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🏀 Good morning to all however particularly to …
THE OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER AND THE INDIANA PACERS
The NBA Finals are right here, and they’ll be an absolute dandy. Tonight, the Thunder host the Pacers in Game 1 of what ought to be an enthralling matchup.
We have already mentioned how Oklahoma Metropolis obtained right here with three marvelous summers, although Sam Quinn even traced it back to a free agent departure from the Seattle days. (Seattle followers, by the best way, are torn.)
Jasmyn Wimbish examined how the Pacers came to be.
- Wimbish: “Just like the Thunder, this present iteration of the Pacers can actually be traced again to a Paul George commerce … The return package deal was two younger guys in Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis. … Indiana in the end traded Sabonis to the Kings, who have been determined to discover a versatile ahead to pair with who they thought was their franchise centerpiece in De’Aaron Fox. Sacramento despatched Haliburton to the Pacers, in what was — and nonetheless is — a surprising resolution given Haliburton’s ascension with the Kings and apparent upside.”
Haliburton wasn’t at all times the star, although. Matt Norlander detailed Haliburton’s rise at Iowa State, and as Cameron Salerno famous in his take a look at every Finals player as a high school recruit, Haliburton wasn’t even within the prime 175 of his class. Now, he is a celebrity main the a crew into the NBA Finals.
Haliburton, who struggled in two regular-season video games towards Oklahoma Metropolis, should play nicely for Indiana to drag what can be a considerable upset. Our expert picks are in, and Jack Maloney says …
- Maloney: “Thunder in six. The Thunder have thrived by overwhelming groups defensively and feasting off turnovers, however the Pacers maintain the ball extraordinarily nicely. The Pacers have defied the percentages at each flip as a result of nobody has had a solution for his or her tempo, five-out method and depth, however the Thunder welcome that fashion of play. … Whereas the Pacers might have a slight edge on the offensive finish with their capturing, they have not confronted a protection just like the Thunder of their run by the East. In the long run, the Thunder’s defensive brilliance and general expertise benefit would be the distinction.”
😃 Honorable mentions
😕 Not so honorable mentions
🏒 Stanley Cup Remaining Recreation 1: Leon Draisaitl scores additional time winner for Oilers
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It was at all times going to be these two, wasn’t it? Leon Draisaitl scored the game-winning power-play additional time objective off a Connor McDavid go to raise the Oilers to a 4-3 win over the Panthers in Recreation 1 of the Stanley Cup Remaining.
- Draisaitl opened the scoring simply 1:06 into the competition, stuffing house a rebound.
- However Sam Bennett obtained to the entrance of the web and deflected Carter Verhaeghe‘s shot into the web, and Brad Marchand tallied an influence play objective to provide Florida a 2-1 lead after 20 minutes.
- Bennett struck once more, this time ending fantastically on an odd-man rush, early within the second interval, just for the Oilers to attract inside one 77 seconds in a while Viktor Arvidsson‘s shot by a display screen.
- Within the third interval, McDavid lastly obtained going, delivering an exquisite backhand help to Mattias Ekholm to tie the sport.
- With beneath a minute left within the first additional time session, McDavid took a artful behind-the-back go from Corey Perry and located a wide-open Draisaitl, who buried it.
Once more, it actually could not have been anybody else. It was Draisaitl’s third additional time objective of those playoffs, tied for many in a single postseason, and it was McDavid’s thirty second profession multi-assist playoff sport, tying Ray Bourque, Doug Gilmour and Sidney Crosby for third-most all-time.
Edmonton’s superstar duo has to keep shining, Austin Nivison writes in his takeaways. To this point, so good.
🏀 NBA All-Star Recreation to function USA vs. the World
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Adam Silver is aware of the NBA All-Star Recreation has been lacking, and “missing” is placing it very properly. Not less than for one yr, he is planning to alter it. The NBA commissioner mentioned a USA vs. the World format is in the works for the 2026 All-Star Game.
- This concept is years in the making, and a number of other stars — most recently Giannis Antetokounmpo — have endorsed a USA-vs.-World format.
- The 2026 All-Star Weekend coincides with the Winter Olympics, too, which makes a global aptitude all of the extra applicable.
- Silver, who famous the success of the 4 Nations Face-Off within the NHL final February, mentioned the 2026 All-Star Recreation will likely be a day affair that may lead into night Olympic protection.
All-Star choices are vital in contract negotiations, and the NBA remains to be overwhelmingly American — 19 of the 26 choices/replacements of the 2025 occasion have been People — so figuring out an equitable system (or perhaps going without one) is a hurdle.
🏀 Suns rent Jordan Ott forward of tear-down offseason
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After a substantial search, the Suns hired Jordan Ott as coach.
- Ott comes over from the Cavaliers, the place he was an assistant coach for the crew’s 64-18 season. Earlier than that, he was an assistant with the Lakers and the Nets and a video coordinator for the Hawks.
- Ott will likely be Phoenix’s fourth completely different coach in 4 years. The Suns fired Mike Budenholzer this offseason, Frank Vogel the offseason earlier than that and Monty Williams the offseason earlier than that.
- Ott continues the Michigan State affect beneath proprietor Mat Ishbia, who performed for the Spartans. Ott obtained a grasp’s diploma from Michigan State and served on Tom Izzo‘s employees.
Ott inherits a crew that’s expected to trade Kevin Durant this summer season and, given the dearth of future belongings, might face a protracted highway forward.
🏈 Rating the highest new QB/WR and QB/coach duos
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Offseason practices are ripe for overreactions, particularly at quarterback play. Each interception is met with each “He stinks” and “It is solely follow; time to experiment.” Each landing is met with each “He appears to be like so good” and “It is solely follow; these do not matter.”
The final one might be the one correct one, particularly this early. It is solely follow, good or unhealthy. Nonetheless, it is enjoyable to examine what might be for brand spanking new pairs, and we have finished simply that. Tyler Sullivan ranked the top 15 new quarterback/wide receiver duos, whereas Cody Benjamin ranked the 13 new quarterback/coach duos.
I, like Tyler, am tremendous excited for No. 1 on his listing.
- Sullivan: “1. Matthew Stafford and Davante Adams — In his remaining 5 video games of the common season, Adams caught 36 balls for 510 yards and 5 touchdowns. That is a 122-1,734-17 tempo over a full 17-game season. With Stafford, Adams clearly upgraded at quarterback, and with Puka Nacua lining up reverse of him inside a Sean McVay-led offense, this pairing ought to take the league by storm in 2025.”
Adams is making a positive impact on Nacua, too.
📺 What we’re watching Thursday
⚾ Diamondbacks at Braves, 12:15 p.m. on MLB Community
⚾ Mets at Dodgers, 4:10 p.m. on MLB Community
⚾ Guardians at Yankees, 7:05 p.m. on MLB Community
🥎 Texas vs. Texas Tech (Texas leads 1-0), 8 p.m. on ESPN
🏀 Recreation 1: Pacers at Thunder, 8:30 p.m. on ABC
