The first pick has his first contact.

Cam Ward officially signed his four-year, $48.7 million fully guaranteed rookie deal with the Tennessee Titans on Wednesday, the team announced. It ensures that the quarterback will be ready for all the offseason activities that await in advance of the upcoming season.

The former Miami Hurricanes quarterback inked the biggest contract in the class after being taken with the first pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. Now, Ward can focus his attention on the field with the contract hurdle cleared.

He doesn’t face a ton of resistance to get the starting job, with Will Levis being the only potential threat on the roster. Head coach Brian Callahan said Tuesday that the pair are splitting reps in practice with the competition looming.

Ward is still in the driver’s seat to land the starting gig, however, especially with the lack of a proven veteran starter on the team.

Here’s what to know about Ward’s first NFL contract:

Cam Ward contract details

Ward inked a fully guaranteed four-year, $48.7 million deal with the Titans.

It carries an average annual value (AAV) of around $12.1 million and a signing bonus of $32.1 million, according to Spotrac. The total value of the deal is about $2 million more than what the No. 2 pick, Travis Hunter, received from the Jacksonville Jaguars.

NFL rookie contracts are slotted, meaning the player’s draft position determines their contract. They are fixed and limit the haggling in negotiations to things like offset language.

Regardless, Ward can now begin his career without having to worry about his contract becoming an off-the-field issue.

The Indiana Pacers and the Oklahoma City Thunder have taken the early lead in their respective conference series after Game 1.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder defended their home court and earned the victory over Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves. Gilgeous-Alexander had 31 points, nine assists, five rebounds and three steals on Tuesday. He was named the NBA’s MVP on Wednesday.

Edwards had 18 points and nine defensive rebounds in the loss.

Tyrese Haliburton led the Pacers to a Game 1 victory on the road against the New York Knicks. Haliburton had 31 points, 11 assists and four rebounds. The Pacers star helped silence the crowd after hitting a shot at the end of regulation that forced the game into overtime after the Knicks led most of the fourth quarter.

Jalen Brunson had a game-high 43 points in the loss and went 1-for-6 from the 3-point line for the Knicks. Karl-Anthony Towns had 35 points and 12 rebounds.

Here’s the complete NBA playoffs schedule, including results and broadcast information:

NBA bracket: Playoff schedule, scores and results

The conference finals are set and could run through June 2.

All times Eastern. *-if necessary

Conference finals

Eastern Conference

Pacers lead series 1-0

Game 1: Pacers 138, Knicks 135 (OT)
Game 2, May 23: Pacers at Knicks | TNT, 8 p.m.
Game 3, May 25: Knicks at Pacers | TNT, 8 p.m.
Game 4, May 27: Knicks at Pacers | TNT, 8 p.m.
Game 5, May 29: Pacers at Knicks | TNT, 8 p.m.*
Game 6, May 31: Knicks at Pacers | TNT, 8 p.m.*
Game 7, June 2: Pacers at Knicks | TNT, 8 p.m.*

Western Conference

Thunder lead series 1-0

Game 1, May 20: Thunder 114, Timberwolves 88
Game 2, May 22: Timberwolves at Thunder | ESPN, 8:30 p.m.
Game 3, May 24: Thunder at Timberwolves | ABC, 8:30 p.m.
Game 4, May 26: Thunder at Timberwolves | ESPN, 8:30 p.m.
Game 5, May 28: Timberwolves at Thunder | ESPN, 8:30 p.m.*
Game 6, May 30: Thunder at Timberwolves | ESPN, 8:30 p.m.*
Game 7, June 1: Timberwolves at Thunder | ESPN, 8 p.m.*

2025 NBA Finals schedule

*-if necessary

Game 1, June 5: TBD, ABC
Game 2, June 8: TBD, ABC
Game 3, June 11: TBD, ABC
Game 4, June 13: TBD, ABC
Game 5, June 16: TBD, ABC*
Game 6, June 19: TBD, ABC*
Game 7, June 22: TBD, ABC*

NBA playoff results: Second round

Eastern Conference

(1) Cleveland Cavaliers vs. (4) Indiana Pacers

Pacers win series 4-1

Game 1: Pacers 121, Cavaliers 112
Game 2: Pacers 120, Cavaliers 119
Game 3: Cavaliers 126, Pacers 104
Game 4: Pacers 129, Cavaliers 109
Game 5: Pacers 114, Cavaliers 105

(2) Boston Celtics vs. (3) New York Knicks

Knicks win series 4-2

Game 1: Knicks 108, Celtics 105 (OT)
Game 2: Knicks 91, Celtics 90
Game 3: Celtics 115, Knicks 93
Game 4: Knicks 121, Celtics 113
Game 5: Celtics 127, Knicks 102
Game 6: Knicks 119, Celtics 81

Western Conference

(1) Oklahoma City Thunder vs. (4) Denver Nuggets

Thunder win series 4-3

Game 1: Nuggets 121, Thunder 119
Game 2: Thunder 149, Nuggets 106
Game 3: Nuggets 113, Thunder 104 (OT)
Game 4: Thunder 92, Nuggets 87
Game 5: Thunder 112, Nuggets 105
Game 6: Nuggets 119, Thunder 107
Game 7: Thunder 125, Nuggets 93

(6) Minnesota Timberwolves vs. (7) Golden State Warriors

Timberwolves win series 4-1

Game 1: Warriors 99, Timberwolves 88
Game 2: Timberwolves 117, Warriors 93
Game 3: Timberwolves 102, Warriors 97
Game 4: Timberwolves 117, Warriors 110
Game 5: Timberwolves 121, Warriors 110

NBA playoff results: First round

Eastern Conference

(1) Cleveland Cavaliers vs. (8) Miami Heat

Cavaliers win series 4-0

Game 1: Cavaliers 121, Heat 100
Game 2: Cavaliers 121, Heat 112
Game 3: Cavaliers 124, Heat 87
Game 4: Cavaliers 138, Heat 83

(2) Boston Celtics vs. (7) Orlando Magic

Celtics win series 4-1

Game 1: Celtics 103, Magic 86
Game 2: Celtics 109, Magic 100
Game 3: Magic 95, Celtics 93
Game 4: Celtics 107, Magic 98
Game 5: Celtics 120, Magic 89

(3) New York Knicks vs. (6) Detroit Pistons

Knicks win series 4-2

Game 1: Knicks 123, Pistons 112
Game 2: Pistons 100, Knicks 94
Game 3: Knicks 118, Pistons 116
Game 4: Knicks 94, Pistons 93
Game 5: Pistons 106, Knicks 103
Game 6: Knicks 116, Pistons 113

(4) Indiana Pacers vs. (5) Milwaukee Bucks

Pacers win series 4-1

Game 1: Pacers 117, Bucks 98
Game 2: Pacers 123, Bucks 115
Game 3: Bucks 117, Pacers 107
Game 4: Pacers 129, Bucks 103
Game 5: Pacers 119, Bucks 118 (OT)

Western Conference

(1) Oklahoma City Thunder vs. (8) Memphis Grizzlies

Thunder win series 4-0

Game 1: Thunder 131, Grizzlies 80
Game 2: Thunder 118, Grizzlies 99
Game 3: Thunder 114, Grizzlies 108
Game 4: Thunder 117, Grizzlies 115

(2) Houston Rockets vs. (7) Golden State Warriors

Warriors win series 4-3

Game 1: Warriors 95, Rockets 85
Game 2: Rockets 109, Warriors 94
Game 3: Warriors 104, Rockets 93
Game 4: Warriors 109, Rockets 106
Game 5: Rockets 131, Warriors 116
Game 6: Rockets 115, Warriors 107
Game 7: Warriors 103, Rockets 89

(3) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (6) Minnesota Timberwolves

Timberwolves win series 4-1

Game 1: Timberwolves 117, Lakers 95
Game 2: Lakers 94, Timberwolves 85
Game 3: Timberwolves 116, Lakers 104
Game 4: Timberwolves 116, Lakers 113
Game 5: Timberwolves 103, Lakers 96

(4) Denver Nuggets vs. (5) Los Angeles Clippers

Nuggets win series 4-3

Game 1: Nuggets 112, Clippers 110
Game 2: Clippers 105, Nuggets 102
Game 3: Clippers 117, Nuggets 83
Game 4: Nuggets 101, Clippers 99
Game 5: Nuggets 131, Clippers 115
Game 6: Clippers 111, Nuggets 105
Game 7: Nuggets 120, Clippers 101

In the final equation, there just wasn’t enough pushback.

NFL owners decided Wednesday that the so-called “Tush Push” play that’s been used to such great effect in recent years by the Philadelphia Eagles, who most recently employed it in their Super Bowl 59 rollover of the Kansas City Chiefs, will remain legal. Despite the latest, well, push from several corners of the league to outlaw the play – or at least reinstate a rule that was dropped two decades ago – the effort was once again staved off, barely failing to secure the required 75% of ownership votes required.

So after years of study by the league’s competition committee, input from coaches and a vote tabled as recently as two months ago, the Tush Push lives on … for at least another season – which means it’s time to declare winners and losers of this verdict:

WINNERS

Philadelphia Eagles

Hall of Famers Salt-N-Pepa said it best – “push it real good” – and Philly’s offense surely has complied. According to the NFL’s Next Gen Stats, the Eagles converted 28 of 34 Tush Push attempts (82%) last season before using it on the 1-yard line to score the first touchdown of Super Bowl 59, a game Philadelphia never trailed. The Eagles also repeatedly resorted to their signature surge, which is typically used in goal-line and short-yardage situations, to bludgeon the Washington Commanders 55-23 in the NFC championship game – left tackle Jordan Mailata declaring victory in his team’s patented brand of ‘mental warfare.’ Philadelphia began Tush Pushing with regularity in 2022 and has reached the Super Bowl in two of the past three seasons. The Eagles are obviously adept at it, have a daunting offensive line that averaged 6-6 and 338 pounds last season – the largest unit ever fielded on Super Sunday – and a quarterback, Jalen Hurts, who knows how to use his explosively strong legs to burrow behind all that humanity … while often getting propelled himself by teammates. It should remain a competitive advantage the team enjoys. Until the league says otherwise.

POWER RANKINGS: Field still chasing Philly

Jalen Hurts’ fantasy owners

Sorry, Tom Brady, Hurts has become the greatest short-yardage quarterback in NFL history. Since 2022, he has rushed for 42 touchdowns in the regular season – two-thirds of those (or 28) from the 1-yard line, including 11 from that distance in each of the past two campaigns. (In 10 career playoff games, Hurts has run for 10 TDs – four in Super Bowls – matching his total through the air.) Over that same period, Philadelphia has consistently been at or near the top of the league in converting third and fourth downs, never executing worse than 41% on third down or 68% on fourth. Hurts may never be the league MVP given his relative inconsistency as a passer, but he’s now got a Super Bowl MVP award in his trophy case … and just might be the key to countless fantasy championships.

Kevin Patullo

Meet Philadelphia’s new offensive coordinator, who replaced Kellen Moore, now the head coach of the New Orleans Saints. Pretty nice for Patullo, 43, a first-time OC two decades into his coaching career, that a bread-and-butter component of this team’s attack remains at his disposal for the immediate future. And it should also be noted that the play enables the Eagles to mix in shot plays during third-and-short scenarios – sometimes out of the Tush Push formation – with the relative security that if a deep strike gambit fails, a fresh set of downs will very likely be earned on the subsequent snap.

Jason Kelce

Whether or not the Eagles’ legendary – if former – center was instrumental in the stay of execution for the Tush Push, he was present as the owners convened Wednesday morning after vowing to clarify his stance on the merits and safety of the play, which he obviously supports. Regardless, Kelce gets to look like the closer … and also doesn’t have to wind up at the bottom of a pile with 1,000 pounds or more on top of him.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

While the Tush Push vote took up all the oxygen at this week’s ownership confab, the only NFC team to beat the Eagles in the past three postseasons quietly benefited from the Detroit Lions’ tabling of their proposal to seed the playoffs by overall record, irrespective of who wins each division. Despite going 27-24 in the regular season since 2022, the Bucs have won the NFC South thrice – and played at home in the playoffs each of those seasons. Under Detroit’s plan, Tampa Bay would not have never been seeded higher than sixth during that span.

The world?

As the NFL continues expanding its international footprint – it will stage a record seven regular-season games across five countries this season (including Spain and Ireland for the first time) – it retains what some contend is a rugby-style play in its collective arsenal. And, hey, folks in Europe and many other countries fancy rugby far more than American football, so why not give them something to glom onto? And don’t forget, the league is holding a regular-season game for the first time next year in Oceania – specifically Australia – where rugby is massive. Maybe that keeps the Tush Push off death row until at least 2027.

LOSERS

Green Bay Packers

If this had been a Congressional bill, then the Pack would have been cast as the (Democratic?) sponsors – whether because they truly abhor the Tush Push, have been fairly inept at executing their own version of it, and/or simply don’t have an owner who looks like the bad guy for targeting a signature aspect of Philadelphia’s recent success. Regardless, the Packers, who modified the language of the proposed rule change as recently as Monday – attempting to pave a runway for the league to restore a measure which prevented players from pushing and pulling their teammates to advance the ball that had existed in the rulebook up until 2005 – couldn’t get the votes for their “constituents,” falling two shy of adoption, according to multiple reports.

Saquon Barkley’s fantasy owners

“Losers.” Right. If the league’s best back and reigning rushing champion winds up on your fantasy roster this fall, then you’ll doubtless be thrilled. But how much more thrilled would you be if his quarterback wasn’t leading the Eagles in rushing touchdowns, which very likely wouldn’t have been the case had the Tush Push been banned?

NFL head coaches and coordinators

The NFL is infamous for being a copycat league – assuming you can copy the cat. That really hasn’t happened much when it comes to other teams’ ability to replicate the Tush Push or certainly stop it.

“You know, you hate to be against it because people are innovative. You want to respect that. And so there’s certainly been some teams that have been more innovative than the rest of us,” longtime Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said at the league meeting in March.

Added rookie New York Jets head coach Aaron Glenn, formerly the Lions’ defensive coordinator: “They’ve done a good job creating a play that’s unstoppable.” He added, “In my defensive coaching mentality, my job is to stop that play. Our job is to stop that play.”

Be better in that department, fellas … if you want to be better than Philly.

Cam Jurgen and Landon Dickerson

With Kelce retired for a year, this duo carries on as Philadelphia’s best interior battering rams, er, offensive linemen. And, while it may be coincidental, don’t forget that Jurgens, now the starting center, and Dickerson, who plays left guard, each managed to play just one half apiece in the NFC title game earlier this year. Both Pro Bowlers needed surgery this offseason, Jurgens suffering from a bad back while Dickerson needed his knee repaired. But they’ll again be hurtling into defensive walls soon enough.

Player safety?

Though Jurgens’ and Dickerson’s situations may or may not be cautionary, there’s no data to support that the Tush Push is a play fraught with injurious risk even if it’s been widely cited as a preemptive reason to get rid of it. The Eagles, unsurprisingly, unfailingly vouch for its safety, reporting no Tush Push injuries in practice or on game days.

“I think for everybody, including myself especially, health and safety is the most important thing when evaluating any play,” owner Jeffrey Lurie said at the NFL meetings earlier this spring, via the Athletic. “We’ve been very open to whatever data exists on the Tush Push, and there’s just been no data that shows that it isn’t a very, very safe play. If it weren’t, we wouldn’t be pushing the Tush Push.”

However, per reports, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell wanted the Tush Push axed after years of publicly prioritizing the health and well-being of the league’s players in an inherently violent sport. Time will tell if the injury concerns prove prophetic or unfounded.

Super Bowl aspirants

Wednesday’s news wasn’t good for the Packers, Commanders or Chiefs, who all got steamrolled by Philadelphia in last season’s playoffs. Aside from the Eagles, the Buffalo Bills use a version of the Tush Push more than any other club in the league – but even they have essentially come out against it, coach Sean McDermott among those with misgivings about its safety (which is also convenient when your team can’t successfully leverage the play to secure a victory at Arrowhead Stadium with a Super Bowl berth on the line). The league’s 31 non-champions aren’t necessarily playing for second in 2025, but they’re certainly no closer to knocking the Eagles off their Lombardi perch.

In many ways, the Eastern Conference finals is a battle of contrasting styles.

The Indiana Pacers love to speed up the game, while the New York Knicks tend to play deliberately. The series will be determined by the team that dictates its style.

The stakes are high. If the Pacers win the series, they would be making their first trip to the NBA Finals since 2000 and would have a chance to win their first Larry O’Brien trophy. New York, meanwhile, would be making its first NBA Finals appearance since 1999, with the chance to win its first title since 1973.

Here are blueprints for how the Indiana Pacers and New York Knicks can each win the Eastern Conference finals:

How the Pacers win

Indiana thrives when it sprints out in transition and gets quick — and relatively uncontested — attempts early in the shot clock. It compromises opposing transition defenses and allows Pacers All-Star point guard Tyrese Haliburton to probe through coverages to find open teammates. Whether that results in trailers getting open looks from the perimeter or opportunities to drive and attack the basket, this is how the Pacers like to score. They win if they find a way to crack New York’s transition defense and speed up the game.

Rebounding is another issue for Indiana; the Pacers tied for 27th this season in rebounds per game (41.8) and they can sometimes get overwhelmed on the glass. The interesting thing is that the Pacers, by and large, have managed this deficit by racing out in transition. Case in point: Indiana lost the rebounding battle in the conference semifinals to the Cleveland Cavaliers by a combined margin of -21 and Indiana still won in five games.

How the Knicks win

New York is an extremely cohesive team, one whose starters led the NBA for five-man lineups in minutes played (940), points (2,283), field goals made (868) and attempted (1,718), 3-pointers made (220) and attempted (605), rebounds (815) and assists (574). When the Knicks are playing team basketball and swinging it around, and when All-Star point guard Jalen Brunson is looking to score and feed his teammates, New York is tough to beat.

If the Knicks let the ball stagnate at Brunson or center Karl-Anthony Towns, the entire offense loses its versatility and effectiveness and players become relegated to standing in the corners. Above all else, the Knicks absolutely need to stay committed to whole-team transition defense. While every player will be necessary, this does figure to be a series in which lengthy defensive-minded wings OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges take on a lot of this work.

Brigham Young quarterback Jake Retzlaff has been accused of sexually assaulting a woman at his home, according to a civil lawsuit filed in Utah.

The alleged victim, identified as a Salt Lake County woman, reported Retzlaff ‘raped, strangled and bit’ her, according to Third District Court documents obtained by USA TODAY Sports. She is suing Retzlaff for alleged battery, assault and intentional infliction of emotional distress. Retzlaff currently does not face any criminal charges.

Mark Baute, Retzlaff’s counsel, said in a statement to USA TODAY Sports his client is a ‘nice young man’ and “factually innocent.’

“Jake’s focus this year will be on football. We don’t try cases in the media, we will respect the process and establish Jake’s innocence through the judicial system,” Baute wrote.

“The university takes any allegation very seriously, following all processes and guidelines mandated by Title IX. Due to federal and university privacy laws and practices for students, the university will not be able to provide additional comment,” BYU said in a statement.

Jake Retzlaff lawsuit details

According to the suit, the woman and a friend went to Retzlaff’s apartment in November 2023 after connecting through social media a month prior. After playing video games, the woman’s friend left and she stayed with Retzlaff to watch a movie. The two began to kiss but the woman ‘did not want to do anything more,’ per the lawsuit.

Retzlaff allegedly ‘escalated the situation’ and began to touch the woman. She told him ‘no’ and ‘stop’ as he allegedly tried to touch her and told her to give him oral sex.

‘As the situation continued to escalate, Jane Doe A.G. reacted in a way that made Retzlaff angry. He started to shout at her, and she reached for her phone to call someone, but her phone was dead,’ the lawsuit reads.

The suit states the woman plugged her phone in and laid in bed as she waited for it to charge, and Retzlaff fell asleep. She tried to leave but he allegedly woke up and pushed her back down on the bed as he tried to kiss her. The lawsuit says Retzlaff then grabbed a condom and the woman again told him to ‘stop.’ He then allegedly bit her lip and began to have sex with the woman. She said she cried during the encounter and Retzlaff caused her to pass out.

Days afterward, the woman said she went to a hospital where a rape kit was performed and photos were taken of the visible bruises and cuts she had on her body. The incident was reported to the Provo Police Department, the suit states, but she did not share the name of her alleged abuser because ‘she was scared and in shock and not ready to confront him.’

After speaking to police, an officer reached out to the woman to ask for the abuser’s name because police reportedly had another complaint against a football player and authorities wanted to know if it was the same person. After she disclosed Retzlaff’s name, an officer allegedly ‘encouraged her to not do anything, because as they claimed, ‘sexual assault victims never get justice.”

The suits alleges Retzlaff ‘acted with the intent to cause harmful and offensive’ contacts with the woman.

‘A year and a half after the rape and strangulation, Jane Doe A.G. continues to experience extreme post-traumatic stress disorder and other trauma symptoms as she works to process what happened and move on,’ the suit reads.

The Provo Police Department said it has not been served a legal filing related to the suit, and records show it received a phone report in November 2023 from a woman who gave a similar account. Police said the woman was given opportunities to identify her abuser but she didn’t and the case was closed.

Provo Police also denied the claim its personnel discouraged the victim from proceeding with the case.

‘Because the civil suit does not identify the victim, we cannot be certain our police report is the same incident by the plaintiff, but it does seem likely given the information we have,’ the department said.

Who is Jake Retzlaff?

Retzlaff is entering his third year with the Cougars after transferring from Riverside City College in Southern California. Last season, Retzlaff started all 13 games for BYU as he led the team to a 9-0 start and a top-10 ranking in the coaches poll. The team finished the season 11-2, its most wins since the 2020 season.

Retzlaff is the first Jewish starting quarterback in the history of the university operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He threw for 2,947 yards with 20 touchdowns and 12 interceptions on the season, with an additional six rushing touchdowns.

This story has been updated with new information.

If you or someone you know has experienced sexual violence, RAINN’s National Sexual Assault Hotline offers free, confidential, 24/7 support to survivors and their loved ones in English and Spanish at: 800.656.HOPE (4673) and Hotline.RAINN.org and en Español RAINN.org/es.

They didn’t face one another in the NBA playoffs until 1993, but the New York Knicks and Indiana Pacers got acquainted really quickly after that.

The two franchises wound up playing six memorable playoff series against one another over an eight-season span, including two-consecutive matchups in the Eastern Conference finals in 1999 and 2000.

A quarter-century later, it’s Knicks vs. Pacers for a spot in the NBA Finals once again. The two teams begin their best-of-seven series with Game 1 on Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden, and it’ll rekindle one of the league’s great rivalries of the 1990s that’s suddenly been given new life with the rise of the Knicks under Jalen Brunson and the Pacers with Tyrese Haliburton the past two seasons.

The Pacers got the best of the Knicks in the 2024 Eastern Conference semifinals, blowing out New York in Game 7 at Madison Square Garden. It was the eighth overall playoff series between the two, and the first to go to a Game 7 since the Pacers and Knicks did so in back-to-back years in 1994-1995.

The anticipation for this latest matchup has also triggered nostalgia for those classic battles between Reggie Miller and Patrick Ewing, and how the Knicks and Pacers turned into an NBA playoffs rivalry. Here are some of the best (or infamous) moments from Knicks vs. Pacers playoff series of the past ahead of the 2025 Eastern Conference finals:

Knicks vs. Pacers in NBA playoffs: Best rivalry moments

1993: John Starks headbutts Reggie Miller

The roots of the Knicks-Pacers rivalry can likely be traced back to this moment during Game 3 of the 1993 playoffs when New York and Indiana met in a best-of-five first-round series. Starks head-butted Miller in frustration, drawing the ire of teammates Charles Oakley and Ewing, and the Pacers came back to avoid a sweep. Though the Knicks won the series, 3-1, seeds had been planted.

1994: Reggie Miller vs. Spike Lee (but Patrick Ewing prevails)

Miller’s first big moment antagonizing Knicks’ fans came in Game 4 of the 1994 Eastern Conference finals. The Pacers star had 39 points, including 25 in the fourth quarter to spearhead a double-digit comeback that is remembered for Miller jawing with Knicks super fan Spike Lee courtside and putting his hands around his neck to symbolize New York choking the game away. The Knicks, however, won the series after Ewing put together perhaps the finest performance of his NBA career in Game 7, finishing with 24 points, 22 rebounds, 7 assists and 5 blocks.

1995: Reggie Miller’s 8 points in 9 seconds

The Knicks and Pacers met again in the 1995 Eastern Conference semifinals and perhaps the defining moment of this playoff rivalry occurred in Game 1 when Miller scored eight points in nine seconds as New York improbably blew a late lead in front of a stunned Madison Square Garden crowd.

The series also featured Ewing hitting a game-winner in Game 5 with the Knicks facing a 3-1 series deficit, and then narrowly missing a game-winning layup at the buzzer in Game 7. The Knicks were never the same. The Pacers closed out them out at Madison Square Garden and Pat Riley left that offseason for the Miami Heat.

1998: Reggie Miller forces OT in Game 4

Ewing’s return from a serious wrist injury wasn’t enough for the Knicks after Miller scored 38 points and hit his latest Madison Square Garden dagger to force overtime in Game 4, right as it seemed as though New York was on the verge of evening the series. Indiana won Game 4 in overtime and then advanced to face Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls in the 1998 Eastern Conference finals.

1999: Larry Johnson’s 4-point play

Larry Johnson’s unlikely shot as he was fouled at the end of Game 3 of the Knicks’ 1999 Eastern Conference finals series against the Pacers helped offset the loss of Ewing in Game 2 to a partially torn Achilles and paved the way for New York’s return to the NBA Finals.

2000: Reggie Miller KOs Knicks for only NBA Finals trip

Miller and the Pacers finally made it to the NBA Finals by knocking out the Knicks at Madison Square Garden in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals. Miller had 34 points in the clinching win.

‘I told the guys before the game,’ Miller said in his postgame interview with NBC, ‘if the league called you up and asked you, you only had to play one game and you could pick the spot where you would play and if you win that game, you can move on to the Finals, would you take it and where would you want to play? Everyone in unison said, ‘The Knicks’ and ‘The Garden.’ ‘

2013: Roy Hibbert blocks Carmelo Anthony in Game 6

The Knicks-Pacers rivalry was briefly reignited in 2013 when the two teams met in the Eastern Conference semifinals. Indiana won in six games – part of an ongoing stretch during which the Pacers have won five of the past six playoff matchups against New York – and Roy Hibbert punctuated the series win with an emphatic block on a Carmelo Anthony dunk attempt at the rim in the fourth quarter of Game 6.

May 2024: Andrew Nembhard’s Game 3 winner

The Knicks-Pacers rivalry really came to life again last year when the two teams battled over seven games in the 2024 Eastern Conference semifinals. The Knicks won Game 1, in part, thanks to an incorrect kicked ball violation in the final minute and the Pacers blew out New York at Madison Square Garden in Game 7. But the shot that perhaps swung the series occurred in Game 3, when Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard hit a contested stepback 3-pointer with 16 seconds left to give Indiana a lead it didn’t relinquish.

Watch Pacers vs. Knicks with Sling TV

June 2024: Tyrese Haliburton and Jalen Brunson appear on WWE Smackdown

The stage was set for this year’s rematch almost a year ago when Haliburton and Brunson got involved in a match between WWE superstars Logan Paul and LA Knight on the June 28, 2024 edition of WWE Smackdown at Madison Square Garden.

Haliburton played the role of heel, attempting to supply Paul with brass knuckles before Brunson intervened from his ringside seat. After Knight won the match, Brunson entered the ring with a chair during a standoff between the two wrestlers and Haliburton.

‘I’ll be back,’ Haliburton told the pro-Knicks crowd as he walked backstage.

Pacers vs. Knicks schedule: How to watch 2025 Eastern Conference finals

(all times Eastern; * – if necessary)

Game 1: Pacers at Knicks | Wednesday, May 21, 8 p.m. | TNT, truTV, Max, Sling TV
Game 2: Pacers at Knicks | Friday, May 23, 8 p.m. | TNT, truTV, Max, Sling TV
Game 3: Knicks at Pacers | Sunday, May 25, 8 p.m. | TNT, truTV, Max, Sling TV
Game 4: Knicks at Pacers | Tuesday, May 27, 8 p.m. | TNT, truTV, Max, Sling TV
Game 5: Pacers at Knicks | Thursday, May 29, 8 p.m. | TNT, truTV, Max, Sling TV*
Game 6: Knicks at Pacers | Saturday, May 31, 8 p.m. | TNT, truTV, Max, Sling TV*
Game 7: Pacers at Knicks | Monday, June 2, 8 p.m. | TNT, truTV, Max, Sling TV*

The ‘tush push’ ban is a divisive issue, from the locked doors of the NFL’s owners’ meeting outside Minneapolis, Minnesota this week to the local watering hole to the school lunchroom.

What shouldn’t be up for debate are the false pretenses under which the proposal failed to receive sufficient support Wednesday. The attempt to shove – not unlike a goal-line effort from the Philadelphia Eagles, the masterminds of the play – the ban through under the guise of player safety was the real flag on the play.

Filed Monday, the revised proposal from the Green Bay Packers called for a 10-yard penalty should another player push or pull the ball carrier. The official reason? “Player safety. Pace of play.”

Using player safety as a prop to ban the tush push was always disingenuous. And it’s why I’m glad Jason Kelce, the retired Eagles center turned media personality, was on the scene Wednesday at the Omni Viking Lakes Hotel to presumably plead his case in support of the play.

I don’t know exactly what Kelce said to the assembled group of owners and executives. Maybe it had no effect, perhaps his words completely swayed the room. But here’s what he told a group of reporters in the Eagles’ locker room during the 2023 season (after the Eagles defeated the Miami Dolphins in prime time) about the play that became known as the “Brotherly Shove.”  

“If you look across the league, it’s really not a high-injury play…I’d be interested to see what stats say about injuries on the play,” Kelce said. “It’s a very grueling play, but it’s so tight-quartered that it doesn’t allow for high impacts. So I don’t think that you’re going to see that many injuries on it.”

Kelce then knocked on the wooden panel in the locker behind him. The tush push isn’t without its bumps and bruises, Kelce said, with hands caught under bodies and ankles twisted. But at the height of the Eagles’ ‘tush push’ powers, he deeply believed the play wouldn’t lead to significant injuries.  

“I think the reality is that (injuries) are happening throughout the game,” Kelce said. “But there’s a lot of weight in there. There’s people on top of you.”

Even Eagles owner Jeffrey Lurie said he would support the ban if data showed the play wasn’t “very, very safe.”

“It’s a precision play … it’s very practiced. We devote a lot of resources to the tush push,” said Lurie, noting that Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts can squat 600 pounds.

He added: “If there were any injury concern, I’d be concerned.”

Thus far, no data from the league or teams has emerged publicly. Other than limited anecdotal evidence, there is none. And it’s why the player-safety angle of this all is a complete fallacy.  

Is the league talking about player safety when these guys are playing three games in 11 days, as many teams do each season? Or travel across the Atlantic Ocean?

Let’s acknowledge that there have been injuries on this type of play. The New York Giants, actually, experienced two injuries – center John Michael Schmitz and tight end Daniel Bellinger – during their failed rendition in October 2023 against the Seattle Seahawks. The Kansas City Chiefs hardly run quarterback sneaks with Patrick Mahomes after he suffered a knee injury during Week 7 of the 2019 season.

All of those teams lacked the Eagles’ expertise up front.

“Nobody practices it on Wednesday at the tempo it’s going to be in the game,” Kelce said. “Because we’ve had so many reps in the past two years on that play, we have a better breadth of knowledge of how to hit the nuances and all work in the same direction. I think it adds up. It might not seem like a lot, but each time you run it, you gain ‘OK, this is what happened on that one. If I do this, I can do that.’”

Defenders flying over the line like the Washington Commanders’ Frankie Luvu did during the NFC championship game is more dangerous. The sideshow that ensued then is one of the clearest reasons why the play has garnered so much attention this offseason, and if it becomes that much of a distraction, then maybe some policing of the play is warranted.

But don’t do it in the name of player safety. And this week, NFL owners managed to stay above that level of hypocrisy.

Circle the wagons around HBO Max for the 2025 training camp edition of ‘Hard Knocks,’ which will feature the Buffalo Bills and reigning NFL Most Valuable Player Josh Allen, the NFL announced at its league meeting May 21.

The training camp edition of ‘Hard Knocks’ premieres on Aug. 5 at 9 p.m. ET and airs on Tuesdays through Sept. 2. The five episodes will follow Allen, head coach Sean McDermott, general manager Brandon Beane ‘and an array of veteran and rookie players’ from St. John Fisher University in Pittsford, New York

‘Hard Knocks: In Season with the NFC East’ will debut in December and is the second season of the program, following the 2024 premiere that featured the AFC North. In 2025, the Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, Washington Commanders and the reigning Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles will be receiving the spotlight.

Familiar voice Liev Schreiber returns as the narrator of both series, which has received 19 Sports Emmy awards.

The Dallas Stars host the Edmonton Oilers in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals in what figures to be a thrilling NHL playoff series.

The playoffs haven’t been easy for Dallas, which survived a seven-game battle with the Colorado Avalanche and then saw off the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Winnipeg Jets in six. Winger Mikko Rantanen, who came to the Stars at the trade deadline, leads all players with nine goals and 19 points, while goalie Jake Oettinger has stood tall despite facing 102 more shots than anyone else in these playoffs.

For Edmonton, everything may be coming together at a perfect moment. The Oilers were down 2-0 in the first round, but have since won eight of nine to eliminate the Los Angeles Kings and Vegas Golden Knights. Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl have combined for 25 assists for a team that has weaponized its outstanding team speed to earn this shot at a Stanley Cup Final berth.

USA TODAY is providing live updates for Game 1 of the Western Conference finals between the Dallas Stars and Edmonton Oilers. Follow along:

Stars-Oilers score: Tyler Seguin ties it up

Seguin steals the puck from Leon Draisaitl and beats Stuart Skinner on a breakaway at 15:22. That ends Seguin’s 10-game goal drought and is the first goal allowed by Skinner since Game 3 of the second round.

Stars-Oilers score: Leon Draisaitl goal lifts Edmonton

The Oilers always put Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl out after the team kills a penalty, and they connect for the opening goal. Draisaitl’s shot beats Jake Oettinger to the far side at 10:19. Oilers 1, Stars 0

Stars go on power play

Brett Kulak is called for hooking. Stars power play is clicking at 30.8%. Dallas didn’t get a power-play goal in his last year’s series against the Oilers. Edmonton kills it off. No shot attempts for Dallas.

Edmonton Oilers chance

Connor McDavid uses his speed to get around the Stars defense but is stopped by Jake Oettinger. The Stars goalie stops Zach Hyman’s rebound.

Game underway

Second year in a row these teams are meeting in the conference finals. Dallas going 12 forwards, six defensemen after going recently with 11 and 7.

Starting lines

Strength vs. strength. Edmonton starting the Connor McDavid line. Dallas countering with the Mikko Rantanen line.

What time is Stars vs. Oilers NHL playoff game?

Game 1 of the NHL’s Western Conference finals between the Dallas Stars and Edmonton Oilers begins Wednesday night at 8 p.m. ET at American Airlines Center in Dallas.

How to watch Stars vs. Oilers NHL playoff game: TV, stream

Time: 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. local
Location: American Airlines Center (Dallas)
TV: ESPN
Stream: ESPN+, Fubo

Watch Game 1 of the Stars-Oilers series on Fubo

Dallas Stars lineup

Edmonton Oilers lineup

Connor Brown taking warmups

Brown, a game-time decision, is listed as playing on the NHL roster report.

Goaltending matchup

Edmonton’s Stuart Skinner (2-3, 3.05 goals-against average, .884 save percentage) has back-to-back shutouts. Dallas’ Jake Oettinger (8-5, 2.47, .919) has won six consecutive home games.

Stars seek better power-play numbers this year

A big factor in the Oilers’ win in the 2024 Western Conference finals: Edmonton went 14-for-14 on the penalty kill vs. Dallas. The Stars, though, enter this year’s series with the top playoff power play (30.8%) among the four conference finals teams. Roope Hintz leads the way with three power-play goals. Mikko Rantanen, who was acquired at the trade deadline, and Thomas Harley are tied with six points on the power play.

Stars still deciding defense/forward split vs. Oilers

Coach Peter DeBoer said Wednesday morning he hadn’t decided whether he’ll stick with seven defensemen and 11 forwards in games against the Oilers. He did that in the last round when Miro Heiskanen returned from injury, so the defenseman didn’t have to play big minutes right away. Forward Mikko Rantanen got double-shifted.

Oilers’ Connor Brown is game-time decision

Oilers forward Connor Brown is a game-time decision, coach Kris Knoblauch said.

If Brown (undisclosed injury) can’t go, Viktor Arvidsson would get into Game 1 after missing the past two games.

“I have no hesitation to have him in the lineup,” Knoblauch said of Arvidsson.

Western Conference finals predictions

Predictions from USA TODAY staffers:

Jason Anderson: Stars in 6. Both teams have players lighting it up on the offensive end in the postseason. Mikko Rantanen has 19 points for Dallas, while Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl have combined for 25 assists. It’s at the other end where each team has had issues, with Edmonton’s goalies combining for a .886 save percentage. The Stars have given up a whopping 408 shots in the playoffs, but Jake Oettinger has been up to the challenge, leading the league in some key underlying metrics for goaltenders. Expect plenty of goals in this series, but ultimately Dallas moves on.

Mike Brehm: Stars in 7. The Oilers are deeper than they were last season, but so are the Stars, with the additions of forwards Mikko Rantanen and Mikael Granlund. Defenseman Thomas Harley took a big jump when Miro Heiskanen was hurt, and now Heiskanen is back. This series will go the distance because Oilers defenseman Mattias Ekholm will return at some point. The Stars get the edge in the series finale because they’re at home, and coach Peter DeBoer is 9-0 in Game 7.

Jace Evans: Oilers in 6. Seeking to erase last season’s heartbreak, Edmonton has some team of destiny vibes. They looked completely on the ropes against the Kings in the first round only to rally in wild fashion and win six consecutive games after switching to Calvin Pickard in net. After Pickard was injured, Stuart Skinner got his job back and responded with two consecutive shutouts to oust the Golden Knights. You need some magic to win the Stanley Cup. It certainly feels like the Oilers have it. (And having Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl also helps.)