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00:00Welcome back to Newswire here on Sports Grid.
00:01Carlin Gay getting ready for the big festivities
00:03and the All-Star Game coming up this week.
00:06He'll have to shed some light on those
00:07because I got no idea who's in it this year,
00:09dunk contest or anything like that.
00:10I don't know.
00:10You can't believe in my day,
00:12I actually went to the dunk contest
00:14and I went to the All-Star Game in Miami
00:16and now I have so little interest in it,
00:18but I digress.
00:20We'll save that for the end.
00:20Let's get to last night's basketball.
00:22Carlin, great to have you back here.
00:23Thank you for coming on Newswire.
00:25Boy, Oklahoma City, really impressive
00:27and they've had two seasons, it feels like, Carlin.
00:29They've had their season
00:30where they just were crushing everybody
00:32and then they had their season
00:33that they took a little bit of a step back
00:36and then I probably would say
00:38this is like their little third mini season here
00:40because they're doing all of this damage
00:42without Shea Gilgis-Alexander
00:44and somehow still putting up like 130 points a game.
00:48Very impressive.
00:49It's super impressive
00:50and it's sending a message to the rest of the league
00:53that this isn't just a one-man band.
00:56This isn't a complete team
00:57and I want to shout out Jalen Williams.
00:59Like, yes, he's an all-star.
01:00Yes, he's a guy that plays both ends of the floor.
01:03Some would put him in the top three
01:04as a two-way player in the NBA today
01:06but even as he won a championship last season
01:09he still doesn't get enough shine
01:10as being the 1B to Shea Gilgis-Alexander's 1A
01:13and without Shea out, the spotlight is on him
01:16and last night, 28 points against the Suns team
01:18who, by the way, surprising some people out West, right?
01:21Like, this isn't a bad team.
01:22They didn't crush the Sacramento Kings here.
01:24They crushed the Phoenix Suns
01:25and, you know, doing it without your best player defensively
01:28we know what they're able to do
01:30and they're capable of doing
01:31but to your point, Craig, the 136 points is pretty amazing.
01:34That trade to get Jared McCain fell under the radar
01:37right at the deadline.
01:38A guy that's going to be able to come off the bench
01:40and just have a role in terms of just shooting threes
01:43whereas I feel he probably would have been asked
01:45to do a lot more given the injuries they have.
01:47Probably the second best trade.
01:49I have a better trade than that
01:50that went under the radar on the market
01:52but a pretty good trade for the defending champions
01:54and as long as they stay healthy
01:56they'll probably go on a run
01:57and you'll have to go through them
01:58if you plan on getting to the finals
01:59if you're out West.
02:01Definitely feels that way.
02:02McCain last night, as Carlin mentioned
02:03had 12 points, two of three from three-point range
02:07averaging double digits
02:08is something when a bench player can add to a team
02:10like the Oklahoma City Thunder can help a lot.
02:13If they're going to get run through
02:15maybe one of those teams
02:16is going to be the Denver Nuggets
02:19who I'm sure, Carlin, are now going to start to go
02:21and play much better basketball
02:23now that Nikola Jokic is back.
02:2626 points, 15 rebounds, 11 assists,
02:2810 of 14 from the field yesterday.
02:29They beat the Grizzlies 122-116.
02:32I don't know if Denver is Oklahoma City's main adversary.
02:36I think some would feel that could be San Antonio
02:38but I'm not going to discount the Nuggets
02:40based on the way that they're playing recently.
02:43I would say though some people that you're talking about
02:45that think it's San Antonio might be wrong
02:47or actually they are wrong.
02:48It is absolutely the Denver Nuggets here
02:50in the Western Conference.
02:51If you remember, Denver is the one that took them
02:53right to seven games a year ago
02:55before Oklahoma City went on to the finals
02:57and were able to win a championship
02:58and that was with a very compromised lineup.
03:01Aaron Gorder was injured.
03:02Jamal Murray was hurt.
03:04Jokic really had to carry a team
03:05that were missing some pieces
03:07and by the way, their head coach
03:09had just been coaching for like two weeks
03:11at that point before he got into that series.
03:13I think he had like eight regular season games
03:15under his belt.
03:15He ended up with more coaching experience
03:17in the playoffs than he did in the regular season.
03:19So now they have a full season.
03:21They have a full season with this team,
03:23coaching staff.
03:24They actually got better off the bench
03:25in my opinion, adding Cam Johnson,
03:28replacing, and I know he's having
03:29a great season in Brooklyn,
03:32but getting rid of someone
03:34that was kind of like a black hole,
03:35a selfish player
03:37and replacing him with more team-friendly player
03:39in Cam Johnson,
03:40that helps.
03:41Christian Brown is a year older,
03:43Brown, excuse me, is a year older.
03:45Jamal Murray looks healthy
03:46and he's finally an all-star.
03:47Tim Hardaway Jr.
03:48brings you some experience
03:49off the bench as well
03:50and getting back Bruce Brown
03:51off the championship,
03:52they lost him off the championship team,
03:54getting him back into the lineup.
03:55He knows what to do.
03:57Once they get Aaron Gordon back,
03:58this team will be flying
03:59and they are the team
04:00that if Oklahoma City
04:02doesn't win the championship,
04:03I expect it's because
04:04the Denver Nuggets took them out.
04:07Jake Eldridge-Alexandre
04:08still the favorite to win the MVP.
04:10The numbers have slimmed a little bit,
04:11minus 220 on the FanDuel Sportsbook.
04:13The big move,
04:15Carlin,
04:16has been Luka Doncic
04:17falling all the way back to 20-1.
04:19He was right with Luka
04:21at the top
04:22as far as being a favorite.
04:23I'm sorry,
04:23right with SGA,
04:24but now he has fallen back.
04:26And so,
04:26do you think that that holds?
04:28Do you think SGA still wins?
04:29I know he has to play
04:30a certain amount of games
04:30also to qualify
04:31for this award as well.
04:33Yeah.
04:33And I think that's the most
04:35interesting part about this.
04:36If you're trying to figure out
04:37where to place your money,
04:39I would say right now,
04:40I'm placing my money
04:41on either Cade Cunningham
04:42and I'm even going to go
04:43somewhere else out east,
04:44Jalen Brown,
04:45who's having an MVP-type season
04:47with Boston.
04:49If anything happens
04:50with Sage Gildas-Alexander
04:51and he gets any sort of bad news
04:53coming out of the All-Star break
04:54and doesn't meet
04:55the game requirement,
04:56well,
04:56then you go to the next line down.
04:58That's Nikola Jokic,
04:59who cannot miss a single game
05:00from here on out.
05:01He's out of the mix.
05:02And then you've got to
05:03kind of go by default
05:04and you look at Cade Cunningham
05:05and Jalen Brown
05:06and the rest of that field.
05:07So this is going to be
05:09one of the most interesting
05:10MVP races,
05:11not because there's going
05:12to be debate,
05:13but because you're going
05:14to be game-watching
05:15to see, all right,
05:15if you're Oklahoma City,
05:16do you push Shea
05:17to play some games
05:18just so he can win an MVP?
05:19Or do you take a step back
05:21and say, you know what,
05:21you won your MVP,
05:22it's more important
05:23to win an NBA title.
05:25We're going to hold you
05:26out a couple of games,
05:26even if that means
05:27that you're not going
05:28to go back-to-back
05:29an MVP year.
05:30Same for Nikola Jokic.
05:31Why don't you get down
05:32to the last couple of games
05:33of the regular season?
05:34Last two weeks,
05:35do we risk twisting an ankle
05:36going into the playoffs
05:37or playing an extra game
05:39against, say,
05:39the Sacramento Kings
05:40or Memphis Grizzlies, right?
05:41Like, you could rest them
05:42in those situations
05:43and that would take
05:44them out of the race.
05:45So, you know,
05:45I would right now
05:47put my money
05:47on someone out east
05:48like a Cade
05:49or even a Jalen Brown
05:51and then, you know,
05:52fingers crossed
05:52and, you know,
05:53what it's like.
05:54NBA players don't really
05:55like to play games,
05:56so you're probably
05:57in a good bet
05:57to land with
05:59one of those other guys.
06:00Yeah, I mean,
06:01eligibility is the key
06:02to the MVP this year.
06:03It seems like it's possible.
06:04Yeah.
06:04Okay, so I know
06:05we haven't talked
06:06since I don't think
06:07this trade went down
06:08where James Harden
06:08was moved to Cleveland.
06:10I really didn't understand
06:11this one
06:11because I thought
06:12that the Clippers
06:12were really playing
06:14good basketball
06:14and Kawhi Leonard
06:15carried them again
06:16last night
06:16and they end up
06:17beating the Houston Rockets
06:18105-102.
06:19But my confidence level
06:21in the Clippers,
06:21I mean,
06:22it does certainly feel
06:23like Kawhi probably
06:24didn't have a great
06:25supporting cast
06:25when he won the championship
06:26in Toronto.
06:27But, Carlin,
06:28that was a really
06:29long time ago
06:30and Kawhi's a lot older
06:31than what he,
06:32and he's missed
06:32a lot of games
06:33since then, too.
06:34So, I mean,
06:35nice win that they got
06:36last night,
06:36but my confidence level
06:37after that trade,
06:38even though they got
06:39Garland back in return,
06:40isn't nearly as high.
06:42Yeah, I would say
06:43in hindsight,
06:44looking back
06:44on that Toronto team,
06:45you can say that
06:46Kawhi Leonard
06:47didn't look on paper
06:49at that time
06:49that he had the,
06:50you know,
06:51the support cast
06:51around him.
06:52All those players
06:53in that regular rotation
06:54have now become
06:55All-Stars
06:55after Norman Powell
06:56made the All-Star team
06:57this year.
06:57You talk about
06:58Serge Ibaka,
06:59Norman Powell,
07:00Marc Gasol
07:00had been an All-Star,
07:02Kyle Lowry,
07:03Pascal Siakam
07:04was an All-NBA player.
07:06The list goes down,
07:07right?
07:07So, he had a really
07:08good team.
07:09We just didn't know
07:09it at the time.
07:10Fast forward to now,
07:11right?
07:12Like, James Harden
07:13would probably be
07:13a top-end player
07:16you'd want to match
07:17or match around
07:17Kawhi Leonard.
07:18Problem is,
07:19James Harden
07:19wanted to get paid.
07:20He wanted to have
07:21some more security,
07:22and you know what?
07:23He's about his business,
07:23and he decided,
07:24hey, if the Clippers
07:25aren't going to pay me,
07:26let me find another team
07:27that I could get to
07:28that will pay me,
07:29that ended up being
07:30the Cavs.
07:31Lucky thing for the Clippers,
07:32though,
07:32I think they ended up
07:33with a pretty good player
07:34in Darius Garland
07:35to replace James Harden
07:36and what he could bring
07:37to the table.
07:37So, this is one of those
07:38rare trades
07:39that I think helps
07:40both teams.
07:42All right,
07:43so let's get to the odds
07:44to win the Western Conference
07:45here.
07:46We've got Oklahoma City
07:47minus 150,
07:48Denver plus 380,
07:50San Antonio
07:508-1,
07:52and Carlin sort of
07:53gave it away earlier
07:54by saying that he thinks
07:56that Denver
07:56is that potential team,
07:58but you didn't say,
07:58Carlin,
07:59that you thought
07:59Denver would beat
08:00Oklahoma City.
08:01You just said that you
08:01thought that they were
08:02their main adversary.
08:03Accurate?
08:05Accurate,
08:06and I'll go out
08:07and say it now.
08:07I do think that
08:08in a seven-game series,
08:09if it started today,
08:10both teams healthy,
08:10I would pick the Denver Nuggets
08:11in a best-of-seven
08:13to just slightly edge
08:14the Oklahoma City Thunder,
08:16and it's just based off
08:16what I saw last year.
08:17Nicola Jokic
08:18was able to push
08:19to a seventh game,
08:21and they weren't fully healthy,
08:22and by the way,
08:23the Thunder were,
08:24right?
08:24Like,
08:24the Thunder were
08:25fully healthy.
08:26They were complete.
08:27That's what I think,
08:28how good I think
08:29Nicola Jokic is
08:30in a seven-game series.
08:31It's tough to stop,
08:31so I would give the edge
08:33to the Denver Nuggets
08:33to get out of the
08:34Western Conference right now.
08:35Tell me something
08:36on All-Star Weekend
08:37before you go, Carlin.
08:38Try, try.
08:39Give it a shot.
08:40Try to sell me on something.
08:41Watch the dunk contest.
08:42Jace Richardson,
08:43if you remember his dad,
08:44Jason Richardson
08:45was in the dunk contest
08:46at one time.
08:47How about a father and son
08:48winning the dunk contest?
08:49Has that ever happened before?
08:50I don't think so.
08:51Uh, no.
08:53I'm trying to...
08:54Spud Webb's dad,
08:55was he ever in it?
08:56Or his son?
08:57I'm kidding.
08:58I don't think.
08:59Dominique Wilkins?
09:00Kenny Walker?
09:01Yeah.
09:02Jordan?
09:03No, they would...
09:03They didn't have to happen.
09:04That's like Sabalos?
09:05Is Sabalos this kid involved?
09:07You got that.
09:08No, Sabalos never had it.
09:09You see,
09:10you're naming great dunk contests,
09:11you know,
09:12now you're gonna make me feel bad
09:13when I watch Saturdays
09:14and not have the same experiences
09:16as I had
09:17when I was watching those.
09:19Now they have to bring cars out
09:20on the court
09:21to make them fun.
09:22All right, Carlin,
09:22thanks again.
09:24Great to have Danny Burke
09:25back on the show
09:25from Your Betting News.
09:27Danny was kind enough
09:28to come on the show
09:29from the Super Bowl site
09:30last week
09:30and now we're gonna get
09:31into the latest
09:32in the National Basketball Association
09:34as we get ready
09:35for the All-Star break.
09:38Danny,
09:38what will you ever do
09:39with no NBA
09:40to cover this weekend?
09:42Do you have a secondary focus?
09:43I mean,
09:44it is a strange time
09:45of the year for sports.
09:45Let's be honest.
09:46We're waiting on baseball.
09:47NBA takes a break.
09:49I guess college basketball
09:50and the Olympics, right?
09:51Is that fair?
09:52Yeah,
09:53we're gonna have to transition
09:54a little bit over
09:55to the collegiate scene
09:56or get some of those
09:57All-Star game prop bets going,
09:59Craig.
09:59Something along those lines.
10:00But I will be sweating out
10:02the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.
10:05So I'm a big golf handicapper myself.
10:07So I've gotten largely into that
10:09over the past couple of years
10:11in part to get by
10:12through these slower months,
10:13but also because I'm a huge fan
10:15in my own right.
10:16So yeah,
10:17I'll kind of be just,
10:17you know,
10:18lounging out in the colder
10:19Chicago weather
10:20coming back from the West Coast here,
10:22hunkered down,
10:22watching some golf.
10:24Let's get into some results
10:25from the NBA
10:26and then we'll press it forward.
10:28Let's start off
10:28in the Eastern Conference, Danny,
10:30where the Knicks
10:31end on a really good note
10:32up until the All-Star break
10:34with a 138-89 win
10:35over the Philadelphia 76ers.
10:38Very strange season
10:40for the Knicks at this point, Danny,
10:42and not a team that's really fun
10:43to bet on
10:44because at any particular night
10:45they can lose to Indiana
10:46as a 12-point favorite
10:47and then show up the next game.
10:49I mean, I guess that is the nature
10:51of the NBA in this day and age.
10:52I get that,
10:53but the Knicks may be more so
10:54than other teams.
10:55Yeah, for sure.
10:56And the thing about this Knicks team too
10:58is, as you're alluding to,
11:00like it's hard to get a read on them,
11:02especially because of their defense.
11:03With Thibodeau being their leader,
11:06you knew what you could expect
11:07on that side of the ball
11:08and it was like on the offensive side,
11:10that's where the volatility
11:11was going to be present.
11:12Now, under new regime,
11:14the defense has slid.
11:15They're slowly improving,
11:16but it still feels hard
11:18to get a complete grasp
11:19on what type of unit they are.
11:22So I'm cautiously optimistic
11:24is the way that I'm putting it
11:25with New York
11:26in terms of their long-term abilities.
11:29And then on the other side,
11:30I mean, man, Philadelphia,
11:31I mean, this team,
11:32I just want nothing to do with.
11:33And I think for the most part,
11:34the general public
11:35doesn't want anything to do with them
11:37because even if Embiid
11:38is going to play and be healthy,
11:40you just don't know
11:40how long that's going to be for
11:42and you know how much they falter
11:43in some of these big moments.
11:45So the East is kind of
11:46a crapshoot right now,
11:47but certainly would rather
11:48put more stock into New York
11:49than Philadelphia,
11:50as I'm sure most people would.
11:52Well, one team rising
11:53with the trade
11:54of acquiring James Harden
11:56is the Cleveland Cavaliers
11:57and they're winning
11:58the show for it here, Danny.
11:59They win 138 to 113.
12:01Harden 13 points,
12:0311 assists, 4 rebounds.
12:04But really the odds,
12:06as you know,
12:06have jumped significantly.
12:08Cleveland started off the season
12:09in the East
12:09as one of the favorites.
12:11They fell back,
12:12lost a bunch of games
12:13and then started winning again,
12:14but it wasn't enough.
12:15They traded Garland for Harden.
12:17Do you think that this is the move
12:18that puts them over the top
12:20or are they still in that second tier
12:21for you in the conference?
12:23Yeah, that move is really fascinating
12:25because there's two sides
12:26to this coin, how I view it.
12:28I mean, James Harden
12:29is certainly an aging veteran,
12:30but at the same time,
12:32he's playing some of the best basketball
12:33that we've seen from him.
12:34And then on the other side,
12:36you could go,
12:36well, you're dishing out
12:37a young player in Garland
12:38who has so much potential.
12:39And yeah, you can make that case.
12:41But then the other side
12:43of that argument is,
12:44well, they've plateaued with him.
12:46I mean, you're only getting
12:46a certain amount of production
12:48with him on a nightly basis.
12:49And I think that's what they came
12:51to the realization of
12:53is that we're only going to get
12:54so far with a player
12:55like Darius Garland.
12:56So I don't really mind it.
12:58It doesn't move the needle
12:59for me an incredible amount
13:01in the sense of wanting
13:02to bet them to come out of the East.
13:04I think it helps him a little bit
13:06because you have that veteran presence
13:07of James Harden,
13:09albeit he hasn't made it too far
13:10in the postseason in his own right.
13:12But he's a great facilitator
13:13and he can get a clutch bucket
13:15when need be,
13:16unlike Darius Garland
13:17on a consistent basis
13:18and help kind of alleviate
13:20some of that pressure
13:20off of Donovan Mitchell.
13:22So I think it helps him,
13:23but it's not making me go nuts
13:25about the transaction
13:26and thinking they're for sure
13:27the best team in the East.
13:29Detroit takes care of Toronto
13:31113 to 95.
13:33So they close out
13:34in a big way as well.
13:36And as you know,
13:37they are one of those teams right now
13:38that I would say
13:40still with a very good opportunity
13:41to potentially win
13:42that conference, Danny.
13:44They've been,
13:44as I've called,
13:45the most consistent team
13:46in the East this year.
13:48Yeah, look,
13:49this team is impressive
13:51in every right.
13:52I mean, the fact that
13:53they built this up
13:54from just going
13:54from straight tanking
13:56to then taking a year last year,
13:58where they surprised people
13:59but still made it
14:00into the postseason, right?
14:01And like I always say
14:02when I evaluate teams
14:03in the NBA,
14:04I want them to be chiseled
14:05with adversity.
14:06I want them to have
14:07that experience
14:08and losing in the postseason.
14:09And the Cavs did it
14:10a few years ago,
14:11but they made nothing of it
14:12with the best regular season
14:14team last year.
14:15Now you have
14:16a similar situation
14:17with Detroit,
14:17a team with an early exit
14:19last season
14:19in the postseason.
14:20But of course,
14:21that caught everybody
14:22by surprise
14:22that they did that well.
14:24Now they show that up,
14:25take another step forward.
14:26They have some of that
14:28postseason experience,
14:29have a lot more leadership
14:31and just overall depth
14:32throughout that roster.
14:33And it's great enough
14:35as evident throughout
14:35this regular season play
14:37to get them to the finals,
14:39the Eastern Conference finals,
14:40I would say.
14:40I'm still a little wishy-washy
14:42on them actually representing
14:43the East in the NBA finals.
14:45But man,
14:46I mean,
14:46they're good enough
14:47to get them to that final spot
14:48in the East.
14:49It's just a matter of
14:50who they're matched up against.
14:51And as easy as it is
14:52to say,
14:52you know,
14:53a 1v2,
14:54them and the Celtics,
14:55I truly think
14:56that's the best case scenario
14:57right now
14:57in this Boston team.
14:59It's looking great
14:59even without Tatum.
15:01I mean,
15:01Jalen Brown has been a menace
15:02and I like some of the moves
15:03they made around the deadline too.
15:06Tonight,
15:07the Oklahoma City Thunder
15:08will close out their first half
15:09probably by scoring
15:10130 points,
15:11Danny,
15:12because that's what they do.
15:13But will the Bucs
15:14cover the spread?
15:15I don't think they're winning
15:16this game tonight.
15:17Total 2,
15:1715 and a half.
15:19This is becoming
15:19more or less
15:20a lost season
15:21for Milwaukee
15:22at this point.
15:23We know that the Thunder
15:24have a lot still
15:25to play for,
15:26albeit without
15:27Shea Gilgis Alexander
15:29tonight,
15:29but it hasn't
15:30seemed to matter.
15:32Everyone's stepping up
15:32without him playing.
15:34Well,
15:35that's the beautiful thing
15:36about this OKC team
15:37is how much depth
15:38they have,
15:38how much camaraderie
15:39they have,
15:40and they know
15:40each respective role
15:42with one another.
15:43I mean,
15:43they genuinely seem
15:44to like to be around
15:45each other.
15:45Their acquisition
15:46of Jared McCain,
15:47I think,
15:48was arguably the best
15:49around the deadline.
15:50They have so many picks
15:51to give up.
15:51They go,
15:51yeah,
15:51let's get a young
15:52potential rising star
15:53and someone who can
15:54fit this culture perfectly,
15:56and that's exactly
15:57what they did.
15:57In this game tonight,
15:59yeah,
16:00it's certainly not
16:01what I'm circling out
16:02to sit down
16:02and watch as a 13-point
16:04favorite are the
16:04Oklahoma City Thunder.
16:06Both teams on the
16:07second leg of a
16:07back-to-back,
16:08no Giannis for the Bucs,
16:09no SGA for the Thunder
16:10as you alluded to,
16:11and potentially
16:12no Jalen Williams.
16:13He exited last night's
16:14game early against
16:15the Phoenix Suns.
16:16I'm sure they'll hold
16:17them out right before
16:18the All-Star break,
16:19but at the same time,
16:20that gives more
16:20opportunities for a
16:22role player like
16:22Case and Wallace,
16:23and that's where my
16:24bet is going to be
16:25centered around.
16:26Is Case and Wallace
16:27getting over seven and a
16:28half rebounds in assists?
16:29Even money is the price
16:30I got.
16:31You may have to lay a
16:32little bit now,
16:33but if you're not going
16:33over about minus 115,
16:35I still think it's a
16:36viable look.
16:37He's been steady this
16:38season, logging about
16:3926, 27 minutes per game,
16:41but with the absence of SGA
16:43over their past four spots,
16:45that's increased to over 30,
16:46and in that span,
16:47his potential assists
16:48have gone up from five
16:49to eight and a half,
16:51and he's also facing
16:52Milwaukee Bucks team that
16:54rebounds the ball at a
16:55below average rate.
16:56So I think for a role
16:57player like him,
16:58especially on the second
16:59leg of a back-to-back
17:00with some of the key
17:01players missing,
17:02he'll be able to get
17:02over seven and a half
17:03rebounds and assists,
17:04and in that same spot,
17:06really quick, Craig,
17:06I took Bobby Portis
17:07under 10 and a half
17:08points, pretty simple.
17:09He's been struggling
17:10without Giannis.
17:11A defensive shift goes
17:12to him as the big man,
17:13and the Thunder are number
17:14one in opponent field
17:15goal percentage from
17:16mid-range, which is where
17:17about half of his shots
17:18come from.
17:20Let's close it out
17:21with the Lakers
17:21and Mavericks tonight.
17:23Dallas, one of those
17:23teams playing for next
17:24season, Lakers seven
17:25and a half point favorites,
17:26and their success,
17:28meaning L.A.,
17:28has been Austin Reeves
17:30playing or not.
17:31When he plays,
17:31they win.
17:32When he doesn't,
17:33it's 50-50.
17:34Two-34 and a half
17:35is the total tonight.
17:36I know L.A.
17:37would love to close
17:39out the first half
17:39with a win.
17:41Man, Craig,
17:42I was close to laying
17:43the points here
17:44with the Lakers,
17:45but in so many instances
17:46where I have
17:47the same sentiment,
17:48it's just the Lakers
17:49go out there
17:50and throw out a dud,
17:51and I know each game
17:52is different
17:52in their own context,
17:53and I'll certainly
17:54be watching this one,
17:56monitoring it
17:56as the primetime spot
17:57and hoping for a better
17:58in-game number,
17:59but largely I agree
18:00with you.
18:01I think the Lakers
18:01take this game
18:02with a lot of pride
18:03heading into the break
18:04with no Luka.
18:05I think LeBron
18:05has a huge night.
18:07He's been consistent,
18:07but he's not certainly
18:09been the LeBron
18:09we're accustomed to
18:10at his age.
18:11The fact he's been able
18:12to produce what he
18:12has been doing
18:13is impressive
18:14in its own right,
18:15so I actually think
18:16he'll exceed some
18:16of his scoring averages
18:17we've seen tonight,
18:18and I would lean
18:19toward the Lakers
18:20winning this game,
18:20but I'll wait
18:21for a better
18:21in-game number.
18:22The pre-flop prop
18:23that I did take,
18:24though,
18:24a guy I think
18:25will struggle on Dallas
18:26is Daniel Gafford
18:27under eight and a half
18:28rebounds and assists
18:29minus a buck 20.
18:30He's not been logging
18:31a lot of minutes
18:31or been that productive
18:32as of late,
18:33and I think the same
18:33will persist
18:34in this matchup tonight.
18:36Awesome stuff.
18:37As always, Danny,
18:38we'll catch up again soon.
18:38Thanks for coming
18:39on Newswire.
18:40You bet, Craig.
18:41Take care.
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