The Sports Report: Bill Plaschke shares a personal story

From Bill Plaschke: They pull giant boxing gloves over aging, sometimes shaking hands.
They approach a black punching bag on weary, sometimes wobbly feet.
Then they wail.
They hit the bag with a left-handed jab, a right-handed reverse, a hook, another hook, an uppercut, another jab, bam, bam, bam.
They end the flurry with kicks, side kicks, thrust kicks, wild kicks, their legs suddenly strong and purposeful and fueled by a strength that once seemed impossible.
Outside of this small gym in a nondescript office park in Monrovia, they are elderly people dealing with the motion-melting nightmare that is Parkinson's disease.
But inside the walls of Kaizen Martial Arts & Fitness, in a program known as Kaizen Kinetics, they are heavyweight champs.
Ranging in age from 50 to 90, spanning the spectrum of swift strides to wheelchairs, they are the most courageous athletes I've met.
I am in awe of them, perhaps because I am one of them.
I, too, am living with Parkinson's disease.
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NBA FINALS
Oklahoma City vs. Indiana
Indiana 111, at Oklahoma City 110 (box score, story)at Oklahoma City 123, Indiana 107 (box score, story)Wednesday at Indiana, 5:30 p.m., ABCFriday at Indiana, 5:30 p.m., ABCMonday at Oklahoma City, 5:30 p.m., ABCThursday, June 19 at Indiana, 5:30 p.m., ABC*Sunday, June 22 at Oklahoma City, 5 p.m., ABC*
*if necessary
From Benjamin Royer: Since coming to Westwood, Roch Cholowsky has had Omaha on his mind.
The Big Ten Player of the Year — a projected No. 1 overall pick in the 2026 MLB draft by some analysts — turned Charles Schwab Field in Omaha into a playground during the Big Ten tournament, winning player of the tournament honors despite UCLA not claiming the championship.
So far, in the NCAA tournament, Cholowsky had been uncharacteristically quiet for his standards. He still made hard plays look easy as a 'premium shortstop' — as UCLA coach John Savage glowed about his defensive skills — but his bat wasn't making its usual noise.
Cholowsky finally had his moment Sunday.
Cholowsky's RBI single off that strike in the fifth, a part of his two-for-five day, clinched UCLA's spot in the Men's College World Series with a 7-0 victory over Texas San Antonio. The two-game sweep of the Roadrunners gave the Bruins their sixth berth to Omaha and first since 2013, when they won it all.
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From Kevin Baxter: The Dodgers have sent Clayton Kershaw to the mound to give a slumping team a lift countless times during his 18-year career. And they've rarely been disappointed.
They did it again on a sultry Sunday afternoon in St. Louis and once again Kershaw delivered, earning his first win of the season in a 7-3 victory over the Cardinals that broke a two-game losing streak and ended a slide that had seen the Dodgers lose five of their last seven.
'He's been a stopper for many years. He's been a staff ace for many years. He's going to the Hall of Fame,' Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said before the game. 'So he understands. And he's going to be prepared.'
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Dodgers box score
MLB scores
MLB standings
George Kirby struck out a career-high 14 during seven innings of two-hit ball, and the Seattle Mariners snapped their five-game losing streak with a 3-2 victory over the Angels on Sunday.
Kirby (1-3) issued no walks while retiring both his first 11 and his final 10 batters. His strikeouts were the most by a Mariners pitcher since James Paxton had 16 in May 2018, and he matched Miami's Max Meyer for the most strikeouts in a major league game this season.
Taylor Ward hit a two-run homer in the fourth for the Halos, who struck out 18 times overall while losing for only the second time in six games.
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Angels box score
MLB scores
MLB standings
Denis Bouanga had a goal and two assists, Eddie Segura scored his first goal since 2020 and LAFC extended its MLS unbeaten streak to nine games with a 3-1 win over Sporting Kansas City on Sunday night at BMO Stadium.
Bouanga converted from the penalty spot in the 59th to give LAFC (7-4-5), which had 56% possession and outshot Kansas City 21-5, a 2-1 lead.
Dejan Joveljic scored a goal for the fourth consecutive game when he ran onto a through ball played ahead by Manu García, and scored from near the penalty spot to make it 1-0 in the 39th minute.
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LAFC summary
MLS standings
Coco Gauff won the French Open for the first time by defeating top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka 6-7 (5), 6-2, 6-4 in Saturday's final for her second Grand Slam singles title.
The second-ranked Gauff made fewer mistakes in a contest that was full of tension and momentum swings to get the better of Sabalenka for the second time in a Grand Slam final. She also came from a set down to beat the Belarusian in the 2023 U.S. Open final.
Gauff raised the winner's trophy aloft, then kissed it several times. She held her hand over her heart when the U.S. national anthem played. She is the first American woman to win at Roland-Garros since Serena Williams in 2015.
She then thanked her parents for doing everything 'from washing my clothes to keeping me grounded and giving me the belief that I can do it.'
'You guys probably believe in me more than myself,' Gauff said in her on-court speech.
It was the first No. 1 vs. No. 2 final in Paris since 2013, when Williams defeated Maria Sharapova, and just the second in the last 30 years.
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Carlos Alcaraz rallied from two sets down and saved three match points to beat Jannik Sinner 4-6, 6-7 (4), 6-4, 7-6 (3), 7-6 (10-2) on Sunday and win the French Open title for a second straight year.
Alcaraz, who won his fifth Grand Slam tournament in as many finals, produced one of the greatest comebacks in the history of the clay-court tournament.
It was even better than his performance here last year, when he came back from 2-1 down in sets in the final against Alexander Zverev. But this time Alcaraz emulated Novak Djokovic's feat from the 2021 final at Roland-Garros, where he fought back from two sets down to beat Stefanos Tsitsipas.
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Tennis great Stan Smith on life lessons, Arthur Ashe's legacy and his namesake shoes
All times Pacific
STANLEY CUP FINAL
Edmonton vs. Floridaat Edmonton 4, Florida 3 (OT) (summary, story)Florida 5, at Edmonton 4 (2 OT) (summary, story)Monday at Florida, 5 p.m., TNTThursday at Florida, 5 p.m., TNTSaturday at Edmonton, 5 p.m., TNTTuesday, June 17 at Florida, 5 p.m., TNT*Friday, June 20 at Edmonton, 5 p.m., TNT*
* If necessary
1888 — James McLaughlin sets the record for wins by a jockey in the Belmont Stakes, six, when he rides Sir Dixon to a 12-length victory. McLaughlin's record is matched by Eddie Arcaro in 1955.
1899 — Jim Jeffries knocks out Bob Fitzsimmons in the 11th round in New York to win the world heavyweight title.
1930 — Paavo Nurmi runs world record 6 mile (29:36.4).
1934 — Olin Dutra edges Gene Sarazen by one stroke to win the U.S. Open.
1940 — Lawson Little beats Gene Sarazen by three strokes in a playoff to win the U.S. Open golf title.
1945 — Hoop Jr. wins the Kentucky Derby, which is run one month after a national wartime government ban on racing is lifted.
1946 — Joe Louis KOs Billy Conn in 8 for heavyweight boxing title.
1973 — Secretariat, ridden by Ron Turcotte, wins the Belmont Stakes in record time to capture the Triple Crown. Secretariat sets a world record on the 1½-mile course with 2:24, and a record for largest margin of victory in the Belmont, 31 lengths.
1978 — Larry Holmes scores a 15-round split decision over Ken Norton for the WBC heavyweight title in New York.
1979 — Coastal, ridden by Ruben Hernandez, spoils Spectacular Bid's attempt at the Triple Crown with a 3¼-length victory over Golden Act. Spectacular Bid finishes third.
1984 — Swale, ridden by Laffit Pincay, wins the Belmont Stakes by four lengths over Pine Circle. Swale dies eight days later.
1984 — French Open Women's Tennis: Martina Navratilova beats Chris Evert 6-3, 6-1; 2nd women in Open Era to hold all 4 Grand Slam titles at once.
1985 — Kareem Abdul-Jabbar scores 29 points to lead the Lakers to a 111-100 victory over the Boston Celtics and the NBA title in six games.
1990 — Monica Seles holds off four set points in the first set tiebreaker and goes on to become the youngest winner of the French Open, beating two-time champion Steffi Graf 7-6 (8-6), 6-4. Seles is 16 years, six months.
1991 — In the first all-American men's final at the French Open since 1954, Jim Courier rallies to beat Andre Agassi 3-6, 6-4, 2-6, 6-1, 6-4 for his first Grand Slam title.
1993 — Patrick Roy makes 18 saves and the Montreal Canadiens capture their 24th Stanley Cup, beating the Kings 4-1 in Game 5.
2001 — Stanley Cup Final, Pepsi Center, Denver, CO: Colorado Avalanche beat defending champion New Jersey Devils, 3-1 for 4-3 series win; Avalanche 2nd title.
2001 — Jennifer Capriati beats Kim Clijsters 1-6, 6-4, 12-10 to win the French Open, her second consecutive Grand Slam title.
2003 — The New Jersey Devils end the Mighty Ducks' surreal season, winning the Stanley Cup with a 3-0 victory. Mike Rupp, who had never appeared in a playoff until Game 4, scores the first goal and sets up Jeff Friesen for the other two.
2007 — Rags to Riches, a filly ridden by John Velazquez, outduels Curlin in a breathtaking stretch run and won the Belmont Stakes, becoming the first of her sex to take the final leg of the Triple Crown in more than a century.
2010 — Chicago's Patrick Kane sneaks the puck past Michael Leighton 4:10 into overtime, stunning Philadelphia and lifting the Blackhawks to a 4-3 overtime win in Game 6 for their first Stanley Cup championship since 1961.
2013 — Rafael Nadal becomes the first man to win eight titles at the same Grand Slam tournament after beating fellow Spaniard David Ferrer in the French Open final, 6-3, 6-2, 6-3.
2018 — Justify becomes the 13th Triple Crown winner by winning the Belmont Stakes with Mike Smith aboard.
2019 — French Open Men's Tennis: Rafael Nadal beats Austrian Dominic Thiem 6-3, 5-7, 6-1, 6-1; 3rd straight French singles title; 12th overall; first to win 12 singles titles at same Grand Slam; 18th major.
2022 — The controversial Saudi-backed LIV Golf Invitational Series gets underway at the Centurion Club, Hertfordshire; PGA suspends 17 participating players.
2024 — French Open Men's Tennis: Carlos Alcaraz becomes the youngest man to win grand slams on all three surfaces, coming back to beat Alexander Zverev 6-3, 2-6, 5-7, 6-1, 6-2 in a final lasting 4 hours 15 minutes
1901 — The New York Giants set a major league record with 31 hits in beating Cincinnati 25-13. Al Selbach of the Giants went 6-for-7 with two doubles and four singles and scored four runs.
1906 — Boston snapped a 19-game losing streak by beating the St. Louis Cardinals 6-3.
1914 — Honus Wagner of the Pittsburgh Pirates got the 3,000th hit of his career off Philadelphia's Erskine Mayer in a 3-1 loss to the Phillies at the Baker Bowl. Wagner's hit, a double, came in the ninth. Wagner joined Cap Anson as the only members of the 3,000-hit club.
1935 — The St. Louis Cardinals became the 10th team in major league history to score a run in every inning in a 13-2 win over the Chicago Cubs.
1946 — Commissioner Happy Chandler imposed five-year suspensions on players who jumped to the Mexican League and three-year suspensions for those who broke the reserve clause.
1946 — The New York Giants' Mel Ott became the first manager to be ejected in both ends of a doubleheader. The Pittsburgh Pirates won both games, 2-1 and 5-1.
1963 — Playing the first Sunday night game in major league history because of excessive heat during the day, the Houston Colt .45s handed the San Francisco Giants their seventh straight loss in Houston, 3-0. Turk Farrell and Skinny Brown pitched the shutout.
1966 — Rich Rollins, Zoilo Versalles, Tony Oliva, Don Mincher and Harmon Killebrew homered in the seventh inning for the Minnesota Twins in a 9-4 victory over the Kansas City Athletics.
1979 — Nolan Ryan struck out 16 batters as the Angels beat the Detroit Tigers 9-1. It was the 21st time in his career he struck out 15 or more batters in one game.
1986 — White Sox pitcher Tom Seaver (306) and Angels hurler Don Sutton (298) had the highest composite win total (604) for opposing pitchers since 1926, when Walter Johnson (406) faced Red Faber (197). Sutton pitched a two-hit shutout to beat the White Sox 3-0.
1990 — Eddie Murray of the Dodgers tied Mickey Mantle's record by homering from each side of the plate in the same game for the 10th time in his career. The Dodgers beat the Padres 5-4 in 11 innings.
1998 — Cecil Fielder of the Angels and Yamil Benitez of the Diamondbacks each hit grand slams in the same inning in Anaheim's 10-8 win over Arizona. It was the first time both teams hit grand slams in the same inning since 1992.
2008 — Ken Griffey Jr. became the sixth player in baseball history to reach 600 homers with a drive off Mark Hendrickson in the first inning of the Cincinnati Reds' 9-4 victory over the Florida Marlins.
2014 — Lonnie Chisenhall had nine RBIs and three home runs in a five-hit game, Michael Brantley scored five times and the Cleveland Indians beat the Texas Rangers 17-7.
2015 — Chris Heston pitched the first no-hitter in his 13th career start, leading the San Francisco Giants over the New York Mets 5-0. The rookie allowed three baserunners — all on hit batters. He also had a two-run single for his first big league RBIs and finished with two more hits than the Mets.
2019 — The Nationals accomplish a very rare feat as four consecutive batters hit solo homers in the 8th inning in Petco Park in San Diego to break a 1-1 tie. Pinch-hitter Howie Kendrick starts things off against Craig Stammen, and is followed by Trea Turner, Adam Eaton and Anthony Rendon, who all go yard. This is only the ninth time in major league history this has happened, and the Nats were the last to do so, on July 27, 2017.
2019 — Former Boston Red Sox star David Ortiz shot in the back while visiting in his native Dominican Republic.
2022 — The Twins open the bottom of the 1st against the Yankees with three consecutive homers off Gerrit Cole at Target Field, by Luis Arraez, Byron Buxton and Carlos Correa. This is the first time in franchise history this has happened.
Compiled by the Associated Press
That concludes today's newsletter. If you have any feedback, ideas for improvement or things you'd like to see, email me at houston.mitchell@latimes.com. To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here.

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Tyrese Haliburton, on crutches, greets Pacers teammates after NBA Finals Game 7

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27 minutes ago

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The Oklahoma City Thunder win the NBA championship after defeating Indiana Pacers in winner-take-all Game 7

Update: Date: Title: Thunder cap off incredible season with a hard-earned NBA title Content: The Oklahoma City Thunder Sunday night finished what they started back in late October, and put the rest of the NBA on notice that there's a new sheriff in town. With an average age under 26, the Thunder capped off one of the winningest seasons in league history with a seven-game triumph over a pesky Indiana Pacers team to win the Larry O'Brien trophy. It was a tight affair in the early-going, indicative of the back-and-forth nature of the entire series, and then disaster struck for Indiana. Star point guard Tyrese Haliburton, who had been instrumental in a string of incredible comeback wins for the Pacers this postseason, went down with a non-contact injury to his lower right leg. He writhed in pain, slapping the floor in a mixture of frustration, heartbreak and physical discomfort. His father later confirmed to broadcaster ESPN what many had suspected - it was an Achilles injury for the 25-year-old. With every excuse to throw in the towel, the Pacers instead rallied around their injured leader. Keyed by Eastern Conference Finals MVP Pascal Siakam and a hard-nosed defense, Indiana took a surprising 48-47 lead into halftime. As the adrenaline began to wear off, the Thunder started to impose their will in the third quarter of the game. In the blink of an eye, the game went from tied at 56-56 to a nine-point OKC lead after three consecutive long range shots from the Thunder's 'Big 3' - Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams. The Thunder never looked back from that point. OKC, which boasted the league's best defense in the regular season, began swarming all over the short-handed Pacers. The Thunder held Indiana scoreless for the first 4:31 of the fourth quarter as Oklahoma City's lead grew to 22 points. The Pacers showed their trademark determination and never quit, trimming the deficit down to 10 points with two-and-a-half minutes left. But without their late-game hero Haliburton, the mountain was just too steep for the Pacers, and the Thunder ultimately won the game 103-91. The Thunder's centerpiece, Gilgeous-Alexander had a game-high 29 points and earned Finals MVP honors, becoming the first player since LeBron James in 2013 to earn both regular season and Finals MVP awards. SGA also became just the fourth player in NBA history to win the league MVP trophy, the scoring title and win the Finals, joining Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Michael Jordan and Shaquille O'Neal. After looking listless at halftime, the Thunder closed their season in the same fashion that they had been playing since October: Intense defense, lightning quick runs and leaning on Gilgeous-Alexander's near-perfect basketball to take home the title. Update: Date: Title: Isaiah Hartenstein's sleeping child steals hearts Content: The lasting image from the celebration tonight will not be remembered by its focal point. Oklahoma City Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein was on the stage, celebrating with his teammates and holding his son who was absolutely zonked out. Lil Hartenstein is slumped 😂😂😂 congrats Okc. The little Hartenstein is a little more than a year old and truly must not be used to late nights because even amid the raucous cheering in the Paycom Center, he was sleeping hard. Hartenstein said he wanted the crowd to make a little noise to wake up his son but it was to no avail. Sometimes, you just gotta sleep. Update: Date: Title: Pacers coach on Haliburton injury: "All of our hearts dropped" Content: An emotional Indiana Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle talked about his star player, Tyrese Haliburton, who went down with an apparent Achilles injury in the first quarter. 'What happened with Tyrese, all of our hearts dropped. But he will be back. I don't have any medical information about what may or may not have happened, but he'll be back in time, and I believe he'll make a full recovery,' Carlisle told reporters. Haliburton's father told the ABC broadcast that the injury was to his son's Achilles. 'So, he authored one of the great individual playoff runs in the history of the NBA with dramatic play after dramatic play. It was just something that no one's ever seen and did it as 1 of 17. You know, that's the beautiful thing about him. As great a player as he is, it's always a team thing. And so, our hearts go out to him.' Carlisle also congratulated the Thunder for their NBA championship win. 'The way this season started and everything, they may have had those buses painted up back in December,' Carlisle said. 'So they will have a great parade. They have great fans. This was a great series.' Update: Date: Title: SGA on winning title: "It doesn't feel real" Content: 'It doesn't feel real,' Shai Gilgeous-Alexander told ABC's Lisa Salters after the game when asked about accomplishing his childhood dream of winning an NBA title. 'So many hours, so many moments, so many emotions, so many nights of disbelief, so many nights of belief. It's crazy to know we are all here. But this group worked for it and this group put in the hours and deserved this.' Shai Gilgeous-Alexander The Finals MVP said 'the fun' he had tonight with his family is what he will remember the most of the NBA Finals first Game 7 in almost decade. 'The moment was amazing,' Gilgeous-Alexander said. 'The fans were amazing. It was so much fun. Exactly what I expected.' Update: Date: Title: Tears and hugs for the Pacers after coming up just short in championship quest Content: As Paycom Center erupted in joy after Oklahoma City clinched its first NBA title, there was also an outpouring of emotion from the Indiana Pacers, who game up just short in this seven-game rollercoaster of an NBA Finals. Tyrese Haliburton, the Pacers' late game hero so many times this postseason, was waiting on crutches in the tunnel to welcome his teammates after a reported Achilles injury ended his night in the first quarter. The injured star exchanged consoling handshakes and hugs with all of the Pacers' players, coaches and basketball staff as they filtered through the tunnel. Pacers' royalty Reggie Miller was also seen in the tunnel to offer words of encouragement to the dejected Indiana players. The five-time All-Star and hall of famer Miller was part of the only other Pacers team to reach the Finals in 2000, when Indiana fell to the Los Angeles Lakers. Reserve guard TJ McConnell, who stepped up with 16 points off the bench in Game 7 and a whopping 84 points in the series, was inconsolable as the emotion poured out in the wake of the heartbreaking loss. Update: Date: Title: To no one's surprise, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is named the Finals MVP Content: Who else could it be? Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was the regular season MVP and now he can call himself the NBA Finals MVP as well. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the @okcthunder is the recipient of the Bill Russell Trophy as the MVP of the #NBAFinals presented by @YouTubeTV. SGA becomes just the fourth ever player to win the scoring title, regular season MVP and NBA Finals in the same season, joining Shaquille O'Neal, Michael Jordan and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Not bad company. Update: Date: Title: The Thunder were reeling at halftime. Then they got back to being who they are Content: Truly a game of two halves for the Oklahoma City Thunder. After a mostly listless opening two quarters in which Shai Gilgeous-Alexander – surely the MVP of these Finals – was the only player on the team in double figures, the Thunder returned to what makes them great. The suffocating defense, the breakneck speed on the offensive end and SGA playing an exquisite game of basketball was more than enough to put away the Pacers. It's been a truly remarkable Finals – most pundits expected the Pacers to be swept or maybe go down in five games – and a second-half blowout and Tyrese Haliburton's devastating injury wouldn't have been on anyone's wishlist for how it would end. But no one can argue the Thunder don't deserve this title, putting together one of the most complete seasons the NBA has seen in quite some time. Update: Date: Title: OKC HAVE WON THE NBA CHAMPIONSHIP! Content: Oklahoma City outlasted a potential signature Indiana fourth quarter comeback to win the NBA championship. The Thunder beat the Pacers 103-91 in Game 7 of the NBA Finals to bring home the franchise's first title since moving to 'The Big Friendly' in 2008. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander finished with a game-high 29 points and 12 assists to lead the Thunder to the franchise-altering win. The major key of the game for the Thunder was the defense. OKC forced Indiana to commit 23 total turnovers, scoring 29 points off of them. The Thunder, who finished with the NBA's best regular season record, become the second straight team to win the title and have the best regular season record after the Boston Celtics did last year. Update: Date: Title: With 32 seconds left, the Thunder are on the brink Content: The Thunder are on the verge as the bench is emptied and the starters exit to a huge ovation. Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle does the same and it's just about done here. Score: Thunder 103, Pacers 87 Update: Date: Title: The celebration is starting in Oklahoma City as Thunder look to close this game out Content: The Paycom Center is rocking as the Thunder are closing out this Game 7 over the Indiana Pacers. It's now a 14-point game with a minute to go. Score: Thunder 101, Pacers 87 Update: Date: Title: Time running out on the Pacers Content: There were hints that the Pacers maybe had one last miraculous comeback in them, but it's looking increasingly unlikely. The Thunder have a 13-point lead and we are under three minutes to go. Score: Thunder 94, Pacers 81 Update: Date: Title: The Thunder's defense has been the key to this second-half surge Content: Somewhere, Nico Harrison is smiling because it does seem like defense is about to win a championship. The Thunder were the league's best defensive team in the regular season, leading the NBA in defensive efficiency. In the opening game of this series, they forced Indiana to turn the ball over an insane 25 times, making the Pacers' win in that game even crazier. But in this game, the Pacers no longer have Tyrese Haliburton. And they appear to have run out of miracles. The Thunder have forced the Pacers into 19 turnovers and scored 28 points off those turnovers. Particularly in the second half, the Pacers shooting has been disappointing and they're under 40% from the field for the game. It seemed at halftime like this game was going to be a rock fight until the end. But the Thunder opened up the third quarter like a team that remembered what got it here – defense, defense, defense. Oh, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who leads the game with 25 points. Score: Thunder 93, Pacers 80 Update: Date: Title: Pacers cut into deficit as final quarter ticks down Content: Just like that, the Pacers have cut the lead down to 14 points with 4:45 remaining the game. Indiana are currently on an 11-1 run behind two players off the bench – TJ McConnell and Bennedict Mathurin, who both have 16 points. Can the Thunder hold on to the lead or are the Pacers due for another improbable fourth quarter comeback? Score: Thunder 93, Pacers 79 Update: Date: Title: It's been all Thunder in the fourth quarter as they open up a 21-point lead Content: Oklahoma City has all the momentum and they lead by 21 points with under nine minutes to go in the game. The Thunder are firing on all cylinders – offensively and defensively. MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has a game-high 25 points while Chet Holmgren is defending the boards with six rebounds and three blocks. The Thunder can start to see their first title for the franchise since moving to Oklahoma City in 2008. Score: Thunder 89, Pacers 68 Update: Date: Title: TJ McConnell's 3rd quarter heroics keeping Indiana within shouting distance Content: With star point guard sidelined for the rest of the game with a reported Achilles injury and the game seemingly beginning to slip away in the third quarter, the Pacers once again released its secret weapon – veteran reserve guard TJ McConnell. Just as he has time and time again for the Pacers this postseason, the 33-year-old guard came of the bench with a huge shot in the arm for his team. McConnell caught fire for the Pacers coming out of halftime, pouring in 12 points in the third quarter and suddenly leading Indiana in scoring with 16 points in the game. The high-energy reserve also has 5 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal and 1 blocked shot. Update: Date: Title: Thunder one quarter away from hoisting Larry O'Brien trophy Content: Twelve minutes is all that separates both these teams from being NBA champions. The Thunder take a 13-point lead into the fourth quarter after a huge frame from the NBA's best regular season team. Shai Gilegous-Alexander has a game-high 22 points while TJ McConnell is doing his best Haliburton impression off the bench with 16 points. But the Pacers' turnovers are killing them and it seems like the Thunder rediscovered their identity at halftime. Can the Thunder keep this momentum in the final quarter? Score: Thunder 81, Pacers 68 Update: Date: Title: Defense turning to offense for OKC as they open up a double-digit lead Content: The Paycom Center is rocking with electricity as the Thunder lead by 11 points with under two minutes to play in the third quarter. It isn't the offense thats propeling OKC to the lead, it's their defense. The Thunder have been all over Indiana, forcing them into eight turnovers in the quarter alone. The even more impressive part… they have 25 points off Indiana turnovers. The Pacers have 17 total turnovers while the Thunder have five. Score: Thunder 79, Pacers 68 Update: Date: Title: Thunder starting to pull away? Content: For a second there, it looked like the Pacers finally woke up after halftime. Indy tied the game at 56 on a Myles Turner 3-pointer. But since it's again been all Thunder. And it's not just their MVP that's doing the work. OKC went on a 3-point barrage - three consecutive long range shots from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams. SGA's teammates are stepping up after a quiet first half and that could be the deciding factor in this one. The Thunder hold a nine-point lead – the largest of the game so far. Indiana has had a response to each Thunder run in this game. Do they have a counterpunch ready or is this going to be one of those trademark Thunder runs that breaks the game open? Score: Thunder 65, Pacers 56 Update: Date: Title: Thunder come out of half scorching hot Content: The Thunder look like a different team to start the second half. OKC took the lead on a Chet Holmgren two-point shot and have not looked back since. Luguentz Dort has been one of the few Thunder players shooting the ball well from 3-point land and knocked down a crazy long range Hail Mary as the shot clock expired to expand the lead. Game 5 hero Jalen Williams finally looked himself as he drove to the rim to extend the lead to five points. There is still 9:20 to play in the third quarter. Score: Thunder 56, Pacers 51 Update: Date: Title: How are the Pacers hanging with the Thunder minus their injured star? Content: When Indiana point guard Tyrese Haliburton went down midway through the first quarter with a reported Achilles injury, conventional wisdom would have suggested that the already-difficult prospect of defeating the Thunder in their raucous home arena might have just become an impossible task for the Pacers. But somehow the Pacers are hanging with the NBA's winningest team of the season. Indiana's MVP of the Eastern Conference Finals, Pascal Siakam, is leading the way for the Pacers with 10 points at halftime. The Pacers' tandem of guards Andrew Nembhard and Bennedict Mathurin have scored 9 points and 8 points respectively playing extra minutes. The Pacers' secret weapon at the midway point might just be its in-your-face defense. In the absence of the team's most streaky scorer, Indiana as slowed the game down with its defense grinding on Oklahoma City on every possession. The results speak for themselves, as the Pacers held one of the NBA's most dynamic offenses to just 47 first-half points and took a 1-point lead to the intermission. And in a way, Tyrese Haliburton himself has a big role in the successful first half for Indiana. Before his injury, Haliburton knocked down a trio of 3-pointers, scoring 9 points in just seven minutes played - tied for second most points for Indiana in the first half. His 9 points were already more than he mustered in Indiana's Game 5 loss where he strained his right calf - the injury that precipitated his Achilles injury Sunday night.