[SPEAKER_01]: Now playing open for this is open floor Sports Illustrated's Chris Manics back at an NDA podcast with Sports Illustrated senior writer.
[SPEAKER_02]: I think it's time that the world gets to know my guy Chris Manics I think your opinion shared by everyone and now it begins now it begins
[SPEAKER_03]: This is the Open Floor NBA podcast where we talk about the league and all the big stories that are going on in it.
[SPEAKER_03]: We're recording this on Friday, just over 24 hours away from Game 5 of the NBA Finals where the New York Nicks will attempt to clinch the franchise's first championship in 53 years.
[SPEAKER_03]: Join me as he does every week.
[SPEAKER_03]: the former naysmith college basketball player of the year number two overall draft picked 10 year NBA veteran and a man who told me just before we started recording he was not a fan of what he saw on Wednesday night, Evan Turner.
[SPEAKER_03]: ET, why were you not a fan of what you saw on Wednesday?
[SPEAKER_00]: Like I said, you just use hate to see it happen.
[SPEAKER_00]: Like you know what I mean?
[SPEAKER_00]: Like it's like watching somebody miss a wide open layout for like miss free throws.
[SPEAKER_00]: Like even when they work on my team, I play a brand S, that just has to suck.
[SPEAKER_00]: Like because the eyes of it, like.
[SPEAKER_00]: I know people piss away leaves.
[SPEAKER_00]: I know sometimes there's an maturity, but there's no rhyme and reason you give it with 29.0.
[SPEAKER_00]: Like, you know what I'm saying?
[SPEAKER_00]: Like, even within like your world class athlete missing a layup and then the tippin and not, you know?
[SPEAKER_00]: Like, it, it, it, it was just a crazy game.
[SPEAKER_00]: Like, it was, it was, it's definitely cool to see.
[SPEAKER_00]: It was definitely fun to watch, but I was like, man, like, how does that have, I'm still wondering how does that happen?
[SPEAKER_03]: It's not, it's not just the 27.2 time lead or the 29.3 quarter lead with nine and a half minutes to go, they led by 20.
[SPEAKER_03]: Like a team has a 20 point lead with nine and a half minutes to go.
[SPEAKER_03]: How often do they lose that lead?
[SPEAKER_03]: How often in the playoffs do they lose that lead?
[SPEAKER_03]: How often in the finals do they lose that lead?
[SPEAKER_03]: I know we're in the three point happy era where no lead is really safe.
[SPEAKER_03]: You make three threes in a row.
[SPEAKER_03]: A team goes empty on three possessions.
[SPEAKER_03]: All of a sudden you slice that and I mean, I know the error that we're in, but to see a team up 20 with Victor Wembanyama on your team.
[SPEAKER_03]: and to lose that game being up 20 with nine half minutes left.
[SPEAKER_03]: That was the most shocking.
[SPEAKER_03]: I don't focus on the 27 point for 29 points.
[SPEAKER_03]: I look at the 20 point lead that the spurs had with nine half minutes to go, man.
[SPEAKER_00]: And everybody's like sending blame, but like, you know, basketball, I know basketball.
[SPEAKER_00]: I want somebody to sit me down and just explain how, because, you know, quote unquote analytically, they won the game.
[SPEAKER_00]: But you know, being a, they beat them in every category.
[SPEAKER_00]: Man, I enjoy watching it.
[SPEAKER_00]: It's almost like when I saw, was the Celtics come back with a net's back in O2 there.
[SPEAKER_03]: I was, I was the ballboy back then on the net's bench.
[SPEAKER_03]: I was sitting there.
[SPEAKER_00]: No, I was okay.
[SPEAKER_03]: Chris Manick's Andy Manick sitting behind me.
[SPEAKER_03]: We were both the co-visiting locker room attendance back then watching what was then the greatest comeback in NBA playoff history, Paul Pierce going off.
[SPEAKER_03]: Celtics lost that series by the way.
[SPEAKER_03]: It should be noted, but they won that game.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, well, you know, the great Jason kid, but even then like you look at those moments and that was a wild moment.
[SPEAKER_00]: But I can't understand those dudes with many of those dudes are unbelievable, but like this situation when you say up 20 or nine minutes left and there's so many people getting a blame and it's like, brother, you don't.
[SPEAKER_00]: you can't even make make this up, you can't make it up.
[SPEAKER_00]: Like, or even when you look, look and look at the spurs is like they could easily be up through you one.
[SPEAKER_00]: You can't make this, this shit up, like you know.
[SPEAKER_00]: So, it was a great series, this been a great series.
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm super happy for New York to energy super crazy.
[SPEAKER_00]: That's been dope to see.
[SPEAKER_00]: It's almost been comparative to the games overseas, you know what I mean?
[SPEAKER_00]: It's been like a overseas atmosphere, even though I think,
[SPEAKER_00]: the government might have to start coming in on seven street eventually, you know, but roll to the national guard for some of that.
[SPEAKER_03]: Well, I want to get to that though, but like you mentioned the blame, you're not sure who to blame, but we have to we have to blame somebody or somebody's this, like who do you pin most of this on?
[SPEAKER_03]: Like the fact that they blew the 20 point lead, like where does if you're creating kind of the blame pie, like where do you
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm going to go to the leader, and it's not like the point of any figures is just what I see.
[SPEAKER_00]: Like, when B is on command, he calls his shots.
[SPEAKER_00]: You understand what I'm saying?
[SPEAKER_00]: He's the one that brings the guys in.
[SPEAKER_00]: He's the one that sets the toughness.
[SPEAKER_00]: He's the one that's the emotional leader.
[SPEAKER_00]: He's arguably the best player in the world.
[SPEAKER_00]: He lobby for MVP.
[SPEAKER_00]: You understand what I'm saying?
[SPEAKER_00]: Like, he said I'm here.
[SPEAKER_00]: You know what I mean?
[SPEAKER_00]: He's crawling.
[SPEAKER_00]: I think when it comes down and just watching games and everything,
[SPEAKER_00]: You, I feel like where they got in trouble at their operating, where you started operating at, and I feel like when you started with the noise screens, and not really being mobile, not really being, you know, so dumb as he once was, obviously, you have just the air and fight situation, everybody's discussing that, but just gained three, what did he do?
[SPEAKER_00]: He hit the same tough shot to put on my head.
[SPEAKER_00]: the layoff situation is definitely tough.
[SPEAKER_00]: You always should dribble it out.
[SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, so, so, so walk me through that as a player, right?
[SPEAKER_03]: Like, because I look in its easy, acknowledges easy for us to sit here 24 hours later, 48 hours later, and dissect what should have been done.
[SPEAKER_03]: With the benefit of hindsight, replay all the things that we have after the fact.
[SPEAKER_03]: but you watching that play develop and Darren Fox who made actually a good play knocking the ball into the front board like it was it was his hand the cup of ball going to the front court he catches it collects it 13 seconds left he's basically at the free throw line extended that's how far he was away from the rim 13 seconds left up by a point it should be automatic that you turn around and force them to follow you and
[SPEAKER_00]: Now, 1,000% I think I'll for sure would have done that, but then at the same time, I have to sit here from a role player standpoint and be like, hey, if the franchise won't do it, that's his business we role with it.
[SPEAKER_00]: You understand what I'm saying?
[SPEAKER_00]: Like, like, we're at, I was at NBA camp where we were watching a game with Ryan doing around us, and then you just don't do that.
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm like, man, I think Dane might do that, or CJ might do that.
[SPEAKER_00]: And it's not even a diss, if they were to do it,
[SPEAKER_00]: That's what they're doing, but like when it comes down to his automatic, you guys dribble it out because no matter what you get in on the position to be able to score a 3 point shot even, you know, you only were going to go up 3, they'll probably have like 11 second slaps to draw up a play and very least you saw like at the end of the game when Jayla bronzes shot it, you're going to try to hurry to get a quick bucket and they're going to turn it into, you know.
[SPEAKER_00]: a chest match as opposed to checkers and that's where you know he rely on your coaches to drop that place, drop get situations, but the airfots, man, he wins that foot when you ask you say I thought I could beat him in a foot race, man, he wins this and he wins it nine times out of ten.
[SPEAKER_03]: I think he ran, you know, and look again, we had hindsight.
[SPEAKER_03]: If I don't think the air in fox, guys he collects the ball, realizes that it's OGN and OP chasing him down.
[SPEAKER_03]: And
[SPEAKER_03]: like this is a guy that in Toronto learned under Kauai Leonard and has turned into Kauai Leonard.
[SPEAKER_03]: Like he is the New York Nick's version of Kauai Leonard in terms of play and personality.
[SPEAKER_03]: Like he just, he's an elite defender, he's physical, he's a clutch player, we'll get to that too.
[SPEAKER_03]: But like that was the wrong guy to try to score a
[SPEAKER_03]: against, like if he was going up against Brunson, against Hart, against McHale Bridges, even against a big like town or Mitchell Robinson, I think he would have won the foot race, and he probably would have gotten the shot off.
[SPEAKER_03]: He would have up against the one guy at the rim that he just couldn't get it off over.
[SPEAKER_03]: That was the big problem with Fox.
[SPEAKER_00]: And I think also, too, that play was kind of synonymous with what they were going through in the second half.
[SPEAKER_00]: It was when you give a lead like that, and you don't have a next play mentality, sometimes you're trying to do anything to write that wrong.
[SPEAKER_00]: You know what I mean, it's like when you're down 12, you try to come down just shoot a wild three.
[SPEAKER_00]: It's like, now you got to walk it down step by step, and I think they're just so rattled.
[SPEAKER_00]: They're like, man, we got to win this game, and make sure we don't blow this game.
[SPEAKER_00]: And I think things occur in that situation are also
[SPEAKER_00]: down the stretch, you saw the euphor curve and even when you look at it, I believe Emy said it, the air fox is still on 28 years old.
[SPEAKER_00]: So when it comes down to your ass and little bro in middle school to go, you know what I mean?
[SPEAKER_03]: Maybe he's got to know better though.
[SPEAKER_03]: Like, you know, two time all star former clutch player the year, better on the block, but in the playoffs before, he's the one guy that should know, hey, I collect this ball, I dribble the ball out.
[SPEAKER_00]: Well, I'm in just leading up to it.
[SPEAKER_00]: If you understand saying, like, that wasn't the only mistake that it occurred.
[SPEAKER_00]: Oh, God.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, if two-time all-star would ever else a conversation to pick up is like, then they let a lot slip away.
[SPEAKER_00]: And I think sometimes we sit there, I'm blamed on Lindby, but like,
[SPEAKER_00]: This game is synonymous with their age, the inexperienced showed it.
[SPEAKER_00]: I mean, there's no answer here.
[SPEAKER_00]: Fine, I just feel terribly bad for him, bro.
[SPEAKER_00]: Look, you know what I mean?
[SPEAKER_03]: They they lost this game to me in the third quarter.
[SPEAKER_03]: The third quarter's what they lost this game.
[SPEAKER_03]: The shot selection in the third quarter was some of the worst shots selection I've ever seen.
[SPEAKER_03]: Like they were looking for kill shots from the opening tip.
[SPEAKER_03]: They went two for twelve from three point range.
[SPEAKER_03]: There was one possession where Wemby took two threes in a row.
[SPEAKER_03]: Took a three, collected an offensive rebound, took another three.
[SPEAKER_03]: They were looking for just that one shot that would make Mike Brown wave the white flag.
[SPEAKER_03]: Pull the starters and then they could all go home.
[SPEAKER_03]: like that to me and like Mitch Johnson.
[SPEAKER_03]: Mitch Johnson played Victor Wembanyama 11 minutes in the third quarter.
[SPEAKER_03]: Like we're focused on when be missing those free throws and look Wembid.
[SPEAKER_03]: If you're going to talk to talk, you got to walk the walk, you got to make those free throws and that's a situation.
[SPEAKER_03]: But he had no legs at that point.
[SPEAKER_03]: And that was partly because he played 11 minutes.
[SPEAKER_03]: in that third quarter like bike brown said it after the game he told this guys in the locker room let's just get it to 15 17 give ourselves a shot going to the fourth quarter he was right they got to 15 points going into the fourth and they put themselves in a position to win I thought the spurs just ran out of gas
[SPEAKER_03]: because of how hard they tried to just knock the nicks out.
[SPEAKER_03]: It was like, you know, I'm trying to think of the boxing comparison of the big, brawling heavyweight that just tries to throw that one haymaker to end the fight.
[SPEAKER_03]: That's what the San Antonio spurs look like at the end of game four.
[SPEAKER_03]: Looking for that one shot that couldn't find it.
[SPEAKER_03]: And when the game got close to the fourth, they didn't have the experience or the legs to make the right plays down the stretch.
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, on a court or in the huddle as well, because Mike Brown, our coach, Miss Johnson in the situation, they're trying to, you see, I used to have Jose Alvarado in from Michele Bridges, and we sit there, he's able to space the floor.
[SPEAKER_00]: He's like, all right, cool.
[SPEAKER_00]: No matter what he did, he had trust and taken out Michele Bridges, what a $30 million player in playing in Jose Alvarado.
[SPEAKER_00]: Jose Alvarado was amazing.
[SPEAKER_00]: He's able every single time, not just to sit there, but I'm going to shoot my shot and make something happen.
[SPEAKER_00]: He got into the paint, he found extra plays, he stepped up and hit big shots, and I feel his vote, and he was able to ride with that energy.
[SPEAKER_00]: And when he came down to it, it was a chess match.
[SPEAKER_00]: And Mike Brown said, OK, you're going to do that.
[SPEAKER_00]: Cool, we're going to make sure we move, wind clear around, and get his legs tired, even more, and try to make sure he's going to have to guard in some sense.
[SPEAKER_00]: And he just saw them keep screening with a small ball.
[SPEAKER_00]: You know what I'm saying?
[SPEAKER_00]: They want them to have, I mean,
[SPEAKER_00]: There's a reason why they only play them 30 minutes a night innocent and I'm saying and you know the playoffs is a crazy Time to put in some overload and I would I used to be tired When I play all started I only play half the game the whole season so I can only imagine how tired you are playing like a nine-month season and This football matchup there literally wrestling bruh wrestling and New York the mass and square guard is going crazy Timmy fish out of me He's all one man
[SPEAKER_03]: He was, they were all on one at the end of that night.
[SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, to me, it was 11 minutes in the third, 11 minutes in the third, sap the legs, didn't have anything left going to the fourth.
[SPEAKER_03]: I also thought, like, this was a game where if Wemby makes two free throws, if Carl Towns doesn't tip that ball, because by the way, at the end of the game, Castle was open, like Towns and tip that ball, Castle's catching it, and that's a layup.
[SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, I felt like a lab if Tows Dip that ball there could have been so many like Goats in a negative way I say that for the next like Josh Hart like missing the the bunny the bunny at the rim He's missing the bunny at the rim can't can't finish.
[SPEAKER_03]: He's got two hands nope when that happened I'm like somebody must have tipped it somebody was but he just no just completely muffled at the rim Alvarado great game by Alvarado eight points in the fourth he was a plus 17 the fourth quarter but
[SPEAKER_03]: when they fouled him when he was bringing the ball up the court like he was he was about to go into the back court like he was gone like they like he owes the alvarado and Josh Hart are the two guys where it's like they might give you something great but they're just as luckily lucky to be a kind likely to be a catastrophe on the other end like give you just a turnover or a bad shot or both in certain situations alvarado before fox fouled him
[SPEAKER_03]: He was going into the back court like that's how it didn't bump into the back court.
[SPEAKER_03]: He was going into the back court there.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, I was wondering like, what do you think that logo means?
[SPEAKER_00]: I just dribbled on like the big right orange spot.
[SPEAKER_00]: And that was crazy, even like out of bounds, I talked to Joey Crawford yesterday and the time 100.
[SPEAKER_00]: And he was like, they call us the phone cancel for out of bounds and it wasn't out of bounds.
[SPEAKER_03]: Oh, that play, that was interesting because from my vantage point, like I knew the spurs were thinking about challenging that play.
[SPEAKER_03]: And they're looking at their guide, they're looking at their guide that couldn't get a ruling from them.
[SPEAKER_03]: And then when they got it, they went barreling down the sidelines to try to call that time out to get the challenge off, but they missed it.
[SPEAKER_03]: They legitimately missed it by like, I would say,
[SPEAKER_00]: And also too, I believe, Mr. Crawford said that he's like in and actually he filed them.
[SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, it would have been enough.
[SPEAKER_03]: What a proximity file on Josh Hart.
[SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, yeah.
[SPEAKER_00]: He tried to file them and he didn't step out of bounds.
[SPEAKER_00]: But he was like, but he brought up something like, well, the analytics say, 80% of the time, you're always going to get out of bounds.
[SPEAKER_00]: You know what I mean?
[SPEAKER_00]: So he was just like, it goes that way.
[SPEAKER_00]: But he definitely said that call was missed.
[SPEAKER_00]: But that's not, you know, I'm trying to defend the end of your inbox.
[SPEAKER_00]: It's not what ruined the game.
[SPEAKER_00]: It was like you said a third quarter, the second half, you know.
[SPEAKER_00]: Don't knock out punch and you got four more games to really play.
[SPEAKER_00]: You understand what I'm saying and It's so tough man because I felt like they would have won that game yesterday.
[SPEAKER_00]: I felt like they would have won the series.
[SPEAKER_00]: And it's just such a game of inches because when you sit there like the office rebound and Josh Hart gave up like those were backbreakers like at home.
[SPEAKER_00]: You know New Yorkers are emotional.
[SPEAKER_00]: Very emotional.
[SPEAKER_00]: I understand I'm saying like they would.
[SPEAKER_00]: the talk this money my yo is over you know I'm saying and we remember how the couple series it goes how they struggle with the hawks and how I look up until they turn it around but that's a big win big win big win big win all right so if you're in that spurs locker room
[SPEAKER_03]: how hard is this to get past?
[SPEAKER_03]: You've got 48 hours to recover.
[SPEAKER_03]: You're going home.
[SPEAKER_03]: I say that like you're going home air quotes out there because God knows how many nicks fans are going to be in that build.
[SPEAKER_03]: But you're going home and now it's a elimination game.
[SPEAKER_03]: Coming off a game like that, how hard do you think it's going to be for this spurs team, which is mostly young.
[SPEAKER_03]: Most of the team is 25 and under.
[SPEAKER_03]: Some of them, the core players, 22 and under.
[SPEAKER_03]: How hard do you think is this going to be to put past them if you're San Antonio?
[SPEAKER_00]: I think they're so young like the same way they are counting to look like they made my states.
[SPEAKER_00]: I think they're kind of delusional in that sense as well.
[SPEAKER_00]: Like I go off off the farm castle fields, you know what I mean?
[SPEAKER_00]: And even though you know, he's a killer.
[SPEAKER_00]: He's a killer.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_00]: Nothing crazy.
[SPEAKER_00]: And that's what I'm saying.
[SPEAKER_00]: And he's like, hey, bro, he says some real stuff like, oh, we.
[SPEAKER_00]: Kenny Axon word in a little week we could be up 3-1 and I think one thing to encourage you could be upset about it for the mindset is the truth was to put in my yo we played them four games very, very tough and one game we were kicking the dog mess on when just let it slip.
[SPEAKER_00]: So I think they're just like we really have to walk this down.
[SPEAKER_00]: I hope coaches making a message of saying like hey we got to take it one quarter at a time.
[SPEAKER_00]: Hopefully we have, we got only got four chords to start to earn another four and then another four.
[SPEAKER_00]: But I believe if they come out and play, I think they're a confident group of kids.
[SPEAKER_00]: You have to be confident from a, you know, that game's seven-hour guy here.
[SPEAKER_00]: And I believe they're going battle back, man.
[SPEAKER_00]: These guys are mentally strong.
[SPEAKER_00]: And I think they really want to win.
[SPEAKER_00]: I don't think they had any, like, quit in them, you know?
[SPEAKER_00]: If there's that San Antonio community's way different as well.
[SPEAKER_00]: You understand I'm saying, like, I think the culture in general is not like if the, the next little one and now you have to battle against the whole city.
[SPEAKER_00]: You something?
[SPEAKER_03]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_03]: And look, Vegas is the most objective observer of all this.
[SPEAKER_03]: Vegas going into Game 5.
[SPEAKER_03]: I want to read you some of the draft king's odds.
[SPEAKER_03]: Vegas has the spurs money line minus 1.98.
[SPEAKER_03]: So the spurs are favorite to win this game.
[SPEAKER_03]: Vegas has the spread spurs given five and a half so Vegas believes that the spurs can put this game behind him and that they can win this game and and I I I tend to believe that they've got it in them Well the variable I don't know and you would know to a degree given that you you played I don't know if you've been in this exact kind of situation, but you played the game.
[SPEAKER_03]: Nope.
[SPEAKER_00]: Never like the variable I was in the finals we would I would be on the bench.
[SPEAKER_03]: I would I would say that I can't I I can't
[SPEAKER_03]: put myself in the shoes of a 22-year-old that had a 20-point leave, not a half-minute's left, that a 29-point lead in the third quarter, a 27-point lead at half-time.
[SPEAKER_03]: I can't put myself in the shoes of a young guy who had those counter advantages, lost it, and now they've got to deal with.
[SPEAKER_03]: with what's next.
[SPEAKER_03]: I don't know how they're going to respond.
[SPEAKER_03]: Could I see them respond by absolutely caving and getting beat by 20?
[SPEAKER_03]: Yes.
[SPEAKER_03]: Could I see them responding and stepping up and winning by 20?
[SPEAKER_03]: Yes.
[SPEAKER_03]: I could see all of these outcomes as possibilities.
[SPEAKER_03]: I just found a fast name at Vegas, which
[SPEAKER_03]: Seas this stuff right down the middle.
[SPEAKER_03]: There's no There's no heart in Vegas here.
[SPEAKER_03]: There's no A motion in Vegas.
[SPEAKER_03]: They've got the spurs as the favorite to win They've got a five and a half point spread which is crazy like how many of these games been separated by a bucket like two of the bread I've been by one point.
[SPEAKER_03]: I think it was And they get the spurs as five and a half point favorites in game five Crazy crazy They must really believe that when being company got something left in them
[SPEAKER_00]: And I think so too, man, I think their whole journey, when these whole stories perseverance, I don't think when you look at some of these other stars, I think they sometimes have come to the moment, like mentally.
[SPEAKER_00]: The understand saying, I don't think when he has a situation where he's break in or he's nervous, I think given credit high prepares everything he does, I think it's the second who he is.
[SPEAKER_00]: You know what I mean?
[SPEAKER_00]: Like that's been his words.
[SPEAKER_00]: So I think he comprehends his responsibility and his obligation and he's also spoken that into life to a team makes numerous times.
[SPEAKER_00]: You understand what I'm saying?
[SPEAKER_00]: So the guy that goes and hangs out with, you know, the monks in China and the summertime, I think seven months from move, he's still got a little left in the tank of some wisdom that, you know, really pushed through.
[SPEAKER_00]: And at the same time, we're talking about a 75 animal.
[SPEAKER_00]: But he's going to go get his birdie.
[SPEAKER_00]: I think you'll be ready for that.
[SPEAKER_00]: I think if they played us that same way, because in a couple of times, the series they've been up by double digits.
[SPEAKER_00]: Like, you know what I mean?
[SPEAKER_00]: Where I think they have things where they're naturally confident on and they really believe once again.
[SPEAKER_00]: Like, but we can really be up 3-1.
[SPEAKER_00]: We just tricked it off.
[SPEAKER_00]: Even though people are hate hearing it.
[SPEAKER_00]: So fine cast was like, bro, no, this is our series of loos.
[SPEAKER_00]: And we have a locker room for the people that really believe that.
[SPEAKER_00]: They're going to come out and move like the game is there.
[SPEAKER_00]: So just like you always got to win.
[SPEAKER_00]: This is a seven game series again.
[SPEAKER_03]: They could, they could have swept the series.
[SPEAKER_03]: They had a one point lead with two minutes to go in game one.
[SPEAKER_03]: They had Wemben Yama with an open 20 footer to win game two.
[SPEAKER_03]: They win game three.
[SPEAKER_03]: They've got a 29 point lead in game four.
[SPEAKER_03]: Like this series theoretically could be over in favor of San Antonio.
[SPEAKER_03]: That's how how much this series is swung so wildly on on different plays.
[SPEAKER_03]: Like you imagine you're at this this camp with these kids this week.
[SPEAKER_03]: like this, this series and these games have been like, they must have been such a learning tool like for these kids like, hey, you know how they say never give up on a play?
[SPEAKER_03]: Well, OGN and OB inbounded the ball with six seconds left to Jalen Brunson could have just seasonally float on the perimeter, Ben like an outlet valve, so I'll just take the three instead.
[SPEAKER_03]: The second he sees Brunson elevate, he goes to the rim and just gets a paw up there, gets a hand up there and knocks it in.
[SPEAKER_03]: Like,
[SPEAKER_03]: I'm sure there are lots of players that would have done it, but OG seems like the kind of guy that like when Mike Brown tells him before the game like, hey, we need you more on the offensive glass.
[SPEAKER_03]: He puts that into like the data file and then just does it.
[SPEAKER_03]: Like the way he went to the basket man and just got that hand up redirected that shot.
[SPEAKER_03]: I don't think there's anybody else on the floor at least that could have done that for either team that night.
[SPEAKER_00]: No, I mean, I was just amazing all around.
[SPEAKER_00]: He's a great insurance car, but he had a high-high level.
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, he's shooting almost over 60% from the field.
[SPEAKER_00]: I think even then, how he asserts himself so much and the offense really takes a lot of heat off a cat and Jayden bronzes.
[SPEAKER_00]: Sometimes he has those shots, you're like, then, he shot that and it just goes in.
[SPEAKER_00]: But defensively, he shows up so well.
[SPEAKER_00]: And I think his tenacity is shipping ship.
[SPEAKER_00]: experience has been able to mold well from and you can't take for granted that's another big big body, a big mess up, match up, mismatch opportunity that the nicks have to exploit and the IQ to the has and you know being able to crash the boards, speaks volumes and I think when we spoke on this fight last week just like hey man like the nicks are men and he's one of those people that you know
[SPEAKER_00]: Not only is the man as wise, but he impacts things that way, you can feel him even he's switching up, he can switch on a limp, he dunked on a limp, you know what I mean?
[SPEAKER_00]: So it's like what?
[SPEAKER_03]: I had a smart dunk, right?
[SPEAKER_03]: Like he used his body, shrub shrugged him off, didn't try to just posturize him, but just kind of bumped him, like he doesn't look to make the highlight play, looks to make the right play.
[SPEAKER_00]: And then he just hung on the rim and was just like, yeah, we'll do the army just say, hey, I'm a man and just ran down court.
[SPEAKER_00]: I think mentally he understands a competitive edge and I forget even forgot he learned from under Goi, but you're absolutely right.
[SPEAKER_00]: He's he's making all the time his plays and uh,
[SPEAKER_00]: He's earned his tech, though.
[SPEAKER_03]: I mean, this was a guy that averaged 11 points per game in his last season at Indiana, who was a 23rd overall pick in the draft, who didn't average double digit points to his third season, was a role player on that 2019 championship team.
[SPEAKER_03]: but just gets better every single year.
[SPEAKER_03]: Somebody in New York was telling me like, he's the kind of guy that will call up people around the league and ask them like, what do you think of my release point?
[SPEAKER_03]: Am I shooting at the right spot?
[SPEAKER_03]: Like he's so the attention to detail.
[SPEAKER_03]: within Ananobe is as impressive as anybody playing the game.
[SPEAKER_03]: You know, Fox, he's taking some lasers today.
[SPEAKER_03]: I mean, at least week, it's, it's because because look, it's not just that one play at the end, offensively, he had a couple of bad turnovers in the fourth quarter as well.
[SPEAKER_03]: He also, and look, I'm guessing he was told to do this, but when the ball got inbound to to Brunson and Brunson stare and down, when Ben Yamma, 35 feet from the basket, what he had double team in four?
[SPEAKER_03]: Like, why are you chasing?
[SPEAKER_03]: Like isn't that to me that's exactly where you want Jalen Brunsett to be if you're the spurs now There's like 20 seconds left.
[SPEAKER_03]: Yeah, you don't want him going.
[SPEAKER_03]: I still want Wembenjama because like maybe You know things can happen get around him all that stuff But if you've got your seven foot four you nanomiss defensive player the year Staring at Brunsett 35 feet from the basket that is exactly where you want to be and if Fox doesn't come over
[SPEAKER_03]: and try to double team.
[SPEAKER_03]: Maybe he gets a body on an Adobe.
[SPEAKER_03]: Maybe not enough to box him up, but enough to deter him from getting into that position to get that put back in.
[SPEAKER_03]: That was another, like it's a game of inches, man.
[SPEAKER_03]: I mean, you played it.
[SPEAKER_03]: I'm telling you, like it's just a game of inches, where it's like one decision, one lazy play, one bad play.
[SPEAKER_03]: That's it.
[SPEAKER_03]: That's your championship right there.
[SPEAKER_00]: Absolutely.
[SPEAKER_00]: And...
[SPEAKER_00]: Historically, in 15 years, when you write a story, I hope you like be like, hey, this was literally like a game of inches and sometimes just like I cue ruin 47 minutes work to work every single night, you understand I'm saying like, I still don't understand a series, it's crazy what I saw to other night was just like it was dope, but it's just like wait, what like what has happened like this.
[SPEAKER_00]: crazy man, but in the basketballs back this playoff has been very, very fun.
[SPEAKER_00]: I just, I'm having a little bit of a hard attack when you like, man, you just turn up all over again and then you know, but do you think you got a certain point, too?
[SPEAKER_00]: I mean, he's guys just got to be a problem.
[SPEAKER_00]: He's got to be, I feel like sometimes when the air fights is put into save,
[SPEAKER_00]: It's so random and it's rhythm so off.
[SPEAKER_00]: You understand what I'm saying?
[SPEAKER_00]: Like, even when you go over something like the players to watch, it'll be Wimbee, Dillon Harper, to find Castle.
[SPEAKER_00]: You know what I'm saying?
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, I forgot.
[SPEAKER_00]: It says it says it's doing that.
[SPEAKER_00]: And every other game, it seems like he's taking a game off.
[SPEAKER_00]: I haven't seen an ankle injury, but like taking a game off from his usage rate.
[SPEAKER_00]: And I felt like they put him in a bad position.
[SPEAKER_00]: They're like, yo, go save us.
[SPEAKER_00]: And it's just like, man, he's closing things.
[SPEAKER_00]: Even in the game three, I didn't think that shot.
[SPEAKER_00]: She'd go in, but he got foul.
[SPEAKER_00]: But it's like, those repetitions and everything.
[SPEAKER_00]: I just felt like they put a, they put a closer and it wasn't warmed up, man.
[SPEAKER_00]: And then in the day, my big fellow to do streaming and VP should have, you know what I mean, showed up more.
[SPEAKER_00]: But yeah, but even then we look at game two.
[SPEAKER_00]: What do you do, shot the,
[SPEAKER_00]: the hero jumper down his stretch and he showed his eye he was a little off as well.
[SPEAKER_03]: He like the shot selection to me going to the next game is huge.
[SPEAKER_03]: Like when the spurs are taking in rhythm jump shots in rhythm threes, they're great.
[SPEAKER_03]: Like all those threes they made the first half.
[SPEAKER_03]: It was off ball movement, you know, there were a couple of kind of bullshit ones, but most of them were in rhythm shots.
[SPEAKER_03]: The third quarter, watching back, they're just like, all right.
[SPEAKER_03]: 10 seconds on the shot clock.
[SPEAKER_03]: Let's get this three up.
[SPEAKER_03]: Like we're kind of open.
[SPEAKER_03]: So let's just take it like keep going to the basket.
[SPEAKER_03]: The next have some really good defensive players.
[SPEAKER_03]: They've also got some liabilities out there.
[SPEAKER_03]: Like you can attack Brunsett.
[SPEAKER_03]: You can attack towns like their guys go after in certain situations.
[SPEAKER_03]: If you can get Wemby in motion, get him like around the rim.
[SPEAKER_03]: Like scroll the ball up there.
[SPEAKER_03]: He's shown he can catch it, finish it.
[SPEAKER_03]: They've got to they've got to be assertive.
[SPEAKER_03]: Don't try to land these knockout punches with these three point bombs.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, and also will win be two.
[SPEAKER_00]: He's got to understand as well.
[SPEAKER_00]: Last game, he got in foul trouble.
[SPEAKER_00]: But the more towns are off the floor, the better, and towns bet that League in fouls, I believe, or at least offensive fouls, is, I believe.
[SPEAKER_00]: So when it comes down to it with Jayden Branson, you got to expose him.
[SPEAKER_00]: This is a playoff time.
[SPEAKER_00]: When it comes down to cat, you got to do the same thing and try to make sure.
[SPEAKER_00]: the others don't affect you as well.
[SPEAKER_00]: You got to stay away from OGN on the OB.
[SPEAKER_00]: You have to stay away from a kill, bridges, and Josh Hart and run things to get them out of that situation even if it's harder or not.
[SPEAKER_00]: But you have a couple of green lights, or you know what I mean, flash and nice that you're going to attack and make it work this while.
[SPEAKER_03]: you know, towns getting into foul trouble killed the nicks in the first half.
[SPEAKER_03]: I thought Castle getting into foul trouble killed the spurs in the second half.
[SPEAKER_03]: Like they rely on him to be the primary defender on Dylan Bronson.
[SPEAKER_03]: They rely on him to fight through the screens to just be a versatile guy.
[SPEAKER_03]: Go to the basket score at the rim.
[SPEAKER_03]: Dylan Harper picked up a lot of the slack.
[SPEAKER_03]: He was outstanding for most of game game four, but they need Castle stand a foul trouble.
[SPEAKER_03]: They did everybody stand a foul trouble.
[SPEAKER_03]: they need a perfect game to try to get the series back to New York.
[SPEAKER_03]: Again, I think it's fascinating to Vegas, things they win.
[SPEAKER_03]: I think that's really, really interesting to me that that's the prediction coming out of the sports books.
[SPEAKER_03]: Last thing for you, the crowd and the fans in New York.
[SPEAKER_03]: I mean, I started this week, this series, you know, I'm on record, they even go back and listen to the podcast.
[SPEAKER_03]: Like I said, the nicks of the best fans in the NBA
[SPEAKER_03]: now they're coming off as the worst fans in the NBA like who who like all the goofy like it's stupid to go chase down spurs fans like in the streets that's just ridiculous um destroying property it happens other places but that's ridiculous but i'm just wondering
[SPEAKER_03]: Who's reaction?
[SPEAKER_03]: What normal person reacts to the big wind by that?
[SPEAKER_03]: By like, you know what?
[SPEAKER_03]: Let's go stake out the spurs hotel.
[SPEAKER_03]: Let's go, you know, 10 blocks down the street and stake out the spurs hotels.
[SPEAKER_03]: We can boo them and the case of some fans throw things at him, including throwing egg at Wemba Nyama that hit him in that front.
[SPEAKER_03]: Like this, they're just bad.
[SPEAKER_03]: They're just really bad, bad lame.
[SPEAKER_03]: Lame boring bad like there remind me of sometimes some of them and I'm not gonna paint them all with the same brush because I know there are good fans But some of them remind me of like first time drinkers.
[SPEAKER_03]: It's like you don't just don't know like wow.
[SPEAKER_03]: This is alcohol great.
[SPEAKER_03]: I don't have a reaction
[SPEAKER_03]: what I've had alcohol, they don't know how to react when they win.
[SPEAKER_03]: They just, and don't tell me if you're a Nick's fan, that I don't know what it feels like to be in this position.
[SPEAKER_03]: I grew up a Red Sox fan, man.
[SPEAKER_03]: Like I dealt with a century of failure.
[SPEAKER_03]: I remember 86 Buckner, the ball going through his legs.
[SPEAKER_03]: I was around for the 90s when the Yankees clean the Red Sox clock.
[SPEAKER_03]: The early 2000s, no more García Parrot, don't tell me.
[SPEAKER_03]: I don't know about prolonged failure.
[SPEAKER_03]: I celebrate it.
[SPEAKER_03]: The Red Sox win the World Series in 04.
[SPEAKER_03]: My instinct wasn't like to, you know, when they won the LCS to go, you know, attack Yankee fans or when they won the World Series to go, like, find people in St. Louis Cardinals jerseys.
[SPEAKER_03]: It's like it's just like the goofiness of it all.
[SPEAKER_03]: I thought this to myself was Wemby is such a cerebral guy like does that like light the internal flame on Wemby like getting clipped with with an object as he goes into his hotel at like what a clock in the morning in New York.
[SPEAKER_00]: I don't know.
[SPEAKER_00]: I like getting Wemby credit for some of being mature and being like and being
[SPEAKER_00]: Not from here, just be like, man, he's American as a crazy.
[SPEAKER_00]: Like, wow, I think he's like, why would you do that?
[SPEAKER_00]: I think everybody's like, what are you doing?
[SPEAKER_00]: Like, you know what I'm saying?
[SPEAKER_00]: But I think he's gonna come back regardless.
[SPEAKER_00]: I think that might add a little feel to the fire, but I just think he's probably like, what are people doing, you know?
[SPEAKER_00]: So.
[SPEAKER_00]: I think they already have a plan, I think even after they, you know, when they won the Western Conference finals, you saw what you're hollowing up, they were Harper said, we got to get get back for the NBA Cup Championship.
[SPEAKER_00]: So, they already on a mission, I just, I think everybody would have right mind is like, bro, what are people doing right now?
[SPEAKER_00]: You know, my agent told me he watched game one, which is insane in Tonyo.
[SPEAKER_00]: If I was to take the train back to the pin station,
[SPEAKER_00]: And he's like, so he's like, bro, I'm only, he's five, seven.
[SPEAKER_00]: So he's like, bro, these dudes are pretty up.
[SPEAKER_00]: Ladies, like, they're big dudes.
[SPEAKER_00]: So I started having a panic attack and he's like, they're bumping me, I can't really get out.
[SPEAKER_00]: So I grab onto a guy's arm and I'm like, yo, bro, I'm losing it.
[SPEAKER_00]: Can you please get me out of here?
[SPEAKER_00]: He basically just ripped this arm and just went right back into a mosh pit.
[SPEAKER_00]: He's like, bro, I literally thought, he's like, bro, if I would have fell, I wouldn't have made it out.
[SPEAKER_03]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_00]: And he's like, the game was like in San Antonio.
[SPEAKER_00]: So I think, I mean, New York is just different, right?
[SPEAKER_00]: And it's come from a Westerner.
[SPEAKER_00]: Like, you know what I'm saying?
[SPEAKER_00]: It's shocking to you, but I'm like, man, this is a new evolution of a local.
[SPEAKER_03]: I just like I think that's it's a different how like even Yankees fans react and like I'm sure their mixed mixed fans are also Yankees fans, but you just it's just a bad look for everybody to like Jason or you guys and shirts throw in stuff and with after a win you're up three one two up go celebrate be happy it's okay you know go play dumb videos
[SPEAKER_00]: And even after, like, we're bossing.
[SPEAKER_00]: And you got to think, we're bossing just, you got some bad white boys.
[SPEAKER_00]: So y'all can easily go up the street and beat people up.
[SPEAKER_00]: Like, you know what I'm saying?
[SPEAKER_03]: That's true.
[SPEAKER_03]: That's very true.
[SPEAKER_00]: The answer is not, like, y'all got some pumps.
[SPEAKER_00]: I know y'all can easily, like, you get Chris from real world to show up, C2, and he leaves the white, you know what I'm saying?
[SPEAKER_00]: He leaves the way, but man, you remember that?
[SPEAKER_00]: Remember Billy Madison?
[SPEAKER_03]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_00]: and they were at one of the celebrations and then guys just praying to keep it with the water holes.
[SPEAKER_03]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_00]: Hey, what are you doing?
[SPEAKER_00]: What are you doing?
[SPEAKER_00]: I don't even know you.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, leave me alone, I don't even know you.
[SPEAKER_00]: And this friend is like, are you okay?
[SPEAKER_00]: Or just like, yeah, I feel like somebody needs to do that with the nicks.
[SPEAKER_00]: Just come out and be like, yo, the are.
[SPEAKER_00]: This is y'all, the are realized.
[SPEAKER_00]: This is crazy, but they're the same team that did a parade after a home split where so I'm laying a heart.
[SPEAKER_00]: Yeah.
[SPEAKER_03]: Well, we'll see how they celebrate a championship.
[SPEAKER_03]: They get a championship on game five.
[SPEAKER_03]: I think it's going to be a good game all these games have been ultra close for Various reasons.
[SPEAKER_03]: I just want to see how mentally tough the spurs are there mentally tough they can win this game They could push it to New York.
[SPEAKER_03]: They know they can win in New York and then game seven at home
[SPEAKER_03]: Anything can happen like Brian Scalabree and I were having this conversation before hours before game Game four, you know, Scalp up the nicks would win up up the spurs or win But Scalp was like look if the nicks win It's not over.
[SPEAKER_03]: It's not over.
[SPEAKER_03]: Like I don't think you anticipated this kind of win, but You know the spurs can very much still make this a series.
[SPEAKER_03]: I'm actually if they can do it On Saturday night.
[SPEAKER_03]: All right, ET good stuff man and joy game six and we'll see We'll see how this all plays out see if we're talking again before game seven
[SPEAKER_00]: I'm sure you will be