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Whether you're an early bird looking to dive into a daily news podcast or a night owl who wants to catch up on the latest reality TV drama, T-Mobile will keep you connected on their strong and reliable network. I'm JR of the JR Sport Brief Show on CBS Sports Radio. I'm also the host of the new podcast Agents of Inclusion. We talk to a different Special Olympics athlete every week to learn how sports can bring us together. We're bringing both the disability and non-disability community to one community.
All one people, one family. It took me a little while, but I decided to claim autism as my superpower. When you hear the word autism, don't let that hinder you from doing whatever it is that you want to do. That's what Special Olympics tells you. You get involved in sports, but then you take it from the playing field out into real life. Family means to me community, acceptance, love, embracing a person just as they are. That's what Special Olympics did for me. It's all about family.
Subscribe to Agents of Inclusion on the free Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcasts. Before 11, no I can't because it's Warriors-Lakers. Can't go to sleep before 11 because there is a basketball game that may be the end of yet another Western Conference series.
That game doesn't tip until 7 o'clock L.A. time, 7 o'clock California time, which means, yep, actually maybe I'll put it on the DVR and watch it the next morning. I get up really early on Saturdays because my body clock kicks in around 5.30, sometimes earlier, and once I stir on a Saturday morning it is really difficult to get back to sleep. I have tried to take melatonin. I've tried to use essential oils to get back to sleep.
It does not work on a Saturday morning. After the week of being awake and being on the air at that hour and then not going to bed until, oh gosh, two hours after the show is done each morning, every time I try to flip my schedule for the weekends so that I sleep at night on Friday, sleep at night on Saturday, you know what I'm talking about. Those of you who work off shifts, you get it. So I flip my schedule every weekend, but Saturday mornings sometimes I only manage four hours of sleep. Sometimes it's a little more, but it's never past 5.30, 6 o'clock ever, even if I've been up really late the night before.
And so I just, I've given up trying to go back to bed. I just wake up and I use my energy until it's gone. On Saturdays I generally wake up with a ton of energy and it's really the only morning of the week I wake up with a ton of energy. But I do, and so I just use it.
I use it to go grocery shopping, to do yard work, to clean, to get work done, sometimes talk on the phone, whatever it is. And then it peters out at some point on Saturday afternoon I become a marshmallow or a couch potato, if you will. So yes, I might as well just put it on the DVR and watch it Saturday morning. It'll only be over for a couple hours by the time I watch it. If you're sleeping and not on social or anything, then it's like you watched it live. Yeah, no, I generally try to take more of the weekend off from social.
I've done that in greater and greater concentration over the last few months. Really getting away from social media on the weekends as much as possible. I will post, I just don't spend a lot of time looking at it.
So yeah, there'll be no chance. I'll just have to stay off of the CBS Sports app on my phone so that I don't get the final score until Saturday morning when I have a chance to watch it. I can get some work done then while I do it. Better plan because if I don't go to bed by 10, 30, 11 o'clock on a Friday night, I'll get zero sleep. And other than yard work and a blog post that I'm going to finish, finally, my goodness, I've been wanting to share the photos and the story of the Grand Canyon for quite a while.
I know I shared it here on the air, but with a lot of people that didn't hear it on the radio and what a month it was teaching at Syracuse as well. So I do have a couple blog posts I want to do, but this one particularly I want to finish and just a chance to breathe this weekend. It's the first weekend with not much on my plate, just a chance to be home, a chance to relax. I don't do that very often in the spring.
Actually, I don't do that very often at all, but definitely not in the spring. And since Bob is tied up all weekend, don't tell him. I'm actually excited about a chance to not be on the phone.
So the thing is, he's away all weekend, so he won't be listening to the show either. So I can say whatever I want. Oh, you're clear.
I'm really clear. There's nothing bad to say about him. He's awesome. He's a keeper.
He's just with his family this weekend, so I get a chance to remember what it was like to be single. No, I don't. I'm just kidding. Kidding, Bob, just in case you listen. Totally fine. I'm not single.
I'm absolutely taken. It's After Hours with Amy Lawrence on CBS Sports Radio. The Sixers, they thought that they were moving forward and had the momentum in the fourth quarter until their offensive wheels fell off and Jason Tatum caught fire. And sets the screen. The end fights through Jalen. Dangerous pass, but it gets to Brock and bounce back to him in the corner. Tatum pull up three. And Jason Tatum is on the board from distance and the Celtics somehow had the lead. Tatum makes his move. Right hand dribble. Maxie stays in front of him. So Tatum steps back into a three and he drills another one.
And the Sixers fans put their hands on their heads as their worst nightmare is beginning to unfold. Timeout Doc Rivers as Jason Tatum, just in the nick of time with the Celtics gasping for air, has dragged them back to the surface. Right hand dribble, floats into Tatum. He's got to look. Left side three.
Get it. Man, these big boys is stepping in their tracks right now. The Celtics have an eight point lead. Jason Tatum at the very last second has arrived at the party. Tatum switches to the left hand.
Now inbead in front of him. The MVP, Tatum steps back away from him, missed the three. But Al Horford flies in for the offensive rebound and the Celtics get a new 14. Brock then moves it into the corner to mark his smart. The boos rain down as Jason Tatum steps back into a three that will end the night and send the Celtics and this series back to Boston for a seventh at deciding game.
Somebody's going to get my tickets on Sunday. Cedric Maxwell is a former Celtics champion himself. He played in the 80s. I can't remember if he played into the 90s or not, but he definitely was on those teams with Larry Bird and some of the other great Celtics Hall of Famers from that era. And he is a hoot.
Sean Grandy, Cedric Maxwell on Celtics radio. Probably not a hoot if you're a Sixers fan, but the Celtics earned it. Jason Tatum earned it. He had three points, three points when he hit three consecutive triples. He had a miserable shooting game for three and a half quarters. And then with five minutes to go in a time out, Joe Mazzulla said, I love you. And that was the secret. We all need someone to remind us that we are loved even when our basketball is unlovable.
I love you. It's not like Tatum was out there making zero impact. He certainly was. And you always have to guard him, even if he's not hitting the shots.
I mean, that's the deal with any great. I do love that he was gritty. He was working the problem. And finally, the shots dropped for him. But to watch this game is to recognize he was not only a force on defense, and the defense was critical in this game for the Celtics. He was a force on defense, but he also continued to be part of what else was happening with the Celtics, which is Malcolm Brogdon hitting shots. Marcus Smart led the team in scoring for a good portion of this game. Robert Williams, well Al Horford's not scoring right now, but Robert Williams working hard underneath the glass. They were crashing the boards. As much as the Celtics ended up catching fire late and Jason Tatum catching fire late, outscoring the Sixers himself in that fourth quarter. This was also a rock fight with the defense. And the Celtics once again played tremendous defense in this game, holding the Sixers to 86 points and only 13 in that final quarter.
How about this? The Sixers score 30 in the third quarter and 13 in the fourth. That's a little, that's a little nerve wracking if you're a Sixers fan. That's a little disconcerting because it's happened multiple times.
It's after hours with Amy Lawrence here on CBS Sports Radio. Jason Tatum told ESPN after the game that, well, of course there's a reason I was going to hit shots eventually. I'm one of the humbly, one of the best basketball players in the world, you know, go through struggles, go through slumps. It's a long game.
And you know, thankfully I got some great teammates that held it down. I'm humbly. I like that he puts the humbly in there.
Isn't truth the best defense? Humbly, one of the best basketball players in the world. Humbly is, it's critical to include it there, just in case we thought you were LeBron James.
So humbly, I'm one of the best basketball players on the planet in the world. Would you agree with that, producer J? Producer Jason. Oh, ha ha. Producer Jason Tatum. Yeah, I probably would.
You probably would? I think he's, I think he's definitely top 10 in the NBA right now. Top five is tough to say. Isn't he on the All-NBA First Team? He absolutely is. So, I mean, the paper shows, the record shows that he is top five in the NBA.
I like that. The newspaper lists him as one of the top five. I'd give him top 10 for sure. Top five I think is an argument, but he's definitely top 10. One of the best basketball players in the world.
It's pressure because I'm one of the best players to ever play the game. He and KD can fight it out. And that sets up a Game 7. Coming up on Sunday in Boston, Jalen Brown, he's got a message for Celtics fans.
I'm hoping that it's going to be loud and it's going to be rocking, you know. Celtics fans, they love to call us out, right? So I'm going to call you guys out this time. Energy in the Garden has been okay at best all playoffs.
Game 7, if you're there or if you're not there, if you're in your home, if you're watching at a bar, if you're watching down the street at a friend's house, I don't care. I need you to be up. I need you to come with the energy because we don't need every bit of it. No excuses. We need everybody. So I'm calling you guys out.
Let's make sure the Garden is ready to go. No excuses. Calling you guys out. It is a benefit to be able to host that game, although we know what the Sixers did the last time. They were in Boston for game number five. So in the NBA, one team advances to the conference finals. That's the Nuggets. The Sixers have to face a game seven on the road. In hockey, we also had a team advance to the conference finals. And of course, it comes with the typical Stanley Cup playoff flair this time of the year. Sudden death overtime for the Carolina Hurricanes, the New Jersey Devils, and just to make it more complicated for New Jersey, a power play. It was mayhem there in Raleigh.
Red Fury, if you will. And the Carolina Hurricanes, they were able to take the initial speed, the initial pace of this game, and kind of study themselves, similar to what happened in game number four in New Jersey. The Devils get on the board first, but once the Canes find their footing, once they settle in, they're able to, I wouldn't say control the game, but they're able to at least match what the Devils are doing. And yeah, 12 minutes in, or I guess it was eight minutes in, eight minutes into overtime, there's a power play and they're not going to let that opportunity go by. Even in the third period, there were so many shots that were either great saves by the two goalies or that were just wide.
And Timo Meyer, he missed a wide open net, as in there was not a body in the crease. And so there were plenty of opportunities for each of these teams. But ultimately, it's the Hurricanes that move on. And they got a lot of experience, a lot of leadership, like a Brett Burns. And that steadiness, that kind of confidence to draw on, it's really evident with the Hurricanes, even in pressure packed situations. I think we're always in the moment. I think we play, you know, simple is not the right word, but it's a simple game.
But work hard and, you know, just five man together. By the way, it was Mike Maniscalco on the Canes radio network as they move on to the final four. As for Lindy Ruff and the New Jersey Devils, I'm not sure a lot of people expected them to make it to the Eastern Conference semifinals. Very young, though their star player, Jack Hughes, says that's not the problem. That's not why we lost. I don't think it matters about like young team or whatever, you know, they just play better than us. And, you know, it's nice that we all got some serious playoff action, you know, we won a round. But, you know, we're a competitive group and we want to go deeper.
So, yeah, it is what it is. It sucks that we're out now, but, you know, we've got a bright future ahead of us. You look at the year that our top players from Nikko to Jack, to Bradder, to you can go down the line.
A lot of guys had, you know, you can't live in that. I mean, you can't live in that moment because next year will be extremely tough again because you won't surprise anybody. It happens a lot in sports where a team uses a playoff disappointment, maybe a playoff run that wasn't as expected. Not that internally they didn't believe they deserved to be there, but the way they went on was at a 13-game win streak earlier in the season. They set themselves up and they continued to play really well with that speed, with that pace, using youth as an advantage throughout the season. And they actually had home ice advantage in the first round. Served them well. So whether or not they were expected to be into the semifinals, that's one question.
But the larger point is they can build on this. And coming up, I met her at the Prudential Center at the end of the regular season. Christy Flannery works for the Hockey News covers the Devils in the Eastern Conference and she'll join us. We're doing some late writing. We'll look at the season that was for the Devils and certainly at the effort and the experience of the Hurricanes.
It's After Hours with Amy Lawrence on CBS Sports Radio. We played a good game tonight and effort was there. And yeah, obviously didn't want, didn't have the outcome we wanted and that just sucks right now. I don't think anybody counted us in and still here we are, but it doesn't make things better.
This is After Hours with Amy Lawrence. No matter when the season ends, it always hurts. And as the New Jersey Devils exit stage left, the Carolina Hurricanes advanced to the conference finals. This was a game that had much more of a tense feel to it. Not just because it was a closed out game, because it was tight all the way through.
The other games in this series were blowouts one way or another. And the Devils had their chances to score more. You hear it there on the Devils radio network.
Lots of guys and opportunities that were just that close. Canes, they move on. Either the Toronto Maple Leafs or the Florida Panthers.
It's After Hours with Amy Lawrence on CBS Sports Radio. We're pleased to welcome to the show for the first time, Christy Flannery of the Hockey News specializing in covering the Devils and New York area hockey. This series turned out to be a 4-1 victory for Carolina. What separated the Canes from the Devils and ultimately led to Carolina advancing? The Carolina Hurricanes were the better team the entire series. I think a lot of people forget that this is a team that has been picked to be a Stanley Cup winner the past couple of seasons.
This is a team that already went through their hard postseason losses. They're older, they're more experienced, and they were just flat out better in every facet of the game. Where did you see them really gain an advantage over the Devils?
Who admittedly this group was in this position for the first time? Yeah, I mean they just did a phenomenal job at just shutting the Devils down. They took away their speed a majority of the series. When you watch the Devils more times than not, they looked overwhelmed. They got away from their game and Eric Hall has said when they're away from their game, they look like a completely different team than when they actually have everything going at 100%.
That's really what Carolina did. Honestly, they beat the Devils at their own game. Anyone who's a casual hockey fan recognizes the youth and the speed of the Devils, but when you say their game, what are you referring to?
What do they want to do? What did they do in the third game in which they were able to gain an advantage, at least for that one night? They had their speed. It almost looked like they simplified their game because when you look at game one and two, the only line that was able to score a goal was the Devils' fourth line of Michael McLeod, Nathan Bastian, and Miles Woods. And when reporters talk to them about how they play, they constantly say, we just play a very simple game and I think when you saw the Devils win 8-4, the Devils played a really simple game and they built momentum because what you saw in this series was how quickly the momentum changed from team to team. Kristi Flannery is with us here on After Hours CBS Sports Radio, making her debut on the show.
Really excited. She is newly with the hockey news but has been covering the Devils this season and they get to the second round where they follow the Hurricanes. How much progress did they make in terms of setting a foundation and building for the future this season? They made so much progress and this is what I was telling some fans I was interacting with on social media earlier today. Regardless of when the Devils' season came to an end, the season was a success because when you got into the postseason, they were really playing with house money. When the season began, most people had them picked as a bubble team for a wildcard spot. They exceeded so many expectations and really it was heartbreaking the way they lost but fans should be happy with the fact that they got as far as they did because no one would have thought in October they'd be playing in the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs in Game 5. Who are the building blocks for this franchise moving forward?
The players that you believe will be part of what's to come? It's always going to be Nico Heuscher and Jack Hughes. I think you can add Luke Hughes to that equation as well because tonight was only his fifth game.
I think he has more playoff experience than he does in the regular season. But for his age, he skated very well. He was very composed. You know, rookie mistakes are going to happen when you're dealing with a young player. But overall, he played very well.
He was very impressive. You know, you had Dougie Hamilton sign long term. The core of this team is very young. Really, everything starts and ends with Nico Heuscher and Jack Hughes. It's been kind of fun to watch these two brothers and even in the arena for Game 4 specifically. There was a video with the two of them interacting at one of the intermissions.
What's it like to cover a couple of brothers who play on the same team and one of whom, as you mentioned, is a rookie who's 19? It's pretty funny because it almost seems like Jack has more energy knowing that Luke is around. And that's just an observation. But Jack just seems to be, he's talked to the media a lot more since Luke's arrival. And, you know, even Luke, he carries himself very, very well.
He's very professional for his young age. And it's just kind of fun to see the dynamic and also see the differences and kind of their personalities. Kind of fun to see that with them. What did the Devils themselves have to say about this series, but also about how it ended? And that there is disappointment, but?
Yeah, I think it is disappointing. And I think it's really hard because, again, they lost in a heartbreaking way. So when you go into the locker room right after that, minutes after that, they don't have time to process what happened.
So when you're asking them the questions, you know, a lot of it is, you know, it's very fresh right now. It's hard to reflect on all the positives because you didn't even process what just happened to you 10 minutes ago. But, you know, Michael McLeod met with the media and he said, you know, we got to the postseason. We got that experience that, you know, we beat our rivals, which was really awesome. And there are going to be a lot of positives to take from this season. And they should be excited and motivated to get back on the ice in October. Let's talk about that victory over the Rangers.
It took a Game 7. How much of a confidence boost is that for the Devils who've been in the Rangers shadow for quite a while now? It's a major confidence boost because, again, I don't think anyone really predicted that the Devils would be in that position to even play a Game 7 at home in front of their home fans.
And somebody made a really good point. When you look at expectations, there really were no expectations when it came to New Jersey in the postseason. Whereas with the Rangers, they had all the expectations. You don't bring in and trade a Patrick Kane and a Vladimir Tarasenko as you're not going all the way. And when you look at the goaltender, Igor Shostakin, a heart trophy finalist, the Vesna winner last year.
And then you had Akira Schmid, who's this kid that nobody knew who he was and had 18 career starts before that series. So when you look on paper, you have to go with Shostakin and the Rangers, but yet the Devils shut them out. Kristy Flandry is with us. She's with the hockey news. It's After Hours here on CBS Sports Radio. Let's talk about that goaltender switch and actually going back and forth for Lindy Ruff. What does that mean for the future, Kristy?
That's a really hard question. I know that there are some fans that are saying that Tom Fitzgerald needs to bring in yet another goaltender. But I think at the end of the day, Akira showed so much promise. And even though Vanecek struggled in the postseason, and he did. Even talking to him after Game 4, he was completely crushed after the performance that happened. Vanecek did so well in the regular season.
And I don't think you can forget that. I think that sometimes people focus on the players that are going to step up in the big moments. And they look at Vanecek and they look at maybe Akira and say in the big moments they're struggling and they're not stepping up. But you also have to remember, I think Vanecek only had maybe 4 or 5 postseason games under his belt before this postseason. So it's not like he was a veteran that had like 50 games under his belt. I personally would think that it's okay going with the tandem of Vanecek and Akira next season.
But people are paid a lot more money to make those decisions than me. But I think between what Vanecek did in the regular season and what Akira proved and had those moments of real brilliance in the postseason, I would think it's okay moving forward with that tandem. Lindy made a lot of tough calls and moves in these postseason series. This team is responsive to what he will do. He comes from a hockey family. Why is he the right fit for this young group? There's something about the way that he develops young talent.
And I don't know what it is. I'm obviously not in the room with him. I don't know how he interacts with the players. But the players all say how great he is and that he's a player's coach and that he's really great to work with. And I think when the players like their coach, it's like a boss.
If you like your boss and your boss is good with you, you're more willing to really put in the effort and really listen to what they're saying. And I think that's kind of what it is with him because Jack Hughes loves playing for him. Nico Heescher has said how many times, you know, how much, you know, Lindy has really helped this club.
And if you don't believe what they're saying, you can look at their statistics. A lot of players are playing their best hockey under Lindy Ruff. And a really good example is when Lindy Ruff benched Seigenthaler.
And I'm not sure which game it was, but against the Rangers, Seigenthaler came back and had a two point night. It seems like he knows what buttons to push to get the best out of his players. And that's such an important aspect of coaching. And he has it. So they have the coach, they have the leadership, they have the foundational pieces in place.
This is such a huge stepping stone. It's experience for the future in the Stanley Cup playoffs. What else do the Devils need in the offseason? What do they have to address?
That's a great question. You know, it's really interesting because when you look at who's restricted and unrestricted, there are some question marks. Because, you know, you have Ryan Graves, who I know a lot of people weren't happy with his postseason performance. And you have Damon Severson, who was very consistent this postseason, that are both UFAs. You have Luke Hughes, who proved that he can play in this league. You have Simone Nemec, who had a great year in the AHL, who's going to be fighting for a roster spot. So you kind of have to look at it and say, okay, we don't want to take a step back and bring in all these young kids because the court is ready to compete. They proved that this season.
So you have to find that balance. Like, they have Hala and they have Tatar that are UFAs. And, you know, I think their veteran presence was really a key this entire season. Like, I don't think people realize how important Eric Hala was to this team, to this locker room, the entire year. So when you look at players like that, you would think that on that alone, you want to bring them back. But, you know, you don't know how much money Timo Meyer is going to want.
You don't know how much money Jeff Brabrand is going to end up getting. If they're going to, you know, end up trading him or what they're going to do with him. And a lot of those factors come into play. So I think it's so hard to answer that question because when Fitzgerald, for last season, Fitzgerald came in and brought in Eric Hala, Brendan Smith. And people were very confused that when, you know, Johnny Goudreau and Alex Brinkett were available, why he went for these players that were a real afterthought for most people. But those are the players that were clearly needed in the room. It's not getting the big name players, it's getting the right players for the room. And sometimes that is just having a veteran voice, not contributing 30 points to the season. Right. They definitely have the chemistry. And as you say, they respond to their coach and the plan for the season.
It clearly worked. Christy Flannery of the Hockey News is with us here after our CBS Sports Radio. You and I met at the Prudential Center. I think it was a late season Rangers-Devils game, actually. And I remember thinking, wow, this place, going back even the last couple of years having attended games, this place is different.
The buzz is different. Of course, that night there may have been more Rangers fans in the building. But over the course of the season, as the Devils got better, how did you see the fan base buy in?
They really did. And you saw, even when they were on their 13-game winning streak back in November, there were so many sold-out attendances for these games. And I think what it is, is that fans are starting to finally see the turnaround. I think most would say that they've waited 10 years, 11 years for this to have competitive hockey. And when you have a star like Jack Hughes, that any given night he's going to have a highlight, real goal. I think there's just a lot of excitement around the talent and the fact that they're young and this is just the start of something. And you want to be a part of that. You want to be a part of that journey.
From the ground level, exactly. Not a bandwagon jumper. Just a thought on the Hurricanes as they advance to the Eastern Conference Finals and are now into the Final Four. Who do you think they match up with better, the Panthers or the Maple Leafs, who right now are on the ropes themselves and will face elimination again on Friday? Well, first off, the Carolina Hurricanes absolutely deserve to advance to the Eastern Conference Final, but it's not even a question.
As a fan of the sport, you want to see the best of the best. And when I look at that matchup, it has to be the Florida Panthers because the Florida Panthers are on an entirely different level. They were playing playoff hockey way before anybody else was because they had to fight for that wildcard spot.
And they have just been on a roll. From a fan of the sport, I want to see a Carolina-Florida matchup because I think those are the two best teams that are left. And the Florida Panthers obviously with their own arc of having been the President's Trophy winners a year ago, getting eliminated though in the second round. Having to fight through, as you say, just to get into the postseason and then taking out the Bruins. So, some good stories still alive in the Stanley Cup playoffs. All right, so you can find Christy on Twitter at, I love this, instilettos underscore nhl.
I had a chance to see them. She covers hockey with class. Now with the hockey news, you are welcome on the show anytime. It was great to connect with you and I look forward to next season.
Yes, thank you so much. This was a blast. It's always fun to be able to welcome new voices.
And this has happened. This happens to be a new voice that I met in person, which was great. We were sitting next to each other for game number four in New Jersey going back to Tuesday. And we had met earlier during the season.
One of the games later in the year where there were a ton of bodies on press row and not as many women. So, it's always fun to connect with a fellow female who's working in this industry. And so, Christy Flannery, you can find her on Twitter, instilettos nhl.
Who else would have even remotely a similar Twitter handle? Love it. Alright, coming up, the Sixers perspective after a game seven is forced in their own building when Jason Tatum flies in with his Superman cape and makes three threes and sixteen points in the fourth quarter. And so, Doc Rivers, certainly no stranger to big games in Boston. Can the Sixers bust through this second round glass ceiling? Had two opportunities, or had an opportunity I should say.
They weren't able to capitalize at home. So, we'll see what happens on Sunday. It's After Hours with Amy Lawrence on CBS Sports Radio. You are listening to the After Hours Podcast.
Alright. The beat switches out on Tatum. He steps back, fires for three.
And that's no good. But Horford gets the rebound. Forty-five seconds to go. Sixers need to foul.
Smart in the corner. Smart goes to Tatum. Tatum outside right five to shoot.
Fires for three. Ballgame. A three-point shot.
This is After Hours with Amy Lawrence. Never a good thing if a single player on your opponent's roster outscores you by himself in the final quarter of what could be a closeout game in your own building. But that's what happened in the fourth quarter of Sixers-Celtics. Game six in Philadelphia. Jason Tatum sixteen points.
The Sixers thirteen points. I can think of all these clichés for Jason. It's not how you start, it's how you finish. Better late than never.
Fashionably late. All of that applies to Tatum. But really this is partly about the Sixers. The Sixers could not hit the broadside of the barn in the fourth quarter.
The game was tied at 80, 82, 83 maybe? But the Celtics surge ahead and the Sixers can't generate any offense. Give the Celtics credit for hitting the threes, especially Tatum. But for the Sixers, it seems like they just kept laying bricks. And it's frustrating, fans are not even a fan of the team, it's frustrating to watch basketball like that where they just chuck the threes up there, clang them off the rim and then turn and run down the other direction.
It was demoralizing I'm sure. Because they were right there, tied with the Celtics, five minutes to go. But the body language, Doris Burke even called it out on ESPN.
And then in addition to that, the shot selection just makes me want to poke a fork in my eye. Tom McGinnis on Sixers radio, it's after hours with Amy Lawrence on CBS Sports Radio. So Jason Tatum, Doc Rivers certainly familiar with what he can do. Just Tatum, I mean he had the same attempts in the first half, didn't make them, made some tough shots, shook us loose a couple of times. We double teamed twice when we were not double teaming and then he was the last guy open.
So I thought that one got him going and then once he got it going it's hard to turn him off. We miss a lot of shots. You know, the shots that we would take every single night, you know, we miss a lot of wide open shots tonight and that made us pay for it. I mean, we only made eight threes and then obviously that made, you know, 15 of them.
I thought that's where the game was. Joelle Embiid boils it down to we only made eight threes. They made 15.
And I get it, that's your margin, what's more than your margin. But that's not the entire game. You were right there with five minutes to go. James Harden goes 0 for 6 from deep, so he kind of continues his hot, cold performances in the playoffs, but certainly in this series. And Joelle Embiid has a huge complaint about the game down the stretch. I don't think I touched the ball the last four minutes of the game.
You know, like I said, miss a lot of good looks. I didn't touch the ball at all. I didn't like how we played overall offensively down the stretch. You know, got to play for three a big fella more, didn't think the ball went there.
So I have to watch the film. But I just didn't think we had a game of great trust tonight. You know, I thought our guys all wanted to win.
They played that way and sometimes I think that gets in your way without that happening tonight. We get at least one game 7 out of Thursday's battles. The Nuggets advance, they're through. Don't have to worry about a game 7 in the Mile High City. They can sit back, wait, watch Golden State and Los Angeles on Friday night. If that series goes 7, which I'm sure they want it to, if that series goes 7, then they have an extra day. The Western Conference Finals begin on Tuesday.
Denver will host the opener of the West Finals on Tuesday, regardless of the opponent. But if it's a game 7 for the Warriors and the Lakers, well then they have to play on Sunday and turn around and travel to Denver and be ready for a Tuesday tip. Remember how the Warriors started this series? They were worn out.
Emotionally, physically as well. Because they had gone to Sacramento. Steph had the 50, was it 50? 53?
I can't remember exactly how many he had. He had a 50-point game in game 7 at Sacramento. They have to turn around then and get back and start the series with the Lakers not even 48 hours later. Now they were home, which is helpful. They wouldn't be in the West Finals.
Neither the Lakers nor the Warriors will be the home team in the West Finals. But that's the idea. The Nuggets are now off completely Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday. That's four full days off. Maybe they do shoot around.
They certainly get treatment. Maybe they do a couple of walk-throughs. They're not practicing this time of year. So they can sit back and watch Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday hoping that the Lakers and Warriors do battle all the way through and then have to turn around the winner of that series to get to Denver with not even 48 hours before they tip off in the West Finals. The East Finals are Wednesday. So the first game of the East Finals are Wednesday.
Obviously we don't know who will be alive. Miami gets to host game six coming up on Friday evening. Can the Knicks do the same thing the Celtics just did and force the series back to New York?
It's after hours with Amy Lawrence here on CBS Sports Radio. Doc Rivers swears they are not down in the dumps. They're not licking their wounds. Nah, they're focused forward. We knew we had to go through this team.
Nothing's changed. They all were saying that. It wasn't a down locker room. They were disappointed they lost the game. But you didn't have a locker room of anybody feeling defeated or anything like that.
I can guarantee you that. I wouldn't want to go to game seven in Boston with any other group. I know we're going to rally. We've rallied all year long on the road. We've got a tough group. We've got a very, very tough group. It's going to be huge for us. It's one game, one game.
We're not worried about nothing else, not worried about the future, the past. It's just one game in the present, Sunday night or whatever time we play on Sunday. We've got to go out there and we've got to fight our tails off. It's going to be a war. It's going to be a battle.
Tyrese Maxey, he's been fantastic in this postseason so far, 26 points for him in game number six, but ultimately not enough offense from any of the Philadelphia players in the fourth quarter. So game seven comes up on Sunday. We could have a trio.
No, not a trio. We could have a doubleheader of game sevens in hoops anyway. We'll see what happens in hockey. But the Nuggets have advanced, so they're through to the West Finals. They will host the opener on Tuesday, and then as I say, the East will begin on Wednesday, though we don't know who will host and who's participating. Still so much yet to be decided. All right, we're going to pivot as we hit the halfway point of the show. I told you I was excited about the NFL schedule release, mostly because I love to be right. The blind squirrel finds a nut. It's After Hours with Amy Lawrence, CBS Sports Radio. Donate today at your local CSL Plasma Center and be rewarded for your generosity.
Whisper: medium.en / 2023-05-12 06:23:54 / 2023-05-12 06:40:51 / 17