FIRST TAKE | “Nuggets or Celtics will win the NBA Finals this season” – Stephen A. weighs in

FIRST TAKE | “Nuggets or Celtics will win the NBA Finals this season” – Stephen A. weighs in

Great to see this guy you know the music Joe for and ball and you know what that means it’s time to make you some money right here on first take oh my goodness uh Joe how we doing I’m glad we got that music situation figured out great job by

You Molly great job by you st night now we’re cooking we’re ready to go how you guys doing Molly you ready for vacation oh I am you’re ready started let’s go all right uh Joe many people think the Celtics and Nuggets are on a collision

SC for the NBA Finals you like a bet that involves both of them I’m told tell me about it all right so we had this made up this morning on espn.com specifically for Stephen A Smith I hope you’re listening SAS here’s what you got to do you get the Celtics

And the Nuggets to win the title or you get the field your choice Celtics and Nuggets plus $15 $100 bet returns $115 in profit if you win that’s what I would bet I get the Celtics best record in the NBA eight games clear in the Easter conference number two defense with the

Nuggets I get the defending champs red hot coming off the break 5-0 beating the opposition by 15 points per game defense has been top five in the NBA you can take those two teams Stephen A or you can take the field but if you go with those two teams you’re going against

Your boy LeBron your boy Steph you’re going against your Knicks very interested to see how you’re going to play this one out I’m not betting against both Boston and Denver I would take Boston and Denver over the field I’m not betting against both of them oh

No maybe one but not both of them one or the other I’m going to go with that I think that’s a better bet what happens let me ask you this what happens if you make that betat and then the Knicks win the title how do you feel at the end of

The year I could kill less I would be ecstatic I don’t give a damn how much money I lost for the Knicks to win a title I mean it would be the Lord just answering my prayers it’s all I’ve ever wanted it’s all I’ve ever wanted Joe

Let’s get let’s get into some game action tonight uh who do you like with the Pelicans and Pacers all right you’re going on vacation Stephen A is a very busy man we’re not going to give you a full game bet we’re going to go first quarter first quarter only get in get

Out Pelicans minus one and a half over the Pacers this is a rematch from two nights ago where the Pelicans ran or the Pacers ran the damn Pelicans out of the building outscored them by 16 points in the first quarter and blew them out now they move to New Orleans where New

Orleans has been very good this season I think they’re going to come out with their hair on fire they’re top five in the NBA in first quarter scoring differential meanwhile mil or Indiana excuse me when playing on the road they struggle in the first quarter 22 in the NBA in first quarter scoring

Differential bonus bet I like the Pelicans here as well so I’d play them in the first quarter and I’d also lay the five and a half for the game I’ll take that especially when you’re avenging on loss to the paces I actually like that a lot I take that bet in favor

Of the Pelicans all right Joe uh the Bucks in Chicago tonight what’s the play in this one so this is going to be ugly now I gave you an ugly one last week I told you do the um Blazers in that Friday night Showdown they played terribly

Stephen A was right so let’s see if he wants an ugly one this week or if he wants to go against it I would take the Bulls here they’re catching four and a half they’re rested they didn’t play last night here comes Milwaukee fifth game in eight nights second half of a

Road back to back tough situation now keep subed in mind Milwaukee has been red hot from Deep they’re shooting 43% from three point over the last three games much like Steph Curry wasn’t going to stay cold forever and he lit it up last night at the Garden you got a

Milwaukee team that’s not going to stay hot forever eventually they’re going to cool down I bet that’s tonight I’ll take the Bulls Plus the four and a half I’m going against you on this one I’m taking a Milwaukee Bucks minus the four and a

Half I’m going to tell you why as far as I’m I don’t give a damn that the that the Bucks played last night I don’t give a damn of the last two games they played you know why cuz as far as I’m concerned those were bu games cuz they were

Playing against the Hornets how much effort did you really have to put forth I mean please I’m going with the I’m going with the Bucks in this one they’re on a roll right now you want to stay on a roll you don’t want that derailed or quelled in any way because of the

Chicago Bulls I’m not buying it I’m rolling with the Bucks all right all right Joe thank you kindly trying to get folks paid um tell us when and where can people listen to you when they need more Joe for and bond more advice Carlin versus Joe ESPN Radio noon to 300 p.m.

Eastern we’re going to be laying it all out for you today we’ll get you set for tomorrow night’s UFC card and then we’ve got the TV show today 5:30 p.m. ESPN BET live ESPN 2 busy man thanks for making time Joel we’ll talk to you next week

Have aesome again here we go mcnut Feast your eyes on just vintage LeBron in the OT we got a turnover we got LeBron chasing watch this get it out of there talk to me let’s show it again man just the athleticism the care that he’s taken

Over his entire body showing up late in the game late in his career chase down block from Lebron stop me if you’ve heard that before then he knocks down a three that one to erase a three-point defic at then it’s Russell to LeBron to Anthony Davis who at 40 points and 15

Rebounds so the Lakers have the lead 15 seconds to go Wizards down by three former Laker Kyle kma needs this one to tie it it’s no good and the Lakers hang on to win it in overtime backto back consecutive night wild wins for LeBron and Company at home he had 31 points by

The way he’s now nine away from 40,000 for his career so you see where the Lakers sit I mean they’re at nine the Warriors are at 10 but look how tight packed everybody is I mean they’re like one week away from being out of the play

In if things going to go their way so I guess look we are we are living in a world where LeBron James came from the playin last year and carried his team to the Western Conference Finals you look at this team that he has you look at the

Way they depend on him does he have that in him again this year yeah you you think he can right you think he can because anytime you say you anytime you bet against LeBron James you’re going to lose because he continues to prove that he is not something you can compare to

Anybody else in history not just the talent but also what he’s doing at the age of 39 and what we’re showing you here is in a backtack let’s not forget that winning situation chase down block the body’s not willing but the mind tells him to do it that three that’s a

Tough three late in a game with the minutes he’s playing and then the cut to the basket and a beautiful pass to ad as well just the little things that he’s doing that we take for granted so now the question is can he do this for 16

Wins in the spring after a full season that’s GNA take greeny 22 minutes in a second half of all these games game and that’s the question what did we talk about last year we went through this with him we got to the Conference Finals and I and I likened it to the battery

Your phone battery that when it goes old it doesn’t charge fully anymore and it doesn’t hold the charge and that’s the question about LeBron that we the only thing you can ask him the only human element that he has in his game is the age and can that battery charge every

Night to deliver what the Lakers need from him so if we stick with that an analogy let’s not forget last year he had the minor injury and we discussed whether or not ad would be able to step up for this Lakers Squad and by default the battery was being infinitely

Recharged just having the opportunity to rest and he miss a at the end of the season and then power into that postseason it doesn’t look like I’m knock on wood you never want to see a guy get injured but just what kind of toll does playing the paces of a regular

Season and then going through they would need two wins in the play right now and then two well keep in mind too they’re two games out of like the six spot that’s the point that’s true so if you can get out of that right so so

He’s probably going to have to empty the tank just to see if they can get a top six spot and so you’re right about that again it’s the mileage it’s that no one’s questioning LeBron’s ability to do it it’s more or less physically can he

Do it because they rely on him so much in the meantime mcnet always gets mad at me when I do this but I like to live in this fantasy world where at some point LeBron and Steph are going to team up and so does Draymond Green so Draymond

Green and Carmelo Anthony are on a podcast and they were talking about the trade that almost happened LeBron to the Warriors and Carmelo talking about whether or not LeBron and Steph would win the championship if they were together take a listen Steph and LeBron I think that

Team win a championship no problem easy easy I don’t think so crazy I don’t think what I don’t think so because guess what LeBron is going to Golden State you got to build another team can’t go nowhere can’t goere can’t go nowhere talk to me mcnut Lebron and

Steph first of all what what are you drinking what what what color is that it’s it’s beet juice it’s called a hangover hel I do not have a hangover at all but it’s juice it looks delicious it’s very delicious uh yeah okay anyway the point of it is LeBron’s probably

Drinking a lot of that to be doing what he he’s heavy on the beet juice right now one way or another LeBron and Steph you’re telling me that team doesn’t win a championship melo’s crazy come on those two guys melo’s my guy I think we

Need I need I think we need a longer clip I think we need a longer clip because I think his point is what is going to be around those two come on y’all like yes step LeBron together amazing but what’s going to don’t look at me like that Han what’s going to be

Around those two that’s there’s a legit question therey I wanted this so badly come on you heard the rumors get these two together this would be unbelievable The Expendables five like get these two together and watch them work that be the most Unstoppable pick and roll tandem

That we have ever seen it and the knowledge that they have that they experience it would be such theater to have these two together we were robbed of it unfortunately the didn’t want to do it then let’s do this but how do they win come on let’s do this let’s do it

Then right give me the give me the starting five with those two together and who’s who’s going in the deal that’s what I’m saying to you you tell me well is it wiggin kuminga was it was Clay going cost all the people come on right

Is it going to cost some of that stuff right pie the pods Moody let’s say still got to have somebody left but these two guys together would be special and all you’d have to do is just have capable players around them and you would have a

Team that would be very hard to beat I I got you but let hard to beat being the keyword I don’t think you can roll over one the other teams that would be in the west LeBron Steph you me and Han could wind up making in the playoff First Blood and they’re off

You have been defeated an ally has been defeated this was unexpected and they’re off your tower has been destroyed enemy Ultimate Enemy double kill I’ll give it my all try to run away an ally has been our B is under attack you have defeated an enemy an enemy has been

Defeated I got to run get to speed shut down I must protect everyone I love an ally has been defeated you have been defeated our base is under attack an ally has been defeated defeat for for e for spee speech okay for one name

FIRST TAKE | “Nuggets or Celtics will win the NBA Finals this season” – Stephen A. weighs in