Boston Does L.A., Honeymoon Harden, a Denver Hiccup, and a Kawhi Deep Dive With Zach Lowe

February 23, 2026·1 hr 52 min·5 clips

Luka Doncic has taken the same number of clutch shots this season as Chris Middleton.

It starts messy and live. Bill opens after Celtics-Lakers, while Zach Lowe fights technical issues and an East Coast snowstorm. That throwaway weather bit gives the episode its loose rhythm before the basketball starts doing the work. Celtics-Lakers is the runway, mostly a quick read on body language and team shape: a Celtic team with an MVP candidate, two very good guards, and a different feel across the floor. Then Denver takes over. Bill does not hit the panic button, but he lays out the recent Nuggets losses like a case file: Detroit twice, OKC, Cleveland, the clips, and Golden State. The argument lands more than it should. Most of the losses were close, and the Golden State one sounds especially annoying because Denver had control before Golden State caught fire. The possible 35-20-20 night keeps the conversation in a funny place, part box-score awe, part regular-season worry. Golden State gets noisy fast. In Bill's telling, Al Horford has one of those out-of-body stretches, Curry is yelling from the bench, and suddenly the game belongs to Golden State. Zach's concern is plainer. Without Gordon and Watson, even with Cam Johnson back, Denver lacks the size that keeps smaller lineups from getting too comfortable. That is the pressure point. Gordon matters because his seals, post-ups, and glass work can flip playoff quarters. He is not just some extra body. Bill keeps circling the panic button. Zach keeps pulling him back to the injury question, because Denver's ceiling looks different if that force is not actually back in time. Then the show snaps back to weather, thanks, a Tuesday feed tease, and the gambling-help copy. Strange tonal reset, but very Bill.

As heard by us

A sharp postgame NBA check-in, strongest when Simmons and Lowe turn Denver worry into actual basketball detail.

Bill Simmons and Zach Lowe come in straight off Celtics-Lakers, with Simmons reading the game through body language, roster clarity, and whether Boston actually looks connected. The conversation works best once it slides into Denver anxiety.

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Why you'd press play

Your post-game debrief for Celtics-Lakers, Denver's Aaron Gordon problem, and a live Zach Lowe NBA conversation.

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