The Oklahoma City Thunder held Tyrese Haliburton without a field goal and grabbed a 3-2 NBA Finals lead with a 120-109 win over the Indiana Pacers Monday night in Oklahoma City.
Jalen Williams had a career-high playoff 40 points while Haliburton tied his career-low with four points. As the Thunder sit one game away from an NBA title, here are five takeaways from Game 5.
1. Jalen Williams dominated on a diet of tough shots
While the third-year guard Williams had a spectacular game with 40 points, you could argue that the Pacers didn't even defend him that badly. Williams has simply been spectacular on offense.
A JALEN WILLIAMS TAKEOVER IN GAME 5
— NBA (@NBA) June 17, 2025
He's got a playoff career-high 37 points!! pic.twitter.com/3Wlx9twLIg
After scoring 26 points in Game 3 and 27 points in Game 4, Williams took it up another level in Game 5. He shot 14-for-25 while getting to the line for 12 free throw attempts, scoring on leaners, bank shots and a trio of three-pointers with players flying at him.
JALEN WILLIAMS TRIPLE FOR 22
— NBA (@NBA) June 17, 2025
Leads all scorers in Game 5 on ABC! pic.twitter.com/VtiPwFPBOY
It's been an incredible progression for Williams in his three NBA seasons. He was always a strong defender, but he's built himself into a fantastic second option next to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander — or a first option if his team needs it. His coach from Santa Clara, Herb Sendek, revealed after the game that Williams never scored 20 points in his first two seasons of college ball, and had a lone 30-point game in the next one.
Now he's putting up 40 in a Finals game.
2. The Thunder defense smothered the Pacers in crunch time
The Indiana Pacers cut a big Thunder lead to two points when Pascal Siakam drilled a three-pointer to make it 95-93. Oklahoma City seemingly decided that the best way to keep the Pacers from making shots was to take the ball away from them before they could try.
JDUB TRIPLE FOR 33
— NBA (@NBA) June 17, 2025
WALLACE SLAM AFTER 4TH STEAL
What an answer from OKC in the 4th! pic.twitter.com/JbgsNXV9o6
On the next seven Pacers possessions, the Thunder stole the ball five times. Three of those steals went for easy twos, and the other two led to shooting fouls by the Pacers.
When the turnover carnage had settled, the Thunder had a 113-97 lead after an 18-4 run in 3:25 of game action. Cason Wallace and Alex Caruso each had four steals in the game, two of seven Thunder players with at least one takeaway.
ALEX CARUSO GOING ALL OUT FOR A 3-2 LEAD!
— NBA (@NBA) June 17, 2025
DIVES FOR THE LOOSE BALL
Under 4 minutes remaining on ABC pic.twitter.com/0sIBtUCmEr
It's hard to win any game when your team commits 22 turnovers, but it's especially impossible to make a fourth-quarter comeback after giving up four steals in a row.
3. The Pacers point guards couldn't jump
There have been a number of no-contact injuries in the NBA playoffs, but Haliburton's mysterious calf injury in Game 5 might have had the worst timing off all of them. He fell while driving early in the second quarter on a play where no Thunder defender touched him.
Tyrese Haliburton injured his right leg and went back to the locker room after this play.
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) June 17, 2025
He came back and returned to the game in the 2nd quarter. pic.twitter.com/ZDl9Z3oJ2D
It's the same leg that Haliburton injured in Game 2, which the team called an ankle injury at the time. Shams Charania reported that Monday's injury was "right calf tightness," and Haliburton was wearing a heat wrap on the leg on the bench. But he appeared to have difficulty jumping off his right leg, taking only six shots and missing them all.
The Pacers did get a big effort out of backup T.J. McConnell. He scored or assisted on 18 of Indiana's 34 third-quarter points, and was Indiana's leading scorer through three quarters with 18 points.
MCCONNELL ADDS ANOTHER BUCKET!!
— NBA (@NBA) June 17, 2025
18 PTS in 17 MIN.
13 PTS in the 3Q.
13 of Indy's last 17 PTS.
https://t.co/I0baBgRDUX pic.twitter.com/fW09WDpFlz
The only thing he couldn't do Monday night was jump. After forcing a tie-up late in the third quarter, McConnell was whistled for a loose ball foul when he hit Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on the arm on the subsequent jump ball. ESPN's Reggie Miller disputed that McConnell fouled him, explaining that the 33-year-old "just couldn't jump that high."
TJ McConnell got called for a foul on SGA on the jump ball
— Fullcourtpass (@Fullcourtpass) June 17, 2025
“He just couldn’t jump very high, that’s not his fault.” pic.twitter.com/Z7fJ406l9V
4. Chet Holmgren snuffed out a lot of Pacers' chances
In the first half, Chet Holmgren may not have been hitting his shots, but he was doing everything else. He finished the first 24 minutes with seven points, three blocks and a steal, grabbing four of his five rebounds on the offensive end.
In a pivotal second-quarter sequence, Holmgren blocked Pascal Siakam's layup attempt, grabbed the rebound, drove the length of the court and scored — after rebounding his own miss. Then he forced two misses at the hoop on the other end, helping get the OKC lead to 18 points.
CHET HOLMGREN ON BOTH ENDS!
— NBA (@NBA) June 17, 2025
First pins the shot against the glass... then takes it coast-to-coast for two pic.twitter.com/bc0s8oKo1N
He finished with nine points and 11 rebounds, along with three blocks, but his +12 plus/minus rating was a better sign of the huge impact the 23-year-old center had on Monday's game.
5. The Thunder missed a chance to knock out the Pacers early
In the first quarter, everything went the Thunder's way. They shot 4-for-6 from three-point range after only making three in all of Game 4. The Pacers committed seven turnovers, including a play where Obi Toppin demonstrated he didn't know the over-and-back rule. Seven different OKC players scored, it blocked two shots and Indiana HC Rick Carlisle got called for a technical foul.
OKC did take a lead, getting its lead up to 35-22 early in the second quarter and up to 18 points with 2:29 to go. But it still went into the locker room up just 14 points despite shooting 8-for-17 from distance and holding Haliburton scoreless, thanks to missing 18 shots in the paint. That let the Pacers make a game of it in the final quarter.
The Thunder managed to hold off the Pacers with tough defense and transition buckets in the fourth quarter. But against a team that's made a habit of double-digit, last-minute comebacks in the playoffs, the Thunder could rest a lot easier if they could truly land the knockout blow early.
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The Golden State Warriors have only continued their stalemate with Jonathan Kuminga. While they haven't gone out of their way to re-sign the young wing, they also have made it clear they won't let him go. On July 30, ESPN's Shams Charania reported that the last offer Golden State made to Kuminga was promptly turned down. "The Golden State Warriors made another push to retain Jonathan Kuminga over the past several days, but the restricted free agent is continuing to decline their two-year, $45 million contract offer," Charania wrote. While not a cheap offer, Golden State could put more money on the table, but they won't. Since then, there have been reports about potential sign-and-trades, but nothing has materialized, leaving Kuminga and the Warriors in a holding pattern. Among everything going down between Kumigna and the Warriors, NBA Insider Jake Fischer revealed on Bleacher Report's Live Stream that they have interest in Chicago Bulls wing Josh Giddey and could use the Kuminga situation to get them the former lottery pick. "I can report that there have been multiple teams that have reached out to Josh Giddey's representation about having interest in Josh Giddey," Fischer said. "Golden State is one of them. Golden State would be interested, depending on how the machinations could go in some type of Josh Giddey-Jonathan Kuminga sign-and-trade, to my understanding." Kuminga Had Interest in Joining the Bulls On a live stream from July 16, Fischer revealed that Kuminga had interest in joining the Bulls via sign-and-trade, but it was to join forces with Giddey on theBulls. Fischer also revealed why it didn't come to fruition. “I do know that Kuminga’s representation was trying to figure out some sign and trade scenario that would’ve gotten both Josh Giddey and Jonathan Kuminga paid in Chicago,” Fischer said. “I think that was something that would’ve been more likely if the Bulls waited and had Lonzo Ball sent back to Golden State instead of that deal that they already made with Cleveland. I think that would’ve been something that Golden State would’ve liked.” It sounds like Kuminga is interested in joining the Bulls, and the Warriors want Giddey. The only other factors at play are whether the Bulls want Kuminga and are willing to part ways with Giddey for him and whether Giddey has a mutual interest in joining Golden State. Giddey would give the Warriors another ball handler and playmaker, while Kuminga would give the Bulls a young scoring wing. Both sides would benefit, but given the restrictions of restricted free agency, everyone from all sides would have to play ball to make this work.
One out, seventh inning, 2-2 tie in Arlington. Ben Rice watched from the dugout as manager Aaron Boone called Paul Goldschmidt to pinch-hit for Austin Wells. When Goldschmidt crushed a 0-2 fastball over the left-field wall for the go-ahead run, the New York Yankees had their first lead since the fifth inning. More importantly, they had it because Rice's catching ability made the crucial substitution possible. The 26-year-old's emergence as a multi-position weapon couldn't be more timely. The Yankees entered Wednesday's Texas series finale having blown a seven-game AL East lead since May 28, sitting 6.5 games behind Toronto and 3.5 behind Boston for the first wild card. They'd started August 0-5, desperate for any break before facing Houston at home. Rice represents the internal solution they've needed. His .779 OPS sits well above the .719 MLB average, powered by 16 home runs and elite contact metrics. Baseball Savant ranks him in the 95th percentile or higher in hard-hit percentage, average exit velocity, expected slugging and expected weighted on-base average. Those numbers seem impossible considering where Rice started. The 2021 12th-round Dartmouth pick hit .171 in 178 plate appearances last season. But knowing he'd catch in 2025, Rice added 10 pounds to his frame and worked relentlessly on his receiving skills. The defensive flexibility pays dividends beyond Wednesday's game. Rice has posted a +2 fielding run value across 84 innings caught and 180 innings at first base. Not spectacular, but competent enough to create the matchup advantages Boone exploited against the Rangers. Rice embodies exactly what championship teams find within their system. Aaron Judge remains the Yankees' best player, but Rice may be their most valuable in pure utility terms. His ability to produce above-average offense while handling two premium positions creates strategic options other teams lack. Wednesday's sequence proved the point. Without Rice's catching ability, Boone couldn't have pinch-hit Goldschmidt in that crucial spot. The move worked because Rice had spent months building trust through consistent performance at both positions. The Yankees still trail Toronto by 6.5 games with the Astros series looming next. Their playoff chances remain fragile yet likely, per FanGraphs, after months of disappointing baseball. But Rice's ascension from .171 hitter to essential depth piece shows what's possible when overlooked talent meets opportunity. If the Yankees accomplish anything meaningful this season, they'll trace it back to moments like Wednesday's seventh inning. Not because of Goldschmidt's clutch homer, but because Ben Rice made that moment possible.
Cleveland Browns fans and other members of the football community were understandably excited to learn that rookie Shedeur Sanders will serve as the Browns' starting quarterback for their preseason opener at the Carolina Panthers on Friday night. During the latest edition of the "Orange and Brown Talk Podcast," Dan Labbe and Mary Kay Cabot of the Cleveland Plain Dealer sent somewhat of a warning to those who are hoping that Sanders could bolster his odds of emerging as the Browns' Week 1 starter with an impressive showing versus Carolina. "I’ve always believed with this (Browns) regime...what happens in preseason games kind of goes over here in this bucket. But what they really care about is joint practices, what happens in practices. All of that stuff," Labbe said. Cabot noted that Sanders "worked with the backups" during the Browns' joint practice with the Panthers on Wednesday. That indicates the 2025 fifth-round draft pick remains Cleveland's fourth-choice option at quarterback heading into the Carolina game. Sanders is starting against the Panthers only because 2025 third-round draft pick Dillon Gabriel and presumed backup Kenny Pickett are working to fully recover from hamstring injuries they picked up during training camp. Meanwhile, outlets such as FanDuel Sportsbook continued to list veteran Joe Flacco as the betting favorite (-220 odds) to start Cleveland's Week 1 game against the Cincinnati Bengals as of Thursday morning. To compare, Sanders was at +2500 odds to get the nod for the Bengals matchup. "Here’s why everyone needs to remember these are preseason games," Cabot continued. "You are not getting game-planned for. Nobody’s trying to find your weaknesses. Nobody’s trying to make you do something that you can’t do very well at all. That’s not what happens in these games. ...And that is why preseason, even the games, can be such a mirage. And you have to be so careful with what you think you’re seeing and what you think you know." A Thursday report shared that those running the Browns don't yet believe Sanders is "ready to lead a franchise" and instead view the former Colorado star as "a fifth-round rookie and the fourth quarterback on their depth chart." It sounds like that won't change regardless of how Sanders performs at Carolina's Bank of America Stadium.
The New York Yankees made another roster shake-up Thursday, officially releasing right-handed pitcher JT Brubaker ahead of their weekend clash with the Houston Astros. The move comes just days after Brubaker was designated for assignment and signals the club’s ongoing effort to tighten its bullpen amid a rocky start to August. Brubaker, 31, was let go after pitching 16 innings in 12 relief appearances this season, posting a 3.38 ERA and 1.19 WHIP—his best statistical stretch in the majors since debuting with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2020. Despite the solid numbers in limited action, his underlying metrics told a more concerning story. He struck out just 15.9% of batters while walking 14.3%, both well below league average. Still, his 44.2% ground ball rate showed he could get outs when needed. Originally drafted by the Pirates in the sixth round of the 2015 MLB Draft, Brubaker worked his way into a starting role in Pittsburgh before undergoing Tommy John surgery in April 2023. The Yankees acquired him in March 2024, sending infield prospect Keiner Delgado and receiving Brubaker along with international bonus pool space. The move was a gamble on upside—Brubaker showed flashes of promise in his early seasons despite a 4.91 ERA over 331.2 career innings. Yankees continue to struggle amid huge trade deadline acquisitions Unfortunately, injuries continued to plague the righty. After missing the entirety of the 2023 season, he suffered an oblique strain during his rehab stint and didn’t debut in pinstripes until late June. A fractured rib from a comebacker in spring training only added to his delayed return. When he finally took the mound on June 21 against the Orioles, Brubaker had missed over 14 months of major league action. Now, just two months after that return, he hits the open market. The Yankees remain responsible for the rest of his $1.82 million salary. Any team that signs him will owe only the prorated league minimum, which could make Brubaker an appealing option for a club looking for low-risk pitching depth. His release also comes just one week after the Yankees went big at the trade deadline, acquiring All-Star closer David Bednar from the Pirates, Jake Bird from the Rockies, and Camilo Doval from the Giants. It’s clear the front office is prioritizing fresh arms to address a bullpen that’s been inconsistent all year. Despite the reinforcements, New York has dropped five of six games since the deadline, including an embarrassing sweep at the hands of the Miami Marlins—the first in franchise history—and a series loss to the Rangers. Devin Williams, the team’s marquee bullpen addition this past offseason, has struggled to find form and currently holds a 5.44 ERA in 2025. Meanwhile, Luke Weaver has looked rusty since coming off the injured list with a strained hamstring. The Yankees are doing what they can to course-correct a once-promising season. But as they prepare for a pivotal series against the Astros, it’s clear that time—and patience—is running out. Releasing Brubaker may open the door for another arm, but unless the new-look bullpen starts delivering wins, October could remain out of reach.