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Cason Wallace stepped into the spotlight Thursday night, earning his first career playoff start in Game 1 of the 2025 NBA Finals for the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The 21-year-old guard replaced Isaiah Hartenstein in the starting lineup, after OKC had used the same five: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Lu Dort, Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren, and Hartenstein.
At 21 years and seven months, Wallace became the youngest player to start an NBA Finals game since Tyler Herro in the 2020 Finals.
Wallace, who started 43 games in the regular season, averaged 8.4 points per game.
He had logged 26 playoff appearances over his first two seasons with OKC, but Thursday marked his first postseason start. Entering the Finals, he had been averaging 5.
4 points per game in the playoffs.
His insertion into the starting lineup highlights the Thunder’s flexibility and trust in their young core as they chase their first championship since relocating to Oklahoma City.
Memphis Grizzlies center Zach Edey will undergo surgery on his left ankle after re-injuring it during a workout this week.
Imaging revealed excessive ligamentous laxity, and the procedure will restabilize the ankle. Edey, who previously missed 12 games early in the season with a similar injury, will have a recovery timeline shared after surgery but is expected to make a full recovery.
The 7-foot-3 rookie and two-time national player of the year at Purdue averaged 9.2 points and a rookie-best 8.3 rebounds across 66 games (55 starts).
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has confirmed that plans for a new European league are making progress, but don’t expect tipoff any time soon.
Speaking Friday in Oklahoma City during an NBA Finals off-day, Silver said the league is “at least a couple years away” from launching the Europe-based competition. “It’s measured in years, not months,” he emphasized.
The NBA is working in tandem with FIBA and has begun constructive discussions with EuroLeague and member clubs, aiming for a 16-team format. Silver prefers cooperation with existing leagues rather than starting from scratch, though no concrete structure has been finalized.
“There’s a lot of work to be done,” Silver noted, citing the need to align with stakeholders including teams, broadcasters, players, and sponsors.
The NBA Board of Governors is expected to revisit the topic during its July meeting in Las Vegas.
A more formal announcement could come around the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, which Silver called a potential “launching pad.
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Cities like London, Manchester, Rome, and Munich are already showing interest. With 1 in 6 current NBA players hailing from Europe, including stars like Jokic, Giannis, Doncic, and Wembanyama, the appetite for a Euro-centric NBA league has never been greater.
Ten months ago, Tyrese Haliburton sat on the bench during the Olympic gold medal game, watching Stephen Currybury France with a near-half-court dagger and a signature “night-night” celebration. Back then, Haliburton was more spectator than star, a minor contributor on a stacked Team USA roster.
Fast forward to June 2025, and he’s the centerpiece of the Indiana Pacers, the unlikely face of a Finals run no one saw coming. Even the critics who once ridiculed his quirky jumper and questioned his ceiling.
Early this season, Haliburton struggled, fueling doubts that he was anything more than a good-not-great player.
But that version of Haliburton has vanished. Through the 2025 playoffs and into a stunning Game 1 of the NBA Finals, he’s transformed, not just silencing the noise but owning the spotlight. The awkward shot is dropping. The confidence is real. And the “overrated” jeers have turned into MVP murmurs.
With the 2025 NBA Finals featuring two small-market teams; the Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers, it was inevitable NBA Commissioner Adam Silver would face questions about TV ratings and market size. But as he made clear Thursday, he’s tired of the conversation.
“It frustrates me that the first thing [fans] say is, how are the ratings? What are the ratings going to be?
As opposed to, wow, you have two incredible conference finals,” Silver said during his annual Finals news conference, about an hour before Game 1 tipped off.
Silver pushed back on the narrative that market size still heavily dictates success, citing how technology and global reach have leveled the playing field for smaller teams.
He emphasized that the league’s $76 billion media deals which begin next seasons.
While acknowledging the ratings topic remains persistent, Silver said it reflects the NBA’s self-critical culture, one that often leans too much on perceived negatives.
“It’s part of the culture in the NBA that we’re self-critical… it seeps into our coverage, quite honestly, sometimes,” he added.
In short, Silver’s stance is clear: great basketball should matter more than market size or media metrics.
The Indiana Pacers’ long-awaited return to the NBA Finals hit a turbulent start Tuesday as severe weather in Oklahoma delayed their arrival in Oklahoma City by several hours.
Their charter flight was diverted to Tulsa due to tornado warnings, heavy rain, and high winds across central Oklahoma. After refueling and navigating around additional storms, the team finally landed in OKC around 7 p.m. local time, approximately 3.5 hours behind schedule.
While skies had cleared by their arrival, the delay came amid a chaotic weather day. Flood watches, severe thunderstorm alerts, and a tornado spotted near Norman, just 20 miles from OKC. Airport operations in Oklahoma City were disrupted throughout the afternoon and evening.
Despite the rocky journey, the Pacers will participate in NBA Finals media day on Wednesday. Game 1 is set for Thursday night against the Oklahoma City Thunder. It marks Indiana’s first Finals since 2000 and OKC’s first since 2012.
As center Myles Turner put it before departure:
“You spend so much time thinking about getting there… now that milestone has been achieved. It’s about doing something with the opportunity.”
Based on the consensus among top NBA analysts including Steve Aschburner, Brian Martin, Shaun Powell, and John Schuhmann, the overwhelming prediction is that the Oklahoma City Thunder will win the 2025 NBA Finals.
Key Reasons for Picking Oklahoma City:
Superior Record: OKC finished the season with 68 wins and a 29-1 record vs. the Eastern Conference, showing dominance on both ends.
Elite Defense: The Thunder led the league in defensive efficiency and opponent turnover rate, and have elevated those stats in the playoffs.
Star Power: Led by MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, with strong support from Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren, and defensive aces like Lu Dort and Alex Caruso.
Depth & Consistency: OKC has not lost four games in any seven-game span this season .
Indiana’s Cinderella Story:
While the Pacers possess an explosive offense led by Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam. All four analysts agree they haven’t yet faced a defense as relentless and versatile as OKC’s.
Bottom Line:
The Thunder are considered to be on a different tier. A deeper, more battle-tested, and more complete. The Pacers’ run is respected, but the general belief is that Oklahoma City is too strong to lose this series.
Villarreal climbed into fifth place in LaLiga with a 1-0 win over Espanyol at Estadio de la Cerámica. The win led by Pino marked their fifth consecutive head-to-head victory over the Catalan side.
The Yellow Submarine dominated early but were twice denied by VAR in the first half.
A penalty call on Juan Foyth was overturned, and Thierno Barry’s goal was ruled offside.
Their persistence paid off early in the second half when Yeremy Pino scored a sweet goal.
Espanyol offered little in response. The win puts Villarreal’s Champions League hopes firmly in their own hands heading into the season’s final stretch.
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The San Diego Padres and Milwaukee Brewers close out their tightly contested three-game series at American Family Field on Sunday afternoon. Check out our Padres vs Brewers prediction and best bet below. With both teams claiming one win apiece, Game 3 sets up a high-stakes showdown between a proven ace and a young rookie.
The Padres had Saturday’s game within reach before Luis Arraez tied it in the ninth, only for Caleb Durbin to walk it off for the Brewers. Despite the setback, San Diego remains a dangerous playoff contender with a balanced lineup and depth in the bullpen.
They’ll send rookie Ryan Bergert to the mound for just his second career start, putting pressure on the offense to strike early and often. Bergert has promise, but facing the NL Central leaders on the road is a tall task.
The Friars’ lineup, led by Arraez, Fernando Tatis Jr., and Manny Machado, must capitalize against Peralta early before Milwaukee’s elite bullpen takes over.
Betting On Milwaukee Brewers
The Brew Crew continue to show resilience, winning Saturday’s game on Caleb Durbin’s walk-off homer. They remain in control of the NL Central and send All-Star Freddy Peralta (6-3, 3.41 ERA) to the bump for the rubber match.
Peralta has been a strikeout machine and dominates at home. Backed by a bullpen that ranks among MLB’s best, Peralta will aim to neutralize San Diego’s heavy hitters with high heat and pitch sequencing.
Milwaukee’s offense is opportunistic, with all contributing RBIs in the comeback win on Saturday.
MatchPlug Prediction For Padres vs Brewers
The pitching mismatch is clear: Freddy Peralta vs. rookie Ryan Bergert gives the Brewers a decided edge. While the Padres are a quality opponent, Milwaukee should ride their ace to a series-clinching win.
Final Prediction: Milwaukee Brewers
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