even more than that. But like Boston
being up by twenty, the three pointers weren't falling. They
they kind of got rattled. In my opinion, It's just like, dude,
just if they're not falling, can you do something else?
And I know Brown and Tatum are incredible one on one,
but like, I don't know, maybe I would have liked
(04:18):
to see that a little bit featured more slow it down,
Let's get one of them on the block, and this
is what we're gonna do every single time. Down If
the three pointers aren't falling. But that's easy for me
to say from the couch.
Speaker 2 (04:29):
So I don't have a problem with the three point volume,
Like this is who the Celtics are. They won a
championship with it, shooting a ton of threes, the most
threes in NBA history they shot this season, And I
don't have a problem with the volume. But they take
that approach because of their personnel. When their personnel is
they almost always have five shooters on the floid all
times and a lot of perimeter guys who can break
(04:51):
their defenders down, driving kick, get in the lane, put
two on the ball, and that's what generates good threes.
So I don't have a problem with the volume, have
a problem with how they generated their threes yesterday because
they weren't doing that at all.
Speaker 3 (05:04):
They were not.
Speaker 2 (05:05):
I mean they were in the first half, but in
that second half it became so much isolation, so much
one on one basketball, where they weren't generating looks by
putting two on the ball.
Speaker 3 (05:15):
And the Knicks Knicks main.
Speaker 2 (05:16):
Adjustment from the regular season matchups where the Knicks in
the regular season, when Karnthon Towns or Mitch or Karnthon
Towns really was in the pick and roll. He was
always in drop coverage, always hanging out by the rim.
Speaker 3 (05:27):
They had him switch.
Speaker 2 (05:28):
Almost everything against the Celtics ball screens, so he was
switching almost everything, and the Knicks were switching all ball screens,
really any ball screen that jenlen Brunson wasn't involved in,
which is a good approach because now you have you're
not the Celtics don't put two on the ball and
they don't get teams in rotation, and that's what the
Magic did, and the Magic kind of unlocked something where
they limited the Celtics threes. So I like that approach.
(05:50):
I like that Bibbs made that adjustment for this game.
The problem that the Celtics didn't exploit is they didn't
exploit those mismatches good enough, and particularly Jason Tatum, who
I thought had one of his worst playoff games I've
seen in a long time from him, and he had
one of the he probably had the best season of
his career this season, but this playoff game was on
a business performance to him, and it was his decision
(06:12):
making off of these switches in the second half. They
were generating these switches that they wanted. He had opportunities
to take it to the rim against kar Anthony Town's,
against Mitchell Robinson in overtime against Jalen Bruntson. Jalen Brunson
got caught in a couple switches when they were really
trying to hedge and recover. But Brunton got caught in
a couple of switches on Tatum. And what Tatum did?
What did Tatum do? He settled for contested dribble, really
(06:36):
just isolation one on one three point jumpers.
Speaker 3 (06:38):
Those are awful looks.
Speaker 2 (06:40):
He has to get to the rim and the Celtics
as a group have to get in the paint to
draw two to kick and get the Nixon rotation because
that's how they generate good looks, so that they're usually
great at that, so they can shoot a lot of
threes because they generate good looks. They did not do
that last night at all. And it started with Jason
Tatum in that fourth quarter in overtime.
Speaker 1 (07:02):
What a game. And for the Knicks to go into
Boston again, like I said, just you want to cover
the number, that's great, you know nine, whatever, it was
a tip off. You want to cover that. That's what
it's all about. But it's a different animal to go
in there and to win on the road, to take
game one in a game seven, best of seven series,
(07:22):
and oh, by the way, go to overtime, like I said,
where road dogs go to die. And they just did
not back down. Og. I gotta give him a ton
of credit. He was hitting some big shots. Wasn't shy
the moment, you know, the Knicks just kept on like
that was the thing that stood out to me. And
that fourth quarter was like once they got into it
(07:43):
was like, no, they belong, they belong. They're not scared
of the Boston Celtics right now. Og was awesome.
Speaker 2 (07:48):
You had twenty nine points, tied for the most of
them team with bruntson. But more importantly, what he did
defensively is he held the Celtics starters to one for
one for fifteen shooting as the primary defender.
Speaker 3 (08:00):
So he just courted.
Speaker 2 (08:01):
He was cording everybody one through five and he did
a phenomenal job. And Michael Bridges was phenomenal defensively in
that game, and really late in that game when he
had two big steels on a block, especially of course
on the last play when he just ripped the ball
out of Jalen Brown's hands, but him, Michel Bridges, og
Nnobi and Josh Hart, those three were flying all over
(08:23):
and their closed outs, the rotations, the recoveries, they were
flying all over defensively yesterday, and they made up for
the defensive live bills the Knicks have, which is Carnthine Towns,
which is Jalen Brunston, who the Celtics attacked and targeted
and tried to get in action all the time. And
it's really more in the Celtics for not taking advantage
of it. But those three guys defensively were phenomenal.
Speaker 1 (08:46):
All right, which one surprised you more outright victory the
Knicks going into Boston and the Nuggets going into Okace
and winning.
Speaker 3 (08:53):
The Nuggets going to Okay, see just because of the rest.
Speaker 2 (08:56):
Like the Nuggets just came off of let's seven games
series against the Clippers when they had one day of rest,
when the Thunder had this eight day layover. So really
the rest factor, and we saw the stat yesterday that
was the first time in NBA history a team had
only one day of rest playing a team with eight
plus days of rest and.
Speaker 3 (09:15):
They beat them.
Speaker 2 (09:16):
So really the rest factor and how the thunder fell
apart late. But I'm I'm not very confident in the
Knicks moving forward, if we're gonna be honest, but I
said before, they don't have a chance. I'm not confident
that moving forward.
Speaker 1 (09:29):
Yeah, Look, I think you know there's levels to this
and I'm not going to panic in the best of
seven if you lost game one. It's definitely not how
you draw it up. But we know what Boston is
capable of, and I would say that they are the
better team, but their superstars need to play like it.
And they got to hit a few more three pointers. Yeah,
if you're gonna pull up sixty plus, man, you can't
miss forty five of those bad boys or else you're
(09:51):
going to lose. Like we discussed yesterday.
Speaker 2 (09:53):
And I had a problem with how they generated the threes,
But at the same time, they were seven for twenty
five on unguarded catch and shoot three. That number will
never be that low again, right, Like, they're just going
to shoot better from three. And I think it's a
pretty easy adjustment because when the Knicks switch these ball
screens and they get cat on an island or they
force Jalen Brunson in action, the adjustment is Tatum take
(10:14):
it to the rim, like get two feet in the
lane and create for yourself and your teammates. Don't settle.
Don't settle for these poor step back jumpers. So it's
a pretty easy fix and adjustment because the Knicks don't
really have the defensive personnel when they have Corinthony Towns
and Jalen Brunson, two guys that they just can be
targeted relentlessly. And it's really just on Jason Tatum especially,
(10:34):
but also Jalen Brown and these guys to take advantage
of those switches and those mismatches. So I think it's
a relatively easy adjustment that Knicks have to make, and
of course it's just making more shots. And so I'm
not really convinced unless they go ice cold. And like
I said earlier or what like I said yesterday to
you is which the only way the Celtics or the
Knicks win this series or really compete for an entire
series is if they're ice cold from three, like shoot
(10:56):
thirty percent from three for the entire series, and Chris
STAPs catching gets injured. So two of those things hit
yesterday and like you got a Drew Holli, they get
hurt too, So your STEP's left with an illness and
he actually missed significant time in the regular season with
an illness, so we don't know how.
Speaker 3 (11:10):
That will progress. But assuming we'll be back, I'm not
worried about the Celtics.
Speaker 1 (11:15):
It's pretty funny because our resident New York Nick hater
Sean Bernard, was at the Kendrick Lamar Show last night,
of course, and it was funny because you know, obviously
that game was a blowout. Everything was going as expected.
And then and then I texted the group like Nick's
about to make this interesting because it was like a
seven to eight point game at that point in time,
(11:37):
and it just had the vibe of like, all right,
boss is playing with their food. Nicks are going to
tie this up, right, Bronson just putting the team on
his back. But Sean Bernard checking in, goes check it
in from a concert.
Speaker 3 (11:49):
But I'm not.
Speaker 1 (11:50):
But if I'm not mistaken, they are down nine at
the end of the third, right, Like, don't give them
any credit whatsoever. You saw it though, right, you Like
that's not something that I was, you know, hallucinating in
my living room. I just felt like, Okay, Nick's are
for real, right, now and again it starts and ends
with Brunton. Let's get a minute on him. Come on, dude.
(12:11):
And I said it last week speaking of Shan Bearnard,
and I said, dude, when you watch this guy play
right now, he's given me like visions of speaking hallucinating
Kawhi Leonard, Like when Kawhi goes up, it's going in.
You know, things changed in that series that just happened.
Kaui struggled down the stretch, wasn't as automatic. But I'm
at the point right now saying when when Brunson misses
(12:33):
a shot, specifically like he did on that layup, I'm
shocked by it.
Speaker 2 (12:38):
I'm shocked. I think he was shocked. I think every
Knicks fan was shocked. It's just when when Brunson has
the ball late in his hands, late in the game,
everyone expects it to go in and look at a
great back door cut, great pass, some cornthon Towns, and
he just he missed the bunny that he typically makes.
If the Micks lost that game, he would have just
been destroying himself because that's just a shot he alwa
(13:00):
he's makes and obviously a very winnable game. They ended
up escaping in overtime and he wasn't great in that
overtime period, but kel Bridges hit a huge shot though.
Again Ognobi was the star of this game on both ends.
The Knicks really had to adjust to the to the
referee and how this game was officiated because that Piston
series was you could get away with murder both teams.
I mean, it was just fouling every single possession that
(13:21):
weren't being cold.
Speaker 3 (13:22):
That was not the case.
Speaker 2 (13:23):
And the Knicks dealt with foul trouble because of It's
Karl Anthony Towns, Josh Hart earlier to Jalen Brunson, because
that physicality level what just wasn't the same. Like the
refs were just calling more tikie tax stuff than they
were in that Piston series. So it's really hard to
go from a six game series against the Pistons where
it's an all at war to something like what it
was yesterday.
Speaker 1 (13:43):
Yeah, what a game it was, man, That's how we
got the party started last night. And then on to
the next one. Again, Aaron Gordon coming through in the
Claude hitting that three joker masterful forty two, twenty two
to six, just a fifth forty twenty five postseason game. Ever,
I just you know, it's just playoff basketball. And I
(14:04):
hate to say things so plain as day as that,
because you know, when you play forty eight minutes, there's
a hell of a lot more that goes into a game,
a result on why a team won and why a
team lost. But this is another game where Oklahoma City
has the game by the throat. They're up by twelve
thirteen points, but it was whatever in the fourth quarter
at home places got juice. Deva's just a battle tested,
(14:27):
championship mentality type of team. And oh, by the way,
some might say the best players on their team. I'm
not here to r U Sga versus Joker. You know,
you tell me you'll take Joker over Sga if you're
starting the team right now, You're not wrong. You tell
me you're gonna take sgover Joker to start a team
right now. You're not wrong those are You are.
Speaker 3 (14:46):
Wrong with the With the second one, you're wrong.
Speaker 1 (14:48):
Sga? Yeah, I would, I would, and I would tend
to take Joker as well. But isn't what type of
age are we talking about? Right?
Speaker 2 (14:56):
SGA's a little younger, a little younger, how old Joker's
probably about thirty one at this point.
Speaker 1 (15:01):
Okay, yeah again, thirty thirty, thirty thirty, we're splitting hairs.
He is incredible. So I just ask you, like again,
it goes back to that question from the beginning. It
was like, how surprised were you with both of those results?
But you know, just the way it played out, and
I'll give the credit to the CHAMPIONIPNT tell you they
fired their head coach a week before the game and
now they're up one nothing on the team with the
(15:22):
best record in the NBA.
Speaker 3 (15:24):
It kind of.
Speaker 2 (15:25):
Shows that we've seen throughout the last few years that
owners and franchises don't value head coaches right now, and
you're kind of seeing why that. I think a lot
of team owners and franchises just think they're a lot
of they're very replaceable, Like a lot of these guys
can do the similar things, and so they're very replaceable,
which is why you see organizations fire their head coaches
(15:45):
every few years, because like, all right, we can get
another guy in here here who can do just.
Speaker 3 (15:48):
As good of a job.
Speaker 2 (15:49):
And so that's why head coaches aren't really valued right now,
and you just see guys recycling in and out from
job to job, and there's very very few that stick
around in one place, like Spo with the Heat and
Steve Kerr with the with the Warriors.
Speaker 3 (16:02):
Or are they really only ones?
Speaker 2 (16:04):
Maybe I'm missing one, but I think those are the
only two that have really been there for extended period.
It's time and you're kind of seeing why with this
Nugget series where it's like maybe it can be a jolt,
which I wasn't really buying, but it's hard to deny.
Right now. It feels like Jokic is coaching this team
just as much as David Aolms, and he's really emerged
as a great leader.
Speaker 3 (16:21):
Over the last few seasons.
Speaker 2 (16:22):
But yeah, I mean they're they're doing an awesome job
down the stretch of games despite being so tired because
they don't have a lot of depth. The problem with
this game for me was the rebounding battle. It was
just the Nuggets got to excuse me, the thunder got
destroying the rebounding battle. The Nuggets won in by twenty
and the Nuggets had twenty one offensive rebounds.
Speaker 1 (16:43):
That was the that was their big issue last year.
That wasn't an issue this year as far as.
Speaker 2 (16:49):
Though it wasn't so so to set it to the
stage for you. Last year, they had the fourth worst
defensive rebounding percentage in the entire NBA, which made sense
because they're playing Chet at the five, and obviously Chets
the skinny kind of frail dude, great rim protector, but
skinny frail dude is a rebounder.
Speaker 3 (17:06):
They bring in Isaiah Hartenstein for that exact reason to
pair him with Chet.
Speaker 2 (17:10):
Holmgan to build a huge front court and Chet and
Isaiah is an awesome center and a great rebounder, and
it actually worked. Like obviously, Chet started the year out
injured than Isaiah got hurt, so those guys never really
played that much together in the first half of the season.
But since the All Star break, they were a top
ten rebounding team in terms of opponent offensive rebound percentage.
They were limiting teams from getting offensive rebounds and limiting
(17:32):
second chance points. That just completely went away this this series.
Speaker 3 (17:36):
Like that.
Speaker 2 (17:37):
They got Isaiah Hartenstein for this series, so they don't
lose the rebounded battle like that, and they can win
the physicality and toughness on the front line against the
matchup like Jokic.
Speaker 3 (17:46):
But that just didn't happen at all. Like they just
the Nuggets out rebound them by twenty.
Speaker 2 (17:49):
The Nuggets got twenty one offensive rebounds, they had eight
more second chance points. Jokic dominated both Chet and Isaiah
Hartenstein whoever was matched up with him. He was dominating
that matchup, and the Thunder need to send more help.
But the rebounding bound in the physicality. I was shocked
how the Nuggets just dominated that matchup, especially because the
Nuggets just finished up at Game seven series two days
(18:11):
ago and the Thunder were well rested and hadn't playing
eight plus d's, So that that is the biggest adjustment
for me. It's you have to secure the rebound battle.
You can't give up that many offensive rebounds, and you
have to throw more help at Yokic, like he can't
go for forty and grab twenty two rebounds.
Speaker 1 (18:26):
That's just it just can't happen. Well again, just a
great game, great finish. Gordon comes down there, down by One,
pulls up from downtown on like a fast break, nails it,
uh the inbound, no timeout, just back the other way,
no good and just scenes, absolute scenes, and I love, love,
(18:49):
love love like the tist. You can hear to pen drop,
especially in Oklahoma City. Look, those folks packed the place
and they wear the shirts. It gets loud. Not much
to do in Oklahoma City, I assume. So every but
he goes to that type of game and go into
that environment and come away with the victory.
Speaker 3 (19:06):
Just incredible.
Speaker 2 (19:07):
So well, everyone talk is talking about the shot, which
of course is the biggest storyline, Aaron Gordon's second game
winner this postseason. All right, the biggest storyline to me
is chet Holmgrin missed two free throws, like a really
good free throw shooter, just in the clutch moment, got
to him, just missed two free throws. Because you're not
having that conversation right now if chet Holmgren makes those
(19:28):
two free throws, because then presumably it's a it's a
three point game. And not only is a three point game,
but the Nuggets aren't going down the court in a
fast break against the jumble defense when Russ Westbroo can
get in the lane and kick to a relatively open
Aaron Gordon. Because if you make those two free throws,
they have to inbound, the defense is more set, and
of course at the worst you're going overtime. So chet
Holmgren missed those two free throws. And that's kind of
(19:48):
what this series is going to come down to, is
how much help is Shay gonna get. Like Jenn Williams
struggled that last night, and that's a problem considering that
he struggled in the second round against the MAVs last
year with his efficiency and s. He was five for
twenty last night for sixteen points. That's not good enough
for the secondary crater and the secondary score on.
Speaker 3 (20:06):
This team that is Jileen Williams. Chet Holmgan did not
have a good game.
Speaker 2 (20:09):
He only need six rebounds against what you need to
rebound the basketball. He had six rebounds, and then of
course he misses those two crucial free throws that ultimately
decided the game. So chet wasn't good enough. Shay is
gonna need extra help from his two through five for
the Thunder to get through this.
Speaker 1 (20:26):
Yeah, and Gordon made those two free throws on the
previous possession by the Nuggets. I mean, he's battle tested.
He's a damn good player, man, And that was a
heck of a shot to pull up.
Speaker 2 (20:37):
People really pissed about that too, because the Thunder fouled
up three and people don't think that the Thunder should
have done that.
Speaker 3 (20:43):
I don't really mind the fouling up three. I'm usually
a big proponent for fouling up three.
Speaker 2 (20:47):
Actually it was a little too early, though, like most
coaches will tell you like seven six seconds when you
want to foul up three. The Thunder did it with
about over ten seconds left. And it also gave an
opportunity for Jokic to enter the game because of that,
because he was out and the Nuggets didn't have a timeout,
which I mean, yo, it wasn't even really involved in
the final play. So yeah, obviously it's not good, but
it didn't really end up mattering that much. The biggest
(21:08):
problem for me is how early they fouled up three,
because I'm usually a big.
Speaker 3 (21:11):
Fan of fouling up three.
Speaker 1 (21:17):
All right, know, with that, Sam, let's go ahead and
keep it moving from last night into tonight. We got
two games. With that being said, of course, I have
to ask you whether or not the dogs will continue
to bark here, especially from the Warriors' perspective in game one.
But let's put the Warriors and te Wolves to the
side for.
Speaker 3 (21:36):
Just a second.
Speaker 1 (21:37):
Let's talk about the other three series that we already
had one game, And of course you know where I'm
going Underdog took all three if there's one that you're
looking at right now, not your best odds, not anything
from a gambling perspective. I just want to know to Samash,
will we have an upset in one of those series?
Speaker 2 (21:57):
Yeah, I think it's going to be the uh, the
Pacers Cavs series. And let me let me just rule
out the Knick Celtics, the three point variants. It's just
it's just not gonna it's just not gonna keep up
like they're gonna be able to generate good looks based
off of attacking Karnathine Towns and Jalen bruntson.
Speaker 1 (22:12):
Let me just say this right now. I hope you're right.
I hope you're right because.
Speaker 3 (22:18):
Knicks fans are too unbearable for you.
Speaker 1 (22:20):
You couldn't even you couldn't even like forget it, who cares?
But like I could not even get it out of
my mouth to give them the credit that they deserved
last night via social media any like. And I don't
even care about shoppin Ark because he's got me wrapped
up in like the webs of these maniacs out there.
But like, I just want to be like man, it
(22:42):
was a great one. And then you just see these
Knicks fans.
Speaker 2 (22:45):
Go, No, I told you they're legit lunatics, Like legit lunatics.
Got like when I go to MSG, they are the
most lunat like lunacy fan base in the NBA.
Speaker 3 (22:56):
Like they are just rabid.
Speaker 2 (22:57):
Like it's it's like cards to even describe these people,
but they are there. They're lunatics. And I don't even
mean that in a derogatory way.
Speaker 3 (23:05):
That could be a compliment.
Speaker 2 (23:07):
Yeah, So when you see Jerry Ferrara a turtle from
Entourage saying that's the top three win of his life
since he became a fan in the last like four decades.
Guy's forty five years old, which hasn't been too many
happy moments. But like, if the Celtics win this in five,
nobody cares about that game.
Speaker 3 (23:23):
What so let's just relax for a second.
Speaker 1 (23:24):
But he's caught up in the moment. He's caught up
on the social media high plus he's one to always
go a little bit crazy. But yeah, I'm with you.
I don't think that the Celtics are going to lose
that series, and I just hope that that is correct.
But you think the Pacers over the Cavs though.
Speaker 2 (23:39):
Yeah, and I'll rule out the Nuggets over the Thunder
for another reason too, is I mean that Jokic matchup
is a problem just his The physicality he showed against
Isaiah Hartenstein and chet Holmgrim, which is a tall, big
front line, was overpowering. So I think that's gonna be
a difficult matchup for the Thunder moving forward. The problem
is the Nuggets just played their eighth game in the
(24:00):
last sixteen days. Moving forward, they only have one day
of rest in between every game until a potential game seven.
If it gets that, they'll left two days off before that.
That is in just there, exhaustion is gonna kick in
because the Nuggets are not a deep team. They're not
like the Pacers where they play ten deep like Jokic
and all these guys have to play a huge load.
(24:20):
And again, Michael Borr Junior wasn't good last night, and
Jamal Murray was good in stretches, but he also had
some poor moments last night, and so I don't really
trust the consistency. I think the fatigue is going to
kick in. So I'm not on the Nuggets. I am
on the pat Pacers. I think the Pacers are the
underdog to Vet and the reason why is because this
Calves team is just becoming depleted by the day.
Speaker 3 (24:43):
Darius Garland didn't play Game one.
Speaker 2 (24:45):
Obviously, he's dealing with a tow injury, so even if
he plays, he's probably not gonna be one hundred percent
or close to it. The Calves need his secondary creation
like him and Donovan Mitchell have done a great job
of complimenting each other as as primary and secondary creator
with Darris Garland too much relies on Donovan Mitchell and
we saw that in game one and it wasn't enough.
They need a second day creator. They need Darris Garland.
(25:08):
And if he's hurt, he obviously is a liability defensively.
Teams are gonna target and we saw that against the
with the Heat series. But if he's hurt, that makes
him even bigger liability defensively, especially if it's a tow injury,
which seems to be pretty bad.
Speaker 3 (25:20):
So we don't know his status.
Speaker 2 (25:21):
And now Evan Mobley is questionable for this game tonight
and DeAndre Hunter is questionable for this game tonight.
Speaker 3 (25:29):
So this Calves team is just dropping like flies.
Speaker 2 (25:31):
If they're down two or three starters against a really
good Pacers team that is deep, that moves the ball
exceptional wial tyres Halburn is playing awesome and he's winning
the defense and an all NBA.
Speaker 3 (25:40):
Level right now, and they just get five guys involved.
They lead the NBA and passes.
Speaker 2 (25:44):
They just play such a high, fast paced that this team,
this Pacers team, is hard to guard.
Speaker 3 (25:49):
And they're also defending right now at a pretty high level.
Speaker 2 (25:52):
So if the Calves are injured and depleted and they
don't have a couple of starters, Pacers are gonna take
this series.
Speaker 1 (25:58):
Yeah, I think we're agreement on that one, because I
can't necessarily I do know this much. I believe it's
been twenty sixteen since the last time we saw somebody
win the MVP and win the championship in the same
season with Steph Curry. Since then, it's just it's not
to say it's an uphill climb, but there's just a
lot of expectation that comes with it. And now I know
(26:19):
Oklahoma City's deep and possibly deeper than some of those
other teams that had the MVP, But still, I just.
Speaker 3 (26:26):
Wait, didn't didn't Yo, didn' Yoki win it when he
won MVP.
Speaker 1 (26:28):
I don't believe so, no, no, Joel Embiid won it
that year. Didn't he.
Speaker 3 (26:36):
Was that twenty twenty three? Yeah, yeah, I guess you're right. Yeah,
you're right about that.
Speaker 1 (26:41):
That one finally got one on, Sam. How about so
I'm right there with you. But let's go ahead and
slide into it. Let's talk about the Golden State Warriors
and the Minnesota templelves How about this from the NBA
communication right on point here, Sam, Now we just went
in that three game one's were won by the road teams. Now,
(27:03):
that's the seventh time in NBA history that that has happened.
Did you know, Sam Austrey that it's never happened before.
We're all four road teams won game one. So will
we see history tonight? Golden State plus six and a
half on the road in Minnesota. Of course that's the
second game up this evening. Two ten is our total
(27:26):
nine to thirty five? Start time, Sam, Osh to your
thoughts on game one there, it's.
Speaker 2 (27:31):
This is a really tough series and I've gone back
and forth so many times on this. I think this
is going to be the most competitive series. I bet
it to go seven at plus one ninety five at
most books I believe in, including DraftKings, so I would
bet on it to go seven.
Speaker 3 (27:44):
I think it's that competitive of a series in terms
of Game one.
Speaker 2 (27:47):
I'm not too camm from the Warriors tonight, and it's
because of their aging old roster coming off of Game seven.
And we saw with the Nuggets it didn't affect the
Nuggets when they played a youthful team like the Thunder.
Speaker 3 (27:57):
But the Warriors are older than the Nuggets.
Speaker 2 (28:00):
I mean, Seph Curry is approaching thirty seven, or maybe
he's already thirty seven. Jimmy Butler is up there in
ad Draymond Green's been around for like. This Warriors team
is older and coming off a seven game series is
just tough against the pretty young.
Speaker 3 (28:13):
Minnesota team who who has the size advantage.
Speaker 2 (28:17):
Over the Warriors. But they also are capable of playing
small ball lineups with Naswed at the five, so they
can match the Warriors small ball lineup if they need to.
If Rudy Gobert for some reason, it can't take advantage
of his size and has to be played off the
four in this series, which we've seen in previous series.
Speaker 3 (28:31):
Even though he's great.
Speaker 2 (28:32):
In that Game five against the Lakers went off for
twenty seven points and twenty four boards. So they have
the size advantge, but they're also capable of playing small.
So I really like this Wolves team against this matchup,
and I think they win in Game one tonight.
Speaker 1 (28:44):
Wow. Okay, all right, So the money line on that
one minus two sixty five for the t Wolves plus
two fifteen. Just as far as the series price is concerned,
T Wolves minus one eighty Golden State. We talked about
this one yesterday plus one fifty five. This is the
first time Golden State's history with Steve Kurrz the head coach,
that they are an underdog heading into a playoff series.
(29:06):
Pretty surprising stuff there, But.
Speaker 3 (29:07):
It's I take the Wolves to cover in two at
six and a half.
Speaker 2 (29:11):
I think they win like somewhat handily, just the fatigue
factor sets in late in the fourth quarter for the Warriors.
Speaker 1 (29:16):
Yeah, I think, Look, if you're gonna roll with the
Timroves to win, you have to take, you have to
give the six and a half. So I don't have
an issue with that whatsoever. All right, who's going out
for Minnesota though? Is it all based around Ant yeah.
Speaker 2 (29:31):
I mean, look, they're gonna send doubles at Ant, and
but he's done such a great job of reading and
reacting off doubles and constantly making.
Speaker 3 (29:37):
The right place.
Speaker 2 (29:38):
So I think Julius Randall is a great series. He
kind of brushed off the playoff woes that he's experienced
in the past, and he was awesome against the Lakers,
and he was really awesome taking advantage of four and
three situations. So I would look at his points and
assists because because that's really where he generates buckets is
when the other team is doubling Ant and Julius Randall
comes in for some relief and takes advantge of four
(29:59):
and three either as a score or as a passer
out of the short role. So I really think Julius
Randall is gonna have another big series. So I would
take his points and assists tonight.
Speaker 1 (30:11):
Points only here Anthony Edwards twenty seven and a half,
Steph Curry twenty six and a half. Both their leaders
on their teams there, Jamie Butler twenty two and a half,
Julius is nineteen and a half.
Speaker 2 (30:22):
Just points, points and assists is twenty five and a
half for Julius Randall.
Speaker 1 (30:26):
All right, I definitely think that's a good play there.
Gotta find it from somebody else, right, you know, we
know how this one's gonna play, especially in game one.
All right, again over to the Golden State or over
to game one. We do have two games going off
this evening, and it's the Pacers and Cabs seven and
a half two twenty nine. We just discussed the series,
but game two do or die for Cleveland? Are you
(30:48):
gonna give the seven and a half or do you
think the PACER's going to play this evening?
Speaker 2 (30:52):
So this line is telling us that they think these
injuries aren't a concern and those guys are gonna play.
So none of them were at shooter around this morning.
Darvis Garlan wasn't a shot around. DeAndre Hunter wasn't that
shoot around. Evan Mobley wasn't that shoot around. So I
don't know how much we should look into that, but
it's certainly a concern. Like this line, if those three
don't end up playing, this line is going to drop dramatically.
So this line is telling us that they believe the
(31:13):
odds makers believe that those three are going to play,
at least two of them, Like at least Evan Mobley
and DeAndre Hunter will play, and if two of them
do play, I think the Calves get it back and
cover and win it substantially. So I'd wait until that
injury report comes out because I don't think this line
will move that much in the Calves direction. If assuming
those guys are all playing, maybe like a point at most,
(31:34):
and if they do well play, I think the Calves
get this one back. The three point variant was a
big one in this one too. That the Pacers hit
nineteen threes and shot fifty two percent from three in
game one, while the Calves made nine threes and shot
twenty three percent in game one, so I.
Speaker 3 (31:48):
Don't think that that's not something that will continue.
Speaker 2 (31:50):
The Calves are one of the better three point shooting
teams in the NBA, and the Pacer are a good
three point shooting team two but not that good, so
each of those teams will go back towards their mean,
and that all obviously favor the Calves, So I'd wait
until the injury report comes down it's official those guys
are playing, but assuming they do, I think the Calves
role and I take the Caves with the points.
Speaker 1 (32:09):
Calves got to figure it out and get again. They
were up by a point in the final couple of
minutes of the game, so it wasn't a blowout. But
if I'm not mistaken, it was just the don Ofan
Mitchell show from I think he was shot thirty times.
If him not, I believe.
Speaker 2 (32:26):
And that's that's what happens when you miss Darius Garland
because you need that secondary shock creation. You need another
reliable scorer you can create for himself, and they don't
have that without Darris Garland. Time Jerome shot the ball
twenty times, like that's too much for Tide.
Speaker 3 (32:41):
Jerome to shoot and to play like.
Speaker 2 (32:43):
He's a great bench guy who can come in and
give you great sporadic minutes. Back to that word, sporadic,
great minutes, sporadically. But he's not a guy that can
shoot should shoot the ball twenty times. He's not a
guy that can really create for himself at that high
of a level. So you need Darius Garlands. You don't
want to be all on Donovan Mitchells shoulders.
Speaker 1 (33:01):
Forgive me if you said that he picked up a knock.
He's not listed on DraftKings Tygerum. Did he get injured
at all, or are they just he's a key, like
they know that everybody's waiting for his numbers. Because he is,
he can go out there and fill it up. And
if especially he's gonna take twenty shots and he's got
to replace the Garland production so on and so forth.
Does that why DraftKings doesn't have him up yet?
Speaker 3 (33:23):
Yeah, I would assume so.
Speaker 2 (33:24):
Because there's no injury from him, he should be expected
to play. But I think it really depends on his load.
Is just gonna depend on those injuries and then how
much he has to play. So yeah, that's probably why
they're holding out on that interesting stuff there.
Speaker 1 (33:37):
That's game one this evening. Man, I'll tell you, I
think I might take the Pacers plus seven and a
half here.
Speaker 3 (33:47):
It's it's gonna be all about the injury report for me.
Like it's just it's if like.
Speaker 2 (33:51):
There's Garland and even DeAndre Hunter or out, the Pacers
could easily win this out right, not just cover when
this out right, but if those three guys are playing,
it's just even if they're a little injured, it's gonna
be hard for the Calves. And it's also at home
like this is that it is a home for the Calves, Like,
are they really gonna lose two at home?
Speaker 3 (34:10):
If they do that, they'll probably cooked, Like it really is,
you're not done?
Speaker 1 (34:13):
Yeah, there's yeah. We've seen teams go down oh two
before and come back and when it doesn't happen often,
but but.
Speaker 3 (34:20):
Not with that, not when they blow home court advantage.
That's rare.
Speaker 1 (34:24):
It's about asda as it could possibly get. And yeah,
on the flip side of that, I'll back the Minnesota table.
So one dog, one favor. I'm gonna take the tea
will it's minus the six and a half here. I
think that they will be fired up at home, rested,
and it's gonna put on a show. And oh, by
the way, have some pride, Rudy Gobert, Like, you know,
you've been getting punked by Draymond for years now. Have
(34:47):
some pride. You're coming off the best game in your
in your playoff and your career, not just playoffs. Like,
show some pride, show some fight, go out there and
don't let Draymond bully you all over the court. How about.
Speaker 2 (34:59):
But at the same time time we talked about this yesterday,
Draymond has to control his emotions.
Speaker 3 (35:04):
He has genuine hatred.
Speaker 2 (35:06):
He he talks, smacked a lot of people and tries
to get under people's skin and we'll and we'll get
in their head and and go head to head with them. Sure,
this is genuine hatred he has for for Rudy go Beert.
I mean we see it when he makes fun of
him every chance he gets he can get to make
fun of Rudy Gobert for crying when he to make
the All Star Game, like when that play that he
got suspended and he had to go to therapy for
(35:26):
and and he was suspended for quite a bit and
stepped away from the team. It was because he choked
Rudy Gobert out like that was that was the catalyst,
catalyst find all of that. And he wasn't even involved
in the play. He saw an opportunity to choke Rudy Gobert.
He jumped in and said, I'm taking Rudy's neck out,
and and that he is genuine hatred for Rudy Gobert.
So he has to control his emotions because they're not
(35:46):
gonna let I mean they let a lot go last series,
like they weren't. They did not kick him out when
he probably deserved to be kicked out in one of
two of those games. They were just signing the technicals
instead of multiple flagrants or flagrant twos. I don't based
on the history with him and rudygo I don't know
if the refs are gonna allow him to do that
this series. So he has to be careful and controls emotions.
But at the same time, Rudy Gobert like this guy
(36:08):
hates you, like this guy's been coming for your throat.
Are you gonna take that or or how how are
you gonna approach it?
Speaker 1 (36:13):
That's my point. So I played with some damn pride, dude,
like we know what's being said, we know that there's
no love between you guys. Go out there and why
don't you run your like I know you don't want
to change your game up, but just don't back down.
You're at home, your favored summer saying you're the better team.
Go out there and show it right like you were
disrespected in the Lakers series. You let everybody know and
(36:37):
you proved it. Now you got an opportunity to knock
off Golden State, and I know that and has knocked
off a lot of great players. I'm I totally I
am fully aware of that. But this is a big
ask here, and I think it's a roll the dice
really to back the te Wilson this, but the odds
makers are telling you the rest we went over, Like
what we saw last night was special to Steph and
(36:58):
Golden State have that spe performance in them and Minnesota
LA's a dud. I think that's a difficult combination to have.
So I think he Wolves are gonna play well Golden State.
Could they hit a couple of threes? That's always a
question mark, right six and a half through light three pointer?
And it's like, you know, I knew I should have
took Golden State, but that's not the way I view it.
If I think Minnesota's gonna win the game, I'll give
(37:20):
the six and a half here.
Speaker 2 (37:22):
Yeah, No, I'm one hundred percent with you on that.
Because it's also when you talk about the factor with
Warriors making threes, it's not about Steph Curry and Jimmy
Butler and Draymond Green.
Speaker 3 (37:32):
We know what those guys are gonna do.
Speaker 2 (37:33):
It's about Moody Moody, It's about Buddy Heald, who obviously
had a great series all around last year. He's been
especially great Game seven when he hit a record nine
threes in Game seven. But it's about Moses Moody, who's
been inconsistent a shooter. Gary Payton should be back from
an illness that he dealt with. How is he going
to be as a shooter. He's hit or miss, you
know what he is as a defender, but offensively like
(37:54):
he's had good at shooting knights and he also has
knights where he bricks it like, you know what. Curry
is gonna bring the series because the Wolves can't match
the physicality the Rockets did both just splitzing him as
off ball when they were really just holding him, doubling
him off the ball. The Wolves just don't have the
defenders to match that the of physicality on Curry. So
Unick Curry's gonna have a great series, no doubt. It's
(38:14):
about the others for the Warriors. And are those guys
gonna make threes?
Speaker 3 (38:19):
All right?
Speaker 1 (38:19):
Once again? Our series prices right now on DraftKings Sports.
But Calves and Pacers Game two tonight, Cavaliers trailing one
a nothing to the Pacers game in Cleveland, Calves minus
one ninety five Pacers plus one sixty t Wolves just
getting started tonight Game one. They're minus one eighty favorites
plus one fifty five for Golden State Celtics to win
(38:41):
the series, now trailing by one game down one zero
to the New York Knicks, minus three forty for the
Celtics plus two seventy for the Knicks there. And then
finally Oklahoma City minus two to ninety trailing one game
to none to the Denver Nuggets, who are plus two
thirty five on draft sportsbook to win the series and
(39:02):
nice money there to be made. Hopefully those books took
a little bit of a hit yesterday because the Dogs
were barking in a big way.
Speaker 2 (39:10):
First time in any playoff night that two teams who
were not at least nine.
Speaker 3 (39:16):
Point underdogs won in the same night. So the Wild
Wild Night.
Speaker 1 (39:20):
Dogs didn't just cover. They cooked man. They cooked yesterday.
It was it was a lot of fun to watch.
Hopefully we see some more of that, but we also
want the series to be stretched out a little bit too,
so it would be nice to go and get a
one to one series and that Pacers calves and then
of course let's see the Teaballs open up with a
victory there, all right? Any final thoughts were we get
out of here working on some stuff for the score?
Speaker 2 (39:42):
Yes, sir, a lot lot today about all those first
round upsets and which one, which team is the best
chance of coming back, which I think is the Pacers.
How the Celtics are pretty cooked or excuse me, the
Knicks are pretty cooked even after taking a one zero lead.
Speaker 3 (39:55):
And you saw that where the odds moved.
Speaker 2 (39:57):
Of course in the nixt favor for the series price,
but not drastically. And same thing with the Thunder Nuggets
where the Thunder have glaring issues rebounding, secondary scoring, but
the Nuggets are gonna fatigue is gonna kick in for
the Nuggets. So all that stuff coming out at the score.
And like we talked about all day, all.
Speaker 1 (40:16):
Right, just to let everybody know, some weathers in the
area over these next couple days, but it's not gonna
stop us. We're gonna be broadcasting live on Friday from
the Truest Championship PGA's tour. Top players like Rory McRoy
and Justin Thomas. Yeah, they're all playing at Philadelphia's cricket club,
the Wist the Hicking Course, May three, eleventh. Tickets are
(40:38):
on sale right now as we speak at Truest Championship
dot com. I got some really cool things going on,
including michelob Ultra Club, a lot of Philadelphia or excuse me,
Philly bites, Philly food out there all around the golf course.
Some great, great kids fun spots that you can roll into.
And I did see this yesterday, matter of fact, shared
(41:00):
it on Instagram. Speaking of kids, I apologize about this.
Kids are Free, Sam Austria.
Speaker 3 (41:06):
I saw that. That's crazy.
Speaker 1 (41:08):
Yeah, nice work by them on that. I thought, Yeah,
that's awesome. Kids get in free May seventh through the eleventh.
Need a family friendly, family friendly activity. Kids fifteen and
under get in for free with a general mission ticket.
So just check out what Truest Championship has to say
as far as on Instagram and you'll see the advertisement there.
(41:31):
Kids getting in free all week and long, some prequel
stuff there. Like I said, we'll be broadcasting live on
Friday and on Wednesday tomorrow, the Creator Classic. We're gonna
be out there getting a lot of videos done, a
lot of content, having some fun. You're gonna hear a
lot of the Daily Ticket being recorded out there. Try
and make my way back to be live tomorrow, but
if not, we'll be back at it on Thursday and
(41:53):
then Friday from the Truest Championship and the Gambler Gang
will be in full at ten. Looking forward to that one,
looking forward to get back tomorrow. But if you miss anything,
once again, everything can be found over at Foxspatial Gambler
dot com. Keep it locked right here to the Gambler
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