Lakers beat Pelicans in Play-In, LeBron talks Nuggets & Zion OUT vs Kings | NBA | FIRST THINGS FIRST

he's been up all night oh man fire every

knows it fire and takes live from New

York it's the show that would always go

up four in a playoff game I mean it

seems like a good choice should we go up

four should we not I'd go up four could

go up three and if the ball hits the rim

is just in the air up if a guy hit a

halfcourt shot while being fouled

fourpoint play yeah then then you know

what you'd be happy if you were up four

it's first first today should Lakers

fans be happy with last night's win

100% And the game after was why I know

Brew you're disappointed that I didn't

do the no they shouldn't be happy they

should be ecstatic I saw in his eyes

waiting for it I thought I know you did

I I I almost did I was like three days

in a row is too much um the game after

was why because you lose last night's

game yeah you avoid Denver and yeah

there's you know these other things open

but guess what your second best player

can go over for 10 and an undrafted

essential rookie can have the game of

his life and you're just going home the

other reason cuz last night I want to be

clear the Lakers played I thought really

well for about a 18 game minute stretch

you know the from the the second quarter

into the first half of the third quarter

though you know across halftime and the

first quarter they didn't play well at

all and then the final 18 minutes of the

game game they were holding on for dear

life and I thought played poorly and

LeBron did look out of gas and I think

there more was taken out of him than the

broadcast acknowledge from the Zion

charge and the following charge that he

took but they've been playing they were

also mentally exhausted they've been

playing dward ey games for a month

essentially when they lost to the

warriors on March 16th they were 36 and

32 trying to avoid the 910 and so it was

an ugly win I didn't think LeBron played

great I didn't think ad played great

even though ad made the play of the game

off the LeBron miss getting the rebound

and getting fouled but it sets up in my

opinion the ideal scenario and it gives

them for the first time in more than a

month a margin of error that they didn't

have and they certainly wouldn't have

had on Friday night so yeah they should

be happy with it yeah they AB absolutely

should be happy obviously you got to

face Denver but we knew that was coming

they've been preparing for that all

right you didn't want a oneand done

situation you you talked about and we'll

get to the Warriors but you can just go

cold in today's NBA when you're shooting

so many threes even the Lakers who don't

shoot a ton relatively speaking you

still can go cold they shoot enough uh

and the other team can get hot and

that's a team that's beaten you eight

out of nine times in Sacramento so you

don't have to worry about that but on

the court to win a game on the road

where they've been bad all right and

where your two best players don't play

well for the most part ad and LeBron

shot 12 for 36

33% and you still won and what you like

if you're a Lakers fan because

especially going into this series with

Denver you're going to need this the

others as Shaq would call them stepped

up D'Angelo Russell who is not he's been

historically bad in the playoffs all

right steps UPS hits the huge shot 51

seconds left the biggest shot of his

career Poss I mean I never made a big

shot in the playoff what about all this

I've seen this in the regular season I

think that was probably the biggest shot

of his look he said all the public

criticism has hardened him and made him

tougher and last night if you're a

Lakers fan cling to that cling to that

shot Austin Reeves nice game 16 points

six assists fourth quarter when LeBron

was struggling he was making plays

getting stuff getting the ball to ad and

Gabe Vincent who we know how big he was

last year from Miami probably has his

best game of the season I know he hadn't

played that much but when he has played

he has he's been inconsequential so last

night he plays well so yeah all things

considering I got to face Denver no

matter what that's exactly right last

night you almost would ra look a blowout

you go into that series feeling good but

the fact that your other guys stepped up

and played well I like that if and by

the way Brew credit to you because you

might myself as well but I I guess an

emotional investment we both had the

courage to pick the underdog yesterday

and we're correct while Wilds went with

the safe easy favorite pick Wilds we

told you we gave you reason after reason

after reason Angel Russell hit a wide

open three Brandon Ingram was still I

guess I felt like he R rested from the

previous game and Zion was out if Zion

stayed in those last three minutes knows

maybe maybe G Vincent he's finally back

well he he scored nine points yeah for

Gabe Vincent that's wild he's their

ninth man what you expect

times Jackson ha scored more than I like

Jackson aot I'm just saying you the

elephant in the room is that Zion

checked out of the game with three

minutes left when when there was a

Avalanche of points coming at the Lakers

before we start laying flowers at the

feet thinkers seventh and eth best but

here but the other the flip side to that

quickly is that Zion through 45 minutes

of game action had 40 points and 11

rebounds the best game arguably of his

career LeBron and Anthony Davis weren't

playing well and it was a tie game it's

not as if when Zion went out of the game

right because of the others brute your

analysis pregame and postgame was spot

on thank you well done all right let's

you can't please this guy no you can't

let's get to the main the tiger the main

player I wanted the tiger the star of

the show Believe that horrible take had

made it into official press conferences

any chance the Lakers can beat Denver

all right well I'm in a spot here

because when we gave our official

prediction

you know I Conference Finals and then

finals they're we don't know what the

bracket's going to be so I had Denver

over Lakers in the Conference Finals now

through no fault of my own that's an

impossibility so I'm obligated to adjust

right so Denver in the first round well

so that's I mean what would you would

think right don't do this you've been so

good with the chief stuff the can I so

listen I Wilds what did you say right at

the top of the show I was up all night

so I mean those that that that spaces I

was on ended at 1:35 a.m.

eastern and I used the next six hours

for my daughter got awake to really

grind the tape okay because here's the

deal wait I want to see if there is a

reason because obviously I would like

the Lakers to win I like

LeBron is there a reason to believe they

can reasonably they would so I went

through my checklist of things all right

when they most recently played was there

an aberant shooting performance in the

modern NBA that can change anything and

I text Josh middle of the night I'm like

hey did how did the Nugget shoot in that

series compared to every other series or

everything the whole series and I'm like

oh so that's the best by any team

against the Lebron team in a decade all

right so that's that's a note like okay

I'll mark that down all right what about

how did either team have a key play

play the best of his life and did either

team have a key player play the worst of

his life I'm like okay Josh can you

check that for me I'm like oh D'Angelo

Russell's been a bad playoff performer

had the worst series of his life 23

minutes 6 points 133% from three and

Jamal Murray who's been a very good

playoff performer had the best series of

his life like okay that's a not all

right what about how are the teams

different did one team suffer any ke

significant losses or additions from

from players that played in last year's

series it's like well Denver had a very

short rotation but they did lose Bruce

Brown and replacing it is Christian

Brown and we can show you whom else okay

so Christian Brown and Reggie Jackson

who are now going to take the Bruce

Brown minutes in last year's Western arm

finals they had no production and Bruce

Brown was a sneaky important Sixth Man

and then but that still wasn't enough I

mean they've gotten better still that

still wasn't I that still wasn't enough

yeah and it's not enough just that going

here you know game one if you go went

back cuz now it's only 4 in the morning

I have time I can rewatch some of these

games going joic has the best first half

Jeff Van gundy's ever seen in a playoff

game he told us when he when he was on

the broadcast and it's a three-point

game with a minute left game two Jamal

Murray is one of the greatest fourth

quarters in the finals ever 23 points

and it's a two-point game with a minute

left game three Jamal Murray beats DLo

37-3 and it's tied in the fourth and

then game four of course comes down to

the final shot and now I'm like you know

what I think this could be a coin flip

series and then but because of that I

still was going to stick with Denver

because that's who I've been with yeah

then this morning you know when I'm wide

eyed been up 30 hours at this point I

get the alert I'm like oh no is one of

these teams dealing with a massive

distraction that might lock them in is

one of these teams dealing with you know

one of the biggest scandals in modern

NBA history touching a family member of

a key player it cross Dusty the envelope

it crossed my mind I mean it's not

nothing Wilds I'm going to trust you to

read this to the audience as you will

see it is wax sealed on the back

monogrammed if you would please not

monogrammed oh really look at the wax

seal on the back tell me tell me that's

a wa go through all this to pick the

Nuggets I'll tell you that you want me

to read this part oh do not open okay

it's confidential do not open until is

really Wax Seal Wax Seal you have a wax

sealer wow I for events like

this

okay it's like the NBA draft it is like

the NBA

draft I'm I'm stunned with the first

pick the first redo pick since we all

put our official picks in a week ago

Nick Wright has

selected wow Los Angeles not even

seven exclamation point exactly right

Lakers in six and America if that ends

up not being the case make sure you clip

just the screenshot of Wilds holding

that up so we can use it against the

modern Digital World Brew what did you

call this Series last

year I'm I'm did I I probably picked the

Lakers last afterwards what did you call

the I want to hear you say was I got

mocked for saying there there is such a

thing as is there any chance is there

any chance La beats

Denver any chance I mean certainly a

chance LeBron James

Anthony give chance I moveed to Chile I

will give you an a for audacity

uhhuh and it was you made a compelling

Point Isel Russ going to aage six a game

all things

you could have saved it and just there

was one sentence you said that summed it

all up and

why this is what you

did I like LeBron I trust LeBron that

that was you said I like LeBron yeah and

I like LeBron too I love what LeBron is

about on and off the court and I used to

pick LeBron in every series too sure I

don't pick him ear when's the last time

you have not picked LeBron in the series

that's a good question too cuz you

picked them to sweep didn't you pick

them to sweep the KD Warriors oh come on

no no I did not pick them to the KD

Warriors but I I picked them to win that

Series in on Christmas day that year yes

that is

correct I I I hear you you went heart

overhead I'd love to see LeBron win too

all right I I love LeBron

James but I cannot go there I thought

about nuggets and

I'm going nuggets in five thank you and

here's the things Nick the Nuggets I

mean I don't know when Bruce Brown

became Kevin mccale like the best six

man ever no but he it's not just you a

lot of people oh Bruce Brown Bruce Brown

No but he was good he was fine but

Christian Brown can play Reggie Jackson

can play Oh I that I disagree with regie

Jackson actually when the LA Clippers

went to the Western Conference finals

for the first time two good games he was

a

he's a bench player though if I get two

good games out of a bench player I'm

happy I think they're bench they're

better than they were last year see I

don't know about because they they won

more games in a tougher Western

Conference all right 57 this year 53

last year they got the best player in

the series they got the best coach in

the series and the thing that that coach

Michael Malone first of all he knows

LeBron well cuz he coached him in

Cleveland but he also

so he Petty and all of that and the fact

that he's Petty like that and and and as

they're all competitive but he's a

feisty something so and so and the fact

that he's a feisty so and so they are

not going to in any way shape or form

look past the Lakers think we beaten

them eight straight we beat them 40 last

year no they they are their alert and

their antennas are going to be up I said

they're better this year Nick than last

year obviously they have a better record

last year they were bottom the bottom

half of the league as a fourth quarter

team Lakers were actually in the near in

the top five as a fourth quarter team

this year it's reversed now the the the

Nuggets were a top three fourth quarter

team joic was my second number two on my

clutch player of the year he's CL they

win a lot of games including that Series

last year in the fourth quarter cuz they

he's going to deliver um they're they're

at home they they're one of the best

they're the second best home team in the

league Lakers are the worst Road team in

the Western Conference as far as record

so there's a lot of reasons to pick the

Nuggets uh and that's why I'm picking

them I got them in five the Lakers could

win four games and they have won four

games against Denver it's taken three

years out of 15 games they've played

against each other the Lakers have won

four who's the last team to beat Jamal

and joic when they're healthy together

I'm just curious who was on on it who

were the best two players what was theam

was that in the bubble yeah yeah they

were they were that was a long time the

bubble I'm just say that's the last

series the Nuggets lost when they had

yic and Murray I'm just telling you see

last year the Lakers were rolling into

that series on they had beaten Memphis

is the number two seed they beat Golden

State which was a obviously a big time

champion and Denver had not had

Champion ad versus uh joic I think ad

turns a lot of these series I think last

night it's like ah you you w really have

a match for him uh I think Joker's got

him in everything he's never beaten him

or no excuse me the last seven meetings

he's got him um and as a primary

Defender which ad is great at and we

shouldn't just look at the points jic

just passes out of it he's got 42

assists and six turnovers with ad as his

primary Defender so look I think it's a

bold choice I don't think it's going to

happen and I think I might save this

take later okay I I'm going to save that

take okay I listen I think that the

Nuggets top two has earned the respect

to be considered better than the Lakers

top two the question what about three

and four hold on well that's what I

that's why I showed all those Graphics

was because I don't think it can be

overstated how awful DLo and shuder were

in this series last year I don't think

it can be no Reeves was good no no doubt

about it I also do not think Jamal

Murray is going to average 32 points a

game he's a playoff guy right and that

was the best series of his career I bet

you he had some close ones his career

playoff average and he doesn't have a

low one in the very beginning that pulls

him down it is 25 points per game I just

think that if every if every game last

year was in the balance in the fourth

quarter and LeBron played poorly in all

four fourth quarters which I think

because it's round one is not going to

happen with the rest between games be

and DLo if DLo is six in the fourth

right and again that was every other day

for the last few few weeks that they've

been playing we'll see we'll just see he

hasn't won in Denver in over four years

he hasn't won LeBron James has not won

one game in Denver think means he's 0

and six or something like it's I don't

think four years it's a long time ago it

means he's due it's not I'm trying to

throw Nick it does not mean he's to okay

it means it's just going to keep on

another I could see maybe one game okay

but but then that means a lot of your

analysis has to shift dramatically if

the Lakers win one of the first two

because then all that then things have

changed if he hasn't won in four years

of all these things they can't win on

the road the RO be great the okay I mean

I just don't think I'm it's tough for me

I almost don't feel like it's a wor it's

a good conversation to have it's like

when the Chiefs play the Broncos yeah it

could happen but Ms is 12 and one

against so in this scenario LeBron and

AD are the Denver Broncos okay got it

it's good we should talk Zion yeah good

a good franchise that is you know no

longer can yeah and Nuggets are the

Chiefs okay got it that's fair before we

go head back to New Orleans where Zion

put up 40 points and delivered on his

Superstar potential before leaving in

crunch time with a hamstring injury that

will now keep him out of Friday's game

against Sacramento uh Pelicans starting

five last night Zion had 40 uh the other

players had 34 combined uh offensive re

he had three everybody else had four

Brew yesterday you said you kind of had

moved on from Zion being a superstar did

this performance silence your doubt or

the fact that he got injured and well

let me give Zion some credit I did not

see this coming all right he it was the

biggest game of his NBA career he's

facing a legend that he I'm sure grew up

idolizing all right and he had to listen

all day because I'm sure I wasn't the

only one saying we moved on he's a nice

player but when we look at the Young

Stars the future faces of the league

he's not one of them he had to listen to

that all day and maybe all week and he

went out there and played the best game

of his career so I give him props for

that the problem of course is he got

hurt the game was actually a microcosm

of his career that is correct it's never

been his ability it's been his

availability and he was fantastic as we

knew he had he's averaged 27 points a

game for a season 2 six points a game

for another season we know he can play

and what he did last night was great and

we know he's capable of that but then he

got hurt and now so he ended the doubt

rather than silence the doubters he

actually probably heightened the

questions again of can you ever count on

him and Wilds you nailed every element

of this game except for the winner uh

like the Alvarado part of it no but like

the Zion it was it was really looking

like it was going to be your so I'm more

interested in what you have to say than

what I have to say I was I was kind of

upset that he left the game not not not

like oh you should you should you know

buckle down I was just like kind of sad

that we were right up against the finish

line of getting a big victory over

LeBron and then it just kind of the

injury bug bit him and I was just like

kind of bummed out to be honest with you

I so I what you said in the beginning

there I'll just I I'll take a step

further it was a weird departure it was

it was a weird it was weird and and now

they're saying like that for to for it

to be a hamstring and for him not to

like attempt to play another possession

on it he knew it points over at the

bench he points over and he's just like

despondent but he's but it's but then

he's jogging it was right he's moving F

I'm not questioning him but it was it

was odd you know what I mean and for

them to now also be saying definitively

out Friday and going to be reeval go

back like I mean that's what makes it

weird right he's not it was it's but it

is a microcosm frustrating a little

confusing you see the high levels but

obviously for the Pelicans it's death

like the and then there's the whole

Brandon Ingram thing so for what could

have been the best night for the

Pelicans in since they won the Zion

Lottery turned into like do are they do

they trade Brandon Ingram this summer

like there's a lot of weird well look

Ingram's got a chance to go out he's

going to have to be

huge I don't think he's 100% yeah thanks

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