NBA Finals Game 7 could see return of referee criticized by some fansNew Foto - NBA Finals Game 7 could see return of referee criticized by some fans

It is a strong likelihood thatNBAreferee Scott Foster will officiateGame 7 of the NBA Finalsbetween theIndiana PacersandOklahoma City ThunderSunday, June 22. Foster, who is one of the NBA's top referees based on a multi-pronged ratings system that uses feedback from teams, called Game 4 in Indianapolis, and Pacers fans were unhappy with his whistle in the Thunder victory. The NBA does not publicly reveal referees until 9 a.m. ET of game day, but given the rotation of the Finals refs, it makes sense that Foster would get the assignment since he has reffed just one 2025 Finals game and hasn't been in the rotation since Game 4. Pacers coachRick Carlisle defended Fosterat media availability before Game 5. "I think it's awful some of the things I've seen about officiating, and Scott Foster in particular," Carlisle said on Sunday, June 15. "I've known Scott Foster for 30 years. He is a great official. He has done a great job in these playoffs. We've had him a lot of times. The ridiculous scrutiny that is being thrown out there is terrible and unfair and unjust and stupid." PACERS COACH:Rick Carlisle defends referee Scott Foster after fan criticism Before the Finals began, the NBA announced the 12 referees who were selected to officiate Finals games based on evaluations from playoff games this season. Not every ref will get two games, but it won't be a surprise if Foster gets Game 7. Foster is working his 18th Finals and has reffed 25 Finals games, including Game 7 in the 2010 Finals between the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers and Game 7 of the 2013 Finals between the Miami Heat and San Antonio Spurs. James Capers, Tyler Ford, Ben Taylor, Josh Tiven and Sean Wright are the other officials who have had just one Finals games this season. A crew of Foster plus a combination of Capers, Tiven and Williams makes sense. Ford and Taylor called their first Finals games this month. In Game 4, both teams combined to shoot 71 free throws, including 38 by the Thunder. On the NBA's Last Two-Minute Report, referee operations examined 17 plays and found they were all "correct calls" or "correct no-calls." Foster had reffed one previous Pacers playoff game this season. Some fans have given Foster the nickname "The Extender," claiming that he has a history of making dubious calls during the playoffs that have extended series. Longtime NBA writer Tom Haberstroh, however,referenced a studythat says there's "not much evidence at all" of Foster's ability to 'extend' the series. According to the NBA, playoff referees are selected, "based on their overall performance throughout the first three rounds of the NBA Playoffs 2025. Officials were evaluated by the NBA Referee Operations management team after each round to determine advancement in this year's postseason." Foster is considered one of the best referees in the league. An officialin his 30th season with the NBA, Foster entered this season having officiated 1,675 regular season games and 241 postseason games. Friday night was Foster's 25thtime officiating an NBA Finals game. This is his 18th NBA Finals, overall.. Foster is also anoted pickleball player. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:NBA Finals referee Scott Foster could return for Thunder-Pacers Game 7

byLiam Oneel
in
June 20, 2025

NBA Finals Game 7 could see return of referee criticized by some fans

NBA Finals Game 7 could see return of referee criticized by some fans It is a strong likelihood thatNBAreferee Scott Foster will officiateGa...
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Ron Washington stepping away from Angels managing duties indefinitely due to health concernNew Foto - Ron Washington stepping away from Angels managing duties indefinitely due to health concern

Ron Washington is stepping away from managing the Los Angeles Angels indefinitely because of an undisclosed health concern. Angels bench coach Ray Montgomery will manage the team in the interim, including Friday night against the Houston Astros. Washington, 73, will still be around the team, and he'll watch games from general manager Perry Minasian's suite,according to The Athletic. Washington has posted a 99-137 record during his first two seasons as Angels manager. The Angels are currently 36-38 and in third place of the AL West standings. "He hasn't been himself these past couple days. We all saw that," said Angels shortstop Zach Neto, via The Athletic. "I'm glad he was able to figure something out and take these days to get himself back to normal." Minasian expects Washington to return to managing the Angels this season. A more specific timeline, however, is not yet known. "We're going to cross every T and dot every I, and make sure he's 100% before he's back in the dugout," Minasian said, via The Athletic. "How long is it going to take? I don't know. I don't expect it to be too long. "We all know how important this is for all of us, but obviously health is more important than anything. Me, personally, I'm not letting him back in the dugout until I know he's 100%." The Angels hired Washington in November 2023. He previously served as the Texas Rangers' manager from 2007-14, guiding the Rangers to a pair of American League pennants. In between, he joined the coaching staffs of the Athletics (2015-16) and the Atlanta Braves (2017-23). As for Montgomery, this isn't his first time stepping into the manager role for the Angels. In addition to assuming duties in spring training while Washington worked through illness, Montgomery was in the spotlight in 2022 when he took the helm after then-manager Phil Nevin was suspended following a full-team brawl with the Seattle Mariners.

byLiam Oneel
in
June 20, 2025

Ron Washington stepping away from Angels managing duties indefinitely due to health concern

Ron Washington stepping away from Angels managing duties indefinitely due to health concern Ron Washington is stepping away from managing th...
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Vanessa Bryant Celebrates Her Daughter Capri's 6th Birthday with Heartfelt Tribute Post: 'My Sweet Koko Bean'New Foto - Vanessa Bryant Celebrates Her Daughter Capri's 6th Birthday with Heartfelt Tribute Post: 'My Sweet Koko Bean'

Vanessa Bryant/Instagram Vanessa Bryant's daughter Capri is celebrating turning 6 The proud mom shared a heartfelt tribute post in honor of her daughter birthday Bryant, who's the wife of the late NBA star Kobe Bryant, is a mom to 4 girls: Natalia, the late Gianna, Bianka and Capri. Vanessa Bryant's daughter is officially 6! On Friday, June 20, the wife of thelate NBA star Kobe Bryant, 43, shared several snaps on her Instagram of her and her daughter Capri to commemorate the little girl's 6th birthday. Vanessa began the post with a shot of the newly-minted 6-year-old on her birthday wearing a purple "Birthday Girl" shirt paired with a white skirt. The proud mom rounded out her tribute by sharing recent snaps of them posing together. "Capri, we love you so much!!!! Happy 6th birthday to my sweet Koko Bean! 💜~ Capri Kobe Bryant ~💜 🎂🎉🫶🏽🎉" she wrote in the caption. Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE's free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer​​, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. Vanessa Bryant/Instagram Vanessa and Kobe became parents for the first time when Natalia was born in January 2003, and their brood of girls continued to grow from there. During their relationship, the couple expanded their family with three more girls: Gianna,who tragically died in a helicopter crash with her fatherin 2020, Bianka, 8, and Capri. "Guys keep teasing me," the late Lakers star toldExtrain 2017. "My friends say, 'It takes a real man to make a boy.' I'm like, 'Dude, it takes a king to make a princess.' " The baller doted on his "little princesses" and taught them the value of hard work. "It's not the destination, it's the journey," Kobe explained athis retirement ceremonyin 2017. "And if you guys can understand that, then what you'll see is you won't accomplish your dreams. Your dreams won't come true. Something greater will, and if you guys can understand that, then I'm doing my job as a father." Vanessa Bryant/Instagram The PEOPLE Appis now available in the Apple App Store! Download it now for the most binge-worthy celeb content, exclusive video clips, astrology updates and more! After Natalia, 22,graduated cum laude from USCon Friday, May 16, Vanessa revealedthe sweet way her daughterhonored Kobe during the milestone celebration. In avideoshared by Vanessa, a photo of Natalia's graduation sash was shown. Sewn into her sash was a message that read, "Thank you Mom & Dad," in USC's signature yellow and red colors. Natalia's graduation sash also included her father's sheath logo on the top left. In a 2014 interview withEsquire, Kobe explained that the symbol is inspired by a samurai sword. The sword is the "raw talent," Bryant explained, and the sheath is "the package it's kept in — everything you go through, your calluses and your baggage, what you learn." Read the original article onPeople

byLiam Oneel
in
June 20, 2025

Vanessa Bryant Celebrates Her Daughter Capri's 6th Birthday with Heartfelt Tribute Post: 'My Sweet Koko Bean'

Vanessa Bryant Celebrates Her Daughter Capri's 6th Birthday with Heartfelt Tribute Post: 'My Sweet Koko Bean' Vanessa Bryant/Ins...
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Tim McGraw Cheers on Daughter Audrey's Music Career With Proud PostNew Foto - Tim McGraw Cheers on Daughter Audrey's Music Career With Proud Post

Tim McGraw Cheers on Daughter Audrey's Music Career With Proud Postoriginally appeared onParade. Tim McGrawis a proud father as his daughterAudreyembarks on her career in music, with the country singer sharing a supportive post about his youngest daughter's newest song. The 58-year-old shared a new post on Instagram on Friday, June 20, to celebrate the release of Audrey's new song "Purple Flowers." 🎬SIGN UP for Parade's Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox🎬 McGraw posted an animation of the cover image for the song, which showed Audrey wearing a chic black dress and heels, twirling her skirt. Audio from the song played in the background. He wrote in the caption, "Audrey's latest release out now! Purple Flowers is out now, everywhere!🪻." View this post on Instagram A post shared by Tim McGraw (@thetimmcgraw) Fans showed some love for Audrey's new song, with earnest comments like, "Go Audrey !! Love this song !✨✨👏🏼👏🏼🎩🩶," and "Her voice is amazing and absolutely love this song. Congratulations audrey…well done." A third wrote, "I love this song so much 💜🪻." A few also commented on similarities between Audrey's voice and that of her mother,Faith Hill, saying, "I for sure hear her momma in her voice😍," and "I hear a little bit of Faith in her voice!" "Same tone of voice as his mother 👌," said another after hearing "Purple Flowers." Audrey has been releasing new music for weeks now, with other recent releases including the songs "Speak" and "Thunder." Related: Tim McGraw Mourns Devastating Personal Loss Tim McGraw Cheers on Daughter Audrey's Music Career With Proud Postfirst appeared on Parade on Jun 20, 2025 This story was originally reported byParadeon Jun 20, 2025, where it first appeared.

byLiam Oneel
in
June 20, 2025

Tim McGraw Cheers on Daughter Audrey’s Music Career With Proud Post

Tim McGraw Cheers on Daughter Audrey's Music Career With Proud Post Tim McGraw Cheers on Daughter Audrey's Music Career With Proud P...
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Mariners' Cal Raleigh hits 29th homer before All-Star break, most by a catcher in MLB historyNew Foto - Mariners' Cal Raleigh hits 29th homer before All-Star break, most by a catcher in MLB history

With his 29th home run of the season Friday,Seattle MarinerssluggerCal Raleighhas hit the most homers by a catcher before the All-Star break in MLB history. The milestone home run came offChicago CubspitcherCaleb Thielbarin the seventh inning ofFriday's matchupat Wrigley Field. The left-hander threw a 94.2 mph fastball right down the middle of the strike zone, which Raleigh crushed down the left-field line and out of the ballpark. The two-run homer gave Seattle a 6-4 lead. They ended upwinning 9-4. Raleigh, 28, surpassed Cincinnati Reds Hall of Famer Johnny Bench, who hit 28 home runs before MLB's midseason break during the 1970 season. Fellow Hall of Fame catcher Ivan Rodriguez had 26 home runs prior to the All-Star break in 2000. Cal Raleigh AGAIN!He has passed Johnny Bench for the most home runs by a catcher before the All-Star break 🤩pic.twitter.com/zZ8KvUyg1O — MLB (@MLB)June 20, 2025 Setting Raleigh's achievement further apart from those catching greats is how quickly he reached that home run mark. Raleigh hit his 29th homer in the 73rd game of the season. Bench hit his 28 in 87 games, and Rodriguez got to 26 in 80 games. The Mariners' catcher tied Bench with his 28th homer of the yearin the first inning off Cubs starterMatthew Boyd, hitting a low, outside 94.6 mph fastball into the left-field seats. He then went yard again in the seventh. Raleigh's 29 home runs currently lead MLB, three more thanNew York YankeesstarAaron Judgeand four ahead of theLos Angeles Dodgers'Shohei Ohtani. He's batting .273/.379/.646 with 14 doubles and 63 RBI to go with his home run total, which currently has him on pace for 62. Should he come even close to that, he would easily set the record for home runs by a team's primary catcher. That record is 48 by theKansas City Royals'Salvador Perez, achieved in 2021. Nicknamed "The Big Dumper" by former teammateJarred Kelenicfor his large backside and penchant for clutch home runs, Raleigh is well on his way to surpassing the career-best 34 home runs he hit last season. A third-round pick in 2018 out of Florida State, he's reached 30 or more homers for the past two years. Mitch Garver's second homer of the game is also the 💯th of his career!pic.twitter.com/Zhlyc5UymN — MLB (@MLB)June 20, 2025 The two homers were part of a 3-for-4 day for Raleigh, who tallied three RBI inthe Mariners' 9-4 victory.Mitch Garveralso hit two home runs, batting 2-for-4 with five RBI. He taggedRyan Presslyfor a two-run shot in the sixth and followed with a three-run blast offGénesis Cabrerain the ninth. The second homer was the 100th of Garver's career. Boyd, Pressly and Thielbar each allowed two runs for the Cubs (45-30), while Cabrera gave up three.Eduard Bazardopicked up the win for Seattle (38-36) with his scoreless sixth inning.

byLiam Oneel
in
June 20, 2025

Mariners' Cal Raleigh hits 29th homer before All-Star break, most by a catcher in MLB history

Mariners' Cal Raleigh hits 29th homer before All-Star break, most by a catcher in MLB history With his 29th home run of the season Frida...
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Trendlines: The Lakers aren't alone. The value of sports franchises has skyrocketedNew Foto - Trendlines: The Lakers aren't alone. The value of sports franchises has skyrocketed

Welcome to Trendlines, your weekly installment of what's trending up and what's trending down in the world of sports. This week we're talking about money, money, money. It turns out that it's not just ABBA or the O'Jays who enjoy it. I mean look at the Los Angeles Lakers. The Buss family hasdecided to sellthe team that Jerry Buss bought back in 1979 from Jack Kent Cooke. You might have seen the price tag that the Lakers are set to be sold for and went, "Man, that is a lot of green." But just how good was Buss' investment back in the days before Magic Johnson? Let's dive right into this question with a big upswing. The Buss family was able to sell the team for a franchise valuation of $10 billion this go around. That's way more than the previous media valuations had put the team at. Moreover, it's way more than the team was purchased for in 1979. Buss bought the team for less than $100 million in 1979. To put that in percentage terms, we're talking about an increase of over 10,000% The percentage increase falls to about a "meager" 4,000% taking into account inflation. I wish my investments had such meager returns. It probably helps that the Lakers were absolutely dynamite during the Busses' ownership. They were previously a team that had generally struggled to win the big one while in Los Angeles. The team has won 11 NBA titles since 1979. No other team won more than six during that time frame. I think we should be very clear that what is happening with the Lakers is not occurring in a vacuum. The average NBA is worth nearly $5 billion now. The average team was worth a little bit more than $100 million in 1995. Now, one way to look at that is the Lakers are worth a lot more than the average. That's true. That's what you get for being such a good team in the second most populated city in the country. The other way to look at it (and in my opinion, the correct way) is that the same phenomenon that made the Busses wealthy beyond anyone's wildest dreams is occurring league-wide. Most would attribute that to the massive media deals that the NBA and other leagues have been able to sign the last few decades. Indeed, there has been no league better at signing media deals than the NFL. Companies will pay hundreds of millions to broadcast just a few games. It helps that the NFL has long pooled its media rights when negotiating with television and now streaming companies. Even so, the scale of the increase is nuts. NFL teams were worth less than $200 million on average in 1995. Now, we're talking well more than $6 billion for the average team! This is an increase of about 4,000% in just 30 years. I'd point out too that this is an average. I have little doubt that a team like the Dallas Cowboys would fetch far more than $10 billion if Jerry Jones decided to put the team on the market. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account atCNN.com

byLiam Oneel
in
June 20, 2025

Trendlines: The Lakers aren’t alone. The value of sports franchises has skyrocketed

Trendlines: The Lakers aren't alone. The value of sports franchises has skyrocketed Welcome to Trendlines, your weekly installment of wh...
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Kacey Musgraves Reschedules Show After Breaking Rib from 'Extremely Hard Fall' in Mexico: 'Thankful I Didn't Smack My Head'New Foto - Kacey Musgraves Reschedules Show After Breaking Rib from 'Extremely Hard Fall' in Mexico: 'Thankful I Didn't Smack My Head'

Erika Goldring/Getty Kacey Musgraves is healing from an "extremely hard fall" in Mexico On Friday, June 20, the country star shared a pair of posts on Instagram Stories revealing she needed to reschedule her upcoming Sing for Science event in Nashville The event was supposed to take place on Sunday, June 22 Kacey Musgravesneeds to heal. On Friday, June 20, the country star shared a pair of posts onInstagram Storiesrevealing she needed to reschedule a performance after breaking her rib from an "extremely hard fall." "Sooo, I'm in Mexico with a f------ broken rib," Musgraves, 36, began the post, which she wrote over an X-ray of her torso. Michael Buckner/Variety via Getty She continued: "Wednesday night it was raining and I was running to grab some towels and had an extremely hard fall on some very slick tile I didn't see. Thankful I didn't smack my head but I landed very hard on my back left ribcage and broke rib number six." Musgraves revealed she was in "a lot of pain and doing ANYTHING is extremely difficult, however, she's "managing and being well taken care of." The "Cardinal" singer then said she would need to reschedule her upcoming performance for Sing for Science in Nashville on Sunday, June 22. "There is no physical way I can get on a plane and fly back to Nashville for the Sing for Science event," said Musgraves. She added that she was "extremely bummed" about needing to reschedule because she had been "looking forward to this for months." "But there's literally no other option," wrote Musgraves. "I'm so sorry for the inconvenience." Kacey Musgraves/Instagram The "Follow Your Arrow" artist also shared a close-up video of the X-ray with a sticker that read "Pain" on it. A rep for Musgraves declined to comment to PEOPLE. Musgraves then revealed that the event would be rescheduled for Sept. 18 and that tickets for the June 22 event would be honored for the new one. "Fans have up to 30 days if they can't make it to the new date," she wrote. In the now-rescheduled live taping, which will take place at the Ryman Auditorium, the Grammy-winning singer will be in conversation with world-renowned fungi expert Paul Stamets. "Together, they'll delve into the fascinating world of psilocybin, exploring what gives 'magic mushrooms' their magic," an official description of the event reads onthe Ryman website. Attendees will "discover how psilocybin is revolutionizing mental health care, its extraordinary biology, and its profound potential to change lives." Musgraves is currently set to play Zootown Festival on July 5 in Missoula, Mont., with performances at Hinterland Music Festival in Saint Charles, Iowa on Aug. 2 and Up in the Sky Festival in Aspen, Colo. on Aug. 9. Read the original article onPeople

byLiam Oneel
in
June 20, 2025

Kacey Musgraves Reschedules Show After Breaking Rib from 'Extremely Hard Fall' in Mexico: 'Thankful I Didn't Smack My Head'

Kacey Musgraves Reschedules Show After Breaking Rib from 'Extremely Hard Fall' in Mexico: 'Thankful I Didn't Smack My Head...
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'Hee Haw' Star Dies at 78 After Long Health DeclineNew Foto - 'Hee Haw' Star Dies at 78 After Long Health Decline

'Hee Haw' Star Dies at 78 After Long Health Declineoriginally appeared onParade. Gailard Sartain, beloved comedian andHee Hawstar, has died. He was 78 years old. On June 20, The Church Studio shared news of Sartain's death on Facebook. CEOTeresa Knoxlater confirmed it toTMZ. Knox told the outlet that Sartain had died earlier this week after a "long decline in health." "We are saddened by the loss of Gailard Sartain, an extraordinary actor, artist, and comedian. His late night visits in the 1970s to the studio after filming Mazeppa are fondly remembered,"the postfrom The Church Studio read. "Gailard's artwork is showcased on the cover of Leon Russell's 1975 albumWill O' the Wisp. Our condolences are with Mary Jo, Gailard's wife and a committed volunteer at The Church Studio." Victoria Hallman, a costar of Sartain's onHee Haw, shared her fond memories of her time on the show with the actor and told the outlet that he "made everyone on set laugh so hard, they had to redo takes." "I knew he wasn't in good health and hadn't been for a while. We always fool ourselves that people will hang on," Hallman said. "I wasn't expecting to find out in the wee hours of the morning." Sartain was widely known for the laughs he would get from the audience in the country-themed sketch comedy and variety showHee Haw, but he had several other memorable roles over the years. The Tulsa, Oklahoma, native showed off his acting chops inMississippi Burning,The Outsidersand alongsideKathy BatesinFried Green Tomatoes. The Outsiders House Museum, based in Tulsa, also shared a tribute to Sartain after his death. "Rest in Peace, Gailard Sartain. We're heartbroken to hear of the passing of Gailard Sartain—beloved actor, comedian, and artist. Seen here as Jerry inThe Outsiders, Gailard brought warmth and heart to every role he played," the museum shared alongside a photo of Sartain in the film viaFacebook. "A proud Okie and one-of-a-kind talent, he'll be dearly missed and always remembered. Stay gold, Gailard." 'Hee Haw' Star Dies at 78 After Long Health Declinefirst appeared on Parade on Jun 20, 2025 This story was originally reported byParadeon Jun 20, 2025, where it first appeared.

byLiam Oneel
in
June 20, 2025

‘Hee Haw’ Star Dies at 78 After Long Health Decline

'Hee Haw' Star Dies at 78 After Long Health Decline 'Hee Haw' Star Dies at 78 After Long Health Declineoriginally appeared o...
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Inside the numbers: Pacers, Thunder set to play Game 7 for NBA title on Sunday nightNew Foto - Inside the numbers: Pacers, Thunder set to play Game 7 for NBA title on Sunday night

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — For the 20th time, there will be a Game 7 in the NBA Finals. Indiana will play at Oklahoma City on Sunday night in the final game of the season, with the winner getting the Larry O'Brien Trophy. Home teams are 15-4 in Game 7 of the finals, but a road team — Cleveland, over Golden State — won the most recent of those games in 2016. A look inside some numbers surrounding this matchup: Odds are, nobody's scoring 40 There have been only two 40-point scoring performances in Game 7 of the NBA Finals — and both came in losing efforts. Jerry West scored 42 points in Game 7 of the 1969 series, but the Los Angeles Lakers lost to the Boston Celtics in Bill Russell's final game. And Elgin Baylor scored 41 points in Game 7 in 1962 — another Lakers-Celtics matchup — but Boston prevailed in that one as well. Bob Pettit had the third-highest scoring total in a Game 7. He had 39 for the St. Louis Hawks against the Celtics in 1957 ... and Boston won that game as well. The highest-scoring Game 7s in a winning effort? Those would be by Boston's Tom Heinsohn in that 1957 game against St. Louis and Miami's LeBron James in the 2013 series against San Antonio. Both had 37; Heinsohn's was a double-overtime game, James got his in regulation. And no team might break 100, either Yes, these are high-scoring teams. Oklahoma City was No. 4 in points per game in the regular season (120.5 per game) and Indiana was No. 7 (117.4). The Thunder are second in that category in the playoffs (115.2), just ahead of No. 3 Indiana (115.1). In Game 7, that might not matter much. No team has reached 100 points in Game 7 of the NBA Finals since 1988. Or even topped 95 points, for that matter. The last five Game 7s: — 2016, Cleveland 93, Golden State 89 — 2013, Miami 95, San Antonio 88 — 2010, Los Angeles Lakers 83, Boston 79 — 2005, San Antonio 81, Detroit 74 — 1994, Houston 90, New York 84 The last finals Game 7 to see someone hit the century mark was when the Lakers beat the Pistons 108-105 in 1988. Expect a close one The average margin of victory in Game 7 of an NBA Finals: 6.9 points. Each of the last eight such games have been decided by single digits. Only four have been double-digit wins: Boston over St. Louis by 19 in 1960, Minneapolis over New York by 17 in 1952, Boston over Milwaukee by 15 in 1974 and New York over the Los Angeles Lakers by 14 in 1970. The closest Game 7 in the finals was Syracuse beating Fort Wayne 92-91 in 1955. That was one of six finals Game 7s decided by three points or less. By seed The Thunder are the 22nd No. 1 seed to play in Game 7 of an NBA Finals. Their 21 predecessors on that list are 12-9 in the ultimate game; seven of those games have been ones where both teams entered the playoffs as No. 1 seeds. The Pacers are the fourth No. 4 seed to make Game 7 of the title round. Their three predecessors went 1-2 (Boston beat the Lakers in 1969, Seattle lost to Washington in 1978 and the Celtics lost to the Lakers in 2010). Game 7 experience It'll be the fourth Game 7 for Indiana forwards Pascal Siakam and Myles Turner. Siakam's teams have gone 2-1 in Game 7s, Turner's have gone 1-2. Indiana's Aaron Nesmith is 2-0 in the pair of Game 7s in which he has played, with Indiana winning at New York last year and Boston beating Milwaukee in 2022. Both of those wins were in the Eastern Conference semifinals. Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the league's reigning MVP, has averaged 27 points in two previous Game 7s. Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton scored 26 points in his lone Game 7 to this point. No player on either side has previously been part of a Game 7 in the NBA Finals. New for some refs, too The NBA doesn't announce referee assignments until game day, so it won't be known until Sunday morning who the three-person crew is for Game 7. This much is certain: for at least two of the referees, it'll be the first time on the Game 7 finals stage. Scott Foster — who would seem a likely pick this year — worked Game 7 of the finals in 2013 alongside Dan Crawford and Monty McCutchen, and Game 7 of the title series in 2010 with Dan Crawford and Joe Crawford. The most recent Game 7 of the finals was in 2016 and the crew for that game was Dan Crawford, McCutchen and Mike Callahan. Outside of Foster, no referee in this year's pool has been on the floor for a Game 7 in the NBA Finals. ___ AP NBA:https://apnews.com/hub/NBA

byLiam Oneel
in
June 20, 2025

Inside the numbers: Pacers, Thunder set to play Game 7 for NBA title on Sunday night

Inside the numbers: Pacers, Thunder set to play Game 7 for NBA title on Sunday night OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — For the 20th time, there will be a...
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Emails provide glimpse into how Bill Belichick handled fallout from Jordon Hudson's viral moment in CBS interviewNew Foto - Emails provide glimpse into how Bill Belichick handled fallout from Jordon Hudson's viral moment in CBS interview

Bill Belichick told North Carolina "I don't want to make a wrong move here" when responding to the aftermath ofhis book interview with "CBS Sunday Morning." The late-April interview went viral for the way that Belichick's girlfriend Jordon Hudson chimed in when the 73-year-old coach was asked a question about how the two met. Instead of Belichick answering — and likely deflecting — the innocuous question from the interviewer, Tony Dokoupil, the 24-year-old Hudson curtly said the topic was off-limits. That moment thrust the relationship between the two into an even bigger spotlight and led to Belichick releasing a statement saying that Hudson had no direct involvement with North Carolina football and that he had a "personal and professional" relationship with her. In communications between Belichick and employees at North Carolina obtained by WRAL, the coach wanted advice on his post-interview statement and said that Hudson was at the interview because no PR representative from his publisher Simon & Schuster was there. From WRAL: "Jordon and I have both a personal & professional relationship," Belchick wrote in the email. "This is not a secret. Jordon assists me with my personal media, which is why I asked UNC to forward media requests (E.G. CBS 60 Minutes) to her. Jordon has zero involvement in the UNC football program, beyond the degree that my personal media intersects with it." CBS wanted to do the interview in Chapel Hill, Belichick wrote in an email, "which I rejected because UNC was not part of the book." The interview took place in Annapolis, Maryland, at the site ofBelichick's former high school. Belichick wore a tattered U.S. Naval Academy sweatshirt during the interview. His father coached at Navy for decades. "Jordon was present at the CBS interview because David Kass, the Simon & Schuster publicist, was not there," Belichick wrote, referring to the publisher of his book. "I included Jordon in the book acknowledgments because she was a creative contributor to the book, including having the idea for formatting the 4 special pages in the book." Belichick also claimed that CBS "secretly" had a camera trained on Hudson during the interview. In an email, Belichick said that Hudson had asked where she could sit off camera and that "secretly, CBS had a camera focused on Jordon where lead producer Gabe [Falcon] instructed her to sit." The coach also said that CBS wanted to do a walk-and-talk with Dokoupil for the interview package but he declined after the question about Hudson.According to TMZ,the moment that CBS aired of Hudson was not the only time she chimed in during the interview. In his statement, Belichick said that Hudsonwas "simply doing her job"and said that he only wanted to focus on topics in his book during promotional interviews. He also added that he was "surprised when unrelated topics were introduced." Dokoupil asked Belichick about New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft and why he was omitted from the book. If the subject of Kraft was off-limits to Belichick because he wasn't in the book, the same can't be said for Hudson. After Belichick's statement was released, CBS said there were no preconditions on the interview and that fact was "confirmed repeatedly with his publisher before the interview took place and after it was completed."

byLiam Oneel
in
June 20, 2025

Emails provide glimpse into how Bill Belichick handled fallout from Jordon Hudson's viral moment in CBS interview

Emails provide glimpse into how Bill Belichick handled fallout from Jordon Hudson's viral moment in CBS interview Bill Belichick told No...
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