November 29, 2025 • 23 mins
Basketball Home is back from the holiday break with one of the wildest slates of hoops we’ve seen all season. If you thought Thanksgiving weekend was just turkey and shopping, this episode will change your mind. The hosts walk you through a genuine chaos tour: the NBA Cup group stage wraps with drama everywhere, contenders crack under pressure, and college hoops delivers a buzzer beater straight out of a horror sequel.On the NBA side, they break down how the NBA Cup knockout bracket finally locked in: the undefeated Magic and Lakers grab home court, the 19–1 Thunder look terrifyingly inevitable, and the Spurs stun Jokic and the Nuggets without Wembanyama in one of the most illogical upsets of the year. You’ll hear how the Suns edge out the Grizzlies on point differential, why Denver’s defensive collapse is becoming a pattern, and what the numbers really say about early-season scheduling luck for OKC, the Lakers, Toronto, and the struggling 5–15 Kings.Then it’s on to Black Friday drama: the Lakers–Mavs showdown, Anthony Davis’ return on a minutes restriction, and the rising likelihood that Dallas could move him to pivot toward a Cooper Flagg–Kyrie future. The hosts also unpack Giannis’ brutally honest message to a reeling Bucks team, the Cavaliers’ transition-defense nightmare, the Bulls’ habit of losing to bad teams, the Warriors’ reality check without Steph, and what Sacramento’s slide signals for the trade market.Finally, the show shifts to college hoops, where mental toughness took center stage. Ohio State suffers a soul-crushing déjà vu buzzer-beater vs Pitt on the eve of the Michigan football game—again. Colorado survives a huge Washington comeback to win the Acrisure Holiday Classic, TCU caps a statement run at the Rady Children’s Invitational, Missouri stays perfect, UCLA’s women dominate Duke, and more results that quietly separate real contenders from everyone else.From NBA Cup bracketology and trade buzz to gut-check moments in college tournaments, this episode asks the big question: is the NBA Cup a true test of championship readiness—or just a high-stakes showcase for early-season scheduling luck?
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome back to basketball Home, the place to be for
everything that happened on the court over this holiday break.
Hey everyone, and if you thought this Thanksgiving weekend was,
you know, just about turkey and shopping, you definitely missed out.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Oh for sure. It was genuine high stakes chaos. We
saw the NBA Cup group stages wrap up with some
unbelievable drama.
Speaker 1 (00:20):
Right and then you had massive upsets, literal buzzer beaters
in college hoops, and some teams that we thought were
contenders suddenly looking like they're in full blown crisis mode.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
It was a ton to process, exactly.
Speaker 1 (00:33):
So today we are unpacking all of it for you.
We're going to lock in on the new NBA Cup
knockout bracket.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
We have to, it's finally set.
Speaker 1 (00:42):
We'll also break down the biggest Black Friday dramas in
the NBA. That means the MAVs and Lakers trade, buzz
Giannis's pretty raw frustration in Milwaukee, and the defensive collapse
happening in Cleveland.
Speaker 2 (00:53):
And we can't forget college that Ohio State finish. We
have to talk about that.
Speaker 1 (00:57):
Oh, we absolutely have to. So let's just jump right
into the NBA Cup because Friday was the day everything
got decided.
Speaker 2 (01:02):
Yep, it was the make or break day. By the
end of it, the single elimination knockout bracket was finalized
for December ninth and tenth.
Speaker 1 (01:10):
So let's start in the East. This is where the
final spots were clinched with a mix of grit, some
serious star power, and a perfect example of the difference
between one great player and a great team.
Speaker 2 (01:22):
That's the perfect way to frame it, the Orlando Magic.
They secured Group B after a really tough one hundred
and twelve to one or nine win over the Detroit Pistons.
Speaker 1 (01:31):
And what's so important about the Magic is that they
finished undefeated in their group exactly.
Speaker 2 (01:35):
That four and zero record gives them home court for
the quarterfinal, which is huge. A lot of their success
came from Desmond Bane, who dropped thirty seven points and
really carried them when things got tight.
Speaker 1 (01:45):
But the real story of that game, I mean it
has to be Kate Cunninghat.
Speaker 2 (01:48):
Oh. Absolutely. It was one of the most magnificent and
you know, ultimately a heartbreaking individual performances we've seen all year.
Speaker 1 (01:55):
A herculean effort is the only way to describe it.
And it tells you everything you need to know the
Pistons rafter right now.
Speaker 2 (02:02):
It really does. So Caid plays forty really physical minutes
and he racks up this monster triple double thirty nine points,
thirteen rebounds, and eleven assists. He was literally the entire offense.
Speaker 1 (02:14):
And here's this death that just blows online. He was
a plus sixteen in his minutes on the court, right he.
Speaker 2 (02:20):
Was actively winning the game for them when he was playing.
Speaker 1 (02:23):
But the other side of that coin is just tragic.
In the eight minutes he sat on the bench to rest,
just eight minutes, the Pistons were outscored by nineteen points nineteen.
Speaker 2 (02:34):
It just exposes their biggest weakness. They have zero offensive structure,
no scoring threat at all. When he sits down and
other teams know it, they just run all over them.
Speaker 1 (02:44):
And you could see that workload just catching up to him.
He missed a huge free throw late when they were down.
Speaker 2 (02:48):
By three, and another one earlier that would put them
up two. He had been perfect from the line, I
think nine for nine up until that point.
Speaker 1 (02:55):
That's the physical and mental toll right there. He also
had eight turnovers, three them in the fourth quarter. It
wasn't just a loss. It felt like a desperate cry
for some help on that roster. It really did, okay,
So moving over to Group C, the New York Knicks
punched their ticket. They beat the struggling Milwaukee Bucks one
eighteen to one oh nine at the Garden.
Speaker 2 (03:13):
Yeah, and this was supposed to be a big showdown, right,
especially with Jonas Andtokumpo coming back from that groin injury.
Speaker 1 (03:19):
And Giannas showed up at least in the box score
thirty points, fifteen rebounds, eight assists.
Speaker 2 (03:24):
For sure, But I think the consensus takeaway from everyone
who watched that game was that Jalen Brunson was the
uh more unstoppable superstar on the floor that night.
Speaker 1 (03:35):
Oh without a doubt. Brunson finished with a game high
thirty seven points, and he was efficient, shooting twelve for
twenty one. He just led the charge.
Speaker 2 (03:42):
And it wasn't just that he scored, it was when
he scored. The pressure was on. Late in the fourth quarter.
The Bucks had cut a thirteen point lead all the
way down to two.
Speaker 1 (03:50):
Right, They were threating this huge comeback.
Speaker 2 (03:52):
And Brunson immediately responds. He draws a foul on Giannis
shooting three, and then just calmly drills all three of
those free throw that is clutch, and.
Speaker 1 (04:02):
Then just a couple of possessions later, he completely sealed it.
He had that spectacular three point play, drew a foul
on Miles Turner, hit that signature floater, and then made
the free throw.
Speaker 2 (04:14):
That screen he let out after the play, I mean
that told you everything. That was the release of the
whole team's determination. It was a massive moment for them.
Speaker 1 (04:23):
Meanwhile, this was the Bucks' seventh straight loss, seven.
Speaker 2 (04:28):
Which is just wild for a team with that kind
of talent. They get eliminated from the Cup, but a
seven game losing streak, that's more than a slump. That's
a crisis and we definitely need to circle back to
that for sure.
Speaker 1 (04:39):
So to round out the East, the wild card spot
was the last piece.
Speaker 2 (04:43):
And the Miami Heat grabbed it. They were the only
other team to finish three and one, so even though
they didn't win their group, the tiebreakers, specifically their point
differential worked in their favor.
Speaker 1 (04:51):
So the Eastern Conference quarterfinals are set for December ninth.
It's the Miami Heat traveling to face the undefeated Orlando Magic.
Speaker 2 (05:00):
And the New York Knicks. Will visit the Toronto Raptors,
and again Orlando gets that home court advantage because of
their perfect record.
Speaker 1 (05:06):
Okay, let's head over to the Western Conference, which was
just pure chaos. We saw a massive upset that I
don't think anyone saw coming.
Speaker 2 (05:14):
Yeah, but let's start with the undisputed champs right now,
the Oklahoma City Thunder. They clinched Group A beating the
Phoenix Suns one twenty three to one nineteen in a
really high powered game.
Speaker 1 (05:26):
The Thunder just terrifying. I don't think that's an overstatement.
They're now nineteen and one, which is the best record
in the league, and they've extended their win streak to
eleven games.
Speaker 2 (05:36):
And shy Guild of Alexander, he just keeps making history.
It was his ninety second consecutive game with twenty or
more points.
Speaker 1 (05:42):
Which ties in with Wilt Chamberlain for the second longest
streak ever.
Speaker 2 (05:46):
It's just incredible to be in the same sentence as
will for that kind of consistency is mind boggling.
Speaker 1 (05:52):
And here's the part that should scare the rest of
the league. They're getting even better.
Speaker 2 (05:56):
Right That game was the season debut for Jalen Williams.
Who was out with a jury. So a team that's
already nineteen to one is just getting one of its
best young players back into the rotation.
Speaker 1 (06:05):
They are, without a doubt, the favorites to win the
whole Cup right now, even when you consider you know,
their strength of schedule, which we should get to later.
Speaker 2 (06:13):
We should, but first we have to talk about the huge,
just illogical upset.
Speaker 1 (06:17):
In Group C the San Antonio Spurs. Yeah, somehow, someway,
they beat Nikoli Okic and the Denver Nuggets won the
thirty nine to one thirty six.
Speaker 2 (06:26):
And they did it without their star, Victor Wambanyama, who's
out with a calf strain. He's expected back for the quarterfinal,
but still Stefan Castle was out too. This was a
massive statement win for that young team.
Speaker 1 (06:37):
It defied all logic, especially after how they started the game.
They had to rally from an eighteen point third quarter
deficit against the defending champs.
Speaker 2 (06:45):
The hero is Devin Vessel. He was just lights out.
He led the team with a season high thirty three
points and went seven of nine from three. Julian Champagne
was also huge with twenty five and ten.
Speaker 1 (06:55):
This loss was all about Denver just completely collapsing. The
reports coming out of Denver described their defense as simply
a disaster.
Speaker 2 (07:03):
And you can see why. They had seventeen turnovers, which
the Spurs immediately turned into thirty points.
Speaker 1 (07:08):
Thirty points. You just can't do that. You can't give
up thirty points off your own mistakes and expect to
win a game.
Speaker 2 (07:14):
Nope. And even though Jamal Murray had thirty seven and
Jokic almost had a triple double, their defensive effort was
just non existent. It was their third straight loss at
home and it knocked them out of the cut.
Speaker 1 (07:26):
That lack of focus is becoming a theme for them
and it's something to watch for sure.
Speaker 2 (07:31):
So finally, the Los Angeles Lakers, they took care of
business in Group B. They finished with a perfect four
to o record after beating the Dallas Mavericks one twenty
nine to one nineteen.
Speaker 1 (07:41):
So they joined the Magic as the only undefeated teams
and they also get that crucial home court advantage.
Speaker 2 (07:47):
And that brings us to the final piece, the Western
Wildcard spot. Despite losing to OKC, the Phoenix Suns managed
to grab it, and.
Speaker 1 (07:55):
This is where the tiebreaker rules get really important.
Speaker 2 (07:57):
Exactly, so both the Suns and the Memphis Grizzlies finished
with a three to one record. But the reason the
Suns advanced was their point differential.
Speaker 1 (08:06):
So just to clarify for everyone, that's the total margin
you've outscored your opponents by during the group stage. The
Sun's just had a better.
Speaker 2 (08:12):
Number, right. It was the deciding factor, and it means
the Grizzlies, despite having a great record, are out. It's
a tough break.
Speaker 1 (08:20):
So the Western Conference quarterfinals those are on December tenth.
It'll be the Phoenix Suns at the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Speaker 2 (08:26):
And the San Antonio Spurs will be at the Los
Angeles Lakers, and if the favorites win, we could be
looking at a Thunder Lakers showdown in the semi finals
in Vegas.
Speaker 1 (08:35):
That would be something, okay, So let's move from the
bracket to the broader league drama. Black Friday gave us
some intense storylines about stars, trades, and team chemistry.
Speaker 2 (08:45):
And of course, a lot of that focus landed squarely
on that Lakers Mavericks game. There was so much intrigue
there before the game even started, right.
Speaker 1 (08:52):
The Lakers won one twenty nine to one nineteen, and
it was a great offensive show. Austin Reeves was explosive
for the as dropped a game high thirty eight.
Speaker 2 (09:01):
And Luka Doncic had thirty five for Dallas. He's just
been on fire. But the narratives around the players were
way louder than the final score.
Speaker 1 (09:09):
And the biggest name was Anthony Davis. He returned for
the Mavericks, playing against his former team after missing fourteen
games with that calf injury.
Speaker 2 (09:17):
It was a huge return for Dallas. They've been struggling
so badly on defense without him.
Speaker 1 (09:22):
He gave him that stability they needed for sure, But
he was on a strict minute's restriction. He missed the
entire fourth quarter and that just put the spotlight right
back on his health.
Speaker 2 (09:32):
Yeah, and Davis himself admitted it was tough. He said
trying to find a rhythm playing in just five minute
bursts was tough for sure, especially when you're used to
anchoring the defense for ten minutes at a time.
Speaker 1 (09:44):
And that health question. It feeds directly into this massive
trade buzz that's getting louder and louder.
Speaker 2 (09:51):
It really is. The reports are saying that trading Anthony
Davis is a real possibility, and I would even say
likelihood for the Mavericks this season. That's a huge shift
in direction.
Speaker 1 (09:59):
And it's it seems pretty clearly tied to what the
Mavericks see is.
Speaker 2 (10:02):
Their next era, right it seems so. Sources are suggesting
it's about fully pivoting to build around the generational talent
of Cooper Flag.
Speaker 1 (10:10):
Who, for context, is one of the most hyped college
recruits we've seen in a long time.
Speaker 2 (10:15):
Exactly. So, if the Mavericks don't think their current corep
is going to win a title, then moving a star
like Davis now while he's healthy and his value is
high to get assets to build around a new core
in a few years, it makes sense.
Speaker 1 (10:29):
So the idea is you pair those assets and Flag
with Kyrie Irving, who they just extended.
Speaker 2 (10:36):
That seems to be the plan. Keep Kyrie as a
dynamic scorer next to Flag as your foundational pieces. But
AD's health for the next few months is the ultimate
X factor. If he dominates and stays healthy, they can
get a massive return. If he gets hurt again, his
value just tanks.
Speaker 1 (10:51):
And of course there was that whole pregame drama with
Davis and Lebron James.
Speaker 2 (10:55):
Oh right, the manufactured controversy exactly.
Speaker 1 (10:58):
Fans online went crazy over this short video clip that
made it look like Anthony Davis snubbed Lebron during the
pregame greetings.
Speaker 2 (11:06):
It's just the perfect example of how context gets lost online.
When you actually watch the full extended clip, you can
see they did embrace briefly. There's still mutual respect there.
Speaker 1 (11:15):
It was just the media looking for a story. But
the real story is the trade talk, not a fake
snub absence as being a lebron You know, he's forty
years old, still playing in an elite level. And he
also talked about his ultimate plan for his son, Bronni.
Speaker 2 (11:28):
Yeah, and I found this really interesting. He said he
wants Bronni to walk his own journey. He explained that
he can give him the blueprint, show him everything he's learned,
but ultimately he wants Bronni to walk through the fire
as well.
Speaker 1 (11:41):
That shows a really deep understanding of the impossible pressure
Bronnie is under.
Speaker 2 (11:45):
It does true success requires you to go through the
struggle yourself, even when you have the greatest mentor in
the world. Right there, it's a pretty philosophical take on
sports parenting.
Speaker 1 (11:56):
Okay, let's pivot from trade buzz to two elite teams
that are in a bit of a crisis right now,
Milwaukee and Cleveland.
Speaker 2 (12:05):
We mentioned the Bucks lost their seventh straight game, and
Giannis he did not hold back his feelings after that
loss to the Knicks.
Speaker 1 (12:11):
No, he did not. His message was sharp, it was critical,
and he was aimed right at his teammate's commitment.
Speaker 2 (12:18):
Yeah, he stressed that they need to get back to
the little things, which he defined as you know, the fundamentals, defending, communicating, rebounding,
all the stuff that doesn't depend on whether your shot
is falling.
Speaker 1 (12:28):
They said, if players are only worried about scoring, they
get frustrated and feel like they cannot do nothing else
for the team if they miss a few shots.
Speaker 2 (12:36):
And then he delivered the line that was just a
devastating indictment of where they're at. He said, this is
not one man's show, that we got to do it together.
Speaker 1 (12:45):
Coming from your franchise cornerstone, that's a brutal assessment of
the team's effort. It tells you this isn't about coaching
or schemes. It's about a lack of collective will.
Speaker 2 (12:55):
And that exact theme, that lack of effort and focus.
It connects to directly to the Cleveland Cavaliers. They lost
to the Hawks one thirty to one twenty three and
got knocked out of the Cup for the second year
in a row.
Speaker 1 (13:07):
And their issue isn't abstract at all. It's one very
specific mechanical failure transition defense.
Speaker 2 (13:13):
That's right. The reports are basically spelling out the blueprint
that opponents are now using to just dismantle the Cabs
just run on them relentlessly, and.
Speaker 1 (13:21):
The Hawks absolutely torched them with it. They outscored Cleveland
thirty six to seventeen in fast break points. That's a
nineteen point difference just on the break.
Speaker 2 (13:31):
When you talk about a mechanical failure, it means players
are literally not sprinting back to fill the paint, they're
not communicating to pick up the ball handler, and they're
letting guys leak out for easy layups and open threes.
Speaker 1 (13:43):
Coach Kenny Atkinson was blunt about it. He said they
outplayed us, out coached us. The whole team was just
mentally disconnected.
Speaker 2 (13:50):
Donovan Mitchell called it a mental thing. He said the
team has to get our a back and that the
loss was solely off of.
Speaker 1 (13:56):
That and Evan Mobley pointed out how hard it is
to communicate on the fly in transition, But I mean
that's just part of the game, it is.
Speaker 2 (14:04):
And the bottom line is until the Calves fix this simple,
fundamental flaw just getting back on defense, teams are going
to keep running past them. It's a solvable problem that's
becoming a season long wound.
Speaker 1 (14:15):
All right, shifting gears a bit, Let's touch on a
few other frankly ugly losses from the weekend, starting with
the very perplexing Chicago Bulls.
Speaker 2 (14:24):
Yeah, they just continued this frustrating pattern they have of
losing to bad teams. They fell one hundred and twenty
three to one sixteen to the four and fourteen Charlotte Hornets.
Speaker 1 (14:34):
The loss drops them to nine and nine, and it
just signals a huge problem with consistency. Their defense remains,
as one source put it, a massive problem. They gave
up sixty seven points in the first half alone, just a.
Speaker 2 (14:47):
Sieve, and even with Kobe White and Josh Giddy combining
for fifty points, it wasn't enough to overcome that.
Speaker 1 (14:53):
We should probably also mention that incident with.
Speaker 2 (14:55):
Giddy too, right, Giddy, who had a great game twenty five,
eleven and nine. He got into it with a fan
late in the game. He just said, the fan said
something I didn't like, and the fan got ejected.
Speaker 1 (15:04):
It's unfortunate. Players shouldn't have to deal with that. But
back to the team, coach Billy Donovan just lamented their
lack of consistency and physicality. He chalked it up to
human nature and mid season fatigue.
Speaker 2 (15:15):
Which, for a team with the Bulls payroll and expectations,
is just not an acceptable excuse for these kinds.
Speaker 1 (15:21):
Of losses, not at all. Over in Golden State, the
Warriors are facing a big test. Star Steven Curry is
out for at least a week with a right quad contusion.
Speaker 2 (15:29):
Yep, a strain muscle too, so he'll be reevaluated in
a week, which means he's probably missing at least three
crucial games.
Speaker 1 (15:37):
And what's most telling here isn't the injury itself, it's
the reaction from his teammate, Jimmy Butler.
Speaker 2 (15:42):
Right. Butler basically called out the team's defensive focus, calling
it just sad.
Speaker 1 (15:47):
He said, and I'm quoting here, I don't care about offense.
We need to guard somebody. He challenged the entire team
to care more about the details on.
Speaker 2 (15:55):
Defense and the logic there is clear right without Steff's
gravity and e leek shooting, the Warriors lose their margin
for error on offense. If they want to win games
while he's out, the team defense has to step up
immediately to compensate absolutely.
Speaker 1 (16:10):
And finally, let's talk about the Sacramento Kings, who were
in a deep slide. They lost one twenty eight to
one nineteen to the Utah Jazz, which snapped a nine
game winning streak against them, and that.
Speaker 2 (16:19):
Loss drops the Kings to a really surprising and frankly
alarming five and fifteen record.
Speaker 1 (16:24):
Another game where poor defense and a lack of pace
control were the main culprits. Zach Levine actually broke out
of his slump with thirty four points and Russell Westbrook
had his two hundred and sixth career triple.
Speaker 2 (16:34):
Double, which is just casual for him at this point sixteen, fourteen,
and twelve. But the team allowed Utah to dictate the
pace and they just got run out of the building.
Speaker 1 (16:44):
You saw it happen in real time. Utah had a
massive twenty to two run in the second quarter and
then a ten to ozer run to end the third.
Speaker 2 (16:51):
When you have a five and fifteen record this early,
even considering they've had the league's toughest schedule, it signals
one thing to everyone else.
Speaker 1 (16:59):
Trade activity is coming.
Speaker 2 (17:00):
It has to be. When a team underperforms this badly,
you have to look at shaking things up. Reports say
they'll look to move some of those big veteran contracts
to bring in better defenders or more consistent shooters. That
record schedule or not is just unsustainable. Right.
Speaker 1 (17:15):
Let's shift from the pros to the college ranks, where
the holiday weekend was all about thrilling tournament finals and
one just absolutely soul crushing buzzer.
Speaker 2 (17:24):
Beater, a buzzer beater that felt like a horror movie
rerun for one particular program. We have to start with
the Ohio State Buckeyes losing a heartbreaker sixty seven to
sixty six to pit.
Speaker 1 (17:34):
The word everyone used was deja vu, complete agonizing, deja vu.
Speaker 2 (17:39):
And here's why it was so devastating. The final play
was this sideways deep three pointer at the buzzer from
Pitts to Markell Minor. It clinched a sweep of the
home and home series, but.
Speaker 1 (17:52):
The psychological twist. The part that makes it so brutal
is that Ohio State lost to pit on a buzzer
beater the night before the Michigan football game last year too.
Speaker 2 (18:02):
To have that exact same scenario play out one year later,
right before the biggest rivalry game of the season, I
mean that has to be just incredibly traumatic for those
players in that program.
Speaker 1 (18:13):
The game itself had this really weird uneven flow pitches
dominated early. They jumped out to a sixteen to four
lead in the first six minutes.
Speaker 2 (18:21):
And they were up thirty four to twenty four at halftime,
mostly because Ohio State was shooting terribly, like thirty eight
percent from the field and they weren't rebounding.
Speaker 1 (18:28):
But Ohio State came out in the second half and
mounted this furious rally, mostly on the back of Devin Royal.
He scored seventeen of his twenty two points after the break.
Speaker 2 (18:36):
They finally took their first lead of the entire game
with about eight and a half minutes left on two
free throws from Christophe Tilly. They were finally shown some.
Speaker 1 (18:43):
Fight, and Tilly had one of the weirdest stat lines
I've seen. It tells you everything about their second half strategy.
Speaker 2 (18:49):
It really does. He finished with ten points, but almost
all of them more from the free throw line. He
was eight for eight on free throws, but only one
for eight from the field.
Speaker 1 (18:57):
That just shows you they completely shifted to an attack
rim strategy. They were forcing Pitt to foul them to
generate points.
Speaker 2 (19:04):
So we get to the final seconds and Ohio State
thinks they have it won till he misses a layup,
but amar Bynham gets the offensive board and tips it in, puts.
Speaker 1 (19:12):
Him up sixty six, sixty four with only four seconds left.
Speaker 2 (19:15):
Four seconds just enough time for Minor to sprint up
the court, take one dribble and hit that off balance,
sideways deep three with a hand right in his face.
Speaker 1 (19:24):
It capped an incredible night for him eighteen points, five steals,
and it was just a devastating finish for the Buckeyes.
The margin for error in college hoops is just non
existent for sure.
Speaker 2 (19:36):
Okay, on to some happier news for the tournament winners.
Colorado was crowned the Akrosher Holiday Classic champions. They beat
Washington eighty one to sixty eight.
Speaker 1 (19:45):
In this game was a story of a massive lead
and an even bigger comeback attempt. Colorado was up forty
seven to thirty at halftime. They look completely dominant, but.
Speaker 2 (19:56):
College basketball is a game of runs. Washington came roaring
back in the second and half, went on a nineteen
to four run and actually tied the game at fifty two.
All the momentum was.
Speaker 1 (20:05):
Gone, but the mark of a good team is how
you respond to that, and Colorado held their nerve. They
hit some timely late threes from Felix Casars and Mackayley
to pull away and secure the win. They're now seven
to zero.
Speaker 2 (20:18):
Over At the Rady Children's Invitational, TCU won the championship,
beating Wisconsin seventy four to sixty three. And this is
a big one for them.
Speaker 1 (20:25):
Yeah. TCU is now five and two and they're riding
a huge wave of momentum after upsetting the reigning national champions,
the Florida Gators in the first round of that tournament.
Speaker 2 (20:34):
That upset was a massive statement, and in the final
they just controlled the game from start to finish. They
opened on a fourteen to four run and never looked back.
It was a real team effort.
Speaker 1 (20:42):
And finally the Missouri Tigers, they cruised to an eighty
six to fifty nine win over Cleveland State, moving to
a perfect eight and zero. This one was a little
personal too, right.
Speaker 2 (20:51):
It was it was against their former coach, Dennis Gates's
old team, so that added a little emotional layer to
the dominant win.
Speaker 1 (20:57):
A comfortable victory form Miszoo elsewhere, just to round things out,
the number three UCLA women routed Duke eighty nine to
fifty nine, which was impressive since they were missing their
star center Lauren Betts.
Speaker 2 (21:09):
And we saw Mississippi State fall to SMU in a
tough overtime battle, and North Dakota got blown out on
the road at Hawaii. The holiday weekend really started to
separate the contenders from the rest.
Speaker 1 (21:20):
It really did.
Speaker 2 (21:21):
And I think that mental toughness, or the lack of it,
that's really the biggest theme that runs through all of
these results from the weekend, both in the NBA and
the NCAA.
Speaker 1 (21:31):
What a week in it was. The NBA Cup bracket
is locked. The stakes are sky high now that's single elimination.
You've got the undefeated Magic and Lakers hosting.
Speaker 2 (21:40):
The nineteen and one thunder looked just terrifyingly consistent, and.
Speaker 1 (21:43):
The Spurs proved they can pull off a major upset
if a team like the Nuggets decides not to show
up on defense.
Speaker 2 (21:50):
And we saw those huge gut check moments across the league.
It really highlighted which teams have that fundamental mental toughness
and which ones like the Bucks and the Cavaliers are
still trying to figure out how to put in forty
eight minutes of effort.
Speaker 1 (22:06):
And this is where the whole context of the NBA
Cup starts to get a little complicated.
Speaker 2 (22:09):
It really does. We look at the Thunder sitting at
an unbelievable nineteen and one, and they are the clear
favorites to win the whole thing.
Speaker 1 (22:17):
Their schedule so far has been noted as the easiest
in the entire league by a pretty healthy margin. They've
only played four games against teams that even have a
winning record.
Speaker 2 (22:26):
And on the flip side, we talked about the Sacramento
Kings struggling at five and fifteen, Well, they have faced
the league's toughest schedule by a wide margin.
Speaker 1 (22:35):
That's a huge disparity in early season scheduling, and it's
a major factor in this Cup narrative. You have the Lakers,
who also got home court advantage, but they've played the
seventh easiest schedule.
Speaker 2 (22:45):
And Toronto, who was hosting a quarterfinal game against the Knicks,
they've played the fourth easiest. So this initial scheduling luck
has been heavily tilted towards some of these group winners.
It's allowed them to pile up wins against weaker teams.
Speaker 1 (22:59):
So this brings us to a crucial and I think
provocative question for you to think about as we head
into this single elimination play.
Speaker 2 (23:05):
Considering that teams like Okasee, the Lakers, and Toronto have
all benefited from these easier paths, what does this tell
us about the tournament itself? Is the NBA Cup truly
a measure of championship readiness, a test of handling real pressure.
Speaker 1 (23:20):
Or is it just a high stakes bracket that, at
least in its first year, is disproportionately highlighting early season
scheduling luck. Is it rewarding teams like Orlando who've just
performed way better than anyone expected against a softer schedule.
Speaker 2 (23:34):
Will that whole scheduling narrative just vanish when the pressure
cooker of a one and done game hits On December
ninth and tenth, or will the tougher, more battle tested
teams finally rise to the top regardless of their early record.
Speaker 1 (23:48):
We are about to find out. Thanks for joining us
here on Basketball Home. We'll catch you next time.
Welcome back to basketball Home, the place to be for
everything that happened on the court over this holiday break.
Hey everyone, and if you thought this Thanksgiving weekend was,
you know, just about turkey and shopping, you definitely missed out.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
Oh for sure. It was genuine high stakes chaos. We
saw the NBA Cup group stages wrap up with some
unbelievable drama.
Speaker 1 (00:20):
Right and then you had massive upsets, literal buzzer beaters
in college hoops, and some teams that we thought were
contenders suddenly looking like they're in full blown crisis mode.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
It was a ton to process, exactly.
Speaker 1 (00:33):
So today we are unpacking all of it for you.
We're going to lock in on the new NBA Cup
knockout bracket.
Speaker 2 (00:40):
We have to, it's finally set.
Speaker 1 (00:42):
We'll also break down the biggest Black Friday dramas in
the NBA. That means the MAVs and Lakers trade, buzz
Giannis's pretty raw frustration in Milwaukee, and the defensive collapse
happening in Cleveland.
Speaker 2 (00:53):
And we can't forget college that Ohio State finish. We
have to talk about that.
Speaker 1 (00:57):
Oh, we absolutely have to. So let's just jump right
into the NBA Cup because Friday was the day everything
got decided.
Speaker 2 (01:02):
Yep, it was the make or break day. By the
end of it, the single elimination knockout bracket was finalized
for December ninth and tenth.
Speaker 1 (01:10):
So let's start in the East. This is where the
final spots were clinched with a mix of grit, some
serious star power, and a perfect example of the difference
between one great player and a great team.
Speaker 2 (01:22):
That's the perfect way to frame it, the Orlando Magic.
They secured Group B after a really tough one hundred
and twelve to one or nine win over the Detroit Pistons.
Speaker 1 (01:31):
And what's so important about the Magic is that they
finished undefeated in their group exactly.
Speaker 2 (01:35):
That four and zero record gives them home court for
the quarterfinal, which is huge. A lot of their success
came from Desmond Bane, who dropped thirty seven points and
really carried them when things got tight.
Speaker 1 (01:45):
But the real story of that game, I mean it
has to be Kate Cunninghat.
Speaker 2 (01:48):
Oh. Absolutely. It was one of the most magnificent and
you know, ultimately a heartbreaking individual performances we've seen all year.
Speaker 1 (01:55):
A herculean effort is the only way to describe it.
And it tells you everything you need to know the
Pistons rafter right now.
Speaker 2 (02:02):
It really does. So Caid plays forty really physical minutes
and he racks up this monster triple double thirty nine points,
thirteen rebounds, and eleven assists. He was literally the entire offense.
Speaker 1 (02:14):
And here's this death that just blows online. He was
a plus sixteen in his minutes on the court, right he.
Speaker 2 (02:20):
Was actively winning the game for them when he was playing.
Speaker 1 (02:23):
But the other side of that coin is just tragic.
In the eight minutes he sat on the bench to rest,
just eight minutes, the Pistons were outscored by nineteen points nineteen.
Speaker 2 (02:34):
It just exposes their biggest weakness. They have zero offensive structure,
no scoring threat at all. When he sits down and
other teams know it, they just run all over them.
Speaker 1 (02:44):
And you could see that workload just catching up to him.
He missed a huge free throw late when they were down.
Speaker 2 (02:48):
By three, and another one earlier that would put them
up two. He had been perfect from the line, I
think nine for nine up until that point.
Speaker 1 (02:55):
That's the physical and mental toll right there. He also
had eight turnovers, three them in the fourth quarter. It
wasn't just a loss. It felt like a desperate cry
for some help on that roster. It really did, okay,
So moving over to Group C, the New York Knicks
punched their ticket. They beat the struggling Milwaukee Bucks one
eighteen to one oh nine at the Garden.
Speaker 2 (03:13):
Yeah, and this was supposed to be a big showdown, right,
especially with Jonas Andtokumpo coming back from that groin injury.
Speaker 1 (03:19):
And Giannas showed up at least in the box score
thirty points, fifteen rebounds, eight assists.
Speaker 2 (03:24):
For sure, But I think the consensus takeaway from everyone
who watched that game was that Jalen Brunson was the
uh more unstoppable superstar on the floor that night.
Speaker 1 (03:35):
Oh without a doubt. Brunson finished with a game high
thirty seven points, and he was efficient, shooting twelve for
twenty one. He just led the charge.
Speaker 2 (03:42):
And it wasn't just that he scored, it was when
he scored. The pressure was on. Late in the fourth quarter.
The Bucks had cut a thirteen point lead all the
way down to two.
Speaker 1 (03:50):
Right, They were threating this huge comeback.
Speaker 2 (03:52):
And Brunson immediately responds. He draws a foul on Giannis
shooting three, and then just calmly drills all three of
those free throw that is clutch, and.
Speaker 1 (04:02):
Then just a couple of possessions later, he completely sealed it.
He had that spectacular three point play, drew a foul
on Miles Turner, hit that signature floater, and then made
the free throw.
Speaker 2 (04:14):
That screen he let out after the play, I mean
that told you everything. That was the release of the
whole team's determination. It was a massive moment for them.
Speaker 1 (04:23):
Meanwhile, this was the Bucks' seventh straight loss, seven.
Speaker 2 (04:28):
Which is just wild for a team with that kind
of talent. They get eliminated from the Cup, but a
seven game losing streak, that's more than a slump. That's
a crisis and we definitely need to circle back to
that for sure.
Speaker 1 (04:39):
So to round out the East, the wild card spot
was the last piece.
Speaker 2 (04:43):
And the Miami Heat grabbed it. They were the only
other team to finish three and one, so even though
they didn't win their group, the tiebreakers, specifically their point
differential worked in their favor.
Speaker 1 (04:51):
So the Eastern Conference quarterfinals are set for December ninth.
It's the Miami Heat traveling to face the undefeated Orlando Magic.
Speaker 2 (05:00):
And the New York Knicks. Will visit the Toronto Raptors,
and again Orlando gets that home court advantage because of
their perfect record.
Speaker 1 (05:06):
Okay, let's head over to the Western Conference, which was
just pure chaos. We saw a massive upset that I
don't think anyone saw coming.
Speaker 2 (05:14):
Yeah, but let's start with the undisputed champs right now,
the Oklahoma City Thunder. They clinched Group A beating the
Phoenix Suns one twenty three to one nineteen in a
really high powered game.
Speaker 1 (05:26):
The Thunder just terrifying. I don't think that's an overstatement.
They're now nineteen and one, which is the best record
in the league, and they've extended their win streak to
eleven games.
Speaker 2 (05:36):
And shy Guild of Alexander, he just keeps making history.
It was his ninety second consecutive game with twenty or
more points.
Speaker 1 (05:42):
Which ties in with Wilt Chamberlain for the second longest
streak ever.
Speaker 2 (05:46):
It's just incredible to be in the same sentence as
will for that kind of consistency is mind boggling.
Speaker 1 (05:52):
And here's the part that should scare the rest of
the league. They're getting even better.
Speaker 2 (05:56):
Right That game was the season debut for Jalen Williams.
Who was out with a jury. So a team that's
already nineteen to one is just getting one of its
best young players back into the rotation.
Speaker 1 (06:05):
They are, without a doubt, the favorites to win the
whole Cup right now, even when you consider you know,
their strength of schedule, which we should get to later.
Speaker 2 (06:13):
We should, but first we have to talk about the huge,
just illogical upset.
Speaker 1 (06:17):
In Group C the San Antonio Spurs. Yeah, somehow, someway,
they beat Nikoli Okic and the Denver Nuggets won the
thirty nine to one thirty six.
Speaker 2 (06:26):
And they did it without their star, Victor Wambanyama, who's
out with a calf strain. He's expected back for the quarterfinal,
but still Stefan Castle was out too. This was a
massive statement win for that young team.
Speaker 1 (06:37):
It defied all logic, especially after how they started the game.
They had to rally from an eighteen point third quarter
deficit against the defending champs.
Speaker 2 (06:45):
The hero is Devin Vessel. He was just lights out.
He led the team with a season high thirty three
points and went seven of nine from three. Julian Champagne
was also huge with twenty five and ten.
Speaker 1 (06:55):
This loss was all about Denver just completely collapsing. The
reports coming out of Denver described their defense as simply
a disaster.
Speaker 2 (07:03):
And you can see why. They had seventeen turnovers, which
the Spurs immediately turned into thirty points.
Speaker 1 (07:08):
Thirty points. You just can't do that. You can't give
up thirty points off your own mistakes and expect to
win a game.
Speaker 2 (07:14):
Nope. And even though Jamal Murray had thirty seven and
Jokic almost had a triple double, their defensive effort was
just non existent. It was their third straight loss at
home and it knocked them out of the cut.
Speaker 1 (07:26):
That lack of focus is becoming a theme for them
and it's something to watch for sure.
Speaker 2 (07:31):
So finally, the Los Angeles Lakers, they took care of
business in Group B. They finished with a perfect four
to o record after beating the Dallas Mavericks one twenty
nine to one nineteen.
Speaker 1 (07:41):
So they joined the Magic as the only undefeated teams
and they also get that crucial home court advantage.
Speaker 2 (07:47):
And that brings us to the final piece, the Western
Wildcard spot. Despite losing to OKC, the Phoenix Suns managed
to grab it, and.
Speaker 1 (07:55):
This is where the tiebreaker rules get really important.
Speaker 2 (07:57):
Exactly, so both the Suns and the Memphis Grizzlies finished
with a three to one record. But the reason the
Suns advanced was their point differential.
Speaker 1 (08:06):
So just to clarify for everyone, that's the total margin
you've outscored your opponents by during the group stage. The
Sun's just had a better.
Speaker 2 (08:12):
Number, right. It was the deciding factor, and it means
the Grizzlies, despite having a great record, are out. It's
a tough break.
Speaker 1 (08:20):
So the Western Conference quarterfinals those are on December tenth.
It'll be the Phoenix Suns at the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Speaker 2 (08:26):
And the San Antonio Spurs will be at the Los
Angeles Lakers, and if the favorites win, we could be
looking at a Thunder Lakers showdown in the semi finals
in Vegas.
Speaker 1 (08:35):
That would be something, okay, So let's move from the
bracket to the broader league drama. Black Friday gave us
some intense storylines about stars, trades, and team chemistry.
Speaker 2 (08:45):
And of course, a lot of that focus landed squarely
on that Lakers Mavericks game. There was so much intrigue
there before the game even started, right.
Speaker 1 (08:52):
The Lakers won one twenty nine to one nineteen, and
it was a great offensive show. Austin Reeves was explosive
for the as dropped a game high thirty eight.
Speaker 2 (09:01):
And Luka Doncic had thirty five for Dallas. He's just
been on fire. But the narratives around the players were
way louder than the final score.
Speaker 1 (09:09):
And the biggest name was Anthony Davis. He returned for
the Mavericks, playing against his former team after missing fourteen
games with that calf injury.
Speaker 2 (09:17):
It was a huge return for Dallas. They've been struggling
so badly on defense without him.
Speaker 1 (09:22):
He gave him that stability they needed for sure, But
he was on a strict minute's restriction. He missed the
entire fourth quarter and that just put the spotlight right
back on his health.
Speaker 2 (09:32):
Yeah, and Davis himself admitted it was tough. He said
trying to find a rhythm playing in just five minute
bursts was tough for sure, especially when you're used to
anchoring the defense for ten minutes at a time.
Speaker 1 (09:44):
And that health question. It feeds directly into this massive
trade buzz that's getting louder and louder.
Speaker 2 (09:51):
It really is. The reports are saying that trading Anthony
Davis is a real possibility, and I would even say
likelihood for the Mavericks this season. That's a huge shift
in direction.
Speaker 1 (09:59):
And it's it seems pretty clearly tied to what the
Mavericks see is.
Speaker 2 (10:02):
Their next era, right it seems so. Sources are suggesting
it's about fully pivoting to build around the generational talent
of Cooper Flag.
Speaker 1 (10:10):
Who, for context, is one of the most hyped college
recruits we've seen in a long time.
Speaker 2 (10:15):
Exactly. So, if the Mavericks don't think their current corep
is going to win a title, then moving a star
like Davis now while he's healthy and his value is
high to get assets to build around a new core
in a few years, it makes sense.
Speaker 1 (10:29):
So the idea is you pair those assets and Flag
with Kyrie Irving, who they just extended.
Speaker 2 (10:36):
That seems to be the plan. Keep Kyrie as a
dynamic scorer next to Flag as your foundational pieces. But
AD's health for the next few months is the ultimate
X factor. If he dominates and stays healthy, they can
get a massive return. If he gets hurt again, his
value just tanks.
Speaker 1 (10:51):
And of course there was that whole pregame drama with
Davis and Lebron James.
Speaker 2 (10:55):
Oh right, the manufactured controversy exactly.
Speaker 1 (10:58):
Fans online went crazy over this short video clip that
made it look like Anthony Davis snubbed Lebron during the
pregame greetings.
Speaker 2 (11:06):
It's just the perfect example of how context gets lost online.
When you actually watch the full extended clip, you can
see they did embrace briefly. There's still mutual respect there.
Speaker 1 (11:15):
It was just the media looking for a story. But
the real story is the trade talk, not a fake
snub absence as being a lebron You know, he's forty
years old, still playing in an elite level. And he
also talked about his ultimate plan for his son, Bronni.
Speaker 2 (11:28):
Yeah, and I found this really interesting. He said he
wants Bronni to walk his own journey. He explained that
he can give him the blueprint, show him everything he's learned,
but ultimately he wants Bronni to walk through the fire
as well.
Speaker 1 (11:41):
That shows a really deep understanding of the impossible pressure
Bronnie is under.
Speaker 2 (11:45):
It does true success requires you to go through the
struggle yourself, even when you have the greatest mentor in
the world. Right there, it's a pretty philosophical take on
sports parenting.
Speaker 1 (11:56):
Okay, let's pivot from trade buzz to two elite teams
that are in a bit of a crisis right now,
Milwaukee and Cleveland.
Speaker 2 (12:05):
We mentioned the Bucks lost their seventh straight game, and
Giannis he did not hold back his feelings after that
loss to the Knicks.
Speaker 1 (12:11):
No, he did not. His message was sharp, it was critical,
and he was aimed right at his teammate's commitment.
Speaker 2 (12:18):
Yeah, he stressed that they need to get back to
the little things, which he defined as you know, the fundamentals, defending, communicating, rebounding,
all the stuff that doesn't depend on whether your shot
is falling.
Speaker 1 (12:28):
They said, if players are only worried about scoring, they
get frustrated and feel like they cannot do nothing else
for the team if they miss a few shots.
Speaker 2 (12:36):
And then he delivered the line that was just a
devastating indictment of where they're at. He said, this is
not one man's show, that we got to do it together.
Speaker 1 (12:45):
Coming from your franchise cornerstone, that's a brutal assessment of
the team's effort. It tells you this isn't about coaching
or schemes. It's about a lack of collective will.
Speaker 2 (12:55):
And that exact theme, that lack of effort and focus.
It connects to directly to the Cleveland Cavaliers. They lost
to the Hawks one thirty to one twenty three and
got knocked out of the Cup for the second year
in a row.
Speaker 1 (13:07):
And their issue isn't abstract at all. It's one very
specific mechanical failure transition defense.
Speaker 2 (13:13):
That's right. The reports are basically spelling out the blueprint
that opponents are now using to just dismantle the Cabs
just run on them relentlessly, and.
Speaker 1 (13:21):
The Hawks absolutely torched them with it. They outscored Cleveland
thirty six to seventeen in fast break points. That's a
nineteen point difference just on the break.
Speaker 2 (13:31):
When you talk about a mechanical failure, it means players
are literally not sprinting back to fill the paint, they're
not communicating to pick up the ball handler, and they're
letting guys leak out for easy layups and open threes.
Speaker 1 (13:43):
Coach Kenny Atkinson was blunt about it. He said they
outplayed us, out coached us. The whole team was just
mentally disconnected.
Speaker 2 (13:50):
Donovan Mitchell called it a mental thing. He said the
team has to get our a back and that the
loss was solely off of.
Speaker 1 (13:56):
That and Evan Mobley pointed out how hard it is
to communicate on the fly in transition, But I mean
that's just part of the game, it is.
Speaker 2 (14:04):
And the bottom line is until the Calves fix this simple,
fundamental flaw just getting back on defense, teams are going
to keep running past them. It's a solvable problem that's
becoming a season long wound.
Speaker 1 (14:15):
All right, shifting gears a bit, Let's touch on a
few other frankly ugly losses from the weekend, starting with
the very perplexing Chicago Bulls.
Speaker 2 (14:24):
Yeah, they just continued this frustrating pattern they have of
losing to bad teams. They fell one hundred and twenty
three to one sixteen to the four and fourteen Charlotte Hornets.
Speaker 1 (14:34):
The loss drops them to nine and nine, and it
just signals a huge problem with consistency. Their defense remains,
as one source put it, a massive problem. They gave
up sixty seven points in the first half alone, just a.
Speaker 2 (14:47):
Sieve, and even with Kobe White and Josh Giddy combining
for fifty points, it wasn't enough to overcome that.
Speaker 1 (14:53):
We should probably also mention that incident with.
Speaker 2 (14:55):
Giddy too, right, Giddy, who had a great game twenty five,
eleven and nine. He got into it with a fan
late in the game. He just said, the fan said
something I didn't like, and the fan got ejected.
Speaker 1 (15:04):
It's unfortunate. Players shouldn't have to deal with that. But
back to the team, coach Billy Donovan just lamented their
lack of consistency and physicality. He chalked it up to
human nature and mid season fatigue.
Speaker 2 (15:15):
Which, for a team with the Bulls payroll and expectations,
is just not an acceptable excuse for these kinds.
Speaker 1 (15:21):
Of losses, not at all. Over in Golden State, the
Warriors are facing a big test. Star Steven Curry is
out for at least a week with a right quad contusion.
Speaker 2 (15:29):
Yep, a strain muscle too, so he'll be reevaluated in
a week, which means he's probably missing at least three
crucial games.
Speaker 1 (15:37):
And what's most telling here isn't the injury itself, it's
the reaction from his teammate, Jimmy Butler.
Speaker 2 (15:42):
Right. Butler basically called out the team's defensive focus, calling
it just sad.
Speaker 1 (15:47):
He said, and I'm quoting here, I don't care about offense.
We need to guard somebody. He challenged the entire team
to care more about the details on.
Speaker 2 (15:55):
Defense and the logic there is clear right without Steff's
gravity and e leek shooting, the Warriors lose their margin
for error on offense. If they want to win games
while he's out, the team defense has to step up
immediately to compensate absolutely.
Speaker 1 (16:10):
And finally, let's talk about the Sacramento Kings, who were
in a deep slide. They lost one twenty eight to
one nineteen to the Utah Jazz, which snapped a nine
game winning streak against them, and that.
Speaker 2 (16:19):
Loss drops the Kings to a really surprising and frankly
alarming five and fifteen record.
Speaker 1 (16:24):
Another game where poor defense and a lack of pace
control were the main culprits. Zach Levine actually broke out
of his slump with thirty four points and Russell Westbrook
had his two hundred and sixth career triple.
Speaker 2 (16:34):
Double, which is just casual for him at this point sixteen, fourteen,
and twelve. But the team allowed Utah to dictate the
pace and they just got run out of the building.
Speaker 1 (16:44):
You saw it happen in real time. Utah had a
massive twenty to two run in the second quarter and
then a ten to ozer run to end the third.
Speaker 2 (16:51):
When you have a five and fifteen record this early,
even considering they've had the league's toughest schedule, it signals
one thing to everyone else.
Speaker 1 (16:59):
Trade activity is coming.
Speaker 2 (17:00):
It has to be. When a team underperforms this badly,
you have to look at shaking things up. Reports say
they'll look to move some of those big veteran contracts
to bring in better defenders or more consistent shooters. That
record schedule or not is just unsustainable. Right.
Speaker 1 (17:15):
Let's shift from the pros to the college ranks, where
the holiday weekend was all about thrilling tournament finals and
one just absolutely soul crushing buzzer.
Speaker 2 (17:24):
Beater, a buzzer beater that felt like a horror movie
rerun for one particular program. We have to start with
the Ohio State Buckeyes losing a heartbreaker sixty seven to
sixty six to pit.
Speaker 1 (17:34):
The word everyone used was deja vu, complete agonizing, deja vu.
Speaker 2 (17:39):
And here's why it was so devastating. The final play
was this sideways deep three pointer at the buzzer from
Pitts to Markell Minor. It clinched a sweep of the
home and home series, but.
Speaker 1 (17:52):
The psychological twist. The part that makes it so brutal
is that Ohio State lost to pit on a buzzer
beater the night before the Michigan football game last year too.
Speaker 2 (18:02):
To have that exact same scenario play out one year later,
right before the biggest rivalry game of the season, I
mean that has to be just incredibly traumatic for those
players in that program.
Speaker 1 (18:13):
The game itself had this really weird uneven flow pitches
dominated early. They jumped out to a sixteen to four
lead in the first six minutes.
Speaker 2 (18:21):
And they were up thirty four to twenty four at halftime,
mostly because Ohio State was shooting terribly, like thirty eight
percent from the field and they weren't rebounding.
Speaker 1 (18:28):
But Ohio State came out in the second half and
mounted this furious rally, mostly on the back of Devin Royal.
He scored seventeen of his twenty two points after the break.
Speaker 2 (18:36):
They finally took their first lead of the entire game
with about eight and a half minutes left on two
free throws from Christophe Tilly. They were finally shown some.
Speaker 1 (18:43):
Fight, and Tilly had one of the weirdest stat lines
I've seen. It tells you everything about their second half strategy.
Speaker 2 (18:49):
It really does. He finished with ten points, but almost
all of them more from the free throw line. He
was eight for eight on free throws, but only one
for eight from the field.
Speaker 1 (18:57):
That just shows you they completely shifted to an attack
rim strategy. They were forcing Pitt to foul them to
generate points.
Speaker 2 (19:04):
So we get to the final seconds and Ohio State
thinks they have it won till he misses a layup,
but amar Bynham gets the offensive board and tips it in, puts.
Speaker 1 (19:12):
Him up sixty six, sixty four with only four seconds left.
Speaker 2 (19:15):
Four seconds just enough time for Minor to sprint up
the court, take one dribble and hit that off balance,
sideways deep three with a hand right in his face.
Speaker 1 (19:24):
It capped an incredible night for him eighteen points, five steals,
and it was just a devastating finish for the Buckeyes.
The margin for error in college hoops is just non
existent for sure.
Speaker 2 (19:36):
Okay, on to some happier news for the tournament winners.
Colorado was crowned the Akrosher Holiday Classic champions. They beat
Washington eighty one to sixty eight.
Speaker 1 (19:45):
In this game was a story of a massive lead
and an even bigger comeback attempt. Colorado was up forty
seven to thirty at halftime. They look completely dominant, but.
Speaker 2 (19:56):
College basketball is a game of runs. Washington came roaring
back in the second and half, went on a nineteen
to four run and actually tied the game at fifty two.
All the momentum was.
Speaker 1 (20:05):
Gone, but the mark of a good team is how
you respond to that, and Colorado held their nerve. They
hit some timely late threes from Felix Casars and Mackayley
to pull away and secure the win. They're now seven
to zero.
Speaker 2 (20:18):
Over At the Rady Children's Invitational, TCU won the championship,
beating Wisconsin seventy four to sixty three. And this is
a big one for them.
Speaker 1 (20:25):
Yeah. TCU is now five and two and they're riding
a huge wave of momentum after upsetting the reigning national champions,
the Florida Gators in the first round of that tournament.
Speaker 2 (20:34):
That upset was a massive statement, and in the final
they just controlled the game from start to finish. They
opened on a fourteen to four run and never looked back.
It was a real team effort.
Speaker 1 (20:42):
And finally the Missouri Tigers, they cruised to an eighty
six to fifty nine win over Cleveland State, moving to
a perfect eight and zero. This one was a little
personal too, right.
Speaker 2 (20:51):
It was it was against their former coach, Dennis Gates's
old team, so that added a little emotional layer to
the dominant win.
Speaker 1 (20:57):
A comfortable victory form Miszoo elsewhere, just to round things out,
the number three UCLA women routed Duke eighty nine to
fifty nine, which was impressive since they were missing their
star center Lauren Betts.
Speaker 2 (21:09):
And we saw Mississippi State fall to SMU in a
tough overtime battle, and North Dakota got blown out on
the road at Hawaii. The holiday weekend really started to
separate the contenders from the rest.
Speaker 1 (21:20):
It really did.
Speaker 2 (21:21):
And I think that mental toughness, or the lack of it,
that's really the biggest theme that runs through all of
these results from the weekend, both in the NBA and
the NCAA.
Speaker 1 (21:31):
What a week in it was. The NBA Cup bracket
is locked. The stakes are sky high now that's single elimination.
You've got the undefeated Magic and Lakers hosting.
Speaker 2 (21:40):
The nineteen and one thunder looked just terrifyingly consistent, and.
Speaker 1 (21:43):
The Spurs proved they can pull off a major upset
if a team like the Nuggets decides not to show
up on defense.
Speaker 2 (21:50):
And we saw those huge gut check moments across the league.
It really highlighted which teams have that fundamental mental toughness
and which ones like the Bucks and the Cavaliers are
still trying to figure out how to put in forty
eight minutes of effort.
Speaker 1 (22:06):
And this is where the whole context of the NBA
Cup starts to get a little complicated.
Speaker 2 (22:09):
It really does. We look at the Thunder sitting at
an unbelievable nineteen and one, and they are the clear
favorites to win the whole thing.
Speaker 1 (22:17):
Their schedule so far has been noted as the easiest
in the entire league by a pretty healthy margin. They've
only played four games against teams that even have a
winning record.
Speaker 2 (22:26):
And on the flip side, we talked about the Sacramento
Kings struggling at five and fifteen, Well, they have faced
the league's toughest schedule by a wide margin.
Speaker 1 (22:35):
That's a huge disparity in early season scheduling, and it's
a major factor in this Cup narrative. You have the Lakers,
who also got home court advantage, but they've played the
seventh easiest schedule.
Speaker 2 (22:45):
And Toronto, who was hosting a quarterfinal game against the Knicks,
they've played the fourth easiest. So this initial scheduling luck
has been heavily tilted towards some of these group winners.
It's allowed them to pile up wins against weaker teams.
Speaker 1 (22:59):
So this brings us to a crucial and I think
provocative question for you to think about as we head
into this single elimination play.
Speaker 2 (23:05):
Considering that teams like Okasee, the Lakers, and Toronto have
all benefited from these easier paths, what does this tell
us about the tournament itself? Is the NBA Cup truly
a measure of championship readiness, a test of handling real pressure.
Speaker 1 (23:20):
Or is it just a high stakes bracket that, at
least in its first year, is disproportionately highlighting early season
scheduling luck. Is it rewarding teams like Orlando who've just
performed way better than anyone expected against a softer schedule.
Speaker 2 (23:34):
Will that whole scheduling narrative just vanish when the pressure
cooker of a one and done game hits On December
ninth and tenth, or will the tougher, more battle tested
teams finally rise to the top regardless of their early record.
Speaker 1 (23:48):
We are about to find out. Thanks for joining us
here on Basketball Home. We'll catch you next time.
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