May 6, 2025 • 39 mins
Jason and Mike are taking all your James Harden apologies after another Game 7. The Cavs are in WAY more trouble than the Celtics. And Jason was wrong about the Warriors!
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Thanks for listening to The Jason Smith Show with Mike
Harmon podcast. Be sure to catch us live every weeknight
ten pm to two am Eastern seven to eleven pm
Pacific on Fox Sports Radio. Find your local station for
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Speaker 2 (00:23):
You're listening to Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 1 (00:29):
Greetings, Welcome in side hour two of mcal bridges show
alongside my beans, ran og Anunoby, Oh Boy. You can
stream this show in all of our Fox Sports Radio
shows live twenty four to seven in the new iHeartRadio app.
Just search Fox Sports Radio in the app stream us Live.
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(00:51):
the presets on a radio dial, so be sure to
preset Fox Sports Radio in the iHeartRadio app. It'll always
pop up at the top of your screen. Well, yes,
it has been a huge night in the NBA already
the Knicks beat the Celtics one oh eight, one oh
five because mccal bridges rips the ball out of the
(01:11):
arms of Jalen Brown on the Celtics final last gasp
desperation three. Let's face it, they working at it anyway,
because they couldn't a three all night tonight and the
Knicks wind up snatching game one up, one game to none.
Now over the Celtics.
Speaker 3 (01:26):
Yeah, I did like the fact, and I'm not gonna
play it up too much because it'll feed whatever high
you're still riding off of.
Speaker 1 (01:34):
But it was good to see them commit to defense.
Speaker 3 (01:38):
Look, first half was a disaster, right they're down sixteen,
It gets up to twenty midway through the third, but
then something switched and the feed started moving and those
shots that were already not falling are now being contested
at a different level.
Speaker 2 (01:52):
Now.
Speaker 1 (01:52):
They give up nineteen offensive rebounds.
Speaker 3 (01:55):
That's one that Tom Thibodeau in his heart of hearts.
Speaker 1 (01:58):
That's the stat that's stand out. That and free throws.
Speaker 3 (02:01):
Well, if you guys can't hit free throws, that's not
gonna suddenly change, right, that's not gonna suddenly change.
Speaker 1 (02:07):
But I guarantee you you can get more.
Speaker 3 (02:08):
Effort on the glass because you saw a lot of
back week side rebounds. And that's the thing, you know,
watching with some of these erratic really frantic possessions by
the Celtics, like you're not getting to really set up
your rebounding at all because you've got some weird angles
that the ball's coming off. You have thirty foot fading
(02:31):
shots and whatever long rebounds, bricks, you name it. We
saw it all from the Celtics over their sixty three
point attempts. So just trying to you know, set up
and get your normal base was a bit odd. But
when it's all comes through it the fact that Jalen
Brunson is still a guy that is unflappable and your
(02:55):
guy bridges. For as much as you've tried to cast
him off the last two months, I think I could
probably find about eight to ten minutes of game tape
i e.
Speaker 1 (03:03):
Radio show time of you lamenting his existence and lots
of squad lots of it.
Speaker 3 (03:08):
And if we took the stuff in the back, I
mean you offered, did you move him?
Speaker 1 (03:12):
Oh yeah, yeah, Jo Brianna, who's big suns man, Like,
we'll give him back back to you. I'll get back
to you, give us Devin Booker, I'll give you back. McKelvin.
Speaker 3 (03:20):
Well, I mean the Booker thing you tried to slide
in under cover of night. You had all the other
parameters of uh, well, you know, we'll take a draft pick,
we'll do this and whatever.
Speaker 1 (03:29):
But all of that to say, you stole a game.
Speaker 3 (03:32):
Yeah, and now you get to play a little bit
and we'll see if porzingis is healthy. Game two left
with an illness, but sixty three point shots. Man Love
averages said they can't be quite so terrible next time.
Speaker 2 (03:46):
Well, we'll see.
Speaker 3 (03:47):
Maybe the Nicks will make free throws, right, maybe there's
a little bit of balance in the force.
Speaker 1 (03:51):
But we'll ask a big question. We'll ask a big
NBA question coming off of tonight, coming up in about
twenty minutes. But other big news today in the NBA.
First of all, we told you the Oklahoma City Thunder
and the Denver Nuggets. Of Denver Nuggets led this one early,
but it has been all Thunder since late in the
first quarter. Yes, Jokic has twenty and fourteen, he's having
(04:12):
a big night, but Gilgess Alexander has seventeen and eight.
The bench is coming through for the Thunder. They now
lead this by thirteen with ten minutes to go in
the third quarter. And obviously this is a series, it's
game one and we're still going. But let me just
say this about the Nuggets. What you heard what you
(04:33):
just said?
Speaker 3 (04:33):
Right, Yeah, obviously this is a series game on games
over here.
Speaker 1 (04:38):
Yeah, the Knicks. I got ready to score because I
got to talk about the team that's losing, which is
the Nuggets. The Knicks one, Nicks one. I'm ready for
the intern Conference Finals, Knicks Pacers East Finals. Let's go,
let's go. No, because I'm going to talk about the
Nuggets here for a minute, because you know, look, they
they have the big game seven against the Clippers and
they roll through them, and now every buddy starting to
(05:00):
come around. It's funny hearing today all the takes on
the Nuggets of oh, you know, when you fire your
head coach, look at what it can do for you. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no,
all no, all everybody who after the Nuggets fired Michael
Below with three days left in the regular season, when
everybody said, bike again, this is a horrible move.
Speaker 2 (05:18):
How dare you do this? This is all how you're
gonna win?
Speaker 1 (05:20):
What's going on? What are we The night that firing happened,
we said, if the guys gotta go, the guys gotta go.
You remember, because that's what we said. If the guys
gotta go, it doesn't matter if it's three days before
the regular season or if it's three days into the
regular season. If a change has to be made, if
things are going poorly, and you know that we get
to the playoffs, we're gonna go through the motions and
then we're gonna fire our head coach. I don't want
(05:42):
to give a playoff away. When a coach has to go,
a coach has to go. And clearly it was no
longer at tenable situation. Right, he had been insulting the
players were on whoever's fault, it was the players are
wanting to have to take the court. You don't have
to keep the head coach.
Speaker 3 (05:56):
Right, And it's filled over into all his press conferences. Yeah,
everything about fur and film review and everything else.
Speaker 1 (06:01):
Not happy with his guys. Not watch it turned a
point where he was mad at his players. It seemed
like he didn't like his players. When a coach doesn't
like his players, unless you are Steve Kerr or unless
you're someone who has a big cachet, well guess what,
you're not gonna win that. And clearly Malone's not gonna
win that against Yo Kitchen Murray. So he had to go.
And it's not like David Adelman has come in and
reinvented the wheel. But you knew a new coach coming in.
(06:24):
It's gonna be the same type of things. They're gonna
feel freer, they're gonna play better basketball, and what doll
we tell you all through this first year, it's tailor
made for the Nuggets. And seven they're gonna win the
series in seven because the Clippers are gonna do their
thing and give it away. Right That's what happened. And
here are the Nuggets. They're going to have a big
game in Game seven. And here they are now in
the second round. No one is saying, oh, you can't
(06:44):
fire now. They're all trying to backtrack. Oh, this is
what happens when you fire this way. No, no, no, no,
own it own. I own when I'm wrong, and I'll
get into the Warriors. I was wrong about the Warriors.
They won this series. Own when you're wrong, And nobody,
nobody said that the Nuggets made the right move when
right away, when a coach has to go, he's gotta go. Tada.
Here are the Nuggets in the second round.
Speaker 3 (07:04):
Yeah, it's very very rare in our business that you
get full on Maya Kulpis.
Speaker 1 (07:10):
In this case you could have had.
Speaker 3 (07:13):
I'm curious to see how it stands out.
Speaker 1 (07:17):
Like Mike Malone, even with all.
Speaker 3 (07:19):
The preponderance of evidence that we had in terms of
whatever animus beyond Hey, film review, I couldn't get guys
to watch.
Speaker 1 (07:27):
I couldn't get guys to buy.
Speaker 3 (07:28):
You're telling on yourself at every turn, and so when
you had the ownership started making their opinion of it
all hurt because everyone's like, you had this same game
win streak after the All Star break, you had this,
You had these streaks. It's like, well, they're all mirages
because they're all against bad teams or luck came their
(07:50):
way in the final minute of the game right one
or two possessions that you know, the ball bounced their way.
So yeah, you get to the point where you make
that decision. It's like your job, your relationships. You know
what you're doing in terms of ordering at a restaurant.
At some point you got to cut bait and just
do it right. If you're having it on every day
(08:11):
of like I do I still want to do this?
Do I still want to go there. You know, I've
got disappointment and I don't really want to see those people.
Why are they coming over for dinner? Although then it
probably is, you know, a situation you need to have
a conversation about. Ye And with this in the coaching search,
they'd already decided they were getting rid of him in
the off season.
Speaker 1 (08:31):
That was already done. Don't don't postpone the future, and
they and because you were going to give away a playoff,
you can't give away any years of Yokic in the playoffs.
You were going to give away a playoff and what
just to make that decision. But the other thing did
it now?
Speaker 3 (08:44):
But Jokis is also the guy that is the biggest
wild card in the NBA, perhaps in sports, because he
is the one guy that I could legitimately say I
would not be shocked at all if he suddenly just
walked away whatever they're last game was of a season,
If he was really ticked off and he just went
and wrote gotten the sulky and rode his horses around
(09:07):
his track and was never seen on another basketball court
everybody else.
Speaker 1 (09:11):
It comes to a natural conclusion. See, but I don't know,
But Jokic seems to be enjoying coaching the Nuggets as
much as he is. But that's the thing. He's enjoying that,
and every time out he's really it's almost like Adam
and I got this, Okay, I got that. Look, here's
what we're gonna do. Like you see, every time out
he is much more involved instead, this is what we
should do. Let's do this, let's do this, let's do this.
Speaker 3 (09:30):
But it seems but that's the thing, right, and that
I think is kind of telling of whatever that relationship
deterioration was with Malone, is that you do have this
type of vocal leadership. Like I haven't gone back and
watched this brutal film of him and Michael Malone, but
I sure as hell don't remember a lot of demonstrative
to get me the whiteboard, no moment in.
Speaker 1 (09:54):
The short term. And that's him standing up saying I'm
ready to take on a bigger role because now I can.
It's the whole team. You feel looser and and and happier,
and you're happy to come to work, and and that
shows itself in the game. Not that the Nuggets are
suddenly turning into a team boy, Not now they're realizing
their full potential. But it gets easy. It's easier to win.
It's eve when you're not fighting yourself and you're happy
(10:16):
to come to work every day. Everything is. Anybody's ever
had a situation where hey, I'm much happier coming to
work today than i was last week or last year.
You're gonna do better at your job and things are
gonna go better.
Speaker 3 (10:26):
And you know you don't have to give one hundred
and ten percent in a game seven against the Clippers.
Speaker 1 (10:31):
We can. We're gonna run midway through the third quarter.
We're just gonna rest.
Speaker 3 (10:34):
They're gonna quit. We're gonna, we're gonna We're gonna make them,
We're gonna we're gonna rest. We're gonna beat themselves to
where they give up.
Speaker 1 (10:41):
Just gonna rest. Now, speaking of the Clippers, everybody, and
I mean, and there are a lot of people you
know who you are. I will take your James Harden
apologies now about how no one's a James Harden away
from winning anything. He shows up with true James Harden
in the playoffs, right all this regular Look James Harden, Yes,
look what he's done. You're taking on a bigger role
(11:02):
with Kawhi being injured. But when has James Harden ever
gotten it done in the playoffs? It's always the same thing,
except now he's getting tired. Earlier he plays really well
and at the end of big games in the playoffs,
he gets tired. And what did he have yesterday? Seven points?
Okay games or two days ago game says seven points.
You can't win that way.
Speaker 2 (11:22):
You can't.
Speaker 1 (11:23):
You can't win when a guy you're building your team around,
he and Kawhi Leonard, when you come up that small
repeatedly in the playoffs, and now today Lawrence Frank said, oh,
we're building around Kawhi and James Harden for next year. Well,
scratch the Clippers from contention. I know they're not gonna
win anything because they're building around two guys or in
their mid thirties and they can't stay healthy. Scratch them off.
This is who James Harden is. He's a terrific player.
(11:46):
It's going to the Hall of Fame. Reinvented his career
halfway through, became an unbelievable point guard. But tell me
the last time in a playoff game when you can say, wow,
Harden was great. Harden was the difference. I read you
that stat earlier today and I still can't believe it's
but a bunch of people in my timeline have quoted
it that in their history, the number of times these
(12:06):
stars have made four field goals or less in a
playoff game. Right, it was two from Durant, three from
Steph Curry, five from Lebron and thirty five from James Harden.
I was like, there's no way that's true, even me
telling you James Harden, is it what you think he is?
And trust me, we all saw that. I can't believe that,
But but look at that four or less field goals
(12:29):
in a playoff game, thirty five for James Harden, Like,
come on, man, come on, but that's what Harden was
in Game seven needs you the most. Yes, he did
have thirteen assists, that's awesome, but you got this is
when you score twenty five or thirty James, this.
Speaker 3 (12:42):
Is this but that would easy to do. Right, Even
in the broadcast they were putting up the the graphic
the lower third as it were, with all of his statistics,
and he had taken eight shots. Like you got a
Game seven situation. You're a guy who has been a
volume shooter for the bulk of your career. Now you've
been a better just tributor, and certainly number of years
where he got into double digit assists per game averages
(13:05):
and all of that fun stuff. But in a game seven,
you're invisible and you're not looking for the shot. He
had Kawhi Leonard, who got very thoughtful and contemplative and
everything he was saying in the post, and they asked
him about, you know, working with our Well we didn't win, right.
It was good to be out there and we had
some moments, but in the end we didn't win. Obviously
(13:27):
I'm going and condensing it, but a lot of it
to say you're healthy in the playoffs and and you
got to the point where it was there for the taking.
Zubac had a fantastic series, Right, You want to talk
about a guy who on a national scene, and we've
certainly watched him here with the Clippers the last couple
of years, but on a national scene, he gave Jokic
(13:48):
all he could handled. Right, He did a hell of
a job defensively, offensively, had some big thing. That's our
third most improved player in the NBA. Hang that back,
but that's that. But you can't bank on him. He's
not got to suddenly score thirty five. That's Hard's job
to suddenly be the explosive playmaker and take shots. And
if he's not gonna take shots, he's he's a detriment.
(14:09):
I told certainly, he ain't winning defensively with him.
Speaker 1 (14:11):
I told you who Harden was. No, no, no, but
look how good Yes, and the regular that's great in
these regular season games. James Harden's factat yeah, look at
look at where he was. But that's the other day, right,
this guy in what year is he in? Fifteen? You
know what he is at this point? Told you told you? Hey,
say I told you so, James Haru. I'll take all
your post that while all your apologies, all apologies, all apology,
(14:34):
too far exit hot about a Fresca exit swollen dome.
Jason Smith Mike Harmon live from the Fox Sports Radio Studios, Denver.
Has cut the lead. Maybe because they're they're enjoying the
good things we were saying about. Yeah, maybe seventy three
sixty four now six and a half to go on
the third quarter, still Thunder with a nine point lead,
but it was just a little bit more. A few
minutes ago. Coming up next, we got more from the NBA.
(14:56):
I will ask a huge question about the playoffs. That's next,
Jason and Mike Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 2 (15:04):
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 1 (15:15):
Fox Sports Radio. The Jason Smith Show with my best
friend Mike Harmon. Thunderlead the Nuggets eighty two seventy one
four minutes ago in the third quarrel of more in
this game coming up in a few minutes, But before
I ask you the big NBA question. Yeah, because it
merits it. Today we may have Alcatraz reopen. How about
(15:35):
that as a prison? Have you ever taken the tour?
I'm glad you asked me that. Wow, it's just like
it's an infomerse. I'm glad you asked me that. Now, obviously,
President Trump saying today that he's going to direct the
US Penal Association to reopen Alcatraz for the prison where
they can put the worst of the worst. Now that
was decommissioned in what sixty to three?
Speaker 2 (15:54):
Long time?
Speaker 1 (15:55):
That long time, trying to remember my tourism. Now you
know what, I read a funny story that the I
think Escape from Alcatraz was on local TV and DC
on Saturday night, and then you know, President Trump says
it's so I'm sure, like, hey, he watched it. And
then he says, hey, let's reopen Alcatraz. Like that's like
how I nick fantasy moves. Hey, I really liked it.
I saw the highlights. Let's let's put them on life.
Speaker 3 (16:16):
I might have been swirling in the background and then
it comes front of mine. It's like, hey, what are
we doing with that?
Speaker 1 (16:21):
That's land. We can do something with that. But number one,
taking the tour not too long ago. I bet like that.
I've done the tour twice, which tells you how good
it is. Uh, it's it's clearly not even close to
being ready to be reused. Like there's a there's no,
it's plumbing, there's no it's falling. It's falling. It's a fulm,
it's a museum. I'll tell you what. The tour. Yes,
(16:42):
here's the thing in my life. When I go on vacation,
I love to do historical tours, right, go different places
and see it and everything. The two best tours I've
ever been on where I couldn't get enough of it,
and I bought books after to read about them. The
two I couldn't get enough of Waterloo and that's because
Abbot did the song no Waterloo and Alcatraz. Okay, Alcatraz
(17:05):
was incredible because we took the tour and we said, hey,
these are the guided tour where people tell you the
stories because the people who are like related to the
guards who were there, and like like it's a whole
big thing. And there's a there's a guy that wrote
a book about Alcatraz. It's there every day just signing
copies of his book. That's what he does. I show
up and signed copies of my book. I got a
bad job. It was so interesting. You see all the
(17:27):
you see all the all the different jail cells. They
even have the big escape like it's set up for
when that person escaped, how they did it, and you
see it in their cell. You get to walk into,
I get take pictures inside the cell. You hear stories.
Here's where the gunfire was, where where people were shooting,
right here, The birdman's cell was right here, and this
is the this is the worst part. They thought it
was so why Alcatraz was chosen, because you could still
(17:49):
hear the revelry from on shore, but it was still
too far away. People are trapped here on this rock.
Welcome to the rock, and they can hear people, and
they can hear people having fun, you know, right off
the coast in San Francisco. It was I couldn't get
enough of it. I wanted to go back. The next
I said, let's take another tour. I said to Pam,
maybe there's another guy. I'll tell us different stories. We
just had a whole two and a half hour Yeah,
(18:10):
I know, but it was so good that And while
I'm telling you that and Waterloo two greatest tours of
my life, you get to walk to the top of
Waterloo and understand why Napoleon lost. It was like, had
he been able to take this hill, the entire history
of Europe might have been different. This hill you are
standing and it's just a hill like you go to
a park. Had he been able to take this hill,
because he could have seen where to move his troops out,
like the entire history of Europe might be different Like that.
(18:33):
I mean, I'm like, oh my god, that's amazing. But
Alcatraz was just it blew me away. All the stories
you've heard, all the people you want to hear about,
you hear about the big breakout, They tell you everything.
You get to see, Hey, it went right from here.
This is where the dining room is, and you walk
into the dining hall as an unbelievable. Unbelievable.
Speaker 3 (18:48):
At one point I had a book of the some
of the ghost stories of Alcatraz that we purchased on it.
Like the night cruise is different, right because everybody's might
have gone to dinner and had a drink or two,
and then now you're on a boat and the fog
is rolling in and they're reminding you of what's in
the waters, right, because that's the you're not getting out
of here without eating a shark or five, all those things.
(19:12):
So building that all up, and then you're going through
dimly lit and that's the other thing, like the electricity.
Speaker 1 (19:18):
It's oh sure, I mean, it would be so much
money to have to redo alcohol to be cool, though,
you know, yeah it works man to say, hey, Alcatraz
is badly, here's all. Here's all the work, but I
I you know, my my worry is end. Okay. Now
now we're making. We're making celebrities out of whoever winds
up going there wherever. I'll look, who's look who's headed
the Yeah, I get that now, Jason, You're going to
(19:40):
be going there for at least three nights in the hole?
Why am I going there? What do you think the
government just forgot about that? Mailbox? Mailboxes? By the way,
nineteen ninety two, nineteen ninety you said.
Speaker 3 (19:52):
Welcome to the Rock, and I wasn't thinking about the
movie the Rock. I was thinking about the show come
from a I'm an islander.
Speaker 1 (20:07):
Because I got a theater. That's what we do all
the time. Come to the right. That was Vanessa Marcill, right,
it was gonna be a big breakout star, and she
had Las Vegas was fantastic, Yeah she was, but she
was in a big movie with with Sean Connery and
Nicholas Cage and Ed Harris. You know, but I will say,
(20:27):
We'll say this is that you know, the whole big
thing they tell you about, you know, the people who
escaped from Alcatraz never never found them, obviously, don't know
where they are. And you say, these these the the
waters here. You weren't gonna make it. And I say
to myself. I know it's cold, but I could make
it to I could make it to the shores, and
said I could make it to San Francisco. I think
if I dove in, I could nothing. I was doing
(20:47):
bridge you couldn't walk over. But I think if I
could have no Well, now, look i'm on PHG weight loss. Man,
I'm feeling pretty good. I could dive in. He does
look pretty spry. I think I can swim. I could
because it looks like something you can swim like. I know,
but that but that's the thing. It's the illusion swim
that it's a short trip.
Speaker 3 (21:06):
But then you add rip currents and everything else.
Speaker 1 (21:10):
Yeah, I forgot about the shark. Convince yourself they're fake
with lasers. No, I'll communicate with the sharks and tell
them stay away, rock them. Yeah that's what I do.
Nice sweater. They'll stay away. Oh, stay away from that
state not even closed. I know they got justin fields now,
but stay away, stay away there. Uh So again, I'm
(21:30):
telling you, the tour of Alcatraz was just I can't.
I don't have words for it. I speak for a
living I don't have words for it. Now. The big
NBA question as we look forward to the Nicks and
the Pacers Eastern Conference Finals. We'll break that down. Uh,
who's in more trouble the Celtics or the Calves Caves,
(21:53):
Celtics or the Calves. I agree with you, and this
is not what you're like. Wow, really sad. Yeah, I'm
not gonna see her go. Yeah, the Nicks because because
it's Celtics are in so much trouble because they stink.
Because look at the Nicks, You're not gonna miss forty
five three throws again. And then maybe the Celtics missed
like thirty or forty more threes. It can't make them.
Datum sucks, Brown sucks. Bridges just ripped the ball out
of his edge. That's all.
Speaker 3 (22:13):
Hell.
Speaker 1 (22:14):
I'll hang up and listen off the air. Uh no, no,
I'm telling the Celtics. Look, they lose tonight. They give
away the game to the Knicks because they kept deciding
we're gonna keep shooting threes and there's no other adjustment,
no anything, which is really all on Joe Mizula. That's
a complete epic fail by him tonight. But the Cavaliers
they made me missing three of their guys. Now, I
(22:35):
mean when Kenny at congratulates Kenny Atkinson coach of the
year in the end.
Speaker 3 (22:38):
Yeah, it means he's getting fired after next year, but
I mean then that's the history.
Speaker 1 (22:42):
Yeah, yeah, one more congratulations Kenny.
Speaker 3 (22:45):
Damn.
Speaker 1 (22:48):
He may get fired after the series if they lose
to the page. We know Darius Garland who's been out
the last couple of games with his toe injury, and
now Evan Mobley and DeAndre Hunter both may miss the
game and might miss Game two tomorrow. In fact, Atkinson
said today they were doubtful for tomorrow. That Mobile and
Hunter are doubtful, and guys don't make it from doubtful
(23:10):
into the lineup, right, That's one thing we've seen over
the course of the last ten to fifteen years. Well, doubtful,
you still have a twenty five. No, guys don't make
it from doubtful. Guys make it from questionable all the time.
In fact, if you're questionable, it means that's a better move.
Questionable likely means you're gonna play. Very rare instances to
guys who are questionable get ruled out of a game.
But you are doubtful, that's saying your I don't the
(23:31):
barring a miracle you are not playing tomorrow night, and
even if you do, what kind of impact can you have?
The Calves, all of a sudden, this deep team and
the best offense in the NBA suddenly struggling to score points.
They'd be missing three of their better players, three of
their rotation guys tomorrow and better. You know, Garland's an
All Star and the papers and the Pacers have shown you.
(23:53):
They're a bad matchup of all the teams to draw
for the Cavaliers, the Pacers are a bad match. Halliburton
was able to do what he wanted to do in
that game. They have a tough time figuring him out
and the rest of the team they can hit enough
shots like the Pacers. The NBA players are all about matchups,
and this matchup with the Knicks and the Celtics okay, great.
(24:14):
The Celtics are dinged up a little bit and Porzingis
missed most of the game tonight. He would have been
a big help for the Celtics because clearly the Knicks
Karl Anthony Towns in foul trouble most of the night
to night. His size might have been a difference, but
he misses the game. We know the Celtics already aren't
one hundred percent healthy. But this right here, like this matchup,
it was already gonna be a little bit more difficult.
The Pacers are rising as the season ended, and Halliburton
(24:37):
with them, I mean, it's a bad matchup. And now
they're coming into Game two where they could be without
three three really good players, and it's like, all of
a sudden, now your nine man rotation is six guys
and three guys that barely play well. How are you
gonna do? What are you gonna do?
Speaker 3 (24:52):
Right if the Cavaliers throughout this year, a lot of
their strength has been the fact that you had the
acquisition of Hunter in mid season, boost your rebounding into
your defense, et cetera. When you look at Evan Mobley
what he's been able to do, and then you've got
Tied Jerome who's been on the bench and been a
great scorer for you. But the one thing you've had
is depth. You've had this deep rotation. Pacers are one
(25:16):
of the few teams that can match that with you,
and right now you're looking at the considerable disadvantage again
missing two guys that are instrumental, and what you're trying
to do defensively, and Garland.
Speaker 1 (25:29):
Sets the table.
Speaker 3 (25:31):
So yeah, it's a difficult spot for a team where
everything had gone easy for the regular season, right, they
were bludgeting squadsky of like watching this Oklahoma City team
tonight where every time it looks like Denver's gonna make
a run, it's like, no, no, no, not so fast.
We're gonna rotate and we're gonna hit another shot. Wait,
who hit that? Yeah, the seventh guy.
Speaker 1 (25:51):
In the rotation. So they don't stop.
Speaker 3 (25:54):
But that was Cleveland's calling guard all season long. Now,
all of a sudden, you shorten the rotation, you shorten
your rebounding and advantage to get that second second opportunity
in the offensive boards, all of that stuff. Suddenly you're
you're looking very vulnerable. Whereas with the Celtics, Hey, let's
not take sixty next time. Okay, let's rotate the ball.
(26:16):
Let's let's actually set up a possession, uh and not
let this team get back into shouting range.
Speaker 1 (26:23):
And the Pacers are going to keep being physical, right,
it's gonna be This would be a big thing. I
can tell you right now. Atkinson's gonna jump up and
down about that tomorrow and Carlin back and forth. It's
going to continue to be physical and when they come
at you in waves, which is what what the Cavs
did all year long right there, you know, one through
nine it was boy they got really this is it's
(26:43):
some kind of rotation. You know, it's not just one player.
It's not just Donovan Mitchell, which is why the best
offense in the league. And it's one thing. I mean, look,
it's it's kind of elementary, but hey, if one player
gets hurt, okay, teams, good teams figure out a way.
Garland figure out a way around it. But when you're
about when your team is about depth and rotation and
(27:04):
people all of a sudden now replacing three guys with
either more minutes for the other players, Hey tips other
more minutes for the other players, or hey, we're gonna
play more guys that don't really play minutes. That's a
hard thing to suddenly jump into the playoffs when when
you are trying to when you've been doing it one
way all season. We're used to these guys. These are
guys gonna put points up on the board, and this
(27:26):
is how we're gonna work things. And now suddenly, oh
that's all out the window. I mean there Maybe Garland
gets back tomorrow, which would be a huge help, but
it looks like they're gonna be down at least but
the two players tomorrow, because again doubtful, doesn't mean we're
back in the lineup on for game two. Congratulations, your
coach of the Year. Now go earn it. They handed
(27:47):
the trophy to Kenny Atkinson and they realize, oh, you're
don one zip and met. Then they took it right
back and they said, all we're gonna take this back
and we're just gonna hold it until you prove that
you really, you really earn this one.
Speaker 3 (27:57):
Well, you realize there's regular season, have to go win
it again.
Speaker 1 (28:05):
Kenny Atkinson, future head coach in Milwaukee Bucks. Get ready,
here goes. Life comes at you fast, you know. Time
not to find out what's trending in the wide world
of sports. But guy has been called the Chris tops
Porzingis of Fox Sports Radio Wow walking down the hallway
last week, banged his head, bleeding like crazy, put a
bandage on it and updates the rest of the night.
It's Steve di Seger no I.
Speaker 4 (28:26):
Was not quite as invisible in the second half of
the night.
Speaker 5 (28:28):
I think that's where the now lesy did not play
second half tod to illness. Tonight, Boston blew a twenty
point lead to the next from mid third quarter in overtime.
The next take this second round opener at Boston one
o eight, one oh five is the Celtics from three
point range were fifteen for sixty, the most missed threes
(28:49):
ever in a playoff game and most attempts. Jayalen Brown
was one of ten from three. Meanwhile, the late game
at Oklahoma City has the Thunder in the lead ninety
four to eighty eight over with about ten minutes to go,
twenty points for Shay Gilgess Alexander. The NBA Coach of
the Year is Cleveland's Kenny Atkinson. Atkinson in first place
votes beat Detroit's JB. Bickerstaff fifty nine to thirty one.
(29:12):
Utah gave coach Will Hardy an extension through twenty thirty one.
In the NHL second round opener at Toronto, the Maple
Leafs led Florida four to one to start the third period,
and Leafs held on for a win, five to four.
The NHL's draft lottery was won by the Islanders. The
Baltimore Ravens release kicker Justin Tucker's coming off his worst
season and has been accused of misconduct. The Rams finalized
(29:34):
their contract with quarterback Matthew Stafford. Washington d C will
host the twenty twenty seven NFL Draft. Next year's will
be in Pittsburgh. University of Michigan coach Sharon Moore will
reportedly be suspended two games after the scandal involving advance
scouting to Major League Baseball. We have two late games,
Mariners at As tied at four top of the fifth inning,
(29:55):
and the Mets are leading two to one at the
Diamondbacks in the top of the seventh. Pete Alonzo with
a no doubter or two run homer in the fourth.
It went four hundred and twenty five feet. In fact,
he has more walks than strikeouts, so this year he's
actually hitting for a batting average, not just the long balls.
In fact, a great stat from the great Sarah Langs
for you, mister Mett. Most home runs in Mets history.
(30:18):
Darryl Strawberry just over two point fifty, David Wright just
over two forty, Pete Alonzo now two thirty five.
Speaker 1 (30:24):
Yeah, in his Mets every day. That contract just gets
more and more. A million dollars gets aheaded to that contract, everything.
Speaker 4 (30:31):
Everything for like ten years in the offseason.
Speaker 1 (30:34):
Right, no one, way Oh. Turned out to be a
good move for the Mets. Right, You're getting this year
out of him now next year might be a little
bit more expensive. Losing to the Diamondbacks.
Speaker 4 (30:42):
He is currently batting three forty four, which is just
the shocker for me at nine home runs thirty three
RBIs by the way. LA's Taoscar Hernandez with his thirty
fourth RBI tonight and the win at Miami, but he
left that game with hamstring tightness. Dodgers seven to four
winners over the Marlins. LA's record twenty four and eleven.
(31:03):
The Padres are twenty three and eleven. They've won six
in a row in the rain at Yankee Stadium, four
runs top of the eighth, beat New York four to three.
Atlanta shut out Cincinnati four nothing. Cleveland at Washington reigned out.
They'll play a doubleheader tomorrow. The Cubs nine to two
winners against San Francisco. The win to Matthew Boyd six inning,
seven strikeouts. Cubs lefty show to Imonaga was placed on
(31:24):
the injured list with a strain hamstring. Houston DH. Jordan
Alvarez is on the il with hand inflammation. Houston a
loser five to one at Milwaukee Christian Yelich, HOMERD and
a couple other finals. Kansas City shut out the White
Sox three nothink. The Royals have won twelve of fourteen.
Saint Louis and Pittsburgh to a fifth straight law six
to three.
Speaker 1 (31:43):
Back to you, Thank you, STEVEO. The Jason Smith Show
with my best friend Mike Carmon coming up next. Yes,
a big NBA story I was absolutely wrong about. But
that's next Jason and Mike Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 2 (32:01):
I have a unique knowledge of this prison facility.
Speaker 1 (32:03):
I was formerly a guest here.
Speaker 2 (32:10):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Jason Smith
Show with Mike Harmon weekdays at ten pm Eastern, seven
pm Pacific.
Speaker 1 (32:19):
Well, I like brunting in, I like bridges. One will
hit three and one will steal the ball. Fox Sports Radio,
The Jason Smith Show with my best friend Mike Harmon.
Speaker 3 (32:31):
You survived in spite of the fourth quarter Brunson with
a wook and give me the ball. Jalen Brown. I'm
more of a man than you are. If that gets
into an instant card, I will buy multiple copies.
Speaker 1 (32:44):
It's got to be one of those cards that move though.
You can actually see him the ball very particular. Yeah,
Harry Potter, you see him rip the ball out of it.
Can't stay there forever. He's got things to do. He's
a wizard. Jason Smith Mike Harmon live from the Fox
Sports Radio Studio, Oklahoma City. Now up over Denver one
oh two to ninety make it one o two ninety three,
(33:06):
eight minutes left to go in the fourth quarter. So
Denver hanging around a little bit here. Aaron Gordon now
is seventeen. He just hit a three uh to turn
this into a nine point game. But elsewhere in the
end band, like I said earlier this hour, and I
say the Nuggets. We told you the night that Michael
Malone got fired. When a coach has to go, he
has to go. It's fine, and now everybody's back try go. No, well,
(33:28):
wait a minute, just because I said it was bad
when it happened, I'll look at it. Yeah. No, we
told you what a information changed. Isn't that the rule
coach has to go? Right? We know it doesn't matter
if it's three games into the season, three games before
the playoffs, coach has to go. Coach has to go,
look where the Nuggets are, and no one's saying what
a bad move it was, and everybody's trying to backtrack
on it and go, oh, but look like this is
what happened. Now own it that you were wrong, because
(33:49):
I'm gonna own it that I was wrong about the Warriors.
I thought the Rockets were going to blow the doors
off the Golden State yesterday at one hundred percent. This
is where Golden State's gone as far as they could,
and here come the Rockets. They're back at home game seven.
They figured things out and instead, wow, did they look
like they need to score next year? It was, hey,
(34:11):
we need to. This is like all you need to
do to tell anybody like Kevin Durant or some a
big small forward, Hey, watch the tape of this game
and understand you can come in, be plopped down right
in the middle of this Rockets team, and suddenly the
Rockets will be really, really good. I didn't think the
Warriors would have enough, clearly, I mean, come on, buddy, heal,
come on, man, But that's the day I didn't see
(34:32):
Buddy Hill coming. Okay, okay, all right, I didn't see
Buddy He'll coming, all right, And obviously Curry with a
big fourth quarter to help close things out.
Speaker 3 (34:41):
But that lead was built on Buddy Held, who'd scored
forty two points through the first six games of the series,
including a big, fat round zero as many as my
shrunken ass PhD weight losson sure scored sitting on my couch.
Watch it right in game six he was a zero
(35:02):
and he comes out and he scores thirty three and
he can't be stopped.
Speaker 1 (35:06):
Like, could you say, all right, he's an X factor.
Speaker 3 (35:08):
Sure, he could have said that, But could you have
had any expectation he would be the guy carrying the team?
Speaker 1 (35:13):
No.
Speaker 3 (35:14):
The other is they clearly just decided we're not going
to throw Draymond Green out of the game, no matter
what he does. No, no matter throws someone to the
side or hit someone in the head, arms flailing it does.
Speaker 1 (35:29):
Yeah, I got you better lay low for a while.
I think they're looking for you. You would get away
with that, I think you might. He might all look
at it, and you would have. You would have Reggie
Miller saying, yeah, but does he look like he wants
to throw the trident right at the guy's heart or
does he try to scare him and it just he
loses a handle on it a little bit. I know
that I would throw him out of the game for that.
It did look like there was the intent was there
(35:50):
that he was going to kill him. And then you
have Mary just say, oh, it's slipped study in the game.
You know it was inadvertent.
Speaker 2 (35:58):
Well, jam and you know what.
Speaker 1 (35:59):
We're gonna have to give you a flagrant though, you know,
and when you had it, you got to clean the
blood up off the floor. But you can stay in
the game.
Speaker 3 (36:06):
But how did it get on the court to be
getting it just it just was, I mean flipped, yeah, exactly.
And now everybody's calling for Jalen Green, who had a
great year, nearly twenty two points per game. He had
one good game in that entire series. They agitated him
and kept him off the mark. He had that thirty
eight point game going all the way back to Game two,
(36:27):
otherwise kept at bay. And that was a guy that
they were banking on with the veteran savvy of Fred
van Vliet to get him over and certainly for Game seven,
I think the biggest question. You know, we could talk
all the the euphemisms you want about, ah, the heart
of a champion and.
Speaker 1 (36:42):
Oh you gotta take him down.
Speaker 3 (36:43):
And I'll believe it when I say it, Like, tell
me what you saw in games five and six that
made you believe that the Warriors were that team? Still, Yeah,
that's the biggest thing for me. Right, Game five, I
get it, it got away and they they stopped, right, they
all right here, I'm throwing the damn towel. We'll see
it for well, guess what they know showed Game six too.
Speaker 1 (37:04):
Now let me say this because I again I was wrong.
The Warriors won. I was wrong. Yes, I had to
hell the stories about Warriors culture in this now, Okay,
didn't expect little Buddy to get back in little buddy diapers?
How many how many extra sketch did you make, Buddy?
How many threes did you make? Buddy? Nine nine nine
nine three? Buddy? So I didn't see that coming. Tap
(37:25):
the breaks on the Warriors, Okay, tap the breaks on
the Warriors. They won the first round, they were favored
to win this round. They were favored coming in, they
were the favorites to beat the Rockets. The Rockets were
the worst of the teams because clearly this wasn't a
playoff tested team. This is a team with really good
supplemental players and Fred VanVleet, my goodness, he was phenomenally.
(37:46):
He's the most underrated player in the NBA. But of
all those teams in the first round, hey, who was
most vulnerable? On a list, you would have said the Rockets,
absolutely the most vulnerable. Warriors were the betting favorite. Right,
Warriors were the betting favorites. So they won a first
round series? Is that they were favored to win? This
is not The Warriors have gone on a four week
run and here they are taken down. They beat the
(38:07):
t Wolves. Hey, okay, man, now you're really showing me
something against a younger team that defensively is gonna put
everything they have on the Warriors, you beat them, okay,
But you want a first round series against a team
you were favored to beat, Let's tap the breaks on
the Warriors.
Speaker 3 (38:23):
As we always say, though, you got to find your
wins and celebrate the hell out of those victors you
have because they were left for dead against the Rockets.
I still like them, plus the two and a half,
I thought they could win it, but trying to explain
it beyond the the Rockets are young, and if it's
a tight game late blah blah blah, and well and
that's what ends up. They get blown out right and
(38:43):
they get disgraced in a game seven.
Speaker 1 (38:46):
And now it's the all right, how do you retool
the roster?
Speaker 3 (38:49):
You've got loss of lots of assets and a lot
of players that you can move. But for the Warriors,
you know, now you're at that point where I can't
expect really it's from from really much of anybody. Uh,
Curry's been hit or miss whatever, whatever's going on with
the song Hurt thumbale hurt, eating the hell out of
it with that, Draymond's gonna be Draymond buddy healed again.
Speaker 1 (39:12):
Thirty three comes out of note. I mean, come on, man,
I mean that's great.
Speaker 3 (39:15):
They got a couple of good games from Moody and
and Pozimski.
Speaker 1 (39:18):
Over the course of the series. But is that enough firepower?
Speaker 3 (39:23):
It's fun to watch, right to still see the old
guys out there and give it the old college try,
but banking on them to suddenly take down a t
Wolves team that's a deep and aggressive with all the
perimeter defenders they have.
Speaker 1 (39:36):
There's no easy shots. Get get back to get back
to me if they beat the t Wolves. Okay, you
get back to me, can b R. I'm ready for
my interview whenever you want. I'm ready to go and
we can talk about Alkaz.
Speaker 2 (39:44):
That's right.
Speaker 1 (39:46):
Exit up, out of Fresco, Exit swalling down. The Jason
Smith Show with my best friend Mike Carbon Coming up next,
we get back into the biggest NBA story of the night.
Whose fault is it? The Celtics lost to the Knicks. Wait,
don't we tell you
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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Speaker 2 (00:23):
You're listening to Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 1 (00:29):
Greetings, Welcome in side hour two of mcal bridges show
alongside my beans, ran og Anunoby, Oh Boy. You can
stream this show in all of our Fox Sports Radio
shows live twenty four to seven in the new iHeartRadio app.
Just search Fox Sports Radio in the app stream us Live.
One of the newest features in the app, you can
select Fox Sports Radios one of your presets, just like
(00:51):
the presets on a radio dial, so be sure to
preset Fox Sports Radio in the iHeartRadio app. It'll always
pop up at the top of your screen. Well, yes,
it has been a huge night in the NBA already
the Knicks beat the Celtics one oh eight, one oh
five because mccal bridges rips the ball out of the
(01:11):
arms of Jalen Brown on the Celtics final last gasp
desperation three. Let's face it, they working at it anyway,
because they couldn't a three all night tonight and the
Knicks wind up snatching game one up, one game to none.
Now over the Celtics.
Speaker 3 (01:26):
Yeah, I did like the fact, and I'm not gonna
play it up too much because it'll feed whatever high
you're still riding off of.
Speaker 1 (01:34):
But it was good to see them commit to defense.
Speaker 3 (01:38):
Look, first half was a disaster, right they're down sixteen,
It gets up to twenty midway through the third, but
then something switched and the feed started moving and those
shots that were already not falling are now being contested
at a different level.
Speaker 2 (01:52):
Now.
Speaker 1 (01:52):
They give up nineteen offensive rebounds.
Speaker 3 (01:55):
That's one that Tom Thibodeau in his heart of hearts.
Speaker 1 (01:58):
That's the stat that's stand out. That and free throws.
Speaker 3 (02:01):
Well, if you guys can't hit free throws, that's not
gonna suddenly change, right, that's not gonna suddenly change.
Speaker 1 (02:07):
But I guarantee you you can get more.
Speaker 3 (02:08):
Effort on the glass because you saw a lot of
back week side rebounds. And that's the thing, you know,
watching with some of these erratic really frantic possessions by
the Celtics, like you're not getting to really set up
your rebounding at all because you've got some weird angles
that the ball's coming off. You have thirty foot fading
(02:31):
shots and whatever long rebounds, bricks, you name it. We
saw it all from the Celtics over their sixty three
point attempts. So just trying to you know, set up
and get your normal base was a bit odd. But
when it's all comes through it the fact that Jalen
Brunson is still a guy that is unflappable and your
(02:55):
guy bridges. For as much as you've tried to cast
him off the last two months, I think I could
probably find about eight to ten minutes of game tape
i e.
Speaker 1 (03:03):
Radio show time of you lamenting his existence and lots
of squad lots of it.
Speaker 3 (03:08):
And if we took the stuff in the back, I
mean you offered, did you move him?
Speaker 1 (03:12):
Oh yeah, yeah, Jo Brianna, who's big suns man, Like,
we'll give him back back to you. I'll get back
to you, give us Devin Booker, I'll give you back. McKelvin.
Speaker 3 (03:20):
Well, I mean the Booker thing you tried to slide
in under cover of night. You had all the other
parameters of uh, well, you know, we'll take a draft pick,
we'll do this and whatever.
Speaker 1 (03:29):
But all of that to say, you stole a game.
Speaker 3 (03:32):
Yeah, and now you get to play a little bit
and we'll see if porzingis is healthy. Game two left
with an illness, but sixty three point shots. Man Love
averages said they can't be quite so terrible next time.
Speaker 2 (03:46):
Well, we'll see.
Speaker 3 (03:47):
Maybe the Nicks will make free throws, right, maybe there's
a little bit of balance in the force.
Speaker 1 (03:51):
But we'll ask a big question. We'll ask a big
NBA question coming off of tonight, coming up in about
twenty minutes. But other big news today in the NBA.
First of all, we told you the Oklahoma City Thunder
and the Denver Nuggets. Of Denver Nuggets led this one early,
but it has been all Thunder since late in the
first quarter. Yes, Jokic has twenty and fourteen, he's having
(04:12):
a big night, but Gilgess Alexander has seventeen and eight.
The bench is coming through for the Thunder. They now
lead this by thirteen with ten minutes to go in
the third quarter. And obviously this is a series, it's
game one and we're still going. But let me just
say this about the Nuggets. What you heard what you
(04:33):
just said?
Speaker 3 (04:33):
Right, Yeah, obviously this is a series game on games
over here.
Speaker 1 (04:38):
Yeah, the Knicks. I got ready to score because I
got to talk about the team that's losing, which is
the Nuggets. The Knicks one, Nicks one. I'm ready for
the intern Conference Finals, Knicks Pacers East Finals. Let's go,
let's go. No, because I'm going to talk about the
Nuggets here for a minute, because you know, look, they
they have the big game seven against the Clippers and
they roll through them, and now every buddy starting to
(05:00):
come around. It's funny hearing today all the takes on
the Nuggets of oh, you know, when you fire your
head coach, look at what it can do for you. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no,
all no, all everybody who after the Nuggets fired Michael
Below with three days left in the regular season, when
everybody said, bike again, this is a horrible move.
Speaker 2 (05:18):
How dare you do this? This is all how you're
gonna win?
Speaker 1 (05:20):
What's going on? What are we The night that firing happened,
we said, if the guys gotta go, the guys gotta go.
You remember, because that's what we said. If the guys
gotta go, it doesn't matter if it's three days before
the regular season or if it's three days into the
regular season. If a change has to be made, if
things are going poorly, and you know that we get
to the playoffs, we're gonna go through the motions and
then we're gonna fire our head coach. I don't want
(05:42):
to give a playoff away. When a coach has to go,
a coach has to go. And clearly it was no
longer at tenable situation. Right, he had been insulting the
players were on whoever's fault, it was the players are
wanting to have to take the court. You don't have
to keep the head coach.
Speaker 3 (05:56):
Right, And it's filled over into all his press conferences. Yeah,
everything about fur and film review and everything else.
Speaker 1 (06:01):
Not happy with his guys. Not watch it turned a
point where he was mad at his players. It seemed
like he didn't like his players. When a coach doesn't
like his players, unless you are Steve Kerr or unless
you're someone who has a big cachet, well guess what,
you're not gonna win that. And clearly Malone's not gonna
win that against Yo Kitchen Murray. So he had to go.
And it's not like David Adelman has come in and
reinvented the wheel. But you knew a new coach coming in.
(06:24):
It's gonna be the same type of things. They're gonna
feel freer, they're gonna play better basketball, and what doll
we tell you all through this first year, it's tailor
made for the Nuggets. And seven they're gonna win the
series in seven because the Clippers are gonna do their
thing and give it away. Right That's what happened. And
here are the Nuggets. They're going to have a big
game in Game seven. And here they are now in
the second round. No one is saying, oh, you can't
(06:44):
fire now. They're all trying to backtrack. Oh, this is
what happens when you fire this way. No, no, no, no,
own it own. I own when I'm wrong, and I'll
get into the Warriors. I was wrong about the Warriors.
They won this series. Own when you're wrong, And nobody,
nobody said that the Nuggets made the right move when
right away, when a coach has to go, he's gotta go. Tada.
Here are the Nuggets in the second round.
Speaker 3 (07:04):
Yeah, it's very very rare in our business that you
get full on Maya Kulpis.
Speaker 1 (07:10):
In this case you could have had.
Speaker 3 (07:13):
I'm curious to see how it stands out.
Speaker 1 (07:17):
Like Mike Malone, even with all.
Speaker 3 (07:19):
The preponderance of evidence that we had in terms of
whatever animus beyond Hey, film review, I couldn't get guys
to watch.
Speaker 1 (07:27):
I couldn't get guys to buy.
Speaker 3 (07:28):
You're telling on yourself at every turn, and so when
you had the ownership started making their opinion of it
all hurt because everyone's like, you had this same game
win streak after the All Star break, you had this,
You had these streaks. It's like, well, they're all mirages
because they're all against bad teams or luck came their
(07:50):
way in the final minute of the game right one
or two possessions that you know, the ball bounced their way.
So yeah, you get to the point where you make
that decision. It's like your job, your relationships. You know
what you're doing in terms of ordering at a restaurant.
At some point you got to cut bait and just
do it right. If you're having it on every day
(08:11):
of like I do I still want to do this?
Do I still want to go there. You know, I've
got disappointment and I don't really want to see those people.
Why are they coming over for dinner? Although then it
probably is, you know, a situation you need to have
a conversation about. Ye And with this in the coaching search,
they'd already decided they were getting rid of him in
the off season.
Speaker 1 (08:31):
That was already done. Don't don't postpone the future, and
they and because you were going to give away a playoff,
you can't give away any years of Yokic in the playoffs.
You were going to give away a playoff and what
just to make that decision. But the other thing did
it now?
Speaker 3 (08:44):
But Jokis is also the guy that is the biggest
wild card in the NBA, perhaps in sports, because he
is the one guy that I could legitimately say I
would not be shocked at all if he suddenly just
walked away whatever they're last game was of a season,
If he was really ticked off and he just went
and wrote gotten the sulky and rode his horses around
(09:07):
his track and was never seen on another basketball court
everybody else.
Speaker 1 (09:11):
It comes to a natural conclusion. See, but I don't know,
But Jokic seems to be enjoying coaching the Nuggets as
much as he is. But that's the thing. He's enjoying that,
and every time out he's really it's almost like Adam
and I got this, Okay, I got that. Look, here's
what we're gonna do. Like you see, every time out
he is much more involved instead, this is what we
should do. Let's do this, let's do this, let's do this.
Speaker 3 (09:30):
But it seems but that's the thing, right, and that
I think is kind of telling of whatever that relationship
deterioration was with Malone, is that you do have this
type of vocal leadership. Like I haven't gone back and
watched this brutal film of him and Michael Malone, but
I sure as hell don't remember a lot of demonstrative
to get me the whiteboard, no moment in.
Speaker 1 (09:54):
The short term. And that's him standing up saying I'm
ready to take on a bigger role because now I can.
It's the whole team. You feel looser and and and happier,
and you're happy to come to work, and and that
shows itself in the game. Not that the Nuggets are
suddenly turning into a team boy, Not now they're realizing
their full potential. But it gets easy. It's easier to win.
It's eve when you're not fighting yourself and you're happy
(10:16):
to come to work every day. Everything is. Anybody's ever
had a situation where hey, I'm much happier coming to
work today than i was last week or last year.
You're gonna do better at your job and things are
gonna go better.
Speaker 3 (10:26):
And you know you don't have to give one hundred
and ten percent in a game seven against the Clippers.
Speaker 1 (10:31):
We can. We're gonna run midway through the third quarter.
We're just gonna rest.
Speaker 3 (10:34):
They're gonna quit. We're gonna, we're gonna We're gonna make them,
We're gonna we're gonna rest. We're gonna beat themselves to
where they give up.
Speaker 1 (10:41):
Just gonna rest. Now, speaking of the Clippers, everybody, and
I mean, and there are a lot of people you
know who you are. I will take your James Harden
apologies now about how no one's a James Harden away
from winning anything. He shows up with true James Harden
in the playoffs, right all this regular Look James Harden, Yes,
look what he's done. You're taking on a bigger role
(11:02):
with Kawhi being injured. But when has James Harden ever
gotten it done in the playoffs? It's always the same thing,
except now he's getting tired. Earlier he plays really well
and at the end of big games in the playoffs,
he gets tired. And what did he have yesterday? Seven points?
Okay games or two days ago game says seven points.
You can't win that way.
Speaker 2 (11:22):
You can't.
Speaker 1 (11:23):
You can't win when a guy you're building your team around,
he and Kawhi Leonard, when you come up that small
repeatedly in the playoffs, and now today Lawrence Frank said, oh,
we're building around Kawhi and James Harden for next year. Well,
scratch the Clippers from contention. I know they're not gonna
win anything because they're building around two guys or in
their mid thirties and they can't stay healthy. Scratch them off.
This is who James Harden is. He's a terrific player.
(11:46):
It's going to the Hall of Fame. Reinvented his career
halfway through, became an unbelievable point guard. But tell me
the last time in a playoff game when you can say, wow,
Harden was great. Harden was the difference. I read you
that stat earlier today and I still can't believe it's
but a bunch of people in my timeline have quoted
it that in their history, the number of times these
(12:06):
stars have made four field goals or less in a
playoff game. Right, it was two from Durant, three from
Steph Curry, five from Lebron and thirty five from James Harden.
I was like, there's no way that's true, even me
telling you James Harden, is it what you think he is?
And trust me, we all saw that. I can't believe that,
But but look at that four or less field goals
(12:29):
in a playoff game, thirty five for James Harden, Like,
come on, man, come on, but that's what Harden was
in Game seven needs you the most. Yes, he did
have thirteen assists, that's awesome, but you got this is
when you score twenty five or thirty James, this.
Speaker 3 (12:42):
Is this but that would easy to do. Right, Even
in the broadcast they were putting up the the graphic
the lower third as it were, with all of his statistics,
and he had taken eight shots. Like you got a
Game seven situation. You're a guy who has been a
volume shooter for the bulk of your career. Now you've
been a better just tributor, and certainly number of years
where he got into double digit assists per game averages
(13:05):
and all of that fun stuff. But in a game seven,
you're invisible and you're not looking for the shot. He
had Kawhi Leonard, who got very thoughtful and contemplative and
everything he was saying in the post, and they asked
him about, you know, working with our Well we didn't win, right.
It was good to be out there and we had
some moments, but in the end we didn't win. Obviously
(13:27):
I'm going and condensing it, but a lot of it
to say you're healthy in the playoffs and and you
got to the point where it was there for the taking.
Zubac had a fantastic series, Right, You want to talk
about a guy who on a national scene, and we've
certainly watched him here with the Clippers the last couple
of years, but on a national scene, he gave Jokic
(13:48):
all he could handled. Right, He did a hell of
a job defensively, offensively, had some big thing. That's our
third most improved player in the NBA. Hang that back,
but that's that. But you can't bank on him. He's
not got to suddenly score thirty five. That's Hard's job
to suddenly be the explosive playmaker and take shots. And
if he's not gonna take shots, he's he's a detriment.
(14:09):
I told certainly, he ain't winning defensively with him.
Speaker 1 (14:11):
I told you who Harden was. No, no, no, but
look how good Yes, and the regular that's great in
these regular season games. James Harden's factat yeah, look at
look at where he was. But that's the other day, right,
this guy in what year is he in? Fifteen? You
know what he is at this point? Told you told you? Hey,
say I told you so, James Haru. I'll take all
your post that while all your apologies, all apologies, all apology,
(14:34):
too far exit hot about a Fresca exit swollen dome.
Jason Smith Mike Harmon live from the Fox Sports Radio Studios, Denver.
Has cut the lead. Maybe because they're they're enjoying the
good things we were saying about. Yeah, maybe seventy three
sixty four now six and a half to go on
the third quarter, still Thunder with a nine point lead,
but it was just a little bit more. A few
minutes ago. Coming up next, we got more from the NBA.
(14:56):
I will ask a huge question about the playoffs. That's next,
Jason and Mike Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 2 (15:04):
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 1 (15:15):
Fox Sports Radio. The Jason Smith Show with my best
friend Mike Harmon. Thunderlead the Nuggets eighty two seventy one
four minutes ago in the third quarrel of more in
this game coming up in a few minutes, But before
I ask you the big NBA question. Yeah, because it
merits it. Today we may have Alcatraz reopen. How about
(15:35):
that as a prison? Have you ever taken the tour?
I'm glad you asked me that. Wow, it's just like
it's an infomerse. I'm glad you asked me that. Now, obviously,
President Trump saying today that he's going to direct the
US Penal Association to reopen Alcatraz for the prison where
they can put the worst of the worst. Now that
was decommissioned in what sixty to three?
Speaker 2 (15:54):
Long time?
Speaker 1 (15:55):
That long time, trying to remember my tourism. Now you
know what, I read a funny story that the I
think Escape from Alcatraz was on local TV and DC
on Saturday night, and then you know, President Trump says
it's so I'm sure, like, hey, he watched it. And
then he says, hey, let's reopen Alcatraz. Like that's like
how I nick fantasy moves. Hey, I really liked it.
I saw the highlights. Let's let's put them on life.
Speaker 3 (16:16):
I might have been swirling in the background and then
it comes front of mine. It's like, hey, what are
we doing with that?
Speaker 1 (16:21):
That's land. We can do something with that. But number one,
taking the tour not too long ago. I bet like that.
I've done the tour twice, which tells you how good
it is. Uh, it's it's clearly not even close to
being ready to be reused. Like there's a there's no,
it's plumbing, there's no it's falling. It's falling. It's a fulm,
it's a museum. I'll tell you what. The tour. Yes,
(16:42):
here's the thing in my life. When I go on vacation,
I love to do historical tours, right, go different places
and see it and everything. The two best tours I've
ever been on where I couldn't get enough of it,
and I bought books after to read about them. The
two I couldn't get enough of Waterloo and that's because
Abbot did the song no Waterloo and Alcatraz. Okay, Alcatraz
(17:05):
was incredible because we took the tour and we said, hey,
these are the guided tour where people tell you the
stories because the people who are like related to the
guards who were there, and like like it's a whole
big thing. And there's a there's a guy that wrote
a book about Alcatraz. It's there every day just signing
copies of his book. That's what he does. I show
up and signed copies of my book. I got a
bad job. It was so interesting. You see all the
(17:27):
you see all the all the different jail cells. They
even have the big escape like it's set up for
when that person escaped, how they did it, and you
see it in their cell. You get to walk into,
I get take pictures inside the cell. You hear stories.
Here's where the gunfire was, where where people were shooting,
right here, The birdman's cell was right here, and this
is the this is the worst part. They thought it
was so why Alcatraz was chosen, because you could still
(17:49):
hear the revelry from on shore, but it was still
too far away. People are trapped here on this rock.
Welcome to the rock, and they can hear people, and
they can hear people having fun, you know, right off
the coast in San Francisco. It was I couldn't get
enough of it. I wanted to go back. The next
I said, let's take another tour. I said to Pam,
maybe there's another guy. I'll tell us different stories. We
just had a whole two and a half hour Yeah,
(18:10):
I know, but it was so good that And while
I'm telling you that and Waterloo two greatest tours of
my life, you get to walk to the top of
Waterloo and understand why Napoleon lost. It was like, had
he been able to take this hill, the entire history
of Europe might have been different. This hill you are
standing and it's just a hill like you go to
a park. Had he been able to take this hill,
because he could have seen where to move his troops out,
like the entire history of Europe might be different Like that.
(18:33):
I mean, I'm like, oh my god, that's amazing. But
Alcatraz was just it blew me away. All the stories
you've heard, all the people you want to hear about,
you hear about the big breakout, They tell you everything.
You get to see, Hey, it went right from here.
This is where the dining room is, and you walk
into the dining hall as an unbelievable. Unbelievable.
Speaker 3 (18:48):
At one point I had a book of the some
of the ghost stories of Alcatraz that we purchased on it.
Like the night cruise is different, right because everybody's might
have gone to dinner and had a drink or two,
and then now you're on a boat and the fog
is rolling in and they're reminding you of what's in
the waters, right, because that's the you're not getting out
of here without eating a shark or five, all those things.
(19:12):
So building that all up, and then you're going through
dimly lit and that's the other thing, like the electricity.
Speaker 1 (19:18):
It's oh sure, I mean, it would be so much
money to have to redo alcohol to be cool, though,
you know, yeah it works man to say, hey, Alcatraz
is badly, here's all. Here's all the work, but I
I you know, my my worry is end. Okay. Now
now we're making. We're making celebrities out of whoever winds
up going there wherever. I'll look, who's look who's headed
the Yeah, I get that now, Jason, You're going to
(19:40):
be going there for at least three nights in the hole?
Why am I going there? What do you think the
government just forgot about that? Mailbox? Mailboxes? By the way,
nineteen ninety two, nineteen ninety you said.
Speaker 3 (19:52):
Welcome to the Rock, and I wasn't thinking about the
movie the Rock. I was thinking about the show come
from a I'm an islander.
Speaker 1 (20:07):
Because I got a theater. That's what we do all
the time. Come to the right. That was Vanessa Marcill, right,
it was gonna be a big breakout star, and she
had Las Vegas was fantastic, Yeah she was, but she
was in a big movie with with Sean Connery and
Nicholas Cage and Ed Harris. You know, but I will say,
(20:27):
We'll say this is that you know, the whole big
thing they tell you about, you know, the people who
escaped from Alcatraz never never found them, obviously, don't know
where they are. And you say, these these the the
waters here. You weren't gonna make it. And I say
to myself. I know it's cold, but I could make
it to I could make it to the shores, and
said I could make it to San Francisco. I think
if I dove in, I could nothing. I was doing
(20:47):
bridge you couldn't walk over. But I think if I
could have no Well, now, look i'm on PHG weight loss. Man,
I'm feeling pretty good. I could dive in. He does
look pretty spry. I think I can swim. I could
because it looks like something you can swim like. I know,
but that but that's the thing. It's the illusion swim
that it's a short trip.
Speaker 3 (21:06):
But then you add rip currents and everything else.
Speaker 1 (21:10):
Yeah, I forgot about the shark. Convince yourself they're fake
with lasers. No, I'll communicate with the sharks and tell
them stay away, rock them. Yeah that's what I do.
Nice sweater. They'll stay away. Oh, stay away from that
state not even closed. I know they got justin fields now,
but stay away, stay away there. Uh So again, I'm
(21:30):
telling you, the tour of Alcatraz was just I can't.
I don't have words for it. I speak for a
living I don't have words for it. Now. The big
NBA question as we look forward to the Nicks and
the Pacers Eastern Conference Finals. We'll break that down. Uh,
who's in more trouble the Celtics or the Calves Caves,
(21:53):
Celtics or the Calves. I agree with you, and this
is not what you're like. Wow, really sad. Yeah, I'm
not gonna see her go. Yeah, the Nicks because because
it's Celtics are in so much trouble because they stink.
Because look at the Nicks, You're not gonna miss forty
five three throws again. And then maybe the Celtics missed
like thirty or forty more threes. It can't make them.
Datum sucks, Brown sucks. Bridges just ripped the ball out
of his edge. That's all.
Speaker 3 (22:13):
Hell.
Speaker 1 (22:14):
I'll hang up and listen off the air. Uh no, no,
I'm telling the Celtics. Look, they lose tonight. They give
away the game to the Knicks because they kept deciding
we're gonna keep shooting threes and there's no other adjustment,
no anything, which is really all on Joe Mizula. That's
a complete epic fail by him tonight. But the Cavaliers
they made me missing three of their guys. Now, I
(22:35):
mean when Kenny at congratulates Kenny Atkinson coach of the
year in the end.
Speaker 3 (22:38):
Yeah, it means he's getting fired after next year, but
I mean then that's the history.
Speaker 1 (22:42):
Yeah, yeah, one more congratulations Kenny.
Speaker 3 (22:45):
Damn.
Speaker 1 (22:48):
He may get fired after the series if they lose
to the page. We know Darius Garland who's been out
the last couple of games with his toe injury, and
now Evan Mobley and DeAndre Hunter both may miss the
game and might miss Game two tomorrow. In fact, Atkinson
said today they were doubtful for tomorrow. That Mobile and
Hunter are doubtful, and guys don't make it from doubtful
(23:10):
into the lineup, right, That's one thing we've seen over
the course of the last ten to fifteen years. Well, doubtful,
you still have a twenty five. No, guys don't make
it from doubtful. Guys make it from questionable all the time.
In fact, if you're questionable, it means that's a better move.
Questionable likely means you're gonna play. Very rare instances to
guys who are questionable get ruled out of a game.
But you are doubtful, that's saying your I don't the
(23:31):
barring a miracle you are not playing tomorrow night, and
even if you do, what kind of impact can you have?
The Calves, all of a sudden, this deep team and
the best offense in the NBA suddenly struggling to score points.
They'd be missing three of their better players, three of
their rotation guys tomorrow and better. You know, Garland's an
All Star and the papers and the Pacers have shown you.
(23:53):
They're a bad matchup of all the teams to draw
for the Cavaliers, the Pacers are a bad match. Halliburton
was able to do what he wanted to do in
that game. They have a tough time figuring him out
and the rest of the team they can hit enough
shots like the Pacers. The NBA players are all about matchups,
and this matchup with the Knicks and the Celtics okay, great.
(24:14):
The Celtics are dinged up a little bit and Porzingis
missed most of the game tonight. He would have been
a big help for the Celtics because clearly the Knicks
Karl Anthony Towns in foul trouble most of the night
to night. His size might have been a difference, but
he misses the game. We know the Celtics already aren't
one hundred percent healthy. But this right here, like this matchup,
it was already gonna be a little bit more difficult.
The Pacers are rising as the season ended, and Halliburton
(24:37):
with them, I mean, it's a bad matchup. And now
they're coming into Game two where they could be without
three three really good players, and it's like, all of
a sudden, now your nine man rotation is six guys
and three guys that barely play well. How are you
gonna do? What are you gonna do?
Speaker 3 (24:52):
Right if the Cavaliers throughout this year, a lot of
their strength has been the fact that you had the
acquisition of Hunter in mid season, boost your rebounding into
your defense, et cetera. When you look at Evan Mobley
what he's been able to do, and then you've got
Tied Jerome who's been on the bench and been a
great scorer for you. But the one thing you've had
is depth. You've had this deep rotation. Pacers are one
(25:16):
of the few teams that can match that with you,
and right now you're looking at the considerable disadvantage again
missing two guys that are instrumental, and what you're trying
to do defensively, and Garland.
Speaker 1 (25:29):
Sets the table.
Speaker 3 (25:31):
So yeah, it's a difficult spot for a team where
everything had gone easy for the regular season, right, they
were bludgeting squadsky of like watching this Oklahoma City team
tonight where every time it looks like Denver's gonna make
a run, it's like, no, no, no, not so fast.
We're gonna rotate and we're gonna hit another shot. Wait,
who hit that? Yeah, the seventh guy.
Speaker 1 (25:51):
In the rotation. So they don't stop.
Speaker 3 (25:54):
But that was Cleveland's calling guard all season long. Now,
all of a sudden, you shorten the rotation, you shorten
your rebounding and advantage to get that second second opportunity
in the offensive boards, all of that stuff. Suddenly you're
you're looking very vulnerable. Whereas with the Celtics, Hey, let's
not take sixty next time. Okay, let's rotate the ball.
(26:16):
Let's let's actually set up a possession, uh and not
let this team get back into shouting range.
Speaker 1 (26:23):
And the Pacers are going to keep being physical, right,
it's gonna be This would be a big thing. I
can tell you right now. Atkinson's gonna jump up and
down about that tomorrow and Carlin back and forth. It's
going to continue to be physical and when they come
at you in waves, which is what what the Cavs
did all year long right there, you know, one through
nine it was boy they got really this is it's
(26:43):
some kind of rotation. You know, it's not just one player.
It's not just Donovan Mitchell, which is why the best
offense in the league. And it's one thing. I mean, look,
it's it's kind of elementary, but hey, if one player
gets hurt, okay, teams, good teams figure out a way.
Garland figure out a way around it. But when you're
about when your team is about depth and rotation and
(27:04):
people all of a sudden now replacing three guys with
either more minutes for the other players, Hey tips other
more minutes for the other players, or hey, we're gonna
play more guys that don't really play minutes. That's a
hard thing to suddenly jump into the playoffs when when
you are trying to when you've been doing it one
way all season. We're used to these guys. These are
guys gonna put points up on the board, and this
(27:26):
is how we're gonna work things. And now suddenly, oh
that's all out the window. I mean there Maybe Garland
gets back tomorrow, which would be a huge help, but
it looks like they're gonna be down at least but
the two players tomorrow, because again doubtful, doesn't mean we're
back in the lineup on for game two. Congratulations, your
coach of the Year. Now go earn it. They handed
(27:47):
the trophy to Kenny Atkinson and they realize, oh, you're
don one zip and met. Then they took it right
back and they said, all we're gonna take this back
and we're just gonna hold it until you prove that
you really, you really earn this one.
Speaker 3 (27:57):
Well, you realize there's regular season, have to go win
it again.
Speaker 1 (28:05):
Kenny Atkinson, future head coach in Milwaukee Bucks. Get ready,
here goes. Life comes at you fast, you know. Time
not to find out what's trending in the wide world
of sports. But guy has been called the Chris tops
Porzingis of Fox Sports Radio Wow walking down the hallway
last week, banged his head, bleeding like crazy, put a
bandage on it and updates the rest of the night.
It's Steve di Seger no I.
Speaker 4 (28:26):
Was not quite as invisible in the second half of
the night.
Speaker 5 (28:28):
I think that's where the now lesy did not play
second half tod to illness. Tonight, Boston blew a twenty
point lead to the next from mid third quarter in overtime.
The next take this second round opener at Boston one
o eight, one oh five is the Celtics from three
point range were fifteen for sixty, the most missed threes
(28:49):
ever in a playoff game and most attempts. Jayalen Brown
was one of ten from three. Meanwhile, the late game
at Oklahoma City has the Thunder in the lead ninety
four to eighty eight over with about ten minutes to go,
twenty points for Shay Gilgess Alexander. The NBA Coach of
the Year is Cleveland's Kenny Atkinson. Atkinson in first place
votes beat Detroit's JB. Bickerstaff fifty nine to thirty one.
(29:12):
Utah gave coach Will Hardy an extension through twenty thirty one.
In the NHL second round opener at Toronto, the Maple
Leafs led Florida four to one to start the third period,
and Leafs held on for a win, five to four.
The NHL's draft lottery was won by the Islanders. The
Baltimore Ravens release kicker Justin Tucker's coming off his worst
season and has been accused of misconduct. The Rams finalized
(29:34):
their contract with quarterback Matthew Stafford. Washington d C will
host the twenty twenty seven NFL Draft. Next year's will
be in Pittsburgh. University of Michigan coach Sharon Moore will
reportedly be suspended two games after the scandal involving advance
scouting to Major League Baseball. We have two late games,
Mariners at As tied at four top of the fifth inning,
(29:55):
and the Mets are leading two to one at the
Diamondbacks in the top of the seventh. Pete Alonzo with
a no doubter or two run homer in the fourth.
It went four hundred and twenty five feet. In fact,
he has more walks than strikeouts, so this year he's
actually hitting for a batting average, not just the long balls.
In fact, a great stat from the great Sarah Langs
for you, mister Mett. Most home runs in Mets history.
(30:18):
Darryl Strawberry just over two point fifty, David Wright just
over two forty, Pete Alonzo now two thirty five.
Speaker 1 (30:24):
Yeah, in his Mets every day. That contract just gets
more and more. A million dollars gets aheaded to that contract, everything.
Speaker 4 (30:31):
Everything for like ten years in the offseason.
Speaker 1 (30:34):
Right, no one, way Oh. Turned out to be a
good move for the Mets. Right, You're getting this year
out of him now next year might be a little
bit more expensive. Losing to the Diamondbacks.
Speaker 4 (30:42):
He is currently batting three forty four, which is just
the shocker for me at nine home runs thirty three
RBIs by the way. LA's Taoscar Hernandez with his thirty
fourth RBI tonight and the win at Miami, but he
left that game with hamstring tightness. Dodgers seven to four
winners over the Marlins. LA's record twenty four and eleven.
(31:03):
The Padres are twenty three and eleven. They've won six
in a row in the rain at Yankee Stadium, four
runs top of the eighth, beat New York four to three.
Atlanta shut out Cincinnati four nothing. Cleveland at Washington reigned out.
They'll play a doubleheader tomorrow. The Cubs nine to two
winners against San Francisco. The win to Matthew Boyd six inning,
seven strikeouts. Cubs lefty show to Imonaga was placed on
(31:24):
the injured list with a strain hamstring. Houston DH. Jordan
Alvarez is on the il with hand inflammation. Houston a
loser five to one at Milwaukee Christian Yelich, HOMERD and
a couple other finals. Kansas City shut out the White
Sox three nothink. The Royals have won twelve of fourteen.
Saint Louis and Pittsburgh to a fifth straight law six
to three.
Speaker 1 (31:43):
Back to you, Thank you, STEVEO. The Jason Smith Show
with my best friend Mike Carmon coming up next. Yes,
a big NBA story I was absolutely wrong about. But
that's next Jason and Mike Fox Sports Radio.
Speaker 2 (32:01):
I have a unique knowledge of this prison facility.
Speaker 1 (32:03):
I was formerly a guest here.
Speaker 2 (32:10):
Be sure to catch live editions of The Jason Smith
Show with Mike Harmon weekdays at ten pm Eastern, seven
pm Pacific.
Speaker 1 (32:19):
Well, I like brunting in, I like bridges. One will
hit three and one will steal the ball. Fox Sports Radio,
The Jason Smith Show with my best friend Mike Harmon.
Speaker 3 (32:31):
You survived in spite of the fourth quarter Brunson with
a wook and give me the ball. Jalen Brown. I'm
more of a man than you are. If that gets
into an instant card, I will buy multiple copies.
Speaker 1 (32:44):
It's got to be one of those cards that move though.
You can actually see him the ball very particular. Yeah,
Harry Potter, you see him rip the ball out of it.
Can't stay there forever. He's got things to do. He's
a wizard. Jason Smith Mike Harmon live from the Fox
Sports Radio Studio, Oklahoma City. Now up over Denver one
oh two to ninety make it one o two ninety three,
(33:06):
eight minutes left to go in the fourth quarter. So
Denver hanging around a little bit here. Aaron Gordon now
is seventeen. He just hit a three uh to turn
this into a nine point game. But elsewhere in the
end band, like I said earlier this hour, and I
say the Nuggets. We told you the night that Michael
Malone got fired. When a coach has to go, he
has to go. It's fine, and now everybody's back try go. No, well,
(33:28):
wait a minute, just because I said it was bad
when it happened, I'll look at it. Yeah. No, we
told you what a information changed. Isn't that the rule
coach has to go? Right? We know it doesn't matter
if it's three games into the season, three games before
the playoffs, coach has to go. Coach has to go,
look where the Nuggets are, and no one's saying what
a bad move it was, and everybody's trying to backtrack
on it and go, oh, but look like this is
what happened. Now own it that you were wrong, because
(33:49):
I'm gonna own it that I was wrong about the Warriors.
I thought the Rockets were going to blow the doors
off the Golden State yesterday at one hundred percent. This
is where Golden State's gone as far as they could,
and here come the Rockets. They're back at home game seven.
They figured things out and instead, wow, did they look
like they need to score next year? It was, hey,
(34:11):
we need to. This is like all you need to
do to tell anybody like Kevin Durant or some a
big small forward, Hey, watch the tape of this game
and understand you can come in, be plopped down right
in the middle of this Rockets team, and suddenly the
Rockets will be really, really good. I didn't think the
Warriors would have enough, clearly, I mean, come on, buddy, heal,
come on, man, But that's the day I didn't see
(34:32):
Buddy Hill coming. Okay, okay, all right, I didn't see
Buddy He'll coming, all right, And obviously Curry with a
big fourth quarter to help close things out.
Speaker 3 (34:41):
But that lead was built on Buddy Held, who'd scored
forty two points through the first six games of the series,
including a big, fat round zero as many as my
shrunken ass PhD weight losson sure scored sitting on my couch.
Watch it right in game six he was a zero
(35:02):
and he comes out and he scores thirty three and
he can't be stopped.
Speaker 1 (35:06):
Like, could you say, all right, he's an X factor.
Speaker 3 (35:08):
Sure, he could have said that, But could you have
had any expectation he would be the guy carrying the team?
Speaker 1 (35:13):
No.
Speaker 3 (35:14):
The other is they clearly just decided we're not going
to throw Draymond Green out of the game, no matter
what he does. No, no matter throws someone to the
side or hit someone in the head, arms flailing it does.
Speaker 1 (35:29):
Yeah, I got you better lay low for a while.
I think they're looking for you. You would get away
with that, I think you might. He might all look
at it, and you would have. You would have Reggie
Miller saying, yeah, but does he look like he wants
to throw the trident right at the guy's heart or
does he try to scare him and it just he
loses a handle on it a little bit. I know
that I would throw him out of the game for that.
It did look like there was the intent was there
(35:50):
that he was going to kill him. And then you
have Mary just say, oh, it's slipped study in the game.
You know it was inadvertent.
Speaker 2 (35:58):
Well, jam and you know what.
Speaker 1 (35:59):
We're gonna have to give you a flagrant though, you know,
and when you had it, you got to clean the
blood up off the floor. But you can stay in
the game.
Speaker 3 (36:06):
But how did it get on the court to be
getting it just it just was, I mean flipped, yeah, exactly.
And now everybody's calling for Jalen Green, who had a
great year, nearly twenty two points per game. He had
one good game in that entire series. They agitated him
and kept him off the mark. He had that thirty
eight point game going all the way back to Game two,
(36:27):
otherwise kept at bay. And that was a guy that
they were banking on with the veteran savvy of Fred
van Vliet to get him over and certainly for Game seven,
I think the biggest question. You know, we could talk
all the the euphemisms you want about, ah, the heart
of a champion and.
Speaker 1 (36:42):
Oh you gotta take him down.
Speaker 3 (36:43):
And I'll believe it when I say it, Like, tell
me what you saw in games five and six that
made you believe that the Warriors were that team? Still, Yeah,
that's the biggest thing for me. Right, Game five, I
get it, it got away and they they stopped, right, they
all right here, I'm throwing the damn towel. We'll see
it for well, guess what they know showed Game six too.
Speaker 1 (37:04):
Now let me say this because I again I was wrong.
The Warriors won. I was wrong. Yes, I had to
hell the stories about Warriors culture in this now, Okay,
didn't expect little Buddy to get back in little buddy diapers?
How many how many extra sketch did you make, Buddy?
How many threes did you make? Buddy? Nine nine nine
nine three? Buddy? So I didn't see that coming. Tap
(37:25):
the breaks on the Warriors, Okay, tap the breaks on
the Warriors. They won the first round, they were favored
to win this round. They were favored coming in, they
were the favorites to beat the Rockets. The Rockets were
the worst of the teams because clearly this wasn't a
playoff tested team. This is a team with really good
supplemental players and Fred VanVleet, my goodness, he was phenomenally.
(37:46):
He's the most underrated player in the NBA. But of
all those teams in the first round, hey, who was
most vulnerable? On a list, you would have said the Rockets,
absolutely the most vulnerable. Warriors were the betting favorite. Right,
Warriors were the betting favorites. So they won a first
round series? Is that they were favored to win? This
is not The Warriors have gone on a four week
run and here they are taken down. They beat the
(38:07):
t Wolves. Hey, okay, man, now you're really showing me
something against a younger team that defensively is gonna put
everything they have on the Warriors, you beat them, okay,
But you want a first round series against a team
you were favored to beat, Let's tap the breaks on
the Warriors.
Speaker 3 (38:23):
As we always say, though, you got to find your
wins and celebrate the hell out of those victors you
have because they were left for dead against the Rockets.
I still like them, plus the two and a half,
I thought they could win it, but trying to explain
it beyond the the Rockets are young, and if it's
a tight game late blah blah blah, and well and
that's what ends up. They get blown out right and
(38:43):
they get disgraced in a game seven.
Speaker 1 (38:46):
And now it's the all right, how do you retool
the roster?
Speaker 3 (38:49):
You've got loss of lots of assets and a lot
of players that you can move. But for the Warriors,
you know, now you're at that point where I can't
expect really it's from from really much of anybody. Uh,
Curry's been hit or miss whatever, whatever's going on with
the song Hurt thumbale hurt, eating the hell out of
it with that, Draymond's gonna be Draymond buddy healed again.
Speaker 1 (39:12):
Thirty three comes out of note. I mean, come on, man,
I mean that's great.
Speaker 3 (39:15):
They got a couple of good games from Moody and
and Pozimski.
Speaker 1 (39:18):
Over the course of the series. But is that enough firepower?
Speaker 3 (39:23):
It's fun to watch, right to still see the old
guys out there and give it the old college try,
but banking on them to suddenly take down a t
Wolves team that's a deep and aggressive with all the
perimeter defenders they have.
Speaker 1 (39:36):
There's no easy shots. Get get back to get back
to me if they beat the t Wolves. Okay, you
get back to me, can b R. I'm ready for
my interview whenever you want. I'm ready to go and
we can talk about Alkaz.
Speaker 2 (39:44):
That's right.
Speaker 1 (39:46):
Exit up, out of Fresco, Exit swalling down. The Jason
Smith Show with my best friend Mike Carbon Coming up next,
we get back into the biggest NBA story of the night.
Whose fault is it? The Celtics lost to the Knicks. Wait,
don't we tell you
Hosts And Creators
Jason Smith
Mike Harmon
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