June 1, 2025 7:42 am
(AP) – The seeds for the 2025 NBA Finals began getting planted unknowingly in 2017, when Shai Gilgeous-Alexander was about to enroll at Kentucky and Tyrese Haliburton was getting ready for his senior year of high school. That was the year when 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. It’s Pacers vs. Thunder in the NBA Finals, starting Thursday.
May 30, 2025 4:24 am
DALLAS (AP) — Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers are going to their second Stanley Cup Final in a row. Their captain had a breakaway goal and an assist, 40-year-old Corey Perry scored again and the Oilers beat the Dallas Stars 6-3 to wrap up the Western Conference final in Game 5 on Thursday night. Edmonton scored on its first two shots, and jumped ahead 3-0 in the first 8:07 on way to eliminating the Stars in the West final for the second year in a row. The Oilers now get another rematch, against defending Stanley Cup champion Florida. Game 1 is Wednesday night in Edmonton.
May 30, 2025 4:23 am
NEW YORK (AP) — Jalen Brunson scored 32 points, Karl-Anthony Towns added 24 points and 13 rebounds despite a bruised left knee and the New York Knicks stayed alive in the Eastern Conference finals by beating the Indiana Pacers 111-94 on Thursday night in Game 5. The Knicks won on their home floor for the first time in the series and prevented the Pacers from earning the second NBA Finals trip in franchise history. Indiana will try again Saturday night at home. New York extended its first trip to the conference finals since 2000 and kept alive hopes of becoming the 14th team to overcome a 3-1 deficit to win a series.
May 29, 2025 4:22 am
PHOENIX (AP) — Paul Skenes pitched shutout ball into the seventh inning, Oneil Cruz hit a two-run homer and the Pittsburgh Pirates romped past the Arizona Diamondbacks 10-1. Skenes allowed four hits, struck out seven and walked none in 6 2/3 innings. He snapped a three-game losing streak with his first win in six starts since April 25 at Dodger Stadium. The reigning NL Rookie of the Year has not permitted more than six hits in any of his 35 starts, a major league record to begin a career. Pittsburgh took two of three from skidding Arizona for its second road series win this season.
May 29, 2025 4:25 am
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Carter Verhaeghe broke a tie off a feed from Aleksander Barkov with 7:39 left and the defending champion Florida Panthers advanced to their third straight Stanley Cup Final, beating the Carolina Hurricanes 5-3 on Wednesday night in Game 5. The Panthers beat the Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference final for the second time in three seasons. The Panthers will face the winner of the Western final between Dallas and Edmonton, with the Oilers up 3-1 to put them within a win of a rematch with Florida for the Cup. Sam Bennett added an empty-net goal with 54 seconds left by skating down a loose puck straight out of the penalty box after Florida had held up against a critical late power play for the Hurricanes.
May 29, 2025 4:25 am
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 34 points, and the Oklahoma City Thunder routed the Minnesota Timberwolves 124-94 to win the Western Conference finals series 4-1 and advance to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2012. Chet Holmgren had 22 points, seven rebounds and three blocks and Jalen Williams added 19 points and eight rebounds for the Thunder. Oklahoma City will play the Indiana Pacers or New York Knicks in the finals. Indiana leads the Eastern Conference finals series 3-1 with Game 5 to be played in New York City on Thursday.
May 28, 2025 4:37 am
PHOENIX (AP) — Bryan Reynolds had four hits, including a go-ahead three-run homer in the eighth, and the Pittsburgh Pirates overcame a six-run deficit to stun the Arizona Diamondbacks 9-6. The Pirates, who entered the night 0-29 when trailing after seven innings, were down 6-2 before scoring seven times in the eighth against Arizona relievers Kevin Ginkel and Jalen Beeks. Joey Wentz (2-1) pitched 3 2/3 innings of long relief for the Pirates. David Bednar retired the side in order in the ninth for his sixth save. The Diamondbacks built a 6-0 lead, including Corbin Carroll’s first-innng homer.
May 28, 2025 4:45 am
EDMONTON, Alberta (AP) — Corey Perry scored the tiebreaking goal on a power play in the second period and Stuart Skinner made 28 saves as the Edmonton Oilers beat the Dallas Stars 4-1 Tuesday night to take a 3-1 lead in the Western Conference finals. Perry finished with a goal and an assist, Leon Draisaitl also scored with a man advantage and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins added two assists for Edmonton, which can advance to the Stanley Cup Final with a victory over the Stars in Game 5 on Thursday night. Jason Robertson scored on a power play in the second period for Dallas. Jake Oettinger finished with 29 saves.
May 28, 2025 4:44 am
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Tyrese Haliburton had 32 points, 15 assists and 12 rebounds without a turnover in a sensational postseason performance to lead the Indiana Pacers past the New York Knicks 130-121 on Tuesday night for a 3-1 lead in the Eastern Conference finals. With his father, John, back in Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Haliburton carried the Pacers to within a victory of their second trip to the NBA Finals. Game 5 is Thursday in New York. Pascal Siakam added 30 points while Haliburton had four steals in his second career postseason triple-double. Obi Toppin’s 3-pointer with 46 seconds left sealed it. The Pacers have not lost consecutive games since March 10.
May 27, 2025 4:25 am
PHOENIX (AP) — Eugenio Suárez and Josh Naylor homered to back a stellar start from Ryne Nelson as the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 5-0 to end a five-game skid. Suárez hit his 15th homer for a 3-0 lead against Andrew Heaney in the third inning. Suárez also walked with one out in the fifth before Naylor launched his sixth home run. Nelson permitted four hits in 6 2/3 innings as Arizona got back to .500 at 27-27. He struck out four and walked none. Justin Martinez stranded three inherited runners after coming in with the bases loaded and nobody out in the eighth. Ryan Thompson pitched the ninth to finish a six-hitter for Arizona’s fifth shutout.
