Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was once again the best player on court.Photograph: Manuela Soldi/EPA
The Oklahoma City Thunder blew Game 1 of the NBA finals after holding a significant lead over the Indiana Pacers. In Game 2, they made sure there was no repeat, utterly dominating their opponents in a 123-107 victory that leveled the series at 1-1.
In Game 1, the Thunder had a 12-point lead at half-time and a 15-point lead in the fourth quarter before losing to the Pacers courtesy of a Tyrese Haliburton basket in the final second. On Sunday night, they took control of the game early on, but this time they didn’t let their advantage go.
“A lot of it comes down to just not panicking,” said Thunder’s Jalen Williams of his team’s ability to come back from their defeat in Game 1. “We always talk about winning the days in between [games] so just going back and looking at the film, and realizing not everything is as bad or as good as it seems in the moment.”
The result was perhaps not a surprise: the Thunder were 17-2 coming off a loss this season and are yet to lose back-to-back games in this season’s playoffs. And both teams would have recognized that Oklahoma City controlled most of Game 1, only to falter late under a surge led by Haliburton. In Game 2, however, the Thunder executed a far more complete performance, asserting control across all phases. Their aggressive defensive rotations disrupted Indiana’s rhythm, preventing the kind of scoring runs that had enabled the Pacers’ comeback in the opener.
“[Our defense] is where it starts,” said Thunder’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander after the game. “They’re a high powered offense and if you don’t get stops, you end up running all night and they can beat you that way.”
For the second game in a row, Gilgeous-Alexander was the game’s top scorer, with 34 points, but the reigning NBA MVP also had excellent support off the bench, notably from Alex Caruso and and Aaron Wiggins, who scored 20 and 18 points respectively.
Haliburton was the Pacers’ top-scorer with 17 points. That means no Indiana player has passed 20 points in a game this series, a tribute to the Thunder’s defense as much as any failings on the part of the Pacers.
“A bad first half, obviously, was a big problem,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. “And we just played poorly. A little better in the second half. But you can’t be a team that’s reactive and expect to be successful or have consistency.”
The best-of-seven series heads to Indiana for Game 3 on Wednesday night.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 34 points, Alex Caruso added 20 off the bench and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Indiana Pacers 123-107 on Sunday night to tie the NBA Finals at one game apiece.
Jalen Williams scored 19, Aaron Wiggins had 18 and Chet Holmgren finished with 15 for the Thunder. It was the franchise’s first finals game win since the opener of the 2012 series against Miami.
Tyrese Haliburton scored 17 for Indiana, which erased a 15-point, fourth-quarter deficit in Game 1 but never made a push on Sunday. Myles Turner scored 16 and Pascal Siakam added 15 for the Pacers, the first team since Miami in 2013 to not have a 20-point scorer in the first two games of the finals.
Game 3 is Wednesday at Indianapolis, in what will be the first finals game in that city in 25 years.
Gilgeous-Alexander’s first basket of the night was a history-maker: It gave him 3,000 points on the season, including the regular season and playoffs. And later in Game 2, he passed New York’s Jalen Brunson (514) as the leading overall scorer in these playoffs.
But the real milestone for the MVP came a couple hours later, when he and most everybody else on the Thunder got a finals win for the first time.
A 19-2 run in the second quarter turned what was a six-point game into a 23-point Thunder lead. It might have seemed wobbly a couple of times — an immediate 10-0 rebuttal by the Pacers made it 52-39, and Indiana was within 13 again after Andrew Nembhard’s layup with 7:09 left in the third — but the Thunder lead was never in serious doubt.
With the noise level in the building often topping 100 decibels — a chainsaw is 110 dB, for comparison purposes — the Thunder did what they’ve done pretty much all season. They came off a loss, this time a 111-110 defeat in Game 1, and blew somebody out as their response.
Including the NBA Cup title game, which doesn’t count in any standings, the Thunder are now 18-2 this season when coming off a loss. Of those 18 wins, 12 have been by double digits.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 34 points, Alex Caruso added 20 off the bench and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Indiana Pacers 123-107 on Sunday night to tie the NBA Finals at one game apiece.
Jalen Williams scored 19, Aaron Wiggins had 18 and Chet Holmgren finished with 15 for the Thunder. It was the franchise’s first finals game win since the opener of the 2012 series against Miami.
Tyrese Haliburton scored 17 for Indiana, which erased a 15-point, fourth-quarter deficit in Game 1 but never made a push on Sunday. Myles Turner scored 16 and Pascal Siakam added 15 for the Pacers, the first team since Miami in 2013 to not have a 20-point scorer in the first two games of the finals.
Game 3 is Wednesday at Indianapolis, in what will be the first finals game in that city in 25 years.
Gilgeous-Alexander’s first basket of the night was a history-maker: It gave him 3,000 points on the season, including the regular season and playoffs. And later in Game 2, he passed New York’s Jalen Brunson (514) as the leading overall scorer in these playoffs.
But the real milestone for the MVP came a couple hours later, when he and most everybody else on the Thunder got a finals win for the first time.
A 19-2 run in the second quarter turned what was a six-point game into a 23-point Thunder lead. It might have seemed wobbly a couple of times — an immediate 10-0 rebuttal by the Pacers made it 52-39, and Indiana was within 13 again after Andrew Nembhard’s layup with 7:09 left in the third — but the Thunder lead was never in serious doubt.
With the noise level in the building often topping 100 decibels — a chainsaw is 110 dB, for comparison purposes — the Thunder did what they’ve done pretty much all season. They came off a loss, this time a 111-110 defeat in Game 1, and blew somebody out as their response.
Including the NBA Cup title game, which doesn’t count in any standings, the Thunder are now 18-2 this season when coming off a loss. Of those 18 wins, 12 have been by double digits.
Hall of Fame coach Don Nelson picked up another accolade on Sunday, being honored with the 2025 Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award, handed out by the National Basketball Coaches Association (NBCA).
Nelson, who retired from coaching in 2010 (after coaching Stephen Curry in his rookie season), is the only coach to have at least 250 wins with three different franchises. Nelson is second all time in wins as a coach (1,335) and games coached (2,398).
"History has already reflected Don Nelson's staggering contributions as a cutting-edge innovator and visionary of the NBA game," said Indiana Pacers Head Coach and NBCA President Rick Carlisle. "Back in the '80s and '90s, he made teams adjust to historic pace, liberal 3-point shooting, inverted offense, and disruptive defensive schemes. All this while establishing himself as one of the most compelling personalities in all of professional sports. I'm certain that Chuck Daly would agree that our beloved 'Nellie' is most deserving of this prestigious recognition."
"I'm extremely grateful and humbled to receive this incredible honor and join the exclusive list of coaches who have preceded me," said Nelson. "Chuck Daly was a dear friend of mine and someone I respected immensely due to his class, character, and of course, his coaching ability. He may not have influenced my wardrobe, but Chuck certainly had a lasting impact on my coaching philosophy, style, and most importantly, how I managed the personalities on a roster...
"To say that I'm deeply touched to receive an award that bears his name would be an understatement. This is special."
Nelson was a five-time NBA champion as a player with the Bill Russell-era Boston Celtics who went on to coach for 31 seasons with the Bucks, Warriors, Knicks and Mavericks. He was also the coach of the USA Basketball gold medal team at the 1994 World Championships. He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2012.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 34 points, Alex Caruso added 20 off the bench and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Indiana Pacers 123-107 on Sunday night to tie the NBA Finals at one game apiece.
Jalen Williams scored 19, Aaron Wiggins had 18 and Chet Holmgren finished with 15 for the Thunder. It was the franchise’s first finals game win since the opener of the 2012 series against Miami.
Tyrese Haliburton scored 17 for Indiana, which erased a 15-point, fourth-quarter deficit in Game 1 but never made a push on Sunday. Myles Turner scored 16 and Pascal Siakam added 15 for the Pacers, the first team since Miami in 2013 to not have a 20-point scorer in the first two games of the finals.
Game 3 is Wednesday at Indianapolis, in what will be the first finals game in that city in 25 years.
Gilgeous-Alexander’s first basket of the night was a history-maker: It gave him 3,000 points on the season, including the regular season and playoffs. And later in Game 2, he passed New York’s Jalen Brunson (514) as the leading overall scorer in these playoffs.
But the real milestone for the MVP came a couple hours later, when he and most everybody else on the Thunder got a finals win for the first time.
A 19-2 run in the second quarter turned what was a six-point game into a 23-point Thunder lead. It might have seemed wobbly a couple of times — an immediate 10-0 rebuttal by the Pacers made it 52-39, and Indiana was within 13 again after Andrew Nembhard’s layup with 7:09 left in the third — but the Thunder lead was never in serious doubt.
With the noise level in the building often topping 100 decibels — a chainsaw is 110 dB, for comparison purposes — the Thunder did what they’ve done pretty much all season. They came off a loss, this time a 111-110 defeat in Game 1, and blew somebody out as their response.
Including the NBA Cup title game, which doesn’t count in any standings, the Thunder are now 18-2 this season when coming off a loss. Of those 18 wins, 12 have been by double digits.
OKLAHOMA CITY — In March, the NBA and international basketball governing body FIBA announced a joint "exploration of a new professional men's basketball league in Europe."
That's still moving forward, just don't expect it to happen quickly, Adam Silver told reporters at an NBA Cares event at a refurbished Boys & Girls Club in Oklahoma City on Friday, via Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press.
"I will say it's measured in years, not months," Silver said. "So, we're at least a couple years away from launching. It would be an enormous undertaking. And while we want to move forward at a deliberate pace, we also want to make sure that we're consulting with all the appropriate stakeholders, meaning the existing league, its teams, European players, media companies, marketing partners. There's a lot of work to be done."
Silver told reporters that the NBA is in talks with the existing EuroLeague (the basketball equivalent of the soccer Champions League, featuring the top clubs on the continent) about a partnership at some level. However, what that might look like (or if it would even work) is up for debate. The NBA's initial target was a 16-team league, something Silver previously said would be "integrated into the current European basketball landscape," which means teams would continue competing in their respective national leagues. There would be permanent members in the NBA Europe league (existing clubs and possibly some new ones) as well as a chance for teams to be promoted into it each year.
Speaking at the NBA Paris games in January, Silver said the goal was to "professionalize the game to another level here, to create a larger commercial opportunity" — to make more money, both for European teams, but also to expand the NBA brand (and with that make the American owners more money). Silver discussed the European league in terms of NBA expansion when speaking with the media before Game 1 of the Finals.
"We have been discussing potentially creating a league in Europe. I view that as a form of expansion as well," Silver said. "Again, just as the same as in American cities, we think there's an opportunity to serve fans in Europe. No knock on European basketball, because most of those international MVPs I just talked about are coming from Europe. There's really high-level basketball being played there. But we think there is an opportunity to better serve fans there. I view that as a form of expansion as well, and that's something we're also thinking hard about."
There are numerous stakeholders, and a lot of mouths to feed; putting together this new league is a massive challenge. The NBA owners will discuss next steps when they meet in July, Silver said. Whatever those next steps are, this is a process that will take years, not months.
OKLAHOMA CITY — Tune into a December NBA Cup game, and you instantly know it's an NBA Cup game by looking at the specially designed court (teams also wear special uniforms for those games). There are clear visual designations this is something special.
Tune into Game 1 of the NBA Finals and the court looked like the one the Oklahoma City Thunder would use for a random Tuesday night game in January. There was no Larry O'Brien trophy logo on the court, no NBA Finals logo on the court, just the usual Paycom logo.
NBA Twitter took notice and it became a discussion point during Game 1. The court looked plain. While it has been that way for a few years, people are now discussing it, and NBA Commissioner Adam Silver suggested that the Larry O'Brien Trophy logo, or something similar, will return to the court next season. Quote via Sam Amick at The Athletic.
"To be honest, I hadn't thought all that much about it until I (saw) it (on social media). I'm nostalgic, as well, for certain things. And also, I think for a media-driven culture, whether it's people watching live or seeing those images on social media, it's nice when you're looking back on highlights and they stand out because you see that trophy logo or some other indication that it's a special event. So, we'll look at it."
There hasn't been a large Larry O'Brien logo on the court since 2014, primarily due to player safety concerns — the decal logos placed on top of the court were slippery. With the NBA Cup and plenty of lead time, specially-designed courts are made with all the paint and logos under a thin polyurethane coating, just like every other NBA court. However, for the Finals — where the participants are not locked in until about a week before the games start (often less) — there isn't time for that, so decals were placed on top of the court. Those can get slippery. While the league moved away from the larger center-court logos, it did try smaller ones on parts of the court in 2017 and in the bubble in 2020. However, it has been a while since the court had a logo.
This year, the Internet took notice, and with that so did the league. In a world where player statistics and other graphic information can be added to a broadcast in real-time, there may be technological ways to add a court logo without potentially endangering the players.
However it gets done, expect there to be some kind of Finals logo on the court for the 2026 NBA Finals. Just not this year.
The modern NBA is all about wings who can shoot 3-pointers and defend. You can never have enough of these 3-and-D players who offer scoring, versatility and more.
With superstar forward Jayson Tatum potentially missing all of next season recovering from a torn right Achilles, the Celtics could use more wing depth. This roster need would be increased if the team has to trade someone like Sam Hauser in the offseason. Hauser is one of the league’s best 3-point shooters, but with Boston being over the second apron of the luxury tax, shedding salary this offseason might be required.
Given the Celtics’ limited options to improve their roster as a second apron team, the most effective way for them to bolster their wing depth is through the draft.
Fleming could potentially make an impact right away in two areas: 3-point shooting and rebounding.
Fleming made steady improvement as a 3-point shooter in college, hitting a career-high 39 percent of his attempts as a junior last season.
He’s also a tremendous rebounder with his impressive athleticism and 7-foot-5 wingspan. He averaged a career-high 8.5 rebounds last season.
Our Celtics insider Chris Forsberg believes Fleming has the chance to be a “Mazzulla ball fever dream.”
“This all comes with the caveat that he did it in the A-10 (Atlantic 10 Conference) against slightly lower competition,” Forsberg said. “But Fleming showed an ability to roll to the hoop and finish in the two-man game on top of some good defensive energy.
“If teams believe his 3-point shot will transfer to the NBA — Fleming shot 39 percent on 4.53 attempts per game as a junior — then he might just get drafted ahead of where the Celtics can comfortably trade up to.
“If he last into the early twenties, the Celtics could move up and strike.”
OKLAHOMA CITY — Any doubts about the Thunder entering the playoffs seemed to have been wiped away before the NBA Finals tipped off. Nobody had really questioned MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and the Thunder defense had more than lived up to its fearsome reputation.
Perhaps the only question not entirely answered this postseason was the one that lingered from last year's playoffs, when the Mavericks eliminated the Thunder: Were Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren good enough to be the No. 2 and 3 players on a championship team?
They were not in Game 1. They shot a combined 8-of-28, and they had some defensive lapses.
If the Thunder are going to even this series in Game 2 Sunday night, a few things need to improve for them, but that starts with better games from Williams and Holmgren.
"[Holmgren] and [Williams], specifically, obviously they have carved out huge roles on our team," OKC coach Mark Daigneault said. "Usually, delivering in the Finals is not on the curriculum for third-year players, and they have thrust themselves into that situation, which is a credit to them. And now that they are here, they have to continue to do what they have done all the way through the playoffs...
"They haven't always played their best game, but they always get themselves ready to play the next one. The last guy I'm worried about that is Chet."
Williams played down the idea of being a third-year player mattering.
"I don't ever think that I'm in my third year because then that allows me to make excuses. I should just go out there and play. Pressure is a privilege," Williams said on the eve of Game 2. "So I enjoy being counted on and doing that, and I just think I've been counted on since, I feel like, last year, to be totally honest, just in regard to being there for the rest of the guys. And now we're here in the Finals."
Holmgren’s rough shooting night
Holmgren shot 2-of-8 within four feet of the rim in Game 1, finishing the night with six points on nine shot attempts. It was a night where Daigneault leaned more into Isaiah Hartenstein (9 points on 3-of-5 shooting, plus 9 rebounds).
"I feel like I could have slowed down, kind of finished some of those plays at the rim," Holmgren said. "Obviously, it hurts in a one-point loss. One single difference on one single play could have decided the whole game...
"I'd say [I went] on some of them, too quick. On the ones that involved help side, just slowing down and understanding where they are is a big thing. Some of the one-on-one plays, I wouldn't say so much slowing down as I'd say kind of just being a little bit more under control, I guess."
Williams’ rough shooting night
Williams put up better counting stats with 17 points, but was 6-of-19 shooting. He was respectable around the rim, hitting 5-of-9. However, he was 1-of-10 outside that range, including 1-of-4 on 3-pointers.
We've seen this before this postseason. Against the Nuggets, Williams showed out with 32 points on 21 shots in Game 3 (an OKC loss), but in the next three games Williams shot 2-of-13, 5-of-14 and 3-of-16, a combined 23.3%.
Williams bounced back in the Thunder's Game 7 victory, scoring 24 points on 10-of-17 shooting. What Oklahoma City needs from him in the Finals is consistency. Williams is an All-NBA player who will be offered a five-year maximum contract extension by the Thunder this summer. These games, however, are where that money and his reputation are really earned.
All playoffs long, when the Thunder have been challenged — individually and as a team — they have responded. Expect Williams and Holmgren to bounce back with better games on Sunday night.
If they don't, the hole the Thunder find themselves in could be a lot deeper.
Memphis Grizzlies starting center Zach Edey re-sprained his left ankle during an off-season workout and will need to undergo surgery to stabilize it, the team reported on Saturday.
There is no official timetable for his return, but he is expected to miss the start of the NBA season, his agent Mark Bartelstein of Priority Sports told Shams Charania of ESPN.
Edey has battled issues with his ankles, suffering two ankle injuries a year ago in Summer League, then he had another left ankle issue during the season. This injury is an extension of the previous one.
Edey, a two-time Wooden Award winner at Purdue, started 55 games for the Grizzlies last season, averaging 9.2 points and 8.3 rebounds a game, leading all rookies in rebounding. Edey was named First Team All-Rookie and was fifth in Rookie of the Year voting.
Memphis can start Jaren Jackson Jr. at center, but they prefer to play him at the four next to a more traditional big. Jay Huff is a floor-spacing center that the Grizzlies want to give more minutes next season. However, with Edey out, don't be surprised if Memphis signs another minimum-salary center to start the season, providing some depth and options at the five.
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
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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
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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.”
