No not, come on, come on, come.
On, come on on this episode of the Heat Check. The play ins are over. We are into the real deal coke Keel the playoffs. Most of you guys don't know what the Coquel River is, but that's it's an inside joke.
But real deal co Keel. Baby. We talk about some.
Of the major storylines and outcomes of the first games of the first round of playoffs, and we already have major t and major drama.
We have scuffles, we have the birds flipping the birds at the garden.
It's officially playoff time, like real playoffs, real deal co Keel playoffs.
So do me a favor and drop that beat, my big I'm perfect, good man drilling excites. Okay, the playings are done.
Though they are done, that means we've got one and eight's perfectly set up. We've got the Pelicans playing the Suns and we got the Hawks playing the heat both of them probably gonna be light work, unfortunately for the Clippers, because the Clippers should be in this spot, which would have set up for an elite eight to one matchup, a battleground from the Western Conference finals last year.
But of course, my man playoff P is the gift that keeps on giving.
And can't even get to the playoffs. Playoff P is now playing p fos around.
It gets COVID. COVID. How do you get COVID.
Between game one of the playing game and game two? You lose in Minnesota? What were you doing there? There's not even any good strip clubs in Minnesota. In Minneapolis for you to go in Shenanigan. You know, he's married, he's married to his former stripper. He's married, he has kids with her, So there's not even any of that in order to like entice you, and then they would he would have gone back to LA to play his own home playoff game against the Pelicans and no COVID.
And as a quick aside, the win that the Pelicans eked out of the Clippers was was actually personal to me, very personal, extremely personal to me. All Right, So now that the Pelicans go to the first round, they are now not lottery eligible, so they get no lottery balls, which means that the Blazers do not get their lottery pick from pick five to fourteen, Pick do you think we get?
You might ask? Probably next year? Right, like a next year's first.
For the pals, I'll still be bad, No, sir, we get the twenty twenty five first round pick. We have to wait till twenty twenty five first round pick, but not the Pelicans first round pick. It's the Milwaukee Bucks first round pick. So it's probably gonna be pick thirty.
Fuck that.
The defending champs pick. That's the one that we get. And of course, which made it equally this is a total aside which made it equally painful for me, was there, how how many former Blazers were on those two teams.
It was sickening. You had on the Clippers.
You had Robert Covington, you had my man Norm Powell, you had Nick Batum all way back Blazer Dan up literally like do something, Nick Batoom. And of course Club Trillion Tony Snell on that team. Four former players on the Clippers, also CJ McCollum on the PILs, Larry Nance Junior on the Pels both eating Fuck that gross gross.
So yeah, we'll get back to that. We've got some storylines.
But the matchup that I care the most about, well, the matchups that I care the most about two sevens. The two sevens are elite number two Celtics versus the seven nets, And damn did that not disappoint That was everything that we could have asked for and more. Kyrie nuclear Celtics escape on everything that you want them.
To do right.
All the while they've been succeeding through isoball, but no, not this time.
They made extra pass extra after extra pass. They were pump faking. We had Marcus Smart pump fake out of a three, which he loves three, so he took ten that night.
By the way, uh took a pump fake and found a Jason Tatum cutting to al horpor come on now with like literally zero seconds on the clock, Jason Tatum strap KD held him to more turnovers than points in the first half. What on Easter first and foremost also we already know because that wasn't even close. It wasn't even close to that being the only thing that was at hand.
Let's talk about Kyrie.
And the Boston Celtics fans, because he would like to tell us that there is no hostility. He said it to Nick Fodell. It's not hostility, bro. I'm not sure what it is, but it's something kai At one point, just for those who are listening to the podcast, aren't fully up to speed on history. They're not like it's not fully in the forefront of their mind. Kyrie Irving was supposed to play the remainder of his career out
in Boston. He was traded from the Cavs, and he wanted to go to a place with multiple banners, which the Nets have have none. But he wanted to go somewhere with multiple banners for a chance to make his own route. And things got toxic fast. He said, if you guys will have me, I'm planning to sign the extension. It was on like one of the first games of
the season. He announced it in front of the crowd. Kyrie, Kyrie, we love you, and then all of a sudden, him and Terry Rosier fucking around and beef you've got issues with everything, like he's mailing it in after an injury plagued year of the year before. Kyrie then ends up leaving on his own accord, as we know, not staying the remainder of his career as the Boston Celtics. Celtics fans big mad, big big mad, because did you see him?
Because did you see him? Imagine putting Kyrie Irving in that lineup what excuse me? Mark Smart off the bench, Kyrie Irving starting point guard, Derek White in the mix Al Horford, Ugh.
What so, Yeah, they're salty, they're salty balls. So he comes back to the garden. He's always burning Palo Santo or whatever before he comes and plays there, just to get the bad juju out.
So he comes and plays in the first round last year, stomps on Lucky.
The Boston logo puts everybody in a big baby.
Davis then gets involved. Look it up.
It was just a lot of fanfare and he gets a lot of hate. Now obviously a fan.
Also later threw a bottle at Kyrie in Game four last year.
Thinks highly charged. We'll say not hostile, highly charged. It's probably the best best way of putting it. So, yeah, you knew this playoff was gonna be intense. They've got the winner go home mentality. They were playing team pretty much most of the year because Kyrie Irving doesn't want to get vaccinated, and holy shit, was it ever intense. Seventeen lead changes in the game, back and forth all day.
Who is gonna win?
Kai Historic thirty nine points six for ten from three, five rebounds, six assists, four steals one block, and boy was he not quiet about it. He was not quiet about it. Fans were heckling him all night. Kyrie flipped them off at minimum four times. I don't know if you want to count the double the double flip as one or two.
Hard to do. Maskool on that folks.
Then at halftime a fan was like, Kyrie, you suck and he said what he said?
What did he say?
He said, thank you so much for your support. No, he said, suck my dick, bitch.
That's what he said. Jesus what he said. I didn't make that up. That's not like my synopsis. That's a direct quote.
Also, come to find out, it was probably five flipoffs because there was a legendary behind.
The head double Bird. The double Bird.
Best part though between in terms of the drama was the post game. Ask about the drama that Kyrie Irving simply didn't want any part of.
Let's hit that clip.
It looked like there were a couple of times where you gave the fans a finger. I'm curious was there anything that you thought cross the line today? And are you the kind of guy that gets motivated by kind of going back and forth with the fans. You kind of use that internally as something to fire you up.
Look, i mean, I'm just where I'm from. You know, I'm used to all these antics and people being close nearby. You know, it's nothing new when I come into this building what it's going to be like. But it's the same energy they have for me, and I'm gonna have the same energy for them. And it's not every fan.
I don't want to attack every fan, every Boston fan, but you know when people start yelling pussy and bitch and fuck you and all this stuff, it's bus so much you can take as a competitor, and you know where the ones expected to be docile and be humble and take a humble approach. Now, fuck, that's the playoffs. This is what it is. You know, I know what to expect in here, and it's the same energy I'm giving back to them. It is what it is. I'm
not really focused on. It's fun, you know what I'm saying. And like, like again, is where I'm from. I've dealt with so much, so coming in here, you reliship as a competitor and this is you know, I'm gonna keep repeating myself when I say again, but this isn't my first time in TD garden. So what you guys saw and what you guys think is as entertainment, or the fans think is entertainment. All is fair and competition, you know.
So if somebody's gonna call me out of my name, I'm gonna look at them straight in the eye and see if they really about it. Most of the time they're not.
Got read to that point, do you feel like the hostility that you get.
Still, let's not let's not focus on this, like ask me questions about the game, like it's not about the fans, the fans aren't playing.
From a basketball standpoint, you feel like the hostility you get.
There's no hostility, bro, it's basketball.
When you were flicking some people off, I say that some.
Hostility from what what point are you guessing that that's hostility or like hostility for me is like growing up, Well.
We've never seen that from you. This season where you are running down the floor flaking people.
Off, is the first time you actually caught it. Because it's a big time game. I respond in different ways, you know what I'm saying, I'm not trying to focus on that. If you want to ask me a questions about the fans. Go ask them, go on the street and ask them questions.
But I'm asking from your perspective, from basketball perspective. Do you feel like the hostility that you get is not hostility? Bro? Do you feel like the energy you get from fans in this building or embrace it best from you?
Embrace it. Embrace it. It's the dark side, embrace it.
No one's talking enough about the fact that Kyrie Irving's definition of hostility is wrong, that what's going on. Let's quickly do a little, just a little like Google search on the word because unfriendliness, opposition, conflict, hostility, all those
three things true. Also, did you notice Kyrie Irving tried this isn't even a part of what we were planning on talking about, but he tried to bring it back around to his struggle again his life, his I don't know, we've all gone through things, We've all seen things.
That maybe aren't on Wikipedia.
But listen, what I can google about Kyrie Irving is that he lived in Melbourne, Australia, a suburb of Q before relocating when he was two years old because his dad played basketball. Folks he had I'm not even gonna go into it because I don't know enough. I'm just gonna say, upon first glance that seems upon first glance. I want to make sure that everyone knows I'm not. I didn't dig into this and say it was a lie. I'm just saying it's suspect to me. That's all. It's
just a little suspect to me. No hostility incorrects her anyway. This shit is gonna be lit every game, especially at the Garden. I hope we get four games at the Garden and we will get four forty point performances from Kyrie Irving, and they're gonna need everyone for them to win this series.
My god, has it been fun already? Let's move forward.
The other series that has gotten everyone else's attention is in the West. I try to tell y'all it's the best series. Memphis somehow gets out grizzlied by the Minnesota Timberwolves. Wolves Grizzlies. Who can be more fierce? Who would I take? Probably a Grizzly. They're bigger. They're a much bigger creature than a wolf. One on one matchup tough power ranking, Grizzly goes up to the top more than a sun.
I don't know.
When you get too close to a sun, they burn the shit out of you, though the sun is supreme. And by the way, a buck gets hit by car all the time, like that's it. Anyway, Who would have thought that there was a exactly what is a net like? Was this little fucking net on a rim?
Was this flimsy ass? Was this flute jazz? Anyway?
Who would have thought there was a tougher, deeper team than the Memphis Grizzlies.
Not me.
For those who haven't been properly introduced, allow me to introduce you to not your daddy's or your uncle's Minnesota Timberwolves. They are young, they are owned by a rod, they are hungry, and they have.
Michael Jordan on the team.
Apparently to the shock of everyone, they are hard as coffin nails. I said this series was gonna be my favorite, and Game one was not a disappointment, but it.
Was a surprise.
I mean, the fact that they were in basically had the game in hand the Wolves the entire time was shocking.
I for one did not see Kitty.
Cat coming out like a junkyard dog abusing Jaren Jackson, but also abusing More importantly, Steven Adams, the toughest guy in the NBA that people say is like that could win a strong man competition, to the point where they had to sit Adams ass down on the bench because he was becoming a liability out there. He couldn't do shit against on either end. Against Karl Anthony Towns, Towns
had twenty nine thirteen to three. After his horrible game in the play in Karl Anthony Towns and Adams twisted he He ended the game with zero points in twenty four minutes. Jaron Jackson managed twelve points in the other twenty four I would call that not a particularly effective performance from the front court of Memphis.
Also, I don't.
Think anybody saw how much Jaw was going to get into the paint in a playoff game.
He went bananas.
This game was about them Jaw and at Jaw of course held up his end of the bargain thirty two, four and eight and in the beginning of the first half nineteen In the first half, Ant low Aunt stole the show. And let me tell you it is never I've never seen jog It upstaged by someone. Ant was everywhere like the ant man him and the wasp, just doing things, especially in the second half, thirty six two and six and only two turnovers. I'm I'm pretty convinced.
I'm pretty convinced now Aunt Edwards, who has grown three inches since his rookie year. He's now six five sixty six. He was sixty three when he got into the league. I am convinced now that he might be Michael Jordan. I am he was unstoppable. I don't know how you guard that. He's like a thicker football version, like a twenty twenty two Michael Jordan. I saw him hit shots after one after the other, clut shot, big bucket off the dribble, euro step in, pull ups, put backs, catching
shoe weight shifts, huge threes, growls. Just wanted it every step of the way. We came for jaw, and our jaws were on the floor for Aunt Edwards. He is the third youngest player to score thirty five in a playoff game, and it was his first ever playoff game. He told the world just wait till you see me in the playoffs. I'm gonna be something else, and he is something else. I think he's unguardable. He's just so big, he's so he's just thick and big and strong.
I think he's gonna win an MVP or two.
I am so in on the ant train, mostly also because of his personality.
He said this after the game.
I think it's very important to play out my best because they hide me during the regular season. There's no national TV games for us, so people don't really get.
To see me play.
I have an unless I have an enormous game where I score forty something, or I hit a game winning shot, or I have a huge.
Dunk and they see it all on Twitter.
I feel like games like this I have to take advantage because it's the only time I get to be on TV, so I get to showcase my talent and everything I do.
I promise you, Aunt, you'll be on TV more next year.
And then he said, which might be my favorite quote of the year, I want the world to know I'm a great person. I'm always smiling, trying to light up the room, and I want to see everyone be successful. Tip of the cap to Aunt, because as great as Michael Jordan was, that quote would never be uttered out of his mouth. I don't care if you think I'm a good person or not. I'm the best player on the fucking planet ever. All right, so those are the two series we're gonna get the most in depth in.
Let's just kind of quickly skim over because the other ones were not nearly as good.
Let's go more tea.
In the Bucks series with Chicago got shockingly close down the stretch. Bucks ended up pulling it out. Yannis probably deserved to be fouled out. There were some very suspect no calls, and for those who remember the OT game last year between the Miami Heat in the Milwaukee Bucks, it felt like, oh boy, Miami could win this series.
Like man, it came all the way down the wire.
Miami lost in OT and they gave him their best shot and then it was night night, sleep mask the rest of the way, get your broom out, And that, to me is kind of how this series feels right now. The Heat just like now, the Chicago Bulls have shot every bullet and.
Ultimately will fall short.
In my opinion, they did only shoot thirty six percent the Bulls. They probably will shoot better, but boy did it feel like the Heat series to me. Speaking of the Heat one eight matchup between Miami and Atlanta, Wow, a shlacking like never was close. Things also got chippy between my Man, Trey Young and Jimmy Butler. Trey Young acted like he was gonna beat Jimmy's ass, which was like super funny a kerfuffle.
They had to be separated.
He held Tray to one for twelve zero for seven from three, his worst game of the year by far eight points. My man Kevin Knox. Kevin Knox, do you remember that name? Probably not. The only reason you might know him is because he went viral because NBA scouts were asking him if he had babies that he didn't know about pre draft. It's not a joke. He outscored Trey in this game. He was the one that was part of the Cam Reddish trade. The Knicks just threw him in. No, he had more points than Trey Young
ten points. Trey, as usual, though, remains confident in the Warrior series with the Nuggets. I mean it's gonna be. It's not the plan anymore. Trey, Like, you guys aren't good right now. You've got no Clint Compell. I mean, it's just it's a rap for you.
Anyway. Warrior Series, we move on versus the Nuggets.
We got to see a Jordan pool, elevating to a place that we have not seen him. We got to see in Andrew Wiggins that was how are I put it better than him? Him his normal performances in the playoffs playing off ball, catch and shooting. Steph Curry largely neutralized due to his injury, and Jordan Poole came to the pool party. So that's gonna be an interesting one. We got to see how Joki responds. Draymond expects a huge performance out of him because I don't think he's
gonna go down without a fight. Also, like I said, possible, Jamal Murray siding, they're gonna need to get him shaped up mentally because he's ready to go. Apparently he's physically able to go. As soon as his mental is ready, he can play. Yeah, that's new news. That's new news. Also moving forward between the Sixers and the Rafters, Joel Embiid dirty play. I think I'm pretty sure Scotty Barnes twisted his ankle and what happened. Joel Embiid then put his and stumped it on.
Top of the twist. I watched it.
I mean, seven feet tall, three hundred pounds on a twist. They say uncertain timetable, but you gotta feel like he's in a boot right now.
Boot life is not good.
Gary Trent also sick tonight probably means a tough game too for Toronto. They got to get back to Canada quick because this thing has gotten out of fan a lot faster than I possibly thought. They're still at home, Sixers still have a chance to blow it. James Harden didn't look that great tyrees Maxy did. There's now think pieces being written about him, so you can tell he
went off Jazz Versus Maverick series. The thing that was interesting to me, Donovan Mitchell decided he's no longer shooting threes. He's only slashed into the basket. I saw him pass up ten threes because he's just when he goes cold, boy, it really does erode his confidence when he doesn't shoot well. Also, he is remaining committed to the bit, remaining committed to the bit, regardless of where, when, how playoff moments high leverage.
He's not passing to Rudy Gobert. One passed to Rudy Gobert in thirty seven passes that he had that game, So fuck Rudy Gobert. Operation Fuck Rudy Goobert is still fully in effect. He even said some very shady things about him when they asked him about DPO.
Why let me find that really fast for you.
They asked him, Hey, what do you think about him being a finalist for Defensive Player of the Year. He goes, this is something he's been doing since I got here. Nice little comment. He's a guy that protects the rim great defensively. I think he's gonna win it. I think we all believe that. I think he believes that. I think that's the biggest.
Thing is he's showing it. Like last game, I think he was the epitome of who he is. What did he have like one two shots last game? You don't passing the ball. You're the point guard, shooting guard. You don't passing the ball.
What do you mean he only gets one two shots? He's probably getting put backs.
Oh my god.
He was one of the most impactful players in the game for us defensively, Oh my god. Remaining committed to the bit. It's gonna be a very interesting series. Luca's gonna need to come back, and and Jalen Brunts and my lord, if you're not watching his footwork, if you're not watching him get to the rim, spin around on his pivot foot, make plays to Reggie Bluck in the corner like Maxi klay By hitting.
That game was low key very good.
And what does it say that it's a great game when the top seven player in the NBA is not in it and it comes.
Down to the wire, it says the Jazz aren't that good. That's what it says to me.
Suns made light work of the Pels. But man was Chris Paul everything that we want from him? He said the craziest thing he said at halftime he ran into Jamal Crawford, who was just there with the game. He's retired now, by the way, Jay Crossover, he's retired. Sad and Joel said, shoot the ball, Chris, what are you doing? Like you're playmaking, you're defending, but like, can you just shoot the ball?
Fourth quarter?
He has how many points? Seventeen points in the fourth quarter? He hit the first fifteen points of that quarter.
Pep talk. That little pep talk did him well.
And I think it also shows how impactful he can be everywhere when he wants to be. Man Eighten was electric that that's gonna be an easy, little light work Pelican series. There the Pelicans look shook from moment.
One moment one. All right, let's move on.
Finally, it's our Monday winning time recap.
God, that show's good. This has got spoiler alerts.
If you haven't watched the show, watch it, or if you don't want to watch the show because you you're too broke to have HBO, we're just gonna give it to you now. First and foremost, imagine amazing cinematography. Amazing sort of a gritty, a gritty background.
Like not quite Sepia at times. What would I call it? It's definitely like more dull.
Like the way that the camera is showing the footage, it's like feels.
Like old film.
The way they kind of go back between like documentary style like shooting and like really like a movie shooting is phenomenal.
The sound, the music tremendous.
The acting, of course, some of these guys have never seen before play any of these roles. One guy, the guy that's playing Kareem, was like a professor and had never acted before.
But he's just like Kareem Heights.
So they picked him out because I found him that just your Kaream height you play basketball like come so, I mean he's been the star of the show.
He's stealing scenes too. The show gets better every week.
This week entered the antagonist for the season, Mister Hick Larry Joe Byrd, Mister I chew tobacco while I hoop mister the Hick from French. He makes his appearance as Magic gets to the Garden in Boston for his very first professional game ever against Larry and the Celtics. Wasn't exactly true to history, but the matchup was. It did not disappoint. This episode background drama centered around Jack McKinney, who we talked about bike accident a night night sleep
mask for a while. I think he was out for weeks in the coma. I don't mean to make light of it, but that's what happened.
It's in the past. It was a long time ago. He's fine now I think he's dead actually, but he he was fine. He was fine. He ended up being fine. He lived a very long life.
Lakers turned the team over to former Shakespeare teacher and assistant coach Paul west Head, who was his assistant coach. He brought over and he immediately hires Pat Riley, who was an announcer for the Lakers, and he pulls him off the broadcast. They make check her and look like a total asshole, like they make him look like a racist, a misogynist. They make him look I mean, isn't he revered? I'm pretty sure like chick Hern has a street outside of crypto chick.
Hern way beloved man, and they make him out. I think he's dead too, right, is he dead? I'm not sure.
I'm pretty sure he's dead. But they did not do him any favors. They should have only done the dead people dirty like they do.
Jerry west so wrong in here, and he's very much alive, I can tell you very much alive.
So anyway, others whispering in Jerry Buss's ear to fire McKinney, who's hospitalized at that moment. There's a cute little game that they played a Monopoly where McKinney kicked Jerry Buss's ass and monopoly coming fresh out of a stroke, and that was the reason he was like reticent about firing him, which is crazy. McKinney's job though in this episode depends on west Fall winning a game in Boston. He was like that's the barometer of weather. We're a good team.
And wow, did they ever capture the essence of the Garden rats, Like great, the Garden just a shithole, like creepy, spooky tone. They even had Norm Nixon describe it like while they were at Magic's house before the game, like they spent Christmas at Magic's and he was like, you can hear the sound of leprechauns in the back. And and it's actually true. They actually did shit. Fans did shit on Bill Russell's bed after he was drafted. That's a real story. He was theirs, he was their player,
and they shit on his bed. And just like the home cooking, the Riders did play fast and loose. Magic in real life beat Bird in the Forum in the Forum earlier in that season. But the first game in the Garden actually was pretty factually true. A lot of physicality, the Lakers pulling off the last second win, Rafts just
calling nothing. And then the interesting storyline, which I'm not sure how much of it was true, was how Magic was affected by white fans and the white, largely white media favoring Larry Bird over him because he was used to listen I beat his ass in college, like we're both here, I am me, he is this hic, Like why are you guys treating him like Jesus?
And that became the.
Moment in the Cornerstone that got Kareem and Magic like immeshed and bonded where he was like yes, like, they're not going to treat you like Larry Bird. I'm not sure if you know this, but racism is a thing, and just continue to beat his ass, beat his ass more, and I promise you they still will speak highly of him. But when they're not speaking of you, they know that you're better. So that was really really interesting. And this show too creates tension in a way.
I mean, we know how it ends. They got a title that year. We know.
You can just go on Wikipedia look and see nineteen seventy nine, nineteen eighty title.
You can see which games they won. You can see who won Rookie of the Year.
You can see all that sheeks, see the MVPs. But no, the tension, you would think Jerry Buss was gonna lose the team. I know the Bus family still owns it right to this day. I talk about it on the show all the time, way more than I want to, but you would be thinking that he was going to.
He was saddled in debt.
He's trying to pull accounting maneuvers to find a way to depreciate his own players so that the value of the team all kinds of tricky little accounting math school in order for him to not lose the Lakers. And yet I was on the edge of my seat. The tension, the drama, the intensity. How can you create so much intensity when I already know the result.
It's tremendous. Go watch the show. Don't be broke.
I think like a You can find a crackstream of HBO Max winning time.
I don't know.
Fine, hit up a friend, text your friend, see if anybody has HBO Max.
Hit me up with the DMS. I'll give you my login. Actually, I'll give you the person's life who gave me the login. How about that?
Just make sure you click my profile and not theirs. Good stuff maybe the best drama on TV right now. You need to go watch it, and we will be back soon. We have more playoff stuff to preview, but that is all the time that we have right now for the heat check.
We'll be back on Wednesday, most.
Likely as long as these allergies don't feel like COVID, so follow the Heat Check please as we prepare and continue the playoffs, do not forget to download and subscribe to this podcast wherever you find them.
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