The NBA Finals are set: It'll be Thunder vs. Pacers, starting Thursday night

The NBA Finals are set: It'll be Thunder vs. Pacers, starting Thursday night

The seeds for the 2025 NBA Finals began getting planted unknowingly in 2017, back when Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was about to enroll at Kentucky and Tyrese Haliburton was getting ready for his senior year of high school in Wisconsin. That was the year the Indiana Pacers traded Paul George to the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Pacers landed Domantas Sabonis out of that deal. The Thunder would trade George in 2019 to the Los Angeles Clippers for a package that included Gilgeous-Alexander. The Pacers would trade Sabonis in 2022 to Sacramento for a package that included Haliburton. And here we are. Gilgeous-Alexander is the NBA's MVP and Oklahoma City's best player. Haliburton is an Olympic gold medalist and Indiana's best player. They'll lead their teams into Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday night — Indiana at Oklahoma City, the start of a series that will decide who hoists the Larry O'Brien Trophy. "Man, I'm just so proud of this group," Haliburton said in the on-court televised interview with TNT after the Pacers' 125-108 victory over the New York Knicks on Saturday in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals. "I don't even have words right now. It's really exciting. We'll enjoy this one for now. There's four more, there's a lot more work to do, against a really tough team." The Thunder — depending on how you count — are in the finals for either the second time or the fifth time. The franchise, when it was in Seattle, lost what was then called the NBA World Championship Series to Washington in 1978, then won the title in a rematch against the then-Bullets in 1979 and lost in the NBA Finals to Chicago in 1996. Oklahoma City got to the finals in 2012, losing to Miami. The Thunder are 80-18 this season, after going 68-14 in the regular season and then 12-4 in the playoffs — sweeping Memphis in Round 1, surviving seven games against Denver in Round 2 and then ousting Minnesota in five games for the Western Conference title. "When you win, that's a special thing," Thunder forward Chet Holmgren said. "It's not guaranteed in this league. If everybody was guaranteed to win, it'd be a participation trophy instead of a Larry O'Brien. So, you have to kind of take it in and understand what you've accomplished to that point, but then the next day you have to start turning the page, get rid of the emotions and start focusing on preparation and what you have to do to conquer the next step. And that's where we're at." Indiana is in the NBA title round for the second time, having lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in 2000. The Pacers franchise won ABA titles in 1970, 1972 and 1973. They got out of the Eastern Conference as the No. 4 seed, beating Milwaukee in five games in Round 1, beating top-seeded Cleveland in five games in Round 2 and then beating New York in the conference finals. The Pacers were 10-15 through the first 25 games of the season — then went 40-17 to finish the regular season. They are the fourth team to start 10-15 or worse and go on to win a conference title, joining Seattle in 1977-78 (8-17), the 1956-57 St. Louis Hawks (10-15) and the 1958-59 Minneapolis Lakers (10-15). None of those teams went on to win the NBA title. "In 49 states, it's just basketball," Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. "But this is Indiana. ... Our guys earned this. Congratulations to our guys." Oklahoma City swept the season series with Indiana 2-0, part of a regular season where the Thunder — who finished with the NBA's best record — went 29-1 against the Eastern Conference. That doesn't include a loss to Milwaukee in the NBA Cup final, a game that didn't count in any standings. So, the matchup is set. It's the Paul George finals, albeit without Paul George — who had arguably the best season of his career with the Thunder, averaging 28 points and finishing third in the MVP voting for 2018-19 — starting at OKC on Thursday. "Obviously, he wasn't here long but he had great years here," Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said Saturday when asked about George's impact. "I mean, one of the best years of his career was here, one of the best individual seasons a player's had here — which is saying something here with the guys they've had. So, I have a lot of respect for him." ___ AP NBA:https://apnews.com/nba

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June 01, 2025

The NBA Finals are set: It'll be Thunder vs. Pacers, starting Thursday night

The NBA Finals are set: It'll be Thunder vs. Pacers, starting Thursday night The seeds for the 2025 NBA Finals began getting planted unk...

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'It'll be good for us': Chiefs using Super Bowl 59 defeat as fuel

'It'll be good for us': Chiefs using Super Bowl 59 defeat as fuel

Super Bowl 59 was a bit of an anomaly for some of the Kansas City Chiefs' younger players. The blowout loss was the first time the Chiefs 2022 draft class − players such as Trent McDuffie, George Karlaftis and Isiah Pacheco − had ended the season in a defeat. "It definitely serves as motivation going into the season. You never want to end the season like that," Karlaftis said to reporters at OTAs this week. "It's gonna be motivation for this year for sure." Winning has become part of the norm during the Patrick Mahomes era in Kansas City. The franchise has won seven straight AFC West titles and three Super Bowl titles since Mahomes officially became the starter in 2018. (Last year was also theninth consecutive division titlecaptured by the team.) The franchise was a win away from an historic three-peat before it all came crashing down in New Orleans on Feb. 9. As the Chiefs take part in OTAs this offseason, they areusing Super Bowl 59 loss as fuel. "When you lose a Super Bowl, I think there's sometimes in those workouts, you may be a little tired, you have that extra added motivation to finish even harder, finish even stronger. I think it'll be good for us at the end of the day," Mahomes explained. "I mean, obviously looking back, you want to win the game. But a lot these guys hadn't lost one (Super Bowl), hadn't ended the season on a loss that are on this team now. So, I'm sure they'll be motivated to go back out there and try to find a way to get to the Super Bowl and win it this year." Kansas City's offensive woes were a big reason why they were denied a third-straight Super Bowl title. Mahomes was sacked a career-high 36 times (including asingle-game most six times in the Super Bowl), he averaged a career-low 245 passing yards per game and his 26 touchdowns passes equaled a career-low since he became the team's starter. But like any good franchise, the Chiefs responded accordingly. The Chiefs revamped their offensive line by signing tackle Jaylon Moore in free agency, they moved Kingsley Suamataia inside to left guard and drafted tackle Josh Simmons in the first round. Simmons, who suffered a knee injury during his final season at Ohio State, is ahead of schedule in his rehab and is expected to be ready by training camp. The Ohio State product didn't allow a sack before he went down and has impressed thus far in Kansas City. "He's actually further ahead than I thought he was," Chiefs coach Andy Reid said this week of Simmons. "He's done a good job with what we've seen. We just got to get him in with the defense against him." On the outside, wide receiver should get a major boast by Rashee Rice's return to health. When Rice was injured in Week 4, he entered the week as the NFL's leader in catches and was second in yards. Rice worked out with Mahomes before OTA's kicked off and is back to looking like a No. 1 wide receiver. "He looks like Rashee (Rice). Obviously having the injury, it sucked," Mahomes said of Rice. "Happening so early in the season, he was back like right when the offseason started and so he was up here working hard – extremely hard and he was back home working extremely hard. I was throwing with him in Dallas a little bit and then getting him back out here, there's no limitations. He's out there playing, he's making plays on the football field, he's explosive, he looks fast. "I think he can be one of the best receivers in the league. Just to have him, to add with Xavier (Worthy) and Hollywood (Brown) and all these other guys that we have, it's another position I think (general manager Brett) Veach has done a great job of bringing in competition so that we can go out there and make a lot of plays happen." The Chiefs want to make more big pays happen through the air this season. Mahomes told reporters Reid's advised him to push the ball downfield more this season after averaging a career-low 6.8 yards per pass attempt last year. Rice's return to action, alongside of speedsters Worthy and Brown should help the Chiefs become more explosive on offense. "We're fast. I think that's probably the thing that stands out the most," Mahomes said. "Our job is to test the defenses down the field, and we have to get back to doing that if we want to open up other guys underneath. I think coach Reid has challenged me this offseason to push the ball down the field, let guys have chances to make plays and then once we get that back to where we want to in our standard that we believe we should have, then we can come back to the underneath stuff." The Chiefs' leaky O-line and stagnant passing attack are the preeminent reasons why they lost Super Bowl 59. The team's making it known they are motivated to fix the areas this offseason. Follow USA TODAY Sports' Tyler Dragon on X@TheTylerDragon. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Chiefs using Super Bowl 59 loss as fuel for 2025

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June 01, 2025

'It'll be good for us': Chiefs using Super Bowl 59 defeat as fuel

'It'll be good for us': Chiefs using Super Bowl 59 defeat as fuel Super Bowl 59 was a bit of an anomaly for some of the Kansas C...

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Mexico votes in first judicial election amid concerns over rule of law

Mexico votes in first judicial election amid concerns over rule of law

By Diego Oré MEXICO CITY (Reuters) -Mexicans vote on Sunday in the country's first ever judicial elections, part of an overhaul of the nation's judiciary that critics warn could jeopardize the rule of law. The vote will elect 2,600 judges and magistrates, including all Supreme Court justices, and is part of a reform pushed by former President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador and his protege and successor President Claudia Sheinbaum. Lopez Obrador and Sheinbaum say the election will root out corruption in a flawed judiciary dominated by an out-of-touch elite and instead allow people to decide who should be a judge. But the run-up to the vote has been dominated by a scandal over some of the candidates, including a convicted drug smuggler and a former lawyer of drug kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman. Opponents say the overhaul risks removing checks and balances on the ruling Morena party, by appointing judges friendly to their cause, and also allowing organized crime groups greater influence over the judicial system by running their own candidates. Mexico joins Bolivia as the only countries worldwide to conduct judicial elections at the national level, though state-level judicial elections are common in the United States and some local Swiss judges are also elected. Voters on Sunday will cast ballots for Mexico's nine Supreme Court judges, as well as for judges and magistrates across 19 of Mexico's 32 administrative divisions. More than 7,700 candidates are running for judicial posts. Pollsters expect a poor turnout, in part due to opposition calls to boycott the vote, but also because of the complexity of the process and vast number of candidates to consider. "In Mexico City we are going to vote for 50 candidates. If even discerning people with access to social media aren't checking the candidates, imagine the people who don't have this access," 22-year-old accounting student Maria Alejandra Mares told Reuters. "They're going to vote blind." Voting is not mandatory in Mexico and there is no minimum turnout required to legitimize an election. Just 37% of 1,000 people polled by Buendia & Marquez said they would come out to vote, compared to 61% who participated in the vote last June that elected President Sheinbaum. CONCERNS AND BOYCOTTS The right-wing PAN opposition party has called on supporters to boycott the election, branding it a "vulgar fraud," but Sheinbaum has vigorously defended her predecessor's reform and her party has sought to mobilize the grassroots vote. "We call on you to participate, participate, participate," Sheinbaum told a press conference on Friday, saying this would help significantly improve the current judiciary. "Participating is the best way to transform a country." Besides mandating the popular election of judges, the judicial reform, promoted last year by former President Lopez Obrador, also reduced the number of Supreme Court judges, shortened terms and eased some requirements such as minimum age and work experience. The reform's approval by lawmakers last year knocked financial markets, sparked the United States to express concern about a weaker judicial system, and sparked a strike by the country's judicial workers. "Mexico's justice system was far from perfect, and this new judicial system will not address its shortcomings," said Rodolfo Ramos, an analyst at Brazilian bank Bradesco BBI. Ramos said "the real litmus test" would come when cases against a government action reach the Supreme Court. Counting is expected to take two weeks, with the results out on June 15. In 2027, another vote is scheduled to fill over 1,000 more judicial positions. (Reporting by Diego Ore; Writing by Sarah Morland; Editing by Stephen Eisenhammer and Tom Hogue)

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June 01, 2025

Mexico votes in first judicial election amid concerns over rule of law

Mexico votes in first judicial election amid concerns over rule of law By Diego Oré MEXICO CITY (Reuters) -Mexicans vote on Sunday in the co...

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AP PHOTOS: Thailand kicks off Pride Month with a parade in Bangkok

AP PHOTOS: Thailand kicks off Pride Month with a parade in Bangkok

BANGKOK (AP) — Thailand started its annual celebration Sunday for the LGBTQ+ community's Pride Month, with its Pride Parade, the first to be held after Thailand legalized same-sex marriage earlier this year. Participants marched with rainbow flags for hours in Bangkok. Pride Month celebrations have been endorsed by politicians including Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, who was attending the parade this year. The enactment of the Marriage Equality Act makes Thailand the first country in Southeast Asia and the third place in Asia to legalize same-sex marriage. —— This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.

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June 01, 2025

AP PHOTOS: Thailand kicks off Pride Month with a parade in Bangkok

AP PHOTOS: Thailand kicks off Pride Month with a parade in Bangkok BANGKOK (AP) — Thailand started its annual celebration Sunday for the LGB...

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Dozens feared killed after Israeli tank fires on crowd waiting for aid in Gaza, witnesses say

Dozens feared killed after Israeli tank fires on crowd waiting for aid in Gaza, witnesses say

Dozens were feared dead and scores wounded Sunday afterthe Israel Defense Forcesopened fire on a group receiving food from a collection pointin the Gaza Strip, according to hospital officials and witnesses on the ground. According to three witnesses who spoke to NBC News,a tank fired on Palestinianscrowding around an aid distribution center near Rafah. Witnesses told the Associated Press that Israeli forces had earlier fired on the crowds around 1,000 yards from the aid site. At least 28 people were killed in the strike, Mohammed Zaqout, Director of the Ministry of Health in Gaza, told NBC News, adding that more than 200 wounded had arrived as Nasser Hospital, 30 of whom were in critical condition. "Their injuries are direct gunshot to the head, to the chest, to the abdomen," he added. Israeli officials did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Zaqout's description of the dead and wounded. NBC News journalists atNasser Hospitalin Khan Yunis, said they saw at least 50 of the wounded enter the facility. The Palestine Red Crescent said it had transported "23 fatalities and 23 injured individuals" from the aid distribution point in Rafah. The Israeli military said it was "unaware of injuries caused by IDF fire within the humanitarian aid distribution site," adding that "the matter is still under review." The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, which began distributing aid in the enclave last week as part of a new U.S. and Israel-backed plan, said that it delivered 16 trucks of food "without incident," and denied reports of "deaths, mass injuries and chaos" at its distribution sites. GHF was tasked with distributing aid in Gaza after Israel earlier this month lifted an almost three-month-long blockade barring the entry of food, medicine and other vital supplies following warnings of rising starvation in the enclave. But its first week in operations has beenmarred by controversy and chaos. Last week, thousands of hungry Palestinians flooded one of their distribution centers and Israeli soldiers fired live rounds into the air to disperse crowds. The GHF rejected statements by Gaza's Hamas-run government media office that three Palestinians were killed, 46 others injured and seven people were missing after the incident. The foundation said that no one was killed while trying to access its distribution site. GHF's former executive director, Jake Wood, alsoquit the organizationahead of its operations in Gaza, saying it was impossible to implement the plan while also adhering to the "humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality, and independence," according to a statement published byReuters. The United Nations, which has refused to participate in the plan, has condemned the GHF initiative as a "distraction" that undermines a long-standing humanitarian framework in Gaza. The U.N. says the effort poses a threat to the independence of aid operations, while simultaneously displacing Palestinians en masse to Gaza's south. Israel has maintained that a new aid distribution system was necessary, alleging that Hamas was diverting supplies. Israel launched its offensive in Gaza following the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023,terror attacks, in which some 1,200 people were killed and around 250 taken hostage, marking a major escalation in a decadeslong conflict. Since then, more than 54,000 people, including thousands of children, have been killed in Gaza, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry in the enclave, which has been run by Hamas since 2007.

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June 01, 2025

Dozens feared killed after Israeli tank fires on crowd waiting for aid in Gaza, witnesses say

Dozens feared killed after Israeli tank fires on crowd waiting for aid in Gaza, witnesses say Dozens were feared dead and scores wounded Sun...

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