In short
Hour 3 focuses on NBA playoff analysis—especially why the Celtics’ offense stalled vs. the 76ers, the Knicks’ surprising offensive changes, and what Minnesota’s win over Denver means. It also covers injury outlooks (Anthony Edwards, Luka Dončić, Jayson Tatum) and “What’s More Likely” predictions.
Guests
Brian Windhorst (ESPN senior NBA writer; discusses Celtics-76ers, Knicks-Hawks, Wolves-Nuggets, and Western injury/series outlooks). Other voices mentioned earlier in the show: Tom Pelissero, Howie Roseman, Alan Shipnuck (not guests in this hour).
Key claims
Celtics lost because they missed threes and played too much isolation/mismatch basketball; Joe Mazzula “waved the white flag” early in the 4th and Boston’s bench run sparked better ball movement. Sixers’ offense shifted “inside-out” via Joel Embiid with 16 assists over two games. Knicks’ Mike Brown turned Karl-Anthony Towns into a “point center,” driving 26 assists over the last three games. Minnesota’s upset over Denver is the most impressive since the 2007 “We Believe” Warriors. Denver’s recent playoff underperformance is “unacceptable,” and Jokic’s contract/roster decisions are looming.
Notable examples
Boston’s bench 11-0 run; Embiid’s 16 assists; Towns’ assist spike; Wolves’ “Super Bowl” atmosphere; Denver’s four-year output (one Finals, one conference finals).
Written by AI. May contain mistakes. Listen to the episode to check what was said.
Chapters
Tap a time to open that second in VOBrian Windhorst Joins the Show
1:59 to 3:10
Brian Windhorst joins to discuss the backdrop of the Game 7 in the NBA playoffs.
“Hour number three, the Rich Eisen show on the air, Disney plus the ESPN app, ESPN radio as well as Sirius XM channel 80 already had a great chat or three on this program.”
Analysis of Celtics and Sixers Game
3:10 to 5:06
Windhorst analyzes the performance of the Celtics and Sixers in their recent game.
“Why is there a game seven in this series?”
Embiid and the Inside-Out Strategy
5:06 to 6:32
Discussion on Joel Embiid's performance and the inside-out strategy of the Sixers.
“maybe like a minute, two minutes into the fourth quarter.”
Exploring the Knicks' Playoff Potential
6:32 to 8:01
Windhorst evaluates the Knicks' chances and their recent play in the playoffs.
“momentum things that are happening in this series.”
Mike Brown's Coaching Impact on the Knicks
8:01 to 12:20
Discussion on Mike Brown's influence on the Knicks' offensive strategy.
“Curtis, you put this in the hands of R.E.S.”
Post-Mortem on Denver's NBA Performance
12:20 to 13:50
Windhorst gives insights on Denver's performance and compares it to past playoff moments.
“Now, will that work in the next round if they're playing Boston or Philly?”
Analyzing the NBA Playoff Upsets
14:02 to 16:35
Discussing significant playoff victories and their impact on teams and players.
“was the most impressive first-round victory since the We Believe Warriors.”
Injury Updates and Future Predictions
16:36 to 19:48
Examining key player injuries and their implications for upcoming playoff games.
“to have one finals, frankly, one conference finals.”
Lakers' Performance and Player Contracts
19:49 to 23:05
Analyzing the Lakers' scoring needs and upcoming contract situations for players.
“Let's make sure before we have anything that Jason Tatum isn't on that because he didn't play the last 15.”
Predictions for Game 7s
23:06 to 23:23
Making bold predictions on the number of Game 7s in the weekend playoffs.
“Yeah, I think there's going to be three.”
Show all 21 chapters
Cavs' Opportunity and Recent Games
23:24 to 24:24
Discussing the Cavs' potential and performance in the playoff series.
“I mean, getting me to have somebody at ESPN talk about the Cavs-Raptors series is like – We don't want to get you in trouble.”
What's More Likely: NFL Predictions
27:50 to 28:01
Engaging in a game of predictions regarding NFL player returns and team outcomes.
Discussing NFL Comebacks and Division Winners
28:01 to 28:51
Hear predictions on NFL players returning from injuries and their teams' chances in the upcoming season.
“Christopher Brockman, what do we have over there, sir?”
Analyzing NFC Division Dynamics
28:52 to 31:05
A deep dive into the dynamics of the NFL's NFC divisions and their playoff potential.
“As we talked to these head coaches yesterday, who's more likely to win their division this year, the 49ers or the commanders?”
Quarterback MVP Discussion
31:06 to 32:52
Debate on whether Matthew Stafford could be an MVP finalist or if the Rams should start a rookie.
“Give me an option that's not one of the options.”
NBA Playoff Surprises and Predictions
32:53 to 33:57
Analyzing surprising results in the NBA playoffs and predicting who will advance further.
“Stafford is an MVP finalist far more likely than the other way around.”
Examining Game 7 Scenarios
33:58 to 35:54
Discussing the likelihood of specific NBA playoff outcomes as teams compete in crucial games.
“to use the parlance of a particular native New Yorker who once upon a time went to your neck of the woods, are the Spurs walking through that door in the Eastern conference?”
Trade Demands in Sports
35:55 to 38:18
Who is more likely to demand a trade: George Pickens or Connor McDavid?
“I used to act like I didn't know what that means.”
Sports Predictions and Fan Reactions
38:19 to 39:36
A light-hearted discussion on sports predictions and the reactions of fans.
“or the Red Sox and Mets make the playoffs?”
Big Ten Football Dominance
43:16 to 46:21
Explore the reasons behind the Big Ten's recent success in college football.
“My institution of higher learning, my alma mater, started it.”
The End of SEC Dominance?
46:22 to 47:18
Discuss the implications of NIL on SEC's future in college football.
“Yeah, I bet the SEC wins the Natty next year.”
Transcript
Automatic transcript. May contain errors.0:00Brian Windhorst:For some of us, personal finances aren't just personal. They include a lot more people than ourselves. Loved ones, neighbours, the communities we call home, and the causes we hold in our hearts. At Thrivent, we help plan your financial picture with the bigger picture in mind. Because even though our business is helping guide your finances, our ambition is to make it mean so much more.
0:25Rich Eisen:Thrivent, where money means more. Connect with us at Thrivent.com. Most protein drinks ask you to choose between results and taste. Bucked Up decided that's a ridiculous trade-off. Bucked Up makes lightly carbonated protein drinks, 25 grams of protein per can, clear protein, not milky or thick, and they taste so good that 25 grams of protein almost feels like a bonus. Bucked Up is so confident you'll love their drinks. They're giving away an island vacation just to prove it. That's the kind of brand this is. No purchase necessary. Giveaway ends May 30th. Enter and find your closest Bucked Up at BuckedUpEnergy.com.
1:04Rich Eisen:Grab a Bucked Up and feel like a million bucks.
1:28Rich Eisen:Subscribe at youtube.com slash Rich Eisen Show and you'll never miss a moment. Now, on with the show.
1:58Rich Eisen:Roseman coming up ESPN senior NBA writer, Brian Wintors. And now it's Rich Eisen. All right, everybody. Hour number three, the Rich Eisen show on the air, Disney plus the ESPN app, ESPN radio as well as Sirius XM channel 80 already had a great chat or three on this program. Tom Pelissero, hour one, Howie Roseman, the EVP and GM of the Philadelphia Eagles, Alan Shipnuck talking about the live tour in flux to say the least. If you missed any of it, there's our Disney Plus page. There's our YouTube channel. There's also a way to listen to us all three hours through our podcast. He's our favorite to talk basketball with.
2:39Rich Eisen:Always love our chats. And also, you know, we always say, where in the world is Brian Windhorst? We know where he is. We just don't know which backdrop he has chosen. Brian Windhorst, what backdrop do we have for us today? Do you recognize this place?
2:51Brian Windhorst:It's appropriate for, I've chosen it for appropriate reasons. This is Boston, Massachusetts. I have no idea when this photo is from. So I'm not in Boston, but why not have the backdrop of game seven? Why not?
3:04Rich Eisen:Or the, the only game seven we know of at present of our conversation. Correct. Right now. Why is there a game seven in this series?
3:13Brian Windhorst:Man. You know, here's the thing. Like sometimes you see, when you see an underdog win at home, sometimes you see a player, you know, just get super hot and hit a bunch of threes. That seems to be the modern way to go or a team just gets, you know, I always figure no matter who you are, there's going to be at least one game in a series where you're not going to miss, where you just, with the offense, it's really hot. That did not happen for Philly last night. They did not shoot the ball super well. They just played better fundamental basketball than the Celtics. And so when the Celtics miss three pointers, Rich, they are a shell of themselves and it's not becoming of a champion.
3:50Brian Windhorst:And it's not the way they play during the regular season. Certainly, when they made their threes, they were unbeatable. And when they missed them, they were more of a 500 team. But they were very good at winning on the margins. They were very good at offensive rebounding. They were very good at just the general possession game. That didn't happen these last couple games. Boston didn't play cleanly. And one thing that happened last night, okay, they missed their threes. That's job one when you're going to try to beat Boston. And the second thing is, this is like a bad habit that Brown and Tatum have for all the positive attributes that they have.
4:27They have a real bad habit, which is they try to get into mismatch games.
4:33Brian Windhorst:You set a pick for me. I get your smaller defender. And then I try to play him one-on-one. And I'm going to show you how I can beat him one-on-one. They were doing that all game long. And that's no good. Occasionally it's good. But, you know, it's funny. They brought in, I don't know if you probably weren't watching anymore. Nobody was because the Minnesota game was on. But Joe Mazzula waved the white flag in this game early in the fourth quarter. It was like 23, 25 points. He was thinking about game seven. He pulled out all the starters after a timeout, a few minutes, maybe like a minute, two minutes into the fourth quarter.
5:09Brian Windhorst:He brought in the bench. And the bench immediately went on an 11-0 run. Now, maybe that's because Philly let their guard down. That's probably a part of it, but Philly starters were still in. But what happened was Boston's guys started moving the ball. Their bench came in and they started running the Celtics offense, and it immediately generated a bunch of open shots. And in all honesty, that might not be a bad idea for Joe Mazzula to show the Celtics as they get ready for this game tomorrow. Like, hey, remember this is how we play offense. We don't just have to play isolation basketball. On the other end, Joel Embiid, they've gone to the MVP Embiid.
5:46Brian Windhorst:Embiid. You know, when Embiid won the MVP a couple years ago, yes, it was largely because of health, but he played with James Harden. And James Harden, throughout his career, has always done a great job of getting the big men in position. And during that season, yeah, Embiid made a lot of outside shots, but they would throw the ball to him. Harden would get in there and throw the ball to Embiid a lot. He'd get him down on the post and throw the ball to him, and the Sixers would play inside out. That's what's happened these last couple games. They've gone old school basketball, thrown the ball into Embiid, and played inside out.
6:21Brian Windhorst:He's got 16 assists the last two games. Like, you don't only have to just shoot threes from the outside. You can generate outside shots by going inside out, you know, the way they did it for decades. So all of these things are, you know, momentum things that are happening in this series.
6:37Rich Eisen:So if you call what Joe Mazzula did at the outset of the fourth quarter, waving the white flag, what do you call what the Atlanta Hawks did in the middle of the first quarter?
6:48Brian Windhorst:Unconditional surrender.
6:52Brian Windhorst:To be honest with you, I mean, real talk here, there's two games going on at the same time. And I'm watching the Philly Boston game. And I think it was 11 to nine, the Hawks. I switched over. Yeah. And within like 12 or 15 minutes real time was like 35 to 17 or something. I mean, maybe even 35 to 12. Yeah.
7:21Rich Eisen:That's not an exaggeration either. You're not just hyperbolic.
7:26Brian Windhorst:Honestly, I didn't even see it. It happened so fast and so grand. I didn't even see it. And so I've since talked to people who were there and studied it a little bit. And so first First off, I just want to say that I've been saying on TV today, we'll see. I'm testing this out. You can give me the pass. So you know what a gentleman's sweep is?
7:46Rich Eisen:It's a five-gamer. Yeah.
7:47Brian Windhorst:Yeah. So, you know, the favorite team wins in five but loses a game, and it's sort of like, yeah, we just threw you a bone because, you know, we're good guys. I'm calling this the courtesy six.
7:58Rich Eisen:Oh, okay. Yes, no? TJ, what do we think? What do you think, TJ? he's asking you specifically the courtesy courtesy six because
8:07Brian Windhorst:they had two games where they won by one point right yeah that's true two coin flip games it's not it's not great yeah I can see okay we could punch it up you could punch it up
8:19Rich Eisen:no no no don't
8:21Brian Windhorst:put in a chat GPT and see if
8:23Rich Eisen:they can no we don't use AI around here by the way unless it's Allen Iverson that's the only way we use AI or Magic Johnson unconditional surrender was the B side the careless whisper I like that. Look at you. But we digress. Curtis, you put this in the hands of R.E.S. Consulting. We'll punch it up for you. OK. All right. But I mean, obviously, the Knicks now, the only Eastern Conference team at present, having already moved on to the second round. Crazy. And is this finally the Mike Brown way of operating a buck 40 while playing the defense? You know that. Yeah, the buck 40 is going to get it done.
9:03Rich Eisen:I don't know what I mean. I'm just saying, like, you know, I'm still looking for the way it's different from Tom Thibodeau. They never scored a buck 40, though. Like, is this it? Like, are we seeing the Knicks cresting, do you think, in a way that we didn't see last year at all?
9:17Brian Windhorst:So, I mean, what I'm saying is in these six games, I know Atlanta got them a couple of times, and I don't want to de-emphasize that Atlanta played well in the clutch in those games. It was unusual that that happened because the Knicks actually were a good clutch team during the regular season. You know, I don't know where their final numbers were. So don't hold me to this, but I think they finished top eight-ish in both offense, defense, and top five in clutch play. That's the resume of a real contender. And they had this stretch, you know, around the All-Star break where they went two and nine in 11 games.
9:52Brian Windhorst:And look, you know, they had to own that. It's not like it happened on accident. But outside of that stretch, they were really good. Now, they very often won unimpressively. That was sort of the thing that happened a lot with the Knicks. But their dashboard, you know, the numbers under the hood were really good. Like, people would complain about them, and I'd be like, you know, they got the fourth best defense in the league. I know they may have not looked so good the last couple games, but a lot of complaints about the Knicks. So, and a lot of complaints about Mike Brown. So, let me say this about Mike Brown.
10:22Brian Windhorst:Something interesting happened in this series that I did not foresee. Carl Towns' career average in assists. I believe is three a game. I think he averaged three a game this year. He had played somewhere in the neighborhood of 50 to 60 playoff games coming into this series. So, you know, it's not, you know, Bill Russell, but it's a real sample. He had had over four assists two times in those 50-whatever games because he's not a ball handler, all right? He's a finisher. In the last three games, he has 26 assists. Wow. 26. Now, how did that happen? Mike Brown, on his resume, and he's been around a long time, and there's scars on there, no doubt.
11:10Brian Windhorst:He spent years in Golden State. I think he was an assist on that bench for four or five years, won at least one ring, might have won two. Won a ring with Greg Popovich on the bench in San Antonio, too. But one of the things that the Warriors did really well was run their offense through Draymond Green at times. and I'm not trying to say that Carl Towns is as adept as a passer as Draymond Green. However, some of the sets that they just installed in the middle of this series, I mean, for all I know, they've been secretly working on it in practice for four months, but all of a sudden in the middle of this series, they started making Carl Towns a point center.
11:47Brian Windhorst:And it really changed the dynamic of their offense. And now you had, before it was like, would Brunson please give the ball to Carl Towns? I know that Brunson is very good, but how does Carl Towns average like 25, 10, and like eight or seven in this series and shot like 60%. And in the second half of the series, when the Knicks really got going the last three games, he was acting as a point center. That was Mike Brown who put it in. He went back to Draymond Green plays and put it in. Now, will that work in the next round if they're playing Boston or Philly? I don't know. But I'm saying I'm watching the Knicks already have an impressive resume, in my opinion.
12:32Brian Windhorst:It's not perfect, and they're not perfect. All of a sudden showing a whole new card to play in the middle of the playoffs. And if Philly wins tomorrow, and Boston is appropriately favored, but I don't know. But if Boston wins, the Knicks were 3-1 against the Celtics this year in the regular season, and obviously they beat them in the playoffs last year. And if they play Philly, who in some ways is a tougher matchup, Not tougher, but different. They get home court in that series. So, you know, the easiest way to make yourself look like an idiot is to make an assumption in the middle of the NBA playoffs.
13:06Brian Windhorst:But I would say that the Knicks have to be sitting there today looking at the hand in front of them going, this isn't the worst thing in the world.
13:14Rich Eisen:It's possible they're the top seed in the East in the second round. I mean, and why doesn't the NBA reseed like the NFL playoffs?
13:22Brian Windhorst:No good excuse. No good excuse. Because their schedules are fluid. I mean, you know the days, but they're changing the times 36 hours before the games. Especially a league that is so, you know, interested in getting certain matchups. Maximizing matchups. I don't have. There may be a reason out there that I don't know. Okay. But I don't know it.
13:50Rich Eisen:All right. What's the, Brian Windhorst here on the Rich Eisen Show. What's the post-mortem in Denver this morning?
13:57Brian Windhorst:So I think the victory that Minnesota had yesterday was the most impressive first-round victory since the We Believe Warriors. Wow. If you go back 2007, and the reason I compare it, it's, you know, now the Warriors are at the tail end of a dynasty. They've won, you know, four championships since then. But at the time, the Warriors hadn't won anything in 25 years. Okay. And that series, even though, do you even remember? I mean, it's more my job than you. Does anybody there remember what happened in the next round with the Warriors? Anybody?
14:36Rich Eisen:Bueller.
Read the full transcript
14:36Brian Windhorst:They lost to the Jazz, I think, in six. It doesn't matter because that was an iconic moment. You go to any Warriors fan, I don't care if they've got replica four rings on from their rings, and you say, hey, we believe. Their eyes will get misty, okay? That happened yesterday in Minnesota. On the other side of it, Dirk Nowitzki went to Germany, turned off his phone, and went into the mountains for 15 days and didn't talk to anybody and grew a beard because he was so dramatically affected by that horrible loss and how much of a disappointment that was. You remember he had won the MVP. He had to take his MVP award like two days after just having one of the, being upset and, you know, embarrassing fashion.
15:22Brian Windhorst:The Nuggets weren't as good as that, you know, that was a 67 win Mavericks team. But my point is the galvanizing nature and the outrageous nature of that victory, considering that the Mavericks or that the Wolves had so many injuries, including another injury that popped up last night, their salvation guard, Ayo Desumu, ruled out near game time with a leg injury. So Denver is facing really a, a dripping off their chin situation here. Inexcusable to lose that series, inexcusable to get outplayed the way they got outplayed yesterday. I kept saying to myself as I was watching it, Rich, I mean, Denver is going to win this, right?
16:00Brian Windhorst:Like, I mean, at some point they're going to like this, this, this cannot stand. And it was amazing. You know, there were all these timeouts in the fourth quarter, long story short, they ended up calling the wolves ended up calling five timeouts in the fourth quarter, don't ask. They're playing Prince. They're playing Rocky. The fans are just falling out of the stands. The franchise was one next to nothing. It's kind of a legendary moment in that franchise's history. Anyway, Denver is now faced with the reality that they won the championship four years ago. And in this four-year run, the four years that Jokic has given this team to have one finals, frankly, one conference finals.
16:45Brian Windhorst:They haven't been back to the conference finals. That is, frankly, unacceptable. They have already fired a successful coach. They have already fired a successful GM. They have traded away a bunch of their draft picks, and they are farther away now than they were four years ago. Now, the West is obviously very, very competitive. the Thunder were a force last year they lost to them in seven I'm not going to say what a failed season but that they got one conference finals out of this four years that is no good and then the second thing is number one Jokic has a contract extension decision this summer I assume he's going to sign it he said last night I want to be a Nugget he has the opportunity to do that the second thing is this is an organization and an ownership You know, I believe you're sitting in the Stan Kroenke land over there in L.A.
17:42Brian Windhorst:Stan Kroenke, he's a disciple of Sam Walton. He married Sam Walton's daughter, and he runs his teams with incredible discipline when it comes to spending. And by the way, in the last decade, I have watched Stan Kroenke hoist a Stanley Cup. I watched him hoist a Lombardi Trophy, and I watched him hoist an O 'Brien Trophy. and his football team, proper football, might win a Premier League title in the next couple of weeks. You cannot, oh, and he's probably won the Lacrosse League. I don't follow that, but I know he owns one of those. Yes. He doesn't care what you think about it. He has a certain way that he's going to do business, and that business is not operating gigantically in the red.
18:26Well, this team this year was right up against the luxury tax.
18:30Brian Windhorst:They made moves at the deadline and before the season to reduce their salary. And I don't see how they're keeping this team together because they're going to get very, very expensive. And so they are now faced with having to probably cut their payroll and get better. That's not a good combination. And they're going to do that when they present this contract to Nikola Jokic. So probably he signs it. He's been the most low-maintenance superstar of the last generation. Certainly the lowest-maintenance multi-time MVP. He asked the Bucks about their multi-time MVP and his maintenance level. He's a dream superstar, but his performance and their performance was unacceptable.
19:15Brian Windhorst:And I don't know. It's going to be hard to get better.
19:18Rich Eisen:Before I let you go, Brian Windhorst again, Brian Windhorst in the hoop collective podcast, check it out. And Brian all over the ESPN family of networks. So you got Luca in street clothes. You got Durant in street clothes. You got Anthony Edwards out as well. What's the injury update on Edwards for the next round? And who would come back for round two, do you think, out of the Rockets and Lakers, whoever emerges?
19:47Brian Windhorst:By the way, in a couple hours, the Celtics are going to put out their injury report for tomorrow. Let's make sure before we have anything that Jason Tatum isn't on that because he didn't play the last 15. Now, Missoula pulled the plug. Right. So, I don't, you know, they said he was available to go back in the game, but he was rubbing his calf. Oh, yeah, that's bad. And I don't need to say anything. Now, he said he was fine, but I just. Yeah, I know. Maybe he is. Let's just see the injury report. I know. Okay? Yeah. I don't, Luca is not going to be ready for the start of the second round, and Edwards is not going to be ready for the start of the second round.
20:26Brian Windhorst:They're not doing ramp-up. I mean, Edwards is in recovery mode. He's not even in ramp-up mode. Ant has shown, has bounced back from injuries before in a way that is almost superhuman. So I'm not going to speculate there. I would just say that the injury that he has is an injury that for most people would hold him out of this round. Not saying he's going to miss this round, but that hyperextension plus bone bruise is guys who've had this injury before. You're looking at multiple, multiple weeks. This is not a good situation. That's why yesterday was the Wolves Super Bowl, and they played accordingly.
21:05Brian Windhorst:And no matter what happens against the Spurs, if they get wiped out and lose in four, it will not diminish their accomplishment for this season. Luka has not, to my knowledge, begun contact basketball yet. Typically in the NBA, come back from an injury, you have a ramp-up period. He hasn't played in a month. He'll have to get conditioning back. You're looking at having to play three on three, then having to play five on five. That has not happened yet. So you will not see Luka out there. If the Lakers, you know, get another win, you will not see him out there in a game one. The second round is less time off.
21:41Brian Windhorst:It's every other day. So it is pretty ironclad. You have seven games, you have seven off days. It's 14 days. It will start on a day and it will end 14 days later or 15, depending. so two weeks from now Luca might be there but the Lakers are going to have to that's why really in tonight's game six for the Lakers yes and going forward Austin Reeves this summer Austin Reeves is going to ask the Lakers and he's earned it but he's going to ask one of the for one of the largest contracts in the history of the Lakers organization and he's he's been terrific for them But this is when he's got to verify that.
22:23Brian Windhorst:You know, you make yourself indispensable by being indispensable. And I know he came back the other night after four weeks off. I wasn't expecting him to go, you know, 9 of 10. But he goes 4 of 16. He had 22 points because he got to the line. It wasn't a terrible game. But the Lakers need scoring. And so whether it's in the next two games, one or two games against Houston, or in the next round against Oklahoma City, The only chance they got is if they can get some scoring, and it can't come from LeBron, just from LeBron. They've got to get it from Reeves, and really starting tonight would be a good way to do it.
22:56Rich Eisen:All right, before I let you go, the usual Rich Eisen show, I guess, accommodation if you're up for it, where I ask you to make a prediction. If it's right, we replay it. If it's off, this never happened. How many Game 7s this weekend? We already have one. How many do we got?
23:16Brian Windhorst:Yeah, I think there's going to be three. I think two of the three tonight. Yeah, and I'm going to say that nobody is ever – I mean, getting me to have somebody at ESPN talk about the Cavs-Raptors series is like – We don't want to get you in trouble. Yeah, it's a fascinating series. And I will tell you that Brandon Ingram looks like he's going to be out tonight for the Raptors. He's doubtful. And Emmanuel quickly is out, so they're missing two starters. the Cavs should win tonight by an easy margin okay but the Cavs have done nothing in this series easy the Cavs have the most beautiful opening happening to them and Orlando needs one win in two games to get the to to advance and the Cavs if they won would get home court in the second round as the four seed hello that's happened about five times ever in history and the magic have lost franz wagner one of their best players to a calf injury that i don't think he's going to bounce back from immediately the calves are sitting there holding a glorious opportunity and they've played c plus basketball for the last three or four games so uh they better take advantage of what's being offered to them tonight.
24:32Brian Windhorst:But I digress. Cade Cunningham coming off a 45-point game. What if he goes for 40 again tonight in Orlando?
24:41Rich Eisen:Got it.
24:42Brian Windhorst:So I'm going to say two of these three. Okay.
24:45Rich Eisen:And we'll see three games. And again, just to go full circle here, that's why the NBA should reseed, right? I mean, like the Celtics and the Knicks should be the one getting an eight seed, not the four seed, just because the bracket is the bracket. Maybe we'll find out the answer at some point. Brian, thanks for the time, man. Really appreciate it. Thanks for the backdrop. Appreciate it. That's Brian Wynor's bringing it. Sixers and seven. It's entirely possible. I didn't think it was. Certainly if Tatum shows up on that injury report, keep an eye out for that. What's more likely Friday when we come back on the Rich Eisen show, but now that the draft is in the books, teams are focused on developing future franchise players, fresh starts, and fine-tuning their final rosters.
25:28Rich Eisen:when it comes to your home. Pella Windows and Doors is a choice you can trust with the experts who help find the right products for your needs and install them with care at your disposal. Discover why Pella Windows and Doors is a trusted choice for homeowners everywhere. Visit Pella.com slash eisen today. That's Pella.com slash eisen. Make life brighter with Pella Windows and Doors. What's more likely Friday when we come back on... Oh yeah, it's Friday. The Rich Isis Show Podcast.
26:26Brian Windhorst:Our ambition is to make it mean so much more.
26:29Rich Eisen:Thrivent, where money means more. Connect with us at Thrivent.com. Need parts fast? O 'Reilly Auto Parts as fast. Need them now? We've got now. No matter what you need, we have thousands of professional parts people doing their part to make sure you have it. We're O 'Reilly Fast. Just one part that makes O 'Reilly stand apart. The professional parts people. Oh, oh, oh, O 'Reilly.
27:02Brian Windhorst:Auto Parts.
27:07Rich Eisen:Rich Eisen here with some advice. If high interest credit card debt is grinding you down, it might be time to call an audible with a SoFi personal loan. It consolidates your debt into one low monthly payment with no fees required. And with as soon as the same day funding, you can make the right play fast. Call an audible on your debt today at SoFi.com slash debt play. Loans originated by SoFi Bank N.A. Member FDIC. Terms and conditions apply. NMLS 696891. Fast funds terms apply at SoFi.com slash debt play.
27:42Rich Eisen:The Rich Eisen Show is on the air here on Disney Plus and our radio stations coast to coast on ESPN Radio. It's time for What's More Likely presented by Pella Windows and Doors. Hit it. What? What's more likely? Never say never, but never. All right. Christopher Brockman, what do we have over there, sir? Gentlemen, great to see you. It's Friday. Appreciate you saying that. Jay, how are you? Hey, what's up, Chris? We were talking to these guys in charge the last few days. We talked to Chris Ballard and Kyle Shanahan. How about the more likely star coming back from an Achilles tear to play week one?
28:21Rich Eisen:Daniel Jones and George Kittle. Oh, I'll go Daniel Jones. He blew out his Achilles, you know, earlier. Yeah, like a month. Boy, you really give me an easy one to start this one. Laying it up. Yeah. I imagine the guy that blew out his Achilles sooner has a better chance to return earlier than one would expect. Doesn't seem like it was that long ago. That's all. I mean, George, I put nothing past George. Play week one. I'll go. I'll go. I'll go Daniel Jones. All right. What else you got over there? How about this? As we talked to these head coaches yesterday, who's more likely to win their division this year, the 49ers or the commanders?
28:59Rich Eisen:I'll go 49ers. They almost won it last year. Commanders were very far from winning it last year. Plus, TJ's Cowboys are going to win the division, right? Naturally. You're at full strength. I don't know. All I heard about is how great the Rams are. Are you? I'll flip it on you. Which one would you choose? I think I would take the commanders. Why would you say that? Just to be opposite because you don't mean it. Easier division. Come on. You don't think it's an easier division? No. Okay. No, nothing's easy. All right. The NFC is the hardest division in football. So we got the most Super Bowl championships.
29:41Rich Eisen:So the eventual Super Bowl champions go into the house of the 49ers on the night the 49ers could be the one seed in the NFC. They don't do it. Seattle then sees San Francisco again, blows them out to host an NFC championship game against the Rams that was essentially the de facto Super Bowl that the Rams could have won. And this guy is saying the NFC East with the Eagles won and done by that San Francisco team. And then has no one else make the playoffs and have two teams in the division. How many? Pick. I said two teams in the division pick three times in the top 10. And then the other team in the division that didn't make the playoffs moves up from 12 to 11 to choose.
30:28Rich Eisen:That division's better than the NFC West. Did I get that? Did I get all of that right? The top two odds for the Super Bowl are the Rams and Seahawks. The next NFC East team is 10th. The top how many odds? Top two. The top two odds. I said, okay, we're going to stop doing it. I don't think we're probably not. Come on, man. I know you got your cowboy flag. Well, look, how many times going back to the Super Bowl is hard, right? Hard. Okay. So are the Seahawks going to become champions again? How about this? They probably won't. Let me handle this for you, sir. Yes. More likely team to win the NFC East this year, Cowboys or Commanders?
31:06Rich Eisen:Commanders. Okay. See, now he's being unserious. Now he's being unserious. Yeah. I'll do what you do, Rich Eisen. What about the Giants? Give me an option that's not one of the options. Okay. But I don't sound like that, though. You are not serious people. How about this one? We're talking a lot about the Rams and the Ty Simpson pick. Is it more likely we have an overreaction Monday topic this year of Ram should start Simpson or Stafford is an MVP final? Ram should start Simpson is an absurdity. An absolute absurdity. You absolutely cannot say that. Now, there's two ways in which that's an overreaction Monday subject matter, okay?
31:56Rich Eisen:Is that Stafford plays so poorly, it's just, I got to see what the rookie looks like. Or Stafford gets hurt, Simpson comes in and plays so well that we get the whole Cooper Rush should be the quarterback over Dak Prescott in Anity one more time. real conversation at the time. Because also Jerry's like, this is the best decision. This is the best problem to have. That he put it in that way. Like it's a problem to have, meaning that Cooper Rush might have, might possibly, possibly knock Dak out of the starters job. Cause of how well he was playing as a back. Rewind a year ago. Get out of here. Actual questions.
32:42Rich Eisen:Absurd at the time. About Stafford, maybe not even playing week one after sitting out the entire preseason. 38-year-old guy. You encourage this. I'm just saying. How do I encourage this? You encourage this. How do I encourage you? You just do. I don't know how. Onward, Chris. No, I need an answer, bro. Stafford is an MVP finalist far more likely than the other way around. No chance. Okay. No chance that Stafford's an MVP finalist next year? I would not bet on that. Absolutely not. But you'd bet on the other one? Yeah. Okay. Well, I'm in charge of... tripling and quadrupling. I'm in charge of writing the topics.
33:19Rich Eisen:Okay. This is segment. And that's how I'm enabling. Yeah. You give them carte blanche to say stuff like this. And the people at home are confused or getting mad at Chris. They don't understand. He doesn't care. I actually don't care. I love talking to people in the comments. Here we go. I thought you didn't read the comments. Let's talk a little hoops. Two surprising results, to say the least, last night with the The Wolves eliminating the Nugs and the Knicks winning by$11 billion. Which more likely of those two teams are the more likely to make the finals? The Wolves or the Knicks? I'll go Knicks.
33:56You already just heard Windhorst say they might get swept by the Spurs.
34:05Rich Eisen:The Knicks aren't playing this. To use the parlance. Swept by the Spurs? Really? Excuse me. Excuse me. to use the parlance of a particular native New Yorker who once upon a time went to your neck of the woods, are the Spurs walking through that door in the Eastern conference? No. Is anybody remotely close to the Spurs, the two feet in the West walking through that door? Spurs are a young team with not a lot of playoff experience. The, the, okay. The Wolves have made back to back West. All right. Now the Pistons would be a problem for the Knicks because the Knicks, as we all know, had problems with the Pistons this year.
34:41Rich Eisen:so a Knicks fan should be rooting hard for the Orlando magic without Franz Wagner to advance. Indeed. Even though they'd be playing the calves first, instead of the winner of, you know, instead of the Knicks Celtics.
34:58Rich Eisen:Survivors and the Knicks have already moved through. I'd go Knicks over the Timberwolves. Absolutely. Eastern conference. The Knicks could wind up being the top seed by Sunday night. They could be the top seed. They could be the top seed by Saturday night in the Eastern Conference. Correct. Yeah, correct. Remaining. So, what else, Chris? How about this one? Is it more likely the Sixers upset the Seas in game seven? Yes. Or? That was for you, TJ, since you think I'm enabling him. Well, the Rockets force game seven. Ooh. Ooh, Chris, this is a really good, juicy one, because this is right on that line.
35:33Rich Eisen:Mm-hmm. Both could really happen. Very much so. I know. No, I swear you're forcing me to choose one or the other. Oh, I'll just go with the home team. I'll say the Rockets forcing game seven is more likely. Because I want it for TJ so much, and I can't have so many good things in my life right now. Rockets favored tonight. You guys believe that? Are they really? Really? Without no Durant. Yeah, three and change. Okay. I used to act like I didn't know what that means. Oh, you know what it means. now? In my second month of not being in NFL. Oh, you just picked it up that quick, right? Yeah, you picked it up that quick learner.
36:15Rich Eisen:Quick learner. You read a book. I said I have two degrees. Two. Not getting old. About to get three. Am I? When you become Dr. Eisen. Oh, I will be impossible. I'll walk around in a lab coat.
36:35Rich Eisen:I've got three more walk into rooms like Penta. You know what I mean? Not to like three more more likely to demand a trade this offseason. George Pickens or the freshly eliminated Connor McDavid. I don't think McDavid's going to demand a trade to you, man. I mean, I saw him last night. He said, we've been an average team all year long. And what do you say? An average team with high expectations, with high expectations. You're going to be disappointed. Pat and company are. That's as close to a trade demand he might get. Pat and them are trying to stir up the McDavid to Pittsburgh to join up for Crosby.
37:11Rich Eisen:I mean, good luck to him. Please let that happen. Excuse me. Yes. You tell me. Let me ask you, sir, since you're the local hockey maven. Has there ever been an absolute superstar in Edmonton who came to Los Angeles to play? That would be Wayne Grisky. Oh, the great one. Has that ever happened? Yes, it has. But then there's Sidney Crosby. I don't know. I'll ask Hoskins in my ear. Do you think McDavid will really demand a trade from Edmonton? I don't know. Demand. I think Pickens seems to be the more publicly demanding guy. Although he's got a new agent who might be like, let's tamp that down. We'll get it done behind the scenes.
37:50Rich Eisen:You want to get done? Let's do this behind the scenes. McDavid and Crosby, though. Oh, that's not. How about this one, though? The issue is if McDavid gets, you know, puts it out there, everyone's going to be falling all over themselves. The entire league will fall over themselves. Yeah, sure. That won't happen with George Pickens. I'm sure Connor watched the draft. But that's not the question. I'll go Pickens over McDavid. All right, two more. Two more. Nice. Is it more likely that both the Yankees and Dodgers don't win their divisions or the Red Sox and Mets make the playoffs? Let me tell you what.
38:28Rich Eisen:This is one of those Brockman false choices. No, it's not. Make me say that you guys are making the playoffs. This involves everyone in the room. No, no, no. It involves everyone in the room. What's more likely, that the Dodgers and the Mets win their divisions or you guys don't make the playoffs? How about that? No, there's no how about that. This is the topic. The Yankees and Dodgers are winning their divisions. I don't know about that. Actually, I'll put it the other way. They're only a half game up on San Diego. It's more likely that both the Yankees and Dodgers don't win their divisions because it might be like the Yankees to be finally caught by the Rays, you know, in the same way that the Blue Jays caught them last year despite a hot start.
39:03Rich Eisen:That wasn't hard to answer, was it? I'll do that. But you guys are not making the playoffs. Neither of you are. And that's a tough thing to swallow right now on May 1st. 130 games left, Rick. I will basically go full Shaq on Kobe on y 'all right now. Oh, good. Ask us how it tastes. That's wrong. That's what I'm asking. We are betting that now. On May Day. We are betting. On Dusty May Day. You are going to rue those words, Rich Eisen. What's more likely, I will or I won't? They cut it off. Now I can't make them. What's one more? Last one. On this date in 1939, Batman first appeared in comic. Oh, what's that?
39:43Rich Eisen:More likely to be your favorite Batman, Michael Keaton, Christian Bale, or the great Adam West? Oh, this is tough, man. This is almost impossible. I love Michael Keaton. But Christian Bale was terrific as Batman. I mean, Adam West started it off. Come on. Without him doing this. Okay. Remember this? I mean. Christian Bale is the best Batman. I mean, come on. Adam West? Adam West was like. Pow, boom, bam. I'm aware of that. Climbing up the side of a building. Christian Bale Kilmer. Caped crusader. Oh, you know what? With all due respect to Wade, Bale. But Christian Bale is my favorite actor. Christian Bale is amazing.
40:21Rich Eisen:Good stuff, Christopher. Thank you. What's more likely is brought to you by Pella Windows and Doors. When it comes to your home, Pella Windows and Doors always have the winning game plan. That's why your neighbors trust them. Visit Pella.com slash Eisen. Phone calls and the best white flag a Big Ten fan can get. Oh, it's delicious. That's next. The Rich Eisen Show, the podcast.
40:51Rich Eisen:In a world in need of a hero, one man rises to the challenge in style. He is just driving the kids to soccer practice. Make every day feel epic in an all-new Hyundai Palisade Hybrid with up to an EPA-estimated 619 miles of range on select trims, advanced tech, and class-leading interior space. because when you're hauling kids, gears, snacks, and backpacks, space matters. And so does comfort. Just make sure they keep their cleats off the seats. Visit HyundaiUSA.com or call 562-314-4603 for details. Rich Eisen here. Take a second and look at your city's calendar. Everywhere I go, there's always something coming up.
41:28Rich Eisen:Games, concerts, conventions, tournaments, the kind of events that bring people in from all over. And when that happens, you can feel it. more energy, more fans, and a whole lot more people looking for a place to stay. So here's something to think about. If your city has that kind of buzz, if big events are on the way, listing your space on Airbnb could be a great opportunity. If you're already planning to be out of town or you've got a trip coming up, why not make your place work for you while you're gone? You've got the space and you're not using it. It could be earning you some extra cash. I know when I travel for these big events, I'm not just looking for a place to crash.
42:05Rich Eisen:I want something comfortable and safe, a place that allows me to experience the city like a local. And that's exactly what you can do by offering to list your space. No big lifestyle change, no long-term commitment, just making smart use of the space you already have. So the next time your city draws a crowd, think about listing your space on Airbnb. Your home might be worth more than you think. Find out how much at airbnb.com slash host.
42:36Rich Eisen:Back on the Rich Eisen Show. Running a small business means every hire matters. A bad hire costs time and money, but the right one, well, that helps your business grow. The challenge is finding that perfect person without sorting through resumes. That's where LinkedIn Hiring Pro comes in. It screens candidates so you can focus on conversations with qualified talent. With Hiring Pro, you can hire with confidence and build the team you need. Join the 2.7 million small businesses using LinkedIn to hire. Get started by posting your job for free at linkedin.com slash eisen. Terms and conditions apply.
43:15Rich Eisen:Listen, you know I'm loving this world in which the Big Ten wins college football natties. I'm loving it. Absolutely loving it. Three in a row. My institution of higher learning, my alma mater, started it. Ohio State continued it, even after losing to Michigan. And then Indiana, 16-0, man. 16-0. 16-0. That's three in a row. And I'm just wondering, how does all this sit in the part of the country from which college football media bias runs thick. The Southeast is an East Coast bias when it comes to overall sports coverage, but when it comes to college football, it's a Southeast bias. That's where Paul Feinbaum sits.
44:12Rich Eisen:This is where all the SEC fans say it just means more. How does this all sit in SEC country? last SEC head coach to win a national championship. Right? Kirby? That's right. Nice. He was at a golf tournament on a podcast called The Next Round. Okay. And he was asked, where did all this Big Ten success come from? I just think they have a more competitive conference, like the top of their conference. There's more good teams. It used to be, eh, Ohio State was good. Michigan was really good. Harbaugh had a great team. Indiana's good. Like now they've got Oregon. They've got a draw. They have an ability to attract good players.
44:56Rich Eisen:Now, NIL has a factor too, for sure. But so does Miami. I mean, so does Florida. People have money. More people have money. That's right. So I think the talent is spread out thin. Where before in the SEC, it was a magnet to talent. That's right. The disparity was so great that it was like you couldn't mess it up. You'd win regardless. And now it's like, okay, it's more even. It's just been three in a row. I have so much respect for them. I'm like, are they better coaches than us? And that's what all our coaches say. I think Joel Klatt says that. Yeah. I mean, people have said that. I don't think that's the case.
45:24Rich Eisen:Because I don't think they're taking less talent, in theory, and doing more with it. Now, the other theory is, and this is what nobody likes to hear, it's a lot of SEC coaches say this in my meetings. They say they don't have the grind we do. There's no way. They play three of their nine games are hard. Their bottom four games are not our bottom four games. I'm going to play Starkville and Vanderbilt in my bottom four, and I'm holding on to my butt to be able to play at noon on Saturday at Startboy and play a good team who beat Arizona State, who goes and plays these other teams. So there is a theory that we're beating each other up, and it's like the intensity, and it wears you down.
46:03Rich Eisen:Beating each other up. I have no idea what he said. Well, he was waving a white flag, so it's tough to – Waving a white flag. Yeah, waving a white flag. That's what you got from that? That's what I got from it. Of course. It's over. What is over? The SEC dominance is over. And NIL has something to do with it, too, because now everybody's paying people in public. Yeah, I bet the SEC wins the Natty next year. Okay. All right. Yeah. You're the king of, like, Indiana's one and done. They're the flash in the pen. They're the one-hit wonders. It's that thing you do. It's just football. Yeah, for sure.
46:42Rich Eisen:I mean, I'm not backing down from that. Okay. They're the wonders. The Oneaters of football. Don't sing it. Okay. No. It's all good. It's all good, young Squire. You sit back and you watch. There's Kirby Smart. Oh, oh. You watch Penn State. It's so tough to beat Diego Pavia. Oh, poor Georgia. The guy was a Heisman finalist. Understood. These guys. Eh, one and done. Who are these Indiana Hoosiers? will be wondering if they're any good next year. So SEC wins next year. Yeah, for sure. Okay. Oh, this is delicious. Very good. It's just, again. I mean, it ain't going to be your fault. It was tough to understand him with waving the, I mean, planting the white flag.
47:31Rich Eisen:Oh, that's interesting that that's what you took. That's the way I took it. Did you get that memo? I got it. What a great way to wrap up this show. Thanks for listening to the Rich Eisen Show podcast. You can watch and listen to The Rich Eisen Show live weekdays from noon to 3 Eastern on ESPN Radio, Disney Plus, and on the ESPN app. The Rich Eisen Show, the podcast.
48:00Rich Eisen:You can't reason with the sun. Trust us. We've tried. This summer, it's time to put that angry ball of fire on mute. Columbia's OmniShade technology is engineered to protect you from the sun's harsh rays that can burn and damage your skin. The sun is relentless, but so is our gear. Level up your summer at Columbia.com to spend more time outside and less time slathering on aloe lotion. You're welcome. Columbia. Engineered for whatever.
From the publisher
ESPN’s Brian Windhorst and Rich discuss the 76ers pushing the Celtics to a Game 7 in their 1st-round series, the New York Knicks’ 51-point blowout of the Atlanta Hawks, the tough roster decisions facing the Denver Nuggets after their “inexcusable” early exit from the playoffs, and updates the injury status of Luka Doncic and Anthony Edwards, how many Games 7 we’ll see this weekend, and more. In ‘What’s More Likely’ Rich weighs in on 49ers TE George Kittle, Colts QB Daniel Jones, Rams QBs Matthew Stafford and Ty Simpson, the Washington Commanders, the NBA Playoffs, the Dodgers, Yankees, Red Sox, Mets and more. Michigan alum Rich reacts to Georgia Bulldogs HC Kirby Smart’s recent comments on the Big Ten’s three-consecutive football national championships.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices