48 Minutes: Celtics Sweep Pacers, Bill Walton Tribute, and Wolves/Mavs Game 4 Preview

0:00 ... Hello and Welcome ... Bruce introduces the co-hosts

0:41 ... Bet OnLine live commercial read

1:45 ... Show #106 honors Celtics great Bill Russell and we segue into a tribute to Bill Walton

2:54 ... World B says Bill was probably the most gifted big man to ever play the game.

4:31 ... Bill was an unbelievably good passer and was one of the four best passing bigs of all time along woth Nikola Jokic, Arvydas Sabonis, and Domantas Sabonis.

6:12 ... Bruce reflects on his friendship with Bill and his memory of having lunch one day with Bill and running into the late Manute Bol in West Hartford, Connecticut.

8:21 ... The Celtics finished off the Pacers on Monday night to complete the four game sweep and advance to the NBA Finals.

9:46 ... Bruce was very happy to see Jaylen Brown win the Larry Bird Award as Eastern Conference Finals MVP. Brown's all around game was on full display in the series.

11:55 .... World B had kind words for Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla, but feels Mazzulla is unfairly criticized and has done a great job.

13:29 ... Bruce points out that the Celtics' combined record is 76-20 (64-18 regular season and 12-2 in the playoffs). And Bruce points out how silly the critics can be when they bash the Celtics for their so called easy path to the Finals.

17:45 ... Bruce points out how our show had a major influence on the trade that Milwaukee made for Damian Lillard and how it freed up Jrue Holiday to join the Celtics.

21:45 ... The guys preview Tuesday's game #4 between Dallas and Minnesota to see who will meet Boston in the Finals. World B is exasperated at Minnesota's poor defense in the series against the Mavs. He also takes the Wolves to task saying "it's not so much what Dallas did to take a 3-0 series lead, it's what Minnesota didn't do."

24:36 ... Anthony Edwards has put up decent numbers against the Mavs, but Karl-Anthony Towns has been abysmal. Towns has shot just 3-22 from three point range against the Mavericks.

28:00 ... Bruce cites Towns' numbers in previous rounds as evidence of his decline against Dallas.

28:54 ... Bruce leads a discussion of the Dallas backcourt and has praise for Luka Doncic's improved defense. World B said Luka in the 4th quarter has been cold blooded.

35:16 .... World B feels that Boston's perimeter defense will be a huge factor against Luka and Kyrie Irving

45:55 ... Game #4 Predictions for Minnesota/Dallas

47:24 .... The guys react to the Cavaliers firing head coach JB Bickerstaff who appeared to get a raw deal after winning 99 games over the past two seasons.

50:33 ... Bruce feels that Cavs management made the Bickerstaff move in order to impress Donovan Mitchell.

51:26 ... Bruce jokes that Since ESPN announcer Doc Rivers took the Bucks job and ESPN announcer JJ Redick looks like the favorite to get the Lakers job, maybe ESPN's Doris Burke will be offered the Cavaliers job.

53:53 ... Final Thoughts ...

54:12 ... Bruce wraps it up and says goodbye

TRT 54:33

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