Pacers take 2-0 lead over Knicks as Pascal Siakam scores 39 points in 114-109 victory
NEW YORK — Pascal Siakam scored a playoff career-high 39 points, and the Indiana Pacers beat the New York Knicks 114-109 on Friday night for a 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference finals.
Myles Turner added 16 points and Tyrese Haliburton had 14 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds for the Pacers, who head home halfway to their second trip to the NBA Finals. They lost to the Lakers in 2000 in their only shot at the title.
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Yahoo
32 minutes ago
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Magic Johnson Saddened by Passing of Former UCLA Star and NBA Champion
Magic Johnson Saddened by Passing of Former UCLA Star and NBA Champion originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The basketball world is mourning the loss of former UCLA Bruins standout David Greenwood, who passed away this week at the age of 68 after a long battle with cancer. He passed away in Riverside, California. Advertisement A member of legendary coach John Wooden's final recruiting class, Greenwood was selected No. 2 overall in the 1979 NBA draft — one spot after the Los Angeles Lakers chose Hall of Fame point guard Magic Johnson. Greenwood went on to have a 12-year NBA career, playing for the Chicago Bulls, San Antonio Spurs, Denver Nuggets, and the Detroit Pistons, where he was part of the team's 1990 NBA Championship run. Following the news of his passing, Johnson shared a heartfelt message on social media, expressing his sorrow over the loss of his fellow draft classmate. "I'm sorry to hear the news about the passing of David Greenwood," Johnson said. "David Greenwood and I were drafted picks 1 and 2 in the 1979 NBA Draft. I'm praying for the Greenwood family and all of his loved ones. Rest in Peace David!" Greenwood was a two-time Conference Player of the Year at UCLA and played a pivotal role in leading the Bruins to the Final Four in 1976. He earned All-American honors in both his junior and senior seasons, becoming the first UCLA player to do so since the legendary Bill Walton, who achieved the distinction from 1972 to 1974. Advertisement Before the arrival of Michael Jordan, Greenwood was a cornerstone for the Chicago Bulls franchise. He later joined the San Antonio Spurs after being traded in exchange for Hall of Famer George Gervin. David Greenwood (34) in college.© Malcolm Emmons-Imagn Images David Greenwood is survived by his two children, Jemil and Tiffany, his former wife Joyce, his brother Al, and his sister Laverne. Related: Magic Johnson Names Greatest Player in NBA History Without Hesitation This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 12, 2025, where it first appeared.
CNN
32 minutes ago
- CNN
The 125th US Open Championship tees off on a course that ‘challenges your sanity'
All week in the build-up to the US Open, the course at Oakmont Country Club outside Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was touted as a beast – a track so difficult that the world's best might look like weekend hacks trying to navigate it. As Thursday's opening round ended, just 10 players were under par and the course had lived up to its reputation. American JJ Spaun led the way with a 4-under 66, nailing his first-ever bogey-free round in a major. He entered the tournament having not played at Oakmont before, and he thought that helped. 'I kind of came out here with no prior history at Oakmont, not really knowing what to expect even US Open-wise. This is only my second one,' he said after the round. 'I don't know if that freed me up in any aspect, but I just tried to kind of take what the course gave me. I hit a lot of good shots and tried to capitalize on any birdie opportunities, which aren't very many out here.' 'But I scrambled really well, too, which is a huge component to playing well at a US Open, let alone shoot a bogey-free round.' Chasing Spaun were South African Thriston Lawrence at 3-under; Si Woo Kim, Brooks Koepka and Sungjae Im at 2-under; and Ben Griffin, Jon Rahm, Thomas Detry, Rasmus Neergard-Petersen and James Nicholas at 1-under. Most of the field wasn't as pleased as Spaun as many of the tournament's biggest names and the world's best players felt Oakmont's wrath early and often. World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler and others were beaten up by the long rough and wicked fast greens, dried out by a day of beating sun and warm temperatures. The US Open is always considered the toughest major to win each year and Oakmont has only made that more difficult for the 125th edition of the tournament. Even Scheffler, who has calmly dominated the sport as of late by winning three of his last four PGA Tour tournaments, was visibly frustrated on Thursday as he finished the day seven shots out of the lead with a 3-over 73. There was ample warning of what was to come; prior to the season's third major, the tournament's defending champion, Bryson DeChambeau, cautioned those who dared attempt to tame the track, 'This course doesn't just challenge your game. It challenges your sanity.' Household names like DeChambeau, Rory McIlroy, and Justin Rose all felt the sting of Oakmont's test with its unforgiving five-and-1/4-inch thick rough, infamous bunker known as the 'Church Pews' – where wayward golf balls must feel like they've landed in golfing purgatory – and a 9th hole green that is the approximate size of four NBA-sized basketball courts. On the positive side, the weather presented warm and dry conditions, but judging by how few players scored red numbers, it was a small consultation. And with Oakmont's sloping greens, those dry conditions made for tough putting. While world No. 2 McIlroy got off to a solid start – including a booming 392-yard drive on 12, the longest drive of the season for him – he ran into the perils that lurk at Oakmont. He found himself in super thick rough in a ditch on his fourth hole. He chose to hit out of the hazard, which yielded mere yards. The next shot out of the rough only advanced a few feet. At this point, a bogey on the hole would be a massive relief considering the tribulations to reach the green. The Northern Irishman did just that, rolling in a 30-foot putt for a six. McIlroy would go on to card a 4-over 74. Maxwell Moldovan, having recently completed his eligibility at Ohio State University in 2024, made the most of his first round start on Thursday. As the morning revealed itself with the rising sun in his face, the 23-year-old looked to have tamed the rugged test of one of golf's toughest courses with just his second shot of the day. He hit a blind 189-yard approach that landed short of the hole but rolled straight into the cup for a delightful eagle. At first, Moldovan didn't seem to realize his fortune but as the early-rising crowd cheered, Moldovan gave his caddie a solid high-five with a smile. The 125th US Open is being played for a record tenth time at Oakmont Country Club in Pennsylvania where CNN's Patrick Snell is in the rough to show you just why the famed country club has long been considered one of the toughest courses in the country. #cnn #news #sports #golf #usga #usopen #oakmont #golfing #oakmontcountryclub 'I couldn't really see it but I heard people start cheering and then I walked down the hill and I saw it go in and everybody's hands go up,' he said after his round. As the day unfolded, the Ohio native must have thought the course at Oakmont doesn't appear to like being shown up. He scored bogey-bogey on the next two holes. He would go on to finish the day with a 6-over 76. Shane Lowry also experienced a yo-yo day as depicted on a scorecard filled with joy and pain. Lowry became the first player to eagle the par-4 3rd hole, just after a double bogey on the previous hole. He'd go on to have five more bogeys and two more double bogeys for a 9-over 79. At one point, he was seen tossing an on-course microphone into the thick rough in frustration. Perhaps the most compelling story entering this tournament was that of Dr. Matt Vogt, as his patients in Indiana affectionately call him. The self-confessed 'math and science geek' who once quit his college golf team, the full-time dentist who found the perfect formula when it came to qualifying for the chance to play the course he once caddied, is the fan favorite playing back in his hometown. However, he struggled out of the gate with double bogeys on two of his first four holes. He carded an 82 on the day that he admitted afterwards felt like he had gotten beat up at his old stomping grounds. 'My goodness, honestly, I came in with such optimism for this golf course, but it is so hard,' the 34-year-old said. 'It's just so, so hard. 'I'd say in the moment you feel like you get punched in the face, but ultimately, yeah, I'd say it was fun.' Despite the clear challenges put forth for the 156 participants, LIV Golfer Patrick Reed produced a historic score on the par-5 fourth hole that made the game and course look easy. After a 332-yard drive, he cranked a 286-yard second shot that appeared to be magnetized to the cup. The ball took a couple of bounces on the green and rolled straight home. Reed didn't know he had just hit the fourth-ever recorded albatross in US Open history but after hearing the crowd cheer for the rare feat, he shrugged and produced a big smile. He finished with a Reed finished with a 3-over 73.
New York Times
42 minutes ago
- New York Times
U.S. Open 2025: Oakmont may be a slow burn but high scores are still coming
OAKMONT, Pa. — My goodness, Robert Macintyre was delighted. Chuffed, even. He drove it as well as he can drive a golf ball. He found fairways and avoided the thick stuff. He converted his tough putts at a steady rate. The 28-year-old Scot played as good of golf as he believes is capable of playing Thursday. Advertisement 'That's up there in the top 10 of any rounds that I've played,' he said. He shot even par. The U.S. Open is back at Oakmont Country Club this week, meaning the U.S. Open is back to being the toughest test in golf. Superstars threw clubs and duffed chips in Round 1. Rory McIlroy turned a first nine 33 into a 41 on the way in. Sixteen golfers shot in the 80s on a par-70 setup, and the only past major winners still under par are Brooks Koepka and Jon Rahm. So don't make the mistake of looking at a U.S. Open leaderboard with a 4-under leader in Round 1 — and 10 total golfers under par — and think you're being robbed of a true Oakmont carnage. The golf so far is indeed evil. It is hard. It is the second-highest-scoring U.S. Open first round in 10 years, even higher than the last Oakmont trip in 2016, and the top of the leaderboard will keep reverting back to par over four days. Because more than any other major and any other course, an Oakmont U.S. Open is not about your highest of highs. It's about your lows across 72 holes. So Adam Scott, a man playing in his third Open at Oakmont, was asked what he thinks it'll take to win if it doesn't rain this weekend. 'I like plus four,' Scott said. OK, what did MacIntyre think? 'You shoot four level-par rounds, you're walking away with a medal and a trophy,' he said. Rory is currently in a battle with the par-5 4th. — U.S. Open (@usopengolf) June 12, 2025 With the sun still rising in the Western Pennsylvania sky at 6:40 in the morning Thursday, Dr. Matthew Vogt set up on the first tee as an outsider who believed. Here was a dentist from McCordsville, Ind., who grew up outside Pittsburgh and earned his way here in a 36-hole qualifier in Walla Walla, Wash.. He felt good in his practice rounds. He didn't feel like some token, quirky story, a former Oakmont caddie given a tee time. He earned this. Advertisement Vogt stepped up to hit the opening tee shot of the 125th U.S. Open, his eyes not displaying any fear or doubt, and launched a drive so far left it went over the rough, the nearby ninth fairway and all the way into the rough on the other side of No. 9. Credit where it's due, Vogt hit a fantastic recovery shot to save par. Unfortunately, Vogt was 12-over-par by the time he finished in 82 shots. 'My goodness, honestly, I came in with such optimism for this golf course,' Vogt said, 'but it is so hard. It's just so, so hard. I'd say in the moment you feel like you get punched in the face, but ultimately, yeah, I'd say it was fun.' This was not just punishment for the dentist. Minutes later, world No. 13 Tommy Fleetwood teed off and found the left-side native area hazard and had to take a drop. An opening bogey started his way to a disappointing 4-over 74. Shane Lowry, the 54-hole leader at Oakmont nine years ago, shot a 79 in spite of a hole-out eagle on No. 3. Dominant forces like the sport's consensus top three — Scottie Scheffler, Bryson DeChambeau and McIlroy — all shot at least 3-over. The 2016 U.S. Open here was filled with constant rain and stoppages, and still 11 golfers finished Round 1 under par. By the Sunday finish, there were just four. On Thursday, it was just 10, and it will only get harder each day. There's a slight misunderstanding about the test Oakmont creates. It is indeed the hardest course in major golf, but it is not the type with constant hazards or daunting hills leading to obvious blow-up holes and crushing penalties. It is a course that jabs you over and over, little by little, slowly but surely, until it can recognize the true golfer still standing after four days of attrition. The fairways are difficult, but not unbelievably hard to find. The course is long, but nothing crazy by modern standards. The greens are comically fast, but they're big and landable. It's a course that simply tests you in straightforward ways, but with every single shot without a single break. Advertisement So it's not about how low the leader goes on Day 1. It's about who can hold off the disasters constantly around the corner for 72 holes. 'Your head starts spinning out here, and it just gets away from you,' Vogt said. McIlroy looked composed and steady at 2-under through nine. Then he bogeyed No. 1, went to the par-5 No. 4 and hit it right into the thick, penal native area. It took him three hacks to get back into the fairway, and it was impressive to even make bogey. He'll start Friday's second round tied for 63rd at 4-over. 'If you miss the fairway, it's essentially a stroke penalty,' said Jordan Spieth, who shot even par. Patrick Reed made an albatross on No. 4 to get to 2-under and become one of the stories of the day. He slowly faded, and on his final hole on 18, he found a bunker, went to some thick rough from there, tried to get cute from the edge of the green and ultimately triple bogeyed to fall to 3-over. 'When I was watching it earlier on the coverage, guys were spinning balls back up the hills on 1 and 10. That's never going to happen again,' Reed said. MacIntyre's caddie had to remind him after each poor position that they had a plan and need to stick to it. Don't try to be a hero. It kept him alive. He wasn't the only one hearing that. 'If you're out of position in the rough, you lose control,' Scott said. 'It can take two or three goes to get it back into a spot where you can have control over the next shot. It's pretty relentless, really.' J.J. Spaun is not your 18-hole leader because he made four birdies. Plenty of people strung birdies together. He's the leader because he never let a hole get away from him. He's on top because of his remarkable par saves, like his one on No. 4 from the church pews bunker. 'That's kind of the key to this tournament and this venue is just not losing your steam,' Spaun said, 'not losing your focus, and converting those momentum-saving putts.' That's the other thing to acknowledge. The only two golfers to shoot 67 or better — Spaun and Thriston Lawrence — putted out of their minds, both ranking top four in the field in strokes gained on the green. That is the least sustainable skill at a course like this. Some of those putts won't fall Friday. Or Saturday. Or Sunday. Advertisement Oakmont is indeed creating carnage, and it will continue to as the week goes on. How do we know? Because even the golfer in third place, Si Woo Kim, admits he's flying blind out there. 'Honestly, I don't even know what I'm doing on the course,' Kim said. 'Kind of hitting good, but I feel like this course is too hard for me.' (Top photo of Trevor Gutschewski: Ross Kinnaird / Getty Images)
