00:00Welcome back to Newswire here on Sports Grid. I'm Craig Bish, certainly the top story in the national battle.
00:05Basketball Association going on right now. It would be the ESPN report.
00:10That Giannis Antetokounmpo is potentially considering a move out of Milwaukee.
00:15Now, naturally, the trade deadline's coming up here in a couple of weeks.
00:18Will they be able to get something done?
00:20Or is this an off-season move?
00:22I mean, it still sort of, I think, remains to be seen.
00:25So certainly stay with us here on Sports Grid as we break it all down for you throughout the day.
00:30And night and keep updating you on those facts as well.
00:33Let's get to a result last night.
00:35The NBA, of course, the New York Knicks, trying to get through that little slump that they had appear to be playing.
00:40Much better basketball.
00:40They do pick up a win yesterday as they take care of the Sacramento Kings.
00:45They do not cover a spread, but they do get the win, which is all that probably matters right now.
00:4914.
00:50They win by, well, actually, did they cover that spread?
00:53They win by 16?
00:54Yeah, I think they did.
00:54All right.
00:55Here is Mike Brown on Jalen Bruns' performance, another big one, 28 points.
00:58You know, our defense.
01:00The defense stayed pretty solid throughout the game, especially in the second half.
01:04You know, they're...
01:05They're a team that can score basketball at a pretty high clip, obviously, DeMar.
01:10It was rolling tonight.
01:11I thought in the second half we did a good job of not sending him to...
01:15The free throw line, that was one of the biggest differences in the game.
01:19And then...
01:20You know, in that fourth quarter, you know, you're not going to stop a guy like DeMar,
01:23but you hopefully try...
01:25Try to slow him down a little bit, and I thought McHale defensively was really good.
01:30With his physicality and not fouling while he was being physical.
01:33So, he didn't get to the free...
01:35The free throw line, and then McHale made it...
01:37Made him work for every shot that...
01:40He attempted in that fourth quarter.
01:42So, a good fourth quarter.
01:45Defensively by McHale and the rest of the group, our defensive player of the game, who impacted...
01:50It at a high level throughout the entire game, was Mitch.
01:54Mitch was really good.
01:55For us on that end of the floor.
01:57Coach James Young is here with us.
01:59We'll break down some games.
02:00In the NBA last night, and also get to some of the games this evening.
02:03But naturally, Coach Jay...
02:05Main story of the day over on ESPN reporting that it looks like maybe a potential...
02:10I don't even want to call it divorce, maybe separation?
02:12With Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee...
02:15Bucks could be coming here.
02:16I see the trade deadline is February the 5th.
02:20And there is...
02:21I mean, honestly, if you think about it, in the history of the league with a player like this,
02:24generally, this is a...
02:25It's an off-season move, not a move that happens at a trade deadline.
02:28But again, we did see Lucas...
02:30So is there a chance in the next couple of weeks that Giannis goes, or is it just...
02:35More likely that this is a let's play out the season, regroup, and then deal with this again...
02:40After the season ends.
02:41Good to be on with you, Craig.
02:43And let's start off saying that...
02:45Giannis has had a calf injury twice.
02:48Calf injuries are usually precursors...
02:50To possibly Achilles tears, you know that.
02:52So, for Milwaukee, they're playing a little...
02:55A little bit of risk if they were to wait, and they bring him back, and he gets hurt, and obviously they miss...
03:00And also, every time you get to another deadline, whether it's trade deadline, off-season...
03:05You lose leverage because that contract is getting shorter and shorter and shorter.
03:10So, to Milwaukee's case, they're sitting 12th in the...
03:15They're not going anywhere, Craig.
03:17For them, it's smart to blow it up.
03:19You look at the Eastern...
03:20Office settings between New York and Miami.
03:22There's only five games in a lost column.
03:24And then you look...
03:25Look between San Antonio 2 and, you know, Minnesota at...
03:30Seven, there's four games in a lost column.
03:33So, what does that mean?
03:34A lot of teams...
03:35And a guy like Giannis can literally swing...
03:40momentum one way or the other.
03:42So, expect the players.
03:43New York's going to be heavily...
03:45involved, right?
03:46But I want New York to be careful about this because I really think if New York trades...
03:50Robinson, that will work better than if they trade cap because of the...
03:55The way that cap plays works well, obviously, with Giannis.
03:59But then...
04:00Miami's giving me a ball because they're always a player.
04:02Does Golden State make a play?
04:04San Antonio...
04:05There's a ton of draft assets, young players, and then there's the ace in the hole.
04:10And that's Oklahoma City, who's got more draft capital and more young players...
04:15that they can easily move and start a rebuild for Milwaukee.
04:18Wouldn't that be something if the...
04:20Thunder ended up with him?
04:21I hadn't heard that one yet, but that would be...
04:24Game-changer...
04:25Game-changer for the Thunder.
04:26They'd be massive favorites.
04:27They're already favorites, of course, to win it all.
04:29All right.
04:30Let's go to some NBA from last night.
04:31We'll see if we can mix in some tonight as well.
04:34We've got the...
04:35The Detroit Pistons beating the Denver Nuggets on the road 109-107.
04:40Cade Cunningham had 22 points in this one.
04:43And what I see here, Coach, also is...
04:45For the first time all year, I've got Detroit on FanDuel as plus...
04:50320 to win the East, which is the shortest odds they've had...
04:55All season long.
04:55I mean, they are approaching favorites to win the conference.
05:00And certainly give them all the credit in the world.
05:01They've played probably the most consistent basketball in the East.
05:05That's the key thing.
05:08Most consistent...
05:10You know, if you look at New York, New York is probably more dynamic.
05:14Boston is...
05:15They've played well above what we thought they were going to be.
05:17But if you look at steady throughout the entire...
05:20season, it's been Detroit.
05:22Cade Cunningham is playing himself at a high level.
05:24But there are other...
05:25Other guys that stepped up...
05:25I saw Topson was really good last year at 14-14.
05:28Tobias Harris, much of a line...
05:30For his career, 22 points.
05:31And then Jalen Dome with 14-8.
05:33And it's basically almost a...
05:3520-10 season.
05:36The end of the day, J.B. Bickerson has done a great job.
05:40With both Detroit and with Cleveland in the regular season.
05:43He gets judged...
05:45In the playoffs.
05:46Where he's sometimes slow to adjust to...
05:50things in-game or between games.
05:52You saw the Knicks take him out in Cleveland.
05:55And then you saw that great six-game series versus New York.
05:57I still think the Knicks, if they make the right...
06:00move to the favorites.
06:01But right now, based on how they're playing...
06:03you've got to put Detroit as the best team in the East.
06:05Meanwhile, I honestly wrote the Clippers off...
06:08when they were 6-21.
06:10I just...
06:10I mean, you're one of the worst teams in the league.
06:12You don't see a turnaround like this, Coach, very often.
06:15In the history of the league, going from 15 games under
06:17to being one of the best teams in the NBA, 16-3...
06:20since then.
06:20And they win last night against Utah.
06:22I know it was Utah.
06:23But still, a win is a win.
06:24150.
06:2515-103.
06:27I saw Paul George pop up on my post-game.
06:30for the first time in a while.
06:31I haven't even heard that guy talk in a long time, honestly.
06:34So...
06:35all things are clicking for them.
06:37And as you know, Coach, it's going to be a matter of health
06:39with those guys.
06:39I mean...
06:40that's really all it is.
06:40If both those two players are playing like superstars,
06:43the Clippers will be as...
06:45as formidable as any team in the West moving forward.
06:48Yeah, it's...
06:50let's be honest.
06:51Kawhi is playing at the vintage Kawhi top...
06:5510-player in the world, right?
06:56Harden has been Harden.
06:58Obviously, you mix John Collins...
07:00Zubac is back from injury.
07:01They...
07:02I know they're missing Beal.
07:03I know they're missing Derek Jones.
07:05But they have enough depth to compete,
07:07especially when those two...
07:10Harden and obviously Kawhi are playing like top 20 players.
07:15Now, they're still only in the 10th spot, Craig,
07:18but they are...
07:20only five games out of the lost column from seven.
07:23Here's the thing.
07:25If you are 18 and you're looking at 16-3 right now,
07:29the last night...
07:3018 games, right?
07:31Do you want to see them in the playoffs?
07:34If I'm...
07:35If I'm Oklahoma City,
07:36if I'm San Antonio,
07:37if I'm Denver and I'm Houston,
07:39I want this team...
07:40to get the six.
07:41I don't want them in that 7-8 matchup
07:43because they can become extreme...
07:45extremely dangerous
07:45because with Kawhi,
07:46they have playoff pedigree.
07:48With Ty Lue,
07:48they have playoff pedigree.
07:50I know Harden is great
07:51until game seven,
07:52so they have enough guys.
07:54Brook Lopez is one of...
07:55They have enough to give team pitch.
07:58But you said the best.
07:59If they...
08:00can stay healthy.
08:01Yep, that's the whole key with them.
08:03All right,
08:03let's preview a couple games tonight
08:04if we have...
08:05Lakers and Cavs,
08:06both teams actually playing well,
08:08Cleveland in particular,
08:09starting the pick...
08:10it up here in the second half of the season.
08:11They're three-point favorites,
08:12total 236.5,
08:14obviously injuries.
08:15and players with the DNP
08:16going to factor always
08:17into these sort of games.
08:18What do you make of this matchup tonight?
08:20Well, I like Cleveland.
08:21I think that double-big lineup
08:23is going to be something to watch out for.
08:24Look at...
08:25Don't forget like Jalen Thompson's...
08:26Jalen Tyson's been really good.
08:28Lakers don't stop people at the...
08:30but also sneaky good thing to think about.
08:33This could be LeBron's...
08:35last game in Cleveland
08:36if he were to retire.
08:38So there's going to be storylines with that as...
08:40Eaton Magic.
08:42I've seen hundreds of these matchups, coach.
08:44I can never predict...
08:45the outcome of this one.
08:46It just seems like
08:46no matter what happens,
08:47how good or bad either team is,
08:49this...
08:50game always goes down
08:51to the last shot of the game.
08:52Total 228.5.
08:54Magic...
08:55in this particular matchup
08:56are getting three.
08:58I would look at this game
08:59to go under the two...
09:00I know the Heat
09:01are really explosive offensively
09:02but the Magic is starting to get healthy.
09:05They need to dial it back
09:05and they can defensively.
09:07That's what Jamal Molsey is made of.
09:08I think Miami may get...
09:10stuck in a game
09:10in what we call a rock fight.
09:12All right, coach.
09:13Thanks again.
09:14And we'll...
09:15talk again soon.
09:15Thanks for coming on Newswire.
09:17Thanks, Craig.
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