This is I on the Ball with Steve Rivera and Jay Gonzalez on Fox Sports fourteen fifteen powered by Nova Insurance Services Ensure your most Prized Possessions. Katie z R. Two Sack at iHeart Radio Station. Good afternoon, Welcome down the Ballingham, Fox Sports fourteen fifty. I'm your host for the day, Jay Gonzalez. My buddy Steve is out one more day. He went to Vegas over the weekend to bet some horses and he said he'd be back tomorrow,
so we'll see. I don't think it went well for him or a whole lot of other people in the derby on Saturday. Everybody got kind of crushed with a long shots coming in again. So if you had the chalk you didn't. You didn't do well. But Steve will be back tomorrow. We'll have some more guests. But I've got a couple of capable hands in today. My son Adam, who's been on the show as a co host, former sports information director at Arizona for football, women's basketball, among other sports.
He's here to join me and talking about stuff that's been going on over the weekend and earned Devin got all our interns of wrapping up finals, and but Devin has made some time to come in to day and hang with us. So thank you guys for being here today. Absolutely be here all right. Well, you know I had a place to start, and we got another place to start and another place to start, but I'm gonna go back to the initial place to start, and that was with the Suns yesterday.
Um. You know, they had a nice win, they've even the series of two two. But we've got this incident with uh with Nikolajoki. Uh, give it a little shove to mattach. Uh just be the owner of the Sons who grabbed a loose ball. And there's a lot of just a lot of uproar over this. And we'll have Jody Ailer from Fox Sports nine ten and Phoenix. Uh, he'll be on the show and we'll talk to
him about not just the game but also this situation. But uh, in the last in the last few minutes, it's come out that Yogi is not going to be suspended. Uh, it looks like him according to Adrian Robzorowski, he's gonna get a twenty five thousand dollars fine, but fortunately it's not going to affect the series. Yeah, no, he shouldn't be suspended. They were both dumb about it. Right, you're not a part of the game. It should be a don't grab the ball. But also, yo,
kids can't just go into the stands and shoving people. Yeah, I mean, you know when I heard it, at first I heard it that he elbowed him, and then I watched it he just kind of nudged him. He flopped a little bit, right, Well, okay, here, No, he didn't flop. He embellished, And that's a different day. Here's here's a difference because if Yokich touches either one of us here we are following down. That is one of the largest human beings on the planet.
Okay, okay, you're right. He didn't flop. He did embellish. He threw his hands up, he fell back. If yo push his knee a little bit, I'm going here. Okay, I mean you say, you know it wasn't that big a deal. Both guys were dumb. Yeah, you know, should should have just given up the ball. I thought, just don't the ball, I don't know, just grabbing and throwing back in the court, right, which is you know we've sat on the sideline
games. You know, scoring and what ball comes on our way, we get our hands on it and toss it back, right, But you know so, so there's that. But also the way yokis Ranto the sideline to grab the ball, I thought that little. You can't like they were both dumb about it. You can't like there are gonna be repercussions. I have no idea if Ishpia is gonna get fined or anything, right, matter to
him. If he gets the twenty five thousand dollars, fine, right, But still like, you can't be going into the stands, even if it's the owner, if it's someone else on the Sun's match, you can't be going over there right right, I mean, what did you think, Devin Well, I agree with him. It was done by both parties. So I'm kind of glad the NBA decided to when they looked at the rule with Yo Kids going into the stands, I'm glad that they decided that they weren't
going to suspend him because it just ruins the game basketball. That series is too close one game. If Yo Kids misses Game five, Denver's knock, Denver's gonna get blown out right and the series is over. Let me say this. Let me say this, I'm surprised Suns fans are not like really angry because I remember what year was the Robert Ory when Robert Rory shoves Steve Nash, Right, a couple of the Suns players like stepped onto the court, and right, they spend it, all of them, right goes into
ses the owner. Yeah, he doesn't get suspended, and fans have long memories on stone saying they absolutely do. But what do you think the impact of the owner coming out and saying that he did not want to see Yoki suspended? Does that alter why the Suns? And I don't know either either way. Like I'm a sunst I'm like yo, like you guys stole a champiship from us for suspending the guys for stepping onto the court. Didn't even
do anything. He stepped onto the court. Let me suspend it. Let me read the tweet that that HP has sent out is at seven fifty two a m R. Time. So, first thing this morning, great win for the Suns last night in an amazing series so far. Exclamation point that should be and is the only story. Suspending or finding anyone over last night's incident would not be right. I have a lot of respect for Yoki and don't want to see anything like that. Excited for Game five ghost Sons,
Oh yeah, it would not be fun if that suck. Do you think that does anything for him in terms of his you know, because yeah, he's but you know, there's been a few things that have gone on that are just kind of you know, people are a little suspicious of his character and stuff. One. Do you think that was a necessary Uh? It was nice? Yeah, sure, do you And you think it had something to do with the decision. Yeah, I think it had at least a
little bit to play. Yeah. Well in the end, I like you guys, I'm glad that that they're not gonna do anything like that that's gonna affect the series, affect to get twenty five thousand offs. Yoki is pocket change as well. Um, and so you know, let's say they find me, it should be a fifty or one hundred thousand. It's pocket change him. Guy's a billionaire. Uh, you know, send that over to me and I'll be happy with it. Right, So, so that's a good thing. But uh, you know, we'll get a name, we'll
get Jodi Ayler's thoughts on that as well as just the series itself. I'm a little surprised that the Suns were able to even the series. Um, they didn't look good those first two games on the road, and it's hard to look good on the road, but I thought they looked so bad that I thought I thought they could get swept or maybe go down three one at home. I disagree, disagree. This was gonna get tied up to to two, Okay, at home? You know, Kevin and Devin book are
gonna play better. Yeah. I mean the Suns would have won Game two if they didn't lose Chris Paul. That kind of threw everything out of whack, right, and then they were able to game play in Games three and four without Chris. So how much of an impact because Paul's out Game five? How much have been impact for say, the Suns to win in Denver and they take a three two and they're having all the success with Chris Paul in the court. Does it change? It's bring back? What do you
do? Right? Um? I think in the long run they need Chris Paul, Um, Devin Booker and two of the That's a few scores in the NBA, But I think it is nice to have a guy like Chris Paul to be able to kind of and and if part of the issue was that he's you know, the end of the season, he was you know, wearing out, grinding down, having this time off, whether for an injury or not, he's not playing, you know, will that help him you know, kind of recoup and and you know, be what every championship
they need him. I even think it's hard to say because but ninety points, well, that's the thing that I think they can but you know, if if things get stagnant, Chris Paul can help that. Yeah, all right, so we'll talk again. We'll talk more about that with Jody Ailer. The second thing that I was thinking about starting the show with, and I just didn't want to go into this into these weeds, but we do have to bring it up. Bob Huggins, the head coach of West Virginia.
Um, you know we've talked about Huggins. You know, we talked about him a lot when Kirk Crease said decided to to go to West Virginia. Bob's kind of a grumpy guy, well known grumpy guy looks like a grumpy guy doesn't really care if people think he's grumpy. And he was on a radio show and the audio of it is out where he used a word that um gets most people fired, starts with an F, has evolved in a G in an s and uh. He used it twice in reference to
Hu. People from Xavier University called him Catholic blada bladas, and it's it's out. He's issued an apology, the university has issued just issued a statement of a little bit ago. The university statement says Coach Huggins remarks today on a Cincinnati radio show where insensitive, offensive, and do not represent our university values. Coach Huggins has since apologized. West Virginia University does not condone the
use of such language and take such actions very seriously. The situation is under review, and we'll be addressed by the university and its athletics department. One of the little pieces of this is that, uh, some time back, Huggins had Tom Brennaman visit his basketball team, tweeted out, how you know Tom Brennaman is a good guy. People make mistakes and those kinds of things. Well, Tom Brenniman got fired as as a play by play announcer forreasing
the exact same word. So people are saying, well, it's no shock that Bob Huggins uses that word to Tom Brennaman lost his job. You know, the question now is does Bob Huggins lose his job? He's he's he assured a long statement and apologizing and saying he will accept whatever consequences. But it'll be interesting to see what those consequences are. I don't think he'll lose his job. He will be remanded in some way. I don't know.
It sucks. Yeah, you have to be spot than that, right, And if you listen to the conversation, you know, there's a couple of guys on the radio, the radio host, they're pretty coupable. They're pretty coupable too. They laughed very fast and loose. They laughed along with it, and you gotta wonder, you know, does something happen to them? And those guys probably since they didn't say the word, maybe orn't a suspension or something like that. Hugans will probably get fined, maybe suspended, I
don't know. I mean, you guys are young guys. I'm the old get off my long guy. There would have been a time when I said he needs to be fired, and he needs to be fired right now. I'm not one hundred percent sure, but I think something has to happen. I mean, I don't know, I don't What I'm saying is I don't think he'll give Yeah, do you think he should get fired? It kind
of depends on like this is hard. It depends on like a lot of stuff, Like it's he always kind of in trouble like this West Virginia right there, like a constant issue. Well on top of insulting you know, uh, you know the lgbtqs, you know, with his word, he insulted the Catholics too. He insulted a religion, so maybe a little less so, but still you know, he used you know, the word Catholic as if it's a derogatory term. You know, so you have that too.
You just wonder. I don't know, And again he still have to think about where he's at West Virginia exactly, you know what I'm saying. So I don't know, I don't know what's going to happen. But so you've got this uproar now, you know, stay two Like Bob Haggins doing a Cincinnati radio hit in May, like and dropping this and like what's going what are we doing here? You know, because we need stuff to go, we need stuff going on, we need stuff happening. So so Bob
Huggins made in some hot water. Would be interesting to see what happens over the next couple of days on whether or not he uh he he gets got an item three, which we probably could say for for breaking news. But item three, it's because we talked about it at length on Friday with the Alabama baseball and a gambling a gambling a controversy over there. Now you got two more schools, Iowa and Iowa State, who have now have gambling investigations,
gambling controversies. The Iowa baseball team, there were four guys from the baseball team who were held out of a game. They're being looked at for having gambled on I don't know if it's if it's gambling on their team or other teams, but illegally gambling. And then you have like a dozen players in the Iowa State athletic department football and a couple of other sports that are
also being looked at. Basically, it's a no tolerance for gambling if you're an athlete if it were a college athlete, not even that if you work at an NCAA institution, if you're working in the NCAA, Like when I worked in Arizona, even when gambling was legal, I could as an SID. It doesn't matter right you were in you were in the communications office. So as a as A that's like rule number one. That's like rule number
one when you're working department. You can't gamble. You can't get anything right on anything that has an NCAA sport. So like, yeah, well, I mean think back Rick Newhizel got in a march Mania pool, right and lost his job at Washington. So like even if let's say, I don't know, trying to think of a sport that Arizona does not have, but that is a water polo, right, Arizona doesn't have water polo, I
still can't gamble. Yeah, like anything that has an NCAA sporting. Yeah, but the only the only thing you were allowed to, So we'll get it. I want to have a little bit more of a discussion because we had on this a little later. Because we had the discussion about you know, people can say, well, you shouldn't have legalized gambling in the first place. And the fact of the matter is these guys are getting caught because
there's legalized Ye. I don't think it's that they shouldn't have legalized gambling. It's like this, I'm not surprised, Like this is this is what was going to happen. Right, You've seen it happen in the NFL. I'm sure it's happened other places that we just haven't heard about it. Right, Yeah, it's too easy to bet it is it is, and it's it's too easy to think you're not gonna get caught. But you know, if you're using your phone or whatever, you're gonna get caught. You know.
I remember the wet we gotta get out for Jodey Ayler. But the player recently who got oh, it was Stanley Barry Hill. He was gambling from the facility and they were able to track that somebody was gambling from the Bills facility and that's how you got caught. All right, Let's let's take our breakwroad and come back. Jody Ayler's gonna be joining us from Fox Sports nine
ten up in Phoenix. We'll talk some Phoenix Suns. See if this uproar over the UH the confrontation between his Bienniokich is over now that we're moving on and what he thinks of the series, we'll stick around. We'll have Jody
Ayler right after the break. For more than twenty years, the Window Depot has reminded the best price and the biggest inventory on in stock vital windows, and now the Window Depot is more than a window store, offering homeowners and contractors, a one stop warehouse offering interior and exterior doors, granted in courts, countertops, in stock, cabintry, and skylights. To finish your project. Your team of professionals will help with everything from pre kitchen design to custom
orders from leading manufacturers like mill Guard and Gelwyn. Order online or find a location near you at a window deepot dot com. Where do you buy exercise equipment? Arizona Health Arizona Health Arizona Health. Of course, to feel better and look better, it makes sense to buy your fitness equipment from the people who know it better than anyone else. At Arizona Health, our goal is to help you choose the equipment you need to reach your goals. Your health
and fitness deserve the best you deserve. Arizona Health the leading this an exercise equipment on twenty second just west of Wilmot. If you think now is not a good time to buy a refinance at home, think again. Interest rates are at all time loans on most loan programs and Paul Volpi of Novah Home Loans is you ready to help you find the option that best fits your needs. If you're looking for your dream home or want to get cash out to
refinance on a current home, visit Volpe team dot com. That's Volpe team dot com. I've six two six today into new year and time to give a Creative Award to your student athletes winter and Spring awards seasons, as well as for grade school, middle school and high school athletes. Scholastic awards for
those academic students just in time to recognize all their achievements. Visit Creative Awards online at Creative Awards az dot com or visit their Idea studio at two twenty eight West Draktman Street in Tucson. It's also time to get your creative promotional products for the upcoming conventions, giveaways to promote your company and get your employees
new apparel to look sharp representing you and your company. Come see Creative Awards to twenty eight West Dractman Street or online at Creative Awards, Aze dot com. Neck pain, back pain, car accidents, headaches, sports injury,
Burnella's Chiropractic's goal is to help our patients achieve a healthy lifestyle. Combining chiropractic care with physical medicine, but colds, therapeutic procedures and massage therapy not only reduced pain, but helps the body heal itself as well as provide other health benefits. Or Nellis Chiropractic. We use a natural approach to improve an individual's health and wellbeing. Don't suffer any longer called or Nellis Chiropractic. Today,
the holidays are fast approaching. After a difficult year, We're sure everyone could use a little financial help. Pyramid Federal Credit Union is bringing back to the Holiday Helper Loan, a low interest, short term loan that can help get you through the holidays. In support of our community. Pyramid is making our donation to the Community Food Bank of Southern Arizona from each a loan. For more information or apply online, visit pyramid su dot com slash Holiday Helper.
All those are on approved credit Other restrictions may apply. Pyramid Federal Credit Union Insured MCUA. Did you know sports cards that memorabilia are setting record sales last month in nineteen fifty two, Tops Mickey Mantles sold for twelve point six million, Labron James Rookie sold for five points six Also, collecting cards is a family fund that can be very profitable. If you want to start a collection
or expand your collection, check out Showtime Cards. They are one of the leading card shops in the country and have served your local community for twenty five years. They are located on e Speedway. That's Showtime Cards. By mining so important. It's the foundation of everything, that defines a society. Everything you see is a product of mine. Don't matter when, don't matter, how, don't matter. Why every society on this planet has developed, rome
and modernize based solely on the minerals. It could process that my friend is
why mine is so important? Brought to you by the Southern Arizona Business Coalition, Streamy Life, I Mean My Heart Radio, Why this is I on the Ball with Steve Rivera and Jay Gonzalez on Fox Sports fourteen fifteen, Welcome Back on Falling Fox Sports fourteen fifteen on your host Jay Gonzalez as Steve Vera out for one more day, but I got my co host Adam Gonzalez here and U in turn Devin and now on the line, we've got Jody Ailer,
host of the Drive on Fox Sports fourteen excuse me, Fox Sports nineteen up in Phoenix in the mornings following the Suns closely. So we wanted to get some of Jody's takes on all the stuff that's been going on around around the series with Denver Nuggets. Starting with just how the series is going. We'll get to the mad should be NICOLAOK thing. But Jody, they even
the series. I don't know if you were surprised that they were able to do that or what were your thoughts after they went down to zep Yeah, I was, I was. I wasn't surprised they went down two. Oh. I was surprised a little bit that they've been able to battle back both games. But you know, what they've done is pushed the tempo and simplify things. You know. They one of the things that had been bothering them
is that they did not have a lot of chemistry. That Kevin Brant had played eight games in the regular season really three to finish, and then they rent right into postseason mode and you know, the universal basketball languages, but running a fast break, and it feels like the more fast breaks they run, the better everybody else is off. And so far that's been the secret
to getting right back in this series. So it's best of three. You know, that feels a lot more doable winning two of three than it felt like when they were down two oh and they had to win for the next five. Jody, do you think point book is the way to go here? You know, I actually think Campaign has been really really good for them. The box score doesn't say that he's put up twelve points in two games,
but he's had I believe, eleven assists in those two games. I think it's a really smart move to have Campaign play twenty five to thirty minutes and then you know, point book when needed. But here's like the short answers. Whatever they're doing with Devin Booker is what they should be doing right because it's working at such a level. You don't need to change the thing with Devin Booker. You don't need to change anything around about or with Devin
Booker. But I do think Campaign gives twenty five good minutes of just tempo he plays for Defensively, he's active with his hands, and I'm you know, one of the big stories we've been kind of chewing on, guys, is you know what happens if and when Chris Paul is able to come back before the series is over. Today it was reported by Seams Tranti that not for Game five, but potentially for Game six and who that would be.
That would be a tough decision for Montie Williams if then somehow win Game five, they've won three in a row, and then Chris Paul wants to come back or they is able to come back. Do you think the way Booker is playing right now is kind of the reason Kevin Durin is here, Like they can't. In the past, the Nuggets would send their entire team at Devin Booker. Now you can't really do that with you know, maybe the
best score of the basketball of all time also on the floor. Yeah, I mean, I think for sure, I think I think we all recognize what Devin book was capable of doing. You know what the interesting part is, Devin Booker has not been at his best in the playoffs the last two years. If you go back to the NBA Finals two years ago, he scored nineteen points in Game six. They they needed this version at Devin Booker last year, Game six, in Game seven against the Mavericks. He scored
thirty points combined in those two games. And so to see him elevating, what's been really interesting is that it's Devin Booker leading Kevin Durant. It feels like this is Devin Booker's team, not Kevin Durant. And it feels like Devin Booker's the one with multiple NBA championships and NBA Finals MVP titles and not
Kevin Durant. So yeah, I mean, I think if you're talking about what the idea was when Devin Booker and Kevin Durant joined forces, this right now is kind of the most optimized version of it because they have been really This last game was the first time both dudes played four really good quarters. We hadn't seen the best of Kevin Durant. Devin Booker has allowed the Suns
to prosper even without that. And you saw me in at one hundred and fifty eight points combined, one like sixty seven percent shooting the last two games for those two do. So let's go back to that question though of Chris Paul, and I mean, how different are things and how different are they going to want them to stay if when Chris Paul does come back. So they're very different right now. They're just pushing tempo at every single opportunity.
It's grabbed the rebound, push the tempo. With Chris Paul, you know, campaign can be the outlet pass and he can push tempo and then make the right decision. Chris Paul is not a guy that you want leading fast break at the fast break. So what I think will be interesting is if Chris Paul is healthy for game six, will I don't know that you start Chris Paul. But here's the beauty. The game slows down in the final four minutes of every type game, of every type playoff game, Chris Paul
can still close with the best of them. So to me, I think I would still want Cameron Payne playing twenty five thirty minutes quarters won through three and a half, and then the last five minutes of the game. I think Chris Paul's the closer on the floor. Okay, all right, so what you know, we saw that thing you know with DeAndre Ayton early in the you know, early in the series, kind he got caught loafing under the Basket's what's DeAndre Ayton's role with what's going on now with these two guys.
It's just to be a role player, is kind of what his role is always supposed to be with the suns Us. He's a role player, and the more he embraces that role. And I think someone I can't remember who would might have been Mike Malone recently who said, I think that role players become sort of a dirty word in the NBA. But as we've seen the Sun Sinker swim on how their role players play. NBA championships are won by all time great players, but the role players surrounding those great players are
determined which great NBA player wins. And I thought in twenty seven minutes, DeAndre Ayton made more hustle plays in Game four than he had the entire eight previous playoff games. I mean, the first possession of the game last night, they had three offensive rebounds because DeAndre Eighten was just getting his hands on
everything. One of the biggest plays of the game yesterday was it's a five point game that the Nuggets have a fast break in the fourth quarter, Michael Porter Junior pulls up for three well gets who deflected and altered that shot at the last second. It was DeAndre eight and the hustling back on defense. So really, DeAndre Eighten's role is play hard, grab rebounds, give solid
minutes against the Kohli Yokich and let the stars through the heavy lifting. And here's the thing about role players too, and it's perfect with Shammont last night. They have to win you a game in a in a tightly contested series, the role players have to win you a game. Whether that's why I go ahead, whether it's Landry Shammon or back in O eight when Glenn Davis and Nate Robinson went nuts in that finals game, that's kind of the one
that comes to mind. But a role players are going to have to win you at least one game in a big series. You look around the NBA right now. Listen, Malcolm Brogden is the NBA sixth man. Eric White's great off the bench. You could look at the Lake because their role players Austin Reaves, Jared Vanderbilt, guys that swing games. The Warriors, they get a bunch from Jordan Pool. They're basically impossible to beat. So yeah, Kavon Looney, I will enough rebound. The Suns didn't have that a
guy. And one of the reasons I picked them to lose to the Nuggets in this series at the beginning is because no role players is stepped that Monty Williams had really butchered the rotation we'd been screaming for Terrence Rostiget minutes for the entire postseason, and so if they have And the other thing about role players guys is it's a confidence game with them, right. If you don't show them that you have confidence in them, they're not going to play well when
they get three shot the game. I think when Landry sham It's playing, I think you stick Landry sham At in the starting lineup for Game five. I think you put Landry sham At camp on the floor with Durant Booker and Eaton and Joshua Kobe, who is a zero offensive. I think Shammon, you try that space the floor shooters. Now that Lames or Shammon's playing with inconfidence, you, I think you ride that until the wheels fall up, which might be the first quarter of game five, but you also want to
see that. Hey, Jody, UM, can we do this? We got some static on the line, can we call you? Hang up and call you right back. It's not it's nothing with you, it's our system over here. I want to finish this conversation. Let's hang up. We're going to call you right now. I just, uh, that was chaos. It's that's happened to us a few times. So, UM, you know there's nothing we can do it, and it's going to get worse and to the point that you can't hear. So I want to see that.
About six minutes left, so I want to I want to continue. The role player is in the NCAA tournament. It's like that time where you got to win a game when you don't play well, right, and this one you got to win a game where maybe your stars aren't scoring. You're where Devin Booker and Kevin Durant aren't you scoring thirty points? And you need Landry sham right in a seven game series, you need to be able to do
that. You know too, as you said, haven't win at least one of those games, so you know it's a just so you know they can't hear our listeners can't hear the dial tone and that stuff that's in our years. Um But you know, when you have a seven game series like that, you do have you got to win games different ways, obviously, but as you said, at least one game where you're where you guys have to step up and do that more often than not, like your guys are going
to lead you to a victory. But it's it's gonna come down to the role player at Joe. Are you there? Okay, let's get okay, you're back on the air. So okay, that was a good actually broke it a good time. Um. Let let's talk about the situation with Yoki's first of all, you know, we'll get back to what they decided, but a situation like this, it took place in this game. He's had
that. You know, he's had all day with this stuff going on before you know, we got we saw you know, he's not going to be suspended, but just having to deal with that, you know, does that impact anything at all going forward? Or now you just shake it off and go play tomorrow for the Suns or for Yoki. I don't think it bothers them, No, I don't think it's any issue for him. I mean, he's pretty much a robot out there. He's just you know, he
putting up his numbers. You know. It's funny because the role player conversation, I think is now a bigger issue for the Nuggets. You know, can they get something out of KCP, Michael Porter, Junior, Bruce Brown, someone to ease the load off Jamal Murray and and off of Yokijim Aaron Gordon falls into that. But yeah, I don't think it'll affect Yokis at
all. I don't think. I'm just glad to me the playoffs are about the integrity of the series, and unless it's something absolutely egregious, I did not think Yoki should have been suspended, and I'm glad the NBA made that decision because Game five is going to be an absolute banker. Yeah, seriously, you know, and I know, you know we're Adam and I were talking at the top of the show. You know, SUNS fans probably have a long emory thinking back to you know, the guys coming off the bench
with the Robert Or situation. Guys get suspended that series seemed you know, everybody still believes turned on that whole situation, and you know, the Sun are saying, you know, how come we're not getting ours now? But what do you think as far as that goes? Yeah, I mean, listen, the Carmack scales of justice have been imbalanced again to Suns for their inspirations, and so what I have complained that the Sun were the beneficiary of
a controversial commissioner's decision, I would not have complained about it. I wouldn't have claimed and I wouldn't have viewed the series differently because the Sons have been on the other end of it so much. But yeah, I mean, obviously, two thousand and seven, when Robert or slams Steve Nash into the scores table and I'm Mari Stott and Iron Boris ste I'll step onto the floor and David Stern applies the letter of the law instead of the spirit of the
law, fundamentally flips that series. You're going to carry that in trauma for a long time. But I do think you know, two years ago when the Suns made their fine run, everybody kept saying, well, you didn't you know Anthony Davis was injured and Jamal Murray was injured and GWHI Lenmond was injured, which I always thought was ridiculous because they beat Lebron, James,
Nicola, Yo Kitchen, Paul George to get to the NBA Finals. But it would have felt similar had they beat the Nuggets in Game five and won this series. It just felt like everybody would have held it against them. The Suns are good enough to beat the Nuggets straight up if they keep playing the basketball they're playing, so I think competitively, I don't think this changed as much in this series. That's also just what happened with every champion.
You have to get lucky, like you have to stay you have to stay healthy. Someone's going to go down for the team. It's gotta take advantage of NCAA tournament, NBA finals, whatever sport. It is, like,
that's just kind of what happens. Yeah, you don't you don't have to apologize when the breaks go your way, and in this case, you know, the brakes didn't go all the way the Sun's way, but you I thought one of the more interesting things was how kind of obviously disrespectful the Nuggets were postgame about Matt Hpiah, who just just repeatedly referring to him as a fan kind of in a derogatory way, like this guy thinks he's bigger than
the game. This guy thinks he's something other than a fan. You're either a player, coach, or a fan. And there Mike Malone said it, Yoki said it. I'm just curious if the Sun's absorbed any of that disrespect and will use it as bulletin board material for whatever slight extra motivation they may be able to get out of it. What is an already hyper motivated mode in game five? All right, we do have game five to a series tight two two. It's you know, historically huge game winner of this
game tends to e you know, go on and win the series. What do the Suns need to do in game five that continue doing what they're doing? Do they have to find something else? What do they have to do now? I think one of the biggest things that gets overlooked as Yokis had four rebounds in game number four and the Sun's outrebounded the Nuggets. If they can win the glass, they will win Game five. Now, the Nuggets were below five hundred and the regular season on the road, They've done really
good at home. Role players tend to play better at home. In the postseason, as we have witnessed the Sun so usually it's an advantage. I think the Suns, if they can win the rebounding battle, they can win this game. If the Nuggets get after it, I think the Nuggets win. I would lean towards the Nuggets in Game five, but you know, Devin Booker and Kevin Durant at this level are capable of beating anybody at any
time, so nothing would surprise me. Would you be concerned if you are a Denver fan and you lost the two games where Yokits went for nearly thirty twenty and twenty and then scored fifty and you came out with two lasses? Definitely. I mean think about how Suns fans would feel if it was reversed. And Devin Booker has his last two games in the first two games and they lost. So yeah, it's a great point. And like I mentioned earlier, I think the role players for the Nuggets right now are under more
pressure than the Suns role players. You know, Aaron Gordon is one of the more trusting you of A players of the last twenty years because nobody denies the size, the strength, the athleticism in college in the NBA, and
he's just one of those guys though that always leaves you wanting more. Like Sean Miller just had this habit of recruiting guys that looked the part and had the skills for the part, but couldn't quite put it together, which is interesting because that basically sums up Sean Miller as a head coach, where he
had everything in place but couldn't quite come over the hump. Like every all the best players he recruited were like the Sean Miller version of players, and watching Aaron Gordon at this stage of his career be the same kind of guy where you're just like man with all of that natural talent, he's never really developed into a legitimate offensive player, and I thank Garon Gordon is a huge
X factor for the Nuggets in Game five. All right, Jody, the sons of the Nuggets Game five tomorrow at seven o'clock our time, Slee should be fun. Yes, Sarah looking forward to it. Appreciate the time. So OHI man, thank you for the time. Thanks a whole bunch, take care too, all right. The Jody Eitler Fox Sports nine ten and Phoenix always a lot of good insight. He I mean, he's one of
those guys who's watching the game, he's tweeting during the game. He's got he's got, you know, commentary during the games, pays a lot of attention to it, does his job. So good to have Jody on. So let's go and take our breakword and come back. We'll take your cost five two zero four, one seventy four forty thoughts on the Son's Game, Son's Series. I know Howard's out there somewhere lingering. So Howard, you can give us a call to see tell us what you think, so we'll
be right back. If you're an Arizona Man's basketball fan, you know it's been successful for nearly forty years. Now take a look back at the Ludolson era. In my new book, Lessons from Loot. It was a labor of love through the eyes of twenty five former players, coaches, and friends to give insight to the coach and the man who led them, competed against them, and inspired them twenty five chapters for his twenty five years as Arizona's
beloved coach. Lessons from Loot is an insight to how he built the program into a national powerhouse. What one email media at Steve dot Ribera ninety five at gmail dot com. Hey Walcat Nation, Jake Fisher here, I got to tell you about my winning team over at Arizona Health Insider, I was able to get a custom private health insurance plan with no deductibles, no code, pays nationwide coverage, and I get to pick my own doctor for less
than two hundred dollars a month. If you want to avoid getting gouged on the exchange and you want real health insurance, call Arizona Health Insiders five two zero eight five zero six eight six six five two zero eight five zero six eight six six fairdown. What's your goal? A new career or career advancement? How about transferring to a four year college. Pema Community College can help
you make some day today and reach your goals affordably on your schedule. With over one hundred programs to choose from and financial aid available, it's time to earn the degree or certificate you need to prepare for the career you want. PIMA offers free career exploration classes so you can choose the field that's right for you. Learn how at PIMA dot eedu slash Someday is your old AC system. Struggling to keep your home comfortable during the summer, I'm run from picture
rocks, cooling, heating and plumbing. Do you dread hearing that AC come on because of high electricity bills? Replace it now with a new high efficiency system before the long hot summer. With rebates, tax credits and energy savings. It just makes sense. Call five two zero, four four zero or zero six nine three. Need more affordable auto and home insurance while making sure your family has the courage it needs when mayhem happens. They've got you covered
at the Edmund Marcus All State Agency. Go see Edmund Marcus. He's born and raised in Tucson and a proud graduate of the University of Arizona. He's been an All State agent for twenty five years and has an award winning agency which takes care of his clients. Callum today at five two o three two three nine three three three for annal and home quote and let him save you money and make sure you have the courage you need. You're in good hands
with the Edmund Marcus All State Agency. Do you want to be part of a winning team? A team security is looking for friendly outgoing events security guards and Events staff to be a part of our team. We've been providing our outstanding services to some of Arizona's biggest sporting events and concerts for over twenty years.
We want you to join the Action. A Team offers a fun and exciting opportunity to work in the sports and entertainment industry, with flexible schedules that are perfect for those looking for a part time job or a second income. Come be a part of a winning team The A Team apply online today at a team security dot net breaking down all the excess at Alls. It's Steve Lavera and Jagen Salvins. This is I on the Ball on Fox Sports fourteen
fifty. Welcome back on Bolling on Fox Sports fourteen fifty. I'm your host, Jaken Dollas. My buddy Steve is on one more day of vacation. He'll be back tomorrow. I've got Adam Gonzala's former sports information director at Arizona in the house. He also happens to be my son. I I always have to mention that Adam so that they know. And then we've got Devin in turn. Devin here for his usual Monday Monday running the board, so we've been talking about the Sun's you know, great stuff from Jody Aylor.
You had a you had a little disagreement with him on his opinion of Aaron Gordon. Yeah. I just think he's gotten substantially better, like every single year, especially offensively, Like he can shoot the ball. He's an unbelievable athlete. But him playing with Yokich is perfect. He plays so well off of him because of the way Yokich can pass from the from the post and he just cuts to the rim and it's always open, always taking good shots.
Yeah, he's gotten so much better offense. He's not an offensive juggernaut or like the lead offensive player bat he means he scored a sixteen points a game, yeah, and shot and shot high percentage. Yeah, and there and there's a thought that he should have been an All Star this year, right, I mean he was even close, you know. So if he's close enough, he has to have gotten better. If he's just one of those like really good to elite like role players, fourth or fifty guys right
right, All right, so um we are gonna we are. We've got some other stuff to talk about, all kinds of gambling things going on. There's more stuff coming out about these Iowa gambling allegations. Um, it's now the number of athletes and a staffer at Iowa that has been busted for gambling is up to twenty six uh in football, men's basketball, track, wrestling, baseball, and then one full time staffer. There are fifteen people that
at Iowa State who are who are implicated in some gambling stuff. And as you mentioned, Adam rule number one right when you're an athletic department employee, you just can't. That is literally rule number one. There there's always signs around you know, uh, buildings within the athletic departments that says it just
says, don't bet on it. Right. It's like they're slow. And it gets to the discussion that you know when when when the situation came up with the Alabama baseball you got fired over uh you know he he was apparently relaying information to a buddy of his who went and put some bets down on LSU to beat Alabama because of some inside information that he had. You know, people, because we knew this was going to happen, they never should
have legalized gambling when it's completely the opposite. And there's been a number of columns by by national sports writers just talking about the fact that if this stuff war is not legal, If all these guys are gambling underground with bookies and whatnot, they're not getting caught. This is how you get caught. You
go do this stuff. You bet legally, there's there's monitors in place for the books to know who's gambling, even from where we talked about Stanley Barry Hill, the form Arizona athlete who got busted because he wasn't betting on his team, but he was gambling, and he was gambling within the facility at
at the Buffalo Bills, and that's what he got in trouble for. You know, they even they excuse me, the Lions, you know, they said, you can you know, if you're an NFL player, you can gamble on other sports legally, you just can't gamble on football, and you can't gamble within the facility. And you know, so Stanley apparently was gambling on other stuff, but he did it from the facility, and that's what
he got in trouble for. There're a couple other guys who are gambling on football and they've been suspended for a year now, and so you know again, if you know, it can't reiterate or stress enough that the gambling being legal, that's how these guys are getting caught. So I don't know the particulars of what's going on in Iowa, but what I can probably tell you is that these guys are getting caught because they're gambling legally. People know they're
you know, there's a way to know if they're athletes or whatever. I don't know if there's a database or whatever somewhere and they're finding out and these guys can't be gambling. So I, you know, I don't know what else to say other than guys be smarter, ye right, just be smarter. Holy cow, Holy cow. Anyways, Um, we're gonna talk in a little bit. We're gonna talk about the PAC twelth softball tournament coming to
Tucsons starting Wednesday. Unfortunately, Arizona had a bad weekend over the weekend and they dropped into the play in game. They've got to play as U on Wednesday at six o'clock at hilden Brand and the winner of that goes on to play top seeded UCLA, who was really damn good. I'm sure didn't have this in mind the Arizona was hosting the first Battle of tournament, that Arizona ASU would be playing the first round game, to playing and to be in
the playing game. And you know, you know Arizona fans, right, if Arizona's night in it, it's gonna be tough to get them out there to the to the tournament. You're gonna rely on other fans traveling with their team. Shela would probably be the only other team that would really travel decently. Yeah, yeah, and so um, I don't know. Stanford is pretty well not Stanford never travels on anything, do they? They're not catching them? But but there, you know the baseball does baseball play at Stanford
or at home? Again? I know they got Stanford this week, and I don't know where if they play here or there? I think it's here, Okay, well there, maybe some of their fans will come and catch a little both because Stanford is pretty good, right, aren't they the two seed? Yeah? I believe that the two seed in softball. But you're right, it's probably not the greatest year to have to have the tournament here, but we are gonna have Kenzie Fowler former Arizona picture also a color analyst
for Pac twelve Networks. She also does it for ESPN. She's gonna be on the show here at about twenty after and a really good video producer in the Athletic Department of Arizona help there you go. Awesome. She helped me so much in the when I went to the NCAA tournament basketball. Oh okay, she like doing like what kind of stuff? Uh, edits and produces videos. I think she mean I have worked there in a bit, but she probably shoots more stuff now. She was mainly like editing and producing and
all that. Oh okay. She's really good. And she's really good at social media too. She would u she would run our Instagram during games. Okay, when when things were getting like serious, like oh, we're in the final four series, She's like, let me take Instagram off your plate. All right, sounds good, all right. I haven't told her you were gonna be on, so she'll be happy to know that you're here.
All right. Awesome, awesome, awesome, awesome, all right, though, would still love to take your calls five two zero four, one seventy four forty What do you think about this thing with the suns? Uh ay about their series and you get. I mean, you just have to be happy that they didn't do anything that can screw up this series, right by suspending yogat or anything like that. It's a fun series. I mean, all the series are great right now. Right The Knicks heat kind of stinks.
I'm loving it. I'm loving it. That kind of stinks, like just kind of gross, not fun, old nineties but cool. I know. But it's it's an even series though, right, it's two one, Yeah, you know, I think and here's the thing. I think Heather sub stand actually better than the Knicks. Well, they're certainly playing better, I mean obviously, I mean they beat the number one seed. It's it's just kind of I might turn it on when I go, all right,
what about this? The six or Celtics series, that's fun. I mean set like six or Celtics, like they they're going at it. They hate each other. Yeah, they are very much going at And the thing is the Sixers really want to beat the Celtics. They they don't beat the Celtics just kind of the things. So they're trying to get over that hump um. Did you watch a game? I didn't catch the end of it, and I'm glad. I didn't because I don't want to see James Harden winning
games. It's just I don't like him. But it was finally we saw James Harden go back to his Houston days and having a very very efficient shooting night as well as not to throw over the ball. Yeah, he played really well. Yeah. The problem was at the end of that game was real, real bone head decision by Jaylen Brown. I mean, let Joel and Be hit it two and tie the game whatever, not to collapsed. I could hit that shot, would have hit that shot, all right,
And then you got the Lakers Warriors tonight. You think the Lakers make it three one? Really? Why it's in La? Their role players are gonna play well. Lebron still has not like exuded all of his energy. Yeah, I think this could be the day that the game he does. Are you rooting for somebody there, Lebron? You are? Lebron is kind of my guy, Okay, like wherever he's playing, it's kind of my guy. He leaves the Lakers, I don't care. I want Lebron to win.
I don't want the Lakers to win. Okay, he's my I mean he's my like Michael Jordan's Yeah he is, you know, yeah, like I was, not Steph Curry. No, it's Lebron James. Do you like Steph Curry? I love it. I like him more and more Steph or Lebron? Oh, you like Adam more and more because a lot of got this big smile your faces, don't like Lebron James because they're still so connected to Kobe. I'm a Heat fan. Why do I think Noah's a
Lakers fan? I'm the one that last summer we got in the conversation about the Heat culture Heat cultures back. Well, you got a big smile on your face about Lebron. You are you're rooting for him at all from the Heat from because he was with the Heat or do you not? Or do you hate him because he left the Heat? Oh? No, I love Lebron. I want to see Lebron Heat finals remask from like the Bubble.
We've already seen it in the semi. I have a feeling we're gonna see the exact same conference finals match up Boston's Heat Lakers Nuggets, and then we'll see what ends up there. But wow, no, I was. I was explaining to my four month old son, Will be when he gets a little older. I'll tell him about Lebron James. Yeah, all right, let's take this call higher on the air and I on the ball. All right, sure was its having a beer? Okay when you're talking, So
did you you had, Jody? We did? Yeah, yeah, he's he's So what did he say? You know, I'll set him straight. What did he actually? He did say he thinks the Sons can win tomorrow. Um, he said, they gotta you know, they've got a rebound um and and and uh you know they if they cannot rebound the Nuggets and do what they did yesterday, that they that they can win. And so okay, he feels pretty good about him. He's happy like all of us. He's happy that no, nothing was done with this uh uh yokich uh
thing with with shps. So, you know, Jody sounded actually kind of upbeat about the Suns. I don't know if you think that, Hey, the joker is unbelievable. I'm gonna tell you right now, they're they're making all this issue by the owner of the Sons. He is an amazing That guy is really good. And it's like, in my opinion, you know, play the race you know that he is better than Himdeed or Yannis the Greek. No matter what those guys suck compared to him, I never really
saw him till this year. The defense is a part of basketball. Offensively, he's a better player. Oh yeah, he's a better passer and rebounder than either one of those guys. I'll say, those guys are better defensive players. Fine, all right, so here, let me go out. Let me let me give you this Jay so we can tell you. Okay, you got about a minute. Okay, I know because they were coming out to it. Who have told been telling people whoever wins the Denver Suns
series, who's going to win it? All? That's not going out of the limit all because the heat and the Knicks and and uh Steve's Warriors are gone. That's three out of the out of him. And I agree with you Gay that the Lakers win this. The Warriors are gone, so we just have to beat the Warrior. That's gonna be who's gonna win it? The Warriors and the Sun's beak because I'm sorry, we're gonna we're gonna kick the Eastern Conferences representatives. But all right, well, there you have it
from from from Howard. Howard, I will give you, I will give you this authority. Um, the Suns have the best one two punch and generally in the NBA, if you have the better top players, you'll win, all right. Yeah, the bench out scoring up forty to eleven. Okay, there we go, all right, Howard, thanks so much, man talcu later. Okay, you know it's kind of on Howard. He's a huge Suns fan, so I don't know if you know that, but um, yeah, I mean two games ago, I thought the Suns were
toasted. I mean, you gotta wait for it to go back to beings. Yeah, but they just look so bad, and particularly DeAndre, it looks so disinteresting. It's so much diffen when you get when you get to play at home, that's when your your role players play. Well yeah, yeah, well anyway, so that games, that games tomorrow, you got the uh, you got the Knicks and the heat coming up at about four thirty hour time, and then you've got Golden State and the Lakers tonight.
So fun stuff to talk about it, all right, So let's take our break top of the hour. Devin's gonna be back with breaking news, and then Kenzie Fowler will join us. We'll talk about some pack twelve SAPTA. We'll be right back