The first team to punch its ticket to the 2025 Conference Finals?
Myles Turner has your answer:
5 STORIES IN TODAY’S EDITION 🏀
Pacers Advance: Indy rallies past Cleveland to return to the East Finals
Inside Indy’s Attack: “We’re different than every other team.”
Thunder Storm Back: OKC pulls off another 4th-quarter comeback in a thrilling Game 5
Knicks-Celtics: Can Brunson & the Knicks close out the defending champs in Beantown?
Dubs-Wolves: The veteran Warriors face elimination against Ant & the howling Wolves
BUT FIRST … ⏰
Yesterday’s scores & tonight’s slate…
Backs Against The Wall: A pair of elimination Game 5s take place tonight on TNT, as the Celtics host the Knicks with their season on the line (7 ET), while the Wolves look to oust the Warriors in Minnesota (9:30 ET).
Take A Virtual Field Trip With Rudy Gobert: Students can go behind the scenes in a brand-new Discovery EducationVirtual Field Trip with the Wolves & Lynx. Hear from Gobert and other players while exploring their state-of-the-art facilities, from training rooms to tech labs. Register today.
1. PACERS RALLY TO OUST CAVS, ADVANCE TO EAST FINALS
On Dec. 13, the Pacers sat five games below .500 at 10-15 – tied for ninth in the East and 11 games back of the first-place Cavs.
Exactly five months later on Tuesday, Indy ousted top-seeded Cleveland to reach back-to-back East Finals for the first time in 11 years.
Pacers 114, Cavaliers 105: Tyrese Haliburton led the way with 31 points, six boards and eight dimes as Indiana erased a 19-point 2nd-quarter deficit to stun the Cavs on their home floor and punch its ticket to the ECF with a 4-1 series win. | Recap
With Cleveland’s season on the line, its historically efficient offense came out firing, building a 44-25 lead in the opening 16 minutes.
But with Rocket Arena rocking, and the Cavs clicking, the Pacers refused to pack it in. Instead, they dug in – fueled by a Tyrese takeover.
- The Spark: Down 19 in the 2nd quarter, Haliburton stopped the bleeding with a 3, then buried three more in the span of 73 seconds before splashing his fifth triple of the quarter to cut Indy’s deficit to one
- The Swing: In the 3rd, Haliburton kept cooking, adding seven points and three dimes to help ignite a 17-2 run that gave Indy its first lead since early in the 1st
- The Finish: After Cleveland responded to make it a one-point game, the Pacers pushed back again, with Haliburton (5), Andrew Nembhard (6) and Myles Turner (5) combining for their final 16 points to slam the door shut
David Liam Kyle/NBAE via Getty Images
Ain’t Ever Over With Indy: With the win, the Pacers became the first team in the play-by-play era (since 1998) to notch three comeback victories of 19+ points in a single postseason, with two coming against Cleveland.
- Cavs Battle: Donovan Mitchell (35 pts, 9 reb, 4 stl) and Evan Mobley (24 pts, 11 reb) led Cleveland in the loss, as its special season ends in the East Semis for the second straight year
What’s Next: The Pacers await the winner of the Knicks-Celtics series (NYK leads 3-1) as they’ll travel to either New York or Boston for Game 1.
- Rematch: Indy’s familiar with both teams on this stage. The Celtics swept the Pacers in last year’s East Finals, while the last time the Knicks made the ECF was 2000 — against the Pacers, who defeated New York in six games
2. INSIDE INDY’S ATTACK: THE BALANCED BLUEPRINT
Jason Miller/Getty Images
While Haliburton activated Indy’s rally, the Pacers are advancing to the East Finals thanks to a collective lineup that thrives on chemistry and ball movement.
- “We’re different than every other team,” said Haliburton postgame. “We don’t just have one guy who scores all the points. We defeat teams in different ways…
- “We move the ball. We have a lot of different guys making shots, making plays. We’ve preached our depth for the last couple of years and it’s paying off now.”
On Monday, the Pacers’ identity shined, with Haliburton, Nembhard (18 pts, 8 ast) and Pascal Siakam (21 pts, 5 ast) leading five double-digit scorers while each dishing out 5+ dimes – a snapshot of the style that’s fueled Indy’s postseason charge.
- Depth: The Pacers lead the league with 78 games this season (reg. + post) featuring five or more double-digit scorers and rank third with 82 games where at least five players have tallied multiple assists
- Continuity: In this year’s Playoffs, Indy ranks first in assists per game (29.7), passes made (338.1) and assist points created (77.2)
- Capitalization: The ball distribution has paid off, as the Pacers also rank first in FGs made off assists (69.5%) and FG% on wide open shots (47.7), leading to the best OffRtg and the highest true shooting percentage (61.5) among all remaining teams
Lauren Leigh Bacho/NBAE via Getty Images
Powered by their expansive attack, the Pacers are now the first No. 4 seed to make consecutive Conference Finals since the Playoffs expanded in 1984.
- “It’s special man,” said Haliburton on returning to the East Finals. “This group is special. I don’t take this for granted – it’s a lot of fun.”
3. OKC ANSWERS AGAIN vs. DENVER IN GAME 5
Lauren Leigh Bacho/NBAE via Getty Images
For the second straight game, the Thunder found themselves down entering the 4th quarter.
And for the second straight game, they stormed back.
Thunder 112, Nuggets 105: In an electrifying finish, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (31 pts, 6 reb, 7 ast) and OKC overcame a huge night from Nikola Jokić (44 pts, 15 reb, 5 ast), outscoring Denver 34-19 in the final frame to erase a 12-point deficit and snatch a 3-2 series lead. | Recap | Fantastic Finish
Shai & Joker Duel: In a pivotal swing game, OKC’s top-ranked defense took charge down the stretch, holding Denver to 5-of-21 from the field in the 4th while allowing just one field goal in a seven-minute span to take a two-point lead.
But Jokić kept coming, as he broke the drought with 3:03 left to tie the game, setting up a back-and-forth finish between the top two Kia MVP candidates.
- Tit-For-Tat: After SGA found Isaiah Hartenstein for a go-ahead oop, Jokić knotted the game back up with a floater on the ensuing possession, only for Shai to respond with a go-ahead and-1 jumper with 2:02 left
- But Jokić responded again, this time hitting a ridiculous turnaround 3 for his third straight tiebreaking bucket
- Shai Says Goodnight: However, it wasn’t enough, as SGA followed a Jalen Williams’ 3 with a triple of his own, giving OKC a six-point lead with 48 ticks left before hitting a pair of free throws to seal it
Zach Beeker/NBAE via Getty Images
Storm Surge: SGA, Williams (18 pts, 9 reb, 4 ast) and Hartenstein (15 pts, 7 reb) led six Thunder in double figures, and OKC made its final six field goals as its now outscored Denver 63-37 in the last two 4th quarters to earn two straight wins.
- “Being aggressive … trusting each other,” said SGA on the key to OKC’s 4th-quarter success. “The game’s full of swings … two games in a row they’ve had our back but we’ve pulled out a W.”
What’s Next: Jokić joined his teammate Russell Westbrook (2018) as the only players in NBA history with at least 40 pts, 15 reb, 5 ast and 5 threes in a Playoff game, but Denver will return home Thursday needing a win to keep their season alive (8:30 ET, ESPN).
4. BRUNSON, KNICKS EYE EAST FINALS BERTH TONIGHT
In the Knicks’ 79-year history, only two players have scored 300+ points in three separate Playoff runs: Walt Frazier and now, Jalen Brunson.
On Monday, Frazier watched courtside as Brunson joined him in the record books — and became the first Knick ever to do it in three straight Playoffs — helping New York seize a 3-1 series lead over the defending champion Celtics.
Tonight (7 ET, TNT), with the Knicks one win shy of their first ECF appearance in 25 years, Brunson will look to add to his magical postseason run.
- Captain Clutch: Brunson not only has the most points this Playoffs with 301, he also has the most 4th-quarter points with 102 — 32 more than the next closest player (Donovan Mitchell: 70)
- Another Level: That means over a third of his points have come in the 4th, where he’s shooting 50.0% from the field and 45.5% from 3
- The Result? The Knicks have outscored the Celtics a combined 119-85 in the 4th quarter & overtime this series
Brunson’s postseason prowess is nothing new.
Since joining New York in 2022-23, he’s tallied 1,028 points through 34 Playoff games — the most by any Knick in any 34-game postseason span.
- Championship Company: The only players with more Playoffs points since 2022-23? Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Nikola Jokić, all of whom have won titles in that span
- But Brunson sets the pace in the 4th quarter with 297 points, and in crunch time, he separates himself even further with 110 clutch points – 52 more than anyone else
- “Just the way he’s wired,” said Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau on Brunson’s ability to deliver when it matters most. “A lot of poise under pressure … No moment is too big for him.”
Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images
On the other side, the Celtics face elimination for the first time in nearly two years – and they’ll do it without Tatum, who suffered an Achilles injury in Game 4.
But Boston is battle-tested and boasts an arsenal of weapons that can take over games, from Brown – last year’s Finals MVP – to this season’s Kia Sixth Man Of The Year, Payton Pritchard.
- Boston Balance: The C’s went 8-2 this season without Tatum, with Brown (24.5), Kristaps Porziņģis (23.4) and Derrick White (20.8) all averaging 20+ ppg
- Bench Boost: Meanwhile, after setting the NBA record for made 3s by a reserve in the regular season (246), Pritchard led Boston in its Game 3 win with 23 points on five triples
Now, the Celtics will need a team win to keep their title defense alive.
- “They’ll be ready,” said coach Joe Mazzulla on his squad for Game 5. “That’s just who they are … it’s the locker room that we have – they’ll be ready.”
5. WARRIORS AIM TO AVOID ELIMINATION vs. WOLVES
When the 2nd half arrives, the Timberwolves rarely falter. They haven’t been engulfed by a sense of panic. If anything, desperation has only strengthened them.
They’ve excelled in the waning moments.
Tonight (9:30 ET, TNT), Minnesota can reach its second consecutive West Finals with a triumph in Game 5 at Target Center. Heading to the locker room Monday night with a deficit for the third time this series, Anthony Edwards had a message for his team.
- “I told them we have to get two more wins, and right now, we’re playing like we’ve already got four wins,” Edwards said
The Wolves answered with a 39-17 3rd quarter which paved the path for a chance to advance in their own territory.
- Second Wind: Minnesota now boasts 15 games this season in which it won the second half by 9+ after trailing at the half – the 2nd-most in the NBA
- Late-Game Legacy: The group is also 4-0 in clutch games during the Playoffs with 11.3 ppg (1st) and 60.9 FG% (2nd) among the seven remaining contenders
- Since The Start: They even thrived in such situations during the regular season. Their 7.8 NetRtg and 45.7 Opp FG% in 2nd halves ranked 2nd and 5th, respectively
David Berding/Getty Images
Edwards has epitomized Minnesota’s comeback character en route to 27.0 ppg this postseason – good for 5th-best among active players.
- Resurgence: Ant has elevated his averages in the Playoffs to 16.9 pts, 50.5 FG% and 41.7 3P% in the 2nd half compared to 10.1/36/29.4 per game across opening frames
- “He was one of the guys who was most vocal at halftime,” said Wolves coach Chris Finch. “It started with him really, and setting the tone.”
Stephen Curry remains out with a hamstring injury as the offensive reins remain in Jimmy Butler III’s hands with the Warriors’ season hanging in the balance.
- Time To Shine: Butler III has averaged 21.3 ppg and 4.6 apg in Curry’s absence, and just notched his second 30-point game this postseason in Game 3 — after dropping 38 in the Dubs’ Play-In win
- Playoff Jimmy: The 14th-year forward also boasts 20.4 ppg, 6.2 rpg and 44.8 FG% in 17 elimination games throughout his career
