Ricky O'Donnell

1 week ago | sbnation.com | Ricky O'Donnell

Photo by Zach Beeker/NBAE via Getty Images The Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers are on the brink of an unlikely matchup in the 2025 NBA Finals. The Thunder and Pacers each hold a 3-1 lead in their respective conference finals series, and while 13 teams in league history have overcome such a deficit to advance in the NBA Playoffs, it doesn’t feel like the Minnesota Timberwolves or New York Knicks are playing well enough right now to pull off that kind of feat.

1 week ago | sbnation.com | Ricky O'Donnell

Yaxel Lendeborg felt like he had the toughest 2025 NBA Draft decision of any early entry candidate. The 22-year-old big man emerged as one of the best players in college basketball this past season at UAB as an offensive supernova who doubled as a high-level defensive anchor. Lendeborg put his name in the transfer portal and committed to Michigan while testing out the NBA Draft waters, where he hoped to be a first-round pick. Lendeborg has made his decision, and Michigan’s gain is the NBA’s loss.

1 week ago | sbnation.com | Ricky O'Donnell

Photo by Jordan Johnson/NBAE via Getty Images The Oklahoma City Thunder and Minnesota Timberwolves produced an incredibly high-level basketball game for the first 47 minutes of Game 4 in the Western Conference Finals of the 2025 NBA Playoffs. The final minute was set for a thrilling finish with the Wolves holding possession down three with eight seconds left. That’s when the game flow stopped and the foul game began.

1 week ago | sbnation.com | Ricky O'Donnell

Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images The New York Knicks were on their deathbed midway through the second quarter in Game 3 against the Indiana Pacers in the 2025 Eastern Conference Finals. The Pacers raced out to a 20-point lead on their home floor while already holding a 2-0 series lead from their dramatic wins in New York. No team in NBA history has ever come back from a 3-0 deficit. Somehow, the Knicks dug deep and pulled out a win.

2 weeks ago | sbnation.com | Ricky O'Donnell

Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images The Indiana Pacers were a wonderful story and a thrilling watch, but they also felt a little bit like a gimmick. Indiana was off to a blazing start to the 2023-2024 season, cranking up the tempo and scoring at will as young point guard Tyrese Haliburton began to emerge as a star. The Pacers were posting the best offensive efficiency rating in league history as the calendar turned to Jan.