Knicks Pacers, Indiana Fever, Mission Impossible, and Ted Lasso Season Three, Episode 11

We talk Knicks-Pacers series, give report on the Indiana Fever, Mission Impossible Final Reckoning, and talk second chances from Ted Lasso Season 3, Episode 11 on this edition of the Torg Stories Podcast.

You can click on the audio player above to listen to the episode, or you can watch it on YouTube at the link below:

The Pacers have a 2-0 lead at the time of the recording. Anne, what has been the keys?

  1. Balanced attack, more scorers than the Knicks that can lead to Nesmith going 8-9 from 3 and Siakam scoring 39 in game 2.
  2. Haliburton has some Harden in him in that he’s a hub that can spray the ball around everywhere and put pressure on the defense with his pace and vision.
  3. Timely shooting: Brunson and Kat were great but big misses late while Haliburton and Nesmith hit huge shots.

Report on the Fever:

  1. Off to a 2-2 start. Hammered the Sky and Clark and Reese got into it. Lost by 1 and had a chance to win it on the final play vs. Atlanta. Came back and beat the Dream in Atlanta. Lost by 2 after blowing a 12 point lead in the second half to the Liberty. Clark had the ball with a chance to tie or win at the buzzer.
  2. Noticeably harder for Clark to get a good three point look. She’s Curry from a standpoint of how defenses are playing her. No three vs. Atlanta in win. She missed 12 threes in a row before hitting one and getting fouled in the 3rd quarter vs. Liberty. Then hit one at the buzzer to end the third.
  3. Clark draws so much attention. People are open. Elite vision and ability to deliver, especially in setting pace. Kelsey Mitchell really benefitting. Still getting a lot done finishing and in mid range.
  4. Fever are more active on defense. Vision and hands on balls.
  5. Outscored Liberty 30-13 in third quarter.
  6. Looks like a group that roots for each other.
  7. The rotation of Howard, Boston, and Bonner among the post looks really good. Cunningham coming through the two and three spots good as well.
  8. The offense ends of games. Need actions, 1v1 can be tough vs players like Jones.

Three of the new Fever players and what they bring:

  1. Sophie Cunningham: mix it up defensive mentality, shooting, enthusiasm talking leader
  2. Natasha Howard – upgraded inside scoring punch, wanting her own shot for a Fever player more than I’m used to. I’m hopeful.
  3. Dewanna Bonner – length on defensive, championship experience, I’m assuming a good relationship with the coach

We both went to see Mission Impossible Final Reckoning:

  1. Let’s talk about what the theaters were like. I went to the AMC in Johnson City, TN.
  2. $20 for a ticket. Tom Cruise hangs off two planes. Really can I ask for more than that?
  3. We hear from Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise before the movie starts.
  4. Too much talking. Too much tech talking.
  5. Best part from Cruise escaping the underwater sub to the end.
  6. Dislikes: exposition for us as viewers. The action along with more natural dialogue should show us. 25 minutes of previews plus 2hrs and 50 mins of movie is a long time to be in the theater.
  7. Likes: music, Tom in shape, familiar characters, guy in charge of Navy sub, listening station couple and their dogs, the underwater scene, the lady who sticks the pen in Benji’s chest, Cruise and the planes

Ted Lasso: There’s only 1 more episode! Season 3, Episode 11 Discussion Questions:

  1. Why does Nate’s girlfriend Jade act like she does, for example disappearing. Let’s assess what Nate did. Let’s talk about if we bring him back.
  2. What’s Ted’s deal with Ted and his mom? Ted doesn’t seem to want his mom around. Then let’s walk through our mom showing up. She tells him his son misses him. Ted is scared to get close to him because he knows he’s going to leave.
  3. What’s wrong with Jamie? Where are my wings, Roy? Return game. Roy and Keeley follow Jamie to his childhood home. Now that he doesn’t hate his dad, he is lacking for motivation.
  4. What’s with the Wizard of Oz? We get Ted playing a Wizard of Oz pinball machine. We get “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” in a Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks movie. Is it, You’ve Got Mail?
  5. There is a town called Tooting. Some weird town names you can think of? French Lick, Chili which is right by Denver, Mexico, and Peru. Santa Claus. You like Seven Devils, North Carolina. We went to Duck. There’s a Bat Cave. Meat Camp is in the same Watauga County I live in.

Memorable Quotes from this Episode of Ted Lasso. We’ll see if Anne can tell us who said it about what:

  1. Shouting is Roy’s love language. -Trent Crimm when Roy calls Jaimie into the boot room
  2. Your mom and dad F you up. They don’t mean to, but they do. They fill you up with the faults they had and they add some extra just for you. -Mae to Ted in the pub about his mom coming for a visit.
  3. I’ve literally never thought about work after work. It’s weird how good of a waiter you are. -Jade to Nate about how he is always trying to be good at what he is doing.
  4. Hurt people hurt people. -Ted to Jamie talking about his dad and Freddy Krueger
  5. I hope that either all of us or none of us are judged by our weakest moments, but rather by the strength we show whether and if we are given a second chance.-Ted to Beard about judging Nate for ripping up the sign.
  6. Your son misses you. -Ted’s mom to him
  7. All we can do is keep playing. -Ted’s mom again, about being a parent
  8. No truth bomb this year. – Rebecca to Ted

Thanks for checking out this episode of the Torg Stories Podcast!

Caitlin Clark Gets Started in the WNBA, Torg Tries FanDuel Sports Betting, and the NBA Playoffs

Caitlin Clark gets started in the WNBA, Torg Tries sports gambling on FanDuel and we get ready for some NBA Playoff Game 7s including Pacers vs Knicks.

Click player above to listen to podcast.

Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever Get Started

Level of aggression in second game vs Liberty compared to first. Pace looked good but not ready to be good at it yet.

What does Clark’s game remind me of? How should this team be set up? Building a team that gets on board that this is Clark’s team in the way the Mavs are Luka’s team, etc.

14 Temi Fagbenle getting my attention in a good way: catching passes, finishing, defending.

Let’s look at stats so far this year for the Fever. Click here for Basketball Reference.

Can #17 Erica Wheeler and Clark play together? She started all of last year’s games.

Other WNBA Related Questions and Observations:

How do you like the gray Liberty floor at Barclay’s? What do you like in a basketball court?

Mostly Gray Floor of NY Liberty

The WNBA coaches seem to challenge so much less.

I like sooo much that the WNBA games, season, and playoffs series are shorter than the NBA.

I Tried Sports Gambling on FanDuel

Getting Started…

Understanding Parlays and Managing them on the app

Sticking to the promotions including free bets and matching deposits. The promotions serve as a way to moderate how much of this I engage in.

Placing bets that don’t change my enjoyment of rooting for a team or player.

Game 7 at Madison Square Garden Pacers at Knicks

Hope #1 is that the combination of the Pacers young players getting used to the stage along with another Knick injury (Josh Hart) will put the Pacers over the top.

My biggest concern for the Pacers is that starting with Haliburton the Pacers young players just aren’t ready to win a game 7 in Madison Square Garden.

Dallas Mavericks lead the Oklahoma City Thunder 3 games to 2.

It seems really clear to me that the Mavericks best two players are a lot better than the Thunder’s best two players. Also, with how well PJ Washington is playing for the Mavericks, they have a lot better players.

Celtics

The Celtics are expected to win and that changes how everyone, including those on the team, experiences the games.

There can be a tendency to think you’re supposed to be up by 15 at the end of the first quarter. Lots of people connected to the team say, we’re not winning by enough. This pressure or malaise might get to them, or they might make it through to a worthy opponent and rise to the occasion. Maybe that’s at MSG or maybe that’s in the finals against the Mavs or Nuggets.

Game 7 Minnesota Timberwolves vs Denver Nuggets

Does the altitude matter?

My concern for the Nuggets would be the intensity that the Timberwolves were able to generate defensively in the opening two games and why wouldn’t they be able to do that again?

I am picking the Nuggets because I think Jokic is the best player and his basketball IQ is such that he knows how to play in this game.

Thanks for checking in with us at Torg Stories. We appreciate you!