Hour 3 – NBA Playoff Are Way Too Long

Published Jun 24, 2025, 6:12 AM

Jason and Mike tell you exactly why the NBA Playoffs are waaay too long. The guys react to the Celtics trading Jrue Holiday to the Portland Trail Blazers for Anfernee Simons. And Grimace absolutely needs to throw out the FIRST PITCH TOMORROW.

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 dot com, or stream us live every night on the iHeartRadio app by searching FSR.

Give this you're listening to Fox Sports Radio.

Hello, Welcome in side hour three The Jason Smith Show with my best friend Mike Harmon.

Why are you laughing?

It's just funny.

I have heard it in a few days because I heard laugh a few days because it's funny when you say muto obo and you said.

Hadn't heard any fake laughed to my stuff?

I didn't.

I laughed for real.

That was fake.

No, I'll get it fake. Oh go ahead, say something.

Else, mets you you're so funny.

Sound of the same.

Yeah, no, no, no, that was a fake one. Harmony was the other one was a real one. I'm caught in a uh time time lapse in time continuum that's been broken.

What the hell does that even mean? That's what I'm trying to say. What does that mean?

That. That was my response to, I'm not going to try to guess whether you're laughing or fake. You'd be a great politician. Well, you're like pious thickness from Uh, that's exactly right. There's many things, my lord, whether the truth is among them as yet to why there was a nonsensical, true politician pious you will be well, I will say this, no spoiler, no spoiler, no spoiler. But you know Ray Findes is in twenty eight years later? Yeah, sure, what he's what he's won that? Well, he's in the movie. He's been doing a lot of promotion for it. He said he didn't care. I don't know. He's he's been in the movie. And the movie takes place in the United Kingdom. Okay, so we know these things.

What's next. There's zombies?

No, no, there's actually it's a no zombie film. They're Wizardy film. There's no zombies. Okay, yeah, they're they're all unicorns. What except except all of the horns like are mechanical and they kill people just by like just putting in. It's like getting one of those big drills. Yeah, sho show he is the one that has the Dodger's home it on you see that? Yeah, and and the and the actual the screwy thing comes out of the help long Yeah, no yourself? When is showy Unicorn bobblehead nice? So again knows again, I promise me no spoilers. But Ray finds it and he and he has you know, he speaks with a British accent because it's it's in the UK, so obviously doesn't need to play someone you know, from the United States or different places. And every time he talks, I just keep waiting for him to say, like, it's definitely a Voldemort kind of vibe that I hanging in there, and I'm like, Okay, I'm waiting for him to say something. I did that when I was watching the menu for the first time in the theater, going to kill you now, Harry, Yes, he actually plays Valdimore. Yeah, yeah, So how do they find the horse Crux? Well, the thing is it's a zombie horse crucks.

You said there's no zombies.

Say I lied. There actually are zombies.

That's logic than the sentence I gave you no, look I told you twenty eight years later. Is fun, it's it's good, it's different, but there are definitely some plotlines.

I go, oh, okay, I got a question about that.

Okay.

Oh, I gotta, I gotta, I got a question about that. Okay.

I saw a movie over the weekend that included stuff about unicorns too materialists. Oh I thought you're gonna say, like my little Pony. No, I did not go down that that well. But yeah, Dakota Johnson and Pedro Pascal before he becomes the dude from the Fantastic Four. Uh and uh Captain America christ Evans. No, that sounds to me like a movie that was they shot like three years ago and it's just been sitting around. You may as well as well put it out.

Why not?

Good, Let's take advantage of putting a Pedro Pascal movie out, like a week before the Fantastic Four comes out. Let's take advantage. Let's dump it right. I just got that field. Maybe I'm wrong, I just got that sense. It worked for me, a little bit of a rom com. Kept waiting for that a twenty four twist. Oh yeah, like all of a sudden, like you know that the kid is going to be payman or zombies or you know, murders dolls or something.

A kid that shouldn't have chocolate cake, has chocolate cake, and they gut to go to the hospital.

Okay, we'll go ahead. Frost for God. Is that where Ronald Lacuna Junior saves the day and slays the Mets? You were just a dude. You're like Yankee fans. You're obsessed with the Mets every single day. You're like more obsessed with the Mets than I am. I just.

Ls just keep coming, obsessed with a team that beats you four out of seven already this year.

Yeah, but they they set up the rest of the league and then beat their ass because after that Dodger series, if they have not been the same, Oh no, no, well we're still trying to was the end of that first game of that race series, which but you don't sound but hurt at all by it. I'm I'm I'm I'm fine. We're still fifteen sixteen games over five hundred. It's okay, We're not twelve games under. Then I would say, Okay, now things are getting really bad, but keep this up. You're gonna be I will have to say, Hey, how about Grimace gets out there and throws out the first bleep and pitch tomorrow?

Hey, David Stearns. How about that? Huh, how about you get him back?

But you know tomorrow is Silver Sluggers Tuesday and Silver Surfer Tuesday. Is that what it is? No silver sluggers. Evidently it's a special thing if you're fifty five years old or older. Oh, it's a ticket package. You had a cheap breakfast at I hoop? Is that what it is for the silver slider? It's the Mets. I'd like one silver slugger. I think the Mets don't have any silver sluggers. We have lots of players that are good. Okay, just again, Yankee like, yeah, you're like Fabiano my dad. Oh, you're just obsessed with the Mets. I don't go to bed at seven o'clock tomorrow. You get a warning track salute whatever that means. I think if you bought the ticket package, I think you get to go on the warning track and the rest the crowd salute you forget and reach it fifty five years old, the crowd collapse when the Mets at the fly ball to the warning track and then almost out. Yeah, very good sort, And say Gina played that. So Tyrese Halliburton about twenty minutes ago put out a very long statement on Twitter regarding his achilles tear. Uh, gonna miss maybe all of next season, getting hurt in Game seven. Yes, you're like a big topic we've been talking about, and uh, he's got a big, long statement, right. He obviously obviously pays for a Twitter premium because he puts out like seven paragraphs and it's a great statement. It's a great thing of how he's feeling right now, and you know, telling Indiana he's gonna be back. But this is what I want to focus on, is what he says. In the end of the first paragraph. He types out, Man, don't know how to explain it other than shock. Words cannot express the pain of this letdown. The frustration is unfathomable. I've worked my whole life to get to this moment, and this is how it ends. Makes no sense. Read the next three lines. Now, well, okay, now that I've gotten surgery, I wish I could count the number of times people will tell me I'm gonna come back stronger. What a cliche? Lol, This blank sucks. Okay, that's pretty good, right, So I guess you don't get right to it again. And I'm always very cognizant of when something bad happens to someone to want it to not just say right away, you'll be fine, everything be fine. No, I get there. You want to broadbrush and make everything better right away. But understand that people are going through stuff and you can't just say, oh, you'll be fine, you'll be fine. You don't go to a funeral when someone significant other dies and says, you know you'll love the single scene. You know who's always had a crush on you. Let me tell you. You don't do that right to understand. I know it's awful, and you help people that way. Don't just write away you'll be fine. It's been less than twenty four hours and I'm looking at a year of not playing basketball. And you gotta give people a chance. You gotta get when bad stuff happens. Understand that. Yeah, it's just an instinct though. It's just that immediate reaction, right you talk to someone, job, loss, separation, whatever it is. Yeah, it's the natural inclinations like it'll get better. Yeah, I mean, I get and you're trying to be positive. You mean, well, but you understand, and you know, I hope people understand. This is just what they're They don't know what to say, but they want to wish good things for you, but at some point it's like, Hey, I'm in a really low place right now. Understand that they would like somebody to talk to you about it and just say hey, not just go hey, You'll be fine. I'm gonna go get to get a sandwich, Like, Hey, I understand this is really bad thing, dude, and I get it. Sandwich can cure at least could really make you feel better. Yes, how about how about I get you a sandwiches? No, I'm so sorry about Can I get you a sandwich? Can I get some? But this is a thing, and this is something we have talked about for a while, and we talked about it a week ago. So when you heard it today on the radio or television, you were like, oh, remember we're ahead of the curve. The latest player to blow is Achilles this season in the playoffs Tyre's Holibary.

Right.

We watch happen a couple other times watch with Jason Tatum. The NBA playoffs are simply too long, and we've talked about this because what the playoffs have become is not Hey, here's a march to the NBA Finals and the two best teams are playing. It's the two teams that are playing at a high level and that are healthy. And at some point the NBA has got to realize, that's not a great formula. Man, It's not all the other sports are. We got the best of the best going at it. Major League Baseball they find a way to put a lot of teams and it doesn't take forever for the playoffs. Best teams play right, hottest teams make it right. Best teams. Same thing for the NFL. Yes, injuries happen in the NFL, but generally, hey, the best teams, they make it. We're playing our best football the best time. Our game plan is better. But the NBA has simply become a war of attrition. It's been we need to win the series and stay healthy. And every year there is a first team NBA All Star team where guys get hurt and get knocked out for the rest of the playoffs or part of the next season. It's just too much. The NBA already he asked too much of fans to say, hey, come through us with the three months of playoffs that we have going on, and then you have the daunting as a fan task of looking at the NBA Finals and going really, Game one is Sunday, Game two is Thursday, Game three is Sunday, Game four is Wednesday. You're telling me it's two and a half weeks to get from Game one to Game seven, and that's daunting for a fan. This is why you see people unplugged and why ratings of the beginnings of the NBA Finals were so low. It's okay, you're asking me, it's two and a half weeks. Man, I'll check back in with you. Okay, I'll check back in we get closer to the end. So it's enough for fans knowing that, okay, the playoffs are too long, but for players.

I don't know how many more years.

The NBA has got to look at this and say, hey, guys, just keep getting hurt because it's just too much basketball. The season is doing eighty two games is too long. Playing the back to backs is too long. It's too much basketball. It's too much series. I always said, hey, best of five series should best of fives, but it's just too long for players to play at this level. The court is ninety four feet and the players have gotten bigger and stronger and faster, and there's no real way around that. There's no real rate. They haven't figured out a way to say, how do we combat this a little bit? Well, the owners won't say yes because the players don't want to make less money. But really, this is just gonna keep happening. It's gonna take a commissioner with a vision and a visionary which is not Adam Silver, to say, hey, okay, we got to take care of things. We can't have back to backs in the NBA regular season anymore. We got to play less regular season games. We gotta play less games in the playoffs. Like it's not gonna happen, but it's what needs to happen, or this is just how the players are gonna go every single year. It's hey, we're at the end and we won. Why because we were sort of the best team, but we were absolutely the healthiest and we didn't lose anybody on the way and because look at why, look at why the Celtics are gone right, Look they lost Jason Tatum. Now they were probably probably anyway, but they lost right other teams you lose guys, big, big players for lots of times like this is what happens because it's just too much stress in too long about it's just too long. It's the short amount of time they played games in the NBA play it's all of this. It's four rounds of playoffs, four rounds of games going of series going six and seven games, and we're turning rund. It's just too much, right, And we've said this for a long time, and we actually spotlighted this a week and we talked about the injuries. Yeah, well we look at it on the larger scale, right where we talk about the breakdown of where revenues are. Well, that requires the union all to come back and say, well, we want less basketball and we're willing to take less money too. And I think as an entire population of players, you're probably gonna get enough blowback to where that becomes a non starter.

Right.

It becomes the discussion more we've already done it, and we mock it, or at least I do roundly the can a guy get to the sixty five game threshold, which means they already missed seventeen games, but sixty five game threshold to win an award? And we lament when the guys that, oh he got to sixty two and then he got he missed some time, so he didn't get there and things of that nature. So it requires the meeting of the minds to come to a realization there. And you know, the best of seven approach has always been the idea of well, in a seven game series, the better team the preponderance of evidence is that they're going to win, and ultimately, if you earn the higher seed, you should have that advantage in theory. But maybe it goes the other way. Maybe you can get folks to vote the other way. But it also now requires your seventy six billion dollar TV partners to come on board this because everybody always wants to put it on the owners. They could make a little less money. Okay, that's fine, But in the way this works, it's it's a revenue share with the players. Players have to be okay with taking less if we're something going to shave off ten games a year or days or games in the playoffs, because where where does the NBA make its money? When you get to a game seven, and so people are paying attention at a much higher level. The ratings were nearly double what they were for any other game in this series because you got to a game seven. When you get to a winner take all. It's there and yes, I know obviously you don't have that circumstance pop up or maybe it would, but but yeah, it's it's now the get the scientists involved. We've talked about usage rates a lot, and we talk about the breakneck style of play that maybe you've got to go back to the labs and figure out how that all changes out and what's the sports science part of the next iteration of what we're doing with the league exit out about a Fresco exit swollen Dome the Jason Smith Show with my best friend Mike Krmon. Again, it would need a visionary leader to come out, and that doesn't happen. But so this is what the playoffs are going to be. It's just can you stay healthy? Right? The Knicks might have been in the finals last year, but they lost everybody. All these teams they lose players, and why they're knocked they came out, that's just that's just a guy that had a say and man rotation away your visionary I think of that image of Adam Silver where the crowd's going insane and it's just him and his yes men and they're just stowic and the Knicks weren't in the finals exit that they could have last year, could have got there, could have got but lustre. Every year teams just lose these players and it's just going to be the way the NBA Playoffs goes right. Visionary leader, which the NBA doesn't have. Coming up next, you want a big hot take coming off of Game seven, We got it for you. That's next, Jason to Mike Fox Sports Radio. From searching online to asking your friends and family, there's lots of ways to look for jobs, but what if you add one team that can help you find the right role. That's where Express Employment Professionals comes in. Your local Express Employment Professionals office is your one connection endless job opportunities. With just one application, they can help you find a job at a company that fits your needs. So visit Expresspros dot com and has always Express never charges job seekers of feet. Express knows when companies are hiring, offers benefits and competitive pay, and in just one interview, they're prepared to present you to multiple companies that fit your needs. Go to Expresspros dot com to get started, find your nearest location and discover for yourself what it's like to have support in your job search. You can also start your job search through the Express Jobs app. Download it today to search jobs, apply and contact your local Express team. That's Expresspros dot com to start your job search today. This is Dicky Lovelady right.

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 Fox Sports Radio.

The Jason Smith Show with my best friend Mike Harmon. Oh, the Mets must have played today? Yeah?

It ended, It ended and ended poorly for the Mets.

Well, I just see online there's a certain highly respected member of the Mets fan base that's imploring them to do something really drastic to get things kick started. Can I guess? Go ahead? McDonald's, well, it's got something to do with me. You mean me saying get Grimace to throw out the first gear. Mets, have Grimace throw out the ready all caps first freaking pitch tomorrow. What the hell are you waiting for? Who wrote that? Thank you, Jason. The fact that you really think they want to win is hilarious.

What is that?

Because or else they would pitch Grimace would be throwing out the first pitch if you wanted to win. I mean we did get Tiffany Stratton. That was spectacularly. I didn't guess who's not throwing out the first pitch tomorrow, Grimace.

No, maybe now because John Paul Morosi, like did.

Say he's in Italy. Yeah, okay, but he still knows David Stearns, and maybe he can get Hey, you know, international call right now you can make an international call or an international text.

You can do that now.

It's not it's not like it used to be where some would call and go collect call on paying for this, hang up the phone. That's too expensive. Not gonna do it. Not when you're chopping up baseball with the Pope noting I needed to get one of those Pope cards I have signed, Maybe the Pope. Maybe I'll get the Pope to sign one of the one of his hats. You bring it back and sell it, Yeah, I get I don't want to sell it. I want it.

Yeah, I would. I would try to arm a museum.

Yeah.

No, I try to wear it into work at least one.

Well, you get pizza stuff I've worn into work. We got pizza all over it, pizza on the Pope. Patten, you can leave it outside the back door like you're doing all the rest of the clothes. Sag for Pizza on the Pope. Pizza on the Pope. That could be a podcast. It's a Pizza on the Pope podcast. And the Pope does a podcast where he eats pizza with someone who interviews him and he talks about religion. That's a podcast.

I'm going to suggests in the Pope the Pope Pizza. It's a different it's a different company, you know, pizza in Italy.

Okay, great, that's like you know, going to Mecca, uh and everything is, Hey, here's who's bringing the pizza in today, and it's a twenty minutes they talk about religion, Pope says whatever you want, maybe talking about the White Sox. Do you like the pizza, Pizza and the Pope. There you go, boom. That'd be the biggest podcast in the world. Sure, okay, I think about that. People how to make pod money for podcasts. If you want a podcast where it was the Pope eating pizza and talking about religion, how many people would listen to that?

Millions upon millions and millions. Forget about Joe Rogan people. You would get fifty million people would listen to that podcast.

Well, and he's a socks fan, so he's got to have a bunch of snark to it. He even listened to that, dare you well? I mean people would guy the White Soze fast forward, fast forward, fast forward. Okay, but that means he's going to be snarky and he's gonna get after it. So yeah, at some point you're gonna have to bring you know, religion to you know, bring it to the to the twenty twenty twenties. And okay, how about the pope doing a podcast? Boom, there you go, patent pending, patent penning on that idea, just not even just pizza with the whole pope thing and any who's John Morosi and and Sternsy for theirs and the Pope. Yes, you've misidentified yourself as the Pope. I will blind you in paperwork, my son, go in peace. Wait, what do you mean, blad, Yes, you'll see. You'll be hearing from my lawyers. What if he actually thinks that the White Sox are good? Oh, I think he's gotta know, man, you yeah, yeah, I think he's got to know. The guy was at the World Series. There's video of him at the World Series. Yeah.

No, I think he knows. I think he knows. I think I you know what, I think that probably.

Helped him, you know, because that helps you through a lot of Hey, the Pope, Hey, the Pope is for you know, lost causes, right, that's what you know. Hey, the Pope is for lots of causes. He knows how to help you through pain, suffering and longing. Yeah, if he was a Yankees fan, they'd never say said, beat it. You're not making any Yankee fan, pope. Come on, man, we don't want to see your pope hat with a Yankee logo on the front, because you know that's what happened.

Forget it. Can't do that.

Put on a ball with Gena's number on the back, like like in in h like in the White Chalk. It's a special commemorative number is on the back, Gita on the back, Gina, you might not know. I'm pretty sure he knows. John paulm Rossi is not going to Italy to interview the Pope unless he knows he's gonna be able to talk a little bit of baseball with him. Oh baseball, sure, Yeah, Hey, white Sox, though, Yeah, do you think like you think like the Pope would pull one of those uh superstar things, like when uh, like when we went to uh the Super Bowl a few years ago and somebody's uh lost up the chocolate factor. Somebody's PR team said to us, Okay, no questions about the Heisman trophy, gave us a full sheet Elliott's people.

Yeah.

Oh, I wasn't gonna say it, but you did. Okay, Yeah, no, it was the most ridiculous. No questions about Urban Meyer, no questions about the Heisman Trophy. Then then why are we talking to him?

Okay?

Do you think like that?

You know, John Palmer Rosi goes in and he and the Pope's pr like the like uh kind of Jordan Hudson and says, okay, no questions about the White Sox, no questions about Ryan Storm ride store phownership, no questions about the Cubs.

This is going to be strict religion podcast, right. You even bring up Albert Bell's court back all of a sudden, I can't ask the Pope any of these questions, I guess. Okay, remember that was a laminated sheet they put in front of us. Some questions we could not ask.

It.

If I were to tell you, I got a lot of sign memo for that one.

It was one of the dumbest things I've foreseen. Signs of him eating the spoon actually moves like a bobblehead.

And we did the inn.

We never aired it because it was like, Okay, we can't talk about the biggest thing.

Okay, great, here's all. Here's the five things people would actually want to hear. I tell you we hear it. No, we didn't wear it. We did not air it.

No we heard it.

No we didn't. Wait wait, do you need to say that for somebody to keep something or asolutely aired it.

No, we didn't air it.

I'm not giving that stuff back. No, we didn't giving back my head with the spoon on it. I'm not doing that. But ye, that tattoos bob bobblehead. We were talking about earlier. What's next? You're gonna have me return my Sam Donald authentic draft hat. Wait you kept that. You were supposed to give that to me poster. Now it doesn't matter because he's you know, he's on his fourth team since the Jets, So it's okay, it doesn't matter if you don't have that. But if it makes the Hall of Fame, Jason, guess what he doesn't have? Yes, you know what, I think I'm okay with the possibility of having to wear that if Sam Darnold goes to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. And for all you know, I'm saving it for you, buddy. Oh thanks, wow, for all I look at that, but all you know, I don't. I don't think he is though a good line. For all you know, Well, you know I'm saving it for you when he goes. Here's your Sam Darkold unless I don't wear it in good health. But look, you want a hot take coming off again, we'll get to the big NBA trade. This went down a few minutes ago and coming up in a few minutes. But Game seven of the Finals, right, Halliburton gets hurt and we spent a lot talking about it. It's a big shocking story, and the Pacers have a one point lead at halftime. Halliburton gets hurt midway through the first quarter, and in the second half the thunder do enough to win. Right now, I'm generally not one of those guys it's gonna say, oh man, if this guy didn't get hurt, everything would have been different. Now, if Halliburton didn't get hurt, we'd beat tonight talking about the Pacers winning the NBA title and being the most unlikely NBA champion since either the Pistons in two thousand and four or the Milwaukee Bucks in nineteen seventy eight. Like we'd be going back talking about where this ranks as far as most shocking champions in a sport, because this game was going the Pacers way right, and I don't mean it was going the Pacers way up until Halliburton got hurt.

For the entire first half.

Even with Halliburton hurt, they were hitting their threes, they were moving the basketball. This was one of those games where the Pacers were getting the thunder to play their way. And what the Pacers like to do, and we've seen plenty of times in the playoffs, is they want to get their third quarter, fourth quarter rotations to the point where the other teams stars are tired and they're still trotting out fresh guys and they're hitting threes who were guys who were wide open because the other team is tired and they're not as focused and not as locked in defensively. This is what the page why the Pacer were able to come back and win games because their rotation goes eight to nine deep, right, and Halliburton was going to be someone that was going to open that up right in the third and fourth quarter. He's the guy that sets up the threes, being as tall as he is, being able to move in and out of defenders the way he does, he's so light on his feet. He's the guy that makes the open shots the Nie Smith happen, makes the open shots to Matherin have and so there would they would have been better hitting threes in the second half, which they couldn't do because they started off pretty well hit in threes which they couldn't do. So the Pacers, I know the game they would have played, they would have they were getting the Thunder to play their pace, and honestly, you look at the Thunder, this was a poorly played Game seven. I can't I don't know that there's a team that's won a Game seven in the history of the NBA that's played as poorly as the Thunder did. They didn't shoot well, they didn't close out, they didn't find a way to really throw the Hammer down. It was just okay. Third quarter, we stopped the Pacers from hitting their threes were eventually going to win. But this was a bad game shooting from Halliburton. It was, you know, you finally had a nice night from Chad Holmgren. But there's nobody else to write home about, to say, boy, this guy saved us. It was simply yeah. The Pacers were reeling without Halliburton, and they did the best they could, but eventually they were too hamstrung and all the Thunder had to do was just not give it away, and they almost did. Right, This is a game they should have won by thirty thirty five points. This should have been Hey, a ten to fifteen point lead at halftime, a thirty point lead going to the fourth quarter. And they're all laughing on the bench for most of it, watching guys come off the bench that never play play six seven minutes the end of this game. But it's not because the Thunder played terribly. They played poorly in game six, they played poorly in Game seven. They just didn't they They just happened to play not as badly and were as hurt as the Pacers not having Tyres Halliburton. I mean, if you told me before the game, hey, what what are the final numbers gonna look like for the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game seven, right, you said, be okay, and the numbers are gonna look like this. They're gonna shoot right around forty from the floor. Oh okay, they're not gonna hit their threes. SGA is gonna go eight for twenty five? Is anybody gonna stand out?

No, you're gonna get ten from Caruso off the bench, Yeah, Chet Holmburn's gonna be okay. Anything else or anybody else? No, not really.

I would say then they're gonna lose. This is we're gonna lose by ten or fifteen points. Instead they won by double digits. This was not a great game. They were bad on Sunday night, but they just happened to be. Have to outlast the team you're playing agains. You're not playing another superstar stud a team. You're playing a team that's minus its second best player and it's emotional leader and a guy that's become a star in the playoffs, and that's a hard thing to come back from if he doesn't get hurt. We're talking about the Pacers World Champions battled back to a ten point deficit inside that final two minutes. But okay, See holds them off to your point forty percent from the field. I mean one of the things that Indiana had done all regular season and certainly during the playoff stretches feasting on turnovers and making teams pay by going to pace. Well, they gave up thirty two points off turnovers in this one. Right, And while oka See wins the points in the paint with Chad having a big game, he had disappeared several times. And much to my sugar In and or two guys I championed all along, they're champions. And now I'm like, but they didn't play well. Right, they got their tunnel, but it's like I feel less less than satisfied even though they got to the finish line. Pacers got their big, big points from McConnell. And I got to imagine anybody who was a casual observer that came in, you know, to get it to that sixteen or eighteen million threshold at the high end for viewing, you're probably cheering for Matherin and McConnell. Right. Mcconald's like a one man gang. Now, one thing they couldn't do without Halliburton is like, yeah, nobody distribute the ball right near right leads with six right And that's not TJ mcconnald's thing. He is kind of a drive and dish guy. But he's not someone that's going or set up with a first pass at great entry pass. But he's not someone that's gonna spread the floor. And because you.

Don't have to worry about you don't have to roll defenders to him because it's TJ McConnell.

And he's just gonna go off to dribble and create and make his own shot, Like how many times is he going? He's like, what's he? He made the shot? All right? He goes in amongst the trees and hits a layup. This is where you're looking at chet Holm going what are you doing?

Man?

How's that guy scoring the ball on you? On there? And I thought that the moment after the game, and I know it was much publicized the way that Tyreus Halliburton was meeting the teammates and in the embrace he and McConnell where they they got too close with the camera and they shoot them away. But just the emotion of it, and can't just you can't help but feel for for that run, and you would have liked to see it play straight. But I like the fact that Indiana didn't quit. If anything you saw, OKC might have been more shell shot at Halliburton's departure than the Pacers were, because their whole mantra has been next guy up, and they played with the bench with Matheren, with McConnell coming up as big as they did at least gave us to where it was never an easy and comfortable run for the Thunder as you might i'd have expected it to. So while you didn't get the runaway victory, they get the parade exit out about a Fresco exit swollen dome. Jason Smith Mike Harmon Live from the Fox Sports Radio Studios, Time how to find out what's trending in the wide world of sports from special delivery Steve de Sager, who has everything in Major League Baseball tonight, except there were no games in New York, so you can start outside of there. Well, one team showed up in New York tonight.

Everything is final because the Padres have just lost at home ten to six to Washington.

You may recall that at.

One point Juan Soto was on the Padres and when they acquired him from Washington three years ago. The Padres gave the National six players, including pitcher Mackenzie Gore, infielder c. J. Abrams, and an outfielder who starred tonight in San Diego. James Wood had three hits, three runs, scored four RBIs for the Nats, including a home run.

James Woods the action just one of him.

He's singular twenty two home runs for Wood sixty one RBIs in this season. Former Padres draft choice, by the way. The Angels beat Boston nine to five with four runs in the bottom of the eighth, but Angel closer Kenley Jansend left in the ninth inning with an apparent shoulder injury. Great stat from the Elias Sports folks at the Angels tonight are the first team since nineteen ninety one to use eight of their own first rounders in a game. Walker Buehler was the Boston starting pitcher. The ex Dodger allowed five runs in the first, including a couple bases loaded walks and a bassis loaded hit batter. He lasted four innings seven walks, did not get a decision. Arizona's Corbyn Carroll, star outfielder was out again tonight for their ten to nothing win at the White Sox. Bruceed hand has been the problem, they say, missing a fifth straight game. MLB Network says tonight it's a fractured wrist and he's due to go on the injured list for the Diamondbacks and Arizona slugger a Uhenneo Suarez left tonight's game hit by a pitch on the hand. X rays were negative, however, He one National League Player of the Week for a third time this year. The AL Player of the Week is the Mariners Col Rally, who homered his thirty second home run of the season Seattle one at Minnesota eleven to two. Rally has hit six home runs in his last six games. Pittsburgh's Nick Gonzalez went five for five and a five to four win at Milwaukee Saint Louis over the rival Cubs eight to two, and it was Atlanta beating the Mets, Yes three to two the final in New York. The Mets have lost nine to ten. The Idol Phillies are first in the NL East, game and a half over the Mets. The Mets sent luis An Hillecunya to triple A today joining catcher Francisco Alvarez, who went to Triple A.

Yesterday, Baltimore shout.

Out Texas six to nothing, Jackson Holliday with three hits, four RBIs os. Infielder Jordan Westbroog still out with a sprain finger. Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton had surgery tonight for his torn achilles. He could miss next season. The Celtics traded guard Drew Holliday to Portland for Anthony Simons, who has an expiring contract, and two second rounders WNBA off tonight.

Back to you, Thank you, Steve O.

The Jason Smith Show with my best friend Mike Carmon coming up next. Yes, we had the Kevin Durant trade yesterday. Another big deal has gone down. Is one title contender saying maybe we're waving the white flag on next year already.

That's next Jason and Mike Fox Sports Radio.

Be sure to catch live editions of The Jason Smith Show with Mike Harmon weekdays at ten pm Eastern, seven pm Pacific.

It's never a bad time for Shaboozie Fox Sports Radio. The Jason Smith Show with my best friend Mike Harmon. So we've had all of like eight hours to celebrate the Oklahoma City thunder championhip. Congratulations. Now we're talking about trades and getting ready for the draft and two nights, two nights Wednesday, starter, Remember two nights because we needed to have that second night showing of Brownie James.

Well, he's gonna get drafted again. He's getting drafted again. That's what's gonna happen.

So, uh did he up his drafts from last year. It's gonna go early in the second round. The Celtics are trading Drew Holliday to the Blazers for Anthony Simons and two second round picks.

Shamsterrani are reporting this earlier tonight. Now.

The plan right now, according to multiple reports, is for the Blazers to keep Drew Holliday, who's thirty five and signed that big three year, one hundred and five million dollar contract with the Celtics, and try to compete in the West. Okay, great, anytime a franchise it's way off the beaten path. Hey, we're gonna do this and compete. Awesome. I want to compete to get back to the ten. But or try.

This tells you that and this is tough.

This tells you that the Celtics have realized we need to rebuild, not rebuild, not suddenly get rid of everybody, but we need to retool and rebuild because we're already spending next season mostly without Jason Tatum. You had the torn achilles during the series against the Knicks, which seems like it was like eight months ago, because you know that's how long the season is. And now they realize, Okay, we didn't get we won the title, we didn't get out of the second round, and our best player is going to be out most of the year. Why are we paying Drew Holliday this kind of money?

Right?

So, which again, uh, you know, this is the Celtics saying, all right, is it really worth it to keep Drew Holliday around? We don't know if we're.

Gonna even be a title contender next year. Then we're getting to another year. No, let's go get some offense and every Simons could play a little bit, right, scores twenty a game, he's a twenty a game, he's ten years younger, he's a thirty point shooter, all that, and it gets done, and it gets them almost twenty million dollars under that second apron. Yeah, and look and the Blazers were actually pretty good down down the stretch last half of the year. They played much better, so I again, and they have a young core, so I understand what's going on there. But the Celtics, really, okay, this is the begin You're gonna see some moves. I'll be surprised if you saw Porzingis getting moved. And you're gonna see some other things happening this offseason because the Celtics, okay, it's time to We won, right, we won the title, but now things happened, and Tatum getting hurt is gonna be the domino that starts all of this. So now this isn't the first trade you're gonna see. You're gonna see the Celtics try to get younger. They're not gonna be able to keep all of their guys. How are we gonna compete? We need some off we need we have a whole in our offense right now without Jason Tatum. So here Simon's in theory to come in and pick up some of that slot.

Right.

The best thing to do, hey, when you're missing offense, bringing a shooting guard, a small forward, and that's what you have. So this is gonna be This is a good move for the Celtics. I really like it. I mean I like it more for the Celtics, honestly than I do for the Blazers, even though the Blazers are going to hey, maybe we're gonna try to win now a little bit. But for the Celtics, it's okay. We got rid of a big contract, we got younger, we got some offense. We've got a guy that's gonna hit some threes. So yeah, I mean, this is a really good move for the Celtics. But this is also what you have come to enjoy and love about the Celtics the last couple of years, This big championship corps. This is now getting broken up well, and you're also looking at a retool on the fly, Leaner, meaner, younger, take some of the high salary out. If you get rid of Porzingis, bring back a couple of bodies, go back to you know, a deeper rotation. The East is a mess. We've talked about it a lot, right Orlando, retooling a bit and bringing in Desmond Baine is actually a big winning move potentially right now. As we talked about go find the podcast, as we broke down that deal when he showed up in Orlando because of all the injuries and all the uncertainty from your would be contenders, even your Nicks, what the next iteration of their squad looks like. Still waiting on a coach, Still still waiting on a coach. But there are right now one of the favorites to win the NBA title in early odds released. So you're looking at the opportunity with one or two moves in the Eastern Conference, you can be a contender and be up there fighting with Cleveland for a top seed just that fast. So this move, I think is a good spot. But it's it's a starting point. We've been waiting to see what the Celtics look like for twenty twenty five. It's going to be a completely different roster by time we're done. Yeah, I mean, and look then that's just the way it goes, right. It's sad because you think, well, the Celtics lose, all right, but they just want to not. But this is how fast windows close last year with teams right even before last year though, there were a lot of rumors in conjecture and speculation. All right, you're just celebrating winning a title, but that they wouldn't bring back the core that they had even last year, again owing to financial constraints. So now you're a year removed and notatum. Not only do you still have the money part to work out, you still want to be competitive. You don't want to just punt. So this is first downmano to fall. Yeah, I mean, look, sometimes teams are teams are going to find their way in this offseason, the ones dealing with with bad injuries, they're caught halfway between do we do we just forget it and and and play for the year after, do we say screw it and go for it? Do we try to go somewhere in the middle. And you're talking about the Pacers are gonna do this, and the Bucks are gonna do this, and now Celtics are doing it. Like there's teams that's okay. What are we absolutely know where we are in the draft? Isn't a day okay, we don't know. Now we're now we're already looking ahead. What's the twenty twenty sixth draft look like? Mm hmm, I mean it's it's uh. It sometimes gets it gets late early, right, big Yogi better than gets l and it got late for the Celtics early, and now this team is gonna be unrecognizable when you get into next season. Exit out about a Fresca exit Swollen down the Jason Smith Show with my best friend Mike Harmonou.

Coming up next, we get back into a big shocking.

Story that just broke a little bit ago about Game seven of the NBA Finals. Keep it here, Jason and Mike Fox Sports Radio.

Jason Haliburn pomped his Achille sign now

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