Latest news with #LorenzoReyes
USA Today
9 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
As NBA draft approaches, Wasserman agency reveals large 2025 class
As NBA draft approaches, Wasserman agency reveals large 2025 class Show Caption Hide Caption Thunder knock off Knicks, will battle Thunder for NBA Finals crown USA TODAY Sports' Lorenzo Reyes breaks down how the Indiana Pacers fought their way into the NBA Finals. Sports Pulse Carter Bryant's mom, Sabrina, has video from when he was about 9 years old, saying he was going to be the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft. Sure, kid, keep dreaming. Bryant kept dreaming, and just as important, worked hard, and while he might not be the No. 1 pick this month, he is a projected first-round pick and possibly a lottery pick. 'For me to have the opportunity to even be selected in the draft is just actually crazy to me,' Bryant said. 'But there was never a point in time where it was like, 'Oh, I knew.' I felt like I've always had the belief in myself to know I could play at the highest level of basketball.' Bryant is one nearly two-dozen potential 2025-26 NBA rookies represented by Wasserman, the powerhouse sports, music entertainment and culture agency. Wasserman's NBA agents have signed several projected 2025 first-round draft picks, including multiple projected lottery picks: VJ Edgecombe, Kasparas Jakucionis, Collin Murray-Boyles and Bryant. Also part of Wasserman's 2025 class: Adama Bal; Oumar Ballo; Tyson Degenhart; Dawson Garcia; Cameron Hildreth; Augustas Marciulionis; Dayvion McKnight; David N'Guesson; Jaxson Robinson; Mitchell Saxon; Christian Shumate; Lazar Stefanovic; Des Watson; Luke Barrett; Nolan Traore; Joan Beringer; Eli John Ndiaye; and Saliou Niang. Wasserman on Monday announced its class with an old-school nod to classic cars, diners, varsity jackets with the catchphrase, 'Where Everybody Eats.' 'We normally attract very focused players and families who aren't worried about the extras and are focused on basketball,' Wasserman senior vice president of basketball Joe Smith told USA TODAY Sports. 'We have a very rigorous pre-draft process and the families and players that want that is normally who we attract. 'So this year is just kind of a microcosm of all those very, very good players and their families choosing to come with us, which turns out, in my opinion, one of the best classes in the world. That's what it is … understanding how competitive the NBA is and being realistic on that and getting those guys prepared for that.' Wasserman clients are on a stellar run – San Antonio's Stephon Castle earned 2024-25 Rookie of the Year, and Cleveland's Evan Mobley was named Defensive Player of the Year. Most of Wasserman's NBA prospects have been working out with each other in Southern California preparing for the draft. 'It's a very, very competitive iron-sharpens-iron environment, and you've got to want that,' said Smith, a former pro basketball player who spent 14 seasons overseas, including six years in Italy's top division. Bryant, who spent one season at Arizona, has dedicated his workouts to all aspects of his game, which include defense, shooting, ball-handling and conditioning. 'The main focus for me was just staying in tiptop shape,' said Bryant who is gaining an appreciation for low-impact workouts in a pool. In his sophomore season at South Carolina in 2024-25, Murray-Boyles averaged 16.8 points and 8.3 rebounds and shot 58.6% from the field, earning second-team All-SEC honors. With his two-way ability, strength and effort, he has steadily climbed on draft boards and is the projected No. 10 pick in USA TODAY's latest mock draft. Asked what he was focused on during predraft workouts, Murray-Boyles didn't hesitate. He called his 3-point shot (26.5% on 34 attempts) the elephant in the room. 'My goal is just to obviously become a better shooter,' he said. 'That's my only concern, only question mark in my game really, or the biggest one.' He reminds himself daily: make sure his guide hand is in the right spot on the basketball; keep his hips low; stay consistent; build proper habits. 'The first day here I knew the amount of preparation I would be getting and the type of player I would be coming out of this pre-draft process,' Murray-Boyles said. Said Smith: 'We just have a really good stable of young players who are really, really hungry and work really hard. So we are super-excited for them.'
USA Today
11 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
NBA Finals odds: What team has best shot to win championship in 2025?
NBA Finals odds: What team has best shot to win championship in 2025? Show Caption Hide Caption Thunder knock off Knicks, will battle Thunder for NBA Finals crown USA TODAY Sports' Lorenzo Reyes breaks down how the Indiana Pacers fought their way into the NBA Finals. Sports Pulse The 2025 NBA Finals are set. The Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers begin their best-of-seven championship series with Game 1 on Thursday. The Thunder have been the best team in the NBA all season. They backed it up with dominating series wins over the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round of the NBA playoffs and the Minnesota Timberwolves in the Western Conference Finals, with an encouraging Game 7 performance to beat the Denver Nuggets in the conference semifinals. NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren lead what many consider the deepest roster in the league and its best defense. The Pacers weren't among the favorites to make the NBA Finals entering the 2024-25 season, or even the 2025 playoffs, despite a run to the Eastern Conference Finals last year and a late-season surge up to the No. 4 slot in the Eastern Conference standings this year. But Indiana might be the only team with depth to perhaps match Oklahoma City. The Pacers' ability to wear down the Knicks with its entire rotation proved almost as crucial as Tyrese Haliburton and Eastern Conference Finals MVP Pascal Siakam delivering when it mattered most to defeat the Cleveland Cavaliers in the conference semifinals and then the New York Knicks to reach the NBA Finals. Indiana will nonetheless be an underdog in the first NBA Finals since 2003 involving two teams that didn't spend over the luxury tax in player salary. Here's a look at the NBA championship odds entering the 2025 NBA Finals: NBA Finals odds 2025 BetMGM odds for NBA Finals winner as of Monday, June 2: PERSPECTIVE: Small-market Pacers party down in big way with NBA Finals trip 2025 NBA Finals odds: Series result 1. Thunder in 5 games (+200) 2. Thunder in 4 games (+325) 3. Thunder in 6 games (+425) 4. Thunder in 7 games (+500) T5. Pacers in 6 games (+1200) T5. Pacers in 7 games (+1200) 7. Pacers in 5 games (+3000) 8. Pacers in 4 games (+5000) Watch the NBA Finals with Fubo NBA Finals schedule 2025 All times Eastern. Game 1, June 5: Pacers at Thunder | ABC, Fubo | 8:30 p.m. Pacers at Thunder | ABC, Fubo | 8:30 p.m. Game 2, June 8: Pacers at Thunder | ABC, Fubo | 8 p.m. Pacers at Thunder | ABC, Fubo | 8 p.m. Game 3, June 11: Thunder at Pacers | ABC, Fubo | 8:30 p.m. Thunder at Pacers | ABC, Fubo | 8:30 p.m. Game 4, June 13 : Thunder at Pacers | ABC, Fubo | 8:30 p.m. : Thunder at Pacers | ABC, Fubo | 8:30 p.m. Game 5, June 16 : Pacers at Thunder | ABC, Fubo | 8:30 p.m.* : Pacers at Thunder | ABC, Fubo | 8:30 p.m.* Game 6, June 19 : Thunder at Pacers | ABC, Fubo | 8:30 p.m.* : Thunder at Pacers | ABC, Fubo | 8:30 p.m.* Game 7, June 22: Pacers at Thunder | ABC, Fubo | 8 p.m.* *if necessary
USA Today
2 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
NBA Finals 2025 odds: Who is favored in Thunder vs. Pacers?
NBA Finals 2025 odds: Who is favored in Thunder vs. Pacers? Show Caption Hide Caption Thunder storm past Timberwolves in WCF, punch ticket to NBA Finals The Oklahoma City Thunder looked as dominant as ever after closing out the Timberwolves 4-1 in the Western Conference Finals, trip to NBA Finals awaits. Sports Pulse Now that the 2025 NBA Finals are set, who is the favorite to hoist the Larry O'Brien Trophy? The Oklahoma City Thunder and the Indiana Pacers are four games away for basketball immortality as they will meet in the finals after impressive runs in their respective conference. The top seed in the West, Oklahoma City breezed past the Memphis Grizzlies before outlasting the Denver Nuggets in seven games. After having little trouble against the Minnesota Timberwolves, the team with the best regular season record returns for the Finals for the first time since 2012. Meanwhile, Indiana got past the Milwaukee Bucks in five games before impressively taking down the Eastern Conference's top team in the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Pacers haunted the New York Knicks once again with a series win in six games to get back to its first Finals since 2000. Both teams proved they are worthy of playing for a title, and even though the Finals don't begin until next week, there's already a team favored to win it all. Who is favored in NBA Finals 2025? The Oklahoma City Thunder are favored to win the 2025 NBA Finals, according to betMGM. NBA Finals 2025 Thunder vs. Pacers betting odds Odds according to BetMGM: Oklahoma City Thunder: -700 Indiana Pacers: +500 NBA Finals 2025 predictions USA TODAY Sports' experts make their predictions for Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Indiana Pacers: Jeff Zillgitt: Thunder in five Thunder in five Lorenzo Reyes: Thunder in six Thunder in six Scooby Axson: Thunder in five Thunder in five James H. Williams: Thunder in six Thunder in six Jordan Mendoza: Thunder in six Game 1: Pacers at Thunder (Thursday, June 5, 8:30 p.m. ET, ABC) Pacers at Thunder (Thursday, June 5, 8:30 p.m. ET, ABC) Game 2: Pacers at Thunder (Sunday, June 8, 8 p.m. ET, ABC) Pacers at Thunder (Sunday, June 8, 8 p.m. ET, ABC) Game 3: Thunder at Pacers (Wednesday, June 11, 8:30 p.m. ET, ABC) Thunder at Pacers (Wednesday, June 11, 8:30 p.m. ET, ABC) Game 4: Thunder at Pacers (Friday, June 13, 8:30 p.m. ET, ABC) Thunder at Pacers (Friday, June 13, 8:30 p.m. ET, ABC) Game 5: Pacers at Thunder, (Monday, June 16, 8:30 p.m. ET, ABC)* Pacers at Thunder, (Monday, June 16, 8:30 p.m. ET, ABC)* Game 6: Thunder at Pacers (Thursday, June 19, 8:30 p.m. ET, ABC)* Thunder at Pacers (Thursday, June 19, 8:30 p.m. ET, ABC)* Game 7: Pacers at Thunder (Sunday, June 22, 8 p.m. ET on ABC)* *-if necessary
USA Today
2 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Five reasons the New York Knicks lost the Eastern Conference finals
Five reasons the New York Knicks lost the Eastern Conference finals Show Caption Hide Caption Thunder knock off Knicks, will battle Thunder for NBA Finals crown USA TODAY Sports' Lorenzo Reyes breaks down how the Indiana Pacers fought their way into the NBA Finals. Sports Pulse The New York Knicks will have plenty of time to dissect what went wrong in the Eastern Conference finals. New York was trying to make its first NBA Finals since 1999, and, after being eliminated in consecutive years by the Indiana Pacers, the Knicks must be proactive and honest about changes they will need to make to break through. For one, the team relies so significantly on All-Star point guard Jalen Brunson that he's often tasked with saving New York. But that's just the beginning. OPINION: Small-market Pacers party down in big way with NBA Finals trip MORE: Pascal Siakam named Eastern Conference finals MVP after Pacers down Knicks Five reasons why the New York Knicks lost the Eastern Conference finals against the Indiana Pacers: 1. Going down 0-2 at home Teams simply cannot gift games during the postseason, especially during the conference finals. Game 1, when the Knicks held a nine-point lead with 58.8 seconds left to play, was the epitome of a missed opportunity. The Knicks actually held a 17-point lead midway through the fourth quarter, but they became complacent and could not answer Indiana's pace. It was bad enough for the Knicks to drop the series opener at home, but it was even worse when they dropped Game 2 in the Garden to fall behind 0-2 headed to Indiana. 2. Trying to match Indiana's tempo From Game 1, it appeared that Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau's preference was to try to match Indiana's speed, rather than to grind games down. It would turn out to be misguided. The Knicks ranked 27th in the regular season in pace, generating 97.64 possessions per 48 minutes. Indiana ranked seventh (100.76). While the Knicks sometimes did have success against the Detroit Pistons and Boston Celtics in the earlier rounds when pushing tempo, New York would've been far better off slowing the game against the Pacers because this was exactly how Indiana wanted to play. 3. Turnovers The Knicks committed more turnovers than the Pacers in all but one of the games, and New York lost the turnover margin overall, 93-75. In itself, that's pretty bad, but it gets worse. Because of the speed with which the Pacers play, those turnovers turned into easy offense: the Pacers posted a crushing 140-61 advantage in points off turnovers throughout the series. 4. Transition defense The previous point feeds somewhat into this. But whether it was off of turnovers, missed shots or even out of inbounds passes on made attempts, New York did not sustain precise focus on spotting Pacers leaking out in transition. While physically demanding, Thibodeau could've done more to tweak strategy, insisting that players drop back to prevent fastbreak chances. The Pacers registered more fastbreak points than New York in every game this series. Frankly, that was always going to be the likely outcome; the margin is what was concerning. The Pacers scored 106 fastbreak points across the six games, while the Knicks put up just 48. 5. Tom Thibodeau's inconsistent use of the bench It wasn't until Game 3 of the series, after the Knicks were already desperate and down 0-2, that Thibodeau tweaked the rotation to match up better with Indiana. Thibodeau has always been a coach set in his ways, and his reluctance to go with fresher legs — against a team that sprints up and down the floor — was baffling. This is magnified further because guards Delon Wright and Landry Shamet are known to be plus-defenders, something New York sorely needed earlier in the series when Indiana's guards were scoring at will. Thibodeau did receive some credit when he eventually extended his rotation; it came far too late.
USA Today
2 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
NBA Finals bracket 2025: Pacers vs. Thunder schedule, times, TV
NBA Finals bracket 2025: Pacers vs. Thunder schedule, times, TV Show Caption Hide Caption Thunder knock off Knicks, will battle Thunder for NBA Finals crown USA TODAY Sports' Lorenzo Reyes breaks down how the Indiana Pacers fought their way into the NBA Finals. Sports Pulse The NBA Finals are set following the Indiana Pacers' victory over the New York Knicks in Game 6 on Saturday night. Pascal Siakam and the Pacers closed out the Eastern Conference finals series with a 125-108 victory in front of Caitlin Clark and the home fans at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Siakam was named the series MVP after producing 31 points, five rebounds and three blocks against New York. Tyrese Haliburton finished with 21 points and 13 assists in the victory. OPINION: Small-market Pacers party down in big way with NBA Finals trip MORE: Pascal Siakam named Eastern Conference finals MVP after Pacers down Knicks It is just the second time that the Pacers have advanced to the NBA Finals. Indiana reached the finals in 2000. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder reached the finals after closing out their Western Conference finals series against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday, 4-1. Here's what you need to know ahead of the championship series: NBA bracket: Playoff schedule, scores and results All times Eastern. *-if necessary 2025 NBA Finals schedule *-if necessary Game 1, June 5: Pacers at Thunder, ABC, 8:30 p.m. ET Pacers at Thunder, ABC, 8:30 p.m. ET Game 2, June 8: Pacers at Thunder, ABC, 8 p.m. Pacers at Thunder, ABC, 8 p.m. Game 3, June 11: Thunder at Pacers, ABC, 8:30 p.m. Thunder at Pacers, ABC, 8:30 p.m. Game 4, June 13: Thunder at Pacers, ABC, 8:30 p.m. Thunder at Pacers, ABC, 8:30 p.m. Game 5, June 16: Pacers at Thunder, ABC*, 8:30 p.m. Pacers at Thunder, ABC*, 8:30 p.m. Game 6, June 19: Thunder at Pacers, ABC*, 8:30 p.m. Thunder at Pacers, ABC*, 8:30 p.m. Game 7, June 22: Pacers at Thunder, ABC*, 8 p.m. NBA playoff results: Conference finals Eastern Conference Pacers win series 4-2 Western Conference Thunder win series 4-1 NBA playoff results: Second round Eastern Conference (1) Cleveland Cavaliers vs. (4) Indiana Pacers Pacers win series 4-1 (2) Boston Celtics vs. (3) New York Knicks Knicks win series 4-2 Western Conference (1) Oklahoma City Thunder vs. (4) Denver Nuggets Thunder win series 4-3 (6) Minnesota Timberwolves vs. (7) Golden State Warriors Timberwolves win series 4-1 NBA playoff results: First round Eastern Conference (1) Cleveland Cavaliers vs. (8) Miami Heat Cavaliers win series 4-0 (2) Boston Celtics vs. (7) Orlando Magic Celtics win series 4-1 (3) New York Knicks vs. (6) Detroit Pistons Knicks win series 4-2 (4) Indiana Pacers vs. (5) Milwaukee Bucks Pacers win series 4-1 Western Conference (1) Oklahoma City Thunder vs. (8) Memphis Grizzlies Thunder win series 4-0 (2) Houston Rockets vs. (7) Golden State Warriors Warriors win series 4-3 (3) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (6) Minnesota Timberwolves Timberwolves win series 4-1 (4) Denver Nuggets vs. (5) Los Angeles Clippers Nuggets win series 4-3 The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.
