KNICKS IN FIVE❗ ‘Brunson is the BEST closer in the game’ – Perk 👀 | First Take

KNICKS IN FIVE❗ ‘Brunson is the BEST closer in the game’ – Perk 👀 | First Take

Jason Tatum lighting up the guard. He was Superman in the first half. A Brunson barrage here in the third quarter. The clutch player of the year. Absolutely brilliant. Brunson unstoppable. Tatum unguardable. Anovi throws it down and Tatum is hurt. And this could change everything. Obviously, the loss is huge. This series is now three games to one in favor of the New York Knicks. But we got to get ready for game five. So, we’ll put together a game plan to come out on our home floor to keep the series alive. I mean, how about those New York Knicks, everybody? Good morning. Welcome into First Take. I’m Molly Kum. We got a whole lot to unpack today as we start with the Knicks closing in on their first conference finals appearance in 25 years. Jaylen Brunson led the way. Mr. Clutch, 39 points, 12 assists. New York overcame a double-digit deficit in the third quarter, taking a three-point lead into the fourth. The Celtics would go on to lose the game, but the real loss came late in the fourth. As you saw, Jason Tatum had to be carried off the court after suffering a non-cont lower leg injury. Here’s Joe Missoula on Tatum. Obviously, you’re always worried about uh someone’s health. So, the fact that he had to be carried off, uh, you know, like you said, you know, he’s the type of guy that when he gets right up, so he didn’t. And, um, you know, we we’ll we’ll know tomorrow exactly what it is. But, uh, yeah, I mean, it’s tough to watch, you know, a guy like him get carried off like that. When a player of of his caliber goes down and he’s rolling in pain like that, you know something’s wrong. So, um, that’s why I just gave my thoughts and prayers because you just you never want to see something like that ever. It’s tough. That’s not really a lot to say. All right. Obviously, we all feel for Jason Tatum. There’s been a lot of terrible injuries these playoffs. Good morning, everyone. Good morning. Morning. You did. It’s been a minute. Great to have you in the building. Good to saw you yesterday. I’m working. Yeah, you’re working. Okay. All right. So, obviously, as we wait for those MRI results on Jason Tatum, we know it obviously doesn’t look good. Jay, do you feel like the Knicks close out game five in Boston tomorrow like we all predicted him? Well, first off, let me say this. I um I really feel for Jason Tatum. Yes. I mean, you’re talking about a guy who has the most 50point performances in Boston Celtic playoff history. And look, I I thought the Knicks won the game fair and square. I think they outplayed the Boston Celtics throughout the course of the entire game. But damn, I wish I had that moment to see those last three minutes. 42. Even though he wasn’t playing his best, he had missed multiple shots. He just felt like he was the only Celtic player who was in rhythm. Jaylen Brown with foul trouble. Drew Holidayiday could have knocked down shots. Al Horford wasn’t shooting the ball. Porzingis wasn’t himself. And you knew the moment was going to be defining and the ball was going to be in his hands. I wish we would have had that moment and I hope a speedy recovery for him. But as we get to game five, I have to say I I’m going to take the Celtics because I’m going to take them for this reason here. Knicks are going to win the series. But man, this is why you got the bag, Jaylen Brown. This is your $300 million moment. And this time demands that moment for you to lead this team. You got in foul trouble yesterday. He made some fouls that were questionable. Yes. There were times where even Al listening to Al Horford postgame said, “We lost our leader.” Yes. Not one of our leaders, our leader. I think this is a moment in time for Jaylen Brown who has not had a great series by any means of his standards to come out and put his team on his back. Considering the game that the Knicks just played, it’s a moment in time for Jaylen Brown to lead this team. You think they could still win the series? I think the Knicks win this series, but I will pick the Boston Celtics to win this game at home, considering they have not won a game against the Knicks at home in Boston. It It’s more of a defining moment. It It’s a character check for me with them. Yes, I agree with you a thousand%. I’m a guy that says, “Never underestimate the heart of a champion. This game is going to take heart. You’re going in, you gave up two at home.” You look around that locker room and you tell your guys, “We’re not focused on winning the series right now. We just need to get one game.” I think they have enough to get one, Jay Will. I do. I really do. I believe they have enough. They have the character. They have the coaching. They have championship DNA. And like you said, Jaylen Brown, you got that Lee bag. You got to bring it. But also, UD, when I hear you talk, like you talk with a lot of passion, right? And the one thing that’s always been weird for me to see when I watch the Celtics, especially in these type of games, what do you see when Jaylen Brunson makes a play? What do you see when Anthony Edwards makes a play? There’s screaming, there’s yelling, right? I I I I don’t know if I see the same kind of venom or passion that is shared collectively between those guys. It’s all it always seems very stoic or just like, yeah, we expect to do that. Business as usual. This is a passionate moment in Boston Celtic playoff history, right, for them to show up and defend home court. Quite a lot about that. And that would be my guy Kendrick Perkins. Big Perkins, you got me. Good morning. How we feeling big time? Good to see you. What’s What’s up, Molly? What up, Will? You did. seems so low, big fella. Why the energy levels? What you mean? Well, boy. Okay. All right. Late nights, early mornings. Don’t worry, Perk. I got you. Don’t even address it. Perk, here’s what I need to know from you. Will the Knicks close out this series in game five? Cuz these two gentlemen say no. They’re expecting a big game from Jaylen Brown in Boston. I’m not. I’m expecting Big Body Brunson to do what he do best, and that’s close out games on the road. He’s the best closer in the game right now, especially in the Eastern Conference. Saw what he did to Detroit. Hey Molly, it’s something about those road games and close out games that ble brings out the best of him. I just feel like right now the Celtics and you know this, you got to have a different type of mental toughness right now, right? Your best player just went out. Jaylen Brown is dealing with a knee injury. I’m not making excuses for Boston, but I’m just calling it how how it is. Drew Holidayiday is banged up. Christopher Zingis is sick on and off. He’s not healthy, right? And so now it’s a mental thing, right? I heard Brian Winhorse last night. He was talking about how quiet it was in the locker room, how everybody was devastated. You down 3-1. Do you really feel like showing up and competing for this game four? I mean game five. Do you really feel like getting this win and getting back on the plane and going through this entire series or is this locker room shook? No, it’s it’s I’m telling you Jay, you looking but it’s a different type of mental toughness. This team is dealing with a lot right now man is what I’m trying to explain to you. And with Big Body Brunson, he smell blood and when he smell blood it’s a problem and he closes on the road. I think the Knicks closed this in five. Big Pur, can I just say something to you? You talk about Drew Holiday being banged up. You talk about Porzingis being sick. You talk about Jaylen’s Jaylen Brown’s knee hurting. These all sound like damn excuses to me. I don’t live in no world of excuses. I know Joe Missoula is built the same. You’re damn right. If I’m a Boston Celtic, I want to get back on the damn plane. You’re damn right. I may look shook for a minute, but this is what I talked to UD about. This is going to challenge the character of the Boston Celtic team. I know the character of the Miami Heat. It’s sitting right across the table from me. I want to see the character of the Boston Celt. And now you would know about that big perk. You played on teams that had defining character in KG and Paul Pierce. Are you telling me they don’t have that character to fight at home in a closeout scenario to beat? Now look, Jaylen Brunson going to have three more shots at closing it out. I’m not saying he can’t close it out back at Knicks in game six or back in Boston for game seven if it goes that way. But this one, if he gets this one, what does that say about the Boston Celtics? If I’m on the Celtic team, I can’t let that happen. Go ahead, UD. Hey, listen. Go ahead. Go ahead. No, listen. I’m going to say this, Perk, man. We was up on them boys 3 0 and they came back. And I understand this is a different team. They don’t have Jason Tatum. They got things going on with Porzingis. Jaylen Brown is not 100%, but I gotta believe that there’s some heart inside that locker room. Our job and our our plan against those guys was to push them for four quarters for 48 minutes and eventually we could break them. At one point that did work for us. That didn’t work for us as after after a while. They grew up. They grew out of that. They Joe Mazula came in, the toughness changed, the attitude changed. Jaylen Brown took more of that leadership. I’m going to be the tough guy rose. So, I don’t think that they don’t want to get on that plane. I think them dudes got pride, man. and they won a championship last year and they also understand what they up against right now. Th This is what I’m explaining to y’all. I’m not saying they don’t have pride. I’m not saying they don’t have heart. All I’m saying is I mean, you don’t have if you don’t have that, you don’t win a championship. But I know this when you’re going after your first championship, you’re starving. You’re starving. trying to repeat. I don’t know if you still have that same type of you may be hungry but you’re not starving. This entire series I was worried just because one of the injuries and I said this before the series started that the Knicks had a golden opportunity. I picked this series to go seven. The Knicks had a golden opportunity to pop the Boston Celtics because the injuries and I was wondering was they starving again for that second championship. Here’s the deal. I just see a Knicks team that are on a mission right now. You know what I mean? I see a Knicks team that’s on a mission. I see a Boston team. I don’t know. I don’t know. Chris Porzingis, he don’t know what’s going on with him. He’s fatigued. He’s saying all this. The Knicks ain’t trying to hear that. I know Big Body Bronson, he trying to he trying to close you out. He ain’t trying to waste time. That’s what Let me piggy back on that because now obviously up three games to one, the Knicks are huge favorites to win the series and obviously uh remember the Celtics opened as minus 900 favorite to beat the Knicks. Not only that, the Knicks are the favorite to win the East, but to make it to the NBA finals. So here’s what I want to know. Would it be a disappointment now UD if the Knicks don’t reach the finals? No. Not Not to me. I I’m not guaranteeing I’m not guaranteeing that they don’t go to the finals. I’m not They got to still go through Indiana, whoever wins that series. I’m not just going to say just because they beat Boston. And I’m The Knicks didn’t come here and go to training camp and put that team together just to beat Boston in the second round. They put that team together to win a championship. They still have to play either Indiana or Cleveland. And last year, if I’m not mistaken, Indiana beat them. Yes. Cleveland had I mean yes New York had some injuries but Indiana beat them and what we gonna do is we gonna give Indiana they flowers but they’re playing good basketball and they’re not a team that do we just gonna say the Knicks just going to run over and go to the finals if they beat Boston. I don’t agree with you. I I I would say this typically I would agree with you but the question is is it a disappointment if the Knicks do not reach the finals? And here, let me tell you why it is. Because Indiana beat them last year in the Eastern Conference semi-finals in game seven when Tyrese Hallebert had 26 points and they shot 68% from the field. So regardless of injuries, they got punked in that game seven. And defense is something that Tibs has always prided himself on. What did we see them do last night, Big Perk? We saw a team last night and their strategy was, “Hey, we’re going to switch every pick and roll. We’re going to be patient and we’re going to bait them into taking threes. Nobody else on Boston’s team got into a rhythm outside of Jason Tatum in that entire game. Derek White maybe in the first quarter, but after that everybody else felt dead silent and they stayed with the game plan constantly. So yeah, I think it would be a disappointment if they got by Boston and then the team that beat them last year that beat up on them in game seven that they didn’t step up to the plate and get that win to get to the NBA finals. Big perk. I’m with Jay Will on this one. You D? Hell yes to disappoint. Matter of fact, the Knicks after they close this series out, they going to the NBA finals. Oh, hell no. Now, I think Indiana I think Indiana is going to push them to seven games, but I’m looking I’m looking at a Knicks team that didn’t they go seven games last year? Yes, they did. They went seven games last year, right? Wasn’t Wasn’t the Knicks banged up? OG Noi dealing with a hamstring. Jaylen Brunson playing on one foot. Yeah. Josh Hart, what he tore his abdominal and all of a sudden now you bring in Carl Anthony Towns. You bring in Muel Bridges. You just knocked off the defending champs. And you mean to tell me you make it to the the the NBA. Look, they going to the NBA finals. Man, once they close out the Boston Celtics, the New York Knicks are headed to the NBA championship. And I’m going to take it a step further. Uh-oh. I wouldn’t be surprised if they win at all to be honest with you. I mean, let’s be honest wait hold on I got to pump the brakes on that. No, no. Here’s why I want to pump the brakes just to you specifically cuz you were so so high on OKC. But I never Miley I never had OKC winning at all. I had OKC I have OKC coming out of the Western Conference. And guess what? That’s not going to be easy for OKC. Not the way Minnesota Ant Mann and Julius Randle is playing right now. Yeah. That’s not gonna and and one OKC got to get past them, which I believe they will. Yeah. All I’m saying is the Knicks have opened up everyone eyes. I already believed in them, but they didn’t took it another step. And what I’m saying is who on this panel right now, including you, Miley. Yeah. If the Knicks happen to match up with OKC or match up with with with the Minnesota Timberwolves in the NBA finals, you mean to tell me y’all y’all saying they couldn’t win that series? I mean, I’m not counting out the Knicks in the final five minutes of any game. I am not taking nothing away from what the New York Knicks have accomplished, but what I will not do is just say they’re going to win the finals. You got to give credit where credit’s due. The game got to be played and the game is played in between the lines, not between us at the table. The game is played in between the lines. So, I got this. So, how do they match up against the Pacers? Well, the Pacers like to run. They get up and down. It’s a fast-paced game, so they’re going to run like they always do. The Pacers not going to change how they play. They’re going to get up and down. They’re going to play fast pace. They’re going to get the ball out even though it makes they’re going to run the ball. So, it’s going to be tough. Now, what I will say is the Knicks made the moves. They went and got male Bridges. They got wing defenders. So, they can switch things. They can they can take you out of offense. They can flatten you out once again like they did last night, making sure only one guy scores the ball, take the other four guys out. So, the moves that they made, the defensive moves that they made will help combat that, but I still say the game is played in between the lines. Jaylen Brunson’s injured. Donovan Mitchell, uh, excuse me, um, not Jaylen Brunson, I’m sorry. I’m sorry. Jason Tatum’s injured. Donovan Mitchell’s injured. It feels like the path has opened up for them. Still got to play the game. I mean, I’m not going to count Indiana either. Yes. Just because of how they were there last year. how Tyrese Halleurn wasn’t his full self either last year. So, look, we we we talk about this all the time, UD and KP. Everybody has in injuries. How do you manage those injuries when it matters the most? And health plays into this whole thing. So, look, I I think that could be a series that can go six or seven. I would probably have the New York Knicks favored slightly, but Indiana could easily win that series. I think that’s the beauty about where we are right now. Everybody in this season had Boston and Cleveland making it to the Eastern Conference Finals and now look at the situation. Yes, basketball’s in good hands. Absolutely. Perk, here’s what I want to know. As we’re talking about these injuries, what impact will Tatum’s injury have on the Celtics big picture moving forward? Because people are already saying they couldn’t keep this roster intact. They have new ownership now. And then obviously now the news of last night. I mean, one Molly, let me say this. First of all, praying that Tatum have a speedy recovery or whatever it is. Uh, you know, when the reports come out that he’s dealing with, know the young fella go get back on the floor as quick as he possibly can. Hate it for him. He definitely was balling last night before that injury. Okay. But I don’t know where the Boston Celtics go from here because I believe at this point they damn near spending about to like in total sat in contracts they damn near they starting five with Chris Pzing is in it. It’s about $800 to $900 million. So Molly, I don’t know where they go from here to be honest with you. I know that they can’t they it’s nowhere in hell a new ownership group is going to keep this team together. I’m not saying they’re going to break up Jaylen Brown and Jason Tatum, but you got to look at Chris Porzingis. You got to look and see what’s going on with Drew Holiday, right? You can’t keep every single you can’t keep all of these guys. And that’s again, but this is why is this is so important and I get it. You can’t control health and what happens between the lines for us injuries. But when you have an opportunity to win a championship, man, you got to maximize that. you shouldn’t have any regrets. And I thought the Celtics eased into this series, took this for granted, blew two games at home that they probably should have won. And they’re going to regret this later on in their career. Is I’m Is the only one, but like I think about the NBA championships I didn’t win when I went to the NBA finals more than I actually think about the one that I won. Oh, for sure. For sure. I I still lose sleep over the ones that I didn’t win and the seasons that I didn’t have an opportunity to go to the finals. But what I will say is the future for a team who we said would probably be going to the finals and I remember meeting with Joe Missoula after they won last year and the first thing he did was point up and say we got room for another one in those Raptors. So they had already set that tone. So for a team who we thought would probably be in the finals for the next two or three years just drastically and we talked about this earlier that picture changes because when you talk about an injury and we don’t know what it is but when you talk about an injury what we seen as basketball players of what it could possibly be that’s a six to eight to nine month thing and as basketball players you perk know this and J will you know this as well it’s a difference between when you can come back and then when you get to the level where you were at before you got hurt that’s a whole another level so before they get that Jason Tatum back that we saw last night that had 29 points in the third quarter without shooting any free throws. We’re talking about looking at another year at least before he gets back to that level. That changes everything when you talk about championship expectations and having championship coaches. It’s crazy to think about a team that literally in seconds goes from a championship contender to then transitioning to a rebuild. Yeah. But essentially, that’s what we’re talking about here, right? We’re talking about having a fire cell. And I talk about the fire cell with some of the older players. So Al Horford 38 years old, Drew Holidayiday 34 years old. Horzingis is about to turn 30 KP, but it feels like he’s the 38, 39 year old 40 with all the injuries and and all the stuff he’s been battling, right? So look, you can make a case that the only person that you try to keep intact with this roster is a guy like Derek White for his versatility that he can bring to the table. And you if you want to keep together Jason Tatum and Jaylen Brown, I’m fine with that. But it almost feels like you need to let go of these rotational players, give Jason Tatum the time to do rehab. Next year is what next year is to a degree and try to rebuild with players that can all defend and all shoot that fit into the Joe Missoula style of play. But that’s the reality of where this team is because of hitting the second apron and just where they are with some of their older players in the roster. No, look, it’s it’s not going to be go find players that fit the Joe Mazula system. Like Joe Mazula system is going to have to change if the if the Celtics break up this roster because that’s the luxury of having this group. Like it’s hard to go find another Derek White, another Drew Holiday, another Chris Porzingis and put those guys all on the same team. We’re talking about when they’re healthy, that starting five have probably the only starting five in the NBA that got two-way players, like elite two-way players. Not guys that could just put the ball in the basket, but guys that defend at a high level. It’s hard. And that’s why I go back to the regret part of it. You don’t want to have those regrets. Man, we had that squad. Bob M said something the other day that he said this was the best team that Jason Tatum probably is going to be a part of in the next like five, six years, right? This team in my opinion, right? When you run it back like this, man, you got to take advantage of it. I’m not saying you can control what happened to Tatum, but you go back and you look at what happened to them in game one and game two, they definitely going to be thinking about this. But the Knicks closing this out uh tomorrow night. But it’s crazy to think last night might have been the last time we saw that iteration of the Celtics. And obviously wishing Tatum a speedy recovery.

On First Take, Kendrick Perkins, Jay Williams and Udonis Haslem join Molly Qerim to discuss Jayson Tatum’s injury during Game 4 vs. the New York Knicks, debate if the Knicks can close out the series in Game 5, talk about Jayson Tatum’s injury recovery and more!

0:00 Jayson Tatum’s injury in Game 4
5:33 Can the Knicks close out in Game 5?
10:46 Can the Knicks reach the Finals?
16:25 What will Jayson Tatum’s injury recovery look like?

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