Welcoming into NBA pulsive production of iHeartRadio in the NBA. I'm Sarahustak, NBA analyst for the S Network, and today is Monday, May twentieth. From our incredible core group of NBA journalists were joined now by NBA dot Com Scene to writer Michael C.
Wright.
Michael, you finally got a chance to come back home because the one series that that did not go to Game seven was Dallas, Oklahoma City as the MAVs advance with a one point win against the Thunder. We're going to get to that in just a little bit, but they were waiting to see sitting. They're just like we were who they were going to face in the Western
Conference Final. And did we have a game at Denver Timberwolves on the road playing a Nuggets team that was trying to defend their title from last year and a Nuggets team that came out locked in hitting shots, got a twenty point lead in that second half, but the Timberwolves came back, and no surprise, so much predicated by their defense and how they've been able to be incredible in that area and just an extraordinary balance.
I mean, you can go top to bottom of this roster.
I know Anthony Edwards has become the face of this team, and so much of that is not just about his play, but just about his disposition, his character, his leadership at his young age of what a game for Karl Anthony Towns twenty three points, twelve rebounds, again balance across this line of Jade McDaniels, how much he contributed. And on the other side of things for Denver Nikola Jokic thirty
four points, nineteen rebounds, seven assists. Did take ten three point shots, which I think kind of indicates just what Minnesota was doing. We normally don't see him taking that many three point shots. But it was a struggle. It became one fourth and nuggets on that offensive side of the floor. Jamal Murray with thirty five points, but everyone else was in single digits, only five points from the reserve unit.
So a lot there, a lot to get to my go.
But when you look at that game and just kind of how it went for both sides, what stood out to you most and is most intriguing about the outcome of that one?
You know what, I'm gonna make sure that we give this man his proper credit. You mentioned Karl Anthony Towns. You mentioned him, and to me that is what stood out because in that first half, you saw the Nuggets go up by like twenty, and I think Karl Anthony Towns basically kept them in it.
He kept them in that game just.
Long enough, you know, for them to sort of figure things out and then you know, just kind of hit the gas in the second half. So I was really impressed by what he did because you know, he's got that or he's had the reputation.
As a guy that let's be real here, people say he's.
Solved, or they'll say that he doesn't play well you know under the bright lights.
Well he just sort of squashed all that.
Like he is he like these this is the stage where you make your reputation as a player, and to me, what he did sort of shatter a lot of what the narrative was about him. So I was super impressed by him. Twenty three points, twelve remails, and the Timberwolves are three and oh this in the playoffs this postseason whenever he has twenty points and ten rebounds. So he's a guy that's capable of repeating that night after night can hit you at all three levels as a score
great on defense. I really liked what he did and for all the grief he's taken over the years for not being able to perform, you know, on the big stage, I thought this was the one that showed everybody that, hey, I can do this.
And he was just you said about maybe some of the thoughts or comments about whether it's saw whatever words you want to, but also just playing smart and defensively and how he's able to keep things clean. And there was just so many aspects of that that you were able to see unfold with this Minnesota team. And you
mentioned that third time they won at Denver. Yeah, to talk like that is they had a sense of composure, of poise, of how they were able to steal maintain that resilient resiliency in the in the second half, the final seven minutes of the game, like all of these things that I think that we had anticipated about Denver and the experience that they had coming in and what a game would look like when it was tight down the stretch. Minnesota changed things around and really took control
of that. So give a ton of credit to the entirety of the group and Chris Finch. I hope his knee or his legs okay today because he was supposed to be sitting down. It felt like he was standing for the better part of that second half and down the stretches. I mentioned though, they will meet a Dallas team which you saw the series up close and personal. Michael, I'm glad you got to get yourself back home. And this game did not go to a game seven, but
what a time was had. And Saturday Night one seventeen one to sixteen finish for the Mavericks, uh Luca was fantastic. Twenty nine points, ten rebounds, ten assists. Again, so many different players.
PJ.
Washington in particular, knocking down those free throws but playing a role when needed. Derek Jones Junior, of course, how Kyrie Irving has been playing the bench and Derek Lively the second coming off of it. But let's look at this real briefly in what we're going to see the matchup, the headliners, the faces of this Luka Doncic Anthony Edwards.
How do you frame what you expect this Western Conference Final to be with two of the great stars, and Luka Doncics has been one of those in the league, but Anthony Edwards is coming for everyone, and we've seen that in particular throughout the course of this postseason.
I think what makes this fun is that we have new idea what's going to happen. Because if you go back and you look at what these teams did against one another in the regular season, Minnesota is three and one against the Mavericks. But we're talking about a totally different Mavericks team because they played those games before the trade deadline when they brought in PJ and Daniel Gap And I think that the Dallas Mavericks are just a
totally different team from that time. Like they're playing different they are very comfortable in the scheme that they're playing Defensively. You know, the Dallas Mavericks have not ever been really known for defending, but you know, I would say that last twenty games of the regular season and into the playoffs, those guys have been on it. They've been defending their butts off. And the funny thing is that Luka Tancic
is a big part of that. Like people people don't want to say that, you know, or people don't give him credit for the defense he plays, but he's one of the guys that's gonna get you some steals on a night to night basis. He's actually like really trying hard on that side of the ball, and I think I think that makes Dallas a much better team than Kyrie Irving. You know, you didn't really see him in
that in that last series. You didn't really see him play a Kyrie Irving game, you know, give you twenty five thirty points. But he defended his butt off and that in that series, and again, I think that makes the difference for them. There different teams. So I'm really interested to see it because the matchups also are going to be sort of different than what we've seen before. Like, Okay, who gets Luka Doncic. I'm guessing Jade McDaniels will be on him. I'm guessing that ant Man will be on
Kyrie Irvvy. Yeah, so it's I'm really interested to see how the matchups sort of fall, Like Karl Anthony Towns oh boy, like you like, like DJ's got a really tough matchup and you know, like he's never been on this stage before, so how does that look After he
had such a great series against Oklahoma City Thunder. I mean, I think he gave me twenty nine one night twenty seven twenty one, Like he was a guy that really is sort of he was a difference maker in that in that series against Oklahoma City, So what type of impact is he going to have in this series. So there's a whole bunch of little moving parts in it that I really just I'm excited to look at.
I am excited too that you said about Dallas's defense because I think to give credit to Jason Kidd just kind of what he's Sean Sweeney part of what they've implemented on that and that's changed the dynamic of how they've played, and that's been such a huge reason why they're getting so many of these wins. And I get the adaptability to I think of how they play, and we saw that against the Oklahoma City Thunder, which Michael
a little bit later. I want to get your take on what will be next for that young team that obviously has a lot to be optimistic about. But more than anything, I think this is gonna be just a fascinating matchup that I have a hard time predicting.
It's been fun.
Watch, Like it's a fun watch of both of these teams, the star power that you have, but how big complimentary pieces have been alongside of them, and you said it like doubted the play of Kyrie Irving what he's done defensively, but also he's been instrumental a lot of this, but
he's not putting up the flash and the numbers. I've had such a good synergy that when you're watching him and Luca, but so many other players, and I think all of these these pieces in each of these teams, they fed off of one another and they're playing with a ton of ton of confidence.
I think it's gonna be fun. I think we're gonna have fun series.
I think it's gonna be a long series, and I'm excited to see what happens. Another series that went the distance and we got to see the game seven last night at Madison Square Garden.
It was rockin' New York.
His buzzin' and lights though went out thanks to the Indiana Pacers one thirty one O nine win on the road. They shot sixty seven point one percent from the field, setting a NBA playoff record over fifty four percent from the three point line. They were locked and loaded, and
it was interesting. This is, you know, been something we've seen with the Knicks throughout the course of the season into the postseason, playing without Julius Randall, losing Mitchell Robinson, losing boy and Magdanovich, Ogeo and Aobi tried to come back and playing this one just to tell didn't have it, didn't end up finishing the game. Jalen b left the game with a fractured hand. Josh Hart ended up playing but had an abdominal injury, so you could tell everyone
was a little bit limited. But Pacers did what they came to do, and they dominated from start to finish.
What did you make of this one?
In Indiana having an opportunity to advance and also.
Doing so in the way that they did here on the road.
I just think that the way Indiana started that just made all the difference in the game. I mean, you put up thirty nine points in the first quarter, that's the most in history in a game seven, and it was just something that the Knicks couldn't recover from. But I gotta tell you, Sarah like watching that game, and I think almost I'm speaking for other people here, but I think most people watching that game at some point rooted for the Knicks.
Like the way that or that the arena was rocking.
You could hear the Organs and they like, they kept coming back, they kept making little runs.
Michael, I thought they were going to Yes, I thought they were going to I.
Didn't care how how what the league looked like every they cut it to thirteen or so, I said, oh, here we go, here we go.
And you and you wanted to see it because it's.
The whole narrative thing, like they've got such a just a beat down team, and they just keep on playing hard, they just keep coming back.
Dante DiVincenzo, he was awesome last night. I mean, what did you play out record? And so he was awesome.
And then you know, he made the three and started talking his noise and I'm like, oh, here comes a comeback, but it never really happened. And then like when Jalen Brunson sort of banged his hand off Tyre's Halliburton's knee there at the at the close to the end of the game, I was like, ah, that's it, and like it was sad almost it was like the wind went
out of the realm, like oh man. So it was a very interesting series and I'm curious to see how Indiana is going to play against Boston because those styles between those teams are so contrasting, uh, you know, with the way that Indiana gets up and down the floor. Like, I'm interested to see how Boston deals with that. And obviously they're great defensively. The Celtics are.
But you know they're not.
It's like for a seven game series, you got to play the same opponent over and over and over. I just want to see how this one unfolds. Like I almost think that people are sort of predicting that Boston is just going to run right through Indiana, and I'm
not sure that that's going to be the case. You know, the Pacers do have a championship coach in Rick Carlisle, So I just think that the chess game is going to be really important in that and like the contrasting styles make it, you know, it makes it really interesting interesting for me.
I'm sorry, Yeah, and I agree.
I sometimes to think for this Pacers team, how they play offensively when they get it going. Yeah, they kind of got nothing to lose. They're going to come in it is the underdog, and Boston is the one that's got a lot of expectation and pressure riding on this. We've seen them at different moments take their foot off the pedal a little bit. So it's going to be interesting to see what happens there in the East. But speaking of New York and the Knicks, what the offseason
looks like heading into next year. They've got one hundred and fifty six million committed in salary, so they've got some room. They've got, you know, three picks here, see what you'll do with that. They also have og An andob that has a player option. Other free agents Isaiah Hertenstein is one precious chwo a restricted free agent, Alec Burks. You had a nice little run there in the last two games, but just kind of how they go about either building on what they had the core of the team,
they were beloved. You said it, I mean they took the hearts not only of New York but many is just many of NBA fans you know around the country, just and how they played and how they played together. What do you think is next for the Knicks this offseason? I know a lot of discussion around will they will they find a big fish, Will they get a big stars there's someone they could trade for and bring in. What's your expectation thoughts on what they can do or what they should do.
Well, I don't think they're going to have any trouble luring somebody to come there. If they want to go big star hunting in the off season, that's not going to be an issue, I don't think, because I think that sort of that core with those building OVA guys. I think it's like they are building sort of a culture there and it's one that I think other players would like to join. So I really like what they're doing,
Like they are good enough. I think to run it back, get your guys healthy and run it back, and maybe add a piece or two that can sort of a complimentary guy or two that can help you coming off the bench. But I think they're in good shape. They got, like you said, the picks, they've got the salary cap room, and they can pretty much do whatever they want. They're very similar to Oklahoma City in that way and that
they're good enough right now. But if you really want to take that next step, you might have to add a piece too.
Yeah.
Well, regardless, they've certainly got themselves in line of just being stable, of being desirable. A lot of what we have thought of this organization or scene from the past is they are on the right path and the right direction with a lot of good things to come. We're gonna take a look at the direction of a couple other teams that recently had their seasons, and the Oklahoma City Thunder the Denver Nuggets.
We'll get to that right after the break.
Welcome back to NBA Paul Sarah Houstack joined by the great Michael c. Wright and Michael we had mentioned Oklahoma City Thunder, a young team, impressive what they were able to do throughout the course of this season and of course in the postseason under the coach of the Year Mark Dagnault. Just kind of the opportunity they have in the future of the flexibility with space, cap space with picks,
with the youth of the score. What do you think is next for the Thunder in this offseason and what it looks like for what they want to come back looking like next season.
Well, I think that what they did in the playoffs and just especially this last round against Dallas Mavericks, I think that sort of builds them some confidence going into this offseason and into next season because throughout that whole series, you never saw they were the younger, youngest number one seed in NBA history, But you really never saw that youth.
I mean, they get down and you know, like they lost in six games, but you never like they came hard every night, and you never saw them making those young guy mistakes, you know. I mean you saw it a couple of times where they be a little loose with the ball, but for the most part, they show that, you know, they're sort of ready for this stage. Now, though,
what do you do in terms of upgrading? You know, like you've got a point guard in Josh Giddy who obviously he had trouble as a shooter, he had trouble defending in this last series, and so do you upgrade there? What do you do with as far as developing him in the off season. You know, I think that they could use another point guard. I think they could use maybe a power forward because Jada, I mean really he's not a power forward.
These a three, maybe a two.
And so you know, if you get a legit power forward in there to help with to help with chet holmering down low, now you can you know, use Jalen More as a secondary ball handler. And so to me, that again just like the Knicks, they're right there, but it just like and when you're at this spot, it's like a really delicate spot because you say, okay, well we can do this to take the next step. And a lot of times, you know, when you sort of get desperate and make those moves, you might take a
step back. And you know, you've seen it happen with teams, you know, time and time again. But I think Oklahoma City is going to be very slow and deliberate with how they decide to do things. That's how they got to this point. And San Presty has said that he wants to build this thing where it's sustainable, and it's not sustainable when you kind of go out there and spend a bunch of money and go star hounting all
the time, that's not going to help you. You got to draft and develop your own people, which is what Oklahoma City has done over the years. And I think that continues. I just don't know. Like I said, I think they may be just a piece or two away, but they're going to be right back next season. And I'm really excited to see what happens in the West because you know, we forget Memphis, I mean Memphis is they're going to be back. You know, and here come to San Antonio Spurs, here come.
To Houston Rockets.
So you know, there's yeah, the West, the West is going to be something else in this next five six years.
It's gonna be crazy.
Man. You forget about that. I forgot about that till you bring it up.
But to your point, I think with the thunder two, you saw it in the postseason in particularly against Dall but just the need for a big time they got out rebounded, just like that was an area to me that you sometimes wonder and it's hide in sight always fifty to fifty looking back, but at the trade deadline at some point if they could have brought in a little bit more size there could that have made a difference.
In this series or in general.
But you said they got the pieces, and more importantly to they got this experience. I think so often when you look at a group of what they're going to do, it's about getting this type of experience and learning from it, taking it from it. The Denver Nuggets got inexperience. They
did not want. They were looking to come back and duplicate what they were able to do last year defend their championship title, and it was not the case, as we've already talked about, especially I think disappointing to see them have a twenty point lead on their home floor in Game seven and relinquish that to the Minnesota Timberwolves. They they're well over the cap, they're into the second apron.
They've got some free agents that they need to make some decisions, with Contavious Caldwell Pope being one of those, Reggie Jackson also with a player option, Justin Holliday a free agent. But otherwise you kind of look at this team and the options or what they want to do. They had some young players and reserve players that didn't quite live up and fill the reserve roles that they
saw from a few players last year. In particular, you look at Bruce Brown what they could not retain with what he commanded on the market last year in helping them to a title. What do you expect from Denver in what they will do next year this offseason.
Well, I think they're gonna look at sort of the way they performed throughout, you know, this last series, because like, yes they lost the series, but there were just things that that were atypical of the Denver Nuggets. I mean, they shot eight of thirty three from three point range last night.
That doesn't happen.
Usually, they shot twenty eight point five percent from three point range in the four.
Losses they had.
That doesn't happen with them. Michael Porter Jr. But I think the last four games of the series, he didn't even get into double digits. That doesn't happen. So that, like, so I think they look at it from that standpoint, like just being practical and saying, Okay, how can we make sure that these guys can perform more more consistently in these series, and so like they don't panic and
go make a bunch of moves. Well, and they really can't anyway, But I think bringing Bruce Brown back would be a good start for them if we're talking about making any kinds of additions. But Christian Brown, you know, like he needs to take another step in his development. He was pretty good this past year, but he's still, you know, a step or two away from getting exactly
where the Nuggets need him to be. But I think the Nuggets are good enough to run it back, you know, Like like I said, it was just really a typical of the Denver Nuggets just to you know, you get up by twenty finning champ a veteran team, and you let them come back like that.
That just doesn't happen.
And they sort of got themselves in a real buying there because nicolea Jokic, he really needed a rest in that second half. But you got to keep it more on the floor while Minnesota is making that run, and so they kind of got called they were in a
catch twenty two situation. And so, like I said, I don't want to over you know, kind of I don't know, over react to what happened with the Denver Nuggets because I still think they're a really good team that's going to be like a top three team in the West moving forward.
A lot of questions that will be answered throughout the course of this offseason. But in the meantime, we got some fun, fun Western Conference and Eastern Conference finals that are coming up. Beginning on Tuesday, is Indiana visits Boston at a pm Eastern on ESPN, and on Wednesday, Dallas is at the Timberwolves on TNT at a thirty pm Eastern. Until then, Michael, we appreciate you safe travels. We will continue reading and watching all your good stuff, and we
will talk with you soon. NBA post was Ay Acoustacks in production of the NBA and iHeart Radio. Please rate, review, and subscribe on the iHeart Radio app or wherever you get your podcasts.