NFL Primetime Schedule Released! (Hour 4)

Alrighty, second half underway in South Philly. Celtics up 54 to 48. Jason Tatum. It's kind of crazy that when this game got to halftime it was a seven point game in favor of the Celtics.

If you thought Hickey right, that the Celtics were up seven at halftime, Jason Tatum would be having a good game on the road in Philly. Right now, he only had a point at halftime, he still has a point early on in the second half. He's 0 of 11 from the field, 0 of 5 from 3, and he made one free throw in the one attempt that he was given.

That is horrendous. Absolutely horrendous showing from Jason Tatum so far. And he had a bad start the other night. I know he ended up going for 36-38 points, but he gave you nothing in that first quarter. ESPN showed a graphic. He has missed 25 consecutive shots in the first quarter.

25. He has been awful, and let's just say a slow starter. If I'm Jaylen Brown, I'm sitting back right now saying I should be the star of this team.

That would be my reaction if I'm Jaylen Brown, as you always hear about how maybe they'll get rid of one eventually, and you know if they're gonna trade one of the players it's gonna be Jaylen Brown, it's not gonna be Jason Tatum. But Brown's at least showing up, 5'11 so far with 13 points. But it's kind of stunning that you now have a 10 point lead for Boston and they've gotten nothing, nothing so far from Jason Tatum. The numbers on the sixer side of things. Joel Embiid has 12 points.

Tyrese Maxey has 17. James Harden, well he's 3 of 10 from the field, 0 of 4 from 3. He has 6 points in the game.

But you're burying the lead. He had a dunk. Second dunk of the season, first dunk since October 24th.

So scratch the 3 for 10. This is a career game for James Harden because we saw something we rarely see. Now you mushed him from a point production the other night, but PJ Tucker, he's gotten you two 3s in this game so far.

What did I tell you? I'm a game late, but this is a guy who's made a few 3s, can't get it. He's 2 of 6.

Pipe down there, Mr. He's gonna be Landry Shammet. He's gonna be Lonnie Walker. He's gonna be unbelievable. Hickey's gonna be on crack. That was basically what I was hearing when you were saying those things.

Hey he's almost halfway there basically. Give me 12 points on 4 3s, that's a win. There is no one more that holds onto a take more than you until you've been proven wrong like 15 times before eventually you say okay maybe I didn't get that one right. By the way, the schedule did come out, we were talking about it in the last hour. If you had to guess one team, and this is according to DraftKings Sportsbook, there's only one NFL team since the schedule's been out that is an underdog in all 17 games next season.

I love how they have all the spreads already. Who do you think is the one team that is an underdog in every single game this season? I'm between two teams. I think they're pretty obvious in the Texans and the Cardinals.

Come on, it's... I'll go the Cardinals. The reason why you just having the Texans on there is absurd is because they're in a horrible division. Like when they're home, they're gonna be the favorite, let's say up against the Indianapolis Colts right now. Toss up maybe, I guess.

It's close, so sure. I figure with Kyler coming back later in the year, assuming maybe Vegas will give him a late home game against the Rams in week 16, make him like a one point favorite, something like that. The Cardinals right now are a dog in every game. Every game. I'll give you their schedule.

At the commanders to open things up, Kyler Murray won't be back. Giants, Cowboys, at the Niners, Bengals, at the Rams, at the Seahawks, at the Ravens, at the Browns, home against the Falcons, at Houston, Rams again, at the Steelers, bye week, Niners, at the Bears, at the Eagles, and Seattle. That's the schedule for the Arizona Cardinals. By the way, you know who has the best schedule I think in the league, if you had to take a guess? There's one schedule that I look at this schedule and I say there's only one guaranteed win for this team in terms of this is gonna, excuse me, they're gonna win a lot of games, don't get me wrong. But there's only like one or two games at max that you go, oh, guaranteed win for this team where you can't even talk about the other team winning. And this team is, I guarantee is gonna have like 13 wins this year still.

Wow, I have no idea. The Vikings, they love playing close games. The Chiefs, the Chiefs schedule is unbelievable. Now they're gonna win like 13 or 14 games, but their schedule is tremendous. And you could argue the only guaranteed win on their schedule is the Bears. They start things off with the Lions.

They should beat the Lions, but the Lions are a competitive team. Then they go to Jacksonville week two. They play the Bears week three. They're at the Jets in week four.

They're at Minnesota in week five. Denver divisional game short week Thursday Night Football. You then have the Chargers at Denver. You have Miami by week, Eagles at the Raiders. Raiders should easily be a win, but it is a divisional game. At the Packers, Bills at the Patriots.

Patriots should be a win. Raiders, Bengals, and at the Chargers. That's a tremendous schedule. Like those, for a team that is going to be the favorite once again to go win a Super Bowl and knowing how great that quarterback is. Like sometimes you look at a schedule, it's like, oh, six or seven easy opponents that you could get, but that's a great schedule for Kansas City. That's a fun schedule, Hickey, when you go through those games.

There's a lot of tough games on there. They have, we were talking about before even just trying to pick out the opening day game. They have a lot of really, really good opponents on their schedule. And you would be able to think that they'll be able to take care of the Chargers once, right?

Maybe if not twice. The Raiders, probably both times. You look at the Broncos, probably both times, but you know how divisional games are. There's always a surprise divisional game. And even though Mahomes and company are never out of the game, even if they go down like 10 or 14 points, divisional games are funky.

So some of their easier games, you look at it, are the divisional games, but that's an excellent schedule. Like you get Goff right out of the gate in the Lions, Trevor Lawrence, Bears, at least there's the appeal of Justin Fields, Jets, Rogers, Vikings have a lot of talent. The Broncos, let's see if Russell Wilson gets back to form.

Herbert and the Chargers, tremendous. Then you go to Denver, divisional game. Miami, if two is healthy, a lot of speed there in Germany, unfortunately, for the return of Tyreke Hill. Then you have the Eagles, Super Bowl rematch. Raiders, they're not good, but it's a divisional game. Packers, we'll see what Jordan Love could be. Bills, tremendous matchup. Those games are always great.

At the Patriots, I don't think the Patriots put fear in here, but it's still Belichick. You get the Raiders, Bengals. It seems like that's always a playoff matchup.

And then you get the Chargers. It's a really fun schedule where sometimes you have the team that you must be the team to be in. You're like, ah, their schedule isn't all that great depending on what division that they get. But that is a really fun schedule for this upcoming season. Okay, let's get to a little overreaction, proper reaction based off the schedule reveal.

We'll get to that right now. Another NFL week is complete, which means it's another week to freak out about your favorite team. Which takes are truly crazy. But sometimes a game can be so bad, it's almost good. You know what I'm saying? No.

And which are so crazy, they might be right. He's 6'5", he's 245 pounds. He's probably a Popeye's biscuit away from being a tight end. Zach let you know in this week's edition of overreaction or proper reaction.

All right, Hicks, what do we got? Now that the schedule is officially out, we have the number of prime time games for each team. 6 right now is the most allotted you can have. 4 teams are at the max. Chiefs, Chargers, Bills, Dallas. Of the 4 teams, you're okay with all 4 having the max amount of prime time games.

Give me the teams one more time. Chiefs. Yep. Chargers. Yep. Bills. Yep. Cowboys. Yeah. I have no problem with that whatsoever.

So that's a proper reaction. All 4 of those teams, I definitely want to see all 4 of those teams. You know, the outside of the Chiefs because the Chiefs don't really have intrigue, it's just how many can they go out there and win. But you look at all those 3 other teams, they're questions on if they're going to go on a Super Bowl run and bare minimum they have exciting players.

So yeah, I'm all good with those teams being in the prime time spots. Right below that is 5 prime time games for the Green Bay Packers. 6 if you include their standalone Thanksgiving game against the Lions. So 6 times the Packers this year will be in a standalone slash prime time window with Jordan Love as our quarterback. Overreaction or proper reaction, 6 standalone games is too many for the Packers this year. So I will go, even though they're a team of great intrigue, I'm surprised the number is that high. So I will say overreaction to the question that you just asked me. Right?

Well the question was, give me the question one more time, sorry? The Packers deserve to be in a standalone window 6 times this year. Yeah so I'll go overreaction because even though I find them really intriguing and I want to see what Jordan Love could do, if Jordan Love stinks, then there may be some moments where it's like okay do we really need to see the Packers in a standalone window. How about how times have changed where the Lions used to be a miserable draw on Thanksgiving and now to try to help the Lions out, they give them the Packers on Thanksgiving.

How the times have changed. It's going to be a fun game, that is for sure. Intrigue was a word used before, let's use it again here. The New York Jets led by Aaron Rodgers will be a team that will be on a lot of people's TVs this year. They along with the Packers are in a prime time game 5 times this year plus the first ever Black Friday game against the Dolphins.

So 6 standalone windows for the New York Jets led by Aaron Rodgers. Overreaction or proper reaction, the Jets are the most intriguing team in the NFL in 2023. Oh it's a great question because just because you're the most intriguing team does not mean you're the best team. And when I look at intriguing teams this year, the Bills are intriguing, the Dolphins are intriguing, the Ravens are intriguing, the Browns are intriguing, the Broncos are intriguing, the Chargers are intriguing, Dallas always intriguing, the Lions intriguing, Seattle intriguing as well.

But you know what? I think the Jets are the most intriguing because they have a championship defense, they have some pieces on offense and everyone's just wondering how far can Rodgers take this thing. I don't think he's going to win a Super Bowl with the Jets. But yeah, in terms of a big name quarterback and a great defense and a market too, the Jets are super duper intriguing this year. The most intriguing team in football. When you look at the international, that is true. It's tough to debate it. Oh I'm with you. I'm very excited to see how this Jets season turns out.

That is for sure. The international schedule is very interesting. For the first time ever, we will have a team play two games in London. That will be the Jacksonville Jaguars who are playing there in back to back weeks.

Week four against the Falcons, week five against the Bills. This can be viewed as maybe a testing ground to see the viability of having a franchise in London. So overreaction or proper reaction, the NFL will have a full time team in London by the year 2030. Overreaction. And sometimes I separate will and should, like what will happen and what should happen pretty damn good.

This one I'm just being 100% honest. I don't know if this will happen, but I'm 1000% against this from being a should this thing happen. I look at this idea of putting a team overseas full time, making absolutely zero sense to me. I think it's a nightmare for players. They've been talking about maybe putting a full division out there. I just don't even get how it will work.

You want to go to Germany, you want to go to London four or five times a year. Fine. I'm not putting a team there full time. The first game of the 2023 NFL season will feature the Chiefs hosting the Lions. Overreaction or proper reaction, the NFL made a mistake in making Chiefs Lions the opener instead of giving the Chiefs either the Chargers, Eagles or Bills. No, I don't even think those three matchups really should have been the opening game either. It should have been the Miami Dolphins. How do you not put Tyree killing Arrowhead to see a banner that he wasn't a part of go up instead of having that game in stinking Germany?

That just makes no sense. But give me the three teams one more time. I thought you're gonna throw the Dolphins in there. Chargers, Eagles, Bills. Chargers, Eagles, Bills. Compared to the Lions, I probably don't want to burn the Eagles that early. I would have gone the Bills or the Chargers still instead of the Lions. But if I was making the schedule, I absolutely would have went. I would have gone with the Miami Dolphins.

All right, what else we got? Let's finish up with a team close to your heart, the New England Patriots who have a tough road here for year number three under Mac Jones. They start the season home against the Eagles, home against the Dolphins at the Aaron Rodgers led jets, home against the Cowboys. Overreaction or proper reaction, the Patriots will start the season 0-4. That's a brutal schedule, but Bill always finds a way to win a game or two that he's not supposed to win. I don't think they're going to be good this year. I think once again, they're going to miss the playoffs, but that's an overreaction.

They'll find a way to win one of those games. Zach Gelb's show, CBS Sports Radio will take a break. It's looking encouraging for Anthony Davis tomorrow. Mike Trudell, who covers the Lakers, will join us next.

You're listening to the Zach Gelb Show. Sixers have taken the lead in the third quarter, 146 left in the third quarter. They're up 69-65 up against the Boston Celtics as Philadelphia is up 3-2 in this series at home, looking to close out Boston and advance to the Eastern Conference Finals. And coming up tomorrow, the Lakers after dropping the game last night are going to be at home at the crypto.com arena and they'll be looking to eliminate the Golden State Warriors as Los Angeles does have a three game to two series lead in that one.

Let's head out to the guest line right now. Welcome in a team broadcaster and reporter for the Lakers via Spectrum Sportsnet. And that is Mike Trudell, kind enough to join us on the Zach Gelb Show. Mike, what's happening? Zach, how are you doing, man?

Well, I'm doing fantastic. I know a scare last night with Anthony Davis, but it seems like all is okay. And Anthony Davis is expected to play tomorrow. Yeah, that's what it looks like, right? We spoke to Darvin Ham at about three o'clock today and obviously the first question, right?

What do you know about AD? And he said he's not in protocol, he's feeling much better. So of course they're going to wait for that final word to make sure that he's good to go tomorrow as the game approaches.

But that probable tag certainly tells you a lot. And I think just that is the whole key, right? Like without Anthony Davis, it's just an entirely different team. He is not only the key defensively, but he's the first part of the scouting report on the other side of the court as well.

I think that's what people don't realize. That's been the shift this year from years past where LeBron occupies that top spot for most coaches. And that's been the difference. AD has been doing it on both ends. And so the Lakers, that completely changes the outlook of the game for them.

If he's on the court tomorrow night, full go, there won't be any restrictions or anything to really watch for with him, you would imagine? No, no. Yeah, exactly. Yep.

You said Zach. Mike Trudell here with us. When you look back at the game from last night, hey, I was expecting the warriors were going to win that one, but what was kind of the vibe around that team? Because once you lose that game up three, one and it gets to three, two, then everyone starts talking about the time when LeBron was down three, one to the warriors that came on back and now we're trying to happen from the reverse way. Yeah.

You know that I get it right. That in what NBA history has told us though, is that like when the team is up three, one, and if it's a road team, sometimes you are going to drop that game five. If it's against a good team in Golden State, absolutely. It's a good team. Like they're good enough where they could still win the title this year. They won the title last year.

It's a, it's such a difficult thing to play against them because of how much they can spread you out. And with Steph Curry, I do think that Davis is the best possible answer for defensive big. And that's why the Lakers have won these three games in the series. But you know, in terms of what, like the whole, the whole back and forth of NBA series, I was lucky enough to follow, um, the Kobe Bryant year at the 2008, the 2009, those back to back titles. And you know, that team is great as they were, would often lose one of those games when they have the chance to close out. It's just, it's the rhythm of a postseason where the other team counters, um, after you win and Golden State's been able to do that twice now, but this was all set up for the Lakers to go home for game six.

They've yet to lose in their building and their team that I think should have some of the adjustments in their favor heading into this one fact. Yeah. It's so funny now how people talk about LeBron James, Mike Trudell, cause we kind of seen a different LeBron now, uh, this year where he doesn't have to go score 40, 45 points for the team to win with the role that he's playing this year, just kind of give us the outlook and the view of LeBron from this season.

Yeah. So the way I would frame it like this, so first of all, there's only one other player in NBA history that he's even played meaningful postseason minutes in year 20 and that's Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. And the ask on Kareem that year in his 20th season was nowhere near as significant as the ask on the Bronnett.

And I think when you watch him, sometimes he is still the best player in the world on a given night. You're just not necessarily going to get that seven times out of seven games in a playoff series, but can you get it four times? So can you get it even three times or two and then have a player like AD or whoever else step up, right?

It was Lottie Walker, the fourth, they got them that to help them get the win in game four. But for me watching LeBron approach these games, he's like, how does, how do I help the team get to four wins? Is it by me playing a primary role on a given night?

Is it by me playing a supportive role on a given night? And I think that he saved the sort of desperation LeBron primary takeover role for games like this, for games like game six, when the Lakers do not want to go back to golden state for game seven. So my, my expectation of LeBron is that he raises up an additional level from what you saw in game five.

And I don't think that's by accident. I think that's a player that has been through many, many, many playoff games. In fact, more than anybody else in NBA history, right? Like this is a guy who's actually played more class basketball than any player in the NBA. And that's why I started the show tonight saying even though there was uncertainty right before we brought you on about Anthony Davis, and now he is expected to play tomorrow night. We haven't seen LeBron go all bleep you mode.

I'm still the best player on the planet. And you know, he still has that in him. Like, I don't think anyone would be surprised if Anthony Davis, let's say didn't play tomorrow and LeBron goes out there and scores 40 something points and closes out this series. You know, so he, so LeBron brought that type of energy in game six against Memphis. It's just that he didn't have to play in the fourth quarter because the Lakers were up by 40, you know? So it's now, I don't think that's going to happen against golden state. Like I do think that like, if I do think if the Lakers play their a game and they punch first and they limit Draymond and Wiggins to an extent, I'm sure that like they could build a lead like that, but Steph Curry still over there and you know, he's not laying down, you know, that he's going to still hit shots. So I think that they were confident if they brought their, that, that fastball right straight up to Memphis, they were confident they were going to be able to build a lead to run like that. I think that there's an appropriate fear and respect for this warriors team where you know, the Lakers, they know that even if they put their foot on the pedal, it's going to take a lot to be the warriors, but they should have a certain amount of confidence that knowing that they're a game so far has been better than anybody else's a game that they've faced. So far this post-season Mike Trudell, I feel like from a national standpoint, we always talk about LeBron. We always talk about Anthony Davis to an extent, a little bit of Darvin ham this year, just because he's a new head coach. And especially with the place that, that he's becoming a first time head coach in, but I'll tell you Rob Palenka, he's getting some, some credit now because a lot of people thought this team wasn't capable of going on a run and the moves that he kind of made towards the deadline have worked out brilliantly for them. Yeah.

So both things are true, right? They were not capable of going on the run with the old roster. And I think going into the season, it's for those of us that are covered the team day to day. And of course, when you're doing it nationally, you've got to cover everybody is a little bit harder to see that whole picture, but there was always going to be a trade to be made to, to find it, to try and find a better fit in terms of Westbrook alongside the Brown and AD.

And guess what? The Lakers had that kind of a fit when they won the title in 1920, they may have repeated, or at least gotten back to the finals the next year. If AD didn't go down in game four, they were up to one on Phoenix who of course went on to go to the finals. That team, I called it, Zach, I call it the bubble tax where they basically, they had literally one and a half months in the off season to get ready for the next season.

And it wasn't just AD that broke down. Caruso was banged up, Kuzma was banged up, KCP was banged up, like the whole team of these players that have gone on to have success elsewhere. Like that team was loaded.

And I didn't feel like people quite realized how good they were even when they won the title in the bubble. So then after that year, they make the trade for Westbrook and all of a sudden you don't have the same type of supportive talent around this LeBron AD ecosystem and it doesn't go well. Well, once they made those trades, and it's not just the one for Westbrook going out, right? It was also Rui Hachimura for some second round picks along with Kendrick Nunn. Obviously a great trade now that we look back on it in hindsight. Like those moves have just restored the type of surrounding talent that LeBron and AD need.

Albeit, Zach, a little bit different. Like the team was bigger, a little bit more rugged in 19-20 this year. There's a little more skill you see not just with Russell out there, but also promoting Austin Reeves into the starting lineup.

So yeah, it's just, it's something that Palenka and his staff do get the credit for. And they are now in position to get a home game to get to the conference finals. They were the 13th seed in the middle of February. Mike Trudell, what has it been like to see about this breakout story of Austin Reeves and then also the return of D'Angelo Russell to the Lakers?

So Reeves, I think right from the start, and I was lucky enough to go and watch them play in not just summer league, but the California classic, which is like the pre-summer summer league where it's the Lakers and the Warriors and the Kings and for whatever reason, the Miami Heat. I think it's because Pat Riley likes to come out to Cali in the summer. And I mean, it is hot in Florida. Like we get it. So I go up there and it's like, okay, wait, I don't watch much college basketball, Zach.

I don't know about you. And so I hadn't seen much of Reeves, but the Lakers scouts had told me, hey, this dude's a player. Like we have him with potential first round grades.

We don't think he's going to go in the first round. And we think that if he can kind of convince folks, maybe don't draft him in those later spots that he might walk in here, knowing that there's going to be an opportunity to play because of what the roster situation was, all the money that was going out to not just LeBron and AD, but Westbrook. So they thought there was a, that was going to be an opportunity where he could play. So he comes into the preseason and literally from game one, LeBron looks over there and he's like, oh yeah, this is like, this dude knows how to ball.

And it's not just what you would think it is with all the skill. Like he's better defensively than you feel like he should be. He's just a super smart player and a very skilled player. And so he's been an ideal fit. I think the next step for him will be this off season as he continues to kind of, you know, get stronger and get his body up to that, that NBA level frame of having a being able to play 35 minutes night to night to night against the best, best athletes in the world. But I thought that he's been great the last two games, especially Zach.

So it's a good question by you. And you also asked about Delo, you know, that that's a very nice redemption story in its own right. He's just a different guy. Like he was 19 when he was with the Lakers and Kobe was there, you know, that's a, and people expected him to be the number two pick to be great right away.

Um, that's a tough ask, right? And, and he's had his ups and downs in different spots, but the reason that he fits well here is because of the specific skills, just dribbling, passing, shooting it, it seems like basic, but that's a better fit next to LeBron and AD than, you know, for example, than the type of player that rushes or other players like that, that are more of a hammer kind of blunt force option. And that's been a nice fit so far, for sure. On the way out with Mike Trudell, I know it's always tough to give the coach credit when LeBron is on the team. It's just the way that this works, but what is Darwin ham brought to this Lakers team this year? Yeah, I think that, so the thing that Darwin is great at, and I had an idea of this before he became the head coach, right? Cause he was an assistant coach on the Mike Brown staff back when I was covering the team, you know, what was that 10 years ago now, 10, 10, 11 years ago now. And everybody in the NBA likes Darwin, players, coaches, referees, he's just got this force of personality.

And that right there, it's not, it's not in the way that it doesn't bring respect also though, because part of it is just his, he's imposing as a figure, but then he's got a real easy and quick laugh. So I think that's one, like you, I think that you can either have two things. You can, you can have ultimate X is a no brain, think of like a Spolstra or something like that, or you can have this just magnetism about you as a head coach. And I think that the X's and O's have been good too, but those you just need reps, like in an actual NBA playoff series.

And as the series has have gone on like this, and now this one, I think that Darwin's chops are showing more and more there, but the thing that was there from the beginning was the personal side of things. And that's, you know, what gets guys will get players to buy in. And that's an important value to have to me as an NBA head coach. Last one for Mike Trudell. You can follow him on Twitter at Lakers reporter. And I see in one of your profile pictures, it's you interviewing the late, great Kobe Bryant. It's still surreal that we have to talk about Kobe in the past tense, just all your years covering the team. What was one of your favorite Kobe Bryant memories? Oh man. So from a, from a personal standpoint, the story that I, that I tell a lot is like Kobe, Kobe found out that there wasn't, there wasn't anything for us on the traveling party for Thanksgiving that we happened to be in Detroit.

And so he rented out the ballroom as the lobby and, and it basically, you know, catered this full Thanksgiving meal and there was a ping pong table there and some of the players are playing. I ended up playing with a, I don't remember a player named Sean Williams and you know, I'm a, I'm beating Sean and Sean probably isn't, isn't thrilled about it because I'm just a sideline reporter. And so Kobe starts rapping Sean Williams about it, starts talking trash to him and oh yeah, you're going to leave it to the reporter, you know, blah, blah, blah. And so I said, Kobe, at first I was being facetious, taking you one while. I was like, you want some too Kobe? And he's like, yep.

So I'm like, all right, so what did I get myself into here? And it turns out, so Kobe gets up there and you know, he's 6'6, he's got the reach, he's got the range, he's got the eye, the hand eye coordination, but I can tell right away that he hadn't played as much ping pong as me. So I actually ended up getting him a couple times, but the second game, which this is what impressed me about Kobe and sort of was a metaphor for why he was who he was. He literally got better from game one to game two. You know, usually when you just play somebody in anything, pick up whatever, like go play pool, go play pickup, basketball, you kind of just play again. And no, he was, he was studying what I was doing to him and I was kind of pounding on his backhand.

So we adjusted where he was standing, just, just little stuff like that. And he's, he's talking trash, but more to himself, you know, and not to me, like you're better than this. And so after I beat him, he was classy about it and he wasn't like mad that he lost to me specifically. He was just mad that he lost.

And I heard him, I heard later that he asked his, his security guy basically, how can I get a ping pong table for the house? Cause I don't think he was trying to lose to anybody later on. And that's where we get to the first part of what you said. I've just, you know, we'll be forever bonded. He never got to kick my ass later on, which certainly would have happened.

I'm sure as, as he evolved. So that just told me kind of part, even, even against me and the ping pong, that was Kobe, the competitor. That's just absolutely awesome. My true Dell enjoy game six coming up tomorrow night.

Appreciate the time as always have a good one. You're listening to the Zach Gelb show. 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.

Okay. Last night in the worlds of playoff hockey, we were wondering what Oilers team was going to show up. Game one was a shootout that the Oilers lost. Then game two, the Oilers won five one.

Then game three, they lost five one. Well, they put up three goals in the first period, got the necessary goaltending as well. Oilers beat the golden Knights to tie up this series at two games a piece as the Oilers do win last night for one let's listen to Ryan Nugent Hopkins, who did score to make it four Oh in the contest at the time here's Jack Michaels on the Oilers radio network, Darnell nerves, rich shot off the boards, directly to McDavid in the slot.

You never know which Oilers teams going to show up. We know what McDavid and dry cycle can do, uh, but they're now have that series tied up at two a piece. They got the much needed win last night. We'll see how this series plays out the rest of the way.

Probably going seven, but give a stock up to Ryan Nugent Hopkins. Toronto last night, trying to stave off elimination. They won a round for the first time since 2004, going back to the first round where they did take down the Tampa Bay lightning, the Panthers who of course did defeat Boston in the first round pants to the fewest points at any playoff team this year. And then they go play Boston and Boston has the most points and most wins in NHL history.

And they beat him in seven coming back from down three one Panthers are up three Oh in this series. Now it's three one as the maple leaf squeak by last night to continue their season and send this back to Toronto. Maple leafs win two one. Let's hear Mitch Marner who did score the goal to give the maple leafs, the two Oh lead and the final score ended up being two one.

So this is your game winner. Let's listen up to leafs radio network. It comes back to the blue line and having it now the stick handed to the goalkeeper shot from the point Marner deflecting it. Mitch Marner you heard the goal also had an assist in the contest last night. The maple leafs are still alive for now. Give Mitch Marner a stock up.

Hickey. There's some teams that grow up right in front of our eyes. We started to see the signs last year, but there's a difference from when you go from being really bad to them being an OK solid football team and then getting the respect nationally. The fact the NFL is opening up the season, sending the Detroit lions to Kansas City to square off and do battle against the Kansas City Chiefs tells me that the NFL is banking on Detroit this year and the NFL is believing in Detroit this year because you could have gone a bunch of different ways could have gone Chargers. You could have elected to go take the Bengals to the bills and put them in Kansas City or even what about the Dolphins with Tyree kill going there instead of Germany to face the Kansas City Chiefs.

But the NFL said not so fast. We're going to trust the Detroit Lions and I don't know what the Lions are going to do this year. Right now I would pick them to win the division, but it's not like a lot that they win a division. It's either going to be them or Minnesota. I do expect them to be a playoff team, but I'm actually impressed the NFL. Hickey is is showing some love to the Detroit Lions because like outside of Thanksgiving, you don't usually expect them to ever be in one of those marquee spots.

That's right. It's gonna be exciting to see Jared Goff. There's a lot of hype after his elimination of the Packers and Aaron Rodgers in the playoffs last year. A lot of belief going to this year. You could take another step and have this team be.

I mean, maybe the third best team in the NFC. It's open. They had the town on the roster to do it.

It's a great first opportunity. The primetime games this year for the Detroit Lions Kansas City open up the year. They have a Thursday night game up against Green Bay. They also have a Monday Night Football game against the Raiders. Thanksgiving that Thursday against the Packers.

And that's November 23rd this year. And then they do have one more on the schedule right now. And that's Dallas on Monday Night Football in week 17. So not a bad schedule. Some primetime love for the Detroit Lions. Give them a stock up.

All right. Your boys survived last night. They almost blew the game. But they needed a win. They got the win. And right when Hickey said, oh, they're gonna lose. No doubt about it. They started to play well.

So the Hickey reverse hex is two for two. You mushed the Devils when you wanted to mush the Devils last night. And you mushed the Heat when you wanted to mush the Heat as well last night.

So this is 3-2 series just back to Miami tomorrow as the Knicks do in 112 to 103. But got to give credit to Jalen Brunson. A sensational performance plays every minute of the game. 38 points, nine rebounds, seven assists. Love me some Jalen Brunson.

Give him a stock up. It was expected last night that the Warriors were going to win. They did win 121 to 106. And you just got to give a stock up to that team. You know they're going to be a tough out. I do think the Lakers are going to end their season in six games. But you know the Warriors aren't going to go down without a fight. Nice well balanced performance in the starting lineup last night. Spread the ball out.

Give them a stock up. Okay. Got to go to Mark Jackson. Mark Jackson we found out was the one guy that did not vote for Nikola Jokic in the top five of the MVP. When his name got released and his ballot got released, Sirius XM MBA radio called him.

He did a little interview with Justin Termini and also Eddie Johnson. And this is what Mark Jackson had to say. It's a mistake. And one thing I live by you. You make a mistake. You own it.

I'm not a guy that does it for clicks or be trending. Absolute mistake made by me. You can tell I probably am thinking, how did I make the mistake? You can tell I put one center two forwards and two guards.

So I wasn't even thinking. I apologize to the Denver Nuggets. I apologize to Nikola Jokic, who is not only in the MVP discussion and deserve to be on my ballot, but he's one of the greatest players in the history of this game and his top ten center of all time. So I own it. If you want to take away my vote or do whatever, more than welcome.

I made a mistake. He deserves, in my opinion, to be clearly I would have still voted for Joel and beat MVP. But with Giannis and Joker second and third, they deserve that incredible year by him.

He continues to make history. I own the mistake and I apologize. So if you want to vote and beat over Joker, no problem. But Joker's got to be in your top five. Your top five was Embiid, Giannis, Tatum, Shea Gilgis, Alexander, and then Donovan Mitchell. So I do feel like there's genuine remorse there, Hickey. But the biggest thing for me is he basically said when he's talking about voted for a center, two forwards and two guards, you're basically admitting you thought you were voting for what?

The all-MBA first team I'm imagining here. So if that's the case, you don't even know what award you're voting for. So you obviously don't care about being a voter. And with how many times you said if you want to take away my vote, take away my vote, it's almost as if he's telling you, I don't even want this vote in the first place. That's the way that I took it.

Yeah, that seems like it was a careless mistake. And if you're being careless about not realizing what award you're voting for, that to me shows you don't really care about the award and care about you are one of a hundred people to vote for the MVP. And Mark Jackson should get his wish. Yeah, he shouldn't have a vote. And we're both people that don't just because people make mistake or like, oh, you got to take away everything. That's not usually how we operate.

In this case though, if you don't really care about the award, don't waste our time with being one of the 100 voters that do have a vote. So give Mark Jackson a stock down. And finally, Alex Pietroangelo last night, just a dirty play by the golden Knights player on Leon Draisaitl, where the puck is clearly away and it was just a vicious slash with Alex Pietroangelo's stick. He did get a one game suspension. Well deserved, but that was a dirty play last night.

So give him a stock down. And that's the Zach Gelb show on CBS Sports Radio. Really quick Thursday edition. You do have 350 left right now between the Sixers and Celtics. It is an 84 to 83 game in favor of Boston is trying to stave off elimination.

We'll see if they could do that. Jason Tatum at one point in the first half is now up to 13 points. Smart with 20 and Jalen Brown was 17.

Malcolm Brogdon was 16 and for the Sixers and B with 26, Maxey with 25 and James Harden with 13. So CBS Sports Radio will keep you up to date all throughout the evening on this game. It's now 87 to 83 with 334 left. The Celtics are up on Philadelphia trying to send this baby back to Boston for a game seven. And you got overtime that's just underway between the devils and Carolina all tied at 2-2.

Hickey, thank you as always. Talk to you manana everybody. We out. Bye bye. Peace.