Latest news with #PascalSiakam
Forbes
27 minutes ago
- Sport
- Forbes
2025 NBA Finals: Pacers Bury Unwanted Emotion, Force Game 7 Vs Thunder
Indiana Pacers forward Pascal Siakam (43) drives as Oklahoma City Thunder guard Cason Wallace ... More defends during the second half of Game 6 of the NBA Finals basketball series, Thursday, June 19, 2025, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy) INDIANAPOLIS — Game 6 of the 2025 NBA Finals was just 50 minutes away, and Indiana Pacers forward James Johnson needed a hand fulfilling one of his unofficial team duties. A key veteran voice for the blue and gold, Johnson was searching for a way to motivate his group ahead of a game in which they were fighting off elimination. Down 3-2 in the series, he wanted to write a quote on the locker room whiteboard. Something powerful and inspiring. But there was one problem. Johnson's handwriting isn't great. 'Who's a good writer?' Johnson called out. Bennedict Mathurin, celebrating his 23rd birthday, stepped up. Mathurin, competitive as ever, wants to be the best at everything, even penmanship. He grabbed a red marker. Johnson recited the quote, an old Muhammad Ali line about rising after a fall, word by word. Mathurin carefully scribbled it out, and the two worked together to get the spacing just right. 45 minutes before tipoff, they were done. Every player who walked through the locker room — all of them required to at least once — would see Mathurin's handiwork and Johnson's message. The Pacers were going to need to heed the words printed in ink. They were down in the Finals and facing elimination for the first time of the postseason. A win was required, and they needed to recover after consecutive losses. Their opponent, the Oklahoma City Thunder, won 68 games this season. Individual brilliance — while helpful, as Mathurin proved in Game 3 — is not enough to beat them. It takes a total team effort and sustained resilience. Johnson wanted to remind everyone of that before the pivotal battle. It was a new situation for the Pacers, who have largely cruised through in this postseason until this series. Now, they were navigating new emotions as they faced a series defeat on the biggest stage the NBA provides. Nerves, pressure, and urgency all appeared. Getting their mentality right was critical, and that's part of Johnson's role. Wing Aaron Nesmith, who has played in an NBA Finals before, was asked later Thursday night which of his teammates helped steady the locker room. '[Johnson] is always good about it,' Nemith began before talking about veteran forward Pascal Siakam. Nesmith feels as if it's important to be even-keeled in a one-game setting, and experienced teammates help everyone else stay grounded. So a small moment — one player who wanted a motivational quote on the whiteboard, another one eager to write it — became something bigger. It helped stabilize the locker room. And that quiet clarity carried over to the court, where the Pacers delivered one of their strongest performances of the season, hammering the Thunder and giving Gainbridge Fieldhouse one last moment to celebrate this season. What did James Johnson's message mean for the Pacers in Game 6 of the 2025 NBA Finals? The Ali quote Johnson chose about getting up after being knocked down felt prophetic almost immediately. Indiana lost Game 5, and OKC took a 10-2 lead within the first four minutes of action in Game 6. The Pacers were reeling and watching their chance at a title slip away. They took a timeout and needed to rise once again. Indiana Pacers forward Obi Toppin (1) celebrates with forward James Johnson (16) during the second ... More half of Game 6 of the NBA Finals basketball series against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Thursday, June 19, 2025, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy) The next 40 minutes of play were all about the Pacers getting up after being knocked down. That eight-point deficit was erased in 45 seconds. Indiana led barely two minutes after talking things over, and their edge grew as high as nine in the first quarter. They started off slow after two straight defeats and were pinned to the mat, but they battled back again. It was the response Johnson envisioned. But the Thunder pushed again in the second quarter, trimming the lead to one with 9:29 left. Rick Carlisle, the Pacers veteran head coach who has guided his team with sage adjustments throughout this postseason run, stopped the game to talk things over. That changed everything. Indiana erupted, going on a 32-11 run. Their lead was 22 at halftime, and the Indy crowd was electric. So were the Pacers, who rolled through the third quarter and carried a 30-point cushion into the fourth. That was enough to coast the rest of the way and take Game 6 108-91. The blue and gold responded, again. The message to rise had been received. Now the series is tied 3-3, heading to a winner-take-all Game 7. 'We continue to be us no matter what,' Siakam said postgame. 'I think that's what makes us who we are.' The Pacers, at every turn, are prepared to fight back. When they're down in a series, or down in a game, they've proven that they can even things up. Some of that comes from talent. Other parts of it come from leadership. The day before Game 6, Pacers center Myles Turner was asked about inspiration, and specifically if Carlisle had applied any motivational tactics to boost the team mentally. The answer was yes, but Turner didn't think his coach should have to. In his eyes, the team's overall pride should be enough of a motivating factor. After Game 6, Turner sat at his locker composed. He was stoic yet in a good mood, listening to Seal's 'Kiss From a Rose'. He recalled a similar moment from last season when the Pacers were down 3-2 against the New York Knicks in the second round. They won that series in seven games. Repeating that success is their hope, and Johnson did everything in his power to make it happen. And in a fitting twist, the veteran forward that played just 37 total minutes during the regular season checked into Game 6 with 3:04 remaining. He was getting NBA Finals court time on the same night that his off-court value was so deeply felt. During Johnson's three years with the Pacers, he's become a crowd favorite as Indiana fans learn more about his true value to the franchise. As he entered the game, Gainbridge Fieldhouse roared with excitement. When he was ejected with 57 seconds left for slapping Dillon Jones, those roars returned. Fans were cheering for him the same way he cheered on his teammates with motivational quotes before the game. They were rooting for a leader that made sure any unwanted emotions were gone. Johnson's teammates heard the message, and they all earned another chance to play in the 2025 NBA Finals. It's a Game 7 on Sunday for the championship, and the Pacers don't have the opportunity without its veterans.
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Udonis Haslem Picks Winner of NBA Finals Without Hesitation
Udonis Haslem Picks Winner of NBA Finals Without Hesitation originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Indiana Pacers picked up a massive 108-91 victory in Game 6 of the 2025 NBA Finals over the Oklahoma City Thunder, forcing the NBA's first Game 7 in the Finals since 2016. Advertisement Indiana's star duo of Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam will be looking to cap off one of the greatest postseason runs in NBA history with a championship win. The Pacers' undying grit and overwhelming determination has pushed the group this far, and they'll now have a chance to take home the franchise's first-ever NBA title. With plenty in the broader NBA sphere still predicting the Thunder to claim the Larry O'Brien trophy by the conclusion of Game 7, a former Miami Heat legend and 3-time NBA champion has vocalized his decision to back Indiana. Miami Heat forward Udonis Haslem (40) reacts after entering the game during the first quarter at the Kaseya Navarro-USA TODAY Sports "I think Indiana believe that they can win this championship, regardless of what anybody else thinks," Udonis Haslem shared during a Friday morning appearance on ESPN's Get Up. Advertisement "I've been in locker rooms where we listened to the chatter of the media where they say, 'that team doesn't have a chance,' and, 'this team should be up,' and 'this series should be over.' I've been in those locker rooms. They've been using that as gasoline." As a former 20-year veteran with plenty of NBA Finals experience, Haslem argued that Indiana's camaraderie and teamwork will push them over the top. "The power of the brotherhood has brought this team leadership, the coaching, the brotherhood, the connection." "No, they do not have a superstar, but everybody on that team stars in their role. I believe in this team, I am a believer." Advertisement The Pacers will be facing a Thunder group that won 68 games in the regular season for a Game 7 in front of their raucous fans. As an added kicker, the reigning MVP of the league, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, stands in their path. Still, Haslem has supreme confidence in the Pacers because of their reputation for silencing doubt while playing fast-paced, team-oriented basketball. The Heat have taken a trip to the Finals seven different times in the Haslem-era, and he's served as both an integral defensive force and wise veteran presence throughout his career. With an NBA championship on the line, Haslem is sticking with the underdog Pacers prior to Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals. Advertisement Related: Potential Heat-Suns Trade News Surfaces Amid Kevin Durant Rumors Related: NBA Champion Names 'Perfect' Spot for Kevin Durant This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 20, 2025, where it first appeared.
New York Post
7 hours ago
- Sport
- New York Post
Pacers hoping to become most unlikely NBA Finals champion in at least four decades
Gambling content 21+. The New York Post may receive an affiliate commission if you sign up through our links. Read our editorial standards for more information. The Pacers will make betting history with a Game 7 win Sunday night. After coming into the season with little chance at a championship, Indiana is now on the brink of becoming the biggest preseason long shot to win the NBA title since at least 1985, according to Sports Odds History. The Pacers opened the season at +6600 to win it all, which was tied with the Kings for the 17th-best odds in the league at BetMGM Sportsbook before opening night. At one point, Indiana's championship chances looked even more dire than that in the eyes of oddsmakers, dropping to +15000 at the end of February before the Pacers went on a late-season run. With a win, the Pacers would surpass the 2014-15 Warriors, who were +2800 to take home the Larry O'Brien trophy before the season. Indiana Pacers forward Pascal Siakam (43) celebrates a basket against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the second half of Game 6 of the NBA Finals basketball series on Thursday, June 19, 2025, in Indianapolis. AP The 2011 Mavericks (+2000), 2019 Raptors (+1850), 2023 Nuggets (+1800) and 2004 Pistons (+1500) round out the current top-five of biggest preseason long shots to win the championship. It would also be one of the biggest Finals upsets in recent history, tying the 2004 Pistons, who took down the Shaq and Kobe Lakers as +500 pre-series long shots. The Pacers will need to pull off one more major upset if they want to make it happen, though. Betting on the NBA? The Thunder opened as 8.5-point favorites on their home floor in Game 7, which would be the largest spread in an NBA Finals Game 7 since at least 1991, according to ESPN's David Payne Purdum. They would become just the fourth team to win a Game 7 on the road and just the second in the last 40 years, joining the 2016 Cavaliers, 1978 Bullets, 1969 Celtics and 1955 Nationals.
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Pacers' Pascal Siakam drops facial jam, buzzer beater vs Thunder
The post Pacers' Pascal Siakam drops facial jam, buzzer beater vs Thunder appeared first on ClutchPoints. The Indiana Pacers are facing a must-win scenario in Game 6 of the NBA Finals. They trail the Oklahoma City Thunder in the series, 3-2. The Thunder took care of business at home in Game 5. Thus far Thursday night, the Pacers are doing the same. Advertisement Indiana holds its largest lead of the series at halftime, 64-42. They closed the second quarter on a 30-9 run, including two fantastic plays from Pascal Siakam. With under a minute left in the half, the Pacers got out onto the break, which culminated in a Siakam facial jam on Jalen Williams. Haliburton, who is playing with a serious calf injury, came up with his second steal of the game. He then found Siakam on a sick no-look feed to Siakam, who put Williams on a poster. But the veteran forward was not done. Seconds later, Siakam put an exclamation point on the first half. He backed Alex Caruso down and raised up over the shorter defender, draining the jumper at the buzzer. If the Thunder want to avoid a Game 7 back in Oklahoma City, they are going to have to complete the largest halftime comeback in NBA Finals history. Advertisement The Pacers started slow, missing their first eight shots of the game. Within a matter of minutes, they trailed 10-2 and the crowd was out of the game. But once they started hitting shots, the crowd came to life. Once again, TJ McConnell made a large difference for Indiana. He brought a ton of energy, effort and even a scoring punch in Game 6. At halftime, McConnell has eight points, five rebounds, three assists and two steals in just 11 minutes. He has had help off the bench, too. Obi Toppin has eight points and even Tony Bradley chipped in with three. But this game has mostly been about turnovers. The Pacers turned the table, causing 12 OKC giveaways. Meanwhile, the Pacers have just two. Advertisement Related: Pacers' Tyrese Haliburton sounds off on Game 7 status amid injury concerns Related: Pacers' TJ McConnell sends heartfelt message amid NBA Finals fan support
Toronto Sun
11 hours ago
- Sport
- Toronto Sun
Pascal Siakam making doubters who wouldn't trade for him look silly in NBA Finals
Pacers stepped up when Raptors couldn't find many bidders and it has paid off spectacularly well. Get the latest from Ryan Wolstat straight to your inbox Pascal Siakam of the Indiana Pacers dunks against Jalen Williams of the Oklahoma City Thunder during Game 6 of the NBA Finals. Getty Images Hands up if you expected this NBA Finals to go seven games. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account If you did, you're in select company because most thought the Oklahoma City Thunder would prevail in five games. Sure, there were some Thunder-in-six picks too (and even a sweep for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's squad was a popular play in Vegas), but seven games, nah, wasn't going to happen. Well, the Indiana Pacers had something to say about that and it's winner-take-all on Sunday. In a Willis Reed-like performance, Pacers all-star Tyrese Haliburton, rumoured to have an injury that would have kept him out of a couple of weeks of regular-season action, not only played in Thursday's shocking blowout win, but performed well and inspired his teammates in the process, much like Reed did back in the day for the New York Knicks. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The Pacers fed off a raucous crowd that hasn't seen a team reach these heights since the ABA years, when Indiana was the class of the now-defunct league, winning three championships and repeatedly reaching the final. The team has gone 8-3 at home, but that massive advantage is now gone and they'll have to win in Oklahoma City, where the Thunder has gone 10-2 in the playoffs. An impossible task? No, but it's hard to imagine all of the Thunder's best players stinking the way they did in Game 6. Then again, who would have thought this would go seven games!? WHAT WENT WRONG? Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams (coming off a ridiculously impressive 40-point performance), Chet Holmgren (who also starred in Game 5) and Lu Dort (excellent pretty much all series) did not look like themselves. They played like they hadn't been in a game as big as this before (as if big tests by Denver in Round 2 or the big comeback against Indiana earlier never happened). This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Gilgeous-Alexander tied his career regular-season-high with eight turnovers, Holmgren couldn't hit anything while Williams and Dort also went cold. They didn't move the ball, unlike the Pacers, who didn't even shoot all that well, but were zinging the ball around the court with aplomb and generated 12 more three-point attempts than the visitors. It was a 'your turn, my turn,' sort of performance and that wasn't going to work. The Thunder must get back to sharing and not forcing, and that should lead to better offensive work. (The starters went just 1-for-13 from three so it can't get any worse) and fewer turnovers would help, too. None of the mistakes or results from Game 6 will matter if the Thunder closes its season with a win Sunday. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. 'It's one game for everything you've dreamed of. You win it you get everything,' Gilgeous-Alexander said late Thursday. AN ODE TO PASCAL Part of the reason the Raptors couldn't get much for a player as good as Pascal Siakam was the fact the rest of the NBA simply didn't believe in him. Indiana was one of the only teams — maybe the only one — willing to trade and then offer Siakam a max contract. Whether it was the looming new restrictive salary-cap system or just not thinking Siakam could be a 1A or second-best player on a title contender, teams just wouldn't play ball when the Raptors finally offered him up. Clearly the league was undervaluing Siakam and he has proven all of the doubters wrong during these playoffs (plus he helped the Pacers reach the conference final a year ago, as well). This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. He arguably was the best player on the floor in the first half and demoralized the Thunder by throwing down one of his fiercest dunks ever, on the head of Williams after a great setup from Haliburton. If the Pacers do the unthinkable and win Game 7, that dunk will probably be the moment most remembered from this series. Siakam had 26 points and 10 rebounds when the Raptors closed out the Golden State Warriors in 2019 (and 32 points in Game 1) so it's not like what he's doing is new. ONE OF THESE IS NOT LIKE THE OTHER Indiana backup point guard T.J. McConnell had another monster outing. He had 12 points in 24 minutes, plus nine rebounds, six assists and four steals. McConnell is only the ninth player to have two games with at least five assists and four steals in the Finals. He's quite the outlier, as other than Maurice Cheeks — a good player but not an all-time great — the list includes Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Isiah Thomas and Scottie Pippen. That's some good company. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Read More Some of our top stats picks from a shocking Pacers statement game: How close has this battle been? OKC has scored just seven more points than Indiana over the first six games. Indiana's 13 steals were the fourth-most in a Finals game. The Thunder set the record of 15 just one game ago. If you like steals, this is the series for you. Eight Pacers are averaging at least 10 points in the series. No team has ever had as many players do that. Siakam's 13 rebounds were his most in his 12 Finals games. He did it in his fewest minutes and his +13 was his second-best in the 12 games. This will be the 20th Game 7 in NBA Finals history, but only the sixth since 1989. It's the first since Cleveland completed a 3-1 series comeback against Golden State in 2016. World Columnists World Toronto & GTA MMA
