Final

We've come across a lot of really tough teams.

But yeah, delighted to be, um, going out next Sunday now in a county final.

final.Um, and everything's going well, thank God.

And you've kind of seen every dynamic.

Like, you come into '24 as a contender hoping, you come into '25 as a holder being the target, and now you're coming in trying to regain the title again.

Scary stuff.

And I think it's going to be scary for Newcastle coming into the Grand Final this weekend.

But, mate, what went wrong for us

in this game? Look, I think, to the Dolphins' credit, I think we had a really good first 20 compared to what we've usually had in the last few weeks.

After the Raptors won the 2019 title, the NBA had a wild offseason.

The Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard held franchises and free agents hostage.

I can't remember in the last decade so many different people in the NBA trying like heck to get information and not being able to.

Until he finally decided to join the Clippers, along with Paul George.

He's got it! OG Ananobi!

The Raptors eventually pushed the series to Game 7, but in the end, Boston proved that they were a better team, as Jason Tatum led them to victory with 29 points and 12 rebounds.

In the Eastern Conference Finals, the Celtics and the Heat were evenly matched up, and the winner of this series was going to be the team that wins close games.

In Game 1, Miami had a two-point lead, but Boston had a chance to tie, when Bam Adebayo stepped up and provided one of the best blocks in NBA playoff history.

I would say the Masters.

Like, the NBA Finals...

I didn't go to the finals this year.

The World Series, if the Yankees are in it, I can just...

Game 7, I was crying my eyes out.

I was 11 years old.

2008, the Lakers are getting pummeled in Game 6 of the Finals.

I am, at that time, 15 years old.

I'm just going to introduce this pod by saying this.

So we are here to talk about Game 4 of the 2026 NBA Finals.

If anybody doesn't know what happened in that game, spoilers.

Just putting that out there right now.

So I do hear that gripe that the NBA finals only getting one game feels wrong.

Sean, you never have any controversial takes.

Do you think our, our conversation about anything, putting aside this, do you think the conversation throughout the, the, this podcast series, hit on all the other parameters we needed to hit to the point that basically the only issue that we're really running in, the only series we're running into a major issue is this series, the NBA Finals games four and five.

Well,

The tip-in's gone!

in what was the greatest comeback in Finals history.

But OG was spectacular the entire playoffs, just like Karl-Anthony Towns, arguably the best shooting big ever, who played phenomenally against Victor Wembanyama in the Finals.

With Josh Hart, Mikhail Bridges, and a great effort from the bench, the Knicks finally made New York proud, as the Mecca of basketball celebrated their first championship in 53 years.

But how did this happen? How did the Knicks turn everything around in just a couple of seasons after missing the playoffs for eight consecutive years before 2021? This is the story of one of the greatest turnarounds in NBA history and how the New York Knicks transformed from a laughingstock to an NBA champion.

After such a blunder by their coach, the Cavs were mentally defeated.

In Game 4, they gave up early, allowing 26 fast-break points in the first half, ultimately losing by 37 points.

while the Knicks celebrated their first Finals berth since 1999, with Jalen Brunson winning the ECF MVP.

But there are other targets for other people.

For some drivers, a podium would be an outstanding result, or a top five would be incredible, or an A-final appearance, making your first world's A-final a huge achievement, or even getting into a semi-final, or racing on the final day that starts with the 1-8 finals.

You get what I'm saying? There are different targets, different measures of success for different drivers.

Maybe being the number one junior or the number one old guy or finishing in the top half of the field or beating your mate who you've been traveling to world championships with for 20 years.

Any of them could do it.

The question is how many of them could put their name up in lights this week.

I think about the likes of Daniel and Adrian Pariente, the brothers with speed and style, and every chance that one or both of these might find their way into an A-final appearance or a semi-finals appearance late in the event.

Away from home, big challenge in unfamiliar conditions.