
Get 40/1 on Gilgeous-Alexander to score 25+ points in game 1 with Paddy Power
Paddy Power is offering new customers the chance to get in on the NBA Finals action ahead of game 1 between Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers
Tonight, the stage is set for a thrilling showdown as the NBA Finals kick off. The Oklahoma City Thunder and the Indiana Pacers are all geared up to compete in a nail-biting best-of-seven-game series for the coveted NBA Championship title.
The Thunder secured their spot in the finals following a dominant 4-1 series victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves. On the other hand, the Pacers stunned everyone by toppling the New York Knicks with a 4-2 win.
One name that has been on everyone's lips this season is Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. This Canadian point guard/shooting guard from the Thunder has set the basketball arena ablaze with his performances.
Gilgeous-Alexander topped the charts this season with an average of 32.7 points per game, which earned him his first-ever MVP award. His stellar performance has also caught the attention of Paddy Power, featuring him in their latest promotional offer for new users who can get a significant odds boost on this high-scoring player.
Newcomers to Paddy Power are being offered a fantastic deal: they can get enhanced odds of 40/1 on Gilgeous-Alexander to rack up 25+ points against the Pacers in tonight's opening game! This is an incredible opportunity for basketball enthusiasts to potentially strike gold as we commence the NBA Finals.
How to claim the Paddy Power Offer on NBA Finals Game 1
It could not be simpler claiming the Paddy Power offer for NBA Finals Game 1:
Click this link which will take you to the Paddy Power sign up page.
Use promo code YSACKI
Deposit £5 through card payment or Apple Pay
Place a max £1 bet on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to score 25+ points in Game 1 of the NBA Finals, June 6th at the normal odds.
If your bet is successful, you will be paid in cash based on the normal price on site and will have the extra amount, bringing the bet up to the cumulative 40/1 payout, credited in free bets.
Free Bets valid for 7 days
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The Herald Scotland
an hour ago
- The Herald Scotland
What happened to Thunder vs. Pacers? OKC has regrets after Game 1
NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder put up another 30-point performance. An arena full of mostly Thunder fans - save for the full-time non-basketball operations Pacers employees who were flown out for the game - had nearly 48 minutes of game action to celebrate. "This arena is madness ... from a road perspective, the decibels were insane," Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. When the game ended, nearly 18,000 Thunder fans left the arena disappointed. The Thunder have regrets. They squandered an opportunity. They failed to take full advantage of those Pacers turnovers and put the Pacers away. They failed to hold onto a 15-point lead early in the fourth quarter and a nine-point lead late in the fourth quarter. They failed to take advantage of Gilgeous-Alexander's 38-point game. They failed to win Game 1 Thursday, June 5. The resilient Pacers defeated the Thunder 111-110, taking a 1-0 series lead on Tyrese Haliburton's 21-foot jump shot with 0.3 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter. "We got to learn from it, we got to improve like we would if we had won the game and get ourselves ready for Game 2. That's really what it comes down to," Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. While the Thunder were disappointed, there was not any panic. Oklahoma City lost Game 1 to Denver in the Western Conference semifinals and won the series in seven games. "The playoffs take you to the limit," Daigneault said. "They put your back against the wall, in games, in series. If you make it this far, you have to endure to do that. It gives you rich experiences that you can draw on. ... "There's a lot more games left in the series. We understand that. We got to get ourselves to zero, as we always do. That's a habit that hopefully we've formed. These guys have made a habit of being able to get ourselves centered and play our best game in the next game." More Jeff Zillgitt: Pacers teach Thunder hard lesson in NBA Finals Game 1. You cannot count them out. The Thunder have not lost consecutive games in the playoffs and lost two consecutive games just twice during the regular season. They won 68 regular-season games and 12 playoff games. They know what is required. They will look at the film. Of Indiana's 25 turnovers, the Thunder had just 11 points off those turnovers. They shot just 39.8% from the field. Daigneault tinkered with the starting lineup, inserting Cason Wallace in place of Isaiah Hartenstein. Chet Holmgren had just six points and was not a factor. "The series isn't first to one, it's first to four," Gilgeous-Alexander said. "We have four more games to get, they have three. That's just where we are. We got to understand that, and we got to get to four before they get to three, if we want to win the NBA championship. "It's that simple. It's not rocket science. We lost Game 1. We have to be better."


The Herald Scotland
an hour ago
- The Herald Scotland
Pacers teach Thunder hard lesson. 'We never think the game is over'
Those were the emotions the Indiana Pacers felt throughout Game 1 of the NBA Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Discouraged and angry about their inability to protect the basketball, which led to 20 first-half turnovers. "They are a menace defensively," Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. WATCH: Tyrese Haliburton's game-winning shot completes Pacers' NBA Finals Game 1 comeback MORE: Caitlin Clark reacts to Pacers' thrilling victory Discouraged and angry that sloppy play allowed the Thunder to take a 15-point lead early in the fourth quarter. But encouraged and optimistic that they were really never out of the game and encouraged and optimistic that they were within a possession of tying or taking the lead late in the fourth quarter. The Pacers led once in Game 1. When it mattered most. Tyrese Haliburton's 21-foot jump shot with 0.3 seconds left in the fourth quarter gave the Pacers a 111-110 victory Thursday, June 5, and a 1-0 series lead. It left the Thunder and their fans stunned. "The common denominator is them," Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. "That's a really good team. Credit them for not only tonight but their run. They've had so many games like that that have seemed improbable. They just play with a great spirit, they keep coming, they made plays, made shots. They deserved to win by a point." It left Carlisle once again marveling at his team's ability to just keep playing and see what the score is when the final horn sounds and marveling at Haliburton's ability to make gigantic plays with the game on the line. MORE: Rick Carlisle shows support for Doris Burke: 'She has changed the game' OPINION: Don't worry about NBA Finals TV ratings. Appreciate Pacers-Thunder for what it is. Game 1 was the Pacers' fifth comeback victory from a deficit of 15 or more points in the 2025 NBA playoffs, the most by a team in a single postseason since 1998. "We just said, 'Hey, let's just keep chipping away at the rock. Got to keep pounding the rock and just chip away and hang in,' " Carlisle said. "We had a lot of experience in these kinds of games, and our guys have a real good feel for what it's all about, giving ourselves a chance, and we got fortunate but made plays." Teams and players make their own fortune, and the Pacers did that. The Thunder led 108-99 with 2:52 remaining the fourth quarter. They made just one basket the rest of the game as the Pacers made play after play. Andrew Nembhard made a 3-pointer that cut Oklahoma City's lead to 108-105 at the 1:59 mark and his two free throws with 1:22 to go kept it a three-point game at 110-107. Pascal Siakam made it 110-109, and the Pacers forced NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander into a miss with 11.1 seconds remaining. Aaron Nesmith collected the rebound and gave the ball to Haliburton, setting up the winning shot. "I'm obviously confident in my ability and feel like if I can get to that spot, I feel very comfortable in there," Haliburton said. "Just it's a shot I've worked on a million times and I'll work on it a million times more. Just have confidence in that shot." It was the fourth time in the playoffs that Haliburton made a shot that won a game or sent a game to overtime. "We never think the game is over," Haliburton said. "Never." (This story was updated with additional information.) Follow NBA columnist Jeff Zillgitt on social media @JeffZillgitt


Daily Mirror
an hour ago
- Daily Mirror
Man Utd star banned for 30 years and six other staggering sports suspensions
A number of the world's leading athletes throughout history have found themselves suspended from their respective sports - including a Manchester United player who was initially banned for life A Manchester United star was once banned for life for match fixing. After plying his trade with Sheffield United and Nottingham Forest, Enoch West made his way to the Red Devils in 1910. A prolific centre-forward, he racked up 72 goals in 166 appearances for United - but his heroic stint was marred with controversy after just five years. That's because in 1915, West and four of his team-mates, as well as three Liverpool players, were banned for life after being convicted of match-fixing. As many of those who received suspensions went off to fight for their country during the First World War, they saw them rescinded upon returning. However, West refused to adhere to the stipulation, and as a result, his ban stayed in place for 30 years before it was eventually lifted in 1945. The longest suspension in Football Association history, West never played professionally ever again, given he was 59 when his ban expired. And he is just one of a number of athletes who have been banned for one reason or another throughout their respective careers... Lou Vincent Lou Vincent was handed a lifetime ban from playing cricket at any level, as well as entering any cricket ground or working in a professional coaching capacity in July 2014, after admitting to match-fixing offences. The New Zealand batter released an open letter which saw him admit to his "dark secret" which "shamed" not only himself, but also his country and the sport. After his suspension commenced, Vincent became a builder in Raglan. However, following a successful appeal in December 2023, his lifetime ban from domestic cricket was lifted, which allowed him to return to play and coach outside of the international game. Lance Armstrong One of the most famous cases of doping in sporting history, Lance Armstrong was handed a lifetime ban by the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) in 2012. As a result, the American - who won the Tour de France seven years in a row between 1999 and 2005 after recovering from testicular cancer - saw all of his major accomplishments on the roads and tracks of the world scrubbed from history. Ben Johnson While Ben Johnson's rise to superstardom was unprecedented to say the least - breaking the 100-metre and 60-metre world records and winning a gold medal at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul - his downfall was equally as shocking. The Canadian sprinter tested positive for Stanozolol after the Olympics, while he admitted to having used steroids in the past. As a result, Johnson was later banned for two years and stripped of his Olympic medal for doping offences. Despite a brief comeback in 1991, he was once again found guilty of doping just two years later, and was banned for life by World Athletics. Hansie Cronje One of the country's most idolised stars, South African Test Cricket captain Hansie Cronje was handed a lifetime ban from the sport in 2000. Cronje, alongside Herschelle Gibbs, Nicky Boje and Pieter Strydom, was caught up in allegations of match-fixing, with the King Commission banning him from any involvement in cricket for life as a result. Despite challenging his ban the following year, his application was dismissed and he remained forbidden from competing in the sport. Liang Wenbo & Li Hang Liang Wenbo and Li Hang were among the snooker stars caught out in a widespread match-fixing ring in China, which rocked the sport in 2023. While eight others were suspended during the investigation, including 2025 World Snooker Champion Zhao Xintong, Liang and Li were deemed to have fixed matches, to have persuaded and encouraged others to fix matches, and to have bet on matches themselves. As a result, they each received lifetime bans. Zhao, meanwhile, was given a ban of one year and eight months, reduced from two-and-a-half years for early admissions of wrongdoing and his guilty plea. While the 28-year-old never rigged matches himself, he did accept charges of being a party to another player fixing two matches and betting on games himself.