Inside the NBA on Celtics Championship Run, Previews Celtics vs suns

Inside the NBA on Celtics Championship Run, Previews Celtics vs suns

CELTICS CRUISING TO THE TOP SPOT IN THE EASTERN CONFERENCE. ALLIE LAFORCE IS GOING TO BE WORKING THE SIDELINES TONIGHT AT TD GARDEN. AND THERE SHE IS RIGHT NOW. ALLIE, WHAT’S ON YOUR MIND ADJ ALWAYS GREAT TO BE WITH YOU. >> WELL I KNOW AFTER TALKING TO THE PHOENIX SUN THEY

BELIEVE A GAME WAS STOLEN FROM THEM ON THEIR HOME COURT IN PHOENIX WHEN THE BOSTON CELTICS CAME TO TOWN, THEY DIDN’T HAVE DEVIN BOOKER. HE’S HEALTHY NOW. WE HAVE A PRETTY CLOSE TO FULLY HEALTHY MATCHUP TONIGHT. OTHER THAN THE CELTICS WILL BE WITHOUT KRISTAPS PORZINGIS WHO IS MISSING HIS

FOURTH GAME DEALING WITH THE HAMSTRING INJURY. BUT FOR BOSTON THE TALK ALL YEAR AND YOU COULD SAY THE SAME FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS IS WHAT IS STANDING IN THE WAY BETWEEN THEM. AND A CHAMPIONSHIP ONCE AGAIN. FIRST TEAM TO 50 WINS IN THE ASSOCIATION. THEY HAVE THE

BEST HOME RECORD IN THE LEAGUE. THEY MADE MOVES TO ACQUIRE JRUE HOLIDAY AND KRISTAPS PORZINGIS. NONE OF THAT MATTERS IF THEY DON’T WIN A CHAMPIONSHIP. JRUE HOLIDAY TOLD ME. HE CAN FEEL THE HUNGER IN THIS TEAM, HE SAID. WHEN WE SPOKE TO COACH MISSOULA, THERE WAS FOUR THINGS THAT HE TOLD US WERE

DIFFERENT THIS TIME. NUMBER ONE, THE FLEXIBILITY, BEING ABLE TO SEE THIS IS WHAT GOT US HERE. BUT THIS IS WHAT’S GOING TO WIN THIS MOMENT OR THIS GAME, HE SAID. THEY’RE ALWAYS THINKING, HOW CAN WE HAVE AS MANY LESSONS ON THE TABLE AS POSSIBLE? AND COACH SAID, QUOTE, WIN OR LOSE, WE

FIND TEN POSSESSIONS A GAME THAT CAN HELP US GROW EVERY SINGLE GAME. HE SAID. THE TEAM’S GROWTH AT CONTROLLING THE SHOT MARGIN HAS BEEN A HUGE IMPROVEMENT FROM LAST YEAR. LAST YEAR THEY LOSE THAT BATTLE, BUT THEY WERE SO GOOD OFFENSIVELY THEY COULD MAKE UP FOR IT. AND THEN LASTLY, THE BENCH

DEPTH. HE SAID, QUOTE, I SEE THE WORK THEY PUT IN. THEY LOVE BASKETBALL AND REGARDLESS OF WHO IS IN OR OUT OF THE LINEUP, I FEEL CONFIDENT. NOW FOR THE SUNS. THE BIG THREE HAVE YET TO PLAY SIGNIFICANT GAMES TOGETHER. I TALKED TO KEVIN DURANT, HE SAID, LISTEN, WE’RE BUILDING REFS. THEY’VE

ONLY PLAYED IN 24 GAMES TOGETHER THIS SEASON. THEY’RE 15 AND NINE. IN THOSE GAMES. KD HAS ALREADY PLAYED IN THE MOST GAMES IN HIS SEASON SINCE THE 2018 2019 SEASON. AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE ROAD AHEAD FOR THE PHOENIX SUNS, THEY HAVE THE SECOND TOUGHEST SCHEDULE TO FINISH OUT THIS REGULAR

SEASON. SPEAKING OF KEVIN DURANT, HOW INCREDIBLE HE IS AT 35 YEARS OLD, 17 YEARS IN THE LEAGUE AND I BELIEVE HE’S INCHING CLOSE TO NUDGING SHAQ OUT OF THE TOP TEN. SCORING ALL TIME 53 POINTS IS ALL HE NEEDS. JACK, ARE YOU PREPARING MENTALLY FOR THIS MOMENT?

>> YES I AM, I’M READY FOR IT. >> KOBE 11. >> HOW HAVE YOU PREPARED? NO WE AS A MATTER OF FACT, WE DO HAVE A LOOK AT THE LIST. THANK YOU ALI, FOR THAT. I APPRECIATE IT AND THANKS FOR THE FODDER FOR CONVERSATION BECAUSE AS WE GO TO CARMAX

ONE ON ONE, YOU WILL SEE THE ALL TIME SCORING LIST. AND THERE IS KD AT NUMBER NINE. >> CAN’T CATCH HIM TONIGHT. >> YOU GET 53 TONIGHT. >> HE GOT GETTING 53. STOP IT. >> CONCEIVABLE HE COULD BUT IT’S GOING TO HAPPEN JUST A MATTER OF TIME HERE. >> BUT NEXT AFTER KEVIN

DURANT PUSH ME UP TO THE TOP TEN. THAT’LL BE A QUESTION FOR UNDERDOG. GOT IT. I THOUGHT I THOUGHT POSSIBLY YOU KNEW THAT, ERNIE. >> I LIED EARLIER. I WAS GOING TO WEAR A TIE, BUT I COULDN’T FIND IT. SOMEONE STOLE IT. >> OH, SOMEONE STOLE YOUR TIE. THERE WAS ONLY THREE OF

US THAT LOSE THE SAME LOCKER ROOM. >> OH, YOU ALWAYS STEAL MY TIES. YOU COULD HAVE STOLE ANOTHER ONE. >> THAT’S ALL I’M SAYING. >> YOU CAN GO WITH A NO TIE. >> LOOK. >> SO HE SAYS IF IT WASN’T YOU. IT WASN’T HIM. >> SO YOU KNOW THE INNOCENT SHAQ?

>> YEAH, I THINK I THINK, SOMEONE TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, I GOT I GOT A I GOT A QUESTION FOR YOU SHAQ RIGHT NOW DO YOU SEE THE TIE. I SEE SOMETHING HANGING OUT OF YOUR JACKET WHICH MADE ME KIND OF SEE SOMETHING MADE ME THINK ABOUT IT I SAW

SOMETHING OUT THERE. MY JACKET GOT TWO TIES IN THERE. NO IT’S ACTUALLY THE BLACK ONE. I WAS GOING TO WEAR THAT ONE. THANK YOU. THERE YOU GO. PUT IT ON. >> I’M SO SORRY. >> SO I GOT A QUESTION FOR YOU, SHAQ, CELTICS BIG LEAD IN THE EAST FOR THE BEST

RECORD. THEY’RE GOING TO GET THAT PLUS FIVE AND A HALF OVER DENVER FOR BEST RECORD OVERALL. AND HOME COURT. AS LONG AS THEY’RE IN THE PLAYOFFS IS THAT MOTIVATION ENOUGH. WHAT MOTIVATES A TEAM WHEN YOU’RE WHEN YOU’VE GOT A LEAD LIKE THAT RIGHT NOW, WHEN YOU HAVE A LEAD

LIKE THAT, YOU HAVE TO STAY MOTIVATED. >> THERE’S TWO THINGS THE CELTICS MUST DO TO WIN A CHAMPIONSHIP ONE, YOU GOT TO STAY MOTIVATED, RIGHT? THEIR ONLY PROBLEMS RIGHT NOW IS THEY GET COMPLACENT SOMETIME AND THEY SHOOT A LOT OF THREES. ME AND CHUCK WE TALK ABOUT THAT. IF THEY CAN FIX

THOSE PROBLEMS LIKE OKAY WE’RE NOT HITTING JUMPERS. LET’S GO TO THE HOLE MIX IT UP. THEY WILL BE CHAMPIONS. BUT WHEN YOU HAVE A LEAD LIKE THIS, SOMETIMES YOU KNOW WHEN PLAYOFFS GET READY TO START. SOMETIMES YOU SAY, YOU KNOW, I DON’T WANT TO GET HURT. LET ME JUST CHILL

OUT AND RELAX. SO THEY JUST HAVE TO STAY STAY MOTIVATED, KEEP DOING WHAT THEY’RE DOING. AND THEN, YOU KNOW, FOCUS ON THE MISTAKES THAT THEY MAKE. THEY THEY HAVE TO REALIZE NOW THAT WHEN WE SHOOT A LOT OF JUMPERS AND WE’RE NOT MAKING JUMPERS, WE GOT TO MIX IT UP BECAUSE

RIGHT NOW, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES THEY PLAY LIKE THIS AND SOMETIMES THEY PLAY LIKE THAT. BUT THEY’RE SO GOOD. THEY HAVE THIS BIG LEAD OVER ALL THE TEAMS. BUT IF THEY IF THEY CAN FOCUS ON THOSE TWO THINGS, THEY WILL BE THE CHAMPIONS. THIS YEAR. >> THIS TEAM IS SIX GAMES

BETTER THAN THEY WERE AT THIS POINT A YEAR AGO. ALSO 26 TIMES THIS YEAR. THEY’VE HAD ALL FIVE STARTERS SCORE IN DOUBLE FIGURES. THEY ONLY HAD THAT 13 TIMES ALL OF LAST SEASON. WHAT’S TO KEEP THE CELTICS FROM WINNING THE CHAMPIONSHIP? >> NOTHING. THEY’RE GOING TO WIN THE CHAMPIONSHIP. THEY

JUST PLAY UP TO THEIR POTENTIAL. YOU KNOW ME AND SHAQ EVERY NOW AND THEN THEY FALL IN LOVE WITH THE THREES. WHEN THEY’RE MAKING THREES THEY’RE UNBEATABLE. BUT MAKING SHOTS THE HARDEST PART OF BASKETBALL. AND YOU’RE GOING TO HAVE SOME PEAKS AND VALLEYS. BUT THEY HAVE TO REALIZE THEY’RE PLAYING ONLY FOR THE

CHAMPIONSHIP. THEY’RE NOT PLAYING TO WIN THE HOME COURT. AND I’M AND I’M AND FIRST OF ALL, THAT DOESN’T MATTER EITHER ERNIE, LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING. WHEN MY FIRST YEAR IN PHOENIX, WE SAID, LET’S JUST GET THE HOME COURT, WE’RE GOING TO GET TO THE FINALS. WE LOST

THE FIRST TWO GAMES AT HOME AND WE WERE GOING TO BE IN A FIVE GAME SERIES IN A FIVE GAME SERIES, AND THEN THE NEXT SERIES, WE LOST THE FIRST GAME AT HOME, AND SO IT AIN’T ABOUT THE HOME COURT. IT’S ABOUT STOPPING SOME OF THEIR BAD HABITS THEY GOT. SOMETIMES THEY

SHOOT SOME BAD SHOTS, SHOT SELECTION AND TURNOVERS. THAT’S ALL THEY SHOULD BE WORKING ON FOR THE REST OF THE SEASON. THAT’S YOUR ONLY TWO WEAKNESSES. SHOT SELECTION AND TURNOVERS. >> YEAH. JUST THINK BACK TO LAST YEAR. EASTERN CONFERENCE FINAL GAME SEVEN ON THEIR FLOOR I KNOW. AND THEY LOSE TO THE AND THEY

LOST THE FIRST TWO. AND THEY LOSE TO THE MIAMI HEAT. YEAH THEY WENT THEY WERE DOWN THREE. NOTHING IN THAT SERIES KENNY WHAT DO YOU THINK THEY ARE THE BEST TEAM IN BASKETBALL. >> OH THEY DO HAVE FLAWS THOUGH. YOU KNOW EVEN THE BEST PLAYERS IN BASKETBALL HAVE FLAWS, AND PLAYOFFS ARE

REALLY ABOUT MATCH UPS. >> IF YOU SEE THE LOWER THIRD ON ON. NO, I DID NOT. >> THEY IDENTIFIED YOU, KENNY. >> NO. JET. >> NO JET SMITH. OKAY, OKAY. THAT’S WHATEVER. >> THAT’S PERFECT. >> I KNOW WE HAD I HAD I KNEW I HAD HATERS OUTSIDE THE BUILDING. I NEVER KNEW

THEY WERE IN. I NEVER KNOW THEY INFILTRATED IN. SOMEBODY LEFT THE DOOR OPEN. >> SORRY TO INTERRUPT. >> GO AHEAD. >> LET LET CONTINUE YOUR THOUGHT ON THE C’S. BUT, NO, IT’S JUST OVERALL, THEY MATCH UPS. >> THE TEAM THAT COULD HAVE REALLY HAD THE REALISTIC CHANCE TO BEAT THEM IS HURT

IN EASTERN CONFERENCE. JOEL EMBIID, BECAUSE THEY REALLY DON’T HAVE AN ANSWER FOR HIM THE SAME WAY, MOST TEAMS DON’T HAVE AN ANSWER FOR THE FIVE HEADED MONSTER. OF ALL THOSE STARTERS, BEING ABLE TO GET DOUBLE FIGURES. BUT YOU CAN’T STOP JOEL EMBIID WITH A PORZINGIS. YOU CAN’T STOP WITH AL.

>> WITH AL AL AL ACTUALLY PLAYS HORFORD. WELL AL PLAYS OH PLAYS HORFORD. WELL AL PLAYS EMBIID REALLY REALLY WELL I DON’T THINK THIS YEAR OR LAST YEAR THAT HE WOULD BE ABLE TO DO IT AT THIS AGE. >> I JUST THINK THAT HE’S IN A DIFFERENT STRATOSPHERE. >> WELL BUT BUT LISTEN

PORZINGIS HE’S GOING TO BE A HANDFUL FOR JOEL ON THE OTHER END BECAUSE YOU CAN’T LEAVE HIM. ONE OF THE REASONS THAT THE CENTERS HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFUL, WHEN YOU PUT PORZINGIS OUT THERE, YOU CAN’T LEAVE HIM. AND THAT’S ONE OF THE REASONS TATUM AND BROWN ARE SO EFFECTIVE, BECAUSE THEY HAVE

A CLEAR LANE TO THE BASKET EVERY SINGLE TIME. >> MEANTIME, THESE ARE HUGE GAMES FOR THE PHOENIX SUNS DOWN THE STRETCH. WHO, HAVE 17 LEFT, SIX AT HOME, 11 ON THE ROAD. AND RIGHT NOW IN REALLY A DEAD HEAT WITH SACRAMENTO, DALLAS IS JUST A HALF GAME BACK TRYING TO GET

INTO THAT TOP SIX AND NOT HAVE TO DO THE PLAY IN RIGHT NOW. >> I DON’T KNOW IF TEAMS DO THIS ANYMORE, BUT WHEN I PLAYED FOR THE GREAT PHIL JACKSON AND PAT RILEY, BLESS YOU. IF WE WERE IN A POSITION LIKE THIS, HE WOULD COME IN AND SAY SOMETHING

LIKE 14 GAMES LEFT, WE NEED TO GO 14 AND THREE BECAUSE PHOENIX, YOU KNOW, RIGHT NOW THEY’RE IN SEVEN. THEY’RE FOUR GAMES OUT OF HOW DO YOU GO 14 TO 3, 14 TO 3. WE ONLY GOT 14 GAMES LEFT. NO YOU SAID 17 GAMES. >> YEAH. BUT YOU SAID 14.

>> BUT GO AHEAD. >> THAT’S FINE. 14 AND THREE THAT’S I KNOW. YEAH YOU’RE RIGHT. BUT YOU GOT TO LOOK AT THE TAPE, MAC. BUT WE KNOW WHAT YOU MEAN. >> ‘3 17 GAMES. WE NEED TO GO 14. >> THERE YOU GO. >> ALL RIGHT, WAKE UP. BECAUSE NEW MATH. THEY’RE

THEY’RE REALLY GOOD TEAM. AND THEY SHOULDN’T BE IN THIS POSITION. THEY ARE IN THIS POSITION BECAUSE YOU KNOW THE MATCHUP I MEAN THE LINEUPS HAVE BEEN IN AND OUT BECAUSE OF INJURY. BUT RIGHT NOW THEY NEED TO FOCUS ON GETTING OUT OF THAT SEVENTH SPOT, POSSIBLY GETTING TO 6504. AND THEY ARE GOOD

ENOUGH TO DO IT THESE LAST 17 GAMES. AGAIN, IF I WAS THEIR COACH, I’D BE LIKE, WE NEED TO GO 14 AND THREE. WE NEED TO WIN OUT BECAUSE WHEN ALL THREE OF THOSE GUYS ARE ON THE COURT AND THEY’RE PLAYING HEALTHY, THEY CAN BE A DANGEROUS TEAM AND I

WOULDN’T WANT TO PLAY THEM WITH, YOU KNOW, THOSE THREE GUYS IN THE LINEUP. SO AGAIN, THEY JUST NEED TO FOCUS THESE THESE NEXT 17 GAMES AND JUST TRY TO MOVE UP IN THE STANDINGS BECAUSE YOU DON’T WANT TO BE IN A, YOU KNOW, PLAY IN SITUATION BECAUSE ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN

IN THE PLAY IN SITUATION IN THAT RACE RIGHT NOW THEY ARE YOU KNOW SACRAMENTO THEY’RE TWO AND TWO WITH SACRAMENTO WITH ONE TO PLAY. >> AND DALLAS WINS THE TIEBREAKER OVER PHOENIX. >> WELL THE WEST IT’S THE WEST IS GOING TO GO DOWN TO THE WIRE I MEAN PLAIN AND

SIMPLE. IT’S GOING TO BE IT’S GOING TO BE FUN TO WATCH. YOU KNOW OUR SISTER NETWORK ON THE IDIOTS ON THE OTHER NETWORK. KEEP TALKING ABOUT THE LAKERS AND THE WARRIORS LIKE THEY GOT A CHANCE. BUT BUT LISTEN, HAVE A CHANCE TO CALL THE PLAY IN THE. YEAH, THE PLAY IN IS

NOT A REAL THING. JUST FOR THE RECORD, THE, THAT’S JUST SOMETHING WE MADE UP SHAQ. JUST LIKE IT’S JUST LIKE THE CBI TOURNAMENT. THAT’S WHAT. THAT’S WHAT THE LAKERS AND WARRIORS ARE YOU GOING YOU ALREADY A COLLEGE BASKETBALL MAN AND CBI JUST MAKING UP STUFF. CBI THEY SHOULD TAKE

OUT OF THEY SHOULD STOP. THEY SHOULD THANK THEY SHOULD THANK ADAM SILVER FOR MAKING UP SOME STUFF. HEY, LET’S JUST ADD A CUP OF TEA TO THE PLAYOFFS FOR THE LAKERS. AND WARRIORS CAN GET IN THIS SUNS AND THE CELTICS GAME ONE OF OUR DOUBLE DIP, WHEN WE COME BACK WE’LL HEAD

TO OKC TO TALK MAVS AND THUNDER. SHAQ STEALING KENNY’S NOTORIOUS BEFORE THE SHOW I’M FILLING IN AND I WANT MY NOT SHAQ BOOK. YEAH I DON’T THINK JAMAL WAS TOO THRILLED WITH YOUR BECAUSE SHAQ BOOKS THE OTHER DAY BECAUSE HE DIDN’T READ THE FINE PRINT. >> I SAID $1 MILLION DIDN’T

THAT DIDN’T HAVE

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