Thunder vs. Pacers: T.J. McConnell is having his NBA Finals moment in Indiana — 'You have to play fearless'
INDIANAPOLIS — T.J. McConnell chuckles at it instead of taking it as an insult, the whole 'great white hope' thing assigned to him by Tyrese Haliburton. But it seems to work in Indianapolis.
If it was an inside joke, it made it to the outside world on the NBA's biggest stage.
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'No, it's funny because all year he's been saying it's (Pacers rookie Johnny) Furphy,' McConnell told Yahoo Sports. 'So the fact that he brought it back up, I guess he said there's, like, a transition period from me to Furphy.'
If he keeps having nights like Game 3, giving the Oklahoma City Thunder nightmares with their eyes open, any nickname will do. Whenever it seemed like the Pacers were in a lull, in need of a spark, there was McConnell with one of his three backcourt steals — he had five overall as the Pacers took control of the Finals series with a 116-107 win at home Wednesday night.
'We need all of our guys to bring whatever is their thing to our thing and have it be part of our thing, you know,' Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said Wednesday night. 'But he's a guy that inspires a lot of people. He inspires our team a lot.'
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He played only 15 minutes, but it felt like he was out there all night, as he made every minute count, scoring 10 points with 5 assists and being a plus-12. He was the first bench player ever to record 10 points, 5 assists and 5 steals in an NBA Finals game since the league started recording steals in 1973-74. His plays got the crowd energized after moments of nervous energy that was palpable in the building.
'It's a feel thing when I'm trying to inject energy into the game and get the crowd involved,' McConnell said. 'And you know, when our crowd's into it, they've willed us to wins throughout the season.'
It was McConnell and Bennedict Mathurin providing the extra energy while the Thunder players looked a bit on the fatigued side. Mathurin scored 27 points in just 22 minutes of game time, and Obi Toppin had an arena-shaking follow-up dunk late that seemed to declare matters for the night.
Mathurin's playing time has increased in every game, but there's always a looking-over-your-shoulder feeling for reserves.
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'I feel like it's a going down swinging type thing where you have to play fearless and mistakes are going to happen,' McConnell said. 'So there's a point in the game where you want to be in there, but it's time for the starters to come back in.
"Obviously, as a competitor, you want to play. So I try to tell the guys, you know, just we need to go out there and do our job for whenever we're out there.'
McConnell has gotten votes for Sixth Man of the Year twice during his six years with the Pacers, after being in Philadelphia for four years during the 'Process' era for the 76ers. That makes him among the most experienced players on this team. That makes him valuable.
'Besides Pascal (Siakam) and Thomas (Bryant), none of us have Finals experience,' McConnell said. 'So obviously very grateful to be here and play in front of that crowd like we did yesterday. We're excited, but we know there's still a lot of work left.'
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Yahoo
12 minutes ago
- Yahoo
U.S. Open live leaderboard: Scottie Scheffler struggling, Brooks Koepka in the hunt
Oakmont is biting back. Only a handful of players remain under par midway through Round 2. Two of those players — Sam Burns and Viktor Hovland — are putting together stellar rounds ... while everyone else is being grounded into paste. The scoring is going to get even more difficult for the afternoon wave, which doesn't bode well for first-round leader J.J. Spaun, who pulled out one of the best rounds that Oakmont Country Club has ever seen during a U.S. Open on Thursday. Spaun fired a bogey-free 66 to kick off the U.S. Open, which gave him a one-shot lead over the field. He's playing in his first U.S. Open, and he carded what was just the second bogey-free round at a U.S. Open at Oakmont. Some big names are in danger of missing the cut, which you can track here. Stick with Yahoo Sports for all of the updates throughout the second round of the U.S. Open. All times ET Friday, June 13Peacock: 6:30 a.m. - 1 p.m., 7 p.m. - 8 p.m. (Watch U.S. Open All-Access on Peacock)NBC: 1 p.m. - 7 p.m. Saturday, June 14USA: 10 a.m. - 12 12 p.m. - 8 p.m. Sunday, June 15USA: 9 a.m. - 12 12 p.m. - 7 p.m. (As of 12:30 p.m. ET) 1. J.J. Spaun -4 (12:52 p.m. ET) 2. Sam Burns -3Thriston Lawrence (2:20) T4. Viktor Hovland -2Si Woo Kim (1:36) T6. Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen -1Ben Griffin (1:14)Thomas Detry (1:47) For full leaderboard, click here Sam Burns finishes his round with a 65, 5-under par. Only two rounds have been lower in U.S. Open history at Oakmont: a 63 by Johnny Miller in 1973 and Loren Roberts' 64 at the 1994 tournament. WHAT A ROUND! 🔥Sam Burns posts a spectacular Friday 65, the best we've seen this week. — U.S. Open (@usopengolf) June 13, 2025 That leaves Burns one shot behind leader J.J. Spaun, who is just beginning his second round. Taylor Pendrith, tied for 16th at 2 over, nearly hit a spectacular shot on No. 1, only to have it painfully lip out. So close! Taylor Pendrith caught the downslope on 1 and almost pulled off the spectacular. — U.S. Open (@usopengolf) June 13, 2025 Take a look at Brooks Koepka's scorecard: 7 bogeys, six pars and four birdies. It's good enough, right now, to be T10. Two birdies in the last four holes have Scottie Scheffler at +3, giving him a little more breathing room between himself and the cut line. The irony in this is that Scheffler now has three birdies on the front nine, which is playing three strokes harder than the back nine. And he needed it, otherwise he might have been heading home early. Now, it's looking like he'll make it to the weekend, and with how quickly things can change at Oakmont, he's not yet out of it. Between them, Viktor Hovland (-4) and Sam Burns (-5) are 9-under on their rounds. No other players on the course are better than -2, and most are above par. Hovland, after his fifth birdie of the day (to go along with an eagle), is now just one back of Spaun, who probably doesn't want to tee off at this point. Five birdies. One Hovland 🇳🇴 is back in a tie for 2nd. — U.S. Open (@usopengolf) June 13, 2025 How? Simply, how is Sam Burns 5-under on his round while pretty much everyone else on the course right now is wanting to be anywhere else? Well, maybe it's because Sam Burns is an elite putter, and when you're an elite putter, you make long putts, and at Oakmont, there are a lot of long putts, which ... fits Burns' game perfectly. Maybe this is why he's the betting favorite. Now, here is how to bring Oakmont to its knees, courtesy of Victor Perez at the 192-yard sixth hole: 🚨 ACE ALERT 🚨Victor Perez 🇫🇷 with a great shot and an even better celebration! — U.S. Open (@usopengolf) June 13, 2025 It's just the second ever hole-in-one at Oakmont in a U.S. Open, and the first since 1983. A quick look at the betting odds over at Bet MGM and, well, Sam Burns is now the favorite at +700. Next up: J.J. Spaun and Viktor Hovland at +1000. Scottie Scheffler is still at just +1600, fifth best, even though he's nine shots back. If someone offers you an even-par 70, take it an run. You'll be the Round 2 leader. OK, so Oakmont is grinding everyone into a pulp, except maybe Sam Burns who's somehow 4-under on his round. But Brooks Koepka, who had it to 3-under an hour or so ago, is now at +1, after a fourth bogey in five holes. The latest came after he was next to the green at No. 4, a par 5, in two. From there, four strokes, dropped shot, frustration settling in Left, left, left, that's pretty much been Scottie Scheffler off the tee at Oakmont the last two days. And so after yet another drive he lost to the left, even Scheffler is left frustrated. Oakmont can frustrate even the most even-keeled players. — U.S. Open (@usopengolf) June 13, 2025 That led to another bogey, pushing him back to +5, on the wrong side of the current cut line. A double bogey at No. 2 for Hovland is, well, ouch. And he was probably lucky to get out of there with only that much damage. And just like that, Scottie Scheffler is on the good side of the cut line. A birdie at No. 2 — his 11th hole — has him back to +4. That's right on the cut number. It should be noted, the front nine (where Scheffler is now) is playing four strokes above par, so Scheffler still has a lot of work to do to make the weekend. It's another bogey for Scottie Scheffler, this one at the first, to move him to +5. As of now, that would be on the wrong side of the cut line. No one is putting up a score Friday ... except for Viktor Hovland, who rolled in a lengthy birdie putt at No. 1 to get it back to 3-under, one off the lead. After a birdie at No. 17 got him to 3-under, one shot off the lead, Brooks Koepka has bogeyed each of the last three holes. He's back to even par Here's how the cut works at the U.S. Open: Top 60 and ties, pretty simple. What does that mean? Currently, the cutline would be +4. That pus the following players on the wrong side: Jordan Spieth (+5)Tony FinauDustin Johnson (+5)Patrick Cantlay (+6)Justin Thomas (+ After putting his tee shot on the short par 4 17th just in front of the green, Scottie Scheffler needed four shots to get it in the hole. That's a bogey, his second in three holes, and pushes him to +4. It's been a tough go at the majors for Viktor Hovland, who after some top-5 finishes a few years ago, hasn't been a factor of late. But after an eagle at No. 17, he's got himself to 3-under, just one back of the lead. Keep the hole-outs coming on 17! Viktor Hovland cards an eagle to match Koepka at 3-under. — U.S. Open (@usopengolf) June 13, 2025 It won't show up on the scorecard, but Collin Morikawa's epic par putt at 15 is the kind of stroke that keeps you in this thing at Oakmont. Not all U.S. Open pars are created equal! Witness this 58-foot bomb from Collin Morikawa at two-time major champion stays right in the hunt at even par. — U.S. Open (@usopengolf) June 13, 2025 (As of 12:30 p.m. ET) 1. J.J. Spaun -4 (12:52 p.m. ET) 2. Sam Burns -3Thriston Lawrence (2:20) T4. Viktor Hovland -2Si Woo Kim (1:36) T6. Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen -1Ben Griffin (1:14)Thomas Detry (1:47) For full leaderboard, click here Sam Burns finishes his round with a 65, 5-under par. Only two rounds have been lower in U.S. Open history at Oakmont: a 63 by Johnny Miller in 1973 and Loren Roberts' 64 at the 1994 tournament. WHAT A ROUND! 🔥Sam Burns posts a spectacular Friday 65, the best we've seen this week. — U.S. Open (@usopengolf) June 13, 2025 That leaves Burns one shot behind leader J.J. Spaun, who is just beginning his second round. Taylor Pendrith, tied for 16th at 2 over, nearly hit a spectacular shot on No. 1, only to have it painfully lip out. So close! Taylor Pendrith caught the downslope on 1 and almost pulled off the spectacular. — U.S. Open (@usopengolf) June 13, 2025 Take a look at Brooks Koepka's scorecard: 7 bogeys, six pars and four birdies. It's good enough, right now, to be T10. Two birdies in the last four holes have Scottie Scheffler at +3, giving him a little more breathing room between himself and the cut line. The irony in this is that Scheffler now has three birdies on the front nine, which is playing three strokes harder than the back nine. And he needed it, otherwise he might have been heading home early. Now, it's looking like he'll make it to the weekend, and with how quickly things can change at Oakmont, he's not yet out of it. Between them, Viktor Hovland (-4) and Sam Burns (-5) are 9-under on their rounds. No other players on the course are better than -2, and most are above par. Hovland, after his fifth birdie of the day (to go along with an eagle), is now just one back of Spaun, who probably doesn't want to tee off at this point. Five birdies. One Hovland 🇳🇴 is back in a tie for 2nd. — U.S. Open (@usopengolf) June 13, 2025 How? Simply, how is Sam Burns 5-under on his round while pretty much everyone else on the course right now is wanting to be anywhere else? Well, maybe it's because Sam Burns is an elite putter, and when you're an elite putter, you make long putts, and at Oakmont, there are a lot of long putts, which ... fits Burns' game perfectly. Maybe this is why he's the betting favorite. Now, here is how to bring Oakmont to its knees, courtesy of Victor Perez at the 192-yard sixth hole: 🚨 ACE ALERT 🚨Victor Perez 🇫🇷 with a great shot and an even better celebration! — U.S. Open (@usopengolf) June 13, 2025 It's just the second ever hole-in-one at Oakmont in a U.S. Open, and the first since 1983. A quick look at the betting odds over at Bet MGM and, well, Sam Burns is now the favorite at +700. Next up: J.J. Spaun and Viktor Hovland at +1000. Scottie Scheffler is still at just +1600, fifth best, even though he's nine shots back. If someone offers you an even-par 70, take it an run. You'll be the Round 2 leader. OK, so Oakmont is grinding everyone into a pulp, except maybe Sam Burns who's somehow 4-under on his round. But Brooks Koepka, who had it to 3-under an hour or so ago, is now at +1, after a fourth bogey in five holes. The latest came after he was next to the green at No. 4, a par 5, in two. From there, four strokes, dropped shot, frustration settling in Left, left, left, that's pretty much been Scottie Scheffler off the tee at Oakmont the last two days. And so after yet another drive he lost to the left, even Scheffler is left frustrated. Oakmont can frustrate even the most even-keeled players. — U.S. Open (@usopengolf) June 13, 2025 That led to another bogey, pushing him back to +5, on the wrong side of the current cut line. A double bogey at No. 2 for Hovland is, well, ouch. And he was probably lucky to get out of there with only that much damage. And just like that, Scottie Scheffler is on the good side of the cut line. A birdie at No. 2 — his 11th hole — has him back to +4. That's right on the cut number. It should be noted, the front nine (where Scheffler is now) is playing four strokes above par, so Scheffler still has a lot of work to do to make the weekend. It's another bogey for Scottie Scheffler, this one at the first, to move him to +5. As of now, that would be on the wrong side of the cut line. No one is putting up a score Friday ... except for Viktor Hovland, who rolled in a lengthy birdie putt at No. 1 to get it back to 3-under, one off the lead. After a birdie at No. 17 got him to 3-under, one shot off the lead, Brooks Koepka has bogeyed each of the last three holes. He's back to even par Here's how the cut works at the U.S. Open: Top 60 and ties, pretty simple. What does that mean? Currently, the cutline would be +4. That pus the following players on the wrong side: Jordan Spieth (+5)Tony FinauDustin Johnson (+5)Patrick Cantlay (+6)Justin Thomas (+ After putting his tee shot on the short par 4 17th just in front of the green, Scottie Scheffler needed four shots to get it in the hole. That's a bogey, his second in three holes, and pushes him to +4. It's been a tough go at the majors for Viktor Hovland, who after some top-5 finishes a few years ago, hasn't been a factor of late. But after an eagle at No. 17, he's got himself to 3-under, just one back of the lead. Keep the hole-outs coming on 17! Viktor Hovland cards an eagle to match Koepka at 3-under. — U.S. Open (@usopengolf) June 13, 2025 It won't show up on the scorecard, but Collin Morikawa's epic par putt at 15 is the kind of stroke that keeps you in this thing at Oakmont. Not all U.S. Open pars are created equal! Witness this 58-foot bomb from Collin Morikawa at two-time major champion stays right in the hunt at even par. — U.S. Open (@usopengolf) June 13, 2025
NBC Sports
18 minutes ago
- NBC Sports
NBA Trade Rumors Roundup: Kevin Durant trade could happen soon, Clippers in the mix
With the NBA Draft less than two weeks away, the trade rumor mill is in full swing, with Kevin Durant at the heart of it. Here are some of the latest rumors. Durant trade coming in 'days?' Don't be so sure. Things are moving quickly on the Kevin Durant trade front, with a real sense in league circles that it will get done before — or at — the NBA draft on June 25. Friday, ESPN's Shams Charania took that a step further on the Pat McAfee Show and said it could happen in the next few days "I think a Kevin Durant trade could happen in the next few days.. In the last 24 hours the focus has been on the Rockets, the Heat, and the Minnesota Timberwolves" ~ @ShamsCharania #PMSLive You know what really pisses off Adam Silver and the NBA league office? When a team makes a big trade that upstages the NBA Finals. The league has made a concerted effort in recent years to refocus games on the court, rather than on the rumor mill and trade speculation. If a Kevin Durant trade were to happen in the coming days, it would completely upstage the Oklahoma City vs. Indiana NBA Finals. The smart money is on no trade coming together, or even being leaked, before the NBA Finals end. Which, if it goes seven games (a genuine possibility), would take us to three days before the 2025 NBA Draft. Clippers interested in Kevin Durant The expectation had been that the Clippers would extend James Harden this summer, re-sign Norman Powell, and essentially run it back with a 50-win team. Instead, they may make a run at Kevin Durant, with ESPN's Brian Windhorst and Tim Bontemps calling the Clippers a 'team to watch' in the Durant sweepstakes. It would take a third team (or more) to make the math work, but the Clippers could send depth to Phoenix in a trade offer centered around a sign-and-trade of Norman Powell, Bogdan Bogdanovic, and more, plus a first-round pick or two. We can assume that Harden, Kawhi Leonard and Ivica Zubac are off-limits in a trade, but everyone else would be on the table. That may not be the haul the Suns were hoping for, but the other teams thought in the running — the Timberwolves, Rockets, Spurs and Heat — are not making overwhelming offers either. Which brings us to... What Phoenix wants for Durant vs. reality Days after Mat Ishbia purchased the Phoenix Suns from Robert Sarver, the team made a bold move to acquire Kevin Durant from the Brooklyn Nets. It gave up a lot to get the future Hall of Fame: • Mikal Bridges • Cam Johnson • Jay Crowder • Four first-round picks • 2028 pick swap The Suns want a package something close to that in return for Durant. I want to take a break from writing this story to drive my Maserati GranTurismo around town. Reality is going to disappoint both of us. ESPN's Windhorst and Bontemps put it this way: Multiple league sources said they were skeptical that the price for Durant in a trade would get to a place where Phoenix would be satisfied with it. My expectation for the Suns' return in a KD trade is a couple of rotation players to match salary (but nobody likely as good as Bridges), a young player with some potential, and one or two first-round picks (depending on how good they are perceived to be). We'll see what comes out of this, but it is very likely a trade made before the draft or on draft night. No Antetokounmpo trade talks The latest update on the Giannis Antetokounmpo trade front is that there is no update. Antetokounmpo was focused on his trip to South America, slipping and falling all over courts there, and has not requested a trade. Giannis slipped trying to dunk 😳 (via goatbr/IG) The expectation in league circles now is that Antetokounmpo will not request a trade, which is why the focus of teams has shifted to Durant and others. Maybe that changes after Antetokounmpo surveys the fallout from a summer of trades and free agency, but more than likely Antetokounmpo is a Buck at the start of next season. Pelicans trade up for Ace Bailey? The Pelicans are not going to trade Zion Williamson this offseason, primarily because the return wouldn't be nearly what they are seeking. That doesn't mean new head of basketball operations in the Big Easy, Joe Dumars, is looking to build around Zion long-term. There are a lot of rumors that he wants to move up in the draft, specifically to target Rutgers wing Ace Bailey. Kevin O'Connor lays it out at Yahoo Sports. League sources continue to cite the Pelicans as a team aggressively looking to move up in the draft, with most front-office executives believing Bailey is the target of new general manager Joe Dumars. That's why we're mocking a trade here for this week's mock, with Herb Jones and a low-value first in 2026 via the Pacers to move up four spots. There is pushback from New Orleans that they would give up Herb Jones in a trade like this, which is the correct call — trading Jones could well be a Dyson Daniels kind of mistake. That said, whatever form the trade might take, the idea of Dumars trading up to get Bailey and taking a swing with the high-ceiling wing makes some sense. Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro not available The Miami Heat are looking to upgrade — this is not a tear-it-down-and-rebuild-it kind of franchise — but in doing so, both Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro are not available, reports Ira Winderman at the Sun Sentinel. That's not a surprise to anyone, but it's nice to have it on the record. Could Chris Paul return to the Clippers? In a recent appearance on the Pat McAfee Show, another future Hall of Famer, Chris Paul, talked about being away from his children and family, who live in Los Angeles, while he played in Oklahoma City, Phoenix, the Bay Area with Golden State, and then San Antonio. 'My son just turned 16. My daughter's 12. The past six seasons I have lived without them. I've been away from them for the last six years. That's the conversation. I wanna be dad.' Nobody can blame him for wanting to come back to Los Angeles. While there is poetic justice in him coming to the Lakers so many years after David Stern shot down his trade there for 'basketball reasons,' the Lakers aren't hurting for ball handlers (although LeBron James and CP3 have always been close, so...). The Clippers need a backup point guard who can run the show when James Harden is off the court. Do we have a match? Just something to watch.
Yahoo
24 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Conflicting reports emerge on Kevin Durant trade to New York Knicks
While others may or may not end up on the block, the NBA seems sure to have a superstar traded this offseason. But Kevin Durant isn't just a superstar, he's a first-ballot future Hall of Famer, and the Phoenix Suns are trying to find him a new team. So far, several contenders have been linked to a potential trade for Durant. Yet as it turns out, some of these contenders may actually be pretenders. Advertisement Despite an earlier report indicating that the Knicks have expressed a previous interest in trading for Kevin Durant, a conflicting update has now emerged. According to the New York Post's Stefan Bondy, the Knicks are 'not in the mix' to trade for Durant this offseason. While it's clear the Knicks won't be trading for Durant, it makes us wonder. If they already reached out, is it possible the Knicks simply didn't like the Suns' asking price for the 15-time All-Star? Perhaps a Durant trade is already further along than we think, with the Knicks already being eliminated from a group of finalists for the Suns' superstar. Either way, if the Knicks do once again go big-game hunting this offseason, it apparently won't be for Durant. Advertisement Related: Shams: 5 teams interested in Kevin Durant trade Related Headlines
