T-Wolves Nuggets Game 7, Plus Knicks Pacers Preview and Lakers Coach?

early nine to two. But twenty nothing run for the Minnesota Timberwolves just sparked them to come away with a forty five point win. Everyone contributed. You take a look at the extraordinary defense that we saw in the early part of the season, and that was present Anthony Edwards. Nineteen of his twenty seven points came in the first half. Struggles for Jamal Moore Murray, he was four of eighteen from the field ten points. Same goes for Nikola Jokics

twenty two points. But the fact that really sticks out for him just to assist. So it's gonna be interesting because as Denver team, they had dropped the first two at home. Now get an opportunity to see a game seven on Sunday, certainly hard to continue to reel off four straight wins, but the way in the manner in which Minnesota took care of business at home, no less,

was extraordinarily impressive. You being there, being in the environment, what stood out to you about the way that Minnesota took this game six.

were beneficial to Minnesota. So what we saw in Game six was a very balanced Minnesota team, and before it was just really Minnesota just shutting Denver down. And again, you know, when I look when you look at the score, the margin of victory, you know you got to just cast out of side because the fourth quarter was really just about garbage time and you know, guys coming off

the bench and whatever. I just think, as you said in your opening, the twenty to oh run, the hard response after a time out where at that point in Carl Anthony Town said, he says, you know, it felt like deja vu, you know, all over again. We're in trouble. They had to come with a response, and that twenty to old run is really what separated Minnesota from Denver.

And again, you know, you look at the way Anthony Towns defended, you know, Nicola Jokic as opposed to Rudy Gobert being the front line of events in the previous game, Karl Anthony Town has a little bit more, bigger body. He really played. I thought that was probably his best defensive game, maybe not only of the series, probably of his life. You know, I'm sure we can cut it up there. All things well, all things considered, Joker was coming off a forty piece and it was so epic

and this team was, you know, on the brink. So for Carl Anthony Town to come in and play that level of defense helped shut down the passing lanes where Joker only has two assists. You know, Joker. Here's the thing about Joker, He's going to hurt you two ways. He's gonna hurt you with his scoring and he's gonna hurt you with his passing. In this game, he really didn't hurt them with either either. And I think you

got to give Carl Anthony town some credit. Obviously. Rudy Gobert also served as a floater, and in this series, I think that's his best role. That way, he steers clear, there's a foul trouble, he can come in after say what shot comes around eight seconds Now he's coming in and providing the double team, helping out call Anthony Towns, also keeping Aaron Gordon at bay. He did a very good job that overall. Look, it was a triumphant night for the Wolves. It was a night they had to have.

There's really no choice. They had to have that type of night. And of course Anthony Anthony Edwards was tremendous. You know in the first half, we took that little spill there in second half. You know, there was a big hush in the crowd when he fell on the floor, fell on his tailbone. He says, hey, I'm not a football player anymore. I don't have any paths anymore. So

I kind of felt that one. But the triumphant night, Anthony Edwards is on the floor for a minute, But to be honest with you, the Denver Nuggets were on the floor ball game.

So it just overall a nice team effort. They will play Game seven exciting for us on Sunday, and there could be another potential Game seven on Sunday, but we will see as Tonight at eight thirty pm Eastern on ESPN, the New York Knicks will take on the Indiana Pacers. They're one went away from reaching the Eastern Conference Final for the first time since two thousand Seawan and they pounded the Pacers. It's been interesting to watch the back and forth of these teams and how they've played at

home versus on the road. But Jalen Brunson was once again special forty four points. He has averaged thirty two in this series. It was a big game for Josh hart isay A Hertenstein with seventeen rebounds. That was certainly a huge factor. Tyrese Haliburton has been still trying to find his groove. He had thirteen points, Pascal Siakam with twenty two. But it felt like a Pacers team that

didn't come out with that same punch, same physicality. The pace was something that did not necessarily factor in quite as much as we saw in the previous wins. So you look ahead here to tonight back in Indiana, what do you anticipate with this game and do you think the Pacers will be able to extend it to a game seven?

Otherwise he's sort of disappeared, been a non factor. And again, when he's a non factor, that team struggles because everything is dependent on him, his scoring, his floor vision, his passing. You know, it's sort of like, you know, the spokes in the wheel, they're really dependent on that core. And if you shut down Halliburton, you have a pretty good chance of shutting down the Pacers. Conversely, you're talking about Jaylen Brunson. If you shut down Jaylen Brunson, you have

a good chance of shutting down the Knicks. The problem is, Jaylen Brunson has five forty pieces in these playoffs. He's averaging thirty four points in these playoffs. Arguably, you know, he's one of the top three players in the playoffs with Anthony Edwards and Nicole Jokic. He's had that much of an impact only in his team. And in this series, I think with the Knicks, number one, is og Anenobi going to be able to play? I mean that's going to be a big key. And again, obviously how Burton

is he going to show up? And how much does this home court advantage mean in this game? Coming up. It could go either way. I'm going to give the Pacers the benefit of a doubt. I have a kind of a hard time thinking with their season on the line and back home and coming off a bad game, that Tyre's Halliburton will have a tough night. I think he'll probably figure it out for a Game seven. I

think the series deserves a game seven. Again, you're talking about two teams who are sort of evenly matched, two teams that are a bit of a surprise to go this far. And I know the Knicks have had a decent season, but they've had some injuries and you felt that at some point they would reach a day of reckoning. Well that hasn't happened. And for the Pacers, they've been a little lucky to get this far. You know they played Milwaukee, know Jannis and Dame missed two games, obviously

that was a factor. So I think, again, this series deserves a game set. I'd like to think that Halliburton will not have a bad game, and I just think it would be fantastic just to see the crowd potential Game seven off the charge. You know, the atmosphere, and I don't know anyone who doesn't root for a decisive, winner, take all game.

the Dallas Mavericks will play the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Mads currently up three to two in that series, and it's been interesting. The last win the Dallas had. It was a complete team effort, but so much sometimes with Dallas is also predicated on how they can play on.

six rebounds. But as we kind of fast forward and look ahead, the way we've seen this series gone has gone in just how it's kind of changed throughout the course of it. I think so often we talked about the veteran presence or just the experience that Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving have, but so much of it has been some of the other complimentary pieces in how Oklahoma City is able to combat that with who else is

helping SGA. Do you think Dallas closes things out on Saturday or do you think we once again will have another game seven here between these two teams in the West.

of an advantage over any other player. On the floor for that very reason, and the fact that he is on the Dallas Mavericks speaks well for the Dallas Mavericks. Luca Dantis. First of all, I'm not so sure Luca is one hundred percent, and I know nobody's one hundred percent at this time of year. But if he can move around the floor, get to his spots and not grab a body part in the process, I mean, that's

a huge, huge advance. Now, look, if you look at Oklahoma City, everyone's going to say, well, you know, maybe this is just going to be choked up. There's a great learning experience. You know, it's a youthful new nuclear is. They'll have their moment and everything. I think every player on that floor does not want to be in that position. I think every player in that floor for Oklahoma City

feels that our time is now right. Remember they got to the NBA Finals with a young Kevin Durant, a young James Harden, a young Russell Westbrook, and no one was saying, well, you know, you got to pay your dues all that sort of thing. So it's happened before, not only in the NBA, it's happened to this franchise

I think Shay Gillis Alexander is a gamer. You know, he is a money player, and I know he doesn't have a lot of experience, but I'm going to give him a little bit of edge over players who lack that type of experience because his game is so methodical, his game is so mature. He's a type of guy who's going to find his spots, you know, draw foul trouble on the defense, you know, break down defenses, get

his teammates involved. Probably not as much took level as Luka Doncis or Nikola Jokic, but again they sort of, you know, look to his queue and fall in line. I'm a little worried about a guy like Chet Holmgren, who you know, now his season is really being extended. Is he going to be able to hit some big shots, have some big moments against a Dallas front line is

also kind of young. But they're gonna need Chet to be probably at the level of Shay Gillis Alexander for Oklahoma City to brave you know, the crowd on the road and everything, and to take this series back to Oklahoma City.

post Sara Kustak, joined by the Great Sean poll in Sewan. Obviously, this is a time of year that teams are starting to make decisions pending where they're at and what has happened with elimination. The Los Angeles Lakers did part ways with Darvin Ham. So now it's been on the coaching surfich. There's been reports, there's been names, there's been interviews taking place. What are your thoughts and perspective on what you think the Lakers should do and what you anticipate them doing.

in which he's played this past year. Eventually, father time, you know, catches up to everyone, even the great Lebron James Number two. I want to know who's going to be on my team? I mean the Lakers right now? Are they going to try to you know, put a package together get a third star? You know, I'm not so sure. And finally, one other thing, The Lakers just

got finished hiring and then firing a first time head coach. Right, So if I'm a first time a potential first time head coach, like say JJ Reddick, I'm like, wait a minute, now, they got rid of Darbenham pretty quickly. Who's to say that won't happen to me?

experienced coach. And I know they're not all out there waiting for the phone call and everything and all the good ones are taken. I get that, But I have to think really long and hard before I give this team in this current situation to a first time head coach and say, halfway through the season, things are going wrong. Right. We saw at Milwaukee this past season, right, we saw it.

Hear it with the Lakers with Darvin Ham, and I think they have to think very hard about that, about who you're potentially getting in, how he's going to mess with Lebron James and Anthony Davis, and how can he get over the speed bump bumps that are definitely going to come this season. The Lakers are not an elite team. They're a good team, but they're not an elite team. And I'm not so sure a first time head coach is going to get them over that hump.