Latest news with #EastFinals
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Examining if former Celtics 1st-round pick could have worked in Boston
Aaron Nesmith mostly watched from the Celtics bench back in the 2022 NBA Finals run. The C's took the next step toward competitiveness, but since the wing depth was so deep, Nesmith couldn't consistently crack the rotation. But as Nesmith stars for the Pacers during their 2025 playoffs, there's no denying the forward's impact on the game. Nesmith has developed into a legit rotation player for a Pacers team that's one win away from the NBA Finals. Advertisement He was crucial in their Game 1 win over the Knicks as he caught fire from deep. While Nesmith battled an ankle injury, he's played through it so far. Now, the Pacers are looking to close out the East Finals against the Knicks. Indiana holds a 3-1 series lead with Game 5 set for 8 p.m. Thursday in New York. Now, there are likely Celtics fans wondering if the team could have kept Nesmith considering what he's turned into for the Pacers. But there are a lot of moving parts, so probably not. Plus, in this current timeline, it ended with the Celtics winning the 2024 title so it all worked out for the front office. Nesmith was included in the Malcolm Brogdon deal with the Pacers back in the 2022 offseason. Brogdon ended up just being a one-year piece, though he did win Sixth Man of the Year in the 2022-23 season. More importantly, Brogdon was included in the Jrue Holiday deal with the Trail Blazers. Holiday is in trade rumors now, but there's no denying the guard was a big part of the 2024 title run that ended in a ring. Also, Nesmith was allowed to grow into his own when he got to Indiana. The Pacers went 35-47 in 2022-23. Nesmith played 73 games (60 starts) that year, getting consistent playing time for the first time in his career. The Celtics, on the flip side, didn't have minutes like that available fresh off the NBA Finals appearance as they had their eyes on Banner No. 18 at the time. The C's took Nesmith at 14th overall in the 2020 draft as he played his first two seasons in Boston. Advertisement So, it all worked out for both sides. The Pacers got Nesmith in the Brogdon deal while the Celtics eventually got the title (including beating Indiana in the 2024 East Finals). Nesmith, especially, proved that he's a bonafide NBA player as he's enjoyed a stellar playoff run. He's averaging 15.1 points and 6.0 rebounds in 14 playoff games, shooting an eye-popping 51.9% on his 3-pointers. The Pacers look like a team that will continue to be a problem in the East, though, with star guard Tyrese Haliburton leading the way. They've made the East Finals the past two years, plus they're on the edge of making their first NBA Finals appearance since 2000 and just their second-time ever. Nesmith figures to be part of the future in Indiana as he's signed through the 2026-27 season on an affordable $11 million salary. More Celtics content Read the original article on MassLive.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Danny Ainge's final Boston Celtics draft class helped pave way to title
While the 2020 NBA Draft was remote in the middle of the pandemic, it ended up being an important night for the Celtics. That was also then-Boston president Danny Ainge's final draft class for the C's as he nailed a couple first-round picks. He then made way for Brad Stevens a few months later. Turns out, those picks were huge for the Celtics to help them win the 2024 NBA title. Back then, the C's selected Aaron Nesmith at No. 14 and Payton Pritchard at No. 26 in the first round. They also traded away the pick that became Desmond Bane, along with taking Yam Madar in the second round. Advertisement But the two draft picks in Nesmith and Pritchard became big hits, especially considering where they were taken. Pritchard enjoyed a breakout 2024-25 season, being named the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year. Notably, he became a key part of the rotation this season as a playoff contributor. Plus, his four-year, $30 million contract is one of the best value deals in the league. Nesmith also showcased how good he can be as he helped the Pacers stun the Knicks in Game 1 of the East Finals. The Vanderbilt product couldn't get consistent playing time on a crowded Celtics roster as he was part of the 2022 NBA Finals run. But Nesmith was also a part in landing Malcolm Brogdon from the Pacers back in the 2022 offseason. While Brogdon only spent one season with the Celtics, also earning Sixth Man of the Year honors, his contract was also important. Brogdon was part of the trade package sent to the Trail Blazers to get Jrue Holiday, who had just been traded from the Bucks. Holiday, of course, was an integral member of the 2024 NBA title run. So, it took a few steps, but the C's benefited as they got to their ultimate goal of Banner No. 18. Nesmith struggled to get playing time in Boston, but he's now a starting piece for the Indiana operation. He's averaging 16.0 points and 6.1 rebounds in 11 playoff games, including shooting 53.8% on his 3-pointers. Nesmith is also an energy guy as that's been evident during this Pacers run to the East Finals and perhaps beyond. Advertisement Pritchard figures to be part of the Celtics for the foreseeable future. He proved last season that he can impact the game on a nightly basis and in a playoff setting. The C's will look to offload salary this summer to cut down on costs, so Pritchard could see his role expand depending on what moves the front office makes this summer. So, Ainge's final draft class ended up helping the Celtics significantly now five years later. Of course, drafting Jaylen Brown then Jayson Tatum in back-to-back years laid the foundation for years to come. But one of his lesser-known draft classes, in a couple solid picks, also helped along the way. More Celtics content Read the original article on MassLive.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Former Celtics wing gets another shot at NBA Finals in different role
The last time Aaron Nesmith was in the NBA Finals, for the most part, all he could do was watch from the bench. Back then, he was a second-year pro who couldn't get off the Celtics bench as they fell in six games to the Warriors. Now, Nesmith is back on the sport's greatest stage as a member of the Pacers. He's been a crucial part of their playoff run, raising his profile as a 3-and-D wing. The Pacers face the Thunder in Game 1 of the Finals set for 8:30 p.m. Thursday in Oklahoma City. Advertisement 'We just learned how hard it is to get here and not taking being in this position for granted,' Nesmith said at Finals media day. 'Understanding most guys don't play this long into the season, into the year. Just having our bodies right, our legs underneath us. I think it's very helpful.' The Pacers got back to this stage for the first time since 2000 by beating the Knicks in six games. They also upset the No. 1-seeded Cavaliers in the second round after downing Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks in the first round. The Pacers had some wild finishes on their way to the Finals as they're looking for their first NBA title in franchise history. Nesmith has been there just about every step of the way. In 16 playoff games, Nesmith is averaging 14.1 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.2 assists, making 50% of his 3-pointers. His massive night was Game 1 of the East Finals, when the Pacers shocked the Knicks in a stunning comeback overtime win. So this time, he won't be watching the Finals from the bench. Nesmith spent the first two seasons of his career with the Celtics after being picked 14th overall in the 2020 draft. The Celtics roster was in win-now mode at the time, so there were only so many minutes available for Nesmith. But he's developed his way into a legit rotation player for the Pacers — and a proven playoff performer. Advertisement While the Thunder are heavy favorites over the Pacers, that hasn't stopped Indiana much throughout this playoff run. Nesmith figures to be a big part of the equation as the Pacers have a chance to make history. 'Continue to play Pacers basketball,' Nesmith said. 'That's what got us here. I think that's what's going to help us succeed in the Finals. That's what we're going to have to do.' More Celtics content Read the original article on MassLive.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
The comeback kings strike again as the Pacers take Game 1 over OKC
Yahoo Sports AM is our daily newsletter that keeps you up to date on all things sports. Sign up here to get it every weekday morning. 🚨 Headlines 🥎 Texas Tech forces Game 3: The Red Raiders held off the Longhorns in a 4-3 victory, as star pitcher NiJaree Canady struck out the final batter with the tying run on third. They'll play a decisive Game 3 tonight. Advertisement 🏀 KD to NYC? The Knicks reportedly made an offer for Kevin Durant at the trade deadline, and there's some belief that they could revisit that deal this offseason as the Suns look to shed Durant's $54.7 million salary. 🎾 Women's final set: No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka took down three-time defending champion Iga Świątek and No. 2 Coco Gauff dispatched tournament darling Loïs Boisson to set up a top-two clash in the French Open final. ⚾️ Ownership change imminent: Jerry Reinsdorf has agreed to sell his majority stake in the White Sox to current minority owner Justin Ishbia as soon as 2029. Ishbia is the brother of Suns owner, Mat Ishbia. ⚽️ Poch's picks: The USMNT's 26-man Gold Cup roster features seven players making their national team debut. Manager Mauricio Pochettino hopes to use these games as an extended tryout for next year's World Cup. 🏀 The comeback kings strike again () The Pacers will not die. The Knicks warned us. The Cavaliers warned us. The Bucks warned us. And now, the Thunder have learned their own lesson. Advertisement Oops, they did it again: Indiana staged yet another epic comeback in Game 1 of the NBA Finals, outscoring Oklahoma City 32-16 down the stretch and erasing a nine-point deficit in the final three minutes to pull off an unlikely 111-110 victory and steal a game for the fourth straight series. Round 1: Erased a seven-point deficit in the final 35 seconds of Game 5 Round 2: Erased another seven-point deficit in the final minute of Game 2 East Finals: Erased a 14-point deficit in the final three minutes of Game 1 NBA Finals: Erased a nine-point deficit in the final three minutes of Game 1 The comeback kings: The Thunder went up 94-79 with 9:42 remaining in the fourth quarter and victory seemed inevitable. Turns out, the Pacers had them right where they wanted them: They're now 5-3 this postseason when trailing by 15+ points. (Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) The game-winner: Tyrese Haliburton's last-second jump shot gave the Pacers their first and only lead of the game and left the capacity crowd at Paycom Center stunned. He's now 6-for-7 (85.7%) when taking a shot to tie or take the lead in the final 90 seconds of the fourth quarter or overtime this postseason. He just keeps on doing it, man! Advertisement Go deeper: History repeats, and OKC stands stunned (Dan Devine, Yahoo Sports) 🏈 It's official: Rodgers is a Steeler (Mallory Bielecki/Yahoo Sports) Aaron Rodgers is joining the Steelers on a one-year deal, the team announced Thursday. The future Hall of Famer plans to fly to Pittsburgh this week and participate in mandatory minicamp next week. From Yahoo Sports' Charles Robinson: Like many others before Rodgers, this is a late-career embrace born out of necessity. Half need on the part of a team trying to capture one last gasp at whatever its current roster can be; and half need on the part of a fading QB trying to finish his career in flourish rather than frustration. Advertisement This is Brett Favre in Minneapolis, Warren Moon in Seattle, Carson Palmer in Arizona, Drew Bledsoe in Dallas. Or, well, Russell Wilson … in Pittsburgh. The results of those previous unions were mixed, but the connective tissue binding all of them is what waited on the other side of the alliance for each of the franchises: some element of change or transition, if not a full-blown rebuild. Fun fact: Rodgers, 41, will become the eighth QB among the NFL's top 20 all-time passing yardage leaders to take starting snaps for at least three different franchises, joining the five guys mentioned above (Favre, Moon, Palmer, Bledsoe, Wilson) plus Tom Brady and Joe Flacco. ⚾️ Sorting out MLB's buyers and sellers (Grant Thomas/Yahoo Sports) Summer is almost upon us, which means the MLB trade deadline (July 31) lurks in the distance. Where do teams stand as of today? Yahoo Sports' Jake Mintz on the likely buyers and sellers: Advertisement Buyers: Yankees (38-23), Dodgers (38-25), Tigers (41-23), Mets (39-24), Phillies (37-25), Cubs (39-23), Padres (35-26), Astros (34-28), Mariners (32-29), Royals (33-30), Braves (27-34). Sellers: Rockies (12-50), White Sox (20-43), Marlins (23-37), Orioles (25-36), Pirates (23-40), Athletics (24-40), Nationals (29-33), Angels (28-33). The messy middle: The Twins (34-28), Blue Jays (33-29), Giants (35-28) and Guardians (33-28) aren't expected to make many moves, while the Rays (33-29), Brewers (34-29) and Red Sox (30-34) may thread the needle as buyers and sellers. It's hard to pin down exactly what the Reds (30-33), Diamondbacks (31-31), Cardinals (34-28) and Rangers (29-34) will do. 📺 Weekend Watchlist One more game in Edmonton before the series heads to Florida. () 🏒 Stanley Cup Final, Game 2 | Fri. 8pm ET, TNT The Oilers can put themselves in excellent position with a victory tonight: Teams who take a 2-0 lead in the Stanley Cup Final have gone on to win the title 91% of the time (50-5). 🏀 NBA Finals, Game 2 | Sun. 8pm, ABC After the Pacers pulled off yet another stunning postseason comeback, the Thunder will try to even the series at one game apiece before heading to Indy. 🎾 French Open, Semis and Finals | Fri-Sun, TNT Today's men's semifinals: No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz vs. No. 8 Lorenzo Musetti (8:30am) and No. 1 Jannik Sinner vs. No. 6 Novak Djokovic (1pm). Then it's No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka vs. No. 2 Coco Gauff in tomorrow's women's final (9am), followed by the men's final on Sunday (9am). 🥎 WCWS Final, Game 3 | Fri. 8pm, ESPN Texas and Texas Tech face off in a rubber match as both programs chase their first national championship. What more could you ask for? 🐎 The 157th Belmont Stakes | Sat. 7pm, Fox Preakness winner Journalism is currently favored (8-5) over Derby winner Sovereignty (2-1) to win the final leg of the Triple Crown. 🏈 UFL, Conference Finals | Sunday, ABC/Fox Michigan Panthers at Birmingham Stallions (3pm, ABC) and DC Defenders at St. Louis Battlehawks (6pm, Fox) for a trip to the championship. Advertisement More to watch: ⚾️ NCAA Baseball: Super Regionals (Fri-Sun, ESPN/ESPN2/ESPNU) … Eight best-of-three series hosted by the higher seed begin today, with the winners moving on to the CWS. ⚾️ MLB: Cubs at Tigers (Fri. 7pm, Apple); Padres at Brewers (Sun. 1pm, Roku); Red Sox at Yankees (Sun. 7pm, ESPN) ⚽️ UEFA Nations League: Portugal vs. Spain (Sun. 3pm, Fox) … Final in Munich. ⛳️ PGA: Canadian Open (Fri-Sun, ESPN+/Golf/CBS) … Thorbjørn Olesen and Cristobal Del Solar (-9) are tied for the lead after Round 1. ⛳️ LIV: Virginia (Fri-Sun, Fox/FS1) … At Robert Trent Jones Golf Club near D.C. 🏀 WNBA: Aces at Valkyries (Sat. 3pm, ABC); Fever at Sky (Sat. 8pm, CBS) … Commissioner's Cup. ⚽️ Soccer: USMNT vs. Turkey (Sat. 3:30pm, TNT) … The first of two friendlies for the Americans before the Gold Cup kicks off next weekend. 🥍 PLL: Week 2 (Fri-Sat, ESPN+/ABC) … In Charlotte. 🏁 NASCAR: Michigan (Sun. 2pm, Prime) Full weekend slate. ⚾️ MLB trivia Kimbrel is back with the Braves after spending his first five seasons in Atlanta. (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) Former All-Star closer Craig Kimbrel is being called up by Atlanta, where he beat out a fellow Brave to win Rookie of the Year in 2011. Question: Who was that teammate? Hint: Still plays in the NL. Answer at the bottom. ⚾️ Fry vs. Fried (YES Network) How often do you see a batter facing a pitcher whose name is just the batter's name in the past tense? That was the situation on Thursday at Yankee Stadium, where Cleveland's David Fry stepped in against New York's Max Fried. Rare occurrence: Fried has faced another Fry in the big leagues (Jace Fry in 2019), but the only other matchup of different forms of a verb in MLB history appears to be Brown vs. Browning, which happened a few times. Trivia answer: Freddie Freeman We hope you enjoyed this edition of Yahoo Sports AM, our daily newsletter that keeps you up to date on all things sports. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox every weekday morning.
Time of India
5 days ago
- Sport
- Time of India
'A lot closer than people think': NBA legend Magic Johnson fires off bold warning to Oklahoma City Thunder not to underestimate Indiana Pacers ahead of NBA Finals Game 1
Image viaWith the 2025 NBA Finals tipping off tonight in Oklahoma City, most of the basketball world is bracing for a Thunder takeover. Oklahoma City, led by league MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, enters Game 1 as the overwhelming favorite against the Indiana Pacers. But not everyone is buying into a quick and easy victory. Lakers legend Magic Johnson took to social media this week with a strong message — don't sleep on Indiana. In fact, he thinks the Finals could be much closer than anyone expects. Magic Johnson issues blunt warning that Indiana Pacers aren't here to be just a footnote in Oklahoma City Thunder 's NBA Finals story Ahead of Thursday's Game 1 at the Paycom Center, Magic Johnson shared his thoughts on X, reminding fans and analysts alike that the Indiana Pacers are not to be underestimated. 'The Pacers vs. OKC Series will be a lot closer than people think!' Johnson wrote. 'It'll be a truly exciting series because both the Pacers and the Thunder average well over 100 points per game ranking 2nd and 3rd for ppg in the NBA respectively while still being two of the best defensive teams in basketball. ' Image via X Johnson also highlighted Indiana's proven resilience away from home. 'The Oklahoma City Thunder should be worried about Indiana because the Pacers have been a great road team in this year's Playoffs,' he said. That's not an exaggeration — Indiana beat the Milwaukee Bucks on the road in the first round, took three games in Cleveland against the No. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like China Power: Washington's loss, Beijing's gain as Chinese students shun the US for SE Asia? CNA Read More Undo 1 seeded Cavaliers, and won twice at Madison Square Garden against the Knicks in the East Finals. Image via X While Oklahoma City has been dominant at home — 8-1 in the playoffs with an average margin of victory close to 28 points — Johnson believes Indiana's grit can't be ignored. It's a contrast that sets up what he sees as a tightly contested Finals rather than a blowout. Magic Johnson calls Shai Gilgeous-Alexander vs. Tyrese Haliburton one of the greatest point guard matchups in NBA Finals history Magic didn't stop at team comparisons. He also weighed in on the marquee matchup at point guard, calling it one of the best duels in recent memory. 'You have the NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and, in my opinion, the MVP throughout the entire Western Conference Playoffs on one side. On the other side we have Tyrese Haliburton , who in my opinion, was Eastern Conference MVP throughout the entire Playoffs,' he posted. 'This will be an all-time great point guard matchup!' Image via X Despite his current praise for Oklahoma City, Johnson admitted he wasn't always a believer. Earlier this postseason, he publicly apologized to the Thunder and GM Sam Presti for underestimating their ability to contend for a title. 'I didn't think they were ready,' Johnson said. 'But they've proven me wrong.' Also Read: LeBron James raves about Tyrese Haliburton ahead of Indiana Pacers vs. Oklahoma City Thunder Finals for first-ever NBA title When the NBA Finals tip off tonight in Oklahoma City, many fans may still expect a dominant Thunder performance. But according to Magic Johnson, the Pacers deserve a lot more respect. From their battle-tested road record to Haliburton's leadership, Indiana has every intention of making this a real series, not just a formality. Whether Johnson's prediction holds true or not, one thing's certain: this Finals matchup is far from a foregone conclusion.
