On Friday night, the Indiana Pacers lost to the Miami Heat in a back-and-forth game, falling 125-120. With the loss, Indiana fell to fifth place in the Eastern Conference, swapping spots with the Milwaukee Bucks, who currently own the tie-breaker against the Pacers.
Indiana may have lost home-court advantage, but they are still five games ahead of Miami in the standings, meaning they won't have to participate in the Play-In Tournament and can make the postseason outright, barring a disaterous final stretch of games.
Against Miami, Pascal Siakam went off for 36 points, draining eight of his 11 shots from behind the arc. Eight made 3s for Siakam, who set a new high, and he added six rebounds, two assists, and two steals for good measure.
Meanwhile, the Heat were led by 29 points from Tyler Herro on much worse shooting efficiency, although Herro had plenty of help from the rest of the Heat's supporting cast. On top of that, Miami outrebounded Indiana 39-30, although both teams shot 53 percent from deep.
All season long, the NBA has dealt with criticisms that teams only take 3-point shots now. While 3-point shooting has increased over the last several years, the Pacers' game against the Heat demonstrated the effectiveness of 3s, with both teams raining them in from deep.
That said, by spacing the floor, both teams made room down low for easy buckets. Both Bam Adebayo and Kel'el Ware had efficient games for the Heat, and Tyrese Haliburton went 5-10 inside the arc.
With the Bucks playing the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday and the Pacers playing the Chicago Bulls on Sunday, there is a strong chance Indiana can re-gain fourth place in the East before the weekend is over.
More must-reads:
Talen Horton-Tucker spent the 2024-25 season playing for the Chicago Bulls. He finished the year with averages of 6.5 points, 1.7 rebounds and 1.4 assists per contest while shooting 45.7% from the field and 33.6% from the three-point range in 58 games. This summer, Horton-Tucker became a free agent who is available to sign with any team in the league. On July 26, he still remains unsigned. Horton-Tucker was the 46th pick in the 2019 NBA Draft out of Iowa State. He spent the first three years of his career with the Los Angeles Lakers. During that span, Horton-Tucker became a fan-favorite. Via Ballislife.com (on December 14, 2020): "20-year-old Talen Horton-Tucker put on a show in the Lakers win over the Clippers! 33 PTS 11/17 FG 4/5 3PT 10 REB 4 AST 4 STL" Horton-Tucker has also spent time with the Utah Jazz (in addition to the Bulls and Lakers) over six seasons. The 24-year-old has career averages of 9.2 points, 2.6 rebounds and 2.8 assists per contest while shooting 42.7% from the field and 29.9% from the three-point range in 305 games. Via Legion Hoops (on April 8, 2022): "Talen Horton-Tucker as the Lakers’ first option tonight: 40 (!!!) points 54% FG 4 steals 3 assists 3 rebounds" As for the Bulls, they finished the 2024-25 season as the 10th seed in the Eastern Conference with a 39-43 record. They missed the NBA playoffs for the third straight season.
With the trade for Ryan McMahon now complete, it would seem New York Yankees’ general manager Brian Cashman has fulfilled one of his three priorities. He can now cross third base off the list, which leaves the rotation and bullpen as his remaining priorities. However, according to one Yankees writer, Cashman might not be done with the infield. Chris Kirschner of The Athletic reported this after the McMahon trade: “The Yankees may not be done adding to their infield. A team source said the Yankees are interested in adding a right-handed hitter who could play the infield.” Kirschner adds that the Yankees have had interest in Willi Castro and Amed Rosario. But the question now is, how would another player fit in the Yankees’ infield? Needless to say, Paul Goldschmidt and Jazz Chisholm Jr. aren’t going anywhere, and McMahon is just getting there. That leaves the low-hanging fruit. Anthony Volpe has been at the center of controversy all this season. His 13 errors, many of which had come at make-or-break moments, amount to the second-highest total in the game. In addition, his bat has not been able to compensate, hitting .214/.286/.407 with 14 home runs. There was always a lot to like about Volpe. He won a Gold Glove in his rookie year, his power has always been promising and his speed is nothing to scoff at. Unfortunately, his glove has become a liability and his speed has also produced very few results. Volpe has swiped just 10 bags in 17 attempts. His power is the one thing that still has some upside, but it hasn’t been enough to justify a spot in the lineup. Both Castro and Rosario have been far more productive at the plate this season than Volpe. Kirschner doesn’t clarify how serious the Yankees are in their pursuit of another infielder, but that most likely isn’t available information. Having just turned 24, Volpe could still become the type of player that was expected from him as a top prospect. However, his recent performance has weighed heavily on his team’s efforts and it may be buying him a ticket out of the Bronx — or at least a spot on the bench.
According to some, throw out the idea that the Edmonton Oilers should pursue Max Pacioretty. A veteran forward who has earned over $63 million over the course of his NHL career has yet to sign an NHL contract and was recently mentioned in a post by David Staples as a possible fit. In a recent post, the Journal noted, “All of the top NHL unrestricted free agents have already signed contracts, but there’s one big name player still available that makes good sense for the Edmonton Oilers to pursue.” Responses have been varied, with a few quite vocal about the Oilers not following Staples’ advice. “In what world does this make sense?????” writes a commenter on a recent post for The Hockey Writers. Another commenter wrote, “Pacioretty is a good journeyman player but he is injury prone now, late in his career. Oilers might be lucky to get 40 games out of him. They should look elsewhere instead of taking a chance on Patches.” Tyler Yaremchuk of Oilers Nation chimed in and said, “He scored five goals in 37 games last year with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Can’t stay healthy, very old, very slow.” Yaremchuk then went on a rant, listing several Oilers forwards who would be better than Pacioretty. What About Pacioretty on a PTO? Is there any reason that a team that is looking to get younger and faster, and move out depth pieces that were older and less productive than expected, would revert back to last summer’s strategy? It seems like an odd choice on the surface. Something would have to happen that would make giving Pacioretty a look risk-free. That means only a PTO. Even at that point, should he agree, it would require him to be willing to sign a two-way contract for the league minimum.
HENDERSON, Nev.—Day three of the Las Vegas Raiders' 2025 NFL Training Camp is officially in the books, and from inside camp, I saw plenty of things to tell you about. As your Las Vegas Raiders Beat Writer On SI, I will share what stood out to me. Please note that I will be commenting on any specific information that could harm the Raiders strategically, should their opponents process it. Additionally, please remember that the game of football is played with pads, and until Monday at 8:30 AM PT the Raiders are not in pads. For that reason, I will, in some cases, speak very generally. The Offense It is going to be fascinating to see how Chip Kelly, the Raiders' offensive coordinator, works this offense. He is an offensive genius, and that is already showing up in camp. · While I can’t and won’t share schematic details, many of the things Raider Nation has been bemoaning for the entirety of my six years covering this team are being addressed. · Certainly, a lack of pads would hasten one to tap the brakes, but early indications are that this is going to be an offense the Silver and Black faithful are going to love. · I spent significant time today with the offensive line. True offensive lineman Thayer Munford’s footwork, to me, was the best I have ever seen from the proud Buckeye. In several drills, he moved fluidly to his right and left. · Interestingly, he has played well for a young player, but it is evident he has worked diligently on that part of his game. · I shared with you last year that the Raiders liked UDFA Will Putnam. While I still think he is destined for the practice squad on a team that is loaded with offensive linemen, he is improving, appears to be in terrific shape, and is demonstrating that he may not be ready to make the 53-man roster in 2025; however, he is well on his way. · Sticking with the offensive line, I want to talk about rookie OT Charles Grant. · The youngster is an absolute sponge. He is swimming right now, in my opinion, as he makes the major leap to the National Football League, but his willingness to learn and take corrections from coaches and teammates will go a long way for the young man. · You want FAT players. Faithful, Available, and Teachable, and that is Grant. · Alex Bachman, the second-year WR, keeps doing things that show up on film. He is explosive, and his effort is impressive. · There is a spot to be won at WR on this roster, and Bachman is doing everything he can to get seen. · Multiples today, and in the offseason, he has made his presence known. Remember that young man. · Today’s ones on the OL were LT Kolton Miller, LG Dylan Parham, C Jackson Powers-Johnson, RG Alex Cappa, and RT Delmar DJ Glaze. · I wouldn’t read anything into that other than the LG battle is going to be intense, and they are experimenting and competing. · I know that RB Raheem Mostert is incredibly talented. However, he appears to be back and healthy, and today, he demonstrated his balance, which was nothing short of stunning. · His athleticism is impressive, and his balance is not reflective of a man who is injured. While I am not a doctor, his balance looked impossible, even if he was healthy, let alone if he wasn’t. · He was nearly parallel to the ground and with one hand pushed his body up like a one armed push up, regained balance and never stopped moving forward. · WOWZA. Until I learn differently, there is a block S under that jersey. · That is an easy opinion to have without pads on, but all we can judge is what we saw today, and he looked great. · Every single day, RB Ashton Jeanty does something to show off the athleticism that made him the best RB in the 2025 NFL Draft. · He made a jump cut today for a long TD that simply left the defender in his wake, trying to tackle the wind. · He is a back that runs aggressively behind his pads, something that usually doesn’t show up in shorts. Monday can’t get here soon enough to see that side of his game. · Sincere McCormick and Zamir White are firmly locked in a battle for RB3, and both had nice practices today. · McCormick broke off a long TD and continues to run angry. · Don’t construe that to be criticism of White, it isn’t. He also had a great run, and both men competing is what Pete Carroll craves, and it is what he got. · That competition is making both of those young men better, and the Raiders for sure. · While there is ZERO QB competition to anyone here at practice, that doesn’t mean that Aidan O’Connell is digressing. He isn’t. · Today, he showed off a quick release, and one that up to this point I had never seen him use. · He didn’t and hasn’t played as well as Geno Smith, but the young man is getting better, and the gap between him and Cam Miller is wider than the gap between him and Geno Smith. There is NO comparison between the Boilermaker and Smith. · O’Connell missed a terrific touchdown opportunity, but on the very next play, in the red zone, he flashed his quick release like an old west gunfighter for a quick strike touchdown in which he threw an absolute strike in a very tight window. · It is throws like that that make it easy to say we haven’t seen enough to rule him out as a QB1 in this league, and it was passes like the previous one that makes us declare we haven’t seen enough to say he is. · O’Connell is a terrific young man with a ton of talent; he now has to find consistency. Don’t bet against him; people did Geno Smith. · That touchdown pass was to TE Carter Runyon, who made a terrific bang-bang play. · I reported on Wednesday that the Raiders will consider keeping four tight ends. I am not predicting that they do it, but they are considering it, and Chip Kelly loves the weapons in that room. · Without revealing anything schematic, I can tell you that the Raiders' tight ends are very active, and Geno Smith and Brock Bowers have already established a special bond. · TE Ian Thomas is like the Energizer Bunny. He is just a steady force. He keeps making plays and is very disciplined. · I mentioned on Wednesday that Qadir Ismail, the young TE, survived the field like a QB. I was informed by his father, the legendary “Missile,” Qadry “The Missile” Ismail, that he indeed did play QB in his recent past. · QB Cam Miller isn’t NFL-ready yet. But you can see it. The young man is swimming in the NFL and should be, like most rookies. · You can also see what Tom Brady liked about him. · Raiders GM John Spytek told reporter Dan Pompei of The Athletic after the draft that, "He (Brady) liked the way (Miller) threw it, his technique, throwing from the ground up and his motion." · Under pressure today, it was nice to see QB Geno Smith wait until the last second and then scramble for a TD. · Geno is not the same QB many remember from his youth. · He now uses his athleticism as a weapon, and not as a crutch like many young men, blessed with his talent, do. · That type of discipline can only come with patience and maturity, which is why people have to be patient with young QBs. · Collin Johnson, the young WR, and Darnay Holmes, the veteran CB, were battling today. It was fascinating to watch the competition at all levels of the team that Pete Carroll is building. · Carroll wants a culture of competition, and while it is early, it is developing. The Defense · Maxx Crosby is the best defender in the NFL, and at Raiders practice, he is the best player. On any side of the ball. · He anticipated the snap today on play, and was in the backfield before the OL even moved. · He nearly had another interception. · While I am not ashamed to admit my bias, is it bias if it is true? I think not. · Remember that there are officials at practice, and he spends the entire day running up and down the field wreaking havoc. · His nickname is the Condor, but it should be the destroyer. · A name I have not talked about before is JT Woods, the safety. Today, his effort was evident every time he got on the field. · I don’t think he can make the 53-man roster, but the 2nd year player out of Baylor flashed the skills that get young men on the practice squad, and the effort is what eventually earns them spots. · Pete Carroll told us today that Jamal Adams is a WILL LB. His speed is awe-inspiring. · I asked Carroll if he saw his role as primarily as a pass rusher, and he doesn’t. With that speed, he is going to let him compete as a three-down backer. · It is no secret that I like LB Amari Gainer. Today, watching him move laterally and vertically was the most comfortable I have seen him. · What else I like about the young man is that he is grabbing reps on defense and special teams. · Gainer is hungry to make the roster, and he is trying to put a ton of film out there for John Spytek and Pete Carroll to see, so he can’t be ignored. · Lonnie Johnson, the perennial special teams star and Raiders free agent, made his presence felt in a big way today at camp. · He has played well since arriving in the desert, but today, with a monster pass rush, QB Geno Smith made his only bad pass, and Johnson turned on the jets, accelerated, picked off the pass, and was off to the races. · If that man can be more than a special teams star, the Raiders are in terrific shape at S. · LB Devin White and CB Sam Webb were celebrating today after a big play. What stood out to me is what I call the “Pete Carroll Syndrome.” · Carroll is instilling in these players that they PLAY a game. They PLAY a game. They need to find their first love and start having fun. · Players having fun play fast and have more success. · Watching White and Webb was like watching a group of young men playing in the backyard at Grandma’s on Thanksgiving afternoon. · Pete Carroll’s enthusiasm is catching on, and while it was a good play, it was not the type of play that would have been celebrated like it was in my previous five seasons covering the Silver and Black, under any coach. · These men are having fun, and that says something. · Adam Butler, the talented DT, is having a terrific camp. As both a leader and a player, Butler is a disruptive force that looks to be playing like a man on a mission. · Patrick Graham and Rob Leonard love Butler, and he has done nothing but reward their loyalty to him. · I am very excited to see him on Monday with pads on. · I have seen Butler as a leader in the past, but this offseason, he has developed that into almost an assistant coach role. He is taking the young guys under his wing and there is nobody better to learn from than him. · Speaking of impressive men, Tyree Wilson is playing like the youngster we saw in college. · Hearkening back to the second half of 2023, Patrick Graham is using him inside and outside, and he is fluid, athletic, and having fun. · His athleticism, size, and physique should be illegal, but he has the perfect defensive end body, and his effort and heart are showing up. · Today, while being held, he pressured Geno Smith on more than one occasion, and spent most of the day in the Raiders' backfield. · Sure, the OL had no pads, and that is a legitimate point, but Tyree is on a mission, and Monday, for that young man, can’t come soon enough. · Many times since John Spytek signed CB Eric Stokes, I have told you that if he can back to being healthy, he can be the superstar he was as a rookie. · He sure looks it. He made more than one play today, but he is playing at a terrific pace and level right now. · He is a ball hawk, and it is evident. · If Jakorian Bennett remains healthy, and Stoke is back to 100%, the one perceived weakest part of the team could shut the mouths of many doubters. The Intangibles · The offense had two penalties today, and the defense had three. That is nearly insignificant when you consider it was the third day of practice. That was impressive to me. We'd appreciate it if you would follow us on X @HondoCarpenter and IG @HondoSr , and let’s talk about the Silver and Black’s training camp.
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