Celtics sweep Pacers, Brown wins ECF MVP over Tatum, Wildes predicts NBA Finals | FIRST THINGS FIRST

Celtics sweep Pacers, Brown wins ECF MVP over Tatum, Wildes predicts NBA Finals | FIRST THINGS FIRST

I’ve been LC live from New York it’s a show that is 100% positive that I’m the fastest member of the show and faster than Kevin Hart now you’re going to get in a beef with Kevin Hart not a beef we don’t want that yes some your age say he’s faster than you first of all it would be good for the show if that happened second of all I don’t think it’s going to hit his radar oh my today were you impressed with the Celtics sweep no and here’s the thing if they win the title none of it matters there will be no Mists there will be no yeah but and history will not remember at all the path to the finals they simply won’t but if you and do the Celtics have anything to apologize for no do you play who’s in front of you absolutely did they earn the one seed which should be the simplest path to a champion or at least to the finals they did have they checked all the boxes from a if the just what’s their record what’s their point differential they’ve done all of that and they have earned credit for that but have I been impressed by the Celtics at any moment this postseason no was I impressed by the Celtics at any moment in the Eastern Conference Finals no do I think they deserve a ton of credit for beating the Pacers in game one when I attribute that not to Great defensive plays by Boston but to the Pacers self emulating in the final 30 seconds no do I think in game three when the Pacers just seemed so frenetic down the stretch of that game like they had to like they were trailing by eight rather than up by five with a minute left do I think that was the Boston doing it to him no and do I think yesterday the Pacers going scoreless the final 330 of the game was part Boston’s doing and part the Pacers without halberton just didn’t have anybody who could calm things no so I I am not trying to denigrate what they have accomplished but I am being honest that I think there are eight teams in the league that if they had played Miami without Jimmy Butler Cleveland for the second half without Donovan Mitchell and then this Pacers team for the last two games without Tyrese halberton that would have won those three series and have a record around 12- two yeah I do so no I wasn’t impressed I give them their respect but that’s where I fall bro well let me start with this in the playoffs it’s winning Advance yes it doesn’t matter what you look like I’ve said it before I’ll say it again the last time the Celtics won a championship Atlanta which wasn’t a good team took them seven in round one then they went seven in round two then they went six in the Eastern Conference Finals and won the championship in six that of course was Ray Allen Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce so so that’s all it’s about all right and like you said if they win win it all none of that stuff will matter but I am with Nick like it’s not that impressive all right um yeah sure they swept Indiana that’s what you should do one the other series and five but like Nick said game one they should have lost all right period all right game three they were down eight with 2 and 1 half minutes left okay against an Indiana team that didn’t have his best player Tyrese halberton and last night they Trail by as many as eight points in the fourth quarter all right so if you want to say give them credit for The Comebacks and they’ve been a good clutch team even despite Jason Tatum struggles in the clutch they have been a good clutch team this season if you want to give them credit for that or if you want to say well hold up Chris Denver when they kept coming back on the Lakers or you know Minnesota for their comebacks and even in this series Dallas is coming back and beating Minnesota time and time again the difference is all those other series I mentioned they you were facing a team that was relatively on your level like Denver was coming back against LeBron in ad okay Minnesota was coming back against the best player in the world yage and Dallas of course against Minnesota that’s different than coming back against teams that really aren’t that good anyway with their best player look at this with their best players Miami won 46 games yes with their best players Cleveland won 48 with their best players Indiana won 47 they haven’t even beaten a 50- win team and these teams don’t even have their best players so again I’m not I think they do have a chance to win the championship but to act like they’ve done I I’ve seen people say it’s one of the greatest runs we’ve seen in recent memory in the that’s ridiculous because of the competition so can I go ahead Wilds no I just don’t know if you were on the Celtics what you’re supposed to do win the next series but what are you supposed to do you weren’t supposed to be challenged This Much by an Indiana team if they blew out the Pacers every game like blowing them out I’m not impressed by blowouts not impressed by close games not impressed by comeback it’s just impressed might not have been on the board we shouldn’t have had the question so here’s the thing I the I think it’s a bit of a straw man to say not impressed by blowouts you I think people are natural I think there is a level of well you did literally everything you could do in that spot even if you didn’t maybe blowouts don’t necessarily prove like did the Celtics now prove they are something else no they beat a lesser team but I can be impressed by you handling a team start to finish I thought the Celtics for massive stretches of the Conference Finals played poorly and I think that is not impressive I also Brew pointed out those teams records on the year 46 48 and 47 wins here’s those teams records without this year without Jimmy without Donovan without halber you add all that up that’s a winning percentage a little bit right between the Hawks and the Bulls so I then ask like a team like Phoenix if they had just played 14 games against the Hawks and Bulls would we expect them to have around this record would we expect them and I just picked Phoenix cuz they’re a team that lost in round one I I I understand Celtics fans cuz I have been a bit of a thorn in their side over the years think I’m picking on them I’m here to tell you if Luca in round one they beat the Clippers and the Clippers didn’t have Kawai for half of that series if in the next round Oklahoma City who was the one seed by the way not one of these teams didn’t have Shay and in this round Minnesota didn’t have Anthony Edwards and then they show up in the in in the finals I think there would be more questions than than we are having right now I don’t think it is and to Bru point and this is where I would like bounce this off you if I may that the history is accurate as far as the teams in the last 40 years your buddy Bill Simmons pointed this out he had left a team out so we have the full list teams in the last 40 years to enter the finals with 20 or fewer losses I think we can show it to you there it is so these are we go through them 96 Bulls that’s 72 win Bulls 16 Warriors they lost to LeBron but after the 3-1 comeback the warriors with Durant the Bulls the fifth title 86 Celtics who we talk about as one of the greatest teams ever the Warriors first title team the Lakers fourth championship with k or yeah it was their fourth championship with Kareem and Magic the Celtics this year the heat the year they had the 27 game winning streak and in my opinion the best Bulls team ever with respect to their 96 Bulls 92 Bulls so I so that is unbelievable right do does anyone think the Celtics are in the same zip code as those other nine teams on that list does anybody think it cuz I don’t Celtics fans can get mad at me I do not no probably not but what if they if they if they win it if they win if they win it I don’t think people will put them with that group unless they keep winning it and not maybe not two in a row but win another one in a couple years like there it you don’t think if the Celtics win the narrative will become wow that team was stacked they got Drew holiday their third best they they were winning without porzingis porzingis used to be the number one option he was like build your franchise around well the Knicks with the Knicks before he B out his knee yeah sure yeah but now he’s averaging 20 points a game he’s like well he’s number four guy so yeah I think if they win the championship I think people will celebrate him like that think the narrative will be maybe fairly this team was hiding in plainsight all year they had all the markers of a great team they rolled through the playoffs and then they beat a team and by the way it’s what Vegas has been telling us all year is going to happen but and analytics guys right but Vegas and the analytics in my opinion well not my opinion history tells us have been oddly too high on Boston each of the last four years where the analytics love them and Vegas is always in my opinion overvalued all right Jaylen Brown had 29 Points in the closeout game won the Larry Bird trophy uh given to the MVP of the Conference Finals last time the Celtics went to the finals Tatum won the trophy so here’s Jaylen on the unexpected honor official voting had Tatum with four votes Jaylen with five here’s how their numbers lined up BR uh pretty close I mean well rebounds assists yeah you give it to Tatum Brown had some timely plays three in the corner I think BR the that’s what did it um so Tatum not winning MVP is it something or nothing it’s only something if he allow I’m not GNA give you your what you want it’s only something if Jason Tatum makes it something if he’s bothered inside if he’s upset if he feels slighted that’s it all right because it could have went to Jason Tatum obviously the voting was close and I agree with Nick I think the three pointer cuz I look I think Boston still was going to win the series but had Tay or brown not hit that three they lose game one now maybe it’s at least a longer it’s certainly a longer series and maybe a tough series that they have to play so I have no problem with brown winning it look Tatum Tatum oddly and I’ve been critical of him as well but I think he’s now being criticized too much all right he just you showed his numbers 310 and six you know how many Celtics have done that in a conference final bird zero bird did bird did it in the first and second rounds okay he’s Bird’s the only other Celtic ever to do it in the playoffs are we even counting it against the spacers team well yeah yeah we are we are all right so Jason Tatum I mean he put up historic numbers and he and even though Brown Hit The Big Three who was the guy in that overtime Tatum had 10 points in that overtime so I I think he played well I am not the guy that sits here and counts oh it it really wasn’t Tatum’s title if he doesn’t get the finals MVP that’s ridiculous Kareem Abdul Jabar won two finals MVPs out of six Championship magic won three out of five so I I I I hope Tatum can learn from Brown not even learn hopefully he doesn’t even have to but if he is struggling a bit look at Jaylen Brown Jaylen Brown saying we won 64 games by 11 points a game and we got one all NBA player so he’s like doing it alone and he has said it bothered him that he didn’t make all NBA but yet he comes out and plays great basketball and be and is professional so if inside is bothering Jason then that’s what the example he should look at so they go out and just try to win this thing as a team you want me to ask you the question what’s the question is it something or nothing Wilds something or nothing uh something something good all right there you go that’s what that’s what you were hoping Brew would do why is it something good I felt like Jaylen Brown who has a certain stoicism to it uh even when accolades come his way felt really excited and surprised and you know the narrative is Tatum’s here little Batman and Roby which however much you want to say it’s not a thing is usually a thing between Batman and Robin on every team that’s tried to make a run to the championship now it feels like hey I got my trophy little Batman and Batman action I feel good about it could be positive for Jaylen that’s true could be very good that’s and by the way I don’t think it’s a narrative thing it’s reality I mean the the reality is that over the breadth of their careers this year included last year included it Jason Tatum’s been the better player and so I don’t think it’s like an unfair thing it’s just where they are as as basketball players now jayen brown I do think in this series was I my vote would have gone to Jaylen Brown I don’t think it was demonstrative because game three Tatum was extraordinary Tatum’s game three was better than any individual game Jaylen Brown played but Tatum game two was not good and game four was last night he was okay wasn’t that efficient turn the ball over like so he had you know some issues there so I my only real critique on Tatum this postseason is I don’t know why he can’t shoot threes in the playoffs the last two years but he as long as he’s the last two years he’s 31% from three and he’s taking eight a game and they are not typically easy threes they are six dribbles between his legs into a step back and that and so I think that he has been now early in his career on those playoff runs he had a 39% from three season I think he might even had one 40% in the playoffs I’m not sure I know he had a 39 but the last two seasons two deep playoff runs last year ended in game seven of the Conference Finals this one’s still going towards the finals it’s not that small of a sample who’s 31% from three and you feel like a guy his size and his athleticism could get easier shots or better shots and falls in love with the three a bit too much but after I thought a shaky opening round of the playoff offs I thought round two he was very good and round three he had one Dam the game three he had what 36 and 10 with zero turnovers I mean he was brilliant zero turnovers I love the zero turnover is huge um all right now we’re we’re at a very special part of the show what’s that well I’m going to try to convince Brew to not side with you and side with me so here’s the backstory uh Celtics started this year of course 20 and0 at home yes and then Joker came in with Denver and they won the game and that further cemented my belief that no one’s going to beat Denver in a seven game series turns out I was wrong and now like a political candidate who has to drop out of the race I have to throw my support behind someone else and since you have been even by your standards somewhat obnoxious about your Mavs pick and Bru W have not has not officially abandoned his wolves yet well no he did said it’s over but the series not over the series is not over if they happen to win if they win too we’ll be right back said Cincinnati B he did a whole I know but he’s done it several oh you’re right s so Brew I’m just going to lay out some numerical factors on why I’m going with the Celtics Nick oh you laid out some earlier but oddly you have abandoned your what happened to the envelope remember last week we had the whole envelope we had a whole thing the envelope I felt like the envelope gotay off the audience you want me to prepare it for you while you get your numerical you do have the envelope well yeah but team in there the Pacers are done the Mavs uhhuh my are yours so we can’t both have the same and then you’re here this is pretty much done it kind of just leaves me honestly for editorial purposes with the Celtics so here’s the thing uh you know I like winners I’m tired of picking loses highest win percentage of course is the Celtics at number one then the Thunder at two then oh my beloved Denver Nuggets at three and then the Wolves so how are they winning brw remember a few weeks ago when I coined I think I did it in football season and it carried over it’s like esbo a little bit defense wins Championship you look at the best defensive teams wolves are number one frisky magic Thunder and then the Celtics obviously Celtics will be the only the best defensive team uh left best offensive rating is Celtics at number one Pac we’re hot but they’re going home then the Thunder and then the Bucs and finally if you add up the best defense remaining and the best offense of course you get best point differential which you noted is historically good and I know you’re were saying wow the wolves are on that an awful an awful lot and the Thunder are on that an awful lot yeah so who the mads are have beat okay Counterpoint one the Wolves thought they were running a half marathon were running a marathon they they spent all of their energy beating Denver they thought it was more like boxing that like we beat Denver we get the belt turns out not like boxing actually like the NBA Thunder we knew you were saying all year Thunder too young Celtics yes do have the most playoff experience of any team Josh double check it I’m I’m pretty sure that’s true it’s just really Kyrie and we’re not counting Real Madrid championships when you’re for yeah so Brew I’m going with the Celtics I see the green all over you yeah it’s a little bit top uh Nick is going with the Mavs where are you leaning well look this is important for the show I have decide with one of you well yeah right um I I think there are reasons to like the Celtics I definitely do I don’t know how this works I mean I I think that they’ve got the Defenders on the perimeter who are great all right and they’ve got a number of them and they got some size on them all right they’ve got the they can spread the floor with the three-point shooting to bring Dallas away from the basket so and you know they have been a great team all year there’s something in me that is saying this might be the Celtics year but there’s something else I do I I was the first even though it’s his Slovenian son I was the first I believe to coin Luca Legend I believe I was the I do believe I remember the day on lar remember yes so I would love to see Luca win his first championship and I am leaning strongly should they take out my Timberwolves yeah’s I’m leaning strongly Dallas he’s sick of I’m leaning strongly Dallas um I I also the Lakers I picked the Lakers to win a series if you find any tape of me saying the Lakers are going to win the championship I’ll give you $1,000 dollar it doesn’t exist I picked them to beat the Nuggets and then I said and I no I did not I said that I could absolutely see the Lakers spinning the whole clip on the nuggets and then getting beat by Luca who I had winning the championship when I abandoned the Nuggets what’s happening to the wolv that right exactly right however if I may just quickly cuz wild said something correct which is his CA much like in politics when your candidate loses you need to endorse someone else yeah and also much like in politics when you have spent nine months telling us how one team is the only savior we have how they have to win they are guaranteed to win how everyone else pales in comparison and then you’re like oh okay one of those others I’m with it it’s just going to be hard it’s going to be hard for the audience they were built to beat them it’s it’s going to be hard to for the audience to take this full throated which is why you really need Bruce support because the audience is used to brew jumping sides going jump sides you well if I it if I had to choose between side with y’all it would be you the team I think is I I want to be alone I know I never switched pics in the middle of the some people who do you have winning M some people who do you have winning MAV simber wolves I said it’s switching it’s not a Swit over that’s switching pick it’s not switching it’s just admitting reality than thanks for watching subscribe here to get more from the show and to check out clips from other shows on FS1

Nick Wright, Kevin Wildes and Chris Broussard discuss the latest news in sports including the Boston Celtics win over the Indiana Pacers in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals, Jaylen Brown being named Eastern Conference Finals MVP and Kevin Wildes makes his official NBA Finals prediction.

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Celtics sweep Pacers, Brown wins ECF MVP over Tatum, Wildes predicts NBA Finals | FIRST THINGS FIRST

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