
Examining the top teams out West, the ongoing battles in the East, Joel Embiid set to return, & the rest of the West's playoff picture
0:00 Intro 0:53 Ross surprises Bruce & World B with a quick trivia question 2:07 An examination of the Top 3 teams out West 2:26 Oklahoma City Thunder 6:40 Minnesota Timberwolves 10:45 Denver Nuggets 15:31 The ongoing battle in the East for very key playoff slots 16:10 Cleveland Cavaliers 19:57 New York Knicks 23:11 Ross jabs Bruce with the Celtics recent losses to the Hawks 23:49 Joel Embiid set to return this week for the 76ers? 28:39 A look at the rest of the West’s playoff picture 28:50 Who’s the better team: Dallas Mavericks or New Orleans Pelicans? 33:18 Are the LA Clippers lurking having won 4 straight games? 36:35 An ugly battle for the 7th seed between the Phoenix Suns & Sacramento Kings 40:26 The Golden State Warriors now have 4 straight road wins 43:55 Did the Houston Rockets blew their playoff chances with Sunday’s loss? 46:44 Is this UCONN Men’s team the sickest squad we’ve seen in awhile? 49:36 Final 1 liners to close out the show!
2 Apr 202451min

48 Minutes with ESPN's Tim Legler
0:00 ... Hello and Welcome to episode 95 in honor of Juan Toscano Anderson ... our guest this week is ESPN's Tim Legler. 1:13 ... Ross live Bet Online commercial read 1:51 ... Bruce introduces his long-time friend and colleague Tim Legler of ESPN with a story about the biggest night of his NBA career. 3:37 ... Bruce and Legs discuss whether the Celtics have peaked too soon ... Legs wondered if the big lead has made them complacent but he feels Boston is the most complete team in the NBA. 6:13 ... Ross asks Legs about the Bucks as they gear up for the playoffs ... Legs feels Joe Mazzulla is much more comfortable this season while the Bucks hired Doc Rivers to replace a rookie coach. The Bucks are playing well defensively due to Doc making them accountable. 9:00 ... Damian Lillard is adjusting to being on a team with a teammate who is better than him. The Bucks have made him a believer. 9:56 ... The Knicks don't want to finish 4th because they'll get Boston in the second round ... injuries have hurt the team and they might not be at their best until next season, but they can still be a dangerous playoff team. 12:48 ... Bruce asks Legs about how Tom Thibodeau has not overused his guys, and that the injuries to key Knicks players were freakish, not from overuse. 14:59 ... The Cavaliers have really missed Donovan Mitchell and their record without him is dismal ... but players who miss time and comeback healthy for the playoffs usually have more energy due to being idle. Legs compares Joel Embiid's situation to Mitchell. The Cavs are in trouble and might lose in the first round ... 17:58 ... Ross asks about Embiid's possible return ... Legs says Embiid's injury (meniscus) is not like a pulled muscle, once he's fixed and feels good -- play him. But good health and getting into a good rhythm are two different things and his first games will be intense affairs. 20:35 ... If Embiid comes back and is injected into a first round series, it will be the biggest "X-Factor" in first round playoff history. 21:04 ... We discuss the Houston Rockets and their long shot bid to knock the Warriors out of the Play in ... Legs thinks the Rockets/Warriors game on April 4th is a game to circle on your calendars. 23:12 .. Denver looks ready for another deep run and Legs discusses how the Wolves, Mavs, and Thunder could all threaten Denver. Minnesota's defense is great, but can they close out games? OKC is a young team that lacks playoff experience. Dallas could end up being the last team standing against the Nuggets. Legs trusts Luka in clutch situations. 26:38 ... Bruce asks Legs about the Thunder and whether rebounding will be their downfall in the postseason. Legs agrees and points out that Chet Holmgren is tall but thin and has trouble maintaining position down low. Legs also feels OKC's 3 point shooting may be lacking. 30:32 ... Ross asks if Legs was surprised at OKC's lack of pursuit of "bigs" at the trade deadline. Legs riffs on Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively and their 82% combined shooting. 32:42 ... The Wizards have won 3 straight, jeopardizing their lottery position and as a former Bullet and Wizard, Legs has been depressed watching his old team all season. Even Detroit has more hope because they have young studs like Cade Cunningham while the Wiz have Jordan Poole. Legs tells a funny story about Poole and says he's enjoying "the direct deposit every two weeks." 35:23 ... World B asks Legs about the franchise moving to Virginia. Legs feels a move will help the franchise shed its "corporate" feel playing in downtown DC. 36:34 ... The New Orleans Pelicans have missed Brandon Ingram and Legs is concerned his absence could cause the team to stumble because he can create good shots when the shot clock is winding down and that is hard to replace. They may be under the radar but they have three key positions filled with Zion Williamson, CJ McCollum, and Ingram (when healthy). They'll be a problem in the playoffs. 38:57 ... Legs eviscerates the Suns over their loss to Milwaukee ... Phoenix has really pissed him off ... the Suns lost to San Antonio on Monday without Wemby. Legs is simply irate and jokes about kicking the Suns out of the league due to their pathetic effort. 42:43 ... World B asks about the return of Russell Westbrook and what impact he'll have down the stretch for the Clippers. He plays every single minute as hard as he can and is an energizer off the bench. Legs believes they'll reach a higher gear before the playoffs start. 45:29 ... World B asks why the Clippers are losing so many winnable games. If Kawhi has another gear, he can take more control over games but has mostly been pacing himself. As Kawhi goes, so go the Clippers. 48:16 ... If the Warriors play the Lakers in a play in game, Ross asks Legs if he favors LeBron or Curry. Legs picks the Lakers because LeBron has Anthony Davis and Steph doesn't. 50:02 ... Bruce asks Legs, the former 3 Point champion about Caitlin Clark and if he would like to see her at All Star Weekend shooting threes against an NBA three point specialist as Sabrina Ionescu did with Steph Curry this year. Legs says Curry should always be the NBA shooter and he also came up with a creative idea for Caitlin, Sabrina, and the Splash Brothers. 52:22 ... Ross asks Legs about the NCAA Tournament and he likes Houston to win it all. But he also feels UConn is the most complete team out there. 53:19 ... Ross tees up "Parting Shots" and Bruce hammers Shai Gilgeous Alexander and Chet Holmgren for their lame ATT commercial. Legs jumps in and bashes the Jimmy Butler/Jaime Jacquez commercial and wonders if Holmgren ever has any fun playing basketball. 54:58 ... World B says Khris Middleton's return will make them a real threat to win the east. 56:23 ... Ross does a best bet on Milwaukee vs the Lakers on Tuesday night. 57:08 ... Legs says the movie "Arthur The King" with Mark Wahlberg is a "must see" and we should all see it when it comes out. It's the story of a remarkable dog! 58:50 Ross wraps it up, thanks Legs, and says goodbye TRT 59:34
26 Mar 202459min

Instant Bucks/Celtics Game Recap/Reactions, Teams out East to keep an eye on, & The biggest questions out West
0:00 Intro 1:35 Instant Bucks/Celtics Post Game Recap & Reactions 10:56 Quick NCAA Championship Predictions! 12:16 Are the Miami Heat lurking around as threats this year? 16:42 The New York Knicks continue to impress & stay hot out West 20:53 Will Joel Embiid return this season? If so, are the 76ers an instant playoff threat? 24:52 The Orlando Magic are streaking 28:20 Bleav or Dis-Bleav? Will the Pacers “Siakaburton” get healthy & peak at the right time? 30:50 Is there anyone out West that can challenge the Denver Nuggets out West? 34:45 Is time running out for LeBron James to win another championship? 38:14 Western Spice courtesy of the Clippers, Pelicans, & Warriors 46:11 One liner endings from the 48 Minutes Crew
21 Mar 202448min

48 Minutes with Jared Greenberg of TNT and NBA TV
0:00 ... Hello and welcome to the show ... Episode #93 is in honor of Metta World Peace ... then Ross introduces the panel 0:59 ... Bet online live commercial read 1:43... Bruce welcomes Jared Greenberg to the show ... who points out another player who wore #93 (PJ Brown) 2:36 ... Jared discusses his new show called "Crunch Time" on the NBA app and shares details on why the show is so valuable to NBA fans. 5:06 ... Can the Warriors hang onto their play-in spot and make the postseason now that Chris Paul is back? 6:43 ... Bruce asks Jared about Chris Paul "T-ing up" official Matt Myers after Myers "T-d" Paul up on Wednesday night. Jared was impressed with Myers' demeanor in the moment. 8:25 ... World B asks Jared for his opinion on the Sacramento Kings and how high their ceiling is. Jared points out that it's hard to go from "good to great," and that's where the Kings are right now. It is harder to do that than to go from from "bad to good." 10:31 ... What about Domantas Sabonis and his spot on the MVP ladder. Jared feels his numerous triple doubles have not led to enough wins so he isn't a top candidate. 12:14 ... The Phoenix Suns could win the west but their injuries have plagued them all season and there is danger of those woes continuing into the postseason. 13:58 ... The New Orleans Pelicans have quietly been excellent this season and Jared feels they have a huge upside heading into the playoffs and are possibly the most talented team "top to bottom" in the NBA. 16:50 ... Jonas Valenciunas of the Pelicans could be a matchup nightmare in the postseason. 17:56 ... The crew discusses the teams currently seeded 7-10 in the west and which ones could make real noise in the playoffs. Dallas and the Lakers don't impress him but the Warriors and Suns do. 20:32 ... Jared feels the Lakers will stay in the play-in hunt despite being bad on the road and having 9 of their final 15 games away from home. 21:35 ... Ross initiates a discussion on the Milwaukee Bucks, but Jared feels that despite their talent, they will not be a threat to the Celtics. 24:16 ... Jared feels the Celtics will not need motivation and will be totally focused on the postseason despite their mostly unscathed cruise through the regular season. 25:36 ... Jared is not concerned that Boston doesn't cause opposing teams to foul them and get into foul trouble due to all the three point shots the Celtics jack up. 27:31 ... Jared agrees with Brian Scalabrine that star players should play MORE minutes and not FEWER minutes as they prepare for the playoffs. 31:15 ... The Knicks have a lot of players who play big minutes and Jared expects Mitchell Robinson to return this season before Julius Randle. He also feels that the Knicks could be more dangerous in the postseason than Cleveland, Milwaukee, and every other eastern conference team not named Boston. 36:36 ... The Orlando Magic have been a nice surprise, but Jared feels that Oklahoma City has been THE top surprise team in the league this season. 37:35 ... Ross and Jared discuss the chances for the Timberwolves to do well in the playoffs with Karl-Anthony Towns injured. While they're a great defensive team, they won't have enough offense without Towns. 38:59 ... Jared shares his thoughts on the race for MVP this season. Had Joel Embiid not been injured, it very well might have been him. There are up to 8 legit candidates but Nikola Jokic is Jared's pick at this point. 40:21 ... Jared and the crew discuss some of his favorite interview subjects and who stands out and we all agree that Michael Malone of the Nuggets is at or near the top of the heap. 42:57 ... Jared shares more details about his whiparound show on the NBA App called "Crunch Time" and why it's a "must watch" for serious NBA fans. 45:16 ... Ross wraps it up and thanks Jared for joining us ... bye bye TRT 45:47
15 Mar 202445min

Million Dollar Questions, Incredible Scoring Milestones, & Pacers/Suns Concerns
0:00 Intro 1:57 Which team do we trust more: The Denver Nuggets or Boston Celtics? 9:12 Which team has been better since the All-Star break? The Nuggets or the Bucks? 18:05 NBA Championship Pick: The Boston Celtics or the field? 23:43 LeBron James reached 40K all-time points. Will we see another player reach 40K points again? 30:14 Caitlin Clark becomes the NCAA’s all-time scoring leader 34:02 Is it time to hit the panic button on Tyrese Haliburton & the Indiana Pacers? 38:00 Devin Booker’s injury news & the Suns upcoming schedule without him 44:51 Announcement Time! 48 Minutes Live is back on Playback.TV Wednesday night
5 Mar 202445min

Beasts of the East, West Teams Gaining Momentum, Star Injuries, & the TV Moment of the Week
0:00 Intro 1:38 The Boston Celtics are on fire 5:07 The Milwaukee Bucks look like a different team heading out of the break 10:03 Health concerns remain in New York with the Knicks 15:16 A Heat/Pelicans brawl leads to some suspensions 19:38 Kevin, Devin, & the Suns are heating up in Phoenix 22:54 Are the LA Lakers really not getting foul calls? 24:50 The Beam Team in Sacramento looks to get laser focused down the stretch 30:58 Storylines out of the Bay with the Golden State Warriors 38:57 Can the Philadelphia 76ers survive without Joel Embiid? 39:59 Trae Young’s injury news out of Atlanta 44:12 Bruce’s TV moment of the week 45:23 Ross provides this week’s 48 Minutes Live announcement
27 Feb 202445min

48 Minutes: Nets fire Vaughn, All Star Thoughts, & Stretch Run Preview
0:00 ... Ross introduction for episode #90, dedicated to Drew Gooden. 0:33 ... Ross live Bet Online commercial read 1:10 ... Bruce's opening comment is on his friend JA Adande, who was named the winner of the 2024 Curt Gowdy Media Award by the Basketball Hall of Fame over the weekend at the All Star Game. He tells a story of JA's interview with Kobe Bryant on ESPN's NBA Coast to Coast during Kobe's final season that featured a very special moment. 3:01 ... World B's opening comment is on a touching moment involving LeBron James and NBA journalist Jeff Zilgitt at All Star Weekend. 4:27 ... Ross's opening comment is on Damian Lillard's successful weekend in Indianapolis which will hopefully jump start Milwaukee's season as we hit the stretch run starting on February 22nd. 6:14 ... The Brooklyn Nets have fired head coach Jacque Vaughn but Bruce feels that general manager Sean Marks is the one who should have been fired. World B understands that the Nets have been in a tailspin but many of their losses came against top shelf teams, so management's expectations might have been really unfair. Ross pointed out that the front office might have thought Ben Simmons was more capable than he appears to be and that Vaughn may have been unfairly blamed for his struggles. 11:12 ... Ross feels that Cam Thomas was an outspoken critic of Vaughn and World B feels like Thomas is a remorseless gunner who should not have as much influence as he may have. 12:25 ... Ross begins the discussion of All Star Weekend with a recap of the Rising Stars Game and the Skills Challenge. 13:23 ... The Dunk Contest was next and Mac McClung impressed everyone with his athleticism and creativity. Bruce was underwhelmed by the rest of the Slam Dunk Contest and would like to see it become a smaller player's (6'5" and under) competition since seeing smaller guys dunk would be more fun. However, everyone agrees that Victor Wembanyama should be allowed to compete as the lone exception if the 6'5" rule is ever implemented. World B points out that the Dunk contest needs bigger names competing. Jaylen Brown was the biggest name this year and everyone was impressed that he chose to compete. 18:54 ... As for the 3 Point Shootout, Damian Lillard won it but it was overshadowed by the "Steph Curry vs Sabrina Ionescu" 3 Point challenge. The guys want Sabrina and Caitlin Clark to be in the Men's 3 point Shootout next year. 21:31 ... Sabrina vs Steph was the highlight of the weekend and the respect between the two was really impressive. 23:33 ... The All Star game itself was a total joke. Since the NBA scrapped Elam Ending this year, they lost the chance for some real excitement as the game devolved into a glorified layup line. Bruce then tells a story he heard from ESPN's Tim Legler about a former teammate who never played much, but kept track of his points in the pregame layup line. Ross and World B agreed the Elam Ending should return. World B was irate about the fact that the players didn't care about the game, so why should the fans? 26:52 ... Damian Lillard was named MVP of the game but everyone agreed that it should have been Tyrese Haliburton. 29:11 ... The guys liked the LED floor and hope to see it again, but not for regular season games. maybe just for All Star weekend and possibly for the in-season tournament games. 29:56 ... Ross and World B discuss whether LeBron James will really want a farewell tour after James was asked about it over the weekend. 31:13 ... Ross and Bruce discuss Jayson Tatum meeting Larry Bird for the first time even though Tatum is in his 7th NBA season with the Celtics. 32:59 ... Ross begins the second half with a discussion of teams the guys expect to peak at the right time. Bruce likes Phoenix. World B wants to see if the Clippers and Timberwolves can do it. Ross feels the Warriors are capable of peaking at the right time. Bruce also feels like Sacramento could very well have a strong "closing kick." 36:33 ... Players to watch? Bruce wants to see Khris Middleton get healthy because Milwaukee become a threat to win the east if he does. World B hopes Julius Randle and OG Anunoby can regain their health so the Knicks can put their best team on the floor and see what happens. World B wants to see Damian Lillard step up too. 39:07 ... Ross wants to see if LeBron James has a burst left as the Lakers struggle to make the postseason field. 41:30 ... Bruce's final thought is on Scot Pollard, the 6'11" former player who needed and received a heart transplant on Friday. 43:06 ... World B's final thought is on the Golden State Warriors and how they're much improved as we approach the stretch run. 45:25 ... Ross teed up a brief discussion on Draymond Green joining TNT's alternate broadcast over the weekend in the wake of his "issues" this season. That discussion segued into some thoughts on how Adam Silver's postgame comments on the court certainly made it appear that he was not happy with how the All Star Game looked to the public. 48:29 ... Ross's final thought is on the "48 Minutes Live" Playback.TV game on Thursday night at 9:00pm ET between the Hornets and the Jazz. 51:00 ... Ross says goodbye ... TRT 51:16
20 Feb 202451min

Special Guest Amin Elhassan on the NBA Trade Deadline deals, Buyout Signings, Bill Russell, & Much More!
0:00 Intro 1:12 Bruce introduces special guest Amin Elhassan 2:14 Amin’s love for Star Wars explained! 5:00 The New York Knicks won the NBA Trade Deadline, are they now a top team out East? 9:03 Amin shares the 3 issues he’s noticed with the Milwaukee Bucks this season 12:50 The 2 benefits to the Phoenix Suns trade for Royce O’Neale 14:33 Amin shares his perspective on Gordon Hayward joining the Thunder 18:33 The significance of Xavier Tillman joining the Boston Celtics 22:44 Amin sounds off on the Chicago Bulls standing pat at the trade deadline 27:48 Spencer Dinwiddie joins the Lakers, will he make a big impact? 30:47 Which teams does Amin have his eye on for the stretch run of the season? 33:25 Reflections on Bill Russell with Amin 40:56 The crew discuss their favorite Super Bowl commercials with Amin 43:41 Has the term dynasty been devalued? 48:01 Ross ends the show getting Amin’s pulse on Scoot Henderson
13 Feb 202452min