Yahoo Sports NBA: Ball Don’t Lie
Sports:Basketball
Jake Fischer and Fred Katz recap the 76ers and Bulls wins in the NBA Play-In Tournament last night and preview each of the Eastern Conference first round matchups.
00:00 - Hello friends!
01:30 - 76ers defeat Heat
12:55 - Knicks vs. 76ers series preview
30:50 - Bulls defeat Hawks
32:45 - Who should the Hawks trade?
39:55 - Cavaliers vs. Magic series preview
48:00 - Bucks vs. Pacers series preview
On this episode of No Cap Room, Yahoo Sports senior NBA reporter Jake Fischer is joined by The Athletic’s Fred Katz, who covers the New York Knicks and the NBA at large.
The guys start with the big game last night, which saw the Philadelphia 76ers escape with a 1-point win over the Miami Heat after Joel Embiid and Nicolas Batum caught fire in the 4th quarter.
Jake was there, and talks about how seriously everyone around the Sixers wanted to win to avoid the Boston Celtics. Fred says that’s the right call, and explains that anything less than a conference championship will be a huge disappointment for the Celtics.
Embiid still doesn’t look like himself against the Heat, but he’ll probably benefit from facing the Knicks’ man-to-man defense instead of Miami’s zone defense. The biggest question coming out of this series is how the Knicks can keep their offense afloat when Jalen Brunson is on the bench.
The Bulls beat up on the Hawks last night, in a game that served as the announcement of Coby White’s arrival. Jake says he views White as an all-star caliber player now, and thinks the Bulls have a chance to beat Miami if Jimmy Butler’s knee keeps him out of Friday’s game.
The Hawks, who have the worst defense amongst non-tanking teams, have some big questions to answer this offseason. The biggest one being which of their two star guards (Trae Young & Dejounte Murray) should they trade over the offseason.
The Cavaliers might’ve angered the basketball gods by tanking the end of the season, and their reward will be an Orlando Magic team that can match them in terms of size and can beat them with physicality.
The Bucks, meanwhile, will be without Giannis Antetokounmpo for at least the first part of their series against the Pacers. This series has some drama in it from the In-Season Tournament, but it’s also a terrible matchup for the Bucks’ defense. How far can Damian Lillard carry the team without Giannis?
Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports podcast family at https://apple.co/3zEuTQj or at Yahoo Sports Podcasts
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Knicks & Nuggets take 2-0 leads while 76ers & Lakers complain about officiating | Devine Intervention
Dame sinks the Pacers, Celtics-Heat controversy, plus injury concerns for Kawhi & Embiid | Good Word with Goodwill
Lakers advance, Warriors dynasty is over & Western Conference playoffs preview | Good Word with Goodwill
NBA Play-In preview, MVP race & Wembanyama's future with Bomani Jones | Good Word with Goodwill
Jrue Holiday's contract extension, Paolo Banchero comps & playoff legacies on the line | No Cap Room
Giannis’ calf injury, Suns lose their powers & Wemby’s case for All-Defense | Good Word with Goodwill
2023-24 NBA year-end awards anxiety | Devine Intervention
Caitlin Clark’s WNBA future, the Bucks' problems & the Knicks’ playoff path with Monica McNutt | Good Word with Goodwill
Knicks lose Randle until next year, Hornets' coaching search & Jrue Holiday's stellar season | No Cap Room
Embiid looks sharp vs. OKC, Curry struggling with physicality & Luka's MVP case | Good Word with Goodwill
Are Giannis & the Bucks ready for the playoffs? | Devine Intervention
Embiid's return, the future of the Bulls + playoff outlooks for Mavs & Clippers | Good Word with Goodwill
Curry carries the Warriors after Draymond's ejection, Embiid's return & the Timberwolves sale blows up | No Cap Room
NBA playoff races, Lakers sink Bucks without LeBron & the league's gambling problem | Good Word with Goodwill
Positive affirmations for the Rockets, Magic, Suns, Nets, Hawks & Bulls | Devine Intervention
What’s wrong with the LA Clippers? | Good Word with Goodwill
NBA adds gambling to League Pass, Dante Exum's impact in Dallas & the 5 worst teams in the NBA | No Cap Room
Jokic’s legacy, Wembanyama’s future with Spurs & concerns for Suns & Clippers with Howard Beck | Good Word with Goodwill
Did the Sacramento Kings get worse or did the West get better? | Devine Intervention
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
Yahoo Fantasy Football Show
Yahoo Sports: College Football Enquirer
Yahoo Sports NFL: Zero Blitz
Yahoo Fantasy Baseball Podcast
Yahoo Sports MLB: The Bandwagon