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Pressure defense, bench sparking runs, Pacers turn tables on Thunder, take Game 3 and 2-1 series lead

INDIANAPOLIS — For the first time these Finals, the Thunder looked shook.

Indiana brought the defensive pressure — like Oklahoma City has done to so many teams this season — and the result was Thunder players trying to do too much on their own and coughing up 19 turnovers. Indiana leaned into its depth, as the Thunder have done all season, and the result was Bennedict Mathurin scoring 27 and the bench as a whole scoring 49, including Obi Toppin doing this.

Indiana turned the tables on Oklahoma City and gave them a taste of what it was like to play themselves.

The result was a 116-107 Indiana win — its first Finals win in 25 years — in front of a raucous home crowd. The Pacers now have a 2-1 series lead, with Game 4 on Friday night in Indianapolis.

After a couple of rough games for the Pacers' bench, things turned back home.

The spark was T.J. McConnell, whose scrappy, hustle plays changed the dynamic in the second quarter. His steals ignited the crowd and a 15-4 Pacers run that put them in the lead for the first time in the game.

Indiana found its offensive groove thanks to the bench and scored 40 points in the second quarter on just 26 possessions. This from a team that scored 41 and 45 in the first halves of Games 1 and 2.

At the heart of the Pacers' bench play was Mathurin, who shot 9-of-12 on his way to those 27 points, including hitting a couple of 3-pointers on a night the Pacers as a whole struggled from beyond the arc (9-of-27).

In the face of the tempo and pressure, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was gassed in the fourth quarter and couldn't lead the Thunder to the win. The MVP finished with 24 points but on 9-of-20 shooting, with eight rebounds and just four assists. Jalen Williams led the Thunder with 26 points. The Thunder shot 10-of-22 from 3, keeping them within striking distance for much of the night.

However, what won the 68 games and got them to the Finals was their defense, and the Pacers torched that for a long stretch of Game 3. Indiana took better shots and capitalized on them, finishing with a 116 offensive rating (9.5 points higher than the Thunder allowed on average during the playoffs coming into the game).

For Oklahoma City, Game 4 on Friday becomes the season. If they go down 3-1 against a Pacers team that is rising to the moment like this, they will not climb out of that hole.

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Indiana bench shines as Pacers overtake Thunder late for 2-1 lead in NBA finals

Myles Turner of the Indiana Pacers blocks a shot attempt by Chet Holmgren of the Oklahoma City Thunder during the fourth quarter.Photograph: Dylan Buell/Getty Images

Leave it to Indiana’s bench to swing the biggest game of the season. With the starters fading and the game hanging in the balance, Bennedict Mathurin and TJ McConnell turned Gainbridge Fieldhouse into a madhouse, leading the Pacers past the Thunder 116–107 on Wednesday night to seize a 2–1 lead in the NBA finals.

Mathurin poured in 27 points off the bench and McConnell was all over the court – diving for loose balls, snatching steals, dishing dimes – as Indiana overwhelmed Oklahoma City with a 32–18 fourth quarter. The Pacers outscored the Thunder 49–18 in bench points and closed the game on a 22–8 run, flipping a five-point deficit into a win that puts them two victories from their first NBA title.

“We just had guys make plays after plays,” said Tyrese Haliburton. “Our bench was amazing.”

Schedule

Best-of-seven-games series. All times US eastern time (EDT). 

Thu 5 Jun Game 1: Pacers 111, Thunder 110

Sun 8 Jun Game 2: Thunder 123, Pacers 107

Wed 11 Jun Game 3: Pacers 116, Thunder 107

Fri 13 Jun Game 4: Thunder at Pacers, 8.30pm

Mon 16 Jun Game 5: Pacers at Thunder, 8.30pm

Thu 19 Jun Game 6: Thunder at Pacers, 8.30pm*

Sun 22 Jun Game 7: Pacers at Thunder, 8pm*

*-if necessary

How to watch

In the US, all games will air on ABC. Streaming options include ABC.com or the ABC app (with a participating TV provider login), as well as Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, fuboTV, DIRECTV STREAM, and Sling TV (via ESPN3 for ABC games). NBA League Pass offers replays, but live finals games are subject to blackout restrictions in the US.

In the UK, the games will be available on TNT Sports and Discovery+. As for streaming, NBA League Pass will provide live and on-demand access to all Finals games without blackout restrictions.

In Australia, the games will broadcast live on ESPN Australia. Kayo Sports and Foxtel Now will stream the games live, while NBA League Pass will offer live and on-demand access without blackout restrictions.

Haliburton finished with 22 points, 11 assists and nine rebounds. Pascal Siakam added 21 points and the basket that all but sealed it: a smooth drive to the rim with 1:09 left to stretch Indiana’s lead to 112–104.

The Thunder, who had taken an 89–84 lead into the fourth quarter, were outplayed and out-executed down the stretch. They shot just 35.3% in the final period, went 0-for-4 from three-point range and committed five turnovers. Jalen Williams led Oklahoma City with 26 points, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander added 24 more and Chet Holmgren had 20 points and 10 rebounds, but went 0-for-6 from deep.

Indiana’s bench provided the burst. McConnell tied the game at 95 early in the fourth by intercepting Alex Caruso’s inbounds pass under the basket and flipping in a layup. On the next trip, he fed Mathurin for a corner three to give Indiana the lead.

After a brief rest, Haliburton re-entered, took a handoff at the top of the key and drilled his fourth triple of the night to make it 101–98 with 6:42 left. Then came a barrage: Andrew Nembhard’s elbow jumper, Obi Toppin’s put-back dunk, Aaron Nesmith’s skip-pass three,and another Mathurin floater. The Pacers had turned a track meet into a runaway.

Thanks to Mathurin’s scoring and McConnell’s defensive activity – he finished with 10 points, five assists and five steals – Indiana controlled the tempo and outworked Oklahoma City in the moments that mattered most.

“So many different guys chipped in,” Haliburton said.

McConnell also made plays earlier in the fourth, hitting a running right-handed layup between two buckets from Mathurin to keep Indiana close at 93–91. When the Pacers finally broke through, they never gave the lead back.

Still, Oklahoma City had one last shot. With 2:35 remaining and Indiana up 110–102, Caruso stole a pass and darted into the open court. As he stepped into the paint, Nesmith met him with a hard two-handed foul that sent Caruso sprawling. Officials reviewed the play, but ultimately ruled it a common foul. Caruso made both free throws, and on the next play, Myles Turner lost the ball out of bounds.

But Turner quickly atoned, stuffing Holmgren twice at the rim on the ensuing possession. Indiana got another stop,and Siakam’s layup put the game away for good.

The win extended a remarkable trend: the Pacers are now 10–0 since mid-March in games following a loss.

Oklahoma City had used a late-third quarter burst, highlighted by a Williams step-back three and Holmgren’s and-one baseline dunk, to take their largest lead of the half. But they couldn’t keep Indiana’s bench contained in the Pacers’ first home NBA finals game since 2000.

Game 4 is Friday night in Indianapolis, where the Pacers can take a commanding 3–1 series lead. Historically, teams that win Game 3 of a tied NBA finals have gone on to win the title 80.5% of the time.

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Pacers beat Thunder in Game 3, take Finals lead with Bennedict Mathurin shining

Pacers beat Thunder in Game 3, take Finals lead with Bennedict Mathurin shining originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Bennedict Mathurin could become a cult hero.

The Indiana Pacers beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 116-107 at home in Game 3 Wednesday to take a 2-1 NBA Finals lead.

Mathurin, the No. 6 overall pick by Indiana in 2022, erupted for a game-high 27 points off the bench. He shot a scorching 9 of 12 from the field to go with 7 of 8 free throws. He added four rebounds, one assist and a block in just 22 minutes. He averaged 16.1 points on 45.8% shooting in the regular season.

Sometimes you need your non-stars to step up and swing a game in a playoff setting, and Indiana just got one from its own draft pick.

Indiana started both halves extremely slow, but blew out Oklahoma City in each of the second and fourth quarters to seize the advantage.

Tyrese Haliburton led Indiana’s starters with 22 points on 9 of 17 shooting to go with 11 assists and nine rebounds, one away from a triple double. He also logged two steals and a block. Pascal Siakam posted 21 points on 8 of 14 shooting, with T.J. McConnell’s 10 points off the bench rounding out the double-digit scorers.

Oklahoma City got better production out of their starters, but lacked enough bench scoring. Jalen Williams led the Thunder with 24 points on 9 of 18 shooting, while league MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 24 points on 9 of 20 shooting, eight rebounds, four assists and three blocks.

Chet Holmgren had a 20-point, 10-rebound double-double, but went 0-for-6 from deep that stunted OKC’s perimeter statistics. Alex Caruso played 32 minutes off the bench, adding eight points, five rebounds, four assists and two steals. Isaiah Joe played just four minutes and made both of his 3-point attempts.

The Thunder are now in a precarious situation down 2-1 in enemy territory. Should Indiana capitalize at home, Oklahoma City would be down 3-1, a deficit only 13 teams in league history have turned around.

Only one of those 3-1 deficits were turned around in the NBA Finals, which involved LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers beating Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors in 2016.

Game 4 is set for Friday in Indiana at 8:30 p.m. ET, 5:30 p.m. PT.

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Pacers beat Thunder in Game 3, take Finals lead with Bennedict Mathurin shining

Pacers beat Thunder in Game 3, take Finals lead with Bennedict Mathurin shining originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Bennedict Mathurin could become a cult hero.

The Indiana Pacers beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 116-107 at home in Game 3 Wednesday to take a 2-1 NBA Finals lead.

Mathurin, the No. 6 overall pick by Indiana in 2022, erupted for a game-high 27 points off the bench. He shot a scorching 9 of 12 from the field to go with 7 of 8 free throws. He added four rebounds, one assist and a block in just 22 minutes. He averaged 16.1 points on 45.8% shooting in the regular season.

Sometimes you need your non-stars to step up and swing a game in a playoff setting, and Indiana just got one from its own draft pick.

Indiana started both halves extremely slow, but blew out Oklahoma City in each of the second and fourth quarters to seize the advantage.

Tyrese Haliburton led Indiana’s starters with 22 points on 9 of 17 shooting to go with 11 assists and nine rebounds, one away from a triple double. He also logged two steals and a block. Pascal Siakam posted 21 points on 8 of 14 shooting, with T.J. McConnell’s 10 points off the bench rounding out the double-digit scorers.

Oklahoma City got better production out of their starters, but lacked enough bench scoring. Jalen Williams led the Thunder with 24 points on 9 of 18 shooting, while league MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 24 points on 9 of 20 shooting, eight rebounds, four assists and three blocks.

Chet Holmgren had a 20-point, 10-rebound double-double, but went 0-for-6 from deep that stunted OKC’s perimeter statistics. Alex Caruso played 32 minutes off the bench, adding eight points, five rebounds, four assists and two steals. Isaiah Joe played just four minutes and made both of his 3-point attempts.

The Thunder are now in a precarious situation down 2-1 in enemy territory. Should Indiana capitalize at home, Oklahoma City would be down 3-1, a deficit only 13 teams in league history have turned around.

Only one of those 3-1 deficits were turned around in the NBA Finals, which involved LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers beating Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors in 2016.

Game 4 is set for Friday in Indiana at 8:30 p.m. ET, 5:30 p.m. PT.

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Report: Suns, Kevin Durant's representatives sorting through multiple trade offers

With an increasing sense in league circles that Giannis Antetokounmpo will remain in Milwaukee, trade speculation is ramping up around the second biggest name on the market: Kevin Durant.

The Phoenix Suns and Durant's representation — led by KD's business partner Rich Kleiman — are sorting through offers, working together to find a trade that works for all involved, reports Shams Charania of ESPN.

Teams that have expressed interest in Durant, sources said, mainly feature the Houston Rockets, San Antonio Spurs, Miami Heat, Minnesota Timberwolves and New York Knicks. Several wild-card suitors have made inquiries on Durant in the past seven to 10 days, sources said...

Suns officials and Kleiman will continue to meet on trade conversations -- with talks expected to escalate before the NBA draft later this month.

Because Durant is entering the final year of his current contract ($54.7 million), he has some leverage in the situation. Teams are not going to give up the kind of haul Phoenix is seeking to rent Durant for a year. Whoever trades for Durant will likely sign him to an extension, one that is at or near the maximum of two years, $122 million.

The Suns reportedly are looking for depth and players who can help them retool quickly around Devin Booker, as well as draft capital. With the Suns over the second apron of the luxury tax, a third team (or more) is almost certainly involved in any Durant trade to make the numbers work under the more restrictive CBA.

Here's a closer look at the teams mentioned.

• San Antonio Spurs. Durant to the Spurs is the rumor with the most heat, there is a growing sense in some circles they are the front runners. The idea for the Spurs is that trading for Durant, pairing him with Victor Wembanyama and De'Aaron Fox, and having him as an example for about-to-be-drafted Dylan Harper, makes the Spurs a dangerous team next season in the West and helps build a culture for the future. Durant is not on the timeline of those other players, but the Spurs could view this as the best path to being a threat in the deep Western Conference next season. The trade would likely involve something like Devin Vassell or Keldon Johnson, Jeremy Sochan, Harrison Barnes and this year's No. 14 pick. There is zero chance the Spurs are giving up the No. 2 pick for KD.

• New York Knicks. It's unclear just how serious these talks are. While a Karl-Anthony Towns for Durant works as the core of a trade (and Devin Booker and KAT have Kentucky ties), it would take a third team coming in (because the Suns are over the second apron, so some money has to go elsewhere) and for a Suns team looking to add depth and draft picks, it's hard to see a path to a trade both teams would like. Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News reports the Knicks are out of the running.

• Houston Rockets. While Houston certainly put together a package of picks — they control the Suns' 2027 and 2029 first rounders — and young players that would interest Phoenix, reports from people around the Rockets from the start have said they have a limited interest in Durant because he does not match up with the timeline of the rest of their core (Amen Thompson, Alperen Sengun, Jalen Green, etc.). If the Rockets could get Durant on a steal of a deal it's one thing, but whether they would put together the best offer is another question. A trade could involve Green, this year's No. 10 pick and some other players, and it would require a third team to make the math work under the second apron.

• Minnesota Timberwolves. This is a team that has been to the Western Conference Finals for consecutive years and is looking for the player who can put them over the top. Durant might be that guy, and he is Anthony Edwards' idol. Maybe the biggest challenge is logistics, with both teams over the second apron, this trade would take at least three and likely four or more teams to make work. Reports out of Minnesota say Jaden McDaniels and Naz Ried are off the table in any trade for Durant, so it would likely be Julius Randle (unless the Suns have interest in Rudy Gobert), an assortment of less expensive players, this year's No. 25 pick and/or another first, and a whole lot of players and picks going to other teams.

Miami Heat: Durant to Miami is intriguing, but it's hard to see how this trade comes together. For it to work for Miami, it has to keep Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo, and they'd prefer not to give up Kel'El Ware (if I'm the Suns, I demand he is in the deal). Who else on the Heat roster would the Suns want? Andrew Wiggins, Nikola Jovic and some future firsts? Maybe Duncan Robinson. Again, it's just hard to see how this all comes together, but apparently the sides are talking.

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DeMarcus Cousins suspended for season, contract terminated after brawl with fans

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — Former NBA All-Star center DeMarcus Cousins was suspended for the rest of the season in Puerto Rico’s basketball league and his team terminated his contract after a brawl with fans during a game earlier this week.

The 34-year-old Cousins, who played for seven teams during his NBA career, made an obscene gesture, exchanged words and grabbed the arm of a fan sitting courtside Monday night before being taken away by his teammates.

Cousins received a second technical foul for his actions and was ejected. In the tunnel heading to the locker room, he argued with another fan while people in the stands threw liquids toward him.

Cousins received a $4,250 fine and could face an additional one of $5,750, the Baloncesto Superior Nacional league announced late Tuesday.

“As an organization, we strongly condemn any form of violence or provocation, whether on or off the field. Safety, respect, and sportsmanship are non-negotiable values for this franchise,” the Mets said in a news release.

It was Cousins’ second season playing in Puerto Rico. He was averaging 18.2 points per game with nine rebounds for a team that has a 9-18 record. In his previous stint with the Mets in the 2023 season, Cousins helped the team reach the semifinals.

In the NBA, Cousins averaged 19.6 points and 10.2 rebounds over 11 seasons. The four-time All-Star’s best season came with Sacramento in 2016-17, when he averaged 27.8 points.

After the NBA, besides his stop in Puerto Rico, Cousins also played in the Taiwan and Mongolia basketball leagues.

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Scal: ‘No way in hell' C's trade Derrick White this offseason

Scal: ‘No way in hell' C's trade Derrick White this offseason originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

Brad Stevens and the Boston Celtics will have to make some difficult decisions this offseason. Will trading Derrick White be one of them?

White has massive trade value entering a summer in which the C’s will look to shed salary and get under the second apron of the luxury tax. It would hurt to part ways with the beloved All-Defensive guard, but Boston could get a haul for him if it opts to undergo a full offseason reboot.

However, if you ask Celtics analyst Brian Scalabrine, C’s fans need not worry about a potential White trade. When Celtics insider Chris Forsberg pointed out that White was one of the team’s most valuable trade assets, Scalabrine emphatically shut down the discussion.

“You don’t have to ask that question. You know the answer,” Scalabrine said on NBC Sports Boston’s “Off C’season special. “Come on, Chris. I mean, we could pretend or anything like that. We’ve got other things to talk about.

“There’s no way in hell Derrick White is not on this team next year, the next five years. We just know. Come on.”

While there’s no guarantee White will be with the Celtics next season, Scalabrine’s strong statement illustrates just how shocking it would be to see him traded.

White has blossomed into an outstanding two-way player since the Celtics pried him from the San Antonio Spurs in 2022. He was a key contributor throughout Boston’s 2024 championship run, and last season he notched career-highs in points (16.4) and rebounds per game (4.5) while breaking the franchise’s single-season record for 3-pointers made.

Earlier in the episode, Yahoo Sports’ Kevin O’Connor mentioned that teams have already made offers for White and 2024 NBA Finals MVP Jaylen Brown. Boston would prefer not to trade either player, but it is at least listening to offers for anyone not named Jayson Tatum.

The Golden State Warriors have already reportedly expressed interest in trading for White, who has a $28.1 million salary for next season. Boston must shed roughly $20 million in salary to get under the second apron.

Watch the full “Off C’season” special with Scal, Forsberg, O’Connor, and Celtics broadcaster Drew Carter below or on YouTube:

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Pacers beat Thunder in Game 3, take Finals lead with Bennedict Mathurin shining

Pacers beat Thunder in Game 3, take Finals lead with Bennedict Mathurin shining originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Bennedict Mathurin could become a cult hero.

The Indiana Pacers beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 116-107 at home in Game 3 Wednesday to take a 2-1 NBA Finals lead.

Mathurin, the No. 6 overall pick by Indiana in 2022, erupted for a game-high 27 points off the bench. He shot a scorching 9 of 12 from the field to go with 7 of 8 free throws. He added four rebounds, one assist and a block in just 22 minutes. He averaged 16.1 points on 45.8% shooting in the regular season.

Sometimes you need your non-stars to step up and swing a game in a playoff setting, and Indiana just got one from its own draft pick.

Indiana started both halves extremely slow, but blew out Oklahoma City in each of the second and fourth quarters to seize the advantage.

Tyrese Haliburton led Indiana’s starters with 22 points on 9 of 17 shooting to go with 11 assists and nine rebounds, one away from a triple double. He also logged two steals and a block. Pascal Siakam posted 21 points on 8 of 14 shooting, with T.J. McConnell’s 10 points off the bench rounding out the double-digit scorers.

Oklahoma City got better production out of their starters, but lacked enough bench scoring. Jalen Williams led the Thunder with 24 points on 9 of 18 shooting, while league MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 24 points on 9 of 20 shooting, eight rebounds, four assists and three blocks.

Chet Holmgren had a 20-point, 10-rebound double-double, but went 0-for-6 from deep that stunted OKC’s perimeter statistics. Alex Caruso played 32 minutes off the bench, adding eight points, five rebounds, four assists and two steals. Isaiah Joe played just four minutes and made both of his 3-point attempts.

The Thunder are now in a precarious situation down 2-1 in enemy territory. Should Indiana capitalize at home, Oklahoma City would be down 3-1, a deficit only 13 teams in league history have turned around.

Only one of those 3-1 deficits were turned around in the NBA Finals, which involved LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers beating Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors in 2016.

Game 4 is set for Friday in Indiana at 8:30 p.m. ET, 5:30 p.m. PT.

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Knicks in no rush, casting wide net in head coaching search

A few notes on the Knicks as they continue their coaching search...

It’s obvious to say at this point, but the Knicks clearly didn’t have a shoo-in replacement in mind when they fired Tom Thibodeau.

They’ve been denied permission by at least five teams to speak with their current head coaches (ATL, CHI, MIN, HOU, DAL).

These requests for permission get leaked out because of the formal nature of the process. It gives off the impression that Leon Rose & Co. are flying blind on this coaching search. But league sources familiar with the Knicks' thinking push back against that narrative. When the Knicks request permission to speak to Jason Kidd, Chris Finch, Ime Udoka and others, they are doing their due diligence. Making sure they know exactly who is – and isn’t – available to them.

This approach makes sense, given the circumstances.

There is no head coach in waiting for New York. So the Knicks need to know as much about the landscape as they continue their search.

New York’s search will include NBA head coaches who are currently unemployed and current assistant coaches.

WHAT ABOUT JOHNNIE?

As noted last week, the timing of the Thibodeau firing was not tied in any way to the Suns' decision on Johnnie Bryant, a former Knicks associate head coach. Bryant was a finalist for the Suns' job, though they ended up hiring former Cleveland assistant Jordan Ott. I don’t believe that Bryant – at the moment – is at the top of the Knicks’ list of candidates – if such a list exists. This is not a reflection of Bryant, but more so the idea that the Knicks prefer a coach with experience.

CLASSY MESSAGE FROM THIBODEAU

Thibodeau took out a full-page ad in the New York Times to thank his coaches, players and fans for their effort and support during his Knicks tenure.

“To the fans, thank you for believing in me and embracing me from day one. Watching you support our team, and seeing the Garden ignite with that incomparable Knicks energy, is something I will never forget,” Thibodeau wrote.

Thibodeau did not mention the Knicks' front office or owner James Dolan in the statement. Maybe the omission was intentional, maybe it wasn’t. Only Thibodeau knows the truth there.

For what it’s worth, people in touch with Thibodeau in the aftermath of the firing described him as surprised by the move and disappointed by the decision. (Attempts to reach Thibodeau for comment were unsuccessful). Those reactions are understandable when you lead a team to its best season in 25 years. Whoever the Knicks hire next, that coach will be judged against Thibodeau’s success. Not an easy bar to reach.

Under Thibodeau, the Knicks won 50-plus games in consecutive seasons for the first time since 1993-94 and 1994-95. They made the playoffs in four of Thibodeau’s five seasons. They also won at least one playoff series in three consecutive seasons. From 2000-01 to 2019-20, the Knicks had won just one playoff series in total. It bears repeating: if the Knicks and their next head coach win the title, Thibodeau should be among the group of players/coaches/execs who never have to pay for a meal in New York again.

The why behind the Thibodeau firing has been covered here and elsewhere. We may never know the specific reasons for the firing. But we know that player input played a role in the final decision. I don’t know what players referenced when they talked to Rose, Dolan and whoever else was in the room about Thibodeau’s shortcomings.

I do know a couple of things that players were surprised about over the course of Thibodeau’s tenure:

The Knicks didn’t have full scrimmages during an entire training camp one season, which is uncommon. The players found it odd that they didn’t scrimmage during the camp; Thibodeau’s Knicks didn’t scrimmage often in season, which is more common in the NBA. But the lack of scrimmaging hindered the players’ ability to develop cohesion, they’ve said.

Players were also surprised that they didn’t work on specific end-game situations during the season, which is something that most teams do. They found it strange that the coaching staff didn’t go over those situations during practice.

Are these reasons to fire Thibodeau? Probably not. But the players involved questioned the approach. Again, I don’t know if these critiques were raised during the meetings with Dolan, Rose and whoever else was in the room.

WHAT ABOUT THE NEXT STAFF?

I assume the next Knicks coach will have the freedom to bring in his own staff. The coach will presumably be able to choose whether to keep current Knicks assistants or let them go. There has been plenty of speculation about assistant Rick Brunson’s past/current/future role with the Knicks. (I think the idea that Rick Brunson has some massive influence over what happens with the Knicks is overblown.)

As noted above, I think it’s fair to assume the next coach will be able to decide independently whether they want to keep Brunson, Mo Cheeks, Mark Bryant, Darren Ermann and others on the staff.

Just my opinion, but I think if that coach is smart, he keeps Rick Brunson on his bench because firing Rick Brunson would probably anger Jalen. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. The Knicks have to figure out who that next head coach is first. I don’t think they are in a rush to make a hire and I’d expect them to spend some more days gauging the landscape/figuring out their options.

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Watch Jonathan Kuminga put in work ahead of restricted NBA free agency

Watch Jonathan Kuminga put in work ahead of restricted NBA free agency originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The NBA offseason is underway for most players, but that doesn’t mean they’re taking days off.

Warriors forward — and pending restricted free agent — Jonathan Kuminga is staying in the lab, as evidenced by a video posted to X.

Kuminga followed his breakout 2023-24 NBA season with another solid campaign in 2024-25 as he averaged 15.3 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 24.3 minutes per game.

The season wasn’t always so smooth, however, as Kuminga dealt with an ankle injury that kept him out of games from early January until the middle of March; he played just 47 games during the regular season.

Kuminga also had to deal with a separate battle: falling out of coach Steve Kerr’s rotation.

The Congolese athlete played in just three games in the Warriors’ seven-game first-round NBA playoff series against the Houston Rockets — two games were by coach’s decision while the other two were due to illness.

In the second round, however, Kuminga sprang into action after injuries to Warriors stars Jimmy Butler and Steph Curry.

A banged-up Butler played the entire series, while Curry missed all but one game against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the Western Conference semifinals. Kuminga made the most out of the playing time as he went from 16 minutes per game in the first round to 27 minutes in the second.

The 22-year-old averaged 24.3 points per game in the final four games of that series, proving he still can produce when given the opportunity. 

With NBA free agency around the corner — June 30 is the date where teams can begin negotiating with all players — Kuminga’s future with the Warriors is uncertain, but he’s in the gym and that’s a good sign for whatever team he ends up playing for.

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Celtics' Jaylen Brown undergoes meniscus surgery, expected to be ready for start of season

Jaylen Brown played through the postseason with a partially torn meniscus. This week, he underwent surgery to clean it up, and he is expected to make a full recovery and be ready for training camp, the Celtics announced.

While Brown's playoff counting stats were close to the previous season when he was Eastern Conference Finals and NBA Finals MVP — 22.3 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 3.7 assists a game — his efficiency was down, and he lacked the same explosiveness. Injury or no, Brown gutted it out and stepped up with 26 points and 12 assists in Boston's Game 5 win against New York, and he played well in the Game 6 elimination as well.

Brown had been dealing with the injury since March, when he missed six games over a 13-game span due to a "right knee posterior impingement." In early April, he told NBC Sports Boston he was playing through pain.

"I've had to come to grips that every night I'm not gonna feel my normal self," Brown said at the time, "but that doesn't mean I still can't make plays and things like that. So, it's just something that we are working through."

Brown's name has come up in trade speculation, if Boston's new ownership and management want to make a dramatic move to reduce costs (and there would be plenty of interest in his services, the surgery would not change that). However, it's far more likely that Brown and his cleaned-up knee will be in the Boston Celtics training camp this fall.

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Chris Pollard hired as Virginia’s baseball coach after 13 seasons at Duke

Chris Pollard has been hired as Virginia's baseball coach after spending the past 13 seasons at Atlantic Coast Conference rival Duke. Virginia athletic director Carla Williams on Tuesday announced the successor to Brian O'Connor, who left June 1 to take the job at Mississippi State. Pollard was 420-296 and led the Blue Devils to seven NCAA regionals, four super regionals and two ACC Tournament championships.