It’s no easy task to keep the faith after your team falls behind 3-1 in a series, but the Knicks fans doing so in the face of a dynamic Pacers team have good reason to eschew history. While no team has ever come back from losing the first two home games of a conference finals, and just one team has come back from a 3-1 deficit, this roster is uniquely suited to pull off a miracle.
For all the questions about its toughness and identity, one thing this Knicks team has proven itself time and again is resilient. They did it in the regular season, in the biggest moments of the 2025 NBA playoffs, and now have a chance to do it again.
Many teams would buckle at a ground-moving trade like the one New York made the night before training camp, trading two starters from the previous year for Karl-Anthony Towns. He’d be a late show to camp due to the deal, while the returning Knicks still had to adjust to one new starter and the emotional aftershock from the trade.
Despite this, an opening night whooping from the Boston Celtics and an up-and-down start to the year, the Knicks would bounce back with a massive December, losing just two games in the month en route to a 24-10 start to the season. They’d continue through the regular season with the most available rotation in the league, constantly playing through injuries and some of the highest minute and miles loads across the NBA.
Then, as the season neared its end, Jalen Brunson, the team’s captain and MVP candidate, went down with an ankle injury. With a month to play until he’d return and playoff seeding on the line, the Knicks would once again respond, staying afloat with a 9-6 record over a West Coast swing.
The playoffs brought them little relief, as their first test was the physical and hungry Detroit Pistons. The up-and-coming squad pushed them in their first game at MSG, controlling the contest from the jump and going up double digits in the second half.
The Knicks responded with a massive 40-21 fourth quarter to defend home court, their first of many playoff comebacks this year. They would lose Game 2 at home, but come back with two gutsy road wins, both by single-possession margins, and eventually seal the series on the road in Game 6.
Then came the mighty Celtics, who, as the hoops media repeatedly reminded us all, went 4-0 against the Knicks in the regular season in dominant fashion. This didn’t dissuade the Knicks from competing, even as they fell behind by 20 in Game 1 on the road.
New York pushed its way back, forcing overtime and stealing home-court advantage there. Game 2 was almost a near-repeat, as once again they found themselves down 20, only to march back into striking distance down the stretch, where they’d pull off a historically massive upset in back-to-back road games.
Even in their decisive Game 4 win to take a 3-1 lead in the series, the Knicks found themselves down double figures after the first quarter. At this point, it had almost become a meme for New York to play their best ball when all the odds were stacked against them.
We’ve seen this carry over into this Pacers series. After losing both home games, the Knicks came back from 20 points yet again in Game 3 to keep their series alive.
Down 3-1 and facing elimination, New York would not let itself go out on their home court on Thursday, crushing Indiana to force a Game 6 on Saturday night. One more win and they’ll find themselves in a one-game series, at Madison Square Garden, with all the momentum on their side.
So while many have written off this Knicks season given their predicament, the ones who have stayed positive may be onto something. Because this New York team is far tougher than meets the eye, and has proven that time and time again in getting here.
They may not be able to complete the comeback, but to count them out is going against everything they’ve been this season.
The first two spots are a lock: Duke's Cooper Flagg is going No. 1 to Dallas (there is zero chance they trade this pick) and Rutgers' Dylan Harper will be taken No. 2, very likely by San Antonio (the Spurs will listen to trade offers, but unless it's a Giannis Antetokounmpo-level deal they will hold on to the pick).
In NBC Sports’ latest 2025 NBA Mock Draft, we have Rutgers' Ace Bailey going No. 3 to Philadelphia and Baylor's VJ Edgecombe going No. 4 to Charlotte. While that is the most likely outcome, those two picks are far less certain.
Bailey no lock at No. 3
The main reason there is uncertainty about Bailey going No. 3 is that there is uncertainty about who will be drafting third. Thanks to the lucky bounces of the lottery ping-pong balls, the Philadelphia 76ers own that pick and are open to trading down. This is a win-now team run by Daryl Morey, someone who never shies away from a bold move.
While drafting Bailey to pair with younger star Tyrese Maxey and the promising Jared McCain would create a clear future timeline for the team, the 76ers have Joel Embiid and Paul George on the roster now and are committed to winning with them. If a trade is presented that makes Philly a more dangerous threat in what should be a wide-open East next season, Morey will have to strongly consider it.
"Bailey has remained polarizing for NBA executives all season, with the wide understanding that he'll need time to adjust before contributing winning minutes on a good team. There are varying levels of confidence around the NBA as to whether he will reach his ceiling ultimately, creating a layer of risk that has held him back from becoming the consensus option at No. 3."
The question isn't Bailey's potential — he might have the second-highest ceiling of any player in this draft (behind Flagg). Bailey checks all the boxes of a prototypical modern NBA wing or stretch four: Good size at 6'8", freak athlete, creates his own shot, and can shoot the 3. He averaged 18.4 points and 7.2 rebounds per game last season.
What makes him polarizing is that some executives and scouts doubt his ability to live up to that potential. He lived on a diet of tough shots at Rutgers, and while he made them that is harder to do against defenders at the next level. He didn't draw a lot of fouls and shot 69.2% from the line. While he could be a future All-Star if he plays a simplified game and focuses on efficiency, some executives and scouts fear that he may not do so and become a role player who never lives up to the hype.
Edgecombe brings two-way play
Edgecombe had "an excellent interview with the Hornets," reports Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports. He seems a natural fit in Charlotte as the two guard between LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller because he is arguably the best athlete in this class and is an elite defender (which is needed next to Ball), plus he shot 36.4% from 3 last season. Edgecombe can get out in transition and moves well off the ball, which would be a hand-in-glove fit with Ball.
VJ Edgecombe is the most explosive athlete in this class, but shows quite a bit of skill as well. He's an event-creator defensively who hit 39% of his 3s in Big 12 play with improving shot-creation and passing prowess that bodes well for his long-term development. pic.twitter.com/aIwf9EGLS4
A team that trades up to the No. 3 spot may be more interested in the athleticism, two-way play and higher floor of Edgecombe over having to work to develop Bailey. If so, they could take Edgecombe third and leave Bailey to Charlotte. Some mock drafts see it that way, although it's difficult to pick because it depends on who has the No. 3 selection when Adam Silver walks to the podium.
At the draft, upside tends to win out — when picking as high as third, GMs don't want to pass on the potential future All-Star. Doing so could lead to hard questions in a couple of years from fans and ownership about why they made the pick they did. It's not a good look for a guy trying to hang onto his job. Which is why Bailey likely goes third, but it is far from a lock. And a lot depends on draft-night trades that could shake up the top of the board.
Count the Nets among the many disappointed lottery teams, dropping two spots from No. 6 to No. 8 after San Antonio and Dallas jumped.
Brooklyn has veteran players, including Cameron Johnson, four first-round picks in this draft and future assets to dangle if it wants to move higher in the lottery. Teams expect the Nets, who are also operating in the interest of present and future cap space, to consolidate some of what they have.
Knueppel's reliable offensive play and high-level shooting would be a nice building block for the Nets, with his skill set augmenting most lineups no matter how they choose to build long term. League insiders see additional scoring and playmaking upside from the consistent wing.
There's also an interesting case for selecting and developing a young ball handler such as Egor Demin or Kasparas Jakucionis, or going with the offensive upside of Derik Queen, if the Nets stay at this spot. -- Woo
No. 19 (via Bucks): C Thomas Sorber,Georgetown
Height without shoes: 6-foot-9 1/4
Weight: 262 pounds
Age: 19
With the second of their four first-round picks, the Nets could go in many directions, likely taking swings on talent while considering the importance of acquiring size in a league that has swayed back toward seriously valuing big men.
Sorber isn't expected to conduct on-court activity during the predraft process as he recovers from foot surgery in February. Still, his strong feel for the game, defensive versatility, length, physicality and skill level as a pick-and-roll finisher are attractive qualities at 19 years old that should draw plenty of attention in this portion of the draft.
In Chicago, his wingspan was measured at 7-6, allowing him to play much bigger than his height (6-10½ in shoes). -- Givony
Rival teams expect the Nets to explore moving one or both of these picks in the 20s, as they manage their roster and salary cap situation to best position themselves moving forward.
Lendeborg faced one of the highest-profile, stay-or-go decisions among prospects at the combine, measuring quite well and turning in a solid, if not spectacular, showing in scrimmages, with Michigan coach Dusty May and members of his staff in Chicago to support him. NBA teams are aware Lendeborg has a multimillion-dollar NIL package to attend Michigan next season, and it wasn't clear by the end of the week as to whether he had done enough to secure the type of guarantee that might keep him in the draft.
He was highly productive last season at UAB and will step into a huge role with the Wolverines as the ostensible replacement for Danny Wolf, giving him an opportunity to improve his draft stock if he withdraws now. -- Woo
No. 27 (via Rockets): PF Rasheer Fleming, Saint Joseph's
Height without shoes: 6-foot-8 1/4
Weight: 232 pounds
Age: 20
The Nets might not be the team selecting here, which would make these picks in the late 20s interesting swing spots.
Fleming didn't participate in 5-on-5 scrimmages at the combine, but had impressive measurements. His excellent size and how effectively he scored this season for Saint Joseph's give him some attractive role-player qualities.
As a late-blooming player who is still lacking in ball skills and overall awareness at times, Fleming is more of a developmental addition than a true plug-and-play option in the late first round. -- Woo
Mar 15, 2025; Washington, D.C., USA; Saint Joseph's Hawks forward Rasheer Fleming (13) shoots the ball over George Mason forward Shawn Simmons II (10) in the first half at Capital One Arena. / Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
Jonathan Wasserman, Bleacher Report
No. 8: PF Noa Essengue, France
Height: 6-foot-9
Weight: 194 pounds
Age: 18
Big scoring outputs are becoming more common for Noa Essengue in the German BBL.
The easy baskets off rim runs, cuts and offensive rebounds have been consistent all season. But he's looking more comfortable converting off self-created drives and knocking down rhythm threes.
His improving on-ball skill and rising offensive production are becoming notable draft storylines, considering he's the draft's second-youngest prospect who also offers exciting defensive tools and movement.
No. 19 (via Bucks): PG/SG Jase Richardson, Michigan State
Height without shoes: 6-foot 1/2
Weight: 178 pounds
Age: 19
Jase Richardson's 6'0.5" barefoot measurements could scare a few teams, particularly since his skill set is better suited for the 2-guard position. However, his shooting, touch, finishing and decision-making may all be sharp enough for Richardson to get by and still thrive while undersized.
No. 26 (via Knicks): PG Nolan Traore, France
Height: 6-foot-5
Weight: 174 pounds
Age: 19
Nolan Traore is in the midst of one of his best stretches of the season. He's going to enter the draft with the field's highest assist percentage regardless, but now he's confidently stepping into three-point makes and creating for himself with visible decisiveness.
Shooting struggles and inefficiency caused by athletic limitations had scared scouts off. But the bar was awfully high entering the season. And now the 18-year-old has looked highly effective generating offense as a starting point guard in Pro A.
No. 27 (via Rockets): SG/SF Drake Powell, North Carolina
Height without shoes: 6-foot-5 1/4
Weight: 200 pounds
Age: 19
Teams figure to put extra stock into Drake Powell's NBA combine performance and workouts after he spent the year spotting up 49.2 percent of North Carolina's possessions and taking just 5.7 shots per game.
Despite the lack of production, there could still be first-round interest based on his outstanding physical profile, defensive projection and 37.9 percent three-point shooting.
Mar 14, 2025; Charlotte, NC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels guard Drake Powell (9) during the first half against the Duke Blue Devils at Spectrum Center. / Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images
Kevin O'Connor, Yahoo! Sports
No. 8: PF Noa Essengue, France
Height: 6-foot-9
Weight: 194 pounds
Age: 18
Essengue is a toolsy forward with a fluid handle, dynamic finishing package and highly versatile defense. Though he’s a raw Frenchman, he’s starting to string together his best run of the season. Over the last two months, he’s making 80% of his free throws. Though his success isn’t translating beyond the arc (29% over this same stretch), it’s at least encouraging his shooting is continuing to progress. Because it’s his one big flaw. Otherwise, the 6-foot-9 forward has clear upside across the board, and that’s why he’s rising up draft boards. Brooklyn has a clean slate of a future, so it’d only make sense to take a big swing.
No. 19 (via Bucks): PG/SG Egor Demin, BYU
Height without shoes: 6-foot-9 1/4
Weight: 199 pounds
Age: 19
Demin has one of the widest ranges in this draft class with people around the league seeing him as an option from anywhere in the mid-lottery to the late teens. The Nets would certainly be happy to take a swing on his rare ability at his size to make dazzling passes. Even though he struggled to shoot and create his own shot against lengthy defenders, he did perform well at the draft combine and is said to be excelling in pre-draft workouts with his tweaked shooting mechanics.
No. 26 (via Knicks): C Thomas Sorber, Georgetown
Height without shoes: 6-foot-9 1/4
Weight: 262 pounds
Age: 19
Sorber has a brick-house frame and the throwback skill-set to match with strong screens, soft-touch finishes and gritty drop-coverage instincts. But to be more than a role player, he needs to tap into the flashes he shows as a shooter while also improving his perimeter defense. Sorber may not make it this far on draft night, but he’d end up giving the Nets a center for the long term.
No. 27 (via Rockets): PG/SG Ben Saraf, Israel
Height: 6-foot-6
Weight: 201 pounds
Age: 19
The Nets have five top-36 picks. Are they really going to keep all of these? I doubt it. But regardless of what Brooklyn does, drafting one or multiple guards could make some sense since this roster is a clean slate. Saraf is a crafty lefty playmaker who relies on guile, footwork and body control. Limited shooting and athleticism could cap his upside, but his positional size and skill could be hard to pass up.
Zion Williamson has been accused of two counts of rape from 2020 [Getty Images]
New Orleans Pelicans player Zion Williamson has been accused of rape in a civil lawsuit filed in Los Angeles.
The court filings state that Williamson, 24, is accused of two rapes, both in Beverly Hills in 2020.
The accuser is seeking damages for assault, sexual battery, domestic violence, burglary, stalking and false imprisonment.
The lawsuit describes the alleged abuse as "sexual, physical, emotional, and financial in nature".
Williamson - the first overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft - does not face criminal charges.
Williamson's attorneys released a statement describing the allegations as "categorically false and reckless", and said the NBA star's legal team would seek "significant damages for this defamatory lawsuit".
"This appears to be an attempt to exploit a professional athlete driven by a financial motive rather than any legitimate grievance," legal firm Barrasso-Usdin-Kupperman-Freeman & Sarver told US media.
The firm claim that Williamson previously reported the claimant to law enforcement over alleged extortion attempts.
Speaking to US media the woman's lawyer, Sam Taylor II, who is with the Lanier Law Firm in Los Angeles, said: "This is a very serious case as reflected in the allegations in the complaint, which are pretty detailed."
The New Orleans Pelicans have been approached for comment.
It’s Saturday, May 31, and the New York Knicks (51-31) and Indiana Pacers (50-32) are all set to square off from Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis for Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
The Knicks won Game 5, 111-94, taking their first home game at home in the series and keeping themselves alive.
It's win or go home and Indiana is 1-1 at home so far in the series and will need a big game from Tyrese Haliburton or Pascal Siakam after combining for 15 points in the last game. Jalen Brunson led New York with 32 points in Game 5, while Karl-Anthony Towns posted 24 points and 13 rebounds.
The Knicks are currently 24-17 on the road with a point differential of 4, while the Pacers have a 8-2 record in their last ten games at home.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on how to catch tipoff, odds, recent team performance, player stats, and of course, our predictions, picks & best bets for the game from our modeling tools and staff of experts.
Listen to the Rotoworld Basketball Show for the latest fantasy player news, waiver claims, roster advice and more from our experts all season long. Click here or download it wherever you get your podcasts.
Game details & how to watch Knicks vs. Pacers live today
Date: Saturday, May 31, 2025
Time: 8:00PM EST
Site: Gainbridge Fieldhouse
City: Indianapolis, IN
Network/Streaming: TNT | truTV | Max
Never miss a second of the action and stay up to date with all the latest team stats and player news. Check out our day-by-day NBA schedule page, along with detailed matchup pages that update live in-game.
Game odds for Knicks vs. Pacers
The latest odds as of Saturday:
Odds: Knicks (+145), Pacers (-174)
Spread: Pacers -4
Over/Under: 219 points
That gives the Knicks an implied team point total of 108.68, and the Pacers 110.77.
Want to know which sportsbook is offering the best lines for every game on the NBA calendar? Check out the NBC Sports’ Live Odds tool to get all the latest updated info from DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM & more!
Expert picks & predictions for Saturday’s Knicks vs. Pacers game
NBC Sports Bet Best Bet
Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports) likes Jalen Brunson’s points prop and the Knicks to cover:
"While it might be repetitive or boring, I am going back to the well on Jalen Brunson Over 29.5 to 30.5 points. Brunson has been a money-maker to the Over, scoring 32, 31, 23, 36, and 43 points over this series — going 4-1 to the Over. In an elimination game with a chance for the NBA Finals, I see no reason to go Under.
I lean the Knicks to cover the +4 and keep this close as I gave out Knicks in 6 (+600) and the series to go to 7 games (+220) as a hedge, so with Knicks in 6 over, I need a Knicks victory in Game 6 to secure a profit."
Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700.
Our model calculates projections around each moneyline, spread and over/under bet for every game on the NBA calendar based on data points like recent performance, head-to-head player matchups, trends information and projected game totals.
Once the model is finished running, we put its projections next to the latest betting lines for the game to arrive at a relative confidence level for each wager.
Here are the best bets our model is projecting for today’s Knicks & Pacers game:
Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is recommending a play on the Indiana Pacers on the Moneyline.
Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the New York Knicks at +4.
Total: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play on the Game Total of 219.
Want even more NBA best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert NBA Predictions pagefrom NBC Sports for money line, spread and over/under picks for every game on today’s calendar!
Important stats, trends & insights to know ahead of Knicks vs. Pacers on Saturday
The Pacers' average winning margin in 4 wins against the Knicks this season is +7
The Over is 35-31 in the Pacers' matchups against Eastern Conference teams this season
The Knicks are 7-3 against the spread in their last 10 road games
The New York Knicks kept the series alive with a convincing 111-94 victory in Game 5 but their Finals dream may be ended in Indiana, where the Pacers have won 18 of their last 20 home matchups against teams with worse records.
If you’re looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our NBA Top Trends tool on NBC Sports!
Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff:
- Jay Croucher (@croucherJD) - Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper) - Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports) - Brad Thomas (@MrBradThomas)
Russell Westbrook averaged 11.7 points in 24 minutes per night for the Nuggets this postseason. While he was critical in a few wins, he also shot 39.1% for the postseason and had some rough outings as well.
A fractured hand may have contributed to that. Westbrook announced he had surgery on his hand on his blog, World of Westbrook (the Nuggets also confirmed the surgery).
"I'm undergoing surgery on my right hand to fix two breaks that happened during the season. I'm grateful for everyone's support all year and I can't wait to be back out there at 100% soon. The comeback is already in motion." ' Westbrook has a $3.5 million player option for next season. At age 36, and coming off surgery, he could put himself on the free agent market, but there is unlikely to be more money for him elsewhere, and almost certainly not a better situation. Westbrook is one of those players whose game has been elevated by Nikola Jokic's passing and ability to find him on cuts to the rim or on leak-outs.
Westbrook averaged 13.3 points, 6.1 assists and 4.9 rebounds a game this season, playing almost 28 minutes a night in the 75 games he played. A Denver team looking to add depth around Jokic likely welcomes him back, but you can be sure Westbrook and his agent are kicking the tires to see if other playoff teams might be willing to pay more or have a bigger role for him.
Jan 14, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson (1) arrives before a game against the Chicago Bulls at United Center. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images
David Banks-Imagn Images
Zion Williamson is being sued by a woman describing herself as a former dating partner and who alleges the New Orleans Pelicans star committed repeated sexual violence against her.
The civil lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court on Thursday night, identifies the plaintiff as “Jane Doe.” She claims she began dating Williamson in 2018, when he played at Duke, and alleges that he engaged in abusive behavior toward her in California, Louisiana and Texas from 2020 until their relationship ended in 2023.
Williamson's New Orleans-based attorney, Michael Balascio, called the claims in the lawsuit “categorically false and reckless,” and accused the plaintiff of extortion, which he said has been reported to law enforcement.
“We take these allegations with the utmost seriousness, and we unequivocally deny them,” Balascio said in a written statement provided to The Associated Press. “This appears to be an attempt to exploit a professional athlete driven by a financial motive rather than any legitimate grievance.”
The lawsuit alleges that the first instance of sexual violence occurred in a home Williamson had rented in Beverly Hills, California.
The lawsuit also alleges that Williamson temporarily took the plaintiff's mobile phone from her after the first two instances of forced intercourse and also took her laptop after the second.
The complaint includes accusations of strangulation, death threats to the plaintiff and her family, and physical abuse, including being kicked, slammed with a car door, and suffocated until she lost consciousness.
“We're going to be very cautious about litigating this in the press,” said the plaintiff's attorney, Sam Taylor II, who is with the Lanier Law Firm in Los Angeles.
“This is a very serious case as reflected in the allegations in the complaint, which are pretty detailed,” Taylor continued, adding that his client “genuinely looks forward to her day in court when she can tell a jury of her peers what happened to her and seek justice.”
The lawsuit seeks monetary damages - including punitive damages - for emotional distress.
Balascio said Williamson and the plaintiff “never dated, but did maintain a consensual, casual relationship that began more than six years ago,” when Williamson was 18.
“At no point during or immediately after that relationship did the plaintiff raise any concerns,” Balascio said, adding that “only after the friendship ended did she begin demanding millions of dollars.”
Williamson also intends to file counterclaims and “seek significant damages for this defamatory lawsuit,” Balascio said.
A Pelicans spokesman said the club was aware of the matter but deferred comment to Williamson’s lawyer.
Williamson was the first player picked in the 2019 draft. In six years as a pro, he has averaged 24.7 points per game. But has played in only 214 of 472 regular season games - and no playoff games - during that span because of a series of injuries, one of which caused him to miss the entire 2021-22 season.
The Boston Celtics have an active offseason ahead as they aim to get under the second apron. Most of the discourse on their potential moves has been about parting ways with key players, but what about adding one of the league’s biggest superstars?
The Milwaukee Bucks could look to jumpstart their rebuild and move on from two-time NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo. ESPN’s Brian Windhorst mentioned on Get Up! that “the move for Giannis, if he has the control, is to go to the East.” Windhorst named the Celtics and the New York Knicks as the top options.
Is acquiring Antetokounmpo even a realistic scenario for Boston? NBC Sports Boston’s Celtics insider Chris Forsberg assessed the hypothetical move and came to a firm conclusion:
What would such a move look like?
“If you’re just talking about a 1-for-1 trade, the Boston Celtics can only move Jayson Tatum for Giannis Antetokounmpo based on their salaries, which are the exact same going into next season,” Forsberg said. “That is the only move. The Celtics, because they are a second-apron team, cannot take on more salary, and they cannot aggregate salary. So this is the only legal move they can make while they are a second-apron team.
“The other part of this is, if they get off the second apron, or if they were to do such as part of their maneuvering in any three-team, four-team, five-team (trade) — I don’t know, it’s gonna get complicated. They could technically make this move. … Jaylen Brown would have to be part of the deal, presumably, to make both the money work and to give the Bucks a part that they would be able to build around from there. I don’t like that on the surface, and I know everybody out there on Instagram and YouTube and everything, they don’t like when I bring that up either.”
Why would the Celtics do it?
“Well, it’s Giannis,” Forsberg said. “He’s a former MVP. He’s still got plenty left in the tank. He was third in MVP voting this season, and he would be a difference-maker for your team.”
Why would the Bucks do it?
“The run might just be up in Milwaukee, and they need to figure out what the best return is,” Forsberg said. “Some combination of young talent, picks. But it’s gonna be weird, because Giannis has been the face of their franchise for what feels like so long that they’ve got some hard questions about how to proceed forward.”
Final verdict
“I just don’t see any way that this makes sense for all sides involved, at least without getting just a bunch of different teams, revamping rosters across the NBA,” Forsberg said. “Maybe when it comes to MVP-level players, that’s what you’ve got to think about. But I think we can spend our offseason thinking about stuff that makes a little bit more sense than this one.”
Watch Forsberg’s assessment of a potential Giannis-to-Celtics deal in the video player above.
Around the trade deadline, Kevin Durant was surprised when what had been Phoenix's efforts to trade Bradley Beal suddenly pivoted to KD in trade talks with the Golden State Warriors and others.
"It became clear to me in talking to the parties involved just how serious the Wolves were about trying to trade for Kevin Durant at the trade deadline."
However, pulling the trade together at the time was impossible because both teams were over the second apron of the luxury tax, which imposed various restrictions on any deal (neither team could aggregate players, nor could either team take back $1 more than it sent out).
This summer, the Timberwolves have three core players who can — and will — be free agents that they must make decisions on: Julius Randle and Naz Reid have player options they are expected not to pick up, and Nickeil Alexander-Walker is a free agent.
However, with all those guys off the books July 1, there would be cap space to revisit a Durant trade. The question is, after a playoff run to the second round where Minnesota seemed to find an identity and path forward, do they want to shake things up with another blockbuster trade?
"I'm not arguing that Durant is going to end up in Minnesota... If you look at Tim Connelly, he made the big [Rudy] Gobert trade. He made the big trade of KAT for Julius Randle and DiVincenzo."
Durant is going to get traded this summer, the only real question is where (talk on that front has been quiet around the league so far, but the wide-ranging expectation is that he will get moved, something mutual between him and Phoenix). Minnesota is not entirely off the table in those talks.
It's something to watch, although the more likely path is the Timberwolves bringing back Randle and Alexander-Walker — Reid may be too expensive, and other teams can offer a larger role, although Minnesota wants to keep him — and tweaking the roster from there.
The lawsuit was filed in Los Angeles Superior Court by a woman who will proceed anonymously with the suit as Jane Doe. She accused Williamson, 24, of raping her in his Beverly Hills home in September 2020, and again at an unspecified location in Beverly Hills a month later.
In a statement, Williamson’s attorney, Michael A. Balascio, described the woman’s lawsuit as an “extortion attempt.”
“We take these allegations with the utmost seriousness, and we unequivocally deny them,” he said. “The allegations contained in the complaint are categorically false and reckless.”
The NBA and the Pelicans did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
In the first incident, the lawsuit alleges, Williamson raped the woman when she tried going to sleep. It states that when she attempted to go to sleep, Williamson called her “stuck up” and “a b****” and told her she could not go to sleep until she had sex with him.
When she refused, Williamson allegedly “pinned Plaintiff down on the bed with her hands behind her back and raped her,” the lawsuit states.
In the second incident, the lawsuit states, Williamson allegedly raped the woman when she told him that she wanted to go to San Diego to visit a friend. It alleges that Williamson then “picked her up, threw her down to the ground, and pinned her shoulders down,” before assaulting her.
The lawsuit alleges that Williamson took the woman’s phone shortly after both encounters for an unspecified period so that she could not report the assaults.
It alleges that the incidents were not isolated, and that Williamson “continued to abuse, rape, assault, and batter” the woman in multiple states, including California, Louisiana and Texas, until the relationship ended in 2023.
The lawsuit also alleges that Williamson threatened to pay his security to shoot her “in the head while the security guard was present and carrying a loaded firearm multiple times in Louisiana between 2020 and 2023.” Williamson also threatened to have the woman’s parents killed, the lawsuit states.
Williamson currently plays the power forward position for the Pelicans. He was the first overall NBA draft pick in 2019 after playing for the Duke Blue Devils in college.
The lawsuit was filed in Los Angeles Superior Court by a woman who will proceed anonymously with the suit as Jane Doe. She accused Williamson, 24, of raping her in his Beverly Hills home in September 2020, and again at an unspecified location in Beverly Hills a month later.
In a statement, Williamson’s attorney, Michael A. Balascio, described the woman’s lawsuit as an “extortion attempt.”
“We take these allegations with the utmost seriousness, and we unequivocally deny them,” he said. “The allegations contained in the complaint are categorically false and reckless.”
The NBA and the Pelicans did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
In the first incident, the lawsuit alleges, Williamson raped the woman when she tried going to sleep. It states that when she attempted to go to sleep, Williamson called her “stuck up” and “a b****” and told her she could not go to sleep until she had sex with him.
When she refused, Williamson allegedly “pinned Plaintiff down on the bed with her hands behind her back and raped her,” the lawsuit states.
In the second incident, the lawsuit states, Williamson allegedly raped the woman when she told him that she wanted to go to San Diego to visit a friend. It alleges that Williamson then “picked her up, threw her down to the ground, and pinned her shoulders down,” before assaulting her.
The lawsuit alleges that Williamson took the woman’s phone shortly after both encounters for an unspecified period so that she could not report the assaults.
It alleges that the incidents were not isolated, and that Williamson “continued to abuse, rape, assault, and batter” the woman in multiple states, including California, Louisiana and Texas, until the relationship ended in 2023.
The lawsuit also alleges that Williamson threatened to pay his security to shoot her “in the head while the security guard was present and carrying a loaded firearm multiple times in Louisiana between 2020 and 2023.” Williamson also threatened to have the woman’s parents killed, the lawsuit states.
Williamson currently plays the power forward position for the Pelicans. He was the first overall NBA draft pick in 2019 after playing for the Duke Blue Devils in college.
The question now is, can they repeat it two more times?
Throughout the Eastern Conference Finals, we've been waiting for New York to ramp up its defensive intensity across the board, to be the more physical team and drag the game down into the mud, where it could win. Instead, for three of the four games, Indiana was the more physical team. Surprisingly, Tyrese Haliburton has been more physical than Jalen Brunson. The Pacers were given enough room to run their free-flowing offense, which is elite when Haliburton is scoring, then driving into the paint and then finding cutters or kicking out to shooters.
Thursday night, the Knicks brought a swarming defensive energy they had only shown in flashes this series — they were up in the bodies of the Pacers, bothering them. Mitchell Robinson helped lead that, but even the bench guys like Landry Shamet — not a guy exactly known for his defense — were swarming guys and making plays.
LANDRY SHAMET FORCES THE TURNOVER AND HYPES UP THE CROWD
"I'm just very proud of what we did," Brunson said after the game. "Now, we've just got to replicate it in the first quarter of next game and then continue to build on that."
Knicks comeback blueprint
Brunson is right. For the Knicks to reach the NBA Finals for the first time since The Matrix was in theaters, they need to build off of what we saw in Game 5 and be better than they were in that blowout win. New York needs to execute under pressure and take care of the ball, limiting turnovers (they still had 15 Thursday night), and they need guys like OG Anunoby (3-of-14 in Game 5) and Duece McBride (3-of-10 on open 3-pointers in this series) to step up and hit shots.
New York also needs to carry over a lot of things from Game 5. This attacking version of Karl-Anthony Towns has to show up.
On the other end of the court, Brunson and the Knicks were more aggressive in taking the ball out of Haliburton's hands, and in the face of that, Haliburton was passive. He was not seeking out his shots — he took just seven for the game — instead, he was driving to pass, which threw the entire team off balance. With Haliburton struggling, nobody else stepped up. Myles Turner turned the ball over twice early and was off all night. Indiana's execution was lacking in the way the Knicks' execution was lacking in other games this series. Thursday night it was Indiana being sloppy with the ball.
(Note to the Pacers: If you thought the Knicks' physical, swarming defense was an issue, I'd like to introduce you to the Oklahoma City Thunder. You ain't seen nothing yet.)
For the Knicks to win this series, that defensive pressure has to keep Indiana on its heels and off-balance. The Pacers will play better at home, New York can't let up.
Tom Thibodeau must continue to trust his bench — including Shamet, Hart, Delon Wright, and Precious Achiuwa, whose minutes all matter in keeping their stars fresh.
Additionally, Brunson has to continue to be the best player on the court. He was the aggressor on this night and led the Knicks in getting downhill and scoring 60 points in the paint on 58.8% shooting. New York had eight and-1s in the game. Brunson was himself again.
Don't expect passivity from the Pacers at home in Game 6 on Saturday night — with the home crowd behind them, they should be able to match the desperation of the Knicks. It's tempting to say that Game 6 is Indiana's Game 7, that they have to close it out because they can't win a Game 7 in Madison Square Garden — except they did that just a year ago, when they blew out the Knicks by 21 in a Game 7 in Manhattan.
Still, the Pacers don't want a return trip to New York, Game 7s can be random. Indiana wants to close it out.
New York now has the blueprint to stop that and come all the way back and win the series. Whether they can execute it will be the question.
Jordan Walsh was the youngest member of the Boston Celtics each of the last two years.
Even though he showed signs of improvement this past season, we’re still waiting for the 2023 second-round pick to have that breakout moment.
Jayson Tatum’s injury and any offseason roster changes that are made could give Walsh more of an opportunity with the Celtics in the fall, but it will be up to him to seize it.
After playing in just nine games as a rookie, Walsh appeared in 52 contests in Year 2, including five of Boston’s 11 playoff matchups. He averaged 1.6 points, 1.3 rebounds and 0.4 assists in 7.8 minutes per game.
Walsh scored 10-plus points in two games this season — Dec. 31 against the Raptors and the April 13 season finale versus the Hornets. He also tallied season highs in minutes (21) and rebounds (eight) in that matchup against Charlotte.
Walsh is a good defender with enough length and athleticism to defend multiple positions. He brings great energy to the court, too.
Contract details
Walsh has completed the first two years of his rookie contact. He has a salary cap hit of $2.21 million for the 2025-26 season, per Spotrac. His contract includes a team option for the 2026-27 campaign.
Potential roles for 2025-26
Scenario 1: Walsh improves as an outside shooter, plays larger role
Walsh’s defense is solid, but that alone won’t give him a larger role for the Celtics. They need scoring off the bench, and especially from the wing positions with Tatum potentially missing most or all of next season as he recovers from an Achilles injury.
Walsh has struggled to make an impact offensively with the Celtics. He has shot 36.7 percent from the floor, 26.6 percent on 3-pointers and 57.1 percent from the free throw line over two seasons. It’s not a large sample size and the volume of shot attempts is low, but there hasn’t been much to like from his offensive game so far.
If he improves his 3-point shooting, that should open up more minutes for him next season.
Scenario 2: Walsh doesn’t provide enough offense to justify more meaningful role
If Walsh is unable to stretch the floor as an outside shooter, or if he can’t produce offense in another way, then it’s hard to see how he earns a more prominent role in his third season.
If Walsh is unable to become a 3-and-D wing who can average 10-plus minutes per game, then it’s fair to wonder whether the Celtics will pick up his team option for the 2026-27 season. A wing who is a poor 3-point shooter doesn’t really fit with how the Celtics have played on offense under head coach Joe Mazzulla over the last three seasons.
Final thoughts
With a team option in his contract for 2026-27, the upcoming season might be Walsh’s best (and maybe last?) chance to carve out a consistent role for the Celtics.
His defense is definitely NBA-caliber, but he must make more of an impact offensively.
So when Miami Heat star Bam Adebayo stopped Curry during a key play back in a Heat-Warriors game in the 2017-18 season, he still talks about it to this day.
Adebayo recently joined House of Highlights “The Reel” to break down his best highlights, and he detailed what went through his mind as he defended Curry.
“I remember that play, it was my rookie year,” Adebayo recalled. “And if you go back, I was telling Goran [Dragić] to go back to Steph because he was guarding Zaza Pachulia. So I was like, ‘Take Steph.’ And he was like, ‘Nah, I’m cool.’
“And it was just me and [Steph]. And I remember [Kevin Durant] being like, ‘Go at him. Get off.’ And I was like, ‘Nah, I can’t be embarrassed.’ So I got the stop.”
Adebayo applied the pressure on Curry, who pump-faked and dribble-penetrated before almost losing the ball out of bounds. Curry then was forced to pass the ball to Durant.
And even eight years later, Adebayo makes sure to remind Curry of that one play.
“Now I talk s–t to Steph every once in a while,” he said.
Adebayo, who has been an NBA All-Defensive selection five times, said he takes pride in being one of the few players in the league who can guard the one through five positions and, most of all, appreciates the league-wide respect from his peers.
But he should know what a little trash talk does to Curry. Good luck trying to do that again.
Tatum’s injury, while devastating in the short term, could serve as an impetus for president of basketball operations Brad Stevens to make changes to a core that’s not getting any younger while better positioning the Celtics for success whenever Tatum returns to the court.
What might those changes look like? This week, our Celtics Insider Chris Forsberg laid out three potential paths that Boston could take this offseason, complete with hypothetical trades and objectives for each scenario. We then asked you to vote on which path you’d prefer, and the results were instructive for how Boston fans view this team’s short- and long-term future.
Below are brief recaps of Forsberg’s three paths, followed by the voting results.
Not surprisingly, the “full reboot” path — which would involve trading Jaylen Brown and/or Derrick White — was the least popular among fans. Brown is a franchise cornerstone and 2024 NBA Finals MVP who is deeply involved in the Boston community, so it makes sense why fans wouldn’t want to part with him or White (a fan favorite in his own right), even if there’s the potential for long-term gain.
Opinions were somewhat split on the other two paths, but “threading the needle” seemed to be the overall favorite, with the Celtics dealing Jrue Holiday and Sam Hauser to get under the second apron while managing to keep the rest of the core intact.
Which path the C’s choose ultimately may come down to the offers they receive on the trade market. But this exercise reinforces the idea that it would be very painful for Boston to completely blow it up this offseason.
