NBA Playoff Round 2 Predictions, Rockets & Nuggets Fallout & No Huddle Takes

On this episode of Big Game Energy, we dive into the second round of the NBA Playoffs with full series previews and predictions, including:

• Pistons vs Cavaliers
• 76ers vs Knicks
• Lakers vs Thunder
• Timberwolves vs Spurs

We also hit No Huddle with rapid-fire takes on LeBron’s strange playoff trend, the Orlando Magic collapse, an Indiana Pacers Mount Rushmore debate, playoff drought trivia, George Pickens trade buzz, and a Kentucky Derby recap.

00:00 Intro
00:27 Are the Chiefs really the NFL’s best QB room?
05:19 Rockets season ends and the fallout begins
08:25 Houston’s offseason crossroads and roster decisions
10:59 Biggest takeaways from Round 1 of the NBA Playoffs
13:54 Second-round preview starts here
14:13 Pistons vs Cavaliers series prediction
17:16 76ers vs Knicks preview and picks
19:30 Does Joel Embiid belong in the top 10?
20:05 Why Tyrese Maxey might need to be Philly’s closer
20:46 Final Sixers vs Knicks series call
21:40 Can the Lakers threaten the Thunder?
24:00 Timberwolves vs Spurs and the Anthony Edwards health factor
26:55 What’s next for the Nuggets this offseason?
27:33 No Huddle: LeBron’s bizarre playoff pattern
28:21 Magic collapse and pressure on the coaching staff
29:37 Building the Pacers all-time Mount Rushmore
31:14 Which cities are stuck in the longest playoff droughts?
35:11 George Pickens trade?
36:08 Kentucky Derby recap

#BigGameEnergy #NBAPlayoffs #NBAPodcast #HoustonRockets #Lakers #Thunder #76ers #Knicks #Cavaliers #Pistons #Timberwolves #Spurs #Chiefs #NFL #SportsPodcast

Transcript

James 0:00

Big game energy

Spencer 0:01

Big game energy. May the fourth be with you, James. Star Wars fans everywhere are celebrating, but today, big game energy, we are talking the second round of the NBA playoffs- Whoop, whoop is set. We're gonna give- Mm our preview and predictions for each of the remaining four series. Mm-hmm. We will go into our no huddle section. We got some quick takes we're gonna throw at you real fast. But previously on Big Game Energy- Previously

James 0:26

let's,

Spencer 0:26

let's address some things. Previously, I said that the Chiefs, the Kansas City Chiefs, have the best quarterback room in the entire NFL now that they have Garrett Nussmeier added to Patrick Mahomes and Justin Fields.

James 0:39

Spencer, give us the definition of quarterback room, because I felt like in the comments y- everyone was roasting you because of whatever.

Spencer 0:48

Yeah, everyone was thinking th- what I was saying was, "Oh, he must think Justin Fields is the best quarterback ever. He must think Garrett Nussmeier was the best quarterback in the draft, but they're both bums." Listen, I'm not saying either of these guys are world beaters. There's a reason why neither of them were drafted or signed to be a starter. But when you look at quarterback rooms from top to bottom, and I look at your first quarterback as Patrick Mahomes, you have one of the most elite running quarterbacks in NFL history. And yes, the numbers back that up. The numbers in the eye test say Justin Fields running the ball at the quarterback spot, special. Now, throwing the ball, bad. But they have him- Oh, yeah in the quarterback room. And then they have someone, Garrett Nussmeier, who I really feel like he flashed a lot at times in college at LSU. Now, a seventh-round pick, very much a throwaway pick. He might be out of the league in two years. But- He might

James 1:39

sell life insurance

Spencer 1:40

I saw enough at LSU that I think, hey, that's an interesting pick. Maybe he can learn something from Pat Mahomes. So top to bottom, we have one of the top three minimum quarterbacks. We have an elite gadget quarterback that can get it done in a pinch if Pat Mahomes goes down for a few games. Mm. And you have a young guy who I think has some potential. Show me a better quarterback room in the NFL than those three. I'll hear anyone out. Just name me a couple of quarterback rooms that rival that. I don't know any.

James 2:10

I could go against you and be like, "Hey, I've seen a backup go 3-0 when he played in Houston." They got a decent quarterback room in my...

Spencer 2:18

See, but there's a lot of people that would say neither Stroud nor Davis Mills have proven anything.

James 2:23

So I'm trying to think. And again, I'm only talking two quarterbacks. So when you say three quarterbacks, on paper. Yeah.

Spencer 2:30

Maybe you can go with a quarterback room of only two quarterbacks, but they have to be both really solid. They don't have... they have to just be good on their own rights. Like maybe last year you could have said the Giants with Russell Wilson, Jameis Winston, and Jackson Dart. I would have heard you out then. But when we're talking Pat Mahomes, Justin Fields, and Garrett Nussmeier, this is one of the best quarterback rooms- Mm in the entire NFL, no doubt, and I think it is the best.

James 2:53

Yo, I think Jimmy G just retired, but wasn't it Matthew Stafford, Jimmy G? If Jimmy G stayed, and then it, hey, it could have had Ty Simpson. That's a pretty good class, but I think Jimmy G retired, so- Yeah. Maybe- He'll, he'll be on The Bachelor

Spencer 3:06

I'm thinking through maybe the Vikings.

James 3:09

Ooh, the Vikings. Yeah, JJ. Nine.

Spencer 3:12

They got nine.

James 3:13

They got nine.

Spencer 3:14

And they got Kyler Murray, and yeah, everyone believes in both those guys, right?

James 3:17

No. Yeah. You know what? No, no, they're third string. That's why. Yeah. I still gotta give it to the Chiefs because-

Spencer 3:23

Yeah, it's the Chiefs, but-

James 3:24

Yeah. Man, you got me thinking now 'cause what about the Commanders with Mariota, Jayden Daniels. Who's the third though? Gosh.

Spencer 3:32

I can't think. Let me see.

James 3:34

It's probably some guy named like Josh Johnson 'cause he's played on every team.

Spencer 3:37

Josh Johnson is in the league right now. I actually saw him the other day.

James 3:40

I was gonna say he's probably on the Commanders third right

Spencer 3:43

now. So we got Jayden Daniels, Marcus Mariota, and Sam Hartman. Now, definitely handsome.

James 3:47

Yeah,

Spencer 3:47

you got- Definitely handsome

James 3:48

you got a good group right

Spencer 3:50

there. They also have a rookie, uh, probably undrafted from Rutgers. Ethan Kliahkmanis. No, we're not. We're not. No. I don't think

James 3:56

so. We're not counting

Spencer 3:58

that one.

James 3:59

Okay. No. Commanders, okay, Commanders got, commanders got a top in the

Spencer 4:02

room. That's, it's up there. I'll put that one, I'll say it's up there.

James 4:05

It's up there. I'll say

Spencer 4:06

it's up there. So we got

James 4:06

Commanders and Chiefs.

Spencer 4:08

Okay, Vikings, for the record, I pulled it up. Yes, Kyler Murray, JJ McCarthy, Carson Wentz.

James 4:14

Oh.

Spencer 4:14

Okay. You cannot count Max Brosmer in this.

James 4:16

Okay, so we got three quarterbacks. I'm trying to think of any other teams right off the... I wo- I would love to joke and say the Cleveland Browns if they had Joe Flacco on the squad. Like-

Spencer 4:25

Look here's what I'll say about that. If- If Deshaun Watson were to rediscover his 2020 form, I think they'd enter the conversation 'cause I think they have capable players in Shedeur Sanders and Dillon Gabriel backing up someone that was that elite. But I don't think that Deshaun Watson exists anymore. Okay. And so they're out. Ooh. I look at the Ravens, Lamar Jackson, Tyler Huntley, Diego Pavia maybe. No,

James 4:51

I couldn't do it.

Spencer 4:52

Maybe, but I think, I would rather have Justin Fields than Tyler Huntley.

James 4:56

I would too. That's what I think.

Spencer 4:57

I think that's an easy one for me.

James 4:59

Yeah. So yeah, yeah, I think you're right. It's gonna be a tough battle. You know what? Yeah, throw that out in the clip. Now who would you go for in the quarterback room, man? Vikings? Crap, I forgot the other team. Vikings, Commanders, or the Chiefs?

Spencer 5:12

Yeah. Y'all let us know. We- we'll talk about this every week until someone gives me another quarterback room that can rival the Chiefs. Another thing to wrap up on, and this will get us into talking some playoff basketball, but James, my beard is intact, but- That's good my pride is not, as the Houston Rockets got defeated in six games- Woo woo to the Luka-less LA Lakers. Now, they did get Austin Reaves back for the final two games, but I sweated my beard out, James. I was never gonna make that d- that bet if I knew KD was gonna miss five of the six games, and the Rockets offense without KD was truly cancerous to watch. And there's gonna be some questions to answer this summer for the Rockets.

James 5:52

Yeah, no I'm with you. I w- you know, I really, before the season, before the series started, we really hoped that it was gonna be an intriguing series with KD, LeBron, we hyped it up, remember? "This is gonna be the last run, KD versus LeBron." And KD damn went out there and just played game two and said, "You know what? Man, I'ma quit, bro." I'm just gonna, I'ma quit. Now I know that's the hater in me because, hey, man, all I know is that you look at KD's resume, you take out the, the Steph Curry years, woo wee, my man. My man just cashing paychecks and clocking in. That's all he did, Spence. Man, that man clocked in 78 games just to quit on your team 'cause of a little ankle stiffness. He didn't quit.

Spencer 6:32

Stop it, James. No. He did not quit. No. You're being stupid. No.

James 6:36

My man- He

Spencer 6:36

didn't quit. He got hurt. It's

James 6:38

just- People t- It's just- People tell me KD's a GOAT and he quit on his team.

Spencer 6:41

He didn't quit. It just is typical Houston fashion that they have a player that has injury problems throughout his entire career. They finally get him healthy just for him to get hurt in the crucial moment, a la 2018 Chris Paul. I've seen this movie before. He didn't quit on the team. That's why he was there on the sidelines after everyone made a big fuss about him not being out there for game three. Everyone was like, "Oh, he quit on the team. He quit." He was out there for game four, game five, and game six, and he was- You know, my

James 7:10

man

Spencer 7:10

was cheerfully talking trash to DeAndre Ayton after game four. Like, buddy, we're down 3-0, but he was still there. Didn't quit on his team. I will say this though. I, again, I don't think he quit. I might hear you out if you said the other guys quit on him though.

James 7:23

Oh, yeah.

Spencer 7:24

If you wanna have that discussion, I'll have that discussion with you, James. But I'm not gonna sit here and listen to you say- Yeah KD quit.

James 7:29

No,

Spencer 7:30

no. He got hurt. I, I'm trolling. Bad luck.

James 7:32

But- I'm trolling on that part. No, I, I would Yeah, that conversation, did the other players quit on him? We Earlier in the season we had the KD, Files, Gates, and all that. Yeah. The Bernergate. At the end of the day, I look at it like this. The KD signing, you're taking that 10 out of 10 times. I don't care what anyone says. I would've done it. You would've done it. Joe Blow on the street asking for money on the corner would've done it. You're getting KD, you're getting a pl- a prolific player over Jalen Green and all these other guys that weren't self-proven. Now, yes, did Jalen Green and Dillon Brooks e- excel in Phoenix? Yeah, but guess what? They didn't go any further than the

Spencer 8:08

Rockets. Jalen Green did not excel in Phoenix, for the record. Yeah. Well, yeah. I just wanna throw that out there.

James 8:12

Yeah.

Spencer 8:12

Yeah. Well, yeah. I gotta correct the record on that, 'cause that's something a lot of Rockets fans are like, "Well, I miss Jalen Green." I didn't. Yeah, no. He was a terrorist last year. Yeah, no. KD didn't play in this playoffs. That was still better than what we got from Jalen Green- Yeah last year.

James 8:25

Agree. I look at it if you had Fred VanVleet, and if you would've had Steven Adams, could that dynamic would've changed? Just for some experience side, 'cause of course I look at Fred VanVleet and Steven Adams as better leaders than KD. That's just what I see. But I would take KD over all of those guys any day of the week. Of

Spencer 8:42

course.

James 8:43

Yeah.

Spencer 8:43

And also how your team runs changes significantly when you have a point guard that can actually facilitate an offense. Mm-hmm. And you have who is probably in a vacuum the best or at least top three best rebounding centers in all of the NBA, and I really put Steven Adams in that conversation. If he's playing heavy minutes on- Yeah most teams, he's gonna be up in the the standings, up in the leaderboard- Agreed when it comes to rebounds. But at the same time, these guys shouldn't be your savior, right? A Rockets team that has had four first round picks in the top three, or top four, sorry- And you are here in the playoffs against LeBron James at 41.

James 9:25

41.

Spencer 9:25

In two games of Austin Reaves, zero games of Luka Dončić, and you just let Marcus Smart and DeAndre Ayton just dog you like that? Now, we gotta have some conversations about some of these other players on the roster. I- Agree. And I'll say this, there's gonna be a lot of speculation about what happens with the Rockets roster. Obviously, to me, they cannot run this thing back. No. Please do not run this thing back. Mm-mm. Just don't tell yourself that, "Oh, adding Fred VanVleet and Steven Adams back will make this team a contender." I don't see that. Mm-mm. But I do see a pathways, and they have to get creative, and they'll have to make some big moves. But I do see pathways that the Rockets could be in legitimate contention conversation in the Western Conference next year, even with San Antonio looking good and of course OKC looking dominant, like a potential dynasty. I really do believe Kevin Durant in his waning years, if the Rockets surround him with the right pieces, and they're not existing on this roster necessarily right now in their current form- Mm. I think there's ways they can do it. But they're gonna have some tough conversations. Guys like Alperen Şengün, guys like Amen Thompson, guys like Jabari Smith, these guys that have been a little disappointing, we're gonna have to have some conversations.

James 10:35

Yeah. Have some tough-

Spencer 10:35

Do you stay or do you go?

James 10:38

It's either you or Giannis.

Spencer 10:40

Mm-hmm.

James 10:40

Giannis.

Spencer 10:41

Yeah. And I should throw Reed Shepard and Tari Eason into that conversation as well.

James 10:45

I'll give Reed some slack.

Spencer 10:46

Reed in, Reed in game six was pretty horrendous, though.

James 10:49

Yeah, no. He was,

Spencer 10:50

He was pretty bad.

James 10:51

He

Spencer 10:51

was bad. I mean, whole offense was bad on, in game six. 78 points.

James 10:55

Yeah, 78. I mean, yeah. At

Spencer 10:56

home.

James 10:56

At home.

Spencer 10:57

At home.

James 10:58

Yeah. It was bad. But, no, other than that, Spence, I know besides the Rockets, hey, what caught your eye, man, in round one? Something that, you were like, "Damn, I'm really happy I saw this," or B, I was like, "I'm really shocked that this happened in round one."

Spencer 11:10

I think for me, I'm, I am so proud of Joel Embiid. I'm so proud of that guy. I feel so happy for him, and I think we're gonna see... I know this, it's gonna take a while to buy you back, and I appreciate that about you. But you mark my word, James, you're gonna start to feel like you're in the minority when right now you feel like everyone is kinda the same vibes as you, or you're a hater of Joel Embiid. I think after this playoffs, and I don't, it's gonna, we'll see what they do in the next round against the Knicks. But we'll see. I think this playoffs is gonna turn a lot of people into Joel Embiid believers.

James 11:43

I will say this. You're right. I'm one, a true hater, non-believer of Joel Embiid. He was very impressive in game six and in game seven. I cannot deny those things. But I'm not gonna lie to you. I will be rooting for the 76ers to beat the Knicks In this upcoming round series Interesting Only, I feel like, one, because I feel like I'm loving Tyrese Maxey and VJ, which we'll talk about in a little bit. But also, you know I'm an Eagles fan, and I just feel like if I'm an Eagles fan, I gotta root for some of these teams in Philly. I'm not saying I'm a 76ers diehard. Let's get that out of the way. But I just feel like if I wanna see a city succeed, it's Philadelphia And plus, I, I'm not gonna lie, on paper, I do like the 76ers. Again, yeah, was the Paul George signing a bit rich for what he's doing? Yeah, but you go down the roster, you got Joel, you got Tyrese, you got VJ, you got Paul George, you got Andre Drummond, who's playing a pivotal role. Then you got guys like Kelly Oubrey and Grimes. They fill out your roster. It's I do believe they'll put up more of a fight with the Knicks, 'cause even though the Knicks escaped the Hawks, which, I don't know, Spence, I swear the game six tipped off, it was 0-0, and then it was like 80 to 30. I don't know what happened in, in Atlanta game six I blinked and it was 80 to 30, and you know what, Spence? I had the Hawks plus two and a half. So I was screwed from the jump. Mm. There was no comeback. There was no Orlando Magic blowing a 24-point lead coming that game.

Spencer 13:12

You have Daniel Dyson getting into it with Mitch Robinson, who comes off the bench for the Knicks, and you're one of the most important players for the Hawks. You're down 50, and you go ahead and get you both ejected. Yeah. Yeah. You had no chance already. Now you really have no chance. Now you're just Now they, all they did was they became the meme. Jalen Johnson hits the three- Yep to cut the lead to 52. He's the new Chris Paul. Chris Paul- Chris Paul you've been avenged.

James 13:36

You can go to sleep. You can rest. Yes. You can put your head on a pillow and you'll be fine. But no, other than that yeah, no, I, I was impressed with Joel. The only thing I ask for Joel in this series is not to flop as much. What he did in game seven was a little over-antics for me. But I will say, I will be rooting for the 76ers.

Spencer 13:53

All right. The second round of the NBA playoffs is going to be an absolute banger. We have star-studded match-ups across both conferences. In each series, there is a case to be made that we're looking at a top 10 player in each series. So we'll start in the Eastern Conference. We have the- one seed Detroit Pistons taking on the four seed Cleveland Cavaliers. Detroit had to come back from down 3-1 to beat the Magic.

James 14:23

Oof.

Spencer 14:23

The Cavs took down the Raptors in game seven. James, both these teams struggled to make it here. Game 7 victors were a couple bounces away from being in Cancun right now. But now they- match up in the second round with a right to go to the Eastern Conference Finals. James, who you got between the Pistons and the Cavs?

James 14:43

Spence, there, there's no way. This series better go seven games, because these two teams flip-flop so hard. I just don't know what I'm gonna get. For example, Jarrett Allen had the game of his life in Game 7 against the Raptors, and then you have Cade Cunningham, who looked like garbage the first two, three games in the first round against the Magic. But then he ended up averaging 38 the r- the re- remaining games. So I, Spence, I don't know. But I know me and you are gonna agree on this, because we're praying on experience and who's on the roster, and I have Cavs in seven. And I know that's a win in Detroit, which I think the Cavs can do., I know James Harden didn't shoot the ball as well in Game 7 versus the Raptors. He did get to the line. So I need him to shoot a lot better in Detroit, because the Game 7's in Detroit and you're not getting home cooking in Detroit. Now, matter of fact, is the stadium still the Li- the Little Caesars Palace?

Spencer 15:39

I don't know that one. I'd have to give that one a Google. But I'm actually gonna agree with you, but I'm actually gonna be pretty bold on this one.

James 15:44

You're going six?

Spencer 15:45

I'm going five, James. Because here's the deal. I think the Cavs win this series, but in my- For sure heart of hearts, I just know, and I love the guy, but I just know if this ga- if this series gets to game six or game seven, I don't know if I can count on James Harden to show up. I'm just being honest. And I love the guy. He's one of my favorite basketball players of all time from his days with my Rockets. Mm-hmm. But now I don't know that I can trust him. But I still do believe the Cavs are the better team, and I do think James Harden is gonna show out in the first two games in Detroit. They come out, they go up 2-0. 2-0. Go back to Cleveland. They split Cleveland. They go back to Detroit with a 3-1 lead, and there's the murmurs that begin that Detroit's gonna do it again, and the Cavs shut it down with a big game from Donovan Mitchell. I think the Cavs, they were my team. They were my pick to win this series. Before the playoffs started, I had them beating the Pistons to get to the Eastern Conference Finals-

James 16:39

Same

Spencer 16:40

against Boston. They're Boston. We'll talk about that, what happened there. in a little bit. But I'm gonna stick with the Cavs here. I believe that this team has all the pieces that you need. I love the Spider Mitchell and James Harden combination up in the backcourt. Frontcourt, Jarrett Allen, Evan Mobley, great twin towers. Yep. And then you're getting contributions from guys like Max Strus. Yep and Jalen Tyson and Dean Wade. These guys have been stepping up and playing good basketball for them. So give me the Cavs in five. Five.

James 17:08

Cavs in five, okay. I got Cavs seven, Cavs in five. Wow. All right. I hope so. After the first round, I think every Eastern Conference series is going seven games,

Spencer 17:16

The other series in the Eastern Conference is going to be the 76ers pulling the upset against the Boston Celtics, the first time they have beaten the Boston Celtics in a playoff series since the '80s. We talked about Joel Embiid a little bit earlier. They are facing the three-seed Knicks. The Knicks, Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, a historic beat down of the Hawks to get themselves here. James, how you feeling this series?

James 17:42

Whoever wins this series is going to the finals. That is what I feel. I feel like with the rosters these two teams have, on paper I like both of the rosters. I don't, I prefer Joel Embiid over Kat. I prefer, Jalen Brunson over Tyrese Maxey, but I prefer the 76ers roster over the Knicks because of one thing. In my opinion, I believe that the 76ers are just a lot more physical than the Knicks. If this was a Knicks team coached by Tom Thibodeau, I feel like this would be the Knicks series. But something about Mike Brown, I like Mike Brown- But I just feel like they, he made this team- I don't. I so don't. I feel like he's made this Knicks team just a little too soft for me. Now, if Anne Hathaway wants to go on Jimmy Kimmel and say, "I'm about to rock the OG Anunoby jersey again." And then OG's dropping 27 a game, then the Knicks are gonna win, and they somehow find a way to go to the finals. But Anne Hathaway, your movies already came out, so 76ers in six. Ooh. That's what I'm going. 76ers in six. Win it in Philly.

Spencer 18:43

I'm going with you again here. I'm going the Sixers, but I'm gonna go in seven. Six or seven. Sixers in seven, okay? I think Joel Embiid is on a mission to prove the haters wrong, plain and simple. Yeah. I'm believing in him. I'm buying the stock. I like the young guard play that we get from V.J. Edgecombe. I think he's having a little coming out party- Oh my gosh, yes in the playoffs so far. And I really think Tyrese Maxey is going to establish himself as one of, at least, you gotta put him in top 20 conversations at the end of this postseason is what I'm saying. Oh, yes. Oh, yes. But Joel Embiid a superstar that has been- the subject of a lot of ridicule, a lot justified, a lot not justified. And I think you're raising your eyebrows at me at the fact I just said superstar- Yeah and that you didn't know about that.

James 19:24

He's just a star now in my

Spencer 19:26

eye. Fair enough.

James 19:27

Wait, hold up. What is that Rick Ross song? I'm not a star. God, Which I- That's

Spencer 19:30

what you are so going back to what I said at the beginning of this, before we go off of this series talking about Joel Embiid, do you have, and as I know you're a hater, do you have Joel Embiid in your top 10 or at least in the conversation to be in the top 10?

James 19:42

Top 10.

Spencer 19:43

Top 10 players.

James 19:45

No.

Spencer 19:45

No?

James 19:45

When healthy, no.

Spencer 19:46

When healthy, no.

James 19:48

When healthy, no. He might be like 11, 12 for me. Okay. Like right there, on the cusp.

Spencer 19:52

But- A good post-season might change that for you, I assume.

James 19:54

He. might. Yeah, If the way he plays, like he did in six and seven and he just... Let's say he takes the Knicks out and then they go to the finals and you have 76ers in the finals, yeah, I'll hop on the train. But I will say, though, I do believe Tyrese Maxey, and you'll probably agree, Tyrese Maxey sh- should be option one in the rest of the playoffs. Have Joel be your option two. It's not a bad idea 'cause Maxey, cause the, in that fourth quarter versus the the Celtics, Joel in my eye I thought was about to lose it for them. And then Maxey scored those final six.

Spencer 20:26

I'll say it like this. I don't think they should change how they run their offense. I think Joel Embiid- has been the number one all year. But I will say this, I think I agree with what you're saying in the fact that keep running your offense through Embiid, and he should be like on that, in that terms, the first option. But I want Maxey to be the closer. Yeah. Maxey needs to be the closer going forward. Mm-hmm. I do agree with that. Yeah. But yeah, I got Sixers in seven. I think this series is gonna be a- It's gonna be tug of war back and forth. I wouldn't be shocked if either of these teams finished in a gentleman's sweep, but it's gonna be g- it's gonna be gritty, it's gonna be tough. And I do think the 76ers are a more physical team, but don't sleep on someone like OG Anunoby- or Mitchell Robinson- I love him off the bench. Yeah. These guys can bang with the best of them, Pa.

James 21:08

Yeah. The only thing I will say, we, if, I want game seven for this series because of one, and I don't care if the Knicks win three of them or four of them. But we just need the games to go to seven 'cause I want three or four clips of Knicks fans- after every game. That's all I care for. So I kn- that's all I care for. It seems like no one else is more crazier than New York. They're already struggling with, freezing rent prices and they running out of federal money. Yo, they just need the Knicks to win and they'll forget all the c- all the freaking communist stuff that's going on.

Spencer 21:40

Moving over to the west, congratulations on beating the Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers. Your prize, a date in Oklahoma City with the defending champs. LeBron looked pretty great in the first round. Austin Reaves came back healthy-ish towards the end. Mm-hmm. We don't know about Luka yet, but what do we think about the Lakers' chances realistically- in this series against the Thunder?

James 22:04

Heck, with even LeBron and AR, they are 15-point underdogs in game one versus the OKC Thunder. Now, does that mean anything? No, because technically the Lakers won all four of their games versus the Rockets as underdogs. But mind you, the OKC Thunder actually shoot the ball in the basket. The Rockets don't, but OKC actually does. Yes. I don't care if it's at the free throw line, the three-point line, the two point, whatever it is, they find a way to make the basket. But of course, Spence, I will say it like this. I will ridiculously say Lakers in seven.

Spencer 22:35

Oh, no.

James 22:37

Hey I think OKC wins this thing in five. If Luka comes in, maybe, but then again, even if Luka comes, we're talking this guy's got a run off this strained hamstring. It's just not gonna work,

Spencer 22:48

I'm not gonna let you bait me into another beard bet. I'm not letting you do it. No, no, no, no, no. I'm not letting you do it. I was I almost said something crazy like, "If the Lakers force a game seven, I'll..." No, I'm not doing that again. No. I got too close last time. No. But for me, this, you're being real generous. This is Thunder in four.

James 23:06

Thunder.

Spencer 23:06

They're gonna have a historic post-season. They're gonna Until they get to the Western Conference finals, and I think they're going to buzzsaw through LeBron- and the Lakers. I don't think it'll be any contest. I really don't. No. They're rested.

James 23:18

I really want to. I, I would-

Spencer 23:19

Lakers are hurt. I, LeBron's over here publicly exclaiming how happy he is that he got an extra day of rest.

James 23:25

Yeah, no.

Spencer 23:26

An extra two day of rest.

James 23:28

No, I agree. Trust me. Like I said, my ridiculous mind wants me to say Lakers in seven so I can watch LeBron play seven more games. But damn. Damn it, you're right. Your w- winning prize is playing OKC.

Spencer 23:41

Mm-hmm. That's why I kept telling my fellow Rockets fans like, "Do y'all really wanna come back from 3-0?" Y'all want this to be the team that made history? This bad Rockets team making history just to go get swept by OKC? I'm kinda glad they didn't make the comeback, honestly. Yeah. Really, I am. But yeah, I got OKC in four.

James 23:59

Okay.

Spencer 24:00

Last series, and this one, man, this one's gonna be interesting. It's gonna be dependent on the health of the Minnesota Timberwolves, but as of this recording, we're recording late Sunday night, Anthony Edwards, who was injured for a lot of the first round series against the Nuggets- Mm-hmm he is upgraded to questionable for game one on Monday night against the Spurs. It is in San Antonio. Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs looked great. James, if Anthony Edwards is healthy and plays the, this series, how do you see it turning out?

James 24:33

If Ant plays the whole series and he's healthy, I got T-Wolves winning this in six.

Spencer 24:38

Ooh.

James 24:40

Because I, there's one thing I believe in, and that is a dog. And man, when I see a dog in Ant and a dog in Jaden McDaniels, they just got more dogs than any of those pretty face people in San Antonio. I think,

Spencer 24:53

I think it's time we have a discussion, 'cause there's a third dog that you left out there, and we need to give him his respect- Oh, no 'cause he has become a full-on pit bull, French bulldog. Rudy Gobert.

James 25:06

Oh, rudy. Man.

Spencer 25:07

He put the clamps on the best player on Earth. Wow. Put him in jail.

James 25:14

Oh, yeah. I agree. No I'm not disagreeing with you. I'm just saying like- So- I'm thinking of the offensive perspective,

Spencer 25:19

so. 100%. 100%. Yeah. But I think he's gonna be the key to this series, and I really want to go there with you. I wanna say Timberwolves in six or seven. I wanna give it to them, but I'm gonna go with the Spurs in six, actually. Yeah. Just because the health of Anthony Edwards, even if he does play, I'm not sure if I'm gonna get 100% of him. I wanna say if he plays, he's gonna have that dog in him and he's gonna be, electric, he's gonna be himself, but I just can't, I don't wanna count on that. And the Spurs have been an absolute wagon this season. Yeah. They've been, yeah. Victor Wembanyama. We're looking at greatness right now. And we've been on a crash course for OKC versus San Antonio in the Western Conference finals. We have. Since about the beginning of the calendar year, that's looked pretty inevitable, so I think we get that. But I want- Yeah the Timberwolves to make it three Western Conference finals in a row.

James 26:10

I know. Yeah, 'cause y- just how... Yeah. Y- I agree with you on that, though. I will say, like, I remember w- and I know we didn't talk about this, 'cause we missed one of these episodes. My first round, my only upsets I thought were gonna happen were Hawks and T-Wolves. Now, if you'd have told me, "Yeah, T-Wolves were gonna beat the Nuggets without Ant Edwards-" You genuinely thought

Spencer 26:29

the Rockets were gonna... They weren't betting line favorites, but.

James 26:32

Yeah. But yeah, yeah. They're the favorite you're

Spencer 26:34

the Rockets. Anyways.

James 26:36

Yeah. But like, like my only upset- Had to kick myself

Spencer 26:37

while I was down. Yeah,

James 26:40

but like my real only upset, I just thought the Sixes were gonna win. But if you'd have told me Ant was gonna miss most of the series, you'd have been like, "You're crazy as hell." Would you have told me AO would've dropped 43 on the bench to win one? And then get hurt

Spencer 26:51

himself.

James 26:52

Yeah. No. You wouldn't, I would've never guessed that. So, and I know everyone's gonna talk about it, and it should be talked about, is really, and I know we're gonna dive in a hole if we do. What do you do if you're the Denver Nuggets?

Spencer 27:04

Yeah it's been brought up. There were people discussing should they trade him. He- they're gonna have a contract discussions this off season. He said he wants to be a Nugget. I don't think anything'll happen, but this is how it is. I don't think anything will

James 27:17

happen with him. I think they're just gonna have to figure a way to get off of Aaron Gordon and Jamal Murray.

Spencer 27:22

Yeah. The Robin has to be replaced now. They- Yeah they wanna remain together, great. I think there needs to be a new Robin in town. Well, there's our preview for the second round. Y'all let us know in the comments who y'all got in the second round. James, let's wrap up with no huddle.

James 27:35

Oh, yes, man. No huddle spins, man. We got a lot... We don't got too many, but we got a lot going on. First off, man, hey. Hey, man. All I'm saying, hey, why I'm feeling Lakers in seven versus OKC, this is why. In 2016, two teams came back from 3-1 deficit, LeBron won a title. In 2020, two teams came back from a 3-1 deficit and LeBron won a title. And guess what just happened in this first round? Two teams have came back from a 3-1 deficit. LeBron wins a title.

Spencer 28:07

Dog, what... That is a crazy stat.

James 28:09

Yo, what, what's your take, bro? That's what I'm saying. Lakers in seven. LeBron- No win another title. Go Caves.

Spencer 28:16

The Lakers are getting swept against the Thunder, my guy.

James 28:19

Okay. All right. We'll move on. All right. Hey, man, Magic got eliminated, game seven. They didn't really play well offensively. Paolo Banchero was asked if the Magic could compete- Hmm and he said, "We ain't been out of the first round in three years, so no, we can't compete." You like the bluntness of your superstar player?

Spencer 28:37

That's a guy that wants his head coach to get fired. 'Cause they have been beefing through the press all season long, Jamal Mosley versus Paolo Banchero. These two dudes don't like each other. Mm-hmm. And now I think Paolo Banchero, now that he lost game seven, I think he was like, "You know what? This is my last chance to trash this guy, 'cause they ain't gonna trade me," or, "They're either gonna trade me or fire this guy. I'm not gonna spend another year with him," so had to deal the last blow and- Yeah Jamal Mosley looked like he was gonna get fired, made the playoffs. Yeah. All right, you'll keep your job if you don't get embarrassed. Well, hey, they go up 3-1. It's like, dude- Mm-hmm he's gonna save his job.

James 29:18

Yep.

Spencer 29:18

And nope, he's

James 29:20

gonna get

Spencer 29:20

fired. Game six.

James 29:20

Yeah, game six he will get fired. I would've fired him game six.

Spencer 29:24

100%.

James 29:25

Honest.

Spencer 29:25

Yeah.

James 29:25

There's no way you blow that lead and only score 19 points in the second half. Terrible,

Spencer 29:31

Trem. Terrible

James 29:32

fired him right there. Should've just been like, "Hey, man, just call in sick, bro. We'll just say you caught the flu." All right. Spence, hey, man, I saw a image the other day talking about Indiana Pacers Mount Rushmore. Now mind you, this is their top four players that this guy thought that are on the Pacers. Obviously, we agree. Reggie Miller, Mount Rushmore in Pacers history. The next three, you're gonna have to get me in. Paul George, Pascal Siakam, and Tyrese Haliburton. How are we feeling about this list on Mount Rushmore for Indiana Pacers?

Spencer 30:03

Okay, give them to me one more time. It was-

James 30:05

Reggie Miller-

Spencer 30:06

Okay

James 30:07

Paul George-

Spencer 30:08

All right

James 30:08

Pascal Siakam, and Tyrese Haliburton.

Spencer 30:11

I feel like that is... I'm sure there's some guys that played in the '60s and '70s when the Pacers were a little bit better that are deserving to be on this list. But I want love for my man Jermaine O'Neal.

James 30:23

Thank you. Okay.

Spencer 30:24

Jermaine O'Neal needs love here. He made six All-Star games and was a a defensive beast. Mm-hmm. Had a couple of really good seasons for them. He's a part of the Malice in the Palace. He almost killed a guy, honestly, but-

James 30:36

Yeah. I'm

Spencer 30:36

with you he deserves respect over Pascal Siakam. Yeah who has only been with the Pacers for a cup of coffee at this point it feels like, and has... Yeah, they went to the finals with him, but we all know that was the Haliban.

James 30:49

Yeah, the Haliban. I will say, yeah, Jermaine O'Neal for me, switching out for Pascal Siakam for sure. I'm even willing, like I said, I'd have to dive deep, but I'm willing to even have the conversation about Haliburton. Again, just a cup of coffee type of thing for me. For me it's too little too late, or I should say it's too soon to talk about. That's like saying KD's a all-time Rockets player. He's only played one season.

Spencer 31:11

Yeah. Way too soon.

James 31:12

Way too soon. All right, Spence, last one. Hey, I know you're sad about the Rockets losing this and that, but Spence, there are four major cities in the US that have not won a playoff game or series. Now mind you, these four cities have at least three professional teams in each of their cities. Can you guess the four teams that have the longest playoff series/game-winning drought?

Spencer 31:38

If Minnesota's on this list, I believe this is out of date.

James 31:41

No. Okay. Minnesota is not on this list.

Spencer 31:44

Three teams have not won a series. Ooh, let me get Miami.

James 31:47

No.

Spencer 31:48

Yeah, cause I don't think... Then the Marlins. Maybe that's

James 31:51

two. Yeah, the Marlins are bad, but it was, it

Spencer 31:53

was- The Heat Dolphins haven't won, but I guess the Heat have won one. The Heat's

James 31:55

won, yeah.

Spencer 31:56

Okay. The Texans just won playoffs games this year.

James 31:59

Mm-hmm.

Spencer 32:00

Ooh, can I get Pittsburgh?

James 32:01

Pittsburgh, number one on this list with 2,930 days. The Pirates have not won a series since 2013. Steelers ain't won a playoff game since 2017.

Spencer 32:12

Oh.

James 32:12

And the Pittsburgh Penguins ain't won since 2018. Woo, you got number one off the board, so let's get the other three.

Spencer 32:19

Okay. Okay. I'm trying to think of timeframes here. Washington just had the Jayden Daniels run, so that wouldn't be a good one. Minnesota has the Timberwolves. They win every year. Houston had the Texans. Philly just won a Super Bowl. I'm trying to think of some of these. LA just won a series. Teams. Seattle just won a Super Bowl. The Atlanta just went to the... Mm. How many am I missing?

James 32:44

Missing three.

Spencer 32:45

Missing three. Dang. Okay. Let me get Atlanta.

James 32:49

Atlanta, number two on the list- Okay with 1,640 days since the last time they won a playoff series. Braves haven't won since 2021.

Spencer 32:57

That's, and they won the World

James 32:58

Series. The Falcons haven't won since 2018, and the Hawks have not won a series since 2021.

Spencer 33:03

Okay.

James 33:04

All right, man. We're down to two teams. I'll give you this hint. Each, one team is on one coast, the other team's on the other coast.

Spencer 33:11

All right.

James 33:12

Not a hint, but you at least know you're playing fire- How

Spencer 33:14

about, can I get Phoenix, Arizona?

James 33:18

Number three, Phoenix with 919 days. The Diamondbacks have not won since 2023, and that was the World Series. The Cardinals have not won a playoff game since 2016, and the Suns have not won a series since 2023. All right, man. You got the West Coast down. Now let's get on that East Coast.

Spencer 33:37

Okay. Need East Coast team, three teams in the city or area had no playoff success recently. And I already guessed Miami. I already guessed Atlanta. I already guessed N- it wouldn't be New York, wouldn't be Boston. Wouldn't be Philly. I already guessed Pittsburgh. Is... It's probably n- it doesn't count for like Tennessee, does it?

James 34:01

No.

Spencer 34:02

Yeah, okay. 'Cause I was thinking like the Predators I don't think have won, and the Titans haven't won, and then that could fit the Grizzlies, but no. East Coast. East Coast teams. Can I get Cleveland?

James 34:14

No.

Spencer 34:15

Oh, they only have two. Man, this is tough.

James 34:18

I'll give you this hint and then you'll probably get it after this. They were known for a little bit for some hockey success, and they also have one of the worst baseball stadiums.

Spencer 34:27

Oh. Is this still accurate? Is it Detroit?

James 34:30

No, not Detroit. Oh, dang. I thought you were there.

Spencer 34:34

One of the worst baseball stadiums.

James 34:36

Well, they don't play there now after a very severe storm.

Spencer 34:39

Oh, Tampa Bay.

James 34:41

Tampa Bay, number four on this list. 836 days, the Rays have not won since 2020, the Bucs have not won a playoff game since 2024, and the Tampa Bay Lightning have not won a series since 2022. And they

Spencer 34:53

just got eliminated tonight.

James 34:55

And guess what, man? Booyah, man. Don't be any of these four cities. I'm glad... Well, matter of fact, I like way too many teams. I'm in-- I don't

Spencer 35:02

have ones to pick. Yeah, you are what we call in sports geographically challenged.

James 35:05

Yeah, geographically challenged. But that's all, man, for No Huddle, man.

Spencer 35:10

All right. One last thing before we get out of here, James. Is George Pickens getting traded or not?

James 35:16

He should because he knows he's not getting a contract and he knows the Cowboys aren't gonna wanna pay, receiver premium like the Bengals are doing. So I do believe he will get traded. I was surprised he even signed the franchise tag from the jump, and I was also surprised the Cowboys did not trade him on draft night. I thought you could've got some value that night, but maybe they'll trade him for the 27, '27 draft where we have a ton of prospects.

Spencer 35:41

Yeah, I think he's gone in 2027. I think this is his final year with the Cowboys. Agreed. It'll be two years and done, but they're gonna go all in with him on the franchise tag this year before they move on with him next year. And then last one- I mean, who

James 35:53

would be mad, though? Who would be mad getting paid 27 million, man?

Spencer 35:56

Hey he's gonna get more than that, honestly. I think Alec Pierce is getting 29 million, honestly.

James 36:01

No, I'm just talking about for the franchise tag. Like, "Hey, man-

Spencer 36:03

Yeah, true

James 36:03

I'll let you have 27 up front." Like, cha-ching.

Spencer 36:05

Yeah, it's all guaranteed. All of it guaranteed. Cha-ching. And last one, James. You, did you watch the Kentucky Derby?

James 36:10

I will tell you this. I missed it. Oh, dude. I'm so disappointed. I have it on replay, though. I don't know what happened. I told my wife this race is starting at 6:55, and for some odd reason I'm playing with my kids and I'm like, "It's time to go to bed." All of a sudden I look at my phone, it's 7:18, and I said- Babe, we missed the derby

Spencer 36:28

Dude, it was a good one yeah. It was a good one.

James 36:31

Yep. You need to go and watch- We're gonna

Spencer 36:32

watch the replay

James 36:33

Yeah, I got it, I got the replay down. It's just, now I gotta watch

Spencer 36:37

it. Yeah, go watch it. How the winner won was very impressive. They'll show the, they'll show the replay. You're like, "Oh, damn." Covered a lot of ground. It was a good one. But that'll be it for today's episode of Big Game Energy. We'll see you again later this week. May the fourth be with you, Star Wars fans. And we'll see y'all next time. Y'all take it easy.