Stephen A. Smith sends warning to NBA even if Pacers lose Finals
The Indiana Pacers trail the Oklahoma City Thunder 3-2 heading into Game 6 of the NBA Finals. With Tyrese Haliburton's status in question for Game 6 due to an injury, OKC is in the driver's seat for a series win. Stephen A. Smith is confident in the Pacers' future regardless of the outcome of the 2025 NBA Finals, however.
Advertisement
'My biggest takeaway is going to be that the Pacers are not going away,' Smith said on ESPN First Take when asked what his biggest takeaway would be if the Pacers lose Game 6. 'This is not a team that you can look at and (say) 'this year is a fluke' and 'there's no way on earth they will be back in this picture.' (Pascal) Siakam is not going to fade. (Andrew) Nembhard and (Aaron) Nesmith, they're not scrubs who can't play… (Bennedict) Mathurin, I believe in this kid and I believe his promise is there and he will only elevate. Rick Carlisle is too exceptional of a coach to not be in the picture making noise in some capacity.
'The Indiana fanbase clearly is one of the best in America. There is no denying this. And I think that when you couple that with so many question marks that exist within the Eastern Conference… There's so many questions that exist within the Eastern Conference that the Indiana Pacers actually appear to be a very steady franchise on the come up even though they're in the Finals.'
The Thunder feature a talented team without question. Oklahoma City has a terrific opportunity to clinch a championship on Thursday night. With that being said, Smith believes the Pacers' future remains bright.
As for the short-term outlook, Smith thinks Indiana will force a Game 7.
Advertisement
'Even though we might look at OKC and say, 'they're better,' Indiana is not a joke… If they were to lose tonight, and I don't believe they will, I think they're going to force a Game 7, but if they were to lose tonight, I don't think there's anything to hang their heads about… So I think that Indiana has put us on notice that when it comes to the game of basketball you going to have to deal with these brothers in the future. They're not just going to go away,' Smith added.
It remains to be seen if the Pacers can establish themselves as a true contender for years to come. With Tyrese Haliburton leading the way, though, Indiana will be a team to closely monitor moving forward.
Game 6 is scheduled for 8:30 PM EST on Thursday night in Indiana.
Related: Dyson Daniels gets real on Thunder-Pacers NBA Finals
Related: Tyrese Haliburton has 'every intention' of battling through injury in Game 6
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
20 minutes ago
- Yahoo
The NBA is already punting on the Eastern Conference
For most of the 21st century, the disparity between the NBA's Western and Eastern Conferences has been a chasm. The prevailing sentiment among hoops fans has been that the West's overall quality usually blows the East out of the water. Between the contrast in the number of All-NBA selections, the massive difference in the number of league champions this millennium (17 for the West, nine for the East), and the sheer amount of free agent superstars who seemingly waste no time running to states like California and Texas, it's hard to ignore this reality as a basketball lover. I just never thought the NBA itself would directly acknowledge the gulf between the West and East. Well, at least heavily imply it exists, you know? On Friday, the league revealed (news-dumped) its opening night and Christmas schedules. These are, as I'm sure all of you know, traditionally considered the two biggest evenings on the NBA regular season calendar. One tips off eight months of professional men's basketball after a much-needed summer break. The other is essentially a marquee league showcase for people who have been paying attention to the NFL and college football up until that point and are ready to start devoting their energy elsewhere. But when you look at the reported games, you'll notice there's a distinct lack of Eastern basketball flavor. Of the seven total opening night and Christmas games, only the Cleveland Cavaliers and New York Knicks are carrying the East's torch. One game. Of 14 total slots, just two East teams. Woof. Essentially, the only two teams being featured are the two who might end up meeting in this year's Eastern Conference Finals. Otherwise, the NBA is temporarily giving up on selling the East to hardcore fans and casuals alike. By ignoring everyone else, the NBA is saying no other East team this season has the juice. At least, not yet. NBA WIN TOTALS: To be clear, I'm not surprised by this development. With the Boston Celtics and Indiana Pacers operating without an injured Jayson Tatum and Tyrese Haliburton, respectively, for the entire season, the East is extremely top-heavy. Giannis Antetokounmpo's Milwaukee Bucks aren't in flux, but they're also not very good. The Orlando Magic, Atlanta Hawks, and Detroit Pistons could all be nice stories and great teams by the end of the year, but they're likely not going to attract a lot of eyeballs right now. There's not a lot to work with here. While the East was already weaker than the West on paper, it, by default, has even less intrigue than ever. By comparison, the West has, at minimum, three of the NBA's five best teams (the reigning champion Oklahoma City Thunder, Nikola Jokić's Denver Nuggets, and Kevin Durant's Houston Rockets). Luka Dončić plays for the Los Angeles Lakers, arguably the most popular sports team in the world. Potential all-time generational talent Victor Wembanyama is a San Antonio Spur. And, of course, there's still the electric Steph Curry in Golden State and the intrigue of Cooper Flagg in Dallas, among other hotspots. If you were a league trying to sell yourself to bog-standard sports fans, it's just good business to center this conference. But that's the thing. Most of us already knew the NBA's West generally provided better basketball than the East. You know, especially as it tries to get back on its feet. It's still pretty jarring to see the league, the people running the show, agree with us. Serbia has a golden European opportunity For those of you jonesing to see some of your favorite NBA players hoop it up again, may I humbly suggest this year's EuroBasket tournament? I mean, let's be honest, three of the league's four best players will be featured. It's no amateur showcase of young players. It's a serious affair with the vaunted title of European champion on the line. So, to put it lightly, I think it's worth our time. But not every nation participating in EuroBasket is created equal. With all due respect to squads like Iceland and Jeremy Sochan's Poland, they're probably going to have the chance to go home early and put their feet up. FIBA's been keeping track of the leading contenders for the gold medal so far, and I have to say: it's pretty spot on. With Nikola Jokić in the fold, this is Serbia's tournament to lose: I'm not saying Serbia is guaranteed its fourth-ever European championship and the first in nearly a quarter-century. Squads like Franz Wagner's Germany and the always-tough France will be tough outs. But I feel a lot less confident in the French without their twin towers in Rudy Gobert and Wembanyama, who won't play in the tournament. And while Germany is a well-oiled machine of efficiency, it doesn't have the same level of talent or depth that Serbia's program possesses. The Serbians are not so quietly ranked second in FIBA's men's world rankings. They're only a year removed from putting a genuine scare into arguably the greatest on-paper team the United States has ever assembled. And they've only gotten better since then, with more young players coming into their own. Also, again, they still have the world's best player in his prime in Jokić. Call me old-fashioned, but I think it's wonderful that a country with a population of less than seven million people can really put itself on the map as a mainstream basketball powerhouse by winning EuroBasket. Shootaround Kevin Durant isn't fazed by Thunder venom anymore. I don't think he's bluffing. Sydney Colson's season-ending injury is devastating for the Fever. Cory Woodroof outlined some replacement options. Speaking of the injured Fever, at least Caitlin Clark is keeping busy courtside. Grown man Tyrese Maxey doesn't know how to use a standard kitchen tool. This article originally appeared on For The Win: NBA deservedly overlooking Eastern Conference with Christmas schedule
USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
The NBA is already punting on the Eastern Conference
For most of the 21st century, the disparity between the NBA's Western and Eastern Conferences has been a chasm. The prevailing sentiment among hoops fans has been that the West's overall quality usually blows the East out of the water. Between the contrast in the number of All-NBA selections, the massive difference in the number of league champions this millennium (17 for the West, nine for the East), and the sheer amount of free agent superstars who seemingly waste no time running to states like California and Texas, it's hard to ignore this reality as a basketball lover. I just never thought the NBA itself would directly acknowledge the gulf between the West and East. Well, at least heavily imply it exists, you know? On Friday, the league revealed (news-dumped) its opening night and Christmas schedules. These are, as I'm sure all of you know, traditionally considered the two biggest evenings on the NBA regular season calendar. One tips off eight months of professional men's basketball after a much-needed summer break. The other is essentially a marquee league showcase for people who have been paying attention to the NFL and college football up until that point and are ready to start devoting their energy elsewhere. But when you look at the reported games, you'll notice there's a distinct lack of Eastern basketball flavor. Of the seven total opening night and Christmas games, only the Cleveland Cavaliers and New York Knicks are carrying the East's torch. One game. Of 14 total slots, just two East teams. Woof. Essentially, the only two teams being featured are the two who might end up meeting in this year's Eastern Conference Finals. Otherwise, the NBA is temporarily giving up on selling the East to hardcore fans and casuals alike. By ignoring everyone else, the NBA is saying no other East team this season has the juice. At least, not yet. NBA WIN TOTALS: 4 Western powerhouse teams should eclipse 50-plus wins To be clear, I'm not surprised by this development. With the Boston Celtics and Indiana Pacers operating without an injured Jayson Tatum and Tyrese Haliburton, respectively, for the entire season, the East is extremely top-heavy. Giannis Antetokounmpo's Milwaukee Bucks aren't in flux, but they're also not very good. The Orlando Magic, Atlanta Hawks, and Detroit Pistons could all be nice stories and great teams by the end of the year, but they're likely not going to attract a lot of eyeballs right now. There's not a lot to work with here. While the East was already weaker than the West on paper, it, by default, has even less intrigue than ever. By comparison, the West has, at minimum, three of the NBA's five best teams (the reigning champion Oklahoma City Thunder, Nikola Jokić's Denver Nuggets, and Kevin Durant's Houston Rockets). Luka Dončić plays for the Los Angeles Lakers, arguably the most popular sports team in the world. Potential all-time generational talent Victor Wembanyama is a San Antonio Spur. And, of course, there's still the electric Steph Curry in Golden State and the intrigue of Cooper Flagg in Dallas, among other hotspots. If you were a league trying to sell yourself to bog-standard sports fans, it's just good business to center this conference. But that's the thing. Most of us already knew the NBA's West generally provided better basketball than the East. You know, especially as it tries to get back on its feet. It's still pretty jarring to see the league, the people running the show, agree with us. Serbia has a golden European opportunity For those of you jonesing to see some of your favorite NBA players hoop it up again, may I humbly suggest this year's EuroBasket tournament? I mean, let's be honest, three of the league's four best players will be featured. It's no amateur showcase of young players. It's a serious affair with the vaunted title of European champion on the line. So, to put it lightly, I think it's worth our time. But not every nation participating in EuroBasket is created equal. With all due respect to squads like Iceland and Jeremy Sochan's Poland, they're probably going to have the chance to go home early and put their feet up. FIBA's been keeping track of the leading contenders for the gold medal so far, and I have to say: it's pretty spot on. With Nikola Jokić in the fold, this is Serbia's tournament to lose: I'm not saying Serbia is guaranteed its fourth-ever European championship and the first in nearly a quarter-century. Squads like Franz Wagner's Germany and the always-tough France will be tough outs. But I feel a lot less confident in the French without their twin towers in Rudy Gobert and Wembanyama, who won't play in the tournament. And while Germany is a well-oiled machine of efficiency, it doesn't have the same level of talent or depth that Serbia's program possesses. The Serbians are not so quietly ranked second in FIBA's men's world rankings. They're only a year removed from putting a genuine scare into arguably the greatest on-paper team the United States has ever assembled. And they've only gotten better since then, with more young players coming into their own. Also, again, they still have the world's best player in his prime in Jokić. Call me old-fashioned, but I think it's wonderful that a country with a population of less than seven million people can really put itself on the map as a mainstream basketball powerhouse by winning EuroBasket. Shootaround This was Layup Lines, For the Win's basketball newsletter. Subscribe here to get it delivered to your inbox every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Seattle Mariners' fans happy to see Adrian Houser's bad outing after OKC Thunder jersey decision
Seattle Mariners' fans happy to see Adrian Houser's bad outing after OKC Thunder jersey decision originally appeared on The Sporting News On Friday, Adrian Houser threw a bullpen session in Seattle wearing an Oklahoma City Thunder uniform. Mariners fans, with the relocated SuperSonics close to heart, didn't like that from the visiting Tampa Bay Rays pitcher. On Sunday, Seattle got a bit of vengeance. The Mariners scored four runs in the first inning off Houser, who didn't return for the second. Seattle went on to win 6-3. MORE: Twins' Ryan Fitzgerald reminds us why we love sports after a career spent in the minor leagues There's a bit more context needed here to be fair to Houser. He's a native of Oklahoma who has worn a Thunder jersey during all of his bullpen sessions since the Thunder won the NBA title in June, per Oklahoma reporter Dekota Gregory. That doesn't mean Seattle fans had to be thrilled with it. The championship by the Thunder felt in a way like it could've just as easily been the Sonics. But instead, just after Kevin Durant showed up, their team left to move halfway across the country. MORE: Athletics use the first switch-thrower in MLB history That meant that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, that No. 2 that Houser was wearing, won his MVP Award playing in Oklahoma City rather than potentially Seattle in an alternate timeline. The Mariners didn't have any obligation to rough Houser up after this choice. But because of how hot Seattle is, it was a foregone conclusion that they'd have another big game in one form or another. Houser has pitched out of his mind this season, an ERA under 3.00, something nowhere near in line with his career numbers. But he jinxed things in Seattle, that's for sure, and the Mariners made sure he paid the price. MORE MLB NEWS: Guardians' Nic Enright reaches special personal milestone in comeback from cancer Umpires don't like Guardians star Steven Kwan Blue Jays' Ernie Clement shows lifelong hitting ability in historic night for Toronto Mookie Betts admits 'this season's over' after brutal struggles Justin Verlander makes decision on his retirement plans Yankees are paying 3 players a combined $43.8 million to not play for them
