Can Celtics Be Challenged by Pacers in NBA East Finals?

Transcript

00:00 In the NBA Western Conference Finals, some crazy odds in the East, some lopsided odds.

00:09 I'm Mike Fischer reporting on the NBA.

00:11 Dallas Mavericks, Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving and company have advanced to the Eastern Conference

00:16 Finals where they are viewed as an underdog to a degree.

00:22 The Minnesota Timberwolves surprising themselves about 65% favored according to oddsmakers.

00:29 In the East, the Pacers don't have near that good a chance.

00:33 The oddsmakers think the Celtics are going to run away with this.

00:35 And of course, entering this process based on seeding alone, Timberwolves, Mavericks,

00:42 Pacers, no, they weren't necessarily supposed to be here.

00:46 In fact, our old friend from Dallas, Rick Carlisle, now the head coach of the Pacers,

00:50 basically says, sorry, but we we crashed the party from Indiana, whether you like it or

00:55 not.

00:56 But on the outside, looking in are the Knicks, who bemoan the fact that and injuries, obviously

01:02 a factor here, but bemoan what happened to them.

01:06 The game seven loss in a crushing manner and Madison Square Garden, which, as Stephen A.

01:15 Smith said going in, it's exciting.

01:17 Everybody's here.

01:18 It's hopping.

01:19 The energy got drained out of that place quickly as ESPN and ABC now being subjected to criticism

01:26 because their coverage was so pro-Knicks.

01:29 That won't be the case now in the Western Conference Finals or the Eastern Conference

01:33 Finals because the Knicks aren't involved.

01:36 It's Mavericks starting out with game one at Minnesota as a slight underdog and Rick

01:41 Carlisle's Pacers heading up to Boston, where we'll get a look at Chris Tupps Porzingis

01:47 and Rick Carlisle, old friends, and then Luka Doncic, an old friend of both of theirs, kind

01:53 of, and then Jalen Brunson, who the joke will be that with his unfortunate fractured hand,

02:00 he'll be in Cancun looking at some of his old friends as well.

02:04 Fish, out.

02:05 Bye.