Knicks Go For 2 Seed, the Lakers Dilemma and Play-In Previews

and some of these interesting matchups. I know we were talking a little bit before the pod. I'm about to be I'm about to be locked into a lot of two seven matchups I think when the postseason begins. But let's start with an interesting game last night. So as we knew, all thirty teams were in action yesterday, shockingly, which kudos to the NBA in just the way things

have worked with these playing games. Twelve of the fifteen games had an packed on the playoff standings, but one that was intriguing was a New York Knicks Chicago Bulls in the Eastern Conference. With so much up for grabs, we knew that Chicago had already locked themselves in do that nine ten playoff playing game against the Atlanta Hawks, which we'll get to in a little bit. But the

New York Knicks were kind of floating. There was an opportunity of which they have now found themselves in to be in the number two seed, but it could have swung anywhere from two, three, four for them, and over time against the Chicago Bulls, who would have thought, and as a lot of the other games started finishing up, it looked like, okay, you have a chance to be that two seed and likely play which the seventy six Ers had beaten the Brooklyn Nets a significant lead by

that point, that they would end up being the seventh seed, playing the Miami Heat in the eighth seed, and likely be the Philadelphia seventy six Ers, who Joel Embiid is now back in the fold. So certainly with the complements of their full roster, look at a peer to be that of a seventh seed. The third seeded Bucks, which it turned out to be, will play the six seeded

Indiana Pacers. What's going through your head? And I'm just posing this to you, what is going through your head if you are a fan of the New York Knicks, You're in overtime and you think, huh in our in our playoff matchup in the first round, we could potentially see the Indiana Pacers, or we could potentially see a team that is now full full go and looked very good in the beginning parts of the season with Joel Embiid Tyree Smaxy and was said to be a title

contender as you began the season here in the first round.

had that. It just brought so much drama to April, whereas before you're sort of sleepwalking for the most part through this part of the season, and it created scenarios in which you raised, particularly with that NXT game against Chicago and overtime. Chicago really didn't need the game, and by then the Knicks knew what was happening around the NBA Milwaukee was losing to Orlando, and so you see

Philadelphia right there lurking, look Sarah. I would like to think that I'm a winner in life and all that stuff, but I would have been a loser. I would have been a loser that game. I would have been a loser. I'm sorry. I would have sat Jalen Brunson in overtime. I would have said, hey, pal, pretend you have a cramp or something. And I know you've been a hero, been a hero for us off season, but you're going to take a breather right now. And you know, people

could have hated me. I wouldn't care, but I would not want to see Joe and b or for that matter, a refreshed Jimmy Butler, Tyler Herro and the Miami heat depending on you know who wins that. Ye, so what Miami did last year, you don't want that that Jimmy Butler smoke. And I know, you know Miami had a kind of a tough or rough stretch this season. But again, if my choice is getting you know, the the three spot, I mean, look again, like I said, I'd like to

think that I'm a winner in life. I'm sorry, I'm taking the big l I'm you know, I proved myself. You know, the Knicks had a fantastic season, and they had played a fantastic game up to that point. Overtime. Hey god, we need to rest up for the playoffs, right, you know, sit out these last five minutes.

was at a great day. Nicola Vucevich with twenty nine and eleven Kobe White with twenty six points, they will be in that nine ten game. As I had mentioned that, we'll get to it a little bit but let's first look at what that looks like in terms of the seven eight seeds in the Eastern Conference, because you mentioned this is a fun one and this is interesting to consider how things will play out with the seventy six ers Miami Heat. They will play on ESPN on Wednesday

night at seven pm Eastern. Joel Embiid, as I mentioned, he's been back. He's been back for a stretch. He did not place Sunday just for maintenance on that knee. But you've got a Heat team that, for as much as they've been counted out and were last season, they were in the same position. Do you count out to Jimmy Butler, bam Adebayo and Eric Spolstra when it comes

down to playoff time? What do you think about this matchup in particular a one game scenario between these two teams for an opportunity to avoid the Boston Celtics and have a shot at the New York.

the Celtics in the first round. So I think from that standpoint of seeing potentially seeing the Celtics one to eight matchup or the Knicks and the two to seven matchup, I will take my chances on the Knicks and the two seven.

in uh and play very well. Obviously, you know he'll be going up against bam Adebayo, but Joe O Embiid against pretty pretty much any center in the NBA other than maybe Yo Kic is going to be pretty much a favor. So I see the Sixers uh pushing through uh. And I do see a close game. And and again I don't think there's all that much of an urgency for the loser, because I just think that they're just going to be such a heavy favorite in the next game playing against a winner of nine to ten.

in the first round. And I think a team like Philadelphia who came in with aspirations of winning a title, where Joel Embiid is at both in terms of the years, the miles on his body, what things have looked like. You get him back healthy, which was a question mark at the middle part of the season, You've reinforced yourself with some three point shooting, bringing in Buddy Healed, and how Tyrese Maxey has been playing some of the depth of that group. Nick Nurse here in his first year.

I think this is a team that thinks, hey, if we can get in, we can make something happen. And so I imagine despite Miami and all that they have often pulled out in the postseason, and I do think that they will end up being the eighth seed. I think they have looked different this year, some of the pieces that they lost from last year, and just in general, I think that the seventy six ers will take this seriously. They're playing at home, and they will understand the implications

that it could have farther down the line. But either way, it's going to be a ton of fun. Another one. It was fascinating yesterday as you watched the Los Angeles Lakers playing the New Orleans Pelicans in New Orleans one twenty four one toweight win, and I'm not even sure that does justice to how commanding the Lakers were in

this win. In particular, Lebron James just sparkled. He was extraordinary twenty eight points, seventeen assists, eleven rebounds, Anthony Davis thirty and eleven although he had exited the game late. Still wait to make sure and hear about his health status and what that looks like for the playing game that will take place tomorrow on TNT seven thirty pm Eastern.

They are the early game, but they've had New Orleans number all season long, and New Orleans had an opportunity to stay out of the play and be in the sixth seed. They have a nice run to close out the season, but just could not get past the Lakers that have not been able to get past them in the season. Z Ion Williamson, who had been playing really well down the stretch of the season, just twelve points, eight rebounds, eight assists. It was CJ McCollum who had

another big game. What do you make of this game? Lakers will stay right there in New Orleans, don't need to pack their bags, don't need to go anywhere, coming off of a win where they should feel very very confident. How do you kind of frame the perspectives of both of these teams in this one?

Lebron James obviously he is playing well. Now, the problem I had for the Lakers is this is not the second game of the play in, you know, scheduled tomorrow. If this was the second game, and if you knew Sacramento beat Golden State, then I would know I wouldn't be all that enthusiastic about beating New Orleans for the same reason Sarah you raise about Philadelphia, because you know if you come in seven, you're gonna play the Denver Nuggets.

So if you're the Lakers and you look up and down the rest of the West and you say, I know I can beat Oklahoma City, Minnesota Clippers, you can go on and on with Phoenix, Suns, Denver Nuggets. I don't know. Oh, And I just think that the Lakers, for the same reason as you said with Philadelphia, if they avoid that team, that one team, and that one team is Denver, they could end up back in the Western Conference Finals. But again, you would run the risk

of playing with fire. If you say, well, we're not gonna we're gonna arrest Ad, We're gonna wrest Lebron James a little bit and take our chances, you know, playing the winner of nine to ten, then you put up in it in a very precarious situation. Anything could happen in again, the ball bounces badly, someone gets hurt, and all of a sudden, your season's over. You're eliminated. I don't think the Lakers will play the Fire, but it's

just a very unfortunate position that they're in. Because they win, and I think they will, then you've got Denver in the first round. Look, it'd be compelling, a compelling first round matchup, but I just think it's gonna be a quick eggres for the Lakers. That's the one team they don't want to see.

the season been really impressed with. They were as high as fifth, you know, fifth seed, and have dropped because of all these you know, different movements among a lot of the games and the teams, and how tight this race has been. But I think this is a tremendous test for them, and a test not just about their performance and a play, but maturity in what type of group they have and maybe giving some answers in that manner.

With that being said, though, I also don't think the gap between are the Nuggets my favorite absolutely what I want to avoid them at all costs, absolutely, I have a ton of faith and they'll Alma City thunder. And how do you think the gap between those two teams are not quite as vast as it may appear, despite the experience of the defending champion Denver Nuggets. I think Oklahoma City has just got all the pieces, They've got the right vibe right now, and they are a team

that I also would not want to see. So again, it's gonna be interesting to continue watching, but we got some fun ones coming up. And as I mentioned, it's not just a but the playing games with what that means for some of these playoff matchups in the first round. We're gonna take a quick break and come back and look at these nine time games. Welcome back to NBA. Paul Sarak Whostak joined by the great Seawan Poll and

Sean nine to ten matchups. The intriguing one, I think maybe a little bit more intriguing because the implications it may have with some of the star power and those we have seen in the playoffs for a really long time. On Western Conference on Wednesday. Tuesday, Tuesday, tomorrow nine ten game taking place on TNT ten pm, Eastern Sacramento Kings Golden State Warriors. We're going to see a rematch of that first round series from last year. We're also going

to see what this Warriors team has. Can Steph Curry keep them rolling? Who will they see if they do in fact win this game? What are you looking for out of this King's Warriors game on Tuesday?

Klave Thompson, but he can be close enough. He had some very wild and inconsistent swings, but when he was on and left open, uh, he could hit that shot. And I also think some of the Warriors young players have sort of grown and yeah, this is their first real chance at the playoffs or not the playoffs or postseason, shall we say. But I think they've come through for

the most part all season for this team. When you put Steph Clay Draymond, you put them in a game of this sort of urgency and importance against the Sacramento Kings team which is frankly is much more It's not the same team as last year, fairly disappointing. You don't have Kevin Herder, you don't have Malik Monk. Harrison Barnes has been, you know, showing his age there a little bit. Now de bonisim Bonus has been playing well, but Draymond Green tends to neutralize that a little bit. So I

think I think the Warriors will win this one. I think for the King just for a steep fall from last year. You know, they had their revelation they cracked the playoff code for the first time in many years. But the league just got better between last year and this year, and I think they're going to see that in this game. And again it's going to be a similar result. Maybe not a similar game because that was a close game seven last year, but I see a

similar result in this game. But the Warriors beating the Sacramento Kings.

be able to win the next game. The loser of the seven eight seed and make it into to have the great gift of playing the Boston Celtics.

Murray will be there. But look, I look at these two teams and for one reason or another, they've struggled during the season, whether it's injury, whether it's just inconsistent play, whether it's just that other teams have simply passed them by. The Hawks, they do get Trey Young back, and that's going to happen to Joney. Murray was very good while Trey Young was out with injury. But again, there's a

front court, backcourt and balance on that team. Defense has always been a prop with the Hawks, and they'll be playing on the road in Chicago. As far as the Bulls, I just think they're kind of fortunate just to be in this position. Again, this is a team that you had some sort of expectations for not great, but some sort of expectations, a veteran team trying to incorporate some young players. And you saw sort of like a coming out with Kobe White this year, but that was pretty

much the lone bright spot other than DeMar DeRozan. I think Chicago probably has enough to win this given the home court advantage, but it would not shock me if the Hawks won it. It doesn't matter either way. I think, you know, for that next spot, that team that gets the eighth spot, first of all, if they get the eighth spot, because even if the winner still you know, has to play the loser of Philadelphia Miami and they

will be a big time underdog in that game. And again if they luck out and they win two straight games and they playing the Boston Celtics, I just see just a treacherous road ahead for either of these teams, and I think the it's going to be rather quick for whoever emerges.