KG, don't you got a game tonight?Uncut Gems · 2019 — Chapter 12 of 14 · 4'16" · C1
Howard Bets Everything on KG, Explained: give someone the runaround
Before the game, Howard accuses Kevin of bidding against him at the auction. Then he changes tack and turns the argument into a pitch, telling the star that he is here to win and that the doubters do not know him. "This is how I win," Howard says, before betting everything on Kevin.
What happens
Before the game, Howard confronts Kevin about the auction, accusing him of having someone bid against him. The argument turns into a pitch: Howard praises Kevin's drive, says he is here to win, and insists the doubters do not understand him. Then he proposes a bet and says he will put all the money on Kevin tonight.
Listen for
give someone the runaroundgo full tiltkeep track ofdouble your money
00:00 / 04:16Space play · ← → lines · R repeat
Now
Phrase of the scene
give someone the runaround
to keep someone waiting with excuses
KG 当面质问霍华德，说自从认识他以来，每件事都在给他 the runaround，从不坦诚。
The airline gave us the runaround for three weeks.
Also in this scene
- go full tilt
at maximum speed or effort
- keep track of
to follow or record something over time
- double your money
to make twice as much money as you invested
Everything marked in this scene
33 notes across 87 lines
We're gonna make it quick. Absolutely.Julia, let's get these guys some Powerades.- Let me get a second with you. - [Howard] You want a second? Sure.weak form
- Let me get a second with you. - [Howard] You want a second? Sure.Let me holler at you. What the fuck is going on?liaison
Let me holler at you. What the fuck is going on?to keep someone waiting with excuses
Ever since I met you, you've been giving me the runaround with everything.Ever since I met you, you've been giving me the runaround with everything.- What do you mean? - You're fucking with my emotions.You just playing with me. This hasn't been straight since I came here.I borrowed the opal. It's just one thing. I come back over here. I brought it back.I show up at the auction, you had somebody bid against me? All these fucking games.It's complicated, KG.I'm showing you because it wasn't easy, man.I respect you. I respect your passion. Okay? I always have.That's not a fair question, Kevin. All right?I'm not gonna take the money back. I did the deal. I'm just saying.- Straight up, me and you, mano a mano. - [doorbell rings] - How much did you pay for this? - Fucking...to make twice as much money as you invested
- So you doubled your money. - I'm the joke here. I got fucked.- So you doubled your money. - I'm the joke here. I got fucked.You want to win by one point or fucking 30 points, KG?at maximum speed or effort
You're 30 up. You're still going full tilt.still for continuation
You're 30 up. You're still going full tilt.to follow or record something over time
I don't keep track of that shit.You're not gonna score on the big one on game seven?rhetorical challenge
You're not gonna score on the big one on game seven?Let's fucking bet on this.flap
Let's fucking bet on this.I'm fucking gonna bet all this money on you tonight, KG.You're here to win, KG. These fuckers don't know.be for identity
We're a team tonight, KG.This is a fucking lock.Howard Bets Everything on KG, explained
What's really going on
The scene is the best and worst of Howard in one room: he starts by picking a fight about the auction, then talks himself into a state of belief and pulls the star along with him. He is angry, and the anger is real — "I show up at the auction, you had somebody bid against me?" — but he cannot stay in the grievance. Selling is what he does, and he sells his own conviction so well that he begins to believe his own speech. The basketball talk is not small talk; it is the argument he uses to turn a friend into a partner, promising that tonight they win together. "This is how I win," he says, and then he bets everything. The scene shows the talent and the disease at the same time: Howard can talk anyone into anything, especially himself.
Theme
MoneyHoward turns a friendship into a wager, betting the entire sum he has just fought over on one night's game.
AmbitionHis speech about winning by thirty points instead of one is a portrait of a man who cannot accept a small, safe outcome.
What you'll learn
- Use bet on to describe a wager.
- Recognize full tilt as maximum effort.
- Understand G's as thousand-dollar slang.
- Use an if-clause to explain a loaded answer.
Listen for
- get a — weak form
- holler at — liaison
- bet on — flap
This is my fucking way. This is how I win.Howard's creed in one line: gambling is not a vice but his method, and winning is the only thing he trusts.
We're a team tonight, KG.The offer hidden in the flattery: he calls them a team to make the bet sound like a shared project rather than a personal gamble.
I show up at the auction, you had somebody bid against me? All these fucking games.The old grievance he cannot drop: he accuses Kevin of playing games at the auction and treats the slight as a betrayal.
You want to win by one point or fucking 30 points, KG?The comparison that does the selling: Howard argues that settling for a small win is the attitude of a loser, which flatters Kevin into the bet.
Questions about this scene
Why is Howard angry with Kevin?
Because he believes Kevin secretly had someone bid against him at the auction. Howard reads it as a betrayal and brings it up instead of simply handing over the chips.
What does "give someone the runaround" mean?
It means to keep someone waiting and avoid giving them a straight answer. Howard complains that Kevin has been giving him the runaround the whole time.
Why does Howard bet all the money on Kevin?
Because he is convinced Kevin will have a great game and wants to turn the money into much more. He sees the bet as proof of his belief in the star.
How does Kevin react to Howard's pitch?
He is skeptical but hooked. Kevin calls Howard crazy, yet he clearly enjoys the flattery, and Howard's belief in him is exactly what the pitch is selling.
How does the scene end?
It ends with Howard declaring that they are a team tonight and saying he will bet all the money on Kevin, which is the kind of gamble that keeps getting him into trouble.
Uncut Gems · 14 chapters
All chapters →
Up next · Chapter 13get yourself togetherArno Traps Howard in the Store
Chapter 1in your best interestCollectors Come to Howard's Showroom
Chapter 2so extraHoward and Dinah Fight Then Make Up
Chapter 3a moot pointKevin Garnett Shops for Jewelry
Chapter 4get your hands on somethingHoward Pitches KG the Black Opal
Chapter 5a memorabilia pieceHoward Pawns the Championship Ring
Chapter 6play mind games with meHoward Tells Julia to Move Out
Chapter 7give someone another shotHoward Begs Julia for Another Chance
Chapter 8bent over backwardsHoward Blows Up at the Auction House
Chapter 9jack upHoward Riggs the Opal Auction
Chapter 10copaceticHoward Owes Gooey After the Auction
Chapter 11you're my homeJulia Comforts Howard After the Auction
Watching · Chapter 12give someone the runaroundHoward Bets Everything on KG
Chapter 13get yourself togetherArno Traps Howard in the Store
Chapter 14right out the gateHoward's Live Parlay on Kevin GarnettChapter 12 of 14 · about 11 min to go