ORANGE & BLUE SKIES! 🤩 Stephen A. is OVER THE MOON after Knicks’ OT comeback ✨ | First Take

ORANGE & BLUE SKIES! 🤩 Stephen A. is OVER THE MOON after Knicks’ OT comeback ✨ | First Take

I love everybody. Everybody, what’s going on y’all? Welcome to the latest edition of First Take. Molly is out yet again. She’ll be all right. She’ll be back. Okay, but I’m here in the driver’s seat today. So, let me give you a little refresher of the rules and regulations as Kendrick Perkins and Brian Worse are here. rules. Wait to speak until called upon by the host. That would be me. Perk. No cussing. No mean mugging perk. Okay, Wendy. Especially on a day like today. I will be addressed as Stephen A or Mr. Steven A. Okay. Don’t bad mouth the producers. And oh, by the way, no rude reactions and don’t interrupt me perk to talk about what I’m supposed to be doing because this is what Molly does. No, I’m hosting and the New York Knicks are up one game to nothing. Okay, so let’s get right into it. Okay, as the world knows now, my New York Knicks pulled off a stunning game one, beating the Celtics in overtime 108 105. They stormed back from a 20-point deficit with a full team effort. OG and Anobi had 29. Captain Clutch himself, Jaylen Brunson, Clutch player of the year, turned it on again in the fourth quarter, but then Muel Bridges played lock down D in overtime to steal home court. Meanwhile, Jason Tatum had a fourth quarter to forget, of course, through the first three quarters. Tatum had 19 points while shooting 43% from the field. He then combined to go one for nine from the field in the fourth quarter in overtime in Monday night’s game one loss to the Knicks, ending the game with 23 points, 16 rebounds, and six assists. So Wendy, we’ll come to you first. What was the biggest reason? The Knicks won game one. I’m listening, my brother. I got to tell you, the the the TD Garden was hollowing out here in Boston last night. It was quiet and all of a sudden from the rafters, I hear Stephen A. And I said, “He’s in LA.” Now, I I don’t want to take anything away from the Knicks because it it was there and Brunson and and Jaylen Jaylen Brunson and and male Bridges and Josh Hart, who we haven’t given enough credit to while we’ve talked about this game, they took it. But this was a story of the Celtics letting the Knicks off the hook. Um, I have never seen a display, even by the standards of the Celtics, who frankly have achieved new frontiers of what it looks like to shoot up a ton of threes. They’ve never done this before. They were chucking like I’ve never seen them chuck. And there was a one point in the third quarter where they took 19 out of 20 shots were threes. They got up 20 points in this game and their next 10 shots were threes and they missed all of them. They let the Knicks off the hook repeatedly down the stretch of this game. They would run some action on offense. They would get a favorable matchup. Jason Tatum in front of Jaylen Brunson, Jason Tatum on a slower uh Carl Towns, and they would let him off the hook. More than half of their three-pointers came in the first half of the shot clock. totally the definition of settling. And so, man, the Knicks did a great job getting this game, but they had to get the game the way that the Celtics let him let him off the hook with those three-pointers. I did not like your tone at all in that opening segment. I’m going to give Perk a chance to respond. I did not like your tone, Wendy. Perk, I’m going to give you a chance to do better. Go ahead. The Knicks took that game. They took that game. It don’t Wendy, don’t start with all that they had the favorable matchup. No, they didn’t. No, they didn’t. What happened was Tom Tibido went in there in the sec in the locker room before the second half and he got on they ass about physicality and playing some damn defense. And we saw the New York Knicks starting to get active far as they activity on their deflections, the steals in the passing lane, the offensive rebounds, getting to the 50/50 ball. We saw Jaylen Brunson time and time again try to get searched out. Either he was hedging out on the pig and rolls or he was sitting down and he was getting in the defensive stairs, sliding those feet. And offensively they did exactly what they were supposed to do. You had some great production off the bench from Deuce McBride. OG anobi 2025 version of Scotty Pippen with 29 points. Josh Hort Swiss Army knife or cut you everywhere but loose. And all of a sudden, we saw Big Body Brunson in the fourth quarter do his damn thing, take over trying to switch old man Al Hford, who did who by the way did a hell of a job defensively, but great offense be good defense any damn day. I’m not taking anything away from the Knicks. And last but not least, Wendy, you know this, the Celtics this season, they have a history, they have a history of blowing leads. We was covering it one day. We saw it with the Cavs. They was up by 25. I believe it was first half and the Cavs walked them down like the last leg of a 4×4. So, let’s not sit up here and act like this is not the norm when it comes down to the Boston Celtics. Just give yourself a chance. That’s what the Knicks done. I recognize the fact that you got to win four games to win a series. I understand that. And the Boston Celtics should still be the favorites. I get all of that. But damn it, we can talk about that another day. This morning, right now, it’s your blue skies, baby. It’s your blue skies. That’s what we talking about here. I saw my man Jaylen Brunson. Yeah. Not once. Yeah. Not twice. Yeah. Think. This is what the man did in the fourth quarter. I saw them down 20 in the third quarter and they come storming back. I love the fact that they started off the fourth quarter with scoring eight straight points. I love that. You understand? That’s what I’m talking about. I saw Jaylen Jason Tatum held to 0 for seven shooting in the fourth quarter. I saw Muel Brides who was struggling throughout hit a three in overtime to put him up 106 100. I saw not one but two steals of Jaylen Brown. I saw a block of a Drew Holiday three-point attempt. That’s what I saw from a Bridges. I saw Carl Anthony Towns getting in front foul trouble played by foul trouble still giving you a double double. I saw OG and a noi that dude right there you understand drop 29 whether it was a three whether it was a tomahawk slam whether it was going to the hole when necessary. That’s what I saw. I saw Jason Jaylen Jaylen Brunson drop 29 points including being Mr. Clutch himself the clutch player of the year. And I saw the New York Knicks 0 and10 against the top three teams in the NBA this season. Okay, go on the road in Boston, remain undefeated on the road in this postseason, knocking off the Boston Celtics. It ain’t their fault that Boston settle for three points, shoot three-pointers all day long, missing 45 three-pointers. That ain’t the New York Knicks fault. Ain’t nobody tell the Boston Celtics to exercise that kind of game plan. So, as we look at this right now and we see the New York Knicks up one to0 in this series. Now, if you go back to the Garden, okay, and let’s say for the sake of arguments, after four games, it’s tied 2-2 and it’s the best of three. That’s more than any of us expected. Which brings me to this question, Wendy. Can the New York Knicks possibly win this series? So, let me just say this. Um, if the Knicks want to win this series, then game two is a must-win. And you may think that’s strange, and I’m not even trying to take the focus off game one. The Celtics, for various reasons, a lot of it self-inflicted, drop home games. I don’t know why. They just do. They did throughout the season. They actually were a better road team than they were at home during the course of the season, especially when it comes to the top teams. The Knicks have been unbelievable on the road in the playoffs, guys. They’re 4-0. And I realize that the Pistons are inexperienced, but still, you go in there and win three games in Detroit, including winning the closeout game there. That’s really impressive, but they’ve but they haven’t been great at the Garden. So, I know the Celtics can play great on the road and the and the Knicks have been the little suspect at the Garden so far in the playoffs, losing a couple of times at home to the Pistons. So if you’re serious, if you really believe in this perk, if you think that this is real and this wasn’t just variance and look, Brunson was great in the fourth quarter and really the Knicks formula for this whole postseason is just get the fourth quarter with it in sight for Brunson. When he comes in the game after his rest with eight or nine minutes left, if it’s within 10 points, I think the Knicks have got a chance against anybody. But that’s their strategy. I think if you want to believe it that that this can go, that this can happen for the Knicks, then you win game two. You win game two. Now you have my attention. Perk. Perk, hold up. I mean, this is the first time this has ever happened in the history of First Take. I’m ready to throw Wendy off the air. I mean, do you see the melon coming the move? I mean, did you see it right there? I mean, I asked him a question. He’s like, “What? What the hell is going on?” I mean, this is unbelievable. Perk, take it away because I don’t know. I’m getting I’m about to lose my mind with Brian Winhorse, one of the great NBA analysts in America. I I I can’t believe how he has sound in this one. The blasphemy. Go ahead, Perk. Go ahead, man. Well, let me Well, let me say this. The Knicks could have played I mean, the Knicks could have played better as well. They didn’t have a flawless game. They struggled in the first half. They They had some dumbass turnovers. Call Anthony Towns. Car Anthony Towns was in foul trouble. Jaylen Bronson was in foul trouble. So, they got some things that they correct. And guess what, Stephen A? If I’m the New York Knicks, my motto is pigs get fat and hogs get slaughtered. Damn it, you get greedy. You get greedy. Wendy say it’s a must win in game two. Damn it. You go in there, you try to take two. You stay composed. You stick to your game plan. Shout out to Tom Timido again for switching it up. I know it didn’t seem like it was going to work in the first half. The switching of Car Anthony Towns on Jaylen Brown and Jason Tatum. They were getting by, but Tom Tibido trusted it. He stuck with it. And guess what? When it was time to get stops in the fourth quarter, those size 21s were moving on the perimeter. Jaylen Brunson, one of the worst defenders in the NBA individually. Those feet were moving on the perimeter. This was the worst thing that could have happened for the Boston Celtics is giving this New York team life. When you have a team down and they don’t have belief, you keep them down. But now all of a sudden, this team got belief and they got confidence. And by the way, SA, I’mma say this again real quick. That’s the Muel Bridges I want to see. That was the Phoenix Suns Male Bridges, not the Brooklyn Nets Bridges. I want to see the MueL Bridges that’s going to get on your ass like back pockets defensively. That was the Muel Bridges we saw last night. Big Perk, uh, I appreciate the analysis, but in fairness to Wendy, since I got on him, I have to get on you, too. One of the rules is no cussing. You did it twice, don’t do it again. Now Wendy, let me get back to you. Jason Tatum, fourth quarter. What did his performance in the fourth quarter say to you, Brian Wintos? I’m gonna give you a chance to redeem yourself. What did it say to you? He wanted to sit back and play soft, which I don’t understand because he was playing very physical at the other end. This man had 16 rebounds. It wasn’t like he wasn’t he was wasn’t getting contact for some reason. He looked at Jaylen Brunson ahead of him who he’s got eight or nine inches on and he didn’t attack him. It happened over and over and Hey Perk, you’re right. Jaylen worked hard on defense several possessions in the fourth quarter. There was a there was one time where I was like, “Wow, look at how hard he worked, but he’s still given up 8 in. You can’t give you can’t bail him out by taking a step back three when he’s standing in front of you and the Knicks aren’t bringing help. That happened repeatedly with Tatum and Brown down the stretch. You just can’t do that. You got to play your advantage. The Celtics didn’t do it. There was a stretch, guys, when the Celtics got a 20-point lead where they didn’t even bring the ball inside the three-point line on seven out of 10 possessions. The ball didn’t even go across the line except in the air. You can’t play basketball that way. Go ahead. Well, that’s what they do. And that’s how and that’s how they play basketball. See, listen. I played with a guy by the name of Paul Pierce. They call him the troop, a Hall of Famer, one of the best best elite scorers I ever played with. When Paul Pierce shot wasn’t falling, Wendy Stephen A. You know what Paul Pierce did a great job of doing? getting to the free throw line, right? So, that means he was in attack mode. Jason Tatum, here’s the problem that I have with Tatum and Missoula at the same time because he got to help him out and put him in position to be successful. Jason Tatum is 69, 610. Jason Tatum is one of the elite scorers in the game. Have zero flaws offensively in my opinion. Why doesn’t he get more postups? Why doesn’t he get more post ups? You run a five out type offense. Damn it. Put his ass on the block. Mid post area. Let him go to work. And And I’m just I just don’t understand it for the life of me. Why have him as a ball handler running pick and roll after pick and roll after pick and roll. He’s 69 610 with the complete package. Put him in position. Joe Mazoula. Get out of your ways at times when your recipe is not cooking. It doesn’t taste good. Go to something else. I’ll say this, couple of quick comments about Jason Tatum. Number one, he’s one of the best players in the world and he’s a reigning defending NBA champion and he will always have my respect. He’s one of the elite players in the game. But last night’s performance, particularly in the fourth quarter and overtime, reminded us of the Olympics. reminded us and gave thoughts as to why was this man sitting on the bench um during Olympic competition chosen by Steve Kir to do so. It had you thinking about that because you heard how he was looking in practice and stuff like that. You certainly saying to yourself if he’s looking like that in practice, you know, even though you still find yourself saying you should have found a way to play him in the end that would give you cause to pause when you see that kind of performance cuz he’s much better than that. Uh but he just didn’t look that great last night in the fourth quarter in overtime. A matter of fact, he looked awful in the fourth quarter and overtime. So, we’ll leave it at that.

Stephen A. Smith hosts First Take alongside Kendrick Perkins and Brian Windhorst as they share their biggest takeaways from the New York Knicks’ dramatic 108-105 overtime comeback win over the Boston Celtics in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals.

0:00 Stephen A.’s Rules while hosting First Take
1:02 Knicks storm back vs. Celtics
2:11 Windy: The Celtics gave the game away
3:46 Perk: The Knicks TOOK the game from Boston
5:45 Stephen A. can’t contain his excitement
9:19 Stephen A. calls Windy blasphemous
9:54 Perk says Knicks can improve
12:13 Was Jayson Tatum playing soft?
14:48 Reminiscent of Olympics controversy?

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