Hello and welcome to the Hoop Collective podcast.

We talk about the NBA, which you're doing on Wednesday morning,

slightly after midnight.

Joining us from New York City, where it is after midnight, is Tim Bontemps.

Hello, everybody.

He's headed down Philadelphia way, I believe, to see Cavs Corner on Wednesday night, which is... We don't see Calf's Corner on Wednesday, that is correct. A very, like, by the way, the ESPN games that are coming up on Wednesday and Friday are both Cavs at Sixers. It's like games one and game two of a playoff series, only not. It'll be game one and game two of the play-in if things don't change for the Cavs Corner.

Whoa.

Well, I guess it can't be two games in the playing. Sixers aren't going to be in the play in the way things are going for them. That is true. That is true. Joining us from Oklahoma City, where the game of the night was tonight. Just back from Paycom Center is Ban McMan. Howdy, partners, we got a real rivalry because OKC is on the board against the Spurs this

season.

Yeah, a 20-point game.

So full disclosure, I was at the Lakers Hawks for the entire pregame and then the first

half where the Hawks are currently getting boat race by the Lakers who are playing this game like it's a game one of a playoff series for them because Luca and LeBron are playing on the second night of a back-to-back dinged up and they brought Ruehachamura back and they are not wanting to lose a fourth straight game and so they are playing like it. So I'm going to have to yield largely to you, McMahon and Bontemps.

I had a conversation with someone who was at the game, but I can see that Shea put up a nice night.

But please educate me on how this game went.

I mean, I would basically say that the Thunder had the kind of response that a defending championship team should

under these circumstances, which look, win or lose that we're going to wake up with a healthy

lead for first place in the Western Conference, but they had lost three straight to the spurs

and frankly been spanked around the last couple times, you know, to the point where

Shaggildos Alexander on Christmas sat up there and said, hey, if a team beats you three times

like that in a short span, they're better than you. And today, he said, it's never about the other

team. It's always about us. They said, tonight's result tells us that when we play a certain way

with a certain sense of urgency,

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