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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.
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The 'NBA 20-season club' quiz
Kyle Lowry checked in for the end of the Philadelphia 76ers 129-105 victory over the Brooklyn Nets and he joined an elite group once he stepped on the hardwood. The Villanova product and former 24th-overall pick in the 2006 NBA draft became the 12th player in NBA history to play in 20 NBA seasons. It was Lowry’s first game action of the season for the 5-1 Sixers, and the Philadelphia-native made his lone field goal attempt in garbage time. “Who would have thought it for Kyle Lowry 20 years ago, right?” said head coach Nick Nurse after the win. While Lowry doesn’t have much of a role on the floor for Philadelphia at this stage of his career, Nurse said he’s still a valuable asset to the team. “He’s done a great job being part of our leadership group,” Nurse said of Lowry. “When the players are pulling for him out there, you can tell he’s well-liked and well-respected.” Which brings us to today’s quiz. How many of the 12 NBA players to play in at least 20 seasons 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!
Cowboys receive significant boost with last-minute decision ahead of Monday Night Football showdown vs Cardinals
The Dallas Cowboys are about to take on the Arizona Cardinals on Monday Night Football to close out Week 9 of the 2025 NFL regular season. As always, the teams announced their inactive players 90 minutes before kickoff. For the Cowboys, the main takeaway lies at the safety position. One week after being down to one healthy safety, things are looking slightly better. Donovan Wilson is out again with a shoulder/elbow injury but Juanyeh Thomas is back after being listed as questionable on the final injury report. Thomas is the Cowboys' third-best safety and he's played well in limited playing time, to the point many believe he should be promoted to a starting role over Wilson. Over the last couple of weeks, Thomas dealt with migraines that affected his vision. Now, he is back. Though the Cowboys are still very banged up at safety, Thomas' return should go a long way in Week 9. Perhaps he will be tasked with covering standout tight end Trey McBride. In the last two weeks, McBride has 18 catches for 146 receiving yards and three touchdowns. If not, Thomas could help bracketing WR Marvin Harrison Jr. Either way, it's important he's on the field for tonight's game and I'd expect him to start. He may not be a star but Thomas back on the field is a big boost given the team's situation on defense. Full list of Cowboys' inactives for Week 9 vs Cardinals S Alijah Clark S Donovan Wilson OL Ajani Cornelius OL Hakeem Adeniji DT Mazi Smith RB Jaydon Blue WR Jonathan Mingo Other notes on Cowboys' inactives After Brian Schottenheimer made comments about Jaydon Blue's inconsistency, he's a healthy scratch. He's benched over Malik Davis. Starting center Cooper Beebe is back and ready to go. LB DeMarvion Overshown and CB Shavon Revel Jr. remain on Injured Reserve even though they're back at practice. LB Jack Sanborn isn't among the Cowboys' inactives because he was placed on Injured Reserve leading up to the game. Being down safeties Alijah Clark and Donovan Wilson leaves the team with very little depth at safety. Don't be surprised if Dallas works cornerbacks into the position. The battle at nose tackle continues. This time, it's seventh-round rookie Jay Toia taking over the position while Mazi Smith returns to healthy scratch status ahead of the NFL trade deadline. If Dallas can get any interest on their former first-round pick, it wouldn't be a surprise if he's moved. Easier said than done, however. Cardinals inactives This story was originally published in A to Z Sports Dallas Cowboys, as Cowboys receive significant boost with last-minute decision ahead of Monday Night Football showdown vs Cardinals. window.addEventListener('message', function (event) {if (event.data.totalpoll event.data.totalpoll.action === 'resizeHeight') {document.querySelector('#totalpoll-iframe-375').height = event.data.totalpoll.value;}}, false);document.querySelector('#totalpoll-iframe-375').contentWindow.postMessage({totalpoll: {action: 'requestHeight'}}, '*');
Jerry Jones says Cowboys have made one trade, possibly more to come
Per Jon Machota of The Athletic, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said on SiriusXM that they have made a trade. Jones also said they could make a couple more moves before Tuesday's 4 p.m. ET deadline. He said the player will be on the field immediately and implied it could be on the defensive side. “Immediately it will have him on the field and it will address some of the things that have been our shortcomings,” Jones said. Jones, 83, bought the team from Bum Bright back in 1989 for $140M and has raised the value to $10B. Since purchasing the team, Jones has operated as owner, team president, and general manager. He replaced HC Tom Landry with Jimmy Johnson, and shortly after, the team won three Super Bowls in 1992, 1993, and 1995, respectively. In 2014, Jones was named the league’s Executive of the Year, and he was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2017.
Maple Leafs get boost for the long term with latest roster news
The Toronto Maple Leafs perhaps did not expect to start the season like this, with a record of 6-5-1, but it's a result of the offensive adjustments the team has been forced to make. Head coach Craig Berube lost star Mitch Marner to the Las Vegas Golden Knights in the summer, so he had to reorganize roles and defensive responsibilities, impacting players like winger William Nylander. Nylander, 29, who is entering his second year of an eight-season deal with a cap hit of $11.5M, said on Monday that he is ready to play again after suffering a lower-body injury. Nylander practiced in the right wing of the second line with prospect Easton Cowan and John Tavares, per TSN's Mark Masters. That is not only good news for the Maple Leafs' upcoming games, but also for the long term. Why William Nylander is so important in Craig Berube's system Since the departure of Marner, Nylander has absorbed more volume of creation, passes in the offensive zone, controlled zone entries and shooting threat from the half-walls. This is reflected in his numbers to date, as he boasts 15 points in nine games played. Berube has asked for more shot volume and quick decisions, which favors Nylander, who also generates a significant impact in five-on-five. His mix of controlled entries, patience in the low circles and reading of the weak side stretches rival defenses, which allows for creating routes for Tavares and Cowan. Furthermore, in the first power play unit, the threat of Nylander's one-timer forces the closure of pass lines towards the bumper and the backdoor, opening clean shots for Auston Matthews, another key player for Berube. The most probable scenario is that Nylander continues being a primary offensive engine and stabilizes the power play. If he maintains entry success and increases his shot rate, Toronto could compensate for the departure of Marner.
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