Nuggets Take Back Control And Eliminate Phoenix; Will Boston Do The Same?

Let's get right into it. Let's drop that beat that should be Rihanna. So this is gonna be a short show because the playoffs make it really hard for us to stay completely current on things because there are games happening pretty much every night, and then we don't want things to be dated. First off, let's start with the Suns, Like, what the fuck was that? Like? What was that? Did you you guys watched the Suns? Did you watch the

first quarter? The first quarter looked pretty good at first, and then all of a sudden, you go and get a drink and it's a seventeen zero run by the Denver Nuggets. They put up I think forty something points on the Suns in Phoenix. Last year it was the Mavericks. This year it's the Nuggets. What do they have in common? Both teams were up thirty at halftime. It was disgusting. Katie summed it up best. He said it was an embarrassment. It was if you watch more than five minutes, that's

about as good as word as any. Really, the Suns looked slow. I mean, did all the Suns get COVID again? No DeAndre Ayton, no Chris Paul and they looked slow, uninterested and overmatched. New owner Matt Ishbia has gotta be pissed off because he spent so many assets and so much money for this team. They should be elite with Kevin Durant Devin Booker, but they are not. We know that this team has an eighting problem. He was scratched with a rib injury, but boil boy, does that look suspicious?

And the fans were not happy. A lot of questions in the offseason about Monty Williams, about James Jones, about DeAndre Ayton, about everyone not named Devin Booker and Kevin Durant. As for the Nuggets, man, they look really good. They look like they are firing on all cylinders. Jokic is unstoppable. Another European that waxes the Suns at a closeout game, Jamal Murray channeling his best bubble version of himself. MPJ is staying healthy. I think with those three it's really

gonna be hard to see who beats them. Honestly, but the playoffs have told us one thing. Do not even try to predict what's happening. We are, though, setting the stage for a potential exact bubble Eastern Conference Finals and Western Conference Finals, which would be Boston versus Miami and Denver versus LA, which would be just a blast from the past insane out East. The Sixers, they had a

golden opportunity to put down the Celtics. Jason Tatum was three and a half quarters the worst player on planet Earth. He was, I'm not joking. He was one for thirteen halfway through the fourth quarter. But the problem was the Sixers couldn't hit a shot either, and the game, at one point I think was tied eighty three eighty three. Don't quote me on that. It was right around there. It was two points or less right up until the time that Tatum hit a corner three and it will up,

I said to myself. Right then he saw one go in. It is curtains. And what did he do? He scored fifteen of the last seventeen points in the back half of the fourth quarter, including four straight threes, all the while the Sixers couldn't buy a bucket. So now, at this point, Doc is seventeen and thirty two in close out games in his career, including just six and fifteen in his past twenty one. Do we can we like properly appreciate how bad that is? That's like, that is outrageous.

The memes on Twitter right now are devastating. My favorite one was Doc Rivers.

For nothing? How can you have any semblance of confidence in the Sixers knowing what he does, what Doc Rivers history is going into game seven, and Beid was out into the media saying, hey, by the way, I the MVP of the NBA did not touch the ball in the last four minutes of the game. How does that happen? I don't know, no idea, very bad schematics. Also, Embiid, like, you're the MVP, maybe you should call for the ball. Maybe you should take a time out and say, hey,

feed me. So, unless Doc Rivers can find a rabbit out of the hat for game seven, we're probably looking at the exact bubble scenario that we got in twenty twenty Heat Celtics and Nuggets Lakers Western Conference Finals. Time to party like it's a pandemic all over again. Onto Golden State La. Our Dubs came back put on a show for Game five. It was a Steph masterclass. Even though he wasn't scoring, he was assisting like crazy. Jordan

Poole finally showed up in this series. GP two was so committed to his contributions to the team he actually threw up in his mouth and wouldn't spit it out on the floor. He just kept playing the rest of the sequence until he could find some sort of throw up bucket on the sidelines. And then of course Looney, as per usual, was a beast and I think a little too beastie if you ask any La Laker person.

This is what happened midway through the fourth quarter Kevon Looney battle for a rebound and coincidental for the second straight series. Remember, he got some bonus in the eyeball on a jump ball, got him bruised, looked like he had a black guy. Loony's elbow in this particular case made vicious contact with the head of another team starting center. This time it was Anthony Data Davis. Loony's elbow hit him would look like it was supposed to be in

the nose. It looked like it was at first point, but upon further slow motion, he actually got him with his elbo boat or four armbone directly in the temple. And what happened next has created like some of the nastiest media conversation I think I've seen around the NBA, Like it's just horrible, it's despicable. Eighty didn't return to the game. He was evaluated by doctors. He looked really shaken up as per usual, but wobbly in a way

that is not per usual. He actually left the floor to the locker room, did not come back to the game, and he left the game in a wheelchair. After the game, Chuck and Shaq seemed to find that hilarious.

day to day Davis for a long time. But you know what, we're not gonna Here's what we're not gonna do. Make fun of brain injuries. That's foul. Then of course you got Stephen a making jokes like this, Toms, we just can't help me. We gotta let it go. I'd be condemn it.

after being the trenches with Looney? He looked like one of Tyson's early opponents after the first round, just ground beef stewed up purple. So I understand that there's now no chance that Anthony Davis doesn't play in Game six, and people are saying that there's some sort of conspiracy theory about Anthony Davis's concussion. Let's just not Let's just joke about other things. The dude was woozy. They don't bring wheelchairs out for no reason. Unless you're Paul Pierson.

You have to poop something vicious. I have to say. It leads me to this point. I think I'm done. I think I am I think I am done watching NBA content on ESPN. I just maybe tant, Probably not tant. It's trash. NBA content so much more trash compared to NFL content. The NFL product so much worse. Like the NFL product is so heinous in terms of what is at stake and the player's safety, and but the way that their media members talk about the sport is second

to none. NBA media right now, in general, feels like a clown show. When an NFL player gets carted off the field, do you see anyone laughing? No? Do they minimize it? No? They fucking do not. Why is Anthony Davis being brained by an elbow to the temple something that everyone finds to be hilarios I don't know. Maybe because when you think of Anthony Davis getting brought out in a wheelchair, you think it's just another one of

his antics. This just isn't that it doesn't appear. NBA is technically a non contact league, but NBA media doesn't take injuries like very seriously at all. I don't This is not a joke. Draymond Green summed it up best. Just don't play with those head injuries. They're serious. I saw a lot of people laughing and talking. This is a hit to the head. One small hit to the head can change everything in your life. So I don't really understand the joke. I don't understand at all. You're

risking your life and one injury can change everything. I don't understand the laughing. Why it's so funny? Yeah, even Draymond Green. I don't understand why it's funny. I don't either, I really don't. I don't get it. I want to make jokes, I want things to be funny. This is not that. This is an elbow to the temple. And as much as I like to make fun of Anthony Davis's skin of paper and bones of glass, this is just a little too close to home, if you know

what I mean. Let's move on. What is happening with Jordan Poole. What's going on? Reports are now coming out about his locker room demeanor, and it paints this fascinating portrait of just how divisive he is both on the court and I think to team chemistry. First, Tim Kawakami, who covers the Warriors for The Athletic, noted the pool who was facing away from the reporting pool after Game four wouldn't speak until Tim Kawakami left. Guess he has

beef with him then. According to NBC's Care with Birth, he was in that interview how shall we say salty? Surly Burke wrote, the visitor's locker room was really cramped, so when the music went off, all the other players were listening as well. And it was like all eyes and ears were on Jordan Poole right there. It just heightened the tension. I was like, Jordan, we know your work ethic is good. When you feel like you're in a little bit of a funk, when things don't seem normal,

what are you doing. Are you getting back into the gym? And he said, well, my work ethic doesn't change, My routine doesn't change. Maybe opportunity changes, but you can only control what you can control. So the frustration, very clear, is coming through Jordan. That's just the beginning. Though Tons of articles have dropped in the last two days about poolbing a liability to the point where he got ten minutes and twenty three minutes in the past two games.

He's averaging five point five points per game in both. I remember you got a lot of money in the offseason. A video went around showing all of his defensive performances in game four, Boy is it damning. He gave very little effort on the defensive side. He scored zero points on offense during that time. No wonder he got benched and now he's getting murdered by other team execs. Piling

on and another anonymous east in conference. NBA exec said, this is about Jordan Poole in his Bleacher Report article, He's empty calories. It doesn't get much worse than being compared to a little Debbie snack cake. It doesn't. It just doesn't. Little Debbie snack cakes are not something that you compare to a basketball player, not one that's making as much as Jordan Poole is making. Another executive said he doesn't defend, he doesn't really create for others, and that Draymond Green

incident wasn't a great look for either of them. The intel on Pool and his presence in the locker room isn't great. How much trade value has Jordan Poole lost in this last nine months. It would seem like a lot. But you know, we know that there are always teams that are interested in a microwave twenty point a game guy off the bench, no matter how little defense they play. Asked Jamal Crawford, he was a bucket and he got paid for a really long time. One thing seems clear.

Something's gotta give. And if the Warriors lose this series to the Lakers, and for the record, I don't think that they will, there will be changes going forward because another season of Pool and Draymond as her teammates just does not seem like a good idea to anyone, and especially Jordan Poole. All right, let's move on. Uh, the time has finally come. The All NBA lists are out. Let's get into the good, the bad, and the ungle

of the twenty three All NBA Teams. First Team Shay Giljis, Alexander Luka, Doncic, Joel Embiid, Jason Tatum, and Giannis Antetokumpo. Second Team, Steph Curry, Donovan Mitchell, Jimmy Butler, Nikola Jokic and Jaylen Brown. Third Team Damian Lillard, Deeron Fox, Lebron James, Julius Randall, Julius Randall and Demonic Sabonis. The good demonas Sabonis and Dearreon Fox. Making All NBA is good. They

deserved it. I was wondering if they were going to get snubbed from the list, but as playoff teams that they playoff teams that they were on, I think that that was the deciding factor. This is the exact type of justice that we need in basketball. They become the first Kings duo to make the All NBA team in the Sacramento Era in the second in franchise history behind Oscar Robinson and John Lucas in nineteen sixty seven. So very very good stuff there. Dame being on the All

NBA list also good. Even though the team he was on and is on is trash. He was the only player not in the playoffs to make All NBA. I think he absolutely deserves it. He was incredible. He was putting up sixty points night after night after night, giving a dazzling performance. Over dazzling performance, you could argue, Actually, I think the Dame probably should have been First Team over Luca. The statistics between Luca and Dame aren't really

that different. Besides rebounds, Dame's got a better true shooting percentage. Dame has averaged the same amount of points and assist as Luca over that year, and let's be honest, both of them didn't make the playoffs. I think Dame should have been First Team. Lebron making All NBA was also good, even though he was injured, he's been balling. He is looking better than ever. He absolutely deserves it. He could

have made First Team very easily as well. If this Lakers team was the roster that they have right now that they had in the beginning of the year. I think he would have been first team All NBA. Another good thing. Shay gilgis Alexander. I was worried that Okac would not get the love that they deserve, but they have. Shay should have absolutely been first team All NBA. He bawled out. He brought Okac to a play in game.

They look like their future is very bright. He led the team and led the league excuse me, in points in the paint, along with played incredible defense on the other end as well. Shay is so good. Absolute should have been first team All NBA. Another good thing. Jalen Brown making All NBA. Now he's gonna get his bag. We were wondering. There were some whispers whether he would

actually make All NBA. Remember his teammate Jason Tatum got snubbed from All NBA when there was contract implications for him. So now Jalen Brown's bag is secured. Let's go to the bad jaw Jow's little shot gun. Willie's trip kind of fucked him out of thirty million dollars, didn't it? Didn't it? He misses All NBA all together? Bad? Yes, he definitely deserved basketball standpoint All NBA, but totally understandable.

Donovan Mitchell is pissed he didn't make first team either, after putting up crazy stats this year, making the Cavs a playoff team for the first time in a long time, and by the way, the MAVs didn't even make the play in. So he tweeted what I think a lot of people thought, which was fuck out a year. With all that, Anthony Davis was snubbed. Of course, he was injured at times, but when he wasn't in he was one of the best players in the NBA, especially without Braun,

he was dominant. He easily could have been third Team All NBA over someone in the front court, which is what we'll talk about in just a second. Let's get into the ugly. There is no way Julius Randall should be on this list. He was good, statistically good, had some big shots in some big moments in the regular season, but let's be real, there were not front court players like Bam who could have made it. I know Miami was largely trash for the regular season, but damn Julius Randall.

And then the last thing that was ugly to me Why Why, Why is Devin Booker not on this list? Why do people keep slandering Devin Booker? Why do they pretend like he does not play basketball at an elite level in order to make this list. He's one of the best two way players in the league. He's put

up ungodly stats all year. Yes, he got injured. People have always tend to Devin Bookner's great greatness wasn't real on his team when he was really good and they were like a lottery team, there was like, Oh, his team's not good, his stat pats And now it's like, oh, the team is good, but his stats aren't real. Let's be real. Devin Booker should have been First Team over Luca or Tatum. That's just real. Let's move on. Let's

move on. Outside of the All NBA list. I want to talk about some college hoops for just a second. This is sort of NBA related because a year from now we'll all be talking about where he is going to play pro basketball. But Bronnie James, as we know, made a decision on where he wants to play college ball. As we know, Bronnie announced on Saturday that he is he's staying home. He's staying home. He's going to College

of USC, the University of Spoiled Children. That is I think a little bit of a surprise, considering that a lot of people thought he was going to go to either Ohio state where Ron James is from, which would be horrible, that would make no sense, or go to Oregon because of Nike University. But now Bronnie James can stay at home with his parents or like, have a condo somewhere, probably a nice one nearby. He can be at the twenty five million dollar bel Air home. Bron

can attend most of his home home games. I'm sure they'll correspond with when Lebron James and the Lakers play in LA. Let's be real, USC just went to the tournament. They're a good team. Now they're returning good players. They've got big Yellis at the point guard spot. He averaged eighteen four and three one point four steals per game. They've got Kobe Johnson, who's like an athletic two slash three. He brings, you know, pretty good productions two steals per game,

nine to five and three. He goes back to the Trojans and the latest news though about this is very interesting to me, DJ Rodman also going to USC on a transfer. DJ, if you're wondering, stands for Dennis Junior aka Dennis Rodman's son is coming to play basketball with Lebron James's son. Wild age disparity between Dennis Rodman and Lebron James and their kids being the same age, But I cannot wait to see that court side view. DJ

average ten and six last year at Washington State. So now you have Bronnie and Rodman playing at USC, and you also have Kobe Bryant's oldest daughter who's a sophomore at US as well, not an athlete, all on campus at the same time. Who's next? Well, because US is clearly the place to be right now if you're a child of someone famous, and Bronni and Rodman are going to make sure a ton of other people coming west.

My best guest as the next Domino, justin Pippen Scottie Soon, who just played with Bronnie James at Sierra Canyon and currently hasn't picked a team yet. We are going to be talking a lot of USC hoops, most likely here on the heat check. Probably get out to see a game too. That's all the time that we after the heat check. We'll be back Tuesday morning with an all

new episode as we head into the conference finals. Check out the feed for past episodes and many episodes which drop almost every single day, and follow the heat check as the playoffs are in full swing. Do not forget to download, subscribe. Please tell your friends, every single one of them, and follow us on social at this heat check and as credits on