Speaker 1: What's going on? Clippers fans, Welcome to a curious little
Game seven preview here at Clips and Dip. I am
Chuck Buckler, joined by Adam Oslain William Ike's gonna pop
in at some point. If you're listening to the show.
After we publish this, you can watch us live at
YouTube Accomplished at Clippers Podcasts. We do the lives when
there's a quick turnaround time. It's easier for us. Full
disclosure and yeah, that's just how it goes. Clippers forced
the Game seven. Rocky into the game, Adam, you and
I didn't get to really talk about it much last night.
You were putting in great work at Clippers Talk. Let's
just get into it. How are you feeling going into
this Game seven for the both exhausted teams?
Speaker 2: Yeah, I don't know. I wasn't overly concerned with the
way they ended the game. It's like, AND's gonna make
a run. They're really good and they had a chance
to close out the series, and they showed some desperation late,
so I wasn't surprised that they made it closer at
a five point game late, But you know, norm Pal
stepped up and made a huge three pointer to put
them up by nine at one ten to one on one.
I feel.
Speaker 3: Really to me, it's about the batoon move, because I
hope this isn't something we look back.
Speaker 2: On and say, why didn't they go to it sooner?
And it ends up working out and saving them in
the end of this series, because I remember going into
game five, I'm like, play the tune thirty plus minutes,
what are we doing here? And it finally happened. He
performed well as he always does. It's the game changer,
and maybe it was the final chess move that they
don't really have an answer for. We'll see, but I
expected to start in game seven, so that, out of
anything that happened in that, Game six, has the most
concouraged just they finally pulled that ace out of his
sleeve for coach lou that's that's the move, you have
to do it.
Speaker 1: Yeah, there was really once. I mean a obviously, once
Patoum started the second half, I think most Clippers fans
were like, great, he's starting game seven too. That sounds
about right. And credit to Tyleru. As soon as Yokiic
was getting those switches on, Chris Dunn and we all
saw what was happening any bigger guy going at Chris Dunn,
who they were clearly trying to get fouls on two. Yeah,
happy he made the change. I'm not sure what other
changes they can make other than Joseph fry Award's suggestion
that they also start Boky instead of Norm, but I
don't think that's going to happen anymore. Was not was
not super locked in on that. But that really is
kind of the last chess move, right because for a
Game seven, I mean, Harden rested for a minute and
a half in Game six, probably gonna get the same
amount of rest for Game seven. Same with Kawhi.
Speaker 2: I mean, yeah, thirty six, Kawhi and Zuo didn't play
heavy minutes. Maybe that's something in the Clippers favorite Kawai
was just at thirty nine, that's I mean, he was
playing thirty nine the last two weeks of the regular
season all the time. That's nothing a visa Zubos thirty three,
Norm played thirty nine. I don't know. I was looking
at some of the minutes for Denver and at this point,
Jokich has played about eighteen more minutes in this series
than Kawhi has Ye Jamal Murray has played like twenty
two more minutes in this series than Kawhi has. I'm
hoping this is what we talked about after Game one.
We're so disappointed that the Clippers didn't play their guys
heavier minutes. This was the long game from coach lou
and Denver's gonna peter out first, and that could be
the difference.
Speaker 1: Yeah, it's an incredibly stressful long game. Hello cat, If
you're not watching us, you're missing Adam's cat. It's an
incredibly stress It's turned out to me an incredibly stressful
long game, mostly with how disappointing the Clippers played in
a couple of these outings, especially with Game one. Someone
in the in the chat, there's been a lot of
talk of the physical play. Adalman mentioned it last night.
I hope the refing doesn't become the main story from
this game seven. It feels like people are setting themselves
up to be upset at the refs, which I don't
think we should do. I don't think it's been particularly
I don't know, right like they were complaining about the
free throws for Jokic. I don't even think the Clippers
complained when Harden didn't have any free throws earlier in
this series, Like, maybe the ref complaining is a sign
that the long cord's working right. They're so tired that
they're upset they can't get the free I don't know.
I liked that they let him play physical though.
Speaker 2: Yeah, so Denver has gotten up two more free throw
attempts so far in this series. They're at one seventeen
because for sure it won fifteen.
Speaker 3: Uh, Jokic wasn't getting a great whistle in the second half.
Speaker 2: I also felt like the defense from both Nico and
the Visa Zubos especially was elite.
Speaker 3: And sometimes if you play so well and show like
a couple of possessions where you just.
Speaker 2: Dominate a guy defensively, then you start getting the benefit
of the doubt, I think, And even if there is
a little bit more contact, it's like you start to
get the benefit of the doubt built up that actually
one game now, ZERI for get the benefit of the
doubt anyways at this point more often than not, because
he is that good defensively. But yeah, I do worry
that Denver's got home court. They complained about a post
game David Adam and maybe learned from his dad and
maybe from Phil Jackson from the early two thousands of
trying to work the reps that way it happens. It's
a real thing. Yeah, I think it's we'll see if
it's effective. But the Clippers just have to go in
and expect now to get a great whistle, play through
it and knock it down early. Really, that's that's been
an issue. They were better yesterday.
Speaker 1: They were plus one in the first five minutes. That's
huge compared to what it's been. Yeah, the start. I
like this from Devin Madrigal saying it's gonna be key
to be the aggressor. Clippers have to be aggressive. I
thought the pace they played with last night was great.
It felt a lot more calculated than Game five. Offensively
and getting Batumen there. Now you just have four guys
who can shoot from the outside firmly that you cannot
sag off of at all if you're the no.
Speaker 4: Yeah, I've said when in the show with Joseph, excuse me,
you know, the tomb is not a cure all for
what's been happening.
Speaker 2: It still is about the starters, but the tomb can
make life easier on the starters and give them less
excuses for not being aggressive out there. And I think
that's what's so important to open up.
Speaker 3: Those driving lanes because it's facing And even though Miko
it was like two of six from.
Speaker 2: Three and I think he's three for his last I
don't know, sixteen or something like that. I'm exactly shot
it that. Well, you heard Joki post game. He's the
better shooter than Chris Dunn. They all know it. So
it's a scouting thing, it's a reputation thing, and he's
he doesn't.
Speaker 3: Bring you down in any area. In fact, his defense
in this series, and let's.
Speaker 2: Not forget Chris Dunn has not been bad in this series.
I don't know if they win Game two without the
way play this whole. Oh, they should have pulled him earlier.
It's like no, Chris Dunn has helped them in this series.
Ben Simmons helped them at times.
Speaker 1: In this series.
Speaker 2: It's just getting down a crunch time where you have
to start to tighten up rotations. The margins are even slimmer,
and Niko Batoum actually is such a good option because.
Speaker 3: In the switch he can go on to Jamal or
Nikola Jokish.
Speaker 2: He can guard both of those guys. That's what's so incredible,
and maybe coach who played his hand perfectly. We'll see
in Game seven and now Nico will have the ability
to play forty minutes and looked fresh out there because
he didn't tax him overly overly tax him throughout the
series to start. But we'll see. Time will tell.
Speaker 1: I like this note from jonah as the best. The
altitude will be a key in our minutes rotation. I'm
curious about that traveling back and forth from Denver. Obviously
both teams have to do it, but it will be interesting.
I like your point about Nico being able to take
the heavier minutes because, like Van Gundi said on the
broadcast last night, he averaged seventeen per game in the
regular season. He's playing forty tomorrow. Someone asked, uh, let
me see if I can find it. If we play
seven man rotation heavy minutes, what happens if the game
goes into ot they keep playing. It's gonna be some
tired basketball. I want to also like, I don't think
we're gonna see the most crisp sets from either team tomorrow,
which adds to the chaos factor, which I do think
helps the Nuggets a little bit from a turnover perspective,
But guys are just gonna keep playing.
Speaker 2: It's game seven, guys, What the fuck? I don't think
Coach Blue is coming into the game, like, well, I
can't play him too much in case we go into overtime.
Nobody is going to do that. It's it's gonna be
heavy minutes. Hard is gonna be doing the same. This
is a game where I expect why to play five minutes.
Speaker 1: Maybe absolutely, do we think? Someone also last night asked us.
They were like, who's the backup center? We said, Nick
patub and they said, well, how can Nick Putun be
the backup center if he's playing forty five minutes? And
we went because when Zuo's off the floor, Niko will
be the backup five, Derek Joe Junior will come in
for however many, I mean, Zoo's probably got Zoo's gotta
play with how well Zoo's been defending Jokics these last
couple of games, specifically yesterday, Zuo's gotta be out there
every single second that Jokic is maybe not every single second.
The Clippers can get away with a little bit, but
like he was phenomenal.
Speaker 3: Last night, that second half was probably the best defense
he's played in his career when he had he forced
to miss Jokic on a tough shot to which Aaron
Gordon thought he was gonna get the put back, and
Zu got over there.
Speaker 2: To block that thing. Like it was just incredible. I
think he had two blocks or at least one block
and some really good defense on the same possession on Jokic.
He's phenomenal. And so the question of who's in the
backup center, it's like you you guys know, Nikopotoma, Niko
Batouma is like, he's versatile. This is the point he
can play next to of each of Zubas, and then
when Zubos is on the floor, he can go up
to playing the five spot. And by the way, that
will likely be whatever minutes Jokic is not out there
if if he doesn't go the full forty eight. And
they destroyed the DJ minutes yesterday, and they actually went
plus four in the second quarter when Jokic came back
in for like three or four minutes, they were up
against him without of eacha Zubas, so they went plus four.
The small ball really won them the game. That was
the biggest difference when you look at the plus minus.
Speaker 1: And throws, which is something I was enjoyed that they
did yesterday. Quentin Cornet saying, we need to use our depth. No,
that's not how it works. Will you have updyke? How
the heck are you?
Speaker 2: Buddy?
Speaker 1: It fellas how you feeling? People are worried that people
are going to be tired.
Speaker 2: We need to use the depth that Quintey Cornette, You
said that, Yeah, oh god, no.
Speaker 5: I mean I feel the same way I talked about
last night. It how long can you ride your best five?
Speaker 2: Like?
Speaker 5: How long can they stay on the floor, both from
a like you know, a physical perspective as well as
being a plus out there, not allowing too much defensively
and still being able to score at a high level.
Speaker 6: That's what the series is going to come down to.
It's one game. Like nothing, nothing previous matters.
Speaker 5: It doesn't matter if you're tired from the game before,
like like, this is essentially a one game series now,
and so wipe the slate clean of anything else.
Speaker 2: Uh.
Speaker 5: You know, you can take some lessons that you've learned
as far as like defensively, as far as rotations, but like,
truly nothing you've done many mistakes that you've made, nothing matters,
and it's I mean, it's a good thing and a
bad thing, but it is what it is. This is
now a one game series and it depends on you know,
can your best five rise to the challenge? Can they
stay on the floor for forty minutes? And if the
answer is yes, then you're probably walking out of Denver
with a win. And if you're not, and if the
answer is no, then you're not and it's over period.
Speaker 2: I think typically with Game sevens because they let them
get away with so much physicality, because the officials don't
want to interfere or make it look like they decided
the game, it can get very physical. There can be
a lot of misshots, a lot of fifty to fifty balls.
Speaker 3: And there's gonna be a lot of io Because they've
both seen everything, they can throw.
Speaker 2: It one another schematically at this point. So it may
be a really ugly game and you got to be
a scrap of your team out there, and whoever wins
the rebounding battle gets those extra possessions that could be
the difference. The Clippers got two more shots in Denver
last game and that proved to be huge and.
Speaker 5: It should have been even more. They just had a
three and a half minute stretch where they failed to
produce a field goal, which Chuck and I talked about
like partial, like you know, that was taxical, like part
of that was like.
Speaker 6: A tactical thing.
Speaker 5: They were trying to run down the clock with the
double due at lead makes sense, but yeah, I mean
they should have had like seven more possessions.
Speaker 1: Which they did at one point, Like yeah, late in
the third the Clippers were like plus six or seven
in the field goal attepes, just the attempts.
Speaker 2: Think about that game yesterday is and this could be
encouraging guys. If they didn't start twelve and three, they
could have been up fifteen early. They were so bad
from the outside and they still were leading by a
slim margin, but they still were leading. That was really
impressive to me.
Speaker 5: So are we getting be Toom in the starting lineup
game one to take the to take the can off
the top of the basket from deep? I mean, he
broke the team's drives fell from three, and I would
expect him to do this again, or they just don't
leave them open and then you have a lot more
space to operate for.
Speaker 1: Anyone else exactly. Denver's gonna have to scramble on defense
so much more. With the tumor in the starting lineup tomorrow,
they're gonna have to work a lot harder. I like
this point, Adam. I like what you said about the
fifty to fifty balls and the physicality and this again
a tired game of basketball we're gonna see, rightfully so.
But Christian Brown has and Hardened have really been going
at it. Bogie and Russ too. I'm less worried about that, obviously,
but I'm interested to see how Gordon and Brown react,
just what their strategy is gonna be defensively on the clips,
because don't think they're gonna come out super hard. Because
if you come out super hard and you force the
rest to make a call, you're that first call they're
looking at you. It's such a tough line to toe
for the for them. But I'm worried about Brown and
Harden a little bit.
Speaker 2: Christian Brown the last two means, I think from three
he hit some really big threes. That fourth quarter. They
left him open a couple of times he knocked him down.
I'm concerned about his him finding his offense the way
he has the last few games.
Speaker 6: Now too, didn't he have ten like ten in that
third quarter?
Speaker 1: Was that the fourth?
Speaker 2: He's a big quarter.
Speaker 6: He had a big quarter last night.
Speaker 2: Definitely one of.
Speaker 1: Them finished with fourteen.
Speaker 5: I thought it was the third because Norm was really
going off with like brown, like he was answering a
lot of brown, was like almost like was almost point
for point matching and scoring last week.
Speaker 1: It was the third. Yeah, he had ten of the third,
two for three from three.
Speaker 2: I like this.
Speaker 1: I want to point out this great comment from Ralph Kahaler.
You guys, remember when Reggie Evans grabbed Chris Cayman's junk
when Chris was boxing him out. Maybe we could throw
you banks in there to do that to you, joke er,
see what happens. Hey, maybe game seven.
Speaker 5: I just want to say though, like when the Clippers
have had conflicts in these series, the games generally have
not sort of panned out in their favor.
Speaker 2: Hey, we bring up Paul Mills.
Speaker 1: Yeah, I get, I'm just I'm nervous there we don't.
There's gonna be a bunch of weird stuff. It is
a game seven. Law Murray was pointing out some funny
things that have happened in game sevens where was the
other one?
Speaker 6: Again?
Speaker 5: Though it doesn't matter like that should be the furthest
thing from your mind any like you gotta approces single game.
Speaker 1: Yeah, oh yeah, I know. He was just pointing out that,
like Jokicchen Plumbing were on the floor together in the
last game seven and the bubble and all that, and
like quick Carlisle starting bow bon in game seven. I
don't think Adamans do anything like that. Obviously, the Clippers
have their adam as you said, the lever already pulled,
which is Betoom starting. And then other than that, Harden
and Kawhi gotta do the exact same thing offensively process wise.
Speaker 5: What does Chris don have to do to stay on
the floor at him? Like obviously not get not get
switched on with the big and knock down, Like how
long of a stretch can he? Will he play after
missing a three?
Speaker 2: Well, we pulled the media because if he's not starting,
he's not going to start. Will he get on the floor.
Speaker 3: I think he'll still get minutes out there, maybe when
Aaron Gordon's not out.
Speaker 2: There, because I felt like when Aaron Gordon win had
him twice early in the first quarter. That's when coach
was like, Okay, we can't do this.
Speaker 1: He's not just it's also being made to look very good.
Speaker 2: Yeah's been most of his damage in the second quarter,
where I think he had fifteen, but he only had
five points in the second half. Aaron has been killing
them all series long, which is why I don't know why.
It probably took too long to get Patum in there.
But even though he's got a great rebounder, he's better
than Norm. He's better than Done. He offers more size,
more switches. Bill. There's nose downside to playing Niko batoomb overdone,
you could say there is with Norm. So the move
worked out in full Norman Pali yesterday, and Norm rewarded
everyone with a huge ball game. They need more of that.
I still feel like, though, it's just down to James.
Is James going to first of all, have the legs
and second of all, have the mindset to be able
to go out there and be as relentless as he
was getting to the hoop early on like he was yesterday.
He was awesome.
Speaker 5: You weren't with us last night, but I presented this
to the to the chat to everybody. Is that the
best game six of James Harden's career.
Speaker 2: It might be. It's probably one of his best better
elimination games. I was looking up his twenty five elimination
games earlier. The numbers aren't good. They are they were
better last night than his elimination game averages, which is
like twenty two points on forty two percent shooting thirty
two percent three.
Speaker 5: And coming in to last night, I think someone had
floated this in the chat. He had lost five straight.
Speaker 2: Yeah, that's track. He had won one since the bubble
when they beat Okay. Seeing that game seven him and Russ, Yeah,
I just like this entire season, they've kind of gone
how James Harden goes now in terms of his minutes
and what he guys left in the tank. It's amazing
how much more pop he had last night than what
we saw the two games prior.
Speaker 6: And also I.
Speaker 2: Still think about what happened the turning point of the
season when after they lost in Phoenix, he played heavy minutes.
The very next night he played heavy minutes and dropped
fifty against Detroit. But we were all at that point like, oh,
this is it. He hit the wall. He's running out
of gas now and then actually start playing his best
basketball of the season. I think he's going to have
the wind. I don't know.
Speaker 5: He rested for less than ninety seconds last night.
Speaker 2: Yeah, but he's just I hesitate to count him out
whenever he's playing heavy minutes because he has proven it
time and time again.
Speaker 1: But should we count him out because then he will
surprise us? You know what I mean? Is it one
of those situations where gonna say I don't know because
I was. I was, I was like, I don't know
if he should play the second out of a back
to back, and then, as you said, he's scored fifty. Also,
we'll shout out the Batubattalion shirt. We gotta get out
of one of those. I have another extra one.
Speaker 6: He doesn't really like Batomb, so it makes sense he
doesn't have one.
Speaker 1: A douter over here, so what a random shot today?
Speaker 6: The Batum hate wagon over here?
Speaker 1: We should get those made again. Those rules? What up
that guy Spencer? Yeah, I'm I'm nervous. I'm excited. Uh,
I'm trying not to think about the refs. You're excited exactly.
The Clippers held out to the ball really well last game.
I don't expect them to have less than double digit turnovers.
I don't expect the Nuggets to have less than double
digit turnovers either, for what it's worth, because again, Game
sevens are a war of attrition.
Speaker 2: They destroyed them in those twelve turnovers. I think they
had twenty three points off those twelve turnovers. That's also
the game, and that's the Clippers game. That's what they've
been doing all year.
Speaker 1: Yeah, tied them on second chance points, which is huge.
Um only lost fast spray points by one. Like this
was looking at the game chart as nuts. That third
quarter was so nice.
Speaker 2: If they shot better than three, they've probably blown them
out in that game.
Speaker 1: Yeah, I think that's fair. One of twelve is crazy
to start.
Speaker 2: I mean, hurry and yoke is combined for I think
fifteen or fourteen in the second half. That's it.
Speaker 1: So that was one thing that I hope they're able
to avoid is a hot first quarter from Jamal Murray
because before the game last night, Tyler talked about how,
you know, when he had forty three, the Clippers like
let him score twelve easy ones to start the game
or something like that, and that helped Murray get into
that mode for Game five. I don't want to see
a double digit first quarter from Jamal Murray and Nicola Jokic.
I don't think that's a crazy take obviously, but that's
where the intensity, I guess and kind of locking it
on defense comes.
Speaker 2: I'll tell you who I think also changed that game
yesterday because Murray had those twelve points in the first quarter.
DJ DJ came in and wrecked him. Yeah, he was
going over screens getting skinny there as he's able to do.
His screen navigation was so good, and I think the
advanced stats show or the matchup data in this series,
he's been their best defender against Jamal Burn. Sorry, I
think he completely changed the coactory of that game by
throwing Murray out off and out of rhythm after the
way he started.
Speaker 1: He was huge on the boards too. That's a great
call on the Derek Jones Junior thing. So the subs
are going to be bogged in and Derrek Jones Junior
tomorrow night right for probably Christine in there. Yeah, are
they just running?
Speaker 2: Like? What?
Speaker 1: Yeah?
Speaker 2: Is it?
Speaker 1: I guess is it eight?
Speaker 6: Guys?
Speaker 2: I think it's set, so they've been running six?
Speaker 1: Yeah, I think it's seven. We have the luxury of
a seventh player that we can that we can throw
out there.
Speaker 2: I was looking and Joki is thirty two minutes away
from being at two hundred and eighty minutes. And that's
how many he played against Minnesota last year in that
series where they were up twenty in Game seven at
home and scored like thirty four points in the second
half and lost somehow. So Jamal Murray's like eight minutes
away I think from from playing as many minutes as
you did last year in that series. Aaron Gordon's right there,
like they have played heavy, heavy minutes, So if there
is some fatigue factor, it could play in the clippers favor.
Speaker 6: Are they in Denver yet?
Speaker 1: Do we know?
Speaker 5: There was a big kerfuffle last night about when the
Clippers would be arriving in Denver.
Speaker 1: Let me check the account, let me see if they
posted a wheels up or anything like that.
Speaker 5: Charles was advocating for them to right after the game,
just hop on the plane, get.
Speaker 1: Right there from the stadium, I would saying, get to Denver.
Jonathan Ang saying, I don't know if we can have
Kawhi start on Murray tomorrow. Kawhi screen navigation and defense
was pretty bad and that's how he got loose early
on well.
Speaker 6: On the defensive end.
Speaker 1: We'll bring in the devisive takes the chat.
Speaker 6: I stop with coffee in the chat.
Speaker 1: Just come on, can we put up We're.
Speaker 6: So far past that.
Speaker 1: Can we put a ban on coffee? We love him
here coffee too. But I don't know if he's playing
in game seven? Yeah, what do you think Adam will
Kawhi on Murray?
Speaker 3: He started on him, yes, yesterday, Uh, but then cross
matchups and then he was on ag a lot.
Speaker 2: I would actually put the tube on him to start.
I could go either way. One of a tomb or Kawhi.
Speaker 6: Is going to be on Murray.
Speaker 2: The other one's going to be out of hearing Gordon
to start. Yeah, absolutely, a tomb on Murray was also
doing work in the fourth quarter. His length completely bothered him.
Speaker 1: I guess the one thing I mean, I was just
gonna say, like I wonder what his fatigues level gonna be,
But that doesn't matter. Like I don't mean that, you
know what I mean? Like I was like, I hope
that doesn't gas Nico too early, but they're gonna be
gassed either way. They're gonna be switching, They're gonna end
up on you know what I mean, Like that's not
Game sevens are insane.
Speaker 2: He hasn't played that much in the series. He should
be good. I need thirty five plus minutes from Nico.
Speaker 1: Have to have to, I mean every starter. Nico will
probably play the fewest minutes of the starters tomorrow, and
he will play thirty seven minutes or something like that, right.
Speaker 2: Like unless Norm is off, Like here's how Chris Dunn
gets minutes if Norm is playing poorly defensively and his
shot isn't going. I got a hand to Norm. He
had some great defensive plays yesterday. He locked up Aaron
Gordon on a possession in the fourth quarter.
Speaker 1: He was sitting down in the chair like he was
like he was. Him and Bogey have into some defensive
stuff that you would like to maybe see during the
regular season. But I don't care about that right now.
Like I thought, Bogie his commitment to the defensive end.
I'm not saying he's been locked down. I think his
commitment to the defensive end. His commitment to the glass
has been great in this series. It's been real playoff
basketball type Stuff's.
Speaker 2: Edge I think is really needed for these moments. Like,
even though he hasn't been super efficient or anything like that,
he's hit big shots and he's made some hustle plays
with putbacks.
Speaker 1: Yes, he for sure has him and Westbrook is an
interesting wrinkle. Yeah, so both. I mean, how much is
Bogey Bogie's gonna get ten minutes tomorrow? I don't know
if he plays another twenty.
Speaker 2: Yeah, it may only be like ten to fifteen. But
if he's hot, he's playing more.
Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean, you can't. You can't take the hot
hand away at all. Ray saying you got a zoom
in on that Norm Steel on Aaron Gordon. Pretty sure
Norm told him to get the fuck out of here.
Probably Norm was an elite hustle shit talker. Yeah, I think.
I don't know. It's gonna be messy tomorrow, it's going
to be I just want the chaos has seemed to
help the Nuggets a little bit in this series, and
I just really hope that the Clippers can take some
of the momentum from the chaos that will happen in
Game seven in a hostile environment.
Speaker 2: Yeah, you're probably gonna have to absorb an early run
on Denver crowd behind them, be prepared for it. And
hopefully punch back immediately. There were signs even in Game
five again, that second quarter was really well played by
the Clippers. Murray just couldn't miss. Neither could Russ. The Clippers, though,
did respond. They did, It's just nobody saw it because
Stedburgh going miss either.
Speaker 1: The Russ factor is interesting because he had some instances
of Rust being Russ last night. But he also shot
really well.
Speaker 2: That miss Duncle and another smoke layup that was big.
I guess Carlo looked this up.
Speaker 6: And that miss Dunc though didn't we not? I feel
like we didn't. Didn't we not secar that rebound?
Speaker 1: I think I think that is what happened.
Speaker 2: I thought that was an one going the other way,
one that could be wrong. Carlo looked up his numbers
in a playoff series, and this is the best he
has shot in the playoff series from three since his
rookie season. I heard that.
Speaker 1: Of course, of course it is you.
Speaker 2: I went forty two his last five games as a
Clipper last year.
Speaker 1: So with yeah, I guess I mean weirdly because you
mentioned the Nuggets. They have six guys, so it's gonna
be it's Russ. I don't think Peyton Watson's I mean,
Peyton Watson shot way yesterday, but I don't think he's
gonna be out there like how many A lot? Yeah,
a lot rides on the Russ X factor for them
because if he comes in, and obviously a lot more
rides with how well both team starters are going to
play and how long they're going to play together. But
when he is your one substitute, will how much scary
is it when your only substitute is Russell Westbrook versus
having some options as your substitutes.
Speaker 6: I mean, it hasn't been that scary for them so far, so.
Speaker 1: I hope. Yeah.
Speaker 5: I mean, you know, Russ has delivered in a way
that he has not on a playoff team I don't
know ever, in like in his you know, non non
Leaga handler role.
Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, I think that's fair. I like this comment
from Papa Piece. Someone said tomorrow's game will all depend
on which team Rust assigns to play for. Yeah, that
is true. Is he gonna come out charged up, trying
insane blocks? Like I gotta disagree with this one.
Speaker 5: If this series coming down to Russell Westbrook, I'm sorry
we've done We've done something I've done something wrong.
Speaker 2: US is gonna come out hot tomorrow after scoring just
five and the second half, be frustrated getting into it
with the officials here in the top about a Beatzo boss.
He's probably gonna have a really strong start. Me get
some calls early. That might be the storm they at
the weather he has. Tom Murray did not play well.
I mean yo, Kis' stat line he didn't even have
a triple double yesterday. What a bum.
Speaker 1: Wow wash. This guy's MVP.
Speaker 2: I expect him to be better.
Speaker 3: Kawhi had a good game. He has had a good,
solid series. He hasn't had a great series. He's had
a great game.
Speaker 2: He's had an elite superstar all time playoff game. Does
he have one more in him?
Speaker 1: Yeah? Because he wasn't good from three last night, which
again he was doing a lot of everything else, so
it's fine. He held on to the ball. He still
had five times.
Speaker 2: He was very good.
Speaker 1: He was very good. But yeah, this is this is
very much a legacy game. Michael Porter Junior also didn't
have a good game, and I think I believe that
more than if he would have had a good game.
Now it actually looks like he's feeling some issues from
the shoulder.
Speaker 2: Didn't go lost thirty four in Game five, and then
last night he was mayas twenty four in his twenty
four minutes. Now, I don't think it was all him
because he was out there when the Clippers went small
for that run. Yeah, with their bad bench unit. But
the the other run happened in the middle of that
third quarter where they turned the ball over five times
in six possessions and the Clippers had that twelve zero run.
That Yeah, that was huge, and that was against you know,
Denver starters. The most part. It was Russ came in
towards the end of it, but that was Denver starting unit.
And it's difficult to win a long section of time,
you know, against Jokich, is difficult to win those minutes.
I ended up looking up the but toomb of the
starting lineup, we're done. Minutes they played sixteen they went
LUs two. Holy share, You'll take that because now those
minutes are against Jokich and Murray and it's tough to
it's tough to win those minutes.
Speaker 1: Yeah, you're totally right. Plus two. If you win the
Jokic minutes and he plays forty four minutes, you're probably
winning the game. I don't know, I'm getting more stress
as we talk about. If I'm being totally honest, it's
gonna be tense, you know what I mean. Like, I'm not.
Speaker 2: You guys care about the start time?
Speaker 1: Was it four thirty?
Speaker 2: Yeah?
Speaker 6: I mean I'm glad it's not noon. I don't know.
Speaker 5: Someone brought up someone brought up a point that I
liked to is like, if you get in the later rounds,
I mean, especially if you were to make a finals, Uh,
you're gonna have That's the time you're gonna.
Speaker 2: Have to play. So yeah, it's a stupid thing to
complain about. I've never liked it. I just I know
it's a topic that people of discussing starts.
Speaker 1: When there were three tenants of staples, I was like,
this is just insanity. But yeah, like I don't know,
it is what it's Dive Dropper in the chat saying
we need eighty from Kawhi. I would love an eighty
point game from Kawhi. Things are probably going well. If
he's putting up.
Speaker 2: Eighty, I may get at least get eighty one. Dollar's
got in Kobe.
Speaker 1: Yeah, He's like, I'll score eighty one, not a point more.
Speaker 2: Oh from Kawi, I need thirty. I need twenty five
for Martin.
Speaker 5: What do you think?
Speaker 1: I think we need twenty five from Harden? And we
also need uh probably you know, he's got to be
at twenty five and ten at least.
Speaker 2: Yes, this wise, that's one of the biggest issues. When
you look at hard elimination games, he's at like six
point six assists to four and a half turnovers in
those games.
Speaker 1: William updecks least favorite stat bad assist the turnover ratio.
Speaker 6: Oh you know, I'm a stickler.
Speaker 1: Yeah, we need the attack mode Harden. We need him
to do postgame media. We need him. We need him
to put himself in a position to talk to the
media after the game.
Speaker 5: And their only chance at getting rest is like putting
this one away decisively, you know, because otherwise they'll play
on what Monday?
Speaker 6: They play on Monday.
Speaker 1: So if the Warriors close it out tonight, the Clippers,
if they were to win, would I believe I think
the next round starts on Tuesday, so we get I
think I think I saw that too. Yeah, the beautiful
extra twenty four hours of rest and go all out.
Who cares?
Speaker 5: Yeah?
Speaker 2: Yeah, I can only see it going three different ways.
Speaker 3: Clippers win close, Denver wins closed for Denver wins in
a blowout.
Speaker 2: I don't know if Clippers winning a blow out on
the road in Game seven is in the cards. I
would love it.
Speaker 1: Oh yeah, no disrespect to the Clippers. Yeah, I don't think.
I don't know if they're If they're winning by thirty
at ball Arena Game seven, I would love it. Yeah.
I think it's gonna be close. Both teams are exhausted.
I agree with Dime. We're gonna need a lot from kawhi.
Speaker 2: Aybe maybe eighty, no.
Speaker 1: Forty, maybe they might need forty from Kawhiya.
Speaker 2: I was glad to see him take twenty two shots
in that game yesterday.
Speaker 1: Exactly take yep, that's yeah, that's exactly what we're gonna
get tomorrow again. If things are going well, Yeah, I
want to win that damn possession battle. I want to
be close. In offensive rebounds, I.
Speaker 2: Think turnovers, rebounds, there's gonna be a lot of them.
Likely guys are tired, guys are going to be tight,
a lot of misshots. Who's going to get up more
shots in the gonna be soul?
Speaker 1: And what are the refs? Gonna look like what does
that look like? To open this game?
Speaker 2: It's they call it tight. I'm screaming.
Speaker 1: I'm furious if they call it tight. If they call
this game tight, that behooves the Nuggets. I think, Yeah,
I'm gonna be pissed if that happens. All right, Do
you have any other final thoughts before we give our
player of the game? And I think we should switch
up the rules for game seven? We switched them up
last time. We can switch them. We'll just keep it
the same as last time. Actually, will Adam any thoughts
before this four thirty pm Game seven in Denver?
Speaker 2: Yeah? This is bs. You guys already gave your players
the game. Are we making the last mind decisions here?
Speaker 1: We're making last mide decisions. Man, this is what the
adjustments are all about.
Speaker 2: All right?
Speaker 5: I like it?
Speaker 2: What's the rule?
Speaker 1: We can pick? Will? Did we make it? We could
pick anybody? I think we made it. We could pick anybody.
I can't remember. I had a couple of whiskeys last night.
Pick whoever you want.
Speaker 2: I'm going back to an old halftag of mine. At
the beginning of the season, hashtag JVG for MVP Jeff
Van Gundy my player to watch.
Speaker 3: Yeah, I think the defensive scheme was beautiful last time out.
Speaker 2: Uh, he knows about slugfest in the playoffs, in big
Game seven's in elimination games, you may have a good
idea about how the reps are gonna call her, how
much they're gonna let go, and then adjust the defensive
game plan accordingly. I'm basically saying the Clippers they got
to find a way to win this game on the
defensive end, and JBG is a big part of that.
Speaker 1: Great pick. I think that's the first time we picked
j He's been on the table. Also, I guess we could.
I guess he could be in the regular Player of
the game pick.
Speaker 2: The kitchen.
Speaker 1: I'm gonna go. I'm going this is a very easy pick.
This is exactly what I was about to say, hip
to clip Kawhi Leonard. With a Game two like performance,
we are gonna see Kahi an attack mode. I think
I need the thirty five, I need the elbow jumpers.
I'm looking forward to Game seven, Kawhi. I'm looking forward
to his defense. Will your pick if you want to
switch it for Player of the Game for Game seven,
anyone including coaching staff is on the table.
Speaker 5: M No, I'm staying with my pick, which listened to
yesterday's episode to remind me what it was.
Speaker 1: All right, good luck to everybody tomorrow. Good luck to
everyone ahead of the game. Yeah, I hope everyone has
their pregame rituals down. I hope. I don't know, man, Adam,
are gonna work out tomorrow? You run a marathon before
the game tomorrow? What's your plan?
Speaker 2: I'n't get a lift in. I ran today. So okay,
it's alders Friday tomorrow.
Speaker 1: Okay, back shoulders and try noted. Great, all right, we
will be back. There is a birthday in the pond,
so we will be back with a full episode on Sunday,
no matter what happens. Yeah, godspeed, everybody. Let's go clips
add of one positive thing before we head out. We
need one positive thing before the game seven.
Speaker 2: So I'm did in double check this, but you know
we trust Tomarrazari.
Speaker 1: Why not? He said?
Speaker 2: This was shocking to me.
Speaker 7: That, uh, the road team in the NBA has won
the last nine game seven. The last nine game seven
played have been won.
Speaker 2: By the road team.
Speaker 1: Holy shit.
Speaker 2: Okay, I don't know that. It seems high, but I
don't know if May they checked him on it.
Speaker 1: I'm gonna believe him, but I'm also gonna wipe that
out of my brain, if that makes sense, because that
gives me hope and dread at the same time, because
that feels like a lot in the.
Speaker 2: Row I had seen eight of the last eleven had
been won by road teams. Yeah, and Denver has lost
two game seven's within the last since twenty nineteen at home. Okay,
they lost to Portland in twenty nineteen and then obviously
last year in Minnesota.
Speaker 1: There we go. I like what Ray saying here. The
pressure is on Denver. They're the higher seed, they're at home,
they have more pressure. All Right, I'm stressed out. Okay,
we will be back Sunday, and as always, let's go clips.