PG: JRUE!!!!

[CharityStripe34]

Simmons called Gianni the best (or most terrifying) player he has seen live post-Jordan, next to peak LeBron (specifically 2018). The second half of the pod he goes into detail about Game 5, how the fans felt, what it's like seeing Freak in person playing like this, the "Dr. J" layup around Horford and how Milwaukee defended their title. There was a particularly poignant take he had on Gianni's influence on the rest of the team and the roleplayers especially. He likened it to how the role guys on the Bulls knew they always had a chance to win because they had MJ on the team (or same with LeBron) because of their outsized physicality/talent/mental savagery. And that's how guys like Pat and Bobby knew that Gianni 3 ball to cut the lead in half was going in.

Very worthwhile listen, especially the second half of the pod where it's just him speaking about the experience of the game, Gianni has a player and then where that fits historically with the games/players he's seen in person over the last 35-40 years. Fun listen.

[RogerMurdock]

Looked to me like Smart gave PC a bit of a shove to get open.

Eh, every player does that almost every time.

[jschligs]

Rewatching highlights from game 5. Jaylen Brown pushes off an insane amount and it never gets called.

[Turk Nowitzki]

Rewatching highlights from game 5. Jaylen Brown pushes off an insane amount and it never gets called.

Pretty much everyone across both teams is playing insanely hard and physical. There's all sorts of stuff going on which is why it's been so insane to me how much the Celtics have been complaining about the officiating.

[jschligs]

Rewatching highlights from game 5. Jaylen Brown pushes off an insane amount and it never gets called.

Pretty much everyone across both teams is playing insanely hard and physical. There's all sorts of stuff going on which is why it's been so insane to me how much the Celtics have been complaining about the officiating.

I hear that and everything, but watch his drives when he does his midrange jumpers. The arm extends literally every time to get separation. But yea, both teams have been insanely physical.

[BUCKnation]

Smart is getting too much hate for falling over on that portis oreb, and not enough for that fake elbow to the face taking him out of the play before the Giannis 3. At least on the portis oreb, jrue crashes on him hard and he kind of loses balance, but on that giannis 3, he ran out of bounds, jrue got the easy oreb and threw it to a wiiide open giannis. He might be in a really good spot for that rebound had he not ran out of the play.