T.J. McConnell discusses the Pacers' Game 3 loss to the Cavs
T.J. McConnell discusses the Pacers' Game 3 loss to the Cavs
T.J. McConnell scored 12 points, dished out seven assists and grabbed six rebounds in the Pacers' 126-104 loss to the Cavs in Game 3 of the East semis
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17 minutes ago
Pacers' 25-year Finals drought is over. Now they're looking to overcome their snake-bitten history
INDIANAPOLIS -- The Pacers have finally ended the franchise's 25-year NBA Finals drought, achieving the unthinkable after starting 10-15 and looking like anything but a title contender. Now Indiana will try to exorcise the demons of its decades-long, snake-bitten history and actually win the title when the Pacers take on the Oklahoma City in the NBA Finals. 'It is really a special thing that happened 25 years ago, I wasn't even six months old,' Tyrese Haliburton said after Indiana's series-ending victory over New York. 'There's a lot of fans who have never seen success from this organization, especially people around my age. They weren't alive for it. "So it's really special what we're doing, and we're just trying to keep making this a special place, a place where people want to come.' The Pacers play in a state where basketball is treated like religion, championship teams become royals and players and coaches emerge as revered figures when they achieve the unexpected like these Pacers. But Indiana hasn't always been that dream destination for NBA players, instead being tabbed as snake-bitten franchise for most of its 48 seasons in the league. — After winning three ABA titles, it took a telethon to save the financially floundering NBA newbie in July 1977. — The Pacers made just one playoff appearance during their first decade in the NBA, losing both games to Philadelphia. — Fans booed resoundingly when the Pacers used a first-round draft pick on Reggie Miller in 1987 instead of home-state favorite Steve Alford. — And their pathway to championships in the 1990s seemed hopelessly blocked by Michael Jordan's Bulls or Patrick Ewing's the Knicks until the breakthrough run in 2000 only to lose to Shaquille O'Neal, the late Kobe Bryant and the Lakers. And though Miller was still playing at a high level, it has taken another quarter-century to make it back. The journey hasn't been an easy one. This Pacers team rallied to eliminate some other snake-bitten opponents. They knocked out the 2021 NBA champion Milwaukee Bucks, the top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers and the rival Knicks. The second final chapter begins Thursday in Oklahoma City. The expectations were different 25 years ago. Donnie Walsh revamped Indiana's roster by surrounding Miller with younger players following the 1999-2000 season, and four seasons later the Pacers posted the league's best record in 2003-04. They wound up losing the conference final in six games to Detroit. Then came the franchise-changing Malice in the Palace brawl in November 2004. Several lengthy suspensions gutted the team, derailing Miller's last title run while sending the franchise into a downward spiral. Larry Bird fired coach Rick Carlisle, his friend and ex-teammate, two years later and his departure was followed by a rash of devastating injuries. Danny Granger's budding career was cut short by knee tendinitis. Paul George suffered a compound fracture in his right leg in 2014 and he was traded to Oklahoma City in 2017. Two years later, All-Star guard Victor Oladipo ruptured his right quadriceps tendon and was subsequently traded, too. Myles Turner experienced most of the ups and downs of that decade from the Pacers locker room, and it only made his opportunity to hug Miller and Nancy Leonard, the widow of former Pacers longtime coach and broadcaster Bobby 'Slick' Leonard, so much sweeter after winning the conference crown. 'It was just pure excitement, pure validation," Turner said. 'Just all the years, all the hate, all the love, everything in between. So, man, in that moment, it was just pure exuberance.' Turner was a pivotal piece — not the central one — when president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard embarked on another rebuild midway through the 2021-22 season to form the core of this year's squad. He started by dealing All-Star forward Domantas Sabonis to Sacramento for Haliburton. Five months later, Indiana acquired forward Aason Nesmith from Boston for Malcolm Brogdon. And when Pritchard sent Bruce Brown to Toronto for Pascal Siakam in January 2024, Pritchard figured the Pacers finally had their big three. Fans were skeptical, but the Pacers ushered in a new era of basketball, one that combined Indiana's favorite sport with its longtime auto racing tradition, creating a track-like pace brand of basketball. In some ways, these Pacers are a throwback to their ABA roots — fast, high scoring, flurries of 3-pointers and made-for-television entertainment right down to the dance team. 'The pace, it just fits who I am as a person, like the way I play the game,' said Siakam, who won a championship ring with Toronto. 'We have a lot of people who look down on us as an underdog and that's my style. I like that because that's been me my whole life.' The Pacers will open as the underdog against the Thunder, the team George landed with all those years ago. Two former ABA powers, San Antonio and Denver, have won NBA titles. But if the Pacers can capture the Larry O'Brien trophy, they would be the league's only team to be crowned ABA and NBA champions. 'This is not the time to be popping champagne,' said Carlisle, who led the Dallas Mavericks to the 2010-11 title. 'Getting to the NBA Finals is an accomplishment. But if you start looking at it that way, you'll go into it with the wrong mindset. When you get to this point of the season, its two teams, it's one goal so it becomes an all or nothing thing.'
Newsweek
an hour ago
- Newsweek
NBA Finals Betting Odds: Series Winner, Spread, Total Games, Stat Leaders
The Oklahoma City Thunder are heavily favored over the Indiana Pacers in the NBA Finals, which start Thursday in OKC. The Oklahoma City Thunder are heavily favored over the Indiana Pacers in the NBA Finals, which start Thursday in OKC. Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. After sandwiching dominant wins over the Grizzlies in the first round and the Wolves in the Western Conference Finals around a seven-game battle with the Nuggets in the conference semis, NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder (1) enter the NBA Finals vs. the Pacers as massive favorites. In fact, a close look at the NBA Finals betting odds as of Monday, June 2 shows that it might be an understatement to call the Thunder "massive favorites" in this series. The Pacers (4) turned heads with wins over Eastern Conference foes Milwaukee (5) in the first round, Cleveland (1) in the second and New York (3) in the third, but they're the betting underdogs for the third series in a row. Later this week, we'll give out our NBA Finals best bets and picks, but for now, we're diving into the odds in a range of markets, including series winner, series spread and total games, plus the odds on who will lead this series in points, asssists, made 3-pointers and rebounds and analysis of those markets. NBA Finals Series Betting Odds: OKC Favored As you can see below, oddsmakers are aligned on the pre-series odds, with most sportsbooks listing the Pacers at +500 (implied probability: 16.67 percent) and the Thunder at -700 (implied probability: 87.5 percent). DK FD bet365 BetMGM Pacers +500 +530 +500 +500 Thunder -700 -750 -700 -700 Let's briefly look back at the betting odds entering last year's Finals for a bit of context here. The Celtics were listed at around -200 at most sportsbooks entering their matchup vs. the Mavericks. Boston, of course, won that series 4-1, with three of their four wins effectively secured entering the fourth quarter. If this series goes the way oddsmakers expect it to, the only question is not if, but when OKC will get to raise the Larry O'Brien Trophy. NBA Finals Series Spread, Total Games Odds In addition to the series winner market, other ways to bet on Pacers vs. Thunder include the Series Spread and Total Games markets. Pacers vs. Thunder NBA Finals Series Spread Odds You can bet on either the Pacers or Thunder to win the series by 1.5 or 2.5 games. The winner would have to get it done in six games (4-2) to cover at -1.5, and it would need to win 4-1 (or 4-0) to cover at -2.5. The odds below come from DraftKings: OKC -1.5 (-275); IND +1.5 (+220) OKC -2.5 (-140); IND +2.5 (+120) IND -1.5 (+850); OKC +1.5 (-1400) IND -2.5 (+1800); OKC +2.5 (-5000) NBA Finals Total Games Odds: Pacers vs. Thunder The line on how many games Pacers-Thunder will go is set at 5.5 at most sportsbooks, including DK, FD and bet365: DraftKings: Over 5.5 (+115); Under 5.5 (-135) FanDuel: Over 5.5 (+106); Under 5.5 (-130) BetMGM: Over 5.5 (+105); Under 5.5 (-125) Additional NBA Finals series markets include Game/Series Double, Exact Games and Exact Outcome. NBA Finals Statistical Leader Odds On the player props front, you can wager on the player you expect to lead the Finals in points, assists, made threes, rebounds and more. NBA Finals Points Leader Odds There's not much to break down in this market. Barring injury, expect SGA to be the highest scorer in this series by a comfortable margin. DK FD bet365 BetMGM Shai Gilgeous-Alexander -3500 -6000 -5000 -5000 Jalen Williams +2500 +2700 +2500 +2500 Pascal Siakam +2800 +3600 +4000 +3000 Tyrese Haliburton +6000 +4900 +5000 +4000 NBA Finals Assists Leader Odds DK FD bet365 BetMGM Haliburton -900 -650 -550 -650 SGA +500 +390 +375 +400 Williams +5000 +6500 +5000 +6600 NBA Finals Made Threes Leader Odds DK FD bet365 BetMGM Haliburton -125 +155 -120 +160 Aaron Nesmith +425 +390 +450 +400 Luguentz Dort +600 +500 +500 +500 SGA +1100 +850 +1600 +900 Myles Turner +1100 +900 +900 +900 Williams +1100 +1000 +1200 +1000 NBA Finals Rebounds Leader Odds DK FD bet365 BetMGM Chet Holmgren -185 -130 -200 -125 Isaiah Hartenstein +195 +550 +350 +500 Pascal Siakam +550 +500 +700 +550 Williams +1300 +700 +900 +700 SGA +2200 +1000 +1800 +1000 Haliburton +4000 +2300 +2500 +2500 Newsweek may earn an affiliate commission if you sign up through the links in this article. See the sportsbook operator's terms and conditions for important details. Sports betting operators have no influence over newsroom coverage.
New York Post
an hour ago
- New York Post
Tyrese Haliburton's girlfriend trolls Knicks with savage post after playoff ouster
Tyrese Haliburton's girlfriend sent a savage farewell message to the Knicks after their loss to the Pacers in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Saturday. Jade Jones, who trolled the Knicks throughout the series, did just that by quoting lyrics to their anthem, 'Go NY Go,' which is played during Knicks home games at Madison Square Garden. 'Go NY go NY go… Home!!!' Jones wrote Sunday on Instagram, adding the hashtag, '#YESCERSSS. Advertisement 'So proud of this team!!! 💛💛💛.' Jones included a meme of the Statue of Liberty in a Haliburton Pacers jersey — and a snapshot of the two-time All-Star making a choke gesture during Indiana's overtime victory in Game 1. Advertisement Haliburton was mimicking former Pacer and Hall of Famer Reggie Miller, who taunted the Knicks during the 1994 Eastern Conference playoffs. 6 Tyrese Haliburton and his girlfriend Jade Jones celebrating on the court after the Pacers beat the Knicks in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Saturday, May 31, 2025. Instagram/Jade Jones 6 Tyrese Haliburton and his girlfriend Jade Jones celebrating on the court after the Pacers beat the Knicks in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Saturday, May 31, 2025. Instagram/Jade Jones Another image in Jones' carousel featured Haliburton's dad, John Haliburton, who wore a shirt with the message, 'Pops is free,' which referred to his temporary ban from Pacers' games during the playoffs. Advertisement John missed eight games due to a confrontation with Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo after the Pacers eliminated Milwaukee in Game 5 of their first-round series. 6 Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton mimicked former Pacer and Hall of Famer Reggie Miller, during their Eastern Conference finals series with the Knicks. Instagram/Jade Jones He was back at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis for Game 4 between the Pacers and Knicks on Tuesday night, taking in the action from a private suite. Jones looked stunning on Saturday while sporting custom jeans with Haliburton's name stitched down her leg. Advertisement She also rocked a cap with Haliburton's face on it. 6 Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton, left, celebrates with his father, John Haliburton, after winning Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals of the NBA basketball playoffs against the New York Knicks in Indianapolis, Saturday, May 31, 2025. AP Jones has supported Haliburton throughout his NBA career, which began when the Kings selected him in the first round of the 2020 NBA Draft. The couple began dating while they were students at Iowa State, where Haliburton played college basketball and Jones was a cheerleader. Haliburton and Jones celebrated six years together in April. 6 Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton celebrates during the fourth quarter against the New York Knicks in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on May 31, 2025 in Indianapolis, Indiana. Getty Images Haliburton finished Saturday's game with 21 points and 13 assists en route to the Pacers' 125-108 victory over the Knicks for a 4-2 series win — and their first trip to the NBA Finals since 2000. He was clutch for Indiana throughout the entire series after being voted as the most overrated player in the NBA by other players in an anonymous survey conducted by The Athletic. Advertisement 6 Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton holds up the trophy after the Pacers won Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals of the NBA basketball playoffs against the New York Knicks in Indianapolis, Saturday, May 31, 2025. AP '[Pacers center] Pascal [Siakam] and Tyrese put us on their backs and made sure we would not lose,' coach Rick Carlisle said after Game 6. 'But our work has just begun.' Siakam won the Larry Bird Trophy as the Eastern Conference finals MVP. The Pacers will face the Thunder and league MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in the 2025 NBA Finals beginning June 5 in Oklahoma City.
