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Indianapolis Star
12 hours ago
- Sport
- Indianapolis Star
Defense, depth and ‘no egos': Why Mark Jackson believes the Pacers will win NBA title
INDIANAPOLIS — As catering attendant Leveda Glazebrooks walked by herself through the KeyBank Suite hallways at Gainbridge Fieldhouse after her Game 6 shift, she repeatedly harmonized, 'We gon' be NBA champions.' A similar sentiment reverberated down Pennsylvania street when Glazebrooks would open the employee exit door to fans chanting, ''Cers in 7.' Hopes were high after the Indiana Pacers defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder 108-91 Thursday to force a Game 7. The Pacers bench outscored the Thunder 48-37 thanks to Obi Toppin's team-high 20 points. Indiana's defense caused 21 Thunder turnovers and held Oklahoma to 26.7% shooting from 3. T.J. McConnell added 12 off the bench. Indiana became the first team to have eight players to score more than 200 points in a postseason. Former Pacers guard Mark Jackson believes Indiana's attitude, defense and depth will turn Glazebrooks' wishful singing into reality. 'This team has made it this far because of how deep they can go in their bench and there are no egos,' Jackson told IndyStar. 'It can be anybody off the bench, and the starters support, acknowledge and recognize their teammates. That's the beautiful thing about being a total team and that's one of the key reasons they've been so successful.' Re-live the Pacers unbelievable run to the 2025 NBA Finals with IndyStar's commemorative book Before Game 4, Toppin praised coach Rick Carlisle for promoting a vulnerable culture among Pacer players. While Toppin acknowledged star point guard Tyrese Haliburton and forward Pascal Siakam as the team's unequivocal leaders, he noted, 'Everyone on the team has a voice.' 'The accountability in this locker room from guy 1-15, every guy listens to each other and what every player has to say and that's valuable,' McConnell said. After Thursday's contest, Carlisle failed to recall a team he's coached that resembled the character of this year's Pacers roster. Carlisle, who is one win away from his second NBA championship as a coach, recognized the Pacers players for their sacrifice. 'These guys try so hard for each other,' Carlisle said. Former Pacers forward Metta World Peace also noticed a difference in mannerisms among the team. 'They're mature and professional, on top of being good basketball players,' World Peace said. Nothing vindicated World Peace and Carlisle's point more than Haliburton's decision to play through a strained right calf on Thursday. The two-time NBA All-Star still scored 14 points and dished five assists in Game 6. 'I want to be out there and compete with my brothers,' Haliburton said postgame. 'These are guys that I'm willing to go to war with, and we've had such a special year. We have a special bond as a group, and I think I'd beat myself up if I didn't give it a chance. Those guys have my back and I have theirs at the same time, so that was important to me.' Toppin added: '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.' Jackson called Carslisle's brand of basketball 'fun to watch and refreshing' as a former coach and player because of the Pacers' pace. He applauded the franchise for making the 'proper adjustments and right commitments' to improve defensively. The Pacers cracked the top 15 in defensive rating for the first time in five seasons this season. 'Offense comes and goes,' Jackson said. 'Defense is the thing you rely on night in and night out. Because of good defense, you can stumble into games where you win ugly, and that's what they've done. And now they've put themselves in a position to win a championship. This team, it's their time.' Jackson was Indiana's starting point guard when the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Pacers 4-2 in the 2000 NBA Finals. He believes the 2000 team and Carlisle's roster were both well coached and 'more than capable of winning a championship.' However, Jackson didn't hesitate to state his reason as to why this Pacers squad will accomplish what his couldn't 25 years ago. 'Their point guard is way better,' Jackson said with a laugh.
San Francisco Chronicle
2 days ago
- Sport
- San Francisco Chronicle
Pacers guard T.J. McConnell could play key role on whether NBA Finals go to Game 7
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Indiana Pacers guard T.J. McConnell just keeps doing the unthinkable. At 6-foot-1, he repeatedly backs his way into the paint and outmaneuvers the NBA's giants for scores. At age 33, he still runs the court with a speed opponents struggle to contend with. And defensively, he often harasses some of the league's top stars into miscues. Now, though, McConnell faces his biggest challenge: Potentially replacing two-time All-Star Tyrese Haliburton on Thursday night as the Pacers try to extend their season against Oklahoma City in Game 6 of the NBA Finals. Haliburton said Wednesday he will try to play through the strained right calf because of the stakes. Coach Rick Carlisle called his catalyst a game-time decision, an indication that at the very least, McConnell could log more minutes than usual. Either way, McConnell promises he'll be ready. 'I've just got to inject energy, like I always do,' McConnell said after Wednesday's practice. 'Our starters have willed us here and we've just kind of got to go in there and, like I said, inject energy where it's needed and do our jobs.' So far, he has thrived in the spotlight. While McConnell's averages of 9.0 points, 4.0 assists, 2.9 rebounds in 16.7 minutes look ordinary, his presence has been extraordinary. He became the first bench player in Finals history to record five assists and five steals in one game, and he helped the Pacers cut a 16-point second-half deficit to two while Haliburton struggled in Monday's 120-109 loss that gave the Thunder a 3-2 lead. But it's the way he plays the game that has made McConnell such a fan favorite in a basketball-loving state that prefers toughness and defense to stars or point totals. The truth is, this is how he learned the game from his father, Tim, a longtime prep coach from suburban Pittsburgh who has become a regular in the crowd during this playoff run. 'Everyone knows what they've got to do when they're on the floor with T.J.,' Pacers forward Obi Toppin said. 'We expect him to get in the paint. We expect him to move the ball. We know what he's doing when we're out there, so it makes our job easier.' Toppin, McConnell and Bennedict Mathurin have formed a tight bond on the court despite their differing backgrounds and styles. Toppin, the 2019-20 College Basketball Player of the Year, and Mathurin, the first Canadian-born player to attend the NBA's Latin America Academy, were lottery picks. Toppin also won the 2022 NBA Slam Dunk title, while Mathurin was a 2023 all-rookie selection. McConnell, meanwhile, went undrafted out of Arizona — the same school Mathurin attended — and has had to repeatedly reprove himself. The critics at Duquesne thought he was too scrawny to make a difference even at a non-power conference school only to watch the Pittsburgh-tough guy transfer to Arizona and help the Wildcats reach the Elite Eight in his two seasons in Tucson. McConnell's strong preseason in 2015 prompted the Philadelphia 76ers to keep him for the next four seasons before letting him test free agency and land with the Pacers. Then early last season, it appeared McConnell's career might be teetering. Carlisle told McConnell early last season he wouldn't be in the regular rotation, a discussion Carlisle described as one of the toughest he's ever had. But McConnell wasn't discouraged. "I think coaches in the league have a tough job because you can't please everybody, so sometimes you're the odd man out," he said. 'So you can put your head down and sulk about it and make excuses or you can put your head down and go to work. I chose the latter." The Pacers couldn't be happier with the results. McConnell played so well during last year's breakout playoff run that Indiana gave him a four-year, $45 million contract extension and played even better during this year's run to the Eastern Conference title. Can he help save their season Thursday night? Perhaps. Just don't count him out. 'We've been in this position before,' McConnell said. 'So we just, you know, we can't flinch. We've got to be ready for the challenge because they're going to come out ready and, like I said, we just have more work to do.' ___
Winnipeg Free Press
2 days ago
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
Pacers guard T.J. McConnell could play key role on whether NBA Finals go to Game 7
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Indiana Pacers guard T.J. McConnell just keeps doing the unthinkable. At 6-foot-1, he repeatedly backs his way into the paint and outmaneuvers the NBA's giants for scores. At age 33, he still runs the court with a speed opponents struggle to contend with. And defensively, he often harasses some of the league's top stars into miscues. Now, though, McConnell faces his biggest challenge: Potentially replacing two-time All-Star Tyrese Haliburton on Thursday night as the Pacers try to extend their season against Oklahoma City in Game 6 of the NBA Finals. Haliburton said Wednesday he will try to play through the strained right calf because of the stakes. Coach Rick Carlisle called his catalyst a game-time decision, an indication that at the very least, McConnell could log more minutes than usual. Either way, McConnell promises he'll be ready. 'I've just got to inject energy, like I always do,' McConnell said after Wednesday's practice. 'Our starters have willed us here and we've just kind of got to go in there and, like I said, inject energy where it's needed and do our jobs.' So far, he has thrived in the spotlight. While McConnell's averages of 9.0 points, 4.0 assists, 2.9 rebounds in 16.7 minutes look ordinary, his presence has been extraordinary. He became the first bench player in Finals history to record five assists and five steals in one game, and he helped the Pacers cut a 16-point second-half deficit to two while Haliburton struggled in Monday's 120-109 loss that gave the Thunder a 3-2 lead. But it's the way he plays the game that has made McConnell such a fan favorite in a basketball-loving state that prefers toughness and defense to stars or point totals. The truth is, this is how he learned the game from his father, Tim, a longtime prep coach from suburban Pittsburgh who has become a regular in the crowd during this playoff run. 'Everyone knows what they've got to do when they're on the floor with T.J.,' Pacers forward Obi Toppin said. 'We expect him to get in the paint. We expect him to move the ball. We know what he's doing when we're out there, so it makes our job easier.' Toppin, McConnell and Bennedict Mathurin have formed a tight bond on the court despite their differing backgrounds and styles. Toppin, the 2019-20 College Basketball Player of the Year, and Mathurin, the first Canadian-born player to attend the NBA's Latin America Academy, were lottery picks. Toppin also won the 2022 NBA Slam Dunk title, while Mathurin was a 2023 all-rookie selection. McConnell, meanwhile, went undrafted out of Arizona — the same school Mathurin attended — and has had to repeatedly reprove himself. The critics at Duquesne thought he was too scrawny to make a difference even at a non-power conference school only to watch the Pittsburgh-tough guy transfer to Arizona and help the Wildcats reach the Elite Eight in his two seasons in Tucson. McConnell's strong preseason in 2015 prompted the Philadelphia 76ers to keep him for the next four seasons before letting him test free agency and land with the Pacers. Then early last season, it appeared McConnell's career might be teetering. Carlisle told McConnell early last season he wouldn't be in the regular rotation, a discussion Carlisle described as one of the toughest he's ever had. But McConnell wasn't discouraged. 'I think coaches in the league have a tough job because you can't please everybody, so sometimes you're the odd man out,' he said. 'So you can put your head down and sulk about it and make excuses or you can put your head down and go to work. I chose the latter.' The Pacers couldn't be happier with the results. McConnell played so well during last year's breakout playoff run that Indiana gave him a four-year, $45 million contract extension and played even better during this year's run to the Eastern Conference title. Thursdays Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter. Can he help save their season Thursday night? Perhaps. Just don't count him out. 'We've been in this position before,' McConnell said. 'So we just, you know, we can't flinch. We've got to be ready for the challenge because they're going to come out ready and, like I said, we just have more work to do.' ___ AP NBA:
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
OKC Thunder Even Up Series After Indiana Pacers Collapse
OKC Thunder Even Up Series After Indiana Pacers Collapse originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The NBA Finals is now a best-of-three series after the Oklahoma City Thunder took Game 4 by a score of 111-104. They were led in scoring by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander with 35 points, while the leading scorer for the Pacers was Pascal Siakam with 20 points. Advertisement The first quarter started with the Oklahoma City Thunder making a change to their starting lineup. They benched Cason Wallace and started a second big in Isaiah Hartenstein alongside Chet Holmgren, finding quick success. The Pacers began the game with quick ball movement and touch passes. They worked the high-post offense to perfection with Myles Turner. Turner would either pull the elbow jumper or find the open man in the corner for the three. The Pacers shot 5-9 in the first half from the corner. The key defensively for Indiana in the first quarter was the play of Pascal Siakam. He recorded four steals and began the fast-break offense because of the tenacious defensive effort. It was this type of play that led to the Pacers being up by one at the end of the first quarter. The game got much more tense in the second quarter. Indiana began defending Shai and Wallace for 94 feet, forcing them to exert more effort on the offensive end. However, poor shot selection and sloppy ball movement in the second quarter by the Pacers led to the Thunder taking an early lead. Advertisement The game came to a slight boil halfway through the second quarter after what was deemed to be a flagrant foul by Obi Toppin on Alex Caruso. Toppin and Hartenstein began shoving, and that seemed to ratchet up the intensity. Toppin has been pivotal for the Pacers in the last two games because of his efficiency on offense, his aggressiveness on the glass, and his intensity on the defensive end. Ultimately, the Pacers led by three at the end of the first half. The third quarter started the same way the first two did, with another Siakam steal and fast break attempt. The Pacers would turn it up the aggressiveness on both ends and would open up a seven-point lead about halfway through the quarter. After a tense moment between Siakam and Alex Caruso, Siakam's passion started to come out. After posting a plus/minus of -10 in the first half, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander began to play harder on the defensive end. He also went back to his signature mid-range jumpshot to get the Thunder back on track. When he gets to that shot, there are very few who can defend it. The Thunder cut the lead down to two, but Toppin hit two consecutive threes to push the lead back to eight. The Thunder have not helped their cause, trailing by seven heading into the fourth quarter on 2-14 shooting from behind the arc. Both teams were showing a focused effort of getting to the rim, as they both would struggle from behind the arc. The Pacers would take the lead by up to three after an attack of the rim by Tyrese Haliburton sent him to the free throw line with three minutes left. Advertisement The Thunder took the lead by one after a baseline jumper from Gilgeous-Alexander. After two straight turnovers, the Thunder had the ball with a chance to extend their lead, but Jalen Williams would miss an open jumper to give the ball back to Indiana. However, ultimately, the Thunder made plays down the stretch to send this series back to Oklahoma City. Related: Bennedict Mathurin Offers Two Words After Leading Indiana Pacers in NBA Finals Related: Tyrese Haliburton Praises 'Perfect' Indiana Pacers' Bench Player This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 14, 2025, where it first appeared.
Kuwait Times
6 days ago
- Sport
- Kuwait Times
Thunder beat Pacers, level Finals
LOS ANGELES: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 15 of his 35 points in the fourth quarter as the Oklahoma City Thunder rallied for a gritty 111-104 victory over the Indiana Pacers that leveled the NBA Finals at two games apiece on Friday. Frustrated for much of the game by Indiana's relentless defense, NBA Most Valuable Player Gilgeous-Alexander found a way to fight through. He followed a three-pointer with a pull-up jumper to give the Thunder their first lead since the first half with 2:23 remaining. They wouldn't trail again. Gilgeous-Alexander, who didn't get to the free-throw line in the first half, added six free-throws in the final 44 seconds. 'It's a dog fight,' Gilgeous-Alexander said after another intense, physical battle between the two teams. 'Every time you step on the floor, on both ends of the floor they make you work.' Jalen Williams scored 27 points, Chet Holmgren added 14 points and 15 rebounds and Alex Caruso chipped in with 20 points off the bench for the Thunder. Pascal Siakam scored 20 points to lead Indiana, adding eight rebounds, five assists and five steals. Tyrese Haliburton scored 18 points, Obi Toppin added 17 off the bench and the Pacers led by 10 late in the third quarter. But Oklahoma City—who dropped back-to-back games just twice this season and haven't lost consecutive games in the playoffs—clamped down defensively in the fourth, determined not to fall in a 3-1 hole. 'We knew it when we woke up this morning - 3-1 is a lot different than 2-2 going back home,' Gilgeous-Alexander said. 'We played with desperation to the end the game and that's why we won.' Gilgeous-Alexander said the Thunder must 'maintain the same desperation' when they host game five on Monday. The Thunder are seeking their first title since the franchise relocated to Oklahoma City in 2008, having won it all in 1979 as the Seattle SuperSonics. The Pacers, chasing their first NBA title, struck first in another fast-paced opening quarter in front of their energized fans, making four of their first five shots and building a nine-point lead midway through the opening period. Oklahoma hit back, putting together a 9-0 run to tie it, but the Pacers—with a strong defensive effort on Gilgeous-Alexander and four steals from Pascal Siakam—emerged from the first period with a 35-34 lead. The back and forth battle continued in the second, when Oklahoma City led by as many as six but could never pull away and Haliburton converted a three-point play—driving through traffic for a layup and making the free throw, his first of the series—to put Indiana up 60-57 at halftime. By then, tensions had already ratcheted up. Toppin was assessed a flagrant foul for a check that sent Alex Caruso sprawling under the basket. Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein confronted Toppin and both received technical fouls. 'Unreal' Gilgeous-Alexander OKlahoma City's Luguentz Dort was later assessed a flagrant foul for swiping an arm over Toppin's head. Toppin gave Indiana the first double-digit lead of the game with a dunk that put them up 86-76 late in the third. But the Thunder dug deep, tying it up four times in the fourth quarter before Gilgeous-Alexander came through. 'You're up seven at home you've got to dig in and find a way and we were not able to do it tonight,' Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. 'But give them credit. They kept attacking, kept attacking, and their defense was great down the stretch.' Oklahoma City closed the game on a 12-1 scoring run, and Gilgeous-Alexander was the driving force. 'He's unreal,' Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said, although Caruso said nothing Gilgeous-Alexander does surprises him anymore. 'I've seen him do it night after night,' Caruso said. 'He doesn't show a lot of emotion on the court, but he's one of the most competitive guys in this league.'- AFP
