responding when the pressure is on when their backs against
the wall before last night they had lost consecutive games, all
playoffs. I don't think they lost consecutive games that
they tried to win since January so
that sometimes things are a cliche because they're true.
The hardest thing to do is to close out a team on the road.
How do you see the rest of this series going? Do you see this
going back to a winner, take all the things going. Has
anyone been successful in side of pork?
He's got it all not, this is 0. So the entirety of
possibilities and is not a whole wide range left, really
three options. I guess,
one thing you mentioned
the difficulty in closing out teams on the road,
the Warriors have yet to do. So this year, they've had a chance
in each of the previous series and their 043 when trying to
end a series on the road. So that's sitting there.
But again we've seen a lot of things in the past, haven't
held true in the series where is had lost a home game until
this series in these playoffs, the Celtics had lost
Back-to-back games in these playoffs
until game for last night.
The hard thing about it is that you have a lot of variance in
the era of three-point shooting, right? And
this is a weird subset of that era because it used to be that
you basically look at the box where after the game and it's
really simple. If you made the most three-point shots when
the game, that's what basketball has been reduced to in a lot of
waves
in this series. It's really been about the timing of
three-pointers and that's why there's been so much better.
Friends because as teams are so
dependent on the three-pointer, that's not a reliable shot.
It's going to come and go
and last night, the Celtics, mr. First 12 three-point attempts,
and then they made it in row and they come all the way back
from that one time 16, point deficit to take the lead in
the third quarter and then it started to go cold again. From
three-pointer
one reason why the the
Warriors have a lead? It's not been there. Three point shooting
it's gotten this far. It's their ability to have a variety
of shots and to get to the basket and take advantage.
Vantage of whenever Robert Williams is out to score
inside.
You know, Jay you've watched a lot of NBA finals
and finalists.
I'm wondering who the Celtics from mind you of. They remind
you of any kind of team in the finals that young team. They're
not quite Oklahoma City
and 2000 little bit better. That's one thing I'm thinking
because remember, Oklahoma City won the first game of that
series and they proceeded to delusion export and so it look
like okay this was their first Finals for a lot of the guys on
that team
and they were up to the challenge and the first game
And then, as it went on, never forget,
someone with Oklahoma City, told me, as they got into,
like, game for and, and they could see the series get away
from them. And he said, the stage is a little bit too big
for them. The lights a little too bright for this team at
that time.
Obviously, Kevin Durant, went on become an all-time great
final performer, but at that time, he wasn't ready.
So I see a little bit of that in these Celtics, really do
I see more of the 2002 Sacramento Kings and I was just hearing
your discussion about which of the better teams. In
the 2002 kings were the better team than the Los Angeles
Lakers that you they finish with a better record during
the regular season. They were deeper one through nine, then
the Lakers, but the Lakers had the two best players on
the court.
You can argue that the Warriors had the two best players on
the board, and those two have been Steph Curry. And Andrew Wiggins
throughout the course of the series and the Lakers had
the experience factor
and I think you are starting to see that come into place. So,
it doesn't remind me of another finals matchup so much as it
reminds me of the 2002 Western Conference. Since finals in
which the Kings had a better roster
but the Lakers ultimately proved to be superior. And you
know, I differentiate between better team and the superior
team and the intangible, by the way, come into play. When you
talk about who's Superior,
you do know if your email is up there. You're making a very
triggering comment to the people of Sacramento who still
are upset. Was that game six
that game 6.
This top. So I never ever, ever, ever, ever want to hear
about the back row. The referees, got know, you had
a game seven at home at that point eighty percent of
the team that played the game 7 at home. One. It's now it's like
a 50/50 proposition
which is another thing that bodes. Well for the Celtics which is
a reason that this series is not over
in the NBA Finals. But back then you had a game seven at home.
I think the I think they became the first team to lose
an overtime game 7 at home. So yeah. I never want to ever hear
any of that conversation.
Speaking of conversations, this is where reputations are made
and Legacies are forged not that steps who's ever in
question? He wasn't necessarily, it didn't need
a Finals. MVP to legitimize his legacy. But
the presumption presumptive in BP, should they hold on? And win,
certainly does bolster it.
Meanwhile, Andrew Wiggins,
it's been his coming out party.
You know, much more so than a regular season, All-Star
selection. What are what are,
what do you think of what these final so far? Again,
Zelda? Certainly are capable of winning these? Next two, they
did it before
against Milwaukee.
But as it stands. Now what have these finals done for both
the reputations of Steph Curry? And as the last night, Andrew
Wiggins
it funny because it's in half Curry and I think
if he as long as we play the way you did last night, I think
he plays the way he played over the course of this series.
I think they can even stand to lose an extra game
and it's possible, he could wind up being the finals, MVP.
But if he wins though, if he wins with that game for
there, then you know what, it reminds me of Tom Brady
the year that he beat Atlanta because going into that, I had
the feeling that
nothing could alter
Brady, he was set and secure his place had been sealed.
You know, nothing he could do in that game positive or
negative was going to change how we thought about and then
he brings the team back from the 28-degree deficit I say is
owners. Game-winning Drive.
Yeah, you know. So so it actually and
Michael Holly you and I discussed this before,
the series, I mentioned going in that if Steph Curry didn't win
a game and didn't score a point. He still in a cub club
with LeBron magic bird MJ.
I'm leaving out somebody I think,
but but those are the guys season that group that won
multiple championships and multiple
regular season MVP. So he's already in that club again. If
you didn't do a single thing
in that thing, And but now he could potentially add a Finals
MVP to that. He also
is the all-time leading
three-point shooter in the history of the game that wasn't
going to change and he
he has his moment. That's that's what he got out of these
finals though that he didn't have was you know, you need
that. It is in there to make you know, all this thing is
it's all it's all subjective, right?
So you need narrative face moments
and he had that game for. He'll always have that game for
even if they lose this series.
Again, remember MJ one of those one of the Great Moments in
the MJ story was the 16th three-point game that he scored
against the Boston Celtics,
they lost that game. They got swept in that series. And yet
that's still a part of the huge part of the in jail or
so. I think, even if they lose the next two games, I think
that game for performance is part of the lore of Stephen
Curry
and on as we go to Brighton audience,
Wiggins
it. I mean, it shows his he's able to adjust and yes, it will
change the way we think of him.
He's sometimes we learn, we have to re-evaluate people
positions, right? So, you know, franchise player all
the expectations you might have from Anna number one overall
pick. No, not that. But a guy who can play a major role on
a championship team, as maybe the secondary or tertiary player,
hey, this is a great value that as Scottie Pippen
where the root
of all time.
Who wins on Thursday?
I don't know. Nothing is gone the way you'd expect. So just
to the Warriors just because it's unexpected to beat them
three straight times. I don't, you know,
I think it's unexpected.
But what I appreciate you.
Thank you. All right.