Oddball w/ Amin Elhassan & Izzy Gutierrez

Tonight is Game 3 of the NBA Finals and the Pacers need to pull out all the stops... But what are "all the stops" in Indiana? Are any Hoosiers legends going to show up? Izzy lays out his recipe for the Pacers to defend home court, and it starts with *racecar noises.* The Pacers need to punish the Thunder for being overzealous, and Tyrese Haliburton needs to start scoring before the final ten seconds of the game. Oh, and Victor Wembanyama is a monk now! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Thunder took down the Pacers in Game 2 of the NBA Finals. Success breeds copycats and we talk about which team is easier to replicate. With Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the Thunder run a one man centerpiece offense. The Pacers, on the other hand, mimic Tyrese Haliburton’s style and have three-point shooters. Who is more rare, a smart point guard or a once-in-a-lifetime talent? He just passed Allen Iverson for most points through first two career NBA Finals games, but is he better than ’06 Dwayne Wade? Michael Jordan? Steph Curry? Plus, a new week with new headlines!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Amin joins Izzy from courtside in Oklahoma City after Game 2 of the NBA Finals to share their instant reactions to all the action, including the biggest story of the night: the Finals logo is back on the court! Well, kind of. SGA had another great game, but it was the Thunder's supporting cast that stole the show. Plus, does Tyrese Haliburton need to be more aggressive? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Pacers beat the Thunder in a thrilling Game 1 of the NBA Finals. In OKC everyone wears the stadium shirts and sings Titanium by Sia. The arena was loud, but their excitement died down when Tyrese Haliburton hit the game winner. Cason Wallace and Lu Dort did everything they could on defense to keep Haliburton in the Dorture Chamber. Pascal Siakam and Obi Toppin were unsung heroes. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander needed help but Chet Holmgren was not productive and the Thunder couldn’t convert on their turnovers. All that and Iciest Play of the week! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We made it to the NBA Finals! The Thunder take on the Pacers (aka Thunder Lite) in what Izzy and Amin predict will be a tight, fast-paced clash of styles series. Everything the Pacers can do, the Thunder can do better. The only time the Pacers have a glimmer of hope is when it comes to coaching and pace of play. The biggest question is, who should guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander? Everybody? The Thunder have already climbed the biggest mountain, beating Nikola Jokić and the Denver Nuggets, so the Pacers should be an easier hill to climb. Plus, we break down the week's biggest Headlines!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The largest domino hanging over the NBA offseason is Giannis Antetokounmpo, the biggest, sexiest, star on the trade block. Is Milwaukee really prepared to let him go? Stephen A. Smith says the Knicks should make a deal, but would the Greek Freak fit alongside Jalen Brunson? The Heat could hypothetically trade for him, but lately Miami has been all bark and no bite. And are these Raptors rumors real? Would Toronto really trade roller skating legend Scottie Barnes? All the Giannis speculation you can handle on today's episode of Oddball. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The New York Knicks lost in the Eastern Conference Finals and they left us with more questions than answers. Here on Oddball we ask, What’s Knixt? Karl-Anthony Towns and Jalen Brunson don’t work well together. KAT was not defensively strong. And Brunson is not a happy passer. Can the Knicks run it back with the same lineup? Tom Thibodeau took the Knicks the farthest they have been in 25 years, but is he worth another year? Who could be the missing piece in the Knicks lineup? Giannis Antetokounmpo? Kevin Durant? LeBron James? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Thunder are moving on and Tony joins Izzy today on today's episode of Oddball! Anthony Edwards is the entire identity of the Timberwolves... is that enough, or do they need to upgrade the talent around him? The Knicks might have just missed their best chance at a title, and we have questions about Jalen Brunson and KAT's long-term potential. New York needs a savior, which the front office has been saying for 50 years... but who could it be? Giannis Antetokounmpo? Zion Williamson? Lebron James? Plus, Izzy and Tony share their All-Conference Finals starting 5. Does anyone on the Knicks deserve to be on it? Then, we play Prop-A-Slot and talk about farting on planes (thanks Isaiah Thomas).  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Tyrese Haliburton is lighting up the Knicks and his stats are impressive, but even he agrees we are cherry picking. Does he belong in conversations with the best point guards of all time? Jalen Brunson has been exposed in this series as a defensive and offensive liability. The offense should flow through Karl-Anthony Towns if the Knicks expect to get a pride win in front of their home crowd. The Knicks can’t build around two defensive liabilities, so the only answer for New York is... more Mitchell Robinson? Or maybe they can just blame the refs. Plus, the famous Akbar Domestique joins Oddball to talk about the artistry of flopping and helps break down our Iciest Play of the Week.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Amin was in the building to see Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, and Chet Holmgren combine for 95 points and lead the Thunder to a 128-126 Game 4 victory over the Timberwolves. Something about being right just feels so... right! Anthony Edwards and Julius Randle couldn't get their offense going. Is it a matter of aggression, or are they not being put in a position to succeed? Either way, the flop hurts a little extra when Naz Reid, Donte DiVincenzo, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, and the rest of the Minnesota roster played well enough to win. Plus, how to litigate fouling up 3, this week's Iciest Play, and a lesson in media literacy brought to you by ESPN and LeBron James. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices