Latest news with #Game7
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Rick Carlisle takes us behind the scenes after Tyrese Haliburton tore his Achilles: "You guys can imagine what it might be like"
Rick Carlisle takes us behind the scenes after Tyrese Haliburton tore his Achilles: "You guys can imagine what it might be like" originally appeared on Basketball Network. If you're an NBA player or a coach, it's rare that you get to play Game 7 in the Finals and that's exactly what Rick Carlisle was a part of just less than a month ago. His Indiana Pacers had a postseason for the ages as the fourth seed in the East with a 50-32 record. Not even Indiana fans probably thought that their team could get to the Finals, let alone be a game away from winning it all. The Pacers were right there in a back-and-forth series against the Oklahoma City Thunder. It was like a heavyweight boxing fight with two very talented teams trading blows each game. It all came down to the last game and everyone was excited to see if Tyrese Haliburton can manufacture another miracle. Furious start by Haliburton Hali has been one of the biggest stories of the postseason, making clutch moments every single game. Even in the Finals, his buzzer-beater to win Game 1 was heard around the world. He got slowed down a little bit by a calf injury during the series, but there's no way he's going to miss Game 7 and boy, he played like a man possesed. Tyrese started the championship deciding game by hitting three threes in the first five minutes of the game, pushing his team in front and talking trash along the way. That start had all the makings of a historic performance until a heartbreak happened. Hali went for a drive just a moments later when his calf shook and everyone knew what happened after seeing the slow-mo. His Achilles popped and we didn't even need to wait for the conformation of the tear. Carlisle talked about that moment on the "Green Light with Chris Long," taking us behind the scenes after that kind of shock. "In that moment, it's so difficult. You guys can imagine what it might be like," Carlisle started his explanation before continuing. "That series was a tough series and you have to give Oklahoma a lot of credit. They were favored in every game in that series and that's real pressure. And we were just attacking and trying to give ourselves a chance in the end. In Game 7, Tyrese hit three called the timeout and we had them on their heels. That was the start that we then, the injury happened." Rick said his guys were still in battle after that shock, but the third-quarter rally by the Pacers. "The dynamics of the game changed, but [Andrew] Nembhard hit a three to give us a one-point lead going into halftime and then, it's 24 minutes [left]. We came out and they hit us with a tough third quarter and we were just unable to get back into it," he pointed game was over the moment Haliburton went down While the Pacers certainly battled after the shock of witnessing their best player going down, the truth is the game was over at that moment. While they hung around until the half time on pure grit, inspiration and determination, Hali makes everything go with Indiana, especially offensively as he's the team's main ball handler and responsible for pushing the pace. We'll never know what would've happened if he never got hurt and that might go down as one of the biggest what-if moments in NBA story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jul 16, 2025, where it first appeared.
Hamilton Spectator
3 days ago
- Sport
- Hamilton Spectator
Nuggets expect Jonas Valanciunas to be backup center amid speculation over NBA future
DENVER (AP) — A backup plan to bring in a backup center to spell Nikola Jokic no longer appears necessary. The Denver Nuggets expect Jonas Valanciunas to be with the team when the season starts amid speculation over his NBA future. Denver's trade with Sacramento to acquire the 6-foot-11 Valanciunas for Dario Saric became official last weekend. Leading up that, reports emerged of Valanciunas being courted by the Greek EuroLeague club team, Panathinaikos. It's led to a confusing situation given that Valanciunas still has two years remaining on his NBA deal that would pay him a total of more than $20 million. Nuggets executive vice president of basketball operations Ben Tenzer attempted to tamp down any conjecture over Valanciunas' arrival during a news conference Friday that was set up to introduce Cam Johnson . 'There's been nothing but healthy conversations in terms of him honoring his contract and him excited to be a Nugget,' Tenzer said of Valanciunas. So, no concerns that Valanciunas might not be with the Nuggets to start the season? 'No concerns,' Tenzer said. The trade for the 33-year-old Valanciunas looks to be the icing on a productive offseason that saw the front-office tandem of Tenzer and Jonathan Wallace remodel the team. The moves were in the wake of a Game 7 loss to NBA champion Oklahoma City in the second round. The Nuggets also picked up Johnson in a deal that sent Michael Porter Jr. — a key contributor to their title run in 2023 — to Brooklyn. Denver added Bruce Brown, who was part of their championship run, and shooting guard/small forward Tim Hardaway Jr. Tenzer said they've have had productive talks with Valanciunas, who's slated to play for Lithuania at FIBA EuroBasket this summer. Someone from the Nuggets may even venture over there. 'Their plan is for him to get here sooner than later, but still working through that,' Wallace explained. 'We'll approach it at that time.' Valanciunas is coming off a season in which he split time between Washington and Sacramento. He averaged 10.4 points, 7.7 rebounds and two assists over 81 games. Denver is counting on him to give Jokic the occasional breather. The 30-year-old Jokic averaged a career-high 36.7 minutes per game last season. A three-time NBA MVP, Jokic turned in a historic season where became the first NBA center to average a triple-double — 29.6 points, 12.7 rebounds and 10.2 assists. His vision and feel for the game could take Johnson's performance to another level. Johnson averaged 18.8 points for the Nets last season. 'His best ability is just understanding where he is in space and where his teammates are in space at all times,' Johnson said of Jokic. 'I find a spot, and there's a high chance that he's going to put the pass on time, on target.' As for where Johnson might live in the Mile High city, he and Porter have chatted about possibly swapping houses. 'I don't know if it will happen, but it's being discussed right now,' Johnson said. 'Obviously, when you get traded, everything's flying around, everything's moving. As the next couple of weeks wind down, we'll start to become a little bit more established in our new markets and figure all that stuff out.' He's already received a warm welcome — and not even in Denver, either. While the former Phoenix Suns forward was having breakfast in Arizona, a table of Nuggets fans recognized him and wished him luck. 'The reception has been incredible,' Johnson said. 'It has been really positive for me. Just a chance at winning is something that I really relish and something that I'll do everything in my power to contribute to.' ___ AP NBA:
Winnipeg Free Press
3 days ago
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
Nuggets expect Jonas Valanciunas to be backup center amid speculation over NBA future
DENVER (AP) — A backup plan to bring in a backup center to spell Nikola Jokic no longer appears necessary. The Denver Nuggets expect Jonas Valanciunas to be with the team when the season starts amid speculation over his NBA future. Denver's trade with Sacramento to acquire the 6-foot-11 Valanciunas for Dario Saric became official last weekend. Leading up that, reports emerged of Valanciunas being courted by the Greek EuroLeague club team, Panathinaikos. It's led to a confusing situation given that Valanciunas still has two years remaining on his NBA deal that would pay him a total of more than $20 million. Nuggets executive vice president of basketball operations Ben Tenzer attempted to tamp down any conjecture over Valanciunas' arrival during a news conference Friday that was set up to introduce Cam Johnson. 'There's been nothing but healthy conversations in terms of him honoring his contract and him excited to be a Nugget,' Tenzer said of Valanciunas. So, no concerns that Valanciunas might not be with the Nuggets to start the season? 'No concerns,' Tenzer said. The trade for the 33-year-old Valanciunas looks to be the icing on a productive offseason that saw the front-office tandem of Tenzer and Jonathan Wallace remodel the team. The moves were in the wake of a Game 7 loss to NBA champion Oklahoma City in the second round. The Nuggets also picked up Johnson in a deal that sent Michael Porter Jr. — a key contributor to their title run in 2023 — to Brooklyn. Denver added Bruce Brown, who was part of their championship run, and shooting guard/small forward Tim Hardaway Jr. Tenzer said they've have had productive talks with Valanciunas, who's slated to play for Lithuania at FIBA EuroBasket this summer. Someone from the Nuggets may even venture over there. 'Their plan is for him to get here sooner than later, but still working through that,' Wallace explained. 'We'll approach it at that time.' Valanciunas is coming off a season in which he split time between Washington and Sacramento. He averaged 10.4 points, 7.7 rebounds and two assists over 81 games. Denver is counting on him to give Jokic the occasional breather. The 30-year-old Jokic averaged a career-high 36.7 minutes per game last season. A three-time NBA MVP, Jokic turned in a historic season where became the first NBA center to average a triple-double — 29.6 points, 12.7 rebounds and 10.2 assists. His vision and feel for the game could take Johnson's performance to another level. Johnson averaged 18.8 points for the Nets last season. 'His best ability is just understanding where he is in space and where his teammates are in space at all times,' Johnson said of Jokic. 'I find a spot, and there's a high chance that he's going to put the pass on time, on target.' As for where Johnson might live in the Mile High city, he and Porter have chatted about possibly swapping houses. Thursdays Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter. 'I don't know if it will happen, but it's being discussed right now,' Johnson said. 'Obviously, when you get traded, everything's flying around, everything's moving. As the next couple of weeks wind down, we'll start to become a little bit more established in our new markets and figure all that stuff out.' He's already received a warm welcome — and not even in Denver, either. While the former Phoenix Suns forward was having breakfast in Arizona, a table of Nuggets fans recognized him and wished him luck. 'The reception has been incredible,' Johnson said. 'It has been really positive for me. Just a chance at winning is something that I really relish and something that I'll do everything in my power to contribute to.' ___ AP NBA:
Time of India
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Damian Lillard shares words of wisdom after making $42 million move with Portland Trail Blazers
Damian Lillard, Image via Getty The NBA star Damian Lillard is back with Portland Trail Blazers after representing the Milwaukee Bucks during previous season. However, Lillard would not be able to lead the Trail Blazers in upcoming NBA season, but his homecoming brought a moment of celebration in the team's clubhouse. The Bucks' alum is recovering from his torn Achilles. Reportedly, Damian Lillard signed a $42 million deal with the Portland Trail Blazers for the next three NBA seasons. He even shared words of wisdom on social media, reflecting on his decision to reunite with the Trail Blazers. Damian Lillard shared words of wisdom after reuniting with Portland Trail Blazers in a $42 million deal The Portland Trail Blazer's legend is back in the clubhouse. Back in the summer of 2025, when Lillard announced his exit from Milwaukee Bucks, nobody could imagine that he would take a U-turn to his old home. Damian Lillard agreed to a $42 million deal with the Portland Trail Blazers for the next three NBA seasons. After taking the homecoming route, Lillard even shared a few words of wisdom on his Instagram handle. He went on to share a post by Motivation Injection, which mentioned, 'Sometimes what didn't work out for you really worked out for you.' Damian Lillard's Instagram Story Damian Lillard, 35, was selected sixth overall by the Portland Trail Blazers in the 2012 NBA Draft and played 11 seasons with the team before being traded to the Milwaukee Bucks ahead of the 2023–24 season Portland Trail Blazers' star rookie Yang Hansen welcomes NBA legend Damian Lillard in a special way After the homecoming of Damian Lillard, the Portland Trail Blazers fans are extremely happy. The franchise legend is back to the club after almost a gap of two years. Well, the happiness is not just limited to the Portland Trail Blazer fans, but also their newly minted star Yang Hansen gave a heart-touching reaction to the NBA star's reunion. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Hear better, live easier Amplifon Book Now Undo In a viral video on X from an NBA Summer League interview, Yang Hansen is seen checking the time and responds in Chinese, It's Dame Time. Playing with the Portland Trail Blazer's legend is almost every rookie's dream. With the excitement of young and athletic Chinese prospect, it is quite evident that Damian Lillard's reunion is well appreciated by his fellow teammates. Also Read: 6 unforgettable Game 7 moments in NBA Finals history: From Magic Johnson's phenomenal legacy to LeBron James' block and more Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!
New York Times
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- New York Times
The World Series On Netflix, Apple TV+, YouTube or Amazon Prime Video? That's the future
TORONTO — The year is 2032. Late October. Your baseball watching mostly consists of social media highlights these days, but your friends texted you that tonight is Game 7 of the World Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Toronto Blue Jays. Stars sell sports and tonight is 38-year-old Shohei Ohtani, the six-time Most Valuable Player, against Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who just passed the 400 career home run mark this season. Advertisement 'Game 7' remains the two best words in sports, so you tell your friends to swing by your crib before first pitch. Given the reach of the broadcaster, Game 7 of the 2032 World Series should have a big tune-in from around the globe. Your friends have arrived. Time to turn on Netflix. Or maybe it's Amazon Prime Video, YouTube or Apple TV +. 'As a baseball person, I'm not ready to emotionally cross that bridge yet,' said Blue Jays announcer Dan Shulman, when told of this futuristic scenario of the World Series on a streaming platform. 'I'm 58 years old and I would say I'm average in technology. Sometimes I can find stuff, sometimes I gotta call my son and say, how can I get the Maple Leafs game tonight and he tells me. There are a lot of people watching the World Series who are a little bit older than me who are not as comfortable with technology. But I totally get it. We're on our way to being dinosaurs. I'm just not ready to go through that portal yet for the World Series.' 'It would be tragic, not right, incorrect,' said Dave Sims, the 72-year-old Yankees radio play-by-play broadcaster, when told of the same scenario. 'I mean, I grew up hearing the Gillette theme song and Mel Allen saying, 'This is Mel Allen, and welcome to the World Series.' If it's still going to be one of the great pastimes in the country, you can't hold a gun to someone's head and make them pay. I hope it doesn't happen. I mean, I can see it happening, but I hope not.' This column is a thought experiment, but it's a thought experiment that seems destined to happen. Streaming reached a historic milestone in May, as its share of total television usage outpaced the combined share of broadcast and cable for the first time, according to Nielsen. Then, in June, broadcast dipped below 20 percent of TV viewership for the first time — less than YouTube and Netflix's combined viewership (see chart below). Just look among your own sports community. How many people do you know who pay for a streaming service to watch sports? Bet it's a lot. Once upon a time, the thought of a major sports championship airing on cable seemed preposterous. And yet: So the World Series on streaming? The industry experts I spoke with think it's inevitable. 'Will it happen in the next five years? No. Would it be in the next 15 years? Quite possibly yes. We shouldn't assume that somehow being on traditional broadcast television means that everyone has access,' said Ed Desser, a former NBA executive who now runs his own consultancy, Desser Sports Media. 'Because that is increasingly not the case. In 10 or 15 years, it will probably be even less the case.' Advertisement The World Series rights have been held exclusively by Fox Sports since 2000, a long-running partnership that included an extension in 2018 that extended the Fox-MLB partnership to 2028. (MLB also has a national deal with Turner Sports that will expire in 2028. Last February, as reported by The Athletic's Evan Drellich and Andrew Marchand, ESPN opted out of the final three seasons of its $550 million contract that gave it the right to broadcast 'Sunday Night Baseball,' the Home Run Derby and playoff games, though Marchand reported last month that representatives from MLB and ESPN have renewed talks to keep the sports network involved in some form.) Fox pays an average annual fee of $729 million for its current package of MLB games, which includes the All-Star Game, playoffs and the World Series. Top Fox executives have said publicly that MLB remains an important content tentpole and that the company will access MLB inventory in the event of an ESPN-MLB breakup. As Drellich has written extensively, MLB is aiming to create national packages for major streaming companies to bid on come 2028. The reality of the marketplace is that if the World Series was moved off free-to-air TV in the U.S. and moved exclusively onto a streaming platform, whether that is 2028 or a couple of years afterward, MLB would be sitting on a financial gold mine. The inaugural move of rights from linear to digital has historically resulted in a significant additional value beyond rights merely moving from one linear package to another linear package. Sports leagues have calculated that fans will get over any initial resistance and anger from the move. 'We're not just talking about a pedestrian set of Tier 1 rights here — this is the culminating round of our national pastime and would represent the first time the 'Finals' of one of the Big 4 U.S. sports moves exclusively off (network or cable) television, which is much bigger deal than, say, a digital simulcast of the Super Bowl or the recent simulcast of the Stanley Cup by WBD,' said William Mao, the Senior VP of Octagon's Global Media Rights Consulting division, who advises rightsholders, distribution platforms and technology companies within the sports broadcast space. 'Take these imperfect reference points: Consider the multiple in value the MLS saw from its Apple deal (moving from Fox and ESPN), the Netflix price tag for its NFL Christmas Day package (games that were previously considered part of broader CBS, Fox, and ESPN deals), or what Peacock and Amazon each paid for a single exclusive NFL Wild Card game.' Mao continued: 'In recent seasons, the audience for the World Series has accounted for 30 to 40 percent of the total consumption in Fox's MLB package. The value of the current Fox deal was reported as $729 million per year, suggesting that World Series games alone could represent $218 to $292 million of the deal's annual value. One could also argue this range is on the conservative side, given the World Series is the jewel in the crown levering up the overall value of the Fox package. The World Series could conceivably fetch an even higher price as a standalone tentpole set of rights.' Advertisement John Kosner, a former top ESPN digital executive who is now the president of Kosner Media, a digital and media consultancy and an investor and advisor in sports tech startups, believes the World Series could be the carrot that brings in a Netflix or YouTube as a major MLB player. The idea would be that if MLB wants a partner that can serve as a tentpole for all of its inventory, including local inventory, a streamer is a logical way to go. With revenue and reach as the twin goals of sports leagues, the circulation of the biggest streamers such as Netflix and Amazon will be broader than the broadcast networks when our scenario hits. 'Let's presume that MLB gets through their bargaining and is in a position where they can go to market in 2028 in a potentially new way,' Kosner said. 'What strikes me as interesting is them wanting a widely-distributed, wealthy streaming partner to facilitate a new look, all-in-one streaming operation. The carrot could be that the entity would then carry the World Series. Because what you really want is to deliver much more value in the regular season than you're able to at the moment. So, in order for the World Series to make sense on streaming, one of the key attributes of a partner would have to be a really strong promotional platform during the regular season to build awareness that's where the World Series is. 'Also, keep in mind that baseball has significant global appeal between Ohtani (who is Japanese), its position in Korea, and the large number of Latin and South American baseball players. We are seeing the NFL's experiment with YouTube with the Brazil game in September. That's part of the appeal with a global streaming entity.' There are other issues at play. For those who are not hardcore daily MLB viewers, a streaming platform is often more accessible today than a broadcast platform, and that will only continue. Kosner noted that one of the strengths of streaming is that there's no shelf space issue. The October broadcast market is getting more and more crowded with pro and college football, so a streaming partner might allow MLB to present the World Series at exactly the time it wanted to present it, air whatever kind of pre- and post-game shows MLB wants, as well as an endless array of 24/7 promotion on the streamer's touch points. 'These platforms are different things to different people,' said Desser. 'If you posited this question in a 2015 environment, I don't think anyone was expecting that NFL playoff games might get streamed exclusively. But that's something that we're now accepting of. Clearly we're in a world where how people under 35 years old consume media is fundamentally different from the ways that their elders consume media.' Both Desser and Kosner agreed that the only major sporting event that remains sacrosanct as far as over-the-air carriage is the Super Bowl. But keep an eye on what the NFL does later this decade. The NFL has the ability to opt out of its media contracts in 2029 and could approach the networks before the 2029 opt-out and try to renegotiate new deals, per Puck's John Ourand. 'The Super Bowl is a national holiday,' Kosner said. 'The profile of the World Series is more like NBA Finals or the college football playoff championship game as opposed to Super Bowl. The Super Bowl is in its own world.' Advertisement So, back to our baseball broadcasters. Shulman is a realist. He knows that for the younger fans he meets around baseball, the World Series being moved to a streaming service would not make them blink. 'My son and I were on a baseball trip a decade ago, and I think I was watching the TV in the hotel room, and he was on his computer,' Shulman said. 'He said to me, 'If you had to give up one thing on the road between your television and your computer, what would you choose?' I said the computer. I need the TV. Man, I was wrong. Now I go days without turning on a TV — and I'm in TV!' (Illustration: Will Tullos / The Athletic, photo: Mary DeCicco / Getty Images)
