0:00 Intro

1:39 The crew share their thoughts on Sunday’s OKC/DEN Game 7 matchup

4:42 Bruce on why the Thunder have a short turnaround time between Game 7 & WCF Game 1

5:31 How do the Timberwolves stack up against the Thunder in the series

12:26 The crew give their Western Conference Finals series predictions

14:13 Eastern Conference Finals Preview

26:03 The crew give their Eastern Conference Finals series predictions

28:21 What’s next for the Denver Nuggets?

35:15 What’s next for the Boston Celtics?

41:41 What’s next for the Cleveland Cavaliers?

45:03 The WNBA season is underway! Caitlin Clark vs. Angel Reese recap

47:13 1st overall pick Paige Bueckers made her debut with the Dallas Wings

48:57 Bruce makes a Game 5 confession!

50:42 World B responds to Trae Young’s recent comments

52:57 Ross shares the latest NBA term recently noted by GG Jackson

0:00 ... Ross hello & welcome ... introduces panel and dedicates episode #156 to Stephen Curry for his 56 point game against Orlando in February.

1:23 ... Ross tees up discussion of the Knicks big win over Boston on Monday night, giving NY a 3-1 lead in their playoff series. World B feels it was one of the most impressive Knicks games in more than two decades.

3:32 ... Bruce felt that even with an 11 point lead at halftime, the Celtics were not in great shape because the Knicks stayed attached the entire game.

5:04 ... Jayson Tatum played great until he injured himself in the final minutes but it appears to be a serious injury and it sure looks bad for his return on Wednesday. for game 5.

8:00 ... Bruce appreciated Tatum's scoring heroics in game 4, but took issue with some of his shot decisions and how they helped stifle the Celtics ball movement, thus playing into New York's hands. World B points out how Boston plays a lot of isolation ball and when they don't penetrate into the paint, they can be successfully defended.

10:46 ... With Tatum likely unavailable in game five, the guys discuss who might step up for Boston. Jrue Holiday might be ready to have a big night.

13:08 ... Ross and World B discuss the pressure NY may feel if Boston can somehow take game 5 on Wednesday. World B has lots of praise for Tatum and how much he respects him.

15:08 ... Ross is concerned that Kristaps Porzingis may be physically unable to step up in to help fill the void that Tatum leaves in game five.

15:39 .... The Cavaliers are being curb stomped by Indiana as they also trail their series 3 games to one. They may not be dead, but they're close to dead. The Cavs are lucky that Sunday's blowout only counted for one loss.

22:30 ... Bruce puts Bennedict Mathurin on notice that moves like his bush league punch in game 4 will get him extra scrutiny from the refs if the Pacers move on. World B feels like Indiana has exhibited some punk-like behavior in the series.

23:59 ... The Thunder and Nuggets are tied at 2 games each out west and OKC's defense has carried the team with their offense not looking especially sharp.

25:15 .... Bruce predicts that Shai Gilgeous Alexander will received his MVP Award on Tuesday night before game 5. Bruce feels that OKC's defense wore down the Nuggets in game four and in the final quarter caused the Nuggets to "drop their hands" like a boxer who absorbs too many punches to the ribs. Ross predicts a Nuggets win in game five and a seven game series ... World B agrees and has high praise for Aaron Gordon of the Nuggets for his performance. Ross feels Gordon is their 3rd most important player.

32:33 ... Game four of Timberwolves/Warriors was underway as the show was being recorded on Monday night and none of the guys felt that Golden State would come back to take the series. Julius Randle was having another big game and has found his playoff groove in Minnesota. With Steph Curry injured, they just need more scoring than they can muster right now.

36:14 ... The Draft Lottery took place on Monday night and the guys respond to the Dallas Mavericks beating the odds and earning the right to draft Cooper Flagg in June's NBA Draft. Bruce was thinking that when the Spurs made it into the top four, they might once again get the 1st overall pick as they did with Victor Wembanyama, Tim Duncan, and David Robinson in previous NBA Drafts.

37:50 ... The saddest teams in the league have to be Charlotte, Washington, and Utah, all of whom were hosed in the lottery and missed out on the #1 overall pick.

41:08 ... The guys take issue with ESPN's star NBA journalist Shams Charania claiming that Giannis Antetokounmpo discussed leaving Milwaukee for the very first time this weekend when he actually did it on our podcast back in September of 2023. We playfully demanded an apology but offered to kiss and make up if he joins us on a future show to talk hoop! Giannis' comments on 48 Minutes were instrumental in helping the Bucks to acquire Damian Lillard, which required them to trade Jrue Holiday to Portland and led to the trade to the Celtics.

44:10 ... Ross was on Milwaukee radio today and told the host "Sparky" Fifer that Bucks fans shouldn't panic because Giannis is loyal to the Bucks and the city.

45:38 ... Milwaukee can't expect to get equal value in return for Giannis in any trade because players of his caliber are hardly ever are traded. Oklahoma City has the assets needed to entice the Bucks into a possible trade, so we'll see if those teams do business in the off-season.

50:10 ... Ross wraps things up and says goodbye.

TRT 50:33

0:00 Intro

0:56 Ross provides Bruce & World B with an update on how their 1st Round predictions fared

1:15 What we’ve learned from the 2025 NBA Playoffs thus far

1:26 Bruce on the Northwest Division & James Harden

2:08 World B on the Minnesota Timberwolves

2:43 Ross on JJ Redick, LeBron James, & the LA Lakers

3:47 The New York Knicks steal a Game 1 OT Win in Boston over the Celtics

14:10 Is Game 2 a must win for the Celtics?

17:43 The Indiana Pacers steal Game 1 in their series against the Cavaliers in Cleveland

24:50 Two underdogs out West are set to face off in the 2nd Round between the Warriors & Timberwolves

35:53 Will Nikola Jokic & the Nuggets put up a good fight against the OKC Thunder?

0:00 ... Ross hello, welcome, and introduces the crew.

0:35 ... Episode #154 is dedicated to Sandro Mamukelashvili, who was drafted #54 in the 2021 NBA Draft

1:19 ... Knicks/Pistons discussion which includes a breakdown of the controversial "non call" at the end of game 4 which may have cost the Pistons the series.

3:25 ... Bruce feels like the Pistons should get every 50/50 call in game 5 to try and make up for the non-call in game 4 and he also was super impressed with Jalen Brunson's 4th quarter performance in game 4. World B has massive praise for Karl-Anthony Towns.

7:50 ... Celtics/Magic discussion which includes Bruce's feelings that Orlando's toughness really tested Boston and helped prepare them for their upcoming series by forcing them to find ways to score other than with 3 point shooting. World B feels like the Magic have played really well but lack the offensive firepower to defeat Boston.

11:47 ... Bruce asks Ross and World B if the Knicks have the type of personnel to play Boston the way Orlando has. Ross and World B differ in their responses.

14:36 ... Bucks/Pacers discussion ... the big story is that Damian Lillard tore his achilles tendon on Sunday and will likely miss most of next season. Bruce is worried that Giannis Antetokounmpo will ask to be traded now that Lillard is on the shelf and suggests that Oklahoma City has the assets needed to make the Bucks a solid offer for Giannis and that Milwaukee should be on the phone pursuing a deal. World B feels like the Pacers are really clicking and are back to their hot January form. Ross credits the Pacers defense for their success.

19:38 ... Lakers/Timberwolves discussion ... World B feels like LeBron James and Luka Doncic may have what it takes to win 3 straight games and dig themselves out of a 3-1 deficit, but the Timberwolves are playing like a team that can handle their business and move on. Bruce felt that the Lakers were worn down by the Wolves in Sunday's 4th quarter as LA coach JJ Redick used just 5 players in the final quarter. Bruce praised Naz Reid's work and nicknamed him "Nuclear Naz" because of his explosive play. Ross with an amazing fact about Redick's historic "non use" of his bench in the second half of Sunday's game.

24:45 ... Clippers/Nuggets discussion ... Aaron Gordon's dunk on Saturday will go down in Nuggets lore and will be talked about forever, but the guys were also impressed by the way Gordon stood up for his teammate Christian Braun when the Clippers took exception to a foul Braun committed just before halftime. World B feels it has been a great series that will go 7 games and thinks the Clippers can win another road game in Denver.

28:09 ... Bruce wants James Harden to come up with a monster game in game 5, which is something he has never really done in the playoffs.

30:08 ... Bruce asks his co-hosts if Nikola Jokic is now on the very short list of the 5 greatest centers of all-time? And can he be considered the greatest International player of all-time?

31:13 ... Thunder/Grizzlies discussion ... the guys discuss whether the long layoff that OKC has earned after sweeping Memphis will negatively affect the team at the start of their next series. Ross feels that Chet Holmgren will benefit the most from a long layoff between series as he'll need to have maximum energy against either Jokic or Ivika Zubac in the next round. If the Nuggets advance and play OKC, we'll see the top two MVP candidates squaring off with Jokic vs Shai Gilgeous Alexander.

35:22 ... Cavaliers/Heat discussion ... Whatever happened to Heat Culture after being swept by the Cavs and losing game 3 by 37 points and game 4 by 55 points? Bruce feels like the Heat roster will look a whole lot different next season after the way they flamed out this season. While the Cavs had it easy against Miami, everyone expects the Cavs to be tested by Indiana in the next round.

44:15 ... Warriors/Rockets discussion ... are the Rockets in trouble trailing 2-1 with game 4 on Monday night? Everyone agrees that game 4 is a "must win" for Houston. If Houston can improve their shooting, they can come back in the series. But that's a big IF.

48:06 ... Ross wraps it up and says goodbye

TRT 48:33

0:00 Intro

0:47 World B reacts to Ross’s episode dedication

1:28 The Minnesota Timberwolves with a statement win in Game 1, should the Lakers be concerned?

8:50 Russell Westbrook & the Denver Nuggets secure a huge Game 1 overtime victory over the Clippers

13:41 The Indiana Pacers handled business against the Bucks in their Game 1 home win

17:48 The New York Knicks secured a Game 1 win over the Detroit Pistons

23:19 Any hope for the Miami Heat against Cleveland or is this going to be a quick sweep?

27:11 Can the Orlando Magic win a single game without scoring in triple digits against the Celtics?

33:00 At this point would we be surprised if the Thunder don’t sweep the Grizzlies?

37:48 Should we be surprised the Warriors took Game 1 against the Rockets in Houston?

43:40 Instant reaction to the Pistons Game 2 bounce back win against the Knicks

48:04 The NBA Award Finalists were announced on Sunday

0:00 ... Bruce welcomes the audience to 48 Minutes and introduces Mike Isenberg, and five time author and 11 time Emmy Award winning producer whose new collaboration with Celtics legend Cedric Maxwell is their second book project together.

1:03 ... Mike briefly explains the "double track" method that the Celtics used to win the 2024 NBA Championship.

1:57 ... Some felt that Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown weren't a championship combo but the Celtics management felt otherwise and showed patience with the duo.

3:02 ... With Tatum and Brown just hitting their prime, the only way they'd be split up now has nothing to do with their performance on the court.

4:07 ... How Tatum's snubs regarding the NBA Finals MVP voting and 2024 Olympics benching drove him to even greater levels of achievement this season.

5:22 ... Tatum has finally achieved a level of "Basketball IQ" that has placed him in rare company.

6:53 ... Tatum leads the Celtics in a way this is somewhat like Nikola Jokic in Denver and he has placed individual accolades well behind his desire to get a ring.

8:10 ... Patience and aggressiveness are not easy to combine in one person's emotional makeup. But Celtics president Brad Stevens has mastered that balance.

10:09 ... Bruce tells the story of how the 48 Minutes podcast's interview with Giannis Antetokounmpo set the stage for Stevens to acquire Jrue Holiday. Mike describes how Brad keeps a "wish list" of players he covets and also how Joe Mazzulla told Holiday that they were destined to work together months before the trade was even considered.

13:15 ... It wasn't easy for Stevens to trade Robert Williams III but having already acquired Kristaps Porzingis made it easier to Stevens to part with the "Time Lord."

14:28 ... The health of Porzingis is the key for Boston in the postseason. Mazzulla risked losing some games along the way in order to manage the workload of key players like KP and veteran Al Horford while giving reserve players like Sam Hauser meaningful minutes.

17:51 ... Boston is not concerned about having home court advantage in the playoffs, so they didn't have to go all out to win every game during the regular season. Stevens and Mazzulla had a plan for what they're doing and never wavered or listened to the noise from outside.

19:54 ... Mike's co-author Cedric Maxwell played for 6 different NBA coaches with various different styles, so what is his take on Mazzulla?

21:29 ... Mazzulla's no nonsense style has been effective with the players because of his self-awareness and willingness to be his authentic self.

23:32 ... Mazzulla effectively navigated the move from assistant coach to head coach OF THE SAME TEAM, which isn't easy to do when you go from being the players' "friend" to their boss.

25:09 ... Mike explains the relationship between Stevens and Mazzulla. As a former coach, Stevens could have been heavy handed in his approach to a young coach like Joe, but he avoided doing that.

26:53 ... Stevens' moves were reminiscent of previous moves by legendary Celtics executives like Red Auerbach and Danny Ainge. Mike points out how many of the team's big moves usually led to instant success and gives three great examples.

30:47 ... Ainge is currently angling to get Cooper Flagg in the 2025 Draft for the Utah Jazz.

31:54 ... Bruce resets the show and asks Mike about the future of the team with new ownership. Mike explains how some of their recent big money signings could have negative repercussions down the road, especially if the Celtics don't repeat in 2025.

34:15 ... Bruce and Mike discuss whether guys like Holiday, Porzingis, and Horford would be willing to sign "team favorable" deals to keep winning championships.

36:57 ... Mike likes the OKC Thunder to make the NBA Finals from the west and the Celtics to come out of the east.

38:01 ... Bruce compares the OKC defense to a hockey power play with 6 players against 5. Mike explains how the Thunder just come at you in waves.

39:27 ... The guys discuss how Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is a mini version of Nikola Jokic and how Tatum is also in that category when it comes to the game "slowing down" for him.

40:43 ... Bruce and Mike praise Derrick White for his clutch play when the team needs a bucket.

41:52 ... Mike explains how to find the book "Banner Year" and the "big picture" philosophy that makes the organization tick.

43:59 ... Bruce wraps it up and teases the next episode with TNT's Jared Greenberg and the 48 Minutes playoff preview next week.

TRT 44:32

0:00 Intro

1:12 Ross breaks down the “Realistic Expectations” show concept

1:42 Starting out East with the Detroit Pistons

6:02 Do the Milwaukee Bucks stand a chance in the 1st round of the playoffs?

10:30 Do the Indiana Pacers have another surprising playoff run in them?

16:12 The state of the New York Knicks

22:01 Who would Bruce rather face out of the Play-In Tournament? The Magic or Hawks?

29:08 Is it unfair to say it’s Championship or Bust for the Cleveland Cavaliers?

33:41 Ross shares details into the wild playoff battles going on in the Western Conference

34:05 How serious should we take the Golden State Warriors come playoff time?

38:15 The LA Clippers are peaking at the right time

41:57 The Denver Nuggets are we selling their playoff stock?

45:04 Could the LA Lakers become the biggest disappointment in the playoffs this year?

48:40 The Houston Rockets holding on strong to the 2nd spot in the West

52:15 Is it Championship or Bust for the Oklahoma City Thunder?