NBA

Pacers 108, Thunder 91

Hand up — I was wrong about the Pacers. Indiana is electric. A whirring attack of relentless intensity, the Pacers — for five-plus months — have frustrated and stymied opponents, many favored to beat Indiana. Credit needs to be handed in myriad directions, and it’s easy to start with Rick Carlisle.

To put it simply, Carlisle is a wizard. We should’ve already realized that after the 2011 Finals, but it can take extra time to catch onto things — even obvious ones — I suppose. Indiana’s head coach extracts the very best from all of his players.

For instance, Obi Toppin lurked on the fringes of the Knicks rotation for the first three seasons of his career, often displaying his elite athleticism but having his other talents buried. In 2023, New York shipped the 2020 No. 8 overall selection to the Pacers for two measly second-round picks. Toppin, of course, leveled up under Carlisle, and even led Indiana in scoring last night with 20 points — in Game 6 of the NBA Finals.

Uncovered gems are a theme for these Pacers, as Toppin isn’t the only one. Take Andrew Nembhard, a 2022 second-round pick that was Gonzaga’s fourth-leading scorer during his final season. The 25-year-old has obviously developed since then, as he’s emerged as Indiana’s top defensive option against star guards. Nembhard has been outstanding in this series versus Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and his offense wasn’t too shabby yesterday, either. Nembhard posted 17 points and four assists in this victory.

As good as Toppin and Nembhard were last night, this was, in a way, the T.J. McConnell game. The former undrafted — keeping with the uncovered gems theme — point guard was everywhere in Game 6, storming all over the court and producing steals and mid-range jumpers aplenty. The final tally for McConnell: 12 points, nine rebounds, six assists, and four steals. The 33-year-old was awesome.

Carlisle & Co. should have a level of concern regarding Myles Turner for Sunday night, as the center has struggled the past few contests. Last night, Turner finished just 1-of-9 with three points. Turner needs to be better for the Pacers to pull off the upset in Game 7.

On the other hand, Indiana is, and rightfully so, breathing a huge sigh of relief pertaining to Tyrese Haliburton’s health. The point guard was diagnosed with a strained calf prior to Game 6, but he looked good in the win, tallying 14 points and five assists. The NBA norm of making excuses for every player that has a bad game needs to stop. Sure, Haliburton has been hampered and struggled mightily in Game 5, but last night’s performance was all the evidence needed to explain why every excuse made was silly.

The Pacers will certainly not be short of confidence heading into Game 7, and despite this loss, I think the Thunder’s psyche will be fine, too. Perhaps a young Oklahoma City team needed punched in the mouth one last time — one last wakeup call.

He was a -40 in this game, but Jalen Williams has been one of the only Oklahoma City players on his game lately. The 24-year-old played just 27 minutes, but he finished 6-of-13 for 16 points. That’s not bad, especially when compared to his MVP teammate, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

Aggressiveness wasn’t the problem for the superstar yesterday, as he consistently forced the issue. The results, however, weren’t there. Gilgeous-Alexander recorded 21 points, four rebounds, two assists, and eight turnovers. Ick.

The Thunder won 68 games in the regular season, but amazingly, I don’t know which players they have to feel good about entering Game 7, aside from Gilgeous-Alexander and Williams. Chet Holmgren has been a disappointment. Luguentz Dort was bad last night. Isaiah Hartenstein’s effectiveness has waned. The bench has mostly struggled.

That’s a worrisome landscape, yet I still feel pretty good about Oklahoma City on Sunday night. Game 7’s are usually tossups, but if the Thunder have a trump card, it’s Gilgeous-Alexander. Having the best player on the court in a pivotal contest is paramount, and the 26-year-old should be able to deliver.

With that said, the last thing we should do is count out the Pacers. I probably need that message more than anyone, because Indiana winning the title stills feels unfathomable. It wouldn’t make sense. But that’s for me to worry about and digest another day.

I can’t wait for Sunday night. On paper, we have a mismatch of epic proportions, but this series — last night in particular — has shown us how level the playing field is between these squads. I think Game 7 will be an airtight tilt into the middle of the third quarter, but in the end, the Thunder will win handedly.

MLB

Twins 12, Reds 5

Byron Buxton’s power is so easy at times. It’s kind of incredible that the 31-year-old has just one career 20-plus homer season, but that should change this year. Buxton mashed home run Nos. 14 and 15 in this victory.

Will Benson is somewhat of an intriguing talent for the Reds, but he had a rough game yesterday. The right fielder finished 0-for-4 with two strikeouts, but he also took an atrocious angle on a hard hit ball in this game, leading to one of six Minnesota doubles.

The 39-36 Reds face a big series in St. Louis starting tonight.

Yankees 7, Angels 3

It’s impossible to say what the Yankees were expecting when they signed Paul Goldschmidt to a one-year, $12.5 million contract last offseason, but it probably wasn’t a .303 batting average on June 20th. That statistic is much less meaningful than it used to be, but it highlights the 37-year-old’s dependability at the top of a good New York lineup. Goldschmidt went 2-for-4 with a home run yesterday.

It might be over for Hector Neris. The 36-year-old had a strong run from 2015-2023, but he wasn’t great last season, and it’s gotten significantly worse this year. Neris allowed two earned runs yesterday without recording an out, raising his ERA to 9.24.

Nationals 4, Rockies 3

At last, the Nationals’ 11-game losing streak is over. Washington hasn’t had much to lean on lately, but it always has James Wood. The 22-year-old is a budding star, serving as the biggest success story of the Nationals’ ongoing rebuild. Wood went 2-for-5 with two homers and four RBIs in this win.

I want to believe in Chase Dollander. I’m trying. It’s not easy to pitch for the Rockies. All of those things are true. To this point, however, it’s been hard to place faith in the 2023 No. 9 overall pick.

Pitching to a 6.19 ERA as a rookie, Dollander has struggled mightily, but last light might’ve been a sign of hope. The right-hander was solid in defeat, allowing just two earned runs over six innings. He fanned just two batters — a mildly worrisome total — but progress is progress.