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Pacers avoid second straight home-court playoff exit, routing Thunder to force Game 7

Pacers avoid second straight home-court playoff exit, routing Thunder to force Game 7
Indiana Pacers forward Pascal Siakam shoots against Oklahoma City Thunder forward Chet Holmgren during game six of the 2025 NBA Finals at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. (Kyle Terada-Imagn Images)
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Updated 9 min 32 sec ago
AP

Pacers avoid second straight home-court playoff exit, routing Thunder to force Game 7

Pacers avoid second straight home-court playoff exit, routing Thunder to force Game 7
  • Thunder fans expecting to celebrate NBA title see hopes dashed
  • The winner-take-all Game 7 is Sunday night in Oklahoma City
Updated 9 min 32 sec ago
AP

INDIANAPOLIS: The Indiana Pacers did not let another home-court opportunity slip away Thursday night.

Not with a raucous crowd on its feet almost from start to finish, not with Reggie Miller and nearly a dozen former Pacers cheering them on and certainly not with the first NBA title in franchise just two wins away.

So the Pacers dug down, fought through injuries and finally played their way. They knocked down 3-pointers, forced turnovers and had the heavily gold-clad crowd doing high-fives between the third and fourth quarters as Indiana extended its season with a 108-91 victory over the the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The winner-take-all Game 7 is Sunday night in Oklahoma City.

This wasn’t just a win-or-go-home scenario for the Pacers.

They’ve been motivated all season by the bitter memories of losing their last two home games by three points each in the 2024 Eastern Conference finals as the injured Tyrese Haliburton watched helplessly from the sideline. Boston used that four-game sweep to fuel its record 18th title run.

And they blew a seven-point lead in the final 11 minutes of Game 3, giving away the home-court advantage they stole on Haliburton’s last-second winner in Game 1.

This time, it wasn’t even close.

Indiana took control midway through the second quarter and spent the rest of the night pulling away as a smattering of Oklahoma City fans watched glumly.

Sure, one difference was Haliburton’s ability to overcome the strained right calf that made him so ineffective in the Game 5 loss that put Indiana on the cusp of elimination.

But after convincing team trainers he could play and still be effective, the Pacers rebounded from missing their first eight shots to make 8 of the next 10. Then, as usual, it was off to the races.

Indiana forced 12 first-half turnovers, outscoring the Thunder 16-3 on fast break and 19-3 in bench points while using 11-0 and 6-0 to extend the margin to 64-42 at halftime. Defensively, they were even better in the second half.

Though they didn’t force as many turnovers, they held the Thunder scoreless more than five minutes while forcing seven straight misses to start the third quarter — working the crowd into a frenzy as they rolled to a 70-42 lead.

Miller flailed his arms in the air in a Jalen Rose jersey. Metta World Peace waved a towel and Lance Stephenson repeatedly pumped his fists. Even John Haliburton, Tyrese’s father, cherished the moment.

But finishing their home season with a win is only the first part of the equation. Now they must go on the road and replicate what they just did if they are to achieve their ultimate goal — winning a title.


***

Thunder fans expecting to celebrate NBA title see hopes dashed

In Oklahoma City, fans who confidently flocked to the Paycom Center expecting to celebrate the Thunder’s first NBA championship on Thursday night went home facing the possibility that their team might not win the title.

Thousands of fans with high hopes filed into Oklahoma City’s home arena to watch on the big screen.

Instead, Indiana rolled to a 108-91 win, and now Thunder’s passionate fans will wait anxiously for Game 7 on Sunday in Oklahoma City.

The lower two levels at the Paycom Center were nearly filled before the tip, and the big screen was lowered for a better view. The crowd roared early when Jalen Williams dunked to give Oklahoma City an 8-2 lead.

Indiana dominated from there and led 64-42 at halftime.

Fans remained hopeful, but the energy dissipated when the Thunder failed to score for the first five minutes of the third quarter. The crowd gained some hope when Tony Bradley was called for a technical foul against Isaiah Hartenstein.

Indiana maintained control, and fans finally started to file out after Ben Sheppard hit a 3-pointer in the closing seconds of the third to put the Pacers up 90-60. Those who stayed stood and cheered as time ran out.

It’s been a long wait for Thunder fans. The city first hosted an NBA team during the 2005-06 season, when the New Orleans Hornets relocated after Hurricane Katrina. Oklahoma City’s fans fell in love with the team and young point guard Chris Paul, who would be named rookie of the year.

The Seattle SuperSonics relocated to Oklahoma City in 2008, and Oklahoma City’s fans feverishly supported their new team despite its early struggles. The Thunder had contending teams with young stars Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden.

Even with all that talent, they couldn’t break through. They lost to LeBron James’ Miami Heat in the NBA Finals in 2012. Durant left for the rival Golden State Warriors in 2016. A team with Westbrook, Paul George and Carmelo Anthony couldn’t get out of the first round.

The end of Oklahoma City’s misfortune seemed to have arrived this season, when the Thunder had the league’s best record. Williams and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander helped the Thunder put the Pacers on the brink of elimination with wins in Games 4 and 5. Now, the misery will continue if Oklahoma City doesn’t win Game 7.

Topics: NBA Indiana Pacers Oklahoma City Thunder basketball

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Jenno Thitikul stays patient and goes on a birdie streak to take first-round lead at Women’s PGA

Jenno Thitikul stays patient and goes on a birdie streak to take first-round lead at Women’s PGA
Updated 4 min 53 sec ago
AP

Jenno Thitikul stays patient and goes on a birdie streak to take first-round lead at Women’s PGA

Jenno Thitikul stays patient and goes on a birdie streak to take first-round lead at Women’s PGA
  • Thitikul made five birdies in a six-hole stretch, with a 60-footer on the par-3 eighth hole in the middle of three in a row
  • Thitikul played with top-ranked Nelly Korda (72) and No. 3 Lydia Ko (75)
Updated 4 min 53 sec ago
AP

FRISCO, Texas: Jenno Thitikul walked off the fifth green after a double bogey in the first round of the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship reminding herself to stay patient and that some missed shots are going to happen.

“Majors, you’re going to miss anyway,†said Thitikul, who’s No. 2 in the women’s world ranking. “A way to bounce back, it’s more important.â€

Thitikul certainly found a way to do that on a hot and windy Thursday, finishing with a 4-under 68 for a one-stroke lead over Minjee Lee (69). Haeran Ryu, Rio Takeda and Somi Lee all shot 70.

That only hole over par for Thitikul was followed by a par before she made five birdies in a six-hole stretch, with a 60-footer on the par-3 eighth hole in the middle of three in a row.

“My putter went really well,†said the 22-year-old from Thailand, who is seeking her first major title. “In the front nine we had a lot of breeze going, and more than the back nine, but like (made) putts 7, 8, 9, which boosts the confidence up making the turn to the back nine.â€

Thitikul, who lives in the Dallas area, needed only 25 putts on the Fields Ranch East course at PGA Frisco. Her makes measured 199 1/2 feet.

Thitikul played with top-ranked Nelly Korda (72) and No. 3 Lydia Ko (75).

Korda, who reaggravated a neck injury with a shot out of the rough during a practice round Monday, opened with seven consecutive pars in a round that had two birdies and two bogeys. Ko was the only in the group to make a birdie at the 513-yard, par-5 first hole, but didn’t make another the rest of the day.

While Korda said she doesn’t feel pain hitting shots, the two-time major champion said she has pain “just with rotation†of her neck and that it is hard to get comfortable to sleep at night.

“It’s better, yeah. Getting better every day, which is nice,†she said. “Just because I injured it last year, whenever I do injure my neck it takes a little bit longer than normal. ... Just takes me like a week to kind of recover when I tweak my neck now.â€

Korda opened with seven pars, including at the 317-yard, par-4 seventh hole, where she hit a 294-yard drive into a valley just short of the green. Her initial pitch from there ricocheted off the edge of the green and rolled back down the slope to where she was. Korda hit her next shot to 2 feet.

That fifth hole for Thitikul started with a drive out of bounds and a penalty. Her birdie streak began with a nearly 18-footer at No. 7 before the long one at the eighth. She rolled in a 35-foot birdie at No. 17, and just missed making another one more than twice that long on the 434-yard, par-4 18th.

Two-time major winner Lee, a 29-year-old Australian, hasn’t won since 2023. She opened Thursday with a bogey and finished with two bogeys over the last three holes. In between, she made seven birdies.

“I feel like they were pretty soft bogeys. ... Well, on 16, that was a bit soft and obviously the first hole is a par 5. I should be making birdie or par at the least,†Lee said. “Obviously there will be bogeys, but I think for me, I just try to stay patient. If I make a bogey I just try it back it up with something better than that. Can’t get ahead of yourself, especially in this kind of weather. I think it’s more just the heat that’s draining your focus.â€

Lee bogeyed the 425-yard 12th hole, where she drove into thick rough to the right and from there went into the left rough. She saved par at the par-3 13th by blasting from a bunker to 5 1/2 feet and had consecutive birdies to get to 5 under — the lowest by anyone in the first round. Then came her late bogeys, missing a 7-foot par on the 16th and hitting her approach on the 18th into a bunker.

Topics: golf Jenno Thitikul

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Richards’ 2nd-half goal lifts US over º£½ÇÖ±²¥ 1-0 and into CONCACAF Gold Cup quarterfinals

Richards’ 2nd-half goal lifts US over º£½ÇÖ±²¥ 1-0 and into CONCACAF Gold Cup quarterfinals
Updated 20 June 2025
AP

Richards’ 2nd-half goal lifts US over º£½ÇÖ±²¥ 1-0 and into CONCACAF Gold Cup quarterfinals

Richards’ 2nd-half goal lifts US over º£½ÇÖ±²¥ 1-0 and into CONCACAF Gold Cup quarterfinals
  • The US has won its group in 16 of 17 Gold Cups
  • The Gold Cup represents the last competitive test for the US ahead of the 2026 World Cup
Updated 20 June 2025
AP

AUSTIN, Texas: Defender Chris Richards scored with a flick of the ball off a second-half free kick to lift the United States to a 1-0 win over º£½ÇÖ±²¥ on Thursday night, sending the Americans on to the CONCACAF Gold Cuo quarterfinals.
Richards tracked the ball as it flew into the box on a curving free kick from Sebastian Berhalter in the 62nd minute to tap the ball with his left foot past º£½ÇÖ±²¥ goalkeeper Nawaf Al Aquidi.
The win and the 1-1 draw between Trinidad and Tobago and Haiti in Group D’s other match Thursday in Houston, clinched a knockout berth for the Americans, who improved to 42 wins, one loss and five draws in group play. The US has won its group in 16 of 17 Gold Cups, and closes Group D play on Sunday against Haiti at Arlington, Texas.
US coach Mauricio Pochettino stuck with the same lineup that produced a 5-0 win over Trinidad and Tobago on Sunday, the first time he made no changes in consecutive matches since taking over the program last October. But playing against No. 58 º£½ÇÖ±²¥, the 16th-ranked Americans showed little of the attack firepower they displayed against the No. 100 Soca Warriors.
The match saw few real chances on goal by either team. The Americans had just one shot in the first half. Richards’ speed to track back to cover for Alex Freeman’s mistake and block a shot kept º£½ÇÖ±²¥ from a 1-0 lead.
Matt Freese got his second consecutive start in goal for the US and third in four matches as he appears to have displaced Matt Turner.
The Gold Cup represents the last competitive test for the Americans ahead of the 2026 World Cup. As co-host with Mexico and Canada, the US is an automatic qualifier for the World Cup.
The Americans limped into the Gold Cup on a four-match losing streak that included a 4-0 rout by Switzerland in their final tune-up. And with many of the top players either sitting out this tournament for personal reasons, injuries or playing in the Club World Cup, Pochettino selected a roster full of relatively untested and unproven players.
Missing the tournament for the US are regulars Christian Pulisic, Yunus Musah, Weston McKennie, Tim Weah, Gio Reyna, Antonee Robinson, Folarin Balogun and Sergiño Dest,

Topics: º£½ÇÖ±²¥ Green Falcons

Canelo, Crawford arrive in º£½ÇÖ±²¥ to promote the ‘Fight of the Century’

Canelo, Crawford arrive in º£½ÇÖ±²¥ to promote the ‘Fight of the Century’
Updated 20 June 2025
Khaled Alarafah

Canelo, Crawford arrive in º£½ÇÖ±²¥ to promote the ‘Fight of the Century’

Canelo, Crawford arrive in º£½ÇÖ±²¥ to promote the ‘Fight of the Century’
  • The pair will fight in Las Vegas in September
Updated 20 June 2025
Khaled Alarafah

RIYADH: Saúl “Canelo†Ãlvarez and Terence Crawford, two of boxing’s finest, arrived in the Saudi capital on Thursday.

The pair, who are set to fight in September, are in the Kingdom to kick off a promotional tour on Friday for the much hyped clash.

The media event will be at Bakr Al-Sheddi Theater in Boulevard City, in Riyadh.

The showdown between two of the biggest names in the sport has been billed as the “Fight of the Century,†and is being organized by Riyadh Season.

The undisputed super middleweight champion Canelo Ãlvarez, who boasts an impressive record of 62 wins (39 by knockout), will face off against his opponent Terence Crawford, a four-division and two-weight undisputed champion, who enters the ring with a perfect record of 41 wins and no losses, including 31 knockouts.

The press conference will be the first stop of a media tour, which will include stops in New York at Fanatics Fest on Sunday, before concluding next Friday in Las Vegas — the host city for the blockbuster fight on Saturday Sept. 13.

Topics: boxing Canelo Alvarez Terence Crawford

Lionel Messi scores on free kick to lift Inter Miami over Porto

Lionel Messi scores on free kick to lift Inter Miami over Porto
Updated 20 June 2025
Reuters

Lionel Messi scores on free kick to lift Inter Miami over Porto

Lionel Messi scores on free kick to lift Inter Miami over Porto
Updated 20 June 2025
Reuters

ATLANTA: Lionel Messi connected on a free kick in the 54th minute to propel Inter Miami to a 2-1 victory over FC Porto in a Group A match of the FIFA Club World Cup on Thursday afternoon.
After Porto struck first on Samu Aghehowa’s penalty kick in the eighth minute, Marcelo Weigandt assisted on Telasco Segovia’s game-tying goal in the 47th.
Miami found its second goal in the first 10 minutes of the second half against Porto goalkeeper Claudio Ramos as Messi scored on the 68th free-kick goal of his illustrious career.
Each team netted their first goals of the tournament after Miami tied Al Ahly 0-0 on Saturday and Porto suffered the same result against Palmeiras on Sunday.
After VAR review confirmation, it was determined that Miami’s Noah Allen committed a tripping penalty in the box against Joao Mario, leading to Aghehowa’s penalty goal that was deflected by goalkeeper Oscar Ustari and in for the game’s first goal in the eighth minute.
Aghehowa, 21, had 19 goals in 30 Primeira Liga matches for the Portuguese side this past season.
Miami knotted the score at one less than 90 seconds into the second half, as Weigandt’s cross into the center of the box was finished by Segovia, who fired in the equalizing goal past a sprawling Ramos.
Miami then continued its great start to the second half, as Porto’s Rodrigo Mora’s foul led to Messi’s successful free kick — perfectly placed in the top right corner in the 54th minute.
 

Topics: Lionel Messi FIFA Club World Cup 2025

World No.1 Sinner shocked in Halle second round by Bublik

World No.1 Sinner shocked in Halle second round by Bublik
Updated 19 June 2025
AFP

World No.1 Sinner shocked in Halle second round by Bublik

World No.1 Sinner shocked in Halle second round by Bublik
  • Earlier world number three Alexander Zverev rallied from a set down to see off Italy’s Lorenzo Sonego and advance to the quarter-finals on grass in Halle
Updated 19 June 2025
AFP

HALLE WESTFALEN, Germany: Defending champion Jannik Sinner lost his second-round match on grass at Halle on Thursday to Kazakhstan’s Alexander Bublik, the Italian’s first tournament since his French Open final defeat.
The world number one fell 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 to the 45th-ranked Bublik for the 23-year-old’s first defeat to a player ranked outside the top 20 since the summer of 2023.
A few days before his defeat to Spaniard Carlos Alcaraz in the title match at the French Open, Sinner had easily dispatched Bublik in the quarter-finals at Roland Garros, dropping only six games.
On Thursday, ten days before Wimbledon, Bublik claimed his second victory in six ties against Sinner.
The Kazakh will play Tomas Machac in the quarter-finals after the Czech beat Hungarian Fabian Marozsan 6-2, 6-3 earlier in the day.
Earlier world number three Alexander Zverev rallied from a set down to see off Italy’s Lorenzo Sonego and advance to the quarter-finals on grass in Halle.
The 28-year-old German won 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7/2) against the 46th-ranked Sonego and next plays another Italian, Flavio Cobolli for a place in the semifinals.
A finalist in Halle in 2016 and 2017, Zverev recorded his fifth victory in as many meetings with Sonego, a year after beating him at the same stage of the same competition.
Sonego took advantage of his only chance to break in the first set at 4-3. The German struggled throughout to break his opponent’s serve.
Zverev dug deep in the second set, leading 5-4, to win the set before dominating the tiebreak in the final set.
Argentina’s 63rd ranked Tomas Martin Etcheverry also reached the quarter-finals after a three-hour duel against fourth seed Andrey Rublev 6-3, 6-7 (4/7), 7-6 (8/6).
The Argentine saved two match points in the tiebreak of the deciding set to set up a meeting with Russia’s Karen Khachanov.

 

Topics: tennis

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