NBA Countdown | “Denver Nuggets are the #1 seed in West!” – Perk on Nikola Jokic defeat Heat 100-88

NBA Countdown | “Denver Nuggets are the #1 seed in West!” – Perk on Nikola Jokic defeat Heat 100-88

Cemented themselves as the number one seed for the first time since November with a 100 to 88 victory over the Miami Heat it was actually a pedestrian night for Nicola yic 12 14 and six if you could call that pedestrian but don’t worry Michael Porter Jr had his back

With 25 points Chan gum Kendrick Perkins I’m Malika Andrews the Denver Nuggets have talked about whether or not the number one seed even mattered but in that postgame interview with Cassidy hubor Michael Porter Jor made it very very clear they know that they were what 10 and one in the postseason last year

At home how important this is for them what did you learn about Denver watching the stretch post Allstar well what’s kind of crazy is in the green room before we watch the game we’re all like when is the last time we had a human game from nikic and I guess this is the

Closest you get 12 points 14 rebounds he’s still super human but perk you you used this word not too long ago when describing teams luxury what a luxury it is for yic to just relax and if you think about the last five minutes they had different players closing the game p

Porter junr I think he went what five for nine from three Reggie Jackson like had his own streak that was clutched down the stretch what a luxury it is to have teammates that it teams are so perfectly tailored for the talents of yic but think about this it’s getting

Dark in the Western Conference for talking about like day like yeah for the other teams outside of Denver Nuggets and the one thing I said was this right the last thing that those guys want that are contenders in the west which they have a list of them right is for the

Denver Nuggets to get home home court advantage because they’re so dominant at home and then plus with that altitude but this game was all about Michael Porter Jr and the growth of Michael Porter Jr we forget last year the ups and downs that he went through in the

Postseason at times getting benched in the fourth quarter Michael Malone still having a belief in him and right now he looks healthy right because his health has been an issue over the past couple of Seasons he looks healthy he looks like he’s having fun right now he looks in

And he you heard him in a post game interview he was like oh wide open shots like I understand but this is how dangerous the Denver Nuggets are you got to put so much focus on the quote unquote big three joic Murray and Gordon that you actually forget that you got

Michael Porter Jr over here who’s a pure Hooper yeah and I’m glad you brought up Jamal Murray too because sometimes you forget because I think we were going to talk about this earlier today as well like who has the best running mate in the Western Conference there’s a great

Argument for Jamal Murray based off of it’s not an argument oh you’re stand AR I mean I think you can also say maybe a Paul George in there no okay and Anthony Davis to me someone that gives you 26 and 12 and plays defense on both ends

But if you’re gonna argue best running mate it’s either like to me ad or it could be that guy Jamal it is that guy and you trust that guy more we talked about ad being so inconsistent last year in the postseason we never had that problem with Jamal Murray we seen him

Elevate his game since they were playing in the bubble remember he was averaging what 31 on 55 53 and 92% in the bubble against against Donovan Mitchell and then he averaged 32 against the he had to get his confidence back after coming back from from injury basically what

You’re describing is Flawless this is a team that you consider pretty Flawless right so if you’re looking at the postseason now that the Denver Nuggets have secured the the number one seed in the west which by the way should be scary for the rest of of the NBA

I I said in countdown I’m not sure I see any team being able to beat them in a Four game series particularly when you look at the the Minnesota Timberwolves at least in the west the Minnesota Timberwolves who were literally constructed by Tim Connelly who also constructed much of the Denver Nuggets

Uh as Calvin booth has taken over seamlessly and made these uh additions without Carl Anthony towns I’m not sure I see any team in the west let alone the NBA beating the Denver Nuggets it’s it’s just my pick and that’s the Clippers right and it depends on their health but

I will say I am a bit scared right now that the Denver Nuggets have the number one seed to me the goal for the Los Angeles Clippers was to stay ahead of the nuggets in the standings and it seems like especially given Kawai now we know it’s good injury new G it’s not

Going to be longterm but now that seems out of the mix they’re three games back so at this point to me it’s the Denver Nuggets in the field well the denvernuggets have the fifth easiest heading into the night remaining schedule in the entire NBA so really when you look at what Denver’s Road

Forward see the look on perk’s face says it all it says watch out NBA the Nuggets aren’t just here everybody they’re not just coming they’re not playing around here Anthony Davis getting set for the second game of our double header here on ESPN as the Lakers make a quick trip up

To Northern California to take on the Sacramento Kings line though as we go by the numbers in Sundays went over the t- Wolves he became the first Laker player with 25 points 25 rebounds so sha did it back in ‘ 04 and the first player with 25 points 25 boards five dimes five

Steels in a game since Steels became official back in 1973 74 now tonight’s match up in Sacramento could be much tougher for Davis though he is 0 and9 in his career against damont sabonis which is both his worst and sabonis is best head-to-head record versus a single opponent here’s ad today on facing

Sabonis it doesn’t matter to me um about the train want to get win obviously just because of the fact that we’re what two games I think just to um be able to close that Gap so um you know the oneone thing definitely didn’t have damont sabonis as his biggest adversary on the

Bango card but alas our Lakers reporter Dave McAn is on the scene there in Sacramento and Dave if a ad does struggle at all tonight the Lakers could just look to D’angelo Russell to help pick up some some of the slack Russell’s been super hot lately and I know you

Caught up with them this week what did you take away from that combo yeah I remember d’el Russell was the guy who was benched last year in the playoffs against Denver Nuggets he was the guy who was benched this past December and for the month of December

Only averaged about 10 points on 40% shooting and I spoke to him about he said some of those times specifically last year in the playoffs he didn’t feel like he had an outlet to talk to Darvin ham about what he was seeing on the court that they could Implement to get

Him better looks and in turn help out the team and they’ve worked on that this year and it at times it hasn’t been comfortable I I reported in my story up on espn.com that there was an explosive film session they had back in January after a loss to the heat where d’el

Russell is saying hey we should play this way schematically and Darin saying hey no you guys aren’t playing hard enough what we should be doing and some of that butting of the heads has allowed for greater level of communication obviously right now it’s beautiful music they’re making that out there on the

Court Danel Russell had a season high of 44 points with nine assists last week and a win against the Bucks and they really hope to get this win tonight set them off on the right foot for this week because they got another one at home against the warriors on Saturday which

Is just as big as tonight yeah and certainly as they look to avoid the season sweep of the Kings for the first time in eight years they need to they’re two and a half games out of that six seed and looking to avoid the dreaded play in tournament Dave mcon with the

Latest ahead of the Kings Lakers Clash Kevin let’s let’s go to the east uh good luck trying to figure this out the Bucks roller coaster ride continues under dock Rivers they won three of their first 10 games under dock then had a six-game winning streak now they’ve lost three of

Four who are you who are exactly last night was really bad a 35-point loss of the Kings the only High Point a very high point that dunk right there by a bucks guard Andre Jackson Jr and that was his own so that is the only highlight last night the Bucs third loss

By at least 35 points this season the most in a season in franchise history two of them have come in the last four games four of Milwaukee’s five largest losses this season have now come under Doc Rivers uh what NBA champ Kendrick Perkins joining us now with much more K

Per given what we’ve seen from this Bucks team under dock how much Faith do you have in them to compete with the Celtics come playoff time how much faith I have in them as much faith is I have myself not to put sugar in my coffee it’s not going to

Happen but look here here here’s why here’s why Kev think about this I understand they have some signature wins at the moment when you think about the books they beat the defending champs they beat Minnesota right after the allstar break but they’re still missing an important piece at the wing position

Which I believe is the most important position they do not have that guy that could be a three and D guy yes Malik Beasley has been knocking down three-point shots but still overall in order to get where the Bucks are trying to go and that’s match up against the

Likes of a Jason Tatum jayen Brown or Derek white like you got to have a elite Wing defender or guard Defender and they just don’t have that ESPN bets still gives Milwaukee the second shortest odds to win the east at plus 310 let’s stay in the East though there’s another

Storyline here last night the Knicks on the other side of a blow out beating the Sixers by 27 OG and anobi returning from an elbow injury that cost him 18 games he had 14 points New York looked nothing like the team that scored only 73 and a

Loss of the Sixers on Sunday perk this this feels like the million-dollar question in the East if New York is healthy come the postseason what chance do you give them to make a serious run here they going they going to the Eastern Conference Finals it’s going to

Be New York and the Milwaukee books in my opinion and we just talked about the most important position look at what OG an anobi brings to the table for the Knicks you get back Julius Randall now you have a complete team that has en closer in Jaylen Brunson big body

Brunson and you also have guys in depth to come in Off the Bench the one thing that we’ve never questioned about this New York Knicks team is they identity they have it on both ends of the floor we know what they’re going to bring defensively they’re going to get into

You make you uncomfortable they’re going to pound the glass uh offensively they’re going to spread the wealth and then you have one of the best rebounding guards on the offensive end and Josh Hart who provides extra possessions when I look at this uh Nicks team healthy they’re lacking at nothing especially

When it comes down the heart okay well you made a statement that L and I looked at each other and said what whoa whoa wait so you think it’s in the Eastern Conference Finals the Knicks and the bucks no Celtics uh no no no no I’m

Excuse me the Nicks and the Celtics I’m sorry about that I’m glad I’m glad y I’m glad y’all caught me on that you know I’m glad had intenders up yeah Nicks in the Celtics we always looking out for you okay trust me I was all right Nick back in Action tomorrow night in

Portland the first of a four game West Coast Swing more of K perk NBA Countdown top of the hour appreciate you Appreciate fore Foree Fore fore speee spee Fore forign speech Fore fore fore Fore for foreign spee speee fore speee fore spe spee fore spee Foree for

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NBA Countdown | “The Denver Nuggets are the No. 1 seed in the West!” – Perk on Nikola Jokic defeat Heat 100-88

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