Stephen A. reacts to the Knicks’ Game 1 loss 😨 COLLECTIVE COLLAPSE OF EPIC PROPORTIONS! | First Take

Stephen A. reacts to the Knicks’ Game 1 loss 😨 COLLECTIVE COLLAPSE OF EPIC PROPORTIONS! | First Take

Fourth quarter underway. Knicks by three. Denise Smith shoots for three. Ripped another one. Five consecutive threes for Nith. A 16-4 run by Indiana. We’ve seen Hallebertton be special in these moments. Oh boy. Here we go at the foul line. Step back straight on two points. He’s going in. And in back iron and in. And in Hallebertton hit it. And we have overtime. And Indiana has won and captured game one of the Eastern Conference Finals on the road in the Garden. A lot of basketball left to be played. Well, well, well. We know how Stephen A is doing. Uh Jay Will, how are you this morning? Orange and bruised. Oh, bruised. I get it. How long you been working on that, Monica? I thought about it for a second, but that’s for essay. Molly is game one. Gotta got to learn, gota adjust. Why are your lips cursed? Says I’m concerned. I’m just want to check on a friend. How are you mentally, physically, emotionally, spiritually? Like, tell me, talk to me. First of all, first of all, first of all, you I don’t believe you. I don’t believe you. You’re not concerned about me. You have no sympathy, no empathy for me whatsoever. I’m not buying it and I don’t want to hear it from you. Jay, good morning. Monica, how are you smiling? How are you smiling, Monica? H how is that possible? I mean, you were there. You were calling the game. How are you sitting in that chair with a smile on your face right now, Monica? I mean, what’s up? We supposed to be here. We supposed to be here. Well, ah, here here’s the deal. That’s game one. We got six more potentially. I think you just got to put it in perspective. I feel where you’re coming from, but I think you got to put it in perspective. Game seven, I might have called out on the show. I got you. Okay, ladies and gentlemen, let’s start this fine program that is called First Take. We got two full live hours and a whole lot to unpack. According to Elias Sports Bureau, teams that trailed by nine plus in the final minute of the fourth quarter OT of a playoff game were 0 and414 since 1998. That was entering Wednesday. Now they’re 1 in414. Wow, those are some unbelievable odds. Okay, Stephen A, let’s break it all down. Who’s most to blame for the Knicks collapse last night? I’m not putting it on one person. It was a collective collapse of epic proportions. It was horrible. Okay, my man OG one and the rest of the crew, I don’t want to hear anything from anybody else. This is bad. This is very bad. The New York Knicks had a 17-point lead with 613 left in game. 17 points. They had a 14-point lead with 2 minutes and 40 seconds left in regulation. They had a nine-point lead with 52 seconds left in regulation and they lost this game. They lost this game and it would have been a regulation if Tyresese Hallebertton’s feet wasn’t so big. Allah Kevin Durant. They would have lost a regulation if he was a half inch back and it would have been it would have been over because of his boy his three-point shot at the game. But his foot was on the line. So it goes into overtime and ultimately, you know, they end up losing. You’re talking about the New York Knicks committing about five turnovers in clutch time. That’s what we’re talking about here. We’re talking about this Cad Smith going in the last five minutes, six for six from three-point range, looking like the second coming of Steph Curry. We’re talking about Tyrese Hallebertton pointing to Reggie Miller and putting the choke sign up, mimicking that former great Indiana Pacers on the floor at Madison Square Garden. It was an epic collapse. There is no excuse for it. The New York Knicks, I thought, got a bit comfortable. You saw when they were up 17. You saw the run that they made without Jaylen Brunson on the court because he was in foul trouble. You saw Carl Anthony Towns flexing and roaring at the crowd and all of this stuff. And then they got comfortable and as a result, they started turning the ball over. They started taking ill-advised shots. They got a bit cocky and what have you and it came back to bite them. If the New York Knicks lose this series, this is the game we’re all going to look at forever. This is historic. We have seen nobody in NBA history come back from such a deficit in the last 2 minutes and 40 to 45 seconds. But it happened last night at the Garden. I’m sick to my stomach over it. I can’t believe I didn’t throw up because I certainly felt nauseous. I’m just that disgusted with this team right now. But again, there’s still a series to play. Floors yours. Monica. Uh, I I agree and I there’s not a individual that I think you put the responsibility of this loss on. I do think though to me I can stomach giving up the lead because we’ve seen it throughout the league this entire season and we’ve certainly seen it through this playoffs. In fact, the Knicks have been on the other side of it versus the Boston Celtics. To me, I’m struggling a little bit with the free throws late in the ball game because that was your opportunity at home to maintain a double possession ball game. So late the free throws to me by Carlton Towns and Ojanobi stand out. Um but there are a plethora of things to choose from in terms of the urgency not finding Aaron Neith and respecting what he was able to do in that five minutes. But I have a ton of respect for the Pacers in this one. This is what they have done consistently through these playoffs so far. Um and you got to give them their credit. The numbers that you just iterated, Molly, would say that that was probably the biggest choke in NBA playoff history, right? or one of them. That’s what the numbers tell you first and foremost. It is. It is. It is right. And it look, I still think the Knicks can win the series. But the question is, who’s the most to blame? And I agree with you both. I I do think there are two interesting points to make about this though, cuz if you actually watch the tape of the game, first off, OG Anobi has to be better. He has to be better. Not only offensively, but defensively, his ass wasn’t even certain plays. We talked about attention to detail. Nay Smith, the fourth, fifth, and sixth threes that he made in in that fourth quarter were plays in which OG was just kind of in no man’s land where you’re like, “Yo, he’s already made for. Get your ass up on the perimeter and pressure forcing to be a two-point score instead of a three-point score.” And then this last one will probably be a little bit more controversial. And I get it because he is Mr. Clutch. 43 points. Big number. It’s just not on it, right? But seven turnovers is a really big thing. And there were some plays down the stretch you’re like, “Yo, I know you’re tired.” Like big moments are made for big players. The one time where he’s in the corner where he just kind of he tries to throw the ball off to the opponent and he gets lucky and nobody gets the ball. The second time is another play though Stephen A the turn like the the pass that he made to OG right with 30 seconds left when they’re up five when he gets into that gap and scoring. How you manage the game for a guy who is a game manager is a really big thing cuz that turnover in which OG doesn’t catch the ball that allows them to come down and score again in that possession. That’s where it’s like, “No, nobody else going to get the ball here. I’m going to take the ball. I’m going to pull the ball back out. You’re going to foul me. I’m going to make two free throws. We’re going to be up seven with 29 seconds left to go instead of them scoring in the The only thing that I have to say to offer to you Jay is that’s not controversial because Jaylen Brunson as he goes this team goes and yes he had 43 points in this ball game and that’s terrific but coming into last night they are seven and one in this postseason when he has two turnovers or less when he has two or more and with that loss now they are one and four and so yes somebody has to be able to take a handle on understanding the time and score in the ball game the variance that you need. The pace is a tricky thing in this one because you think of the Pacers going up and down this way and yes, that’s accurate, but they also have tremendous pace in their half court. Tibs has pointed out he doesn’t necessarily want to play slow. The Knicks also want to play with pace, but it is not going to be the same pace as the Pacers as we watch game one unfold. And so it falls on your point guard to make sure they have the appropriate variant. Stephen A. Well, without question, you’re absolutely right. And and but let’s let’s call it like like it is. It was a choke job and I don’t want to hear about fatigue. Jaylen Brunson was in foul trouble. He spent more time on the bench than usual. I don’t want to hear fatigue. That didn’t apply to last night. That was just mistakes at the most inopportune of times. Not to mention the fact that you’re going one-on-one and you’re effective, but in the same breath, you got to take into account when you talked about N Smith. This guy in a postgame interview, he basically said, you know, I’m a great three-point shooter. And I was like this, you know what? 52%. Do you know? Do you know that the man shoots 54% from three in this postseason? Third leading three-point shooter in the NBA this year. I mean, this brother is this brother can launch. Okay. And so, you know, that and this was my concern coming into this series, which is why I was saying, let’s not summarily dismiss the Indiana Pacers because we looked at Boston and we saw the problems they had shooting the basketball. first two games when the Knicks went up 200 on them. 48 of their 100 threes were wide open threes and they was just missing. You think we could count on Indiana with Nate Smith with with them hard to miss those shots? I’m not with Hallebertton hell to the no. We can’t count on that. They will make those shots. And here’s the thing that’s scary, and I think now it’s appropriate in the aftermath of this since in the history of the NBA when somebody has trailed by 14 or more in the last 2 minutes and 45 seconds of regulation, the record was 994 and zero. Last night was the first night anyone has ever come back from a deficit like that. And once again, it was at the garden. Sacrificial lambs. It’s always at the garden, Jay. It’s always at the garden when visitors come and show up. This is what happened last night. Hold that thought. Jay was Jay was shaking his head at you when you were talking about fatigue and a few other points that you made. And I want you to be able to respond. I just think you’re dead wrong on this fatigue thing. You You can’t look at fatigue through the normal prism of physical fatigue. All those things you just made mention of, Stephen. A down the stretch. Got it. That is a sign of a team that psychologically in that moment is fatigued psychologically with those those are those are miscues, right? The nuances of misses. That’s what led to the comeback, right? So, it’s like, hey, you go you go to six with Detroit, you go to six with Boston in these physical series and now this is another one where it’s a collapse. That’s mental fatigue. I’ll defer to unra I I’ll I I’ll I’ll defer to you on that. No problem. I’m not going to challenge you. I’ll just ask a question. I’m only deducing that point because they were in the game seven series last year. They were in the game seven. You know, they’ve been in series since Brunson has arrived. He’s experienced enough. He’s been on this stage before. And I’m thinking because he was in foul trouble on the bench, you’re getting rest at that particular moment in time. So, I understand your point. I’m just saying it’s not it’s not abnormal for him in a negative way because he’s been here before, but usually it hasn’t been in foul trouble. So he got additional rest. Whereas in the past that may not have been the case. That’s all I meant by that. But in the end what it comes down to is that the Indiana Pacers, they have performed in clutch. They’re six and0 in clutch time this postseason. These brothers make shots. And the reason I bring that up is because if the New York Knicks surrendered 48% of wide openen threes in the first series against Boston, is it possible? Is it plausible that this is something that could be problematic for them? Because again, Indiana, even though one shot was launched from 32 was launched from 27 ft by Nay Smith, the bottom line is you had guys that know they can shoot on the New York Knicks. How much of a problem is that y’all? I Okay, I think you’re right to pose that question, but I do also want to call out that statistically when you look at last series, the Cavs versus the Pacers, they had they shot just 18 of 70 on wide openen threes versus the Pacers. So, I think both of these teams have some lapses in terms of guarding the three-point line. So, there’s going to be some opportunity for the Knicks to cover themselves, I guess, if you if you will, in that category in terms of getting to the line. But, I think the totality of it all is something that you also have to bear in mind. Rick Carlo was asked about the rest versus rest thing pregame. And I believe he said this was day nine for his team. They were sort of anxious, ready to get out and play basketball again. And to me, by the time you got to the fourth quarter, I don’t know if you want to call it blame it on fatigue or whatever, but the Pacers, to your point, Stephen A, who are very comfortable in clutch time, they looked like the fresher team. And Aaron Nath had the night of his life in the postseason. And that is just an outlier to me. Speaking of clutch time, guys, Tyresese Hallebertton has had some epic shots this postseason and last night was spectacular. Do you feel like Jay, he became a superstar last night? I feel like he has arrived now whether he’s going to be there’s different caliber of superstars, right? LeBron, Steph, there are different levels of superstars. But I do think that you can’t realistically look at the shots that this dude has made in the first round, in the second round against Cleveland where he made a dagger three. You know, being a superstar is about shining in superstarike moments. Everybody knew last night he was going to take that shot and he made it on Broadway. And on the 30-year anniversary of Reggie Miller and the to like, so call it what you want to call it. He may not have the same pop as Steph, we’re we haven’t talked about him the way we talking about Edwards as a face of the league or SGA is the MVP or a big body Brunson, but shame on us. We should be talking about him that way. And look, he is a master of nuances. The things that he does don’t show up on the screen the way the normal person can see it. So, me as a hooper, I’m going to start calling him a superstar cuz I think that’s that’s the respect he wants. We I’m old enough to remember sitting at this desk last week. Oh, wait. I I agree with Jay. I’m going just put that out there. I think we got to stop playing with this man and put some respect on his name. Um, I will say that he would be early in terms of approaching that conversation because you’re right on caliber, but he’s what is he drafted to class of 2020? Like, he’s not he’s not been in the league that long either. And so I think he still has time to continue to cement himself, but he answers when the call when the bell rings. Um, you’re both wrong. I’m not agreeing with you on this at all. And I don’t have to worry about how, you know, folks are coming late to the party. I wanted the Knicks to draft Hallebertton. Remember that. I wanted them to draft Hallebertton instead of Obie Toppin. I think he’s a damn good player. Um, I think that he’s a star in this league, but superstar status is reserved for the select few. and I don’t view him that way. However, and I know that he shows up in the clutch moment. He deserves our credit. He’s a big- time player. I like him a lot. I’ve always said that. So, I don’t have to worry about how I’m being perceived in terms of what I’ve had to say about him because I’ve always celebrated him. Having said all of that, I’m going to sit up there Eminem and Jay and look at y’all like this. Um, you’re talking about big shots, right? And you’re talking about how big shots qualify you as a star. Was Robert Aie a superstar? Nobody hit more big shots than that. Are you toy? No, no, no, no, no. I know no I’m not. What I’m saying is in terms of the big shots, I’m talking I’m talking about the big shots. What you said about big time shot making. I’m saying when you bring up somebody that’s got about seven rings, when you bring up the Chanty Bips of the world who hit big shots and stuff like that, there have been plenty of people throughout NBA history that were really damn good and hit big time shots, but they still weren’t labeled a superstar. So, just because you show up in the clutch and you make big shots doesn’t make you a superstar. That is my point of what I’m saying. Tyrese Hallebert and Kim Ball, the brother is a star. people who labeled him overrated with just hating. They should be ashamed of themselves. The brother can play all of that. True. But when I think superstar, I’m thinking Steph. I’m thinking LeBron. I’m thinking people like I’m thinking Shay Gil just Alexander. I’m I’m just saying that doesn’t mean he can’t be y’all. Yeah. You do have to give him some time. All I’m saying is to me that’s what I’m saying. He’s right there. But I will say this. I’m hesitant to even get into the same boat with you on those comps because that is dismissive of his stats in totality. He’s not just hitting big-time shots as an elite shooter, right? The man is averaging practically 10 assists in this postseason, shooting 47% from the field. And look, I’m not about to get too heavy on the Tari Hallebertton bandwagon. But I do but I do think No, no, I got you. But I do think when we have conversations about superstars, they are guys that shift your game plan. and he is becoming a guy that shifts your game plan, especially late in games. And as much as Jay pointed out the basketball of it all, whether you like it or not, how however unorthodox it may be, the way that he keeps his dribble alive, the way that he’s sort of slightly offbeat, has the defense guessing a little bit, he is a guy that you have to game plan for. And it’s not just about his ability to score, it’s about his ability to dictate as well. There have been plenty of people that will shift your game plan throughout NBA history that were not called superstars. That’s all I’m saying. Okay, Stephen, is it market for you, Stephen A? I’m sorry. Is it Is it Is it market for you? Is it the market and the style in which he plays because he’s not jumping off highlights and you know, you don’t see him because I feel like I feel like as somebody that studies like the nuances of a game, every time I watch him play, he’s jumping off the page to me. Stephen A may just need to see more of it consistently based on me knowing you, Stephen A, in terms of resume. But I want to push this forward, Stephen, and get to the crux of what’s what’s really being the number one option. Yeah. Yeah. Stephen. Oh, that’s interesting. Oh, sorry, Mom. No, go ahead. Respond. He is the number one option. Yeah, talk to me, Stephen. Keep going. No, no, no, no. What I’m saying to you is that I know that he is I’m not trying to say he’s not a number one option, but on a night innight out basis, when you have superstars, the superstars that we’re talking about that’s good for 24 to 27 a night, okay, that’s not necessarily him. There have been many, many nights where He’s not that dude offensively, but the people around him are. And obviously, he’s a catalyst because he’s a point guard. He get other people involved. But what I’m saying to you, I’m when I think superstar, my personal opinion, when I think superstar, I’m talking about that 23, 24 to 27. I’m talking about the ballers in your hands. I’m talking about you being the number one option and everybody moving the hell out the way because they know it’s on you. It’s on your shoulders. The Indiana Pacers have a collection of talent and they got a lot of really, really good players and that’s how I look at it. I love when I can come on your show and prove you wrong. I love Hold. Let me get comfortable. What’s about to happen? Why are you only looking at what you score? Please, why are you only looking at what you score? Good point. What you assist is additional to what you score. If you’re averaging nine and a half, 10 assists a game. Even if you’re averaging 19, that means you’re really collectively adding to your team 40 or 50 points a night. That’s accountability. I’m not taking that. I’m not I’m not I’m not ignoring that. I’m not ignoring that because by the way, Magic Johnson didn’t always score the most points. John Stockton didn’t always score the most points, but they’re Hall of Famers. We knew how to look at them. Isaiah Thomas wasn’t always the leading scorer for the Detroit Pistons. We get all of that. We understand that scoring is not everything, but I’m talking about the face of a franchise, the responsibility laying squarely on your shoulders, everybody knowing that there’s this dude and then there’s everybody else. You look at the Indiana Pacers, as much respect, profoundly I should add that we have and should have for Tyrese Hallebert. I’m saying when you look at the Indiana Paces, you don’t look at them like that. You do look at Brunson with the Knicks standing out significantly. But I don’t think so. I don’t think so. I don’t think so. Well, I mean, you had the conversation with Gil Arenas the other day talking about the fact that like, well, you know, Pascal Seakum should have been the guy and you know, you can’t really win because this is Tyrese Hallebertton’s team and I can’t believe Well, that that he’s wrong. like that conversation was wrong. Like you should start looking at Tyrese Hallebertton that way even though it doesn’t jump off the page that it has for typical superstars in the past. Well, again, if it doesn’t jump off the page the way it has for typical superstars, then that would be a reason why we’re debating whether or not he’s a superstar. So, you have your opinion about it. I have mine. I’m simply saying that I need to see the trajectory is there. The trajectory is he’s going in the right direction. Is he there yet in terms of superstar? No, I’m not going to say that. No, let’s all take a collective breath.

On First Take, Stephen A. Smith, Jay Williams and Monica McNutt join Molly Qerim to react to the Indiana Pacers’ wild victory over the New York Knicks in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals in the 2025 NBA Playoffs.

0:00 Stephen A. is in a bad mood
4:42 Who is to blame?
8:00 Choke job!
12:54 Is Tyrese Haliburton a superstar?

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