Mavs battle Jayson Tatum & Celtics in Game 5: Gentleman’s sweep incoming? | NBA | FIRST THINGS FIRST

Mavs battle Jayson Tatum & Celtics in Game 5: Gentleman’s sweep incoming? | NBA | FIRST THINGS FIRST

this love your enthusiasm this guy well hi everyone why is the music still playing it’s a great day and first things first as we prepare to just relax a little bit God I hope play Lose act like gentlemen as we prepare for game five of the NBA finals it’s not Celtics and six and it’s not a Celtics sweep it’s a gentleman sweet stay with us no hands well look Luca was was played really well including defensively you know you saw him more effort on that end he obviously wasn’t engaging with the refs as much so Luca was very good Kyrie was very good and some of the role players Derek Lively played great right he had 10 rebounds in the first half yeah the the Maverick or the Celtics them as a total team had 13 and Lively had 10 rebounds in the second half of game three yeah so he had 20 rebounds over a four in a game essentially right um but that 13- 10 rebounding Advantage for the Mavericks in the first half or for the Celtics in the first half that Celtics over Lively that brings me to the real answer to your question Celtics complacency there we go I mean look I’m not saying the Mavericks could not have beaten them if the Celtics are fully engaged right but to lose by 38 down by 48 as you said that obviously is complacency and and Lively’s rebounding I mean at halftime it was 29 rebounds for the Mavericks 13 for the Celtics of course and this has been even series or in the first three games I think the Mavericks had like five more rebounds total than the Celtics so it’s virtually even rebounding we know is largely an effort stat and so this just shows that human nature we know that the Celtics like to play with their food anyway right they lost to Miami in game two Cleveland in game two and that was one reason I had questions about them winning the whole thing was that sometimes they just are incredibly uh absent when they should be present and this game I thought was just a primary example so while I credit the Mas are coming out we saw this with the Lakers beating Denver down three 0 we saw it with Minnesota coming out not this type of blowout but beating Dallas down three 0 and that’s what we saw in this game so credit the Mavs but the Celtics just didn’t show Celtics didn’t show up Jason K an interesting quote before the game he said one of these teams is going to be given someone in this game is going to be given the opportunity to let go of the rope and we’ll see if they do it and he didn’t say which team he was talking about he was basically saying it could happen to us to where if we’re down early down 3 0 let go of the rope and it could happen to Boston ostensibly for these reasons Up 3 0 down big early why you know why put in the full effort but the other so Luca finished with 29 Points but that doesn’t matter What mattered was the 25 in the first half and yes he wasn’t barking at the refs but he also this time when he was fouled was getting the calls like Luke and the refs sometimes is a little circular which is if he’s not getting the calls he barks more it looks worse if he is getting the calls people like oh Luke is on better behavior and it’s like well he just has less to be mad about and so that but he did clearly game three it got away from him and in this game I think maybe it could have I’m not ready to say I think it was definitely something he was trying I agree but if but also if early in the game a couple egregious ones went against him I wonder if he wouldn’t have been able to kind of shout down that devil on his shoulder but and this is also but to me the biggest reason was the player the Mavs role players hit threes Luca was outstanding A+ playoff offense Luca for the first half when it mattered and they scored yeah the Mavs and this is why I got so frustrated with the commentary last week and I know that everybody when I pointed out that Luca leads the Mavs in defensive rating and immediately said that stats stinks but the point I was on the season top two in the league in defensive rating Rudy goar vikor wanyama so it so in some regards we think it’s a legitimate stat and I thought Luca’s bad defensive moments were so flashing red light awful it made it seem like he was that that was the reason they were down 03 when I thought the reason they were down 03 was cuz for the first time in his entire career with Kyrie Irving they went three they didn’t score 100 points in multiple games in a row like that the the for the first time in his career as a pro with or without Kyrie they went three straight games without scoring a 100 he was rolling the role players got going yes Boston didn’t have as much of a sense of urgency and that leads to this you know that leads to that type of result the the question I posit is this is Boston still an all-time great team and I think the answer might be are they eligible if they win tonight but ineligible if they lose tonight in which case if that’s the case then the answer is no they’re not if whether or not you’re an all-time great team comes it’s like well if they win the finals in five and gentleman sweep then we call game three or game four o blip but if they lose tonight and win in six they’re now disqualified from all-time legendary team status like I just want to does that that does that sound about their margin their differential moved just a little bit yes in a 38 Point loss but not enough to knock him out of the top five no so I think this was just a blip and I assume they’re going to win tonight so we can put historical greatness back they so you’re saying I mean we we don’t think they’re an all-time great team anyway but if they won in six you don’t think all the people arguing this is an all-time great team cuz what would they be 16 and four in the playoffs they’d be 16 and four in the playoffs but we’ve seen that before they would be 80 and 22 for the regular like a big big thing going into game four was here are the 20 lost teams in NBA history Simmons was big on that you talked about it and so that’s kind my kind the point I’m kind of making is the this series we now have the teams essentially tied in point differential we know that game two I thought Boston controlled throughout but there’s the what if they call the foul on The Fast Break game three there is the what if Luca doesn’t foul out Boston should be up in this series but it also feels closer than a series that was 3 0 to start with if that makesense would that what was that feeling like at three what do you mean what what was it feeling like no brw I’m not GNA it was a close sweep it was admit that it exist is still I agree it was a it was it wasn’t like Nets it was close yes absolutely Lakers Nuggets meanwhile the Celtics best player continues his mediocre run another mediocre might be too strong game in the teens 15 points retaining before sitting for the entire fourth quarter here he is after the game hey I mean I’m waiting patiently game one 16 game two 18 game three 31 but four for 13 from three and then Friday 15 points one for four from three are you surprised Tatum struggled again no listen he’s not a finals guy until proven otherwise the he’s just not I the this is 10 finals games in his career how many of those games has he shot above 50% zero only Rip Hamilton as far as guys who ever made an All-Star team had a longer stretch start his career rip was 12 for 12 all 12 of his career finals games didn’t break 50% but also wasn’t relied on to be the number one offensive option that was a defensive minded team you shot like 36% no but I’m no what I’m saying is every individual game he hasn’t hasn’t been above yeah right he hasn’t been above 50% once Jason Tatum the last three years since he has been in club Superstar and since he’s been in all NBA caliber guy here is what he is regular season that guy is awesome first three rounds of the playoffs almost as good as a regular season the finals he’s been B we can now expand that worst field goal percentage in the finals to even more attempts 175 that’s who he’s on the list with and so I I don’t know what else to say if we if you go through I did it today each game it’s like was Tatum the best player on his own team in any game no was he the second best player on his own team all 10 no I me in this series this series was he the second best player on his own team in any game probably game three yeah but that’s that’s it in game four was he better than Sam Hower game four I no one gets an a word throw that one out with game’s one and two I mean you can’t count yeah you you could say I would say he was the best in game four which doesn’t even matter oh okay that’s all right that’s fine but there were three Mavericks ahead of him but the game one Jaylen christs and Drew were better game two Drew and Jaylen were better and so I mean I it just is what it is in my opinion he’s almost at this point disqualified from Finals MVP wow because I in order for him to have more good games than bad games they have to lose they have to keep losing yeah like you know is that’s where I’m at it’s fair he clearly battles with nerves and to me in the final I mean number one he said he was nervous in game one all right I mean you’ve been to the finals before you’ve been the Eastern Conference Finals what five six times and you’re saying you’re nervous and if you look at I I still contend he’s playing a good floor game he’s leading the Celtics in rebound and leading them in assist what what is and he’s scoring obviously averaging 20 a game but his shooting that’s what it is and that can be a mental thing that can be nerves when you’re missing little I wouldn’t say bunnies cuz they’re contested but when you’re missing layups you usually make that can be and so he’s going to have to deal with this you know after they presumably win this finals I mean he’ll be happy he should be like I said last week don’t let anybody get you down if you’re not Finals MVP but he’s going to have to take a look in the mirror and say why can’t I shoot well in the finals now as far as finals MVP I don’t think he’s disqualified oh you don’t think no because nobody’s lighting it up Jaylen Brown had 10 points and five turnovers in game four so I’m I’m my five six turnovers no Drew holiday is averaging 14 points and four not even four assists and his defense is what he’s doing great opponents are shooting 58% against him when he’s a primary Defender so it’s like there’s nobody on the Celtics having a phenomenal series I would say at this moment it is jayen brown but if Tatum has a great game tonight or if it goes six and he’s good tonight and they lose great in game six and they win he can definitely he’s averaging 20 eight and six 20 points eight rebounds six assist I mean I know he’s averaging you look it don’t matter man it’s not Michael Jordan shot 41% in the final and they won so who cares I know he’s averaging 20 but he’s got three games under 19 and 131 one point under I know but still um all right here’s what you talking about cuz Brown’s averaging 20.8 that’s my is I mean that’s fair here’s I had he took four threes uh and I was just grinding the all 10 and I’m like you know what I’m going to do what set aside part of my day and rewatch all four all four threes oh wow so me and Josh so here here’s the first one six dribble step back obviously a miss another one this is going to be a four dribble three four contested pump obviously a Miss next one is another four dribble step back again and this one gets blocked these are all bad shots here’s the one that he made uh if we’re going to switch tapes Al Horford pick come around and make it it’s not step back so no so it’s just basic I mean that play he not shoot but here’s the thing W does he not shoot step back threes like that in the regular season he does I know but those are but Brew you could I could have blindly describe those to you and be like which one do you think went in if you’re struggling let’s have more of the Easy Shot and less of the oh wow shots and can I say something else about the finals MVP thing cuz brw’s point about the history of it Isaiah didn’t win his first one Steph didn’t win for the first three he ran through it he said yeah he was like Kobe only won two of five dun won two of six right Duncan didn’t win all of them here is the distinguishing Factor however Isaiah was not bad in those finals that they when Joe Dumars won Kobe his first final wasn’t great the next two rings he was very good but Shaq was averaging over the course of that 35 and 15 it was when when Steph didn’t win it and Iguodala won it Steph actually had better numbers in that series than he had in the regular season when he won MVP and then the next two years it Kevin Durant was just shooting Fireballs out of his eyes so he won it it wasn’t because Steph was terrible this is a different situation and it is I I don’t want to call it unprecedented because I’d have to go through all 76 finals but a finals where somebody is clearly going into it the team’s best player plays really poorly and they win anyway like maybe there’s one that comes to mind for people immediately there isn’t for me I was thinking about it like you mentioned Jordan was the 41% the one against Seattle and Jordan was great almost he averaged a ton of points but I think he shot 41% against Seattle I think so and that was again that was because the last three games of that series he struggled from the field but they started out Up 3 0 in part because he was great and I understand Boston started up 3 0 but it’s not because Tatum was great so it’s a very very weird historical situation where Tatum I think has been B level once this Series game three I can’t say that he scored 31 y looking at go no no no but that’s what I’m talking about I’m serious all you’re looking that wasn’t an a game though you wer like G how you know how hard it is to score 30 in a freaking you’re misunderstanding what I’m saying what I’m saying is of the three games the there was only one time I thought in the four games he played B level or above you want to call it a b a b plus an A minus whatever but games one game two and game four game four was an F you can say across the board game one and two was a c minus is yeah and so I just that is a weird spot for to be like but if he’s great tonight he’s Finals MVP what if Jaylen struggles tonight he struggled in gamew gets it I drew is averaging 14 points a game and giving up 58% shooting well that they giving up8 for the when he’s the primary Defender those numbers can be a little hinky well you brought up defensive rating guess who Tatum and brown are tied with defensive rating yes second among starters behind Al hor there it’s better than Drew I’m just say I’m not buying the defensive ra rip he is leading them in rebounded and assist you’re going to sit here and act like he’s playing terrible and he’s second and scoring by 810 of a point I mean my and they’re about to win okay yeah I mean I think were you surprised he played poorly in game four i i i thr out game four how do you even measure game four they G they gave up the ghost a little bit on the best player it’s on everybody J Jaylen Brown is right there it’s 1 a and one b and he was worse okay okay I mean I I mean it’s not even the question and Drew holiday wasn’t good either no that was that but that was Drew’s like first bad game I thought it was tripping as far and I’m not saying he’s playing well I get the criticism but to act like he has no chance to be Finals MVP 28 and six leading them in rebounding and assist and and maybe will lead them in scoring yeah go go this guy will lead them perhaps in scoring rebounding and assist and all people are doing is sitting here ripping he’s putting up almost an identical stat line to LeBron and ‘ 07 which is considered one of LeBron LeBron’s second worst finals and is something of where he play it’s just universally agreed upon he played poorly throughout even though he was the best player on his team unlike this it’s a weird I don’t think we’re being won if they had lebrown would have got credit yeah but that’s why it makes it so weird because it’s despite that they’re winning because a Tatum guy no I’m just I’m just saying I think the notion that he’s ridiculously bad is is a A Bridge Too Far well speaking of a bridge too far of Tatum game five tonight Celtics favored by almost seven tip off is around 8:30 which is prime time to just settle back pour yourself a spritzer tickle the ivories little bit actual piano play now this was not me actually alltime series results it sounds good after you lose game four after going up 3 0 well wow history is on my side 46 teams have won 41 man actual piano handful of teams won 42 thank you gentlemen met him at the where’d you meet him where I almost did it but no a gentleman’s get together cuz otherwise the yacht club was going to say the Gent question missed it uh expecting the Gent like the vibe is great CU you’re gentlemen all right um no so we know and hubs sorry I don’t know if we can show it real quick just the all-time scoring leaders when facing elimination Luca still despite only scoring 29 this past week or this past game pardon me he’s still a top that list we know Luca is going to be outstanding and here Wilds what watch are you always on on I’m on hobble watch all the time and there’s another one okay well I was just thinking hobble watch but that fraud watch fraud but that’s neither here nor there for me I am going to be on murmur watch H for TD Garden if Jason Tatum misses his first few shots a good take because for the this is one of those spots where I know everyone’s like oh Boston now gets to win it at home it all sounds great if they win but if Luca comes out rolling and Tatum misses a few shots and I want just want to see if there’s an unease in that crowd because the way Tatum’s played I think that would impact him so no I don’t expect the Celtics to win tonight Brew you look there’s a lot of reasons to go with the Celtics and and the the momentum even though they lost the vibe Everything feels Celtics give me the Mavs oh give me the Mavs what just call it a wishful thinking you know what a gentleman says what it’s okay to disagree just don’t be disagreeable so I politely disagree gentleman sweep we’ll see you right here tomorrow 3:00 our show’s got another hour and seven minutes maybe you got things to do what do you know go to a museum wild was only worried about this segment have a strong a block it’s Clay unfollowing the Warriors a big deal we’re going to discuss back here on FS1 and Fox Sports Radio 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 Games 4 & 5 of the 2024 NBA Finals between the Boston Celtics and Dallas Mavericks.

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Mavs battle Jayson Tatum & Celtics in Game 5: Gentleman’s sweep incoming? | NBA | FIRST THINGS FIRST

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