NBA Playoff Recap (Hour 4)

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Subscribe to NerdWallet's Smart Money Podcast. A gentleman's sweep and Clippers and Suns. I got to think the Suns closed this out tonight, but Hickey, like through this first round, even though you see a team up 3-1, you're like, oh, that's a dominant performance. The Clippers have been dropping like flies. Heading into this series.

We know that there was no Paul George. Kawhi Leonard now out for most of the series. And it's not like the Suns have dominated, even though the series lead would suggest otherwise, like the Suns had to grind these games out.

And yes, it's better to just survive and advance this time of the year. And it's weird because this is now we're processed to think of the NBA with a little management and minutes and all that. With how many minutes they've had to play with Durant and Booker and Chris Paul just looking old in this series because he is old. You'll wonder if maybe, and I know it's a long postseason to get these guys so many days off in between games. You'll wonder if going to not the limit is not going to be a seven game series, but pushing these players probably more than you would like to think in the first round will eventually come back. And maybe just maybe haunt the Suns later on in the postseason. Yeah, I would not say using all this energy and having for a team with no depth and a 37, I believe he is Chris Paul, year old point guard putting in a lot of time in round number one along with Kevin Durant, who still young, so has a lot of life left in the legs.

But as someone who has been injury prone and has had a tough time staying on the court, not exactly what the doctor ordered in round number one, that's for sure. Like you look at the Celtics and the Hawks, that series is 3-1 right now. You have game five going on.

The Celtics are up 82 to 71. The Celtics really haven't had to break much of a sweat in this series. And I know, right, you go into this series saying, oh, well, the Clippers are a better team than the Hawks, but the Clippers haven't had Paul George. And Kawhi Leonard has basically been a no-show this entire series other than early on where he was playing well and he looked like this unstoppable force, right? And you were saying how impressive he was to the first two games of the series. But after that, he's been out the entire way.

So you're not really getting the Clippers. The highlight for the Clippers in the first rounds has been Russell Westbrook, really. And Russell Westbrook, who Hickey called that bleeping guy and you were so fed up with him, even you'll give credit to Russell Westbrook. He's been awesome in this series.

Like he's been fun to watch. And you look at the Suns, you go, okay, they probably are on paper the best team in the, maybe in all the NBA, but definitely in the Western Conference. And you look at them this year or just in this postseason so far through four games, it's like, I've been much more impressed by Denver and their 3-1 series because of what Murray showed than anything the Suns have really showed me in their 3-1 series.

And I can't argue with that again. When you were playing a team so far for the most part of the series, their best player has been Russell Westbrook and the two other best players. We're talking about the 2018 Clippers before Paul George got there, before Kawhi Leonard got there. That's how you play with both of them out. And yes, like I said, it's 3-1, but it's not exactly like in any of these games you felt good about the Suns.

It's not good so far. It's really like, remember, and I know this series went to seven, but remember when Chris Paul went to OKC and he's going up against his old team, the Rockets, and they went to seven and everyone's like, oh, what a performance, what a single-handedly great effort by Chris Paul. I know Chris Paul's now on the Suns, but that's how you kind of feel in this series where without Paul George, without Kawhi Leonard, Westbrook's doing everything he can where you kind of, where most of the year Westbrook has been like a lot of jokes, right, the butt of a lot of jokes. Now, it's like at the end of the year, people kind of give a little tap-kip, you know, tip of the cap, to Russell Westbrook and kind of, you know, give him some credit for what the job he's been able to do.

In one sense, absolutely. And he has played a lot better, like you mentioned. The last time we talked about him on the show, it had to be dumped because someone who will be unnamed may have said a bad word that should not have been said when talking about Russell Westbrook. But with that said, not take anything away from Russell Westbrook and how he's played so far, the fact that we're talking about Russell Westbrook being the best player on this team is a problem. And it's a problem in the sense that the Suns are still having trouble putting a Clippers team away when there's a reason why he's been moved around all the time. He doesn't play well in this day and age of the NBA. He's too inefficient. He's like a bowl in a china closet. He's all over the place, rambunctious, balls, you know, his turnover. He's too many turnovers. And the Suns just can't help themselves.

It's a problem. It's also kind of funny to now hear you talk positively about Russell Westbrook just because of where that image was a few weeks ago and you're basically cursing him out. Oh, not basically, you were cursing him out on national radio. To his credit, he's done a great job and he's played a lot better with L.A. than I ever would have figured, especially considering the last time we saw him in L.A. They couldn't wait to get him off the court and he was a net negative.

Now all of a sudden he's going to the Clippers and after all of this background search and all of these intense interviews that they were doing with Russell Westbrook and saying, oh, you know, we want you to be okay with playing 10 minutes a game and maybe some games you're not even going to play. And then they start him in game number one and they lose, coincidence or not, five games in a row as soon as he starts playing. But to his credit, playoff time, he's contributed more to winning than I ever would have imagined. And on the ice, you have the Islanders and Hurricanes at the end of two going to three. Islanders on the brink of elimination down 3-1. They are actually up 3-1 at the Hurricanes house. So we'll see how that final 20 minutes will play on out. Stars and Wild all tied up at two games apiece.

Game five in Dallas. Stars going to the second period. They're up 2-0 after getting that 2-0 first period.

And how about this one coming up in 30 minutes? Kings and Oilers. What a joy of a series this has been. And that game the other night, I know it was on late, but getting off the air at 10 p.m. Eastern, you just watch these games. The Kings and the Oilers, that was over the weekend, but the Kings Oilers game, it was crazy. Where the Oilers go down 3-0 and by the end of the second period, it's 3-0 going into the second period. The Kings are at home and they're up 3-0. And I texted my uncle because we were at a game this year, Kings and Rangers, where the Rangers had a three goal lead and they ended up blowing it to the Oilers. The Rangers were up by three goals.

And my uncle goes, yeah, don't worry. He goes, the Oilers will come on back. And by the end of the second period, they came on back. Then the game goes into overtime and the Oilers end up winning it. So that series now, two games apiece. And I can't wait to just see how this unfolds tonight, Hickey, in this, I guess you could say pivotal game five, because man, with these two teams, last year we know how fun the Oilers were right in the Battle of the Bird in the first round. And how great of a series that was, Calgary and Edmonton. But this year, Kings and Oilers has been just such a joy to watch.

It absolutely has been. I love games that are high scoring, not much of a pitcher's duel or a goalie showdown, if you will, kind of guy. Like last night between the Devils and Rangers.

Right. Where offense is hard to come by. I love goals, love scoring. And that series, especially that last game, has provided a lot of that. This is, by the way, a big series for our friendship. Big series for our friendship, the way that this Devils-Rangers series does play on out. Why is that?

Because there's very few times where we're on the same page here. And last year, the Rangers up 2-0 in the Conference Finals. And you were talking about reserving your spot at the Canyons of Hero, and they didn't win another game.

And this year, you basically guaranteed the series was over up 2-0. And you said that Mika Zabanejad was going to score a game-winning goal, and he's done nothing this series. And Mika's one of my favorite players on the team. After Chris Kreider and Fox, he's my favorite player.

Top 3 favorite player on the team. He got his jersey. And the Rangers, at home, they've done nothing. So, you better hope. And also, Mraz, too. And I like Mraz. But Mraz is sweeping his bars, saying the series is over. The two of you, you need the Rangers to end up winning this series.

I think you guys are going to get a lot of pushback, and a lot of people poking fun at you with the Hickey Hex and then the Mraz Mush. People can laugh, but I would direct the anger. I'd direct the frustration towards the team on the ice. Who, in two games at home, with a chance to bury a team that's better than them, came out flat. Came out like they have acted like the series is already over, like they're already in the second round.

That's who I'd direct the anger to. Play better. It's inexcusable. Yeah, but it's when you open your fat mouth, that's when they start playing poorly. So, let me ask you this. How do you think this series will go the rest of the way?

It's tough. Thursday night, we've got to watch this while doing the draft show, and then they do play Saturday 8pm Eastern as Game 6. I said before the series Rangers in 7.

I was about to make fun of myself on Saturday night after I thought it was going to be a Ranger win and say, I'll give the Devils too much credit. But I'll stick to that prediction, Rangers in 7. I hope you're right.

I hope you're right. I still think they're going to find a way to win this series. I kind of think the Rangers lose Game 5, then win Game 6, and then somehow find a way to pull a rabbit out of the hat in Game 7.

But right now, after being up 2-0, it's a lot different feeling as we wait and wait and wait in great anticipation for Thursday night. And how about the Maple Leafs last night? Coming on back, I thought for sure that series is going to be tied up at two games apiece. I like the Maple Leafs heading into this year. I thought this would be this year they finally win a playoff series since 2004. Got to give credit to the Maple Leafs. Last night in Tampa at MLA Arena, getting that victory and coming on back to do so 5-4 in overtime. Now they're up 3-1 and they better close out.

This would be the most Maple Leaf thing ever if they don't find a way to close out, but I think this year is different. Okay, let's get to a little news brief here. Time for your Daily News Brief.

We get you caught up on the rumors, reports, and reconnaissance from the day in sports. Aaron Rodgers is going to be introduced as a New York Jet tomorrow at around 2 p.m. Eastern. Joe Douglas was asked if he gave up too much for Aaron Rodgers. We're comfortable with how this deal shaped in any negotiation.

I don't think anyone ever walks away from a negotiation where you feel like you want everything in terms of what's gone back and forth. Ultimately, our goal from the beginning was to add Aaron to the team and so we were able to get that, agree to terms with that yesterday and just excited to get him here. I know there's other pieces to this deal, but the real meat to the pieces here is you swap first round picks, so the Packers move up to 13, you fall back to 15.

That's not a big deal. You knew one of those second round picks were going to go to the Packers, 40 second, okay, that's no problem. The only thing I was surprised about was just how easy the conditions were for that pick going from a conditional second to a first round pick. But if you're Douglas, you're more than fine with that and you get it.

I just think this is people like over analyzing things, but it was just surprising that the conditions were that easy. If that's the biggest thing at the end of the day, the biggest gripe at the end of the day, I don't think it's really that big of a deal. Joe Douglas is asked if Aaron Rodgers will be at offseason workouts. Again, I'd say I wouldn't want to put any words into Aaron's mouth as we know all of these workouts right now, this time of year, voluntary. So again, at the right time, you guys will be able to talk to him about that. That's a big question tomorrow. And that's Joe Douglas saying, folks, I am not upsetting Ayahuasca Aaron whatsoever. Ask him it tomorrow or whenever he said this. Ask when he meets the reporters coming up on Wednesday.

How about that, Hickey? What percentage chance do you give Aaron Rodgers showing up to mandatory minicamp mandatory offseason? I'm sorry. Oh, yes. Because he was a mandatory minicamp last year. So take that back. But he's got to be voluntary workouts, you're saying?

Yes. The ones he's skipped the last, what, five years in Green Bay? I'd say like 35%. You think that number is high too? I'd say 20.

It's pretty low. I think Rodgers may come in motivated and maybe a little bit different. Where, and you could never predict Aaron Rodgers, but he was clearly annoyed at the organization the last few years, even though they gave him a new contract and now this is new life, I would not be stunned if he goes to voluntary workouts. Joe Douglas says he still has belief in Zach Wilson. I feel like this is going to be a great thing, a great thing for Zach. And I spoke to you guys at the combine and Zach's ceiling is unlimited. And no one works harder, no one loves the ball more than Zach Wilson.

And him having the opportunity to really shadow and be with a first bout of Hall of Fame quarterback every day, every hour he's in the building, that's a great opportunity and a great experience. You know what every team and every draft analyst replaced the word potential with? Ceiling.

Because potential, like you say potential, it's like, all right, you haven't done it. You say highest ceiling since we haven't adapted that. Everyone's like, Oh my God, the ceiling, unbelievable.

Like it's such baloney. Now, anytime I hear someone say the word ceiling, I just almost want to pick against the prospect of the play that they drafted because it just shows that, yeah, we don't really actually believe in this guy. We think he can be okay. We think he can be really good. So we'll say that, yeah, you know, his ceiling, the heights that he could go, you can't even match it.

You can't put a restriction on it. It's such a bunch of bull crap when I hear the word ceiling. Like, you know, when you cursed, when I said Russell Westbrook and you were like, Oh, that bleeping guy. When I hear the word ceiling, I want to say bleep, bleep, bleep, bleep, bleep, just about that word.

I can't stand it. Something I did love though was Jimmy Butler last night. He was sensational. Giannis Antetokounmpo had a triple double and Brook Lopez scored almost nearly 40 points in the contest and it still wasn't good enough. And the Heat take a commanding 3-1 series lead with Jimmy Butler's 56 points and 9 rebounds. Jimmy Bucket says he wasn't the main reason the Heat won. It legit is a complete team effort.

I know everybody sees the 56 points, but if they're not looking to get me the ball or setting great screens where I could get to my right or get to my left or get to the free throw line, this game's a lot different. Yeah, you put the team on your back, Jimmy Butler, just say that, but you're being a good teammate. Now, Mike Boonenholzer, you can never tell if his team won or lost because he always sounds miserable. Let's hear Mike Boonenholzer with his team now on the brink of elimination down 3-1 as the number one overall seed to the eighth seeded Miami Heat. Here is Mike Boonenholzer saying Jimmy Butler was unstoppable.

I think it's always credit to the player first. He had a lot of shots. We'll look at the film, see what we can do better, but credit to him. He was very good. Now we know, right, Boonenholzer's team came back down 0-2 in the NBA Finals, but he does not make you feel all that encouraged when you hear that coach speak. Lebron James was magnificent last night, and man, I love what he did to Big Baby Brooks, Bum Brooks, and Dylan Brooks. Lebron James, 22 points, 20 rebounds, 7 assists, hit that ridiculous layup towards the end of regulation and then had some good moments in overtime. Here's Lebron James saying he was desperate to do whatever it took to win the game.

I mean, that's always been me. You know, whatever it takes for the team to be successful and just trying to be as great as I can be offensively, but even more important on the defensive end. So that was kind of the mindset tonight, and I was able to make a couple plays to help us be successful. Let's go to De'Aaron Fox. He has a fractured index finger in his left shooting hand. Game 5 tomorrow.

Here's De'Aaron Fox and if he'll play on Wednesday. Most likely, yeah. I mean, for me right now, it's just the tolerance on the pad of my finger, making sure I can shoot the ball. How different was shooting feeling with that thing on? As we got going, as the paint started going away, I feel like I could do my normal shot, so I think I'll be good.

That's encouraging, Hickey. Now, we'll see what it actually looks like on the court come tomorrow night, but if he says once the paint started going away, it felt like normal, can you see how you can withstand that in a game, or if you kind of like re-aggravated, if you get a ball thrown your way and then your finger jams the ball, I know you have protection on those fingers, but you never know, you know, someone steps on you, something can always happen throughout battle. And finally, last one, because I know we got to get to Kevin Harlan. This is John Lynch on If He Would Trade, Trey Lance. I think there's a lot of smoke, really. It hasn't been extremely active, and it's not like we've put it out there that, hey, we're taking offers for Trey, call 1-800, you know, that's not been the process.

People's job in this is to ask questions. Has that happened on a couple occasions? Sure, but it hasn't been that substantive. That actually is worse when you hear it compared to when I read it the other day. That is him begging teams. Hey, we've really got a lot of offers, you know, we're not begging teams, but he's basically begging teams to call him about Trey Lance.

You're listening to The Zach Gelb Show. Before we get to the closing bell, poll question time. Final answers. Jalen Hurts is the best QB in the NFC. Who is the second best quarterback in the NFC?

46.4% say other, which is just ridiculous. 24.6% say Dak Prescott, 15.7% Matthew Stafford, and 13.3% Kirk Cousins. If Stafford gave me a good amount of confidence in his health, and if the Rams had a decent team heading into this season, I would probably put Stafford, too. But just without knowing what that team's going to look like and how healthy Stafford's going to be, I kind of hold my nose and go Kirk Cousins as the second best QB in the NFC.

Hickey, who do you go with after Hurts? Who's the second best QB in the NFC? Dak Prescott, Kirk Cousins, Matthew Stafford, other are the options. And I guess others, Brock Purdy, Derek Carr, Geno Smith, Jared Goff, but none of those guys are better right now heading into this season than Stafford, Kirk Cousins, or Dak Prescott. Playoff winner Daniel Jones, who beat Kirk Cousins, but I will go Matthew Stafford.

You're a guy, Daniel Jones. You've crushed him for years, and now you're advocating for him to be the second best quarterback. In a sarcastic way, who wears the ugliest number you could wear as a quarterback, but I will go Matthew Stafford.

What, eight? Ugly. Lamar Jackson looks pretty good on Lamar. It does not. The number itself does not look good.

Aaron Rodgers now going to wear it, too? Yuck. I think it only looks bad if you're a fat guy. Like, eight on a fat guy doesn't look good, but neither of those three guys are fat guys, so I can't crush someone for an eight. I feel like a fat guy looks good in any skinny number. No. One, absolutely they look great. No, you're so wrong. No, defensive tackle number one. You are so wrong.

It is off the swag charts. This could be your dumbest take ever. First off, you're a string bean, so you don't know what you're talking about. My eyes work. My eyes work.

They look good. Your eyes don't work. Your ears don't work.

Your brain don't work. If you have a zero or like an eight, that looks bad for a fat guy. It just highlights your gut.

What are you talking about? If you're a defensive tackle wearing number one, the amount of respect that I have just gained and the amount of respect, even if you suck, I give you a lot of respect. Let's use a larger human being. You're telling me if Peter Schwartz rolls up to your family barbecue with a number one on or Mraz rolls up to your family barbecue with a number one on, you think that looks good? Yeah, I don't think if you are, as you put... You can't even see the one because it has all these lines in it with all the rolls that these guys got. A larger human being, let's just call a spade a spade. Maybe no number looks good.

That's not true. No number is a slimming number. 99 looks good in a big guy. Too cliche. 98 looks good in a big guy, just not isolated the eight or the zero or the one.

Three would look good. I'm just giving you facts. That's all I'm trying to help you out on the swag meter.

If you need a new Patriots jersey... I'm sorry. Oh, and now you're saying that I'm fat? No, no, no. I'm saying if you want to look good with a good number on, I think the single digits are a good look.

Hickey's Christmas gift, just right in the tubes. Come on. A three is horrible on the large house. I don't think there's, again, a number that looks bad on a larger human being. Okay.

I'm just going to say, Hickey, that you have a lot of bad takes. Like rolling up to the barbecue in 76. Oh, God, give me a break.

That's an offensive lineman number. It's good. 67. Yuck. No swag whatsoever. Yeah. Well, next time I want swag advice. 91.

No thanks. You're the last person that I will advise from. All right, let's get to the closing bell. Another day is in the books, and we're taking stock of the sports world. It's time to find out who's up and who's down. Let's end the day right and hit the closing bell. Only on the Zach Gelb Show.

Hickey, just give me a stock down right out of the gate to you. Just horrible. The Defense of Play of the Week is sponsored by the Navy Federal Credit Union, who proudly serves the armed forces, DOD veterans, and their families and members of the Mission Learn More at navyfederal.org. Jimmy Butler. Or as Brett Brown would say, he was James Butler tonight. My name's not James.

It's Jimmy. Jimmy Butler defended Miami's home court basically by himself as he scored a Heat playoff record 56 points in the 119-114 victory over the Bucks to go up 3-1. Jimmy Buckets also grabbed nine rebounds and recorded one block, as the Heat are now just one win away from knocking off the number one overall seed in the Milwaukee Bucks. No Bucks lust last night.

Give a stock up to Jimmy Butler. To the ice we go. The Rangers blew a 2-0 series lead to the Devils. Now it's 2-2 going back to New Jersey. Jonas Seigenthal gave the Devils a 2-1 lead to the 3rd. Here's the Devils are going to work.

Jack Hughes will settle. 11-50 as he hands it off to Jonas Seigenthaler. Devils in the midst of a change. Here's Hiescher down the right wing side.

Applies, the breaks, goes cross eyes. Seigenthaler with the shot, he scores! Jonas Seigenthaler have yourself a night. The Devils lead 2-1.

Give a stock up to Jonas Seigenthaler. I don't know why my mic wasn't working there. But, and now all of a sudden works, because what a game it was last night between the Maple Leafs and the Lightning in Tampa as Tampa was trying to tie this series up at two games apiece. We know the Leafs have not gotten a victory in the playoffs, a series victory since 2004. And they were down 4-1 at the end of 2. And this game ended up going into overtime at 4-4. And Giordano winds up and Alexander Kerfoot in front gets it in on the power play to win the game for the Leafs and then one win away from winning a series in the playoffs for the first time since 2004.

Leafs radio. Over it goes to Willy. Back it comes to Giordano. Giordano's shot, scores! Scores! Mark Giordano, scoring!

The pass off the wing and the shot from the blue line was deflected right at the goal. But the Leafs win it in overtime. Give a stock up to the Maple Leafs. If you blow this lead, it would really be something. I think this is your year to go to the next round.

Alright, we'll keep it moving. We go to Las Vegas where the Knights were going up against the Jets in Winnipeg. And the Knights now have taken a commanding 3-1 series lead. Let's listen up to Ivan Barbashev. Score to make it 3-1 in the second period.

This is the Golden Knights Radio Network. High on the right side, Stevenson. Left, Theodore. He shoots. He scores! Lazer, top right corner from Shea Theodore. Two points in a minute for Shea. 3-1 Golden Knights.

Let's give a stock up to the Golden Knights. Jordan Eberle scores the game-winner in overtime. 3-2 is the final.

This series all tied up at 2 apiece between the Kraken and the Avalanche. Daniel Sprong scores already in this game. His shot was blocked. Eberle gets it in the slot. Shorts! Eberle scores! Jordan Eberle! Game 4! Overtime! Winner! That's pretty good. Now, I know the Kraken only second year in the league. Everett Fitzhugh, I think is his name.

I've never heard of him before. That's pretty damn good. Give him a stock up. I also hate some of these hockey calls that didn't apply there. Where someone else shoots and it gets deflected in front and they're saying the guy scored and it ends up being someone else.

So that may throw you off a little bit in these calls. Give a stock up to LeBron James. What he did last night, he's 38, he's still magnificent, he's still wonderful. Dylan Brooks, zip your lip. LeBron James just runs circles around you.

22 points, 20 rebounds and 7 assists for the King. Give a stock up to LeBron James. And with that being said, Big Baby Brooks, Bum Brooks. You were all talk early in the series, then you didn't back it up, and now all the sudden you don't want to speak to the media.

Bad job by Dylan Brooks. Give Big Baby Brooks, Bum Brooks a stock down. What are you screaming about there, Hickey? You're watching this Hawks-Celtics game? Yeah. See, Trae Young just hit a dagger three, deep three.

Oh, that's what you're going nuts about. With just 1.8 seconds left to stave off, possibly elimination. And Celtics are in a good spot in that third quarter. Just a disastrous fourth quarter. We'll see how this is going to wind up here in the final two seconds.

I thought you were focused on something with the hockey, because I think one of the TVs here in the studio, I'm a little bit delayed on the hockey. But the Islanders game just went final, and the Islanders did survive. Giannis is 3-2 going back to Long Island. And finally, got to give a stock down to Milwaukee Bucks. Get that big lead. You got 30-something points from Brook Lopez. Giannis has a triple-double. And you can't find a way to get this series to go back two games apiece.

Yikes. Stock down to the Milwaukee Bucks. Alrighty, that's the Zach Gilp show on CBS Sports Radio. We will be in Kansas City tomorrow for the first of three draft shows. And we do have an action-packed guest list tomorrow. Jackson Smith and Jigba will join us.

Jordan Addison, Christian Gonzalez, Quinnen Johnson as well. Big thanks to Hot Take Hickey. Big thanks to Kevin Harlan for joining us. Carson Palmer, Bart Winkler, and Ryan Horvath. Talk to you tomorrow in Kansas City, where our bellies will be filled with barbecue at 6 p.m. Eastern, 3 Pacific. And Hickey will be getting fat and then be wearing an ugly jersey number. We out. Bye-bye. Peace.