While teams from New York to Los Angeles and everywhere in between — as well as north into Canada — have mapped out their strategies for a Giannis Antetokounmpo trade market, those plans increasingly look like they will be DOA.
The Antetokounmpo trade market is very quiet and teams are increasingly coming to the idea he is not going to hit the open market, something Jake Fischer talked about at Bleacher Report:
"Around the combine two weeks ago, two and a half weeks ago, there was no shortage of optimism, of hope, of excitement from other teams that they were going to be able to potentially make an offer to get Giannis Antetokounmpo into their franchise, into their building. Of late, I'd say that that confidence has been replaced with skepticism. To a man, from talking to agents, team executives, whoever, there is not a lot of belief right now at this juncture... the expectation is that they're going to believe it when they see it — that someone who has valued being the franchise face, that the central linchpin of the Bucks franchise, is going to want to play somewhere else."
One league source echoed that, telling NBC Sports that his team was in "wait and see" mode. Fischer said that whatever decision Antetokounmpo and the Bucks make, it will likely be made close to the draft.
Another possibility is that there will be no bidding war, that Antetokounmpo will inform the Bucks that they can only trade him to one or two teams. If a fair deal is not found, then it will end there, and he will stay in Milwaukee.
The decision to stay or go ultimately falls to Antetokounmpo, who loves Milwaukee, his family is happy there, and he cherishes the idea of being a one-team player for his entire career, but also realizes that in the wake of Damian Lillard's Achilles injury the Bucks are not going to contend for a title next season. He has to decide what matters most to him at this stage of his career.
The other challenge Antetokounmpo faces is that the grass is not always greener elsewhere. He could be traded to a team such as Houston or San Antonio and make them instant title contenders, but would then moved to a stacked Western Conference with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the 68-win Thunder, Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets, Antony Edwards and the Timberwolves, LeBron James and Luka Doncic with the Lakers, Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler with the Warriors, and on down the line. Even with Antetokounmpo, it would be tough to reach the Finals out of the West. He could demand to stay in the East, but with what the Bucks will ask in return, a trade to any team in that conference — New York, Toronto, Miami, Cleveland, wherever — strips that roster so far down of talent that he is in the same situation he is in Milwaukee (a top-three MVP season got the Bucks the five seed and a first-round playoff exit).
Whatever decision is coming, don't expect it to come anytime soon.
On the eve of training camp for the 2024-25 season, the Knicks spilled off perhaps their biggest shocker of the Leon Rose era, trading Julius Randle, Donte DiVincenzo and a first-round pick to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Karl-Anthony Towns. The logic was straightforward: Randle was in an expiring year and New York was desperately thin in the middle, and they addressed both by securing one of the greatest big man shooters of all time to space the floor for star Jalen Brunson.
There were also concerns with the acquisitions. Towns was a notoriously unreliable defender who made a single Conference Finals his whole career, and previous questions about his fit with head coach Tom Thibodeau and general toughness would surface, bringing him to a high-expectation environment in New York.
A hundred games later and Towns quieted many of those doubts, while entrenching others. He had a huge season statistically and in delivering in big moments, averaging 24.4 points and 12.8 rebounds on 52.6/42/82.9 splits and saving the Knicks with magical clutch moments in Game 3s against Detroit and Indiana.
He had a terrific defensive series being thrown into a switch-heavy scheme against Boston, and managed to anchor a Knicks defense that finished in the top half of the league. On the other hand, he often deviated from the team’s scheme, according to The Athletic, and got exposed in the Pacers matchup.
All this has led to another inflection point in this rollercoaster of a Knicks era, the first offseason post-Towns and Mikal Bridges trades, which Rose kicked off with a Molotov cocktail, relieving Thibodeau of his duties after five successful seasons. With absolutely nobody safe in this pursuit of a championship, should the Knicks keep Towns for another go around, or shop him in trades for bigger fish?
The Thibodeau firing implicitly suggested the team believes in this core, and that being able to fully maximize its talent can bring a long-awaited championship. There’s certainly a good amount of evidence for this, especially in Towns’ case.
Despite being a historically great shooter meant to supercharge the Knicks' offense, Towns had the lowest three-point attempt rate since his 2018-19 season. The fact that he knocked down 42 percent of these shots means a lot of points were left on the table here.
Part of this is emphasis from the coaching staff, some on the individual, plus how opposing defenses guarded him. It didn't take long for the league to start throwing wings at Towns and putting their rim protectors on Josh Hart, which the Knicks never aggressively adjusted to, even as their offensive numbers declined to middling levels as the season progressed and bottomed in the playoffs.
Seeing how they’d look in true five-out lineups, which is largely the point of trading for a player like Towns, would have been beneficial, but they were a rare appearance. This gives a lot of credence to the decision to move on from Thibodeau and give Towns another season.
His chemistry with Brunson looked to be developing, with a strong pick-and-roll and lots of fun options with Towns as the high-post initiator and the guard moving off-ball. However, this also dissipated as the season went on, whether due to opposing adjustments or regression to old habits from the players and head coach.
New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) drives the ball against Boston Celtics center Al Horford (42) in the second quarter during game two of the second round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at TD Garden. / David Butler II-Imagn Images
Defensively, Towns looked his best when engaged in more aggressive schemes like switching or hard hedging, yet the Knicks consistently had him drop coverage throughout the regular season. They brought out adjustments in the playoffs that paid dividends, especially in the Celtics series, but one had to wonder where the reps were earlier and if more of them could have turned the tide in this last series.
That said, if he simply didn’t follow the team's gameplan and did his own thing as suggested in reporting following the loss, is that an issue that goes away with a new coach? If the Knicks don’t think so, a trade could be on the table, but the question is for whom?
Trading Towns for some kind of package of players and picks seems antithetical to the championship mission, even if it provides for a potential better fit. These are completely made up, but if the Knicks are moving Towns, it’s hard to imagine it being for the Lakers’ spare parts of Rui Hachimura, Gabe Vincent and Jarred Vanderbilt or Sacramento’s Domantas Sabonis and Keon Ellis.
No, the real big fish, at least the ones circulating trade rumors, are Giannis Antetokounmpo and Kevin Durant. Those are bona fide top-ten postseason superstars that you simply have to consider if the ultimate goal is winning a championship.
And consider them, they will. According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, the Knicks made a strong offer for Durant at the trade deadline, whether or not that included Towns is unknown.
Towns has a salary similar to Durant’s and Antetokounmpo’s, which makes him a natural swap candidate if the Knicks can fork over enough additional pieces to sweeten the offer. If these trades are on the table, New York will need to run the risk-reward, regardless of the coaching change.
Antetokounmpo should be a no-brainer, but Towns and the limited trove of picks and young players the Knicks have at their disposal may not be enough, barring a direct request in New York’s direction. Durant is trickier given his age, but also replaces Towns with more of a two-way threat that can fit in with less contortion defensively.
The Knicks can also pursue these two or other star names with packages that don’t include Towns. This would be the best of both worlds if they could somehow pull it off.
Ultimately, as ready as the Knicks are to make that next step, it seems far-fetched to expect Towns to be off the roster this summer. Despite taking much of the punishment after their Conference Finals defeat, Towns had a strong regular season and postseason campaign.
While he had his faults, there was plenty of blame to go around, and Thibodeau left plenty on the table for another coach to come in and take advantage of with Towns still on the roster.
Towns should be a “stay,” but with this league and this team, you just never know.
On Sunday, June 8, the Indiana Pacers (50-32) and Oklahoma City Thunder (68-14) are all set to square off from Paycom Center in Oklahoma City for Game 2 of the NBA Finals.
Indiana continued its miraculous playoff run with another fourth-quarter rally to steal a Game 1. Tyrese Haliburton hit his fourth Game 1 game-winner with a jump shot at 0.3 seconds remaining to win 111-110.
Haliburton (14 points, 10 rebounds) and the Pacers overcame Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's game-high 38 points and multiple double-digit leads throughout. The Thunder entered the fourth quarter with a 9-point lead and ended the game efficiently in many areas, including free-throws (21-of-24) and turnovers (6).
Both teams won all three of their Game 2's this postseason and 3-0 against the spread.
We’ve got all the info and analysis you need to know ahead of the game, including the latest info on the 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.
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Game details & how to watch Pacers vs. Thunder live today
Date: Sunday, June 8, 2025
Time: 8:00PM EST
Site: Paycom Center
City: Oklahoma City, OK
Network/Streaming: ESPN / ABC
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 Pacers vs. Thunder
The latest odds as of Sunday:
Odds: Pacers(+390), Thunder (-520)
Spread: Thunder -11
Over/Under: 228.5 points
That gives the Pacers an implied team point total of 108.5, and the Thunder 120.5.
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 Sunday’s Pacers vs. Thunder game
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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 Pacers & Thunder game:
Moneyline: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play on the Moneyline.
Spread: NBC Sports Bet is leaning towards a play ATS on the Indiana Pacers at +11
Total: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play on the Game Total of 228.5
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 Pacers vs. Thunder on Sunday
Indiana is 3-0 ATS and on the ML in Game 2's of the playoffs
Oklahoma City is 3-0 ATS and on the ML in Game 2's of the playoffs
Pascal Siakam (19 points, 10 rebounds), Aaron Nesmith (10 points, 12 rebounds), and Tyrese Haliburton (14 points, 10 rebounds) double-doubled in Game 1 for Indiana
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored a game-high 38 points in Game 1
Jalen Williams and Tyrese Haliburton are tied for the series lead in assists with 6
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)
A busy offseason lies ahead for the Boston Celtics.
While navigating their complicated financial situation, the Celtics may have to find replacements for veteran big men Al Horford and Luke Kornet, who are set to become unrestricted free agents. There will be some intriguing frontcourt options in the 2025 NBA Draft, but what if president of basketball operations Brad Stevens has other ideas?
A historic 3-point shooting team, the Celtics could use an infusion of explosive and physical play. Enter Adou Thiero, a forward out of Arkansas who thrives in both categories and wreaks havoc on the defensive end.
Thiero could fall to the Celtics when they pick at No. 28 or No. 32 overall in this month’s draft. Learn more about him and his potential fit with the C’s below:
Adou Thiero’s bio
Position: Forward
Height: 6-foot-6
Weight: 200 pounds
Birthdate: May 8, 2004 (age 21)
Birthplace: Utah
College: Arkansas
Adou Thero’s collegiate stats
2022-23: 2.3 points per game, 1.9 rebounds per game, 0.4 assists per game, 34.5 field goal percentage (20 games)
— Arkansas Razorbacks Men’s Basketball 🐗 (@RazorbackMBB) December 21, 2024
Why Adou Thiero fits with Celtics
Thiero isn’t what anyone would call a sharpshooter. He needs time to develop his offensve game, so why would he fit in with the 3-point-happy Celtics?
The former Razorback is a versatile defender who plays with high energy each time he takes the floor. He averaged 1.6 steals and 0.7 blocks per game as a junior.
Boston doesn’t need another 3-point shooter, but it may need someone with a Jrue Holiday-like skill set to replace the veteran guard, who could be traded as a result of the team’s goal to get under the second apron.
NBC Sports Boston’s Celtics insider Chris Forsberg explained why Thiero is a solid fit for the C’s.
“Could Adou Thiero add an injection of physical play for the Celtics? A menace on the defensive end, a willing cutter to the hoop on offense, and a nose for attacking the offensive glass, Thiero’s game plays at an NBA level based on those traits,” Forsberg said.
“What will make him even more valuable is if he can develop a 3-point shot. He made just 26 percent of his threes as a junior.”
The 35-year-old says the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.
Green joined “Jimmy Kimmel Live” and shared how his mom has never gotten into a player’s face the way Tyrese Haliburton’s dad did when the Pacers faced the Milwaukee Bucks in first-round Western Conference playoff series.
That said, the four-time NBA champion did add that his mom has a habit of trash-talking his own teammates.
“My mom, since I was a child, has been the mom who, like, from the stands, she yells, ‘You suck!’ But the thing about my mom is she talks bad about all the players on my team,” Green told Kimmel on Thursday.
Kimmel was surprised when Green said that his mom, Mary Babers, insults his own teammates, which led to the four-time NBA All-Star elaborating.
“She kills them, but she absolutely annihilates me,” Green added. “I’ve always heard like the stories from it where in the beginning a parent would almost want to get snappy at her and as they continue to watch, they realize how badly she talks about me. They’re just like, “Oh, that’s not a problem what she’s saying about my kid.'”
Green acknowledged his mom’s trash talk has been going on for as long as he can remember.
“When I was younger I could always hear it because the gyms were smaller, and I used to sometimes turn around and be like, ‘Ma, stop!,’ Green concluded. “She wouldn’t talk to me for days after I did that. She’d be mad at me as if I did something wrong.”
OKLAHOMA CITY — "It sucks, but we have been here before."
Jalen Williams' summation of Oklahoma City's gut-punch Game 1 loss — where the Thunder led until Tyrese Haliburton's shot with 0.3 on the clock — summed up the postgame mood of the Thunder.
Disappointed? Absolutely. However, the Thunder dropped Game 1 at home to Nikola Jokić and the Nuggets in the second round and came back to win that series in seven games. After Haliburton's shot, OKC players drew on that experience and how they had turned things around.
"We played good enough to win that game, controlled it for the most part. Was up double-digits most of that game, as well," Alex Caruso said of the Game 1 loss to Denver. "Then they made some big shots. We made a couple mistakes down the stretch to give them free throws. There's some similar stuff from that. I think moving forward, the mentality of this team is good."
The Thunder's postgame vibes flowed from their leaders.
"The biggest experience we've had is understanding that every game's a new game," Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. "The most important game of the series is always the next one, regardless of the outcome… Would've liked to get the game, but need to be a better game in Game 2."
"The series isn't first to one, it's first to four," Gilgeous-Alexander said. "We have four more games to get, they have three. That's just where we are. We got to understand that and we got to get to four before they get to three, if we want to win the NBA championship. It's that simple. It's not rocket science. We lost Game 1. We have to be better."
The other postgame theme from the Thunder's perspective was that they lost the game more than the Pacers took it from them.
"It sounds weird — it wasn't like they won the game, but I feel like we lost the game," Isaiah Hartenstein said, speaking for a lot of Thunder players. "There was a lot of things where it was closeouts, executing and slowing down the pace a little too much at the end."
"We lost the game. I thought we played good enough to win. We just didn't finish the game," Caruso said. "Credit to them, that's how they've played for the whole post-season. They kind of strayed true to themselves, their brand of basketball. They threw in a couple big shots down the stretch."
The team's mantra seemed to be "it's just one game."
"It counts the same as when we lost by 40 in Minnesota in the last series. Counts the same as when we lost by two or three at Denver Game 3 that series. It's all worth one," Caruso said.
Game 2 is Sunday in Oklahoma City. Drop that one and the postgame mood from the Thunder may be very different.
The 2025 NBA Finals continue this Sunday, June 8, at 8:00 PM ET as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder go head-to-head with Tyrese Haliburton and the Indiana Pacers in Game 2 at Paycom Center.
Comeback victories have been the Pacers' calling card this postseason, and Game 1 of this Thunder vs Pacers series was no different.
Indiana was down by 15 in the fourth quarter on Thursday night but rallied to take the win. Tyrese Haliburton hit another clutch shot with just 0.3 seconds remaining, giving the Pacers the 111-110 dub. It was Indiana's only lead of the game.
The All-star guard has now made five game-tying or go-ahead shots in the final 30 seconds of the playoffs.
“When it gets to 15, you can panic, or you can talk about, ‘How do we get it to 10? How do we get it to five from there?" Haliburton said after the game. "So, you know, I think all [playoffs], that’s what we preached as a group, is when we get down big, let’s just find a way to incrementally get it down."
Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 38 points on Thursday night. While the outcome was not what was expected, the 2025 league MVP remains unfazed.
"As much as we can, we just got to treat it like every other game, every other situation we've been in," Gilgeous-Alexander said. "Yes, we haven't been in this situation, but that doesn't mean our character has to change, or what we did last time.
"It's still basketball, the game of basketball we grew up playing. The rules don't change because we're in the Finals.
How to watch Oklahoma City Thunder vs Indiana Pacers Game 2:
Date: Sunday, June 8
Time: 8:00 PM ET
Where: Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, OK
TV Channel: ABC
When is Game 2 of the NBA Finals?
Sunday, June 8 at 8:00 PM ET.
What channel is the Thunder vs Pacers game on?
The Thunder vs Pacers series will take place on ABC.
Thunder vs Pacers Series Scores and Schedule:
*All times listed are ET (* = if necessary)
Game 1: Pacers 111, Thunder 110
Game 2: Pacers at Thunder - Sun. June 8, 8 PM on ABC
Game 3: Thunder at Pacers - Wed. June 11, 8:30 PM on ABC
Game 4: Thunder at Pacers - Fri. June 13, 8:30 PM on ABC
Game 5: Pacers at Thunder - Mon. June 16, 8:30 PM on ABC *
Game 6: Thunder at Pacers - Thu. June 19, 8:30 PM on ABC*
Game 7: Pacers at Thunder - Sun, June 22, 8 PM on ABC*
Oklahoma City Thunder’s Path to the NBA Finals:
The Thunder are seeking their first NBA title since relocating to Oklahoma City in 2008. The last time the franchise reached the Finals was in 2012, dropping their series against LeBron James' Miami Heat in 5. Here is how they advanced to the NBA Finals:
Oklahoma City swept the No. 8 Memphis Grizzlies in the First Round, eliminated the No. 4 Denver Nuggets in 7 in the Conference Semifinals, and defeated the No. 6 Minnesota Timberwolves in 5 in the Western Conference Finals.
The Indiana Pacers are seeking their first NBA title. The team's last Finals appearance was in 2000, when they lost to the Lakers in 6. Here is the team's path to the Finals:
Indiana eliminated the No. 5 Milwaukee Bucks and the No. 1 Cleveland Cavaliers in 5 games, before knocking out the No. 6 New York Knicks in 6 to advance to the Finals.
Want even more NBA best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert NBA Predictions page from NBC Sports for money line, spread and over/under picks for each game of the Thunder vs Pacers series
Was Pacers’ Game 1 victory over Thunder a fluke?
Take Siakam to record over 6.5 rebounds in Game 2:
Thibodeau helped turn the organization around -- leading them to the playoffs four times during his five seasons at the helm, including this year when they were eliminated in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Still, ownership and the front office decided it was time to move in a different direction.
According to SNY NBA Insider Ian Begley, player input during their end of season meetings with owner James Dolan in attendance was a factor in the ultimate decision to move on from Thibodeau.
Players were respectful of the veteran coach, who they have a great deal of respect and admiration for, but they also pointed out in those meetings that there were things Thibodeau did that could be improved.
They'll look for those things to change under their next head coach -- who will be the 32nd in franchise history.
Who that will be remains to be seen, but numerous candidates have been mentioned over the past few days.
According to Begley, Houston’s Ime Udoka, Minnesota’s Chris Finch, and Dallas’ Jason Kidd are among the coaches currently under contract who the Knicks have degrees of interest in.
The New York Knicks — searching for a new coach after the firing of Tom Thibodeau, who led them to the Eastern Conference Finals — are expected to ask permission of the Dallas Mavericks to talk to Jason Kidd about coming to Manhattan, reports Marc Stein of The Stein Line in his latest Substack missive.
"The New York Knicks are expected to formally request permission to speak to the Dallas Mavericks' Jason Kidd about their coaching vacancy in coming days, league sources say... A precise hierarchy of potential Knicks targets to replace Thibodeau has yet to emerge, but some in league coaching circles believe that Kidd... is at the top of New York's wish list."
Kidd coached Brunson for a year in Dallas, and the two had a good relationship (Brunson's issues in Dallas were about his next contract and feeling lowballed and disrespected, not the coaching).
Two big questions emerge here. First, would Dallas give permission for New York to talk to Kidd? Mavs ownership/management can say no, which is reportedly what Houston would do if New York called about Ime Udoka (Stein wrote that the Knicks would like Udoka, but knows they would be turned down if they asked). As a standard practice, if the coach is open to it, teams will let their coach have those conversations with another team, but if things get serious and the coach wants to move on then draft compensation has to come back to the coach's current team (and the Knicks are not flush with draft picks to send to Dallas). Kidd signed an extension with Dallas that runs through 2027 and by all accounts is happy there, Stein reports.
Second, would Kidd want the job? ESPN's Tim MacMahon said on the outlet’s “Hoop Collective” podcast that Kidd's "ears would perk up" at the idea, adding that the Knicks need to bring in a "relationship guy" and Kidd fits that bill.
"Listen, one of the names that's been thrown out there is a man who's under contract with another team, but definitely a guy who has relationships not just with Jalen Brunson but with a lot of people in that organization, and that's Jason Kidd. And what I will say about that is I would not dismiss that possibility."
Kidd was hired to be the Mavericks' coach by former owner Mark Cuban. In the wake of the ownership change and the Luka Doncic trade, would he want out? Dallas still has talent on the roster, including Kyrie Irving (out for most or all of next season with a torn ACL), Anthony Davis, and incoming No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg, as well as solid players such as P.J. Washington, Naji Marshall, and others.
If the Knicks can't get Kidd or Udoka, where do they turn next? They reportedly want an experienced head coach, which would rule out former assistant Johnnie Bryant (who is now in Cleveland and was a finalist for the Suns job). Michael Malone is out there, but he is seen as similar to Thibodeau in leaning too heavily into his starters and being set in his ways. Former Cavaliers, Lakers and most recently Kings coach Mike Brown is available, he is a defense-first guy, but is he an upgrade over Thibodeau that takes them to the next level?
The Knicks moved on from Thibodeau without a replacement lined up, which could make this search messy.
Indiana guard Tyrese Haliburton leaves the court after providing another game-winning shot for the Pacers in Game 1 of the NBA Finals against the Thunder on Thursday, in Oklahoma City. (Julio Cortez / Associated Press)
The NBA has posted video to social media of Haliburton's game-winning jumper from South Korea's broadcast of the game on SPOTV, and the announcers' call of the magical moment is insane.
Check it out. Don't worry if you don't speak the language — the unbridled enthusiasm coming from what sounds like a two-man broadcast booth requires no translation.
Seriously, the only other person who has ever screamed in such a manner was the Who's Roger Daltry in the epic climax to the 1971 classic "Won't Get Fooled Again."
The NBA also posted a clip of the clutch shot from ABC/ESPN's coverage of the game. Play-by-play announcer Mike Breen captured the excitement of the moment as well, although with a slightly less epic delivery than his South Korean counterparts.
The Pacers hadn't led the entire game and trailed the heavily favored Thunder by nine points after Oklahoma City star and league MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander hit a pair of free throws with 2:52 remaining in the fourth quarter. But Indiana clawed back behind five points by Andrew Nembhard down the stretch to set up Haliburton's shot that lifted his team to a 111-110 win.
It was the fourth time during these playoffs that Haliburton hit a shot in the final two seconds of regulation to either win the game or send it into overtime.
“This group never gives up," Haliburton said after Game 1. “We never believe that the game is over until it hits zero, and that’s just the God’s honest truth. That’s just the confidence that we have as a group, and I think that’s a big reason why this is going on.”
Warriors icon Draymond Green disapproves of how the Knicks fired coach Tom Thibodeau after New York was eliminated by the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference finals.
In Thursday’s edition of the “Draymond Green Show” podcast, the four-time NBA champion explained his distaste for the Knicks’ questionable decision.
“I think what just happened to Thibs is this – and you see it quite a bit in the NBA these days – due in part to the success that we had on that run with Cleveland and the dominance that was going on in the NBA at that time, all the conversations nowadays are just ‘Championship. Championship. Championship.’ And in turn, people try to ignore the process of getting to a championship,” Green said.
“That sh–t is hard, and it takes time, and time is different for many people. If you’re firing Thibs because you ultimately think, ‘He ain’t the guy to get us there,’ that’s one thing, but if you’re blaming him for not winning a championship with this team, that’s not the right thing to do – because that’s not a championship roster.”
New York gave Thibodeau the boot after five seasons and the franchise’s first Eastern Conference finals appearance since 2000 — a 4-2 series loss to Tyrese Haliburton and the Pacers. Indiana is now three games away from winning their first Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy in franchise history.
Green is confident that Thibodeau, who finished his Knicks tenure with a 226-174 record, is being blamed by the front office for the roster simply not being good enough.
The Golden State forward understands organizations want to win now, but he believes Thibodeau steadily was climbing throughout his run in the Big Apple and that the Knicks’ decision was premature.
“I don’t believe the New York Knicks, as currently constructed, can win a championship,” Green said. “I don’t give a damn how many players Thibs played all year, I don’t think that team can win a championship. I think what Tom Thibodeau did in getting that team to their first conference finals in 25 years, that’s steps in the right direction … that says, ‘Hey, front office, we may be, to get past this point, a guy or two away, in really making this thing go and really getting over that hump.’
“Me personally, I don’t think the ‘guy or two’ is some small guy, though. I think they need one of them ones.”
The Knicks probably are a key player or two away from taking the next step toward the franchise’s first NBA Finals win since 1973. However, that assumption does not lead Green to believe that Thibodeau is at fault or that he deserved to be dismissed from his position.
“I don’t agree that Thibs should’ve been fired based off this team not winning a championship, as if they were championship-or-bust and underachieved their payroll,” Green said. “But the eye test, coming from somebody (Green) who I believe knows what that looks like, nah.”
New York finished the 2024-25 NBA regular season with a 51-31 record, earning the third seed in the Eastern Conference. They finished just two wins shy of reaching the league’s biggest stage.
So, did Thibodeau deserve to be fired, or was he holding the Knicks back from achieving greater success?
Green certainly believes that the coach, who has been in the league since 1989-90, got the short end of the stick.
Ahead of the June 25 draft, we reviewed the history of the third pick and rounded up the many highlights and a few lowlights (no exact science).
In chronological order, here are the 16 best and four worst No. 3 selections in NBA history:
Best
He only played 26 NBA games, but we’ll give an honorable mention here to the multi-sport Dick Groat — eight-time All-Star shortstop, two-time World Series champion, 1960 National League MVP.
Outside of ultra-clear cases, our list leans against current players. That’s the main reason Jaylen Brown, Bradley Beal and Evan Mobley aren’t on it.
1954: Gene Shue
Drafted by the Philadelphia Warriors, Shue became a five-time All-Star guard during his prime years with the Pistons. He went on to coach two Eastern Conference championship teams (the 1970-71 Bullets and 1976-77 Sixers) and won two Coach of the Year awards.
1963: Nate Thurmond
Thurmond averaged 18.6 points, 17.6 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 2.9 blocks from the 1964-65 through ’73-74 seasons. The Hall of Fame big man recorded the first quadruple-double in NBA history on Oct. 18, 1974 — 22 points, 14 rebounds, 13 assists and 12 blocks.
1977: Pete Maravich
After a legendary career at LSU, “Pistol Pete” brought his trademark flair to the NBA. He led the league in scoring with the New Orleans Jazz in the 1976-77 season, posting 31.1 points per game.
1980: Kevin McHale
McHale never left the team that drafted him and put together a Hall of Fame Celtics career — two Sixth Man of the Year awards, seven All-Star selections, three championships.
The 1984 draft had three Hall of Famers in the first five picks — Hakeem Olajuwon (No. 1), Jordan and Charles Barkley (No. 5). The Sixers’ second pick of that draft, Leon Wood at No. 10, is a longtime NBA referee.
1993: Penny Hardaway
In Hardaway’s three Magic seasons with Shaquille O’Neal, Orlando went 167-79 and reached the franchise’s first NBA Finals.
1994: Grant Hill
Hill had a brilliant start to his career before facing a series of injury troubles. After being named co-Rookie of the Year with Jason Kidd, he was an All-NBA player for each of the next five seasons.
1997: Chauncey Billups
Billups didn’t make an All-Star Game until he was 29 years old and on his fifth team, but “Mr. Big Shot” became a Hall of Famer.
2001: Paul Gasol
Gasol transitioned very smoothly from Barcelona to the Grizzlies, earning the Rookie of the Year award. He won much more after being dealt to the Lakers, including back-to-back titles in 2009 and 2010.
2003: Carmelo Anthony
The incredible top of the 2003 draft featured three Hall of Famers (Anthony, Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade) and one obvious future Hall of Famer (LeBron James) within the first five selections. The class had five other players who made an All-Star Game in Chris Kaman (No. 6), David West (No. 18), Josh Howard (No. 29), Mo Williams (No. 47) and Kyle Korver (No. 51).
2009: James Harden
Harden won Sixth Man of the Year in his third and final season with the Thunder. As a Rocket, he transformed into the ultimate offensive hub and the 2017-18 MVP.
2014: Joel Embiid
Injuries have always been a significant part of the picture with Embiid, but his on-court credentials are awfully impressive — seven All-Star nods, two scoring titles, one well-deserved MVP.
2017: Jayson Tatum
Tatum’s one of six All-Star players from the 2017 class. Of course, No. 1 pick Markelle Fultz is not among them.
2018: Luka Doncic
Doncic has more than lived up to the pre-draft hype. At 26 years old, he’s got career averages of 28.6 points, 8.6 rebounds and 8.2 assists.
Worst
1986: Chris Washburn
Washburn made a mere 72 appearances in the NBA. Following a third failed drug test, the former NC State big man was suspended by the league for life.
1987: Dennis Hopson
Hopson was a big-time scorer at Ohio State — 29 points per game his senior year — but could not carry anything resembling that production to the NBA. He averaged 10.9 points in 334 career games. Notable 1987 lottery picks below Hopson include Scottie Pippen, Kenny Smith, Kevin Johnson, Horace Grant, Reggie Miller and Muggsy Bogues.
2006: Adam Morrison
Morrison was a college sensation at Gonzaga. He tore his ACL during his second NBA preseason and wound up playing just 83 more games in the league.
While joining “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” Green was asked about his notorious technical foul history and shared his growth — or attempted growth — in that department.
“I actually try not to [get a technical] now, which I’m embarrassed to say,” Green told Kimmel. “I went into the playoffs like, ‘I’m not getting any techs. I’m locked in.’ I had five in three games. You only get seven for the playoffs. Thank God we lost.”
The Warriors’ hard-fought battle against the Houston Rockets in the opening round, followed by a Western Conference semifinals meeting with the Minnesota Timberwolves, resulted in five technical fouls for Green.
Per NBA postseason rules, two more technicals would have resulted in an automatic one-game suspension.
And had the Warriors kept the series against Minnesota alive and advanced to a best-of-seven conference finals matchup with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Green isn’t confident with his chances that he wouldn’t reach that one-game suspension.
That doesn’t even include a would-be best-of-seven NBA Finals appearance.
But, again, baby steps, right?
Before the start of the 2024-25 regular season, Green predicted he would get fewer than 10 techs. He didn’t quite meet that goal, but he has reason for optimism.
“I had 13,” he said. “That’s a lot less than 17. Going the right way.”
Green was assessed 17 technical fouls during the 2023-24 season.
Here’s what Green had to say in the podcast, which aired soon after Tyrese Haliburton’s game-winner gave the Indiana Pacers a 1-0 series lead over Oklahoma City in the 2025 NBA Finals.
“Where I think they’re similar is the age; young guys with a few vets, like [Isaiah] Hartenstein, but not Chet [Holmgren]; Shaun [Livingston], [Andre Iguodala], they weren’t our age, so we kind of had that balance – and [Andrew] Bogut, [David] Lee, they were (also) the older guys.
“[Alex] Caruso has been there before, right? I think they’ve got a few vets like we had that kind of settles things down for them. And they got young guys, Shai [Gilgeous-Alexander], [Jalen Williams] just kind of out there running wild doing their thing, relying on their talent, obviously thinking the game, but not to the level of the vets – because they’ve just seen more.”
The Thunder remind Green of the old Warriors because of their dynamics being based around seasoned veterans in their 30s and stars in their 20s.
Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Green formed Golden State’s headlining trio during its 2015 NBA Finals victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers, with the support of valuable role players such as Livingston, Iguodala, Bogut and Lee, to name a few.
Oklahoma City has a similar situation around Gilgeous-Alexander, Williams and Holmgren, for example, with a strong supportive cast of players like Caruso and Hartenstein, who have been in the league for a while, each with high floors suitable for the playoffs.
“The vets see more, they help you more; they’re seeing these things develop,” Green added. “I think [the Thunder] are [similar] in that aspect. I’ve seen the playoff record, very similar. Offensive rating, I think we were number one, they’re like three. Defensive rating, we’re both number one. I saw those things … The end-of-season record, they [won] 68, we [won] 67.
“I see all of that stuff, and I see a young team that’s gone through their lumps, and seems poised to take that final step. I can see those similarities, but the style of play couldn’t be further from the same.”
Livingston had a similar stance to Green. However, his perspective is from that of a player who was a Warriors veteran in 2014-15, unlike Green, who was an up-and-coming two-way star.
“It’s definitely similar. [Green] nailed all the points,” Livingston said about similarities between the Warriors and Thunder. “Listen, they were the best team by far this season – by far. And honestly, watching them too, they did not take games off; if they were supposed to beat a team they were a lot better than, they would beat the dog sh-t out of that team. The habits they were building, that’s what I watched.”
Livingston noticed how today’s Thunder and those past Warriors didn’t take games off. But he also pointed out how both teams, despite being a force every game, encountered uncharted territory as one of the last two teams standing.
“When I came to [the Warriors], I had come from playing with Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Joe Johnson, Deron Williams; these guys were kind of already cemented in their careers – former champions, veterans,” Livingston said about his Brooklyn Nets tenure. “They had a mindset about winning, where they expected to win.
“When I came to Golden State, they had already tasted winning, and I felt like they wanted to win … but none of us had been to the finals, similar to OKC.”
Those Warriors won in their Finals debut; it’s still to be determined if the Thunder will do the same.
Green and Livingston, though, agreed that Oklahoma City is gaining great experience right now, regardless of the series outcome.
The Thunder undoubtedly were the best team during the 2024-25 NBA season. But they had no way of preparing for the chaos the Pacers seem to embrace, despite entering the series with a variety of top-notch statistics and 18 more regular-season wins.
Oklahoma City needs to win four of its next six games to truly rival the old Golden State squad. Then, if things go well, three more trophies to match the Warriors’ dynasty.
However, Green’s bewilderment stemmed from a reason beyond the actual trade and more from a hypothetical one.
The Warriors star forward joined “Jimmy Kimmel Live” and hilariously recalled how his confusion unraveled thanks to a little premature information from Golden State majority owner Joe Lacob.
“When it first happened, we were at a Warriors charity poker tournament,” Green remembered. “I had just saw Joe Lacob 10 minutes before this happened. Joe gets excited. Joe goes, ‘Draymond, I think we’re going to get Kevin Durant. It’s right there at the finish line. It’s happening. We’re getting Kevin Durant back.’ I’m like, ‘Oh, man. Here we go. Let’s go.’ And we talk about it. He asks if I think it’ll work. I said absolutely. He leaves, he comes running back two minutes later like, ‘Draymond! Draymond! I wasn’t supposed to say anything. Don’t say nothing to nobody.’ I’m like, ‘Joe, I got you. I won’t say anything to anyone.’
“So we’re at this tournament and I go sit down and about 15 minutes later, Steph yells, ‘Draymond, you see the trade?’ And I go, ‘It happened?’ Steph goes, ‘Wait, who?’ I said, ‘Oh, never mind, nobody. What happened?’ And he’s like, ‘Luka got traded.’ “
Whew.
You can only imagine the emotional rollercoaster Green endured over those 20 minutes or so.
First, he had to fathom the thought that Durant was returning to the Bay, where he helped bring two championships, to then — like so many others — try and wrap his head around Dončić and LeBron James teaming up, to finally realizing that Durant was, in fact, not on his way to San Francisco.
What a whirlwind.
“I couldn’t believe it, I thought Shams was hacked,” Green said of the Dallas Mavericks trading Dončić. “There’s videos out at the charity event of us reacting. I couldn’t believe it. Superstars at 25 don’t get traded. Luka’s a megastar.
“Then I thought, ‘I have to be next if Luka’s getting traded. It’s coming for me soon.’ “
To be fair to Lacob, several reports indicated that Durant’s return to the Warriors was a possibility before the 15-time NBA All-Star turned down a reunion.
Maybe next time, Lacob will wait for the trade to be official before spilling any premature beans.
Kurt Helin