H&D: The 2026 Crucible Week 2, Lottery Reform

Hollinger and Duncan react to Minnesota’s stunning series win over Denver, the Knicks’ historic Game 6 destruction of Atlanta, the proposed lottery reform, and the biggest strategic developments of the playoffs so far. They also hit Celtics-Sixers, Pistons-Magic, Lakers-Rockets, and the players who have either survived or been exposed by the playoff crucible. Nuggets-Wolves fallout — 1:27: Minnesota’s defense, Denver’s offensive and defensive issues, the state of the Nuggets around Nikola Jokić, and whether Denver can still contend in a loaded West. Knicks-Hawks — 12:19: New York’s historic beatdown of Atlanta, the Knicks’ series adjustments, Karl-Anthony Towns and OG Anunoby’s impact, and Atlanta’s offseason questions. Lottery reform — 24:07: The proposed new system, its anti-tanking incentives, and why it could make late-season basketball more watchable. Best teams and contender check-in — 32:33: Oklahoma City vs. San Antonio, the most impressive playoff performances so far, and Boston-Philly heading into Game 7. Coaching and tactical takeaways — 36:58: The best and worst coaching ideas of the playoffs, including San Antonio’s creativity and Portland’s struggles against Victor Wembanyama. Pistons-Magic and East bracket chaos — 39:39: Orlando’s depth issues without Franz Wagner, Detroit’s concerning matchup problems, Cleveland’s shaky path, and Toronto’s impressive adjustments. The playoff crucible — 48:49: Which players have been exposed or survived under postseason pressure, including Atlanta’s failed counters and Detroit’s center questions. Lakers-Rockets and other series notes — 53:56: Houston’s shortened rotation, Tari Eason’s importance, the Lakers’ health questions, Jalen Brown’s off-arm struggles, and the second-round outlook. Final playoff thoughts — 58:14: Potential Knicks-Celtics, Sixers-Knicks, Thunder-Spurs, and Embiid-Harden scenarios, plus closing thoughts on the postseason landscape. Join Dunc’d On Prime for 35% off using the code mockoffseason2026! It's the only place to get every episode with Nate & Danny, plus every pod with John Hollinger & Nate as well!Subscribe on YouTube to get Dunc'd On Clutch Calls, Real Video Scouts, and more.Or, sign up for our FREE mailing list to get Dan Feldman's Daily Duncs with all the major topics around the league twice a week. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.