
Thunder played 'how they wanted' in Game 5 win
The Dan Le Batard Show weighs in on the Oklahoma City Thunder's Game 5 victory over the Indiana Pacers, discussing how the Thunder finally looked like themselves in the series.

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Bet on Thunder's Game 6 alt spread against Pacers
Trysta Krick examines the betting volatility of this year's NBA Finals matchup as Game 6 looms before Drew Dinsick shares why he's laying the points with the Thunder and targeting alternate spreads.


USA Today
an hour ago
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What Thunder said about Nikola Topic and his torn ACL progress
What Thunder said about Nikola Topic and his torn ACL progress Knocking down turnaround 3-pointers, excitement continues to build around Nikola Topic. While the Oklahoma City Thunder are a win away from a championship with a 3-2 2025 NBA Finals series lead over the Indiana Pacers, the 19-year-old has other events circled on his calendar. Well over a year since he partially tore his ACL in May 2024, Topic could be on the verge of his NBA debut. He'll likely be back for the 2025 Summer League in July. That gives the Thunder at least one player to keep an eye on during the multi-week event. Topic has rehabbed his torn ACL during the 2024-25 season. He served a redshirt season that helped the Thunder land him with the No. 12 pick of the 2024 NBA draft. Before that, the tall playmaker was talked about as a possible top-five pick. Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault discussed Topic's progress before they collected a 120-109 Game 5 win over the Pacers. He's had a chance to get a frontrow view of a title contender and how to carry himself around as an NBA player. "It's hard to tell right now. We obviously saw him in the draft. He's exciting when you watch him on film. In terms of what he's doing right now, he's still X amount of time post-op. He's still return-to-performance. I don't think he's the player right now that he will be in training camp," Daigneault said. "The thing that's most impressive about him to see is he's incredibly young, he's stateside for the first time, in the NBA for the first time, coming off a long-term injury and he's been unbelievably consistent and mature and professional in his approach. To tear your ACL a month before the draft could be catastrophic for most prospects. Especially somebody as young as Topic. It could cost you millions as you slide down teams' boards. But Daigneault has been impressed with his mental fortitude. "When you watch somebody go through that, you can learn a lot about them. They are part of the team but they are disconnected in a lot of ways. He didn't travel on most of our trips, and he's an arm's length away a lot of the time. Yet he again approached that with great poise and professionalism," Daigneault said. "Inserted himself into the mix in a very appropriate way. The guys really respect the way that he approaches things. He's an old soul. He's way beyond his years and so that bodes really well for him, regardless where he starts as a player on the court. That stuff translates, and he's been very impressive with that." Even though the Thunder had a historic 68-14 regular season and are on the doorstep of an NBA championship, Topic could help fix their backup ball-handler role. That's been a struggle OKC has overcome for most of the year but could be solved with Topic's talents.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
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Pacers G Tyrese Haliburton reportedly needs MRI for calf strain, status for rest of NBA Finals unclear
Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton is believed to have suffered a strained right calf and needs an MRI to determine the severity of the injury, ESPN's Shams Charania reported Tuesday. Haliburton's status moving forward for the remainder of the NBA Finals is unclear. Advertisement Haliburton sustained the injury in Monday's NBA Finals Game 5. The Oklahoma City Thunder won the game to take a 3-2 series lead and move within one win of securing an NBA championship. Haliburton appeared to sustain the injury without contact in the first quarter while driving to the basket. He briefly left for the Pacers locker room before returning to the sideline in the second quarter with a wrap around his calf. Charania reported during the game the injury was initially diagnosed as calf tightness. Haliburton removed the wrap and played through the end of the game. He played 34 minutes during the 120-109 Thunder win, but struggled to make an impact. Advertisement Haliburton failed to make a field goal in an 0-for-6 effort from the floor. He finished the Pacers' loss with four points, seven rebounds and six assists in his worst game of the playoffs. Haliburton told reporters after the game that he was "not great" in Game 5, but that he intends to play moving forward. "It's the NBA Finals. It's the Finals, man," Haliburton said. "I've worked my whole life to be here. And I want to be out there to compete, help my teammates any way I can. "I was not great tonight, by any means. But it's not really a thought of mine to not play here. If I can walk, then I want to play." Tyrese Haliburton reportedly needs an MRI to determine the severity of a calf strain sustained in Game 5. () (Matthew Stockman via Getty Images) Will Haliburton be able to play in Game 6? Haliburton, an Olympian and a two-time NBA All-Star, is critical to Indiana's hopes of rallying to win the NBA championship. The Pacers must win Games 6 and 7 to win the title. Advertisement Game 6 is scheduled for Thursday night (8:30 p.m. ET) in Indianapolis. The point spread moved from Pacers +4.5 to +6.5 on BetMGM upon news of Haliburton's reported calf strain. In 21 games this postseason, Haliburton has averaged 17.9 points, 9.1 assists, 5.8 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game while shooting 46.3% from the floor and 32.4% from 3-point distance. He's hit multiple game-winning shots to cap Pacers comeback wins throughout the playoffs. If Haliburton can't play or is limited, the Pacers will be at a significant disadvantage against a Thunder team that posted the NBA's best regular season record at 68-14.