Chris Mannix

1 week ago | si.com | Chris Mannix

INDIANAPOLIS — Tyrese Haliburton was hurt. Tyrese Haliburton was great. Indiana 108, Oklahoma City 91 on Thursday. Are you ready for a Game 7? What a game. What a series. After back-to-back losses to Oklahoma City, Indiana was on the ropes. The Thunder’s defense kicked it into gear in Game 5, forcing 23 turnovers and holding the Pacers to 36.7% from three. Worse, Indiana left Bricktown with Haliburton hobbled by a calf strain that contributed to his worst shooting game of the postseason.

1 week ago | sacbee.com | Chris Mannix

The scene felt funereal. In April, minutes after Duke's collapse in the NCAA semifinal against Houston, a contingent of Blue Devils motored down a back hall of the Alamodome on a golf cart. Coach Jon Scheyer, flanked by freshman wing Kon Knueppel, was stuffed in the middle row. As the cart hummed down the quiet hallway, Cooper Flagg appeared on the back, still in his sweat-soaked uniform, staring vacantly in the direction he came. The images, captured by dozens of camera phones, quickly went viral.

1 week ago | miamiherald.com | Chris Mannix

In the aftermath of Game 5, Williams's teammates were quick to praise him. "He can shoulder a load," Gilgeous-Alexander said. "I've said this before. He does so many things for us as a basketball team on both ends of the floor when he's the best version of himself." Said Chet Holmgren, "We don't get here without him playing as good as he's playing."When it was his turn at the podium, Williams was having none of it.

1 week ago | si.com | Chris Mannix

OKLAHOMA CITY — Last March, during a few days in Oklahoma reporting out a magazine story, I asked Thunder officials a question: Who is the wild card? On paper, Oklahoma City was a juggernaut, a 68-win freight train, with the MVP leading the offense, waves of defenders backstopping the league’s stingiest defense. But the Thunder were young and inexperienced, and the Western Conference playoff field was filled with teams older and more experienced. Someone had to exceed expectations, I reasoned.

2 weeks ago | si.com | Chris Mannix

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander drove left, into Aaron Nesmith, straight into the teeth of an Indiana Pacers defense that had been manhandling him all night. For three quarters on Friday, the Pacers had largely bottled up Gilgeous-Alexander, sending waves of defenders—big, strong, physical defenders—into Gilgeous-Alexander’s airspace, forcing him into midrange jump shots, keeping the MVP off the free throw line. He had 20 points entering the fourth quarter—but was a -16 overall.