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00:00Let's get over to the association.
00:01The New York Knicks taking on the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Cavaliers
00:04celebrating the new headquarters here coming to town,
00:06but also the Cavs opened up overnight, Joe,
00:09minus two and a half at some outlets.
00:10We're seeing as high now as four and a half at multiple outlets here and a
00:14total listed at two 30 and a half Knicks Cavaliers Knicks looking to bounce
00:19back here tonight. What gives? Yeah. And the Knicks, I think they, they've,
00:24they've beaten the Cavs every chance that they have had so far this year.
00:29And you know, some teams just have your number, right?
00:31Detroit has the Knicks number.
00:33The Knicks have had the Cavs number on the road here though.
00:37The Knicks have been a little susceptible this season.
00:39There's some just duds on the road,
00:42but I think they bounce back and rally the troops here,
00:45but it is a new Cavs team. Don't forget with Harden on it.
00:49Now totally different look,
00:50totally different vibe to this Cavs team.
00:53And they've been playing really, really well here,
00:55but I still give the nod to the Knicks.
00:59Hey, take a look too. In the past couple of games,
01:01loss of the Pacers was a bad loss, really crushed the Sixers,
01:03got smacked by the Pistons and back-to-back wins.
01:06Close ones, 108, 106 over the Rockets and 105 to 99 over the Chicago Bulls.
01:11We'll see if they can pick up another victory tonight.
01:13We take a look tonight. Also West coast action, Joe,
01:1610 30 PM Eastern start.
01:18The Orlando magic take you on the Los Angeles Lakers line,
01:20open up overnight, six and a half and seven show no longer the case.
01:24We're down to minus five as a favorite for the Lakers and a total of two 30 and a half.
01:29La la land Lakers tonight, Joe, what's that spread line for you?
01:33Oh, I tell you, I mean, they got to win a game, Donnie, don't they?
01:36Now that they got the Pat Riley statue all up and ready to go.
01:39I mean, my goodness, like show up and show out here tonight.
01:43Lakers, they got everybody ripping them.
01:45All the former players, everybody is ripping the Lakers here, Donnie.
01:48So fingers crossed.
01:49They'll be able to get it done here tonight, but it's so hard to trust them.
01:53And Orlando has played a little bit better here heading into the all-star break,
01:58coming out of the all-star break.
01:59I think this is the third game on a road trip, but they are five and two since February 5th.
02:05So they're playing much better basketball,
02:07even though Franz Wagner is out for the foreseeable future.
02:12By the way, seeing the Lakers schedule, and I'm just going like home versus Sixers,
02:16home versus Warriors, home versus Thunder, home versus Spurs, home versus Mavericks,
02:21home versus Clippers, home versus Celtics.
02:23Like, have they not been away?
02:24I guess with the Grammys that comes to town or whatever,
02:26they got to go away for like a two-week stretch.
02:28They're getting it paid back in spades here at this point.
02:30But again, not really a great record at home as they face the Magic.
02:33So we'll see how that one turns out at this point.
02:35But 11 games, Joe, on the docket tonight in the NBA.
02:38Only had three yesterday.
02:39So a lot of interesting lines and going back and forth.
02:42And, Joe, just to go for a little spread lines from last night,
02:44got a little nervous because, man, I'm just trying to play against the public.
02:47Now that we're post-All-Star break where teams are literally saying,
02:50we can't tank, we're just going to get our guys surgery.
02:53Worked out my favor taking four and a half last night with the Kings.
02:56Got a little nervous after getting beat, Joe, by 50.
02:5850, I lost the game on Friday here.
03:01But the good part about that is lose by 50 or one point there on the spread.
03:03It all counts the same.
03:04That was a nice bounce back.
03:05But looking forward to the sprint in the NBA, Joe,
03:07a little bit difficult handicapping on which teams actually are even going to
03:11show up on a night-to-night basis.
03:13Well, I mean, thank goodness that Sacramento had the opportunity to play Memphis
03:17because, Mike, who is Memphis to be laying points against anybody
03:22at this point in the season?
03:24So, yeah, great win.
03:26Great effort, too, by the way.
03:27Nobody wants to lose 17 straight games, Donnie, right?
03:31I mean, you had to know the effort was going to be there last night.
03:34I mean, again, sometimes the NBA got to reach down and take those fleas
03:38because that's the way you get the chicken, as they like to say.
03:42The association here, we're on a sprint to the playoffs.
03:44And once we finally get to the playoffs here, we'll enjoy college basketball
03:48and NBA action at the same time, which is going to be fantastic.
03:51And by the way, we're not too far away, Joe, from the Final Four
03:54and the championship game and maybe in the Northeast getting a little bit more sunshine
03:57so we can watch some baseball.
03:59But in the meantime, hot topics are going across in the NBA,
04:02which includes LeBron James talking about Jalen Brown here.
04:05Let's get this clip up.
04:06You know, our relationship has been, you know, pretty respectful.
04:11You know, besides the shit he said about Bronny at Summer League,
04:13but other than that, you know, we've been all right, you know.
04:18Were you guys able to get past that?
04:20You know, we'll be all right.
04:22We'll be all right.
04:23Yeah, we'll be all right.
04:24I think he went on social media and said something about it.
04:26It's all good, but Ronnie got a long way to go, but that's another story.
04:30So, but the kid, I mean, listen, J.B. is doing shit.
04:33He's playing great basketball, man.
04:34And you can't even, you can't afford his, I don't, you know, this whole MVP thing.
04:40I don't understand why his name is not getting talked about some as well.
04:42Like nobody gave them a shot to start the season.
04:45And he's having, what, 30?
04:47Yeah, just under.
04:48Yeah, just under 30.
04:50Yeah, it's a popularity contest sometimes, I tell you.
04:53Do you feel like he could be MVP?
04:54Last question.
04:56I mean, that's not for me.
04:57I'm going to be honest.
04:58I don't know the criteria of MVP anymore.
05:00I kind of stopped giving a damn about it a long time ago.
05:03I got my own personal issues about it.
05:05So, yeah, these guys will tell you why.
05:08Yeah, I appreciate it.
05:11LeBron James in front of the media.
05:12Now, you know what it stings there as a father where somebody else tells you the truth about your son
05:16and it still hurts you to this day?
05:17Basically saying, yeah, Bronny shouldn't even be here at this point.
05:20And we all know Bronny shouldn't be in the NBA.
05:22But LeBron James thinks Bronny should be in the NBA.
05:24And that's why they're having a spat.
05:27What?
05:27For telling him?
05:28You just admitted he told the truth.
05:30You're like, yeah, Bronny's got a long way to go.
05:32But that's a deal.
05:33Well, that's exactly what he was saying in so many words.
05:36That your kid blows.
05:37Why is he on the Laker?
05:38Like, it doesn't make any sense.
05:40And you got all upset with that.
05:41You know it's true.
05:43So, yeah, of course you don't have a problem with him because he wasn't lying about anything.
05:47He was just telling us what everybody already knows.
05:51It is pretty funny, though, that at least one NBA player was willing to say it like on camera or
05:55in front of a camera or just share his feelings that got shared to the public here.
05:59We all knew what the drill was.
06:01LeBron, Bronny James is not an NBA player.
06:03And the only reason why he was drafted is because the Lakers wanted to do his father a solid because
06:07it might keep him happy.
06:08It's like Finesis and all the Anthony Coupos there in Milwaukee.
06:11We'll sign cousins who don't even play basketball just to keep Giannis happy there.
06:16We all know what the drill is.
06:17And LeBron James shouldn't be so upset about it here, but apparently still holding a grudge.
06:21How about KD?
06:22You want to give him another super team to play on?
06:24He's down for the plan.
06:25He wants to play in the 2028 Olympics.
06:27Last time I checked, Joe, we just got to 2026.
06:30How old is this man going to be?
06:32I don't care.
06:33But the fact that he actually has come out and already said, you know what?
06:37He's publicly committing to Team USA for 2028.
06:41That is great for Team USA.
06:44That is probably not very good for the rest of the world, though, because the burner phones are going to
06:49be working overtime, Donnie, from now until 2028.
06:53Those Olympic games.
06:55So should be a lot of fun to watch.
06:57And he's still got a lot left in the tank here.
06:59Don't let him fool you.
07:00Like, even if he's older, man, coming off the bench as the sniper, man, just knocking down a couple 18
07:04-foot jumpers when you need him, man.
07:06Katie, the one thing you'd like to say, Katie loves to play basketball, man.
07:09That dude will play as long as he can possibly play.
07:11And we'll see if he plays in 2028.
07:13Wants to.
07:13We'll see if he makes the team, which I got a feeling he's probably going to make that team here.
07:17Tom Haberstro.
07:18How about this tweet?
07:19The new 65-game rule might deliver Cade Cunningham, the MVP?
07:23SGA's eligibility is in jeopardy.
07:25Wemby, Luka, and Jokic on pace to be disqualified here.
07:28Shane Gilchrist, Alexander, looks like he has six more games to miss as long as he's eligible here.
07:32We'll see if he does that.
07:33And by the way, let me tell you something now.
07:35If SGA is going to win the MVP, and it's about two weeks ago in the season and he can't
07:39miss any more games, guys, he's going to play that.
07:41Even if they play him for like three minutes in a game just to make sure he's out there at
07:45this point.
07:45If he wins an MVP, it would be important.
07:47But I love this rule.
07:48I'm sorry.
07:49You can't say, well, Jokic is the best player.
07:51Yeah, Jokic played 50 games.
07:52He's not the MVP.
07:54I love this rule.
07:55You have to play the season and perform at the highest level for as many games as possible to win
08:00the award.
08:00Sounds fair to me, Joe.
08:03And listen, I think a perception, right?
08:05The perception is Detroit is terrible.
08:08And, you know, but they're not, Donnie.
08:10I mean, that's the reality of the situation.
08:13And their success begins with him.
08:17You know, he is the leader of that team there.
08:19And you can't be rattling off.
08:21And they're going to finish with, what, 60 wins, 60 or more wins here?
08:25It's very hard to look at them and be like, how does this team not have an MVP candidate?
08:30And not enough people are talking about it.
08:33And I got news for you.
08:34Whether they were playing or weren't playing or were eligible or not, he's still having an MVP year, without a
08:40doubt.
08:40But, yeah, injury information to keep up on in the association.
08:44Dylan Brooks out of definitely, Joe, with a broken left-hand Persham Sharadio.
08:49Yeah, and that was, that happened in the, what, the seven overtime game where they still barely made 100 points
08:56against Orlando over the weekend.
08:59But, hey, that's a big loss for them.
09:01They're still trying to get Booker back to health, Grayson Allen back to health.
09:06So, now, all of a sudden, the injuries, the feel-good story for Phoenix, starting to become a mash unit
09:12right now.
09:12And that's not great for them.
09:14You know, the NBA playoffs, once they get started, Joe, I can't wait to enjoy them.
09:17I love the NBA playoffs.
09:19I say that repeatedly on this show and all the time.
09:21I can't stand the NBA season.
09:22Love the NBA playoffs because it's where they play.
09:24Yesterday, Joe, no idea the Kings were running on a 16-game losing streak trying to snap it yesterday.
09:29Just read a lot and said, you know what?
09:30Looks like it's going to be a Kings night plus four and a half.
09:32They won that game outright.
09:34Russ steps up 25-7-3, Joe.
09:36You don't need to watch the NBA to apparently win money in the NBA.
09:39Ooh, I wish I could translate that over to the NFL.
09:41Come on now.
09:43Well, let's, I mean, that's because they were playing Memphis here.
09:46But the good news is, hey, a win is a win.
09:49And I think, what, their 13th of the season last night for Sacramento?
09:53There you go.
09:55And kind of never in doubt in that spot on the road.
09:59But you still got veterans on that team.
10:01I mean, you got Russ.
10:02You got DeRozan.
10:03Nobody wants to, they don't want to be a part of a team that's going to lose 17, the absolute
10:08worst the franchise has ever seen.
10:11Like, nobody wants that, Donnie.
10:13How's it even possible?
10:14But here we are in the NBA and the association's always a lot of fun.
10:17Like Sacramento.
10:18Like, I don't know anything about the people in Sacramento.
10:20But there just shouldn't be a basketball team in Sacramento.
10:22And it's apparent.
10:23Just go back on the decades and decades and decades they were there.
10:26They had one decent run, you know, where they had the Chris Webber teams and the Mike Bibbies
10:30that got robbed, some say, by the Los Angeles Lakers.
10:32But outside of that, what have they ever done anything in Sacramento?
10:36Like the beam, baby.
10:37I guess they can finally do it after 16 straight losses.
10:40Spurs Pistons last night.
10:41That took center court in Spurs.
10:43114-103 victory over the Detroit Pistons.
10:46We saw Wemby 21-17-6.
10:48And Durant in a loss, 25-14 here.
10:51Big matchup last night went to the Spurs.
10:54Yeah.
10:54And really, they were in control of that game the entire time.
10:58Although, the Pistons, very feisty.
11:00And boy, oh boy, there was very physical, but weren't able to get past it.
11:06It wasn't a great shooting night for Cade Cunningham.
11:09I mean, Durant had 25.
11:11But when you look at, I mean, Cunningham just, he has these kinds of games here.
11:16I think he missed 21 of 26 shots.
11:19He only finished with 16 points, but did have 10 assists.
11:22Yeah.
11:23Spurs led from really beginning to end.
11:26But, you know, Detroit kind of held their own.
11:29But this was a litmus test.
11:31It's one thing to beat all the guys in the East.
11:34But it's obvious here that the Spurs and the West are going to bring a different challenge.
11:39I'll tell you, bringing a different challenge tonight, Joe.
11:41I look at this line and say, something's up here.
11:4360% of the tickets coming into Oklahoma City.
11:46They were the favorite overnight.
11:47Only minus one and a half on the road against Toronto.
11:49This morning you wake up, the favorite is actually Toronto.
11:52As high as minus one and a half at multiple outlets here, Joe.
11:55Does that mean big-time players aren't going to show up tonight on the court?
11:58For OKC?
12:00Yeah.
12:01Well, that's usually what that means, Donnie.
12:03And again, we know that Oklahoma City has been dealing with a lot.
12:06But Chet Holgren is still questionable tonight.
12:09Caruso is questionable.
12:11Jalen Williams is out.
12:12His backup is out.
12:14SGA is out.
12:15A lot of dudes that are still out for this team.
12:17So, yeah.
12:19Tough scene right now for OKC.
12:21Might be able to figure on something like that, Joe.
12:23Trying to settle in.
12:24Other games.
12:25I mean, you got two touchdown favorites here for Atlanta Hawks and the Wizards at this point here.
12:29Did talk about the Knicks and the Cavaliers, Joe.
12:31That'll be a good game in Cleveland here.
12:33A four to four and a half point favorite there for the Cleveland side.
12:36And the ticket count, almost 50-50 in this one, Joe.
12:38Looking good here for the boys, Cleveland and New York.
12:41Yeah.
12:42I mean, New York has dominated so far this season against the Cavs a couple times that they have faced
12:47them.
12:48But again, this is new.
12:49It's Harden.
12:50It's a new Cavs team.
12:51They've made some changes.
12:52So, should be interesting tonight.
12:54How about which NBA team will make the playoffs, Joe?
12:56You can do that at Polymarket right now.
12:58There are multiple teams trading at 100 to 99%, Joe.
13:02You want to take a no contract out that the Thunder missed the playoffs, Joe?
13:05Good luck with that.
13:06Yeah, no, no.
13:07I mean, some of these are just lock it up, forget about it.
13:11It's going to cash when it's all said and done.
13:13It's those fringe teams that you want to go ahead and, you know, maybe consider making a few bucks on.
13:20Because the more games they win, the better it's going to be.
13:22The Miami heats of the world there might provide you some value moving forward.
13:27Game in East Ypsilanti there.
13:29Eastern Michigan here.
13:30Tough Mac game for me.
13:31I'm going to head back to the association.
13:33Picked up a winner yesterday on a team that hadn't won.
13:35Basically, it felt like in two months, picked up an outright victory.
13:38Tonight, though, we're going to go with a little bit better basketball team here.
13:40Going up against OKC, the battle right now for OKC is who's going to be in the starting lineup.
13:44Hopefully, not anybody we expect to not be playing tonight, which means I'm taking the Toronto Raptors.
13:50They're actually laying one point now when overnight they were the underdog,
13:53despite only having 40% of the ticket count coming in on the Toronto Raptors.
13:57So once again, Joe will say it.
13:58Nobody wants to play the Toronto Raptors tonight.
14:01You boy DRS, he's taking the Toronto Raptors tonight.
14:04That sounds like a 2-0 night for the boys.
14:06Hump Day Wednesday on the horizon.
14:08You're almost to the weekend.
14:09You can feel it for Joe Wadier and Donnie Wrightside.
14:11We'll see you once again bright and early tomorrow for another edition of Early Live.
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