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Full list of the Round 1 of the 2025 NBA Draft, Cooper Flagg selected by Dallas at No. 1

NBA just concluded the 1st Round (day 1) of its annual draft. As expected, the Dallas Mavericks selected Duke’s Cooper Flagg with the No. 1 overall pick, he is the second youngest no. 1 pick, second only to Lebron James.

ESPN writes, “The 6-foot-8, 221-pound Flagg, who will not turn 19 until Dec. 21, arrived at Duke with immense expectations and lived up to the hype. He was a consensus All-American and won multiple national player of the year honors, including the Wooden Award and the Naismith Award, averaging 19.4 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.4 blocks and 1.4 steals while leading the Blue Devils to a 35-4 record and a Final Four appearance.”

Here’s the full list of Round 1 of the 2025 NBA Draft;
First Round
1. Mavericks draft Cooper Flagg (Duke)
2. Spurs draft Dylan Harper (Rutgers)
3. 76ers draft VJ Edgecombe (Baylor)
4. Hornets draft Kon Knueppel (Duke)
5. Jazz draft Ace Bailey (Rutgers)
6. Wizards draft Tre Johnson (Texas)
7. Pelicans draft Jeremiah Fears (Oklahoma)
8. Nets draft Egor Demin (BYU)
9. Raptors draft Collin Murray-Boyles (South Carolina)
10. Rockets draft Khaman Maluach (Duke) – Traded to Suns
11. Trail Blazers draft Cedric Coward (Washington State) – Traded to Grizzlies
12. Bulls draft Noa Essengue (Ratiopharm Ulm)
13. Hawks draft Derik Queen (Maryland) – Traded to Pelicans
14. Spurs draft Carter Bryant (Arizona)
15. Thunder draft Thomas Sorber (Georgetown)
16. Grizzlies draft Yang Hansen (Qingdao) – Traded to Trail Blazers
17. Timberwolves draft Joan Beringer (Cedevita Olimpija)
18. Wizards draft Walter Clayton Jr. (Florida) – Traded to Jazz
19. Nets draft Nolan Traoré (Saint-Quentin BB)
20. Heat draft Kasparas Jakučionis (Illinois)
21. Jazz draft Will Riley (Illinois) – Traded to Wizards
22. Hawks draft Drake Powell (North Carolina) – Traded to Nets
23. Pelicans draft Asa Newell (Georgia) – Traded to Hawks
24. Thunder draft Nique Clifford (Colorado State) – Traded to Kings
25. Magic draft Jase Richardson (Michigan State)
26. Nets draft Ben Saraf (Ratiopharm Ulm)
27. Nets draft Danny Wolf (Michigan)
28. Celtics draft Hugo González (Real Madrid)
29. Suns draft Liam McNeeley (Connecticut) – Traded to Hornets
30. Clippers draft Yanic Konan Niederhauser (Penn State)

Round 2 will be this Thursday, June 26 (8 ET) at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

Oklahoma City Thunder are the 2025 NBA Champions

The Oklahoma City Thunder defeated an undermanned Indiana Pacers in Game 7 of the NBA Finals to hoist the Larry O’Brien trophy. Pacers are without their star Tyrese Haliburton who suffered a torn right Achilles tendon in the opening quarter of Game 7.

Even though the Pacers kept the game close in the first three quarters, it was apparent that the absence of Haliburton affected the team. In the final period of the game the Pacers were unable to score for four and a half minutes, by the time they made their first basket, OKC was already enjoying a 20-point lead with 7:29 remaining in the game.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander lead the team with 29 points, 5 rebounds and 12 assists, he’s also took home the Bill Russell trophy for winning the Finals MVP. Aside from winning both the Regular Season and Finals MVP awards, Shai is also this year’s Scoring Champion with 32.7 ppg. Before this season, the feat of winning the Regular Season MVP, Finals MVP, and scoring title in one season had only been achieved by four players in NBA history: Jordan (four times), Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1971, and Shaquille O’Neal in 2000.

Shai got a lot of help from Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren who scored 20 points and 18 points, respectively. Five OKC players scored double digits points the includes Alex Caruso and Cason Wallace who scored 10 points, apiece.

WNBA release First Returns of Fan Voting in WNBA All-Star Voting 2025

WNBA just release first of fan voting for the coming WNBA All-Star Voting 2025 in Indiana and as expected, Fever star guard Caitlin Clark is the top vote getter with 515,993 votes, followed by Napheesa Collier (484,758) and teammate Aliyah Boston with 446,961 votes. Amongst all the team, Indiana Fever have the most player in the top 40, followed by New York Liberty with 4 players.

Here are the top 40 leaders;

  1. Caitlin Clark, Guard (IND) 515,993
  2. Napheesa Collier, Frontcourt (MIN) 484,758
  3. Aliyah Boston, Frontcourt (IND) 446,961
  4. A’ja Wilson, Frontcourt (LVA) 394,600
  5. Breanna Stewart, Frontcourt (NYL) 367,819
  6. Paige Bueckers, Guard (DAL) 312,920
  7. Kelsey Mitchell, Guard (IND) 277,664
  8. Sabrina Ionescu, Guard (NYL) 234,684
  9. Lexie Hull, Guard (IND), 217,438
  10. Kiki Iriafen, Frontcourt (WAS) 213,500
  11. Kelsey Plum, Guard (LAS) 204,845
  12. Satou Sabally, Frontcourt (PHX) 175,611
  13. Angel Reese, Frontcourt (CHI) 173,363
  14. Allisha Gray, Guard (ATL) 168,349
  15. Jonquel Jones, Frontcourt (NYL) 162,259
  16. Natasha Howard, Frontcourt (IND) 158,331
  17. Gabby Williams, Frontcourt (SEA) 144,257
  18. Nneka Ogwumike, Frontcourt (SEA) 141,596
  19. Dearica Hamby, Frontcourt (LAS) 105,727
  20. Rickea Jackson, Frontcourt (LAS) 97,767
  21. Alyssa Thomas, Frontcourt (PHX) 96,141
  22. Kamilla Cardoso, Frontcourt (CHI) 95,986
  23. Sophie Cunningham, Guard (IND) 95,116
  24. Jackie Young, Guard (LVA) 82,313
  25. Rhyne Howard, Guard (ATL) 80,477
  26. Skylar Diggins, Guard (SEA) 77,596
  27. DiJonai Carrington, Guard (DAL) 77,072
  28. Brittney Sykes, Guard (WAS) 76,549
  29. Natasha Cloud, Guard (NYL) 74,280
  30. Damiris Dantas, Frontcourt (IND) 72,262
  31. Kate Martin, Guard (GSV) 67,449
  32. Temi Fágbénlé, Frontcourt (GSV) 63,931
  33. Tina Charles, Frontcourt (CON) 62,420
  34. Arike Ogunbowale, Guard (DAL) 60,947
  35. Sonia Citron, Guard (WAS) 59,939
  36. Marina Mabrey, Guard (CON) 59,939
  37. Brittney Griner, Frontcourt (ATL) 57,308
  38. DeWanna Bonner, Frontcourt (IND) 56,775
  39. Kayla Thornton, Frontcourt (GSV) 51,645
  40. Kayla McBride, Guard (MIN) 44,378

The voting is still open and will end on before midnight of the 28th of June.

Las Vegas Aces hand Indiana Fever Second Straight Loss

The Las Vegas Aces just handed the Indiana Fever their second straight loss. Their first loss was against the Golden State Valkyries last Thursday in San Francisco. The Fever managed to build a 10-point lead in the first half, but the Aces cut the lead to just 6 points entering the fourth quarter. That’s when the Aces’ experience and championship pedigree took over; they seized the lead (70–69) at 4:23 and never relinquished i

A’ja Wilson led the Aces with 24 points, 7 rebounds, and two crucial blocks. Jackie Young added 19 points, 7 rebounds, and 7 assists. Wilson struggled from the field, managing only two field goals in the first half.

Like Wilson, Caitlin Clark had another poor shooting night, going 7-for-20 from the field and 1-for-10 from the three-point line. Despite her shooting slump, Clark scored 19 points and had 10 assists. Aliyah Boston led the Fever with 26 points and 10 rebounds, and she was also the primary defender on Wilson for most of the game. Kelsey Mitchell added 20 points.

Game Highlights

The Indiana Fever will travel to Seattle for their match this Wednesday afternoon, while the Las Vegas Aces will host the Connecticut Sun this Thursday.

Breaking: Kevin Durant traded to Houston Rockets

NBA Superstar Kevin Durant has been traded to the Houston Rockets. The blockbuster trade will send guard Jalen Green, guard-forward Dillon Brooks, the No. 10 pick in the 2025 Draft and five future second-round picks to Phoenix.

Rockets get:

  • Kevin Durant

Suns get:

  • Jalen Green
  • Dillon Brooks
  • 2025 first-round pick (No. 10)
  • Five future second-round picks

Source: NBA

Pacers Blow Out Thunder to Force winner takes all Game 7

The Indiana Pacers routed the OKC Thunder to force a Game 7 in the 2025 NBA Finals. The Pacers had a slow start, being down 2–10, but then went on a 26–15 run to close the 1st quarter with a 28–25 lead. In the second quarter, the Pacers tightened their defense by limiting the Thunder to just 17 points while scoring 36. The quarter was punctuated by a Haliburton steal and a no-look pass to Siakam, who posterized Jalen Williams with a jam.

It was a total team effort for the Pacers, with six players scoring in double figures. Tyrese Haliburton, who was playing with a strained calf aggravated in Game 5, had 14 points and 5 assists. Obi Toppin scored a team-high 20 points, with 4-of-7 from the 3-point line off the bench. Despite having the tough assignment of guarding league MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, he was able to score 17 points and 4 assists. Pascal Siakam added 16 points and 13 rebounds.

The second half was no different from the first. The Pacers again limited OKC to just 18 points in the 3rd period while building a 30-point lead entering the 4th quarter. By the start of the 4th, OKC Head Coach Mark Daigneault took out most of his starting lineup. Even though they managed to score 31 points in the final period and limited the Pacers to just 18 points, the lead was too much for OKC to overcome.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led OKC with a modest 21 points, followed by Jalen Williams with 16 points, after scoring 40 points in Game 5.

Game Highlights

This will be the first Game 7 in the NBA Finals since 2016, and it will be in Oklahoma City this Sunday. History will be on OKC’s side, as home teams are 15-4 in Finals Game 7s, but the last team to win a Game 7 was the visiting team.

Oklahoma City Thunder win Game 5 of the 2025 NBA Finals (120 – 109)

The OKC Thunder are one win away from hoisting the Larry O’Brien Trophy, as they easily defeated an undermanned Indiana Pacers (120-109). OKC built a comfortable 18-point lead in the first half (56-38), but the Pacers slowly chipped away at the lead to trail by just two points (95-93) with 8:30 left in the game. However, the Pacers were not able to take the lead, as the Thunder went on a 25-16 run.

Jalen Williams scored a career playoff-high 40 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists. League MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander added 31 points and 10 assists. OKC also got a lot of help from their bench players, with Aaron Wiggins and Cason Wallace adding 14 points and 11 points, respectively.

Tyrese Haliburton, who was playing with an ankle injury that he aggravated in the first quarter, was limited throughout the game. He failed to make a single field goal the whole game, with all of his 4 points coming from the free-throw line. Pascal Siakam led the Pacers with 28 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists, while T.J. McConnell added 18 points and Aaron Nesmith had 14.

Game 6 will be in Indiana, and the Pacers will have one more chance to extend this to Game 7 and prevent OKC from celebrating on their home court.

Sky’s Angel Reese records first triple-double in a win against the Connecticut Sun (78 – 66)

Angel Reese just recorded her first triple-double, powering Chicago Sky in a win against the Connecticut Sun (78 – 66). Angel Reese had 11 points, 11 assists and 13 rebounds for her first triple-double, she is the second youngest WNBA player to record a triple-double, second only to Caitlin Clark, who did it twice in her rookie year at 22 years old.

Helping Reese is her former LSU teammate, Hailey Van Lith who had a career night with 16 points and 5 rebounds from the bench. Kamilla Cardoso added 10 points and 7 rebounds, while Kia Nurse and Ariel Atkins chipped-in 11 points and 10 points, respectively.

It was a close game with Sky leading just 7 points entering the 4th quarter but that’s where separated themselves scoring a 19 points in the period but limiting Sun to just 12 points. Marina Mabrey lead the Sun with 22 points, making 5 three-pointers, with 5 rebounds. Veteran Tina Charles added 19 points and 6 rebounds, and Jacy Sheldon had 12 points. No other Sky player scored more than 6 points.

This is a much needed win for the Sky if they want to be one the playoff team. Chicago will be hosting Washington while Connecticut will travel to Indiana this Tuesday.

Indiana Fever hand New York Liberty their first loss in the season (102 – 88)

It was Caitlin Clark’s first game since being sidelined due to a left quadriceps strain injury, and it was the return that a lot of CC fans had been expecting. Caitlin Clark was flirting with a triple-double; with 32 points, 8 rebounds, and 9 assists, she accounted for 54 of Indiana’s points through her scoring and assists.

In a two-minute stretch in the first quarter, she scored a total of 12 points: an and-1, followed by three straight triples—a 33-footer, a 27-footer 21 seconds later, and then a 31-footer 22 seconds after that. This brought the Gainbridge Fieldhouse sellout crowd (17,274) to a frenzy.

Clark got a lot of help from fellow superstar Kelsey Mitchell, who added 22 points. Lexie Hull contributed 14 points, and Aliyah Boston had a double-double with 10 points, 11 rebounds, and 6 assists. Sydney Colson was big off the bench with 10 points and 6 assists.

The win is payback for their 90-88 loss to the Liberty on May 24th, the last game Caitlin Clark played before sitting out the next five games. The New York Liberty are now 9-1 for the season.

On the Liberty side, Sabrina Ionescu led the team with a season-high 34 points and 4 assists. Breanna Stewart added 24 points and 5 rebounds. New York is missing the services of Jonquel Jones, who is out with an ankle injury, and Leonie Fiebich due to her overseas commitment for Germany in the EuroBasket competition.

Checkout the game highlights below;

The Indiana Fever will host the Connecticut Sun this Tuesday, while the NY Liberty will be hosting the Atlanta Dream, also this Tuesday.

Caitlin Clark to return against the New York Liberty

Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark will return against the New York Liberty, she’s been ramping up for days but was not able to suit for their Atlanta Dream game last Tuesday. Caitlin Clark missed a total of 5 games since May 26th due to a left quadriceps strain injury. The team initially announced that Clark will miss two weeks but her return against the Liberty this Saturday, will extend that to a total of three weeks.

Together with Clark, Sophie Cunningham is alkso expected to play for the Indiana Fever against the New York Liberty, she’s been out after reaggrevating her ankle injury in an 85-83 loss to the Connecticut Sun on May 30.

In connection to the return of Caitlin Clark and Sophie Cunningham, Indiana Fever waived Aari McDonald.

The Fever are 2 – 4 without Caitlin Clark.

Pacers takes Game 3 of the 2025 NBA Finals to take 2 – 1 lead (116 – 107)

The Pacers are two games away from hoisting the Larry O’Brien in Indiana. They defeated the OKC Thunder with big contributions from the bench players, particularly Bennedict Mathurin and T.J. McConnell.

Mathurin led the Pacers with 27 points, followed by Tyrese Haliburton, who was one rebound away from a triple-double with 22 points, 9 rebounds, and 11 assists. Pascal Siakam added 21 points and 6 rebounds. But it was McConnell’s presence on the defensive end that made the difference; he scored 10 points and added 5 steals, an NBA Finals record.

It was a very close game, where the biggest lead by either team was just 9 points. But in the 4th quarter, the Indiana Pacers tightened their defense and limited Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to just 3 field goal attempts and OKC as a team to just 18 points against the 32 points by the Pacers.

Except for Cason Wallace, every OKC starter had double-digit points, led by Jalen Williams with 26 points and 6 rebounds, while the league MVP, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, scored 24 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 assists. Chet Holmgren added 20 points and 10 rebounds. But that same OKC team was limited by the Pacers’ defense to just 7 points in the last 5 minutes of the game.

Game 4 will still be at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indiana, where OKC will try to even the series and prevent the Pacers from going up 3-1 in the NBA Finals.

WNBA All-Star Voting to start this June 12th until June 28th

WNBA just announced that the WNBA All-Star voting will start this June 12th and will end on before midnight of the 28th of June. The league explained that “fans may submit one full ballot each day via WNBA.com and the WNBA App. All WNBA players currently on team rosters will be available for selection.”

From WNBA.com;

WNBA players and media will join fans in selecting the All-Star starters. Fans will account for 50 percent of the vote, while all current players and a media panel will account for 25 percent each. Players and media panelists will be able to complete one ballot, featuring four guards and six frontcourt players.

After all votes are tallied, players will be ranked by position (guard and frontcourt) within each of the three voting groups – fan votes, player votes and media votes. Each player’s score will be calculated by averaging their weighted rank from the fan votes, the player votes and the media votes. The four guards and six frontcourt players with the best score will be named as starters for AT&T WNBA All-Star 2025. Fan voting will serve as the tiebreaker for players in a position group with the same score.

After the starters have been determined, the league’s head coaches will select the 12 reserves. The head coaches will vote for three guards, five frontcourt players and four players at either position regardless of conference. Coaches may not vote for players on their own team. The announcement dates for both the starters and reserves will be shared later this month.

The two All-Star captains – the starters who receive the most fan votes – will then draft their respective rosters by selecting first from the remaining eight players in the pool of starters and then from the pool of 12 reserves. ESPN will broadcast the results of the roster draft for the 2025 AT&T WNBA All-Star Game during an hourlong edition of WNBA Countdown on Tuesday, July 8 (7 p.m. ET).

Dates to remember;

  • June 12 to June 28 – WNBA All-Star Voting period
  • July 8 – 2025 WNBA All-Star Game roster draft
  • July 18 – WNBA Skills Challenge and WNBA 3-Point Contest
  • July 19 – WNBA All-Star Game

This year’s WNBA WNBA All-Star will be hosted by Indiana Fever in Indianapolis at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

Caitlin Clark’s latest Wilson Basketball Commercial

Wilson x Caitlin Clark Signature Series dropping 06.23.25.

The ad is well made and it can even pass as a Nike ad, which some CC fans are commenting.

From the Wilson website, there will be 4 new Caitlin Clark Signature Basketballs;

  • Caitlin Clark Evo NXT Embrace Game Basketball – $124.95
  • Caitlin Clark WNBA Oasis Basketball – $49.95
  • Caitlin Clark Aspire UV Basketball – $54.95
  • Caitlin Clark Envision Basketball – $27.95

If you cannot wait for the new “Wilson x Caitlin Clark Signature Series” there are 9 other CC Basketball available from Wilson.

New York Knicks Partways with Head Coach Tom Thibodeau

After concluding their best and deepest playoff run, the NY Knick fired their head coach Tom Thibodeau on Tuesday. Their reasoning for this decision?

“Our organization is singularly focused on winning a championship for our fans. This pursuit led us to the difficult decision to inform Tom Thibodeau that we’ve decided to move in another direction,” said Knicks President Leon Rose. “We can’t thank Tom enough for pouring his heart and soul into each and every day of being the New York Knicks head coach. He led us not only with class and professionalism for the past five seasons, but also to tremendous success on the court with four playoff berths and four playoff series victories. Ultimately, we made the decision we feel is best for our organization moving forward. Tom will always be a part of our Knicks family and we truly wish him nothing but the best in the future.”

In an article on ESPN, Coach Tom Thibodeau has “a .579 career winning percentage, the highest by any coach without a Finals appearance in NBA history (minimum 300 games coached).”

Pascal Siakam bags the 2025 Eastern Conference Most Valuable Player

In the series, Siakam is averaging 24.8 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 3.5 assists with 1.3 steals and 2.5 blocks in the Eastern Conference Finals. His experience with the Raptors when they won the NBA Championship will be a big factor against a very young and talented OKC Thunder.

Indiana Pacers move on to the 2025 NBA Finals

The Indiana Pacers will advance to the NBA Finals as they defeat the NY Knicks to bag the 2025 Eastern Conference Champions. It was a close first half of the game, where the largest lead was just 6 points (33-39) by the Indiana Pacers.

Pascal Siakam, who was named 2025 Eastern Conference MVP, carried the scoring load for the Pacers in the first half, scoring a team-high 31 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists with a steal and 3 blocks. Tyrese Haliburton, who had just scored 7 points in the first half, added 21 points, 6 rebounds, and 13 assists. He also made 3 steals and a block.

As great as Siakam and Haliburton were, it was a total team effort for the Pacers. Seven Pacers scored in double digits, including seldom-used Thomas Bryant, who scored 11 points in just 13 minutes of playing time.

This will be the Pacers’ first trip to the NBA Finals in 25 years. The last time they won the Eastern Conference Finals was in 2000, where they also defeated the NY Knicks in 6 games.

The Indiana Pacers will face the waiting OKC Thunder, with the league MVP in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Game 1 of the 2025 NBA Finals will be this Thursday.

Oklahoma City Thunder routs Minnesota Timberwolves to advance to the 2025 NBA Finals (124 – 94)

The Oklahoma City Thunder will advance to the 2025 NBA Finals waiting for the winner of the Eastern Conference Finals between the Knicks and Pacers. The OKC took control of the game early and ended it in the first half where the Thunder build a 33-point lead at the half. The last time OKC went to the NBA Finals was in the 2011–12 season, with a young Kevin Durant, James Harden and Russell Westbrook.

Recently crowned league MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander lead OKC with 34 points, 7 rebounds and 8 assists in just 34 mins of playtime. Chet Holmgren added 22 points, 7 rebounds with 3 blocks. Jalen Williams and Luguentz Dort added 19 points and 12 points, respectively. OKC need 4 more win to take home the Larry O’Brien trophy. The last time OKC went to the NBA Finals was in the 2011–12 season, with a young Kevin Durant, James Harden and Russell Westbrook.

Indiana Fever Guard Caitlin Clark out for two weeks due to leg injury

Indiana Fever Guard Caitlin will miss at least of two weeks due to a left quadriceps strain injury. The team added that “further updates will be provided, as available, following re-evaluation.”

It’s unclear when the injury occurred, since Clark played 38 minutes in their last game against the New York Liberty. This injury may be related to the left quad tightness that Clark experienced in the preseason, she even missed an exhibition game.

Left Quadriceps Strain indicates damage to one of the four muscles at the front of her left thigh. Quadriceps strains can range in severity from mild (Grade 1) to severe (Grade 3, a complete tear). The “minimum of two weeks” suggests it’s likely a Grade 1 or 2 strain, as a full tear would typically require a much longer recovery.

Being out for at least two weeks, means that Clark will miss a minimum of four games. These games include matchups against the Washington Mystics (twice), Connecticut Sun, and a highly anticipated road game against the Chicago Sky.

  • May 29 – Washington Mystics
  • May 31 – Connecticut Sun
  • June 4 – Washington Mystics
  • June 8 – Chicago Sky

Caitlin Clark will most likely be back against the Atlanta Dream on June 11th.

Here are your 2024-25 All-NBA Team

NBA just announced the 1st, 2nd and 3rd All-NBA Team for 2024 – 2025 season.

All-NBA First Team

  • Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo
  • Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
  • Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokić
  • Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell
  • Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum

All-NBA Second Team

  • New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson
  • Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry
  • Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards
  • Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James
  • Cavaliers forward-center Evan Mobley

All-NBA Third Team

  • Detroit Pistons guard Cade Cunningham
  • Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton
  • LA Clippers guard James Harden
  • Knicks center-forward Karl-Anthony Towns
  • Thunder guard-forward Jalen Williams

The 2024-25 All-NBA Team voting results are below. The balloting was tabulated by the independent accounting firm Ernst & Young LLP.

ICYMI: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the 2024-25 NBA Most Valuable Player

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander basically bagged the MVP award when OKC defeated the Nuggets in the semis of the Western Conference Playoff.

From NBA.Com;

A seven-year veteran, Gilgeous-Alexander won the NBA scoring title for the first time. He became the first player to lead the league in games with at least 20 points (75), 30 points (49), 40 points (13) and 50 points (four) in a season since James Harden in 2018-19.

Gilgeous-Alexander’s only regular-season game with fewer than 20 points was an 18-point performance against the San Antonio Spurs on Oct. 30, 2024. He scored at least 20 points in each of his final 72 games, the longest streak at any point in a single season since 1963-64 (when Wilt Chamberlain recorded an 80-game streak and Oscar Robertson had a 76-game streak).

The 6-foot-6 Gilgeous-Alexander shot 51.9% from the field, a career-high 37.5% from three-point range and 89.8% from the free throw line (sixth in the NBA). He made an NBA-leading 601 free throws and a personal-best 163 three-pointers, 68 more threes than his previous career high of 95, set last season.

Gilgeous-Alexander joined Michael Jordan as the only players in NBA history to average at least 32.0 points and 6.0 assists per game and shoot 50.0% or better from the field in a season. Jordan accomplished the feat twice, in the 1988-89 and 1989-90 seasons.

OKC are currently 2-1 against the Minnesota Timberwolves and are the favorites to come out of the West and to win the Larry O’Brien this year. You can view the complete voting results here.

Fever suffer their second home loss to the Liberty (90 – 88)

The Indiana Fever suffered another heartbreaking home loss, falling to the New York Liberty after clawing back from a 15-point deficit. Despite a dominant third quarter where the Fever outscored the Liberty 30-13, they couldn’t maintain the momentum, managing only 12 points in the fourth quarter while the Liberty scored 22. Sabrina Ionescu sealed the win for New York with two crucial free throws at the end of the game. The win will keep the Liberty unbeaten 4 games into the season, while the Fever will have a 2 – 2 standing.

Jonquel Jones led the Liberty with a double-double of 26 points and 12 rebounds. Sabrina Ionescu contributed 23 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists, while Breanna Stewart and Natasha Cloud each added 16 points.

For the Indiana Fever, Caitlin Clark had another challenging shooting night, going 6-of-19 from the field, including 2-of-12 from three-point range. Despite her struggles, she spearheaded the third-quarter surge with a four-point play and a buzzer-beating shot to end the quarter. Clark finished with 18 points, 5 rebounds, and 10 assists. Aliyah Boston delivered another stellar performance, tallying 27 points and 13 rebounds. Kelsey Mitchell and Lexie Hull each chipped in 15 points. Natasha Howard, the hero of their previous game, was limited to 6 points and 8 rebounds.

The Indiana Fever will travel to Washington this Thursday evening, while the Liberty will host the Golden State Valkyries on Wednesday night.

Pacers shock Knicks in a 4th-quarter comeback to win Game 1 of the East Conference Finals (138-135)

If Boston had a choke job against the New York, then this time it was the NY Knick who had a choke job against the Indiana Pacers. The New York Knicks who are playing in their home floor and was leading by 17-points (111 – 94) with just 6:26 mins remaining in regulation then the Pacers went on a 31 to 14 run to tie the game at 125 to extend the game to over time.

Aaron Nesmith led the Pacers’ run in the 4th quarter, making 6 consecutive three-pointers and scoring 30 points, while Tyrese Haliburton led the Pacers with 31 points, 4 rebounds, and 11 assists. Haliburton made a game-tying 23-foot step-back jump shot to beat the game clock and extend the game for another 5 minutes.

Jalen Brunson lead the Knicks with 43 points and 5 assists but committed 7 turn over, Karl-Anthony Towns added 35 points and 12 rebounds but missed two free-throw that could have given the Knicks a 5 point lead with 14.1 secs remaining in regulation.

Both team will be back at MSG this Saturday, May 24, 2025, for Game 2 of the East Conference Finals.

Dream defeated Fever behind their stifling and physical defense (91 – 90)

The Atlanta Dream narrowly defeated the Indiana Fever last night in a tightly contested and physical matchup at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, emerging with a 91-90 victory. Atlanta capitalize on their size and physicality for most of the game, until the Fever made a furious fourth-quarter rally but it was not enough to get the win at home.

Atlanta established an early lead, showcasing their stifling and physical defense that disrupted the Fever’s offense. They outshot Indiana in the paint during the first quarter, ending it with a 31-23 advantage. The Dream’s strong defensive presence continued throughout much of the game, making it difficult for the Fever to find consistent offensive flow.

Despite the defensive pressure, the Fever, lead by Caitlin Clark, began to claw their way back. Clark, who had a standout night with 27 points and 11 assists, hit crucial shots to keep Indiana in contention. Aliyah Boston followed-up her first game performance with 24 points and 10 rebounds, marking her second consecutive double-double. Kelsey Mitchell added 24 points to complete a potent scoring trio for the Fever.

Brittney Griner led Atlanta with 21 points and 8 rebounds in her first win with the team, while Rhyne Howard added 20 points, including key free throws in the final seconds. Brionna Jones contributed a double-double with 19 points and 13 rebounds, and Allisha Gray chipped in 16 points.

The fourth quarter was a nail-biter, with the Fever battling back from an 11-point deficit early in the period. Clark and Lexie Hull combined for nine points on three-pointers to close the gap, and Indiana took its second lead of the game with just 21 seconds remaining. However, a crucial foul sent Rhyne Howard to the free-throw line, where she sank both shots to retake the lead for Atlanta. Despite a last-ditch effort by the Fever at the buzzer, the Dream held on for the one-point victory.

The game was a physical affair, with both teams battling hard on every possession. While the Fever showed resilience in their comeback attempt, their 10 missed free throws and 14 turnovers ultimately proved costly.

The two teams will face off again on Thursday, with the Fever traveling to Atlanta for another anticipated matchup.

Indiana Fever routs Chicago Sky in their 1st game of 2025 WNBA Regular Season

The Indiana Fever and Chicago Sky played their first game of the 2025 WNBA season on Saturday, May 17, 2025, at the sold-out Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

Indiana Fever won the game convincingly with a final score of 93-58. Caitlin Clark led the Fever with a triple-double, recording 20 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists. She also had a career-high four blocks. This was Clark’s third triple-double of her WNBA career, tying her with Candace Parker for the third-most in league history.

Together with Clark, Aliyah Boston of the Fever also had a strong performance with a double-double, scoring 19 points and grabbing 13 rebounds with 5 blocks. Making her debut for the Fever, Natasha Howard and Kelsey Mitchell each scored 15 points. DeWanna Bonner, another offseason addition for the Fever, also had a historic night, scoring 7 points and moving her into third place on the WNBA’s all-time scoring list, surpassing Tina Thompson. She now has 7,489 career points.

In the second quarter, the Fever tightened their defense, allowing the Sky to score just 15 points while managing to build a 13-point lead by the end of the first half (45-32). In the second half, the Fever’s offensive firepower was on full display, scoring 48 points while restricting the Chicago Sky to just 26 points in the same period.

For the Chicago Sky, Angel Reese had a double-double with 12 points and 17 rebounds, Ariel Atkins added 11 points.

There was a heated moment in the third quarter when Caitlin Clark committed a hard foul on Angel Reese. The foul was reviewed and upgraded to a flagrant 1. Technical fouls were also assessed to Reese and Boston after Reese confronted Clark.

The Indiana Fever will host Atlanta this Wednesday evening, May 21st, while the Chicago Sky will host the New York Liberty on Thursday, May 22nd.

Indiana Fever featured on the June 2025 cover of Sports Illustrated

This is just a testament on the popularity of Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever. The reaction of the four Indiana Fever (Caitlin Clark, Aliyah Boston, DeWanna Bonner, and Kelsey Mitchell) when they saw their pictures on the cover of SI is just priceless.

For their fans, the Fever released a 6-minute behind-the-scenes video of the photoshoot and Sports Illustrated’s 12-minute video, “Aliyah Boston Tea Party” as they compete to see who knows their teammates better

You can watch both video after the break.

Indiana Fever Finalize 2025 WNBA Roster

After waiving guard Jaelyn Brown last May 14th, the Indiana Fever now have their final roster for WNBA Season 2024. The team has made several key additions through free agency and the draft to bolster their lineup around rising star Caitlin Clark and 2024 Rookie of the Year, Aliyah Boston.

Guards:

  • #22 – Caitlin Clark
  • #0 – Kelsey Mitchell
  • #51 – Sydney Colson
  • #10 – Lexie Hull
  • #8 – Sophie Cunningham

Forwards:

  • #25 – DeWanna Bonner
  • #6 – Natasha Howard
  • #11 – Brianna Turner
  • #21 – Makayla Timpson

Centers:

  • #7 – Aliyah Boston
  • #12 – Damiris Dantas

The Fever will only have 11 players on the roster due to salary cap issue and it’ll be interesting how far can the trio Clark, Boston and Mitchell carry the team, after reaching the playoffs last season.

Pacers eliminate Cavs to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals (114 – 105)

The Indiana Pacers have once again showed us that they’re one of the top franchise in the Eastern Conference, by eliminating the top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers with a final score of 114-105 in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semi-final series. This will be the second consecutive year the Pacers have advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals, a feat they haven’t achieved in more than a decade.

Despite a strong start from the Cavaliers, the Pacers rallied from a 19-point deficit in the second quarter, took control in the third, and built a 12-point lead after halftime. Notably, the Pacers won all three games at Cleveland’s homecourt in the series.

Tyrese Haliburton led the charge for Indiana with 31 points, including five crucial three-pointers in the second quarter that sparked the Pacers’ comeback. Haliburton also grabbed 6 rebounds and dished out 8 assists. Pascal Siakam contrrbuted a solid 21 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists.

Donovan Mitchell, playing through left ankle injury, led the Cavaliers with a game-high 35 points and 9 rebounds, while Evan Mobley added 24 points and 11 rebounds. However, the Cavaliers struggled with their shooting, particularly from beyond the arc, converting only 9 of their 35 three-point attempts. The Pacers’ defense tightened in the 3rd quater, limiting the Cavaliers’ to just 20 points against the Pacers’ 33 points.

The Pacers now await the winner of the other Eastern Conference semi-final matchup between the Boston Celtics and the New York Knicks.

Here’s the 2025 NBA Draft Lottery Results

The 2025 NBA Draft Lottery took place on Monday, May 12, 2025, and determined the draft order for the first 14 picks of the 2025 NBA Draft.

Here are the 2025 NBA Draft Lottery Results:
1. Dallas
2. San Antonio
3. Philadelphia
4. Charlotte
5. Utah
6. Washington
7. New Orleans
8. Brooklyn
9. Toronto
10. Houston
11. Portland
12. Chicago
13. Atlanta
14. San Antonio

The Mavs is expected to select Duke forward Cooper Flagg, who is also present at the NBA Draft Lottery.

If you want to know the full order, 1 – 59, of the 2025 NBA Draft Lottery Results you can go here.

Flau’jae Johnson name-dropped Caitlin Clark in new song

LSU Tigers star and rap artist, Flau’Jae Johnson just dropped a new song and in the song she mentioned the current Rookie of the Year and Indiana Fever Guard – Caitlin Clark.

About halfway through her track “Help Me,” rapper Flau’jae Johnson (who goes by the single name Flau’jae in her music) delivers the line, “Double C on my jacket like I’m Caitlin Clark,” a clear shout-out to Rookie of the Year Caitlin Clark.

You can listed to the new song as posted on Johnson’s Tiktok account.

@flaujaee Baby Can You Help Me 🔥🔥🔥?? #flaujae #freestyle #helpme #rap #CapCut ♬ original sound – Flaujae

Of course CC took notice and reposted the video on her Instagram story with a one-word caption “Elite.”!

Timberwolves routs Warriors to even series (117 – 93)

After an embarrassing Game 1, the Timberwolves delivered a commanding performance, securing a decisive 117-93 victory over the Warriors. It was the opposite of Game 1, where the Wolves started out strong and ended the first quarter with a 14-point lead.

Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards went down with an ankle injury scare in the second quarter. However, much to the relief of Minnesota fans, Edwards returned after halftime and showed no signs of discomfort, finishing the game with a solid 20 points, 9 rebounds, and 5 assists.

Julius Randle led the Timberwolves with an impressive 24 points and 11 assists, and grabbed 7 rebounds. The Timberwolves displayed a balanced offensive effort and a stifling defense that limited the Warriors.

Without Curry, the Warriors were searching for a way to generate points. Seldom-used Jonathan Kuminga led Golden State with 18 points off the bench. Jimmy Butler was a non-factor in the game even with his 17 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists. The Warriors also used all 14 available players in the first half, a sign that Warriors Head Coach Steve Kerr was looking for ways to offset the absence of their leading scorer.

Adding to the drama, Draymond Green received his fifth technical foul of the playoffs, putting him in danger of a suspension if he gets two more. Despite a brief moment in the third quarter when the Warriors cut the lead to seven, the Timberwolves responded by going on an 11-0 run to regain control and put the game away for good.

With the series now tied 1-1, the series will head to San Francisco for Game 3 on Saturday. The Timberwolves will try to regain their home-court advantage, while the Warriors will need to find solutions to compensate for Curry’s absence as the series continues.