Pacers thrash Thunder to stay alive in NBA Finals
AFP | Los Angeles
The Indiana Pacers, rallying around injured star Tyrese Haliburton, crushed the Oklahoma City Thunder 108-91 on Thursday to force a decisive game seven in the NBA Finals.
Haliburton, cleared to play with a right calf injury only a couple of hours before tipoff, scored 14 points with five assists and two steals in a solid contribution to a comprehensive team effort.
'We just wanted to protect home court,' Haliburton said. 'We didn't want to see these guys celebrate a championship on our home floor.
'Backs against the wall, we just responded,' he added. 'So many different guys chipped in, total team effort. I'm really proud of this group.'
Obi Toppin led the Pacers scoring with 20 points off the bench as Indiana's reserves outscored Oklahoma City's bench 48-37.
Andrew Nembhard added 17 points and Pascal Siakam had 16 points and 13 rebounds as the Pacers, who had lost the last two games to stand on the brink of elimination, leveled the bestof-seven championship series at three games apiece.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Tribune
a day ago
- Daily Tribune
Stokes praises England's attitude after India triumph
AFP | Leeds England captain Ben Stokes praised his side's approach after they pulled off a remarkable five-wicket win over India in the first Test at Headingley on Tuesday. Ben Duckett's superb 149 paved the way for England's ultimately comfortable pursuit of 371 on the last day as Stokes' men once more made light of a seemingly stiff chase with the dynamic batting that has been a hallmark of their play in the 'Bazball' era of coach Brendon McCullum. England twice conceded totals in excess of 350 in the first of this five-match series but managed to inflict late-order collapses of 7-41 and 6-31 that proved costly for India. 'There's been a lot of skill that has contributed to us winning this Test match but our attitude as well,' said Stokes. 'Every session we turned up with the attitude that we could blow this match apart. This was England's second-highest fourth-innings runchase, just behind the 378-3 they managed also against India at Edgbaston not long after Stokes and McCullum joined forces as captain and coach. 'I think we're just a very simple-minded pair, me and Baz (McCullum), when it comes to cricket,' Stokes said. 'Everyone knows what cricket is about, it's about scoring more runs than the opposition. When you strip it all back, that's it... When you're chasing totals like that, how you are in the dressing room is very important.' 'Nightmare for the opposition' Duckett had one moment of good fortune when he was dropped on 97 on Tuesday but the 30-year-old Nottinghamshire opener was otherwise in commanding form. Together with Zak Crawley (65), he laid the foundation for victory against an India attack featuring Jasprit Bumrah, the world's number one-ranked Test bowler, with an outstanding first-wicket partnership of 188. 'Ducky has been incredible since coming into the team,' Stokes said. 'He's shown he can score runs pretty much all over the world in any conditions he's faced with.' He added: 'Ducky got the 149 but Zak was so, so important, too. They complement each other so well. I'm sure you could ask the opposition bowlers about why they're a nightmare when they are in for a long period.' Stokes's decision to field first after winning the toss in seemingly ideal batting conditions was criticised by former England captain Michael Vaughan. But all-rounder Stokes added: 'It's a good job Test cricket is played over five days. You make a decision and you don't know what is going to happen.' India coach Gautam Gambhir said the tourists would still stand by their plan to play Bumrah -- who, remarkably, went wicketless in the second innings at Headingley -- in just three of the five Tests to preserve his fitness following a back injury. 'We won't change the plans,' Gambhir said after India's attack rarely threatened on the final day in Leeds. 'To manage his workload is more important. Before he came on this tour, it was already decided he would play three Tests but let's see how his body turns out.' There is now a break of more than a week until the second Test in Birmingham starts on July 2, with former India batsman Gambhir adding: 'We haven't decided which two other Test matches he's going to play. 'We absolutely have the bowling attack to take 20 wickets. We pick the squad on trust, not on hope.'
Daily Tribune
3 days ago
- Daily Tribune
Thunder storm to NBA title
AFP | Oklahoma City The Oklahoma City Thunder crowned a dazzling season with an NBA title on Sunday, pulling away relentlessly in the second half to beat the injury-hit Indiana Pacers 103-91 in game seven of the NBA Finals. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 29 points and handed out 12 assists and the Thunder's swarming defense finally proved to much for a Pacers team that lost talisman Tyrese Haliburton to a leg injury just seven minutes into the contest. The underdog Pacers hung tough and held a 48-47 lead at halftime, but the Thunder outscored them 34-20 in the third quarter and pushed the lead to as many as 22 points in the fourth. 'It doesn't feel real, so many hours, so many moments, so many emotions, so many nights of disbelief,' Gilgeous-Alexander said, his voice breaking 'It's crazy to know that we're all here. 'But this group worked for it, this group put in the hours and we deserved this.' Gilgeous-Alexander put himself among some of the game's greats as he earned Finals Most Valuable Player honours to go with his regular-season MVP and scoring title along with his first championship. Jalen Williams scored 15 of his 20 points in the second half and Chet Holmgren added 18 points, eight rebounds, a steal and five of the Thunder's eight blocked shots. A crowd of 18,203 at Paycom Center were given some tense moments as the Pacers chipped away at the deficit, but 23 Indiana turnovers leading to 32 Thunder points were ultimately too much for the Pacers to overcome. The Thunder, who led the league with 68 regular-season wins, captured their first title since the club's controversial move to Oklahoma City in 2008, the franchise having won it all in 1979 as the Seattle SuperSonics. The Pacers, three-time American Basketball Association champions in the 1970s -- remain in search of a first title since joining the NBA in the NBAABA merger. Haliburton injured Haliburton, already nursing a right calf strain when the Pacers won game six to force the first Finals game seven since 2016, had scored nine points -- all on three-pointers -- when he went down as he tried to drive past Gilgeous-Alexander. Haliburton's right leg gave out and he sprawled forward, slapping the court in pain and disappointment. Teammates gathered around him before he was helped off the court and to the locker room, supported and hopping on one leg with a towel over his head. In his absence, the Pacers dug in. Down by three after the first quarter, they took a 43-42 lead on a three-pointer by Bennedict Mathurin with 2:02 left in the second quarter. Oklahoma City would take the lead again before Andrew Nembhard drilled a step-back three-pointer with 4.3 seconds left to put the Pacers up 48-47 at halftime. The first half featured 10 lead changes, both teams coming out with determination on the defensive end with everything at stake. The three-point shot was an early difference-maker for the Pacers, who connected on eight of 16 from beyond the arc in the first half, but had just three after the break. The Thunder struggled early from long range, but Gilgeous-Alexander made his first three-pointer of the night with 8:16 left in the third, Holmgren followed with a trey and Jalen Williams added another -- the quick 9-0 run giving Oklahoma City a 65-56 lead that set the stage for the rest of the game. 'We had 24 minutes to go get it -- we had 24 minutes to finish our season,' Gilgeous-Alexander said of the Thunder's mindset coming out for the third. 'It was either gonna be bad or it was going to be pretty. We did everything we could.' Bennedict Mathurin led the Pacers with 24 points off the bench. Pascal Siakam and T.J. McConnell aded 16 points apiece and Andrew Nembhard scored 15. But the famously resilient Pacers, who rallied from a 10-15 season start and authored a string of stirring comeback wins, finally came up short.
Daily Tribune
3 days ago
- Daily Tribune
Pogba says he is talking to a club about comeback after ban
AFP | Paris Former France midfielder Paul Pogba, who wants to resume his career after a doping ban, said on French television on Sunday he is 'talking' with a club, which sources close to him said was Monaco. The 32-year-old also said he had re-established contact with his brother Mathias, sentenced to a year in prison last December for his involvement in a plot to extort 13 million euros ($15 million) from the 2018 World Cup winner. Pogba, who played for Manchester United and Juventus, is hoping to put three chaotic years behind him. Pogba suffered through repeated injuries and patchy form that led to his departure from United in 2022. He returned for a second stint at Juventus, where his problems continued. He failed a drugs test after a game in Italy in August 2023 and was handed a four-year doping ban, which was reduced 18 months on appeal. It ended in March. 'It was very, very hard,' he said. He said he was 'talking' to a club, which multiple sources said was Ligue 1 Monaco. Pogba said he was determined 'to get back on the pitch, mentally ready, physically ready, it's just a matter of time'. The extortion case involving six men linked to Paul Pogba shocked France because the perpetrators included three childhood friends and his own brother. The five other defendants were found guilty of extortion, kidnapping and detention, as well as participation in a criminal association, and sentenced to up to eight years in prison.
