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00:00We have reached the quarterfinal round of the second annual NBA
00:08in-season competition known in 2024 as the Emirates NBA Cup. It
00:14is quarterfinal Tuesday and Wednesday in the association.
00:19Two games tonight. A double header of knockout slash
00:22quarterfinal round action and then of course two more games
00:26tomorrow on quarterfinal Wednesday. Joe, before we dive
00:29into the actual matchups that we will see in both nights
00:33starting with our double header on this Tuesday, the eight
00:36teams still left standing. Of course, if you remember us
00:40breaking down all of the action, it is the three group
00:44winners, group A, B, and C in either conference and a wild
00:48card team that had the best record and or point
00:51differential to earn that wild card birth into the knockout
00:56round, the quarterfinal round of the NBA Cup. The Oklahoma
01:00City Thunder, they won their group. They are on to the
01:03quarterfinal round. They had one of the shortest prices
01:06entering the NBA Cup and here they are as the favorites past
01:10group play plus 280. The Knicks not all that far behind
01:16after winning their group in a decisive game just a week ago
01:20against the Orlando Magic back by 30 cents at plus 310. The
01:25Bucks have figured something out using the NBA Cup perhaps
01:28to spur some positive momentum back into their season at plus
01:32450 and the Houston Rockets have been great all year long.
01:37Seven to one for them plus 750 for their in-state foes in the
01:41Mavs in the Warriors. Round out our list of teams, Joe, at a
01:45ten to one price or shorter at plus 850. Hawks, Magic, really
01:51long numbers. Twenty-three to one for Atlanta. Orlando the
01:55longest of our eight teams at plus 2400. Why do you think
02:00that is the case? Yeah, well, I mean, listen, the Hawks and the
02:05Magic and the Magic, of course, we were questioning the loss of
02:10Paulo Boncaro over a month ago. We're going, boy, oh, boy,
02:14that's the end of it for Orlando and it didn't look good
02:18the first couple of games, Ben, that they had to play without
02:20them but ever since then, boy, oh, boy, they have they have
02:24been rolling teams and they've been doing it with very
02:28physical play, owning the boards, and they are getting it
02:32done and learning how to play without Boncaro and it's
02:35working in Atlanta. The minute they finally got healthy, Ben,
02:40a couple of weeks ago, Atlanta has been an absolute bet on
02:43team. This team currently with Atlanta was the team we thought
02:49was going to be very dangerous before the season started. They
02:52just hadn't played at all because of the injuries but I
02:56think what you're seeing now is a different Hawks team much
02:59like Orlando than they were a month and a half ago when the
03:02season started. Both teams very dangerous to me. Yeah, I would
03:07agree with that, Joe, as well. You look at these odds. You see
03:11where these teams are and we see the matchups that will
03:14dictate the rest of the bracket trying to get to Las Vegas,
03:18trying to get to Sin City to play in the semifinal. No,
03:23semifinals still on home floor. Joe Frieza, we need you here to
03:26make sure we know this. The NBA Cup semifinal in Vegas, NBA Cup
03:31Championship game also in Vegas. So, the winners of these will
03:36head to Las Vegas to make sure that they can contend for the
03:40NBA Cup and again, Joe Frieza, producer extraordinaire. I do
03:44believe the only game that does not count to your regular
03:47season record is that championship game. Final. Both
03:50the quarterfinal and the semifinal both do count toward
03:54your regular season record. Joe, the Thunder, the short
03:57favorites at plus 280. OKC, not just a short favorite to win
04:02the NBA Cup but a short favorite to win the NBA's
04:06Western Conference at plus 185. More than $4 in front of the
04:11Mavs who have that second best price. The favorites though to
04:14win the Eastern Conference while the Knicks are sandwiched in
04:17between but the Celtics were the favorites to win the NBA Cup
04:21before this whole in-season competition got started in the
04:24Cavs of course still one of the best teams in the NBA. In fact,
04:28they hold the NBA's best record. Neither Boston nor Cleveland
04:34into the quarterfinal round. They were in the same group.
04:37East Group C. Who won that one? The Atlanta Hawks. A team that
04:42is playing much better basketball as of late. A game
04:46above 500 at 13 and 12. But Joe, some of those heavy hitters
04:51from the Eastern Conference component of the NBA Cup
04:54competition not necessarily there as the odds anticipated
04:58before group play got underway. Yeah and listen, we saw it last
05:03year, right? We we watched it with Indiana who was playing a
05:09whole lot of inspired basketball right around this
05:11time of year, Ben. Remember running up and down the court.
05:14They're draining threes. Uh they are, you know, they're
05:17having a great time and could Atlanta, could Orlando be that
05:21team this year? Uh you know, the Lakers were able to get it
05:25done because they were playing quality basketball early last
05:29year and then the wheels fell off. I mean, how much effort
05:33push comes to shove? Does Dallas really care about the
05:36NBA Cup? Does some of those teams that are favorite, Ben?
05:40Uh it wouldn't shock me that a big number team there on the
05:44right hand side, whether it be the Warriors, the Hawks, the
05:47Magic, somebody is going to surprise us and be in that
05:52finals. The question is, which team can we make the money on?
05:56Yeah, absolutely so and then we'll start to discuss how we
06:00make that money up next when we look at our quarterfinal
06:04matchups on this Tuesday night. We'll head to Milwaukee. The
06:09Bucks played such a better ball than they were earlier in the
06:13season when we were all asking a similar question. Do Yannis
06:17and Dame still have it? Is Doc Riffers once again the issue in
06:22the state of Wisconsin and a great one out in the Western
06:26Conference that could be a Western Conference finals
06:30preview between the Thunder and the Mavs. Remember the two
06:33prices that I said to win the Western Conference crown
06:36Oklahoma City the favorite plus 185 who's got that second best
06:40price are rating Western Conference title winners. The
06:44Mavericks had a six to one number job. Yeah, I think this
06:49is going to be very interesting. These first couple
06:51of games here. Uh Ben, I think we're going to learn a little
06:54something about this Milwaukee team and I definitely think
06:58we're going to learn a little something about what's in the
07:00tank here for Dallas and how bad do they want this after
07:04losing a year ago to the Celtics. We shall see a trophy
07:10is at stake. Perhaps not tonight, but for the eight
07:14teams still remaining in the NBA Cup, just two more wins and
07:18you're playing for that trophy more around the NBA Cup. Our
07:22doubleheader next. Let's get you set for quarterfinal action
07:26and our two games on this Tuesday in the NBA Cup, the
07:30round of eight, the knockout round, the quarterfinal round
07:34of the second ever NBA in season competition. It starts
07:37with a match up in the Eastern Conference. The Milwaukee Bucks
07:41six and a half point home favorite inside the Pfizer
07:44Forum now against the Orlando Magic. The Magic played in a
07:48game to win their group against the Knicks a week ago in the
07:51garden. They did not win it. However, Joe, they did have a
07:54strong enough point differential to earn that wild
07:57card bid into this stage. The Eastern Conference component of
08:01the quarterfinal round, the Milwaukee Bucks overall this
08:05season. You look at their overall record. It's not
08:08sensational. It's twelve and eleven, but they've won eight
08:11of their last ten after a dismal and disappointing start
08:14to this season to use the NBA Cup as a springboard and
08:18they're a six and a half point favorite to advance to the
08:21semifinal round injuries. Joe, a huge component of this game
08:26for Orlando. What do you like tonight in Milwaukee? I don't
08:30like Orlando. I mean, it's one thing to lose Boncaro and then
08:34Franz Wagner steps up and averages 2728 points a game and
08:40all of a sudden Orlando is is winning and playing great
08:43basketball. Now, a couple of nights ago, Franz Wagner gets
08:46hurt. So now I got no Boncaro. I got no Wagner. I've got a
08:51magic team that offensively is going to be very, very
08:55challenged and I just don't see them being able to score
08:59enough against a now healthy Milwaukee Bucks team who just
09:03got back Middleton and they are playing the best basketball
09:07that they have played thus far this season. It feels like the
09:10Bucks are cashing a ticket and heading to Vegas. Yeah, I would
09:15think so as well. Joe Franz Wagner in picking up the slack
09:19for Paolo Bancaro who would be great to start off his third
09:23year in the association was key for the magic to build up the
09:27point differential to reach this stage. Six and a half point
09:31spread is compelling and the number as you saw from the
09:34initial line at seven and a half in favor of Milwaukee has
09:38actually worked back slightly to the magic but Orlando has
09:41not been a great underdog this season as they were a year ago.
09:46The magic just two and six both straight up and against the
09:49spread as that underdog team this season. Now, the Milwaukee
09:54Bucks off to a one and six and two and eight start this year
09:58have turned their season around. They have won ten of
10:02their last thirteen have the Bucks since that two and eight
10:06beginning but okay, are they covering and blowing teams out
10:10as they have figured out their winning ways? Not necessarily
10:13As a favorite this year, the Bucks just six, ten, and one
10:18ATS and let us not forget unlike group play action where
10:23running up the score was vital because of the point
10:26differential. It's not really the case now. You're just
10:29trying to win the game, get to Las Vegas, play in the
10:32semifinals. That's it. Uh it's just a win and advance but
10:37again, we saw Milwaukee last year lose and uh in epic
10:42fashion, I believe what was it? The Indiana that ended up
10:44advancing there. I think they've been there. They've
10:47done this and I think they want to keep the momentum going
10:51especially now that they got Middleton in there. The matchup
10:55advantages are there. This feels like a Yonis point prop
10:58over to me too. I think uh I think he'll have his way uh
11:02against Orlando tonight. If you see the name Wagner in the
11:06lineup tonight for Orlando, it's not Franz. It's his brother
11:09Mo. So, just know that and don't think we led you astray.
11:13High points props of the night. Of course, Yonis thirty
11:16and a half. Dame twenty-four and a hook for Orlando. It is
11:21Jalen Suggs who now has to pick up the production even more.
11:25Twenty and a half. Two fifteen. Compelling total. Feels a
11:29little bit light. We shall see. Joe, only a minute left in this
11:33segment. So, if you want to continue more NBA Cup
11:36conversations on the other side, that feels fair as well.
11:40We have a game tonight in Oklahoma City. Thunder. Four
11:43and a half point favorite against the Dallas Mavericks.
11:46Two thirty and a half. Is that over under? Joe, you were
11:49saying that you have heard a couple of people in the Mavs
11:52locker room might be a little bit under the weather dealing
11:55with a bug. What do you know? How does it affect your
11:57handicap? Yeah. Well, that's a lot of questions. A lot of
12:01questionable people here. There uh there's uh rumor going
12:05around that uh some guys are sick uh in that locker room and
12:10have not practiced uh but hey, listen, they've won eleven of
12:13their last twelve. They've won seven straight. Uh this is the
12:17hottest team in the NBA but they gotta have their full
12:20compliment going up against OKC. There is no doubt about
12:24that Joe. The Dallas is the hottest team in the NBA
12:28entering the NBA Cup quarter finals. As you said, winners of
12:32seven straight. Eleven of their last twelve. They have
12:35covered in ten of twelve in this recent form as well. We'll
12:40continue the NBA Cup next before we go to college. A
12:43little bit more on this NBA Cup quarterfinal Tuesday before we
12:47turn our attention to college basketball. John Rothstein will
12:52be on the show in just a little bit as well. Joe, just to tidy
12:56up the point on the Mavs and the Thunder. Four and a half
12:59points spread in favor of OKC. Two thirty and a half is that
13:04total. We'll see the availability based on whatever
13:07bug is going around with the Mavericks in that locker room.
13:11Right now, nobody has been listed out in full for
13:15tonight's game. OKC has been one of the best cover teams in
13:18the NBA the last year plus. They have been a favorite in
13:22their last twenty-four games since the season opener and
13:25winning outright as a short underdog against the Nugs. They
13:29are thirteen and nine against the spread as the favorites.
13:32You mentioned the Mavericks who have won seven straight. Eleven
13:35of their last twelve. They have covered in ten of those twelve
13:39games in this recent good form span and as an underdog this
13:44year, Joe, both five and three straight up in five, two, and
13:48one against the spread, meaning when Dallas covers as a dog,
13:52they often win outright, which is what they are trying to do
13:56in the quarterfinals to advance to the semis in Sin City.
14:01Yeah, and OKC has not been a great home favorite. Just six
14:05and five there, Ben. So, this is, yeah, listen, they've done
14:10a great job of blowing out the bad teams, OKC, and winning by
14:15double digits. This is a different animal and yes, this
14:19is going to be personal for OKC since it was Dallas that, you
14:24know, bounced them last year on their way to the finals, but
14:27this is a different test. Hartenstein now back and
14:31available here for OKC, but still no Chet Holmgren. They've
14:36had to change things up here a little bit. It's still a match
14:40up nightmare to me for OKC. Dallas has only lost one game by
14:47five or more points since November 4th, Ben. I don't
14:51think with the playoff atmosphere that we're going to
14:53have here, anything is going to change. They're going to throw
14:56everything at Donchik, who's 100% healthy, unlike what he
15:00was in the playoffs a year ago there in the Western
15:02Conference Finals. I think they're going to have their
15:05hands full here tonight, provided everyone's available.
15:09P.J. Washington, Najay Maher, as long as they're there, that's
15:12enough depth on Dallas to make this a game in which I'll take
15:16as many points and sprinkle on the money line for the Mavs.
15:20Death taxes a Shea Gilgis Alexander points prop around
15:2530. It is 30 and a half. Luka Donchik at 28 and a hook. Kyrie
15:30Irving at 21 and a half. Jalen Williams is a key for OKC, both
15:35offensively from his scoring component, 22 and a hook, and
15:39what he might do in those defensive matchups for Mark
15:42Dagnall and Oklahoma City as well.