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New York Times
32 minutes ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Tyrese Haliburton's biggest moment in Game 6 was simply showing up for his Pacers
INDIANAPOLIS — Tyrese Haliburton was noticeably hobbled in the Indiana Pacers' Game 5 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday. He didn't make a single field goal and finished with just four points. After the game, Haliburton said that if he could walk, he would play in Game 6, despite having a strained right calf. It is the NBA Finals, after all. Advertisement Despite Haliburton's assertion, Indiana was written off as dead. But if we've learned anything from watching these Pacers, it's that they're at their best when their backs are against the wall. Haliburton went through the team's pregame walkthrough and underwent various strength tests on Thursday. Coach Rick Carlisle told reporters before the game that Haliburton would play without a minutes restriction, though he would be monitored 'closely.' 'He's super important to us,' Carlisle said. 'I think the big thing was just there wasn't a lot of drama. The drama was created in the press somewhat because there's a lot of talk about it. It was not coming from him. He was straightforward. He didn't want a lot of attention. He was doing everything possible to be able to play.' Haliburton played just 23 minutes in the Pacers' 108-91 victory that forced a decisive Game 7. He missed his first four shots but found his rhythm and knocked down his fifth attempt late in the first quarter. In a must-win scenario, Haliburton was exactly who his team needed him to be. 'He's a tough kid,' teammate Pascal Siakam said. 'I had no doubt that he was going to be out there with us. It just shows he's one of our leaders on the team and he's doing everything he can to be out there for us, and we appreciate that.' Added Myles Turner: 'It was never a doubt, man. I think that he answered the call obviously, but as far as playing and whatnot, I knew he was going to be out there.' Haliburton went to the bench with 5:25 remaining in the third quarter and rested for the remainder of the game. He finished with 14 points, five assists and two steals. He made 5 of 12 from the field and 3 of 7 beyond the arc. 'He did amazing,' teammate Obi Toppin said. 'He led us to a win, and he's a soldier. He's not going to let no little injury hold him back from playing in the finals and helping this team win. He's helped us get to this point, and he's going to keep going until he can't.' Haliburton's heroics didn't include a game-winning or game-tying shot. Instead, it was all about showing up — both physically and on the stat sheet. 'Just everything he's dealing with, with his body and how he continues to lead, and just give 100 percent whenever he's out there just trickles down to us,' Pacers guard Ben Sheppard said. 'We look at him for hope and energy, and that's what he's able to do.' Advertisement Whatever level of pain Haliburton was in during Thursday's game, he said it wasn't top of mind. 'I just look at it as I want to be out there to compete with my brothers,' he said. 'We've had such a special year, and we have a special bond as a group. I think I'd beat myself up if I didn't give it a chance. I just want to be out there and fight. '(I) just had to have an honest conversation with Coach that if I didn't look like myself and was hurting the team, like, sit me down. Obviously, I want to be on the floor, but I want to win more than anything.' Haliburton's passion and intensity were on full display in the Pacers' rout. As was his showmanship. In the second quarter, Haliburton stole a pass from the Thunder's Jalen Williams, tip-toed on the sideline to stay inbounds and then, with a pirouette, tossed a no-look pass that led to a monster dunk from Siakam. As he raced back down the court, Haliburton high-fived a few people sitting courtside. 'I was so tired after that,' Haliburton said. 'I was really hoping they would call a timeout, but we had to get back out on defense. That's a special moment especially because we are always getting on Pascal for not dunking anymore. That was cool to see. 'Honestly, me and Pascal have not spoken about this play yet. I don't know if we will until this is over. But, definitely a lot of fun, and if we are fortunate enough to go on and win this thing, I think that play will be remembered for a long time.' Haliburton isn't celebrating yet. He'll have two days to rest and recover as best as he can. But come Sunday night, in the loudest environment in the NBA, Haliburton and the Pacers will once again be in a do-or-die situation. 'We've got one game. One game,' Haliburton said. 'Nothing that's happened before matters, and nothing that's going to happen after matters. It's all about that one game.'
CTV News
2 hours ago
- Sport
- CTV News
Pacers roll past Thunder 108-91 to send the NBA Finals to a deciding Game 7
Indiana Pacers guard Ben Sheppard (26) and forward Obi Toppin (1) celebrate during the second half of Game 6 of the NBA Finals basketball series against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Thursday, June 19, 2025, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr) INDIANAPOLIS -- Season on the line, the Indiana Pacers did what they've done time and time again. They bucked the odds. And the NBA Finals are going to an ultimate game. Obi Toppin scored 20 points, Andrew Nembhard added 17 and the Pacers forced a winner-take-all Game 7 by rolling past the Oklahoma City Thunder 108-91 on Thursday night. The first Game 7 in the NBA Finals since 2016 is Sunday night in Oklahoma City. 'The ultimate game,' Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. Pascal Siakam had 16 points and 13 rebounds for Indiana, while Tyrese Haliburton -- playing through a strained calf -- scored 14 points. The Pacers started slowly and then turned things into a blowout. Game 6 was a microcosm of Indiana's season in a way. The Pacers started the regular season with 15 losses in 25 games, have had five comebacks from 15 or more down to win games in these playoffs, and they're one win from a title. 'We just wanted to protect home court,' Haliburton said. 'We didn't want to see these guys celebrate a championship on our home floor. Backs against the wall and we just responded. ... Total team effort.' TJ McConnell, the spark off the bench again, finished with 12 points, nine rebounds and six assists for Indiana. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 21 points for the Thunder, who pulled their starters after getting down by 30 going into the fourth. Jalen Williams added 16. 'Credit Indiana,' Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. 'They earned the win. They outplayed us for most of the 48 minutes. They went out there and attacked the game.' Good news for the Thunder: home teams are 15-4 in finals Game 7s. Bad news for the Thunder: Cleveland won at Golden State in the most recent of those and one of the three other home-team losses was in 1978 -- by Seattle, the franchise that would move to Oklahoma City three decades later. Indiana missed its first eight shots and got down 10-2. The arena, roaring just a few minutes before at the start, quieted quickly. Hall of Famer Reggie Miller, sitting courtside in a Jalen Rose Pacers jersey, was pacing, kneeling, generally acting more nervous than he ever seemed as a player. No need. After the slow start, the Pacers outscored the Thunder 68-32 over the next 24 minutes. An Indiana team that hadn't led by more than 10 points at any time in the first five games -- and that double-digit lead was brief -- led by 28 early in the third quarter. The margin eventually got to 31, which was Oklahoma City's second-biggest deficit of the season. The worst also came in these playoffs: a 45-point hole against Minnesota in the Western Conference finals. The Thunder came back to win that series, obviously, and now will need that bounce-back ability one more time. 'Obviously, it was a very poor performance by us,' Daigneault said. The Thunder, desperate for a spark, put Alex Caruso in the starting lineup in place of Isaiah Hartenstein to open the second half. There was no spark. In fact, there was nothing whatsoever -- neither team scored in the first 3:53 after halftime, the sides combining to miss their first 13 shots of the third quarter. And the outcome was never in doubt. By Tim Reynolds
New York Times
2 hours ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Pacers have the momentum entering Game 7, and ‘it's all about that one game'
At some point, they stopped being the plucky underdog on some Cinderella run that was just happy to be here. At some point, as they dusted a two-time MVP in the first round, needed just five games to send the conference's top seed home in the second, then worked over the New York Knicks in six to win the Eastern Conference, they started to look like something else — a contender. Advertisement At some point, they started to see it, long before everyone else: they were deep enough, gritty enough and good enough. Even then, who gave these Indiana Pacers a real chance in the NBA Finals? Against the league's reigning MVP and a 68-win Oklahoma City Thunder squad? 'We're playing the best team on the planet,' Pacers coach Rick Carlisle conceded. 'They've proven that the entire year.' Carlisle's team was up 2-1 in the series and still the betting underdog. Then they crumbled down the stretch in Game 4. Then their comeback stalled in Game 5. Suddenly, their star was hobbling, their momentum sapped, their outlook grim. The Pacers dropped back-to-back games for the first time since March. They were trailing in a series for the first time in the playoffs. Their dream season was on the brink, and the Thunder had a chance to clinch the title on Indiana's home court. Tyrese Haliburton, nursing that nagging calf strain, thought about the long climb to get here, and how if he missed Game 6 he'd never forgive himself. 'If I can walk,' he said, 'I wanna be out there.' Pascal Siakam thought back to all the seasons he had that ended early, with a vacation he wanted no part of. Obi Toppin went back to last spring, when the Pacers reached the Eastern Conference finals, only to be swept in four games by the eventual champion Boston Celtics. 'Nobody was excited,' he said. Translation: they had more in front of them, and they knew it. Even if the rest of the league had no idea what was coming. The response Thursday night was Indiana's most complete and convincing win of the playoffs, a 108-91 rout of Oklahoma City that sets up the first Game 7 of the NBA Finals in nine years. That's the thing about these Pacers: they'll take your best punch and come right back swinging. They're too stubborn to care. They're too young to know better. And they're too resilient to fold. 'We're hungry,' said Toppin, whose 20 points led Indiana Thursday night. 'We continue to be us, no matter what,' added Siakam, who chipped in with 17. So, with one game left in the NBA season, forget the pundits. Forget the ratings. Forget all the Thunder-in-five predictions. Advertisement The Pacers are 48 minutes from their first NBA championship. 'One game,' Carlisle said. 'This is what it's all about. This is what you dream about growing up, this opportunity.' This is what this city and state have dreamed about for decades. The Pacers joined the NBA in 1976; they've never been this close to a title, just one win away. It was 25 years ago Thursday that the Pacers' only other trip to the championship round ended with a gutting Game 6 loss to a blossoming Los Angeles Lakers dynasty. Plenty of pain followed. It took a quarter-century to make it back. It's been the story of this franchise: so often the bridesmaid, never the bride. A consistent contender but never a champion. Reggie Miller's 1990s Pacers teams could never climb the mountain. Patrick Ewing's Knicks stopped them in 1994, Shaquille O'Neal's Orlando Magic in 1995. Michael Jordan's Chicago Bulls in 1998, Shaq and Kobe Bryant's Lakers in 2000. The Malice at the Palace derailed their best team of the 2000s. Paul George, Roy Hibbert and David West revived the team in the 2010s, only to twice run into LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and the Miami Heat. Then George got hurt. Then George asked out. Victor Oladipo offered a glimmer of hope, but before anyone could blink, he was gone, too. It was easy to wonder: Was it ever going to change? The franchise slogged through years of mediocrity until Haliburton showed up in 2022 and changed everything. Three years later, he's led this team to the precipice of a title. Thursday night was a snapshot of their season: an early deficit and a stirring finish. Remember what ESPN's Kendrick Perkins said back in October, after the Pacers started 1-4 and were calling up players from the G League just to survive on a nightly basis? 'They're not going to make the playoffs this season,' Perkins predicted. 'I'm not high on them.' Advertisement So much for that. It took a while — the Pacers were 10-15 before finally getting hot — but now they've pushed their season further than any team in franchise history. On Thursday night, they bricked their first seven shots and trailed 10-2 inside a nervy Gainbridge Fieldhouse. From there, they routed the Thunder in stunning fashion, pushing the lead to as many as 27 at one point. With every signature highlight, the crowd grew louder, craving a chance at witnessing something this franchise has never seen. There was Haliburton's steal and no-look to Siakam on the break, then Siakam's vicious dunk over the Thunder's Jalen Williams. There was T.J. McConnell doing T.J. McConnell things. There was Ben Sheppard drilling a 3-pointer from the top of the key as the third quarter expired that nearly blew the roof off the Fieldhouse. 'The loudest I've ever heard Gainbridge,' Carlisle said. After it was over, and while the streets of Indianapolis celebrated, Haliburton tempered the mood. 'It's done with,' he said of Game 6, offering no more than a slight smile, already looking ahead to Sunday's Game 7. The Pacers will be confident, and they should be. They could be dangerous, too. What do they have to lose? What is there to be scared of? The momentum is theirs. The pressure firmly rests with the Thunder, who'll be playing at home, trying to avoid losing a series in which they led 3-2. 'We got one game,' Haliburton said. 'One game. Nothing that's happened before matters. Nothing that's gonna happen after matters. It's all about that one game. 'The next couple of days, the narratives are going to be almost poison.' He'll do his best to block it out. He's deleted all the social media apps from his phone, trying to wall of the world while he chases a championship. Deliver a title and his imprint on this city and state will forever be stamped. Advertisement 'I've dreamed of being in this situation my whole life,' Haliburton said. So many in these parts have done the same, wanting to witness something they've never seen. Now, it's right there, a victory that would change this franchise forever. And this group might just have the mettle to pull it off. (Photo of Tyrese Haliburton: Maddie Meyer / Getty Images)
New York Times
3 hours ago
- Sport
- New York Times
After six fiercely contested NBA Finals games, the truth remains: It's hard to win an NBA title
INDIANAPOLIS — Among the truest things ever said was spoken, one night, at a group dinner. Among the dinner guests was an NBA champion. His team won multiple titles, actually. And as he regaled his fellow diners with tales from his career, he said, declaratively, and from hard-earned experience. 'Going for that ring takes you to some dark places,' he said. Advertisement This s— is hard. It is hard as hell to win an NBA championship. No matter your pedigree, or your talent, or your will. Or the ability and dedication of your coaches. Or the amount of money your owner has at their disposal. Winning 16 games — four series, four games per series — against the best teams and players on Earth, is a crucible. A kiln of physical and mental fatigue. Not only are your hopes and dreams at stake; so are those of your teammates, your families, your city. You drag the ghosts of your franchise's previous failures on your back. You get the fiercest opponents, their own dreams front of mind and stirring their hearts. The Oklahoma City Thunder went 68-14 in the regular season. They were, and are, a devastating team, led by league MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and a powerful supporting cast that bludgeoned opponents all year. They were 15-6 in the postseason coming into play Thursday, having taken out Nikola Jokić and the Denver Nuggets, followed by Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves during their postseason run. With one more win, they'd be anointed as one of the greatest single-season teams in history. That coronation got smacked in the mouth on Thursday by the Indiana Pacers, and their wounded star, Tyrese Haliburton, who Willis Reeded his way through 23 minutes on his strained calf, his example lifting the Pacers in a 108-91 rout that forced Game 7 in Oklahoma City Sunday. The Thunder may well win on their home court Sunday. They are ferocious there. But other than Alex Caruso, who won a championship with the Los Angeles Lakers in the Orlando Bubble in 2020, no one else on OKC's roster has been at this level before. You can't possibly know what this is like until you go through it, all the way. Oklahoma City, the overwhelming favorite coming into these finals, has been shoved up against a wall by the underdog Pacers. Advertisement 'It was hard tonight,' Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. 'Indiana was great and we were not. We have the same opportunity Indiana does on Sunday. Score will be 0-0 when the ball goes up in the air. It's a privilege to play in Game 7s. It's a privilege to play in the finals. As disappointing as tonight was, we're grateful for the opportunity.' I know that anything that happened more than 20 minutes ago is the province of the olds and the no-longer relevant. But most teams in the history of this league have been denied championships, year after year, career after career. Not because they weren't worthy. But because their opponents were. 'I have a new respect for the guys, the Steph Currys, the LeBrons, that do this year after year after year, and then go play USA Basketball, and do whatever they do,' said Pacers forward Myles Turner, a decade into his own career. 'It is the most mentally grueling, just like, mentally taxing, but most rewarding feeling, going through this grind,' he said. 'It's a 19-day process, is how we look at it. And there's nights you don't sleep. I've been trying to grow my hair out for the longest time, and it's started falling out a little bit from the stress. It's what it is. But again, it's the most rewarding thing, being able to play as long as possible, and get here.' It is hard to win 16 postseason games and carry the Larry O'Brien Trophy around for the next year. The Larry was in an undisclosed location somewhere in Gainbridge Fieldhouse Thursday, and would only come out after the Thunder finished off the Pacers in Game 6. They did not. In that futility, at least for now, they have company. The team with the greatest single-season record in NBA history, the 2015-16 Golden State Warriors, didn't do it either. They went 73-9 that season, a win percentage of .890. Their victory over the '16 Thunder, in an epic seven-game Western Conference finals, permanently shattered that Oklahoma City team. Kevin Durant left OKC after those playoffs … to join the Dubs! And yet, that Golden State team, the best in the history of the league, doesn't have a ring. LeBron James, at one end of the floor at Oracle Arena, followed by Kyrie Irving, at the other, didn't allow it, in the last two minutes of Game 7. Advertisement The pursuit of a ring almost broke the late Jerry West, one of the greatest players of all time. He never got over losing six times in the finals to the Boston Celtics. Ever. Boston's Kevin McHale played on what became a ruined ankle, for two months, during the 1987 playoffs. Scottie Pippen's back tortured him during Game 6 of the 1998 finals, when he went back to the locker room, again and again, to be able to squeeze out four or five minutes on the court. Isiah Thomas turned his ankle gruesomely early in the third quarter of Game 6 of the '88 finals, went to the bench for a minute, came back out, and scored a finals single-quarter record 25 points in the period, gimping up the floor in pursuit of the play. The Pistons lost. After the game, Thomas was on crutches. Somebody asked him how his ankle was. 'It's pretty f—ed up, I can tell you that,' he said. The aforementioned Mr. Reed tore his thigh in Game 5 of the 1970 finals, against West, Wilt Chamberlain and the Lakers. He missed Game 6. But, of course, he played in Game 7. He scored exactly four points. It didn't matter. Walt Frazier had the greatest Game 7 in finals history that almost no one remembers because of Reed's example. The New York Knicks won their first championship that night. They won a second in 1973. Fifty-two years later, they're still seeking their third. 'Chuck Daly once said, if people had any idea how difficult it was to win one game in the NBA, in the regular season, one game, they would have — you know, they would be shocked,' Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. 'There's so many things coming at you, and you're swimming upstream, you're going against great coaching, you're going against high-, high-, high-level players, and guys that go hard and are super skilled and all that kind of stuff. This time of year, not everybody's been deep in the playoffs or to the finals, but I guarantee you that people have a very good idea what goes on and how difficult it is to get here and how challenging it is. I do believe that.' Advertisement Playing through a strained calf is no joke. It usually puts a player out a week or two, sometimes longer. Guys playing on strained calves can find themselves dealing with much more serious injuries soon after. Haliburton was a shell of himself in Game 5 Monday night. He didn't make a single field goal. He only scored four points. He dragged his leg around like it was packed with wet leaves and gravel from the driveway. That he would play Thursday was no secret. That he would play as well as he did — 14 points, five assists, one turnover, for a plus-25 — was, of course, inspiring. But what he had to do to get on the floor! 'After (Game 5) I went to sleep, woke up,' he began. 'Went to the hyperbaric chamber (Tuesday morning). Got an MRI. Had a meeting with a couple of specialists, and my agents, and the organization. And then, the next day, more treatment at the gym, more stuff at the gym. I tried to get some shots (up). And then, just round-the-clock (treatment). Hyperbaric again. Carl (Eaton, Indiana's associate head athletic trainer) and Justin (Tallard, one of the Pacers' physical therapists) have been at my house, came in, put H-Wave (electrical stimulation) on me, and doing a bunch of treatment that way. And then (Thursday) morning, hyperbaric again. I'm usually not a game-day hyperbaric person, but I was just trying to give myself the best shot that I could. … and then, more H-Wave, more treatment at the house.' Haliburton said he won't listen to the 'poison' narratives that will permeate the sports talkosphere between now and Game 7 Sunday night. He wouldn't be able to, anyway. He will spend much of the next 48 hours the same way he spent the previous 48 before Thursday. Trying to coax one more night, one more special moment, out of his barking calf. One more. Because winning this thing is hard. Really hard. (Photo of Tyrese Haliburton: Matthew Stockman / Getty Images)
Time of India
4 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
NFL star Justin Jefferson caught playing Fortnite courtside at the NBA Finals
Image via Epic Games In a rather unexpected crossover between the worlds of professional sports and gaming, NFL superstar Justin Jefferson was seen playing Fortnite courtside during the NBA Finals between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers on Thursday night. While fans eagerly watched Game 6 unfold at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, where the Pacers secured a 108-91 victory to keep the series alive, Jefferson - a four-time Pro Bowler and Minnesota Vikings wide receiver, was spotted with his eyes glued to a Fortnite session. The moment reportedly occurred during warm-ups, but that didn't stop it from setting social media ablaze. Jefferson's passion for Fortnite is well documented. In fact, the game introduced a skin based on him, along with his signature 'Griddy' dance, back in 2021. As one of the NFL's biggest stars since entering the league in 2020, his presence in the Fortnite universe has only grown, blending digital fame with athletic dominance. This past season, the wideout tallied 1,533 yards and 10 touchdowns, adding another stellar chapter to an already impressive career. Fans react to Justin Jefferson's courtside gaming moment While some fans found Jefferson's gaming moment humorous and relatable, others weren't so kind. One Twitter user joked, 'Fortnite mobile at courtside is crazy,' while another wrote, 'Bro lockin' in - now this is game prep.' An old tweet from 2021 also resurfaced in light of Jefferson's courtside gaming, where he was humorously called out for skipping a media interview to play in a Fortnite match. Though not widely discussed at the time, the moment adds to a growing list of lighthearted instances that show just how committed Jefferson is to the game - both on the field and in the virtual world. Jefferson's courtside gaming moment also reinforces the lasting appeal of Fortnite, especially in 2025. Despite newer titles entering the scene, Fortnite continues to dominate with over 60 million daily active users and a whopping 650 million registered players globally. Major events, collaborations, and ever-evolving gameplay have kept it relevant across age groups and professions - even among elite athletes. The game remains a powerhouse on streaming platforms too, boasting 12 million weekly viewer hours on Twitch earlier this year. From music festivals and movie crossovers to NFL stars casually logging in courtside, Fortnite has proven itself more than just a battle royale - it's a cultural phenomenon. And with Justin Jefferson leading his own digital charge, it's safe to say the game's reach is only growing stronger. Also Read: Roblox dethrones Fortnite with 'Grow a Garden' hitting historic player peak Game On Season 1 kicks off with Sakshi Malik's inspiring story. Watch Episode 1 here
