Connect with us

Sports

NBA Finals: Oklahoma City Thunder easily roll past Indiana Pacers to even up series

Published

on



CNN
 — 

The Oklahoma City Thunder evened up the NBA Finals on Sunday by rolling the Indiana Pacers, easing to a 123-107 victory that washed away some of the bad taste left by the Pacers’ dramatic win in the series’ opening game.

The Thunder broke away from the Pacers in the second quarter with one of the team’s patented extended runs, the kind of sequence that made OKC the NBA’s best team in the regular season and saw them lead the league in point differential.

Led by MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s stellar performance and a strong showing by guard Alex Caruso off the bench, Oklahoma City made an emphatic statement with the blowout win.

For SGA, the 34-point, eight-assist performance was a solid follow up to his 38 points in a losing effort on Thursday. The seventh-year player out of Kentucky is debuting in an impressive way in the Finals, hardly seeming to have put a foot wrong throughout the playoffs as he has dominated in each series.

After the game, Gilgeous-Alexander told ABC that the strong performance in Game 2 was all about moving on from Game 1.

“Basketball is a game of ups and downs, the season’s full of ups and downs, a series is full of ups and downs. It’s about the team that can stay level headed and get better throughout the experiences and they’ll come out on top,” he said.

He added, “We just used the opportunity to get better .we’ve done a really good job of that all year, the last game was no different. Tonight is the same thing; we did some things good tonight, we did some things bad. We’ve got to be able to get better and get ready for Game 3.”

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander faces a double-team during the first half of Game 2.

The specter of Game 1 hung over the game in the first quarter as Oklahoma City looked to be pressing a bit more than they were in the early stages of the series opener. The Thunder committed four turnovers as they looked nervous in the opening minutes, though they eventually settled in to end the quarter with a six-point lead.

That momentum carried over into the second quarter as the Thunder extended their lead to 15 points in the first five minutes, forcing Indiana to take a timeout to try and blunt the momentum. The exclamation point was a dunk from Chet Holmgren, who was trying to erase the taste of a poor showing in the series opener – the 7-foot-1, second year player finished Game 1 with six points and a -13 plus-minus rating.

The Pacers weren’t able to change the vibe with the time out and the lead was 23 just a couple minutes later as the Thunder went on a 19-2 run in the second quarter. The Pacers were shooting just 33% from the field as the Thunder were shooting a lights-out 55.6%. The blue-clad crowd at the Paycom Arena was brought to their feet after Shai Gilgeous-Alexander pulled off a reverse layup that caused Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle to call another timeout to try and gather his troops.

Andrew Nebhard hit a bucket to halt the Thunder run, but the damage had been done. The Thunder’s huge run meant that the Pacers were once again staring at pulling off an unlikely comeback if they wanted to come back to Indianapolis with a 2-0 series lead.

The Pacers were able to cut into the lead slightly by halftime, but the Thunder – led by Gilgeous-Alexander’s 15 points – still led by 18. The Thunder’s stifling defense was once again on full display in the first half, holding the Pacers to 34.9% shooting – 31.8% from behind the arc – and forcing nine turnovers. They dominated Indiana in the paint, scoring 26 compared to the Pacers’ 12.

The Pacers made a quick 8-2 run in the early stages of the third quarter to cut into the lead, relying on Miles Turner and Pascal Siakam to drag them back into the game. Tyrese Haliburton, the hero of Game 1, was a non-factor through the first half and into the third quarter – with seven-and-a-half minutes left in the third quarter, Haliburton had just 3 points, three assists and three rebounds.

Oklahoma City Thunder forward Chet Holmgren defends against Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner during the second half of Game 2.

But the strong play from Gilgeous-Alexander and the balanced OKC offense kept the Pacers at bay. Unlike in Game 1, when the Pacers clawed their way back into the game with a series of third-quarter runs, the Thunder kept going to the MVP and he delivered, finishing the quarter with 27 points. The Thunder’s Jalen Williams, Alex Caruso, Aaron Wiggins and Holmgren all also ended the third quarter in double figures.

Unlike on Thursday, the Thunder refused to take their foot off the gas pedal as the lead surged past 20 in the early part of the fourth quarter. The Pacers continued to take care of the ball much better than they did last week when they had 25 turnovers, but couldn’t find a consistent shooting touch and were dominated by the Thunder on the boards.

Perhaps the most disappointing performance from a Pacer was Haliburton’s dismal showing. The leader of the Pacers was held in check by the Thunder during the two teams’ regular season matchups this year and for nearly all of Thursday’s Game 1. He erased any frustration on Thursday with the clutch shot that won the first game of the Finals and capped off another extraordinary Indiana comeback but his 14-point, 10-rebound, six-assist performance would have been one to forget otherwise.

Before getting into a rhythm in the fourth quarter, when the Thunder still held a 20-plus-point lead and were refusing to let Indiana get any closer, Haliburton was stifled. By the time he got into double digits in the points column, Oklahoma City was far out of striking range. He finished with 17 points, 12 of those coming in the fourth quarter.

It was a testament to Luguentz Dort, the man tasked with guarding Haliburton through much of the night and helped force the star guard into five turnovers.

“With them, that’s where it starts,” Gilgeous-Alexander told ABC of the Pacers’ offense. “They’re a high-powered offense; they play fast and score a bunch of points. If you don’t get stops, you’ll end up running all game and they can beat you that way.”

The series now shifts to Indianapolis for Games 3 and 4 later on in the week. The Pacers will host the Thunder at 8:30 p.m. Wednesday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

The convincing win isn’t going to change the Thunder’s mindset going into the break before Wednesday’s game.

“You can’t get comfortable. You’ve gotta focus on the little things, recovery, get ready for the game plan and ultimately, I’m going to sound like a broken record, but getting better for the next game and the next opportunity,” he told ABC.



Source link

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Sports

Singer Nezza explains why she sang US National Anthem in Spanish at Dodgers game; says team objected

Published

on



CNN
 — 

Amid the ongoing protests across the country over the weekend and continued frustrations in Los Angeles over US Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids, one singer decided to take a stand with her performance at a Dodgers game.

Nezza, whose full name is Vanessa Hernández, performed the song Saturday. She said she was first planning on singing the US National Anthem in Spanglish, but, with the ongoing immigration raids, she decided to do the song in Spanish only.

She says a team employee told her not to. That didn’t deter her, and she performed the song in Spanish anyway.

“I didn’t really see an issue with it and I wanted people to know that I’m with them and I’m standing by them,” Nezza told CNN on Tuesday.

An unidentified person, who Nezza says is a Dodgers employee, can be heard on a video saying to the singer, “We are going to do the song in English today, so I’m not sure if that wasn’t relayed.”

That video, which Nezza shared on TikTok, now has over 12 million views.

Screenshot 2025-06-17 at 9.52.47 AM.png

Nezza performs national anthem in Spanish at Dodgers game

00:31

About two weeks before the game, Nezza said that she and her team sent an email to the Dodgers team asking to sing the National Anthem in both languages. “As everything started to unfold and we got closer to the day, the raids – like everything, it was like a couple days before that – I was like, actually, I’m going to do it fully in Spanish,” Nezza said.

In response, Nezza said, the Dodgers sent a PDF file that went through the song guidelines, but they never said no to her request.

In the email to the team, Nezza said her managers included the history of the song and why she felt it was important to sing that version. The version of the song is titled “El Pendón Estrellado” and was written by Clotilde Arias after the Division of Cultural Cooperation of the Department of State asked for submissions for translations of the “Star Spangled Banner” in 1945 in Spanish and Portuguese, according to the Smithsonian.

It was all part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s “Good Neighbor Policy” toward Latin America.

Following her performance, the Dodgers employee – who she will not name – called Nezza’s manager almost immediately and told them to never call or email them again, and that their client was not welcome back, according to the singer.

The Dodgers have not responded to any of CNN’s questions, but said in a statement that there were “no consequences or hard feelings” regarding Nezza’s performance.

Nezza said she hasn’t been contacted by the team and doesn’t plan on attending the stadium again. “I don’t feel welcome to come back,” she said.

Her parents are immigrants from Colombia and the Dominican Republic, who Nezza says became US citizens when she was younger.

Her parents are “overjoyed” with her performance, the singer said.

Nezza added that many of the team’s fans are Latino, saying, “The lyrics are the same, I was still singing that I’m a proud American.”

Her performance took place the same day that demonstrators filled streets across the country for the “No Kings” protest and as frustrations in Los Angeles continued because of ICE raids that took place within the past few weeks.

While the team hasn’t outwardly spoken on the ongoing frustrations of the ongoing immigration crackdowns ICE raids that have been happening in the city, star player Dodgers player Kike Hernández, a native of Puerto Rico, showed his support for Los Angeles in an Instagram post.

“I am saddened and infuriated by what’s happening in our country and our city,” Hernández said in part. “Los Angeles and Dodger fans have welcomed me, supported me and shown me nothing but kindness and love.”

“This is my second home. And I cannot stand to see our community being violated, profiled, abused and ripped apart,” He added. “ALL people deserve to be treated with respect, dignity and human rights.”



Source link

Continue Reading

Sports

Florida Panthers win second straight Stanley Cup in a 5-1 romp, led by Sam Reinhart’s four goals

Published

on



CNN
 — 

For the second year in a row, the Florida Panthers have conquered the Edmonton Oilers and lifted the Stanley Cup as kings of the NHL.

The Panthers’ back-to-back crowns have both come at the expense of the Oilers, this time in six games after last year’s seven-game classic series. With three consecutive appearances in the Stanley Cup Final, Florida has officially achieved dynasty status.

With a 5-1 clinching win in Tuesday night’s Game 6, this year’s victory over the Oilers came 357 days after their last Cup-clinching win.

With a raucous home crowd chanting, “We want the Cup,” behind them and the prospect of a 2,500-mile trip back to Edmonton looming, the Panthers jumped at the opportunity to win the Cup on home ice.

The Panthers’ trio of veteran centers were the difference throughout the series.

After Brad Marchand and Sam Bennett – who won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the MVP of the playoffs after scoring a league-leading 15 goals in the playoffs and had 22 total points – took turns playing hero in the earlier games of the series, Tuesday was 11-year veteran Sam Reinhart’s night.

Reinhart got the scoring started in the first period with a sensational individual effort. The center took the puck away from an Oilers skater and swiftly cut behind defenseman Mattias Ekholm before going top shelf over the shoulder of Oilers goalie Stuart Skinner as Reinhart was falling down.

A long-range wrister from left winger Matthew Tkachuk with less than a minute remaining in the opening period doubled Florida’s lead to 2-0.

The second period was largely uneventful, but in the closing minutes, Reinhart struck again for the Panthers. The 29-year-old deftly used his skate to redirect the pass from Aleksander Barkov past Skinner for his second goal of the game.

Florida Panthers center Sam Reinhart celebrates his goal during the second period of Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Edmonton Oilers.

But Reinhart was only halfway finished with his big night.

In the third period, with the game seemingly out of reach and in desperate need of a flurry of goals, Edmonton made a strategic decision to pull its goalie with seven minutes remaining in the game.

Reinhart took full advantage of the situation, scoring an empty-netter to complete his hat trick and adding a fourth goal for good measure to bring the Panthers’ lead to 5-0.

The offensive explosion brought Reinhart’s goal tally during the series to a team-high seven. Reinhart is the first player to net seven goals in a Stanley Cup Final since Wayne Gretzky 40 years ago.

Meanwhile, between the Florida pipes, a man affectionately known as “Bob” by his teammates and fans alike was steady while denying any hope of a score by the Oilers. Sergei Bobrovsky, who backstopped the Cup win last season and started every game this postseason, made 28 saves in the win. Edmonton’s lone tally came late in the game with no chance for a comeback as Vasily Podkolzin poked home a rebound with under five minutes remaining in the game.

Florida Panthers center Sam Reinhart (13) celebrates his goal during the second period of Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Edmonton Oilers.

The three-headed monster of Reinhart (7), Marchand (6) and Bennett (5) became just the second trio of teammates to each score five or more goals in a Stanley Cup Finals series. The 1955 Detroit Red Wings, anchored by the legendary Gordie Howe, are the only other team to achieve that feat seven decades ago.

The Conn Smythe Trophy, which is awarded to the most valuable player in the postseason, went to Bennett, who scored a league-leading 15 goals in the playoffs and had 22 total points.

Marchand, who won the Cup in 2011 with the Bruins and was acquired ahead of March’s trade deadline, was full of joy after being able to lift the NHL’s treasured chalice 14 years later.

The Florida Panthers celebrate after defeating the Edmonton Oilers and winning the Stanley Cup in Game Six of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final.

“It’s a feeling you can’t really describe and seeing the family and everyone up there (in the stands) and everyone that supported me and helped me get to this point, there’s nothing. … Words can’t put this into reality how great it feels. And with such an incredible group,” the long-time former Bruin said with his voice trembling a bit on the TNT broadcast.

“Everybody wrote us off from the start of the playoffs. They had everybody beating us in every round and we just had that fire and knew we had something special. It’s incredible to be part of this group right now.”

After the game, Reinhart was asked about the remarkable accomplishment of winning back-to-back championships.

“It’s not easy coming back,” Reinhart told TNT. “You know how hard it is to do. Sometimes that benefits you and sometimes that doesn’t.

“We just stuck with it. A lot has to go your way to be standing here at the end, and we were up for the task again.”

Tkachuk noted the accomplishment was even bigger after playing and winning two of the last three finals. “We are a dynasty,” he said.

A second loss in as many years for Edmonton also extends another ignominious streak, as it has been 32 years since a team from Canada has won the championship in its own national winter sport. The Montreal Canadiens were the last franchise from north of the border to hoist the trophy named after Lord Stanley of Preston.



Source link

Continue Reading

Sports

Shohei Ohtani makes long-awaited pitching debut for Dodgers to mixed results

Published

on



CNN
 — 

It had been 663 days between pitching appearances, depriving baseball fans of the famed wicked four-seam fastball and splitter that they have marveled at from the sport’s most unique player. On Monday night in Los Angeles, with get-in ticket prices soaring, the time away from the mound reset to zero.

Los Angeles Dodgers two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani made his long-awaited return to the bump against division rivals San Diego Padres in front of his adoring home fans at Dodger Stadium.

The three-time MVP was welcomed back to the mound by not only cheering fans but two straight San Diego hits from Fernando Tatis Jr. and Luis Arraez to start the game. The Padres would score a run after a Manny Machado sacrifice fly.

Despite getting two strikes on the first four batters he faced, Ohtani struggled with control, needing 28 pitches to get through his one and only inning. He did hit 100 mph and show glimpses of why he previously dominated the position.

However, Ohtani didn’t waste any time continuing to show why he is essentially one of a kind at the bottom of the first inning. The Japanese star continued to be the focus of the game by immediately stepping up to the batter’s box to lead off the bottom of the inning. The crowd remained abuzz, knowing it was witnessing something special. Padres starting pitcher Dylan Cease had other plans getting Ohtani to swing and miss on a slider for the out.

Dodgers relief pitcher Anthony Banda replaced Ohtani in the top of the second inning.

Ohtani did make an impact in the bottom of the third inning that got the crowd on its feet. With a runner on third, Ohtani smacked a double to left center field, driving in Andy Pages to tie the game at one. Ohtani did a little dance on second while his teammates celebrated the RBI.

With the Dodgers piling on Cease in the fourth frame, Ohtani added another RBI to his stat line after hitting a single to score Pages again to make it a 5-2 game.

From that point, the Dodgers would coast to a 6-3 victory.

Ohtani won the World Series with the Los Angeles Dodgers last season, serving as the team's designated hitter.

Despite owning a division-leading 43-29 record, it has been a challenging season for Dodger pitchers.

Currently, 14 different LA pitchers are on the injured list, including Tyler Glasnow and newly signed Roki Sasaki and Blake Snell.

A month following Ohtani’s last game from the rubber in August 2023 as a member of the crosstown Angels, he underwent a procedure to repair the right ulnar collateral ligament in his elbow. It was his second surgery on his right elbow. He then had a procedure on his left shoulder this past offseason, which made the Dodgers even more cautious with their record-breaking signing.

Every season seems to be a record season for Ohtani but 2024 really did take the cake. Before the season, he signed the then-reportedly largest contract in North American sports history when he penned a 10-year deal with the Dodgers. He then went on to become the first player to hit 50-plus home runs and steal 50-plus bases, set career-highs in batting average and home runs, was once again selected as an All-Star, won his first World Series ring and was unanimously voted the National League MVP (the third time he’s won unanimously). Ohtani remains the only player to win unanimously more than once.

This season has been no different at the plate, hitting .297 with 25 home runs and 41 RBI’s with 11 stolen bases coming into Monday’s game.

The right-handed pitcher had a career 3.01 ERA before his pitching layoff.



Source link

Continue Reading

Trending