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Jalen Williams on T.J. McConnell's 2025 NBA Finals against Thunder: 'So annoying'

Jalen Williams on T.J. McConnell's 2025 NBA Finals against Thunder: 'So annoying'

USA Today5 days ago
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.
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Venus Williams is back and she is not done. She heads to Cincinnati next and maybe the US Open
Venus Williams is back and she is not done. She heads to Cincinnati next and maybe the US Open

San Francisco Chronicle​

timean hour ago

  • San Francisco Chronicle​

Venus Williams is back and she is not done. She heads to Cincinnati next and maybe the US Open

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Venus Williams is back and she is not done. She heads to Cincinnati next and maybe the US Open
Venus Williams is back and she is not done. She heads to Cincinnati next and maybe the US Open

Hamilton Spectator

timean hour ago

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Venus Williams is back and she is not done. She heads to Cincinnati next and maybe the US Open

WASHINGTON (AP) — After Venus Williams' four-matches-in-four-days return to professional tennis was over, after she was loudly feted by appreciative fans even after a loss in singles, the D.C. Open stadium announcer offered a thought: 'We're never going to say goodbye to Venus Williams, are we?' he said. Not yet, anyway. This was not a one-stop hello-and-farewell appearance for the 45-year-old Williams, who had been away from the tour for 16 months before showing up in Washington this week and winning once each in singles and doubles. She hadn't won a match since 2023 , and the owner of seven Grand Slam singles titles, plus 14 in women's doubles with her sister Serena and another two in mixed doubles, was celebrated by the spectators and other players. 'I'm sorry to have (fallen) short,' Williams said after being eliminated by 24th-ranked Magdalena Frech 6-2, 6-2 on Thursday night, 'but I know I can play better. And I know I will play better.' Yes, there will be more: Williams next heads to the Cincinnati Open in August. That's certain. And she also might very well be competing at the U.S. Open later next month, if the U.S. Tennis Association awards her a wild-card entry. The USTA already announced that Williams asked for an invitation to play with Reilly Opelka in the tournament's newfangled mixed doubles event . Williams made quite obvious that the whole experience in Washington was fun for her. She loves the challenge. She loves playing tennis. Plus, what's not to like about so much adulation from so many? 'Everything is about her (at) this tournament. All the media, all the fans — everyone is for her,' Frech said. 'She's a superstar. She's a legend here.' There's more to it, though. Because Williams also made clear that this is not merely about having a good time. She wants to win, too. 'There's so many learnings from here. I know exactly what I need to work on, where I can improve. The good news is I'm always in control of the point. The important part is to put the ball in,' Williams said with a smile. 'So this is one thing I didn't do today. Was I in control? Absolutely. Will I be in control of most of my matches? Most likely, yes. That's the place I want to be, so I'm putting myself in that position. That's what counts.' Williams still can hammer a serve, as the series of aces she delivered at more than 110 mph during her straight-set victory Tuesday against 35th-ranked Peyton Stearns showed. Still can pound forehands and backhands, too. As Stearns put it: 'She played some ball tonight.' At the end of her final news conference in Washington, Williams spoke about her takeaways from the matches she played and the work she put in to make them possible after needing to stay off the court last year because of surgery for uterine fibroids. Her answer sounded a bit like a warning to other players out there who will face her. 'I'll reflect on this match and the things I could have done better. I'll reflect on my preparation going into the matches to make sure I'm prime and ready. Those are the kind of things. But more than anything, I take a lot of information from this tournament. So much data,' Williams said. 'Like, I can't wait to get on the practice court. My coach and I were already talking about what we're going to work on and also how much better I got so quickly in these last few weeks, too, was kind of like straight up a mountain.' Then she paused and added: 'So we have made so much progress, and I expect that there will be more.' ___ Howard Fendrich has been the AP's tennis writer since 2002. Find his stories here: . More AP tennis:

Venus Williams is back and she is not done. She heads to Cincinnati next and maybe the US Open
Venus Williams is back and she is not done. She heads to Cincinnati next and maybe the US Open

Fox Sports

time2 hours ago

  • Fox Sports

Venus Williams is back and she is not done. She heads to Cincinnati next and maybe the US Open

Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — After Venus Williams' four-matches-in-four-days return to professional tennis was over, after she was loudly feted by appreciative fans even after a loss in singles, the D.C. Open stadium announcer offered a thought: 'We're never going to say goodbye to Venus Williams, are we?' he said. Not yet, anyway. This was not a one-stop hello-and-farewell appearance for the 45-year-old Williams, who had been away from the tour for 16 months before showing up in Washington this week and winning once each in singles and doubles. She hadn't won a match since 2023, and the owner of seven Grand Slam singles titles, plus 14 in women's doubles with her sister Serena and another two in mixed doubles, was celebrated by the spectators and other players. 'I'm sorry to have (fallen) short,' Williams said after being eliminated by 24th-ranked Magdalena Frech 6-2, 6-2 on Thursday night, 'but I know I can play better. And I know I will play better.' Yes, there will be more: Williams next heads to the Cincinnati Open in August. That's certain. And she also might very well be competing at the U.S. Open later next month, if the U.S. Tennis Association awards her a wild-card entry. The USTA already announced that Williams asked for an invitation to play with Reilly Opelka in the tournament's newfangled mixed doubles event. Williams made quite obvious that the whole experience in Washington was fun for her. She loves the challenge. She loves playing tennis. Plus, what's not to like about so much adulation from so many? 'Everything is about her (at) this tournament. All the media, all the fans — everyone is for her,' Frech said. 'She's a superstar. She's a legend here.' There's more to it, though. Because Williams also made clear that this is not merely about having a good time. She wants to win, too. 'There's so many learnings from here. I know exactly what I need to work on, where I can improve. The good news is I'm always in control of the point. The important part is to put the ball in,' Williams said with a smile. 'So this is one thing I didn't do today. Was I in control? Absolutely. Will I be in control of most of my matches? Most likely, yes. That's the place I want to be, so I'm putting myself in that position. That's what counts.' Williams still can hammer a serve, as the series of aces she delivered at more than 110 mph during her straight-set victory Tuesday against 35th-ranked Peyton Stearns showed. Still can pound forehands and backhands, too. As Stearns put it: 'She played some ball tonight.' At the end of her final news conference in Washington, Williams spoke about her takeaways from the matches she played and the work she put in to make them possible after needing to stay off the court last year because of surgery for uterine fibroids. Her answer sounded a bit like a warning to other players out there who will face her. 'I'll reflect on this match and the things I could have done better. I'll reflect on my preparation going into the matches to make sure I'm prime and ready. Those are the kind of things. But more than anything, I take a lot of information from this tournament. So much data,' Williams said. 'Like, I can't wait to get on the practice court. My coach and I were already talking about what we're going to work on and also how much better I got so quickly in these last few weeks, too, was kind of like straight up a mountain.' Then she paused and added: 'So we have made so much progress, and I expect that there will be more.' ___ Howard Fendrich has been the AP's tennis writer since 2002. Find his stories here: More AP tennis: in this topic

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