Latest news with #AaronWiggins
Yahoo
30-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Thunder's Alex Caruso gushes over Aaron Wiggins' mic drop moment before parade
The post Thunder's Alex Caruso gushes over Aaron Wiggins' mic drop moment before parade appeared first on ClutchPoints. OKLAHOMA CITY — Oklahoma City Thunder veteran Alex Caruso says Aaron Wiggins stole the show before Tuesday's championship celebration parade. Wiggins' speech kicked off the Thunder's celebratory festivities at the Paycom Center before the start of the parade. In a special send off for season ticket holders, team and front office's friends and family, Aaron's speech was one of Caruso's favorite moments of the day. Advertisement Caruso's face lit up when he asked which moments stood out the most from his first championship parade and he remembered Caruso's kick-off speech. 'Aaron Wiggins' speech to start it off. Man, Wiggs killed the speech,' Caruso told ClutchPoints. 'That was probably the best moment from the parade besides the actual going around, seeing the fans.' Did you see that coming from Wiggins? 'No, nobody did,' Caruso replied. 'We tried to shut it down after he finished, and they said, 'No, we have a program.' We still had to talk to people. But he dropped the mic.' Then, came time for the parade as Aaron Wiggins, Caruson and the rest of the Thunder players loaded onto the buses to celebrate with their fans down a two mile route in downtown Oklahoma City. Advertisement 'Just an overwhelming turnout. There were 10 to 20 people deep, if not more, on every corner, every turn,' Caruso said about Tuesday's Thunder parade. 'From the starting line to Scissortail Park, where there was probably like a couple hundred thousand probably packed in there. Just overwhelming support, and it was loud. I didn't know how loud it's going to be because we're outside, right? 'There's no like acoustics to kind of trap all the noise. But it felt loud, and it was a lot of fun. A lot of great energy,' Caruso concluded. Alex Caruso's blunt take, differentiating Lakers' title vs Thunder's Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images Thunder veteran Alex Caruso reflected on his two championships. Pinpointing the differences between the two teams, Caruso addressed the vast differences between the two teams. Advertisement 'The biggest difference between those two championships, for me, is probably just where I'm at in my career,' Caruso told ClutchPoints. 'I think the first one, I was surrounded by Hall of Fame players with pedigree, and I was learning, you know? I was trying to figure it out. I think this time — around five, six years later — I knew the answers to the test. So, I was trying to give those out. Help the other guys. Be there for the first time.' This time, it was Caruso's voice guiding the inexperienced to their first championship of their careers.
Yahoo
27-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Thunder's Aaron Wiggins drops mic on haters with epic championship rally speech
The post Thunder's Aaron Wiggins drops mic on haters with epic championship rally speech appeared first on ClutchPoints. Oklahoma City Thunder guard Aaron Wiggins energized fans at the team's NBA championship rally. Wiggins proudly defended his team and franchise, after the club won the title. Advertisement 'It was a point where they tried to call us 'the blackhole of the NBA.' Boo! But 4 years later, when they mention the [OKC] Thunder organization… they gotta mention you as NBA champs!' Wiggins said. Wiggins went on to clarify his comments later, when speaking with reporters. He said he meant to say 'black eye,' instead of black hole. Absolutely no one is making fun or taking shots at the Thunder now. Oklahoma City are NBA champions for the very first time in that city, after playing there for nearly two decades. The Thunder previously won a title when they were known as the Supersonics, in Seattle. Advertisement Oklahoma City defeated the Indiana Pacers in seven games to clinch the championship. The Thunder were led by league MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who got lots of love and flowers from fans at the team's championship parade. Aaron Wiggins had a great run in the NBA Finals Wiggins proved himself to be a solid role player this season. He averaged 12 points per game this campaign for the club. He came up big in the NBA Finals, as he scored in double figures twice during the seven game series. The guard's best performance in the NBA Finals against Indiana was in Game 2. In that contest, he scored 18 points off of 6-for-11 shooting from the floor. His numbers quieted down somewhat in the last few contests, but Wiggins proved himself this season to be a hustle player filled with heart and toughness. Advertisement Wiggins has played for the Thunder since 2021. He was selected in the second round of that year's NBA Draft. Oklahoma City selected him, after he had played his college basketball at Maryland. The Thunder's road to another title begins on Wednesday, as the team has the 15th overall selection in the NBA Draft in Brooklyn. Related: Thunder's Jalen Williams 'feeling loose' at parade after viral 'Shirley Temples' comment Related: Thunder news: OKC mayor crowns Shai Gilgeous-Alexander over Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook
Yahoo
25-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
How Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Thunder 'threw enough punches' to tie up NBA Finals vs Pacers
This lead was safe. Safe from the dread that comes with entering a game's final minutes opposite of Indiana. In the urgent hands of the version of the Thunder that has so often given teams wedgies and stuffed them in lockers before the fourth quarter even arrives. Advertisement With just under four minutes remaining in its 123-107 Game 2 win to even up the NBA Finals, Oklahoma City received Johnny Furphy's blessing to close the game without fear of leaving disheveled. One game was all it took for OKC to understand the trip wire that playing ahead of these Pacers can be. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander sat with that for at least 24 hours. He rinsed out the bitterness of Indiana's Game 1 robbery, but the exigency required stuck. 'You can't just throw the first punch,' he said. 'You got to try to throw all the punches all night. Yeah, that's what we did. We threw enough punches tonight to get a W.' The Pacers don't know a knockout punch. Entering this series, they'd yet to meet a Sonny Liston or a Mike Tyson, a foe that could make them hug hardwood and stay there. Consider the Thunder's second quarter the closest thing — more like a long-reaching, persistent jab than an uppercut. Advertisement Pre-order new book on Thunder's run to NBA Finals MUSSATTO: Aaron Wiggins, the man who saved basketball, saved Thunder in NBA Finals Game 2 Thunder buries Pacers with 35-9 avalanche in NBA Finals Game 2 Between the end of the first quarter and deep into the second, the Thunder embarked on a 35-9 run. The kind of stint that's defined its season and ended others. This one didn't depend on turnovers or points off them. This was grinded out in the halfcourt, with stops and offensive rhythm even the Pacers couldn't match. Peep all the variables involved in the Thunder's dominant period: Aaron Wiggins danced with the ball, spinning off defenders and watching them stumble over his stepbacks, en route to eight of his 18 points. Jalen Williams did a George Gervin impression, and he was reunited with the mid-range jumpers that betrayed him a game ago. Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton, who had just five points in the three quarters of consequence, attempted just one shot in his seven second-quarter minutes. Cason Wallace and Kenrich Williams, despite scoring zero points combined then, were a plus-25 in the quarter. Mike Breen appropriately punctuated the run, resulting in a 23-point OKC lead, by labeling it an avalanche. This bottled-up burst of energy that would so often feel like a lethal dosage against an immune system other than Indiana. That those zoomies came with a half of hoop left meant that Indiana wasn't entirely out of the question. Advertisement Against the Pacers, a 20-point lead is eyebrow-raising. A 15-point lead is nail-biting. Ten is eye-popping. Anything inside of that is hardly a lead at all. The moment of truth, the test of how well the Thunder came to grasp that, came midway through the third quarter. OKC's halftime lead of 19 had been trimmed to 13. Yet even its grip on its worst defensive quarter never truly slipped. More: How historic has Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's start been in NBA Finals? Inside the numbers Indiana Pacers forward Aaron Nesmith (23) walks off the court as Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) and center Isaiah Hartenstein (55) celebrate during Game 2 of the NBA Finals between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Indiana Pacers at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Sunday, June 8, 2025. Oklahoma City won 123-107. Chet Holmgren bounces back for Thunder in Game 2 Fresh off a Game 1 in which Indiana forced him to attempt 30 shots, Gilgeous-Alexander more carefully toggled between his spots. With the necessity of young center Chet Holmgren in mind, SGA sliced through double teams and reached for Holmgren, who drilled two early 3s. Advertisement SGA waded his way through waves of defenders, all aiming for a piece of his drives, very few successful. Twelve of his 34 points (11 of 21) came in the third, earning six of his free throws then. He also added five boards, eight assists and four steals, seemingly surveying the floor for shooters almost as often as he surveyed the rim for angles. His first two games, in which he totaled 72 points, marked the highest-scoring two-game debut in NBA Finals history. Slow-motion drives and buttery finishes aside, Gilgeous-Alexander played with the alertness of a man who never quite felt safe by the Thunder's cushion. 'No,' said Gilgeous-Alexander, shaking his head when asked by ESPN's Scott Van Pelt if he ever thought OKC's lead was large enough to exhale. 'Probably when (the lead) was like 15 with a minute left.' Advertisement For a second straight game, center Isaiah Hartenstein was lumped in with the bench. He was a plus-17, marvelous with the group that began the second and fourth quarter and a heavy-handed option alongside Holmgren once the two were reunited. Their two-man lineup held a net rating of 40 in nearly five minutes together. More: Ex-Mavs coach Don Nelson earns NBA Lifetime Achievement Award, protests Luka Doncic trade SGA: Thunder's depth is key to success Alex Caruso, also part of the lineup that saw Wiggins erupt and Hartenstein bruise, added 20 points and four 3s. 'We are the team that we are because of our depth, and because of the punches we can throw between 10, 11 men,' SGA told SVP. 'That's what makes us special, that's what makes us this historic defense, this historic season that we've had so far.' Advertisement Added Pacers coach Rick Carlisle: 'I don't know if there was any lineup that they used that wasn't impactful for them.' Caruso understands what's required to outlast the Pacers better than most. He's acknowledged that they'll play to their identity with a 20-point lead or 20-point deficit, almost making them tolerant to OKC's outbursts. Almost. The Thunder's best line of defense for that disposition — besides holding Indiana below its averages from 3 and making its stars invisible — is to understand the long game. Caruso, 31 going on pension, embodies the long game. 'I keep seeing people for the first time this postseason, people that I know or don't know, they say, congratulations,' Caruso said. 'I truly don't want them to tell me congratulations until the series is over and we've won. I don't feel like we've accomplished anything until we win four games. That's just kind of the mindset I have.' Advertisement Sneak up on these Thunder once, shame on you. Try to come back on OKC twice in a row, be forced to let Furphy provide the testimony. Joel Lorenzi covers the Thunder and NBA for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Joel? He can be reached at jlorenzi@ or on X/Twitter at @joelxlorenzi. Sign up for the Thunder Sports Minute newsletter to access more NBA coverage. Support Joel's work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at CARLSON: A late Tyrese Haliburton heater doesn't doom Thunder in NBA Finals this time NBA Finals schedule: Thunder vs. Pacers All times are Central Advertisement This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: SGA, OKC Thunder 'threw enough punches' to tie up NBA Finals vs Pacers
USA Today
17-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Aaron Wiggins says Thunder won't let title temptations distract from Game 6 against Pacers
Aaron Wiggins says Thunder won't let title temptations distract from Game 6 against Pacers Left open because of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's attention, Aaron Wiggins made the Indiana Pacers regret leaving him open from deep. The 26-year-old made more outside buckets by himself in Game 5 than the Oklahoma City Thunder did as an entire team in Game 4. They enjoyed some positive regression. Wiggins finished with 14 points on 4-of-10 shooting and five rebounds. He shot 4-of-7 from 3 and went 2-of-2 on free throws. He also had a block. The Thunder did their job with a 120-109 Game 5 win over the Pacers. A 3-2 series lead in the 2025 NBA Finals has them on the cusp of their first championship. Role players play better at home. Wiggins exemplified that principle. When he gets going, the Thunder are difficult to beat. He adds another shot-creator who could create a rhythm and dominate the bench lineups. This was another all-around performance by the Thunder. Everybody played a role. Heading into Game 5, they were due for some steals and outside buckets. They received both from their starters and bench players. "Not too much thought into it yet. Obviously, we know the position we're in. You can't take it for granted. We have the right approach of making sure we take care of business and get done what we have to first," Wiggins said on whether a championship has crossed their mind yet. "But like I said, obviously we know the position we're in. Can't think about it. Got to take it one possession at a time, one game at a time, finish businesslike that."
New York Times
17-06-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
‘Aggressive' Thunder keep ball moving early and often to take control of NBA Finals
OKLAHOMA CITY — The Oklahoma City Thunder's first second-quarter bucket Monday night represented more than three points. There was the stop on one end, a steal from perimeter stalwart Cason Wallace. There was the dish from the superstar, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who fired a chest pass 60 feet upcourt. Gilgeous-Alexander didn't dish out any assists in the previous game, when a rugged performance tied the NBA Finals with the Indiana Pacers at two games apiece. In Game 5, a 120-109 Thunder victory that placed them one win away from a championship, he doled out 10. Advertisement There was the quick-triggered 3-pointer from Aaron Wiggins, who received the basketball from Gilgeous-Alexander and promptly released a jumper. Twenty-one seconds flashed on the shot clock when the basketball slid off Wiggins' fingers. The change wasn't just that the shot went in; it was that it went up at all. Oklahoma City took only 16 3-pointers in Game 4. The Thunder launched twice as many in Game 5, sinking 14. Somehow, the Thunder won Game 4, leaving Indiana locked into what had become a best-of-three series despite them drifting through the offensive doldrums. They didn't share the basketball, totaling only 10 assists. They didn't take or even make 3s, sinking only three. They didn't get into their offense quickly, an issue that also plagued them while coughing away a large lead in Game 1. That all seemed to change in Game 5, and at no point was it clearer than when Wiggins hoisted the long ball that gave his team a 35-22 second-quarter lead. 'I thought Wigs and Cason Wallace specifically, in the first half, gave us a major lift,' Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. 'Came in aggressive. Wigs only played eight minutes in Game 4. I didn't think Cason played great in Game 4. They both came ready to go tonight and gave us a massive lift.' Wallace was 3 of 4 on his 3-point attempts. Wiggins hit 4 of 7. The Thunder took more 3s within the first 10 seconds of their possessions in Game 5 than they took total 3s in Game 4 — 17 compared to 16. Wiggins led the charge. He swished in that open catch-and-shoot look in transition. Not long before, he entered the game for his first stint of the night and drained a spot-up jumper from the corner with 16 ticks left on the shot clock. Later in the second quarter, he raced the ball down the court in transition, shimmied to the left corner, crossed over behind his back and stepped into another 3. Advertisement He played only eight minutes in Game 4 but ran for 22 in Game 5, going for 14 points in the process. Decisions like these were why. The Thunder needed a man without a 3-point conscience. 'It's more flow of the game, just kind of natural feel and looks,' Wiggins said. 'Playing in transition, you can get open looks if you're moving and getting in the right spots. The ball is moving.' The effort to go quickly didn't come just from the role players. The offense jumped because of the guys at the top. Seven of Gilgeous-Alexander's 10 assists came within the first 10 seconds of possessions. His first helper of the game, which occurred only two minutes in, came on a fast break, a flip to Jalen Williams for a transition dunk. Gilgeous-Alexander fueled the Thunder's attack, going for 31 points. He appeared more comfortable against Pacers pest Andrew Nembhard than he had at any other moment in the series. By the end, he was dashing past Nembhard in ways he hadn't previously. On one fourth-quarter play, he breezed by Nembhard and, once another defender approached, whipped a one-handed, lefty dime to Lu Dort in the right corner for an open 3. The Thunder hunted these looks unlike they did in their previous game. Williams did, too, in his 40-point performance, which could end up the most consequential scoring burst in franchise history if the Thunder win one of the next two games. He sought early-possession looks, too. He jacked up one 3 with 19 seconds to go on the shot clock, another with 17. Plenty of those 3s came after Gilgeous-Alexander or others throttled downhill, then kicked back out for open looks. 'It was for sure better,' Gilgeous-Alexander said. 'Ball moved a little bit more. We were more aggressive. We were in the paint making decisions. Yeah, we were good.' And now, the Thunder are one win away from their first title since the inception of their franchise in 2008. Advertisement To close the series, they just need to ensure their offensive priorities stay in line. 'We shot (16) 3s in Game 4,' Daigneault said. 'That's not really a recipe. It's a byproduct of offense that's not where it needs to be. I thought we made some improvements tonight.' (Photo of Cason Wallace and Andrew Nembhard: Juan Ocampo / NBAE via Getty Images)
