The biggest question entering Game 6 of the NBA Finals was the health of Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton. He was cleared to play earlier in the day despite a calf injury. Ex-Miami Heat player Udonis Haslem never doubted Haliburton would miss the game.
In fact, Haslem felt Haliburton may have used the injury to keep the Oklahoma City Thunder off guard in Thursday's blowout loss.
"I think the other team came and kind of let off the gas a little bit," Haslem said Friday morning on ESPN's Get Up. "They've been hearing the last couple of days, Haliburton's calf, is he going to play? ... That was a smokescreen. Everybody knew he was going to play. I think Oklahoma City fell for the old Statue of Liberty, banana in the tailpipe."
Haliburton finished with 14 points and five assists to help force a Game 7. This was after he scored just four points in Game 5 when he sustained the injury.
"I think Tricky Ricky played a little possum with us," Haslem said. "I think he got us a little bit. If you've been in this league a long time, you understand how it is. We tend to over-exaggerate injuries sometimes in the playoffs. We don't let on to the other team how hurt we are."
Both the Pacers and Thunder are going for their first title Sunday in Game 7.
Udonis Haslem gives reason for Oklahoma City meltdown
Ex-Heat player sides with Stephen A. Smith
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Happy 24th birthday to Minnesota Timberwolves superstar Anthony Edwards! The first overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft has lived up to the billing so far in his young NBA career, taking the Timberwolves from a 23-win team in his rookie season to back-to-back Western Conference Finals appearances. While Ant-Man hasn't been able to make to the NBA Finals yet, he has already earned himself a reputation as a giant slayer in the postseason, topping Nikola Jokic, LeBron James, and Steph Curry in his playoff career. Which brings us to today's quiz. Edwards came into the NBA as a freak athlete, but has since added a dangerous three-point shot to his game, leading the NBA with 320 made triples in 2024-25. With that being said, how many of the league leaders in three-pointers made for every season since then can you name in five minutes? Good luck! Did you like this quiz? Are there any quizzes you’d like to see us make in the future? Let us know your thoughts at quizzes@yardbarker.com, and make sure to subscribe to our Quiz of the Day Newsletter for daily quizzes sent right to your email!
Starting pitcher Nestor Cortes was the centerpiece of the Milwaukee Brewers‘ return haul from trading co-closer Devin Williams to the Yankees last December. Eight months later, Cortes is a member of the Padres, logging all of two starts in Milwaukee before injuries sapped his season. Over in New York, Williams lost his closer’s job, got it back, and has had one good month en route to a 5.04 ERA. Without the other part of Milwaukee’s incoming package, then minor-league third baseman Caleb Durbin, the trade would look at this juncture like a lose-lose scenario. Thanks to Durbin, it’s been anything but for the Brewers. Caleb Durbin is Milwaukee Brewers’ diamond in the rough Durbin didn’t make the spring training cut. Instead, the Brewers went with fellow rookie Oliver Dunn as the team’s starting third baseman. Durbin went down to Triple-A Nashville. Dunn didn’t last. After he struggled through the first three weeks of the season, he and Durbin switched places and the latter hasn’t squandered his shot. Following a slow start, he’s turned up the heat at the dish while playing outstanding defense. He’s had an OPS around .800 for over two months now and has his season slashline up to .263/.344/.372. His 2.2 WAR in 86 games played is tied for 10th among all third basemen, making him one of the position’s more valuable players. The Brewers saw plenty of promise in Durbin when they traded for him, coming off a strong season with New York’s Triple-A affiliate. Even though he didn’t, he was a decent candidate to make the team out of spring. The team likely didn’t see a legitimate Rookie of the Year candidate, which he is. By WAR, he and Braves catcher Drake Baldwin have contributed the same value to their teams, more than any other NL rookies. Cortes, on the other hand, was supposed to be a consistent cog in the rotation. Last year for the Yankees, he made 30 starts and recorded a 3.77 ERA. Instead, he’s still making his way back from injury ahead of start number three this season. In San Diego. Of course, Milwaukee did turn him into outfielder Brandon Lockridge, who will provide depth while Jackson Chourio is hurt. To dump Cortes’ salary, however, they had to attach a prospect, infielder Jorge Quintana. Neither Cortes nor Williams has been what the receiving team hoped. Both will be free agents this offseason. Only the Yankees, however, are at risk of walking away empty-handed. With years of team control remaining, the Brewers have in Durbin what looks to be their third baseman of both the present and future. The trade didn’t deliver according to expectations, but it’s hard to be too upset with the results.
The Oilers have shaken up their roster ahead of training camp, and Viktor Olofsson, Ilya Samsonov and Brett Leason are PTO options for GM Stan Bowman. This off-season has been a busy one for the Edmonton Oilers, with the team moving on from Corey Perry, Evander Kane, Victor Arvidsson and others, while adding Andrew Mangiapane and the young Isaac Howard to give them more youth and speed. While the roster appears all but set with the team unlikely to make a change in net despite speculation heading into the summer, there's still plenty of time before training camp to make an addition or two. Now, The Hockey Writers have identified several options for the team to bring in on Professional Tryouts this off-season, with all three of Brett Leason, Victor Olofsson and Ilya Samsonov making perfect sense for the current team. The two with the best chance to make this roster are Olofsson and Samsonov, with the team potentially looking for an upgrade at the backup goaltender spot, with the former Maple Leafs and Golden Knights net minder showing the potential to be a great backup at the National Hockey League level. However, it's Olofsson that's been the most productive in recent years, posting 15 goals a season ago in Vegas after posting 55 goals over his prior three seasons, including just 7 in 2023/24 with Buffalo, showing he could be inconsistent. Leason is the wild card in potential PTO options, with the 6-foot-5, 220 pound forward potentially having the chance to be a physical threat for this team in the bottom-six, but with so many players beyond these three looking for a new role in the NHL, if the Oilers want a cheap option for competition in training camp, several names may be brought in on PTO's.
Vancouver Canucks top prospect Braeden Cootes has been injured during the World Junior Summer Showcase, which was revealed by Team Canada coach Dale Hunter. The 2025 World Junior Summer Showcase came to a close this past Saturday after a week of competition among some of hockey's brightest young stars, such as Vancouver Canucks first-rounder top prospect Braeden Cootes, who represented Team Canada. Team Canada had a tough time in the event, dropping their opening two games to Team Finland and Sweden by a 14-7 total score. Injuries added to the problems, with some key players out of the lineup, and it hit the Canucks especially hard. Braeden Cootes suited up for Canada's split-squad contest on Tuesday as well as their game versus Finland on Wednesday. He was scheduled to dress against Sweden on Friday, but was suddenly not in the lineup. After the 8-4 blowout loss, head coach Dale Hunter informed the media that Braeden Cootes, Michael Misa, and Henry Mews were all battling injuries and were going to be game-time decisions for Saturday's final game against the U.S. Michael Misa and Henry Mews were back for that game, but Cootes was still out, which meant he was sitting out his second consecutive game. The Injury to Cootes is Expected to be a Short-Term One Luckily, the injury is not viewed as serious and is not of a long-term nature, which can allow Vancouver and their fans an opportunity to take a sigh of relief. 'Light stuff, not heavy stuff.' - Dale Hunter on Braeden Cootes' injury Though Cootes is going to be okay, missing those games was certainly a disappointment, especially since he was hoping to make an impression on Canada's World Junior staff before the final cuts are due in December. Cootes should be good to go for training camp with the WHL's Seattle Thunderbirds in a few weeks, as the club is set to begin its preseason on September 2 vs. the Prince Albert Raiders.
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