Texas softball is a national champion for the first time.

The Longhorns defeated Texas Tech 10-4 in Game 3 of the Women’s College World Series championship series on Friday at Devon Park in Oklahoma City. Texas scored five runs off NiJaree Canady in the first inning and never looked back.

Leighann Goode capped the explosive first inning for the Longhorns with a three-run blast, which turned out to be the only inning for Canady. Texas added four more runs in the bottom of the fourth inning on a grand slam by catcher Reese Atwood, but could not finish the game with a run-rule victory in the fifth inning.

Texas ace Teagan Kavan limited Texas Tech to four runs and eight hits, but none of the runs she allowed were earned. This was the Longhorns’ eighth WCWS appearance, but their first-ever championship. The Longhorns lost to rival Oklahoma in the championship series last season.

USA TODAY Sports has you covered with scores and highlights from Game 3 of the WCWS finals. Catch up with the WCWS Game 3 here:

Watch WCWS finals with ESPN+

Texas vs Texas Tech softball score

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Texas vs Texas Tech softball updates

Final: Texas 10, Texas Tech 4

Texas beats Texas Tech 10-4 for first national championship

Texas defeats Texas Tech 10-4 first-ever national championship in softball. Mia Scott hit a grand slam in the fourth inning, while Leighann Goode had a three-run home run in the first inning. The Longhorns scored five runs in the first inning off Canady. 

Teagan Kavan struck out three in a complete game effort, limiting the Red Raiders to four runs, but none of them were earned due to errors by the Texas defense.

Hailey Toney drives in another run

Hailey Toney singles to left field to score Makayla Garcia to make it 10-4. Mihyia Davis is thrown out at third, but obstruction is called. The play is under review.

The call is overturned and Davis is out at third. Texas has two outs.

End of sixth inning: Texas 10, Texas Tech 3

Texas Tech forces seventh inning

Samantha Lincoln strikes out Reese Atwood and Katie Stewart with the game-clinching run in scoring position. Texas Tech forces a seventh inning. The Longhorns are still three outs away from a national championship.

Teagan Kavan keeps Texas Tech off the board in sixth inning

Texas Tech cannot put up a run in the top of the sixth inning. Texas will have another chance to walk it off via run rule in the bottom of the inning. Kavan picked up her second and third strikeouts in the sixth.

End of fifth inning: Texas 10, Texas Tech 3

Texas Tech forces sixth inning

A combination of a three-run fifth for the Red Raiders and a scoreless frame for the Longhorns keeps Texas Tech out of run rule territory. The Red Raiders will get to bat at least once more in the sixth inning.

Hailey Toney keeps Texas Tech alive with 2-RBI single

Texas Tech is not done yet. Hailey Toney with a two-RBI single and it’s 10-3 Texas with the lead in the fifth. The run-rule is off the table, for now.

Mihyia Davis plates first Texas Tech run

Mihyia Davis plates a run on an infield single, followed by a throwing error, putting runners on second and third with two outs for Texas Tech.

End of fourth inning: Texas 10, Texas Tech 0

College softball run-rule, explained

Texas has a 10-0 lead in the bottom of the fourth inning vs. Texas Tech. The Longhorns are three outs away in the top of the fifth inning from picking up a run-rule victory. Here’s an explanation of how the run-rule works in college softball.

Samantha Lincoln enters to pitch for Texas

Samantha Lincoln is taking over in the circle for Chloe Riassetto. Lincoln will be the third pitcher of the game for the Longhorns.

Mia Scott hits grand slam for Texas

Mia Scott deposits a ball over the center field wall for a grand slam. That’s a 10-0 lead for Texas. The Longhorns are now three outs away from a run-rule victory.

Teagan Kavan with most consecutive scoreless innings in WCWS

Teagan Kavan has now gone 28 2/3 innings without allowing an earned run at the WCWS. That’s the longest streak by any pitcher at the WCWS.

Teagan Kavan allows first hit, scoreless through four innings

Hailey Toney gets the first Texas Tech hit of the game off Teagan Kavan. However, Kavan retires the next three hitters in order and is through four innings without allowing a run. Toney was the first baserunner for the Red Raiders since Lauren Allred was hit by a pitch in the first inning.

End of third inning: Texas 6, Texas Tech 0

Katie Stewart double scores Reese Atwood to extend Texas lead

Reese Atwood leads off the bottom of the third inning with a double and is followed by a double by Katie Stewart, which scores Atwood. The Longhorns are now up 6-0. They are closing in on eight run-rule territory.

Teagan Kavan has set down seven in a row

Teagan Kavan has retired seven in a row, as she records her second straight 1-2-3 inning. Kavan only has one strikeout so far, but has generated five groundouts.

End of second inning: Texas 5, Texas Tech 0

Texas goes quietly in second inning vs Chloe Riassetto

After hanging five runs in the first inning against NiJaree Canady, Texas is unable to add more despite a two-out single from Kayden Henry. Chloe Riassetto, who came in in relief of Canady, holds the Longhorns scoreless to begin her night.

Chloe Riassetto enters for NiJaree Canady

Chloe Riassetto replaces NiJaree Canady in the circle in the second inning. Riassetto will be the first non-Canady pitcher to throw in the WCWS and since the start of the Tallahassee Super Regional.

Teagan Kavan retires Texas Tech 1-2-3 in second inning

Teagan Kavan delivers a shutdown inning by retiring Texas Tech 1-2-3 in the second inning. A quick inning from the Texas pitcher gets the Longhorns back at the plate with a chance to build on the lead.

End of first inning: Texas 5, Texas Tech 0

Leighann Goode hits a 3-run home run off NiJaree Canady

Leighann Goode hits a three-run home run off NiJaree Canady with two outs. Texas now leads 5-0 in the first inning. It’s Goode’s fourth home run of the postseason and the 10th of the season.

The Longhorns had five runs total in the first two games.

Katie Stewart extends Texas lead on NiJaree Canady

Texas has seemed to figure out NiJaree Canady, as Katie Stewart drives in another run on a single. The Longhorns have four straight hits, including back-to-back RBI singles to make it 2-0 Texas in the bottom of the first.

Reese Atwood gives Texas lead in first inning

With runners on first and second and one out, Texas catcher Reese Atwood singles through the right side for an RBI single to score Kayden Henry. The Longhorns have runners on second and third with one out following an E7.

Teagan Kavan fires scoreless first inning

Teagan Kavan throws a scoreless first inning, working around a two-out hit batter. Kavan needed just four pitches to retire the first two hitters, but Lauren Allred forced a 13-pitch at bat before being hit by a pitch. Kavan induces a groundball by Alana Johnson to get out of the inning.

Texas home team for WCWS Game 3

Texas is the home team for WCWS Game 3. That means the Longhorns field and pitch first and would bat last in the seventh inning, if necessary.

Game 3 of WCWS finals underway

Texas pitcher Teagan Kavan fires a first pitch strike and Game 3 of the 2025 WCWS is officially underway.

Pregame

How many innings is a college softball game?

Teagan Kavan starts for Texas in WCWS final Game 3

Teagan Kavan is starting for Texas in Game 3 of the WCWS final. Kavan started and won Game 1, but did not come out of the bullpen until the bottom of the sixth inning in Game 2. Kavan allowed two inherited runners to score, which were key insurance runs for the Red Raiders.

Texas starting lineup for WCWS final Game 3

Here’s the Longhorns’ starting lineup for the third game of the WCWS final:

Ashton Maloney, RF
Kayden Henry, CF
Mia Scott, 3B
Reese Atwood, C
Katie Stewart, LF
Joley Mitchell, 1B
Leighann Goode, SS
Katie Cimusz, DP
Kaydee Bennett, 2B

NiJaree Canady starting for Texas Tech

For the third straight night, NiJaree Canady is the starter for the Red Raiders. Canady has thrown 495 pitches in five games in the WCWS.

Texas Tech starting lineup for WCWS Game 3 final

Here’s the lineup for the Red Raiders in Game 3 of the WCWS final. Texas Tech is the designated road team.

Mihyia Davis, CF
Hailey Toney, SS
Lauren Allred, 1B
Alana Johnson, RF
Alexa Langeliers, 2B
NiJaree Canady, SP
Demi Elder, LF
Victoria Valdez, C
Bailey Lindemuth, 3B

Texas-Texas Tech most watched WCWS final Game 2 in history

Game 2 of the WCWS final between Texas and Texas Tech was the most-watched Game 2 ever with 2.1 million viewers. The game peaked at 2.6 million viewers and was up 5% from 2024’s Game 2 between Texas and Oklahoma.

The game is the fifth-most watched college softball game across ESPN platforms.

NiJaree Canady signs new NIL deal during WCWS

Texas-Texas Tech to play winner-take-all Game 3 WCWS final

Texas and Texas Tech are set to square off in a winner-take-all Game 3 in the Women’s College World Series championship series. Since the format was adopted in 2005, this marks the seventh Game 3. Here’s a look at the history of Game 3s.

What time does Texas vs Texas Tech softball start?

Time: 8 p.m. ET
Date: Friday, June 6
Location: Devon Park (Oklahoma City)

First pitch for Game 3 of the WCWS finals is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET from Devon Park in Oklahoma City.

What TV channel is Texas vs Texas Tech softball on today?

TV channel: ESPN
Streaming: ESPN app | ESPN+

Game 3 of the national championship series between Texas and Texas Tech will air live on ESPN, with streaming options on the ESPN app (with a cable login) and ESPN+, the latter of which serves as the network’s streaming service.

WCWS finals schedule

Wednesday, June 4: No. 6 Texas 2, No. 12 Texas Tech 1
Thursday, June 5: No. 12 Texas Tech 4, No. 6 Texas 3
Friday, June 6: Texas vs. Texas Tech | 8 p.m. | ESPN (ESPN+)

Like PitchCom did with baseball, the company is targeting the top of the professional ranks to introduce their new products. The new, anti-sign-stealing technology – called PitchCom Impact, the football version of the product that changed pitcher-catcher communication in baseball, leading to a more streamlined product while preventing sign-stealing – made its professional football debut this weekend in the Canadian Football League. 

“Sort of the proof of concept,” PitchCom co-founder John Hankins told USA TODAY Sports. 

The tech tryout began June 5 as the Saskatchewan Roughriders played the Ottawa Redblacks and continued through the league’s opening weekend as seven of the nine teams tried it out.

PitchCom debuted in Major League Baseball at the start of the 2022 season and, combined with the pitch clock, has helped dramatically decrease the length of games. But the company had its sights set beyond the diamond.  

“At the end of the day, though, we wanted to be involved in football,” Hankins said, “because people always said, you know, ‘This makes perfect sense.’” 

PitchCom attended the American Football Coaches Association Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina this past January. They walked to the CFL booth and vice president of customer relations Jon Updike demonstrated how PitchCom worked. The league was impressed by the size of the device and that it could fit safely into a helmet. 

Co-founder Craig Filicetti said slight software modifications were required. In baseball, the pitcher or catcher presses the buttons and a pre-recorded voice calls out the corresponding pitch and location through an earpiece located in a player’s cap or helmet. But in football, there are exponentially more types of plays (and personnel groupings) compared to pitches and locations. 

By March, Filicetti created a usable product for the league to use at its annual combine. The defensive coach who ran the drill had the controller and the players had helmets fitted with earpieces. The remaining defensive coordinators for the other teams that were present all received audio headpieces, which allowed every coach to hear what play was being called as well. The test went well and the CFL wanted devices fast tracked for games, Hankins said. 

“It’s groundbreaking and I think it shows their adaptability and their willingness to change and wanting to make improvements and kind of being on that leading edge of technology and stuff, which is great,” Filicetti said. 

The CFL introduction is strictly for the defense. To make it game-ready, Filicetti changed the keypad interface into a numbering system that allows for coaches to type in two-digit or three-digit combinations. The player will hear that and determine his assignment from that instruction, rather than having to look to the sideline for a signal or having the play call communicated through one player’s helmet, followed by that player relaying it to 11 of his teammates or having to signal the play to his side.

Instead, a coach – usually in the press box – looks at his play sheet that now includes numbers. He presses the numbers, and it’s sent to the players who have the device in their helmets. The prototype is similar to the baseball catcher’s helmet device. 

A coach can press a button for a longer period that will signal different types of personnel into the earpiece. Multiple coaches can use the device and split the duties – one setting the personnel, the other dialing up the actual play – up until the ball is snapped. The CFL’s 20-second play clock, which differs from the 40 seconds in the NFL, makes PitchCom Impact a natural tool. While watching the Redblacks-Roughriders game Thursday, a 31-26 Saskatchewan victory, Hankins noted that the defense often looked set before the offense. 

Another use of PitchCom Impact is on the practice field, since the device allows coaches to simultaneously dole out different assignments to different positions with the press of a button. “(Coaches) don’t have to even be looking,” Filicetti said. “They could just hit that play and those players who (have the device) know what it is. And they’re saying that their practices are more efficient. They’re getting more reps in because they’re not having to get (players’) attention and get them all looking and then put the sign in.” 

“It speeds up the game,” Hankins added. “Just like in baseball.” 

Filicetti said the CFL is going to benefit from the three years of “significant advancements” PitchCom made in product reliability, durability and design. He’s designing a new transmitter (controller held by coach) that will be easier to use on a sideline, since the original prototypes were made for catchers who’d be concealing it behind home plate. They also want to integrate with teams’ current communications on headsets, since coaches are already all talking on there during games. 

NFL teams are allowed to use PitchCom in practices if they wanted to, but current rules about in-game communication means that it won’t be used in the NFL unless the league edits the rule book. 

PitchCom’s partners now, as of June 6, include USA Softball. Thirteen of the 16 teams playing in the men’s College World Series Super Regionals are PitchCom users, as are 180 total Division I baseball and softball programs. They’re also suppliers for the Korean Baseball Organization (KBO) and in the professional leagues in Mexico and the Dominican Republic. 

WASHINGTON – This is a Chicago Cubs team like no other.

There’s no curse to bust, and besides, it’s been nearly a decade since the star-studded 2016 edition captured the franchise’s first World Series since 1908. Nor are there glaring holes ranging from laughable to mystifying, as so many Cub clubs before ’16 embodied the former, and the oft penny-pinching editions since featured the latter.

No, the team with the best record in the National League is, by both design and happenstance, solid and spectacular. Solid, as in it does many of the obscure yet crucial things so well, such as catching the ball, running the bases, making contact and limiting damage.

As for the spectacular? That’s what Pete Crow-Armstrong provides.

The most valuable player in the National League, by whichever flavor of WAR you prefer, has won games – stolen them, at times – with every one of baseball’s five tools, sometimes in stunning succession.

The Cubs left Washington late Thursday night for Detroit, with a series win in hand and a PCA play of the day for every Cubbie diehard that came out to Nationals Park. One night, it was not his speed but rather the threat of it that froze a Washington defender and resulted in a game-changing misplay as he danced off third.

The next, it was a gap-to-gap sprint and crash into the left field wall to haul in a fly ball and keep intact a perfect game by lefty starter Matthew Boyd. And Thursday, it was simply turning on a hanging curveball and drilling it 412 feet over the center field wall for a first-inning, two-run home run that sent the Cubs victoriously on their way out of town.

With his ability to apply a dash of slug or a drop of speed right when the Cubs need it, Crow-Armstrong is as much an artist on the field as his parents – both successful actors – are in their work. And in the context of his ballclub, Crow-Armstrong is part of a breathtaking mosaic the Cubs, now 39-23, have commissioned.

“It’s funny because you hear it all the time: ‘This team plays the game the right way.’ So many times, people have a hard time being able to define what that means,” Dansby Swanson, now in his third year as the Cubs’ shortstop, tells USA TODAY Sports. “I feel like we just have a lot of good baseball players.

“And when you put a lot of good baseball players on a team together that have a hunger and drive to do things for more than themselves, it leads to good team baseball.  Everyone’s accountable for themselves. Guys are accountable with one another. We have good relationships with each other. We hang out toger, do things together, really cherish being in this room together.

“All those things, put into one, turn out to truly lead to good results on the field.”

It’s a club that is by turns sexy and workmanlike. Acquiring slugger Kyle Tucker – who can become a free agent after this season – in a blockbuster deal with the Houston Astros gave the Cubs one of the top five all-around players in the game, and his slugging ability has both lengthened the lineup and relieved the burden on those hitting around him.

As the season creeps toward the halfway point, Crow-Armstrong’s 16 homers and 21 steals put him on track for a 40-40 season. And any feat of athleticism – from a guy whose speed ranks in the 97th percentile of the majors – can inspire Cubs faithful to send a “P-C-A!” chant echoing through Wrigleyville.  

Yet almost every other facet is simply part of a well-rounded hardball diet.

They rank third in the majors in stolen bases and second with an 84.4% success rate; they’re also third in the NL in bases taken – or, advancing on grounders, fly balls and balls in the dirt.

Crow-Armstrong and second baseman Nico Hoerner rank first and second, respectively, at their positions in Outs Above Average; left fielder Ian Happ, Swanson, Tucker and Hoerner boast seven career Gold Gloves among them.

And in what can only be described as sleight of hand in this modern hitting environment, the Cubs rank fourth in the majors with a .443 slugging percentage – yet just 22nd in strikeouts, getting to significant punch without the punchouts.

It’s a gently suffocating style of baseball, where an extra ball in play creates an extra out, an extra base taken produces another run, and then somebody runs into one and sends it over the ivy.

“We do all the major things well,” says Justin Turner, the Cubs’ 40-year-old designated hitter and veteran of nine playoff teams in Los Angeles, “but the little intangibles are, I think, even more off the charts. It’s elite defense, especially up the middle. It’s one of the best baserunning teams I’ve been on, as far as stealing bases, taking extra bases, putting pressure on the defense.

“And I feel like the offense is one of the more dynamic ones I’ve been a part of – whether that’s hitting homers, playing small ball, situational hitting, stealing bases. It doesn’t mean it’s gonna happen every night. But it’s a very well-rounded club.”

 Yet win or lose, the Cubs can count on something spectacular happening from No. 4.

‘He’s gonna be the next big thing’

Crow-Armstrong cuts a unique figure among the finely-tuned behemoths populating a big league clubhouse. Listed at 6 feet and 184 pounds, his frame doesn’t suggest a 40-homer guy will soon emerge.

Clad in a ski cap, sweatpants and a shin protector even as the pregame temperature nudges north of 80 degrees, he looks more the SoCal native headed to the skate park rather than the indoor batting cage.

Yet something happens when he hits the diamond.

“Everybody kind of knew, ‘Oh, it’s Pete, he’s gonna be the next big thing.’ And now you see it coming to fruition,” says Cubs rookie right-hander Cade Horton, who frequently crossed paths with Crow-Armstrong on the youth showcase circuit in high school. “He’s just the ultimate competitor and has all the tools.

“It was a combination of the athletic ability and his fiery competitiveness. When you put those two things together, it’s a recipe for something good. Just watching him compete was really, really special.”

Success did not come overnight. The New York Mets drafted him 19th overall in 2020, then flipped him for Javy Baez. At 21, he made a 13-game debut in 2023, then produced just a .237 average and .286 OBP in 123 games last season.

But defense will always keep you up. Crow-Armstrong produced 2.3 WAR last season despite his offensive struggles. And then, sometimes it all comes together.

“I think we unfairly put things on players at a young age nowadays, whether it’s just hype, the affinity for prospects and what’s next and what’s new, and it heightens expectations at a young age,” says Swanson. “The coolest thing is, usually in that third taste, that third year, you expect guys to really kind of come into their own and he’s obviously done that. I’m not surprised by anything he does.

“He’s a phenomenally gifted talent, he’s super competitive, he’s very passionate, very, in a good way, hard on himself about wanting to be great at this game. Asks the right questions.

“I say this with a smirk on my face: Everything he does I expect him to do. I always believed in his ability and I’ll never let him settle for anything less than that. He’s lit the world on fire.”

And Pete feats can emerge when you least expect them.

Tuesday night, the Cubs fell in a 3-1 hole by the fourth inning when Crow-Armstrong led off with a hustle double to right field and promptly stole third base.

The next ball was chopped to third and Armstrong danced off about 20 feet, prompting third baseman Jose Tena to look him back to third.

Yet Armstrong didn’t budge. Tena ran toward him. Everybody’s safe.

A single and a sacrifice fly later, the game was tied and an inning later, firmly in hand for the Cubs.

“His speed is something everybody on the field knows about it. You have to respect it. And speed causes mistakes,” says manager Craig Counsell.

For Armstrong, the exploits come with a firmer base, literally and figuratively. He credits his power surge to using the ground better, as he says, to exploit his lower half. And he entered spring convicted, secure in his job, and that’s made all the difference.

“I just came in with a lot more comfort and confidence in myself, really, but I think the coolest part about that is what’s been asked of me hasn’t really changed,” says Crow-Armstrong. “No one’s asked me to hit the homers and do all this stuff. But the freedom I’ve been granted, the space to go play every day, I think that’s why we’re seeing that.

“My goal, and my job and what is asked of me is still just to go play a good center field.”

‘How could you not want that?’

And yet the Cubs have received so much more.

But their current heater – they’re now a majors-best 17-6 since May 10 – is so much about everybody doing their part.

With All-Star lefty Shota Imanaga sidelined by a hamstring injury at least a couple more weeks, the club has relied on Horton’s emergence, Jameson Taillon’s veteran steadiness and the signing of Drew Pomeranz to largely serve as an opener to shore up the rotation. The bullpen has posted a 0.74 ERA over its past 19 games.

And the holdovers, Happ and Hoerner, now have a powerful core to illuminate their contributions, such as Hoerner’s absurd 18 strikeouts in 247 plate appearances, a 7.3% strikeout percentage that ranks in the 99th percentile.

The lineup all coalesces around Tucker, who has lived up to the billing with a .917 OPS. As for 2026, not much needs to be said in the clubhouse about whether the lads want to see Tucker’s name on a nine-figure contract with the Cubs.

“I think it kind of speaks for itself, right? We all know what he brings to this team,” says Swanson, who calls Tucker “an aircraft carrier of a guy in the lineup.

“He’s so good. How could you not want that?”

That’s a problem for, most likely, the winter. For now, the Cubs are off to Detroit and a date with the American League-best Tigers and a possible preview of, well, let’s not get ahead of ourselves.

Bigger things could be ahead, especially for a club so skilled in taking care of the littler ones.

“The culmination of all those things has consistently led to where we’re at now,”  says Swanson, “and it’s been fun to be a part of.”  

Tom Rafferty, the longtime starting center for the Dallas Cowboys and a Super Bowl champion, died on Thursday at the age of 70 following a stroke in Windsor, Colorado, the team announced.

Rafferty had dealt with multiple health issues in recent years, notably dealing with a transverse myelitis diagnosis since 2008. According to Rafferty’s daughter, Rachel Powers, her father had been hospitalized since early May.

He was known for being an anchor on the Cowboys’ offensive line, as the 14-year NFL veteran’s career spanned from Roger Staubach to Troy Aikman. Rafferty was a fixture on the team after being drafted in the fourth round of the 1976 NFL Draft, wearing the famous Dallas star on his helmet from 1976 until he retired after the 1989 season.

A New York native and Penn State product, Rafferty played in two Super Bowls for the Cowboys. He was the starting guard for Dallas in a 27-10 victory over the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl 12.

Originally a guard, Rafferty transitioned to center after four seasons in what was supposed to be a temporary move. It ended up being a permanent position change until Mark Stepnoski took over during the 1989 season, saying, ‘three weeks turned into nine years,’ according to the team website.

Rafferty appeared in 203 games for the Cowboys and started in 182, which is the fourth-most in team history.

In his post-playing days, Rafferty went into sports equipment sales. He is survived by his wife, Donna, daughter, Rachel, son, Michael, and two grandchildren.

OKLAHOMA CITY – Tyrese Haliburton heard the scorn during the offseason. He read the mockery at the start of the 2024-25 season.

The Indiana Pacers’ run to the Eastern Conference finals last season was a fluke. The beat up the injury-riddled Milwaukee Bucks and New York Knicks to reach the Eastern Conference finals.

“As a group, like I’ve said many times, after you have a run like last year and you get swept in the Eastern Conference Finals, and all the conversation is about how you don’t belong there and how you lucked out to get there, and that it was a fluke, guys are going to be pissed off,” Haliburton said. “We’re going to spend the summer pissed off.”

Then the Pacers started this season 10-15.

“You come into the year with all the talk around how it was a fluke,” Haliburton said. “You have an unsuccessful first couple months and now it’s easy for everyone to clown you and talk about you in a negative way, and I think as a group we take everything personal as a group. It’s not just me. It’s everybody.

“I feel like that’s the DNA of this group and that’s not just me. It’s our coaching staff does a great job of making us aware of what’s being said. Us as players, we talk about it on the locker room and on the plane. We’re a young team, so we probably spend more time on social media than we should.”

No matter who wins the NBA Finals, the Pacers are not a fluke. They’re the real deal, proving that with a come-from-behind 111-110 victory against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 1 of the Finals Thursday, June 5.

“Really proud of this group,” Haliburton said. “And we just all got each other’s back at every point. Any negative thing that’s said about anybody, we got full belief in each other. So the more that’s talked about, like right now, we’re whatever underdog that gives us more confidence as a group. We enjoy that.

“But there’s still a lot of work to be done. This is an exciting time.”

Since Jan. 1, the Pacers have been among the best teams and emerged as the best team in the East during the playoffs, beating Milwaukee, Cleveland and New York.

They took Game 1 of the NBA in yet another one of their come-from-behind, last-second triumphs that have become legendary. Haliburton’s 21-foot jumper with 0.3 seconds left put the Pacers ahead for the first time and propelled them to the victory.

Indiana overcame 20 first-half turnovers and a 14-point deficit early in the fourth quarter and a nine-point deficit with 2:52 remaining.

Entering Game 1, teams were 0-182 when trailing by 9-plus points in the final three minutes of an NBA Finals game since 1971. It’s now 1-182.

“When it gets to 15, you can panic or you can talk about how do we get it to 10 and how do we get it to five and from there?” Haliburton said, adding, “This game if you look at all the numbers, it’s not the recipe to win. We can’t turn the ball over that much. We have to do a better job of being in gaps, rebounding, all over the floor but come May and June, it doesn’t matter how you get them, just get them.”

If Game 1 of the 2025 NBA Finals was any indication of what the rest of the series holds, hoops fans should be delighted.

The Indiana Pacers stole Game 1 from the Oklahoma City Thunder, 111-110, on Tyrese Haliburton’s thrilling game-winning jumper with 0.3 seconds left. For the Pacers, it was yet another comeback victory from a deficit of at least 15 points, their fifth of the 2025 postseason.

Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led all players with 38 points on 14-of-30 shooting, while Indiana forward Pascal Siakam paced his team with 19 points and 10 rebounds.

The Pacers had six players, including all five starters, reach double-figures in scoring.

The winners and losers from Game 1 of the 2025 NBA Finals between the Indiana Pacers and Oklahoma City Thunder:

WINNERS

Tyrese Haliburton, Mr. Clutch, strikes again

This was a good — not great — game for Pacers All-Star point guard Tyrese Haliburton. Held in check for most of the game, Haliburton shined brightest in the clutch, as he has all season. Haliburton finished with 14 points, 10 rebounds and six assists, but his game-winning, 21-foot jumper over Thunder guard Cason Wallace is what makes him a singular talent.

This season, Haliburton is 13-of-15 (86.7%) on shots inside the final two minutes (including overtime) to tie or take the lead. He has scored 32 points across those 15 attempts, giving him 2.13 points per shot attempt in such scenarios.

In the postseason alone, Haliburton is 6-of-7 (85.7%) on shots inside the final two minutes to tie or take the lead.

The Pacers clamp down on defense

Much of the attention from the wild Pacers comeback will go to its up-tempo offense in the fourth quarter. Don’t sleep on Indiana’s defense. Despite being put in compromising spots because of their 25 turnovers, the Pacers hustled back on defense and recovered in transition. That’s why the Thunder were never able to ignite on debilitating runs; despite losing the turnover battle 25-7, Indiana ceded just 11 points off those giveaways, compared to the four the Pacers scored.

In the final two-and-a-half minutes, the Pacers gave up just two points. They held the Thunder to just 1-of-6 shooting in that span.

Andrew Nembhard

As he has throughout this postseason, Nembhard had another seemingly quiet but massive game, especially when his team needed it most. Nembhard scored eight of his 14 points in the fourth, including a massive, stepback 3 over Shai Gilgeous-Alexander — his teammate on Canada Basketball — with 1:59 to play.

His most significant contribution, however, might have been on defense. For much of the fourth, Nembhard served as the primary defender on Gilgeous-Alexander. Nembhard limited SGA to four shot attempts in the period, and his physicality on Gilgeous-Alexander’s final attempt with 11 seconds left helped set up Haliburton’s game-winner.

The Pacers clear the glass

In the regular season, the Pacers were tied for 27th in rebounds, hauling in just 41.8 per game. The Thunder were tied for 11th (44.8). Yet, in Game 1, Indiana outworked OKC and claimed a 56-39 edge, or a +17 differential.

The Pacers did turn the ball over much more, and Oklahoma City did attempt 16 more shots, which in theory diminished the number of defensive rebounds available for the Thunder. This is an area of relative weakness for Indiana, one the Thunder should try to exploit.

LOSERS

Thunder finishing in the fourth

Oklahoma City isn’t a team that typically squanders leads late in games, especially at home. Yet, the Thunder got outscored by 10 in the final period and faltered on both sides. Not only did OKC go cold in the fourth, with seven misses coming within the paint, but the Thunder also lost defensive intention and focus and let Indiana shoot 50% from the floor. In fact, the Pacers drilled 6-of-10 from 3, while the Thunder did not make any of their five attempts from beyond the arc.

In the final 2:38, the Thunder, who held a nine-point lead inside the final 3 minutes of the game, allowed the Pacers to score 12 points.

Pacers turnovers

The Pacers have grit, at this point there can be no question. But Indiana should also consider itself to be quite fortunate. That’s because, simply put, there is no way the Pacers can win this series if they turn the ball over anywhere near the way they did in Game 1. Indiana committed 25 turnovers Thursday night, which, for most of the game, played right into Oklahoma City’s hands.

The Pacers, though, did improve as the game went on; 20 of those turnovers came in the first half.

Chet Holmgren

In a game in which Shai Gilgeous-Alexander dropped 38 and Lu Dort added 15 on five made 3-pointers, center Chet Holmgren underwhelmed. His six points marked his lowest output of the postseason, as did his two made field goals. And then, defensively, Holmgren also struggled at times to find Pacers center Myles Turner, who went 3-of-4 in the fourth quarter.

Carlos Alcaraz has reached the 2025 French Open men’s singles final after Lorenzo Musetti retired from the semifinal match during the fourth set on Court Philippe-Chatrier at Roland Garros in Paris.

Musetti’s retirement was due to a left thigh injury, for which he received treatment during the third set and again before the fourth set began. Alcaraz was leading two sets to one at the time of the retirement, with a score of 4-6, 7-6(3), 6-0 and 2-0.

‘It’s not great to win a match like this. Lorenzo is a great player,’ Alcaraz told ESPN after the match. ‘I wish him all the best, and wish him a quick recovery and hope to see him soon on the court.’

Alcaraz’s journey to the final may be complete, but now he waits to see who his opponent will be. He will face the winner of the semifinal match between Jannik Sinner and 24-time Grand Slam winner Novak Djokovic in the final on Sunday.

How to watch the 2025 French Open

Date: Ongoing through Sunday, June 8
Where: Stade Roland Garros in Paris, France
TV: TNT, TBS, truTV
Stream: Sling TV, YouTube TV

2025 French Open: Men’s singles bracket

Sunday, June 8

Men’s final: Jannik Sinner/Novak Djokovic vs. No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz