Charlotte Checkers lead Eastern Conference finals after win over Laval
The Charlotte Checkers are back in action Thursday night after earning a one-game lead in the Eastern Conference finals.
The Checkers topped the Laval Rockets Wednesday night, 5-1.
John Leonard scored his third goal of the preseason, setting an all-time franchise record.
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Game two at Laval is set for 7 p.m.
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New York Post
an hour ago
- New York Post
The storylines to watch for in Thunder-Pacers NBA Finals battle
The Knicks got as close to reaching the NBA Finals as they have in a quarter century, but the league title once again will be decided without them. While the Knicks sort out their coaching situation with the firing of Tom Thibodeau following their Eastern Conference finals loss to Indiana, the Pacers will square off with the rolling Thunder with both teams looking to be crowned as the champions for the first time in their respective cities. (Note: The Thunder franchise did win it at all as the Seattle Supersonics in 1979, but this would mark their first title since relocating to Oklahoma City in 2008). Here are 10 storylines to follow beginning with Game 1 on Thursday night in OKC: First things first The Pacers joined the NBA in the 1976 merger with the ABA, and this only marks their second trip to the NBA Finals — and first since Reggie Miller & Co. lost in 2000 to the Lakers of Kobe, Shaq and Phil Jackson. Indiana previously won three ABA titles in the 1970s. 7 The Pacers will need Tyrese Haliburton to have a big NBA Finals against the favored Thunder. NBAE via Getty Images The Thunder reached the championship round in 2012 led by young stars Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden before losing in five games to the Heat. One of these cities is going to get a victory celebration for the first time. That's the point All eyes will be on the scintillating matchup between two All-Star point guards, Knicks killer Tyrese Haliburton and league MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. SGA will look to become the first regular-season MVP to cop an NBA title in the same season since Stephen Curry pulled off the feat with the Warriors in 2015. He is averaging 29.6 points per game during the Thunder's 12-4 march through the Western Conference. 7 MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will be expected to have a strong NBA Finals for the Thunder. NBAE via Getty Images It's much harder for anyone to chant 'overrated' anymore at Haliburton after he has fronted his team to five playoff round victories in the past two years. He leads the NBA in postseason assists (9.8), including 15 with no turnovers in his Game 4 triple-double against the Knicks. Once a Knick … A final four that also featured Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo with the Timberwolves has resulted in each finalist boasting a former Knick in a rotational role. Former lottery pick Obi Toppin put up 18 points with three blocked shots to help extinguish the Knicks in Game 6. 7 Former Knick Obi Toppin has been a key contributor for the Pacers throughout the playoffs. Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images Isaiah Hartenstein posted career-highs in points and rebounds in the first season after leaving the Knicks for a three-year, $87 million deal in free agency. The age-old question Whichever teams grabs the title will boast the youngest average age of any champion since the Lakers in 1980 (25.7). The Thunder's average age is 24.7 years, and the Pacers are not far behind at 26.2 The 1977 Trail Blazers hold the record since the NBA/ABA merger with an average age of 24.5 years. 7 Former Knicks Isaiah Hartenstein has had a big year for the Thunder. NBAE via Getty Images The 1A stars Pascal Siakam, and not Haliburton, was named MVP of the Eastern Conference finals with 24.8 points per game against the Knicks. The three-time All-Star forward also owns a championship ring from the 2019 Raptors. Third-year wing Jalen Williams — not to be confused with lesser-used teammate Jaylin Williams — provides OKC with viable No. 2 scoring option to Gilgeous-Alexander with 20.4 points per game in the playoffs, including 34 with six made 3-pointers in Game 4 against Minnesota. 7 Jalen Williams, talking with the media on June 4, 2025, is the second scoring option for the Thunder. AP Heady company Pacers coach Rick Carlisle, who won a championship with the Mavericks in 2011, could become only the fourth head coach in NBA history to win at least one ring with multiple franchises. The 65-year-old Carlisle would join Alex Hannum (Hawks, 76ers), Pat Riley (Lakers, Heat) and Phil Jackson (Bulls, Lakers). Only four teams in NBA history won more regular-season games than the 68 posted by Mark Daigneault's Thunder this season. 7 Indiana head coach Rick Carlisle celebrates after the Pacers' Eastern Conference-clinching Game 6 win over the Knicks. NBAE via Getty Images Oh, Canada While the Edmonton Oilers are trying to become the first Canadian-based NHL team to win a Stanley Cup since the Canadiens in 1993, the Great White North will be well-represented in the NBA Finals. Gilgeous-Alexander became the seventh consecutive MVP winner born outside the United States. Lockdown OKC defender Lu Dort also hails from Canada, as do Pacers teammates Bennedict Mathurin and Andrew Nembhard. Either way, this will be the fourth straight year at least one Canadian will be part of the title-winning squad. Turner overdrive 7 Myles Turner looks on during Pacers practice on June 4 2025 in preparation for the NBA Finals which begins on Thursday. NBAE via Getty Images The most prominent pending unrestricted free agent on either side is longtime Indy big man Myles Turner, who is registering a league-best 2.3 blocked shots per game in the postseason among players with at least five appearances. The 6-foot-11 Turner didn't post any 20-point games against the Knicks after doing so four times in 10 games in the first two rounds against Milwaukee and Cleveland, but he's shooting 40.3 percent from 3-point range. OKC big man Chet Holmgren is right behind Turner with 2.0 blocks per game in the playoffs. Home sweet home Road teams have won plenty of games in this postseason, but OKC has won eight of nine at Paycom Center, with an average margin of victory of 24.6 points, including a 51-point blowout of Memphis in the first round. The Pacers took the first two games at Madison Square Garden, after winning three times in Cleveland the previous round. The real pacemakers If Knicks fans thought Indy played at a frenetic race-track pace, the Thunder actually led the NBA in that advanced metric during the regular season with 100.9 possessions per 48 minutes of play, and they have been slightly better than the Pacers in that category in the playoffs, as well. These two teams also lead the NBA in points off turnovers per game in the postseason, with the Thunder again holding the edge. Get ready for Showtime in both directions.
New York Times
an hour ago
- New York Times
This Week in Sports Trivia: June 5, 2025
For Tom Thibodeau, reaching the Eastern Conference finals was not enough. The coach discovered that harsh reality on Tuesday, when the New York Knicks showed him the door. Thibodeau was just the latest NBA coach with a track record of success to lose his job this season, joining Michael Malone (Nuggets) and Taylor Jenkins (Grizzlies). Thibodeau's firing was even surprising enough that Rick Carlisle, whose Indiana Pacers ended the Knicks' season, said he thought the news was 'one of those fake AI things.' It was all too real. Advertisement Still, the sports world kept on spinning this week, and the news wasn't all negative, with the Pacers taking on the Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA Finals, and the Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers locking horns in the Stanley Cup Final. Heck, even the Colorado Rockies, who entered the week with a 9-50 record, went on a heater of sorts. All of that is included in our latest news quiz, so we hope you've been paying attention. Good luck, and if you have a moment, you should play our daily Connections: Sports Edition, too! (Illustration: Demetrius Robinson / The Athletic; top photos: Emilee Chinn, Sarah Stier, William Purnell, Megan Briggs, Justin Setterfield / Getty Images)
New York Times
an hour ago
- New York Times
Tyrese Haliburton uses ‘extra fuel' from doubters when the Pacers need him most
OKLAHOMA CITY — Ask anyone in basketball circles five years ago about the impact Tyrese Haliburton would have on the NBA, and it's likely none would've said he'd lead a team to the NBA Finals. In his 3 1/2 seasons with the Indiana Pacers, Haliburton has emerged as the franchise star, the leader of the team both on the court and in the locker room. The team has been built to enhance and complement his skills. With Haliburton at the helm, the Pacers go as he goes. In April, Haliburton was voted the NBA's most overrated player in The Athletic's annual player poll. While only 90 players replied to that question, compared to 155 who voted on MVP, Haliburton noticed and responded after the Pacers eliminated the Milwaukee Bucks in a wild first-round Game 5. Overrate THAT — Tyrese Haliburton (@TyHaliburton22) April 30, 2025 He used that result as fuel to produce the best results of his career so far: an Eastern Conference championship and the Pacers' first appearance in the NBA Finals since 2000. 'I think that's part of my drive,' Haliburton said Wednesday. 'Obviously, I want to be the best. I want to be great. I want to squeeze every ounce of God-given ability that I have to be the best player I can be. But any doubt is always good for me. I think the greats try to find external motivation as much as they can, and that's something that's always worked for me. 'It doesn't solidify who I am; I know who I am. I don't need anybody to tell me who I am or who I am as a player or a person. I'm grounded in myself, and I think a lot of that is through … the Lord … and knowing who I am. But that extra doubt, that extra fuel, always helps.' Haliburton can take satisfaction in knowing he and the Pacers have proven themselves, if anything, underrated. Before the postseason, few had them making the Eastern Conference finals, let alone the NBA Finals. (Some people noticed early.) Haliburton is averaging 18.8 points, 9.8 assists and 5.7 rebounds during the postseason. His nearly 10 dimes per game leads all players in the 2025 playoffs. But outside of those numbers, his biggest impact has come in some of the most important moments. In one game in each of the Pacers' three Eastern Conference series, Haliburton has either tied or won a game in the last minute of regulation or overtime. Game-winners 🤯 Clutch plays 🙌 Incredible passes 😤 Tyrese Haliburton and the @Pacers have clinched a Finals berth for the first time since 2000! — NBA (@NBA) June 1, 2025 'He's a general out there,' Pacers forward Pascal Siakam said. 'He makes us go, so we're gonna ride with Tyrese until the wheels fall off. I think for me, he's such a special player just because he can impact the game not just by scoring, but being able to open the floor for everybody else, put everybody in the right positions — and, you know, doing it with swag. Advertisement 'At the end of the day, some people are gonna like it, some people are not gonna like it. I think he's an unselfish player out there when he plays. He has one thing in mind, to win, and he's always thinking about how to make us better.' In the fourth quarter of that crazy Game 5 against Milwaukee, with a chance to put the Bucks away for good, Haliburton missed a few key shots, and he thought he'd let Indiana down. But his teammates' belief in him never wavered. 'Go get the ball!' Pacers center Myles Turner yelled at Haliburton. In overtime, Haliburton had a chance to deliver. He'd missed six shots in the extra frame, but on Indiana's final possession, Haliburton blew past Giannis Antetokounmpo for a layup to close an 8-0 run that gave the Pacers the lead with 1.3 seconds left. 'When it comes to belief in himself, Tyrese has an iron will,' Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said after that win. 'He works extremely hard on what he does. He works extremely hard on his craft, his skill. He's unafraid. 'He reminds me a lot of Reggie (Miller). This game will go down as one of the all-time great Pacer wins because of the circumstances in overtime and what was on the line, and Ty, obviously, authored a big part of this ending. So, congratulations to him.' The comeback win was marred when Haliburton's father, John, went onto the court and taunted Antetokounmpo. The elder Haliburton wouldn't attend another Pacers game, at home or on the road, until Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals. The interaction between the elder Haliburton and Antetokounmpo was among the NBA topics of discussion for days after. But the Pacers guard was unfazed, choosing instead to focus on his team's second-round series against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Even with injuries to key Cavs players, the Pacers weren't favored to win the series. Advertisement Against the Cavs, Haliburton played hero once more. During the first half of Game 2, it was feared Haliburton sustained a wrist injury. But after undergoing an X-ray at halftime, Haliburton returned for a memorable second half. With 1.1 seconds remaining, he hit one of the biggest shots of his career. After grabbing his own rebound off a missed free throw, Haliburton dribbled out the clock until he could get separation, then stepped past the top of the key and let the ball go. 'I mean, it's a special feeling, man,' Haliburton said. 'It's a lot of fun. I mean, like any basketball fan, or anybody who's involved in basketball at all, everybody in their life has imagined being a kid, being in the driveway, being in the living room, lying down in their bed, shooting it, missing, putting more time on the clock. 'You know, all those things like, this is a kid's game, and I get paid a lot of money to play a kid's game. So, I'm just having fun out there, just having fun with what I'm doing. Winning is really fun, you know, but I love being in these situations. Somehow, someway, we find our way in these situations a lot, and, you know, we just got to find ways to win.' Since the Pacers' magical playoff run began, Haliburton has displayed both calm under pressure and a growing confidence not just in his team, but also himself. Before every game, when some players in high-pressure situations might sit stone-faced listening to whatever music motivates them, trying to lock in, Haliburton is the picture of calm. He casually walks through the locker room, often smiling as he interacts with his teammates. You wouldn't know from looking at him that he's minutes away from playing on one of basketball's biggest stages. Haliburton is a living example of the phrase often repeated by his teammates: 'Never get too high, never get too low.' The drama and intensity of the moment is in the background. Advertisement After wins and losses, Haliburton always takes the same approach: There are things in his game he can work to improve. The self-described 'film nerd' has discussed his love — no matter how painful the viewing experience — of watching and breaking down film with Carlisle. Haliburton just loves the game. 'As long as I got my dog, my video game and a court, I'll be fine,' Haliburton said. When it was time to meet the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference finals, Haliburton solidified his place as an antagonist in Knicks' lore. In Game 1, 25 years after Reggie Miller first did the gesture, Haliburton recreated the choke celebration after hitting an improbable shot to send the game to overtime. The Pacers won the first two games of the series on the road. After winning Games 3 and 5, the Knicks forced a Game 6. Haliburton said he would watch film and have a better Game 6. And just as he'd done in every other series of these playoffs, Haliburton delivered. Though he got off to a relatively quiet start in the first half, Haliburton, with 11 points, four assists and three rebounds in the fourth quarter, put the Knicks away for good. While Siakam was named Eastern Conference finals MVP, Haliburton played a critical role in Indiana's decisive victory and first trip to the NBA Finals in 25 years. After all, that's what he does. 'He's a point guard by nature, a classic point guard by nature, a guy running a team,' Carlisle said. 'But he's developed an ability to score and, you know, striking the balance is always a bit of a challenge. He's done a great job of migrating through it. 'Teams do a lot of things to make it hard on him. He's learned a lot about being in the fight when teams are doing things to disrupt him and try to physically intimidate him and do things like that. And our guys have his back.' In 2024, those 'guys' made a run to the Eastern Conference finals. There, the eventual NBA champion Boston Celtics swept the Pacers. Haliburton only played in the series' first two games because of a hamstring issue. Despite the loss, there was hope in Indianapolis for the future of its young team behind its promising star. Since joining the team, Haliburton has embraced all the city has to offer and is proud to be one with the city. Advertisement 'I just feel like being in Indy, it's a great place for me,' Haliburton said. 'Indy is a much bigger place than I'm even accustomed to. … My whole family lives there now. We love being there. It's a lot of fun for me. 'I don't need the glitz and glamour of large city. I really like the hometown, small-town feel from our fans. Our home-court advantages are different, because people are really passionate about our teams, and their parents were passionate about the team. … That's why I enjoy being a part of it, why I want to be a part of it for the rest of my career.' The Pacers and Haliburton won't have it easy against the Oklahoma City Thunder, the NBA's most dominant team throughout the regular season and playoffs. Again, the Pacers are underdogs. But in these playoffs so far, Haliburton not only has worn Indiana across his chest, he's also put the team on his back. (Illustration: Kelsea Petersen / The Athletic; photo: Brennan Alspen / Getty Images)
