Anthony Gargano, 97.5 The Fanatic Host

Cuz, what's happening my friend? Play it, Zach!

Play it! By the way, I thought about you this weekend and it had to do with food so I was in Philly for a wedding and one of my best friends got married at the Franklin Institute. It was a wonderful affair and I was in the wedding so you know how this works. The girls get ready at like 9 a.m with like 10 hours of makeup and all that and the guys just sit around and we drink a bunch of beer and my buddy, he ordered some primo hoagies and I was eating a chicken supremo hoagie and all I thought about was Anthony Gargano. That's awesome, that is beautiful.

Anytime you want them, I'll make sure you get them. Right to the studio, brother. Absolutely love it. Oh, I forgot how good those hoagies were too. That chicken supremo hoagie was just unbelievable. How do you describe the performance yesterday, by the way, Cuz of James Harden?

I mean, he's a shape-shifter. Have you ever seen anybody like him over like the last, what has happened the last four games, right? So game one, he is magical, he plays great, there's no indeed and they win and you go, okay well maybe Boston wasn't playing good enough defense or we'll try to figure it out. Then game two, he's not good but if he comes back, the offense will disjoint it. He shoots two for 14.

Okay, you throw it out. Game three at home, he's horrendous. Friday night, he played one of the worst games.

I thought he was Tony from Blue Chip who was point-shader, right? Like, I'm like, dude, what are you doing? And then he comes back just when everybody's cursing him and they're talking about playoff hards and he's ten times better than he, as bad as he was Friday, he was ten times better as he was. Like, he was unbelievable.

He played, he was clutch, he was money, like the floater to tie it in regulation and then calmly buries the triple from the corner. I mean, I've never seen anything like it. He changes from like hour to hour. It's wild. What do you think you're going to get from hard in the rest of the series? Cause that's the multimillion dollar question.

I have no idea that it's crazy. I don't know. He could be horrible and then he'll drop, you know, another 40 bagger. I don't know, but here's what I do know is that he seems really comfortable when they, they rely on him when they need him, right? When they're going to him, he seems pretty comfortable. Now, does the Celtics adjust and pick him up three quarter court? Like whenever pick him up three quarter court and they didn't allow the spacing.

And that means the screens and fighting through the screens and the switches. When he had space, he showed you, he's got legs and he's deadly. He didn't have space Friday night and he didn't have space in game two either. That's going to be the key. If he cannot get clean and has space, he'll score.

If not, you know, you can better dump it into one beat. The Embiid conversation today. I was listening to a lot of Philly radio today is so frustrating. Cause when you watch that game, you expected more out of him in the fourth quarter. And it doesn't help when Al Horford is just doing a great job on him defensively. But also it's like, that's what Sixers fans have kind of been bitching about the last few years, how they need someone outside of Embiid to be that closer. So what was your read on Embiid yesterday and the conversation 24 hours later?

I mean, I'll be honest. In fairness, the dude played was out of his mind Friday night, right? He was by himself Friday night. Nobody else played well.

Maxie's been killing them and I love Maxie to death, but they need him. Tobias was in foul trouble on Friday night. He, he was, he had a bad game yesterday, right? It was in B and B was gassed. Remember he comes back, uh, last Wednesday.

He plays Friday, dominates, then has to play against Sunday. Big guy by the fourth quarter was gassed. I think that's pretty legitimate. And by the way, you got to give him the benefit of the doubt on that call. I, I, you know, especially if you're not going to call the Tatum push before that, then Embiid's got to get the call.

One of them, it's got to be equal in that sense. I, I, listen, I think Embiid will actually play well. I think he's giving you with that knees, give me exactly what you want. I think he's playing good ball Friday night. He was spectacular. I also thought Anthony Gargano doc did a good job because he's been polarizing in Philly and doc going after the officials last night in a win. That was really a Philly type of move. It was, and guess what?

He's been, he's been in people all over the country go after him. And you know that when it comes to blowing leads, I 20 called a really good game. I didn't have a problem with any of the substitution. The play he draws up, I thought was really well. Like when he dumped the ball in the in B and B got deeper into the post, right? Then as Jalen Brown comes over to help out, big dishes clear, by the way, it's a great pass.

And B makes the hard in the corner. That was a doc play. That was a good play. I got to tell you, and they didn't completely melt down.

I've seen them melt down before when they blow a lead, they did not melt down. Now part of it was hardened, but I think he's coached a really good, good series. I have no issues with that. Anthony Gargano, you surprised yesterday in regulation and then also over time that Missoula didn't take a time out. Yeah. I remember, especially after he's been on the fire for that. So I thought for sure, especially in overtime, because you want to make sure that you're going to want to play where it's Brown or Tatum, and you're not relying on smart again with smartness, even though he makes it a new tick late, he misses the thread near the regulation.

You got to get grounded. That's his, that's his game right there. You got to put either Jalen or Tatum. That's, that's the two man game. And that's why you got to call time out there. I'll tell you with the Celtics and they did not look great up against the Hawks.

And in this series, it's just been two different versions. They should still probably go to the finals, but they really have not impressed me in the, in the playoffs so far. No, especially down the stretch. They're kind of odd down the stretch.

They sometimes they're tight. And then sometimes, and listen, Tatum was great. He was great yesterday. I mean, he was fantastic down the stretch, but you saw him in game two.

He was, they disappeared game one. They didn't want, they looked like they were scared down the stretch. It's been odd.

And then yesterday they take more threes than twos when it comes to field goal attempts. I mean, 44 to 43. I got to tell you, they're, they're an interesting team, but I can't completely give them the series just yet.

I want to see if they, if they get pushed and how they react, that'll tell them the whole story. Oh, they're playing with fire. There's no doubt about it because they basically slept the walk through the first three quarters of the game. And the Missoulas, like, I know we could play a different level defensively. And then in a snap of a finger, that game was tied. I could not believe that that, and I know basketball, it's a game of runs. I feel like you just turn the final five minutes for all these games, but it felt like the Sixers were just dominating.

The next thing you know, you look up, it's an eight point game and an eight point game turns into a tie game. I'll tell you, to me, the MVP for them is Brogdon. Brogdon's had a hell of a series. He kept them in the game yesterday. I mean, you know, open threes, good defense. He's kept them in the game. He's played, he's had a really good series. And I really think it's going to be the third player that, that ends up deciding this. Like you, you talked about it with the Sixers. I know Harden, it was sandwiched in between one and four with just two dreadful performances, but you know, he's going to get his and beat even on one leg is going to get his Tatum and Brown. They're going to be more aggressive. I think the third player really is going to decide this series on who ends up winning it between Boston and Philly.

Rob, I think that's brilliant. And that's where Maxie, remember Tyrese maxing is a dynamic player. Who's going to be a star in this league. His issue though, has been Boston here. He had in seven games against Boston.

He had double figures only twice. He had a decent game one. He has not played well in the last three games. They need him. They need him to score in flurries. They need him to shoot the three ball. He's paramount to them to get quick run outs and easy baskets. Maxie's the key to this series. If they unleash him, if he can find his, his way against Boston Sixers have a shot.

But can he find his way with also in beaten hard and finding their ways, if that makes sense? Yeah, no, I think, listen, he's done the whole year. It's not like he's taken a complete total back seat to them.

I mean, look harded, especially as we'll be able to play more distributor. He's during moments when then doc puts the ball in his hands and says, go ahead, young man, go carry on. And he did it against Brooklyn too. And in two of the games, he carried them.

So I think there's more enough space for him to do it. The emotions in Philadelphia today, after getting that wind where it looked like they were going to blow them out, and then they had to sweat it out in the worst possible way, but they found a way to prevail by one. What are the emotions in Philly, the rest of the way about this series? It's all exhaustion, man.

Zach complete exhaustion. People were just mentally drank because Friday night, you think it's over after that. I mean, Friday night was just dreadful, especially the way in B place. And then yesterday looks good. Only to have that dramatic lat overtime in the last four minutes, where you go, Oh my God, they're gonna lose. And then it's got shades of all the other playoff failures.

Remember, this is the sixth iteration of the six or team post process. So this fan base has been through it and they've been felt right, like through the ringer. And it's like, let me catch my breath because the best of three that's coming up is going to just be white knuckle ball. And it's also, I know hard and play great yesterday, so it may not be the time to make this take, but when you watch Jimmy Butler play with the heat, even on one ankle, it's like, how the heck did they just not keep him beaten? And, but I know the answer to it, but how they didn't keep him beat in Butler and Phillies is maddening.

I know. I, I, I listen, I mean, we know we came down to the owner and Brett Brown and, you know, Jimmy went to Josh and Josh and Brett said, it's, you know, basically Jim Brett, Jimmy said it's either me or Brett. Then you had the Simmons factor and it just made more sense for Josh Harris to just kind of move on, which just killed them. And it has, I mean, you know, Jimmy's an alpha and he and Joe get along. It's a shame, but I just don't see how that situation was going to get rectified with Brett Brown being in the way and Simmons being there.

And ironically, all three are gone. Last thing I'll ask. I know it's a bit silly, but I remember when Josh Harris bought the devil, some fans were annoyed that he was owning the Sixers and then owning the devils. Now with him looking like he's getting into bed with the, the commanders and taking the team for Daniel Snyder, our fans upset with that. Or does it just not matter because the guy's allowed to do it. I mean, so people are, but I, you know, I mean, can you kick?

Yeah. I mean, like I can't, I'm not going to pirate a guy for book for God bless him. He's he's, he's actually a great owner and the Eagles are for sale. I'm sure if the Eagles were for sale and Jeff, Laurie, who's an equally great owner was, was with the head of the key to take them. But, you know, he grew up outside Chevy chase, Maryland, and, you know, but listen, it makes more sense.

So I, I don't see how that case, you can't be petty. You just got to go. He's a great owner. Are you taking care of my team? And he's the, he's got the highest coaching payroll.

He's got all kinds of treats the Sixers really well. And that's all I care about. Cause appreciate the time. Thank you. Love you brother. My man.