Pacers vs. Thunder: Caitlin Clark, Magic Johnson among the many stunned by Indiana's comeback in NBA Finals Game 1
The Indiana Pacers will not die. The New York Knicks warned us. The Cleveland Cavaliers warned us. The Milwaukee Bucks warned us.
And now, the Oklahoma City Thunder have learned their own lesson about how big a lead you can have against the NBA's preeminent comeback artists before you can start feeling comfortable. After leading by as many as 15 points in Game 1, and by nine with three minutes left, the owners of the NBA's best record became the Pacers' latest victim.
Advertisement
Tyrese Haliburton made the game-winning shot with 0.3 seconds left in a 111-110 Pacers win, silencing a Paycom Center crowd that had been loud all night. While the arena was quiet, social media was another story.
Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark, currently rehabbing a quad injury, was enjoying herself quite a bit.
Clark has some practice in this kind of thing. Consider that this was the Pacers' fifth win this postseason, in which they have only lost four games, where they won after being down by at least 15 minutes. Clark has posted something two different times in the past month that would have fit right in with the flood of posts on Thursday.
And there's just no big NBA moment that doesn't got a delightfully straightforward response from Magic Johnson.
There were also a bunch of NBA players who were simply speechless from another shot by a player infamously voted the most overrated among his peers not two months ago.
Former Pacers and Thunder player Victor Oladipo just had a ton of questions for some reason.
Former NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player Kyle Guy, who knows a thing or two about clutch shots, also had a good point. For all the fretting over the market sizes of Oklahoma City and Indiana, it can't be ignored that the NBA Finals just began with a game that will get attention from around the sports world for the next 24 hours.
Game 2 is scheduled for Saturday at 8 p.m. ET at Paycom Center.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
28 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Caitlin Clark Sends Clear Message Before Chicago Sky Game
Caitlin Clark Sends Clear Message Before Chicago Sky Game originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Indiana Fever's star player, Caitlin Clark, has been out for almost two weeks. But although she hasn't been able to play games during this time, she still finds ways to support her team off the court. Advertisement The Iowa alum sustained a left quadriceps strain during a game against the New York Liberty on May 24. The team announced on May 26 that she would be sidelined for a minimum of two weeks, with her status to be re-evaluated thereafter. So far, Clark has missed three consecutive games, including the Fever's recent 85–75 victory over the Washington Mystics in the Commissioner's Cup. While the team has managed to secure a win without her, her absence has been felt. Reports indicate a significant drop in betting interest on Fever games, highlighting her impact on fan engagement. Despite not playing on the court, the 23-year-old athlete has remained actively involved with the team during her recovery, providing vocal support from the sidelines and maintaining a leadership presence. Indiana Fever's Caitlin Clark attends the press conference welcoming Stephanie White as the team's new head coach at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. © Mykal McEldowney/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images In a press conference on Thursday afternoon, Clark emphasized that despite not being on the court, it is important for her to be a good teammate. Advertisement "You still got to be that consistent voice when sitting on the bench. I try to do that as much as I can for them," Clark said. "Just trying to be there for them has been my focus, and that can kinda distracts you from not playing, when you just focus on your teammates and how I can serve them and help them." She also confirmed that her injury happened during the game against the Liberty, but couldn't pinpoint when it happened. Before her injury, Clark was averaging 19.0 points, 9.3 assists, and 6.0 rebounds per game over four games in the 2025 WNBA season. She is expected to miss the upcoming game against the Chicago Sky on Saturday, with a potential return targeted for Tuesday against the Atlanta Dream. Advertisement Related: Fans Can't Get Over Caitlin Clark's Behavior Before Latest Fever Game This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 5, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
34 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Blockbuster NBA Trade Idea Has Hawks Swap Trae Young for Three Former Lottery Picks
Blockbuster NBA Trade Idea Has Hawks Swap Trae Young for Three Former Lottery Picks originally appeared on Athlon Sports. There could be a change for the Atlanta Hawks this offseason after missing the NBA playoffs for the second straight year. The Hawks haven't been competitive, despite having Trae Young, the league's leader in assists per game. With the lack of a competent roster, it could be time for Atlanta to trade Young. Advertisement Last season, the Hawks had a 40-42 record and lost in the Play-In Tournament. The organization hasn't been in the conversation of being a playoff team for a while. Bleacher Report's Andy Bailey suggested that it's time for the Hawks to consider trading the All-Star guard. Given that the front office hasn't been able to give Young enough help to contend, Bailey suggested that a fresh start with a different franchise could be the next step. Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young is guarded by Orlando Magic center Wendell Carter Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images According to Bailey, the team that would benefit from Young would be the Orlando Magic. In the postseason, it became clear that the Magic need a point guard who's capable of being an elite floor general. Advertisement The blockbuster trade idea would send Young to the Magic in exchange for Jalen Suggs, Anthony Black, Jett Howard and a top-10-protected 2027 first-round pick. Acquiring the three former lottery picks could be the perfect fit for what Atlanta is trying to do. "The Hawks have never been able to figure out how to surround him with a workable defense that can cover for his shortcomings on that end," Bailey argued. "And they're brewing their own little positionless philosophy that could benefit from Jalen Suggs' defense and a few more on-ball opportunities for the likes of Jalen Johnson, Dyson Daniels and Zaccharie Risacher." The Hawks have a promising young core in Zaccharie Risacher and Dyson Daniels. Young is the only player who doesn't fit the Hawks' timetable. With the Hawks, Young has developed into a four-time All-Star and one of the best facilitators in the NBA. He has averaged 25.3 points, 3.5 rebounds and 9.8 assists in seven seasons. Related: Hawks Legend Speaks on Kevin Durant's Legacy This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 6, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
34 minutes 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.
