Your Thunder-Pacers NBA Finals has arrived, so it's time to make predictions!
On this day in 1991, Michael Jordan had another one of his iconic moments. While coming down the lane against the Lakers, Jordan went up with the right hand, switched hands in midair to the left and finished the layup – absolutely legendary.
Who will be crowned the new NBA champions?
It's finally here. We've had a bunch of nights off in a row, and, after watching the overtime thriller for Game 1 of the Oilers beating the Panthers in the Stanley Cup Finals, the NBA Finals have to make sure they come out of the gates swinging. The Pacers are a massive underdog to the Thunder. The Thunder are minus-700 to win the Finals, with the Pacers coming in at plus-500 to become champs, per BetMGM.
Advertisement
It makes sense this would be so lopsided on the surface. The Thunder won 68 games in the regular season, and we'll remind you they set the record for both margin of victory and double-digit wins in a season. They also have one of the best defenses we've seen in the last 25 years, and the league's MVP. On the flip side of that, the Pacers are a team that snuck up on most people for the second straight year. They won 50 games and finished fourth in the East. You can chalk their postseason breakthrough up to injuries for the other team, but it's fair to say they were beating Milwaukee and Cleveland, regardless.
Both teams thrive off transition buckets and both teams don't turn the ball over. Both teams love to play fast. Both teams have a dynamic lead guard guiding their identities. There's a lot of fascinating plot points to this series, but ultimately, the Thunder do everything the Pacers do, just better. That doesn't always mean the Thunder will win the series
The key will be Game 1 tonight (8:30 p.m. ET on ABC). The Pacers have to win this game. They've won every Game 1 in this playoff run so far, including two on the road in Cleveland and New York. I'm not sure they can afford to go down in the series right away to a Thunder team that thrives off success and confidence. This series should be a lot more competitive than people are expecting. Thunder in five (plus-200) and Thunder in four (plus-325) are the two favorite outcomes at BetMGM.
So, what's going to happen? I do think the Pacers win Game 1, but I'm not sure it'll bring them to the promised land in getting their first championship anyway. Give me the Thunder in six and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as the Finals MVP. That's a boring pick, unless this going as many as six games is too spicy for some. But I think we're getting a mostly great series.
Rick Carlisle thought Knicks news was fake
🏀 Unbelievable news? Rick Carlisle didn't believe that Tom Thibodeau got fired. Thought it was 'fake AI.'
🏀 Budding bias. It's actually possible the small market teams have an edge now. It's all about connection.
⛹️ New energy. Between the Pacers' finals run and Caitlin Clark's popularity, the Hoosier State is enjoying a basketball revival.
⭐ Adjusting to bright lights. Tyrese Haliburton uses 'extra fuel' to lead Pacers to championship contention.
Advertisement
🇨🇦 About brotherhood. Lu Dort and Bennedict Mathurin have a bond that helped them reach the NBA Finals.
🏀 Latest on Zion. Some very serious allegations have been made against Zion Williamson. The Pelicans are going forward with him.
🎧 Tuning in. Today's 'NBA Daily' ponders how the Pacers can hurt the Thunder during the finals.
Is such a move a step toward winning a title?
Some of the basketball world was shocked earlier this week when the Knicks kicked Tom Thibodeau to the curb, despite bringing them to their first Eastern Conference finals appearance in 25 years. The Knicks were the most successful they've been in two-plus decades, but decided that wasn't good enough for Thibs to keep his job. Such is life in the NBA coaching world. We see coaches lose their jobs two years after winning a title regularly. We've seen a Coach of the Year get fired before he accepted the award!
A successful coach getting inexplicably fired isn't anything new. But does it actually lead a team down the path to getting the ultimate prize? That's what franchises are hoping when they make this move. That the successful coach was a stepping stone to the next zone, which is a banner ceremony, parade and those championship rings that are the size of SEC offensive lineman.
I wanted to look at both sides of this. What does it look like for the team making the change once the new coach comes in? And what does it look like for the coach after they've been fired?
I decided to go all the way back to Paul Westhead, who was fired by the Lakers in the 1983-84 season, only to be replaced by assistant coach Pat Riley. Some of that was Lakers owner Dr. Jerry Buss saying he wanted to fire him and some of that was Magic Johnson wanted him gone. Regardless, it was the right move because Riley led them to a championship that season, and three more beyond it.
Since then, there have been 10 noteworthy high-level winning coaches or award-winning coaches who have been in a similar situation … sort of.
In many of these cases, it did work out! We've also seen some situations where we're not sure how it'll end. Mike Budenholzer, Frank Vogel and Michael Malone all got fired two years after winning an NBA championship in recent seasons.
As for the coaches themselves, it's a pretty mixed bag.
Doug Collins never really had success again. Adelman got fired after a short stint with the Warriors before leading the Kings to eight straight playoff appearances. Del Harris never got another head-coaching position after the Lakers fired him. Carlisle went to Indiana and had a good run before finding his way to Dallas, where he won a championship in 2011.
Advertisement
When Adelman was fired from Sacramento, he went to Houston for a solid few years, and then struggled to bring winning basketball to Minnesota in four seasons. Mitchell has struggled to find a coaching job since, and was given one of the coldest firings ever in 2016, when he took over for the late Flip Saunders and then was fired immediately and disrespectfully right as the season ended.
Jackson and Blatt haven't coached since, and Van Gundy and Casey both found brief forays with Detroit.
Overall, it does seem to benefit the teams, rather than the coaches. Maybe that's encouraging for the Knicks and their fans.
The story of the greatest players in NBA history. In 100 riveting profiles, top basketball writers justify their selections and uncover the history of the NBA in the process.
The story of the greatest players in NBA history.
You shared, explained views on the Thunder
Yesterday, I was befuddled that, over the course of this playoff run, I've found that many people in my friend bubble and on social media seem to truly dislike this Thunder squad. There are a bunch of reasons given why, but I wanted to see if this might extend beyond my bubble and into the Bounce-verse. So we polled you and these are the results.
We also asked you for possible write-ins, and you didn't disappoint!
How do you feel about this Thunder team?
It was good to see just over half the polling audience for this newsletter either likes them or likes watching them play. It is a truly dominant and fun style of basketball. About one-third of the voters here are really against them.
Thunder becoming next NBA dynasty: good or bad?
I am pro-dynasty and anti-parity when it comes to the NBA, so I'm with the 36.6 percent here. I'm a little surprised that so many people are neutral on this. I love dynasties being built up and then being torn down.
(As a note: These percentages are write-ins so yes we know they don't all add up! Multiple answers were allowed.)
If you don't like them, why not?
We also gave the opportunity for you to give your own answers and these were the ones I found most intriguing and/or entertaining:
'There's no one player people can latch onto. SGA is very good but has exactly no personality.'
'They swept my team in the first round.'
'It's corporate basketball. They are executing a strict script written by statistical analysis. It's like a manager calling pitches from the dugout. The sideline interview crap is Exhibit A: it feels workshopped and focus group tested – totally inauthentic.'
Advertisement
'As a Celtics fan, this was the same vibes that I dealt with last year. When one team is ripping through the playoffs & heavy NBA Finals favorites, everyone else is kind of like 'Well, they're not fun.''
'I'm from Seattle, and the Thunder feel like a slap in the face. Combined with the vagueness of expansion and the general disrespect the NBA has shown Seattle in the last 15 years, I just can't get behind them. Respect and honor your past, don't try to act like you came from nothing.'
'They feel like they skipped the line and never cut their teeth being a scrappy underdog team. Is this fair? Probably not. Thanasis Antetokounmpo.'
Can't get through one damn poll without one of you mentioning Giannis' brother.
Streaming links in this article are provided by partners of The Athletic. Restrictions may apply. The Athletic maintains full editorial independence. Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process and do not review stories before publication.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
22 minutes ago
- USA Today
Nikola Jokić's backup commits to Nuggets after EuroLeague flirtation
After Denver Nuggets executive vice president Ben Tenzer strongly hinted that Jonas Valančiūnas would stay in Denver following a EuroLeague flirtation, it wasn't clear exactly how Valančiūnas felt about putting off Europe (for now). Valančiūnas has changed all that by taking the professional route. On Monday, BasketNews' Donatas Urbonas shared an unofficial statement from the Lithuanian center in which he "fully" committed to the Nuggets' mission of winning the 2025-2026 NBA championship. While mostly unfounded, there were lingering questions about whether Valančiūnas would continue to spar with the Nuggets over staying in the NBA. Given Valančiūnas's status as a potential quality innings eater to help keep three-time league MVP Nikola Jokić fresh over the course of an entire season, these were more than fair concerns. Valančiūnas has put those questions to rest by proactively stating his full intentions for Denver out in the open, thereby ensuring everyone associated with the Nuggets doesn't have to worry about him pulling out the rug at the last moment through the rest of the summer: After enjoying one of the best offseasons of anyone in the NBA, the Nuggets now have one less problem to worry about. Obstacles will assuredly still arise here and there. You know, like they do for everyone. But Valančiūnas's "will he or won't he?" situation finally coming to an end means this championship contender can start focusing on gearing up for the long haul in earnest. It can start focusing on basketball and basketball alone. How will Jonas Valančiūnas help the Denver Nuggets? Valančiūnas's role with the Nuggets should mostly be pretty elementary. He will be expected to help keep Denver afloat every time Jokić is off the floor. The backup center position has been a major bugaboo for the Nuggets and Jokić, particularly over the last half-decade or so. It had gotten to the point where, most nights, the Nuggets could ill afford to give their best player any extended rest over fears that his backup and a bench lineup would inevitably crater together. Naturally, this setup has led the Serbian superstar to overextend himself in the regular season and use some of his energy that would have been better utilized in the postseason for a franchise that considers itself a championship contender. Valančiūnas won't solve all of the Nuggets' problems. He is not a player without flaws, particularly on the defensive end. But he is an experienced offensive player with a reliable bag of tricks he's polished over the years. He should be enough to actually keep Denver afloat whenever Jokić isn't playing. That, in itself, will be a godsend to a team that relies so much on the best basketball player in the world.
Newsweek
24 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Supreme Court Urged by NBA To Clarify 37-Year-Old Law
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 National Basketball Association (NBA), along with support from the National Football League (NFL), is urging the United States Supreme Court to provide a definitive interpretation of the Video Privacy Protection Act (VPPA), a law enacted in the 1980s to protect consumer video rental and viewing records. Why It Matters As digital content and streaming services have redefined the modern viewing landscape, federal courts are divided on whether this decades-old law should apply to those accessing free online content. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd and 7th Circuits have ruled that the law does apply to consumers of a videotape service provider's non-audiovisual goods and services, while the U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals rejected this interpretation. "Only this Court can resolve the split," Shay Dvoretzky and Raza Rasheed, attorneys for the NBA, wrote in a brief filed Wednesday. Newsweek has reached out to the NBA for comment. A general overall exterior view of the Supreme Court, on January 1, 2023, in Washington. A general overall exterior view of the Supreme Court, on January 1, 2023, in Washington. Aaron M. Sprecher via AP What To Know The case centers on Michael Salazar, who in 2022 filed suit against the NBA after subscribing to its free online newsletter and watching complimentary videos on while logged into Facebook. Salazar alleges his video viewing history was shared with Meta, Facebook's parent company, without his consent, via tracking software incorporated on the NBA's website. The NBA argues that Salazar is not protected under the VPPA because he subscribed to the NBA's free email newsletter, not its audiovisual content. In October 2024, the 2nd Circuit ruled that Salazar was a "consumer" under the VPPA because he had exchanged personal information for access to NBA content. The 7th Circuit agreed with the 2nd Circuit's decision, but the 6th Circuit rejected those decisions, holding that the VPPA's protections only to those who subscribe to videocassette tapes or similar audiovisual materials. "This case is an excellent vehicle for addressing both the VPPA split and whether Salazar had standing to begin with," attorneys for the NBA wrote in a brief. Salazar's attorney, Joshua I. Hammack, argues that the Court should not consider the case because a final judgment has not been reached, and two amended complaints have been filed since the NBA petitioned the Court for certiorari. "This case is far from an 'ideal' or 'perfect vehicle,'" Hammack wrote in a brief. Newsweek has also reached out to Hammack for comment. In May, the NFL filed a brief supporting the NBA's petition and emphasizing the potential industrywide repercussions. The NFL argued that Supreme Court intervention is necessary to address a rise in class action lawsuits against content providers under the VPPA. "Absent the Court's intervention, sports leagues and other online content providers will continue to face a slew of class actions under the VPPA," attorneys for the NFL wrote in the brief. What is the VPPA? The VPPA was passed by Congress in 1988 and signed into law by President Ronald Reagan. The law is also referred to as the "Bork bill" because it was passed after Robert Bork's video rental history became public during his Supreme Court nomination. The law states that a "videotape service provider" who knowingly discloses information about any of its consumers is liable to provide relief. What People Are Saying Shay Dvoretzky and Raza Rasheed, attorneys for the NBA, in a brief filed Wednesday: "The parties agree that the petition presents an important, certworthy VPPA question. This case is an excellent vehicle to resolve that question and whether Salazar has Article III standing. The Second Circuit's decision on both questions was wrong, and it threatens widespread damage to the modern internet economy. The Court should intervene." Joshua I. Hammack, attorney for Michael Salazar, in a brief: "Nothing about 'subscribing' is unique to audiovisual goods or services. There is simply no basis to rewrite the VPPA's definition of 'consumer' to impose a limitation that appears nowhere in the text." What Happens Next The NBA has filed a petition for a writ of certiorari to the Supreme Court. The Court has yet to decide whether it will hear the case. Do you have a story that Newsweek should be covering? Do you have any questions about this story? Contact LiveNews@
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Lakers Are Viewed As Potential Destination For Elite Defender To Pair Up With Marcus Smart
Lakers Are Viewed As Potential Destination For Elite Defender To Pair Up With Marcus Smart originally appeared on Fadeaway World. The Los Angeles Lakers have become a far more relevant team in the offseason. After being very quiet in the early days of free agency, the Purple and Gold got the ball rolling with some impressive additions to bolster their roster strength. Among their latest moves, the Lakers acquired former DPOY Marcus Smart. Once Smart clears waivers after being bought out by the Washington Wizards, he is expected to sign with the Lakers on a two-year, $11 million deal. The addition of Smart significantly strengthens the Lakers' backcourt rotation. But considering their aspirations of becoming title contenders, the Lakers still have more work to do. To address this, Grant Afseth presented Portland Trail Blazers guard Jrue Holiday as a potential target for the Purple and Gold. He wrote: "Multiple sources recently told that Holiday is a name to monitor, particularly as a potential target for the Los Angeles Lakers." "That's not to say active conversations are taking place, but his name continues to surface in NBA circles as the team evaluates options to add more talent around LeBron James and Luka Doncic. Other teams are monitoring the situation, though the Lakers are widely viewed as one of the most natural fits if Portland explores a deal. This presents an interesting outlook for the Lakers. The notion of pairing a former DPOY in Smart with one of the best defenders in the league could be promising for the Purple and Gold. With this possibility in mind, we explore a trade proposal that would facilitate such a deal to go through. Proposed Trade Details Los Angeles Lakers Receive: Jrue Holiday Portland Trail Blazers Receive: Rui Hachimura, Gabe Vincent, Dalton Knecht Given that this trade package is primarily formulated to help the Lakers get better, it has significant benefits for them. But as constructed, this could have upside for the Trail Blazers too. The Lakers Acquire A Defensive Stopper For the Lakers, this trade is of mutual interest for the team as well as Holiday himself. After being traded from the Boston Celtics, reports were suggesting that Holiday was annoyed because he was traded to Portland. This immediately sparked rumors, marking a potential exit from the team before even debuting with them. Should the Lakers successfully trade for Holiday, they would not only be acquiring a defensive stopper, but they'd also be adding a two-time champion to their roster. In the last five years, Holiday has been a part of two title-winning squads. His recent experiences of winning it all could be crucial in driving success for the Purple and Gold this upcoming season. The 35-year-old also brings tons of experience and productivity with him. With averages of 11.1 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 3.9 assists per game on shooting splits of 44.3% from the field and 35.3% from three-point range, Holiday is the ideal complementary player for a star-driven team. On a team headlined by stars like Luka Doncic and LeBron James, the veteran would carve out a place for himself by fulfilling critical team needs, something that could prove pivotal to the Lakers' success. The Trail Blazers Reinforce Their Roster Depth This deal also has merit for the Trail Blazers, who are poised to be a significantly more intriguing team than they were last season. With the signing of Damian Lillard in free agency, Portland is expected to be significantly more competitive, although this would only be for the 2026-27 season after he returns from injury. Regardless, this deal sees the Blazers acquiring two capable veterans on expiring contracts along with a talented young player. With Rui Hachimura, Portland adds depth to their frontcourt rotation. Last season, Hachimura was a vital part of the Lakers' frontcourt. His defensive effort and perimeter shooting were a huge factor in keeping the team afloat in unfavorable situations. His averages of 13.1 points and 5.0 rebounds on 41.3% shooting from the perimeter were a welcome sight on most nights. The acquisition of Gabe Vincent could also be huge for Portland. While having him on an expiring contract gives the team a lot of cap flexibility next offseason, Vincent has displayed the ability to be a contributor on the defensive end as well. As a capable on-ball defender, Vincent's high work rate and effort helped him disrupt several plays. He shot 35.3% from three-point range last season, which was a part of his contribution to the offense, having averaged 6.4 points per game. As beneficial as veteran leadership is to a young team, there exists a necessity for young talent that will grow with the team as well. In this regard, Dalton Knecht's arrival could be significant for the Blazers' bench rotation. In his rookie season, Knecht displayed a lot of potential as a sharpshooter and scorer, averaging 9.1 points on shooting splits of 46.1% from the field and 37.6% from beyond the arc. Having showcased his ability to get hot in a hurry, Knecht could prove to be a key scoring boost for this young team when given meaningful playing time. Should The Lakers Pursue Holiday? There are virtually no downsides to pursuing Jrue Holiday for the Lakers. While they will be looking to part ways with expiring contracts, and Dalton Knecht frequently being mentioned in trade chatter, the Purple and Gold will simply be doing what they planned to do. The addition of Holiday gives the Lakers a lot of depth, particularly in their defensive rotations. His reliable presence on both ends of the floor could also be essential in developing on-court chemistry. But considering that the 2x All-Star has three years left on his contract, the Purple and Gold may hesitate to pursue the deal. Given their inclination to keep cap space clear for the 2026 offseason, acquiring Holiday would essentially go against these story was originally reported by Fadeaway World on Jul 21, 2025, where it first appeared.
