No Gimmes
J-Double-Dub
Evan and Aaron give their immediate reactions to what shall henceforth be known as “The Jalen Williams Game,” as OKC gets a huge win on the back of a 40-point performance from their third-year forward. Plus, we give our feelings on the Desmond Bane deal.
Film Study: Thunder find transition points in Game 5
John Shuhmann, NBA.com
Jalen Williams’ NBA Finals breakout powered by years of hard work and conviction
Marcus Thompson II, The Athletic
The Thunder have turned the Pacers’ ‘organized chaos’ into a hot mess
Mookie Alexander, SBNation
Isaiah Hartenstein provides the key to unlock the Thunder offense in Game 5 win
Kelly Iko, The Athletic
Game 5 Observations
Iztok Franko, digginbasketball
Three Things From Game 5
Jared Dubin, Last Night In Basketball
Jalen Williams fuels Thunder in Game 5 win
Tim MacMahon, ESPN
BI: Imagine if SGA/JDub were so poor defensively that they were unplayable together deep in the playoffs. Would OKC management blame Daignault and fire him for not winning the title (with the lineup that management constructed)? Of course not. But we’ve seen something comparable happen with a team eliminated in the conference finals with its two best offensive players unplayable together due to defensive shortcomings that were not the coach’s fault!
‘Aggressive’ Thunder keep ball moving early and often to take control of NBA Finals
Fred Katz, The Athletic
Indiana rallied late but couldn’t overcome 23 turnovers or a limited Tyrese Haliburton
Scott Agness, Fieldhouse Files
TJ McConnell was igniting a Pacers comeback, so why didn’t he play more in 4th quarter?
Nate Atkins, Indy Star
Jalen Williams brings ‘great force’ again
Joel Lorenzi, The Oklahoman
Pacers might be doomed in NBA Finals, and it’s hard not to ask, ‘What if?’
Sam Amick, The Athletic
How is OKC Thunder one win from an NBA title? ‘Always starts defensively’
Jenni Carlson, The Oklahoman
Three Observations
Dustin Dopirak, Indy Star
With Tyrese Haliburton hobbled, Pacers now on brink of losing NBA Finals. Do they have anything left?
Dan Devine, Yahoo Sports
Jalen Williams Pushes Thunder to Brink of NBA Championship
Chris Mannix, Sports Illustrated
The Thunder finally looked like the Thunder
Mike Shearer, Basketball Poetry
The rest that’s built into the NBA Finals can be a good thing, especially now
Tim Reynolds, AP
Jalen Williams learned lessons early in season that paid off with dominant 40-point Game 5
Kurt Helin, NBC Sports
Jalen Williams takes his star turn
Vincent Goodwill, Yahoo Sports
5 takeaways
Shaun Powell, NBA.com
Jalen Williams steps up in Game 5, helps Thunder seize control of NBA Finals
Ben Golliver, Washington Post
Turnovers have Pacers near doom
Dustin Dopirak, Indy Star
Grizzlies and Magic make opposite bets for the future
John Hollinger, The Athletic
Grades for NBA’s first big summer deal
Ricky O’Donnell, SBNation
The Desmond Bane Trade Is a Risk the Magic Had to Take
Michael Pina, The Ringer
Orlando gave up a lot to address its biggest weaknesses, but it also gave itself a legit chance to win the East.
Desmond Bane was the Orlando Magic’s first choice all along
Philip Rossman-Reich, World R Squared
Did Orlando give up too much?
Zach Harper, The Athletic
Was the Price Right?
Above The Break
Sticker shock is real, but fans usually overstate the cost
Weltman valued Desmond Bane, who became ‘priority’ for Orlando
Jason Beede, Orlando Sentinel
BKN: Day’ron Sharpe Q & A
Michael Scotto, Hoops Hype
ORL: Magic Player Evaluation: Caleb Houstan
Philip Rossman-Reich, World R Squared
SAS: Should Spurs keep No. 2 pick?
ESPN
WAS: The Wizards’ strategy for the NBA Draft and their rebuild
Josh Robbins, The Athletic
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