Latest news with #Toppin
Yahoo
24-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Obi Toppin sends confident message after miracle Game 1 comeback
The post Obi Toppin sends confident message after miracle Game 1 comeback appeared first on ClutchPoints. The Indiana Pacers continued their run of miracle comebacks in the playoffs following their stunning, 111-110 win against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 1 of the NBA Finals. After trailing by 15 points, the Pacers rallied back, capped off by a Tyrese Haliburton game-winner, to steal Game 1 and take a 1-0 lead in the NBA Finals. Following the win, Pacers wing Obi Toppin spoke about the confidence the team has. Advertisement 'I never say think. I feel like we can win every single game. If we lose, it's really our fault and our mistakes. We're living in the moment. We won a game in the Finals, and we got three more to go,' Toppin said. 'We've been in positions like this throughout the whole season, not just in the playoffs. . .We know what we got to do, who we got to give the ball to, and just watch magic happen.' While Haliburton's game-winner was certainly the talk of Game 1, Obi Toppin also came through in big way for the Pacers as they made their comeback against the Thunder. He finished with 17 points, five rebounds and two assists in 25 minutes off the bench. He shot 6-of-9 from the field and 5-of-8 from the 3-point line. Toppin has been a key player for the Pacers during the regular season and through their playoff run to the NBA Finals. During the Eastern Conference Finals, he got the opportunity to help eliminate the New York Knicks, the team that traded him to the Pacers. In 17 playoff games to this point, Toppin has played a little over 17 minutes per game and has taken around six shot attempts per game. He's been averaging 9.2 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.4 assists with splits of 51.7% shooting from the field, 34% shooting from the 3-point line and 79.2% shooting from the free-throw line. Advertisement With the Pacers stealing homecourt advantage momentarily from the Thunder in Game 1, they will look to continue shocking the NBA world in Game 2 on Sunday, June 8. Related: Why Thunder enter Game 2 confident in its 'response' vs. Pacers Related: Stephen A. Smith still won't call Pacers' Tyrese Haliburton a superstar
Yahoo
24-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Pacers' X-factor joins Robert Horry in extremely exclusive NBA Finals club
The post Pacers' X-factor joins Robert Horry in extremely exclusive NBA Finals club appeared first on ClutchPoints. The NBA Finals between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Indiana Pacers will come down a deciding Game 7 following the Pacers' 108-91 win in Game 6 to even the series at three games apiece. As the Pacers prepare for Game 7 of the NBA Finals, they'll take solace in the fact that they have quite the X-factor in Obi Toppin on their roster. Advertisement Obi Toppin has been crucial for the Pacers off the bench during the NBA Finals, and he joined another great playoff performer in Robert Horry with his performance in Game 6. Toppin and Horry are the only two bench players in NBA Finals history to amass at least 70 points, 30 rebounds and 12 made three-point shots, as per StatMuse. In Game 6, Toppin finished with a game-high 20 points, six rebounds and two steals in 20 minutes off the bench. He shot 6-of-12 from the field, 4-of-7 from the three-point line and 4-of-6 from the free-throw line. Toppin is in his second full season with the Pacers after being traded by the New York Knicks ahead of the 2023-24 season. Toppin has emerged as one of the better role players in the NBA, and has played a major role during the Pacers' run to the NBA Finals. Coming into Game 6, in 21 playoff games, Toppin had been playing a little over 18 minutes per game and taking around seven shot attempts. He had been averaging 9.3 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.4 assists with splits of 49.7 percent shooting from the field, 30.9 percent shooting from the three-point line and 70 percent shooting from the free-throw line. Advertisement During the regular season, Toppin appeared in 79 games, including four starts, at a little over 19 minutes per game. He averaged 10.5 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.6 assists with splits of 52.9 percent shooting from the field, 36.5 percent shooting from the three-point line and 78.1 percent shooting from the free-throw line. Game 7 of the NBA Finals between the Pacers and the Thunder is scheduled for Sunday, June 22. Related: Pacers passing stat vs. Thunder will absolutely blow your mind Related: Tyrese Haliburton warns Pacers about Game 7 'poison'
Indianapolis Star
20-06-2025
- Sport
- Indianapolis Star
Defense, depth and ‘no egos': Why Mark Jackson believes the Pacers will win NBA title
INDIANAPOLIS — As catering attendant Leveda Glazebrooks walked by herself through the KeyBank Suite hallways at Gainbridge Fieldhouse after her Game 6 shift, she repeatedly harmonized, 'We gon' be NBA champions.' A similar sentiment reverberated down Pennsylvania street when Glazebrooks would open the employee exit door to fans chanting, ''Cers in 7.' Hopes were high after the Indiana Pacers defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder 108-91 Thursday to force a Game 7. The Pacers bench outscored the Thunder 48-37 thanks to Obi Toppin's team-high 20 points. Indiana's defense caused 21 Thunder turnovers and held Oklahoma to 26.7% shooting from 3. T.J. McConnell added 12 off the bench. Indiana became the first team to have eight players to score more than 200 points in a postseason. Former Pacers guard Mark Jackson believes Indiana's attitude, defense and depth will turn Glazebrooks' wishful singing into reality. 'This team has made it this far because of how deep they can go in their bench and there are no egos,' Jackson told IndyStar. 'It can be anybody off the bench, and the starters support, acknowledge and recognize their teammates. That's the beautiful thing about being a total team and that's one of the key reasons they've been so successful.' Re-live the Pacers unbelievable run to the 2025 NBA Finals with IndyStar's commemorative book Before Game 4, Toppin praised coach Rick Carlisle for promoting a vulnerable culture among Pacer players. While Toppin acknowledged star point guard Tyrese Haliburton and forward Pascal Siakam as the team's unequivocal leaders, he noted, 'Everyone on the team has a voice.' 'The accountability in this locker room from guy 1-15, every guy listens to each other and what every player has to say and that's valuable,' McConnell said. After Thursday's contest, Carlisle failed to recall a team he's coached that resembled the character of this year's Pacers roster. Carlisle, who is one win away from his second NBA championship as a coach, recognized the Pacers players for their sacrifice. 'These guys try so hard for each other,' Carlisle said. Former Pacers forward Metta World Peace also noticed a difference in mannerisms among the team. 'They're mature and professional, on top of being good basketball players,' World Peace said. Nothing vindicated World Peace and Carlisle's point more than Haliburton's decision to play through a strained right calf on Thursday. The two-time NBA All-Star still scored 14 points and dished five assists in Game 6. 'I want to be out there and compete with my brothers,' Haliburton said postgame. 'These are guys that I'm willing to go to war with, and we've had such a special year. We have a special bond as a group, and I think I'd beat myself up if I didn't give it a chance. Those guys have my back and I have theirs at the same time, so that was important to me.' Toppin added: 'He's not going to let no little injury hold him back from playing in the finals and helping this team win. He's helped us get to this point and he's going to keep going until he can.' Jackson called Carslisle's brand of basketball 'fun to watch and refreshing' as a former coach and player because of the Pacers' pace. He applauded the franchise for making the 'proper adjustments and right commitments' to improve defensively. The Pacers cracked the top 15 in defensive rating for the first time in five seasons this season. 'Offense comes and goes,' Jackson said. 'Defense is the thing you rely on night in and night out. Because of good defense, you can stumble into games where you win ugly, and that's what they've done. And now they've put themselves in a position to win a championship. This team, it's their time.' Jackson was Indiana's starting point guard when the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Pacers 4-2 in the 2000 NBA Finals. He believes the 2000 team and Carlisle's roster were both well coached and 'more than capable of winning a championship.' However, Jackson didn't hesitate to state his reason as to why this Pacers squad will accomplish what his couldn't 25 years ago. 'Their point guard is way better,' Jackson said with a laugh.
San Francisco Chronicle
19-06-2025
- Sport
- San Francisco Chronicle
Pacers guard T.J. McConnell could play key role on whether NBA Finals go to Game 7
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Indiana Pacers guard T.J. McConnell just keeps doing the unthinkable. At 6-foot-1, he repeatedly backs his way into the paint and outmaneuvers the NBA's giants for scores. At age 33, he still runs the court with a speed opponents struggle to contend with. And defensively, he often harasses some of the league's top stars into miscues. Now, though, McConnell faces his biggest challenge: Potentially replacing two-time All-Star Tyrese Haliburton on Thursday night as the Pacers try to extend their season against Oklahoma City in Game 6 of the NBA Finals. Haliburton said Wednesday he will try to play through the strained right calf because of the stakes. Coach Rick Carlisle called his catalyst a game-time decision, an indication that at the very least, McConnell could log more minutes than usual. Either way, McConnell promises he'll be ready. 'I've just got to inject energy, like I always do,' McConnell said after Wednesday's practice. 'Our starters have willed us here and we've just kind of got to go in there and, like I said, inject energy where it's needed and do our jobs.' So far, he has thrived in the spotlight. While McConnell's averages of 9.0 points, 4.0 assists, 2.9 rebounds in 16.7 minutes look ordinary, his presence has been extraordinary. He became the first bench player in Finals history to record five assists and five steals in one game, and he helped the Pacers cut a 16-point second-half deficit to two while Haliburton struggled in Monday's 120-109 loss that gave the Thunder a 3-2 lead. But it's the way he plays the game that has made McConnell such a fan favorite in a basketball-loving state that prefers toughness and defense to stars or point totals. The truth is, this is how he learned the game from his father, Tim, a longtime prep coach from suburban Pittsburgh who has become a regular in the crowd during this playoff run. 'Everyone knows what they've got to do when they're on the floor with T.J.,' Pacers forward Obi Toppin said. 'We expect him to get in the paint. We expect him to move the ball. We know what he's doing when we're out there, so it makes our job easier.' Toppin, McConnell and Bennedict Mathurin have formed a tight bond on the court despite their differing backgrounds and styles. Toppin, the 2019-20 College Basketball Player of the Year, and Mathurin, the first Canadian-born player to attend the NBA's Latin America Academy, were lottery picks. Toppin also won the 2022 NBA Slam Dunk title, while Mathurin was a 2023 all-rookie selection. McConnell, meanwhile, went undrafted out of Arizona — the same school Mathurin attended — and has had to repeatedly reprove himself. The critics at Duquesne thought he was too scrawny to make a difference even at a non-power conference school only to watch the Pittsburgh-tough guy transfer to Arizona and help the Wildcats reach the Elite Eight in his two seasons in Tucson. McConnell's strong preseason in 2015 prompted the Philadelphia 76ers to keep him for the next four seasons before letting him test free agency and land with the Pacers. Then early last season, it appeared McConnell's career might be teetering. Carlisle told McConnell early last season he wouldn't be in the regular rotation, a discussion Carlisle described as one of the toughest he's ever had. But McConnell wasn't discouraged. "I think coaches in the league have a tough job because you can't please everybody, so sometimes you're the odd man out," he said. 'So you can put your head down and sulk about it and make excuses or you can put your head down and go to work. I chose the latter." The Pacers couldn't be happier with the results. McConnell played so well during last year's breakout playoff run that Indiana gave him a four-year, $45 million contract extension and played even better during this year's run to the Eastern Conference title. Can he help save their season Thursday night? Perhaps. Just don't count him out. 'We've been in this position before,' McConnell said. 'So we just, you know, we can't flinch. We've got to be ready for the challenge because they're going to come out ready and, like I said, we just have more work to do.' ___
Winnipeg Free Press
18-06-2025
- Sport
- Winnipeg Free Press
Pacers guard T.J. McConnell could play key role on whether NBA Finals go to Game 7
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Indiana Pacers guard T.J. McConnell just keeps doing the unthinkable. At 6-foot-1, he repeatedly backs his way into the paint and outmaneuvers the NBA's giants for scores. At age 33, he still runs the court with a speed opponents struggle to contend with. And defensively, he often harasses some of the league's top stars into miscues. Now, though, McConnell faces his biggest challenge: Potentially replacing two-time All-Star Tyrese Haliburton on Thursday night as the Pacers try to extend their season against Oklahoma City in Game 6 of the NBA Finals. Haliburton said Wednesday he will try to play through the strained right calf because of the stakes. Coach Rick Carlisle called his catalyst a game-time decision, an indication that at the very least, McConnell could log more minutes than usual. Either way, McConnell promises he'll be ready. 'I've just got to inject energy, like I always do,' McConnell said after Wednesday's practice. 'Our starters have willed us here and we've just kind of got to go in there and, like I said, inject energy where it's needed and do our jobs.' So far, he has thrived in the spotlight. While McConnell's averages of 9.0 points, 4.0 assists, 2.9 rebounds in 16.7 minutes look ordinary, his presence has been extraordinary. He became the first bench player in Finals history to record five assists and five steals in one game, and he helped the Pacers cut a 16-point second-half deficit to two while Haliburton struggled in Monday's 120-109 loss that gave the Thunder a 3-2 lead. But it's the way he plays the game that has made McConnell such a fan favorite in a basketball-loving state that prefers toughness and defense to stars or point totals. The truth is, this is how he learned the game from his father, Tim, a longtime prep coach from suburban Pittsburgh who has become a regular in the crowd during this playoff run. 'Everyone knows what they've got to do when they're on the floor with T.J.,' Pacers forward Obi Toppin said. 'We expect him to get in the paint. We expect him to move the ball. We know what he's doing when we're out there, so it makes our job easier.' Toppin, McConnell and Bennedict Mathurin have formed a tight bond on the court despite their differing backgrounds and styles. Toppin, the 2019-20 College Basketball Player of the Year, and Mathurin, the first Canadian-born player to attend the NBA's Latin America Academy, were lottery picks. Toppin also won the 2022 NBA Slam Dunk title, while Mathurin was a 2023 all-rookie selection. McConnell, meanwhile, went undrafted out of Arizona — the same school Mathurin attended — and has had to repeatedly reprove himself. The critics at Duquesne thought he was too scrawny to make a difference even at a non-power conference school only to watch the Pittsburgh-tough guy transfer to Arizona and help the Wildcats reach the Elite Eight in his two seasons in Tucson. McConnell's strong preseason in 2015 prompted the Philadelphia 76ers to keep him for the next four seasons before letting him test free agency and land with the Pacers. Then early last season, it appeared McConnell's career might be teetering. Carlisle told McConnell early last season he wouldn't be in the regular rotation, a discussion Carlisle described as one of the toughest he's ever had. But McConnell wasn't discouraged. 'I think coaches in the league have a tough job because you can't please everybody, so sometimes you're the odd man out,' he said. 'So you can put your head down and sulk about it and make excuses or you can put your head down and go to work. I chose the latter.' The Pacers couldn't be happier with the results. McConnell played so well during last year's breakout playoff run that Indiana gave him a four-year, $45 million contract extension and played even better during this year's run to the Eastern Conference title. Thursdays Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter. Can he help save their season Thursday night? Perhaps. Just don't count him out. 'We've been in this position before,' McConnell said. 'So we just, you know, we can't flinch. We've got to be ready for the challenge because they're going to come out ready and, like I said, we just have more work to do.' ___ AP NBA:
