Stephen A. has a HOT TAKE on the Knicks’ GAME PLAN 🔥 J.B. Bickerstaff DISAGREES 👀 | First Take

Stephen A. has a HOT TAKE on the Knicks’ GAME PLAN 🔥 J.B. Bickerstaff DISAGREES 👀 | First Take

Game one between the Knicks and Pacers tips off tonight. It’s a rematch of last year’s Eastern Conference semis. In that meeting, the Pacers knocked out the Knicks in seven games. Jaylen Brunson, of course, was hobbled with an ankle injury, but still managed to average almost 32 points per game in the first six games before getting knocked out in game seven after fracturing that hand. All right, whole crew back here with us. Dogs, does Brunson need a big game for the Knicks to win tonight? I I think that is where Indiana has my a little advantage because I do think they need a big game out of Brunson. I think Indiana can win this win. Hallebertton doesn’t play great. JB’s the coach. I tell you, they have a lot of guys and they got three point guards. Knicks don’t have three-point guards and they got a lot of guys off that bench who can score. Ind the Knicks are, I think, a little bit more dependent on their best player than Indiana is on theirs. And I I don’t know if the Knicks can beat them if he has like 17 points. I think he’s got to be, you know, right around 30 every night for the Knicks to have a chance. So, the answer to that, M would be yes. He’s gota have a big game. It looks like Stephen A and Perk are falling asleep with that answer. Oh, they were Well, they they got back late from a square dance last night in Oklahoma City. Go ahead. That is so utterly That is so utterly ridiculous. Listen, listen, one minute he’s saying that they don’t really have any great players. So obviously Hallebertton has the most to gain in the event that Indiana successful. Another minute he’s saying that the superstar is Jaylen Brunson absolutely needs to be that superstar in order for them to win. Make up your mind doggy. Make up your mind. The fact is Carl Anthony Towns has averaged 30 against Indiana this year on 57% shooting. The fact is OG Anobi can make some noise. Muel Bridges can make some noise. Josh Hart can make some noise. you being a cardiac kid himself. There’s plenty of individuals in the in the mecca of Madison Square Garden who can step up, rise to the occasion, elevate themselves, and ultimately propel the New York Knicks to victory without Jaylen Brunson having to drop 30 tonight. He’s not the only way for the Knicks to win a game. Maybe the series, but not a game. Stop it. I I’m stuck now because I got a vision of Perk square dancing in my head. But big fell, I think you can move your feet. I watched you play defense. I think you can move your feet. You be a hell of a square dancer. Tell him, coach. Tell him, coach. Uh what I think with uh with Brunson is, you know, it’s not a matter if he has help or not, but what I know about Jaylen Brunson is he’s a tone setter, right? So being in game one and understanding the importance I think the number 78% of the teams that win game one win the series. So knowing Jaylen Brunson and how uh he wants to win and set tones. I expect him to go out uh and have a big night tonight. And I know the Knicks for this series, they need him to play well, be the tone setter that he is to help him win this series. So you generally for the second time in the last 40 minutes, you agree with Christopher Russo? Yeah. Yeah. There you go, baby. There you go. This guy’s a coach of the year right here. He agrees with me, not you. You may continue. Stephen A. Uh, listen. So, I’m to the point where I don’t even answer these type of questions no more when it comes down to Big Body Bronson. Real talk. We like, does he need to have a big game? History tells us he’s going to have a big game. And even on his off game, it’s going to be a big game because you know why? in the fourth quarter when it matters the most. He’s going to come through in the clutch. He’s the best clutch player in this postseason, leading in points in the clutch time. We know, we have no concerns about him. I don’t give a damn if they put N Smith on him, Nim Hart, whoever. He is built for the physicality. That’s why he earned the name Big Body Bronson because he’s 6’2, but he plays like he’s 6’5, 66 and he plays with shoulders. He got the crab dribble on the low block. He could go to the low post. He’s crafty. He’s going to get to the free throw line. This game in this series comes down to Carl Anthony Towns. Stephen A, you said it last night on Countdown. He is the X factor in this series. I thought it was OG Anobi, but no, it’s Carl Anthony Towns out playing Miles Turner. Miles Turner has been balling both offensively, defensively. He’s leading the entire postseason and block shots. You get Carl Anthony Towns in a trade for Julius Randall to move the needle and put you over the top. He is that guy. I don’t want to see the call Anthony Towns that we saw in game five from the Celtics. Of course not. I want to see the Carl Anthony Towns that we saw in game six. Hell with that. I want to see the Carl Anthony Towns I saw during the regular season against Indiana averaging 30. I mean, listen, that was even better than game six. I want to see that call Anthony Town. I want to Don’t come to me with 23 and 12 when you were averaging 30 on 57% shooting during the regular season against this team. That’s who I want to see. If you did it during the regular season, do it now. That’s just my thing, coach. Any problem with that, coach? They they played three games and one of them was in October. We’re going to go back to the I’m just I’m I’m just saying all All I said was I would like to see the guy that went against them in the regular season in the postseason. That’s all I said. I didn’t say anything else. By the way, you getting ready to go? No. I I just wanted to ask coach why we have here. No one knows these two teams better than you, obviously coaching there in the East. What do the Knicks need to do to make easy work of the Pacers and vice versa? Uh, this game as this series, excuse me, is going to come down to tempo one way or another. Uh, the Pacers are going to win this series if they play at their tempo. If they make the Knicks have to chase them up and down the floor and make it a 94 foot game with multiple ball handlers playing early in the clock, using that five out spacing, that’s going to be advantage to the Pacers. If the game is slowed down more in the halfcourt isolation basketball, then it lends itself to be a series that the Knicks can win. And then they got to make sure whoever wins the turnover battle is a team that’s going to win this series. Perk said Knicks in five. You think that’s a little bit aggressive? I think that’s a little bit aggressive. Disrespectful. I think that’s a little bit aggressive. Hey, very and and I’m standing on it. I’m standing on it. Hey, listen. Let me say this though to to coach JB point. When you think about the Knicks, Josh Hart, Jaylen Brunson, OG Ana Noi, they all love to crash the offensive glass. They cannot do that against the Pacers. They got to get back. When a shot goes up, that’s the one thing that they’re going to have to stay disciplined on is getting back. So, the transition defense is going to be huge, the discipline. And Josh Hart is hard because you don’t want to take away from his game because that’s what he brings, right? When it comes to the those extra effort plays and things to that nature, but that’s the one thing that they can control. I believe they can. Tom Tibau is going to have this team prepared and I’m standing I’m standing on what I’m standing on. I got the Knicks winning this in five. First of all, number one, I’d appreciate if you stop talking about standing when your ass is always sitting down, okay? Cuz you know you don’t like your the standing on your feet. So just stop saying that all the time. Number one. Number two, it’s hard listening and you call somebody big body anything when they when you the big body. Number three. Number three. I do agree with your point, but for this reason, coach, am I wrong in saying this? Because Tom Thibido is very tight with his rotation. I mean, this he ain’t playing more than seven. We know this. And in his world, if he could get away with playing six, he’d do it. I think it’s important that the New York Knicks get back and not focus so much on crashing the boards with offensive rebounds because the more the paces make them run, the more fatigue they’ll get and obviously it’ll compromise your legs as the series waines. I think that’s something that they need to be concerned about. Am I wrong in saying that, sir? No, I don’t think you’re wrong, but I think the Knicks are who they are, right? I think they have the formula that they have. Like Josh Hart is going to crash the offensive glass. Uh, you know, that’s how he impacts the game. I know a lot of times we see, you know, whoever shooting a three-pointer, but a lot of times he’s the one that got in there, got the offensive rebound, and kicked it out to that guy to hit the big three-point shot. So, uh, Mitchell Robinson does a great job on the offensive glass as well. So, I just don’t think they’re going to, you know, forfeit the glass to get back in transition because it’s part of their identity of who they are, uh, and is what made them so good and so difficult. And a lot of times, if you think about it, if you’re crashing the boards, people have to stay in to box out. They can’t leak out in transition. So, that can slow that transition game down some as well. Well, here’s what I would look at if I go ahead, Stevie. I’m sorry. What were we gonna say? No, no, no, no. Go ahead. Go ahead, doggy. Fish. So, let’s ask JB this. When you get to this level, if you’re Indiana, you got to win two games in New York, not one. Because you got to figure the Knicks, they won three in your place, unfortunately, that they probably will win a game in Indiana. If that’s the case, do you think the Pacers, let’s say they can win a game, you won two. Can they win two games in New York to win this series? Yeah, I believe so. I believe they’re good enough. Yeah, I believe they’re good enough. Uh like, you know, you have two of the best strategists as coaches that’s going to be in this series. Uh Rick Carile’s proven uh that he can do amazing things with team his teams obviously being a championship coach. Uh you know, the Pacers as a team have proven they can go on the road. They went into Cleveland and won there on the road. So, you got to give them, you know, the chance. Uh and that’s why it’s the fun part, right? You got to throw the ball up. You got to let the guys duke it out. Uh, and see what happens. If they can win tonight, it’d be big. Stephen A. Molly, I got to go to break, but I just want you to know. Come on over here, man. I see. Come on over here. I want people to see who No, no. Sometimes when you want when you want to be great, you got to associate yourself with greatness. One of the great actors in American history is right here, my man Michael T. Williamson. Say hello to the world out there. Say hello to the world out there. You understand? I just wanted to make a What’s up, my brother? We got to go to break right now. I just wanted the world to see, you know. I wanted you to see that, Molly. I want you to see that. Michael, hey, thanks for joining us. We love it. We got all the stars out. Want y’all to know that it’s certainly playoff time. I mean, these Nick fans, did you see that Stephen A was right there with them? Which tells you all you need to know. How about these Nick fans on Friday night when they beat the Celtics? Hold on now. Take it easy. You’re you’re only halfway to an NBA championship. This is New York City. You know, Frasier, Reed, Monroe, the Busher, Bradley, Dick Barnett, Jimmy Lucas, and they’re sitting there on seven. Look at Stephen A. Oh my god, I got a fellow. I mean, 7th Avenue. You couldn’t get on the street on S on Friday night when they beat Boston. Look at you. You sit down for crying out loud. But look at the Nick fan. Look at this. Oh my god. This is crazy. You’re in the conference final. You did not win an NBA championship. You even didn’t even get to a NBA title round. You got to You beat the All right. You beat JB’s team. And I was going to knock the Pistons. I shut up there. And you beat the Celtics who were lame with Tatum and Pzingis and the Nick fan. All 8,000 of you 23 year olds who never heard of those great Nick teams in 6970. That’s an insult to those old Willis Reed. You think he wants to see that? The idea is to win a championship, not get to a conference final. I was absolutely shocked. And Charlemagne, yeah, Bob Dylan was in the mix with this. And I love him and I’m mad at him, too. Stay getting out of the court. You see that? Shaking everybody’s hand. That drove me nuts. So, this is a lot to dislike. And for that reason, amongst many others, I am going to like help Indiana in this next series. The Knicks fans got to wake up and realize win a couple series, nobody cares. Win eight more games, you’re only halfway there. That’s number three. Yeah. I’ll say the Knicks fans, they weren’t too nice to me when I was in there. Uh Stephen A, you were there for one of those games and you heard some of the things that the Knicks fans were saying to me and to our team. Uh so for the third time on this show, I’m agreeing with Mad. There we go. You know, listen. Here’s what I would say to you. Here’s what I would say to you. I get where Mad Dog is coming from. But you know what? We don’t give a damn what he thinks. We don’t care. Because here’s the deal. The fact is, when you haven’t won since 1973, the closer you get to to to to the throne, the more excited you get. We can’t rely on this. Detroit’s not going away. You see that man in studio with you? The Detroit Pistons are coming. You understand? Make no mistake about it. We can’t summarily dismiss some of the other teams, the Clevelanders and Bostons of the world. We know the West is wild. So these moments are precious to New York, okay? Every step of the way, you’re enjoying it and you’re holding on to it because damn it, in the interest of full disclosure, we don’t know when the hell we going to have this moment again. So we got to hold on to it and ride that wave till the wheels come off. That’s the bottom line. We ain’t apologizing for it. It is what it is and that’s what we gonna do. We gonna hold on to it. It’s what it is. And Kirk Mad Dog, I I agree with Stephen A. I was just trying to convince him to buy the private jet so we could get down there. Huh? He was trying to get He was trying to give me doggy. He wanted me to get the private jet to fly back to New York for Friday’s game two. What’s the point of making all this money? You got to make the most of the moment. Let’s go. I don’t make it yet. I don’t make it yet. I don’t make it yet. I don’t make it yet. I don’t make it yet. I don’t make no but Molly. I don’t know when it kicks in. But Molly, I didn’t listen. Molly, hear me out. I didn’t want him to spend his money. I needed him to call the bosses. You know what I’m saying? Get the Disney jet for us down there. You know what I mean? Well, I ain’t got that kind of clout. I ain’t got that kind of clout. I ain’t got that kind of I don’t have that kind of clout. I don’t I don’t have that kind of clout. That’s number one. Number two. Number two, even though I don’t have that kind of clout, here’s the reality. Here’s the reason why we should have a jet. Because it ain’t no damn flights out of OKC or to OKC it seems. I mean nothing. No nothing. You understand? So that that that that’s why we might need some help. So I got to call the bosses after the show. I do have to make call. Remember remember one other thing. Those 10,000 around Penn Station, they wouldn’t know who Dick Maguire is. Oh god. Let’s go. Go look in the banners. Dick Maguire. Stephen A. Get the PJ. Come on. your Nicks. Well, it’s been since the 70s.

Stephen A. Smith, Chris “Mad Dog” Russo, Detroit Pistons head coach J.B. Bickerstaff and Kendrick Perkins join Molly Qerim on First Take to preview the Eastern Conference Finals where the Indiana Pacers take on the New York Knicks.

0:00 Knicks NEED to win Game 1?
2:30 All on Jalen Brunson?
4:59 Stephen A. wants to see Karl-Anthony Towns shine
7:55 Stephen A.’s hot take
9:30 Bickerstaff’s coaching take
10:15 Mykelti Williamson makes a guest appearance!
10:45 Mad Dog’s Mad About Knicks fans
12:53 Stephen A. takes up for his city
14:14 Perk wants to go to NY

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