The Bill Simmons Podcast
OKC Ends Denver, "Whaddya Do" Second-Round Losers, and Knicks-Pacers Predictions With Ryen Russillo
19 May 2025
The Ringer’s Bill Simmons is joined by Ryen Russillo to react to the Thunder’s blowout Game 7 win against the Nuggets (2:21). Then, Bill and Ryen discuss trade scenarios and what they would do with the assets of the semifinal losers (33:08). Finally, they discuss the Knicks knocking the Celtics out of the playoffs, the Eastern Conference finals matchup, and more (01:30:46). Host: Bill Simmons Guest: Ryen Russillo Producers: Chia Hao Tat and Eduardo Ocampo #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
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Coming up, we had a game seven. It wasn't that good, but we still talk two hours of NBA 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 Close Encounters of the Third Kind as part of Big Ass 70s Month. This was a very, very, very fun podcast. So that is coming. You can also watch on the Ringer Movies YouTube channel.
If you like movies, by the way, I went on Sean Fennessey's Big Picture podcast. We did a Tom Cruise movie draft. Me, Van Lathan, Chris Ryan, Sean Fennessey, and Amanda Dobbins. Spoiler, I thought I won the draft, but you guys can decide. I thought I waxed everybody. Who knows? Coming up on this podcast, OKC killed Denver in Game 7, and we're going to talk about that, the ramifications.
Does this mean OKC is smooth sailing now until the finals? We are also going to talk about the four What Do You Do teams that lost in round two. What do you do if you're Cleveland? What do you do if you're Boston? We'll talk some draft stuff, or so is at the Combine, and some future basketball stuff as well. So this is a good one. First, our friends from Pearl Jam. Priscilla's here.
We are coming off a dramatic Game 7. That was dramatic for about 40 minutes. And then it was 42 to 41 at one point. It was one of those. We ended up at 125-93. OKC blows out. Denver. And that was the OKC team. That was the ceiling of the team that we're always afraid of when we think about them. Big picture.
But more impressive that Denver even got to a game seven or do you look down on them that they didn't show up in a game seven? I would say the more impressive for me.
Yeah, considering where they were at the end of the year, you still didn't really understand what the rotation was going to be, the defensive numbers that we had talked about. So to get it to a Game 7 with this group, because I just think even though you had the Strother game in Game 6, you had some good Westbrook moments sprinkled in there.
when it's bad, when the spacing is terrible and we'll get to some of the numbers of some of this stuff, like you, you understand there's just incredible limitations. And, you know, I think the headline of today is, is Caruso and his defense and that OKC kind of found something because they abandoned the Chet Jokic idea.
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