Latest news with #NBAPlayoffs
USA Today
4 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Do the Phoenix Suns really want to trade for Boston Celtics big man Kristaps Porzingis?
Do the Phoenix Suns really want to trade for Boston Celtics big man Kristaps Porzingis? Do the Phoenix Suns really want to trade for Boston Celtics big man Kristaps Porzingis? After seeing how poorly he was able to play in yet another postseason, there is a certain contingent of Celtics fans who are more than ready to ship out the Latvian center at the first available opportunity. But Porzingis has real value when he is able to take the court, and his recent viral malady was as rare of an issue as his ankle injury from the 2024 NBA Playoffs. Add in the fact that he is currently on a $30.7 million expiring deal that could solve Boston's cap crunch concerns by literally doing nothing, and KP has value to the Celtics on multiple levels -- including the fact that Boston has a dearth of high level big men under contract, and that they could also save money AND keep Porzingis by renegotiating an extension with him. Can the Suns put together an offer that would beat those pluses for the Celtics? The folks behind the "WEEI Boston's Sports Original" YouTube channel put together a clip from their "Jones and Keefe" show to talk it all over. Check it out below!
New York Times
5 hours ago
- Sport
- New York Times
The Pacers won't go away, and neither will Lionel Messi
The Pulse Newsletter 📣 | This is The Athletic's daily sports newsletter. Sign up here to receive The Pulse directly in your inbox. Good morning! Throw a knuckleball today. In sports, we honor perseverance. Defying the odds. Heroic upsets. They form the bedrock of our fandoms, and they follow a familiar rhythm. We know all those stories. This Indiana Pacers team, despite hitting all those benchmarks, feels markedly different. What else is there to say about these Pacers? We have readied ourselves for them to peter out in the last three rounds. We gave them respectful applause after losing Game 5 in Oklahoma City to go down 3-2 in these finals, with superstar guard Tyrese Haliburton ailing. It was a great run, fellas. Then last night happened: Pacers 108, Thunder 91. The lead reached 30 by the fourth quarter, too, and starters were pulled. This was a flat-out blowout. Just … how? Two images that will stick with me before Game 7: Pascal Siakam locked in for Game 6 👀 — Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) June 20, 2025 Was Pascal Siakam summoning a higher power? A mystic force? Whatever came through the Ouija board worked, because what else can you call this: OH MY GOODNESS THIS PACERS SEQUENCE 🤯 HALIBURTON NO-LOOK DIME. SIAKAM SLAM WITH FORCE. Indy seeking a Game 7 on ABC 🏆 — NBA (@NBA) June 20, 2025 Game 7 is Sunday in Oklahoma City. I'm done thinking the Pacers are done, and you should be too. Oh, and the last time the NBA Finals went to Game 7, the road team won. Sure, we waxed plenty yesterday about the Club World Cup and its necessity. It remains a valid worry, which made this kick from Lionel Messi yesterday all the more important: That is magic from Lionel Messi. The Argentinian puts Inter Miami in front against Porto with a trademark free kick. That's the 69th from outside the penalty box of his career.#FIFACWC 🎥 @ — The Athletic | Football (@TheAthleticFC) June 19, 2025 The cracking free kick from Messi delivered Inter Miami a 2-1 win over Porto, an incredible feat for the MLS side against a European opponent. It also came in front of 30,000 fans in an atmosphere tournament organizers envisioned while creating this competition. Even more interesting: There's plenty of rancor over whether Messi's outfit should be in this tournament at all. Felipe Cardenas has more on that in his full story from the game. Two other soccer notables: Let's keep moving: Dodgers say they denied ICE The Dodgers barred federal immigration officials from accessing grounds outside Dodger Stadium yesterday, the team said in a statement. The authorities' request came mere hours after news broke that the Dodgers plan to assist immigrant groups affected by the recent ICE raids in Los Angeles. We have more from the scene here. Advertisement Juventus' 'weird' White House visit Players for Italian side Juventus were surprised yesterday with a trip to the White House, just hours before the team played Al-Ain FC at the Club World Cup in Washington, D.C. Two USMNT players, Weston McKennie and Tim Weah, took part in an Oval Office photo op that Weah called 'a bit weird.' The team stood behind President Donald Trump as he talked about topics like Iran and transgender athletes. See our full report. More news 📫 Love The Pulse? Check out our other newsletters. 📺 MLB: Mets at Phillies 7:15 p.m. ET on Apple TV+ These are the top two teams in the NL East, which is enough to give it a watch, but also tune in for Phillies starter Zack Wheeler, arguably the league's best pitcher and a singular character. 📺 CWC: Flamengo vs. Chelsea 2 p.m. ET on TNT/DAZN This is your best Club World Cup choice today, as it should be a tight match. Chelsea also has tremendous support in the States and remains one of the Premier League's most interesting teams right now. Plus, Chelsea's Andrey Santos — who signed with the EPL blueblood from Flamengo rival Vasco de Gama — expects a harsh reception. Get tickets to games like these here. The true knuckleballer is dead, as Cody Stavenhagen wrote yesterday. One Tigers prospect with an incredible backstory is trying to revive the tradition. Make time for this today. How does Cooper Flagg compare to the top prospects in each of the last 20 years? Sam Vecenie has answers only he could find. The NBA Draft is next week. Basketball is seeing a boost in Britain — because of court design. Eduardo Tansley tells us how. It's easy to think the guy who just signed a huge contract feels pretty good about himself. But Sam Darnold thinks he needs to prove himself all over again. Want a preview of Mark Walter's tenure as Lakers majority owner? Andy McCullough and Fabian Ardaya see dollar signs everywhere. Advertisement You know what seems bad? Every vibe in the Rangers building, especially after reading Peter Baugh's deep dive into this season, which left everyone unhappy. Most-clicked in the newsletter yesterday: Our update on Shedeur Sanders' driving citation. Most-read on the website yesterday: The Dodgers/ICE story.
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
GAME 7!!! Pacers blowout OKC, trade speculation, NBA expansion & KD confusion
KOC and Tom Haberstroh went LIVE to react to the Indiana Pacers destroying the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 6. Is Indiana about to prove to the world on Sunday that they are a team of destiny? GAME 7!! Plus, all the latest NBA Trade and NBA Draft rumors! Kevin Durant, Paul George, Ace Bailey and tons of rumors — and of course the guys react to the sale of the Los Angeles Lakers AND the Seattle Supersonics potentially coming back with talks of "expansion" in the air. Advertisement (00:45) - Pacers blow out Thunder to force Game 7 (24:15) - Is Ace Bailey skipping Philadelphia 76ers visit cause for concern? (33:15) - Haliburton was right to play tonight (47:15) - League news: Lakers plan to sell + latest on NBA expansion & rule changes (56:40) - Latest on Cooper Flagg (1:01:10) - NBA trade tumors: Kevin Durant & Paul George INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - JUNE 19: Tyrese Haliburton #0 of the Indiana Pacers celebrates a basket against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the second quarter in Game Six of the 2025 NBA Finals at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on June 19, 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) (Photo by) 🖥️ Watch this full episode on YouTube Check out the rest of the Yahoo Sports podcast family at or at Yahoo Sports Podcasts
Yahoo
13 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
RUMOR: Hawks' Trae Young trade rumblings put to bed
The post RUMOR: Hawks' Trae Young trade rumblings put to bed appeared first on ClutchPoints. There are two indisputable statements the Atlanta Hawks must sort out this offseason: Trae Young is a stellar offensive talent, and this franchise has not advanced past the opening round of the NBA playoffs since the 2020-21 campaign. Is it possible this marriage has plateaued? Many have wondered if management would attempt to alter the team's identity and trajectory by making a major shake-up. Advertisement Atlanta's actions indicate otherwise, however. New general manager Onsi Saleh does not appear to be engaged in Young trade talks at this time, as he instead focuses on the No. 13 and No. 22 selections the Hawks have at their disposal going into the 2025 NBA Draft. 'While some have suggested Atlanta should leverage these selections and try to move into the top 10, the Hawks appear to be comfortable adding two more young talents to build the future of their roster,' ClutchPoints NBA insider Brett Siegel reports. 'Despite changes in their front office, the Hawks have not held serious Trae Young trade discussions, sources said.' Can Young lead the Hawks back into relevance? When taking into account the current squad, which contains rising talents like Jalen Johnson, Zaccharie Risacher and Dyson Daniels, one can see why the organization would want to keep Young. If Atlanta is indeed retaining the face of the franchise through this offseason, then head coach Quin Snyder must figure out how to maximize the team's collective strengths. Advertisement Trae Young is a four-time All-Star and one of the top playmakers in the league today. He will undoubtedly produce on the floor, as evidenced by the 24.2 points, league-leading 11.6 assists and 1.2 steals he averaged last season. The 26-year-old comes with efficiency questions, however. He shot a paltry 41.1 percent from the field and posted an NBA-worst 355 turnovers. A player that has the ball in his hands as much as Young must exhibit more consistency. He has proven himself capable of doing just that in the past, leading the Hawks to an unforeseen Eastern Conference Finals appearance in 2021. Considering Atlanta's ostensible faith in him moving forward, he will get the opportunity to recapture that peak form in the 2025-26 season. Related: Hawks' Larry Nance Jr. reveals Top 5 NBA moments on Father's Day Related: Hawks rumors: What Atlanta seeks in draft amid trade buzz, expected free agent loss
Yahoo
15 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Brian Windhorst Reveals Only Way Lakers Can Win with Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves
Brian Windhorst Reveals Only Way Lakers Can Win with Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Los Angeles Lakers fell far short of their championship aspirations than many likely expected in this spring's West playoffs. Advertisement L.A. flipped a package centered around a first round pick, 10-time All-Star big man Anthony Davis, and wing Max Christie, to the Dallas Mavericks for Luka Doncic and big men Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris in a franchise-altering midseason blockbuster. But without Davis — and after scuttling a subsequent attempted trade for 23-year-old Charlotte Hornets center Mark Williams, when Williams failed his team physical — the Lakers were without critical rim protection heading into the playoffs. Los Angeles Lakers guards Luka Doncic (77) and Austin Reaves (15).Jerome Miron-Imagn Images The Lakers were briskly manhandled by the bigger, longer Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round of the playoffs, with Jaxson Hayes (now a free agent, and seemingly unlikely to return to town) installed as the team's starting five to kick off that series. Advertisement Los Angeles' defense was patchy elsewhere. The team's three best players — Doncic, 21-time All-Star forward LeBron James, and guard Austin Reaves — are all great ball handlers and scorers but limited defenders, leading to a porous perimeter presence on that end. While appearing on a Thursday morning installment of ESPN's "Get Up" to discuss the Lakers' $10 billion team sale, longtime LeBron James insider Brian Windhorst explained how Los Angeles can survive if it opts to keep Doncic, 26, and Reaves, 27, together for the long-term. "If they're going to be committed to playing Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves together, in other words they're going to keep those guys on the perimeter, they're just going to need more interior defense — because those guys are susceptible on the outside," Windhorst suggested. "So they need somebody who can defend, it doesn't have to be a blockbuster trade, but they need somebody who can defend at the rim with the players that they have." Advertisement The Lakers may not be able to find another Anthony Davis without, say, trading LeBron James, but the team could still grab an athletic rim protector like Onyeka Okongwu or Mitchell Robinson with the right trade chips. Related: Lakers Predicted to Make Major Offseason Roster Upgrade After $10 Billion Sale: Report This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 19, 2025, where it first appeared.
