Myles Turner discusses the Pacers' NBA Finals matchup with the Thunder
Myles Turner is averaging 15.2 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game in the playoffs heading into the NBA Finals against the Thunder.
Dustin Dopirak
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Magic's 2009 Finals vs. Lakers Makes Hypothetical NBA List
Magic's 2009 Finals vs. Lakers Makes Hypothetical NBA List originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Orlando Magic have shown that they have a bright future with their young core of Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner. However, the Magic were contenders for the NBA championship during the late 2000s. The organization even reached the NBA Finals in 2009 and battled against Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers. Advertisement Orlando had a promising postseason run that year. In the first round, they beat the Philadelphia 76ers in six games. That was followed by a seven-game series against the Boston Celtics in the second round. Upon reaching the Eastern Conference finals, the Magic faced the Cleveland Cavaliers, led by LeBron James. Orlando outplayed Cleveland in six games to advance to the Finals. Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard during the second quarter against the Denver Nuggets at Amway Klement-Imagn Images With the 2025 NBA Finals underway, Bleacher Report's Matt Velasquez released 15 of the biggest "What-Ifs" since 2000. Surprisingly, the Magic's Game 4 performance against the Lakers made it to the list. The Magic were up 87-84 with 11.1 seconds left. Their franchise star at that time, Dwight Howard, was on the line to shoot two free throws. However, Howard isn't the most reliable player when it comes to shooting from the line, as the three-time Defensive Player of the Year shot 59.4% during the 2008-09 season. Advertisement Howard missed both shots, and the Lakers got the basketball. With 4.6 seconds left, Los Angeles' point guard Derek Fisher shot a 3-pointer and sent the game to overtime. The Magic dealt with a 99-91 defeat and fell to 3-1. Orlando couldn't overcome the deficit and lost the series in five games. "But what if Howard had made one (or both) of those free throws and helped the Magic hold on? Then the series would have been tied at two games apiece with Game 5 in Orlando. Had the series been even at that point, there's no telling what could have happened," Velasquez wrote. The Magic couldn't capture what they had that year and were eliminated in the conference finals the following year. The next two seasons were underwhelming as they were eliminated in the first round. Advertisement This also led to the eventual breakup of Howard and the Magic. Related: Blockbuster NBA Trade Idea Has Hawks Swap Trae Young for Three Former Lottery Picks This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 7, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Indiana Pacers will be the underdog in the NBA Finals
Indiana Pacers will be the underdog in the NBA Finals originally appeared on Athlon Sports. After beating the New York Knicks in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals, the Indiana Pacers have punched their ticket to their first NBA Finals appearance since 2000, where they will take on the Oklahoma City Thunder. Advertisement Neither team has ever won an NBA championship, and both teams boast fast offenses, deep benches, and talented defenses. Despite both teams being from smaller markets, it's expected to be a series for the ages. While both teams play "pure" basketball, on paper, the Thunder boast more talent than Indiana and are massive favorites. According to FanDuel, the Thunder have -700 odds to win the series compared to the Pacers' +500 odds. The Thunder were long the best team in the NBA this season, and boast MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, All-Star Jalen Williams, and elite defenders in Alex Caruso, Lu Dort, and Chet Holmgren. While Pascal Siakam and Tyrese Haliburton have cemented themselves as superstars, the talent gap is huge, and one stat in particular highlights that. Advertisement "The Thunder went 2-0 against the Pacers in the regular season, winning by an average of 13.5 points," outlined ESPN's Molly Qerim. "Overall, the Thunder went 29-1, that's unbelievable, against the Eastern Conference this season. The best record by any team against the opposite conference since conferences were established in 1970." OKC dismantled their Eastern Conference competition, losing only one game to the Cleveland Cavaliers this season. While Indiana may be a massive underdog, it's not a new position, as they were not favored in either of the last two series, but were able to dominate both the Cavs and Knicks. Don't count the Pacers out. Check out the All Pacers homepage for more news, analysis, and must-read articles. Advertisement Related: Key to Indiana Pacers Beating OKC Thunder in NBA Finals Revealed Related: Pascal Siakam's Awkward Interaction With Indiana Reporter Goes Viral This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 1, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Metta Saniford-Artest took to social media to praise the Pacers.
Metta Saniford-Artest took to social media to praise the Pacers. originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Indiana Pacers, despite not making the NBA Finals since 2000, have been a fixture of the playoffs more seasons than not. Advertisement Against the New York Knicks, the Pacers finally broke through and will meet the Oklahoma City Thunder in their first championship appearance in a quarter of a century. Since 2000, the Pacers have had more than their fair share of talent, although the Detroit Pistons, Miami Heat, and Boston Celtics kept them from making the Finals. In the early 2000s, after losing to the Los Angeles Lakers in their lone Finals appearance, the Pacers assembled one of the best rosters in team history, although the Malice at the Palace in 2004 helped dismantle that roster and their title hopes. A central figure, Metta Saniford-Artest (aka Metta World Peace, Ron Artest), took to social media to celebrate his former team finally making it back to the Finals. Saniford-Artest was not on the 2000 Pacers' team, although he won Defensive Player of the Year in Indiana in 2004 and went on four playoff runs during his Pacers tenure. Advertisement While playing in Indiana, he was very productive, averaging 16.5 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 2.2 steals. After serving multiple suspensions from the league, the Pacers traded him to the Sacramento Kings for Peja Stojaković and he would later go on to win a title next to Kobe Bryant on the Lakers in 2010 After retiring, he has re-found his Pacers fandom and spent time coaching in the G League and playing in IceCube's Big3 league. Check out the All Pacers homepage for more news, analysis, and must-read articles. Related: Selfless Indiana Pacers Not Exempt From 'Face of the League' Debate Related: Rick Carlisle Offers Brutal Indiana Pacers Injury Update This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 3, 2025, where it first appeared.
