- Almost happy birthday to Ja.
Tomorrow. [Indistinct]
Gang, gang, gang. - 21.
- Yes, 21. - 21!
- 21 [Chuckling] - 21.
[People laughing]
- What's up, everybody? It's Kelly Oubre Jr.
Aka Tsunami, aka Big Tsunami, aka Big Monsoon.
Y'all know what it is.
[Upbeat music]
- Any photos you got guys,
just make sure you're not showing credentials of anybody.
Thank you. - Show mine.
They can make another one, shit.
[Taylor chuckling] [Indistinct]
- I'm telling you, I'm telling you.
I need two, I mean, I need two of 'em. I did two of me, motherfuckers, right.
[Chuckling]
- Taylor, what’s happening? - You guys ready?
- Is the bus still here?
Cuz I'm trying to leave.
I wanna go to sleep.
- [Announcer:] Welcome to Orlando. The local time is 10:33.
[Upbeat music]
- You are crazy! [Laughing]
[People chattering] - What's up, son?
- Oh. - I can't touch it.
I can't touch it. [Laughing]
[Indistinct] [Laughing]
- See, I'm abiding by the rules.
[Upbeat music] - [Devin Booker:] Stick with our principles, like I talked about. The communication on defense.
- Describe the Western Conference in one word.
- For us right now, it's a cluster-
second word.
- Final week of the regular season.
Playoffs are right around the corner.
Teams are fighting to secure their seeding spots.
You know, some teams are having to fight
a little harder than others right now.
So it's gonna be an eventful week as we figure out
how things shake out and we get a better view
of this playoff picture.
Let's do it.
[Upbeat music]
- [Announcer:] Three points, Rockets.
- Hey, James. So is there, like, a different level
of locking in?
You know, here there's no distractions. You're in Orlando.
It's really just basketball.
How does that maybe change how focused you can be?
- I think everybody's like,
there's no distractions. There's no fans. There's no family.
It’s literally you're in the gym and you're at the hotel
with your team, you know, bonding.
- [Announcer:] Three points, Rockets.
- OK, so the Lakers have already clinched
No. 1 seed in the playoffs.
Tonight, they play the Thunder, who are still fightin’.
It's gonna be a good one.
Playoffs are right around the corner.
[Upbeat music]
- So, Chris, just, like,
what do you tell the guys about playoffs?
- They probably get tired of me talking about it.
[Laughing]
I'm dead serious. They probably get tired of me
talking on it, cuz one of the things you learn
about the playoffs scene—and
what every team is trying to build, even in the regular season—
is you wanna make sure that you have a team
that feels like they can't be beat,
can't be beat four out of seven times.
Right? So the best teams know that you can be beat
on a Tuesday night in January
or on a Thursday night in July. You know?
But they know that they can't be beat four out of seven times.
So we're just trying to build that identity
and get ready for the playoffs.
- Saturday, August 8th.
I am headed to the Memphis Grizzlies' practice.
Grizzlies having a hard time here.
I've seen no Justise Winslow, no Jaren Jackson Jr.
But they have Ja Morant, who today was actually named
as a Rookie of the Year finalist.
I'm gonna go watch practice.
Maybe talk to him. But it's definitely an upward battle
and an uphill battle for the Grizzlies
to be in the playoffs.
[People chattering]
All of them are calling for Ja to dunk it.
- Yo. [Indistinct]
- [Taylor Rooks:] How are you? - [Ja Morant:] I'm all good.
- You didn't dunk. - Nah, nah, nah.
[Taylor laughing]
[Indistinct]
- Taylor Rooks.
- Hey, Ja. OK, so obviously you guys
unfortunately have had a lot of injuries
on this team, bit of an uphill battle.
How do you just kind of stay in it,
keep your mind right and know that, like,
it's not really over till it's over?
- I feel like we all have that, you know, next-man-up mentality.
So, I mean we all heard that we lost, you know,
some players due to injuries. Wish them a speedy recovery.
But we have to play with what we have.
I'm very confident in all our players.
- OK, so the playoffs are right around the corner.
Great players are stepping up to give their teams
that final push.
Two of those players, Devin Booker, T.J. Warren.
We're at the Pacers game right now
watching the T.J. Warren show.
[Upbeat music]
- [Announcer:] Yes.
- OK, in the third, I called a Pacers win.
He called Lakers. - No, I called Pacers.
- He lying. Oh, my God. I called Pacers.
And right now, 50 seconds left, 111-108 Indiana.
I'mma be right. - Lakers. [Laughing]
[Upbeat music]
- This one next. - How are you doing?
It’s good to see you.
- Devin Booker has been an NBA bubble all-star.
OK, right now he is just really leading the Suns.
Phoenix is undefeated in the bubble
heading into the final week
largely in part to Devin Booker.
He's been such an exciting player to watch.
I'm running late to go watch him.
So
let's do it. Let's go.
If I could get my mask on. OK, come on, let's go.
[Upbeat music]
Those are the Phoenix Suns being very loud.
Only undefeated team left in the bubble.
Hey, Devin. First off, nice hoodie.
- Thank you. - And secondly, what do you think
that NBA fans thought about the Suns before the bubble?
And what do they think about the Suns now?
- I mean, you'd have to ask around.
You know, we said coming into this that we're fine with being
the under-radar team.
You know, we have to come in here and work hard and try to get wins.
And so far so good. So
we've had the right approach.
I keep saying approach every interview I do,
cuz the day we got down here,
it’s been a high level of competitiveness and, you know, just as sharp as we’ve been.
- All right, thank you for your time, Devin.
- I missed the bus for nothing.
Monday, August 10th, headed to watch the Indiana Pacers
take on the Miami Heat.
But it's really Jimmy Butler versus T.J. Warren.
Gonna be a showdown, baby.
[Upbeat music]
OK, so here’s your
Jimmy Butler, T.J. Warren update.
A lot of switching happening. It's not even that, like,
Jimmy and T.J. are going at it the whole time.
We might have blown up this entire thing.
[Upbeat music]
- Illinois, trash.
[Taylor laughing]
Illini’s trash. - Please, listen.
- How are you gonna—first up,
did y'all change the name of y'all arena yet?
- Yeah. - They stole our name.
Assembly Hall. - No, we're the real—
no, we're not Assembly Hall anymore.
- Yeah, you know why they changed it?
Why they change it?
- But when we were - Cuz we're the originals.
- the Assembly Hall, we were the realest.
- No, no. - Anyways,
anyways. - Listen, our school's
been around longer.
Our school's been around longer.
They need to hear this too.
Our school's been around longer.
It just feels better in there.
That's why they had to change
the name. - Please cut.
He's wrong.
So let me tell you this.
I have known Victor for years.
Met him when I was at Illinois and he was at Indiana.
When I was roaming the real Assembly Hall
in Champaign, Illinois, OK.
[Upbeat music]
Lakers-Nuggets tonight should be another great matchup.
Teams looking to finish strong and build
some winning habits as we head into the postseason.
[Upbeat music]
[Cheering]
OK, Bron, see him?
After a Lakers win.
Kuzma with the dagger.
On a scale of one to 10, with 10 being playoff-ready,
where are you guys?
- I don't know.
I don't think we're at 10.
And we shouldn't be at 10.
Because it's a different type of preparation
that goes into a playoff game.
Me, personally,
as far as mentally, I'm not in playoff mode.
Physically, I'm getting there.
And I feel like my legs have gotten better and better
and my game has improved more and more.
I'm getting more and more comfortable with the bubble.
But as far as the mental side of it,
no, I'm not there.
Personally, I don't think our team is there,
but we will be.
- And with that shot, I have to ask—
obviously, we see Kuz’s Secret Stuff tattoo.
What's in your secret stuff? [Laughing]
- I can't tell you.
If I tell you, then... - Then it's not a secret.
- then it's not a secret, so. [Taylor laughing]
- Kyle, look at this.
I got something so good.
- [Announcer:] Three points, Lakers.
Kyle
Kuzma.
- [Laughing] You are crazy. - Classic.
- Thursday, August 13th.
Incredibly important day in the bubble.
Today, the Suns have to beat the Mavericks.
And the Blazers or Grizzlies have to lose
in order for them to make the play-in tournament.
For the Blazers, all the Blazers have to do
is beat the Nets, and they are in.
So, a lot is riding on that eighth spot today.
These games are crucial.
I can't wait.
[Upbeat music] - [Announcer:] Deandre Ayton.
- [Announcer:] Deandre Ayton.
- [Announcer:] Cameron Johnson.
- The Phoenix Suns have officially gone
undefeated in the bubble.
A lot is riding on tonight.
They need the Nets to beat the Blazers
if they wanna make the play-in game.
- Really quickly, I just wanted them to know
how much I love them and how much I appreciated
them allowing me to be a part of a special period
in our franchise. So
I'm sure we'll get together and watch
the Brooklyn-Portland game.
- Nobody ever complained. It was always competitive.
There was a lot of trash talk at practices.
All for this.
I mean, it’s worth it.
We walked out the locker room with a lot of smiles
on people's faces cuz we know we did everything
in our power that we could do.
- Before you go, I have to show you something.
Cardi.
- How y'all get that? [Taylor laughing]
Hey, y'all getting me riding miles.
I'm locked in
[Indistinct]
- When I saw you doing the dance, I said
this is so good.
♪ She said haaannnnn ♪
- Oh, my God. - And Meg liked it.
- It was the new Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion song.
- Yes. - And that's my lay.
- Oh, no. It was great.
On my Instagram, like, Donovan commented on it.
Treysongz just commented on it.
- What? - Do you want me to show you?
- Wait, let me see.
Let me see.
- You really wanna watch that? - So he's dancing.
Donovan was like, “Ayo, chill.”
- Oh, my God.
[Indistinct] - No, it's the song
I know [indistinct] - Oh, it's so good.
- When I was done, then Cardi was like really going on,
and I was like, OK, let me stop, let me stop.
Cuz everybody gonna laugh at me.
- No, it was great. - Look at this phone.
- But she retweeted it.
It's cool. - Look at it.
- So Cardi retweeted.
[People laughing]
- Yeah, DA! - I like that. I'm ready.
You got me. I ain't gonna cap. You got me.
- It was great. It's a great moment.
- DA, they got their eyes on you. Remember that.
- Thank you. [Laughing]
- She got me.
- Bye, you guys.
Oh, that's hilarious.
I love it. So good.
[Chuckling] Haaannnnn.
[Dramatic music]
Blazers fighting for their lives.
[Upbeat music]
- [Announcer:] Caris LeVert.
Three!
- OK, going into the fourth quarter,
Nets 104, Blazers 97.
Caris LeVert has 28 points. He has taken over.
I don't know, the fourth quarter might be Dame Time,
or this might be it for the Blazers.
[Upbeat music]
I am so stressed watching this game.
Like, do I want the Suns?
It's a good story.
Do I wanna watch Dame?
He's so good, and he's exciting. Like,
I am stressed the [pause] out.
- [Announcer:] Caris LeVert.
[Buzzer sounding]
- That was insane.
[Upbeat music]
[People chattering]
You talked about the urgency, and you talked about it being a must-win.
This is a situation that, like, most people have never been in. - Yeah.
- What is the best comparison to how it feels out there?
- Mmm, I mean. When I was in college, I never made it to the NCAA
tournament.
But once we got to our conference tournament,
it's like everything that you did
in the regular season, now it's like,
this is a small conference and
only one team goes to the tournament.
So, if you lose in the tournament, you go home,
and there's no chance of you
getting to be at the tournament.
And that's kind of how it felt for me. It was like,
you have to win tonight or this is it.
[Balls bouncing]
[Upbeat music] - [Announcer:] Oh, ohh. Oh, ohh. Oh, ohh.
[Announcer:] Yeah!
Three shots to the dome.
Carmelo Anthony draining it.
[Whistle blowing]
[Buzzer sounding]
- [Announcer:] Yeah!
Final score: Memphis 122,
Blazers 126.
The Blazers are in the playoffs.
- The bubble has ended for Ja Morant.
Such a young, promising star.
I asked him the thing that's gonna stick out
to him the most in his rookie season,
and his answer actually made me kinda sad.
Hey, Ja. When you look back on your rookie season,
what will stick out the most?
- Ah, man. Uh, how close I was to the playoffs.