Welcome to the Athletic MBA show Monday through Friday on the Athletic Podcast Network.

Coming up on today's The Athletic MBA show BasketBuds Edition, it's the conference finals for both conferences.

So we're talking about that. That's what we're doing.

We're not talking about MVP. I guarantee that. I'm done with that conversation.

So we're not going to do it. So here comes BasketBuds.

Brough.

New York strip steak?

This is the basketball buds.

Braze beef short ribs?

Dang down.

With Zach Harper and your favorite athletic writers.

Hey, mad at Eddie, bro.

I'm gone.

Welcome to BasketBuds on the Athletic NBA show on the Athletic Podcast Network.

I'm Zach Harper, joined by Jay King, Trevon Edwards, Dave DeFour, Wazney Lambray, Jade Hoy

pushing buttons.

And it's the conference finals, boys, and we just witnessed Anthony Davis plunging a dagger into the Denver Nuggets heart

after an incredibly terrible second half for the Lakers.

A heroic performance by Nikola Yokic, a heroic performance outside of the free throw line by PJ Dozier.

But 80 knocks down the buzzer beating three. And, Trey, I'll start with you. This is why you bring in superstars. This is why you don't rely on just building up these young guys all the time. You bring in LeBron and you bring in Anthony Davis and you just let the stars take over. You don't let PJ Dozier take over? No. Well, all right. That's a tricky one. No, but you're right. You know, like LeBron had an early hot start. He had the hot hand, kind of cooled off. And then, you know, there was some questionable possessions towards the end of the game where he deferred to his teammates. And, you know, most people are yelling at the screen like take over. And Anthony Davis stepped up in that spot. And that's the luxury of having two top five players in the league. Yeah, you got to that first of all, some of the shots AD hit, the shot to put them up eight that, you know, I'm pretty sure everybody including the Lakers because they started playing like it.

Thought the game was essentially wrapped up when he put them up eight with a step back three going to his left.

Your power forward slash centers doing that for you.

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