THE NOSEBLEED NARRATIVE

EPISODE 34: ROUND 2 NHL & NBA PREVIEW, KENTUCKY DERBY ALL-TIME FINISH

• Christopher Bean, Ryan Heffernan & Tristan Mabin • Episode 34

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0:00 | 1:19:34

The boys preview and discuss Round 2 of the NHL & NBA Playoffs. They end with an all-time Kentucky Derby finish.


ROUND 2 NHL PLAYOFFS PREVIEW: 1:00-37:00

ROUND 2 NBA PLAYOFFS PREVIEW: 37:00-1:12:30

KENTUCKY DERBY: 1:12:30-1:17:45

SPEAKER_04

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to episode 34 of the Nosebleed Narrative. My name is Ryan Heffner. To my left. Chris Robert. To my right. Chris Bean. And boys, last time we talked, the Pistons were down 3-1, and we were hoping and praying for a comeback. And boy, did we get one. Pistons are moving on to the next round. We're going to get all into the gritty stones. We're going to get all into the conference semis in the NBA and the NHL. And also over the weekend, boys, Golden Temple with the upset. Was it the upset? I don't even know. It was, yeah, he was 23-1. 23-1? Yeah. Came from behind. For all those who bet on Golden Temple, congratulations. And um without further ado, Bean, let's talk some hockey.

SPEAKER_05

Yes, uh. Well, uh, over the weekend we had a one game seven, couple series start. Uh we had the Canadiens have nine shots on net, Chris, and won two to one after a deflection off Asilewski behind the net and in a bank shot. And uh they did lose their first game to Buffalo, but they're taking on Buffalo. Uh we have a couple games in the Anaheim Golden Knights series. That's looking like it's gonna go um at least six or seven games, and then we have uh Colorado off to a good start against the Minnesota Wild. Uh that is going back 2-0 uh to Minnesota, and then in the other Eastern Conference, we have uh the Hurricanes. Uh they dominated the first game and then won the second game in overtime after being down 2-0 uh to take a 2-0 series lead back to uh Philly. So, Chris, what were your uh lasting thoughts on the round one and then uh the opening or excuse me, the start to the second round?

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, I mean, what a series between Tampa and Montreal. So happy that went to game seven. Um, you know, John Cooper said that um that that the hockey gods were not with them that night. I believe they let up zero shots in the second period and two in the third period and nine total or something like that. Yeah. Uh they they played as well as they could have defensively. He just feels like the hockey gods weren't with them. Vasileski in his uh uh press conference to end the series this season uh did not like that comment by John Cooper and uh wanted some more accountability taken from the team and that it's not just about the hockey gods. So we'll see how that shapes up during the offseason. But yeah, Tampa's golfing, so Montreal's moving on and moving on to the conference semifinals, as you uh laid out for us being Buffalo won game one against Montreal. I think uh Montreal had a lot taken out of them in the uh in the first round. I don't know if you guys if you guys saw the uh the goal that Montreal had in that game.

SPEAKER_05

I d I heard it was phenomenal. I did not see it.

SPEAKER_02

It was the definition of a gritty goal. I mean, it was uh I think it was like a it was kind of like a one-on-one, kind of gets a little bit past him, shoots, he's falling, he's on the ice, he gets his own rebound, he chips it over Buffalo's goalie and scores. Other than that, that's really all they had that going that whole night.

SPEAKER_05

Yeah, it's it's gonna be interesting because Buffalo, they've been so good out um since December. They've been you know one of the best teams in the league, and they've been clicking on on all cylinders, it seems like. And it seems like they have a little bit more firepower than what Montreal had to face in Tampa because that was a you know low score and grinded out. I don't I believe it didn't get higher than three to two, uh, and every game was close. Buffalo, they're they're young, uh, young, fiery team. That's fun to watch. So um it definitely you could say it was a scheduled loss, even though they had you know two games in between, game seven and game one, but obviously they were riding uh you know a lot of emotions, and uh at the end of the day, your goal is just to win one uh on the road. So we'll see what happens in game two to uh claim home ice. But I I think that's gonna go. I I think most of these series are probably gonna go six or seven, Chris. Maybe not Philly, just because like we we talked about a couple weeks ago, Philly's uh eight seed. Uh and this is what this should have been the first round matchup. Instead, they're playing in the second round uh around too late. But I I see all the other series going far. Um and I I I do think at the end of the day, I think Buffalo wins. I'm gonna go Buffalo and six cups because they beat Boston in six. Yep, excuse me, I'm gonna go about uh Buffalo and seven. Okay, because we'll switch up. Because but Boston is uh Montreal is better than Boston, and Boston took Buffalo to six. I I did see the winner of Montreal and uh I did say Montreal or Tampa's gonna make the cup final, but I don't know. Something about Buffalo, man. They've been waiting for you know forever, 15 years. I think I think they're a team of destiny, Chris. At least to make the cup final.

SPEAKER_02

I like that. I like the the pick. Yeah, Buffalo looks really, really good, and they have a huge decor. I I think um I think all of their defensemen are at least 6'3 or 6'4. That's how Vegas won three years ago. Yep. They're they're all huge. Um they have you know the type of roster that can win in the playoffs. My concern with them is just that they don't really have playoff experience, and I think their goaltending might be a little shaky. Right. But yeah, I can't believe Alex Lyon is their story.

SPEAKER_05

That just blows my mind.

SPEAKER_02

If if uh if Lion can keep playing the way he is, um, you know, any anything can happen when a goalie is hot. So I guess we'll yeah, we'll see how that shapes up. I still uh am going to stick with I said the same thing that whoever out of the Montreal Tampa uh series would make it to the cup finals. I think that uh Montreal, I'm gonna stick with Montreal, uh finding a way to get through. They're also not as experienced in the playoffs, so I wouldn't be shocked if if Buffalo uh if Buffalo won that series. What who do you have, half?

SPEAKER_04

In the Sabres Canadians, well, I did have the Sab I did have the Canadians win in the first round, but I had them losing to the to the mighty Bruins, so that didn't happen. But I'm gonna go with the Canadians, and I'm also gonna go with the Hurricanes out of the Eastern Conference. I just feel like um I was watching that Flyers Hurricanes game that went to OT. I feel like Philadelphia just blew an opportunity. Like you're on you're on the opponent's ice and you have a chance to finally, you know, like even up the series, and the game goes longer than you want, and then you just lose in heartbreaking fashion. They had their chances to win that game too. They had like seven to eight shots on net that were high scoring opportunities, I thought.

SPEAKER_05

Yeah, and they blew a 2-0 lead to get to overtime in the first place. So I think they needed to steal one. I think at best they probably split at home, if not get swept, because this is I mean, this is what Carolina does every year, Chris. They sweep through the first two rounds or at least win um only lose one or two games, and then they usually get their asses kicked in the conference finals. Um but uh I I do think uh they'll win in four or five four or five uh to get past Philly.

SPEAKER_02

Which yeah, I don't think that series is too interesting. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04

Um it could have been if they won that game.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, it could have been, I guess, if they would have won that game. That is true. I just you know if Carolina gets a lead, they don't I I don't know the stat on it, so I'm kind of just pulling this out of my butt. But I I feel like they never blow leads. Like they they really know how to play with a lead, and in the playoffs, that's huge, and they're already up 2-0 in the series. Um I I don't think Philly is is built for the playoffs at all yet. Uh I think Carolina takes care of this easily. I think, you know, I'll be generous and get it at five games.

SPEAKER_05

Yeah, if they if they just win one, then they're gonna wrap it up in Carolina. But I I honestly I I I think I I see them sweeping them. I really do. I told our good friend Patrick Heeks, Heekola, shout out Heeks. Shout out. I said that uh Carolina's gonna go eight and four in the playoffs. They're gonna sweep the first two rounds and then get swept in the conference finals because that's that's what it seems like they do every every year.

SPEAKER_02

That is what it seems like every year. I I do like their chances better in the um conference finals this year. I'm just gonna say right now, I'm just they're they're making the conference finals. And I I do really like their chances this year better than the last the previous years, especially now that Tampa is out, because Montreal and Buffalo are not experienced teams. Uh Carolina just plays with great structure, they have good size, really good defensive play. So I could see them, you know, having a more competitive series than than usual in the conference finals.

SPEAKER_05

Yeah, I think Montreal, because they usually try that's what they struggle with, like Florida and Tampa, Tampa in years past, like the big physical teams. Yep. The Rangers when they lost to them a couple years ago when the Rangers were good. Buffalo is probably their better matchup because they're more of a finesse team, even though they do have bigger guys, they they're all pretty skilled. Montreal, we saw they won with their physicality. They had you know nine shots. I still can't believe they won uh in game seven. So crazy. Um how many times has that happened? I think that was the first time ever with the few shots on net in the playoffs. In any NHL game ever? Or like the team that won. The team that won, yeah.

SPEAKER_02

That's insane. And think too that like John Cooper was the coach for Team Canada in the Olympics. Yeah, he was. And in that game as well, I team Team Canada had a lot more had a lot more shots, probably, you know, on paper the better team. And and they couldn't get it done heartbreaking fashion in in overtime. Uh Team USA won, which was amazing. And then now uh he loses in the first round of the playoffs in game seven in in just crazy fashion. He's he went from being extremely lucky to being right the unluckiest coach uh this past year.

SPEAKER_04

Still an unbelievable coach, but you know, if if Tampa wants to get rid of him and send him over to Detroit, what's crazy is I just realized uh all every series is one seed versus three seed. Every three seed beat every two seed. And every one seed beat every four seed. That's kind of wild. Like Wild beat stars, ducks beat Oilers.

SPEAKER_05

Uh right, yeah.

SPEAKER_04

Penguins, Canadians beat less than that. That's right.

SPEAKER_05

That's a good point. Even though that's why we think we're just we think Carolina's gonna wrap it up because in a tr uh in a true format it would have been one versus eight. Also, did you see what Bettman said? I think it was yesterday, Chris. He said he doesn't see the steating changing anytime soon. Which that's what we thought, but I was so we hoped for some for something different.

SPEAKER_02

I did not see that, and that really disappoints BB. I'm I actually I I wish you didn't tell me that.

SPEAKER_04

Yeah, we don't want Chris to go on a tangent right now. What are you gonna do?

SPEAKER_05

Are you gonna protest the first period of tonight's game?

SPEAKER_02

Uh no. But uh I am protesting uh the Red Wings unless they get a superstar this offseason.

SPEAKER_05

Uh yeah, we we can we'll talk about that in a little bit. Uh but moving on to the Western Conference. Uh I said off air, I think Anaheim has got Vegas right where they want them. Uh Vegas is extremely lucky to win the first game. Now they could have won in in overtime or whatever, but they their their game-winning goal, the second goal with about five minutes left in the third uh the other night, should have been offsides. And I thought Joe Quinville was gonna he was gonna sucker punch a ref. I really thought I mean he was uh he he he was literally grabbing his players and swinging them. That's how pissed he was. Uh but they bounced back yesterday. Uh they won they won uh 3-1, so they answered their 3-1 loss to a 3-1 win. Uh Vegas was about to get shut up, but scored with five seconds left. Uh, I mean they it's crazy how you know what go good coaches do to an HL team because Anaheim was in the mud. They were successful in the 2010s tens, but they they were struggled, and then he came came there and it you know it just took him a year. And uh, you know, they're a successful hockey team uh yet again.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, they've uh I think it was the coach, I think it was also some good some good trades, some good draft picks that have put the ducks in this position, you know. Leo Leo Carlson um has been very good. I think Ziegris just wasn't the right fit. Um and uh yeah, I mean they look like a brand new team.

SPEAKER_05

Yeah, he had that uh Ziegris had that Calorie swag, but they got uh what's his name? Go uh Gauchier or from Philly. Uh that first round pick. And then I think they traded Ziegris for him, right?

SPEAKER_01

They traded him for uh Guthrie or something like that.

SPEAKER_05

Yeah, yeah, yeah. And he wanted he was Philly's uh first round pick, but he didn't want to play in Philly, so they traded and it it's worked out for both teams, but uh polling.

SPEAKER_02

They traded for polling, uh a second rounder, and a fourth rounder for Zekers.

SPEAKER_05

Oh, okay. But they also got that that kid from Philly. Remember, he wanted out? Yep. And uh and he's been they have Philly's or excuse me, Anaheim's got a good mix of good young talent and uh players with playoff experience. Like Killhorn's been a great addition.

SPEAKER_02

Killhorn's so good in the playoffs, he's a playoff player. Um they also have I think the maybe the best playoff defenseman, in my opinion. Um, in Ratcoat Gudis. He's just, I mean, an absolute beast, their captain. Um you know, when he was in Florida, he he brought him to a cup, and uh he's just no one that you want to play against because anytime you're in a corner with him, everyone is scared because he's so good at injuring people.

SPEAKER_05

You know, you ask Austin Matthews about him.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, oh absolutely. He I mean his specialty is injuring people and blocking shots, and he's so good at it. And uh, yeah, I mean, even even if guys like will play through the injury, he makes sure that he hurts the best player players on every team whenever they're playing against him, and that works in the playoffs.

SPEAKER_05

Yeah, um it his play style too is perfect for the playoffs, obviously, because you can get away with a little bit more, and then uh you're putting your body on the line more, and so he, you know, he does that in the regular season, so he doesn't mind blocking shots like he said, mucking it up, destroying people uh like he said on the boards. Uh and yesterday was a pr uh a prime example of the whole team doing it when they had a 2-0 lead in Vegas' on the par play, and Dol Stahl made a great save, and then a couple seconds later, I can't remember who it was, but they uh Anaheim blocked two shots right in front of the net, and that was that was Vegas' window to get back into the game. And uh they shut the door and ended up scoring an empty netter to to tie it up. So I I think that go I think that series goes uh 7-2, Chris, because uh I I I just think Vegas, they haven't been that dominant side like they have in the past. And Anaheim is they took advantage of you know McDavid being out. And I I think we both agreed that Edmonton was was better than Vegas, even though uh Vegas had the better regular season, the higher seed.

SPEAKER_02

Oh yeah. I think I don't think Vegas is that good. I think they're overrated. Yeah, they they're overranked at least. I mean, really weak division. Um they took advantage of it for sure. And they did, they're not that great of a team, so they're definitely you know could be upset here. And um I didn't realize this, but Gudis actually uh hasn't played the first two games of the series and is expected to come back here soon. So that's gonna be huge for Anaheim.

SPEAKER_05

Um yeah, I mean they might go sixth then.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, I mean as soon as he comes back, I mean Mark Stone is Marner, oh my gosh, Marner, he's he's hurt like immediately. Do you guys have the ducks winning the series? Uh I I before the playoffs started, if I would have seen this matchup, I probably would have picked Vegas. Right. Um But after the first round, and obviously we've seen the first two games as well, uh I could see Anaheim, I could see Anaheim winning the series. Uh they don't have the playoff experience um on Anaheim, but they have some players, you know, like Kilhorn and Gudis and a couple others that do have playoff experience. So I I think they could get it done here.

SPEAKER_04

Yeah, I just saw Vegas has been a team for nine years. They made the playoffs eight of those nine years.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, very great. There they've been so their ownership is so aggressive. If they're doing bad at any point, coaches fired, GMs fired. Like, I don't know how many coaches they've had in those nine years, but it's probably like six or seven. It's high multiple GMs, uh, very aggressive trading. When they came in as an expansion team, you know, they they were trading, doing all sorts of trades, just a really uh well-run organization, and it looks like the games are really fun there. Like the crowd's super into it, loves the team.

SPEAKER_05

Yeah, I was thinking that the other day, Chris. I'm like, how many coaches or uh not the coaches part, um the players, because I don't think they have they don't have anyone from that that roster um from their first year when they made the cup. So it and then yeah, like you said, like they got tortural, uh, they made a coaching change right before the season ended. Uh and you know it sparked sparked uh some fire into them, and they made a little bit of a you know a good run to end the regular season and they carried over into the postseason. Um but yeah, they uh they don't they don't mess around, Chris. And uh but I I do think Anaheim uh will win this series. I'm I'm gonna go in six just because I I mean they they Vegas was lucky to win that first game, and I I think uh they their chemistry is a little bit better, and I think continuity with you know playing in Quinnwell's system the whole year. Vegas did have that head coaching bump. Um but I I think that's gonna end uh I think that ends the series.

SPEAKER_04

It's crazy that the Ducks had four more wins on the year, but the the Knights still get the one seed just because of overtime losses. 17 overtime losses. Isn't that so crazy? That's gotta be a record.

SPEAKER_02

That sounds insane, it was it was literally insane. And um yeah, Anaheim was I think third in the division, and Vegas was first, and they had less wins. I I think that this goes back to I think that the NHL, another formatting change. I think that they need to change how points get allocated. I think if you get a regulation win, it should be three points. Overtime win, um two points, two points, and then uh overtime loss one point. But I feel like it winning a win though. It is, but I think you should be rewarded for winning in regulation because we see I I don't know. I'm gonna just make up a number here. I don't like it, it seems like in the regular season, like 20 plus percent of games go to overtime. Yeah, that's a lot.

SPEAKER_05

It's close. Because yeah, that's why they changed the format to because it used to be row wins, regulation overtime wins. Yeah, still one of the tiebreakers. It wouldn't make it a lot of things. But that's not the main tiebreaker, it's uh RW wins, which is regulation wins. So I don't if you're gonna reward regulation wins, which I agree with, make it three and then make overtime win, because then you don't have to really worry about regulation wins and uh regulation overtime wins because the points are gonna spread out.

SPEAKER_04

Yeah, it would make the regular season even more valuable than it already is. Because like a loss would be a lot worse. Because if you lose in regulation, you know, you're down two points on the field there.

SPEAKER_05

Three. Because then you're giving your opponent three three points if you change it to three.

SPEAKER_04

Oh, that's right. I was thinking overtime loss, but yeah, that's right.

SPEAKER_05

Yeah, overtime. Uh well, if you go to overtime, you're already losing a point regardless.

SPEAKER_04

Oh, hey Mason.

SPEAKER_05

Yeah, we have a special guest with us. As you can hear him. That's my dog Mason. He's in our he's our he's our fourth podcaster for today. Um the interesting about next year half is they're changing they're adding two extra games. So there's gonna be 84 games instead of 82.

SPEAKER_04

So But like just for revenue reasons, I'm assuming.

SPEAKER_05

Like Yeah, and there's what, there's 33 teams, Chris.

SPEAKER_02

They're uh what's up?

SPEAKER_05

There's is there 33 or 32 teams?

SPEAKER_02

32, I believe. And they're um uh they're gonna reduce the amount of preseason games. Yeah, which is good. This year to have more and have more regular season games. I just saw a couple of stats I wanted to share. One is that this year was the most uh, if you will, loser points awarded um in the last ten years. So it overtime loss points, there's three hundred and twenty-eight overtime loss points in the NHL this year. Um last year there was two hundred and seventy-one, which means like over thirty um you know, more games went to overtime this year than last year. So there's just a there's a lot of overtime games this year in the regular season that definitely impacted the standings, which is why I think they should change how that they um calculate the points. And then the other thing that I just saw that I wanted to mention was that uh the NHL ratings are up this year, 70% from last year in the playoffs, which is awesome for the sport. That's great for the sport.

SPEAKER_04

We'll get these hockey players uh bigger, well-deserved contracts. Yeah, I mean I think. Speaking of that, yeah, first time it's going to be a little bit cap.

SPEAKER_05

It's going over 100K?

SPEAKER_01

Over a hundred mil. I was gonna say 100 mil. Sorry, sorry.

SPEAKER_05

I didn't mean to disrespect it.

SPEAKER_02

We're at uh I think I believe 104 million is the salary cap next year, going up uh quite a bit. So we're gonna see some huge deals this offseason over here. How much do you think that USA Canada game had to do with it?

SPEAKER_04

Do you think that had to do with it?

SPEAKER_02

I think that helped a lot, honestly. Um I wish that I could say no. Like I I mean, but for the casual fan, I think the having Olympic hockey definitely made from the Lord. That momentum. I think having, you know, there's more American household NHL player names right now than there were like two or four like four years ago. Right.

SPEAKER_04

So yeah, because like I would say personally for me, like I used to be a diehard Red Wing fan back in the day, and then like I kind of fell off a little bit, and then what got me back into it, like what reeled me in a little bit was that four nations last year when USA and Canada played.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, we watched it uh together, I think. No, I don't think we did. In Grand Rapids. Did we watch it together? Yeah, two years ago in Grand Rapids at um Biggie Sports or something. That was the Tigers game, I thought. We did both, I thought.

SPEAKER_05

Was it the was it was it the funnels, or was it maybe it was just the first time they played because they played.

SPEAKER_02

Are you sure? I don't know. Uh maybe maybe not.

SPEAKER_04

I don't because like I don't remember. They could have just been scalar night. Because I remember like you were in Grand Rapids for like uh you you went to that like golf simulator thing. And yeah, you were like we were texting. I don't remember I don't think I was there, but maybe I was.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, I thought we were there, I thought we watched the final, the final game together.

SPEAKER_04

Maybe. I don't remember. Now you got me thinking.

SPEAKER_02

I just remember on the on the note of like NHL getting more popularity uh at Four Nations, I was at the bar with some people uh I guess I don't remember who. And and um there's like one other guy there that was just going crazy about the hockey, but then there's groups of tables just only watching like college basketball or something during the game, and I couldn't like regular season college basketball, and I heard him ask, like, oh, like can we get more basketball on these TVs? Were you chirping him? Oh, yeah, that was ridiculous. I'm like, do you even know what's happening right now? It's the four nations tournament. Like, have did you watch the first game? Like, there's so many fights. And this was an American. Yeah, this was in America, Grand Rapids, Michigan. Shout out. Shout out.

SPEAKER_04

Yeah, damn, that sucks. Awful. Well, um, yeah, I remember us texting about this. It was a Michigan college basketball game. And I remember texting about this when I was back at my I might be getting stories mixed up. Love to get the receipts.

SPEAKER_05

I rem I I remember we were watching, it was the Sweden game because it was it was their last game. It was before the Canada game, because it was pretty much meaningless and Sweden lost. We were recording with Maben last year, half. But that US Canada game was the game before. So you might have been gone during the weekend.

SPEAKER_03

I don't think so, but maybe. I mean, uh could definitely could have been.

SPEAKER_05

Um but any anyways, Chris, the one shocker so far uh in the in the series or in the second round, the conference semifinals is uh not Colorado being up 2 2 0, uh but the first game being 9-6, and then I think Colorado won 3-1. Barn burner. That was I know you were watching that game, Heffel, and you were tripping the goalies, but at some point, you know, when there's 15 combined goals, you gotta kinda blame the guys in front of you.

SPEAKER_02

I can't believe they let the wall stay in the whole game. But it or maybe the la the last goal, no, but I think the last goal was empty net early.

SPEAKER_05

Yeah, that yeah, it was empty. It was just crazy. It was five to five, so it's like you might as well keep him in because it was three-nothing early. Right. But then they scored two goals in a minute to make it three to two. They Quinn Hughes eventually tied it up four to four, and then it was it back and forth for a little bit until Colorado got two goals uh to start the third and make it seven five. But I mean that I I haven't seen anything like that in a long time.

SPEAKER_02

That was that was a crazy game. I think now that Colorado's up 2-0, I don't love Minnie's chances anymore. I thought they had more of a chance. Uh, but yeah, Colorado's so good. I mean, speaking of that matchup of Cal McCarr versus Quinny Hughes, what did you guys think about the Norris finalists that came out today?

SPEAKER_05

I saw McCarr and someone else was a finalist.

SPEAKER_02

McCarr, Dallin, and uh Werensky. And no Hughes.

SPEAKER_05

No Hughes. Well, it's just those three guys, right?

SPEAKER_02

And no uh, yeah, just those three guys. No Bouchard, who led the league in points for defenseman. I think he had 92 points. No Moritz. Um no Quinn Hughes. Pretty crazy.

SPEAKER_05

Do you think it's because he had the he played in Vancouver for half the season?

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, that that that could have contributed to it for sure. I thought it was I I think Rorensky may be the most deserving of it, but his team didn't even make the playoffs, so I think that's kind of I think you can't really win the Norris if your team's not even in the top half of the NHL, even though I think he was maybe the best defenseman. Um Bouchard had the most points, but I mean power play merchant, and then Dallin, I think, got in because it's like he's more of a more on the defense side, but he still, you know, I think had 72 points or something.

SPEAKER_05

And Buffalo, first time in 15 years, they made the playoffs.

SPEAKER_02

Right.

SPEAKER_04

But like a defensive award shouldn't really be about points, though, right? It's it's an balance.

SPEAKER_05

It's an offensive award now. It's not a defensive. That's why they should have a defensive defensive award, Chris. They should. They should. Because this it's becoming an offensive defensive award, which is fine. Like, you know, having that many points as a defenseman in like I think they should have three.

SPEAKER_02

They should have an off best offensive defenseman, best defensive defenseman, and the best overall defenseman, which should be the Norris. Because like the best offensive defenseman this year was Bouchard. He's not even a Norris finalist. The best defensive defenseman, like you'd definitely Cider has.

SPEAKER_04

You think Cider's that like he's that nice one? Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02

Top one, top two, not one? Definitely top three for sure. Like he he would maybe maybe the winner of that this year. I would probably not give it to him just because the wings didn't make the playoffs. But I I think that they need to reshape the Norris trophy award. There should at least be a defensive defensive award along with Norris. For sure. I mean they have the best like defensive uh forward. Yeah, so I'd like to name it though. It's just like Or two-way forward.

SPEAKER_04

You can't call it the defensive defensive award.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, I mean you pick some like really good player from back in the day.

SPEAKER_04

Like the Ludstrom Award?

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, the Lutstrom Award.

SPEAKER_04

Yeah, but then you I feel like you're just giving out too many awards, then. Yeah.

unknown

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04

I don't know. I I think the Because then are you gonna do it like an offensive-defensive Yeah? I would like to see that.

SPEAKER_02

I'd like to see all three. But you definitely need at least the best defense.

SPEAKER_05

I've seen the media members come out and say that they would like to have an award. Yeah. Because they they don't feel right just giving it to the best offensive guy when it is should be a defensive award. Right.

SPEAKER_02

Like when Eric Carlson won the Norris, it was like like, yeah, I mean, he's so good offensively, but right.

SPEAKER_04

It just doesn't make any sense. You know, like I I don't get it. Like, it should be about defense. But like I how many defensive this is something I don't know, how many defensive tracking stats are there? A lot. Like there is it's just like anything because there's so many plays that happen at a hockey game. I feel like it's so hard to keep up. Yeah, it's just like so hard to keep up with those stats. Like every play is like a something going on.

SPEAKER_05

It's like every like every sport's analytical now. Everyone has their stats, and everyone, you know, everyone views a certain stat different than another stat, and they hold different stats to a higher standard than the other stat, but it's just like any sport, they have their certain stats they keep up, keep up and what's the attention to.

SPEAKER_04

What's the most important defensive stat? Like shots blocked or shots deflected?

SPEAKER_02

Like I don't know. I would say probably expected goals against while on the ice. Is that just like a crazy equation? Yeah, I could I I couldn't do it for you right now. That's cool. Yeah, and in the case. It's kind of like war, you know, in baseball. Yeah. And they have war in hockey too.

SPEAKER_05

And uh expected goals per 60, right? Something like that. There's all these stats.

SPEAKER_04

Expected goals against per 60, yeah. And do those pretty do like the best players in those areas truly line up as like the best defensive players? Like there's no like random outliers where like it's kind of like wrong, you know what I'm saying?

SPEAKER_02

I mean it's pretty good. I think you have to use more than just one you know, stat. Like, I think that one's probably like the best for determining the best defensive defenseman, but yeah, there's a lot more that you see.

SPEAKER_05

And then you have like Cider was high and your traditional stats hits, blocks, all that good stuff. Um it's played, you know. Right. Minutes played is a huge one, obviously. Especially for defensemen, because obviously you only have three lines instead of four. And your best your best guys are out, what, 25 minutes on average?

SPEAKER_02

Your best defenseman is yeah, 25 minutes on average, I'd say. Maybe maybe 23, but in important games, they're playing over 25 minutes a game.

SPEAKER_05

And in and I know Hughes wasn't a finalist, but obviously he he has been in years past. Like him and guys like Makar, they are I mean, when they're on the ice, you notice them because they're just so skilled offensively. Best skaters in the league. Right. So you so that's why they're you know, you give it to an offensive guy. Just because uh it's not like your standard defenseman isn't gonna do that type stuff.

SPEAKER_02

So that's why they are that's why those guys usually win. But those guys too, like they're so good offensively, and with the puck, like when they're out there, they might not be the best defensive guys, but they barely have to ever play defense because they're just they just command the ice when they're out there.

SPEAKER_05

And and they stand out just because they're like, well, this guy's near the blue line, so you obviously know he's a defenseman. And it's like, how are they like these guys are better than you know most forwards in the league. So that so that's why they uh that's why like we just said they usually you know get the get the award. So but to Chris's point, there's also great defensive defensemen, so there should they should get rewarded for that too. I agree.

SPEAKER_02

Alright, boys, you guys want to move on to NBA?

SPEAKER_05

Yeah, let's do it. Oh, uh Colorado we both think Colorado's gonna pull it out, Chris. Uh I do.

SPEAKER_02

I think yeah, I think Colorado.

SPEAKER_05

You should you two have to do that?

SPEAKER_04

I do I do too. Game three is obviously you get a mean everything because you like being down in 3-0 is a lot different than being 2-1. But I'm gonna go Colorado and five, I'm gonna go Golden Knights and seven. Then I got the Canadiens in six, and then I got the Hurricanes in four. Alright. Those are my predictions.

SPEAKER_05

I like that. Sounds good. Thank you. Alright, uh moving on to the NBA. Uh half teased it earlier, but our Detroit Pistons, our beloved Detroit Detroit Pistons pulled out a crazy 3-1 victory, uh, come from behind victory last uh last week, and now are currently up one 1-0 against Cleveland, actually about to tip off pretty soon for game two. But Hef and I were with our friends Patrick Abraham, Tristan Mabin on Friday at Huff's Place. And uh we could we couldn't believe their comeback. I mean, I was just in awe with their defense. Obviously, Orlando missing 23 consecutive shots in game six helped a lot, but uh to come back from 24 come back from 24 down in an elimination game on the road was I'll never forget that performance, Hef.

SPEAKER_04

Been it was a pleasure to be next to you during that game. I'll tell you that. I'll never forget that moment. It just shows the grittiness of this Pistons basketball team, you know, like even when their own fans don't really believe in them, they're in that locker room by themselves and they believe in themselves, which is the best thing ever. I think it shows a lot towards coaching. That's why JB Bickerstaff got that extension. Um it's absolutely great, you know. After game four, like I was obviously like down in the dumps, but I remember the next day we're we were pretty confident that we could come back. One Franz Wagner being out, the Cade stopper, as you could say. He didn't really stop him, but he he was the best to limit him. Right. Um he was out for all three games, which is obviously unfortunate, but that's what happened. Um never apologized for wins. Right. He's been hurt the whole year too, so that's part of the reason why they were in eight seed. Yeah, exactly. And you know, Paulo Bancaro, man, he is a such a good damn he's such a good basketball player. I feel like every time the game was at uh the game was in LCA, he just wouldn't miss a shot. Yeah. But then every home game it seemed like he couldn't make a shot. Like he's gotta work on his consistency, like, cause like something's going on there. It could be lack of team depth or something, because he's playing a good amount of minutes. Um I'm you know, I'm just super happy. I'm just super happy we gotta keep watching this team because you know, in the regular season they were so fun to watch, and I'm very excited to see them in this uh tonight. I'm pretty antsy to watch him play. And I think we're I think we're gonna win tonight too. I really do.

SPEAKER_05

Yeah, I mean Cleveland is 0-4 so far on the road to start the playoffs. Uh they closed out Toronto, but just like they did against Orlando two years ago, the home team won every game in that series. Um, but yeah, to get him down uh uh 0-2 and be 0-5 on the road would be massive tonight. But just a quick wrap-up uh on the on the last series. Uh Tobias Harris, which is carried carried over to game one on on Tuesday, he's scored 20 points, I think five or six games in a row, obviously 30 points in game seven. I don't think he scored 20 in back-to-back games all year during the regular season, so obviously he's got a lot to prove in elevating his game. And uh I know you saw the video about Richard Jefferson talking about uh what JB did in the locker room in game six. They're pretty good friends. I think he actually introduced JB to his wife, but that's beside the point. Shout out. Shout out Richard.

SPEAKER_02

Uh yeah, tell us about it, B.

SPEAKER_05

So he uh Richard Jefferson said that JB told him, I think, because Richard Jefferson did game seven, so I think he told him um before game seven that so their locker the the coach's room was right next to the locker room, and he could hear everything. The coaches could hear everything the players were saying. So before JB, you know, went in and talked to the players, basically he was the players were saying everything that they needed to do uh to to win and come back from that game. So JB's obviously hearing that and s and understood that I don't need to go in there and ream the guys, I just gotta tell them how to execute what they're saying. Create awareness. Yeah, exactly. And he he didn't want to go in there and you know basically cuss everyone out for playing shitty. So that kind of uh turned the momentum and and to give up 19 points in that second half, a fewest uh in in in the playoff history. Wow, and 23 in a row was a playoff record. I think the the record for most points or fewest shots missed in a row was 24 in 2017, but that was a regular season game. So a lot magic were on the wrong side of history a lot in in that game six, but yeah, just incredible. And and once it got back, I know you were kind of stressed a little bit for game seven, but I I felt like we we had to wrap that up after we came back in game six. I was not worried at all. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04

I I was just worried because like everyone was picking the pistons to win that game. Literally, even Magic fans were like the series is over. And I feel like you know, like when the Magic had their backs against the wall, like when they got blown out against Philly in the play-in game, they go to the short they everyone was like, oh Charlotte's gonna be Magic win by like 40. So like I wasn't writing them off. I I was confident in the Pistons. I just didn't like how Magic fans thought we were gonna win as well. Um But yeah, I am very confident in this upcoming the series we have going on right now with the Cavaliers. I think it's a great matchup for us. Yeah, I think it's a great matchup for us because I don't think I was a little nervous but with Evan Mobley and uh Jared Allen to start the season, but yeah, they're so soft.

SPEAKER_05

Um it's funny because the the regular season they imposed her well, but it's fun that it's funny, it goes back, I think it was two years ago, and it it st stayed true because Cavs were the number one seed last year, and then this year, um at least so far in the road, being on four and being down um to start the second round, uh the lights were brighter than expected. Yeah, and you know that's that's how they play.

SPEAKER_04

That's not anything new for uh James Harden. Um that's right. James Harden's seven turnovers famous choker.

SPEAKER_02

Famous choker. You did you guys see sorry to interrupt here, but did you guys see that uh that uh that awesome picture of Duncan Robinson after uh with Jameer Gibbs in the background? Yes, him and James. James in the background, I think it was after he hit a three and uh right in like heart like Harden's face. That was awesome. Yeah, I hate James Harden. Yeah, no about you guys, but that guy sucks.

SPEAKER_05

Did did you see that stat half where he's got basically twenty five percent of his games in the playoffs? He's f uh played a hundred eighty one games and forty five of 'em, which is just under twenty five percent. He has as many or more turnovers than field goals made. Yep.

SPEAKER_04

That stat keeps coming up because he had that. Wow, wow, wow. Um he had that in the game last series against the Raptors. Yeah, I think he had two in a row last series. Yeah, now it's uh happening against the Pistons, and you know, like it's nothing new. Um I think I think the person we're gonna have to stop if we want to win this series, I think James Harden will do James Harden things in the playoffs. I think we gotta stop Evan Mobley. I think Donovan Mitchell's gonna Donovan Mitchell is electric. He's gonna But he's been rusty in this playoffs too, which is he's been a little rusty, but like you know, he's one of those players that like you could defend as well as you want. He'll still get he'll still drop 30 sometimes. Right. Evan Mobley is that one outlier to me that like if we could contain Evan Mobley, um, I think I think we'll win this series. It's it's just really nice because Evan Mobley and Jared Allen both really can't shoot threes. So like when James Harden and Spider are driving, we could just pack the paint, similar to what the magic did to us last series.

SPEAKER_05

Evan Mobley can shoot in rhythm, and he has killed us before, but I think he only had one three the other night. Excuse me. And what we're seeing a lot too is uh and Jared Allen had played, they just showed a stat on the on the air. He played fewer than 25 minutes first time in this playoffs because he was in foul trouble and he only two points and three rebounds. Um But even with that said, we saw it in the Toronto series, and Toronto was a lot smaller, especially when Ingram went out, is they played they only played one at a time. Yeah. Uh so if I I think that's gonna make it easier for us uh if they're not playing, because they didn't play both in in crunch time last game, so I think that only helps us out. And I know they want more shooters and and this and that, but we're so good defensively that if they're both if there's only one on the floor and they you know miss those threes, then we're gonna get the rebound. Yeah. Just like we saw Jalen Duran dominate with on the glass at the end of the game and then the one-two game with him and Cade.

SPEAKER_04

Yeah, this series is also another bad matchup for the Cavs. I think you know, I didn't notice it before the series, but when they played the Raptors, you could tell like the Raptors are very scrappy on defense as well, but the Pistons just up that even like two times higher than the Raptors. You know, I it's hard for me to not talk about this defense without mentioning Asar Thompson. Asar Thompson is unbelievable on the it's crazy how like little he does on the offensive side, but it doesn't matter because how much he makes up for it with his effort and offense, like I and defense on that it's unbelievable. Like he could it seems like he's seven foot five when he's getting grabbing these boards.

SPEAKER_02

If I if I may interject, I I think another part of his game, and I think this is uh kind of a question, but also uh, in my opinion, a credit to Bickerstaff, is the adjustment that he made. Um, you know, we ask a lot out of Cade to do like a lot on the floor defensively, offensively, he he's so important in so many areas, rebounding. And I think one thing that we don't need him to be doing all of the time, and I really love that this adjustment by JB is uh and and this goes back to what Thompson has been um helping out in is bringing the ball up the court. I've loved the adjustment to not having Cade doing it all the time. We're seeing less turnovers out of Cade, having you know Tobias come up with the ball, having Thompson come up with the ball, spreading that loadout because Jenkins come out with the ball, right? Because uh we can't ask Cade to do everything, and that's probably like the one area that we can like really lean on other guys to do. And I think we've been seeing less turnovers, and you know, that gives Cade more energy in other areas as well. What a what a great adjustment, and and it's awesome that we have someone like Thompson that can jump in and and help fill in that role when we need him to. Well said.

SPEAKER_05

Yeah, him being another ball handler handler is huge, and um that's what uh uh Danis Jenkins has been giving them uh great uh has been giving them great minutes uh ever since uh game five when they went three one down last series. He's been uh he's been clutch. So and Cade only went six for nineteen in game one, so I don't think he's gonna be shooting that low. Yeah, yeah. I think it only gets that better.

SPEAKER_01

Or it only gets better from the what do we shoot from three? Was it over 40% in game one?

SPEAKER_04

Okay. So that's not that's probably not as sustainable as like but like what also isn't sustainable is Cade shooting six for nineteen. So like so true. I feel like that evens out I think Duran and Cade, this is I think this is right. I think they shot 10 for 30 combined um in the first game, and they still won the game. Yeah. Um that's huge. It's just the calves are so much softer than the magic.

SPEAKER_02

It's it feels like and we we won uh rebounding turnovers, like those are that's so important. Like, even if even if we can win that every night, even if our shots aren't going in, we're gonna have a chance.

SPEAKER_05

I believe we have 31 points off turnovers, and we were plus right uh 15 in that category, we were plus four in the re uh rebounding category and plus five on offensive rebounding category.

SPEAKER_02

So what did you guys think? I want to hear your your input like on this. So um obviously going down the stretch, it was ninety-three-93. And it was very, very close game, and then all of a sudden, it seemed like you know, Cade, I think he had four assists after it was 93-93. Duran was just dunking the ball left and right, he had a huge block defensively. Yep. I mean, like, what do you think the magic was there? Do you think that that like clutch factor at the end, like who are who are we gonna be relying on?

SPEAKER_04

I I I think, well, as soon as the game was tied, they put Cade in the game, and Cade, what he was just doing, he was just driving, and I think he just knew during the game that he would get past that first guy, and then Mobley would just be right there, and he would just draw Mobley and just do like a side pass to Duren, which was like it made him wide open. It made me wonder like why weren't we doing that earlier in the game? But um yeah, it um I don't know, just something about Caden like the he has the most fourth quarter points and assists in these playoffs, so like maybe they were just worried about him scoring. Yeah. But um, like I said, Mobley is no uh, which is weird, Mobley's like a better player than Wendell Carter, but like physic physically wise and like um more tough like than Wendell Carter. You know, like Wendell Carter's a lot harder to score on than Evan Mobley so far. Um but I just think Cade was just doing Cade thing, to be honest.

SPEAKER_05

Yeah, I mean he took your best player took over, and that's what you need in these playoffs. Uh uh in most of these series, that that is the difference. Uh is your superstar player taking over, and and that's what happened in uh in game one, hopefully it does tonight. Chris, uh we should mention you're gonna be in Cleveland next week for game four.

SPEAKER_02

I'm gonna be in Cleveland. I'm gonna try to get to a game if I can. I think that would be I gotta I gotta figure out how far away my hotel is and see if I can get a ticket, but I think that would be really cool to cool to be there. Uh yeah, hopefully, hopefully you find uh find a cheap ticket.

SPEAKER_05

Alright, moving on to the other Eastern Conference uh series, the New York Knicks 76ers. Knicks uh carried their uh dominant performance uh that they closed out against the Hawks, carried it into game one and won by 40 against Philly in game one. Yesterday was uh a little bit closer and they closed it out. They only gave gave up 12 points in that fourth quarter against Philly to win 108 to 102. Joel and Joel and B did not play in game two, that should be mentioned, but uh obviously huge for for New York because uh Boston was not able to uh win both home games against Philly in the first round series, but won uh both games uh on the road in Philly. So if they do that, they'll they'll sweep them. What did you uh think of the last night's game, Heffa?

SPEAKER_04

Good win by the Knicks. And um when the game gets close towards the end, it's like especially in the playoffs. I always feel like the Knicks are gonna lose. Feels like the 76ers, like, whenever like people count them out, they always have like because like they've had they've lost a lot of games by like 30 or 20 to 30 this this series, but then like the next game they come back and win. Right. I thought that was gonna happen again for a little bit, but then the Knicks came up and won. I think Knicks are most important Knicks are most happy about OG Ananobi's hamstring issue. I know they were tweaking out about it. He's day-to-day, that's massive for them because obviously I don't want to get too far ahead of myself, but if the Pistons hypothetically move on and play the Knicks, OG Ananobi would have been the guy on Cade. So that is uh that's good news for the Knicks, and honestly good news for the league because um I'd rather beat a team healthy anyways. Right.

SPEAKER_05

But uh I I don't think he'll play tomorrow night, but absolutely not. He will not be there's no chance he plays tomorrow night. But they just gotta win one game and then they have a chance to close it out.

SPEAKER_04

Yeah, we'll see. I know MB is still dealing with like his hip and his ankle and his knee.

SPEAKER_02

Everything body. I I think the first game was a throwaway game because the 76ers just had such a tough right series. Scheduled loss, like we talked about earlier. Right. It was completely yeah, you you mentioned that last week. Totally a scheduled loss uh for them, and then yeah, like you guys said, the the game two was was really close. I mean, if they don't have embiad, I think the the Knicks take care of business here. If Embiid is able to come back, I don't know if you guys know about his status for game three, but if he's able to come back, I think that they can make this a series because I really don't think they tried at all in game one, and then in game two they didn't have embiad, and yeah.

SPEAKER_04

I was I honestly I was telling my dad this. Um honestly, like Embiid is the only one who could get away with this because he's so banged up every every time he touches the court, he's hurt. They should have sat him game one. Because they were gonna lose either way. They definitely should have sat him game one. Sit him game one and then just take a you know they and you know they they could have still fought and won the first game because like, you know, like look at game two, but yeah. I mean Maxie is their number one. Yeah, Maxie's a great player. Um but like the way MB just takes so much You know, like MB like you have to game plan so hard for him because like he's so good, they can't just go one-on-one with him down low.

SPEAKER_05

That's why I thought going back to last series, I know I'm I don't like Vucevic at all, but not playing him at all in game seven was a bit odd when you're having when you had Hugo Gonzalez guarded.

SPEAKER_04

They had a weird they had a weird lineup. They the lineup they brought out, like to start um game seven, z they had that starting lineup, or that lineup played zero minutes together in the regular season.

SPEAKER_05

Three of them had zero points.

SPEAKER_04

Yeah, like if you're starting Luca Garza, like something's wrong with your roster, is what I'm saying. And if you win executive of the year, I mean, I guess like I don't know, it just seems like pretty crazy.

SPEAKER_05

But um Did you see the stud about Embiid? He hasn't played in six consecutive games since 2003.

SPEAKER_04

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01

That's uh since what 2023?

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, since when he won MVP. That is hilarious. Yeah. What do you guys think the is a diet? Like, what's wrong with this guy? Like, I think he's gonna be a good one.

SPEAKER_05

Oh, he's in great shape. I think, yeah, he's just some players can't stay healthy and he's the poster child of it.

SPEAKER_04

Yeah, like he's missed he played 38 games this year. He literally um literally play he never played back to backs this entire year, and then tried to be healthy for the playoffs, and then right before the playoffs, he has to get a remove a fucking.

SPEAKER_05

He has awful luck. It was he had his appendix taken out this year. Two years That's brutal. They didn't make it last year, two years ago. He had his appendix taken out. Or excuse me, he had a mono in two years ago.

SPEAKER_02

Okay, mono, you can play through. That's I don't know.

SPEAKER_05

Remember the playoffs. Remember uh Sam Darwin had mono?

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, I mean, I I they do actually say if you play through Mondo Mono, it will uh it's bad for your appendix. So I mean if he got it removed anyways, you should have just played.

SPEAKER_05

Well, he has got his appendix out recently and then had um and then that mono was two years ago. But yeah, it's it's crazy. Like it feels like there's gonna be something made up that's gonna for next year and he'll he'll miss.

SPEAKER_04

And Mikal, like, he got like it really hurt him because he was setting a screen on uh McCal Bridges, and Mikal Bridges nailed him right where he got it removed.

SPEAKER_05

So like Yeah, he was not happy with that. No good play by Bridges.

SPEAKER_04

That's the elbow right in the That's smart. I like that. Good play by him. Don't set hard screens, man. You're good. But yeah, I got the I got the six, I got the Knicks. I had him, you know, like I was skeptical because I knew Embiid wouldn't be able to stay healthy. But I got the Knicks in six. I think honestly, it could be five, but I'm just gonna go six because I think I did have it seven originally. So I go Nixon six, and also I didn't mention the Pistons. I'm gonna go I'm gonna go Pistons and six too. I also had that seven, but I'm changing that to six.

SPEAKER_05

Yeah, I think Pistons win tonight, and they can just get one in Cleveland. I I think they win in five, but if not, I'm I'm gonna go with Pistons and six, and then I'm gonna go New York in six. But I do think Philly takes games three and four, but then I I think it's gonna be similar where the Knicks closed out winning three in a row against Atlanta. I think they close it out in um in six, winning games five and six. What do you got, Chris?

SPEAKER_02

I like those picks. I got Pistons, I think we're all in agreement on who's winning each series. I got Pistons in five. Uh and then I have I have the Knicks in four. Oh, sweet. Wow. The Knicks in Bring out the Brooms? Bring out the Brooms, and I want the Knicks. I want to play the Knicks in the conference finals. I don't want to play the 76ers, not because I think I think the Knicks are better, and that's why I want them, and we lost to him last year. Yeah. I want us to be able to avenge that, and I really, really hope that we get that opportunity.

SPEAKER_04

Yeah, Cade and Madison Square Garden. Cade uh Duncan Robinson just banged a three. That's why we got um yeah. Cade and Madison Square Garden, it almost brings out a different level in him because he's been dominant there. And yeah, that's exactly who I want, Chris. Like, I it's weird. I I want the Knicks to lose so bad, but I also want to play them so bad. So it's like a weird situation for me, but yeah.

SPEAKER_05

Uh yeah, I want revenge on the Knicks, so um definitely I want to see them again. Um but yeah, so we both have Pistons and Knicks in the conference finals. Yep. Moving over. Can we all agree OK C in four or five?

SPEAKER_02

I cannot.

SPEAKER_05

Well, you're a LeBron guy.

SPEAKER_02

Well, I I mean I think if if Luca doesn't come back, then I think it's five games. What if he does come back? If Luca comes back, I think Lake Show and seven. What if he comes back for game four and they're down three-o? Lake show and seven. Wow. So they're first team ever to call it, you heard it here now, on the nosebleed narrative pod. That if Luca comes back in game four and they're down three-0, I think that they will win. Sounds like you gotta place a wager if that happens, Chris. I will be the dude, that would be like plus thirty thousand. I would, and it would be on DraftKinks. DraftKinks. Use our code NOSEBlead narrative for a $50 bonus bet. Beautiful.

SPEAKER_04

Yeah, I'm gonna say uh OKC. If Luca doesn't come back, OKC in a sweep. If Luca does come back, OKC in five. We don't have to talk much about that game. That series.

SPEAKER_05

I feel like it's pretty I do have to say something, half. We talked about it yesterday, yesterday morning after game one from the previous night. We talked about how flopping this and that. I don't I love how the media was finally calling out SGA about his flopping because they were playing the Lakers. It took it took them five years to bring it up because it just so happened they were playing the Lakers, so now they finally noticed that it's an issue.

SPEAKER_04

Yeah, it's because every analyst is a LeBron Glazer, and um every single time the like LeBron is playing against a team, all these complaints come out. But I will say the Shea Gilders Alexander flopping thing has been going on a long time. But like yeah, like media-wise, maybe not as much. It has um gotten a lot worse ever since um game one. It's going it's on every fingle every every single uh tweet I see, every single um show. So I do get that. But it is a thing still. It was still a thing, but the media is just now getting it's more exemplified under the planet.

SPEAKER_05

That's what pisses me out. And I always protect or I guess I'm probably on the side of you know SGA's and not saying that you think he's bad, but I always you know, and I always come to his defense. But you know, the media was pissed off, and obviously he was looking for fouls and this and that, but the rest didn't call it. You know, and he had under 20 points, which hasn't happened in two years for him in the regular season. Uh and but they still won by 18. Yeah. So I that's just how good OKC is, and I think that's it's gonna go for if Luca comes if Luca comes back before if he comes back game three, I'd say Lake or excuse me, OK scene six.

SPEAKER_04

Yeah, but like he's also probably not gonna be hamstrings are just such a big like you can't like pivot, you can't like everything Luca does is like his hamstrings kind of involved. I just like I can't see even see him him being that effective. More like a like a 25-point decoy.

SPEAKER_05

Like he won't eat that's crazy just being a decrease. Just because Luca's so cool.

SPEAKER_04

Yeah, but like Luca's like known for his scoring. Like right. Luca's like averages like 35 in the playoffs before uh last year.

SPEAKER_05

Right. And we've seen how bad Austin Reese has been since he's come back from his oblique injury.

SPEAKER_02

So obviously that's a good point. Even if he comes back, he might not be a hundred percent. And I mean, without him, they're predicted to lose by the line is 15 and a half. That's what it was for last game, too.

SPEAKER_05

So yeah, I mean, I I'd say OKC's gonna win. If Luga comes back before they get down to three losses, I can see them extending it a little bit longer. But OKC is just too damn and they don't even need Jalen Williams.

SPEAKER_04

Reeves is the key. Like LeBron played really well game one. I thought Reeves had like Reeves shot three for sixteen. Right. If you want to be like if you want to be like a big contract player, you're gonna have to play a lot better than that. I don't care how injured you are. Like, I know he has hamstring issues as well. Like, you have to play better than that.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, I saw that we know he's a big golfer, so maybe he's focused on that.

SPEAKER_05

And his golf game could be I saw that teams may give him 50 million or just under 50 million this offseason. I'm not giving him that much. And we saw that what last season Chris is appalled right now.

SPEAKER_02

That's half of the NHL style.

SPEAKER_01

A million dollars? Yeah, I am. For that guy? For Austin Reeves? He's like a third option, maybe fourth option on the championship team?

SPEAKER_05

He's a fourth option on a championship team 20 mil a year.

SPEAKER_02

If you want to make the why are they staying 50? I guess the third option then you'd be a third option.

SPEAKER_05

He's a third option on a team that can get to the conference finals, maybe if the conference is you know weaker that year. He's a good fourth option on a good team or a championship level team. Let's go a star. Um great defense. But he Rees was undrafted for a reason, and the injuries have proved it, and you know, these late season injuries.

SPEAKER_02

Well, he was old when he went into the draft. I think he was 22.

SPEAKER_05

Yeah, he he was still good though. Um, but yeah, that didn't help him. And um I just I can't I wouldn't give him that much. I wouldn't even give him I would give him twenty I would give half I would contemplate giving him half that. Yeah, um absolutely. But yeah, I mean if Lakers give him 48 million, they're in trouble. Yeah. For and they're and they're not gonna be competitive with Luca for a long time. Um moving on to the others here. So we all got OKC moving on. Yep. I guess Luca comes back. Luca comes back. You heard it here first. If they're down 3-0 and Luca comes back, Lakers in seven.

SPEAKER_04

Um I hope that happens because we could clip this and just get super popular. Yeah, I think this is our key to fame.

SPEAKER_05

So Luca, please come back after being down three oh. Um, I move on to the other series. The San Antonio Spurs had a good bounce back against the Minnesota Timberwolves. T Wolves won game one, Spurs uh You know, did what we thought they would well most people thought they would respond uh with a bl 40 point blowout win in game two. Um so that series is um even going back to Minnesota. What have you seen in the first two games that maybe you didn't expect or you expected?

SPEAKER_04

I'll say this being um Mabin Mabin's really gonna like this. I just don't think Wembinama's if Wem and Yama's gonna play like this, the Timberwolves are gonna win the series um on the offensive side. Obviously, defensive side, 12 blocks in the first game most in NBA playoff history. You know, a lot of people are saying some of those were goaltens, which some of them might have been. Yeah, and fouls. And fouls, but you know, people foul in the NBA every play. I'm more it's more about the goaltens for me.

SPEAKER_05

Right. Um obvious ones too, which I'm surprised they missed.

SPEAKER_04

Yeah, Weminyama's gotta play a lot better. I believe he shot five for seventeen in the first game. That's not gonna cut it. And the second game, it was more of like an all oh my god, Tobias Harris.

SPEAKER_05

Oh no, is he hurt? He just got crossed up and he got hurt. Oh no, is that his groin or something?

SPEAKER_02

Uh it looks like his thigh potentially. Oh my gosh. Maybe hip? He looks very much in pain. We're talking, we're watching the Pistons Cavaliers game, and uh Donovan Mitchell just crossed up Tobias Harris. Oh, yeah. He looks he looks he went down. He's definitely holding the right side of his body here.

SPEAKER_04

Oh god, Uncle T, no.

SPEAKER_05

Well, that's not gonna be without the game.

SPEAKER_04

Oh, he got up this game. He got up. I think he's gonna be fine. Okay, but staying on topic. Um, yeah, Victor Wemanyama's gotta be a lot better offensively. Anthony Edwards, first of all, shout out to Anthony Edwards. Hyperextended knees in the NBA, that's like a four to five week recovery typically. He came back in nine days, man. That's actually insane. Obviously, he's he's not he doesn't look as explosive as he was like before the injury, and he was already playing injured before that. Like he's got a lot of.

SPEAKER_02

They've only played him for 25 and 24 minutes.

SPEAKER_04

Yeah, a lot of I think they gave him a minutes restriction. Usually coaches don't even listen to those, but like, but like this is so pretty this is pretty serious to the point where like you kind of have to. Um Right, and he came back in less than a week and a half, and it was supposed to be at least two weeks.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, they're saying he's a game time decision for game three because of a bone bruise.

SPEAKER_04

Bone bruise? Yeah, hopefully I th I think he'll play through that. I mean, if if he played through whatever he just uh what if what respect in my book, yeah. He's an animal, man. He he he was talking to the he was like begging the doctors to like let him play, which is awesome. Gained a lot of respect in my book as well. Love to see it. Um yeah, the Timberwolves just have so much death, you know, and I don't think this is a good matchup for Wemby as well. I mean, he's gotta go up against uh uh Gobert who domin who did as good as anyone has ever done against Jokic last series. Right. And think about Gobert, man. He had to go up against Jokic, and now he's gotta go up against Wemby. Like that's pretty insane.

SPEAKER_05

Yeah, and uh it's been tough for Wemby because he's gotta you know shoot over him and he hasn't had success a little bit better yesterday, but um it's funny because I told you game one half, just keep going after him, even if he had blocks, which he had a block in the fourth quarter, and Minnesota got it, and they got an open three. So even when he was blocking, it was still helping Minnesota out, and they went after him too. They set a screen that he you know ran into his own guys and they got an easy layup out of it, and not only that, and obviously, you know, 12 blocks a historical performance, but he didn't have his legs on offense. He was sh his he was missing every jumper and didn't make a three, I think oh eight, oh nine from three. So if they can do that, um especially Minnesota in games three and four, and Io came back for game two. Obviously, it didn't help him too much, but you know what he did in games three and four last series, scoring twenty-five, and then his 40-point game, forty, I think 43 points, when uh DiVincenzo and Ant got hurt, he exploded. So I think you know the role players are gonna play better at home, and stealing one on the road was huge. So I I see them I see them winning games three and four. I think um San Antonio protects home court, but I I I see Minnesota protecting home court, yeah. I think they win all every uh the rest of the road game or home games, so I think they win in six.

SPEAKER_04

So as I said on the pod um when we were doing our predictions, I had the Spurs winning in six. I don't believe that's the case anymore. I think the Wolves are gonna win the series, but like I said, every time I bet against the Wolves, they win the series, and I know Maben really wants Wemby to be out of the playoffs, so I'm gonna stick with the Spurs even though I don't want to. I'm gonna stick with the Spurs in six, even though I think the Wolves will win the series.

SPEAKER_05

Okay. Wow.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, I I'm gonna stick with my original prediction, even though uh in my original prediction I didn't have Anthony Edwards being hurt in any capacity, and now he's playing through multiple injuries. Yeah. Uh I I still think he's um top. I'd put him at the top one player in the NBA right now. Top one? Top one, that's it. Maven, cover your ears. Um he's uh he's electric to watch. I love watching him. I think the Timberwolves get it done in this series uh in a in an upset. How many games? I think that just really depends how many games Anthony Edwards really ends up playing here, but I think I think bean said six, I'll go six as well. Okay, cool. Same wavelength.

SPEAKER_05

Uh alright, so we uh those are predic preview predictions, even though they're the second round's well underway in both sports. Um really quickly, boys, to close it out. Um we gotta talk about the race over the weekend, the Kentucky Derby Golden Temple coming back literally in last place from the back down the stretch. Uh he made an unbelievable run. I you know it's funny, I always look for that horse to make a late run when they're, I don't know, hundred two meters out. And there was two horses. It was Golden Temple and Renegade, uh, who was one of the favorites. Uh I believe he had the third best dots at six to one. Golden Temple was at twenty-three to one. And and the thing with Renegade was he was uh in the uh first position, which there hasn't been one in in 40 years, I believe, believe, 86 or 85 was the last time. Yeah. So that was controversial. Um you did see Renegade get caught up in the mess, but uh the average uh pole position or or excuse me, um the er the odds are usually like 33 to the one for the uh uh uh the horse that's in the first pole position. And so Renegade was way above that. Um but he did have that problem of getting sucked in, and then he obviously uh went head to toe with Golden Temple. But I watched that the replay later that night on my phone on Twitter. You you never see Golden Temple in the picture. You see him at the uh in the beginning when they show the aerial view, and you hear uh Larry Coleman in last place, Golden Temple, and then you don't see him until the last ten seconds of the race. Um when you see him in the picture. You see him one time at the beginning, and then you don't see him until the last ten seconds, and he won the damn thing. It was unbelievable.

SPEAKER_04

Is that like a plan? Like you like like save all your fucking Some horses are like that, yeah.

SPEAKER_05

But I mean he was in last he wasn't even close. And in the stretch comeback. I mean, it's an all-time it's an all-time. We'll probably never see it again. Do they watch film?

SPEAKER_02

The horses? Or like the jockeys? Yeah. I don't know. That's a good question. We should get a uh jockey on the pod to interview. Ooh, yeah, that would be very interesting. Yeah, you could learn a lot.

SPEAKER_04

Yeah, exactly.

SPEAKER_05

Yeah, and I know that the avocado training it was the first time a woman trainer ever won the Kentucky Derby. Uh they showed her uh uh her reaction when it uh when Golden Temple won, it was it was priceless. It was she just became a multi-millionaire. Yep. Yeah, yeah. Um but it it was it was incredible. Chris, I know you watched it. What what were your thoughts when you saw it?

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, I mean, absolutely incredible comeback. Don't have too many more thoughts than what you already went over here being, but I did have um one thing that really is just upsetting me. I I think this happened last year as well, um, and it's kind of becoming a theme where the winner of the Kentucky Derby skips preakness and then runs the bell knot. Yeah, and that's happened a lot lately. I think that should be illegal. I mean, you can't even like like you have to at least try to go for the triple crown. I get it, you know, like the horse and you know, whatever injury. You want to protect the horse. They're like, we don't want like if we don't think that they have a great chance at winning, we don't want to run them. But I don't even know if that's the correct term terminology in running them. But um I just think it's messed up. I think if you win the Kentucky Derby, you have to if you don't do preakness, you're just done. Like well, mostly you're retired. I know they yeah, they're done at the done after, anyways, right? But I I don't think you should you I don't think you should be allowed to do Belmont if you don't do Preagness. That that's that's my hot take.

SPEAKER_05

That's a fair point. Unless you're hurt, then you should probably race. I I mean the triple crown, it's it's so prestigious. Uh so I don't know why you want it. I mean I get the health issues, but like like you said, they're done racing anyways after this year.

SPEAKER_02

So And if you win the triple crown, like you're gonna come in. Yeah, you're never forgotten fame, legacy, um, for the owners of that horse. Right. A lot of money. Why not try?

SPEAKER_05

And for a jockey, like you're always gonna be wanna like the owners and trainers are gonna want you to race their next big horse. So right. Uh yeah, I know I get it. It's definitely been a big uh controversy over in racing the last, I don't know, almost a decade. So um yeah, it is it it's a great point, Chris, for sure. Um all right, boys, are we done? Yeah, I believe so. One quick thing, obviously, we said Chris is gonna be in Cleveland next week. Hopefully, uh you'll be able to see a Pistons win live next week, Chris. I hope so. Um go Stones. Go Stones, and with that, we're gonna have our good friend Patrick Abraham on next week to talk NBA basketball, and the PGA is next week as well, Hef. So a little preview of that.

SPEAKER_04

Yes, sir. Chris will be out of town in Cleveland, so we're gonna have Pat take his spot for next week. And you know, just a reminder, if you guys uh if you guys are first time listeners, thank you so much for listening. Um follow us on TikTok or YouTube. We drop shorts um every day at the Nosebleed Narrative Pod. Um Thank you guys so much for watching. Have a wonderful day. And my name is Ryan Heffernan, Chris Robert, Chris Bean.

SPEAKER_05

Peace, happiness, and love.