Latest news with #Pacers-ThunderNBAFinals
The Herald Scotland
24-06-2025
- Sport
- The Herald Scotland
NBA Finals 2025 winners, losers: Thunder claim championship
Indiana enters the offseason with one of the worst what-ifs. What if Tyrese Haliburton hadn't sustained a lower right injury in Game 5 and had not left Game 7 in the first quarter after further injuring his leg? Injuries always impact the playoffs to some degree, and the Thunder healthy enough and talented enough to survive. Here are winners and losers from the Pacers-Thunder NBA Finals: WINNERS Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Gilgeous-Alexander had an all-time great season, becoming just the fourth player in NBA history to win the regular-season scoring title, regular-season MVP, title and Finals MVP in the same season, joining Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Michael Jordan and Shaquille O'Neal. Against the Pacers, he averaged 30.3 points, 5.6 assists, 4.6 rebounds, 1.9 steals and 1.6 blocks and shot 44.3% from the field, including 49.6% inside the 3-point line, and in Game 7, he had 29 points, 12 assists, five rebounds and was 11-for-12 on free throws. Sam Presti The Thunder executive vice president and general manager has sought this moment for almost 20 years. He came close with the Thunder squad featuring Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden, but when that era crumbled with Durant's departure in 2016 and Westbrook's trade in 2019, Presti embarked on another plan to build a contender. He succeeded with a slew of savvy draft picks, trades and free-signing signings. The second-youngest team to win a title in the past 50 years, the Thunder will be favorites to win the title again in 2025-26. Jalen Williams Williams, 24, emerged as an All-Star, All-NBA performer and All-Defensive selection in his third season in 2024-25. He is one of the league's best two-way players and his best years are in front of him. He averaged 23.6 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists in the Finals and had a spectacular 40-point performance in Game 5. Oklahoma City, the city Hurricane Katrina forced the New Orleans Hornets' relocation to Oklahoma City for the 2005-06 and 2006-07 seasons. It gave the city a taste of pro basketball and revealed that a major pro sports franchise could thrive there. The unfortunate part is that Seattle lost a team when it moved to Oklahoma City in 2008 (and that injustice can be rectified if and when the NBA expands). Thunder fans love the team, and the players appreciate the support. Mark Daigneault In his fifth season as Thunder coach, Daigneault won a title and has demonstrated he's one of the best coaches in the league. His steady approach resonates with players, is quick to adapt and is a thinking-man's coach. Thunder roster With this team, it's difficult to name just a few players because it receives so many contributions from so many players. Alex Caruso won his second title, Chet Holmgren showed why he's important to the Thunder success, and players through the roster (Lu Dort, Cason Wallace, Aaron Wiggins, Isaiah Joe, Isaiah Hartenstein, Ajay Mitchell, Kenrich Williams, Jaylin Williams) had their moments for Oklahoma City this season. MORE: Celebrate OKC Thunder's NBA title with our gear, books, keepsakes LOSERS Indiana's future takes a hit This loss will sting, yes, but Indiana's outlook for the immediate future might have just become far grimmer. If the Pacers fears about a torn Achilles tendon manifest, Indiana would be at a disadvantage next season -- assuming Haliburton is able to return next season. The third and fourth quarters Sunday night proved how challenging it will be if Haliburton misses extended time; he sets the pace of Indiana's offense, finds open players and became one of the all-time clutch players. If he's indeed out for several months, the Pacers will sorely miss Haliburton. Pacers turnovers cost them the game Indiana, simply put, lost the game because of turnovers. Credit the Thunder, a historically great defense, but the Pacers committed 23 turnovers, while Oklahoma City gave it away just eight times. That led to a massive 32-10 discrepancy in points off turnovers. It also started to tilt the balance in the third quarter; the Pacers committed eight turnovers in the period, leading to 18 Thunder points off turnovers in the third alone. The Pacers were outscored by 14 in the period. Some key Pacers fail to show up Any game in which a star player goes down early -- let alone Game 7 of the NBA Finals -- the path to victory was always going to require role players and reserves to step up. And while it's tough to blame a few players for Indy's defeat, Obi Toppin (who had posted some pretty big games these Finals), Aaron Nesmith and Myles Turner each struggled, combining to go 3-of-13 (23.1%), for nine points. Toppin was held scoreless and committed three turnovers. Hoops fans robbed of epic Game 7 This was looking like the setup for an epic Game 7. Tyrese Haliburton had finished games strongly, but slow starts had been an issue. Not Sunday night. Haliburton was hyper-aggressive and sought his shot, draining three deep 3-pointers to score nine points through seven minutes before he got hurt. The Pacers hung in, but it was clear they were missing their star player to generate offense. Perhaps the Pacers still lose even if Haliburton finishes the game. In any case, it would've made for a far more compelling watch. "You just hate to see it in sports in general, but in this moment, my heart dropped for him," Gilgeous-Alexander said. "I couldn't imagine playing the biggest game of my life and something like that happening. It's not fair. But competition isn't fair sometimes."
USA Today
23-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Winners and losers from Oklahoma City Thunder's NBA Finals victory
The Oklahoma City Thunder earned the NBA championship. They made it through the fierce gauntlet that is the Western Conference and then needed seven games to beat the Indiana Pacers, one of hardest-playing teams in the league. The Thunder put together a 68-win regular season and were favorites to win the title even though they had never advanced beyond the conference semifinals with this group before this season. They learned what was required to finish the job through wins and losses, through sweeps and seven-games series. Indiana enters the offseason with one of the worst what-ifs. What if Tyrese Haliburton hadn't sustained a lower right injury in Game 5 and had not left Game 7 in the first quarter after further injuring his leg? Injuries always impact the playoffs to some degree, and the Thunder healthy enough and talented enough to survive. Here are winners and losers from the Pacers-Thunder NBA Finals: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Gilgeous-Alexander had an all-time great season, becoming just the fourth player in NBA history to win the regular-season scoring title, regular-season MVP, title and Finals MVP in the same season, joining Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Michael Jordan and Shaquille O'Neal. Against the Pacers, he averaged 30.3 points, 5.6 assists, 4.6 rebounds, 1.9 steals and 1.6 blocks and shot 44.3% from the field, including 49.6% inside the 3-point line, and in Game 7, he had 29 points, 12 assists, five rebounds and was 11-for-12 on free throws. Sam Presti The Thunder executive vice president and general manager has sought this moment for almost 20 years. He came close with the Thunder squad featuring Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden, but when that era crumbled with Durant's departure in 2016 and Westbrook's trade in 2019, Presti embarked on another plan to build a contender. He succeeded with a slew of savvy draft picks, trades and free-signing signings. The second-youngest team to win a title in the past 50 years, the Thunder will be favorites to win the title again in 2025-26. Jalen Williams Williams, 24, emerged as an All-Star, All-NBA performer and All-Defensive selection in his third season in 2024-25. He is one of the league's best two-way players and his best years are in front of him. He averaged 23.6 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists in the Finals and had a spectacular 40-point performance in Game 5. Oklahoma City, the city Hurricane Katrina forced the New Orleans Hornets' relocation to Oklahoma City for the 2005-06 and 2006-07 seasons. It gave the city a taste of pro basketball and revealed that a major pro sports franchise could thrive there. The unfortunate part is that Seattle lost a team when it moved to Oklahoma City in 2008 (and that injustice can be rectified if and when the NBA expands). Thunder fans love the team, and the players appreciate the support. Mark Daigneault In his fifth season as Thunder coach, Daigneault won a title and has demonstrated he's one of the best coaches in the league. His steady approach resonates with players, is quick to adapt and is a thinking-man's coach. Thunder roster With this team, it's difficult to name just a few players because it receives so many contributions from so many players. Alex Caruso won his second title, Chet Holmgren showed why he's important to the Thunder success, and players through the roster (Lu Dort, Cason Wallace, Aaron Wiggins, Isaiah Joe, Isaiah Hartenstein, Ajay Mitchell, Kenrich Williams, Jaylin Williams) had their moments for Oklahoma City this season. MORE: Celebrate OKC Thunder's NBA title with our gear, books, keepsakes Indiana's future takes a hit This loss will sting, yes, but Indiana's outlook for the immediate future might have just become far grimmer. If the Pacers fears about a torn Achilles tendon manifest, Indiana would be at a disadvantage next season — assuming Haliburton is able to return next season. The third and fourth quarters Sunday night proved how challenging it will be if Haliburton misses extended time; he sets the pace of Indiana's offense, finds open players and became one of the all-time clutch players. If he's indeed out for several months, the Pacers will sorely miss Haliburton. Pacers turnovers cost them the game Indiana, simply put, lost the game because of turnovers. Credit the Thunder, a historically great defense, but the Pacers committed 23 turnovers, while Oklahoma City gave it away just eight times. That led to a massive 32-10 discrepancy in points off turnovers. It also started to tilt the balance in the third quarter; the Pacers committed eight turnovers in the period, leading to 18 Thunder points off turnovers in the third alone. The Pacers were outscored by 14 in the period. Some key Pacers fail to show up Any game in which a star player goes down early — let alone Game 7 of the NBA Finals — the path to victory was always going to require role players and reserves to step up. And while it's tough to blame a few players for Indy's defeat, Obi Toppin (who had posted some pretty big games these Finals), Aaron Nesmith and Myles Turner each struggled, combining to go 3-of-13 (23.1%), for nine points. Toppin was held scoreless and committed three turnovers. Hoops fans robbed of epic Game 7 This was looking like the setup for an epic Game 7. Tyrese Haliburton had finished games strongly, but slow starts had been an issue. Not Sunday night. Haliburton was hyper-aggressive and sought his shot, draining three deep 3-pointers to score nine points through seven minutes before he got hurt. The Pacers hung in, but it was clear they were missing their star player to generate offense. Perhaps the Pacers still lose even if Haliburton finishes the game. In any case, it would've made for a far more compelling watch. 'You just hate to see it in sports in general, but in this moment, my heart dropped for him,' Gilgeous-Alexander said. 'I couldn't imagine playing the biggest game of my life and something like that happening. It's not fair. But competition isn't fair sometimes.'
Indianapolis Star
20-06-2025
- Sport
- Indianapolis Star
Who Really Qualifies for IRS Fresh Start Program? Clear Start Tax Breaks Down the Fine Print in 2025
Tyrese Haliburton starred on a sore calf, Andrew Nembhard outplayed MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and the Pacers-Thunder NBA Finals are going to Game 7
Newsweek
10-06-2025
- Sport
- Newsweek
Thunder- Pacers Game 2 Viewership Hits Stunning New Low
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The 2025 NBA Finals are underway between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Indiana Pacers. More NBA Finals: Blockbuster Trade Idea Sees Lakers Move Two Key Pieces For $46M Star Game 1 of the Finals on Thursday was a doozy. It saw the Pacers mount an incredible comeback in the fourth quarter, which allowed them to steal home-court advantage and take a 1-0 series lead. There was much hype heading into Game 2, but the Thunder took care of business in front of their home crowd and ran away with the game. While the Thunder and their fans saw a game that didn't come down to a nail-biter, it didn't help the NBA's cause. Game 2 of the Finals on Sunday averaged 8.76 million viewers, marking the lowest viewership since Game 2 of the 2020 Finals and the only Finals since 2007 where viewership declined after Game 1. The Oklahoma City Thunder celebrate their 123-107 win against the Indiana Pacers in Game Two of the 2025 NBA Finals at Paycom Center on June 08, 2025 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The Oklahoma City Thunder celebrate their 123-107 win against the Indiana Pacers in Game Two of the 2025 NBA Finals at Paycom Center on June 08, 2025 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Photo bySports Media Watch shared. "Sunday's Pacers-Thunder NBA Finals Game 2 averaged 8.76 million viewers on ABC, down 29% from Mavericks-Celtics (12.31M) and the least-watched Game 2 of the Finals since the Heat-Lakers in the fall 2020 "bubble" on the night the president was hospitalized due to COVID (6.78M). Outside of that anomalous circumstance, it was the least-watched since Cavaliers-Spurs opposite the series finale of "The Sopranos" in 2007 (8.55M)." According to Sports Media Watch, this year's NBA Finals between the Pacers and Thunder mark just the second time in the Nielsen people meter era where neither Game 1 nor Game 2 surpassed the nine million viewer mark. Although the numbers may not show it, these NBA Finals have been worth watching. Game 2 was not pretty for the casual fan, but Game 1 was an instant classic that saw the Pacers, as they've done all season long, come back and steal that contest. The series will now shift to Indiana, where the Pacers will look to take advantage of homecourt and feed off the crowd's energy. The Pacers head into Wednesday's Game 3 as the home underdogs. Per ESPN Bet, the Thunder enter Game 3 as 5.5-point favorites. The Pacers have embraced the underdog role throughout this entire postseason, and by now, it's nothing new to them. Friday will mark Indiana's first NBA Finals home game in 25 years. More NBA news: East Powerhouse Could Enter Kevin Durant Trade Sweepstakes Kings Expected to Pursue One of Two Eastern Conference All-Stars: Report Lakers Could Miss Out on Star Center Cavaliers Star Underwent Significant Offseason Surgery Mavericks Narrowing Options for 2025 No 1 Draft Choice For more Thunder, Pacers and NBA news, head over to Newsweek Sports.
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
NCAA Reacts to Major Dick Vitale News on Monday
NCAA Reacts to Major Dick Vitale News on Monday originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Monday marks the 86th birthday of legendary broadcaster and TV personality Dick Vitale, who has overcome numerous challenges to achieve a truly iconic career in the basketball world. Advertisement 'Yes, hello 86! Today I celebrate my birthday—wow, only 14 years from 100! When I walk into @DukeMBB to be the first @espn announcer to call a game at 100… as Francis Albert Sinatra sang: 'Young at Heart',' Vitale posted on X. In celebration of his milestone birthday, ESPN announced that on November 4, the Texas Longhorns and Duke Blue Devils will face off in a regular-season matchup officially titled the Dick Vitale Invitational—marking the inaugural edition of what is set to become a prestigious annual event. Shortly after the announcement, the NCAA highlighted the news and shared its own reaction to the tribute, recognizing the significance of two powerhouse programs participating in a game honoring one of college basketball's most beloved figures. "Marquee early-season matchup," NCAA posted. "Texas and Duke will meet in the inaugural Dick Vitale Invitational." The game will be played in Charlotte, North Carolina, effectively making it a home game for the Blue Devils—one of the programs Vitale has become synonymous with during his decades of calling games for ESPN. Advertisement In recent years, Vitale has faced multiple battles with cancer, each time defying the odds and emerging victorious. This past season, after some time away from the mic, he made a triumphant return to broadcasting alongside longtime colleagues. ESPN college basketball analyst Dick VitaleEvert Nelson / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images In May, Vitale shared the uplifting news that he remains cancer-free and affirmed his full intention to continue calling games for ESPN—a network he's been a part of for nearly 50 years. Related: Dick Vitale Predicts Winner of Pacers-Thunder NBA Finals This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 9, 2025, where it first appeared.
