This is an IHeart podcast.

On this episode of the heat check, it's your weekly heat check interview.

This time we're joined by a friend of show, Dan Favale, one of the great

national voices on the NBA. A lot to get to. Let's not waste time, Anthony. Drop that

motherfucking beat. It should be Rihon. Welcome to the show, Dan Pavale.

If you were an NBA fan, you already know what's up with Dan.

He is the National NBA writer for Bleacher Report, deputy editor for NBA math,

co-founder and podcast host for the popular Hardwood Knox

podcast. Welcome to the show. Thank you so much for having me. It's good to talk to you again.

I know. It's been a minute. Let's talk a little cup date first and foremost. Cup finishes this week.

Darvinham gets another victory.

He gets to put the banners up again.

And I think what was funny is that they didn't celebrate at all because he realizes

like what the Lakers sort of season look like after they champ-shampained it up.

So Bucks, NBA Cup champs.

What was your thought on just that final matchup, but also just the cup as a whole this year and its second year?

The final matchup was a little disappointing just because the OKC going ice cold from the perimeter kind of underscores maybe some

things they need to address at the trade deadline. I enjoy the NBA Cup overall, though, and I think

the biggest criticism aside from, you know, the courts has largely been, well, you can't

force tradition. And I do agree with that. Like the cup needs to stand on its own and mean something,

but you need to give it time to marinate before you declare it a failure and to see if players

continue to care as the years go on. And I do think that at least it adds a layer of intrigue to

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