Joker’s Out, and Boston Might Be Next. Plus, an MLB Cocktail Party and 'Survivor 50' With Rob Mahoney, Billy Gil, and Jason Concepcion.
May 1, 2026
AI Summary
5 min readTimberwolves Shock the Nuggets, Celtics on the Brink, and Knicks Look Like the Team to Beat
The Timberwolves just pulled off one of the most improbable playoff wins in recent memory, beating the defending champion Nuggets in Game 6 without Anthony Edwards, Donte DiVincenzo, or Julius Randle. Jaden McDaniels played 45 minutes, scored 32 points, grabbed 10 rebounds, and spent the night suffocating Jamal Murray. "He snatched Jamal Murray's soul," Rob Mahoney said. The Wolves were seven-point underdogs after Edwards was ruled out, and they just went into Denver and closed out the series.
The McDaniels Game and What It Means for Minnesota
McDaniels has been building toward this all season. "His long-term development over the course of this year as a ball handler and as a mid-range scorer, that's been germinating this whole time," Mahoney noted. He wasn't in the Most Improved Player conversation, but the leap is real. Every Wolves wing attack targeted Murray, going left every time. Terrence Shannon, a fourth-string guy who barely played all year, blew by Murray for a three-point play that felt like the game's decisive moment.
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What you'll learn
- 1 (02:03) **Timberwolves Stun Nuggets Without Edwards** - Rob Mahoney and Bill open by breaking down Minnesota’s improbable game-six win, down four rotation players.
- 2 (07:48) **Aaron Gordon’s Absence Exposed Denver’s Flaws** - The crew debates whether Gordon’s injury was the series’ biggest factor and what it means for Denver’s future.
- 3 (11:49) **Minnesota’s Attitude and Franchise History** - Bill celebrates the Wolves’ “fuck you” mentality and ranks this win among the franchise’s all-time moments.
- 4 (13:36) **The Wolves’ Patient Roster Construction Pays Off** - The conversation shifts to how Minnesota’s front office decisions built this moment.
- 5 (19:59) **Jokic’s Legacy and the One-Title Era** - Bill compares Jokic to Moses Malone and questions whether the league has entered an era where winning just one title is the new norm.
- 6 (23:32) **Celtics in Crisis: Tatum’s Leg and a Game-Seven Nightmare** - Bill breaks down Boston’s brutal loss to the 76ers, which dropped them into a 3-3 series tie.
- 7 (25:53) **Philly’s Wings and Embiid’s Impact** - The crew examines how Philadelphia’s defense and Joel Embiid’s return have completely changed the series.
+ Full timestamped outline available in the app
Guests on this episode
Show Notes
The Ringer’s Bill Simmons is joined by Rob Mahoney LIVE on Netflix after the Timberwolves eliminate the Nuggets to recap the Thursday NBA playoff slate and preview the remaining Round 1 matchups (1:07). Then, Billy Gil joins to talk about the five biggest MLB cocktail topics of the last five weeks (01:04:55). Finally, Jason Concepcion hops on to catch up on ‘Survivor 50’ and to make predictions for the show (01:41:58).
Host: Bill Simmons
Guests: Rob Mahoney, Billy Gil, and Jason Concepcion
Producers: Chia Hao Tat, Eduardo Ocampo, and Jonathan Frias
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