Latest news with #BenedictMathurin
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Proposed Trade Between Lakers and Pacers Shows What's Wrong With NBA
Proposed Trade Between Lakers and Pacers Shows What's Wrong With NBA originally appeared on Athlon Sports. After losing in the NBA Finals to the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Indiana Pacers are expected to remain one of the better teams in the Eastern Conference, although they will clearly take a step back with Tyrese Haliburton ruled out for the season with a torn Achilles. Advertisement Andrew Nembhard is more than capable of taking over playmaking duties, although Indiana is simply losing an All-NBA player. Regardless of position or role, that will hurt. As a result, the Pacers have already been included in trade rumors. Bennedict Mathurin, Obi Toppin, and Jarace Walker have all been included in speculation. For now, speculation is just that, although there is some merit to their making a trade. Mathurin's value is at an all-time high, Toppin is a movable salary who will get them back under the luxury tax after they extend Myles Turner, and Walker has not blossomed in Indiana and could use a change of scenery. While mock trades can be realistic, one from The Wrightway Sports Network simply misses the point. Advertisement Full Mock Trade Details: Los Angeles Lakers Receive: 2026 first-round pick, 2027 first-round pick, 2029 first-round pick, 2030 first-round pick, Myles Turner, Bennedict Mathurin Indiana Pacers Receive: Austin Reaves First of all, this trade doesn't work. Turner is expected to sign a contract worth roughly $35 million per season this summer, so the Pacers would send out around $45.1 million while taking on only $13.9 million in Reaves. On top of that, Indiana can't trade back-to-back picks, so two of those selections would have to be changed for swaps, not outright trades. The Lakers have long been linked to Turner despite the Pacers seeming hell-bent on keeping him in town, and the desire seems to go both ways. While Reaves would be an excellent fit in a Haliburton-less backcourt, four picks (or swaps) is way too much for a second or third option, and Turner and Mathurin are more than just matching salary, although they don't even do that. The proposed trade is a sobering reminder that the NBA offseason can quickly go off the rails with speculation and creativity, although a degree of realism is required, especially for a team that just made the Finals and shouldn't be eager for a total restructure of the roster. Advertisement Check out the All Pacers homepage for more news, analysis, and must-read articles. Related: Rick Carlisle Sends Emotional Message to Tyrese Haliburton After Pacers' Finals Loss Related: Tyrese Haliburton Gets Brutally Honest About Injury, Pacers Losing Finals This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 24, 2025, where it first appeared.
CTV News
23-06-2025
- Sport
- CTV News
OKC Thunder guard Lu Dort becomes Montreal's fourth NBA champion
Oklahoma City Thunder guard Luguentz Dort, center, holds the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy as he celebrates with his team after they won the NBA basketball championship with a Game 7 victory against the Indiana Pacers Sunday, June 22, 2025, in Oklahoma City. (Nate Billings/The Canadian Press) It was determined before tip-off in game one that there would be a fourth NBA champion from Montreal, and he would be from Montreal North. The only question before Sunday night's game seven was: what colour would he be wearing? At the buzzer, it was Oklahoma City Thunder guard Luguentz 'Lu' Dort hugging his good friend Benedict Mathurin from the Indiana Pacers, while wearing a 2024/25 championship hat as Dort etched his name in Montreal sports history after the Thunder beat the Pacers 103-91 to take the title. Dort joins Chicago Bulls Centre Bill Wennington (3 times, 1996-1998), Miami Heat centre Joel Anthony (2 times, 2012-2013) and Toronto Raptors forward Chris Boucher (2018) among the hardcourt champions from the city. 'If you had asked me 10-15 years ago if I was going to experience what I'm experiencing now, I couldn't have imagined it at all,' said Dort, who turned 26 on April 19. 'I had to believe in it, work on my game and trust the process.' 'The Dorture Chamber' draped himself in Canadian and Haitian flags after the game and spoke about his roots. 'I grew up in Canada, but I always represent Haiti because my people are from there,' he said. At times, Mathurin was a game-changer for the Pacers, coming off the bench. In game seven, he had 24 points, 13 rebounds, three assists and two steals. NBA Finals Pacers Thunder Basketball Oklahoma City Thunder guard Luguentz Dort (5) defends against Indiana Pacers guard Bennedict Mathurin (00) during the second half of Game 2 of the NBA Finals basketball series Sunday, June 8, 2025, in Oklahoma City. (Julio Cortez/ The Associated Press) Dort started in every game of the Thunder's playoff run. He had nine points (including two three-pointers), seven rebounds and three steals in the final game, but it was his defensive doggedness that stood out throughout the 48 minutes, as it had throughout the playoffs and regular season. He made the NBA All-Defensive First Team and placed fourth in voting for the league's Defensive Player of the Year. Dort's fellow Canadian on the Thunder, Shai 'SGA' Gilgeous-Alexander, won the Bill Russell finals MVP to cap off his incredible season that included a regular season MVP, scoring title, and Western Conference MVP. SGA is only the fourth player to nab the three plaudits and win a title, joining Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Michael Jordan and Shaquille O'Neal in 2000. Dort's defence was continually highlighted in the Thunder's dominant season and playoff run. Ringer podcast host Ryen Russillo spoke about Dort's importance on the team on Bill Simmons' Ringer podcast. 'I'd be afraid to think what the personality of this team is without Lu Dort because every team needs a badass, and he's still kind of a quiet badass,' he said. Montreal Mayor Valerie Plante gave a shoutout to the local players on social media. 'Two local talents who are making Montreal and Quebec shine!' she wrote on X. 'Bravo!' The Thunder went 68-14 in the regular season before beating the Memphis Grizzlies (in four games), Denver Nuggets (seven), Minnesota Timberwolves (five) and Pacers (seven). Only Golden State (88 in 2016-17) and the Bulls (87 in 2015-16) won more. It's the second championship for the franchise. The Seattle SuperSonics won the NBA title in 1979; the team was moved to Oklahoma City in 2008. There's nothing in the rafters in Oklahoma City to commemorate that title. For long-range shots, Dort had a 44.7 per cent success rate during the finals after having the best three-point shooting percentage of his career (41.2 per cent). Dort's take on heading into game seven was simple. 'It's like the last day of school,' he said. 'You go out there, give it your all.' With files from The Canadian Press.
Fox News
12-06-2025
- Sport
- Fox News
Pacers take 2-1 lead in NBA Finals as Tyrese Haliburton nears triple-double against Thunder
The Indiana Pacers took full advantage of the homecourt, pulling away in the fourth quarter to defeat the Oklahoma City Thunder, 116-107, in Game 3. Indiana owns a 2-1 lead in the NBA Finals series after stealing Game 1 thanks to Tyrese Haliburton's heroic last-second jumper to win it 111-110. And after a mediocre performance for the Pacers in Game 2, Haliburton turned it up from three-point territory to lead the way for Indiana. Haliburton finished the game with 22 points on 9-of-17 shooting, including four made threes. He was also one rebound away from a triple-double after tallying 11 assists. On the defensive end, Haliburton also had two steals and one block. But this series has proven to be one that requires bench depth to show out, and Pacers guard Benedict Mathurin was up for the challenge. Mathurin dropped 27 points, leading the Pacers in that category after going a highly efficient 9-of-12 from the field with 7-of-8 made free throws over 22 minutes of work. He also had four rebounds and one assist for his squad. Pascal Siakam was also in the 20-point club, going 8-of-14 from the field with 5-of-6 made free throws for 21 points with six rebounds, four assists and two steals. Meanwhile, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander didn't have his best day shooting by his usual standards, going 9-of-20 from the floor as Indiana continued to play solid defense on him throughout the game. He had 24 points with eight rebounds and four assists, while Jalen Williams led Oklahoma City in the points department with 26 on the night. Chet Holmgren notched himself a double-double, though he wishes he had more than 20 points after going 6-of-15 shooting. He had 10 rebounds with two assists as well. The Pacers were able to drop 40 points in the second quarter, but it was the Thunder leading after three quarters, 89-84. However, Oklahoma City's offense went cold in the fourth quarter as they were outscored 32-18, an unprecedented 12 minutes for this team compared to what they've been able to accomplish all season long. Both sides had similar stats as a team, but Indiana, once again, turned it up when it mattered most in the fourth quarter. Indiana hopes to create an even bigger divide in this series in Game 4 on Friday night in their building. Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
2 Montrealers are facing off in the NBA Finals. But only 1 will be a champion
Two players hailing from the same Montreal borough, Luguentz Dort of the Oklahoma City Thunder and Benedict Mathurin of the Indiana Pacers, are among four Canadians participating in the NBA Finals.
CBC
05-06-2025
- Sport
- CBC
2 Montrealers are facing off in the NBA Finals. But only 1 will be a champion
Two players hailing from the same Montreal borough, Luguentz Dort of the Oklahoma City Thunder and Benedict Mathurin of the Indiana Pacers, are among four Canadians participating in the NBA Finals.
