With so many players jumping in the transfer portal, we want to update our top 10 prospects for the 2026 NFL draft who are playing for new teams this season.
Magpies show just why they’re AFL flag favourites after scraping past Demons | Jonathan Horn
No team is better than Collingwood at adapting to the needs of the moment – and the ladder leaders keep on winning
With a point in it and half a minute to go in the King’s birthday clash, Scott Pendlebury stood at centre half forward, pointing like Babe Ruth. He had no intention of taking the shot of course. He dinked it sideways, and bought a little bit more time. A few precious seconds later, Max Gawn completely shanked his kick and Melbourne’s final chance had been extinguished.
The final moments, and indeed the entire game, was an example of quality over quantity. The Pies managed their moments, they kept their heads, and they deserved their 11.6 (72) to 10.11 (71) win. Melbourne tried their hearts out but will rue several moments in the final term. Kozzie Pickett plonked the ball on the ground, handing a needless 50-metre penalty to Nick Daicos, not the sort of man you want to give an inch, let alone 50 metres. Bayley Fritsch ran into an open goal but sprayed it. Clayton Oliver sent a 9-iron sailing out on the full. There were countless other moments throughout the game, moments where they failed to lower their eyes, moments where they bombed on the heads of their forwards, moments where they failed to man the mark properly.
Continue reading...Dobbins' bold comments bring welcome jolt to Red Sox-Yankees rivalry
Dobbins' bold comments bring welcome jolt to Red Sox-Yankees rivalry originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
The iconic Boston Red Sox-New York Yankees rivalry has been largely dormant over the past half-decade. But Hunter Dobbins did his best to revive it over the weekend.
In an interview with the Boston Herald before his start in New York on Sunday night, the rookie right-hander declared he’d rather retire than put on pinstripes.
“My dad was a diehard Red Sox fan,” Dobbins told the Herald’s Gabrielle Starr. “And I’ve said it before, that if the Yankees were the last team to give me a contract, I’d retire.”
Dobbins’ comments raised more than a few eyebrows in New York’s clubhouse.
Yankees slugger Aaron Judge said he was “a little surprised” by Dobbins’ remarks and admitted they were on his mind during his first at-bat against the 25-year-old right-hander Sunday night. New York infielder Jazz Chisholm Jr. was a bit more direct.
“I love competitiveness, but to say that, being a rookie, is kind of crazy to me, to say that you’re going to rule out one out of 30 teams to be a professional athlete,” Chisholm told ESPN’s broadcast during a mid-game interview.
When Judge took Dobbins deep for a two-run homer in the second inning, it appeared the rookie’s comments may have caught up with him. But Dobbins settled in nicely, allowing just one more run on four total hits before exiting after five innings. Boston’s bats did the rest, exploding for 11 runs on 12 hits to secure an 11-7 victory and a 2-1 series win over its AL East rival in the Bronx.
Dobbins heard plenty of jeers from the Yankee Stadium faithful after his comments but appeared to embrace the atmosphere.
“I mean, you can’t really say something like that and not expect a passionate fan base like the Yankees to say something,” Dobbins told reporters, via MLB.com. “If anything, it made the rivalry atmosphere feel a lot more fun. I enjoyed it a lot.”
The Red Sox-Yankees rivalry still isn’t what it used to be — not with Boston mired in a three-year postseason drought and sputtering along with a 32-35 record this season (8.5 games behind the AL East-leading Yankees).
But there was a bit of a buzz in the Bronx this weekend, thanks to three back-and-forth, high-scoring games and Dobbins’ pot-stirring comments.
“It adds a lot of spiciness,” Chisholm said after the game. “You enjoy it. You are more locked in as a fan because you know what’s going on. I think it’s fun, at least.”
The Red Sox could use some of that “spiciness” going forward as they aim to climb back into the playoff race — and they’ll have another golden opportunity next weekend when the Yankees come to Fenway Park for a three-game series.
Marc Sneyd won his personal battle but Warrington lost the cup final
Sneyd picked up his third Lance Todd Trophy but his opposite number brought home the bacon for Hull KR
Having been voted the man of the match in three Challenge Cup finals, Marc Sneyd should be considered one of the great half-backs of his generation. But, having now lost as many finals as he has won, and been repeatedly overlooked by England, the 34-year-old is in danger of leaving the game without the silverware his consistent class deserves.
Moments before Hull KR inflicted a last-gasp 8-6 defeat on his Warrington side, Sneyd snared 31 of the 37 votes from Wembley’s press benches. The other six went to his opposite number, Mikey Lewis, who then kicked the winning conversion with less than two minutes left. Sneyd undoubtedly came out on top in the battle of the half-backs, schooling a player a decade his junior.
Continue reading...Emma Raducanu admits being ‘wary when going out’ after stalker ordeal in Dubai
Player hid behind umpire’s chair during incident
Queen’s Club next on agenda for 2021 US Open winner
British No 2 Emma Raducanu admitted she was “wary” when going out following her ordeal with a stalker at the Dubai Tennis Championships earlier this year.
The 22-year-old hid behind the umpire’s chair in tears after receiving repeated unwanted attention from a “fixated” man before and during a second-round match against Karolina Muchova in February.
Continue reading...How every Premier League club’s summer business is shaping up
Aston Villa and Manchester United must shift surplus players while Sunderland and Leeds seek extra squad depth
Recruitment was cast as the main reason for the club’s disappointment last season. Mikel Merino playing as an auxiliary centre-forward after Kai Havertz had broken down made that apparent. This will be a summer with a marked difference with Andrea Berta ready to go as the club’s new sporting director. Berta spent 12 years at Atlético Madrid, supplying the players and foundation behind Diego Simeone’s dynasty. Arsenal seek to avoid friction between Arteta dictating as he did previously and Berta wielding the same kind of power that was so effective in Madrid. Benjamin Sesko of RB Leipzig is heavily linked to the striking vacancy with Sporting’s Viktor Gyökeres seen as too costly. Martin Zubimendi is expected to reunite with Merino in Arsenal’s midfield, though Real Madrid may yet turn the midfielder’s head. Kepa Arrizabalaga will come in as a back-up goalkeeper within a squad well set for success but missing the final pieces. John Brewin
Continue reading...Thunder beat Pacers to level NBA Finals
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 34 points as the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Indiana Pacers 123-107 in game two of the NBA Finals to level the series at 1-1.
The Pacers snatched victory in the final second of the opening game on Friday week, but on Sunday the Thunder dominated from start to finish.
Gilgeous-Alexander's first basket at Paycom Center in Oklahoma took him to 3,000 points for the season, making him the 12th player in NBA history to reach the milestone.
Game three of the best-of-seven series takes place at Gainbridge Fieldhouse at 01:30 BST on Thursday, the first time Indianapolis has hosted a finals game in 25 years.
"They play a full 48 minutes and you can't just throw the first punch," said Gilgeous-Alexander. "You've got to try to throw all the punches all night.
"That's what we did. We threw enough punches tonight to get a 'W'."
Gilgeous-Alexander, the NBA's Most Valuable Player, added five rebounds and eight assists.
The Thunder's Jalen Williams scored 19 points, Aaron Wiggins had 18 and Chet Holmgren recovered from a disappointing six points in game one to score 15 points with six rebounds.
The Pacers' Tyrese Haliburton was limited to 17 points, three rebounds and six assists.
"It's still a race - first to four," he said. "We are going to our home court tied 1-1."
Haliburton walked out of the post-game news conference with a slight limp.
Seven Pacers players scored in double figures, including Myles Turner with 16 points and Pascal Siakam with 15.
Pigeons, hats and naps: the best photos from French Open 2025
As the tournament concludes with Carlos Alcaraz retaining his French Open crown and Coco Gauff claiming her second grand slam title, we take a look at some of our favourite images from Roland Garros
Continue reading...Keefe siblings united by hockey despite Atlantic separation
When Adam Keefe signed up to play for the Belfast Giants in 2011, he couldn't have imagined how lifechanging that decision was going to be.
He had been hoping to follow in his older brother Sheldon's footsteps and make it to the National Hockey League (NHL), the ultimate goal of every Canadian who laces up the skates.
Sheldon, four years older than Adam, was drafted by the Tampa Bay Lightning in 1999 and went on to make his NHL debut the following season, but ultimately his playing career was curtailed because of injury.
"It's hard to get to the NHL and I was lucky enough to play at least some exhibition games and play at that level and get a taste of it," said Adam.
"Ultimately, I fell short and was getting a little tired. I was getting a little older and I wanted to see the world and experience something new.
"With our last name being Keefe, it was always a kind of a bucket list thing to visit the homeland.
"Finally, the opportunity came through a Facebook message from the coach of the Giants, Doug Christiansen. It was my first chance and I jumped on it.
"I thought it would just be a one-year deal and I’d probably go back home and do ultimately what I did here, probably in Toledo."
However, the younger Keefe sibling would never make that trip to Toledo.
He won Elite League in his first season with the Giants and captained the side to another title victory in 2014.
By then he was well established as a leader and a fan favourite, a team-mate that you could rely on to drop the gloves and defend his brothers on the ice.
Keefe's transition to coach in 2017 was a seamless move for the Giants. It kept the line of succession in place, despite no prior experience in the role.
What followed has been the most sustained run of success in the club's twenty-five-year history.
Ten trophies - four league championships, five Challenge Cups and a Play-off title - in six full seasons (two were lost due to Covid-19), including a Grand Slam in 2023.
"I just fell in love with the city and winning and the fans here. Obviously, I met my wife and have two girls, so I'm locked into Northern Ireland.
"It's been a great experience for me and a fun one."
Giants' fans echo mutual support for 'the heartbeat' of the Belfast side and they recently showed their appreciation at Adam‘s testimonial when his number 47 shirt was retired, the ultimate honour for a player.
‘I wasn’t going to mess with him much more’
Sheldon made his first trip to Belfast for the event. Since his playing days came to an end, Adam's older brother made his way up through the coaching ranks all the way back to the NHL.
He was head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs from 2019-2024 and has just finished his first season in charge of the New Jersey Devils, leading them to the play-offs.
Sheldon’s first impressions of Belfast have been favourable.
"I love the city, just walking around and being here in the building and getting a feel for the hockey part of it.
"You can see why there's so much passion here for Giants hockey and why Adam fell in love with the city and the team."
Growing up together just outside of Toronto, both Keefe brothers were soon on the hockey pathway.
"I don't know about brotherly rivalry so much," explained Sheldon.
"I mean, there's maybe enough separation with four years that I think I had my way for a lot of the time.
"But it maybe contributed to some of the edge that he ended up developing in playing.
"Certainly, as Adam got older, it was very clear I wasn't going to mess with him much more.
"We were playing hockey, fighting in the basement, competing in the driveway and on the street and he quite often was playing with my friends and having to try to compete."
Adam agreed, "A lot of times it's him and his friends playing street hockey and you're four years younger than those guys.
"You got to work extra hard and sometimes you're going to get knocked down.
"So, if you want to stay in there, you got to learn to fight back and I certainly did that.
"Obviously, he's provided a great example for me and set a very high standard that is difficult to try to keep up with.
"He took care of me through critical years when I was a teenager and set me on a good path.
"Then to follow his career while I was trying to make the NHL, to follow his coaching career and see that he just kind of kept winning right from the time he started.
"Then ultimately to claw his way back to the NHL as a coach becoming one of the youngest coaches in the league and then to coach arguably the biggest hockey club in the world. That's very special."
'His life is all about the hockey'
Adam's success as a coach has come as no surprise to Sheldon. In his words, "life's been all about hockey".
"I think we can both say we would be a little lost without the game.
"If I look at my own transition into coaching, when you maybe first get into it, for me, at least, I didn't know what I was doing at all.
"But you're relying on your competitiveness, your passion for the game, your work ethic, all the things that help you play at a high level, and that gives you a strong foundation.
"I knew Adam was going to commit and be all in on everything that he's doing and while learning and refining any skills that you need as a coach, you're going to have the respect of your players because of everything that you put in to help them and the team.
"He's been an absolute competitor and a guy that will do anything to win for his entire life."
Sheldon has helped Adam out with player recruitment and wouldn't hesitate to recommend Belfast as a playing destination.
"I've followed enough to know the standard of the Elite League and that it just continues to improve and get better and better.
"Seeing the arena and seeing the city and community, it would be a great draw for players to come and get the life experience but still play great hockey.
"As I watch the young kids playing as well, there is lots of excitement about growing the game here too."
Despite enjoying his Testimonial weekend where the Giants once again gave back to the community raising over £109,000 for the Northern Ireland Hospice, the new season is never far from Adam's mind.
"Champions League is right around the corner.
"August is going to come around pretty quick, and nobody cares about last year.”
Stanley Cup Final shifts to South Florida as Panthers, Oilers look for edge in tightly contested series
The scene is shifting to South Florida as the 2026 Stanley Cup Final continues.
So far, the Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers have put on one hell of a show.
Both teams have picked up an overtime victory so far, with Edmonton earning a comeback 4-3 win in Game 1 and Florida responding with a 5-4 double OT victory two nights later.
Considering the Panthers and Oilers played a series last June that was widely considered one of the best in recent memory, it’s not terribly surprising to see them running it back this year.
Looking back at the opening two games, it was clear that Florida looked and felt much better about playing their style in Game 2 than they did in Game 1.
It’s tough on both teams because they are each trying to impose their will and systems on the other, but at this point, the Panther and Oilers are facing the toughest challenge they have all season.
Lineup-wise, the only potential question for Florida will be whether A.J. Greer slots back onto the fourth line or if Jesper Boqvist continues to replace him.
Despite Game 2 going into double overtime, Boqvist played only 8:41, the fewest minutes of any Panthers player. Linemate Jonah Gadjovich wasn’t far behind at 8:53.
Perhaps Greer back on the line will infuse some confidence in Maurice to deploy them more often.
Here are the Panthers projected lines and pairings for Game 3 against Edmonton:
Evan Rodrigues – Sasha Barkov – Sam Reinhart
Carter Verhaeghe – Sam Bennett – Matthew Tkachuk
Eetu Luostarinen – Anton Lundell – Brad Marchand
A.J. Greer – Tomas Nosek – Jonah Gadjovich
Gus Forsling – Aaron Ekblad
Niko Mikkola – Seth Jones
Nate Schmidt – Dmitry Kulikov
Scratches: Mackie Samoskevich, Uvis Balinskis, Jesper Boqvist, Nico Sturm, Jaycob Megna
LATEST STORIES FROM THE HOCKEY NEWS - FLORIDA
Brad Marchand Opens Up About Panthers Future
Panthers players embracing two-day break between games after excellent start to Stanley Cup Final
‘Favorite player of all time’: Roberto Luongo shows love to Brad Marchand after overtime winner
Brad Marchand proving to be perfect fit with Florida Panthers
Three takeaways: Gus Forsling bounces back in big way, Sam Bennett loves playing on road
Photo caption: Jun 6, 2025; Edmonton, Alberta, CAN; Florida Panthers center Aleksander Barkov (16) and Edmonton Oilers defenseman John Klingberg (36) attempt to get the puck during the second period in game two of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final at Rogers Place. (Perry Nelson-Imagn Images)
Abbotsford Canucks Defeat Texas Stars, Advance To Calder Cup Finals
The Abbotsford Canucks have eliminated the Texas Stars and advanced to the Calder Cup Finals where they will take on the Charlotte Checkers.
The Canucks captured the Robert W. Clarke as Western Conference Champions with a 4-2 win in game six.
Goaltender Arturs Silovs continued his fantastic playoff run with a .917 SP, 2.28 GAA, and one shutout in the series, he has a .929 SP, 1.94 GAA, and 12-5 record with five shutouts in the playoffs. He made 23 stops in game six.
There was a bizarre sequence early in the game when Sammy Blais thought he had opened the scoring, during the confusion several players stopped playing and Texas went down the ice and scored.
After scoring his first goal of the playoffs in game five Arshdeep Bains scored twice in game six, he and Linus Karlsson led the team with seven points each in the Conference Finals.
Jujhar Khaira scored his third of the playoffs before Max Sasson scored his first of the series midway through the third in what ended up being the game winner.
The Canucks' defense core had a stellar series, veteran Christian Wolanin formed a great pairing with Victor Mancini while Guillaume Brisebois continued to perform in all situations.
In a series that had three overtime games and a 1-0 game Abbotsford showed their comfort under pressure and ability to grind out different types of games.
RAN AWAY WITH IT🏃@abbycanucks | #CalderCuppic.twitter.com/jHyVMQfFIE
— American Hockey League (@TheAHL) June 9, 2025
Despite boasting the two top point scorers of the playoffs in Cameron Hughes (19) and Justin Hryckowian (18) the Stars could not solve the Abbotsford defense.
Harrison Scott scored his first career professional goal for the Stars in one of their few bright spots in game six.
Goaltender Magnus Hellberg earned the start after entering the game in relief in game four, he was under fire all game and made 36 saves on 39 shots.
The Stars had a great campaign and it will be fascinating to see the roster they return with next season as several players are pending free agents or have earned promotions.
The 87th Calder Cup gets underway on June 13 in North Carolina.
Keep an eye on The Hockey News' Vancouver Canucks team site for on the ground coverage of the Abbotsford Canucks.
Make sure you bookmark The Hockey News' AHL Page for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns and so much more.
Photo Credit: © Russell LaBounty-Imagn Images
Yankees 'regroup' after series loss to Red Sox as 'big one' at Royals looms
The Yankees have an extra day to think on Sunday's 11-7 loss to the Boston Red Sox.
After Saturday's 10-7 loss, New York (39-25) dropped the season's first series against the sub-.500 rival Red Sox (32-35) and stumbles into Tuesday's three-game set at the Kansas City Royals.
"These are always kind of heavy series and fun to be a part of and go through, but they had their hitting shoes on the last couple nights and really even the first night with them coming back on us and pressuring us a little bit," Aaron Boone said. "So they beat us here this weekend. So it's part of it. We'll kind of regroup into the off day here, obviously, and off to Kansas City and then back to Boston and get ourselves right back on track."
The Yankees swept the Royals (34-32) April 14-16 and catch Kansas City after it lost two of the past three games to the 22-44 Chicago White Sox.
"Message is just keep going," said Aaron Judge. "We lost a couple series already this year. This is just another series. We've got a big one coming up with Kansas City. We played in the postseason. Guys are having great at-bats, making great plays. Every time we play the Red Sox, it's going to be a series like this, kind of back and forth -- they have a big inning, we have one back. That's baseball. So just go back to work and nothing different."
New York gets another crack at the Red Sox with a three-game series in Boston starting Friday.
"There's three really hard-fought games that maybe any of 'em could've gone either way but they made a couple more pitches or couple more swings than us," said Paul Goldschmidt. "So hopefully the next series will go our way and we'll win those pitches and win those at-bats."
Thunder clap back behind Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, bench to take Game 2, even NBA Finals with 123-107 win
OKLAHOMA CITY — There would be no comebacks, no end-of-game drama in Game 2. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander made sure of it.
Gilgeous-Alexander put up 34 points (his 13th 30+ game of the playoffs) and had eight assists, but raw numbers undersell how in control of the game he was on Sunday night. With the Thunder setting his picks up higher on the court, he was able to get downhill and find space, but was never out of control — he orchestrated the game. He found passing lanes to open shooters as well as his midrange game again, shooting 9-of-16 from there, plus getting 14 points in the paint. Defensively, he was blowing up Tyrese Haliburton and the Pacers' pick-and-roll all night.
ANOTHER FINALS 30-PIECE FOR SGA ‼️
— NBA (@NBA) June 9, 2025
⚡️ 34 PTS
⚡️ 8 AST
⚡️ 5 REB
⚡️ 4 STL & 1 BLK
72 PTS through his first 2 Finals games, THE MOST in NBA history pic.twitter.com/kdUtf5iqcq
The Thunder clapped back in Game 2 and the result was a comfortable 123-107 Oklahoma City win that evens the NBA Finals at 1-1 as the series heads to Indiana for Game 3 on Wednesday.
This was the performance Thunder fans — and most of the NBA world — expected from OKC in Game 1.
Oklahoma City was the aggressor from the opening tip, and much of what didn't work consistently for the Thunder in Game 1 did in Game 2. Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren started out shooting 6-of-9 from the floor and finished with a combined 34 points and 11 rebounds. It wasn't just SGA, the Thunder as a team shot 21-of-36 (58.3) from the midrange in Game 2. OKC got 26 of its 59 first-half points in the paint (and finished with 42 from there), and the ball touching the paint led to kick-out 3-pointers and good ball movement. Coach Mark Daigneault went to the two-big lineup of Holmgren and Isiah Hartenstein — something he didn't use in Game 1 — and it was +4 in 4:32 on the court.
BIG MAN ALLEY-OOP
— NBA (@NBA) June 9, 2025
Hartenstein goes over the top to Chet in Game 2!!! pic.twitter.com/Wj8tq2mPa4
Then there was the bench scoring 48 points, led by 20 points from Alex Caruso — more than any Pacer — and 18 from Aaron Wiggins, giving OKC a huge lift.
⛈️ OKC's DEPTH DOMINATES GAME 2 ⛈️
— NBA (@NBA) June 9, 2025
Alex Caruso: 20 PTS
Jalen Williams: 19 PTS
Aaron Wiggins: 18 PTS
Chet Holmgren: 15 PTS
They join Shai as the fifth quintet since 2000 to score 15+ in a Finals game! https://t.co/zBQwTXPa9ppic.twitter.com/qbFTHqYvEs
Thanks in large part to that bench, the Thunder extended their lead to as much as 23 and, thanks to another strong defensive performance, never let the Pacers get back in it.
"I just thought we were the aggressor tonight for much of the game, even when we had a lead," Daigneault said. "I thought the guys did a really good job of keeping the foot on the gas, especially defensively. I thought we really amped it up on that end of the floor."
As good as Gilgeous-Alexander was, it was a rough night for Haliburton and the Pacers.
"Another bad first half. Obviously, it was a big problem, and we just played poorly," Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. "A little bit better in the second half but you can't be a team that's reactive and expect to be successful or have consistency."
Haliburton spent three quiet quarters trying to get his teammates going in the face of the Thunder's pressure defense, but when that didn't work, he became a scorer in the fourth with an impressive 12 points on 5-of-6 shooting. The problem was that it was too late (the other problem to monitor is the slight limp he walked with postgame). Back home for Game 3, the Pacers need him to put his scoring stamp on the game earlier, draw the defense, then find shooters.
Myles Turner gave the Pacers a little boost with a dozen second-half points (16 for the game) and he let loose his frustrations with this dunk.
OH. MY. GOODNESS. MYLES. TURNER.
— NBA (@NBA) June 9, 2025
He's got 16 points on 6-11 shooting! pic.twitter.com/CwYB9f7uhe
Indiana needs to find a lot of things with its home cooking: Through two NBA Finals games, the Thunder have led for 91:22 and the Pacers 1:53. Indiana got the split on the road, but they are going to have to be much better at home, the Thunder have proven they can win on the road.
NBA finals: Ruthless Thunder show Pacers no mercy as they level series 1-1
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.