NBA playoffs: Indiana Pacers defeat Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 2

The Indiana Pacers' Tyrese Haliburton reacts after hitting the game-winning shot against the Cleveland Cavaliers during Game 2 of the Eastern Conference semifinals in Cleveland on May 6, 2025. The Pacers defeated the Cavaliers 120-119 to take a 2-0 series lead. Photo by Aaron Josefczyk/UPI

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Forbes

an hour ago

• Forbes

Enjoy Basketball Is Bringing Positivity To Basketball Media

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - JUNE 13: Tyrese Haliburton #0 of the Indiana Pacers attempts a layup ... More against Shai Gilgeous-Alexander #2 of the Oklahoma City Thunder during the fourth quarter in Game Four of the 2025 NBA Finals at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on June 13, 2025 in Indianapolis, Indiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by) The NBA Finals are going to a Game 7. The unexpected matchup between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Indiana Pacers will be settled on Sunday, June 22 in Oklahoma City. Enjoy Basketball, the fan-centric content platform, has been following the series every step of the way, delivering innovative content for basketball fans across YouTube and ESPN2. But it won't stop there. Enjoy Basketball styles itself as a media and lifestyle brand celebrating the positivity and joy of basketball. According to the company's website, their team is 'dedicated to creating the most uplifting community for hoop enthusiasts worldwide, while enhancing the game's experience through engaging content and the highest quality of apparel.' The face of Enjoy Basketball is Kenny Beecham, a content creator and entrepreneur who made his start recording NBA2K YouTube play-along videos on his handle KOT4Q. Before long Beecham's voice began to attract a younger and more diverse crowd. He was eventually signed by Bleacher Report as a content creator before being approached by his current managers Cody and Cole Hock. The Hock brothers recognized Beecham's talent for connecting with sports fans and in their words, 'had a vision to elevate him and put resources around him.' Signing Beecham just before the COVID-19 pandemic, the brothers sought creative ways to have him produce content, including a ten-episode podcast series and using his creative expertise for apparel sales. During the pandemic, more people had time to consume content, and 'so many creators exploded,' Beecham says, himself included. Although the initial podcast series lasted just ten episodes, the feedback in comments was positive. Fans looked to Beecham for an escape, for unique basketball insight, and often, younger fans looked up to him as a fan turned content creator who transformed his passion into his career. FEATURED | Frase ByForbes™ Unscramble The Anagram To Reveal The Phrase Pinpoint By Linkedin Guess The Category Queens By Linkedin Crown Each Region Crossclimb By Linkedin Unlock A Trivia Ladder Enjoy Basketball co-founder Cody Hock is focused on building out a content and apparel platform that ... More looks at the sport in a positive light. Beecham and the Hock brothers took that feedback and ran with it. At present, the Chicago native operates on his own and as part of a group of friends on various shows under the Enjoy Basketball umbrella. Whether it's with Members on the Board, on his Small Ball with Kenny Beecham podcast, or on the Enjoy Bball YouTube channel, Beecham is doing what most sports fans dream of doing: talking about the ins and outs of the game he loves — in his case, basketball — with friends and followers. Enjoy Basketball's content includes quizzes, conversations, NBA pictionary games, and more, all of which showcase Beecham's love for the game of basketball. He says in recent years he's been struck by the amount of negativity around the sport. For a game that offers fans so much to cheer for, there has been a lot of complaining about the overly analytics-driven league. Beecham is striving to bring positivity back to the conversation, highlighting the best elements of the game. Beecham says Enjoy Basketball's content is 'a nice middle ground for casual and diehard sports fans,' a place where everyone can enter the conversation and find something they like. And the channel plans to expand beyond just the NBA. Since forming in 2022, Enjoy Basketball has established a partnership with Peyton Manning's Omaha Productions, its Members on the Board show has aired live on ESPN2, and Kenny and co. have done NBA draft coverage. This year, Enjoy Basketball will also be anchoring ESPN's NBA Draft coverage, providing fan insight and analysis on the players going in the first round alongside long-time ESPN reporter Brian Windhorst. As Beecham says, 'We are such a laid-back and friendship-oriented show, it's less X's and O's and more fun conversation.' Part of the Enjoy Basketball brand is apparel production. The company recently did a collaboration ... More with Fanatics. On the apparel side, the Hock brothers have expanded the operation from limited-quantity quarterly drops to selling NBA-licensed merchandise in collaboration with Fanatics. Cole, the head of the commerce side of the enterprise, says, 'The goal was to have a top NBA player wearing Enjoy in the tunnel before a game.' It seemed like a long shot, but about a year after putting that goal on their vision board, they got Jimmy Butler to wear some of their pieces. Since then, they've had lift off. The deal with Fanatics was two years in the making and enabled Enjoy to sell official hoodies, t-shirts, and other apparel. But they are not resting on their laurels. The team is already exploring opportunities further afield. Cole said they are looking into potential lifestyle apparel and are in early conversations with potential partners. On the content side, things are humming along. Enjoy has its subscriber newsletter written in Beecham's voice, it has its variety of YouTube shows, and it is developing new properties with shows like T Dot and WAG Talk. The latter is a casual short-form chat where the host does trivia with the wives and girlfriends of professional players, has already aired roughly 16 episodes and has garnered over 115 million views. Recently, Beecham even got NBA commissioner Adam Silver on his show, which was a landmark moment for the brand. Looking forward, Cody says Enjoy is hoping to reinvest in the space and push content around the WNBA, college, high school leagues, and even the international game. As for the action on the court in the NBA, Beecham seems to think this season is a perfect encapsulation of the negativity around the game. Despite new teams taking center stage, fans have found new complaints about the league. The Thunder and Pacers finals series may not be the ratings machine a Lakers-Knicks series would have been, but it is bringing to light two opposing styles of basketball. Beecham says much of the negativity around the league is because 'people haven't been able to accept the evolution of sport.' Unsurprisingly to his viewers, Beecham thinks the game is actually in a very strong place. Different styles are emerging again, and there is more quality up and down the court. Gone are the days of super teams, although Beecham is unequivocal in saying, 'The finals are going to solidify what I've said all season long, that this OKC team is the real deal.' Beecham and his friends have seen the media landscape transform in front of their eyes. While established media still has the dominant programs — just look at the drama over the future of Inside the NBA — individual content creators have seen a major spike in popularity since COVID. What seemed impossible just a few years ago is not only possible, it's reality. Without any background in journalism, he and his friends have developed successful careers talking about the game they love. '5 years ago I would've said no,' says Beecham when asked if his programs are more appealing to young fans. 'Established media has their own shows and they're successful,' but clearly there is room for both, and there is an appetite for a casual approach to the game that allows (new) fans to, well, Enjoy Basketball.

Yahoo

an hour ago

• Yahoo

Chet Holmgren offers injury update ahead of Pacers-Thunder 2025 NBA Finals Game 5

Jun 13, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Chet Holmgren (on ground) reacts after a fall as guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) checks on him following a play against the Indiana Pacers during the first half during game four of the 2025 NBA Finals at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images Twisting his ankle in the opening minutes, Chet Holmgren took a moment to get back up. All the seven-footer needed was to hear Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ask him to tough it out. The Oklahoma City Thunder needed him for their Game 4 win over the Indiana Pacers. Even when he tweaked it again, Holmgren held his ground. He finished with 14 points and 15 rebounds. More importantly, though, he made the Pacers regret hunting him out on the perimeter. Tyrese Haliburton couldn't get past him and settled for difficult shots that missed. Advertisement The Pacers were on the wrong side of a comeback. For the first time in the NBA playoffs, really. The Thunder outscored them 31-17 in the fourth quarter. Indiana only scored one point in the final three minutes. Holmgren has been a vital piece to OKC's success. Any worries about a nagging ankle injury were extinguished. He said in Sunday's NBA Finals practice that his ankle is fine. He moved around normally when the media were allowed to watch the final 30 minutes of practice. Expect Holmgren to flirt with 40 minutes in a pivotal Game 5. It's that time of the year. The last two teams standing are deep enough into the summer that most are dealing with something. Barring a serious injury, don't expect anybody to miss the remainder of the NBA Finals. This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: Chet Holmgren offers injury update ahead of 2025 NBA Finals Game 5

NBC Sports

an hour ago

• NBC Sports

Pacers vs. Thunder Game 7 Predictions: Odds, expert picks, recent stats, trends and best bets for June 22

On Sunday, June 22, 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 7 of the NBA Finals. Indiana evened up the series with a 108-91 win to give us the best two words in sports: Game 7. The 17-point win over OKC reached leads of 26 and more in the third and fourth quarters as the Pacers controlled the entirety of the game outside the first few minutes. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led the game in scoring with 21 points, while Obi Toppin totaled 20 for Indiana. No starter played more than 32 minutes for either team, so we should see both squads rested in Game 7. Six different Pacers scored double-figures in Game 6, including TJ McConnell who added 12 points, 9 assists, and 6 rebounds to his Finals resume. For OKC, only Jalen Williams (16) and SGA (21) scored more than 11 points for the Thunder. The Pacers forced SGA in a career-high 8 turnovers in Game 6 and the Thunder shot 8-of-30 from three (26.7%), so it'll be interesting to see how that carries over into a home Game 7 with mounting pressure. 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. Listen to the Rotoworld Basketball Show for the latest fantasy player news, waiver claims, roster advice and more from our experts all season long. Click here or download it wherever you get your podcasts. Game details & how to watch Pacers vs. Thunder live Date: Sunday, June 22, 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 Saturday: Odds: Pacers (+235), Thunder (-285) Spread: Thunder -7.5 Over/Under: 214.5 points That gives the Pacers an implied team point total of 103.5, and the Thunder 110.5. 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 'One Under, among many, that I like for Game 7 is a fade on Isaiah Hartenstein. Hartenstein's PRA prop is at 13.5 (+100) or 14.5 (-115), depending where you are playing and I think it's a hair too high. Hartenstein hit 14 PRA in garbage time of Game 6 and was benched at the half in favor of Alex Caruso, which didn't last long. Hartenstein hasn't fit the tempo of this series and his offensive scoring ability may be a liability as four or fewer points in four of six games isn't encouraging. Go Under on the big fella. If you want value on either the Thunder ML or Pacers ML, then you should look at betting on the MVP market. For OKC, most will say Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (-205) has the award locked up if the Thunder win, but I put my money on Jalen Williams at +2700 and +600 during Games 5 and 6, and I still like the position and current value at +1000 to +1100. For the Pacers, the pick is Pascal Siakam at +370. I played Siakam at +900 after Game 4 and think he is a shoo-in for the MVP if Indiana wins Game 7. Tyrese Haliburton's odds have dropped to +1100, but it's obvious that his calf injury has kept him limited during the series, while that has not been the case for Siakam.' 'Tyrese Haliburton finished with 14 points, 5 assists and 2 steals in 23 minutes while nursing a calf injury to energize the Pacers to the Game 6 win. It's obvious that Haliburton is giving it his all and he would die on the court for this team. If he gets 30 minutes or so in Game 7, it's hard for me not to see Hali going for 15-plus points. ' Please bet responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700. 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 +7.5. Total: NBC Sports Bet is staying away from a play on the Game Total of 214.5. Want even more NBA best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert NBA Predictions pagefrom NBC Sports for money line, spread and over/under picks for every game on today's calendar! Important stats, trends & insights to know ahead of Pacers vs. Thunder on Sunday If Oklahoma City closes as a favorite of -7.5 or higher, the Thunder will be the largest Game 7 favorites since the 1966 Boston Celtics (-8 vs Lakers). The three largest Game 7 favorites in history, -6.5, -8 and -9 — all failed to cover winning by four or fewer points to go 0-3 ATS, but 3-0 on the ML. The last four NBA Finals Game 7's went Under the total dating back to 2005. No team in a Game 7 of the NBA Finals has scored 100 or more points in the past 25 years. The Thunder are 1-0 in Game 7's this postseason, beating the Nuggets in OKC, 125-93. The Pacers are 1-0 in. Game 7's this postseason, beating the Knicks in Indiana, 125-108. Pascal Siakam is 5-1 to the Over on his assists prop TJ McConnell is 6-0 to the Over on his points, assists and points + assists props Lu Dort is 3-0 to the Over 0.5 assists at home in the Finals Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has scored 31, 34, and 38 points at home in the Finals If you're looking for more key trends and stats around the spread, moneyline and total for every single game on the schedule today, check out our NBA Top Trends tool on NBC Sports! Follow our experts on socials to keep up with all the latest content from the staff: - Jay Croucher (@croucherJD) - Drew Dinsick (@whale_capper) - Vaughn Dalzell (@VmoneySports) - Brad Thomas (@MrBradThomas)