Mikal Bridges makes a game saving steal for the second game in row to help the Knicks take a 2-0 series lead over the Boston Celtics. Dave DuFour and Es Baraheni breakdown the Knicks defensive effort, the Thunder beatdown of the Nuggets, and discuss Steph Curry’s hamstring injury. Then, Jared Weiss joins the show after being evacuated from TD Garden following the brutal loss for the Celtics to discuss another 20-point lead disappearing and whether the Celtics stand a chance at winning the series...
May 08, 2025•26 min
Are the Pacers contenders now? What fanbases should feel the most worried? We discuss this and more as we make a tier list of the teams that should be the most worried. Host: Andrew Schlecht, Dave DuFour and Zena Keita Executive Producer: Andrew Schlecht https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/nba/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
May 07, 2025•1 hr 20 min
Tyrese Haliburton hit the game winning 3-pointer to complete a 20-point comeback win for the Indiana Pacers as they take a 2-0 lead in their second round playoff series with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Dave DuFour and Es Baraheni breakdown the Pacers comeback, Tyrese Haliburton’s game winner, and Donovan Mitchell’s epic performance. Then, Jon Krawczynski joins the show to breakdown what went wrong for the Wolves, Anthony Edwards weird game, and how the Warriors survive without Steph Curry. Host: Da...
May 07, 2025•24 min
Jalen Brunson had 29 points and the Knicks erased a 20-point deficit to take game 1 over the Boston Celtics. Dave DuFour and Zena Keita react to the Knicks comeback win, discuss the Celtics awful shooting night, and Denver’s surprise win in Oklahoma City. Then, Andrew Schlecht joins the show after the crushing Thunder loss to talk about what went wrong against Nikola Jokić and the Denver Nuggets. Host: Dave DuFour With: Zena Keita & Andrew Schlecht Executive Producer: Andrew Schlecht Audio P...
May 06, 2025•27 min
Buddy Hield poured in 33 points and made 9 threes to lead the Golden State Warriors to a game 7 series clinching win over the Houston Rockets. Dave DuFour and Es Baraheni discuss the Pacers win over the Cavaliers, Andrew Nembhard as a playoff riser, and how the Nuggets stack up against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Then, Zena Keita joins the show to talk about Buddy Hield’s big night and how the Warriors stack up against the Timberwolves. Host: Dave DuFour With: Es Baraheni & Zena Keita Executi...
May 05, 2025•26 min
Andrew Schlecht and Alex Speers are joined by Mike Zakarian to discuss questions surrounding East teams that remain in the Playoffs and if the Cavs can win it all. They also discuss the eliminated teams including which future would you rather have: Magic or Pistons? Mike then joins the guys in doing their weekly Contender Draft, before discussing the Western Conference Playoffs. Then the boys play a fun edition of Andrew vs. the Beat, a trivia game where Andrew is pitted against a beat writer. H...
May 03, 2025•1 hr 2 min
The New York Knicks move on to round 2 after their game 6 victory over the Detroit Pistons. Zena Keita is joined by James Edwards III of the Athletic to discuss the Knicks winning the series and how they will play against the Celtics, and how the Pistons build off their first Playoff run. Then in segment 2 Zena is joined by Dave DuFour from the LA Clippers vs. Denver Nuggets game to discuss the Clippers pushing the series to 7 games. Host: Zena Keita With: Andrew Schlecht, Hunter Patterson and D...
May 02, 2025•29 min
Rudy Gobert had 27 points and 24 rebounds to lift the Minnesota Timberwolves to a series clinching win over the Los Angeles Lakers. Dave DuFour and Es Baraheni are joined by Anthony Slater to breakdown the Houston Rockets big win and how the Warriors bounce back in game 6. Then, Dave and Es discuss Gobert’s huge game, the Lakers biggest concerns going into the offseason, and who the Wolves should want to face next. Host: Dave DuFour With: Es Baraheni & Anthony Slater Executive Producer: Andr...
May 01, 2025•28 min
Tyrese Haliburton blew by Giannis Antetokounmpo for the game winning and series clinching lay-up as the Pacers sent the Bucks home for the summer. Dave DuFour and Zena Keita discuss the Pacers overtime win, the postgame fracas, and how the Pistons handled the Knicks. Then, the Athletic’s Law Murray joins the show to react to the Nuggets game 5 win over the Clippers, Jamal Murray’s shotmaking, and respecting Russell Westbrook. Host: Dave DuFour With: Zena Keita & Law Murray Executive Producer...
Apr 30, 2025•32 min
Jimmy Butler returned from injury to lead the Warriors to a game 4 victory and a 3-1 series lead over the Rockets. Dave DuFour and Es Baraheni are joined by the Athletic’s Anthony Slater to discuss the Warriors win, Jimmy Butler’s game, and the aftermath. Then, Es and Dave take a look at the first round sweeps for the Thunder and Cavs to decide who has been most dominant and look ahead to Clippers and Nuggets game 5. Host: Dave DuFour With: Es Baraheni & Anthony Slater Executive Producer: An...
Apr 29, 2025•26 min
Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns combined for 59 points to lead the Knicks to a game four win over the Detroit Pistons, aided by a missed foul call on Tim Hardaway Jr. Dave DuFour and Es Baraheni react to the weekend’s wild finishes between the Clippers and Nuggets, the Knicks and Pistons, and the Wolves and Lakers. Then, they take a look at the 3-1 series and ask, “Is it over?” Host: Dave DuFour With: Es Baraheni Executive Producer: Andrew Schlecht Audio Producer: Grayson Moody https://www....
Apr 28, 2025•26 min
Andrew Schlecht and Alex Speers are joined by Law Murray of the Athletic to discuss the dominance of the Clippers, their series with Denver, what is going on with the Nuggets, and Kawhi at the top of his game. Then the guys revisit the Contender Draft one week later to see if anything has changed. After the break Kofie of the KofieWhy YouTube page joins to discuss his beloved Pistons, their first Playoff run, how they are different than last year and much more. Then the boys play a fun edition o...
Apr 26, 2025•59 min
The Thunder make history in their 29 point comeback against the Grizzlies as Ja Morant goes down. Zena Keita is joined by Andrew Schlecht to break down OKC’s win in Memphis to go up 3-0 and what it means for Memphis with the injury to Ja Morant. Then in segment 2 Zena is joined by Hunter Patterson to discuss the strange ending other the Knicks/Pistons game and what it was like to be in the building for the first Pistons home Playoff game since 2019. Then finally Dave DuFour joins from Intuit Dom...
Apr 25, 2025•30 min
Jalen Green scored 38 points in a bounce-back performance to lead the Rockets to a win in game 2 against the Warriors. Dave DuFour and Es Baraheni react to Jimmy Butler’s injury, the Cavs and Celtics wins, and the physicality of the NBA playoffs. Then, the Athletic’s Kelly Iko joins the show to discuss the Rockets win and Jalen Green’s huge performance. Host: Dave DuFour With: Es Baraheni & Kelly Iko Executive Producer: Andrew Schlecht Audio Producer: Grayson Moody https://www.nytimes.com/at...
Apr 24, 2025•22 min
Luka Doncic and LeBron James combined for 52 points to help the Los Angeles Lakers tie their first-round series with the Minnesota Timberwolves at one game a piece. Dave DuFour and Zena Keita react to the dominant performance from the Thunder through the first two games of the playoffs before being joined by the Athletic’s Shakeia Taylor to breakdown the aftermath of the Pacers pushing to a 2-0 series lead over the Milwaukee Bucks. Then, the Athletic’s Jon Krawczynski and the crew discuss the Wo...
Apr 23, 2025•27 min
Kawhi Leonard poured in 39 points on 15/19 shooting to lead the Los Angeles Clippers to a game 2 win over the Denver Nuggets. Dave DuFour, Es Baraheni, and James Edwards react to the Detroit Pistons game 2 win over the Knicks, discuss what it means for the city of Detroit and what went wrong for New York. Then, Law Murray joins the show to breakdown Kawhi Leonard’s brilliant game 2 performance. Host: Dave DuFour With: Es Baraheni, James Edwards, & Law Murray Executive Producer: Andrew Schlec...
Apr 22, 2025•28 min
Game 1 of the the NBA Playoffs is in the books, and Dave DuFour, Zena Keita and Es Baraheni discuss the Lakers big loss to the Wolves, the Warriors thriving in Houston, Boston, OKC and Cleveland’s dominance and much more. The NBA Daily crew discuss big takeaways from each game, adjustments that need to be made, and if Game 1 changed any of the opinions on any series. Host: Dave DuFour With: Es Bareheni and Zena Keita Executive Producer: Andrew Schlecht Audio Producer: Grayson Moody https://www.n...
Apr 21, 2025•29 min
Andrew Schlecht and Alex Speers discuss the week of headlines in the NBA, and an update on the surprise teams and post All Star Break Leap players. Then they are joined by Dan Devine of Yahoo! Sports to discuss the NBA Playoffs, matchups they like, and then the guys do a contender draft taking the teams they think are most likely to hoist the Larry O'Brien Trophy at the end of the season.Then the boys play a fun edition of Andrew vs. the Beat, a trivia game where Andrew is pitted against a beat ...
Apr 19, 2025•1 hr 9 min
Nikola Jokic is the best player in the NBA and we have our national writer at the Athletic Fred Katz to discuss some nuances in his approach and game. Dave DuFour and Zena Keita discuss Fred’s article on Nikola Jokic and what other players in the NBA are saying about his game. In part 2 Fred sticks around and the crew discusses their favorite Playoff matchups including Nuggets/Clippers, Wolves/Lakers and the return of Damian Lillard. Host: Dave DuFour With: Zena Keita and Fred Katz Executive Pro...
Apr 18, 2025•30 min
Klay Thompson and Anthony Davis combined for 50 points as the Dallas Mavericks defeated the Sacramento Kings to move on in the Play-in tournament. Dave DuFour and Es Baraheni react to the Miami Heat win, Tyler Herro’s development, and debate the futures of the Kings and Bulls. Then, the Athletic’s Christian Clark joins the show to breakdown the Mavs winning formula, how they stack up against the Grizzlies, and Nico Harrison’s closed-door press conference. Host: Dave DuFour With: Es Baraheni &...
Apr 17, 2025•25 min
Jimmy Butler and Stephen Curry combined for 71 points as the Golden State Warriors defeated the Memphis Grizzlies to clinch the seventh seed in the Western Conference. Dave DuFour and Es Baraheni react to the Grizzlies gritty loss, Desmond Bane’s incredible game, and the Magic defeating the Hawks. Then, the Athletic’s Marcus Thompson joins the show from Chase Center to discuss Playoff Jimmy Butler, the Warriors game plan, and the looming Houston Rockets. Host: Dave DuFour With: Es Baraheni &...
Apr 16, 2025•26 min
Dave DuFour and Zena Keita breakdown the NBA play-in and playoff brackets and discuss the most compelling series. Then, the Athletic’s Anthony Slater joins the show to breakdown the Warriors and Grizzlies play-in matchup, Jonathan Kuminga’s status, and Playoff Jimmy Butler. Host: Dave DuFour With: Zena Keita & Anthony Slater Executive Producer: Andrew Schlecht Audio Producer: Grayson Moody Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Apr 15, 2025•27 min
Kawhi Leonard and James Harden combined for 72 points as the Clippers defeated Steph Curry and the Warriors to clinch a playoff spot. Dave DuFour, Es Baraheni and Zena Keita discuss the Clippers big win, Jonathan Kuminga’s benching, and the Warriors issues. Then, the gang recaps the final day of the regular season, discusses Chris Paul’s future, and the big takeaways from the year. Host: Dave DuFour With: Zena Keita, Es Baraheni, Law Murray Executive Producer: Andrew Schlecht Audio Producer: Gra...
Apr 14, 2025•25 min
Andrew Schlecht and Alex Speers discuss the week of NBA Basketball and bring back the Slammies, the made up NBA Awards we've done the last 4 seasons. Then they are joined by Mike Richman of Locked on Blazers to discuss the Portland Trailblazers and their fun unexpected season, Scoot Henderson's potential, the lottery and much more. Then the boys play a fun edition of Andrew vs. the Beat, a trivia game where Andrew is pitted against a beat writer. Host: Andrew Schlecht and Alex Speers With: Mike ...
Apr 12, 2025•1 hr 27 min
Anthony Edwards scored 44 points to lead the Timberwolves to an important win over the Grizzlies. Dave DuFour and Zena Keita discuss the Wolves big win, the problem with the Grizzlies’ bigs, and who the Bucks should want to face in the playoffs. Then, the Athletic’s Fred Katz joins the show to discuss his perimeter defense teams, what makes a good defender, and the Thunder defense. Host: Dave DuFour With: Zena Keita & Fred Katz Executive Producer: Andrew Schlecht Audio Producer: Grayson Mood...
Apr 11, 2025•26 min
Luka Doncic scored 45 points to lead the Los Angeles Lakers to a win in his first game back in Dallas. Dave DuFour and Es Baraheni talk discuss Luka’s big game, Lakers small ball, the Warriors buzzer-beater loss to the Spurs, and the Nuggets first post-Malone game. Then, Christian Clark from the Athletic joins the show to discuss Luka’s return, the emotions in the building, and those “Fire Nico” chants. Host: Dave DuFour With: Es Baraheni & Christian Clark Executive Producer: Andrew Schlecht...
Apr 10, 2025•24 min
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 42 points to lead the Oklahoma City Thunder to a win over the Los Angeles Lakers. Dave DuFour and Es Baraheni talk to Andrew Schlecht postgame to discuss the Thunder win, Shai’s big game, and Luka Doncic’s ejection. Then, Adam Mares from DNVR joins the show to discuss Michael Malone’s firing, Jamal Murray’s health, and what comes next for the post-Malone Denver Nuggets and Nikola Jokić. Host: Dave DuFour With: Es Baraheni, Andrew Schlecht, & Adam Mares Executiv...
Apr 09, 2025•25 min
With 6 days remaining the NBA regular season, the 2 through 8 seeds are all still up for grabs. Dave DuFour and RealGM’s Wes Goldberg breakdown the western conference playoff seeding race, discuss the field, and why the Clippers need to avoid the play-in. Then, Dave and Wes breakdown the defensive player of the year race, discuss Amen Thompson’s case, and why Tyler Herro should win most improved. Host: Dave DuFour With: Wes Goldberg Executive Producer: Andrew Schlecht Audio Producer: Grayson Moo...
Apr 08, 2025•23 min
Luka Doncic scored 30 points to lead the Los Angeles Lakers to a 27-point blowout win over the Oklahoma City Thunder. Dave DuFour and RealGM’s John Wilmes breakdown the Lakers win, discuss JJ Redick’s coaching, and the OKC’s nightmare scenario. Then, Dave and John discuss the MVP level performances from Nikola Jokić and Giannis Antetokounmpo and what it means if they fail in the playoffs. Host: Dave DuFour With: John Wilmes Executive Producer: Andrew Schlecht Audio Producer: Grayson Moody Hosted...
Apr 07, 2025•23 min
Andrew Schlecht and Alex Speers discuss the week of NBA Basketball, the most improved player, and our players, stats and quotes of the week. Then they are joined by Mike Smeltz to discuss the Brooklyn Nets and what prospects are worth building with, coach Jordi Fernandez and his potential, which players they should target in the draft, and more. Then the boys play a fun edition of Andrew vs. the Beat, a trivia game where Andrew is pitted against a beat writer. Host: Andrew Schlecht and Alex Spee...
Apr 05, 2025•1 hr 12 min
