How Indy keeps making doubters pay, including Jay-Z's failed $1M Thunder bet
LEFT: Indiana Pacers guard Bennedict Mathurin (00) and Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton celebrate after Game 3 of the NBA Finals. RIGHT: Rapper Jay-Z looks on before a game between the Washington Commanders and the Dallas Cowboys. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy &)
(AP Photo/Michael Conroy &)
(1:10) The Big Number: $1,000,000 wager on OKC in 5
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(18:14) Little Numbers: Pacers record in first 25 games
(23:50) Little Numbers: Indiana's MPH
(29:15) Little Numbers: Pacers passes per game
(32:41) Little Numbers: Indiana's defensive rating
(37:14) Best landing spots for KD in trade
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USA Today
7 minutes ago
- USA Today
Jalen Williams on T.J. McConnell's 2025 NBA Finals against Thunder: 'So annoying'
It's easy to laugh back at now, but T.J. McConnell had Oklahoma City Thunder shaking in their boots whenever they needed an inbound pass or when he dribbled in circles to his favorite short-range jumpers. A month after they beat the Indiana Pacers in a 2025 NBA Finals Game 7, Williams discussed what it was like to deal with McConnell's mini-takeovers. The underdog squad was able to push the heavy title favorite to the distance because role players like him had randomly explosive performances. McConnell averaged 12 points, 4.3 assists and 3.6 rebounds in the NBA Finals. He also had an eye-popping 2.1 steals. That was boosted with five steals in Game 3 and four steals in Game 6. Both were Indiana wins. Most of those steals came on simple inbound passes where the Thunder panicked and couldn't execute elementary basketball moves. That's how the Pacers finished a win shy of their first NBA championship. They had a deep squad where nobody was a bona fide 25-plus point scorer. It was truly a group effort where somebody like Pascal Siakam or Obi Toppin could go off. Williams talked about McConnell's surprise series against the Thunder. He joined PJ Washington in the club of role players who stepped up against them in a playoff series. The 24-year-old reflected on their championship run in his "The Young Man and The Three" podcast episode. 'Dude's so annoying,' Williams joked. 'Special player, though. What's cool is, looking back at it, and I was even able to share a couple of moments with him during the game, he was really cool to me when I got drafted.' When Tyrese Haliburton suffered a torn Achilles early on in the Thunder's Game 7 win, McConnell stepped up as their top scorer. Sadly, that's not the ideal situation you want to find yourself in at that stage. While the 33-year-old was a huge plus for the Pacers, relying on him to create buckets isn't a sustainable full-game plan. 'We were thinking the same thing,' Williams said. 'He ran off a run, and we were going into the huddle like, 'Bro.' But yeah, he was annoying during that series, and annoying is obviously a good thing, just on the other end of that.' Easy to look back at McConnell's superb series now, but at the time, each turnover he caused had Thunder fans pulling hair out of their head. That's what the playoffs are about. Sometimes, a random role player goes off and ends your season. For the Thunder, they were able to avoid being on the wrong side of an all-time upset.


Newsweek
8 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Pacers' TJ McConnell Sounds Off About Kyrie Irving
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The Indiana Pacers and point guard T.J. McConnell are fresh off of a run to the NBA Finals. Unfortunately, they came up just short against the Oklahoma City Thunder and lost Game 7 of the series following star point guard Tyrese Haliburton's torn Achilles injury. During the Finals, McConnell became a household name. Everyone in Indiana had already come to love him, but he hadn't been a name talked about much around the league. With fans getting to see him on the biggest stage in basketball, McConnell stepped up and played at an incredibly high level. T.J. McConnell #9 of the Indiana Pacers dribbles during the second half against the Washington Wizards at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on November 24, 2024 in Indianapolis, Indiana. T.J. McConnell #9 of the Indiana Pacers dribbles during the second half against the Washington Wizards at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on November 24, 2024 in Indianapolis, Indiana. Photo byThroughout the course of the series against the Thunder, McConnell averaged 12 points per game off of the bench to go along with 4.3 assists, 3.6 rebounds, and 2.1 steals. Read more: Lakers Linked to Potential Trade for 2-Time All-Star Guard Now that his name has grown, McConnell is being much more active in the media. Recently, he spoke out with a strong opinion about who the toughest player in the NBA is to guard. Of course, McConnell is known as a tenacious defender. He wreaks havoc on many opposing guards. However, there is one guard that he has difficulty with in particular. That guard is none other than Dallas Mavericks' superstar point guard Kyrie Irving. During an appearance on the "Christian Kuntz Podcast," McConnell spoke out with a strong message about Irving. "Who's the hardest guy I've had to guard? Kyrie Irving," McConnell said. "The ball's on a string. You're on an island, and you just don't know what he's gonna do. You could force him one way, but he still ends up getting the way you don't want him. His handle is impeccable. It's impeccable. He's got the greatest handle I've seen. He could really shoot it like, he's fast, it's just, it's a tough place to be mentally when you're when you're guarding Kyrie." Read more: Warriors' Stephen Curry Doesn't Hold Back About Ja Morant Irving is currently working his way back from a torn ACL that he suffered. There is no concrete timetable for his return to the court, but the Mavericks are hoping that he'll be playing during the 2025-26 season. All of that being said, McConnell showering Irving with this kind of praise is telling. Irving has been a lethal scorer and ball-handler his entire career. McConnell and the Pacers will have their work cut out for them during the 2025-26 campaign. Without Haliburton on the court, they'll have a steep hill to climb to remain as one of the top teams in the NBA. For more on the Dallas Mavericks, Indiana Pacers, and general NBA news, head on over to Newsweek Sports.


USA Today
4 hours ago
- USA Today
Jalen Williams reflects on Round 2 series win over Nuggets, how Thunder grew from it
Ask anybody who followed the Oklahoma City Thunder's playoff journey to an NBA championship. The moment the fork met the road was against the Denver Nuggets. The Round 2 playoff series was anything but its official name. As the series went the distance, most came away thinking the title winner will likely come from that series. That wasn't just outside noise, either. Jalen Williams felt the same way. He discussed the grueling seven-game series in his "The Young Man and The Three" podcast episode, which was recently published. Nearly two months removed from a blowout Game 7 win, the 24-year-old said OKC shattered through its ceiling with that series victory. "I'm not gonna say we thought, 'Oh, we can win it if we get past Denver,'" Williams said. "It's just more like let's get over the hurdle that we were challenged with last year to show that we got better." There were several moments throughout the playoff series that frightened Thunder fans. Entering as the heavy favorite, the Nuggets served the first punch when Aaron Gordon handed OKC its first playoff loss with a Game 1 game-winner that stunned the crowd. While not as dramatic, the Nuggets delivered again with their Game 3 overtime win. Suddenly, they had a couple of series leads through three games. Up 1-0 and 2-1. All the pressure was on the Thunder not to suffer a catastrophic collapse. A lot of bad memories from last year's Round 2 exit against the Dallas Mavericks resurfaced. "I think last year, that would have devastated us," Williams said. "Once you've been through the playoffs one time, it forces you to be a different person. There's so many emotional swings and ups and downs of the playoffs that it didn't really phase us too much... It sucked, but you can't feel sorry for yourself and lock back in." And the Thunder did that. In a tight back-and-forth Game 5, Williams' catch-and-shoot 3-pointer gave the Thunder the go-ahead lead in the final moments. In a championship run, that was probably the 24-year-old's best singular moment from the run. He screamed at his injured wrist in celebration as OKC held a 3-2 series lead. It was a big-time moment that saw the Thunder mature from a young, up-and-coming squad to the team to beat and eventual NBA champion. They'll now enter next season as every other team's top date. That happens when you have one of the most dominating seasons in league history.