Thunder claim first NBA title after beating Pacers 103-91
Second title of the franchise
Thunder claim first NBA title after beating Pacers 103-91
▲ Canadian Shai Gilgeous Alexander led Oklahoma's offense at the Paycom Center. AP Photo
AP and AFP
La Jornada Newspaper, Monday, June 23, 2025, p. a12
Oklahoma. Injuries in sports sometimes come at the cruelest moments. The Oklahoma City Thunder were crowned NBA champions yesterday, for the first time under that name, with a 103-91 victory over the Indiana Pacers, who suffered early in the game due to the injury of star Tyrese Haliburton in one of the most closely contested Finals series in recent years.
"It was heartbreaking, man
," Pacers center Myles Turner told ABC in an interview after the first quarter. "It's unfortunate, but we're behind Tyrese
."
The game played at the Paycom Center was the 20th seven-game series in NBA history and the first since 2016 in the NBA Finals. Oklahoma City captured its first NBA title under its name and the second in franchise history, thanks to the title it won in 1979 when the team played in Seattle as the SuperSonics.
Haliburton, who competed with a strained right calf, fell to the court in the first quarter and immediately began pounding the floor in frustration. Indiana's best player needed help heading to the locker room, disconsolate and with a towel covering his face.
Television replays appeared to show something breaking in the back of his leg. John Haliburton, Tyrese's father, told ABC that it was an Achilles tendon injury.
"I think I have to be as smart as I want to be,"
Haliburton said before Game 6 of the series. "I have to understand the risks, ask the right questions. I'm a competitor, I want to play, and I'm going to do everything in my power to do that
."
The departure of their main player didn't immediately affect the Indiana team, which maintained a close game throughout the first half. But the 25-year-old's creativity on the court was lacking from the third quarter onwards, where the Thunder unleashed their full offensive arsenal, led by season MVP Shai Gilgeous Alexander.
"I had fun, it was an incredible time, and we lived up to our expectations. We have a team full of competitors
," said the Canadian, who led his team offensively by scoring 29 points, dishing out 12 assists, and grabbing four rebounds. For the Pacers, Pascal Siakam and TJ McConnell led the charge in the face of Haliburton's injury.
Oklahoma became the seventh different champion in the last seven seasons, a streak of parity unmatched in NBA history. Pacers forward Pascal Siakam was part of Toronto's 2019 championship; Thunder guard Alex Caruso was on the Los Angeles Lakers' 2020 victory in the pandemic bubble
; Pacers forward Thomas Bryant won the championship with Denver in 2023.
Ohtani strikes out two in his second start and drives in five runs
The Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Washington Nationals 13-7
▲ The Japanese star hit his 26th home run in the eighth inning. AP Photo
Ap
La Jornada Newspaper, Monday, June 23, 2025, p. a12
Los Angeles., Shohei Ohtani pitched a hitless inning in his second start for the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday, striking out two and allowing just one baserunner due to an error by Mookie Betts, as the Dodgers beat the Washington Nationals 13-7.
Ohtani threw 18 pitches against Washington at Chavez Ravine, recording 12 strikes with one wild pitch. After leadoff hitter CJ Abrams grounded out, Betts dropped a James Wood popup in the sunshine, but Ohtani struck out Luis Garcia Jr. and Nathaniel Lowe to end the inning.
After pitching, the Japanese hitter took the bat and struck out on seven pitches as the Dodgers' leadoff hitter against Washington's Michael Soroka in the bottom of the first inning.
The Japanese star stood out at the plate in the seventh inning, connecting a three-run triple down the right field line to put the home team up 7-3.
On the mound, Ben Casparius replaced his Japanese teammate in the second inning for the California team, who probably saw what they expected from their two-way player.
Ohtani's fastball topped out at 98.8 mph after hitting 100 in his first outing, and he finished both strikeouts with breaking pitches.
It's worth noting that he allowed two hits and one run while throwing 28 pitches in the first inning last Monday against the San Diego Padres in his first appearance on the mound since 2023.
The Japanese star struck out in his first two at-bats Sunday, but drew a walk in the sixth inning and scored on Max Muncy's grand slam . Ohtani then cleared the bases himself in the seventh inning with his 101.3 mph grounder to the right-field corner.
In addition, in the eighth inning he hit a two-run home run that barely cleared left-center field.
Shohei Ohtani didn't pitch at all last season while recovering from arm surgery during his first season with the Dodgers under a 10-year, $700 million contract. He won his third MVP award, becoming the first player in baseball history with 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in a season, and with the Dodgers, he won his first World Series championship.
▲ The game was held at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada. AP Photo
From the Editorial Staff
La Jornada Newspaper, Monday, June 23, 2025, p. a34
The image that best defines Mexico's level of performance at the Gold Cup is that of national coach Javier Aguirre, often worried and thoughtful, evidently frustrated by the signs his team is sending toward the 2026 World Cup. His annoyance harks back to a time when the Tricolor was a lackluster opponent, lacking in enthusiasm for work, relying on individual sparks as in processes led by others in his charge. For more than 80 minutes, the 0-0 draw against Costa Rica exposed the offensive weaknesses of his players, who were dominant at the start but lacked the imagination to overcome the experienced goalkeeper Keylor Navas at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.
Although he's been in charge for more than 30 years, Aguirre doesn't understand simple worlds. His two previous seasons in charge—Korea-Japan 2002 and South Africa 2010—attracted the same criticisms regarding his squad's performance. From César Montes's mistakes to Raúl Jiménez's attacks that ended with Navas, the first half of the Tricolor team represented the values its fans demand to improve the current football situation: dedication, simplicity, and leadership. Far from any form of stridency, Costa Rica demonstrated its proud connection to the vision of Miguel Herrera, its coach and key figure in the locker room.
"You beat Mexico with a perfect match
," El Piojo said on Saturday about the kind of challenges the Costa Rican team must face to compete in a World Cup again. One of his first tasks was to convince Navas, a former Real Madrid star, to return to defending the national team's goal after a brief retirement. After several phone calls, praise at press conferences, and a personal trip to the city of Rosario, Argentina, where La Pantera, 38, currently defends the goal for Newell's Old Boys, the former Mexican national team coach convinced him to join his adventure. If it weren't for him, his team's resilience would not have been the same.
Navas showed his influence every time Raúl Jiménez and Luis Chávez challenged him. He grew in stature, flew through the six-yard box as he did in his prime with Madrid, and when one of his defenders made a mistake, as in the goal disallowed for Santiago Giménez for an alleged offside, the experienced Costa Rican stood up and kept going. Guatemalan referee Mario Escobar dampened the excitement of thousands of El Tri fans in the final minutes when Giménez, taking advantage of a header from midfielder Orlando Galo, scissor-kicked into the back of the net from a free kick. Despite the effusive celebration, VAR assisted Escobar to disallow the goal for offside.
With first place in Group A secured (7 points out of a possible 9), the Mexican team will face Gold Cup host Saudi Arabia in the quarterfinals. Meanwhile, the Costa Ricans will face the United States, who finished first in Group D with a clean sheet. In the closing match of the first phase, the Dominican Republic and Suriname also played to a goalless draw at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.
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