The Timberwolves rolled over the Nuggets, 106-80, in Monday night’s Game 2 on Monday night to take a commanding 2-0 lead in the West semis as the series shifts to Minnesota for Game 3 on Friday night.
The defending champion Nuggets were outplayed from the opening whistle and are now on the ropes after dropping the first two games at home. After the loss, head coach Michael Malone blasted his team for an embarrassing effort. He’ll need Nikola Jokic and Co. to step up quickly or their season could come to an abrupt end against Anthony Edwards and the red-hot Timberwolves.
Charles Barkley thinks this series is already over, as he said this on TNT’s postgame show:
Chuck: “This series is a wrap. Minnesota is better than the Nuggets. They don’t have an advantage anywhere. … They’re gonna sweep the Denver Nuggets. Period.” 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/Wt4aqexO1n
ESPN NBA analyst Kendrick Perkins made waves last month when he criticized TNT's Shaquille O'Neal and Charles Barkley for the duo's dismissal of the New York Knicks as a viable threat in the Eastern Conference.
"Obviously they don't watch basketball," Perkins said at the time on The Michael Kay Show. "I'm serious, they can't watch basketball on a consistent basis. The only time they actually probably watch the Knicks are when they're covering the Knicks on their game nights."
Barkley and O'Neal had fun with Perkins's verbal shot at them, as they put the NBA analyst's face on a punching bag and punched it on live television during Inside the NBA. Barkley appeared on the Club Shay Shay podcast this week with Shannon Sharpe to discuss the beef between himself and Perkins.
"Yeah it doesn't bother me because we take shots at players," Barkley said. "The only problem I had with what Kendrick says...there's nobody in the world who watches more basketball than me. And I had just come out of March Madness, which pissed me off even more because I was watching two or three college basketball games a day. March Madness really sucks because I'm watching games all day long. But to say other guys don't watch the games..."
"Because he has a different opinion than yours," Sharpe chimed in.
"Yeah," Barkley replied. "So that's the only thing that bothered me. There's nobody in the world that watches more basketball than me. But I don't get mad. The thing that's really funny about it...Shaq is so sensitive at times. I was gonna like let it go and he's like, 'Nah, nah, nah! My momma told me growing up we kill all roaches!'"
“Shaq is so sensitive at times. I was going to let it go, and he’s like, ‘Nah, nah, nah. My momma told me growing up we kill all roaches.’ … Shaq is so crazy. He made a rap diss song.” - Charles Barkley pic.twitter.com/W9h1aKOKCS
The chaos began with 28.9 seconds remaining in regulation down six, 96-90. Maxey hit a three on the wing and was fouled by Knicks center Mitchell Robinson. Maxey made the free throw to cut the Knicks' lead to two.
On the ensuing possession, 76ers wing Nic Batum fouled Knicks guard Josh Hart, who made only one of his two free throws. With the Knicks now up three with 15.1 seconds to go, Maxey came sprinting up the court and took a deep three from the logo at the top of the key to tie the game. After blowing the six-point lead, the Knicks would go on to lose in overtime 112-106.
TNT NBA analyst Charles Barkley was shocked that the Knicks didn't foul Maxey and send him to the line after Hart made the free throw to go up by three. The Knicks had no fouls to give, so Maxey would have been at the line shooting two free throws with his team down by three.
"It's interesting, Ernie," Barkley began as he spoke to Ernie Johnson and the rest of the Inside the NBA panel. "I've [said] on the show all these years that I'd foul 100% of the time, 100% of the time. It's just a bonehead play in my opinion. I want the lead and the ball. The two most important things in the basketball game: the lead and the ball, because these guys are so good. It happened in the Milwaukee and Indiana game last week with Khris Middleton. It's a mistake. But like I say, some coaches don't foul, some coaches always foul. I'm gonna always foul a guy in that situation. You can see on coach Thibodeau's face those guys screwed that up."
“I foul 100% of the time [in that situation]. It’s just a bonehead play in my opinion. I want the lead and the ball — the two most important things in a basketball game.”
TNT basketball broadcaster Charles Barkley joined Sports Illustrated's Jimmy Traina on the SI Media podcast this week to discuss a host of topics, including an incredible story between the exchange of a watch between Barkley and future Hall of Fame quarterback Tom Brady.
"[Brady] and Wayne Gretzky are the two nicest GOATs [Greatest of All-Time] I've ever been around," Barkley began. "As a matter of fact, see this watch here? I've been offered $250,000 for this watch," Barkley told Traina.
"So I'm broadcasting one of the [TNT golf matches for charity], probably four or five years ago, I make a nice comment about this watch and this watch is a pretty penny. I'm talking double-digit thousands. I said, 'That's a nice watch.' He says, 'Thanks, Chuck,' blah blah blah. We do the broadcast another two or three hours. One of Tom's boys comes up to me and he says, 'Hey Tom is looking for you.' ...I go up [to the clubhouse] and I say, 'Tom, what's up?' And he says, 'Chuck, take my watch.' I go, 'What?' I said, 'Tom, I'm just saying you have a nice watch.' [He says], 'I appreciate the compliment,' and he just gives me this watch. A couple of collectors have offered me $250,000 for it. I wouldn't sell it for any amount. That's what a guy Tom is. Him and Wayne Gretzky for being the GOATs of their sports are two of the nicest, most humble guys I ever met."
Barkley said it was never his intention for Brady to give him his watch.
"I didn't want him to think I gave him a compliment on the watch because I wanted the watch," Barkley added. "It was a nice watch. I said, 'Tom, you don't have to do that.' But when he said it a second time, I said thank you."
It's clear there is a healthy amount of mutual respect between two all-time greats in their respective sports, but it's pretty wild that Brady handed over a watch that is being appraised for a quarter of a million dollars.
