April 13, 2024 • 41 mins
Jason tells you why the Western Conference Playoffs will be an absolute bloodbath. The Houston Astros are in serious DANGER. And all Jason can think of with Mark Pope getting the job at Kentucky is King George from 'Hamilton' in the 2nd act!
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Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Thanks for listening to The Jason Smith Show with Mike
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Speaker 2 (00:22):
Plea give you're listening to Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 1 (00:29):
Hello, welcome in side Happy Friday, The Jason Smith Show
with Mike Harmon. Special delivery Steve to Sega in for Mike.
We're live from the Tirack dot Com studios tirec dot com. I'
help you get there an unmatched selection, fast, free shipping,
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(00:53):
Happy Friday. Well, yes, yes, the Mets did win today,
so already I'm in a great mood. The Knicks one.
I'll tell you why I'm even better mood a couple seconds.
But this is a huge night. You want to talk
about end of the regular season playoff drama, which is fun. Yes,
all the playoff berths have been decided. We know who's
going to be in. We know who's gonna be in
the top ten, the top ten spots. We know we
(01:14):
know one's getting in or out in the next couple
of days. But boy, do we have some fun stuff tonight.
We'll get to the West in a second. But in
the East, Steve, I know you said you wanted to
start with the Nick, So okay, we will say that
they overcome a forty five to two deficit early on
against the Nets. Well it seemed like that when when
(01:35):
I was watching, I'm going, come on, man, it's the Nets.
But they win one eleven, one oh seven, securing the
number three seed in the playoffs in the Eastern Conference.
Now do they have a shot at the two seed. Yeah,
but the Bucks have to lose their last two games. Well,
make it likely their last game, because they are getting
thumped right now by the Thunder one oh six eighty
(01:57):
seven with about six and a half to go in
the fourth quarter. So after this game for that number
two seed in the East behind the Celtics, Knicks and
the Bucks are going to be tied. The Bucks have
the tiebreaker, but Bucks are playing without Giannis, So let's
see how things go a night filled with all kinds
of drama. They have to finish the Bucks against Orlando,
(02:17):
so that's going to be a tough one. They're on
the road, Steve O. The Knicks could finish second. That
might win MVP for Jalen Brunson. He might come off
of everybody's also getting votes list and he might go
right to the top.
Speaker 3 (02:30):
Yeah, I believe he pay voted on that. The New
York next year.
Speaker 1 (02:33):
Too soon for epaid. Actually no, it's not really. If
I got in New.
Speaker 4 (02:37):
York next to mathematically have a shot at the two seed,
you're correct. And just for the record, they were only
down twenty one to five late first quarter at.
Speaker 1 (02:45):
Home, it felt like forty five to four.
Speaker 4 (02:46):
But you know what, it's my turn for hyperbole because
the Boston Celtics sat their entire roster. Literally, I think
about twenty people were sitting for the Celtics because there
what twenty games ahead of the two seeds whoever that
may be in the Eastern Conference.
Speaker 1 (03:02):
So are you kidding out? I watched a Knicks win
last night. There was Bird and McHale and Parish and
they were all over those Yeah, those guys are all
seventy but they ran circles around them.
Speaker 4 (03:11):
Of course, the Celtics were hosting the Hornets. There's nobody
left on that team either, and the Celtics win by
thirty three in this game. Meanwhile, the Lakers are playing
a team that I guess we can call them the
Memphis Grizzlies, although they're nothing like any roster of Memphis
Grizzlies you will ever recall, no, because the starters are
guys that literally, for the most part, you have never
(03:33):
even on basketball fans have never heard of guys that
were either G League or two way players getting their shot.
And the Lakers are huge favorites, and yet they were
only up five a few minutes ago. Now it's one
oh nine, one oh one Lakers, eight minutes to go.
Speaker 5 (03:47):
If you guys are looking at the box score real quickly,
you would think Scottie Pippen was still playing.
Speaker 4 (03:52):
Ippin junior did start for the Grizzlies, has twenty four
points to lead the way.
Speaker 1 (03:57):
I actually think most of this team and no one
know one under because they're still anonymous, even though they
won back to back titles. But I think they're all
the guys from Yukon that won the national title on Monday.
Right now, they're all moving up. But look, this is
where the real drama is at the bottom of the
Western Conference. Yes, the playoffs are going to be murder
(04:17):
in the West. Nobody's gonna really have an advantage. No
higher seeds are going to have an advantage over the
lower seeds except for one because you look at some
of the teams at the top. Oklahoma City terrific team.
But you're talking about first round of the playoffs against
a team, maybe a team like Sacramento or the Lakers
or the Warriors that can win the first round before
(04:38):
the guys get tired. Because look, that's how it's going
to end for the Lakers and the Warriors. You get
to the second third round of the playoffs eventually, even
if they get that far, they will just get tired
because they rely on their older superstars too much. But
the thing is is that the one team you want
to avoid of you want to avoid the Nuggets, Like,
that's the team you want you want to avoid. That's
the only team You're like, Okay, anybody else in the
(05:00):
first round in the West, got it. Yes, I don't
care how many games Minnesota won. We can beat I
don't care about how many games Oklahoma City one. I
don't care if the Clippers have finally gotten it together. No, No,
we're good. We're good. The team you gotta avoid is
Denver and they're in first place and they're up by
six with about three and a half to go against
San Antonio late in the fourth. So this is where
this is now a night for Golden State and the
(05:22):
Lakers and to an extent, the Sacramento Kings, because you
want to get out of that bottom. You don't want
to be in that nine to ten game because guess
what you wind out? Okay, we won? Hey A D
said today, we feel great going into the playing round.
Are you gonna feel great going in playing the Nuggets?
Are you really gonna do that? No? You got you have.
This is the last couple of games where it's, man,
we gotta hope that things fall in our way and
(05:43):
we gotta take care of business because the one team
you do not want is the Nuggets. Anybody else, Yes, great, great, great, great,
but you don't want the Nuggets, and somebody's gonna get
them right. Tonight's Sacramento Kings game is so unbelievably huge,
and we could have all kinds of fun drama going
into the final day, depending on how that game is.
Speaker 4 (06:00):
The two late games that start in a half an
hour Sacramento hosting Phoenix, Clippers hosting Utah. The NBA regular
season ends on Sunday, and keep in mind with the
odds scheduling no NBA games on Saturday, then every team
plays on Sunday, and that ends of the regular season.
The play in Tournament starts Tuesday. That'll determine the number
seven and eight seeds in each conference for the playoffs.
(06:22):
And we mentioned this last night late on the Show.
There is a three way tie for the eight spot
in the West right now, identical records of forty five
and thirty five for Sacramento, Golden State, and the Lakers.
But the awful news for the Lakers they went zero
to four against Sacramento and they went one and three
against Golden State, so they really need help to move up.
(06:44):
Otherwise it might be the Lakers needing two road wins
facing elimination next week, or else they don't even get
into the formal playoffs.
Speaker 3 (06:53):
Two road games and the Nuggets. Let's go, Steve. That's right,
everything's fine.
Speaker 1 (06:58):
Here's where things get even worse with like if they
finished there. Not only okay, we could have the Nuggets,
but the teams we might have to play to get
out there. We were terrible against them in the regular
We've won one game, yeah, against them in the regular season.
So it's not like, oh, we gotta beat a team
we won. We were three and one against their team.
We can handle. No, the teams they're gonna have to play,
most likely they were bad against during the regular season.
(07:19):
But I mean this is that you gotta avoid the Nuggets.
You want to get into that eighth spot and play Phoenix,
who has been just okay, Look they got drubbed earlier
this week. Look that game tonight, that Phoenix Sacramento, that's
unbelievably huge. So you want to you want to see
if hey, we want to get up into that seven
to eight spot, if we can and it's still up there,
and if Sacramento wins tonight, you're talking about three teams
(07:42):
at thirty five losses and one team at thirty four
losses with all kinds of crazy tie breakers going to
the final day of the season.
Speaker 4 (07:48):
But the good news for the Lakers they're facing a
Grizzlies team that has thirteen players on the injury report tonight.
Speaker 3 (07:55):
Yeah a team.
Speaker 1 (07:55):
Is it good that they're only winning by four? Steve,
there's not ten minutes ago and it's one o nine one.
Speaker 3 (08:00):
This is my point. Look at the context of this there.
Speaker 4 (08:04):
It's they went on and on right before tip off
on Lakers Radio about how you should be able to
close your eyes and win this game by fifteen twenty points.
Speaker 1 (08:12):
Oh, maybe that's what they're doing.
Speaker 3 (08:13):
Maybe, Yeah, clos eyes exactly.
Speaker 4 (08:16):
Yeah, it's one oh nine, one oh five, Lakers leading
at Memphis, seven minutes to go. I can already write
one segment for you a week from now after the
Lakers have been eliminated, and that is Lebron James tenure
as a Laker, because there's a lot of nothing aside
from that one run in the bubble that got them
to the NBA Finals and a title. And granted that
(08:38):
was their best regular season also, and most of that
regular season had been played by the time the pandemic started.
But the other years Lebron has been in LA largely forgettable.
And if they're out quickly add this to the list.
Speaker 1 (08:51):
Well, I'll tell you what's going to be a story
before that because I agree with you. But the story
before that's going to be Lakers replaced Darvin Ham, Like
that's going to be absolute. First, this is a team
that has played really and I guess this second year, right,
this is But when Anthony Davis said today, we feel
good about where we are going in and in theory,
that's great, right, I would feel great about myself. I
(09:13):
was the Lakers too. We what did they want beginning
of the season. Hey, we want to be healthy and
want to be playing our best basketball at the end
of the season. We want to be in the playoffs.
We understand where we're at. We understand we're probably not
a top three team in the West. But these are
the three most important things. We want healthy going into
the playoffs, and we're playing really good basketball and we're
in the playoffs. Right, we don't have to worry about
(09:35):
all those things are true? And still look how difficult
things are now because not only look at the road
ahead that they might have, whether it's in the playing
round or you know, as an eight, nine or ten seed,
bring it on, you're also now dealing with stories every
day where the Lakers wanted Darvinham fired all throughout this season,
I can't get on on online at any point and
(09:56):
on the computer and go online and not see a
Laker story where It'sakers wanted Ham fired earlier this season.
Lakers and Ham ten, you're not working in here but here.
They are winning at the end, and okay, that's great,
but if they wind up getting out early, that's the
first domino that's gonna fall. Darwin Ham won't make it
past the day after the Lakers get eliminated. He'll he'll
be gone.
Speaker 3 (10:15):
So Ham won't make it to the holidays, is what
you're saying.
Speaker 1 (10:18):
No, there will be no Ham for the holidays.
Speaker 4 (10:21):
It's New Orleans hosting the Lakers on Sunday for the
Lakers finale. Now, New Orleans can clinch a playoff spot
already if they win at Golden State tonight and the
Suns lose, it's possible New Orleans needs this game on Sunday,
and unlike the Celtics, for example, not sitting players on
Sunday once again bad news for the Lakers.
Speaker 3 (10:39):
Possible this weekend.
Speaker 5 (10:40):
Did you see who's playing for the Pelicans first time?
Speaker 3 (10:43):
And Ingram is back right on this weekend? Yeah?
Speaker 1 (10:46):
Oh see, this is tough, Like what are you rooting
for if you're the Warriors of the Lakers, because okay,
you got to catch Phoenix and Set. You got to
catch Phoenix and Sacramento, so you're rooting against them. But
if the Pelicans lose, that might bring them back a
little bit and force them into a big game on Sunday.
So it's it's really difficult because it's just so jumbled.
And this is why I say this, No one has
(11:08):
any advantage, and the playoffs are gonna be murder because
you look at all these teams and I don't mean
deep playoff runs. You just think about the first round
of the playoffs and the West is gonna be murder
because the Lakers can win a first round unless they
play the Nuggets. Lakers can win first round, Warriors can
win the first round, Kings can win a first round,
Phoenix can win a first round, Pelicans can win a
first round. Mavericks can win a first round. No team
(11:30):
in the top four seeds outside of the Nuggets has
an advantage all the This is the most difficult playoffs
going in that I can remember seeing in the NBA.
And then you look at the Eastern Conference and you
got teams like you know, eight games under five hundred,
just rolling along. Hey, the Hawks have lost four in
a row. We don't care where the text season. You know,
we're eight games under five hundred. We don't care. We'll
(11:52):
play a game or two, we don't. Really doesn't matter
at us. I mean, well, you got these teams in
the West that are sweating their asses off trying to
get into the playoffs, and here you got the Bulls
and the Hawks going, yeah, we stink. What are we
worried about?
Speaker 4 (12:02):
That's right, Mike Carmon is not seeded here. I'm happy
to fill in, but his Chicago Bulls, even he as
a fan, I'm sure would readily admit, oh no, this
is in no way a memorable year or a memorable team.
They're under five hundred. Who knows, they could wind up
the eight seed. They could win a playing game next week.
That's how bad it is. With at the top, Boston's
(12:24):
gonna come close to sixty five wins this year. It's
possible we have two playing teams in the East that
don't even get forty wins, that finish under five hundred,
and we're still seeing them playing next week.
Speaker 5 (12:36):
You don't give Harmon hope.
Speaker 1 (12:38):
If the Lakers were in the East. If the Lakers
were in the East, they'd be playing tonight to be
in the playoffs without getting sixteen. Yeah, they'd be playing
for the sixth seed. Potentially they could finish as high
as the five seed they if they won tonight, if
they were in the Eastern Conference, that's how high. But
in the West here they are ten games over five
(13:00):
hundred and hey, yeah, we're getting in as the nine
or ten seed most likely. The good news a lot
of drama left, But I mean, this is how this
is how loaded, how murderous this Western Conference was.
Speaker 4 (13:08):
The good news is there is quite for fans a
race for the sixth seed in the East to avoid
the play in because Philly makes it very interesting winning
a seventh in a row tonight and battling Orlando in
Indiana to see who can finish in the top six
and therefore have next week off.
Speaker 1 (13:26):
Yeah, I'm looking at this going, this is exactly how
it's gonna go. The Sixers are gonna stay hot, They're
gonna finish six. The Bucks are gonna win Sunday, and
the Knicks are gonna get the Sixers in the first
round of the play and we're gonna get Oh, we're feeling.
Speaker 3 (13:38):
Cool, healthy Sixers team.
Speaker 1 (13:40):
Yeah, all that's the odd that's what's gonna happen. See now, stuff, Steve,
I was feeling great until just.
Speaker 4 (13:44):
Then, until reality sense and that usually happens for you
you're a New York fan.
Speaker 1 (13:48):
Yeah, But here's the one I wonder and if we
have Todd furmanon later on tonight, what with the odds?
What I what could I get for odds wise? If
in the first round of the playoffs in the way
Western Conference, I want to take all the lower seats,
if I want to take seeds fly through eight to
all advanced, like what kind of like what kind of
odds would I get on?
Speaker 4 (14:08):
That'd be for a big rich hun could change because
Denver could be the one seed. They're certainly going to
be one of the top four.
Speaker 1 (14:14):
Right. Well, that's why that's why it's got to be.
It's I got to make some uh, you know, there's
got to be some kind of money at State because
something big has to happen. But the only other ones
I feel okay.
Speaker 4 (14:24):
With, the only matchup that's locked in in the West.
I think we mentioned this this week. We know the
ten teams that are still going to be playing in
the Western Conference next week. We just don't know the
exact order one through ten for certain though. The first
round of the playoffs when that gets started on the
weekend of the twentieth four seed Clippers against the five
seed Dallas Mavericks. And we've seen that in the postseason
(14:47):
with Luka Donsich actually destroying I think that's the proper verb,
destroying the Clippers.
Speaker 3 (14:52):
I look forward to this.
Speaker 1 (14:54):
So here's where we sit right now with the drama.
Seven seconds to go. Oklahoma City's going to beat Milwaukee Nicks,
and the Bucks are gonna be tied for the two
seed in the East. The Lakers one fourteen, one eleven
over Memphis with four and a half minutes left to go,
Denver could lose to San Antonio. The Spurs have taken
(15:15):
a one point lead with a couple of seconds left
to go. That could throw the way. This game in
and of itself, could throw the West into a bigger tizzy.
Oh wait a minute, we could finish. Wait, the Nuggets
can finish second. Oh we're good. Finishing eighth, We're good. Yeah,
we're good, finishing eight. We're fine. We're fine. We'll finish eighth.
That's fine. I mean, this is a really big deal.
And then of course tonight we have the two big
games headlined by Phoenix, and well we have had the
(15:38):
two big games. Yes, we have the Kings playing, and
we have the Warriors, Pelicans and the Suns. Tons and
tons of fun stuff to get to tonight. But again,
that game, that Nuggets game, all of a sudden could
change a lot of things. It's why it's such a
great night. Jason Smith Steve de Seger in for Mike
Harmon tonight. Coming up next, we'll have more on the NBA.
(15:58):
Plus a huge decision was made in college basketball today
and all I'm gonna say is good luck. That's next
right here, Jason Smith, dude to Sager. Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 2 (16:09):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Jason Smith
Show with Mike Harmon weekdays at ten pm Eastern seven
pm Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 6 (16:20):
Hey, we're Cavino and Rich Fox Sports Radio every day
five to seven pm Eastern. But here's the thing. We
never have enough time to get to everything we want
to get to.
Speaker 7 (16:29):
And that's why we have a brand new podcast called
Over promised. You see, we're having so much fun in
our two hour show. We never get to everything, honestly,
because this guy is over promising things we never have
time for.
Speaker 2 (16:42):
Yeah, you blobber list name in me.
Speaker 6 (16:43):
Well you know what it's called over promise. You should
be good at it because you've been over promising women
for years.
Speaker 7 (16:47):
Well, it's a Cavino and Rich after show, and we
want you to be a part of it. We're gonna
be talking sports, of course, but we're also going to
talk life and relationships. And if Rich and I are
arguing about something or we didn't have enough time, it
will continue on our after show called over Promised.
Speaker 6 (17:01):
Well, if you don't get enough Covino and Rich, make
sure you check out over Promise and also uncensored by
the way, so maybe we'll go at it even a
little harder. It's gonna be the best after show podcast
of all time.
Speaker 7 (17:11):
There you go, over promising. Remember you could see it
on YouTube, but definitely join us. Listen Over Promised with
Cavino and Rich on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or
wherever you get your podcasts.
Speaker 3 (17:23):
Oh, the best song ever made Steve.
Speaker 1 (17:25):
Fox Sports Radio, The Jason Smith show with special delivery
Steve de Sager in for Mike Harmon, and we'll have
more on the NBA coming up in a second. This
is just some kind of night so far, Steve, I'll
tell you so much drama. So many games come in.
No we have we have two games. We have two
big games in the Western Conference because really it's all
(17:47):
about playoff seating and getting out of the playing round.
And you know, we spent the first ten minutes of
the show talking about, Hey, you don't want to finish
eighth because you want to avoid the Nuggets. Well, the
Nuggets just went lost to the Spurs.
Speaker 3 (17:59):
How did that happen?
Speaker 1 (18:00):
So now they could finish second, And suddenly finishing eighth
is okay because you don't want to finish seventh. Now
suddenly you don't want to win now wait, wait, wait,
the Nuggets could finish second. So there's so much craziness
coming into the final couple of days, and tonight we
have New Orleans and Phoenix and the Kings and the
Warriors all playing, and the seedings can change at a
(18:21):
moment's notice. The Lakers are trying to hold on right now.
They leave Memphis by a point with a minute left
to go in the fourth quarter. I mean, this is
I mean, I know we're talking about seating, but this
really is fun. So I feel like this should be uh,
I should be able to have on ittvs like red Zone,
like ice. People will go from gaming bing bing bing
bing bing, and then put like four games on my
(18:42):
TV at once. That red zones Red Zone started a
couple of years ago. Boof, I get four games on
it once, give me the four box.
Speaker 4 (18:47):
And with the Memphis Grizzlies and they've just tied it
at the foul line, one more free throw to go,
they're even with the Lakers.
Speaker 3 (18:53):
How is this happening?
Speaker 4 (18:55):
You think it's mystifying that Denver loses at San Antonio
with the Spurs with a twenty and sixty record coming
in Memphis again, has thirteen players on the injury report,
most of their starters you've never heard of, even if
you're a basketball fan, and they've just taken a one
point lead on LA under a minute to go.
Speaker 2 (19:14):
Wow.
Speaker 1 (19:14):
Oh boy. All right, So we'll have more updates off
of what's trending. But I do want to bring this
story here because this is story. This is the story,
no matter what I say the rest of the night.
Frostbur is going to say, Jason, I love you, the
greatest host.
Speaker 5 (19:26):
Ever Jason, real quick, Yeah, have you ever you guys
ever heard of a sixteen million dollar angry swing.
Speaker 3 (19:34):
Dodger Stadium just did?
Speaker 1 (19:37):
Oh? Oh, Tonni just went deep?
Speaker 4 (19:38):
Oh did he ever over four hundred feet and one
hundred and seven miles an hour off the bet?
Speaker 3 (19:44):
Is that good?
Speaker 1 (19:45):
Hang on, I'm watching the replay right now. Security has
grabbed the fan who caught the ball, holding them over
the railing by their ankles until they drop it. Wow.
That's wow.
Speaker 3 (19:54):
That's only one problem, Jason. The ball hasn't landed yet.
Speaker 1 (20:01):
But so big home run by out time again. Steve
will have more than this, and we'll break down everything
happening in the Western Conference in the playoff race coming
up in a couple of minutes. But this is the
story that even frost We're gonna say, Yeah, I keep
going on this. I know it's April twelfth, I know this,
I know it's early, and I know as a Met fan,
I understand the sky is always falling right like, maybe not.
Speaker 3 (20:20):
Tonight, Well sometimes it is, it is, it is, But.
Speaker 1 (20:23):
We after the last year, I said Okay, we could
be a five hundred team and have some fun this
season and stay in the play in raising. We gotta
win eighty four games to get in the playoffs. Okay,
that'll be a wonderful season. I know it's April twelfth,
I know this, but the Rangers are thumping the Astros
right now. It is twelve to three in the seventh inning.
(20:45):
So I feel good and I feel okay saying the
Astros are going to lose this game. They're gonna fall
to four and eleven.
Speaker 3 (20:52):
Justin Verlander's coming back soon.
Speaker 1 (20:54):
Yeah, Verlander's coming back soon. But they have allowed the
second most runs in the AL so far, they've only
won one series. Nothing lasts forever, even called November rain.
Nothing lasts forever, and teams don't stay good forever. And
while when we gave our previous to the YR, I said, hey,
don't expect the Astros to be the Astros a year's past.
They've lost some players, they're getting a little older.
Speaker 3 (21:14):
Than Alex Fragman final year. The deal is not hitting
this year.
Speaker 1 (21:18):
Yeah, it's not the Astros team that you remember that
you think of when you think of the Astros, But
this four and eleven, this kind of start. Did not
expect this. I mean, you had the the opening season
against series against the Yankees was awful for them.
Speaker 3 (21:30):
But four first four games, Yeah.
Speaker 1 (21:32):
The Astros of the Astros have done this before, we've
seen them. But now you're talking four and eleven, and again,
I know it's early, but wow, this is this is
a bit danger well Robinson, danger, well Robinson.
Speaker 4 (21:43):
It's not just that, it's they've got Texas all weekend.
This is the start of the weekend series. This is
the FS one game tomorrow afternoon. By the way, Texas
hosting Houston, and then Houston's hosting Atlanta for three right
after that Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday. So for the next nearly
full week, it's possible that they lose at least another
four out of six. This is not going to be
(22:04):
good for the month of April for Houston overall.
Speaker 1 (22:07):
I mean, they'll be four and twelve and in last place.
Look got danger, Will Robinson, danger danger.
Speaker 4 (22:14):
So behind the Angels and the A's is what you're saying.
Speaker 1 (22:18):
Yes, if you're behind the A's, that's you have to
look in the mirror and go, Okay, this team isn't
even trying They've just taken their entire team from Triple
A and said, we're just gonna elevate you guys in
the big leagues. Oh, did I earn the promotion? Cause
we have some spots to fill, So we got it.
We're gonna bring you up at that's an.
Speaker 4 (22:34):
A's team that is one in six at home so
far and averaging about six thousand fans at home so far.
Speaker 1 (22:41):
I mean behind. When you're behind the A's like, that's
the Okay, we have to have some clubhouse meetings here now.
I think the time for an early start. Everything is fine,
let's not worry about it. No, no, no, this is
this is where we have to say, okay, we have
to we have to. We have to have a meeting
here because we're looking up at a team that they're
gonna wind up be in the worst team in baseball
the next couple of year, and we're not even as
good as they are. We got problems.
Speaker 4 (23:02):
If it's not a player's only meeting, I would really
question that. You know, Dusty Baker's not there anymore. You
don't have that leadership at the top of everything. Honestly
they need. I mean, Washington Nationals proved in twenty nineteen.
You can be bad into May and turn her around,
and there's an extra playoff spot now here. In the
last five years as well, I agree with you. You
could win say, eighty four games and still make a run.
(23:26):
We saw the Phillies Padres National League Championship series not
too long ago after all. But my goodness, talk about
expectations not being met, not in the least With the
Astros update, the Lakers are up five with five seconds
to go. They might be pulling out a road win
against the no name Memphis Grizzlies tonight, but.
Speaker 1 (23:45):
Maybe now they might not want to because the Nuggets
won tonight, so maybe they don't want to pull this
game out. Maybe they should have called down to Darwin Amitson, Hey, hey,
I know, we tried to win this game for about
forty four minutes, but the Nuggets just lost. They may
not finish first. Maybe we want to fit. Maybe we
were okay being that to be, you know, just winning
one of those last couple games of finishing as that
eight seed.
Speaker 4 (24:04):
Because the way the Lakers stand right now, they'd have
to win a road game play in just to stay
alive Tuesday, and a road game a couple nights after
that to earn the eight seed, which would put them
stuck in a best of seven against the one seed.
With the Nuggets loss, Maybe the Nuggets won't be the
one seed. Maybe this isn't all or nothing for the
(24:25):
next week for the Lakers. Maybe they'll advance past that bit.
Right now, as we mentioned at the very top of
the show, it's not at all looking good for the
Lakers because they don't have tie breaker against Golden State,
they don't have tie breaker against Sacramento. They're looking at
two must win road games in the play in and
then maybe a best of seven against Denver after that.
Speaker 1 (24:46):
So things are getting pretty exciting here on Friday night
with all kinds of playoff spots and seedings up for debate.
Let's find out where everything sits right now, as Steve
will tell you, what's trending in the wide world of sports. Now,
clearly the number what story of the Hey, the Knicks
win again, they can finish second in the East. They're
tied with the Bucks.
Speaker 3 (25:05):
Now, Jason, this is a sports update.
Speaker 1 (25:07):
So this is a really big deal.
Speaker 3 (25:10):
This is a sports network.
Speaker 1 (25:11):
Look at the Knicks. Look how good the Knicks are? Okay,
so I took care of the Knicks for you, Steve,
you can do the West.
Speaker 5 (25:15):
Well.
Speaker 4 (25:16):
I was gonna lead with the team that's actually won
seven in a row. Philadelphia beat Orlando and a busy
night in the NBA one twenty five to one thirteen.
Now the Magic would have clinched a playoff spot with
a win. The regular season ends on Sunday again, no
NBA games on Saturday. Then every team plays on Sunday,
Boston and Chicago each one. Cleveland got a win as well.
(25:38):
In fact, the Calves would be clinching a playoff spot
with a win or a six Ers loss. So they're
in forty eight and thirty three. Record for the Calves
for sure, they are in as mentioned, though we don't
know exactly the order. It's obviously looking like Calves first
round home court advantage. But amidst the top four seeds
(25:59):
where we'll and the Knicks for example, place and the box.
Milwaukee has lost one twenty five one oh seven at
Oklahoma City. Great for OKC because Denver also lost one
twenty one to one twenty at San Antonio, Miami and
New York with home wins. Among the games that are
in progress at Minnesota, the Timberwolves have taken the lead
under twenty seconds to go. Minnesota is leading Atlanta one
(26:22):
oh seven to one oh four. The Lakers have gone final,
that is a win at Memphis one twenty three to
one twenty and updating, Minnesota has just gone final one
oh nine one oh six. Timberwolves beat Atlanta. Detroit leads
at Dallas one o three eighty nine with under two
minutes to go. And there are a few Lake games
(26:44):
that will be getting scores to you as the evening
goes along. They're really just getting going, including Phoenix at Sacramento.
The play in tournament starts on Tuesday, just five NHL games. Tonight,
Hurricanes won five to two at Saint Louis. NASCAR's on
FS one again and this Sunday from Texas three thirty
pm Eastern time, Scotti Scheffler's in a three way tie
(27:05):
for the lead at the Masters, up by two strokes.
Colin Morricawa is three shots back. Tiger Woods is one overpar,
tied for twenty second place, just missing the cut. Justin
Thomas Sergio Garcia and Wyndham Clark the Major League Baseball
top of the ninth and in fact they've just picked
up the last out. The Detroit Tigers wind up winners
at home. There was a rain delay at the start
(27:27):
of this one so long night, but Detroit eight to
two over Minnesota. The final Trek Schooble two and zero
got the win with five scoreless innings. Padres lead three
to one at the Dodgers. In the top of the
second inning. The A's are ahead, won nothing over the
Nationals bottom of the fourth. It's Saint Louis had six
nothing at Arizona top of the fourth. Mariners won nothing
(27:47):
leaders against the Cubs top of the fourth, and yes,
Houston is losing again. Texas twelve five over the Astros
bottom of the seventh. A Houston loss would put them
at four and eleven. Yankees at Cleveland rain split doubleheader
for them tomorrow at noon and six pm Eastern time.
Road wins for Atlanta and Cincinnati. The Mets beat Kansas
City six to one. The lost to Michael Walk of
(28:10):
Kansas City. Seven game winning streak is over. The Angels
were seven to nothing winners at Boston. Winning pitcher Reed
Debtmer's now three and Ozero with an ERA of one
point four for the Halos, Toronto won twelve to four
at Toronto. The Colorado won at Toronto and the loss
to Kevin Gossman of the Blue Jays. Six runs, ten
hits allowed in just three and two thirds wins for
(28:31):
Tampa Bay Milwaukee which is nine and three, and a
win for Pittsburgh which is ten and four, a five
to two victory at Philadelphia. And finally, Shoheo Tani's former interpreter,
Ibe Mitzuhara, turned himself in today. He appeared in court
in la and is now free on bond. The judge
ordered me Zuhira to undergo gambling addiction treatment related to
a sports betting case. He is charged with bank Fraudback
(28:53):
to you, thanks.
Speaker 1 (28:54):
A bun, Steve O just really quick. Lebron James scoring
the last six points for the Lakers tonight, including a
steal and a dunk to sault the game away with
five seconds left. The Grizzlies had the ball down three.
They missed a shot. Big long rebound comes out near
to half court. It's tried to save. The Grizzlies try
(29:16):
to save it in bounds, except Lebron steps between the players,
grabs it goes in for a dunk. Sticks out, his
tongue is happy, he's honking it up. This is this
is one of those plays where.
Speaker 4 (29:28):
You know, be happy, but you can't name any of
the guys you just played against.
Speaker 1 (29:33):
It looks like one of those plays in the NFL
where there's a fumble in the backfield and like the
quarterback gets it and just sees a guy and tries
to pitch it to him and the defensive lineman just
comes and grabs it and goes the other way. Like
that's what his steal at the end of the game
looked like, Like he just stepped between him took the ball,
winning for a dunk, five point lead. Lakers wind up winning,
and now the drama continues this night in the NBA.
Speaker 4 (29:54):
This night, and the NBA is hardly over. We've got
just a handful of games getting going. We have the
two late games that are about to tip, Clippers hosting Utah.
By the way, Utah had lost thirteen in a row
until last night's win, and Sacramento hosts Phoenix. The Suns
would be locked into a playoff game with a loss and.
Speaker 3 (30:14):
A New Orleans win.
Speaker 4 (30:15):
New Orleans is only through one quarter trailing at Golden
State twenty six seventeen Warriors Blazers ahead of Houston twenty
four to twenty three end of one. How about what
the Rockets have done or not done here at the
end of the season, because they were.
Speaker 1 (30:28):
When they were like a game out. Yeah, Hey the Warriors,
this is gonna be a winner, go home game for
them last night. No, they're gonna wind up. They're gonna
wind up finishing seven games out of the playoffs.
Speaker 4 (30:38):
It was gonna be maybe the Rockets into the play
in finishing in the top ten, and then they've almost
won nothing the last few weeks. They've sunk under the
five hundred mark. They're thirty nine and forty one, which
means they have to win tonight and Sunday just to
finish at five hundred. But for sure, the Rockets are
not going to the play in. As mentioned, we know
(30:58):
the ten teams in the Western Conference that will still
be playing next week. Houston's not one of them. Utah,
of course, is a no Memphis, Portland and the Spurs
below them.
Speaker 1 (31:09):
No, I mean, the Rockets won eleven in a row
and suddenly it was hey, okay, it's gonna be the Warriors,
Lakers or Rockets left out of the playoffs because what
the Rockets did. But then the Rockets went and lost
five in a row. They lost a big one to
Golden State, which kind of cemented the end of their
season because then the Warriors had a three game lead
with three left to go. That was it. But just
(31:29):
you know, a week and a half ago they were
a half game out of the of the playoffs. It
was look what the Rockets have done. What a great
job they've look at Hey, the Rockets whould have thought,
oh no, no, no, Now now they're gonna they're gonna
be seven games out of the playoffs when it's all
sudden done. So they were that close. Yeah, then yeah,
then they had they kind of stubbed their toe a
bit at the end of the.
Speaker 4 (31:47):
Sear Is there any correlation between the Rockets having no
experience and faltering down the stretch and saying, hey, that's
what we might be seeing early in the playoffs because
we've got a couple of really good teams near the
top of the Western Conference that don't have a whole
lot of experience. I want to see Shay Gilgess Alexander
of the postseason. He's had a phenomenal season, scoring for OKC,
(32:10):
I really wonder what that team's going to be doing
in crunch time when it comes to a must win
game and trailing a series, and that might happen early
in the postseason.
Speaker 1 (32:19):
See, I thought you were gonna say, I wonder if
there's any correlation with the Rockets and their losing streak and.
Speaker 3 (32:23):
The Astros can't win.
Speaker 1 (32:26):
What's tough time right now at Houston for sports, Well,
the Rockets, Rockets. I'm gonna get my Rockets to work.
It's always with the Rockets.
Speaker 4 (32:34):
The Astros actually have experience on the Rusty. They still
got jose L Tuve and Tucker and you're Don Alvarez
and yeah, I mean Bregman didn't play tonight, but they
still have got more experience than the Houston Rockets have.
Speaker 1 (32:47):
Quick update from baseball. Yoshinoba Yamamoto has struck out the side.
He has also given up three runs. San Diego leads
the Dodgers now three to two. Munsey has gone deep
in this game. Line drive home run to cut the
Padre lead to three two. So now O Tani and
munseye home runs by at the bottom of the second.
Speaker 4 (33:06):
U two home runs from the San Diego side Manny
Machado a two run blast in the first and Hasan
Kim a solo homer nearly four hundred feet in the second.
Speaker 3 (33:15):
Come on, Steve, who side?
Speaker 4 (33:17):
Are you on the side of truth? I'm at a
news desk. It's three two pods.
Speaker 3 (33:21):
I listened to Steve the night, no news desk.
Speaker 1 (33:25):
Steve de Sager's got the the touch of one every
game this year they're twenty and oh I didn't know this. Really,
I fuckuld swear they lost a gamers.
Speaker 3 (33:33):
And in five actually I.
Speaker 1 (33:34):
Could say that, and he says the Padres have a
big player and his interpreter stole money from him. I
thought that with the son of Dodger players.
Speaker 3 (33:41):
Okay, no, no, we're on the side of truth here.
Speaker 1 (33:44):
Uh yeah. So so so far, if you're keeping track
for Yoshinoba Yamamoto, it was game one bust, not worth
a terrible in South three okay, pretty good, Game three okay,
pretty good. Now, Game four okay, bust terrible again. So
you're you're kind of riding the lightning with you.
Speaker 4 (34:00):
So far, it's two homers in two innings. But you
got to take the long view, Jason Smith, because it's
a twelve year deal.
Speaker 1 (34:07):
You're gonna say, gonna take a long with you because
two home runs and two innings, it's a nine inning game,
you're gonna get seven more home liund.
Speaker 4 (34:12):
I used to think a five year contract was bad
for a starting pitcher. You never know what they're gonna
be in five years, well, twelve years later.
Speaker 1 (34:20):
So it is an absolutely fun Friday night here. Again,
the drama in the NBA really just beginning, so we'll
have more NBA in the way. But coming up next. Yes,
a big decision was made in college basketball today, and
really all I could say is good luck, because this
might have been the worst coaching search I've seen in
college basketball in quite some time. That's next right here,
(34:43):
Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 2 (34:45):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Jason Smith
Show with Mike Harmon weekdays at ten pm Eastern, seven
pm Pacific.
Speaker 1 (34:52):
Fox Sports Radio, The Jason Smith Show with My best
friend Mike Harmon Harmon with the Night Off, Special Delivery,
Steve to Say In And there is a home run
party going on right now at Dodger Stadium. Yoshinoba Yamamoto
gave up two home runs early to the Padres Well
the Dodgers have answered Munsey with a home run we
(35:13):
just told you about a few minutes ago, Mookie Betts
a three run drive, and now it is five to three.
Dodgers lead this game. Mahata with a home run, Kim
had a home run, and of course Otani a four
hundred and five foot home run to center field for
the Dodgers. No word on the location of this baseball
(35:33):
right now. Potentially there is a fan in the lower
bottles of Dodger Stadium in a room surrounded by people,
lights off, being told what needs to be done with the.
Speaker 3 (35:45):
Ball, separating them from their spouse. First off.
Speaker 4 (35:49):
But there have been five home runs here in the
first two winnings at Dodger Stadium tonight, five total. That
is so it's very much keeping security busy. You know.
They have things such as they called them home runs.
They kind of cleared out a private section all along
the outfield fence at Dodger Stadium in recent years. They
(36:10):
called them the home run seats because they created two
private rows, which I believe are all you can eat,
by the way, in addition to getting a ticket and
a good chance at a homer. I think they got
a good chance of getting a home run, ball, you
get a homer, you get a homer.
Speaker 3 (36:23):
It doesn't matter where you're sitting tonight.
Speaker 1 (36:25):
So we'll have more on this game coming up again.
Five to three Dodger, another home run for Otani as
the Padres bat in the top of the third. But
today it became official. Kentucky hired Mark Pope, former head
coach at BYU, as their new head coach. And again
we mentioned this last night. Let this sink in Wildcat
Nation was okay with saying goodbye to John Caliparry. They
(36:48):
didn't put up a fight when he wanted to go
to Arkansas. Hey, all right, it's time to move on.
They went and hired a guy that has never won
an NCAA tournament game. Just think about that for a second.
Who's won titles, been to final four's had great records. Yes,
he's had a couple of bad years where they've lost,
but you could tell we should be doing it better.
(37:08):
You hired a guy that has never won an NCAA
tournament game as a coach. All I can't say here
is good luck like the King. And when he finds
out John Adams is going to be the president. Oh
John Adams. Good luck, good luck with Mark Pope. Not
that the guy's not a good coach, but you are
jumping into the number one job in America and you
(37:30):
are hoping that this is gonna work out. How happier
wildcat fans, How happier people who are going to donate
money and push money up for nil? This is a guy.
This is like our number five choice. We asked Danny
Hurley third. Why didn't we ask him first? What was
going on? This was a horrendous, horrendously run coaching search
by ad Mitch Barnhardt. This is just how to not
(37:52):
do it. You don't say goodbye to Calipari unless you
have your next guy. And if you don't have your
next guy, you say you gotta wait because we're gonna
get our next in here. Because it's just embarrassing the
number of people who said no, and it showed me
that Kentucky they didn't know how to go, how to
go replace Calipari. And now they're gonna find out what
the opposite side of winning is, because this is how
(38:13):
teams go into disrepair and circle the drain and suddenly, hey,
we're winning games, but we're losing early in the tournament
turns into eighteen and fourteen seasons and sixteen and thirteen seasons.
You went and hired the number five choice at already
I'm seeing Kentucky fans online going, why do we hire
this guy? Like this is there's no honeymoon period for
Mark Pope. It's like, we're in and we hate you already.
(38:35):
So usually when a guy gets hired there's a little
bit of that, but this has been done so poorly.
When a coach comes in and it's you gotta win
right now, and there's no at least love right away,
you know, things were biffed. And Kentucky completely biffed this.
Speaker 4 (38:49):
And Kentucky, remember was out first round with upsets not
only Oakland this year, but a couple of years ago
Saint Peter's and in recent years they missed the tournament
entirely and finished under five hundred.
Speaker 3 (39:00):
With Kentucky, the.
Speaker 4 (39:01):
Athletic Department probably thinks they cut a break in a
couple of areas. One they didn't have to pay off Calipari.
That would have been many millions, potentially over thirty million,
to say goodbye. He left in the middle of this
long extension, so they didn't have to pay him at all,
and Mark Pope, they get to sell him as some
sort of native son because he was a center at
(39:22):
Kentucky for a couple of years in the mid nineties.
Mark Pope went to high school in Washington. He played
at the University of Washington. I remember he was Pack
ten Freshmen of the Year as a center at Washington,
and then after he transferred, he got a couple of
years playing at Kentucky.
Speaker 3 (39:37):
And averaged eight points per game.
Speaker 4 (39:39):
So if you want to sell that as he's one
of ours, okay, yeah, I guess he was for a
couple of years one of yours.
Speaker 1 (39:46):
It's not like they're bringing back Anthony Davis to be there. Yeah, exactly.
Speaker 3 (39:49):
Some of us know better.
Speaker 4 (39:51):
He was actually at Kentucky about as long as Anthony
Davis was, let's be honest. So they did need to
make some sort of change because at this point they
were overpaying for Calipari. This was the number two pag
college basketball coach in the country, behind the Kansas coach
eight and a half million, and so Cali Perry leaves
and doesn't get that much in guaranteed money actually takes
(40:13):
lower plus incentives at his due job at Arkansas, Kentucky.
I think part of the reason is not just the
higher part of the reason they need to win now
is a the're Kentucky and b Kentucky hasn't been the
Kentucky that we're used to in recent years, including that
postseason run of bad postseasons that I referred to a
minute ago.
Speaker 1 (40:34):
No, but look, but it's been a recent last couple
of years of hey, things have been a little lean.
Speaker 3 (40:39):
Like I'm not saying things very lean in the turn.
Speaker 1 (40:42):
You're talking about twenty three, twenty two to twenty six
wins the last three seasons. Right, Yes, you've gone out
in the first round, but you've gotten as a decent seed.
You finished second or third in your conference. Things were
pretty good. You really got hosed in the in the
COVID year because then you were going to be a
number one seed in the end turrent. Who knows what
would have happened there. But you're still talking about final four,
(41:04):
national champion, all of these things. It's been a couple
of years of early first round exits and now a
guy that's never won a game is going to get
to the final four. Like I say, good luck, John Adams,
good luck Jason Smith, Steve the Sagarin from Mike Carbon
coming up next. You got a big story out of
the NFL, Keep it right here, Fox,
Thanks for listening to The Jason Smith Show with Mike
Harmon podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weeknight
ten pm to two am Eastern seven to eleven pm
Pacific on Fox Sports Radio. Find your local station for
The Jason Smith Show with Mike Harmon at Foxsports Radio
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iHeartRadio app by searching FSR.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
Plea give you're listening to Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 1 (00:29):
Hello, welcome in side Happy Friday, The Jason Smith Show
with Mike Harmon. Special delivery Steve to Sega in for Mike.
We're live from the Tirack dot Com studios tirec dot com. I'
help you get there an unmatched selection, fast, free shipping,
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(00:53):
Happy Friday. Well, yes, yes, the Mets did win today,
so already I'm in a great mood. The Knicks one.
I'll tell you why I'm even better mood a couple seconds.
But this is a huge night. You want to talk
about end of the regular season playoff drama, which is fun. Yes,
all the playoff berths have been decided. We know who's
going to be in. We know who's gonna be in
the top ten, the top ten spots. We know we
(01:14):
know one's getting in or out in the next couple
of days. But boy, do we have some fun stuff tonight.
We'll get to the West in a second. But in
the East, Steve, I know you said you wanted to
start with the Nick, So okay, we will say that
they overcome a forty five to two deficit early on
against the Nets. Well it seemed like that when when
(01:35):
I was watching, I'm going, come on, man, it's the Nets.
But they win one eleven, one oh seven, securing the
number three seed in the playoffs in the Eastern Conference.
Now do they have a shot at the two seed. Yeah,
but the Bucks have to lose their last two games. Well,
make it likely their last game, because they are getting
thumped right now by the Thunder one oh six eighty
(01:57):
seven with about six and a half to go in
the fourth quarter. So after this game for that number
two seed in the East behind the Celtics, Knicks and
the Bucks are going to be tied. The Bucks have
the tiebreaker, but Bucks are playing without Giannis, So let's
see how things go a night filled with all kinds
of drama. They have to finish the Bucks against Orlando,
(02:17):
so that's going to be a tough one. They're on
the road, Steve O. The Knicks could finish second. That
might win MVP for Jalen Brunson. He might come off
of everybody's also getting votes list and he might go
right to the top.
Speaker 3 (02:30):
Yeah, I believe he pay voted on that. The New
York next year.
Speaker 1 (02:33):
Too soon for epaid. Actually no, it's not really. If
I got in New.
Speaker 4 (02:37):
York next to mathematically have a shot at the two seed,
you're correct. And just for the record, they were only
down twenty one to five late first quarter at.
Speaker 1 (02:45):
Home, it felt like forty five to four.
Speaker 4 (02:46):
But you know what, it's my turn for hyperbole because
the Boston Celtics sat their entire roster. Literally, I think
about twenty people were sitting for the Celtics because there
what twenty games ahead of the two seeds whoever that
may be in the Eastern Conference.
Speaker 1 (03:02):
So are you kidding out? I watched a Knicks win
last night. There was Bird and McHale and Parish and
they were all over those Yeah, those guys are all
seventy but they ran circles around them.
Speaker 4 (03:11):
Of course, the Celtics were hosting the Hornets. There's nobody
left on that team either, and the Celtics win by
thirty three in this game. Meanwhile, the Lakers are playing
a team that I guess we can call them the
Memphis Grizzlies, although they're nothing like any roster of Memphis
Grizzlies you will ever recall, no, because the starters are
guys that literally, for the most part, you have never
(03:33):
even on basketball fans have never heard of guys that
were either G League or two way players getting their shot.
And the Lakers are huge favorites, and yet they were
only up five a few minutes ago. Now it's one
oh nine, one oh one Lakers, eight minutes to go.
Speaker 5 (03:47):
If you guys are looking at the box score real quickly,
you would think Scottie Pippen was still playing.
Speaker 4 (03:52):
Ippin junior did start for the Grizzlies, has twenty four
points to lead the way.
Speaker 1 (03:57):
I actually think most of this team and no one
know one under because they're still anonymous, even though they
won back to back titles. But I think they're all
the guys from Yukon that won the national title on Monday.
Right now, they're all moving up. But look, this is
where the real drama is at the bottom of the
Western Conference. Yes, the playoffs are going to be murder
(04:17):
in the West. Nobody's gonna really have an advantage. No
higher seeds are going to have an advantage over the
lower seeds except for one because you look at some
of the teams at the top. Oklahoma City terrific team.
But you're talking about first round of the playoffs against
a team, maybe a team like Sacramento or the Lakers
or the Warriors that can win the first round before
(04:38):
the guys get tired. Because look, that's how it's going
to end for the Lakers and the Warriors. You get
to the second third round of the playoffs eventually, even
if they get that far, they will just get tired
because they rely on their older superstars too much. But
the thing is is that the one team you want
to avoid of you want to avoid the Nuggets, Like,
that's the team you want you want to avoid. That's
the only team You're like, Okay, anybody else in the
(05:00):
first round in the West, got it. Yes, I don't
care how many games Minnesota won. We can beat I
don't care about how many games Oklahoma City one. I
don't care if the Clippers have finally gotten it together. No, No,
we're good. We're good. The team you gotta avoid is
Denver and they're in first place and they're up by
six with about three and a half to go against
San Antonio late in the fourth. So this is where
this is now a night for Golden State and the
(05:22):
Lakers and to an extent, the Sacramento Kings, because you
want to get out of that bottom. You don't want
to be in that nine to ten game because guess
what you wind out? Okay, we won? Hey A D
said today, we feel great going into the playing round.
Are you gonna feel great going in playing the Nuggets?
Are you really gonna do that? No? You got you have.
This is the last couple of games where it's, man,
we gotta hope that things fall in our way and
(05:43):
we gotta take care of business because the one team
you do not want is the Nuggets. Anybody else, Yes, great, great, great, great,
but you don't want the Nuggets, and somebody's gonna get
them right. Tonight's Sacramento Kings game is so unbelievably huge,
and we could have all kinds of fun drama going
into the final day, depending on how that game is.
Speaker 4 (06:00):
The two late games that start in a half an
hour Sacramento hosting Phoenix, Clippers hosting Utah. The NBA regular
season ends on Sunday, and keep in mind with the
odds scheduling no NBA games on Saturday, then every team
plays on Sunday, and that ends of the regular season.
The play in Tournament starts Tuesday. That'll determine the number
seven and eight seeds in each conference for the playoffs.
(06:22):
And we mentioned this last night late on the Show.
There is a three way tie for the eight spot
in the West right now, identical records of forty five
and thirty five for Sacramento, Golden State, and the Lakers.
But the awful news for the Lakers they went zero
to four against Sacramento and they went one and three
against Golden State, so they really need help to move up.
(06:44):
Otherwise it might be the Lakers needing two road wins
facing elimination next week, or else they don't even get
into the formal playoffs.
Speaker 3 (06:53):
Two road games and the Nuggets. Let's go, Steve. That's right,
everything's fine.
Speaker 1 (06:58):
Here's where things get even worse with like if they
finished there. Not only okay, we could have the Nuggets,
but the teams we might have to play to get
out there. We were terrible against them in the regular
We've won one game, yeah, against them in the regular season.
So it's not like, oh, we gotta beat a team
we won. We were three and one against their team.
We can handle. No, the teams they're gonna have to play,
most likely they were bad against during the regular season.
(07:19):
But I mean this is that you gotta avoid the Nuggets.
You want to get into that eighth spot and play Phoenix,
who has been just okay, Look they got drubbed earlier
this week. Look that game tonight, that Phoenix Sacramento, that's
unbelievably huge. So you want to you want to see
if hey, we want to get up into that seven
to eight spot, if we can and it's still up there,
and if Sacramento wins tonight, you're talking about three teams
(07:42):
at thirty five losses and one team at thirty four
losses with all kinds of crazy tie breakers going to
the final day of the season.
Speaker 4 (07:48):
But the good news for the Lakers they're facing a
Grizzlies team that has thirteen players on the injury report tonight.
Speaker 3 (07:55):
Yeah a team.
Speaker 1 (07:55):
Is it good that they're only winning by four? Steve,
there's not ten minutes ago and it's one o nine one.
Speaker 3 (08:00):
This is my point. Look at the context of this there.
Speaker 4 (08:04):
It's they went on and on right before tip off
on Lakers Radio about how you should be able to
close your eyes and win this game by fifteen twenty points.
Speaker 1 (08:12):
Oh, maybe that's what they're doing.
Speaker 3 (08:13):
Maybe, Yeah, clos eyes exactly.
Speaker 4 (08:16):
Yeah, it's one oh nine, one oh five, Lakers leading
at Memphis, seven minutes to go. I can already write
one segment for you a week from now after the
Lakers have been eliminated, and that is Lebron James tenure
as a Laker, because there's a lot of nothing aside
from that one run in the bubble that got them
to the NBA Finals and a title. And granted that
(08:38):
was their best regular season also, and most of that
regular season had been played by the time the pandemic started.
But the other years Lebron has been in LA largely forgettable.
And if they're out quickly add this to the list.
Speaker 1 (08:51):
Well, I'll tell you what's going to be a story
before that because I agree with you. But the story
before that's going to be Lakers replaced Darvin Ham, Like
that's going to be absolute. First, this is a team
that has played really and I guess this second year, right,
this is But when Anthony Davis said today, we feel
good about where we are going in and in theory,
that's great, right, I would feel great about myself. I
(09:13):
was the Lakers too. We what did they want beginning
of the season. Hey, we want to be healthy and
want to be playing our best basketball at the end
of the season. We want to be in the playoffs.
We understand where we're at. We understand we're probably not
a top three team in the West. But these are
the three most important things. We want healthy going into
the playoffs, and we're playing really good basketball and we're
in the playoffs. Right, we don't have to worry about
(09:35):
all those things are true? And still look how difficult
things are now because not only look at the road
ahead that they might have, whether it's in the playing
round or you know, as an eight, nine or ten seed,
bring it on, you're also now dealing with stories every
day where the Lakers wanted Darvinham fired all throughout this season,
I can't get on on online at any point and
(09:56):
on the computer and go online and not see a
Laker story where It'sakers wanted Ham fired earlier this season.
Lakers and Ham ten, you're not working in here but here.
They are winning at the end, and okay, that's great,
but if they wind up getting out early, that's the
first domino that's gonna fall. Darwin Ham won't make it
past the day after the Lakers get eliminated. He'll he'll
be gone.
Speaker 3 (10:15):
So Ham won't make it to the holidays, is what
you're saying.
Speaker 1 (10:18):
No, there will be no Ham for the holidays.
Speaker 4 (10:21):
It's New Orleans hosting the Lakers on Sunday for the
Lakers finale. Now, New Orleans can clinch a playoff spot
already if they win at Golden State tonight and the
Suns lose, it's possible New Orleans needs this game on Sunday,
and unlike the Celtics, for example, not sitting players on
Sunday once again bad news for the Lakers.
Speaker 3 (10:39):
Possible this weekend.
Speaker 5 (10:40):
Did you see who's playing for the Pelicans first time?
Speaker 3 (10:43):
And Ingram is back right on this weekend? Yeah?
Speaker 1 (10:46):
Oh see, this is tough, Like what are you rooting
for if you're the Warriors of the Lakers, because okay,
you got to catch Phoenix and Set. You got to
catch Phoenix and Sacramento, so you're rooting against them. But
if the Pelicans lose, that might bring them back a
little bit and force them into a big game on Sunday.
So it's it's really difficult because it's just so jumbled.
And this is why I say this, No one has
(11:08):
any advantage, and the playoffs are gonna be murder because
you look at all these teams and I don't mean
deep playoff runs. You just think about the first round
of the playoffs and the West is gonna be murder
because the Lakers can win a first round unless they
play the Nuggets. Lakers can win first round, Warriors can
win the first round, Kings can win a first round,
Phoenix can win a first round, Pelicans can win a
first round. Mavericks can win a first round. No team
(11:30):
in the top four seeds outside of the Nuggets has
an advantage all the This is the most difficult playoffs
going in that I can remember seeing in the NBA.
And then you look at the Eastern Conference and you
got teams like you know, eight games under five hundred,
just rolling along. Hey, the Hawks have lost four in
a row. We don't care where the text season. You know,
we're eight games under five hundred. We don't care. We'll
(11:52):
play a game or two, we don't. Really doesn't matter
at us. I mean, well, you got these teams in
the West that are sweating their asses off trying to
get into the playoffs, and here you got the Bulls
and the Hawks going, yeah, we stink. What are we
worried about?
Speaker 4 (12:02):
That's right, Mike Carmon is not seeded here. I'm happy
to fill in, but his Chicago Bulls, even he as
a fan, I'm sure would readily admit, oh no, this
is in no way a memorable year or a memorable team.
They're under five hundred. Who knows, they could wind up
the eight seed. They could win a playing game next week.
That's how bad it is. With at the top, Boston's
(12:24):
gonna come close to sixty five wins this year. It's
possible we have two playing teams in the East that
don't even get forty wins, that finish under five hundred,
and we're still seeing them playing next week.
Speaker 5 (12:36):
You don't give Harmon hope.
Speaker 1 (12:38):
If the Lakers were in the East. If the Lakers
were in the East, they'd be playing tonight to be
in the playoffs without getting sixteen. Yeah, they'd be playing
for the sixth seed. Potentially they could finish as high
as the five seed they if they won tonight, if
they were in the Eastern Conference, that's how high. But
in the West here they are ten games over five
(13:00):
hundred and hey, yeah, we're getting in as the nine
or ten seed most likely. The good news a lot
of drama left, But I mean, this is how this
is how loaded, how murderous this Western Conference was.
Speaker 4 (13:08):
The good news is there is quite for fans a
race for the sixth seed in the East to avoid
the play in because Philly makes it very interesting winning
a seventh in a row tonight and battling Orlando in
Indiana to see who can finish in the top six
and therefore have next week off.
Speaker 1 (13:26):
Yeah, I'm looking at this going, this is exactly how
it's gonna go. The Sixers are gonna stay hot, They're
gonna finish six. The Bucks are gonna win Sunday, and
the Knicks are gonna get the Sixers in the first
round of the play and we're gonna get Oh, we're feeling.
Speaker 3 (13:38):
Cool, healthy Sixers team.
Speaker 1 (13:40):
Yeah, all that's the odd that's what's gonna happen. See now, stuff, Steve,
I was feeling great until just.
Speaker 4 (13:44):
Then, until reality sense and that usually happens for you
you're a New York fan.
Speaker 1 (13:48):
Yeah, But here's the one I wonder and if we
have Todd furmanon later on tonight, what with the odds?
What I what could I get for odds wise? If
in the first round of the playoffs in the way
Western Conference, I want to take all the lower seats,
if I want to take seeds fly through eight to
all advanced, like what kind of like what kind of
odds would I get on?
Speaker 4 (14:08):
That'd be for a big rich hun could change because
Denver could be the one seed. They're certainly going to
be one of the top four.
Speaker 1 (14:14):
Right. Well, that's why that's why it's got to be.
It's I got to make some uh, you know, there's
got to be some kind of money at State because
something big has to happen. But the only other ones
I feel okay.
Speaker 4 (14:24):
With, the only matchup that's locked in in the West.
I think we mentioned this this week. We know the
ten teams that are still going to be playing in
the Western Conference next week. We just don't know the
exact order one through ten for certain though. The first
round of the playoffs when that gets started on the
weekend of the twentieth four seed Clippers against the five
seed Dallas Mavericks. And we've seen that in the postseason
(14:47):
with Luka Donsich actually destroying I think that's the proper verb,
destroying the Clippers.
Speaker 3 (14:52):
I look forward to this.
Speaker 1 (14:54):
So here's where we sit right now with the drama.
Seven seconds to go. Oklahoma City's going to beat Milwaukee Nicks,
and the Bucks are gonna be tied for the two
seed in the East. The Lakers one fourteen, one eleven
over Memphis with four and a half minutes left to go,
Denver could lose to San Antonio. The Spurs have taken
(15:15):
a one point lead with a couple of seconds left
to go. That could throw the way. This game in
and of itself, could throw the West into a bigger tizzy.
Oh wait a minute, we could finish. Wait, the Nuggets
can finish second. Oh we're good. Finishing eighth, We're good. Yeah,
we're good, finishing eight. We're fine. We're fine. We'll finish eighth.
That's fine. I mean, this is a really big deal.
And then of course tonight we have the two big
games headlined by Phoenix, and well we have had the
(15:38):
two big games. Yes, we have the Kings playing, and
we have the Warriors, Pelicans and the Suns. Tons and
tons of fun stuff to get to tonight. But again,
that game, that Nuggets game, all of a sudden could
change a lot of things. It's why it's such a
great night. Jason Smith Steve de Seger in for Mike
Harmon tonight. Coming up next, we'll have more on the NBA.
(15:58):
Plus a huge decision was made in college basketball today
and all I'm gonna say is good luck. That's next
right here, Jason Smith, dude to Sager. Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 2 (16:09):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Jason Smith
Show with Mike Harmon weekdays at ten pm Eastern seven
pm Pacific on Fox Sports Radio and the iHeartRadio app.
Speaker 6 (16:20):
Hey, we're Cavino and Rich Fox Sports Radio every day
five to seven pm Eastern. But here's the thing. We
never have enough time to get to everything we want
to get to.
Speaker 7 (16:29):
And that's why we have a brand new podcast called
Over promised. You see, we're having so much fun in
our two hour show. We never get to everything, honestly,
because this guy is over promising things we never have
time for.
Speaker 2 (16:42):
Yeah, you blobber list name in me.
Speaker 6 (16:43):
Well you know what it's called over promise. You should
be good at it because you've been over promising women
for years.
Speaker 7 (16:47):
Well, it's a Cavino and Rich after show, and we
want you to be a part of it. We're gonna
be talking sports, of course, but we're also going to
talk life and relationships. And if Rich and I are
arguing about something or we didn't have enough time, it
will continue on our after show called over Promised.
Speaker 6 (17:01):
Well, if you don't get enough Covino and Rich, make
sure you check out over Promise and also uncensored by
the way, so maybe we'll go at it even a
little harder. It's gonna be the best after show podcast
of all time.
Speaker 7 (17:11):
There you go, over promising. Remember you could see it
on YouTube, but definitely join us. Listen Over Promised with
Cavino and Rich on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or
wherever you get your podcasts.
Speaker 3 (17:23):
Oh, the best song ever made Steve.
Speaker 1 (17:25):
Fox Sports Radio, The Jason Smith show with special delivery
Steve de Sager in for Mike Harmon, and we'll have
more on the NBA coming up in a second. This
is just some kind of night so far, Steve, I'll
tell you so much drama. So many games come in.
No we have we have two games. We have two
big games in the Western Conference because really it's all
(17:47):
about playoff seating and getting out of the playing round.
And you know, we spent the first ten minutes of
the show talking about, Hey, you don't want to finish
eighth because you want to avoid the Nuggets. Well, the
Nuggets just went lost to the Spurs.
Speaker 3 (17:59):
How did that happen?
Speaker 1 (18:00):
So now they could finish second, And suddenly finishing eighth
is okay because you don't want to finish seventh. Now
suddenly you don't want to win now wait, wait, wait,
the Nuggets could finish second. So there's so much craziness
coming into the final couple of days, and tonight we
have New Orleans and Phoenix and the Kings and the
Warriors all playing, and the seedings can change at a
(18:21):
moment's notice. The Lakers are trying to hold on right now.
They leave Memphis by a point with a minute left
to go in the fourth quarter. I mean, this is
I mean, I know we're talking about seating, but this
really is fun. So I feel like this should be uh,
I should be able to have on ittvs like red Zone,
like ice. People will go from gaming bing bing bing
bing bing, and then put like four games on my
(18:42):
TV at once. That red zones Red Zone started a
couple of years ago. Boof, I get four games on
it once, give me the four box.
Speaker 4 (18:47):
And with the Memphis Grizzlies and they've just tied it
at the foul line, one more free throw to go,
they're even with the Lakers.
Speaker 3 (18:53):
How is this happening?
Speaker 4 (18:55):
You think it's mystifying that Denver loses at San Antonio
with the Spurs with a twenty and sixty record coming
in Memphis again, has thirteen players on the injury report,
most of their starters you've never heard of, even if
you're a basketball fan, and they've just taken a one
point lead on LA under a minute to go.
Speaker 2 (19:14):
Wow.
Speaker 1 (19:14):
Oh boy. All right, So we'll have more updates off
of what's trending. But I do want to bring this
story here because this is story. This is the story,
no matter what I say the rest of the night.
Frostbur is going to say, Jason, I love you, the
greatest host.
Speaker 5 (19:26):
Ever Jason, real quick, Yeah, have you ever you guys
ever heard of a sixteen million dollar angry swing.
Speaker 3 (19:34):
Dodger Stadium just did?
Speaker 1 (19:37):
Oh? Oh, Tonni just went deep?
Speaker 4 (19:38):
Oh did he ever over four hundred feet and one
hundred and seven miles an hour off the bet?
Speaker 3 (19:44):
Is that good?
Speaker 1 (19:45):
Hang on, I'm watching the replay right now. Security has
grabbed the fan who caught the ball, holding them over
the railing by their ankles until they drop it. Wow.
That's wow.
Speaker 3 (19:54):
That's only one problem, Jason. The ball hasn't landed yet.
Speaker 1 (20:01):
But so big home run by out time again. Steve
will have more than this, and we'll break down everything
happening in the Western Conference in the playoff race coming
up in a couple of minutes. But this is the
story that even frost We're gonna say, Yeah, I keep
going on this. I know it's April twelfth, I know this,
I know it's early, and I know as a Met fan,
I understand the sky is always falling right like, maybe not.
Speaker 3 (20:20):
Tonight, Well sometimes it is, it is, it is, But.
Speaker 1 (20:23):
We after the last year, I said Okay, we could
be a five hundred team and have some fun this
season and stay in the play in raising. We gotta
win eighty four games to get in the playoffs. Okay,
that'll be a wonderful season. I know it's April twelfth,
I know this, but the Rangers are thumping the Astros
right now. It is twelve to three in the seventh inning.
(20:45):
So I feel good and I feel okay saying the
Astros are going to lose this game. They're gonna fall
to four and eleven.
Speaker 3 (20:52):
Justin Verlander's coming back soon.
Speaker 1 (20:54):
Yeah, Verlander's coming back soon. But they have allowed the
second most runs in the AL so far, they've only
won one series. Nothing lasts forever, even called November rain.
Nothing lasts forever, and teams don't stay good forever. And
while when we gave our previous to the YR, I said, hey,
don't expect the Astros to be the Astros a year's past.
They've lost some players, they're getting a little older.
Speaker 3 (21:14):
Than Alex Fragman final year. The deal is not hitting
this year.
Speaker 1 (21:18):
Yeah, it's not the Astros team that you remember that
you think of when you think of the Astros, But
this four and eleven, this kind of start. Did not
expect this. I mean, you had the the opening season
against series against the Yankees was awful for them.
Speaker 3 (21:30):
But four first four games, Yeah.
Speaker 1 (21:32):
The Astros of the Astros have done this before, we've
seen them. But now you're talking four and eleven, and again,
I know it's early, but wow, this is this is
a bit danger well Robinson, danger, well Robinson.
Speaker 4 (21:43):
It's not just that, it's they've got Texas all weekend.
This is the start of the weekend series. This is
the FS one game tomorrow afternoon. By the way, Texas
hosting Houston, and then Houston's hosting Atlanta for three right
after that Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday. So for the next nearly
full week, it's possible that they lose at least another
four out of six. This is not going to be
(22:04):
good for the month of April for Houston overall.
Speaker 1 (22:07):
I mean, they'll be four and twelve and in last place.
Look got danger, Will Robinson, danger danger.
Speaker 4 (22:14):
So behind the Angels and the A's is what you're saying.
Speaker 1 (22:18):
Yes, if you're behind the A's, that's you have to
look in the mirror and go, Okay, this team isn't
even trying They've just taken their entire team from Triple
A and said, we're just gonna elevate you guys in
the big leagues. Oh, did I earn the promotion? Cause
we have some spots to fill, So we got it.
We're gonna bring you up at that's an.
Speaker 4 (22:34):
A's team that is one in six at home so
far and averaging about six thousand fans at home so far.
Speaker 1 (22:41):
I mean behind. When you're behind the A's like, that's
the Okay, we have to have some clubhouse meetings here now.
I think the time for an early start. Everything is fine,
let's not worry about it. No, no, no, this is
this is where we have to say, okay, we have
to we have to. We have to have a meeting
here because we're looking up at a team that they're
gonna wind up be in the worst team in baseball
the next couple of year, and we're not even as
good as they are. We got problems.
Speaker 4 (23:02):
If it's not a player's only meeting, I would really
question that. You know, Dusty Baker's not there anymore. You
don't have that leadership at the top of everything. Honestly
they need. I mean, Washington Nationals proved in twenty nineteen.
You can be bad into May and turn her around,
and there's an extra playoff spot now here. In the
last five years as well, I agree with you. You
could win say, eighty four games and still make a run.
(23:26):
We saw the Phillies Padres National League Championship series not
too long ago after all. But my goodness, talk about
expectations not being met, not in the least With the
Astros update, the Lakers are up five with five seconds
to go. They might be pulling out a road win
against the no name Memphis Grizzlies tonight, but.
Speaker 1 (23:45):
Maybe now they might not want to because the Nuggets
won tonight, so maybe they don't want to pull this
game out. Maybe they should have called down to Darwin Amitson, Hey, hey,
I know, we tried to win this game for about
forty four minutes, but the Nuggets just lost. They may
not finish first. Maybe we want to fit. Maybe we
were okay being that to be, you know, just winning
one of those last couple games of finishing as that
eight seed.
Speaker 4 (24:04):
Because the way the Lakers stand right now, they'd have
to win a road game play in just to stay
alive Tuesday, and a road game a couple nights after
that to earn the eight seed, which would put them
stuck in a best of seven against the one seed.
With the Nuggets loss, Maybe the Nuggets won't be the
one seed. Maybe this isn't all or nothing for the
(24:25):
next week for the Lakers. Maybe they'll advance past that bit.
Right now, as we mentioned at the very top of
the show, it's not at all looking good for the
Lakers because they don't have tie breaker against Golden State,
they don't have tie breaker against Sacramento. They're looking at
two must win road games in the play in and
then maybe a best of seven against Denver after that.
Speaker 1 (24:46):
So things are getting pretty exciting here on Friday night
with all kinds of playoff spots and seedings up for debate.
Let's find out where everything sits right now, as Steve
will tell you, what's trending in the wide world of sports. Now,
clearly the number what story of the Hey, the Knicks
win again, they can finish second in the East. They're
tied with the Bucks.
Speaker 3 (25:05):
Now, Jason, this is a sports update.
Speaker 1 (25:07):
So this is a really big deal.
Speaker 3 (25:10):
This is a sports network.
Speaker 1 (25:11):
Look at the Knicks. Look how good the Knicks are? Okay,
so I took care of the Knicks for you, Steve,
you can do the West.
Speaker 5 (25:15):
Well.
Speaker 4 (25:16):
I was gonna lead with the team that's actually won
seven in a row. Philadelphia beat Orlando and a busy
night in the NBA one twenty five to one thirteen.
Now the Magic would have clinched a playoff spot with
a win. The regular season ends on Sunday again, no
NBA games on Saturday. Then every team plays on Sunday,
Boston and Chicago each one. Cleveland got a win as well.
(25:38):
In fact, the Calves would be clinching a playoff spot
with a win or a six Ers loss. So they're
in forty eight and thirty three. Record for the Calves
for sure, they are in as mentioned, though we don't
know exactly the order. It's obviously looking like Calves first
round home court advantage. But amidst the top four seeds
(25:59):
where we'll and the Knicks for example, place and the box.
Milwaukee has lost one twenty five one oh seven at
Oklahoma City. Great for OKC because Denver also lost one
twenty one to one twenty at San Antonio, Miami and
New York with home wins. Among the games that are
in progress at Minnesota, the Timberwolves have taken the lead
under twenty seconds to go. Minnesota is leading Atlanta one
(26:22):
oh seven to one oh four. The Lakers have gone final,
that is a win at Memphis one twenty three to
one twenty and updating, Minnesota has just gone final one
oh nine one oh six. Timberwolves beat Atlanta. Detroit leads
at Dallas one o three eighty nine with under two
minutes to go. And there are a few Lake games
(26:44):
that will be getting scores to you as the evening
goes along. They're really just getting going, including Phoenix at Sacramento.
The play in tournament starts on Tuesday, just five NHL games. Tonight,
Hurricanes won five to two at Saint Louis. NASCAR's on
FS one again and this Sunday from Texas three thirty
pm Eastern time, Scotti Scheffler's in a three way tie
(27:05):
for the lead at the Masters, up by two strokes.
Colin Morricawa is three shots back. Tiger Woods is one overpar,
tied for twenty second place, just missing the cut. Justin
Thomas Sergio Garcia and Wyndham Clark the Major League Baseball
top of the ninth and in fact they've just picked
up the last out. The Detroit Tigers wind up winners
at home. There was a rain delay at the start
(27:27):
of this one so long night, but Detroit eight to
two over Minnesota. The final Trek Schooble two and zero
got the win with five scoreless innings. Padres lead three
to one at the Dodgers. In the top of the
second inning. The A's are ahead, won nothing over the
Nationals bottom of the fourth. It's Saint Louis had six
nothing at Arizona top of the fourth. Mariners won nothing
(27:47):
leaders against the Cubs top of the fourth, and yes,
Houston is losing again. Texas twelve five over the Astros
bottom of the seventh. A Houston loss would put them
at four and eleven. Yankees at Cleveland rain split doubleheader
for them tomorrow at noon and six pm Eastern time.
Road wins for Atlanta and Cincinnati. The Mets beat Kansas
City six to one. The lost to Michael Walk of
(28:10):
Kansas City. Seven game winning streak is over. The Angels
were seven to nothing winners at Boston. Winning pitcher Reed
Debtmer's now three and Ozero with an ERA of one
point four for the Halos, Toronto won twelve to four
at Toronto. The Colorado won at Toronto and the loss
to Kevin Gossman of the Blue Jays. Six runs, ten
hits allowed in just three and two thirds wins for
(28:31):
Tampa Bay Milwaukee which is nine and three, and a
win for Pittsburgh which is ten and four, a five
to two victory at Philadelphia. And finally, Shoheo Tani's former interpreter,
Ibe Mitzuhara, turned himself in today. He appeared in court
in la and is now free on bond. The judge
ordered me Zuhira to undergo gambling addiction treatment related to
a sports betting case. He is charged with bank Fraudback
(28:53):
to you, thanks.
Speaker 1 (28:54):
A bun, Steve O just really quick. Lebron James scoring
the last six points for the Lakers tonight, including a
steal and a dunk to sault the game away with
five seconds left. The Grizzlies had the ball down three.
They missed a shot. Big long rebound comes out near
to half court. It's tried to save. The Grizzlies try
(29:16):
to save it in bounds, except Lebron steps between the players,
grabs it goes in for a dunk. Sticks out, his
tongue is happy, he's honking it up. This is this
is one of those plays where.
Speaker 4 (29:28):
You know, be happy, but you can't name any of
the guys you just played against.
Speaker 1 (29:33):
It looks like one of those plays in the NFL
where there's a fumble in the backfield and like the
quarterback gets it and just sees a guy and tries
to pitch it to him and the defensive lineman just
comes and grabs it and goes the other way. Like
that's what his steal at the end of the game
looked like, Like he just stepped between him took the ball,
winning for a dunk, five point lead. Lakers wind up winning,
and now the drama continues this night in the NBA.
Speaker 4 (29:54):
This night, and the NBA is hardly over. We've got
just a handful of games getting going. We have the
two late games that are about to tip, Clippers hosting Utah.
By the way, Utah had lost thirteen in a row
until last night's win, and Sacramento hosts Phoenix. The Suns
would be locked into a playoff game with a loss and.
Speaker 3 (30:14):
A New Orleans win.
Speaker 4 (30:15):
New Orleans is only through one quarter trailing at Golden
State twenty six seventeen Warriors Blazers ahead of Houston twenty
four to twenty three end of one. How about what
the Rockets have done or not done here at the
end of the season, because they were.
Speaker 1 (30:28):
When they were like a game out. Yeah, Hey the Warriors,
this is gonna be a winner, go home game for
them last night. No, they're gonna wind up. They're gonna
wind up finishing seven games out of the playoffs.
Speaker 4 (30:38):
It was gonna be maybe the Rockets into the play
in finishing in the top ten, and then they've almost
won nothing the last few weeks. They've sunk under the
five hundred mark. They're thirty nine and forty one, which
means they have to win tonight and Sunday just to
finish at five hundred. But for sure, the Rockets are
not going to the play in. As mentioned, we know
(30:58):
the ten teams in the Western Conference that will still
be playing next week. Houston's not one of them. Utah,
of course, is a no Memphis, Portland and the Spurs
below them.
Speaker 1 (31:09):
No, I mean, the Rockets won eleven in a row
and suddenly it was hey, okay, it's gonna be the Warriors,
Lakers or Rockets left out of the playoffs because what
the Rockets did. But then the Rockets went and lost
five in a row. They lost a big one to
Golden State, which kind of cemented the end of their
season because then the Warriors had a three game lead
with three left to go. That was it. But just
(31:29):
you know, a week and a half ago they were
a half game out of the of the playoffs. It
was look what the Rockets have done. What a great
job they've look at Hey, the Rockets whould have thought,
oh no, no, no, Now now they're gonna they're gonna
be seven games out of the playoffs when it's all
sudden done. So they were that close. Yeah, then yeah,
then they had they kind of stubbed their toe a
bit at the end of the.
Speaker 4 (31:47):
Sear Is there any correlation between the Rockets having no
experience and faltering down the stretch and saying, hey, that's
what we might be seeing early in the playoffs because
we've got a couple of really good teams near the
top of the Western Conference that don't have a whole
lot of experience. I want to see Shay Gilgess Alexander
of the postseason. He's had a phenomenal season, scoring for OKC,
(32:10):
I really wonder what that team's going to be doing
in crunch time when it comes to a must win
game and trailing a series, and that might happen early
in the postseason.
Speaker 1 (32:19):
See, I thought you were gonna say, I wonder if
there's any correlation with the Rockets and their losing streak and.
Speaker 3 (32:23):
The Astros can't win.
Speaker 1 (32:26):
What's tough time right now at Houston for sports, Well,
the Rockets, Rockets. I'm gonna get my Rockets to work.
It's always with the Rockets.
Speaker 4 (32:34):
The Astros actually have experience on the Rusty. They still
got jose L Tuve and Tucker and you're Don Alvarez
and yeah, I mean Bregman didn't play tonight, but they
still have got more experience than the Houston Rockets have.
Speaker 1 (32:47):
Quick update from baseball. Yoshinoba Yamamoto has struck out the side.
He has also given up three runs. San Diego leads
the Dodgers now three to two. Munsey has gone deep
in this game. Line drive home run to cut the
Padre lead to three two. So now O Tani and
munseye home runs by at the bottom of the second.
Speaker 4 (33:06):
U two home runs from the San Diego side Manny
Machado a two run blast in the first and Hasan
Kim a solo homer nearly four hundred feet in the second.
Speaker 3 (33:15):
Come on, Steve, who side?
Speaker 4 (33:17):
Are you on the side of truth? I'm at a
news desk. It's three two pods.
Speaker 3 (33:21):
I listened to Steve the night, no news desk.
Speaker 1 (33:25):
Steve de Sager's got the the touch of one every
game this year they're twenty and oh I didn't know this. Really,
I fuckuld swear they lost a gamers.
Speaker 3 (33:33):
And in five actually I.
Speaker 1 (33:34):
Could say that, and he says the Padres have a
big player and his interpreter stole money from him. I
thought that with the son of Dodger players.
Speaker 3 (33:41):
Okay, no, no, we're on the side of truth here.
Speaker 1 (33:44):
Uh yeah. So so so far, if you're keeping track
for Yoshinoba Yamamoto, it was game one bust, not worth
a terrible in South three okay, pretty good, Game three okay,
pretty good. Now, Game four okay, bust terrible again. So
you're you're kind of riding the lightning with you.
Speaker 4 (34:00):
So far, it's two homers in two innings. But you
got to take the long view, Jason Smith, because it's
a twelve year deal.
Speaker 1 (34:07):
You're gonna say, gonna take a long with you because
two home runs and two innings, it's a nine inning game,
you're gonna get seven more home liund.
Speaker 4 (34:12):
I used to think a five year contract was bad
for a starting pitcher. You never know what they're gonna
be in five years, well, twelve years later.
Speaker 1 (34:20):
So it is an absolutely fun Friday night here. Again,
the drama in the NBA really just beginning, so we'll
have more NBA in the way. But coming up next. Yes,
a big decision was made in college basketball today, and
really all I could say is good luck, because this
might have been the worst coaching search I've seen in
college basketball in quite some time. That's next right here,
(34:43):
Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 2 (34:45):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Jason Smith
Show with Mike Harmon weekdays at ten pm Eastern, seven
pm Pacific.
Speaker 1 (34:52):
Fox Sports Radio, The Jason Smith Show with My best
friend Mike Harmon Harmon with the Night Off, Special Delivery,
Steve to Say In And there is a home run
party going on right now at Dodger Stadium. Yoshinoba Yamamoto
gave up two home runs early to the Padres Well
the Dodgers have answered Munsey with a home run we
(35:13):
just told you about a few minutes ago, Mookie Betts
a three run drive, and now it is five to three.
Dodgers lead this game. Mahata with a home run, Kim
had a home run, and of course Otani a four
hundred and five foot home run to center field for
the Dodgers. No word on the location of this baseball
(35:33):
right now. Potentially there is a fan in the lower
bottles of Dodger Stadium in a room surrounded by people,
lights off, being told what needs to be done with the.
Speaker 3 (35:45):
Ball, separating them from their spouse. First off.
Speaker 4 (35:49):
But there have been five home runs here in the
first two winnings at Dodger Stadium tonight, five total. That
is so it's very much keeping security busy. You know.
They have things such as they called them home runs.
They kind of cleared out a private section all along
the outfield fence at Dodger Stadium in recent years. They
(36:10):
called them the home run seats because they created two
private rows, which I believe are all you can eat,
by the way, in addition to getting a ticket and
a good chance at a homer. I think they got
a good chance of getting a home run, ball, you
get a homer, you get a homer.
Speaker 3 (36:23):
It doesn't matter where you're sitting tonight.
Speaker 1 (36:25):
So we'll have more on this game coming up again.
Five to three Dodger, another home run for Otani as
the Padres bat in the top of the third. But
today it became official. Kentucky hired Mark Pope, former head
coach at BYU, as their new head coach. And again
we mentioned this last night. Let this sink in Wildcat
Nation was okay with saying goodbye to John Caliparry. They
(36:48):
didn't put up a fight when he wanted to go
to Arkansas. Hey, all right, it's time to move on.
They went and hired a guy that has never won
an NCAA tournament game. Just think about that for a second.
Who's won titles, been to final four's had great records. Yes,
he's had a couple of bad years where they've lost,
but you could tell we should be doing it better.
(37:08):
You hired a guy that has never won an NCAA
tournament game as a coach. All I can't say here
is good luck like the King. And when he finds
out John Adams is going to be the president. Oh
John Adams. Good luck, good luck with Mark Pope. Not
that the guy's not a good coach, but you are
jumping into the number one job in America and you
(37:30):
are hoping that this is gonna work out. How happier
wildcat fans, How happier people who are going to donate
money and push money up for nil? This is a guy.
This is like our number five choice. We asked Danny
Hurley third. Why didn't we ask him first? What was
going on? This was a horrendous, horrendously run coaching search
by ad Mitch Barnhardt. This is just how to not
(37:52):
do it. You don't say goodbye to Calipari unless you
have your next guy. And if you don't have your
next guy, you say you gotta wait because we're gonna
get our next in here. Because it's just embarrassing the
number of people who said no, and it showed me
that Kentucky they didn't know how to go, how to
go replace Calipari. And now they're gonna find out what
the opposite side of winning is, because this is how
(38:13):
teams go into disrepair and circle the drain and suddenly, hey,
we're winning games, but we're losing early in the tournament
turns into eighteen and fourteen seasons and sixteen and thirteen seasons.
You went and hired the number five choice at already
I'm seeing Kentucky fans online going, why do we hire
this guy? Like this is there's no honeymoon period for
Mark Pope. It's like, we're in and we hate you already.
(38:35):
So usually when a guy gets hired there's a little
bit of that, but this has been done so poorly.
When a coach comes in and it's you gotta win
right now, and there's no at least love right away,
you know, things were biffed. And Kentucky completely biffed this.
Speaker 4 (38:49):
And Kentucky, remember was out first round with upsets not
only Oakland this year, but a couple of years ago
Saint Peter's and in recent years they missed the tournament
entirely and finished under five hundred.
Speaker 3 (39:00):
With Kentucky, the.
Speaker 4 (39:01):
Athletic Department probably thinks they cut a break in a
couple of areas. One they didn't have to pay off Calipari.
That would have been many millions, potentially over thirty million,
to say goodbye. He left in the middle of this
long extension, so they didn't have to pay him at all,
and Mark Pope, they get to sell him as some
sort of native son because he was a center at
(39:22):
Kentucky for a couple of years in the mid nineties.
Mark Pope went to high school in Washington. He played
at the University of Washington. I remember he was Pack
ten Freshmen of the Year as a center at Washington,
and then after he transferred, he got a couple of
years playing at Kentucky.
Speaker 3 (39:37):
And averaged eight points per game.
Speaker 4 (39:39):
So if you want to sell that as he's one
of ours, okay, yeah, I guess he was for a
couple of years one of yours.
Speaker 1 (39:46):
It's not like they're bringing back Anthony Davis to be there. Yeah, exactly.
Speaker 3 (39:49):
Some of us know better.
Speaker 4 (39:51):
He was actually at Kentucky about as long as Anthony
Davis was, let's be honest. So they did need to
make some sort of change because at this point they
were overpaying for Calipari. This was the number two pag
college basketball coach in the country, behind the Kansas coach
eight and a half million, and so Cali Perry leaves
and doesn't get that much in guaranteed money actually takes
(40:13):
lower plus incentives at his due job at Arkansas, Kentucky.
I think part of the reason is not just the
higher part of the reason they need to win now
is a the're Kentucky and b Kentucky hasn't been the
Kentucky that we're used to in recent years, including that
postseason run of bad postseasons that I referred to a
minute ago.
Speaker 1 (40:34):
No, but look, but it's been a recent last couple
of years of hey, things have been a little lean.
Speaker 3 (40:39):
Like I'm not saying things very lean in the turn.
Speaker 1 (40:42):
You're talking about twenty three, twenty two to twenty six
wins the last three seasons. Right, Yes, you've gone out
in the first round, but you've gotten as a decent seed.
You finished second or third in your conference. Things were
pretty good. You really got hosed in the in the
COVID year because then you were going to be a
number one seed in the end turrent. Who knows what
would have happened there. But you're still talking about final four,
(41:04):
national champion, all of these things. It's been a couple
of years of early first round exits and now a
guy that's never won a game is going to get
to the final four. Like I say, good luck, John Adams,
good luck Jason Smith, Steve the Sagarin from Mike Carbon
coming up next. You got a big story out of
the NFL, Keep it right here, Fox,
Hosts And Creators
Jason Smith
Mike Harmon
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