Category: NBA

Jalen Brunson scored 32 points as the New York Knicks beat the Indiana Pacers to keep alive their hopes of reaching the NBA Finals.

Indiana remain one win from clinching the Eastern Conference finals but the Knicks claimed a 111-94 home win to cut their deficit to 3-2 in the best-of-seven series.

Karl-Anthony Towns played through a knee injury to record 24 points and 13 rebounds as the third-seeded Knicks led throughout.

"I looked at the game and it was 'game five, do or die'," Towns said. "That was pretty much all I needed to see."

Bennedict Mathurin registered 23 points and nine rebounds off the bench for the fourth-seeded Pacers, who host game six on Saturday (01:00 BST, Sunday).

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"We have no room for error," Towns added. "Our backs are against the wall and every game is do or die. If we don't bring that energy or execution, our season will be over."

Towns had 17 points and 10 rebounds in the first half as New York led 56-45 at half-time, before pushing their advantage to 90-73 heading into the final quarter.

Indiana crept to within 12 points with just over eight minutes remaining, but Josh Hart answered with consecutive baskets and Mikal Bridges hit a jumper to make it an 18-point margin.

Indiana star Tyrese Haliburton had 30 points and 15 assists in game four but was kept to eight points on Thursday, with six assists.

"Rough night for me," said the 25-year-old point guard. "I've got to be better setting the tone and getting downhill. I feel I didn't do a great job of that.

"They picked up the pressure a little bit and applied more as the game went on. Put it on me, I've got to be better in game six."

You'd be hard-pressed to find a team that plays better than the Knicks with their backs against the wall.

Just one loss away from their season coming to an end, the Knicks stepped up with arguably their best game of the Eastern Conference Finals to this point. They outhustled, outdefended and were simply better than the Pacers on Thursday night in their 111-94 win. While a lot of the credit will go to the offense -- Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns did combine to score 56 points -- it was their defense that deserves its flowers.

Including Thursday, the Pacers played 15 games this postseason and Game 5 was the first time they were held under 100 points.

"I thought we came out great defensively," OG Anunoby said after the game. "We were getting stops, flying up and down the floor."

Not only did the Pacers score below 100, they shot just 40.5 percent (33 percent from three) and turned the ball over 20 times. Tyrese Haliburton, the Pacers star who has become the face of dismay for Knicks fans, had his worst game of the series. The guard scored just eight points on 2 of 7 shooting after averaging 24 points per game entering Game 5. He was a minus-23 on the court. Pascal Siakam was the only starter to score in double figures, with bench players Obi Toppin (11) and Benedict Mathurin (23) the only others to hit that mark.

So, what changed? Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau didn't say it was just one thing, but praised his team's defense as a whole.

"Sometimes it’s a combination of [Haliburton] missing some shots he normally makes, but our guys were tied together and tried to make him work for everything," he said. "That’s what you have to do. You have to fight to win every possession."

"I feel like we picked up our intensity a little bit. I think we paid attention to detail better as a team," Brunson said of the defense on Haliburton. "The little things go a long way. Paying attention to the minute things, and things that don’t seem like a huge deal, they really do help.”

After Game 4's loss, a lot of the attention was on Brunson and how the Pacers seemingly were targeting him on defense. Forcing the All-Star to foul and exploit his defensive weaknesses.

If that was the Pacers' plan in Game 5, it didn't work, especially when Haliburton had the ball.

"[Brunson] did an amazing job. That's something that cap always does - he answers the call every time," Towns said of Brunson's defense. "We win as a team, we lose as a team. I'm never going to allow cap -- he does so much for us and we ask so much out of him every game -- he’s never going to go out there and take all the blame. We all do. Family and brothers never let someone go out there and take all the blame. We all got to be willing to lose together and win together."

"That's our guy, we know he's going to bring it offensively but I feel like he dug in defensively and had great intensity," Josh Hart said of Brunson.

"He's our leader," Miles McBride said. "When we see he's playing like that, we all just want to do anything we can to get the win."

Haliburton was asked if he was surprised by how the Knicks turned up the ball pressure on him and the team, and the Pacers star said he wasn't and wants to look ahead to Game 6.

"We’re up 3-1, their season was on the line today. I understand they are going to come out and play hard, increase the pressure, do whatever they have to do to win," Haliburton said. "And they did a great job of that and now it’s up to us to respond in Game 6. When you get here to this point, there’s no such thing as surprises... Kudos to them, they played better than us today. We've got to be prepared for Game 6."

The Knicks will look to shut down Haliburton and the Pacers offense again in Game 6 on Saturday night to force a decisive Game 7 back at MSG.

The Knicks kept their season alive by beating the Pacers 111-94 in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals as stars Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns led the way to force a Game 6 on Saturday back in Indiana.

While the duo combined for 56 points on 22-for-38 shooting and got plenty of cheers from The Garden crowd, guard Landry Shamet also heard his name chanted by Knicks fans on Thursday night, including a standing ovation -- and deservingly so.

Shamet played 14 minutes in Game 5, the most he's played in a playoff game this year, and scored five points to go along with two assists and an offensive rebound. After the win, the 28-year-old gave his appreciation back to the New York fans for their support throughout the must-win game and all season long.

"I love New York. I love these fans. I've seen how they ride the wave with us, the highs, the lows," Shamet said. "It's just important for me to give everything I've got to them. I appreciate it. We got more to do."

"I love New York. I love these fans. I've seen how they ride the wave with us - the highs, the lows. It's just important for me to give everything I've got to them."

Landry Shamet talks about the standing ovation he got tonight: pic.twitter.com/dswhNMm6MA

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) May 30, 2025

He credited Brunson and Towns for carrying the team and setting the tone offensively, but his defense and energy off the bench pressured the Pacers guards and helped create a couple of turnovers. Overall, the Knicks forced a series-high 20 turnovers against the Pacers in the Game 5 win, as Shamet noted their awareness and energy all night long.

"I think just our intensity, our attention to detail, that's a sense of desperation which is what we needed," Shamet said. "And we're gonna have to go do it again. That was the biggest thing, just our energy. Our communication was great. Did a better job in transition. Still, some other things we got to clean up, we'll get to that tomorrow."

Shamet was asked if they could tell the Pacers were frustrated by the Knicks defense, but said that's not their job. Instead, the team will look to replicate their performance on Saturday in Game 6 to force a Game 7.

"I could sense a competitive game, there's waves like I said," Shamet said. "Our job is not really to pay too much attention to that. We just got to focus on us and do what we can do. We know they're a hard team to guard, play fast. If we take care of what we have to take care of, hopefully we see results like tonight."

The Madison Square Garden crowd had waited all week for a spark. On Thursday night, they got a firestorm. With their season dangling by a thread, the New York Knicks delivered a wire-to-wire 111–94 beatdown of the Indiana Pacers in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals, keeping their playoff hopes alive and forcing a Game 6 in Indianapolis on Saturday.

Jalen Brunson scored 32 points and Karl-Anthony Towns added 24 points and 13 rebounds – despite a bruised left knee that had left his status uncertain until shortly before tipoff – as the Knicks trimmed the Pacers’ lead to 3–2 in the best-of-seven-games series and gave their home fans something to believe in.

Related: Anthony Edwards is 23, far from a failure – and not the next LeBron just yet

“It was do or die,” Towns said. “Nothing was going to stop me from playing this game.”

Brunson, held in check during a blowout loss in Game 4, bounced back in familiar fashion. He dropped 14 points in the first quarter alone, finishing 12-of-18 from the field and adding four assists in his 21st career playoff game with 30 or more points, extending a Knicks franchise record he set last week.

“We were just able to get stops early and we would convert,” Brunson said. “We just found a way.”

New York never trailed, flipping the script after a week of frustration that had included two home losses, one unprecedented collapse and a series deficit that left them staring down elimination. But the Game 5 version of the Knicks looked far more like the team that had been among the class of the East all year: tough, urgent, together.

The defense set the tone early. After surrendering 43 points in the first quarter of Game 4, the Knicks gave up just 23 in the opening frame Thursday and held Indiana to 45 at the intermission. Tyrese Haliburton, the Pacers’ star playmaker who had posted a 30-point triple-double two nights earlier, was held to just eight points on 2-of-7 shooting with six assists.

“He didn’t get the same looks,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. “Give their defense credit. They had a lot to do with that.”

Indiana’s other weapons couldn’t make up the difference. Bennedict Mathurin led the team with 23 points off the bench, but the Pacers as a whole struggled to find their rhythm. Game 2 hero Pascal Siakam had 15. Obi Toppin added 11. As a team, they shot just 40.5% from the field and coughed up 19 turnovers.

“We didn’t play with the level of force that we needed to,” Carlisle said. “To start the game, we didn’t have the right level of attitude necessary in this environment. It was a bad start.”

It was also the first time in these playoffs Indiana, who came in with a six-game road win streak, had been held under 100 points. After taking a 3-1 series lead on Tuesday’s behind Haliburton’s latest masterclass, the Pacers had looked like a team on the cusp of their second ever NBA finals appearance. But on Thursday, they looked rattled from the jump and New York took complete advantage.

Brunson keyed a 23–13 start in the first quarter, and when the Pacers briefly cut the deficit to four, the Knicks responded with a 14–2 second-quarter run to stretch their lead to 48–34. Towns, who scored 12 points in the period, helped New York take a 56–45 lead into half-time.

In the third, the Knicks poured it on. Brunson scored their first eight points of the quarter to build a 20-point cushion. Though Indiana briefly clawed back to within 10, a 12–0 New York run – capped by a Brunson four-point play and a Miles McBride jumper – restored order. By the time the fourth quarter began, the Knicks were up 90–73.

From there, the Garden crowd could begin to dream in full throat. Fans chanted “Knicks in seven! Knicks in seven!” as the home team closed the show, leading by as many as 20 and never letting Indiana seriously threaten down the stretch.

Josh Hart finished with 12 points and 10 rebounds. OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges added 11 and 12 points respectively. More than just scoring, though, it was the Knicks’ collective urgency and defensive cohesion that defined Game 5.

“We played to our standards,” Brunson said. “That’s what it’s going to take.”

With Thursday’s win, the Knicks extended their first trip to the conference finals since 2000 and moved one step closer to history. Only 13 teams in NBA history have overturned a 3–1 series deficit, with none having done it in a conference finals after losing the first two games at home.

Game 6 will be played Saturday night at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, where the Pacers will have another chance to clinch their first NBA finals berth since 2000, when they bowed to the Los Angeles Lakers in six games. But if the Knicks can replicate Thursday’s effort, they will bring it back to the Garden for a winner-take-all Game 7 that few would have imagined just days ago.

The Knicks led from start to finish and by as many as 22 points, fighting off elimination in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Finals with a 111-94 win over the Indiana Pacers on Thursday night.

Here are the takeaways...

-- Jalen Brunson set the tone early in the first quarter, making two quick buckets and finding Mitchell Robinson for an alley-oop jam. Karl-Anthony Towns (knee contusion), who was listed as questionable, missed his first couple of shots but hit a three-pointer and scored inside to ignite the Knicks. Brunson then made back-to-back three-pointers, giving him 12 points already, as the Knicks took a 23-12 lead with 4:23 left in the first quarter.

Indiana closed the quarter on a 10-2 run as New York held onto a 27-23 lead. Brunson had 14 points on an efficient 6-for-9 shooting, while Tyrese Haliburton had just two points (0-for-2 shooting) and the Pacers shot 36.8 percent (7-for-19) as a team. The Knicks won the turnover battle (one to the Pacers' three), but were outrebounded 12-10.

-- With Brunson on the bench, Towns opened the second quarter aggressively with a floater followed by an and-one layup. Despite hobbling, Towns grabbed the team's first offensive rebound, scored again, and then found an open Miles McBride for three on the next possession to go up 37-32. Towns and the Knicks grew the lead to 50-36 with contributions from Landry Shamet and Josh Hart. But the Pacers didn't fold, as Jarace Walker and Benedict Mathurin both hit three-pointers to cut the deficit to single-digits before the half.

New York outscored Indiana by seven points in the second quarter, taking a 56-45 lead into halftime. Towns had 17 points and 10 rebounds at the break (+17 in 19 minutes), while Brunson was held scoreless in the second quarter. Haliburton didn't make a basket, scoring just four points on foul shots. New York took a commanding 25-18 lead in the rebound column, but turned it over six times in the second quarter.

-- Brunson came out of the locker room firing with the team's first eight points of the third quarter and Robinson secured an offensive rebound plus the putback to go up 16 points. Towns and OG Anunoby extended the lead to 72-52, their biggest lead of the series. However, turnovers continued to be a problem for NY and then Towns picked up his fourth foul with 6:24 left in the third quarter, forcing him to the bench.

-- Down 74-62 with about four minutes remaining in the third, Rick Carlisle opted for the "Hack-a-Shaq" strategy on Robinson, who missed both free throws. Tom Thibodeau didn't let Indiana keep that up, subbing in Precious Achiuwa for Robinson with Towns in foul trouble. Looking to stop the Pacers' mini-run, Brunson drilled a pull-up three-pointer, plus the foul on former Knick Obi Toppin, to give him 16 points in the third quarter alone and 30 total for the game. Achiuwa's layup and McBride's jumper capped off a 12-0 NY run and pushed the lead to 86-64.

Mikal Bridges nailed a mid-range jump shot with 1.1 seconds left in the third to give the Knicks a 90-73 lead heading into the fourth quarter. New York won the third quarter, 34-28. Halliburton's quiet night continued with just one basket in the third quarter.

-- T.J. McConnell, Pascal Siakam and Walker tried to step up with Halliburton on the bench, helping the Pacers go on a 9-0 run early in the final frame and cut into the Knicks' lead. Brunson and Towns had enough left in the tank to keep it going, as the duo both scored to go up 106-90 and become the first pair of teammates since the Los Angeles Lakers' Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal in 2002 to each have 20+ points in the first five games of a conference finals.

The benches emptied for the final minute and a half, as New York held on for the 111-94 win and forced a Game 6. The Knicks held the Pacers to under 100 points, which is the first time Indiana has been held under the century mark in these playoffs.

-- Towns finished a game-high +26 with 24 points on 50 percent shooting, 13 rebounds, and three assists. Bridges had 12 points, Anunoby had 11, and Josh Hart had 12 points off the bench. Halliburton was held to eight points on 2-for-7 shooting. The Knicks won the rebound (45-40) and turnover battles (15 to the Pacers' 19). Indiana shot just 40.5 percent from the field, while New York went 49.4 percent shooting.

Game MVP: Jalen Brunson

The star guard stepped up in the must-win contest, doing all he could to keep the Knicks' season alive. He finished with 32 points on 12-for-18 shooting with five rebounds and five assists.

Highlights

ALLEY-OOP TO ROBINSON!

(via @nyknicks) pic.twitter.com/L58ml9QVxV

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) May 30, 2025

"WHOA!"

JALEN BRUNSON AGAIN! pic.twitter.com/isMMGyXwQS

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) May 30, 2025

KAT and-one 💪 pic.twitter.com/rGnAtkahuP

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) May 30, 2025

SHAM-WOW.

LANDRY SHAMET FROM DEEP! pic.twitter.com/jWvJtmZCOI

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) May 30, 2025

KAT TO THE HOOP pic.twitter.com/cmeJLuJCdS

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) May 30, 2025

MITCHELL ROBINSON ON THE GLASS 💪 pic.twitter.com/74kWVmdosG

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) May 30, 2025

BRUNSON BURNER ♨️ pic.twitter.com/owzfseZDyS

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) May 30, 2025

BLOCKED BY ROBINSON! pic.twitter.com/yhvn6y6RFz

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) May 30, 2025

JALEN BRUNSON FOR THREE AND THE FOUL!!!!! pic.twitter.com/QMih1RnRil

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) May 30, 2025

PRECIOUS ACHIUWA AND-ONE! pic.twitter.com/A87XsexsmD

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) May 30, 2025

🗣 LANDRY SHAMET pic.twitter.com/LQ8p5B7AUn

— Knicks Videos (@sny_knicks) May 30, 2025

What's next

Game 6 in Indiana between the Knicks and Pacers will take place on Saturday, May 31 at 8:00 p.m.

Dominant: Thunder posting numbers never seen before on way to NBA Finals originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

The manner in which the Oklahoma City Thunder clinched their spot in the NBA Finals seemed fitting.

It was a blowout.

Those have been the story of the Thunder season.

There hasn’t been a team in NBA history with at least 12 wins by 30 points or more in a season — or with four such wins in a single postseason — until now. The Thunder are putting together one of the most dominant years in league history in terms of outscoring opponents. The most recent entry on that list: a 124-94 romp over Minnesota to clinch the Western Conference title, a score that probably could have been a lot worse if the Thunder were so inclined.

“This isn’t our goal,” Thunder guard, NBA MVP and West finals MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said. “We didn’t start the season like we want to win the West. We want to win the NBA championship. Now we are a step closer to our goal and we’re happy about that. But it’s still four more games to go win, four really hard games to go win and we have to be the best version of ourselves for four nights to reach the ultimate goal.”

A look inside the numbers paints a picture of how dominant this season has been for the Thunder:

They’re winning by 12.5 points per game

The biggest point differential per game in NBA history, including playoffs, was posted by the 1970-71 Milwaukee Bucks — who outscored teams by 12.6 points per game.

The Thunder are winning by 12.5 per game when counting the regular season and the playoffs (the NBA Cup championship game, by league rule, doesn’t figure into any official stats that are kept).

That’s the second-biggest rate in league history, for now.

They have beaten 28 of the 29 other NBA teams by double figures at least once this season. The only team to avoid that fate against the Thunder was Golden State, which actually outscored Oklahoma City by an average of 4.7 points per game in their head-to-head matchups.

“They embody everything it means to be a team,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. “And so, they deserve this. They deserve the opportunity that we have now. I couldn’t be happier for them because they invest so much in their own games, but they also invest so much in each other and in the team. And I just think it’s a really uncommon thing in professional basketball that they’ve built.”

The 30-point wins

There have been 13 games this season involving the Thunder that were decided by 30 points or more. They won 12 of them.

Minnesota absolutely throttled the Thunder in Game 3 of the West finals, winning by 42 points. It was a rare blip for Oklahoma City.

The Thunder have had a win by at least 30 points in every series — a 51-point win over Memphis in Round 1, wins by 43 and 32 points over Denver in Round 2, and now the 30-pointer that eliminated Minnesota in Round 3.

Oklahoma City’s eight 30-point wins in the regular season came against teams that all missed the playoffs; Toronto, Washington, Sacramento, Phoenix, New Orleans, Philadelphia, Charlotte and Utah. But to do it four times in the playoffs speaks to the ability the Thunder have to simply run away from quality opposition.

“They’re a really good team,” Minnesota star Anthony Edwards said. “Everyone here knows it. It’s no surprise to nobody here that this team is pretty good.”

80 wins

Oklahoma City is now at 80 wins this season, including playoffs. It’s the 15th time in NBA history that a team has won 80 in a season.

If the Thunder win the NBA title, they’ll finish with 84 wins — a total that only the 2015-16 Golden State Warriors (88), 1995-96 Chicago Bulls (87) and 1996-97 Bulls (84) have reached.

“Happy for the moment, but this isn’t our goal,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “This isn’t the end of the road. … One more series to try to go win.”

Legendary rocker and Indiana native John Mellencamp apologized Thursday "on behalf of most Hoosiers" for the "poor, poor sportsmanship" displayed during the Pacers' home win over the New York Knicks in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals two days earlier.

Although the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer did not call out any specific Indiana sports fan in the statement he posted to X hours before Game 5, Mellencamp seemed to have a particular person in mind — popular ESPN personality Pat McAfee.

"I was embarrassed when somebody, under whose direction I don't know, called out some of the people who had made the trip from New York to support their team — and in turn, support our team," the "Hurts So Good" singer wrote. "The audience booed these people. I'd say that was not Hoosier Hospitality. One could only say it's poor, poor sportsmanship."

Read more:Teddi Mellencamp and dad John get real about burial plans as she battles Stage 4 cancer

Hours after Mellencamp posted his statement, McAfee reposted it on X and identified himself as the one who instigated Pacers fans to behave in such a manner.

"I am 'somebody,'" McAfee wrote.

Mellencamp and McAfee were both on hand Tuesday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse as the Pacers defeated the Knicks 130-121 to take a 3-1 series lead. Addressing the crowd during a fourth-quarter timeout, McAfee called out celebrity Knicks fans Spike Lee, Ben Stiller and Timothée Chalamet — all of whom were in attendance that night — and encouraged Pacers fans to "send these sons of b— back to New York with their ears ringing!"

Stiller addressed the matter later that night on X, saying he assumed that McAfee was "playing around" and that all the fans he met at the arena were "awesome and incredibly cool."

Mellencamp, however, was not happy with the shenanigans.

Read more:Pat McAfee says ESPN didn't tell him to stop talking about Caitlin Clark. 'God' did

"I was not proud to be a Hoosier, and I've lived here my entire life," the singer once known as Johnny Cougar wrote. "On behalf of most Hoosiers, I would like to apologize for our poor behavior. I'm sure the Pacers had nothing to do with this smackdown."

Mellencamp's use of the "smackdown" appears to be a thinly veiled reference to McAfee, who is a color commentator and occasional wrestler for WWE. "Friday Night SmackDown" is one of the organization's signature TV shows.

It is unclear why Mellencamp opted to voice his displeasure so long after the incident occurred. Perhaps he plans to be in attendance Thursday night at Madison Square Garden as his Pacers attempt to seal their first trip to the NBA Finals since 2000.

One person who won't be there is McAfee, despite a friendly invite from Stiller.

Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

Ben Stiller has an incredible Hollywood resume as an actor, producer, director, and writer. But first and foremost, he’s a Knicks fan.

A staple at Madison Square Garden throughout the regular season and playoffs, Stiller has also been cheering on his Knicks on the road during the postseason, as he was in the building in Indiana for Game 4 against the Pacers, sitting next to fellow actor and diehard Knicks fan Timothée Chalamet.

Stiller and Chalamet have become quite the tandem when it comes to cheering on the Knicks, and Stiller explained on The Putback with Ian Begley, how he and Chalamet have formed a bond over their beloved team.

“We met each other over the years a few times and I’m a fan of his, he’s a great actor, always seemed like a nice guy,” Stiller said. “Saw him at some Knicks games and then we were at the Detroit series and were both looking to go to Detroit, so we decided to go together and got to know each other.

“Genuine Knicks fan through and through. New Yorker, New York kid, and has a true appreciation of the game and no trouble calling out the refs during a game, too.”

While sitting courtside in Indiana, Stiller and Chalamet, along with Spike Lee, were the subject of a WWE-style roasting by TV personality and former Indianapolis Colts punter Pat McAfee.

"We got some bigwigs from the big city in the building. Spike Lee is here. Ben Stiller is here. Timothée Chalamet is here. Let’s send these sons of bitches back to New York with their ears ringing," McAfee said to pump up the crowd during the fourth quarter of Game 4.

Stiller was able to get a good laugh out of it, though, saying on The Putback that Indiana had an ‘amazing, amazing atmosphere,’ and that McAfee should head to the Big Apple for Thursday night’s Game 5.

"I have to say, I was not familiar with his game. I did not know that was coming," Stiller said.

"I did know that Timothée has been on his show and I was like 'Oh, that’s your boy, that’s your guy,' so then when that happened I was a little bit like 'Whoa, okay.' But the WWE aspect, I get it. It’s just not the way it happens in New York.

"He should come to the Garden for Game 5. They’ll put him up on the screen and they’ll show him punting the ball, and everybody will give him a nice cheer. That’s how we do it in New York.

"But I get it. It was fun. I feel like he was just trying to get the crowd riled up. It was a little bit out of the blue… it just seems a little cartoonish, but then again it goes with the WWE."

Knicks fans can certainly expect to see Stiller and Chalamet on Thursday night at Game 5, as the Knicks look to stay alive and flip the momentum in the series, with Indiana up 3-1 in the best-of-seven set.

Any chance we’ll get to see the two actors mic’d up during the game?

"They don’t want to do that," Stiller said with a laugh. "I’m telling you."

You can watch Stiller's full appearance on The Putback by clicking here.

Report: Kuminga could return to Warriors due to financial restrictions originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Even though all signs thus far indicate Jonathan Kuminga likely will leave the Warriors this summer, the finances could make that tricky.

The Athletic’s Anthony Slater noted a few interesting wrinkles to the situation and why he believes the best possible outcome for all parties would be for Kuminga to remain in the Bay.

First, with Kuminga expected to earn at least a 20 percent raise as a restricted free agent, a new deal would put Golden State over the cap. But the incoming salary would only count as half of Kuminga’s outgoing salary, as noted by the “base year compensation” rule in the CBA.

So, as Slater notes, if Kuminga’s new deal starts at $30 million, which is what his next team would absorb it as, the Warriors would look at a $15 million incoming match.

As a restricted free agent, Kuminga could sign with Golden State or sign an offer sheet with a team with cap space. The Warriors would have the right to match.

A sign-and-trade is also a possibility. But as Slater pointed out, the base-year rule in addition to the first-apron cap “significantly limits” the number of realistic sign-and-trade opportunities for the Warriors.

“The Warriors’ front office, Kuminga’s representatives and the league are expected to explore all options into July,” Slater wrote. “But team sources have been hinting that, because of these market and financial restrictions, there’s a likely world where the most obvious and prudent path is for them to bring Kuminga back and figure the rest out later.”

After numerous DNPs-CD (Did Not Play, Coach’s Decision) to begin Golden State’s postseason run, Kuminga re-emerged into Steve Kerr’s rotation when Steph Curry went down with an injury and reminded the Warriors and the rest of the league of his talent and athleticism.

And that talent and athleticism might be on a one-way trip back to the Warriors.

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Celtics player spotlight: Will Neemias Queta fill void in frontcourt? originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Neemias Queta has been a good find for the Boston Celtics as an effective center off the bench.

After putting in the time to improve his skill set in the G League over the first three years of his career (51 total games in that span), he was a full-time NBA player during the 2024-25 season.

Even though Queta played more games and minutes this season than at any point in his pro career, he still was the third or fourth center on the roster most nights. A lot of that was due to the Celtics’ depth. On most other teams, Queta could have been a No. 2 big man.

Luckily for Queta, the upcoming season could see him take on the largest and most important role of his Celtics tenure.

As we continue our “Celtics Player Spotlight” series, let’s recap his 2024-25 season and analyze how he fits into Boston’s lineup for 2025-26:

2024-25 Season Recap

Queta brings great energy and hustle to the second unit. After playing in 28 games for the Celtics during the 2023-24 campaign, Queta saw action in a career-high 62 games and made six starts (zero in his first four seasons). He also appeared in four of Boston’s 11 playoff games.

He averaged 5.0 points, 3.8 rebounds and 0.7 blocks per game, while shooting 65 percent from the floor in an average of 13.9 minutes per game. He tallied seven or more rebounds in 17 games.

Queta does not stretch the floor as an outside shooter, but he does have a soft touch around the rim and enough size/length (7-foot, 250 pounds) to provide good interior defense.

Contract details

Queta just completed the first season of a three-year contract. He has a $2.35 million salary cap hit for the 2025-26 season, per Spotrac.

Potential roles for 2025-26

Scenario 1: If Luke Kornet signs elsewhere, Queta could step into his role

Veteran centers Luke Kornet and Al Horford are both unrestricted free agents this summer. Queta is more similar to Kornet than Horford because he’s more of a low-post scorer and can finish on lobs at the basket. Neither Queta nor Kornet shoot 3-pointers like Horford.

Kornet had a really good season, and it’s possible that he could receive a better contract offer from another team, especially given the Celtics’ second apron difficulties. If Kornet were to depart, Queta could step into that role and see his minutes increase to 18-20 per game.

One area where Kornet shined was on the offensive glass. His 2.6 offensive rebounds per game were at least one more than any other player on Boston’s roster this past season. If Queta did step into Kornet’s role, he would have to be active on the offensive glass and help give the Celtics more second-chance opportunities.

Scenario 2: Lack of frontcourt depth gives Queta more opportunities

If Kornet and/or Horford don’t return, and if Kristaps Porzingis misses more time due to injury next season, it’s possible that Queta could see a fairly significant increase in his role.

Frontcourt depth could be one of the Celtics’ biggest weak points next season. Not only could they lose one or more of their centers in the offseason, their No. 1 rebounder — Jayson Tatum — could miss most or all of next season as he recovers from Achilles surgery. Porzingis has played in 99 of a possible 164 regular season games since joining the C’s.

Queta should see an uptick in minutes in 2025-26 regardless of which offseason moves are made in the next few months.

Final thoughts

Queta is signed for two more seasons with a salary cap hit of less than $3 million per year. He has a very team-friendly contract, so it would benefit the Celtics tremendously if he could make a larger impact in a more important role next season.

He doesn’t have to score 10-plus points to be effective. Making his presence felt as a rebounder and a reliable interior defender would likely be good enough.