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.

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 a national NBA writer for Bleacher Report, deputy editor-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,

little cup date first and foremost. Cup finishes this week. Darvin Ham 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 looked like after they champ-champined 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,

...