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USA Today
2 hours ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Lu Dort breaks down matchup against Tyrese Haliburton ahead of 2025 NBA Finals
Lu Dort breaks down matchup against Tyrese Haliburton ahead of 2025 NBA Finals Routing their way to the 2025 NBA Finals, the Oklahoma City Thunder have relied on the same defensive principles to clinch their spot in the championship round and made the Western Conference look like a cupcake walk — take out the opposition's best guard. From Ja Morant to Jamal Murray to Anthony Edwards, the Thunder have turned the opposition's high-dynamic perimeter scorers into passive facilitators. Next up will be Tyrese Haliburton. Fueled by overrated allegations from his peers, he's been the face of Indiana's unlikely NBA Finals run. Haliburton has been featured in late-game heroics. He's averaged 18.8 points and 9.8 assists in the playoffs. It's the perfect blend of running the offense and hunting his shots. Against the Thunder, he'll likely be asked to be a bigger scorer if the Pacers want to pull off the all-time upset. Good luck doing that against Lu Dort. In two regular-season losses, Haliburton was limited to 11 points and 5.5 assists. They were two of his lowest usage rate games of the season. He was fazed out as OKC forced Indiana to make Andrew Nembhard the primary ball-handler. Don't fix what's not broken. Expect the Thunder to rely on Dort as Haliburton's primary matchup. He's been OKC's go-to stopper throughout his five years and was finally recognized for it with his first career All-Defensive Team membership this season. 'He's a good player. He's their main guy obviously. He has the ball a lot," Dort said about Haliburton. "The way I approach any matchup is I gotta make it tough. Not only me but the whole team.' How Dort limits Haliburton will tell a lot about how these NBA Finals go. When he's off the floor, expect Alex Caruso and Cason Wallace to get their chances to slow down the All-Star player. If the Thunder can repeat their regular-season success and turn him into a secondary ball-handler, that'll help their odds of winning the championship.
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
2025 NBA Finals odds, predictions: Best bets for Pacers vs. Thunder, Game 1
The 2025 NBA Finals begin Thursday night, and oddsmakers don't see it as much of a series. The Oklahoma City Thunder opened as high as -800 favorites (now down to -700 at BetMGM), with the Indiana Pacers as +525 underdogs. Since 1969, there have been 16 NBA Finals where the series underdog had +250 or worse odds and only the 2004 Detroit Pistons (+500 vs. Los Angeles Lakers) won the series outright, according to Sports Odds History. Advertisement The Thunder went 68-14 in the regular season en route to the No. 1 overall seed in the Western Conference and also were a cash cow for bettors, compiling a 55-23-4 mark against the spread — the best ATS mark for any team in the past 35 seasons. Oklahoma has struggled ATS in the postseason, though, going just 7-9 ATS. The Pacers have been one of the NBA's best teams since the calendar flipped to Jan. 1 and beat the Milwaukee Bucks as a favorite before defeating the Cleveland Cavaliers and New York Knicks as series underdogs to make it to their first Finals since 2000. Yahoo Sports asked handicappers Michael Fiddle, Jason Logan and Jon Metler for their thoughts on the series and Game 1 best bets: No. 4 Indiana Pacers (+500) vs. No. 1 Oklahoma City Thunder (-700) Fiddle: "It's hard to find much value betting Oklahoma City in the series or game to game. The market is shading towards Indiana. I'm lucky to have some Thunder futures because it does feel a bit priced out now. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to win MVP is a look instead of OKC series betting because his usage rate is so high. Some other players can pop in spots, but his stat set is nearly guaranteed. And he's the engine all year. It would take a bad SGA performance and a dominant performance from another Thunder player to win — which on the OKC side has a slim chance of happening. Advertisement "Throughout the series, Tyrese Haliburton is going to have to be a scorer for the Pacers to have much of a chance. His over points, under assists are looks for me. The Pacers will have to rely on 3-pointers. Oklahoma City makes you take 3s, and Indiana will space and shoot. Props-wise, Myles Turner should have decent volume. "I like the Game 1 over. My model has it at 231.9 points, though I understand the slight reductions for the NBA Finals. Small market moves [on the] over since open at 229.5, [with] 230.5/231 still showing up, but still a small actionable over for me. These are two of the top three teams in pace, which really drives totals betting. Chet Holmgren was out in both regular season matchups, and he allows OKC to play small and space with five out." Advertisement Best bet: Game 1 over 230.5 Logan: "Dort draws the key assignment of slowing down Haliburton in the NBA Finals. The burly shooting guard will try to get the ball out of Haliburton's hands and with the Pacers point guard a primary passer, it should put Dort in good position to crash the boards. "Dort's advanced stats show 7.6 rebounding chances in the playoffs, with that metric jumping to 8.2 in the conference finals. He averaged 3.6 boards against Minnesota while checking scorer Anthony Edwards and snatched four or more rebounds in three of the four final games of the WCF. "Player models for Game 1 of the NBA Finals have Dort pegged between 4.1 and 5.2 rebounds versus Indiana. During the two regular season run-ins with the Pacers, Dort recorded five and seven boards in OKC victories." Advertisement Best bet: Lu Dort Over 3.5 rebounds (+110) Metler: "At first glance, 33.5 points looks like a high number for SGA — especially with the Thunder sitting as 9.5-point favorites in Game 1. But for SGA, this total still feels a touch too low. "SGA is projected to score over 35 points in Game 1, which implies fair odds closer to -140. That projection looks justified when you consider how the Pacers have fared against elite scoring guards in these playoffs. Despite having capable individual defenders like Andrew Nembhard and Aaron Nesmith, Indiana has generally stayed true to its scheme, avoiding heavy help defense — even when facing players like Jalen Brunson. "That likely means SGA will see mostly single coverage, which plays to his strength as one of the NBA's most efficient isolation scorers. If he gets rolling, Indiana isn't the type of team to completely sell out to stop him. Advertisement "There is some risk tied to the 9.5-point spread and potential blowout minutes, but that concern is softened by the context: It's the NBA Finals, starters are far less likely to get early rest, and the Pacers have proven they can mount comebacks. With multiple days off between games, rotations should be tight and minutes should be heavy for the stars." Best bet: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander over 33.5 points (-110) Metler: "It's impossible to ignore that in two regular-season matchups against the Thunder, Nembhard led the Pacers in potential assists with 15.5 per game, while Haliburton averaged just 11.5. The Thunder are equipped to throw elite defenders at Haliburton and mix up multiple coverages. As a result, the Pacers will need another playmaker to generate offense, and it's telling that they leaned on Nembhard in that role during the regular season. Advertisement "We have a solid edge on this price, even with Nembhard projected to play only 32 minutes. Given that he'll be tasked with creating offense and likely drawing the primary defensive assignment on SGA, his minutes could very well increase — only strengthening our edge on this prop." Best bet: Andrew Nembhard over 4.5 Assists (+122)
Toronto Sun
22-05-2025
- Sport
- Toronto Sun
Canadian Luguentz Dort named to NBA's All-Defensive Team
Published May 22, 2025 • 2 minute read Fans cheer as Oklahoma City Thunder's Luguentz Dort celebrates sinking a three-pointer. AP Photo Cleveland's Evan Mobley, the defensive player of the year this season, was also the top vote-getter for the NBA's All-Defensive team that was revealed on Thursday and includes Canadian Luguentz Dort. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Mobley got 99 first-team votes from a global panel of 100 writers and broadcasters who cover the NBA and cast ballots to determine award winners. He was a second-team pick on the lone other ballot. Montreal's Dort appeared on 99 ballots as he continued his rise from an undrafted player on a two-way contract to an elite NBA defender for the Oklahoma City Thunder. Dort, who was named to the All-Defensive first team a day after Thunder teammate and fellow Canadian Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was named NBA MVP, has teamed with Alex Caruso to form a top-level defensive duo that helped Oklahoma City finish with the best regular-season record. The Thunder took a 1-0 lead into Game 2 on the Western Conference final Wednesday against visiting Minnesota. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Atlanta's Dyson Daniels, Golden State's Draymond Green and Houston's Amen Thompson rounded out the first team. Daniels joined Mobley as the only players to appear on all 100 ballots; Daniels got 91 first-team nods and nine second-team votes. Green — now a five-time first-team selection and a nine-time All-Defensive pick overall — appeared on 98 ballots and Thompson was on 97 ballots. The second team was Portland's Toumani Camara, Minnesota's Rudy Gobert, Memphis' Jaren Jackson Jr., Oklahoma City's Jalen Williams and the Los Angeles Clippers' Ivica Zubac. Gobert is now an eight-time All-Defensive team selection. Ballots were cast shortly before the start of the playoffs. The final awards to be handed out by the league to recognize excellence in this regular season will come Friday, when the All-NBA teams are unveiled. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The other awards that were part of that voting process and have already been unveiled: Oklahoma City's Gilgeous-Alexander winning MVP, Cleveland's Kenny Atkinson winning coach of the year, Atlanta's Dyson Daniels winning most improved player, San Antonio's Stephon Castle winning rookie of the year, Cleveland's Evan Mobley winning defensive player of the year, New York's Jalen Brunson winning clutch player of the year and Boston's Payton Pritchard winning sixth man of the year. Other awards announced by the league since the end of the regular season: Golden State's Stephen Curry won the Twyman-Stokes teammate of the year award, Warriors teammate Green won the hustle award, Oklahoma City's Sam Presti won executive of the year and Boston's Jrue Holiday won the sportsmanship award for the second time in his career as well as the league's social justice award. — With files from The Canadian Press Tennis World Basketball Sports Columnists
Time of India
22-05-2025
- Sport
- Time of India
Charles Barkley caught on hot mic dropping F-bomb during TNT NBA broadcast
has never been one to hold back his opinions , but this time, he might have taken it a step too far. The Inside the NBA analyst was caught on a hot mic dropping an F-bomb during 's broadcast of the Eastern Conference Finals between the New York Knicks and Indiana Pacers. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Roughly 30 minutes before Game 1 tipped off, Barkley was still fuming about what he considered a glaring oversight: Oklahoma City Thunder forward Luguentz Dort never making an NBA All-Defensive Team. The moment unfolded shortly after Dort's teammate, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, was named the 2025 NBA MVP and appeared on the show for a live interview. 'Lu Dort has never made an all-defensive team?' Barkley asked incredulously. 'When I saw that stat, I said, this dude ain't never made an all-defensive team? That's one of the worst stats I've ever seen.' SGA, still fresh from his MVP celebration, agreed with Barkley that Dort deserves more defensive recognition. But the conversation didn't end there. As the show went to commercial, Barkley , unaware or unconcerned that microphones were still live , kept venting. 'Can you believe that he never made a defensive team?' he said again, off-camera. Host Ernie Johnson replied, 'I can't believe you were trying to wedge that in when I'm trying to tell him what the vote was for MVP.' Then came the slip-up. 'That tells you these guys who vote don't know what the f*** they're doing,' Barkley said. The profanity aired unfiltered, making waves across social media. Johnson, who typically handles on-air mishaps swiftly, didn't respond , suggesting he may not have realized they were still live. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now The clip cut shortly afterward with no immediate comment from the network. Context: TNT's final playoff series adds weight The incident occurred during a high-profile moment for Inside the NBA. With Warner Bros. Discovery losing NBA broadcasting rights, this series marks TNT's final postseason coverage for the foreseeable future. Barkley has joked multiple times during the season that the network 'can't fire him' now , a sentiment that seems more relevant than ever. Whether TNT or the NBA issues a response or sanction remains to be seen. In the past, Barkley's colorful apologies have become events in themselves , and fans will be watching to see if one follows. For now, the moment lives on as yet another unforgettable , and very Barkley , moment in Inside the NBA history.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
How 'Big Game Lu' Dort powered OKC Thunder rally past Denver Nuggets into 3-2 series lead
If you buy something through a link in this article, we may earn commission. Pricing and availability subject to change. Lu Dort snarled and stomped. He bowed his arms and bobbed his head. We'd seen this version of him. The mild-mannered Montrealan had morphed into Big Game Lu, a scary sight if you're on the opposite sideline. Advertisement Benched in the fourth quarter of Game 4, Dort traded bricks for buckets in the biggest moments of Game 5. His three 3-pointers in the fourth quarter catalyzed the Thunder's 112-105 win against the Nuggets on Tuesday night in Oklahoma City. The Thunder leads the series 3-2 with a chance to close things out Thursday night in Denver. 'It's clear as day we wouldn't have been able to win tonight if Lu doesn't make those shots,' said Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who hit a huge fourth-quarter 3-pointer of his own. SGA wasn't the only one who summarized the game so succinctly. 'It won us the game for real,' said Jalen Williams, who hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with just over a minute left. Advertisement CARLSON: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, OKC Thunder 'flex the muscles' to stun Denver Nuggets in Game 5 Oklahoma City Thunder guard Luguentz Dort (5) celebrates after making a 3-pointer during Game 5 of the NBA playoff series between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Denver Nuggets at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Tuesday, May 13, 2025. The Thunder wasn't dead before Dort's barrage, but the building was tight. OKC trailed by nine points with nine minutes to play. Two minutes and three Dort triples later, Denver's lead was down to two. 'Shout out to the crowd,' Dort said. 'The crowd got a lot of emotion out of me tonight.' Did it ever. Even when he was done making 3s, Dort didn't stop making winning plays. He dove into the Nuggets' bench to save a ball from going out of bounds. Dort's effort led to a Chet Holmgren layup that tied the game and forced another Denver timeout. Advertisement You knew Daigneault was going to go back to Dort even after benching him amid a 2-of-10 shooting night in Game 4. Daigneault is the biggest Dort defender of all. 'I don't bet against Lu,' Daigneault said. 'It's that simple.' Daigneault was a Thunder assistant when a rookie Dort scored 30 points in a Game 7 loss to the Rockets in the bubble. That's back before Dort learned how to shoot. But even then it was evident that he had a knack for making timely, towering 3-pointers. 'There's just a special thing about him,' Daigneault said. 'He's always going to stand back up. He's not perfect, but he's always going to respond and he's always going to compete.' Advertisement Heck, maybe the stakes of Game 4 in Denver — which the Thunder won — weren't high enough for Dort. Only half-joking. They don't call him Big Game Lu for nothin'. Joe Mussatto is a sports columnist for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Joe? Email him at jmussatto@ . Support Joe's work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at . More: OKC Thunder stuns Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets with wild Game 5 comeback | 5 takeaways Thunder vs. Nuggets playoff schedule All times are Central Time (CT) This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: NBA Playoffs: Lu Dort powers OKC Thunder to 3-2 series lead vs Nuggets
