Pacers won Game 6 with hobbled Tyrese Haliburton the way they had to -- with all of them
Then Andrew Nembhard had something to say.
The starting shooting guard caught a fireball pass from Tyrese Haliburton in the high corner and drilled a 3. On the next possession, he grabbed a quick pass from Aaron Nesmith and drilled another 3 from the top of the key. Then he scored again on the very next trip down the court.
In a flash, Nembhard poured in more points in three possessions than he managed all of Game 5, back when he fell apart in the second half with four backbreaking turnovers, a night emblematic of how the fort around Haliburton collapsed under the weight of his newly aching calf.
Re-live the Pacers unbelievable run to the 2025 NBA Finals with IndyStar's commemorative book
And his outburst to start Game 6 was illustrative of a flip of the switch that athletes promise but too often fall short of. The Pacers said they would bounce back, but they fully believed it once those shots went in and a deficit turned into a lead and a crowd roared and a favorite pressed and a 108-91 victory changed the trajectory, or at least brought one more chance to write a legacy.
'We've got one game. One game," Haliburton said. "Nothing that's happened before matters. And nothing that's going to happen after matters."
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With his early scoring outburst and defense to hold league MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to a series-low 21 points, Nembhard sparked a night that was about the survival and drive of Haliburton but also so much more.
There was Nesmith's terrorizing of Williams and Pascal Siakam's 13 rebounds and posterizing dunk over Williams and Obi Toppin's 20 points off the bench and the collective defensive trouncing of a Thunder duo and a team that so many expected to run away with this series, or at least a potentially deciding Game 6 against a Pacers team that appeared to be running out of gas.
Once more, these Pacers had more in the tank than anyone knew they had.
"You've got a group of guys who all have all had a somewhat similar path of being overlooked," center Myles Turner said. "You have guys like Aaron Nesmith and Pascal getting traded and Tyrese getting traded and Nembhard is a second-round pick.
"I think we all carry a little bit of that weight with us. When you put a bunch of guys like that together, that starts to add up."
This was the Pacers, doing what they have done this postseason: They defy odds, upset title favorites and laugh in the face of deficits. To date, that's come in individual games and largely on the last-second heroics of a healthy Haliburton.
Thursday presented a different test, down 3-2 in the series after back-to-back losses and on the verge of elimination while facing mounting uncertainty about the head of their snake.
Every question entering Thursday night's game centered around that calf Haliburton strained and whether or not he could even play or muster more than the four points and zero shots he managed in the loss. Despite an injury that could have long-term risk, Indiana's star put some short-term questions to rest with a 14-point, 5-assist performance.
But lost in that conversation was everyone else who has made this run what it is.
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If they were going to win this game with a hobbled star against an 84-win Thunder team with an all-time defense, it was going to take them all -- the supporting guards, the men in the paint, the Robin to Haliburton's Batman in Siakam, the league's premier bench, the veteran coach and a Gainbridge Fieldhouse crowd that needed to bring the pressure rather than feel it.
For the first two rounds of these playoffs, the fourth-seeded Pacers rose up like they did to reach last year's Eastern Conference Finals, by pouncing on Bucks and Cavs teams with injured stars.
But these past two series, against the Knicks and Thunder, have been about winning critical games in clutch and blowout fashion with a best-on-best mentality. Results ultimately write the history, and these results have shown that the Pacers' best was something still underrated entering their 104th game.
Game 7 on Sunday in Oklahoma City will be for all of the memories.
'It's crazy. We're playing to the last possible day," Nesmith said. "I'm just trying to celebrate for the next three months.'
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USA Today
2 hours ago
- USA Today
2024-25 Thunder player grades: Lu Dort
The calendar has flipped to August, which means we've officially hit the low point of the NBA cycle. The next couple of months are the driest part of the year. Everybody has headed to vacation and awaits training camp to kick off the 2025-26 season. The Oklahoma City Thunder continue to enjoy their NBA championship. They had a historic 68-14 regular-season campaign that eventually led to the franchise's first title with a 2025 NBA Finals Game 7 win. They'll enter next season as a favorite to be a rare repeat winner. To reflect on their title run, Thunder Wire will conduct 2024-25 season grades for all 19 players who suited up for the squad at one point during the year. Fourth up is Lu Dort, who enjoyed a career season with some first-time defensive career accolades: 2024-25 statistics: Advanced stats: Significant Percentile Finishes: Contract: Thoughts: Campaigned by his teammates all season, Dort was finally recognized by the NBA as one of the top defenders. He was named to the All-Defensive First Team and received some Defensive Player of the Year buzz. It's about time the rest of the league caught up to how good he is. When you win an NBA championship, you need some luck. That takes form in many ways. One is a role player enjoying a career season. That happened with Dort. The defense was always there. Ever since he joined the NBA in 2019 as an undrafted rookie, that's been his calling card. It's how he carved out a career despite the odds stacked against him. But after wandering around for a while, Dort has finally found his role on offense. Not afraid to let it fly, he narrowed his role to mostly outside looks. The discipline paid off, being a 40% outside shooter on decent volume. His finishing around the rim also improved. He had one of his most efficient scoring seasons ever simply by cutting out bad shot attempts he'd habitually go to. It might be overused in the NBA nerd vocabulary, but Dort was about as textbook of a 3-and-D guy as there is. Nearly 70% of his shot attempts were from the outside. He took on the toughest perimeter assignments every game. There's a reason why the Thunder had one of the greatest defenses ever and allowed a handful of 30-plus point performances. He has the right blend of physicality and skill to frustrate the best scorers. The playoffs also saw Dort add to his Big Game moniker. He's known as somebody who steps up when the stakes are the highest. Unlike previous OKC defensive-first shooting guards, the 26-year-old isn't afraid to shoot the ball. In the Thunder's championship run, he had his moments. From his Game 5 3-pointers against the Denver Nuggets to a circus 3-pointer in Game 7 of the NBA Finals. While Dort can be a streaky shooter, his unwavering ability to keep shooting is what separates him from other role players. It's a nice change of pace in OKC, considering previous players at his position would overthink what to do when the ball reached their hands. Because of that confidence on both sides of the floor, he helped the Thunder win their first NBA championship. Moving Forward: Just build off of last season. It took years to figure out Dort's role. The early part of the rebuild gave him offensive freedoms that we all knew eventually would be cut out once the Thunder acquired All-NBA talent alongside Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. To Dort's credit, he finally found a sweet spot this season. He turned into a high-volume outside shooter that defenses were forced to respect. His willingness to take that step back with his counting stats for the betterment of the team was a huge boost. Several other players in his position would let their ego get the best of them and refuse to adapt. Now it's about repeating that for this upcoming season. Dort should continue to receive decent catch-and-shoot looks. Playing with three All-Star talents gives you that type of benefit. Opposing defenses will do all of their homework on Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams. Take advantage of that and knock down your outside looks at a decent rate. On defense, we already know what Dort will bring. From prime James Harden to prime Luka Doncic, the 26-year-old has taken on the toughest one-on-one assignments for six seasons now. Don't expect that to stop. The Thunder have one of the best defenses, and he's the face of that. Another season similar to last year should add to his trophy case. Final Grade: A-plus
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9 hours ago
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IHSAA volleyball preview: Indiana's top outside and opposite hitters to watch in 2025
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She cleared 20 kills in four matches (reached 26 twice) and rounded out her 2024 line with 39 aces, 33 blocks and 270 digs. Volleyball state finals return to Indy: It felt inevitable. Reaction is nearly all positive The reigning Journal & Courier Small Schools Player of the Year, Foster hit .370 and racked up 343 kills over just 89 sets for the sectional runner-up Bison. The Western Kentucky commit posted double-digit kills in all but 13 matches, averaging 3.9 per set and setting her season-high with 20 in a four-set win over Evansville Memorial. She rounded out her season line with 60 aces, 33 blocks (25 solo) and 232 digs, and enters her senior season with 1,050 kills through three varsity seasons. The 5-9 senior hit .330 and tallied 287 kills across 99 sets. She notched a career-high 47 aces, 41 blocks (35 solo), a career-high 265 digs and 18 assists. Gumbel, who picked up a season-high 17 kills (.406 hit%) in a four-set loss to Homestead, enters her senior season with 493 kills and 94 total blocks across two-plus varsity seasons. Hanchar enjoyed a breakout junior campaign, totaling 339 kills on .310 hitting for the short-handed Irish. She also served 37 aces, blocked 39 shots (14 solo) and collected 252 digs. She is a 5-10 full-rotation hitter. The 2026 Illinois commit led the Hornets to the Class 3A state final last season, averaging 5.6 kills over 121 sets (676 total, .373 hit%). She's a prolific attacker, evidenced by her five matches with 30-plus kills. Among those outings were a 37-kill performance vs. NorthWood (.395 hit%) and a 36-spot (.414 hit%) vs. 4A Homestead. The 6-foot Harris, who has 1,164 career kills, also logged 127 aces, 53 total blocks and 265 digs. The 5-11 Alabama commit scored 425 kills in her third varsity season, putting her within reach of the 1,000-kill plateau entering the fall. She also recorded 47 aces, 20 total blocks, 323 digs and five assists. Two of Imes' best performances came against two of the best teams on the Eagles' schedule: Westfield (27 kills, .250 hit%) and Hamilton Southeastern (25 kills). A 6-2 Central Michigan commit, Jones totaled 56 blocks on the right side last season for the state champion Royals. She also put down 145 kills, 36 aces (166 points) and 62 digs. Jones blocked five shots in a 3-2 win over Tri-West in mid-September. Lemming accumulated 547 kills on .494 hitting over 81 sets last season (6.8 per set), leaving her with 1,289 entering her final varsity season. The Butler commit, who set a season-high with 51 kills on .610 hitting in a four-set win over Rensselaer Central, also notched 55 aces (112 points), 18 blocks and 332 digs. A 6-1 opposite side hitter, Lewis was the Irish's primary attacker, totaling 204 kills (428 career), 77 total blocks (37 solo), 38 aces and 62 digs over 88 sets. The Georgetown commit had 12 kills on .556 hitting in a two-set sweep of Center Grove and six total blocks in a four-set loss to Roncalli. The 5-11 Ohio-bound senior cleared 1,000 career kills, totaling 463 on .340 hitting to leave her three-year total at 1,035 (.280 hit%). Mahin also picked up 69 aces, 41 total blocks, 271 digs and 22 assists. A recent Ball State commit, the 6-1 Mandsager is back after missing her sophomore season due to injury. She was very good as a freshman, posting 216 kills on .230 hitting, 43 aces, 29 total blocks (24 solo) and 103 digs. Miles, a 6-1 Illinois commit, dazzled as one of HSE's primary attackers, racking up 411 kills on .402 hitting with 28 blocks, 11 aces and 80 digs over 104 sets. She had 15-plus kills in five matches, including a season-high 21 on .410 hitting in the semistate final vs. FW Carroll. The 2027 Kentucky commit improved her efficiency (hit% increased from .306 to .377) as she cleared 300 kills for a second consecutive season (340; 721 career). She served 36 aces and 134 points, and rounded out her season line with 20 solo blocks (30 total), 251 digs and 59 assists for the regional champion Knights. A rising 2028 prospect, the 5-7 Ritchie picked up 185 kills in her debut season (115 sets). She also registered 62 aces (228 points), 12 total blocks and 439 digs over 115 sets. Ritchie cleared 10 kills in five matches, posting a dozen against both Brebeuf Jesuit and Avon. The 5-11 Purdue commit is ranked tops at her position by Prep Dig Indiana and is coming off a career year for the regional champion Bulldogs. Schara scored 577 kills on .322 hitting (1,480 career), 57 aces, 27 blocks and 359 digs (1,012 career). She's the centerpiece of a very talented returning nucleus for Crown Point. 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Utterback cleared 20 kills in five matches, including a career-high 28 (.345 hit%) in a five-set loss to Brownsburg in the sectional. The SMU commit fought through injury to help the Bruins reach the 3A state semifinals, recording 243 kills on .255 hitting, 40 aces, 62 total blocks and 147 digs over 90 sets. She had 10-plus kills in 10 matches, including a season-high 15 in a four-set win over eventual 2A state champ Western Boone. More names to know: Rylee Bumgardner, Danville; Callie Gibson, Brownsburg; Addison Jones, Barr-Reeve; Lanie Marie Graber, Barr-Reeve; Natalie Sevier, New Palestine; Ella Warrick, Linton-Stockton; Sophie Wischmeier, Brownstown Central.
USA Today
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Lakers jersey history No. 2 — Derek Fisher
Through the 2024-25 season, the Los Angeles Lakers have had a total of 506 players suit up for them, going back to their days in Minneapolis. Some were forgettable, some were serviceable, some were good and a select few were flat-out legendary. As the Lakers approach their 80th season of existence (they were founded back in 1946 as the Detroit Gems in the National Basketball League), LeBron Wire is taking a look at each player who has worn their jersey, whether it has been a purple and gold one or the ones they donned back in the Midwest during their early years. It is time to take a look back at one of the more popular Lakers players of all time — Derek Fisher. Fisher came to the Lakers as a late first-round draft pick in 1996 after a modest four-year stint at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. He didn't play much as a rookie, but afterward, he started to develop a reputation as a trustworthy role-playing point guard. He lacked footspeed and stood just 6-foot-1, had trouble converting layups in traffic and wasn't an outstanding passer or defender. But he got the job done as a solid floor general who served as a glue guy and hit key shots, especially in big games. Throughout the 2000s, he was a fixture on the Lakers during the Kobe Bryant era under coach Phil Jackson. Fisher helped them win three straight NBA championships to start the decade, mostly as a bench player. During the 2001 Western Conference finals, he went crazy by going 15-of-20 from 3-point range to help the team achieve a four-game sweep en route to a then-record 15-1 postseason mark. Overall, he made 51.5% of his 3-point attempts during that magical run through the 2001 NBA Playoffs. In Game 5 of the second round of the 2004 playoffs, the guard hit a buzzer-beating game-winning shot against the San Antonio Spurs with four-tenths of a second remaining when he received the inbound pass on the play. Fisher left the Lakers in the summer of 2004, but after two seasons with the Golden State Warriors and one with the Utah Jazz, he returned in 2007. He regained his old role as L.A. went to the NBA Finals three straight times from 2008 to 2010 while capturing back-to-back world championships in 2009 and 2010. His clutch heroics allowed the Lakers to claim Game 4 of the 2009 finals, and he helped steady the ship as they overcame a 13-point second-half deficit in Game 7 of the 2010 championship series against the Boston Celtics. Fisher was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder during the 2011-12 season, and he retired as a player in 2014. He ended his playing career with averages of 8.3 points and 3.0 assists a game. He quickly reunited with Jackson on the New York Knicks. Jackson had just become the Knicks' president, and he hired Fisher to be their coach. Fisher was fired after one season and change, and during that time, he had a record of 40-96. He would go on to serve three and a half seasons as the coach of the WNBA's Los Angeles Sparks before becoming the coach at Crespi Carmelite High School in Encino, Calif.
