logo
Game 3: Pacers aren't 100% but are set to play host to Thunder in pivotal NBA Finals matchup

Game 3: Pacers aren't 100% but are set to play host to Thunder in pivotal NBA Finals matchup

Independenta day ago

There are somewhere between three and five games left in the NBA season. Until then, nobody is going to be 100%.
Tyrese Haliburton clearly isn't. He's not going to make excuses, either.
The Pacers' star guard was limping Sunday night after a Game 2 loss in Oklahoma City. Whatever the specifics of the issue are, he's not saying. And put simply, nothing is going to hold him out of play in Game 3 against the Thunder on Wednesday night.
'Really just a lower leg thing. I'll leave it at that,' Haliburton said. 'I don't think there's anything more to elaborate. I feel fine and I'll be ready to go for Game 3.'
The series is tied at a game apiece. The Thunder are 5.5-point favorites for Game 3, according to BetMGM Sportsbook.
Everybody on both sides of these finals probably has some level of bumps and bruises to deal with; both teams are over the 100-game mark for the season. Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said Haliburton is dealing with discomfort, but he noted it is improving by the day.
Carlisle figures the adrenalin rush of Game 3 at home — Indiana 's first home NBA Finals game since 2000 — will cure a lot of ailments.
'I mean, there's just so much to be excited about,' Carlisle said. 'We've got a couple guys that are slightly under the weather. I don't think anything is going to keep these guys from playing in the game.'
___

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Pacers, Thunder stick with same approaches for Game 4
Pacers, Thunder stick with same approaches for Game 4

Reuters

time34 minutes ago

  • Reuters

Pacers, Thunder stick with same approaches for Game 4

June 12 - The Oklahoma City Thunder aren't panicking. The Indiana Pacers aren't taking anything for granted. Heading into Friday's Game 4 of the NBA Finals in Indianapolis, the teams say they're not changing much about the approaches that have worked for them. The Pacers lead the best-of-seven series 2-1 -- an edge they've held in each of their four series this postseason. "That's the challenge before us right now, is to maintain," Indiana coach Rick Carlisle said. "It's got to be a killer edge to beat these guys. We're going to be an underdog in every game in this series. ... It's a daunting challenge. Anything less than a total grit mindset, we just don't have a chance." The Pacers have thrived in that underdog role, something that guard Tyrese Haliburton said after their Game 1 win has driven him and the rest of the team since last season. For the Thunder, it's the second time they've faced such a deficit. They were down after three games in the Western Conference second-round series against Denver before eventually winning in seven. Oklahoma City lost back-to-back games just twice during the regular season and has yet to drop consecutive games in the playoffs. "Being down 2-1 in a series, it can have emotions associated with it, but dragging those into the next experience isn't going to help anybody," Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said Thursday. "Them being up 2-1, dragging that in isn't going to help them, either. You have to compete when the ball goes up in the air. We've made a habit of that. We have to double down again on that tomorrow." Oklahoma City guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the league's MVP, said that while it was difficult to compare the situations directly from the series against the Nuggets, there were lessons to be learned in how the team responded there. "We have to be who we are and who we've been all season," Gilgeous-Alexander said. "I think we got back to that in that series. If we want to give ourselves a chance in this series, it has to be the same thing." Haliburton said he has struggled to sleep much during the Finals, thanks to a mixture of excitement and stress. The fifth-year guard is coming off his best game in the series, with 22 points, 11 assists and nine rebounds in Indiana's 116-107 home win in Game 3. "I think the biggest thing with right now is this is like a really exciting time. To play against these guys is an honor," Haliburton said. "It's a lot of fun. This is a 68-win team, historically one of the best defenses ever. This is a really good team. They have the MVP. They have a bunch of dudes who are going to be in this league for a long time having a lot of success. ... "As competitors, you want to compete against the best and these guys are the best." For the Thunder, getting back to their defensive identity is at the forefront after the Pacers shot 51.8 percent (44 of 85) from the field in Game 3. "We've kind of strayed away from it a little bit," forward Jalen Williams said. "I think when you're scoring at a good rate, sometimes it can drop off a little bit. That's something that we've looked at. "There will be some game-plan adjustments, for sure," he continued. "A lot of that is just competing. I don't want to say 'competing' because that sounds like you're out there not trying. Defensively locking in on a lot of the little things, not let them get comfortable and make those bigger runs late in the game." The Pacers have outscored the Thunder 67-43 in the fourth quarter in their two wins in the series. Indiana's Myles Turner continues to battle an illness, though he had a critical block and rebound late in Wednesday's win. Carlisle said Turner was with the team during their film session Thursday before heading home to recuperate. "Hopefully, he'll feel better tomorrow," Carlisle said. "We'll see." --Field Level Media

Late NHL star Johnny Gaudreau's widow recalls harrowing moment she was told her husband had been killed
Late NHL star Johnny Gaudreau's widow recalls harrowing moment she was told her husband had been killed

Daily Mail​

time42 minutes ago

  • Daily Mail​

Late NHL star Johnny Gaudreau's widow recalls harrowing moment she was told her husband had been killed

The widow of late NHL star Johnny Gaudreau has opened up on the tragic moment she was told her husband and his brother Matthew had died in a tragic bicycle accident last year. Johnny, 31, and Matthew, 29, were both killed after being hit by a drunk driver while out cycling on a New Jersey highway the night before their sister's wedding in late August 2024. Their passing proved all the more painful given both men were awaiting the birth of children, with Matthew on the verge of becoming a father for the very first time. His wife, Madeline, eventually gave birth to their baby boy, Tripp Matthew, four months later. And in April of this year, Meredith - Johnny's wife of three years before his death - welcomed their third child and second son, Carter Michael. Just over two months since giving birth in heartbreaking circumstances, Meredith has recalled the moment she received the news that her husband and his younger brother had lost their lives in an emotional letter published by The Players' Tribune. Titled 'Thank You For Being Perfect, John', the letter shares a number of special moments from their relationship before moving on to that fateful day in August. 'You kissed all of us goodbye and said you'd see us later. And that was that,' she wrote. Meredith then revealed that Johnny and Matthew's sister Katie, whose wedding day had been shattered in the most harrowing way possible, initially alerted her to the bicycle accident. 'Katie called, and she said something had happened, but she didn't know what exactly,' she added. 'I was thinking the whole time about how I was going to help you through whatever it could be that had happened to Matty. 'And then I walked up the front porch and learned the absolute worst had happened and that it was both of you. 'There aren't any words to go here.' The mom of three said the pain was 'completely indescribable.' 'I was keeled over for days, sick to my stomach,' she continued. 'The only person who can relate to me is my own sister-in-law. I see her and my heart breaks for her. 'I'm sick for her. We had just celebrated their gender reveal. We were all just down the shore together and had so much fun. Matty made me laugh so much that weekend.' Johnny, an NHL veteran who was poised to enter his third season with the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2024, married Meredith back in September 2021. The couple then welcomed their first child, daughter Noa, a year later, and son Johnny as recently as March 2024. In a tearful tribute at his funeral back in September, Gaudreau's widow revealed she was pregnant with their third baby following his tragic passing, before giving birth to Carter Michael on April 1, 2025. She concluded in her Players' Tribune letter: 'I love you so much. I miss you every second of every day. I miss you more and more every day as well. My love grows deeper for you each day too.'

Miami World Cup officials play down travel concerns a year from kick-off
Miami World Cup officials play down travel concerns a year from kick-off

Reuters

timean hour ago

  • Reuters

Miami World Cup officials play down travel concerns a year from kick-off

June 12 (Reuters) - As a gleaming clock began ticking towards the 2026 World Cup, Miami officials launched the city's one-year countdown seeking to allay fears that America's stricter immigration stance could deter the overseas fans that it hopes to attract. The celebratory unveiling on Wednesday, featuring singer Marc Anthony, came just days after unrest in Los Angeles and amid the implementation of stricter border controls under President Donald Trump's administration. "I don't think anybody has anything to be afraid of. Miami is an incredibly welcoming place, and we're very excited to welcome the world," Alina T. Hudak, president of the 2026 Miami Host Committee, said at the countdown event. The digital clock, soon to greet travellers at Miami International Airport, marks 365 days until the start of the biggest World Cup in history — 48 teams playing 104 matches across three North American nations. However, security arrangements have drawn particular scrutiny, especially regarding the involvement of immigration enforcement agencies. Rodney Barreto, co-chair of the Miami Host Committee, confirmed that Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents will be involved in security operations. "They will be there to support us with security, but not to capture people," he said. At Fiorito, an Argentine restaurant in Miami's Little Haiti neighbourhood, fans of the South American nation's defending champions expressed confidence that their countrymen would travel regardless of restrictions. "Wherever the World Cup is, it's great ... We're excited about being world champions and we can do much more," Argentina supporter Nicolas Lomazzi told Reuters. "What matters here is money, and they're going to make a lot with the World Cup, so they'll open the door for us all," added Emmanuel, an Argentina supporter hopeful of witnessing what could be captain Lionel Messi's final World Cup appearance. For Miami, a city shaped by successive waves of immigration, hosting the tournament represents a delicate balancing act — showcasing its multicultural identity while navigating an increasingly complex immigration landscape that threatens the smooth running of the biggest World Cup yet.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store