The Bill Simmons Podcast
NBA Playoff Reactions and Overreactions With Ryen Russillo
Mon, 21 Apr 2025
The Ringer’s Bill Simmons is joined by Ryen Russillo to react (and possibly overreact) to all the NBA Playoff games (2:18). Host: Bill Simmons Guest: Ryen Russillo Producers: Chia Hao Tat, Chris Sutton, and Steve Ceruti #ULTRACourtside could get you closer to the game! michelobultra.com/courtside ENJOY RESPONSIBLY ©️ 2025 ANHEUSER-BUSCH, MICHELOB ULTRA®️ LIGHT BEER, ST. LOUIS, MO. The Ringer is committed to responsible gaming. Please visit www.rg-help.com to learn more about the resources and helplines available. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Chapter 1: What are the key NBA playoff storylines?
You're listening to the Bill Simmons podcast presented by FanDuel. FanDuel Sportsbook is the best place to bet on the NBA. We have these fun little Tuesday, Friday player performance stuff. We have same game parlays. We have picks for me sometimes and boosts and all kinds of fun things. Get ready in the playoffs. Download the FanDuel Sportsbook app today. to get in on the action.
And by the way, The Ringer is committed to responsible gaming. Please visit theringer.com slash RG to learn more. Listen to the end of this episode for additional details. Must be 21 plus presidents like states. Game and problem call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit rg-help.com. Coming up, first two days of the NBA playoffs are in the books. We have a lot of subplots.
We're going to talk about all of them with Ryan Rosillo next. We're also brought to you by the Ringer Podcast Network. I have a new Rewatchables coming for you on Monday night. We did Minority Report. It is our 17th Tom Cruise movie, and I think it's our eighth Steven Spielberg movie. So Cruise is number one by four movies, and Spielberg is in second place.
So that is coming Monday, and you can watch it on Ringer Movies as well. I talked about Sinners a little bit with Van Lathan. That's a special video on the Ringer Movies YouTube channel, so you can Check that out as well. Don't forget episode eight of Celtic City. So we got two basketball games tomorrow night. Finish the second one, then plow right into Celtic City because it's a really good one.
It's basically about the KG era in the 2000s and the 2008 title. And all those guys are interviewed and all their interviews are really, really good. And I think it's a really, really, really entertaining watch. Celtic City, HBO, 9 p.m. And then it is on Max as well. So there you go. Coming up, Brazil and I are going to rip through all of the NBA playoffs subplots from two wild days.
We did this live on YouTube at nine o'clock. So you're about to listen to it. First, our friends from ProJet. All right, 9.04 p.m. Russillo and I are going live on YouTube for the BS Podcast. Russillo, good to see you. We just watched eight games in two days, including the Warriors beating the Rockets in a rock fight.
All right, so those eight games, Russillo, did any of them change what you thought specifically heading into a series? And we'll talk about Warriors-Rockets in a second. But out of those eight, did anything flip your opinion? Because I'm ready to overreact.
No. Now that I think about it, I don't know that there's anything that happened this weekend. Yeah, nothing.
Nothing. 0 for 8.
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Chapter 2: How did the Warriors perform against the Rockets?
The Lakers stood around on offense, played too much one-on-one basketball, and he didn't make any necessary adjustments. A tweet from Magic Johnson. That's when you know things are bad. That's as critical as I think he's ever been on Twitter. He was not happy. What did you see at the game? What was the vibe? Give us the... Give us the feel in the arena because they're all excited for this game.
Game one, Luka playoffs, little kids wearing the Luka jerseys, and then the T-Wolves hit threes for an hour straight.
It was, you know, because it's game one, and I think that that fan base has an arrogance that's deserved. They have a right to be arrogant. I think the more alarming thing, you know, as a Lakers guy, When the place was going nuts for Steph in the regular season, it was the Steph MVP chance, like big time. It was loud. I was like, boy, you don't expect that.
Afterwards, it wasn't like anybody, because I was milling around a little bit afterwards. It was just kind of a shrug. Well, that was alarming. you know, but I still think like the same thing. If you were in Boston, if Boston gets smoked, granted, if they get smoked by Orlando, that's worse than getting smoked by Minnesota, but it's just all right. You know, they'll figure it out.
They'll come out. Let me ask you something though, because this was a thought that crap that crept into my head. Uh, A little too much Luka trying to figure it out on his own on offense?
It does feel like it's month four of let's really give him a lot of latitude here, especially in the first quarter.
Like a subletter that extends his lease? Like, this is how I really am.
Like those Apple News stories you read where somebody won't leave somebody's cottage and they've been there two years?
um yeah i i was i was wondering in the two days between games if we might get some sort of something from the lebron camp lebron really wants luca to get more involved there's some sort of something it's a lot of time here 72 hours so who knows i'm on pins and needles waiting to find out i will tell you just to add though if if you were a luca detractor
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