Lakers fall to Kings, LeBron injures ankle, Warriors stomp Bucks, KAT out | NBA | FIRST THINGS FIRST

Lakers fall to Kings, LeBron injures ankle, Warriors stomp Bucks, KAT out | NBA | FIRST THINGS FIRST

Live from New York it’s the show that doesn’t quite know what the Brooklyn Nets are doing I don’t know if that Ben Simmons trade worked out I don’t know but you know what B was supposed to get busy this year yeah you got you were trying to buy into B this

I’m trying to be an optimist okay well you can’t give that they he was going to play in the playoffs first things first you could he had to go right back if is if they were ahead do you think he would go back and get treatment

On his ankle is that the question we’re asking to say w I’m just saying that he is the best the absolute best person in the world at putting little Easter eggs out that you’re supposed to figure out like interesting he just Lees like I’m out of here we’re losing ad is not doing

Something I don’t agree with what Darin Ham’s doing with the lineups or his ankle hurts or all a combination so what’s the story LeBron’s injury or the Lakers loss well because like you I don’t think this is I didn’t see him writhing in pain like you saw Giannis

Ring who by the way missed zero games it’s amazing is it after a while just talking about the devastating injuries I’m not saying Dev I’m saying you talk like he was going to be out for three months it’s an Achilles that’s what you said it’s an ailles Jos did you get that

Data on Achilles big dealer no big deal I can’t believe I’m the one that serious let’s stay on topic uh but because I don’t think this was necessarily a devastating injury or ailment that LeBron dealing with I understand that uh it’s definitely right it’s the bigger

Story is the Lakers lost Barone and it was an awful loss awful they they were up 17 in the first quarter down 15 and half time 19 okay so up 19 in the first quarter down 15 at halftime they and so there are a lot of levels of frustration

Here because and I know you don’t sometimes I shouldn’t say you some people don’t like to hear this this was an instance though where LeBron did play really well and was like the one of the only Lakers ruy played relatively well as well but LeBron had 31 and 133

Assists on just 16 shots and so how do the Lakers get you know have a 50o negative turnaround from their biggest lead to their biggest deficit well just weird stuff man so the rotations would be this the starting five built a 12-point lead in the first five minutes

Of the game and then never played again until the start of the second half that’s odd that I’m not acting like I even think cam reddish should be a major part of the rotation but two days ago cam redish is or two games ago is finishing the Nuggets game in this today

He gets a dnp coach’s decision I so that’s the coaching piece of it then there is the weirder Anthony Davis piece of it and Anthony Davis I think has been you know a whipping post when he shouldn’t be at times but ad struggles with these European centers

Needs to be investigated he has lost 16 consecutive games to sabonis and joic 16 is just better I get it but not but to win seven to where the seven straight against yic last few years never beaten sabonis and I think it speaks to brew ad’s never really wanted to play center

He’s been kind of forced into it and those two centers in particular want to body you want to lean into you and AD doesn’t do well with it it’s not an excuse infuriating actually but the reason I think it’s such a big deal is because

You can’t be the N or the 10 you can be the seven or the eight you can’t be the nine or the 10 and now Sacramento essentially brew has a five game lead on them cuz they’re up four losses and they have swept the season series up to this

Point even Lakers win a couple games it probably won’t matter so this is a big loss this is a big bad loss I agree with you on the loss and but let me say this about LeBron’s injury and this why I think it’s just a little bit of a

Concern and obviously I didn’t even see a limp when he was walking you know he had to leave almost an emergency but let me say this since the start of January or this calendar year 2024 he is essentially every four or five games he’s had to

Take off a game he had just played seven straight but that was after missing two games straight and the allstar break so I know he played 14 minutes on All-Star game but my point is this is concerning because is he going to be able to hold

Up for a playoff run right where you’re at times playing every other day and obviously it’s more intense the opponents are more intense you’re more intense there’s a mental strain that’s not there in the regular season and if he has to miss a game here or there and

Even if he doesn’t miss a game here or there is he able to play at the level you know he might be hurting but say I’m going to play cuz it’s the playoffs is he able to play at the level that they need him to play at to really win a

Series so I think it it’s a bit of a concern it’s just something you need to watch but I’m with you the loss was bigger last year last yesterday I downplayed the importance of this game I’ve changed my tune because I I think minutes ago yeah you also made fun of us

At the start of the show no well yeah well here’s what I’m here’s what I’m going to say here’s what I’m I’mma add a little teeth to it B match up for the Lakers all right just like the Lakers are a bad match up for OKC they are a

Bad match up for the Lakers they beating them down we know this because we talked about it yesterday seven of the last eight games and I’m going to give you what I believe is some of the reasons for ad struggles but number well number one why they struggle against the Kings

And AD as a part of this they can’t I mean dearon Fox is arguably the fastest guy can’t the point of attack they can’t even and we know nobody can really stop Fox but they can’t even keep him in front of them a little bitre Austin Reeves tries he’s not fast enough

D’Angelo Russell is just a bad Defender so dearon fox has his way in this matchup they missed Vanderbilt right and cam reddish as we as mediocre as he is maybe you give him a shot can you at least just stop him a little bit you know down a tad I will

Text that but but Fox averages 36 points a game this season against the Lakers that’s the most against any team in the league that he’s played more than once all right so he has his way now what happens when he has his way all right and he’s getting to the Lane whenever he

Wants because he’s the second as far as guards second in the league and points in the paint so when he gets into the lane ad has to either help and then that leaves sabonis open for if not a basket and a a rebound and sabonis averages 17

Rebounds against uh the Lakers and so you see these are ads numbers not only do you see the rebounds of sabonis this is head-to-head this season they’re 0 and3 obviously 0 and9 career against sabonis but Nick even if like you see look at we don’t have ads fouls on there

I had put that on there okay ad fouls four and a half times a game 4.3 fouls a game against the Kings that’s the most against and got out ofest right so when when when Fox breaks down your defense or monk or whoever and

AD has to come off his man and help he may foul if he doesn’t foul sabonis is open for a bucket a layup a rebound whatever it is and so this is a tough matchup for the Lakers and so this is a team that that could beat them if they

Especially if you have to play him in a play in well that’s really the only place unless they got deep and and that would be a tough and you’d probably be in Sacramento and to the point you made a couple days ago they’re bad on the road Lakers bad on the road against

Everybody well they’ve got the Bucks tomorrow so well that oh that’s the other thing it’s it’s the bucks then the Timberwolves and they have the issue with towns now and then the Kings again is a rough no it’s a tough right it’s a tough stretch for a game that they it’s

One thing if you come out sleepwalking you shouldn’t ever in a game this this big you will exactly but to to have it flip like that today’s NBA is so crazy that’s the thing with the threes I mean you see Le’s like just vanish all vanish

All when Darin ham is coaching I I was surprised um I understand some reasons for it but I was surprised because Milwaukee’s been playing Well w six straight and their defense has been good like doc has helped the defense since the end of January they’ve been like the

Fourth best defense in the league yesterday I know he said he thought they were all right defensively they gave up like 57% shooting and they Golden State hit a ton of Threes And that’s why I understand but let me get to why I’m surprised uh Giannis was back all right

And they had just come off a big win without Giannis and you would expect that things would have went well with Giannis and Dame and and so I was surprised by that what doesn’t surprise me is that what doc has done with their defense is what he should have done

They’re so big now they’re slow they’re big and slow so what he’s done is had Lopez and Giannis protect the rim again like they were and it’s been great but if you’re playing a team that can shoot and they get hot they’re always going to be hot

But if they’re hot and golden state was hot last night then that’s when something like this can happen so kind of yes and no so listen I I was shocked the I’m higher on Milwaukee than you know most folks and we’ll talk more about that in a moment and the fact that

I thought they were going to have the emotional boost of we were looking at it as you know how much time is Giannis going to miss he’s going to miss time how much fact that he didn’t miss any additional games that piece of it now I am not going to

Extrapolate this to the levels that I think some will which is people really want to believe in Golden State yeah people really want to it it’s and I think part of it is because people like Steph part of it is because it feels familiar part of it is because people

Actually do like dynasties and they want to keep them going and so I think they are trying to speak into existence a more dangerous Warriors team that actually exists despite last night they looked great and by the way if you want to do that just wait a week because the

Warriors about to be on a winning streak because I don’t they have the opposite thing the Lakers have going on which is their next three games are the the Bulls the Spurs the Spurs so all you could you know beat Milwaukee you then have these three games all of a sudden and they’ve

Been playing other than the 50p point BL out prior to that they had been playing well and that also not to tie it totally back to the Lakers but it matters in this row the Warriors of the nine Lakers of the 10 Lakers about to have that tough stretch Warriors about to have

This easy stretch we’ve already talked about the Kings being up ahead of them you’re running out of teams you’re likely to jump yeah if you’re the Lakers and so I I am surprised by it it also doesn’t change for me while it’s my long-term belief on the Warriors that

You do not believe in them that I don’t I don’t think they can get out of round one I know you’re a little higher than I would love to see I’m like what you said before like cuz also and one reason you didn’t bring up it would Resurrect The

Magic verse step debate if they could win a championship oh sure but they they they can’t let me get your take on this play that kind of jumped out it’s Clay catching his 12th dunk of the year and everyone is uh very happy and surprised now it wasn’t

That kind of it’s his 12th of the year he had 10 last night in his last three games he had 10 uh six and 14 how far do you think like we happy with this or we like oh good for clay he had 10 I just want clay to hold of clay

The first half I believe I think he had 10 at half time um look he’s coming off the bench now and bench players for the most part are going to fluctuate sometimes you’re going to be hot sometimes you’re not going to be able to get it going so as long as his attitude

Is right and again they’re not a contender I don’t even think they’re a contender yeah to win the West they’re not a contender could they maybe be a spoiler for a round I’ll give him that I do think Clay’s attitude is probably shortly going to improve cuz it’s about

To get warm enough in the bay for him to spend even more time on that boat we saw it yesterday man that’s good for everybody time on the Open Water the fresh air Kay loves it I feel like he’s going to feel he’s going to be back in

His Groove a bit Splash Brothers yeah oh good oh thanks meanwhile the Bucks had nine points in the fourth quarter yeah that’s right nine team overall scored 90 uh all game so here’s doc on this offense that’s not shocking at all you had nine points in the fourth quarter

Yeah I agree with that shot 7 well the offense was bad but the defense was bad too he said 90 points today NBA that’s like they gave up 48% shooting from three bro they had nine points no it was all bad they gave up 125 points but he’s

Acting like blow mind I think in today’s in today’s NBA scoring 90 is worse than allowing 125 correct you know what I mean like it’s like scoring 50 the 90 so are the Bucks over under or perfectly rated well listen I right now they have the fourth best title odds and

They have worse title odds than the Clippers that is underrated and I listen no disrespect to your beloved Clippers bro maybe but the if I were ranking contenders Denver right now should be the favorites they’re not Boston is but Denver should be they’re not even ahead a top Nick’s tears I

Understand that I I I will there’s again theit here and all of it and I think that the East is far harder to get through for Boston Milwaukee Miami because I think the East has three true viable contenders to win the conference plus whatever you think Philly is

Pending in be tell I think the West has Denver and then a bunch of teams hoping a different team beats Denver so they can then beat that team like and so the so I think that I I think the Bucks the Bucks let me put it like this the only

Team that I think if Denver is at full strength has a better than punchers chance of beating them because I think I think the Bucks Giannis joic Dame Murray and then let the rest play out I think you can say listen I’m not again I’m not trying to disrespect Denver but I think

It’s disrespectful to Milwaukee to act like that Giannis can’t be the better player for two weeks of course he could and I know it’s not just the best player but so much so I I think they are right now A Touch underrated group believe it

Or not I agree with you in that I would flip them in the uhpp Clippers the Clippers been upsetting me and last night they they came back and beat your your Rockets yeah but they look bad for a lot of that game um and the Clippers you know James Harden there’s a question

There so I I I think Boston I agree Denver Boston Milwaukee it should be that that order so Milwaukee uh yeah they should be number and they are a tad under it look when Dam and Hest both play their record percentage why they win over 70% of their games that would

Be like the second best record in the league so yeah they they should uh they should be a tad higher from Josh uh they’re 16 and 15 on the road this year last year they were 26 and 15 on the road they’ve got nine more Road games

And only the Wizards are not in the playoffs so well pencil and Wizards win but everything else like all of a sudden like oh are we below 500 on the road can I but I think comparing this year’s Milwaukee team to last year’s Milwaukee team on full season stats is going to be

A bit of a Fool’s errand because last year’s team had the continuity it was the championship Corp they they had the same coach they had all of it and they I they made this trade I think knowing and changed coaches twice now so they obviously didn’t anticipate doing that

Part of it but saying it might be a work in progress early but we hope to be better late so it’s not surprising to me that Milwaukee was better at a lot of stuff over the width and breadth of last season it’s question is how they’re

Going to be at the end okay and Middleton’s been out too yeah uh finally bad news out of Minnesota cat has a torn miniscus out inde definitely wolves are tied with OKC for the top spot in the west but tough one here cat averaging 22 and8 Brew your reaction well look man I

I just hope he’s back um it’s really unfortunate I I don’t think they would have won the West with him or or hopefully he’s back and I don’t think they will win the West with him but I think they would be dangerous I think they they’re the best defensive team in

The league he can score inside and he’s a great three-point shooter 42% from three um I it’s just unfortunate and I think if he’s out it just opens things up even more for those teams below den of course because I think they were I I think and they also I’m not saying they

Would beat Denver but they’re one of the teams that you mentioned milwauke that has the size to at least bother yic a little bit with go and Cat and so yeah it’s it’s very unfortunate yeah but if he’s out then you we know exactly what Minnesota is the jazz Utah two point up

Yeah Rudy goar a scoring wing and we know what that and those teams but those teams got you know the one seed deep yeah but they they didn’t they get to the Conference Finals they got the second round they if no they never got to the Conference Finals I’m almost

Certain of that we can they lost to the clipp L lost the second round listen I just think that we know what the I I feel we know what a team in the playoffs will look like if one of your top two guys is

Go be the idea for the the thund or the Timberwolves that was interesting is you’re going to have such a different roles because you have Carl and Rudy and then you have Anthony in in the place of uh Donovan Mitchell so it would be if

He’s out they’re done yeah if he I I I don’t think know if anyone at this table fully believes in them even if he’s in but if he’s out not a team that could win the which is a weird thing to say about the one seed or the potential one

Seed but that’s where we’re at yeah uh all right bills Super Bowl window closing it’s next on FS1 the Fox Sports channel of SiriusXM it’s great if you’re in your car listening thanks for watching subscribe here to get more from the show and to check out clips from other shows on FS1

Nick Wright, Kevin Wildes and Chris Broussard discuss the latest news in the NBA including the Sacramento Kings win over the Los Angeles Lakers, Milwaukee Bucks blowout loss to the Golden State Warriors and Minnesota Timberwolves F Karl Anthony-Towns injury.

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Lakers fall to Kings, LeBron injures ankle, Warriors stomp Bucks, KAT out | NBA | FIRST THINGS FIRST

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