Welcome into NBA Pulster production of iHeartRadio in the NBA. I'm Sarah Custack, NBA analyst for the s Networking. Today is Friday, May tenth. From our extraordinary core group of NBA journalists were joined now by NBA dot Com Senior writer John Schumann and Oh Shoe, here we go. We've got some second round action that has been taking place, and last night a couple series got tied up. The Cleveland Cavaliers at Boston beat the Celtics in what seemed like a very dominant way, one eighteen ninety four win. The Dallas Mavericks tied up their series at Oklahoma City with a one to nineteen one ten win. We will get into these games taking place tonight, game threes between the Knicks at Indiana and the Nuggets at Minnesota. The Nuggets have got a hole that they've got to get out of that will not be easy. But let's begin with that Cleveland Boston game. Boston has shown up propensity at some times to have stretches of maybe not taking things as serious they need to be. So much of their game, as we know, is predicated on the three point shot, and they did not have it going despite being at home under twenty three percent from three. They went eight to thirty five. Tatum had twenty five points, Jalen Brown with nineteen, but he was ohas six from deep, and it was a it was a tough game. It was a tough game for Drew Holliday, it was a tough game for Derek White, and then you had Donovan Mitchell over there, just go into work. Six caps with twelve or more points. Speaking of the three point line, they shot over forty six percent from beyond, and Donovan Mitchell twenty nine points, seven rebounds, eight assists, though twenty three of those twenty nine points came in the second half, and it felt like everyone got going mobilely twenty one to ten and five. Carosler Bird off the bench with twenty one points. Darius Garland a nice showing with fourteen points. Give me your take looking at this game, looking at the way the cat came in and just really handled their business in a very very systematic way. What did you see out of this win?

Welcome into NBA Pulster production of iHeartRadio in the NBA. I'm Sarah Custack, NBA analyst for the s Networking. Today is Friday, May tenth. From our extraordinary core group of NBA journalists were joined now by NBA dot Com Senior writer John Schumann and Oh Shoe, here we go. We've got some second round action that has been taking place, and last night a couple series got tied up. The Cleveland Cavaliers at Boston beat the Celtics in what seemed like a very dominant way, one eighteen ninety four win. The Dallas Mavericks tied up their series at Oklahoma City with a one to nineteen one ten win. We will get into these games taking place tonight, game threes between the Knicks at Indiana and the Nuggets at Minnesota. The Nuggets have got a hole that they've got to get out of that will not be easy. But let's begin with that Cleveland Boston game. Boston has shown up propensity at some times to have stretches of maybe not taking things as serious they need to be. So much of their game, as we know, is predicated on the three point shot, and they did not have it going despite being at home under twenty three percent from three. They went eight to thirty five. Tatum had twenty five points, Jalen Brown with nineteen, but he was ohas six from deep, and it was a it was a tough game. It was a tough game for Drew Holliday, it was a tough game for Derek White, and then you had Donovan Mitchell over there, just go into work. Six caps with twelve or more points. Speaking of the three point line, they shot over forty six percent from beyond, and Donovan Mitchell twenty nine points, seven rebounds, eight assists, though twenty three of those twenty nine points came in the second half, and it felt like everyone got going mobilely twenty one to ten and five. Carosler Bird off the bench with twenty one points. Darius Garland a nice showing with fourteen points. Give me your take looking at this game, looking at the way the cat came in and just really handled their business in a very very systematic way. What did you see out of this win?

Well, I would say the Cavs offense was due. You know, despite the how great Donovan Mitchell has been throughout these playoffs, their offense has been ugly, like that series against Orlando was ugly on both ends of the floor. Cleveland had scored one hundred barely one hundred points for one hundred possessions through their first eight playoff games, like they were under a point per possession each of the three losses against Orlando, and this one they broke out offensively one hundred and eighteen points on just ninety two possessions, which is one twenty eight point three per one hundred. Their best offensive game of the playoffs by a huge margin. So you know, you know, you're just waiting for you know, these other guys to sort of join Donovan Mitchell on that end of the floor. You know, Darius Garland I think is a huge key. He didn't score a lot, but he was four for five for three I think, and that's just huge. Just guys who when they get their shots, they make them. And the Celtics, I mean, I don't know, they're they're they've had two really bad games and they've been dominant in their other five. I think, as you said, you know, they depend on the three. They've taken just forty one percent of their playoff shots in the paint, which is the lowest mark in the playoffs, probably by a healthy, pretty healthy margin. I think, you know, they do need to get to the basket a little bit more. They're below the average a little bit in free throw rate in the playoffs as well, so it's not like they're you know, getting to the paint, but also getting to the line. We know they're a very you know, a heavy drive and kick team. I think maybe they need to take turn a little bit more of those drives into shots and a few a little fewer than fewer into into kickouts. It's crazy they now have more home losses versus the Eastern Conference in the playoffs. They're three and two, and they had in the regular season. They were twenty five and one at home against the Eastern Conference in the regular season, with that one loss coming right at the end of the season when they sort of had sewed up the number one overall seeds. So they've already got two home losses in the playoffs, more than they had in the regular season versus the Eastern Conference. And it's like I said, it's they look so good when they're when they're really good, and then they'll, you know, they'll have an off night and it doesn't look bad. But if they continue on this pattern, they're still good enough to win a championship. Right if every fifth game is not good, you're still in good.

Well, I would say the Cavs offense was due. You know, despite the how great Donovan Mitchell has been throughout these playoffs, their offense has been ugly, like that series against Orlando was ugly on both ends of the floor. Cleveland had scored one hundred barely one hundred points for one hundred possessions through their first eight playoff games, like they were under a point per possession each of the three losses against Orlando, and this one they broke out offensively one hundred and eighteen points on just ninety two possessions, which is one twenty eight point three per one hundred. Their best offensive game of the playoffs by a huge margin. So you know, you know, you're just waiting for you know, these other guys to sort of join Donovan Mitchell on that end of the floor. You know, Darius Garland I think is a huge key. He didn't score a lot, but he was four for five for three I think, and that's just huge. Just guys who when they get their shots, they make them. And the Celtics, I mean, I don't know, they're they're they've had two really bad games and they've been dominant in their other five. I think, as you said, you know, they depend on the three. They've taken just forty one percent of their playoff shots in the paint, which is the lowest mark in the playoffs, probably by a healthy, pretty healthy margin. I think, you know, they do need to get to the basket a little bit more. They're below the average a little bit in free throw rate in the playoffs as well, so it's not like they're you know, getting to the paint, but also getting to the line. We know they're a very you know, a heavy drive and kick team. I think maybe they need to take turn a little bit more of those drives into shots and a few a little fewer than fewer into into kickouts. It's crazy they now have more home losses versus the Eastern Conference in the playoffs. They're three and two, and they had in the regular season. They were twenty five and one at home against the Eastern Conference in the regular season, with that one loss coming right at the end of the season when they sort of had sewed up the number one overall seeds. So they've already got two home losses in the playoffs, more than they had in the regular season versus the Eastern Conference. And it's like I said, it's they look so good when they're when they're really good, and then they'll, you know, they'll have an off night and it doesn't look bad. But if they continue on this pattern, they're still good enough to win a championship. Right if every fifth game is not good, you're still in good.

Shape, which which that is the case and we laugh about it though, But those things continue I think to be red flags of a team that it should be excellent. That's the part of having a home court advantage. They were the runaway shouldn't say favorites, but they had the best record in the league in such a large margin for so much of the season. So given the expectations of what they will be and what they can do, is their concern for the second maybe one is their concern in the series? I should ask that first, because they certainly is the series is tied one, but more big picture of the playoffs, in the expectations of this group, a corps that has been together for some time, Porzingis was supposed to be that X factor. Him currently being injured, is there concern for the Celtics and their long term goals for this playoff run?

Shape, which which that is the case and we laugh about it though, But those things continue I think to be red flags of a team that it should be excellent. That's the part of having a home court advantage. They were the runaway shouldn't say favorites, but they had the best record in the league in such a large margin for so much of the season. So given the expectations of what they will be and what they can do, is their concern for the second maybe one is their concern in the series? I should ask that first, because they certainly is the series is tied one, but more big picture of the playoffs, in the expectations of this group, a corps that has been together for some time, Porzingis was supposed to be that X factor. Him currently being injured, is there concern for the Celtics and their long term goals for this playoff run?

Well, I would say the number one concern concern is Porzingis and the fact and the hope that he comes back and comes back healthy. Like I think that is to me is more of a concern than how they're playing as a group from night to night, because I do think they're good enough enough, they're they're good and then like enough times out of out of you know, however many times they play to still win a championship, but like they still haven't done it yet, right, this is not a group that you know, that we would trust as much as say the Nuggets if they were in the same position. Now the Nuggets are in a different position, but just because we haven't seen them do it yet, and because also just because of the Porzingis question, and and you know, when does he come back and how healthy is he when he does so, because he you know, he obviously helps them bring a lot of balance to that offense, just his post up game and his ability to get some buckets inside. Take care, take advantage of mismatches. You know, obviously teams or can be a little bit more willing to switch against them just because they don't have the sort of post presence in in Porzingis.

Well, I would say the number one concern concern is Porzingis and the fact and the hope that he comes back and comes back healthy. Like I think that is to me is more of a concern than how they're playing as a group from night to night, because I do think they're good enough enough, they're they're good and then like enough times out of out of you know, however many times they play to still win a championship, but like they still haven't done it yet, right, this is not a group that you know, that we would trust as much as say the Nuggets if they were in the same position. Now the Nuggets are in a different position, but just because we haven't seen them do it yet, and because also just because of the Porzingis question, and and you know, when does he come back and how healthy is he when he does so, because he you know, he obviously helps them bring a lot of balance to that offense, just his post up game and his ability to get some buckets inside. Take care, take advantage of mismatches. You know, obviously teams or can be a little bit more willing to switch against them just because they don't have the sort of post presence in in Porzingis.

Yeah, it's it's going to be interesting to watch. But to your point about just in a small way comparison to Denver, obviously we know what the Celtics have done in the recent past of how many times they have been to the Eastern Conference Finals or going to the finals, but considering the fact they have not done it, they have not gotten the championship. There's so many stretches, whether it's through the regular season or playoffs. It's I think I have an expectation of them to be a little bit more focused or locked in or understand areas that they You know, there's playoff series early in early rounds, and we saw this last year before falling to the heat. That just you don't anticipate a team that has the aspirations of winning a title to sometimes just let their foot off the gas a little bitter or not be quite as focused as you would anticipate. Late game last night Dallas Mavericks at the Oklahoma City Thunder. This series, I'm excited about this series. We're only two games in. It's all tied up. Dallas with a one nineteen one ten win who struggling with injury he'd though twenty nine points, ten rebounds, seven assists. Kyrie Irving a quiet game, though very integral plays down the stretch. PJ Washington twenty nine points, eleven rebounds seven of eleven from three one of those big pickups throughout the course of this season, that this is the type of game he always asks about the others or how others step up and contribute in certain moments to help win a game. That's exactly what Washington helped do. And Tim Hardaway Junior off the bench, solid performance. It was a solid night for Shay Gildas, Alexander and Jalen will Williams. Just some misshots by Oklahoma City dough across the board. Other than chet Holme Grin, no one else hit double figures. What did you make of Dallas tying this up, winning one at Oklahoma City and just kind of where things sit at this point of the series.

Yeah, it's it's going to be interesting to watch. But to your point about just in a small way comparison to Denver, obviously we know what the Celtics have done in the recent past of how many times they have been to the Eastern Conference Finals or going to the finals, but considering the fact they have not done it, they have not gotten the championship. There's so many stretches, whether it's through the regular season or playoffs. It's I think I have an expectation of them to be a little bit more focused or locked in or understand areas that they You know, there's playoff series early in early rounds, and we saw this last year before falling to the heat. That just you don't anticipate a team that has the aspirations of winning a title to sometimes just let their foot off the gas a little bitter or not be quite as focused as you would anticipate. Late game last night Dallas Mavericks at the Oklahoma City Thunder. This series, I'm excited about this series. We're only two games in. It's all tied up. Dallas with a one nineteen one ten win who struggling with injury he'd though twenty nine points, ten rebounds, seven assists. Kyrie Irving a quiet game, though very integral plays down the stretch. PJ Washington twenty nine points, eleven rebounds seven of eleven from three one of those big pickups throughout the course of this season, that this is the type of game he always asks about the others or how others step up and contribute in certain moments to help win a game. That's exactly what Washington helped do. And Tim Hardaway Junior off the bench, solid performance. It was a solid night for Shay Gildas, Alexander and Jalen will Williams. Just some misshots by Oklahoma City dough across the board. Other than chet Holme Grin, no one else hit double figures. What did you make of Dallas tying this up, winning one at Oklahoma City and just kind of where things sit at this point of the series.

Yeah, I mean, if you look at the numbers, the difference between the two games was much bigger on Dallas's end of the floor, Like they had a rough offensive night in Game one, and obviously with Washington and Hardaway playing the way they did last night, obviously a huge difference. In fact, Kyrie Irving scored nine points. That was the fewest points he scored in eighty six total games with the Mass. His usage rate twelve point two percent was the third lowest in his career eight hundred and twelve total games, his third lowest usage rate. Now, usage Draate just looks at the possessions that you end with a shot, a trip to the line, or a turnover, So it's not about assists, and he did have eleven assists I believe, only two turnovers and that was huge. I think Dallas's ability to take care of the ball in this series is absolutely huge because we know that the Thunder wanted to force turnovers and get out and transition. If you look at the transition points in this series, it's only thirty three to thirty in favor of OKC, which is a great a good number for Dallas because Okay see in the regular season was plus eight point one points per game in transition and they were number one in transition points per game and there were number one in transition points allowed per game. So if Dallas can be sort of close to even in that in transition points in this series, that's huge because they probably have they probably have the advantage when it comes to half court offense with with Doncic and with Irving and with some decent shooting around those two guys. So yeah, I think Dallas is obviously in a good spot. You know, you get one and okay, see you go back home. Okay, See obviously has a lineup issue to think about. Josh Giddy is a minus twenty seven in twenty eight minutes in this series, including a minus twenty in less than eleven minutes in Game two, thunder plus forty and sixty eight minutes with him off the floor. You know, those are small sample sizes, but in the playoffs, all you get is small sample sizes, right, and you have to make decisions based on what you're seeing. And obviously Gidea's minutes have not been good. So you wonder if we'll see a lineup change at the start of Game three instead of waiting to have time to replace them in the starting lineup.

Yeah, I mean, if you look at the numbers, the difference between the two games was much bigger on Dallas's end of the floor, Like they had a rough offensive night in Game one, and obviously with Washington and Hardaway playing the way they did last night, obviously a huge difference. In fact, Kyrie Irving scored nine points. That was the fewest points he scored in eighty six total games with the Mass. His usage rate twelve point two percent was the third lowest in his career eight hundred and twelve total games, his third lowest usage rate. Now, usage Draate just looks at the possessions that you end with a shot, a trip to the line, or a turnover, So it's not about assists, and he did have eleven assists I believe, only two turnovers and that was huge. I think Dallas's ability to take care of the ball in this series is absolutely huge because we know that the Thunder wanted to force turnovers and get out and transition. If you look at the transition points in this series, it's only thirty three to thirty in favor of OKC, which is a great a good number for Dallas because Okay see in the regular season was plus eight point one points per game in transition and they were number one in transition points per game and there were number one in transition points allowed per game. So if Dallas can be sort of close to even in that in transition points in this series, that's huge because they probably have they probably have the advantage when it comes to half court offense with with Doncic and with Irving and with some decent shooting around those two guys. So yeah, I think Dallas is obviously in a good spot. You know, you get one and okay, see you go back home. Okay, See obviously has a lineup issue to think about. Josh Giddy is a minus twenty seven in twenty eight minutes in this series, including a minus twenty in less than eleven minutes in Game two, thunder plus forty and sixty eight minutes with him off the floor. You know, those are small sample sizes, but in the playoffs, all you get is small sample sizes, right, and you have to make decisions based on what you're seeing. And obviously Gidea's minutes have not been good. So you wonder if we'll see a lineup change at the start of Game three instead of waiting to have time to replace them in the starting lineup.

Yeah, and we saw that throughout the course of the regular season, especially the tail end, Mark Dagnaut starting to do that to your point in the second half of game So this is the time. This is time for adjustments, and there is time throughout the course of the regular season you kind of try some things to see when you may be able to use it. So it's going to be interesting to see the chess match between these two teams, two coaches as they get set for Game three in Dallas. We're going to take a quick break though and get into where you are at for Game three Indianapolis. It's a big one tonight between the Pacers and the Knicks. Right after the break, Welcome back to nbya pul Sarahkustak, joined by the great John Schumann Shoe. You are in Indianapolis for a series and has been covering this whole series that has been so much fun to watch. New York Knicks Indiana Pacers. Knicks currently up to two to zero on the series. But there has been drama. There has been a lot of just different discussion on a whole variety of things in two tightly contested games. But nonetheless the Knicks, we talk about Tom Thibodeau, heavy minutes, guys are playing all of that stuff. Will they just kind of continue to lose some pieces they were already down Julius Randall, they end up losing Mitchell Robinson, losing Boon Bogdanovich. And now for the game here this evening, o Ganna Nobi will be out with that left hamstring strain that we saw him leave Game two with and Jalen Brunson currently questionable with that sore right foot, of which he didn't play the second quarter in Game two. I would anticipate he will be a go, but nonetheless, you take a look at this game, you look at this matchup. You were at the Garden for those first two games. What's your expectations here tonight?

Yeah, and we saw that throughout the course of the regular season, especially the tail end, Mark Dagnaut starting to do that to your point in the second half of game So this is the time. This is time for adjustments, and there is time throughout the course of the regular season you kind of try some things to see when you may be able to use it. So it's going to be interesting to see the chess match between these two teams, two coaches as they get set for Game three in Dallas. We're going to take a quick break though and get into where you are at for Game three Indianapolis. It's a big one tonight between the Pacers and the Knicks. Right after the break, Welcome back to nbya pul Sarahkustak, joined by the great John Schumann Shoe. You are in Indianapolis for a series and has been covering this whole series that has been so much fun to watch. New York Knicks Indiana Pacers. Knicks currently up to two to zero on the series. But there has been drama. There has been a lot of just different discussion on a whole variety of things in two tightly contested games. But nonetheless the Knicks, we talk about Tom Thibodeau, heavy minutes, guys are playing all of that stuff. Will they just kind of continue to lose some pieces they were already down Julius Randall, they end up losing Mitchell Robinson, losing Boon Bogdanovich. And now for the game here this evening, o Ganna Nobi will be out with that left hamstring strain that we saw him leave Game two with and Jalen Brunson currently questionable with that sore right foot, of which he didn't play the second quarter in Game two. I would anticipate he will be a go, but nonetheless, you take a look at this game, you look at this matchup. You were at the Garden for those first two games. What's your expectations here tonight?

I don't know what to expect really, Like you said, there is a question like, how do they replace Anenobe in the starting lineup? You know, do they go with precious at Chua that you know when Ananobe was out in the regular season, you know, they went initially went with a Chua in the starting lineup, playing him alongside Isaiah Hartenstein, which is not great for spacing, and that lineup wasn't great. Eventually they put Miles McBride in that spot, and that lineup was much much better. They were only thirteen and fourteen without Ananobe after he came over. You know, you missed a long time with that elbow injury. This series is crazy. These are not your you know, they're the the nineties Knicks have been at these games, but these are not the nineties Knicks and Pacers. These two teams have scored combined to score one hundred and twenty eight eight point seven points per one hundred possessions over the first two games. That would be the highest combined mark for a playoff series in the twenty eight years for which we have play by play data, and probably in NBA history, because offenses weren't that great before that time period. So this is basically the best offensive series we've ever seen, is basically what I'm saying, and that is not you know, nineties Knicks and Pacers baseball basketball. And actually it's it's been more of a in that regard in that it's in that it's been an offensive series. It's more of a Pacer series than a Knicks series when we talk about these two teams this season, but the Knicks have won both games. One other thing is they've had the Knicks have worked late in the clock, like so in this series, thirty four percent of their shots have come in the last seven seconds of the shot clock. And in the regular season, the Knicks had the highest rate of the percentage shot of the shots that came in the last six seven seconds that was twenty five percent. So now they're taking thirty five percent in the last seven seconds, but they have an effective field goal percentage of near sixty percent in those last seven seconds, so they're making shots. Some of it is tough shot making, mostly from Jalen Brunson. He's just had some incredible buckets, especially in the fourth quarter late in the clock, where it's just all right, who's in front of me? All right, I'm gonna back him down, turn around, shoot my, you know, fifteen foot fade away. And some of it is just the Pacers defense breaking down. There's been you know, if you looked at Game two, the Knicks had fifty four points in the restricted area, which tied their season high, and a lot of that was just like Lake clock, Josh Hart drive into the basket, Dante DiVincenzo drive into the basket, and so the Pacers defense obviously needs to be needs to be better.

I don't know what to expect really, Like you said, there is a question like, how do they replace Anenobe in the starting lineup? You know, do they go with precious at Chua that you know when Ananobe was out in the regular season, you know, they went initially went with a Chua in the starting lineup, playing him alongside Isaiah Hartenstein, which is not great for spacing, and that lineup wasn't great. Eventually they put Miles McBride in that spot, and that lineup was much much better. They were only thirteen and fourteen without Ananobe after he came over. You know, you missed a long time with that elbow injury. This series is crazy. These are not your you know, they're the the nineties Knicks have been at these games, but these are not the nineties Knicks and Pacers. These two teams have scored combined to score one hundred and twenty eight eight point seven points per one hundred possessions over the first two games. That would be the highest combined mark for a playoff series in the twenty eight years for which we have play by play data, and probably in NBA history, because offenses weren't that great before that time period. So this is basically the best offensive series we've ever seen, is basically what I'm saying, and that is not you know, nineties Knicks and Pacers baseball basketball. And actually it's it's been more of a in that regard in that it's in that it's been an offensive series. It's more of a Pacer series than a Knicks series when we talk about these two teams this season, but the Knicks have won both games. One other thing is they've had the Knicks have worked late in the clock, like so in this series, thirty four percent of their shots have come in the last seven seconds of the shot clock. And in the regular season, the Knicks had the highest rate of the percentage shot of the shots that came in the last six seven seconds that was twenty five percent. So now they're taking thirty five percent in the last seven seconds, but they have an effective field goal percentage of near sixty percent in those last seven seconds, so they're making shots. Some of it is tough shot making, mostly from Jalen Brunson. He's just had some incredible buckets, especially in the fourth quarter late in the clock, where it's just all right, who's in front of me? All right, I'm gonna back him down, turn around, shoot my, you know, fifteen foot fade away. And some of it is just the Pacers defense breaking down. There's been you know, if you looked at Game two, the Knicks had fifty four points in the restricted area, which tied their season high, and a lot of that was just like Lake clock, Josh Hart drive into the basket, Dante DiVincenzo drive into the basket, and so the Pacers defense obviously needs to be needs to be better.

Yeah, it's it's been interesting to watch just how much we focus here, you know, on the Villanova Knicks and the continuity of that, But I do feel like it the end of games and closing moments of games, and there's certain things about the chemistry or the faith or the confidence, whatever you want to put him. Also interested to see just how Tyre's Halliburn comes out and being at home and just can he get a rhythm and start to get things going. That game tonight seven pm Eastern on ESPN. The Late Game nine thirty pm Eastern on ESPN. Denver Nuggets at the Minnesota Timberwolves Shoe. I never would have guessed in a million years that we'd be sitting here looking at the Nuggets going two Minnesota down, two to OHO in the series, especially given the way they have played. I think in many ways too, just the frustration they have shown and kind of some obviously Jamal Murray being a big part of that, but just the composure and the poise we've always seen out of them. Anthony Edwards is just continuing to become more and more of a star in front of our eyes. But how he's lifted and raised the level of play of those around him. It's been fun to watch this team. Fun to watch this team and Chris Finch and just everything Mike and Nora, like everything they've been dealing with and just how they continue to just put together really spectacular performances. What about this series? Where is your head at with this one? Tonight?

Yeah, it's it's been interesting to watch just how much we focus here, you know, on the Villanova Knicks and the continuity of that, But I do feel like it the end of games and closing moments of games, and there's certain things about the chemistry or the faith or the confidence, whatever you want to put him. Also interested to see just how Tyre's Halliburn comes out and being at home and just can he get a rhythm and start to get things going. That game tonight seven pm Eastern on ESPN. The Late Game nine thirty pm Eastern on ESPN. Denver Nuggets at the Minnesota Timberwolves Shoe. I never would have guessed in a million years that we'd be sitting here looking at the Nuggets going two Minnesota down, two to OHO in the series, especially given the way they have played. I think in many ways too, just the frustration they have shown and kind of some obviously Jamal Murray being a big part of that, but just the composure and the poise we've always seen out of them. Anthony Edwards is just continuing to become more and more of a star in front of our eyes. But how he's lifted and raised the level of play of those around him. It's been fun to watch this team. Fun to watch this team and Chris Finch and just everything Mike and Nora, like everything they've been dealing with and just how they continue to just put together really spectacular performances. What about this series? Where is your head at with this one? Tonight?

I mean Game two was stunning. You know the fact that you know the Nuggets were down one. You know, Game one was a really good game. The Nuggets down oh one, defending champs, playing at home, Rudy Gobert is out, and they just get they just get clobbered. And the Wolves defense, as we know, was absolutely terrific. It was the nuggets least efficient offensive game in the last six seasons, which tells you a lot. And I think, you know, Jamal Murray, you know, it doesn't look super hobbled out there, but he's obviously not playing to his level. He's ten for thirty seven, which is twenty seven percent from mid range in these playoffs. That's the worst mark among sixteen players with at least twenty mid range attempts, down from forty seven percent in the regular season. So mid range, he was a forty seven percent shooter in the regular season, he's twenty seven percent in the playoffs. And so the Nuggets as as good as they are, like, I don't count them out at this point. You know, they're down two to oh. They have they still they have absolutely have the ability to win in Minnesota, but they obviously need Jamal Murray to make shots and mid range shots against this kind of defense. But I'll say on the other end the floor, like the Wolves have been terrific offensively as well. Like they have they're basically tied for the with the Pacers for the number one offense in the playoffs. It's been their best six game stretch of offense since right before the All Star break. And Karl Anthony Towns and Anthony Evers have been, you know, remarkably efficient. You know, both number both their sort of their efficiency is both up, you know, for both those guys is up from the regular season. And if both of those guys are scoring well, and Minnesota is in great shape with how well they defend and also how well they rebound, because they've been killing their opponents on the glass and the playoffs as well.

I mean Game two was stunning. You know the fact that you know the Nuggets were down one. You know, Game one was a really good game. The Nuggets down oh one, defending champs, playing at home, Rudy Gobert is out, and they just get they just get clobbered. And the Wolves defense, as we know, was absolutely terrific. It was the nuggets least efficient offensive game in the last six seasons, which tells you a lot. And I think, you know, Jamal Murray, you know, it doesn't look super hobbled out there, but he's obviously not playing to his level. He's ten for thirty seven, which is twenty seven percent from mid range in these playoffs. That's the worst mark among sixteen players with at least twenty mid range attempts, down from forty seven percent in the regular season. So mid range, he was a forty seven percent shooter in the regular season, he's twenty seven percent in the playoffs. And so the Nuggets as as good as they are, like, I don't count them out at this point. You know, they're down two to oh. They have they still they have absolutely have the ability to win in Minnesota, but they obviously need Jamal Murray to make shots and mid range shots against this kind of defense. But I'll say on the other end the floor, like the Wolves have been terrific offensively as well. Like they have they're basically tied for the with the Pacers for the number one offense in the playoffs. It's been their best six game stretch of offense since right before the All Star break. And Karl Anthony Towns and Anthony Evers have been, you know, remarkably efficient. You know, both number both their sort of their efficiency is both up, you know, for both those guys is up from the regular season. And if both of those guys are scoring well, and Minnesota is in great shape with how well they defend and also how well they rebound, because they've been killing their opponents on the glass and the playoffs as well.

And I think that to me always is the biggest factor sometimes with how an offense looks is when you're able to get stops and get rebounds, you can get in your offense so much easier. And we've seen that out of Minnesota. To kill. Alexander Walker has been tremendous off the bench, Nazrie, you can't say enough about how he's played. Yeah, just everyone fitting in really well. Do you think though this is Minnesota Timberwolves. The fact back in the postseason here in the second round. I don't have the numbers of how many years and just where they've been at, but it looked like a absolutely insane environment in those early games. So now here in Game three though, how the Timberwolves take that in? Do you think the Nuggets win tonight? Oh?

And I think that to me always is the biggest factor sometimes with how an offense looks is when you're able to get stops and get rebounds, you can get in your offense so much easier. And we've seen that out of Minnesota. To kill. Alexander Walker has been tremendous off the bench, Nazrie, you can't say enough about how he's played. Yeah, just everyone fitting in really well. Do you think though this is Minnesota Timberwolves. The fact back in the postseason here in the second round. I don't have the numbers of how many years and just where they've been at, but it looked like a absolutely insane environment in those early games. So now here in Game three though, how the Timberwolves take that in? Do you think the Nuggets win tonight? Oh?

I have no idea. Anything could happen on any given I I would be disappointed if we don't, you know, if it's three nothing, And that's and that's me not preferring either team over over the other. It's just I want to I want to see four good series in this round. So yeah, I mean, I guess there's like a small part of me is just rooting for, you know, a good series, but who knows, Like I hopefully, you know, they had three days off, Like that's the one good thing for the Nuggets and for maybe Jamal Murray if if that helps him in regard to his calf issue that he has, is that they had three days off. This is the one series that started early, so they got this sort of three day break travel break. So that's like that's the one hope. But like, really, they just need to make some shots and then you know, hopefully set up their defense Like you said, you know, one one end of the floor connects to the other, so we shall see. I'm not a prediction kind of guy unless it's Clere's. One team has a clear, clear advantage, and I don't think one team has a clear advantage in this series necessarily.

I have no idea. Anything could happen on any given I I would be disappointed if we don't, you know, if it's three nothing, And that's and that's me not preferring either team over over the other. It's just I want to I want to see four good series in this round. So yeah, I mean, I guess there's like a small part of me is just rooting for, you know, a good series, but who knows, Like I hopefully, you know, they had three days off, Like that's the one good thing for the Nuggets and for maybe Jamal Murray if if that helps him in regard to his calf issue that he has, is that they had three days off. This is the one series that started early, so they got this sort of three day break travel break. So that's like that's the one hope. But like, really, they just need to make some shots and then you know, hopefully set up their defense Like you said, you know, one one end of the floor connects to the other, so we shall see. I'm not a prediction kind of guy unless it's Clere's. One team has a clear, clear advantage, and I don't think one team has a clear advantage in this series necessarily.

I'm with you, I'm with you. I blame our producer Peter Cawder here. This makes us make predictions. Oh no, We're just going to take his predictions. Shee. As always, we appreciate you, We appreciate your time. Have fun in Indianapolis tonight, and I know that we will be talking with you very soon again.

I'm with you, I'm with you. I blame our producer Peter Cawder here. This makes us make predictions. Oh no, We're just going to take his predictions. Shee. As always, we appreciate you, We appreciate your time. Have fun in Indianapolis tonight, and I know that we will be talking with you very soon again.

All right, Sarah n be.

All right, Sarah n be.

A post with Sarahusetacks, production of the NBA and iHeart Radio. Please rate, review, and subscribe on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts.

A post with Sarahusetacks, production of the NBA and iHeart Radio. Please rate, review, and subscribe on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts.