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Three stars from Sunday's NBA playoffs
The second round of the NBA playoffs began Sunday in Cleveland, mere hours before the first round of the playoffs ended in Houston. The Indiana Pacers stole home-court advantage from the Cleveland Cavaliers, while the Golden State Warriors sent the second-seeded Houston Rockets out of the playoffs.
Golden State Warriors guard Buddy Hield | 33 points, 12-of -15, 9 3PM
Buddy Hield tied an NBA playoff record for Game Sevens by sinking nine three-pointers, outshooting the Houston Rockets (six threes) by himself from behind the arc in a series-winning 103-89 win. Hield was unconscious on his deep shots, including a buzzer-beating 42-footer to end the first quarter.
BUDDY FROM NEAR HALFCOURT TO END THE FIRST
— NBA (@NBA) May 5, 2025
WARRIORS LEADING BY 4 AFTER 1Q!
Game 7 on TNT pic.twitter.com/d9FYshq0id
While the Rockets were shutting down Stephen Curry early in Game 7, Hield was making everything. He finished 12-of-15 on the game and hit nine of his 11 three-point attempts in a game he will never forget. Not known for his defense or his distributing, Hield still finished with three assists, a steal and two blocks.
His nine three-pointers tied the NBA record for triples in a Game 7, a record set last year by Donte DiVincenzo. Now the Warriors are moving on to face DiVincenzo's Minnesota Timberwolves in the second round.
Golden State Warriors center Draymond Green | 16 points, six rebounds, five assists
It sounds strange to talk about Draymond Green playing a calm, impactful Game 7 when he still picked up a technical foul for shoving an opposing player after a foul. But the Defensive Player of the Year finalist had a huge game for Golden State, shooting 7-of-15 and scoring 16 points in a game where the Rockets focused their defense on Stephen Curry.
Draymond Green's got the hot hand early
— NBA (@NBA) May 5, 2025
He's got 8 of GSW's first 13 PTS in Game 7 on TNT!#NBAPlayoffs presented by Google pic.twitter.com/XX8GwwSnZY
His offense was essential in a game where Curry didn't score until the final seconds of the second quarter. Green had five assists and only a single turnover, while on defense, he had a steal and two blocks, holding Rockets All-Star Alperen Sengun to 21 points, but on 9-of-23 shooting.
Plus, zero flagrant fouls! That shouldn't be impressive, but by Green standards, it was a disciplined, gentle game.
Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton | 22 points, 13 assists, 3 blocks
It's tempting to give this honor to Indiana Pacers wings Andrew Nembhard (23 points, 7-of-10 shooting, +21) or Aaron Nesmith (17 points, four 3PM, eight rebounds) after the Pacers made over half their shots while beating the Cleveland Cavaliers, 121-112. But it was Tyrese Haliburton who delivered 13 assists, scored 22 points and turned the ball over only a single time.
Haliburton orchestrating on both ends
— NBA (@NBA) May 5, 2025
Gets the stop, pushes it ahead, and finds Siakam for the OPEN fastbreak layup!!
Pacers leading the Cavs in the 4Q of Game 1 on TNT. pic.twitter.com/wEuvx9TZdq
In the fourth quarter, Haliburton helped shut down a Cavaliers comeback with nine points and three assists. He also delivered two blocked shots on consecutive possessions, showing off his preternatural ability to block three-point shots. In the final 6:21, Haliburton had seven points, three assists, two blocks and some back-breaking baskets that iced the upset victory.
what a move by Tyrese Haliburton to extend the lead to 10 late in the fourth pic.twitter.com/NlWQytMJNM
— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) May 5, 2025
The 64-18 Cavaliers are formidable, but Haliburton in the playoffs is tough for even the best NBA teams.
More must-reads:
- Pacers use balanced attack vs. Cavaliers to steal home-court advantage
- Watch: Stephen Curry goes ‘night night’ on Rockets to close out Game 7
- The '2024-25 NBA assist leaders' quiz
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TODAY'S BEST
New Celtics owner's comments should make fans happy
After the Celtics announced their new ownership structure on Tuesday, majority owner and team governor William Chisholm and alternate governor Wyc Grousbeck talked to Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe about their plans for the future. Chisholm, who headed up the group that purchased the franchise from the Grousbeck family at a valuation of $6.1 billion, said he understands the immediate need to cut costs to escape the second apron and get control of the team’s salary structure. However, he promised that won’t affect his overall vision for the franchise. “We’re not playing for second; we’re playing for championships and banners,” Chisholm said. “We’re playing for them in the near term, although we obviously had to do some things to get below the second apron. But we’re also playing for them in the medium and long term. The second apron means you can’t do it by just throwing money at the problem. You have to do it with talent, you have to do it with leadership, and with Wyc and with (president of basketball operations Brad Stevens) and (president Rich Gotham) and (coach Joe Mazzulla), I feel like we have the best leaders in the league.” Chisholm also expressed optimism that the Celtics can exceed expectations this season with Jaylen Brown, Derrick White and Payton Pritchard leading the way. He added that there’s “real talent” on the roster “that hasn’t been fully realized.” Chisholm also emphasized that his plan to run the team in a close partnership with Grousbeck hasn’t changed. League rules prevented Grousbeck from retaining his position as governor because he owns less than 15% of the franchise, but both men insist that’s a technicality that won’t affect day-to-day operations. “When it became clear the governor title was not going to be available because of technical reasons, because of math, Bill said, ‘Well, then we’re just not going to use that word around the office.’ So that says a lot about Bill, that he doesn’t care,” Grousbeck said. “He just wants to do the right thing for the team, and I feel the exact same way. We’re shoulder to shoulder.” They also addressed the decision to give Mazzulla a multiyear extension ahead of what should be his most challenging season as head coach. Grousbeck said they want him “happy and empowered” as he leads a team that’s suddenly in the middle of the pack in the East. “I’m really excited to see what he does in this kind of environment,” Chisholm added. “I think people will really appreciate what he’s all about. When he doesn’t have the loaded team, what can he do? And I think that’s going to be really interesting, and I have every confidence he’s going to crush it.”
Steelers have major injury concern leaving preseason
The No. 1 priority for NFL teams in the preseason is to get out of the games without major injury. The Pittsburgh Steelers may have failed with that one on Thursday night against the Carolina Panthers. Defensive lineman Derrick Harmon, the team's first-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, had to be carted to the locker room with a knee injury while also looking visibly upset as he was taken back. The team announced almost immediately that he would be out for the remainder of the game with a knee injury. Head coach Mike Tomlin provided an update after the game: Defensive line was a top priority for the Steelers this offseason, especially after their playoff loss to the Baltimore Ravens where they allowed nearly 300 rushing yards to end their season. Along with Harmon, they also selected Iowa's Yahya Black in this year's class to help try to beef up their line. Harmon is expected to play a major role in this year's defense and was already in a starting position. With star defensive lineman Cameron Heyward holding in as he tries to get a new contract from the team, that puts even more importance on Harmon's ability to make an impact. He has had a strong training camp, and after a quiet first preseason game, he really took a big leap forward in the team's second game, recording a sack against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. If Heyward returns, and if Harmon's injury is not serious, the Steelers would have the potential to have a really strong defensive line with those two joining rising star Keeanu Benton. Right now, though, those are a lot of "ifs," especially as it relates to the availability for Heyward and Harmon for the team's season opener.
Green Bay Packers: Mike Macdonald’s First Message to Matt LaFleur After Mayhem-Marred Practice
Joint practices in the NFL can be really heated. Just take for example the one involving the Green Bay Packers and the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday, with fights erupting on the field between players from both sides. Even though it’s just a practice session with nothing significant on the line, the competitive juices of players can get in the way and spark fiery moments on the field. If anything, at least no one appears to have been seriously hurt from the multiple altercations reported. However, Packers right tackle Zach Tom was reportedly tossed out of the field after throwing punches at a couple of Seahawks players. Despite all the chaos that transpired between the Packers and the Seahawks, Seattle head coach Mike Macdonald had great things to say about Green Bay. Seahawks head coach sends message to Matt LaFleur, Green Bay Packers Brady Henderson of ESPN noted that Macdonald started his session with the media after the practice, “by thanking Packers coach Matt LaFleur and the organization for hosting them.” In any case, Macdonald felt good overall about his players. “It’s hard to tell what happened, who said what,” Macdonald shared. “Look, you want your guys to defend their [teammates]. There’s a line. Whether we go past the line, I don’t think we did, which is good. Our guys stayed composed. But some of these things do tend to happen, and however it gets started … hopefully it’s not our guys, but people are going to react to a certain extent. I think our guys handled it pretty well.” The Packers and the Seahawks will still see each other on the field this offseason, as they are scheduled to play in their 2025 NFL preseason finale on Saturday at Lambeau Field.
Blackhawks make gargantuan commitment to young forward
The Blackhawks have officially announced a seven-year extension for pending RFA forward Frank Nazar. The deal will pay him an AAV and cap hit of $6.59M for a total value of $46.13M. It’s a gargantuan commitment to the 21-year-old Nazar considering his lack of NHL experience. The 2022 No. 13 overall pick lands the richest total-value contract in league history for someone with 56 or fewer career appearances, which is Nazar’s tally entering the 2025-26 campaign. Nazar, who still has one year left on his entry-level contract before his extension will kick in for 2026-27, has yet to spend an entire season on the NHL roster. Last year was his first full run in the pros after two years at the University of Michigan, but he made his NHL debut in the final three games of 2023-24 after signing his ELC. He did not make the Blackhawks’ opening night roster but, after recording 11 goals and 24 points in 21 games for AHL Rockford, was recalled in mid-December shortly after Chicago’s coaching change and never looked back. He faltered out of the gate, recording only one assist and a -5 rating through his first 10 appearances while averaging 14:44 of ice time per game. But under interim head coach Anders Sörenson, who had overseen his early-season success in Rockford, he was extended some patience. That paid off in the long run as Nazar built confidence, including a four-game point streak in January and a run of nine points in eight games in April to end the season. All told, Nazar finished the season with a 12-14–26 scoring line 53 games — ninth on the team — and averaged nearly 16 minutes per game. While size concerns (5-foot-10, 190 pounds) created some detractors about his ability to hold down his natural center position in the NHL, he saw a fair amount of time as Chicago’s second-line middleman behind Connor Bedard. His most common deployment (107 minutes) amid an astronomical 91 different line combinations used by the Hawks last year was at 2C between Tyler Bertuzzi and Teuvo Teräväinen, although he did also see some time up on Bedard’s wing. Nazar was seen as a top-10 threat in the 2022 class, but after slipping to Chicago and missing most of his freshman year at Michigan due to injury, there were warranted doubts about his development path. He silenced them quickly with a point-per-game sophomore showing for the Wolverines and has made about as good an adjustment to pro hockey as can be expected, given the lack of quality veteran support on the Hawks’ NHL roster. A long-term bet at what’s even now a conservative second-line price point in 2025 could pay incredible dividends for the Blackhawks if he remains a long-term top-six piece, even if it’s on the wing, as the cap increases and they reward the other pieces of their young core with long-term deals. There’s also an incredible risk factor for someone still relatively early on their development track with less than a full season’s worth of NHL experience. The only recent comparable for someone with his experience is Wild superstar Kirill Kaprizov, who signed a five-year, $45M contract after his rookie season (55 GP). Kaprizov, however, had far more professional experience after coming up through Russia’s KHL and was two years older than Nazar is now, making him a more projectable player. Kaprizov also took home the Calder Trophy that year and had twice the offensive output Nazar did. As such, the Blackhawks are betting hard on Nazar being a long-term solution, either as a wingman for Bedard or as a second-line center behind him. There’s certainly reason for optimism – he’s developed well and is coming off a spectacular World Championship showing with the United States that earned him a spot at their Olympic orientation camp. He’ll be under contract through the 2032-33 season and can walk to unrestricted free agency upon expiry. Getting Nazar’s extension out of the way now isn’t just about him, though. Chicago has two other big-ticket RFAs next summer — Bedard and new No. 1 goalie Spencer Knight — who will take serious resources to extend. They still have barely over $40M in allocated cap hits for 2026-27, though, leaving them with virtually unlimited spending power under a projected $104M cap. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet first reported the Blackhawks were signing Nazar to a seven-year extension. Bleacher Report’s Frank Seravalli reported a more accurate cap hit in the $6.6M range.
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