Why the Celtics Lost, Why the Lakers Won, and What Comes Next in the NBA Playoffs

Untitled project from SquadCast === thepeachbasket_1_05-03-2026_094811: ​[00:00:00] All right. It's basketball. I'm Jose Salviati Editor at the peach basket net. He's Steve Purciello a longtime educator, vice principal, high school basketball coach. Athletic director and also the host of Celtic talk. Celtic talk is a pod dedicated to the latest news and opinion surrounding the Boston Celtics. The team I'm sure we're gonna talk about a little bit today from a lifelong fan, Steve, his pod will drop a new episode every Monday, but this is the Chalk clock pod, the best 24 minutes of NBA random thoughts online. Anywhere and as the NBA playoffs are rolling, we've got a lot to talk about today. This podcast was born outta the content of Steve's 13 rules, random NBA Thoughts articles which he publishes weekly. Steve and I have exactly 24 minutes to discuss what's on his mind around the NBA. Today we'll discuss his latest 13 rules, random MBA thoughts article where he shares his random thoughts after the second week. 25, 26 NBA playoffs with some surprises, some shockers, some big [00:01:00] shots, some crazy shots. We'll talk about all of it, but before we get into it, if you're listening to this, we want you to know that we are an independent fan driven show on the Peach Basket Podcast Network. We're not owned by big media company, which means what you hear comes straight from real fans. Who live and die by the game every day. If you believe voices like this should be heard, the best way to support us is simple. Keep listening. Tell a friend like, comment, share. As soon as this episode ends, head over to the Peach Basket podcast network com. Head over to the peach basket.net. Check out more fan run podcast and help this independent network grow the way it started organically. What hoops fan at a time. We're glad you're here. Thank you, Steve. Are you ready? Let's go. Clock is running. We got a lot to talk about. All right. We're gonna do today, what we did last week. I thought it went really well. We're gonna go through each series. And if you wrote about it, we'll talk about it if you didn't. We'll talk about your thoughts on this series. Now we're just talking the first round series. Some [00:02:00] have been decided already. We'll start with one that has, and that is the Thunder versus the Suns wasn't much of a matchup at all. I don't think anybody expected it to be, but you wrote something interesting. Now, this applies both to the Thunder Series and the Spur series. You wrote that since 2014, every NBA champion has won the first round in five games or less. Is that coincidence or is that something we need to keep an eye on? squadcaster-54c6_1_05-03-2026_124811: I think Oklahoma City in San Antonio. Probably are two, the two best teams, they're the ones that did it in five games or less. so I think it might be a coincidence and naturally things sometimes happen. Somebody gets hurt or somebody, whatever. But I think right now, if you were a betting person, you probably put your money on? Oklahoma, If not, if you couldn't I would guess San Antonio would be the second team you'd put your money on. thepeachbasket_1_05-03-2026_094811: Sure. squadcaster-54c6_1_05-03-2026_124811: Yeah. Things happen and maybe this won't [00:03:00] happen because the, there's other teams that are pretty good. That could be a problem, but, and we can't tell about injuries. But Yeah I think it's pretty interesting and 'cause usually the first round, team hammers the bad team. And that's what we got in those two series. thepeachbasket_1_05-03-2026_094811: Yeah. squadcaster-54c6_1_05-03-2026_124811: Portland did even balling on the same court half the time when San Antonio turned it up, they just killed him, and Phoenix, similarly with Oklahoma, thepeachbasket_1_05-03-2026_094811: Yeah, no undeniable. It was, it's, it's good to see that we didn't have that across the board. In other words, the other series have been pretty good. They've been, there've been some really good storylines. I think those are the only two that, that have been just pretty much over from the start. squadcaster-54c6_1_05-03-2026_124811: Yeah. Yeah they've been great. The other series have been a lot of fun to watch. thepeachbasket_1_05-03-2026_094811: Yeah. Alright, so before we go onto the next series, some of the more interesting ones, with apologies to the others, tell me about your thoughts for the Blazers and the Suns. I [00:04:00] think neither one of them, they, we saw their weakness. We saw their they're close, but they're not quite, there are these teams that are right, going in the right direction or just a one and done for both of these teams. squadcaster-54c6_1_05-03-2026_124811: Are. thepeachbasket_1_05-03-2026_094811: Right. squadcaster-54c6_1_05-03-2026_124811: They have they have some players and have some pieces. If they wanna get in the market for Aian, they might have the ability to put up enough young players and players to make that trade. thepeachbasket_1_05-03-2026_094811: Wow. squadcaster-54c6_1_05-03-2026_124811: so that gets interesting and they have some talent. don't know if that talent, as it develops, is good enough be anything better than the second round team, but. do have the opportunity with the talent they have. Shaden Sharp doesn't even get used much, or not that he doesn't get used, but he's not even one of the three guards they're counting on next year. They're talking about Dru holiday scoot Henderson, and Lillard. So and a lot of teams would take Shaden Sharp. So I, what I'm saying is there's people that you can trade to get something [00:05:00] with Phoenix. They need more. They just need more. They just, Dylan Brooks is a good player. He is a borderline all star maybe, and booker's a good player. But after that, and Mark Williams, he misses as much as he plays. The they need another player. They need another real good player. To become a good team. And I, by that I mean somebody that's all star level. thepeachbasket_1_05-03-2026_094811: Yeah. squadcaster-54c6_1_05-03-2026_124811: they don't, will outwork teams and maybe be, we'll play in team for a while. That, that's the the height of it. thepeachbasket_1_05-03-2026_094811: Yeah. As a fan of Chelsea Billups, it's good to see, right? That, that for me personally I've always, I liked his career. I actually saw him at an airport once, didn't go up to him or anything. Just didn't wanna be weird, but, I liked the guy. I just seemed, I just think he was he was a, never a star, but led his team to the championship. That kind of stuff. That underdog thing surrounding John C is cool, something that appeals to [00:06:00] me. So I'm happy to see the success he's had in Portland. But I agree with you. I think the thing, the team is currently constructed. It is not gonna get much further than they got here. Maybe the second round. They need to do what most teams at this point need to do. That's add a little ho, a little horsepower. Giannis would be interesting. Let's see how it plays out. Alright, let's move to the East and talk about, let's see, which one here. How about the Nicks versus the Hawks Now? That's an interesting one. The Hawks gave the Knicks a little bit of a scare. I think that's fair to say. The Hawks we'll talk about the Hawks first. Let's talk about the Knicks, and specifically let's talk about what the Knicks did to the hawks. You wrote about it, right? That you called it a total destruction. When I saw the score, I thought it was wrong. I thought just my phone was glitching. It was unbelievable. Now does that speak. To how far the hawks were and it was fool's gold, or how good the Knicks are. squadcaster-54c6_1_05-03-2026_124811: I don't think it [00:07:00] was fools gold. I think the Knicks figured some things out in that game. and they played accordingly. And I think they realized how good they can be. But you know what? You're not gonna, they're not gonna play that well. Just Anna Nobie is not gonna shoot that well. Every one of them is not gonna be, like that. And I think after a while, don't forget, the Knicks won. The games they won were, I think all over 10 point wins. So I think Atlanta, once the Knicks got out on 'em. I think Atlanta said, ah, no, it just, this is done. And the Knicks just, they were tremendous. They were tremendous. But the Knicks are very dangerous and right now they're the favorite in the east, but. Are they going to revert back to what they were, meaning that team that struggles and plays underneath what their talent is, or are they going to begin to play like this they, they play Philly tomorrow night and Philly's gotta be a tired, beat up team and bead was hobbled up and [00:08:00] down the court thepeachbasket_1_05-03-2026_094811: Yeah. squadcaster-54c6_1_05-03-2026_124811: But, so I would think the Knicks, should be okay tomorrow night, but then after tomorrow night it will get interesting. Philly, if they continue to play as well as they did against Boston, it'll be an interesting series. And I think it comes down to the Knicks being able to play as well as they've been playing. thepeachbasket_1_05-03-2026_094811: Yeah. I think a second, as much as I wanna go down the rabbit hole of the second round series, I kind of wanna just focus on the first, because there's a lot to talk about, but yeah I watched a little bit of the end of the Boston Sixers game, which we'll talk about a little bit later. But yeah, I saw him be hobble, but interestingly he, I think he hit knees with somebody. And then and moment later he's diving, for a loose B. I dunno if that's adrenaline or what it is, but going back to the Nicks blowout of the hawks what was interesting to me. Showing the chart, right? You see this, I think it's on PN, where it shows you how big of a lead it is, and it just goes up and down usually. And the Hawks actually led nine to [00:09:00] five about, I dunno, three minutes in or something. And it was like the Knicks just took that personal, and then they just they, it was unbelievable. Just embarrassing. But again, oh, go ahead. squadcaster-54c6_1_05-03-2026_124811: No, I'm rarely right, but I think I said before the series about of Congo not being big enough to play in this series. thepeachbasket_1_05-03-2026_094811: Yeah, you did. squadcaster-54c6_1_05-03-2026_124811: Hawks need to go out and get some big size. They had poor zingas but they dealt him 'cause he never played to go state. But they need to go out and get somebody they can count on. And by that a seven footer. That can play every night. Because that's their biggest problem. Without now Congo shows himself well, 'cause he can shoot the ball and he can do different things offensively that can help. But you are asking a lot for him to play against the Carl Anthony Towns. and just hold his own. And then Mitchell Robinson off the bench, he's way, he's in a different realm playing against those guys 'cause [00:10:00] Robinson's a great offensive rebounder and so on. So there, there's a lot. If the hawks go out and get a legitimate, big. And don't forget, they have New Orleans first round pick, So if they can go out and get a legitimate big through some way they're an interesting team. The other thing I'll say about the Hawks, everybody is anointed. Jalen Johnson is a star. Stars take over those games or try to. thepeachbasket_1_05-03-2026_094811: Right. squadcaster-54c6_1_05-03-2026_124811: very reluctant to, to even, he gave the ball up and was very passive in those games. So they need to establish somebody an alpha on that team. But, thepeachbasket_1_05-03-2026_094811: Yeah. squadcaster-54c6_1_05-03-2026_124811: But the hawks are not far away as 50 points losing. They're not that bad a. thepeachbasket_1_05-03-2026_094811: Okay. So before we move on to the teams that are still playing between the Suns, the Blazers, and the Hawks, who has the better future? Who's closest to, to taking that next step? squadcaster-54c6_1_05-03-2026_124811: Who do you think? [00:11:00] thepeachbasket_1_05-03-2026_094811: Oh, wow. You do this to me sometimes, but I'm never ready. All right. I don't think the suns again, I'm a fan of the Blazers. It's gotta be the blazers of the Hawks. But I think the hawks really relied on cj and I don't think cj, CJ is not somebody who's gonna get better. So I would think it's gonna be the Blazers, the hawks, borrowing any trades. And then the suns, what do. squadcaster-54c6_1_05-03-2026_124811: totally agree. Totally agree. The Hawks, like I said, need an alpha. I think Portland is amassed a lot of decent to good players and they've just gotta sort it out and put it together. I put the problem for the Blazers is you're in the West and what the thepeachbasket_1_05-03-2026_094811: Yeah. Yeah. squadcaster-54c6_1_05-03-2026_124811: Five or six pretty good teams, and then the levels go down. Where in the east it seems like it's anybody's game, so it's a lot different and they, it's gonna be hard for them to get into that top four level. thepeachbasket_1_05-03-2026_094811: Yeah. squadcaster-54c6_1_05-03-2026_124811: I. [00:12:00] thepeachbasket_1_05-03-2026_094811: Yeah. Alright. And it did leave out one team that is also going home and that is the Houston Rocket. Let's talk about them. Let's talk about that series. Let's talk about where they land in, in, in the group that we just that we just said that we just listed. You talked a little earlier about, about being right. Here's one, I got totally wrong. I did not give the Lakers a chance. I don't think very many people outside of LA did. They were, without Austin Reeds. They were without Luka Don, and they were up against the Kevin Durant lead, and obviously he only played one game, but very good defensive team in the Houston Rockets. And the rocket just imploded. What happened? squadcaster-54c6_1_05-03-2026_124811: Sometimes in the NBA, it's not about you winning, it's about the other team losing. thepeachbasket_1_05-03-2026_094811: Wow. squadcaster-54c6_1_05-03-2026_124811: here was about Houston. I think they struggled all year to play as a group, a team, and they really had no personality. They don't forget that three injuries, van Fleet. thepeachbasket_1_05-03-2026_094811: Sure. squadcaster-54c6_1_05-03-2026_124811: the season, Stephen Adams, when they played the two bigs, him and Shang [00:13:00] Goon, they were dangerous. And then Durant in the playoffs, thepeachbasket_1_05-03-2026_094811: Yeah. squadcaster-54c6_1_05-03-2026_124811: didn't help matters with his burner phone incident. thepeachbasket_1_05-03-2026_094811: Yeah. squadcaster-54c6_1_05-03-2026_124811: I think the team never really came outta that. But all year they were. Losing games to d teams they should beat and they were just not in any way. They had a little bit of a streak at the end of the year but they just weren't consistent and they weren't as good as they hoped. thing that was surprising to me, when Van Lee got hurt during the summer, didn't go out and get a point guard. They thought Reed Shepherd would be the answer. he might be the answer of being a sixth man that can come in and shoot the ball, but I don't know if he's the answer as a point guard. thepeachbasket_1_05-03-2026_094811: Yeah. squadcaster-54c6_1_05-03-2026_124811: And Yado is a defensive coach. Shepherd is not a defensive player, so there's a lot of things that just weren't right and it didn't make sense what they did. I thought. And I just read that the owner for TDA Tita is going to keep both Raphael Stone, the [00:14:00] GM and aime. thought that somebody would have a problem after this, but obviously as I said, I got one right with O Congo. I get five wrong, and this one would be one of them that I, but I think they're close, but they do have the Duran Curse and they've gotta figure out what they wanna do. thepeachbasket_1_05-03-2026_094811: Yeah I think it's gonna be a very interesting off season. They've gotta make a KD decision, right? You said EMA iss coming back. The owner said Ema iss coming back. So that's done and done. I'm gonna put on my LA hat now and say we've been given kind of the credit for this loss, for this win, depending on who you, where you look at it from, to the rockets. But we gotta give a little credit to the Lakers. They still had to play. They still, LeBron still had to be the most amazing 41-year-old basketball player in the history of ever. You gotta give a little credit to the Lakers. squadcaster-54c6_1_05-03-2026_124811: Yeah, you can. And that was, there's no problem. But the point being, I think Houston was set up to lose no matter who they [00:15:00] played. I think, I just I don't, I just don't think this was Houston's year. There might be another year where it will be, and I think sometimes that's the story about one team, not about both. Yeah. Give the Lakers. all the credit in the world and LeBron and all the other stuff because he always dominates in the early rounds of the playoffs, so you gotta give him credit for that. thepeachbasket_1_05-03-2026_094811: Yeah. squadcaster-54c6_1_05-03-2026_124811: but. More to me the stories Houston thepeachbasket_1_05-03-2026_094811: Yeah. squadcaster-54c6_1_05-03-2026_124811: the stories, the problems they have. thepeachbasket_1_05-03-2026_094811: Yeah, fair enough. And looking back when KD signed, he was excited. Houston was excited. On paper. It looked like a perfect matchup. You've got this young hungry team, this veteran, to lead him who's, one of the best closers of all time. One of the best players of all time. And it just didn't work. And it, it gets back to what you and I talked about before. Being a GM is tough, right? On paper. I think nine outta 10 people make that. Decision, make that trade to bring in kd, it just didn't work because of mentalities, [00:16:00] because of, I don't know, because of nuance, some kind of. squadcaster-54c6_1_05-03-2026_124811: You look at that and that's okay. I think you had the number three pick in the draft from a couple years ago, Jabari Smith, and he's gotten better than a corner shooter and maybe a fourth best guy on a team. When you number th the number three pick, you expect a hell of a lot more than that. You got a SAR Thompson who. Hi. His brother has become more of an offensive player than us are. You've got. Tariq Easton, who everybody's predicting great things, but where's it coming? And these people haven't really progressed to that level that, that, you wanted to see, you know what the Lakers did? They did a great job in patchwork with Rui. And these are guys that not $15 million, $12 million players. Marcus Smart who came outta nowhere [00:17:00] to play thepeachbasket_1_05-03-2026_094811: Yeah. squadcaster-54c6_1_05-03-2026_124811: Don't be hating Deandre Aton. He played he held his own, And so on. He wasn't will Chamberlain, but he held his own, so they thepeachbasket_1_05-03-2026_094811: He was clin Capella. squadcaster-54c6_1_05-03-2026_124811: That's a whole different thing. And it, it's funny. A guy like Aon. What'd he go first in the draft or thepeachbasket_1_05-03-2026_094811: Yeah. squadcaster-54c6_1_05-03-2026_124811: wanted, Yeah. he remind, and I'm gonna use this, he's a lot like Miami's, Mr. Wiggins first in the draft. You can't cut a person open and find out their drive. They're good players, they're talented. You don't know if they wanna be the best guy on the court, and that goes with it. And. That's, and that's what a, where Aton is. He's talented, but he's just there. If you watch a game, thepeachbasket_1_05-03-2026_094811: yep. Alright, let's stay in the West. Talk about another one that was a bit of a surprise. Although you and I talked [00:18:00] about how statistically analytically the wolves have the best chance to win it all. We, a couple shows back, we talked about why that is. Not that we necessarily agreed with it, but that's what the numbers say. The wolves check every box that most champions have had over the last course of the last 20, 30 years, which is pretty incredible. They beat the nuggets and they did it without their best player. So you called out the fact that the Nugget two got some, some big decisions coming up regarding Peyton Watson. And so you dove into the nuggets which obviously is, big decision for them. Let's talk about the wolves. How did they do it? Without even chance? Without. And they're hobbled and yet they beat a team that undeniably had a great chance to win it all. squadcaster-54c6_1_05-03-2026_124811: Alex Gordon's hurt which is a major thing 'cause he's the He gets everything moving and he didn't play. And that's. Or he was hurt and on and off he played, he, that doesn't help them. The [00:19:00] nuggets are they're weird in the way that they. Gave Christian Brown a, a 25 million a year for five years or something ridiculous. So they're like, just constructed in an odd way, and it's going downhill. You still have the best player in the game but after that it's going downhill. So I didn't see it coming where Denver, would be showing that they're going downhill, but they showed it and Minnesota, got a lot of heart. McDaniels can drive you nuts because he'll do stupid things, but he can play and Randall kind of played well and even with di Vicenzo going down, Edwards hurt, they held their own and they found somebody in IU de Sumu who's going to hit the lottery 'cause he'll be a free agent. Restricted, I believe. No, he's not a restricted, he's a regular free agent. He's gonna hit the lottery this off season. But they found that it's been pieced together. But one thing you always get with Minnesota is they play hard. [00:20:00] They really play hard all. the time. thepeachbasket_1_05-03-2026_094811: Yeah. squadcaster-54c6_1_05-03-2026_124811: what you're gonna run into. thepeachbasket_1_05-03-2026_094811: Yeah. See, and as a fan, that's all I want from my team, and that sincerely. I, as long as you go out there and you play hard, you battle, you lose a tough game. You lose by 20 or 30, you win a couple. I just wanna see some effort, man. And that's the worst part of being a fan of a team. I won't name any names but I will say maybe, this Sacramento area has a team that maybe doesn't always do that. squadcaster-54c6_1_05-03-2026_124811: Which area? I didn't hear that. thepeachbasket_1_05-03-2026_094811: Did I Sacramento area. Yeah, but again, I don't wanna name names, but teams like that are hard to root for. You wanna see effort, so I appreciate that you called that out. We're, we wanna make the shot clock here. I know. We really do. And so we got three more games to talk about. We're not gonna talk about the game sevens although I do wanna hear a prediction, but I wanna give most of the time to the Celtics versus the Sixers Now. This was a phenomenal series between two of the best franchises in NBA history historic [00:21:00] franchises, which have got a ton of history together. I was shocked to find out, literally shocked that the Sixers had not beaten the Celtics in a playoff match since 1982. squadcaster-54c6_1_05-03-2026_124811: Yeah. thepeachbasket_1_05-03-2026_094811: That, that is shocking to me. I had no idea. I knew that Embi couldn't beat him, but I it goes all the way back to, that was that Dr. J era? That's crazy. That is wild. They have owned them and the Sixers beat 'em at seven. How did that happen in Boston? squadcaster-54c6_1_05-03-2026_124811: It happened. First of all, with MBI playing, pretty talented. And nobody could have predicted that George would shoot 55% from three, or Edgecomb. A rookie would play as well as he did. He's a good player, but he would, and then Max, he's great. And be. Boston had no answers how to defend him or what to do. Ambi was too big and too strong for Boston. So there, there was a whole bunch of things that went wrong for Boston. Boston began to rely on the three and very rarely over the [00:22:00] year did they have three bad games in a row, not shooting the three they did it the last three games of the series. So there's a lot of factors that went into it. But don't. Lose the fact that Philadelphia's pretty good, and they're dangerous and if MB is healthy, that's four pretty good offensive players right there that you're playing with. And ure defends real well. So they're dangerous. For Boston, they saw some things. During a season you can hide different things because you get ready, somebody's on a three, three games, a four night type situation and you run into them and you can beat them. But. There was some weaknesses for Boston. They really couldn't, Kate's a nice player, but he's not Ed and he couldn't defend them. He got in foul trouble all the time. Boston had their issues in playing against him but Philadelphia they won the series. Don't take that away from them. Yeah. Boston didn't play as well. They shot poorly from three and all the other things, but [00:23:00] Philly deserves a great deal of credit. One other thing too, when you watch Boston. And Boston did it in game six and someone in game five, Boston goes into their Tatum and Brown one on everybody Game Without Ball movement, they sink. And thepeachbasket_1_05-03-2026_094811: Yeah, squadcaster-54c6_1_05-03-2026_124811: that in game six and they did it in parts of game five. And that, that really didn't help the situation. Things happen and you move on. But Philly's good. Don't undersell them. If they can keep everybody on the court. thepeachbasket_1_05-03-2026_094811: Yeah. Outstanding. I, I'm an under underdog guy. Have a soft spot in my heart, which I think is why I gravitate to the Clippers. Sweat covered for a while. That's the ultimate underdog. And seeing how, the Sixers have just been beaten up by the Celtics for 40 plus years. It's cool to see but you heard the buzzer go off another shot. Cloud violation is what we do here, but I do wanna get, we don't wanna go too deep down the rabbit hole at all, but we got two [00:24:00] game sevens that we're gonna enjoy today. I want your pick right, the Pistons versus the magic in Detroit. The Cavs versus the Raptors in Cleveland. Both are improbable. Both shouldn't, neither one of these should have gone. Seven. I'm sure that Detroit and Cavs fans would agree. Who wins Pistons Magic. squadcaster-54c6_1_05-03-2026_124811: Thes should win and I think, orlando's gotta live with Bonette lead the other night and thepeachbasket_1_05-03-2026_094811: That's crazy. squadcaster-54c6_1_05-03-2026_124811: with Wagner being out. I think. As I wrote Mosley, I think after they lose, he'll be gone. Because that loss, if they would've lost a, a close game that was nip and tucked the whole way pe but that loss is just hard to forget. And thepeachbasket_1_05-03-2026_094811: Yeah. squadcaster-54c6_1_05-03-2026_124811: unless Orlando pulls the major upset, which I really don't see. so I think that's fairly easy. Detroit will manage to hold on. thepeachbasket_1_05-03-2026_094811: Okay. Now you called out the coach too for the la the other game, Cavs Raptors. But you said that it was the better team here. Let's [00:25:00] say, call it what it is, right? Kenny Atkinson and the and the Cavs. If he doesn't win this game, he's in trouble. squadcaster-54c6_1_05-03-2026_124811: I would think he would be. I think if I were to bet, of course, I would take the calves I don't know what the line is or whatever but the point being on that I. Ah, if James Harden plays like he always does in these games, it gets interesting. And Jared Allen, he's gotta play. He, he has a tendency to disappear, so they need something outta them. Toronto Scrap. Scotty Barnes can't, he's not a great shooter, but he can play and, and then they got that bounce from Barrett, the other day. That amazing shot that he made. So thepeachbasket_1_05-03-2026_094811: Right. squadcaster-54c6_1_05-03-2026_124811: karma might be on their side, sometimes, good things are coming, who knows thepeachbasket_1_05-03-2026_094811: Yeah. squadcaster-54c6_1_05-03-2026_124811: When things like that I think I wrote about that, about, I've only seen it three times in my life. And I know when Don Nelson made the shot against the Lakers in 69, thepeachbasket_1_05-03-2026_094811: Yep. squadcaster-54c6_1_05-03-2026_124811: in trouble at that point, [00:26:00] and that kind of settled things down. And Boston held thepeachbasket_1_05-03-2026_094811: Yeah, squadcaster-54c6_1_05-03-2026_124811: that last year. Halliburton was that portent for what was going to happen in that thepeachbasket_1_05-03-2026_094811: right. squadcaster-54c6_1_05-03-2026_124811: And thepeachbasket_1_05-03-2026_094811: That crazy. squadcaster-54c6_1_05-03-2026_124811: what we'll see. thepeachbasket_1_05-03-2026_094811: Yeah. squadcaster-54c6_1_05-03-2026_124811: But I think Toronto's got a better chance than thepeachbasket_1_05-03-2026_094811: Agreed. Yeah. squadcaster-54c6_1_05-03-2026_124811: that's. thepeachbasket_1_05-03-2026_094811: I agree. Both the calves and the pistons are eight and a half point favorites. And it'll probably be those two moving on. And we're well over, but I gotta talk about that shot. You did write about it, and I was gonna bring it up. I completely forgot. That's one of the most incredible shots because you cannot replicate it. Every other shot that I could think of in the NBA, bank shot a wedgie, right? You could shoot it and you could make it happen. You cannot make that shot happen. That is just luck. That is just, which is why it's only happened probably more than three times, but on the biggest stage, three times in the NBA, it hits the back rim, goes straight up and Barrett shot probably went up higher than any, I can never get really tell how high Don [00:27:00] Nelson's went. But he went higher than Halliburton shot and he came straight down. Unbelievable. You cannot replicate it. That is just the basketball God saying, you're gonna win this game. It's crazy. squadcaster-54c6_1_05-03-2026_124811: Yeah. The, if I remember the Nelson one, he the clock was the 24 second clock was going down just drew the ball to him and he was right, right around maybe a step inside the foul line. And he took that shot. 'cause he had thepeachbasket_1_05-03-2026_094811: Yeah. squadcaster-54c6_1_05-03-2026_124811: and and I remember as a kid watching that and said, oh my God, they're gonna win. That was when I realized, 'cause he got scared. The Lakers were making comeback. And then last year. Going into the Nick Indiana series, I think most people would've taken the Knicks as the favorite. And when Halliburton, 'cause Indiana was an upstart when Halliburton made that shot. Maybe they have a chance. thepeachbasket_1_05-03-2026_094811: Yeah. squadcaster-54c6_1_05-03-2026_124811: kind changed. 'cause from that point forward, the series Indiana was the team that was being chased by the Knicks as [00:28:00] opposed to the, before the series was chasing the Nicks. So it's very interesting that shot, I'm sure, like I said, it's happened many times, but thepeachbasket_1_05-03-2026_094811: Yeah. squadcaster-54c6_1_05-03-2026_124811: I remember. thepeachbasket_1_05-03-2026_094811: Yeah. Unreal. And if you haven't seen Don Nelson shot, don't, I didn't watch it live. I don't wanna call that out. But I have seen the pictures. I have seen the video. Google it, check it out. It's unbelievable. And Barrett's shot was incredible. And let's see if that is A, telling what's. squadcaster-54c6_1_05-03-2026_124811: just to add something to that if you get a chance, go to prime and they've got a thing on Jerry West on his life. It's a couple hour thing, it's great. But that was the last time with Bill Russell. That was 1969 and. I believe they showed pictures of him walking off the, it was just, you could just see the frustration that like, because the Lakers had the better team in that series and you thepeachbasket_1_05-03-2026_094811: Yeah. squadcaster-54c6_1_05-03-2026_124811: See that we can't beat this goddamn team, we just can't beat him. It just doesn't work [00:29:00] and as a kid watching it, I'm rooting for the Celtics. You didn't quite realize like the effect on people's lives that. The whole game had with Will and yeah. So thepeachbasket_1_05-03-2026_094811: yeah. squadcaster-54c6_1_05-03-2026_124811: it, it was interesting. And in retrospect, I feel bad for Jerry West. Not for the Lakers, just Jerry West, thepeachbasket_1_05-03-2026_094811: Got it. Appreciate that qualification. Thank you. squadcaster-54c6_1_05-03-2026_124811: yeah. I had to. thepeachbasket_1_05-03-2026_094811: We'll make sure to link that show to wherever you're watching or listening to this. But that's it. Our time is up. We went well over another shot clock violations. But as always, thanks for listening. Thanks for watching. Make sure to read Steve's entire 13 rules. Write MBA Thoughts article. We will also link it wherever you are reading or watching this. To but again join us next week for more random NB thought as we second round it. A very interesting second round of Steve. squadcaster-54c6_1_05-03-2026_124811: Take care.