Pacers crush Thunder, force first NBA Finals Game 7 since 2016; NFL quarterback tier rankings

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🏀 Good morning for everything, but especially to …

The Indiana Pacers

We get the best two words in sport – Game 7 – And there is hardly a team that earns more to force one. The Pacers was out of elimination with a rolling 108-91 dominance of the Thunder. Indiana led with 30 after three -quarters, when Oklahoma City pulled his starters.

Normally I have set the important statistics here, but last night’s performance transcended statistics. I mean this sincerely: if you don’t have a rooting interest, how can you not Enjoy what the pacers do?

• Tyrese haliburton played a historically bad game 5 and was doubtful to play in game 6 because of a trunk. After a slow start, he found his rhythm and ended with 14 points and five assists in just 23 minutes. See how he leads the attack with precision, balance and joy.
• Pascal Miss Had 16 points and 13 rebounds. It is such a smooth scorer that you rarely realize no matter how explosive it is. See how he works in the middle of the post, using his size and versatility to score Binges.
• See how difficult Andrew Nembhard (17 points) and Aaron Nesmith (10 points) Work on both ends, tireless navigating through screens, repair and Bicha against the best players of Oklahoma City and then sprint to the other side.
• Look how Obi Toppin Can bloom when he plays with confidence. He ended with a team-high 20 points.

But above all, look TJ McConnell. Like Nesmith and Toppin, all Eastern conference-offs, he was beaten for many alleged weaknesses. But, like everyone else in this schedule, he has found a way to thrive, aggravated his strengths in Indy. He had 12 points, nine rebounds, six assists and four steals – only the third player to do that of the bank in a play -off game. He got rebounds against boys a foot bigger than him. There have been pieces in this series where he has been the best player on the floor, not a bar.

Maybe, maybe, as Brad Botkin writes, he can be the heavily charging bull because he comes from the couch and does not have to play starting muts every evening. But that raises the question: If this man can be so effective, why can’t every backupwatch play like that?

• Botkin: “It is enough to say, McConnell does his job. And then some. Imagine, a man who was not even set up ten years ago, registers on Finals MVP boards. He is a 140-1 long shot on Fanduel (as if long opportunities are something new for him), but he is honestly to take a pierce game.”

Such as McConnell, The Pacers are the ultimate underdogSam Quinn writes.

Okay, enough of a love festival. The keys to these were Indiana with only 10 turnover (after no less than 23 in game 5) and forced the turnover of 21 Oklahoma City. That, plus 11 attacking rebounds, resulted in the pacers who still tried 18 shots than the Thunder. James Herbert investigated How Indiana OKC dominated.

And let’s not forget: we are all winners too. This is the first NBA Finals Game 7 since 2016. I can’t wait for Sunday.

→ Honorable mentions

🏀 And not such a good morning for …

The Oklahoma City Thunder

Because almost thunder is – and they are historically good – they go through a number of terribly rough spots. Neer 22 during the break, their defense finally closed … But it took them more than five minutes to score a point in the third quarter, their attack stagnates and, to be honest, ugly.

• Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Had eight turnover, several tendencies that the Pacers have shown all the series, as it doubles when he turns his back of the dribble.
• Chet holmgren Scored four points on 2-out-9 shooting, often looking offensive.
• Oklahoma City was 3 for 20 from 3 to three -quarters.
• The bank was surpassed 31-6 to three-quarters.

That is bad enough, but they have also worked out by Indiana. On rebounds. On loose balls. About small details. After 15 blocks and 12 steals in game 5, they only succeeded in four of each in game 6.

The Thunder can make all this with a game 7 victory, and there is reason to believe they will do that. This season they are 18-2 (regular season and play-offs) after loss. They are great at home. But for them to set up this display – in progress, effort and attention to detail – with the chance of lifting the Larry O’Brien trophy was discouraging.

👎 Not so honorable mentions

🏈 NFL Quarterback -levels: two NFC East -Stars join ‘Big Four’ at the top

Debating of Quarterback levels is a story as old as the time … or at least a story as old as the past quarter century.

Most people will agree that there is a clear top four: Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson And Joe Burrow. But in his 2025 NFL Quarterback layersCody Benjamin has two more in “Tier 1: Transcendent Talents.”

• Benjamin: “Jalen hurts – The man just gets results. Whether with timely Downfield Lobbs for his game makers or robust situational hurry, no. 1 in the Eagle Set the tone with a freakish calm. … Jayden Daniels – A flexible cruiser on the ground and a fresh film-of-the-written weapon who had it tear, he was also inexplicably under bright lights and took a team of over-performing veterinarians to the door of a super bowl. “

After those six there are nine players in “Tier 2: Borderline Stars” and another four in “Tier 3: Promising prospects.”

Then there is the six-player “Tier 4: Volatile Veterans”, including one player who will make a leap.

• Benjamin: “Trevor Lawrence – Four years after number 1 in general, Lawrence is that under pressure around the Jaguars‘Lucrative investments in its services. He has a spicy arm and flashy young wideouts in it Brian Thomas Jr. And Travis HunterBut hopefully new coach Liam Coen Can also help him make sharper decisions. “

Cody is right that there is a lot of pressure. I think Lawrence is just too talented to fail, now that he is Finally Equipped with a sound infrastructure.

🏀 Lakers top 10 moments under Buss Family ownership

With the Buss -Familie sale the Lakers Unpleasant Mark WalterWe’ve already taken a look Winners and losers. But what about the past? After all, the Buss family owned the team for almost half a century and supervised 11 titles. Bryan Deardo ranked the Lakers ’10 best moments under the Buss -FamilieAnd no. 1 is …

• Dado: “Lakers finally beat the Celtics in 1985 – The victory of the Lakers was still sweeter, the fact that the series-clinching game took place in the Boston Garden, the site of the Blowout victory of the Celtics in Game 1 that immediately got the nickname ‘Memorial Day Massacre’. … Kareem Abdul-JabbarCalled old and over the hill by many after his matte game 1 version, came back with a revenge in game 2, scored 30 points and collected 17 rebounds. The then 38-year-old won Finals MVP after scoring 29 points in the Lakers’ Series-Clinching 111-100 victory. “

📺 What we view this weekend

Friday

⚾ Mariners at Cubs2:20 pm on MLB network
⚾ Orioles at Yankees7:05 pm on MLB -Network
⚾ Nationals at Dodgers10:10 pm on MLB network

Saturday

🏆 Mubadala Sail Grand Prix1 pm on CBS
⚾ Tigers at Stralen12:10 pm on MLB network
🏀 Mercury at Sky1 pm on ABC
⚾ Rangers at Pirates4:05 pm on fs1
⚾ Game 1: Coastal Carolina vs. LSU7 pm on ESPN
⚾ Mets at Phillies or Royals at Padres7:15 pm on Fox
🏀 Sparks at Lynx8 pm on NBA TV
⚾ Nationals at Dodgers10:10 pm on MLB network

Sunday

🏀 Big3: week 2 games1 pm on CBS
⚾ Rangers at Pirates1:35 pm on MLB -network
⚾ Game 2: Coastal Carolina vs. LSU2.30 pm on ABC
🏀 Fever3 pm on ESPN
⚾ Mets at Phillies7 pm on ESPN
⚽ Usmnt vs. Haiti7 pm on Fox
🏀 Liberty at Storm7 pm on NBA TV
🏀 Game 7: Pacers at Thunder (series Bound 3-3)8 pm on ABC