What makes Jokic and the Denver Nuggets unique? | ALL NBA Podcast

What makes Jokic and the Denver Nuggets unique? | ALL NBA Podcast

[Applause] What is up everybody and welcome to the all inba show part of the All City Podcast Network I’m your host Adam mes I’m joined by my steam colleague Tim legler legs we got a lot of stuff to talk about today it was a good night in

The NBA good night in the NBA definitely uh some some you know really interesting games I’m I don’t know about you Adam but I’m noticing when I’m watching these games more and more since the All-Star break like even though unfortunately there are still a ton of

Guys out which always takes away from it I just you just feel you do feel like the intensity level’s different um on a nightly basis there’s just a lot at stake every night now for teams the way that they’re jump so B uh bundled together in both conferences in that

Middle pack and even out west at the top so you’re seeing now like the significance on night toight basis of the weight that these games carry it’s been fun to watch it feels like all these games you know the I don’t know if it’s the playin or what it is but it

Just feels like there’s a lot of bunching in the NBA so there is the need for separation every night and you see the teams after the All-Star break that are starting to make that separation I didn’t get a chance to talk nuggets usually I talk nuggets every day every

Time they have a game I didn’t get a chance last night so I’m excited to break him down and share my thoughts because I thought last night’s game against the Heat actually had some very interesting things we’re going to start there we’re going to move to Warriors

Mavs we’re going to talk Bulls Pacers Lakers Kings and then look ahead to tonight’s slate as well but first we are presented as always by DraftKings stay tuned because you’ll hear more about DraftKings and all they have to offer throughout the show DraftKings the crown is yours okay we start with the Nuggets

Beating the Miami Heat another rematch of last year’s finals the Nuggets get the win 100 to 88 despite the fact that yic had just 12 points on eight shots Jamal Murray had just 14 points on 14 shots they get the win anyway and thanks in large part to Michael Porter he was

The leading score 25 points five of nine from the three-point line but I would say to me legs the thing I wanted to start with the nuggets are so impressive in how they can win in every different way a shootout fast break slow down grind it out Force the team to go away

From yic go away from Murray and you’re compromised somewhere else I thought last night’s win the 10th out of 11 tries since the All-Star break for the Denver Nuggets I thought to it was a meaningful one for Denver because it showed you how comfortable not just win

But a 12-point win on the road playing a style that Miami was trying to force they wanted that style of game and Denver dominated that style as well I you basically are summing up like the entire takeaway from the game and I’ll take it a step further you’re right

Miami wanted to make this game as much of a snail’s pace as possible take the three-point shot almost out of the game 16 made threes between the two teams I mean you know think about that that’s that’s just that’s not modern NBA um he’d only had five nuggets had 11 right

Um and you’re right they were able to win even though the pace was sort of being dictated to them and they didn’t care because they know that they are going to be more precise when it matters most and to illustrate how impressive this was from a team standpoint Adam

Joic and Murray scored a total of two points in the fourth quarter right this was a two point game going into the fourth quarter or whatever it was two or four and they scored 28 points it was their highest scoring quarter right um of the game pretty consistent actually

26 24 22 28 in the fourth highest scoring quarter of the game and joic had one basket Murray didn’t score it was it was Michael Porter Jr it was Christian Brown it was pton Watson it was Aaron Gordon Justin holiday and then Reggie Jackson had probably the most significant

Run of any individual player in the whole game he had seven straight points in the fourth quarter really helped them get some separation but the fact that you can play a game that is dictated to you and is completely a halfcourt game because that’s what that turned into in

Miami likes their chances in those games because they’re very good defensively they also a very good team at executing in those moments we know they’re incredibly well coach yet despite the fact that it was possession by possession and the importance of these walk it up possessions and your best two

Players aren’t putting the ball in the basket for you and you still score 28 points and it’s because of the continuity yeah I love Michael Porter J’s interview after we’re gonna talk about that in a second but um it’s it’s just a continuity so everybody’s so comfortable and they know exactly what

They are trying to accomplish possession by possession and I just think I love about Denver I think more than anything Adam and this is joic but it’s now permeated their entire team they’re they’re so simplistic in what they do there is absolutely no wasted motion ball handling nothing nothing is without

Purpose and it’s so clean and simple and just take what’s there and trust your teammate and they have got great trust and faith in each other and they’re able to execute in these significant moments and that’s why for me I still trust them more than any team in the NBA if you’re

Talking about a a a onep possession game fourth quarter late who do you think’s going to get the best shots I think did Denver Nuggets are the quality of their possessions are better than everybody else’s you said you trusted them more I I’ll go even further I trusted them more

Coming into the year you know because by virtue of the fact that they were the reigning NBA champs but this 11 game stretch since the All-Star break I trust them more than ever is how I would put it and that even includes last year they are playing so connected and that’s what

It takes is a level of connectivity between your players to to know how to read each other but also to trust each other and to say hey if they’re going to overload on this we’re going to go over here even though it’s not our first option they’re giving us that and we’re

Going to go to it over and over again Reggie Jackson Michael Porter tonight you know clearly they were gonna uh overload on joic and Murray Porter’s the recipient he was up for that challenge so Denver there’s that saying that Bruce Lee saying you know be like water if a

Water goes into the bowl you become the shape of the bowl or whatever Denver is the epitome of that whatever it is that you the defense forms itself Denver just forms immediately around that takes on that texture and to me these last 11 games they’ve always been this way but

These last 11 games have been the most I’ve ever seen of that quality the ability to adapt to what the defense has giving you their their ability to adapt it’s the most I’ve seen in the regular season from them it actually reminds me of what they were in the playoffs last

Year yeah well look and this had that feel to it the whole the whole thing had that feel to it from the beginning there was just very little runs by either team it kind of stayed within arms distance of each other now I’ll say this bam adabo did an incredible job on joic

Like if you go back and you just watched if you had just a camera on bam the entire game and just went ahead and played that possession after possession the amount of energy he was expending to get into front position to three quarter him to dance around him everything he

Had to do then when he did catch in a decent position they were they were running a second Defender at him or if he started to back down somebody was coming and that kind of led to his low shot total for the night but the greatness of joic is that despite the

Fact that he was being guarded that way and and and you know basically had so much traffic around him he didn’t really have a lot of room to operate how many guys in the league Adam that are Star players could have that kind of an impact on the game as a screener and

Just a magnet right for Defenders because that’s really what his main role in this game was offensively screen and draw multiple people that’s what he did and it just loosened up things just enough for other guys to have big nights and Michael Jun was Sensational he’s been Sensational since the All-Star

Break I mean this guy is on a roll it’s it’s it’s becoming almost automatic now when he squares up for an open look like you just you don’t doubt it at all like that you know you know what results going to be um Aaron Gordon was you know

Physical and forceful the way you expect them to be and then they just got these little little pockets of contributions man you know Brown had I think seven straight at one point Reggie Jackson had seven straight at a different stretch in the fourth quarter and uh it was just

Man impressive team win and I know look Miami short-handed they don’t have Tyler hero that’s a big element for them Terry razir still not quite where he needs to be right just in general this their fourth straight loss they’re not playing great but they they they forced a style

That gave them the best chance to win and they still didn’t have a chance in the end losing by 12 and I think if you walk away from that game because I I see the perspective of yes but bam guarded yic well they did some things took away

Murray this or that but if you watch that game Denver was not panicked and what you’re talking about is joic never swims Upstream you know he never fights against the game so Bam’s gonna be fronting him he’s using all that energy there’s just something to yoke that

Knows this is a net positive for us because bam is such an important piece for them and if he’s gonna have to give 90% energy to shut me down well then I’m just gonna make him work at that and open things up for everybody else so I I

I’m not trying to take anything away from bab bio I love and appreciate and SPO said this after the game you look at he didn’t call these guys out by name but I will you look at Anthony Davis you look at Joel embiid you look at Rudy

Goar a lot of your Marquee big defensive bigs they’ve stopped guarding joic they’ve elected instead to go to Aaron Gordon and play this RoR and I get it it’s it makes sense in a certain way but I do think there’s an element of those guys not wanting to be outplayed not not

Wanting to take that challenge bam he’s still the helps side guy but he’s also taking on that challenge with yic every single night and and battling with him and I respect the hell out of it but like I said yoke doesn’t swim Upstream he lets the game come to him and if

That’s what the game called on he allowed other people to go and Denver just never looked uncomfortable in this game despite Miami’s best efforts that’s why I’m just that’s what I think sets them apart let me ask you this do you think there’s any other team that can

Win as diverse of games as Denver can slow fast physical finesse three points two points is there any team that you think can win the range of ways that Denver can oh it’s not even close no and that’s why you know you we’re watching this team now and it’s that time of year

And throughout the year look you know they’ve had a good year but it’s also you know you we understood at times watching them and there was they had one stretch earlier this season where you know you were you were telling me daily Bas like man something’s going on with

Them they’re just not they’re just not there right now because there was no there was no way you could have the same the same level of urgency in the regular season when you just won a championship you just it’s just impossible to maintain that but now you see they’re

Tightening up everything and and now they the the focus is there every night and in some ways what you just said I love the point you just made about joic about not swimming Upstream another way to put that is when you look around the league at that the top players on these

Leagues I’m I’m sorry on these teams okay the teams that really think they can challenge Denver their main identity as a player is as a scorer and they’re gonna they’re gonna keep trying to do that whether it’s Jason Tatum or Luca or Kevin Durant or Giannis whoever it may be no matter what

Hell or high water if they’re having an off night shooting guess what they’re going to keep doing that because that’s what is the main identity as a player now look all those guys are are well-rounded players they do other things but that is the main thing that they’re trying to get

Accomplished every night and that’s not necessarily the case with joic so on nights when he’s being defended a certain way because he doesn’t have that mentality of trying to get 30 like I think that that that guys are like feeling like that’s what they need to do

For their team he doesn’t feel that way so he isn’t going to force it into bad spots he’s not going to take you know a bunch of mid-range jumpers with guys draped on him because he’s trying to get to that number and I even saying they’re thinking about the number but that’s the

Way they think they need to play for their team to win he doesn’t think that so as a result no matter what the game is looking like in front of him he can accept that he can embrace it and now I’ll just figure out a way to beat you

With what’s given now there’s some nights he gets great Poe position and he’ll just School guys and he’ll have a 35 40 Point night he can do that you want to play me a certain way good luck I’ll do that to you but if you get

Played like he did last night there are very few guys in this league on his level that would just like kind of accept that and morph into something else to beat a team they’re G to keep shooting the ball and they’re going to be seven for 23 at the end of the game

Because they took a bunch of tough shots and it actually hurt their team so the mentality that he has actually helps him big time in a game like last night well I’ll just go screen rebound and I’ll I’ll be the guy that’s just drawing so much attention the game is really easy

On the weak side of the floor yeah and this nuggets team I just the the connected level they’ve played in and I I think we talked about this a few weeks back coming out of the All-Star break yic sent a text message to the team that allegedly fired everybody up and I we

Don’t know the contents of it you can imagine something to the lines of it’s go time the opportunity is there nobody’s better than us let’s go out and prove it and you just look at this 11 game stretch they lost one game in overtime that was at Kevin Durant buzzer

Beater three away from being a win for Denver so you look at that and just say Denver they flipped a switch and they’re playing the best basketball we’ve seen of them at least regular season wise it’s probably the best stretch we’ve seen of this yic era uh against some

Really good teams including Miami if one Le note though on this I’ve long talked about Jamal Murray and how I don’t think that he is in great shape most of the year I think that this year in particular shows just how different he is when he is in great shape versus when

He’s not and last wasn’t necessarily a great game but here’s a number for you they were 24th in Fast Break points averaging about 12 a game pre- all-star break since the All-Star break they’re I believe third third or fourth and they’re getting 20 fast break points a game that’s an enormous difference and

When you watch him play there is just a better halfcourt Pace now it wasn’t the case last night Miami’s trying to slow things down but when you see a jump 66% increase in Fast Break points over an 11 game sample size that seems deliberate

To me and I think think a lot of that has to do with Jamal Murray just playing with more Pace getting him to their sets more and now you’re seeing a fully unlocked nuggets team I mean what do you think when you hear that stat legs it feels really meaningful to me that

They’re getting almost twice the fast break points as they were before no it definitely does it’s it’s significant that kind of an increase and and ironically last night the the fast break points were not really there 20 combined for both teams there was not a lot of

Running the difference in the game last night actually was the fact that nuggets were plus 18 from the three-point line I mean it’s very ult to win in in this league now making five threes and I I actually clipped off a possession I talked about this game last night on

SVP um and I talked about what I said to start this show the focus was on the different ways that they were scoring in the fourth quarter without their Stars having to do it and how impressive that is and this you know when that’s just not the way teams operate like at some

Point those star players are going to inject themselves in it make or Miss they’re gon to F because it’s just time it’s time it’s my turn give me the ball let me go we have to ride or die with me shooting the ball Denver didn’t think

That way last night and that’s why I was so impressed um but you know I the the the five three-pointers made and I had a play clipped off that I was going to do but we changed the discussion they had it they had a couple defensive possessions last night where they chased

Four different three-point Shooters off the line on the same possession Y and and it’s not it’s because they were flooding to the paint to protect on dribble penetration or or bam slipping and then they were flying out at Shooters Wings corners and it ended up with a very late in the clock contested

Three in the corner that was a bad Miss at the end of The Possession I was going to do and so it spoke volumes about their commitment to it and that requires you to be in better shape and I saw I definitely saw that last night I mean

They they were flying around the court defensively and that’s another Advantage they have Adam is just with this group the way they can read each other and the way they communicate it’s not just offensively the way they execute it’s defensively they don’t miss assignments they’re not they’re not late for each

Other they’re there and they understand what they are trying to accomplish depending who has the basketball and it’s just look man they look like a champion last night and it was certainly wasn’t close to their best offensively but the game didn’t allow that so they went into a different style and they

Still were able to win going away at the end so it’s just it’s one of the better wins they’ve had I think for that reason it’s hard to win when the terms are dictated to you of what the pace is going to be and they did it anyway they

Did anyway let me get to the quotes then after the game I’m going to start there’s two of them we want to get to but the first one was Michael Malone who shared the story you know Reggie Jackson stayed in the fourth quarter a long time

Joic was on the bench a long time but then Murray is on the bench in the in the clutch Christian Brown and Reggie Jackson are your back court and Denver starting back court Casey p and Jamaal Murray they go to the scores table to check in and those guys have it going

And Michael Malone said after the game the two veterans walked back and said let them have this they’re on a role let them play and you know you look at to me stories like that are what make this team so special and then after the game Michael Porter had something similar

That stood out to you about you know this team everybody takes Pride When anybody scores it doesn’t have to be this or that so what stood out to you about what Michael Porter said after the game what was great about Michael Porter was he gets asked the question and you

Know he doesn’t get interviewed a lot you know in those situation so I was really anxious to listen to him and I got to coach Michael at the Under Armour uh the curry All-American Camp when when he was you know yeah man he he was he was he was coming

Out so it was like you know it was Marquel folz was there Josh Jackson Michael Porter Jr like it was and they have the top 30 players in the country at this Camp every summer and then they’re going into like their their senior year of high school and then you

Know these guys end up being lottery pick so and he had his back was even messed up at the time so he wasn’t full participant but he was doing some of the drills and I was able to work with him and and Coach some of those drills and

And Coach some of the scrimmages so so it goes back then he was very quiet very softspoken I remember like like some of those guys are characters like Josh Jackson never stops talking ever and then you had Michael Porter Jr just kind of like kept to himself uh he actually

Did a workout with curry so this like three four day camp going into like the last day or second to last day word gets out like Steph’s gonna do a workout and anybody wants to watch can watch and I was like oh this is great my son was

With me I took my son out there because I wanted him to see all this so we’re sitting there and we’re watching and we watching Curry starts workout and only other guy that was that he invited into the work at it was with him was Michael

Porter Jr so the two of those guys were working out together and this he was still a high school player so it was pretty cool thing to watch um anyway I got I digress because I just wanted to tell that story but so he’s soft spoken

So last night they put the microphone in from him like oh good I want to hear him talk and the first thing you know they asked him about man Cassy HTH asked him about you know wow what a night for you you know great success you’re playing incredible since the All-Star break and

You know you know what’s going on how you explain your success lately and his first thing out of his mouth did you see how good the shots were that I was getting and what they’re creating for me right off the bat it wasn’t like yeah man I’ve been feeling really good and

Like I definitely got my rhym going and like that’s the way 95% of guys in the league would answer that question he immediately and it was so smart it was such a smart observation like did you see like I all I got to do is is just

Finish it off those guys are doing all the work for me and then he proceeded she then follow-up question was talking about that starting five and the continuity and how comfortable they look in any pressure situation and he goes yeah well listen you know with with with

With you know jokic who’s an all Universe player and then Jamal who’s an an All-Star caliber player and then you got AG putting his force on everybody and kcp so he basically talked about the starters because that’s what the question was about and he finished his answer and Cassidy started to take the

Microphone back and you could tell his awareness was I don’t want to forget about about these other guys so then he like basically pulled the microphone back to himself and said and he basically mentioned them all Christian Brown PT Watson and Reggie Jackson and he went all the way down the roster and

It showed me a maturity about understanding how far those kinds of things go in your locker room because it wasn’t just about the starters but I told you the reserves had 26 points in the fourth quarter or not the reserves but you know other guys besides the Stars right and he was like

So aware in the moment to make sure because like it was like you could see the wheels turning as soon as you got done talking like oh man I can’t forget those guys like this sound bite’s going to get played like I want to make sure those guys get acknowledged and he

Proceeded to name every other guy that played in the game and I just thought that was so impressive to do because you don’t see that in those moments I thought it was thoughtful and I thought it was a guy that just gave two really good honest answers about the state of

Their team right now so I just loved every second of that and it goes against his reputation which by the way I think is very Antiquated Maybe from a reputation coming into the league or you know as a guy that wanted to Chuck but Michael Porter’s Evolution into a

Willing and accepted role player meaning a guy that has said you know I’m probably more than what I’m going to be but I accept this this job that they’re giving me has been one of the great stories in basketball I love these stories we talked about Clay earlier and

Clay now that he’s no longer a star watching him in real time deal with that and accept a different role and how it’s so compelling of a storyline Michael Porter’s kind of on the other side of that where he now excels and it shows

You I think teams look at it and go okay he’s a 40% three-point shooter yic and Murray are unstoppable we’ll live with 40% but when you do overload your defense to jic and Murray Michael Porter is not a 40% three-point shooter now he’s a 60% three-point shooter now

You’re giving him those and that’s why after the game when he’s asked about it he’s like yeah those shots weren’t normal shots those were wide open I’m gonna go five of nine when you give me that one which is just so cool uh real quickly on the heat though um four

Straight losses Jimmy Butler kind of unimpressive in those ones and I thought the one I thought Miami Heat played really hard you’re you’re right there missing some offense last night but you expect Jimmy Butler to maybe be the guy that steps up and provides some and in

The fourth quarter I kept waiting for it and he almost looked passive to me that was my big note Jimmy Butler is a he’s a a a finicky guy you never know what you’re G to get from him in the playoffs I think we know he’ll be aggressive but

For some reason he doesn’t seem very aggressive right now at a moment when you’d figure the heat need it they need they’re in a their position in the NBA is not guaranteed at this moment yeah it’s one of the reasons Adam I have a hard time I think just giving Jimmy

Butler maybe even the credit he probably deserves I I just struggle with the whole well playoff Jimmy well come on man what about regular season Jimmy when they need you like last night yeah matter and you take two free throws in in the entire game and that’s a big part

Of who you are and your Iden look and Denver’s a really good defensive team and they you know they had bigger Defenders on him at times and that that’s probably made it a little bit harder for him I get it but come on man like he was a non factor in the game

Offensively completely but he’s like this star player that we talk about and he’s had these huge playoff moments and there’s no denying that he has had those moments I get it but at the same time it’s like man like a game like last night like at no point to you to what

You just said did he try to put his foot on the gas right he just didn’t and and look joic didn’t either but yic understood doesn’t matter because what I’m doing is leading to Great offense and we’re making shots we’re scoring like every time down a court that wasn’t the case

For Miami like somebody needed to go create something and if it’s e it’s either gonna be him or bam with that group because like Rosier Rosier just is just not he hasn’t been able to find that yet and they don’t have Tyler hero so it who’s it gonna come down to It’s

Gotta be Jimmy Butler I agree with you I thought he was uh passive in the game and he’d have lost four straight I do think this and I said this last night on VP you haven’t heard the last of a heat all right you haven’t they they’re

They’re going to be a team right now they’re they’re sort of bunch together there in that in that group of teams in the East where they are in eighth place but they’re two back in the Lost column from fifth so like they’re in that group of teams right there and that’s going to

Be interesting to watch the rest of the way um and you haven’t heard the last of the Heat and they’re gonna get hero back and Kevin Love didn’t play last night and he he’s important to them so would you want to play the Heat necess necessarily in a best of seven

Other than Boston would any of those other teams really relish that I don’t think so no matter what state of the heat you get him in a playoff series with spola and then Jimmy Butler who’s like oh I’m gonna play significantly harder now like you know you get that

You know do you want that no I don’t think so so let’s not you know we’re not gonna dismiss them it’s definitely been a disjointed season for them and maybe they don’t have enough Firepower this year to actually make a significant run and maybe they’re a one one round team

Maybe but I’m not gonna believe that until I get there well let’s take our break I gotta say legs I love that you’re bothered by by it because I’m bothered by it too I want guys to give a requisite amount of energy and effort all throughout the year no matter what

Hey what if you hey what if I told you tomorrow you’re going to get Thursday legs like today no not so much I mean come on man what are we talking about you get legs every day baby every day I bring the legs let’s go on the other

Side we’re going to talk about Warriors BS Bulls Pacers and of course sheld just Alexander stat padding we’ll get to all that but first want to tell you about the game time app what are you up to this weekend it’s Thursday it’s time to start thinking about your weekend plans

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Warriors two teams that have been very hot or cold lately and this was a tied game or a one-point game halfway through the third period when all of a sudden Dallas just went on an enormous run I thought in large part because of the size difference we’ve talked about

Gafford by the way 33 straight makes asril goal attempts without a Miss which is insane but he had Lively had Gafford you had PJ Washington at different points in this about 10-minute run to end the third start the fourth and they just looked enormous they were getting

Fast breaks they were getting dunks they were getting in the paint and scoring and this is my big question about the Warriors I fear that they’re too small well Luca is huge as a wing player as a guard player and then you had those guys playing and finishing Above the Rim

During that stretch and it just overwhelmed the Warriors the short-handed Warriors I should mention um what stood out to you when you saw that run and when you saw this game yeah I agree I think that and that’s the same thing I felt about the Warriors last

Year even at the end of the year I mean they just looked like they were swallowed up by the Lakers like they you couldn’t even see guys on the court and that’s the same thing I felt about them last night and look you look at a guy like Trace Jackson Davis who’s who’s

Listed at 69 and gafford’s listed at 610 and Lively’s like 610 611 but they look so much bigger enormous and’s and he’s a good athlete but those guys their bounce is ridiculous and the the size of Luca and who he was operating against like you got psky in the post during that

Stretch and it’s just it’s just not fair not fair what he’s able to do couple dribbles a quick Spin and he’s at the rim for a three-point play there’s just nothing B jsky can do so I think the size definitely was a different difference and you know look here I’m

Gonna start real quick with the Warriors okay one thing I will say about the Warriors over the during the Steph Curry era has been on the nights that he hasn’t played I still felt really entertained by The Warriors and felt like they had a fighting chance I don’t

Feel that way anymore like Steph Curry doesn’t play they’re bad they’re a bad team like they’re hard to watch and it’s because of the state that Clays in and you know Chris Paul like you know I looking at Chris Paul last night and I’m just like is is Chris Paul even a factor

Like for this team you know they were excited to get him back and it’s just like what impact did he have on the game like he defensively he cannot keep quick guards in front of him anymore that was a big part of what he was as a Defender

Because he slide latly he was really strong and you couldn’t get around him now you ISO a quick guard on him it’s it’s forget it he like there he’s in their rearview mirror um and then offensively just not the factor that he was so when you when you have these guys

You know kaminga is still worth watching but for the most part I that’s one thing that stood out to me was like man this is a boring team and they’re not very good when Steph doesn’t play and I didn’t feel that way before when Curry would miss a game like there was still

Something worth watching and you thought maybe clay could go off and you don’t feel that way about Klay Thompson anymore and as a result it’s just it’s just really difficult to watch them if Steph Curry doesn’t play that’s that’s what I felt about them last night 19 assists for

Them too is I mean they’re they’re a team that relies on getting that ball popping and you’re right when Steph’s not there the whole thing is thrown off he Stephan joic more so even than say Luca like a team can survive around Luca obviously he’s the engine but they can

You adjust to a different style Stephan yic are the two guys that when they’re out the entire identity of the team is is thrown out of whack and and and you just don’t know what you get and that of course happened last night I thought they battled but to your point they

Clearly looked out man the other thing about this game was that Luka donic goes out with a non-c contct sort of injury it didn’t look like it was terrible it almost looked more preventative because they were on a run but I I don’t know if

You have a just a quick thought on Luca going out and if you saw the play where he reaches for the back of his leg and just kind of walks off the court yeah I you know and there’s been no update on that I don’t know that it looked very

It’s going to be very serious to me and I think you they have the game in hand the game is in control and so there’s just like at that point you figure there’s no way the Warriors gonna have enough to to win this game um so you

Make you know you take him out and I don’t think it’s going to be ultimately anything that’s very serious something that stood out for me last night about Dallas I I realized that and they went a little stretch without Dante exom exam’s important to them um and he’s he’s

Getting a great he’s in a great role for them but again he’s a good siiz guard like he’s a bigger guard and he’s not like a blur but he’s he’s very under control in the way that he plays and he’s smart and he’s he can finish and so

I watching him last night I was reminded like this is a guy that’s gonna be playing 20 plus minutes for them and he’s very important a piece for them particularly when Lucas’s out of you know out of the game so that was impressive now let’s get into this

Gaffer thing so because I have it’s so weird like people people in these some of the chats that I’m in which just talking Hoops with you know with some buddies and they act like it’s not impressive like all he does is dunk I’m like let me tell you something right now

Man I could put these clowns on a ladder and give them a basketball okay and they’re dropping the ball in the hoop they’re gonna miss one out of 33 Okay so the fact that he’s doing it in live game action and number one it speaks to the

Fact that he doesn’t things he can’t do so I think that’s a good thing that’s a good thing right there’s nothing wrong with that I’m not criticizing a guy for that and I also don’t think by the way he’s like gonna like abort a play when

He thinks like oh man that guy’s kind of close if I jump I might not be able to make this so I don’t keep the streak alive like he’s not thinking about the streak he’s just playing screen dive screen dive screen dive offensive glass take it back up those aren’t easy to

Finish by the way he’s got a number of those during his streak where he’s going up contested shots after an offensive rebound so 33 consecutive field goals and Counting hey let me ask you and I I haven’t looked this up I should have looked this up I’m curious how much has Daniel

Gafford’s field goal percentage gone up during this streak like I would love to know how many percentage points he’s gone up because it’s it’s it’s insane to think about now what’s the is he tied what or he needs two more I don’t I think he’s two behind I thought I

Thought he was two behind wilt’s record two two M Bas two behind two behind Wilt and by the way Wilt you know was was a dude that was 71 guarded by like a lot of 66 guys okay now it was different what was it just like lob dunking it he

Was like shooting finger rolls and like Drop steps and running the floor and all that but so what gafford’s doing is certainly more limited obviously but I am like literally can’t believe and I didn’t I don’t know man I wasn’t paying attention to it you texted

Me like the four games he was like 28 in a row what those were and I was like oh my goodness and now he makes five more in a row and so it’s gonna end at some point man now it’s like that mightbe be tonight they play Oklahoma City maybe

Chad H goes up and gets a piece of one and breaks fre let’s watch it that would be great that that that’ be a nice little challenge actually for Chad just to put in his mind by the way by the way real quick and we’re g to maybe at the

End hopefully have time preview some of these games they got Oklahoma City tonight they beat Oklahoma City by 35 points uh a month ago so this is a really important game for Dallas because I think you’re going to get OKC’s best after that Beatdown and Dallas has just

Won four straight right they were hot and then they were really bad and people were questioning them and how they want but here’s the thing these four wins they’ve had three mediocre teams and one terrible team that’s who they’ve just beaten in these four games that’s not

What you’re getting in Oklahoma City so hopefully Luca plays my goodness I couldn’t imagine he doesn’t play so looking forward to this game but this is going to be a great great Benchmark game I think for the Dallas Mavericks to give us an idea because I as you know I’m

High on them like the additions you know one of the guys they picked up I said I liked he just made 33 straight shots I think I called that one right Adam all right all right but they lost three games the other day legs you gotta be

Wrong I know I know man I know so I’m um listen this is a this is a big one tonight and I hope everybody’s on the court because I want to see if or not I’m seeing here in the chat they’re saying Mark Stein has reported that

Luuka did not travel with the team to OKC and is out tonight I have not seen that that would make for a real bummer tonight because I’m with you Oklahoma City is also in that moment by the way last night we didn’t even mention this the Nuggets win put them in the first

Place in the one seed out west somewhere they had not been for three months so it it’s sort of even though it was only a half game OKC can retake the number one spot tonight with a win there is a psychological thing to you know when the

Favorite retakes that spot it kind of feels a little meaningful but no Luca tonight that’s a bummer uh let’s keep it moving because we got a couple games to go to the Bulls Pacers um this one had an incredible finish to it it was actually a very good game I gotta give

Credit to the Chicago Bulls play tough they’re uh they’re probably my favorite bad team right now I like I like uh you get big time shot making in this game five of six from Caruso from three Tory Craig had a huge three in the corner in

The clutch dumu had a big time isolation move in score Miles Turner on the other side had I don’t know seven threes it felt like in the clutch of this game it was a great back and forth game seak had a big block to save a bucket in transition that just

Was pure heart and effort but to go to the end of it we’re go to overtime because D rozan hits an incredible shot actually you get an offensive rebound off of a free throw and then D rozan hits an incredible shot but to end this game missed free throw from D rozan you

Get the rebound you have a chance to call timeout the Pacers elect not to do that I thought there was a little confusion on the court they dribble up and they do not they get they end up getting a clean three but it was halberton running or actually I don’t

Even think it was Halbert I don’t remember who it was running into a tough three on the Move what did you think about how this game ended after was a lot of great shot making and a lot of back and forth what did you think about the last possession well I vehemently

Disagree with not taking that time out and and I’m gon to tell you why in a second first go back to that misses the free throw halberton is standing at the three-point line because he’s he’s he’s not on the lane he’s he’s kind of standing there he’s kind of got his hand

On the on the uh on the Bulls player just making sure the guy doesn’t run in ball comes off the rim they grab it he immediately turns toward the bench and he almost is taken a step toward the bench because he’s assuming they’re gonna take a timeout so now he doesn’t

Break back for the ball so as a result the ball comes up the sideline without him and then he runs up the court because he realizes are not taking a timeout he runs sort of over to the right sideline and gets buried along the bench they they they try a couple of

Quick actions nothing’s there they finally throw it to him with virtually no time on the clock and he jumps and the defender goes over his head and he has to like double clutch a three-pointer and he ends up landing on his backside as he shoots a three that

Doesn’t even get to the rim and that’s how the game ends and he immediately stands up right in front of his bench he turns he grabs his temples like this like he can’t believe it and then you can see him talking to the assistant coaches as he’s walking off the court

Like he’s going like why no time out why are we not taking a time out and then he just kind of shook his head and then jogged off the floor down the tunnel because he was clearly so frustrated and I completely agree with him and I’m not

Saying it’s always the right thing to do on that situation but here’s what I’m saying down three is completely different to me than down two because down two the entire ire Court is at your disposal and so you just want to play go ahead by the way though if the ball’s

Not in the hands of your best player I’m not feeling great about that situation and trusting whoever whoever comes up to just get to the rim or shoot a midi or whatever it may be okay so that’s first you’re not down two you’re down three secondly when you have a player that is

This dynamic as a three-point shooter and playmaker it’s incumbent upon you to take the time out and dictate terms the ball is going to be in his hands we have to make sure the ball’s in his hands and you can draw that up from a side out of

Bounds and make sure that happens and and that with 10 seconds which is what it was you can run him from the sideline all the way into the back court if you want to let him catch it coming up the floor with a head of steam get a screen

At half court get a screen at the three-point whatever and make them make them react to him probably a blitz of some kind and now he’s good enough and big enough to get the ball to the open guy for a clean look I just think when

You have a player that’s that good at creating offense and is that good of a deep three-point shooter that could read a mistake on a ball screen and shoot a deep shot why in the world would you take that with you that timeouts in Rick carlile’s pocket why in the world would

You do that when you have an opportunity just to say go play this isn’t the Suns with Bradley Beal Devon Booker and Kevin Durant on the floor and and like all three of those guys are coming up so you don’t care which one of those three guys

Has it right they’re Elite level scorers they don’t have Elite level scorers on the Pacers they don’t have any they’ve got a good offensive team don’t get me wrong but they’ve got one star Creator and it’s tyres halberton and by doing that you didn’t allow him to get his

Hands on the ball really and and I just disagree with it I’m sorry I I and not always like I said sometimes I would look at it differently not in that K situation with that particular player down by three with that much time draw a call a timeout and draw something up to

Dictate the reaction you’re trying to get out of the Chicago Bulls that’s my point I think even in those moments you know you mentioned 10 seconds I’m okay with you trying to press the advantage but you got to read the first three seconds there like three seconds you go

You the defense isn’t matched up in transition okay we’re all right let this run but to your point you want the ball in your best player’s hands that was not the case and you watched the clock ticking and you saw there was no organization there’s no Advantage

Nobody’s open and when you don’t call the fou like you could tell about 5 seconds left they’re not going to get a clean look here they’re just not and sure enough that’s how it played out so I’m with you halton’s with you by the way after after the game he even brought

It up and referenced it so I think everybody is with you the last game to talk about at least from last night uh the Kings beat the Lakers again sabonis damont sabonis moves to 10 and0 all time against Anthony Davis that feels very meaningful to me 120 107 and it was a

Game that sabonis looked like the best big on the court 17 points 19 rebounds two assists to go against Anthony Davis’s 2210 and three but even those numbers don’t tell the story what’s up with this matchup legs why does AD struggle so much with joic and sabonis

That’s a good question well yic is it’s an easier answer I think than than sabonis right Y yic is just the I mean the the the versatility offensively so bonis has some versatility in his passing game and he’s a big part of what they run with their weave action and all

That stuff up top and as a screener but he’s not going to beat you a scorer in a real you know multi-dimensional way he’s coming at you like like a bull and he’s just going to just plow through you and he’s gonna outwork you and maybe that’s

What it is with Anthony Davis you know who you know when you play against a bonus you better be at your house like drive before you drive to the arena like putting your hard hat on man in your construction vest because it’s about to be a war in the paint and maybe that’s

Just not what ad is up for when he plays against him because there’s a relent less to sabonis where you got to kill him to stop him and we both know that’s not necessarily an ad’s wheelhouse I don’t don’t give me wrong he’s been playing great and when he is up for that

Forget it because sabonis shouldn’t have that kind of success against him he just shouldn’t if ad is completely locked in because his length and athletic ability should be a real problem for sabonis to score on because he’s not going to shoot the ball from Deep rarely his mid-range

Is not anything to speak of he’s trying to get to one place on the floor and if you’re ad you should be able to stop that and yet he he ad has struggled with it against him and struggled with the overall his team success hasn’t been

There I thought this was a sad loss for the Lakers because now they’re separated by four games in the Lost column if you win that one you’re separated by two there’s still some hope that you can claw out of this playin or or or what have you but

The Lakers by virtue of losing that game now I think you can keep they’re the they’re a playing Team they’re more likely a road playin team whatever but I just thought that the energy level was pretty sad for a team that was that had such a big game but Anthony Davis LeBron

D’Angelo Russell who had six points in this game I thought Austin Reed was the only guy that kind of had like some energy to them and we just talked about Denver has been focused coming out of the break Denver’s the reigning Champs they were already a top three seed and

They have had this Focus the Lakers are fighting for their lives and they have a game like last night where you watch it and you go is that the best you have in a moment it might be that might it might be a simple that legs that’s just the

Best they have you know this is crazy the way this is shaping up and I don’t know how it’s going to play out because of where Sacramento and New Orleans are situated just barely above that that spot for the playin but are you telling me we potentially could get Phoenix

Dallas as a playin like I mean with Booker and Luca right and then you could get LeBron versus Curry yep I mean this is what we’re looking at potentially I mean my goodness you talk about about compelling drama now that s Eight’s different at least you got

Another chance at it but imagine if you got that and Dallas wins that game and now you get Phoenix you know with Durant potentially taking on LeBron to go home for the summer or or Curry like that’s what we’re looking at unless something Jan look at Sacramento’s in a dead heat

With Phoenix and so you know I don’t know how you think that’s going to play out ultimately and New Orleans is right there a game up so there those three teams are are so bunched together your guess is good as mine because the one thing that I think we both can agree on

The thing you haven’t seen this year with the exception of a few teams is any sort of consistency right and and that’s why this has been a wild roller coaster ride of a season you’re trying to find bigger Trends than just living in the moment and these teams have made it hard

Because of their inconsistency throughout the year and you’re waiting for them to find their footing and go on a run and it just really hasn’t happened for that group of teams we’ll move on to one last one here and that is I’m a Believer in the basketball Gods kind of tongue and-

Cheek but I’m a Believer in if you do things the right way there are these rewards that come back to you not because some divine intervention but just because of Nature and I have this thing that if you tempt fate if you even on a little small insignificant things

If you if you go against the right then those things will come back to haunt you shay now making a mountain out of a mole hill but Shay at the end of a game on Wednesday foul or actually on Tuesday against Indiana down I think nine points

Fouled so so that he could get the ball back with 10 seconds left and score a bucket to keep his 30-point game streak alive legs I hate these things a meaningless stat pad from an MVP candidate and a great player a meaningless stat pad for a meaningless

Record who cares about this 30 game streak or this 30 game record he sets a franchise record for most 30o games in a season surpassing Kevin Durant by the way but to do it in that way that feels so dishonest it rubs me the wrong way oh

Big Time Adam and look we both love Shay gilis Alexander and the guy couldn’t possibly do things more right than he has done them and the way he carries himself and he’s a more of a lead by example guy he’s unguardable so he gives that team a lot

Of swagger because they know every single night they’ve got a dude that there’s no answer for and and everybody else kind of Falls in line so we love him we love the team success we love the way they play collectively everything about it that’s why this felt so

Dirty why would you do this to yourself for a stupid streak like that late in the game by the way just so people understand the exact parameters you’re up 10 with 14 seconds left in the game and you go up and run a f guy in the

Back court to force two free throws out of heart so that you can get the rebound defensively or get the inbounds after the second free throw and go Coast to Coast knowing that No One’s Gonna Want to foul you or stop you and we all know

The protocol let’s say he had fouled him in the back court unintentionally let’s just say it was just like it he was just up there and it was incidental contact right and the ref blew the whistle and you kind of would know the difference as a fan and you’re an analyst you’re

Watching it right no big deal and then he would get the ball after the second conf freeto and they would dribble it over half court and then just pick it up and hand it to the official we just took we just took an eight-point loss and

That’s that so what he did going Coast to Coast to that situation to me and I don’t think he’s all about that Adam but it’s think so it’s one of those things where you see all the time and we just saw this like with with if you

Watch the news or politics whatever like you see this all stuff all the time people do something oh I’ll give you an example so the the the South Carolina LSU women’s game the fight that broke out in that game okay late in the game and then you come out and say the player

Says I apologize that’s not who I am well I don’t know man you just you just shoved the girl as hard as you could like so what do you mean isn’t it more isn’t it more I’m really sorry that I did that and I try not to you know be

Representative of that and I let my emotions get the best of me and I’m sorry and I’m going to do everything I can to make sure that does not happen again but they always said that’s not who I am well I don’t know it look like

That’s who you were right there and the same thing with Shay I know I kind of feel like I know that’s not who he is but it’s hard you can’t defend that that’s a bad look man that’s a bad look because the only thing that you come off

Representing is winning and and you do your thing every night because that gives your team the best chance to win and that’s why you play that way and you know you do it so efficiently so to do that and go out of your way to make everybody know you’re really in of a

Personal scoring thing that felt dirty and it’s a shame because it’s going to be hard to unsee that it also just makes you wonder what other possessions did he you know he did that on that meaningless one but is there other possessions where it’s like hey man second quarter I’m a

Little behind Pace I gotta go you know it’s just those little things again I don’t want to make a m out of real quick I don’t know if you remember this you might be too young but you know we’ve seen these kinds of things happen before

Right and one of the most famous ones was Orlando was playing I believe it was the Pistons I think Doug Collins was coaching the Pistons he might it might have been the wizards but I think it was the Pistons and Anthony Buie was a player on the Orlando Magic and he was

One assist shy of a triple double and the game was basically over it was not gonna be you know one possession game kind of like this like 10 point game whatever and the magic called timeout late in the game like in this situation to set up a play where Anthony Buie

Could try to throw the ball in from an inbound spot because that’s all the time that was left to get a direct assist to get his triple double and Doug Collins told his team you know what if they want it that bad we’re gonna give it to him

He had all five Defenders standing right in front of the bench next to him and Anthony took the ball at half court he took the ball at half court that’s where it was being taken out and he threw it all the way down underneath the basket

At somebody caught it like caught it in one motion laid it in to get his 10th assist and Doug Collins was like clapping and like walked off the court like you wanted that back in it so like last night imagine if imagine if uh they thought the Pacers thought her two

Nights ago you know what go ahead everybody get out of the way let him have it let him get this one to make more of an example of the situation that’s kind of what I thought about when Shane did that I love it man I think it’s hilarious uh I remember Ricky Davis

Is the one I always remember because if you remember he was one assist or I think a rebound shy so he shot it on the wrong hoop to grab the rebound trying to get it so I think that one that might be my favorite trying to get a triple

Double at the end of game moment um hit that outro music for us super producer Emma real quick as we get out of here legs tonight Phoenix at Boston we thought we were gonna get a bunch of games Philly at Milwaukee imagine what a great game that would be if everyone was

Healthy not the case Dallas at Oklahoma City also not the case but at least we get Phoenix at Boston tonight like this is a good game and I just called that game uh when they met met up in Phoenix uh last weekend so now you get the

Rematch and um you know Booker didn’t play in that game uh and Al is he playing tonight has playing right Booker Booker should be out there he’s been out there both teams at full strength hopefully um let’s let’s get the rematch and see what it looks like I also like

The Clippers at Chicago just because Chicago right now man they’re they’re playing tough I like the way they’re playing the Clippers have not been playing tough so I’m interested in that one as well I don’t know any thoughts on that game listen all I all I care about is is

When these when these top teams get together man give me something worth analyzing it’s been very very difficult I’m going to actually do a little research tomorrow on this topic for tomorrow’s show talking about the difference in in the number of games that like top guys are missing relative

To what it used to look like and that why this has become so hard to figure things out in the regular season yeah all right if you guys are watching this on YouTube you’re going to want to stick around we are doing a new series where

We break down a play We’re going to have a great play from the Boston Celtics that they’ve been running uh just a handful of times this year so we have new content coming to our YouTube page that you’re not going to want to miss make sure you’re subscribed hit the

Little notification button so you get notifications whenever we publish a video and we’re going to see you tomorrow hit that like button on the way Out we all sitting like the May

The Denver Nuggets beat Miami Heat 100-88 in an NBA Finals rematch and move to the top of the Western Conference. Luka Doncic scores 21, triple-double streak ends at 7 as Mavs get past the Warriors 109-99. DeMar DeRozan’s 46 points leads Bulls past Pacers in OT. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander shamelessly intentionally fouled to break a KD scoring record. Fair or foul?

Join Tim Legler and Adam Mares for this Thursday’s ALL NBA Podcast

00:00 – Intro
02:17 – Nuggets-Heat notes
02:55 – Nuggets take over the 1-seed in the West
13:38 – Jokic text message impact
17:30 – Postgame quotes
22:55 – Miami Heat 4 straight losses
28:37 – Mavericks-Warriors notes
30:24 – Golden State Warriors with and without Steph Curry
32:19 – Luka Doncic injury
33:30 – Daniel Gafford
37:31 – Bulls-Pacers notes
43:18 – 10 straight wins for Sabonis over AD
47:25 – Shai intentional foul vs IND to break 30 points. 48th 30-point game. Franchise record.

An ALLCITY Network Production

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