The Bill Simmons Podcast Part 2: Cleveland Survives, Knicks-Sixers, and Whaddya Do for Denver, Houston, and Atlanta With Zach Lowe
106 snips
May 4, 2026 
Zach Lowe, senior NBA writer known for Xs-and-Os breakdowns and deep playoff analysis. They react to Cleveland’s Game 7 win and Toronto’s injury woes. Preview Cavs-Detroit, Knicks-Sixers animosity, and Lakers-Thunder angles. Debate offseason paths for Denver, Houston, Atlanta, Portland, and Jokic’s playoff form.
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Cleveland's Physical Identity Won Game Seven
- Cleveland's Game 7 win over Toronto showed their physicality and depth matter more than flashy offense.
- Jared Allen and Max Strus swung the series by imposing physical play and hustle against a depleted Raptors roster.
Cavs Offense Shifted By Matchup And Discipline
- James Harden and Donovan Mitchell looked intermittently in sync, with Harden controlling turnovers and avoiding 'junk to free throws' desperation.
- The Cavs' assist rate dropped and they took more pull-up threes, partly due to Toronto's switchy defense.
Twitter Thread Found Players With Weird Scoring Records
- Bill describes a Twitter thread mapping career leaders for every single-point total, revealing quirky record-holders like Greg Kite and Reggie Evans.
- He spent 45 minutes riveted by the list of most frequent zero-to-40 scoring totals.