The defending champion Florida Panthers have a 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference finals because they played a perfect defensive game in Thursday’s 5-0 victory.

The Carolina Hurricanes’ losing streak in the conference finals hit 14 games because they compounded that with defensive mistakes.

Goalie Frederik Andersen, the talk of the NHL through two rounds, was replaced after two periods because he gave up four goals on 16 shots.

But the first goal followed a turnover. Two Carter Verhaeghe wraparounds led to goals because his teammates outraced their coverage. Andrei Svechnikov took a bad penalty before Sam Bennett scored the first of his two goals.

Gustav Forsling gave Florida another goal from a defenseman and Matthew Tkachuk ended a 10-game goal drought. The Tkachuk-Bennett-Verhaeghe line combined for eight points.

In the meantime, Carolina couldn’t muster any pressure: three shots in the first period and four in the second. A Sebastian Aho goal was wiped out after an offside review. Sergei Bobrovsky finished with a 17-save shutout.

‘I don’t know what I was watching in that first period, and that didn’t go well,’ Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour said.

The only blemish for Florida was star Sam Reinhart leaving the game with a lower-body injury after an Aho hit.

Panthers coach Paul Maurice didn’t have an update on Reinhart after the game.

USA TODAY provided live updates from Game 2 between the Carolina Hurricanes and Florida Panthers. Highlights:

Hurricanes vs. Panthers highlights

Game recap

Panthers-Hurricanes final score: Panthers 5, Hurricanes 0

A dominant effort from start to finish for the Panthers. Game 3 will be Saturday in Sunrise, Florida.

Panthers-Hurricanes score: Aleksander Barkov goal

The Panthers were on the power play because Brent Burns played with a broken stick. Barkov tips in an Aaron Ekblad shot for the goal. That’s two power play goals in back-to-back games for the Panthers against the Hurricanes. Panthers 5, Hurricanes 0

Hurricanes go on power play

Eetu Luostarinen is called for tripping. No shots on the power play, but Seth Jarvis was out there after going to the dressing room earlier.

Seth Jarvis goes to dressing room

Not good news for Carolina. He was hit by Niko Mikkola.

Hurricanes go on power play

A.J. Greer is called for tripping. Panthers kill it off.

Hurricanes goalie change as third period starts

Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour puts Pyotr Kochetkov in net at the start of the third period. Frederik Andersen gave up four goals on 16 shots.

End of second period: Panthers 4, Hurricanes 0

Things were looking better for Carolina when Sebastian Aho scored early. But it didn’t stick. The Panthers challenged for offsides and the replay showed that Brent Burns had knocked the puck back in the zone after it came out. The goal was overturned. The Hurricanes managed only four shots in that period and Sam Bennett scored. The only bad news for the Panthers: Sam Reinhart (lower body) was ruled out of the game after an Aho hit in the first period.

Panthers-Hurricanes score: Sam Bennett scores again

Carter Verhaeghe makes a wraparound and Bennett knocks in the rebound for his ninth goal of the playoffs. That ties him with Dallas’ Mikko Rantanen for the league lead. Panthers 4, Hurricanes 0

Sean Walker injury update

He has returned to the Carolina bench.

Sean Walker injury update

The Hurricanes defenseman heads to the dressing room after a hit by Florida’s A.J. Greer.

Sam Reinhart injury update

The Panthers say Sam Reinhart (lower body) won’t return to the game. He was hit by Sebastian Aho in the first period.

Hurricanes goal overturned on review

Sebastian Aho scores, but the Panthers challenge for offsides. Review concurs. Still 3-0 Florida.

Second period underway

Hurricanes have 33 seconds of power play left. and that’s killed. Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour stays with Frederik Andersen in net.

End of first period: Panthers 3, Hurricanes 0

Definitely not the period that Carolina needed to end its 13-game losing streak in the conference finals. Defensive breakdowns. Bad penalty by Andrei Svechnikov. Frederik Andersen gives up three goals on five shots. Little pressure from Carolina. Florida’s Sam Bennett-Matthew Tkachuk-Carter Verhaeghe line has combined for six points.

Hurricanes go on power play

Too many men on the ice for Florida. Panthers get some big blocks there. There will be a 33 second carryover on the power play.

Hurricanes-Panthers score: Sam Bennett goal

The Hurricanes seemed to have things under control on that Florida power play and even had a short-handed chance. But Verhaeghe picks up the puck after his shot is blocked and fires toward Frederik Andersen. The shot is deflected in by Bennett. Three goals on five shots for Florida. Panthers 3, Hurricanes 0

Panthers go on power play

Andrei Svechnikov punches Matthew Tkachuk in the back of the head.

Hurricanes-Panthers score: Matthew Tkachuk doubles lead

Carter Verhaeghe comes out from behind the net and his centering pass is knocked in by Matthew Tkachuk, ending his 10-game goal drought. Defensive breakdown there by Carolina. Panthers 2, Hurricanes 0

Hurricanes-Panthers score: Quick goal by Florida

Panthers defenseman Gustav Forsling scores after a turnover at 1:17. It’s his first goal of the 2025 playoffs. Florida defensemen now have 13 this postseason. Panthers 1, Hurricanes 0

Game underway

Jordan Staal line vs. the Aleksander Barkov lineup.

What time is Hurricanes vs. Panthers NHL playoff game?

Game 2 of the Carolina Hurricanes-Florida Panthers series is scheduled to start at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday in Raleigh, North Carolina.

How to watch Hurricanes vs. Panthers NHL playoff game: TV, stream

Time: 8 p.m. ET

Location: Lenovo Center (Raleigh, North Carolina)

TV: TNT

Stream: Sling TV, Max

Hurricanes lineup

Jalen Chatfield out again

The NHL roster report lists Chatfield as a scratch and rookie defenseman Scott Morrow in the lineup, as he was for Game 1. Morrow had three shots and was a minus-3 in his NHL playoff debut.

Panthers lineup

Jesperi Kotkaniemi listed among scratches

It looks like he’ll be the person who’s sitting out as Mark Jankowski returns to the lineup. Kotkaniemi has three points in 11 games this postseason.

Goaltender matchup

Hurricanes’ Frederik Andersen (7-3, 1.74 goals-against average, .919 save percentage) vs. Panthers’ Sergei Bobrovsky (9-4, 2.29, .905).

Mark Jankowski injury update

Hurricanes forward Mark Jankowski is “a good option” for Game 2, coach Rod Brind’Amour said. He left Game 1 of the second round against the Washington Capitals with an injury.

Jalen Chatfield injury update

Hurricanes defenseman Jalen Chatfield skated Thursday morning after missing the past two games with an undisclosed injury. If Chatfield can’t go, Brind’Amour indicated he would lean toward having Scott Morrow over Alexander Nikishin in the lineup.

‘He understands our game a little better because he’s been playing it for a year,’ Brind’Amour said of Morrow.

Panthers vs. Hurricanes history

The Panthers have won five consecutive playoff games against the Hurricanes.

Panthers’ second-round win costly to Maple Leafs president

Toronto Maple Leafs president Brendan Shanahan won’t have his contract renewed after the team fell short again in the playoffs.

The Maple Leafs have a nine-year playoff streak under Shanahan, who was hired in 2014, and reached the second round this season for the second time since 2004. They won the first two games against the Florida Panthers in the second round. But they lost the series in seven games. Games 5 and 7 were 6-1 blowout losses at home.

‘It was determined that a new voice was required to take the team to the next level in the years ahead,’ MLSE President and CEO Keith Pelley said in a statement on Thursday.

CHICAGO — If there’s any consolation for the Chicago Sky, it’s that the New York Liberty are going to make a lot of teams look bad this year. 

Natasha Cloud led five Liberty players in double figures Thursday night as the defending champions ran roughshod over the Sky, 99-74. Cloud scored a team-high 18 points, Sabrina Ionescu had 16, Breanna Stewart 12 and Jonquel Jones had 11. But the number that should get everyone’s attention is 17 points from Kennedy Burke off the bench. 

The Liberty are, simply, loaded. And they made history Thursday night by knocking down a record 19 3-pointers in the win.

New York took control in the second quarter, outscoring Chicago 25-9. But say this for the young Sky: They kept playing. New York only outscored them 46-42 in the second half, though the Liberty did rest most of their starters for much of the fourth quarter. 

Chicago’s big problem, just as it was last season, is finding offense. Angel Reese was 0-for-8, while Kamilla Cardoso was 3-of-8. The Sky got a boost off the bench from Rachel Banham, who was 5-of-7 from 3-point range. But this team needs to find its shooting groove. And fast. 

Catch up on USA TODAY Sports’ live updates, score and highlights for the Liberty vs. Sky matchup on Thursday:

Liberty beat Sky: Full game highlights

Sky has ‘confidence’ in Angel Reese despite off night

Angel Reese’s bad night was just that. A bad night. That’s the way Sky coach Tyler Marsh sees it after Reese had just two points on 0-of-8 shooting. Reese did have 12 rebounds and three steals. 

‘Some of (her shots) were just rushed. That was really it,’ Marsh said after the Sky was routed 99-74 by the defending champion New York Liberty. ‘Angel knows we have confidence in her, just like we do in Kamilla. We have constant belief and confidence in all of our players to make those.’

Cardoso also had a rough night. She had six points on 3-of-8 shooting and four rebounds. 

Playing the Liberty will make any team look bad. But the Sky are young and are trying to implement a new system with a new coach with a lot of new pieces. That’s going to take time, said Courtney Vandersloot, the veteran returned to Chicago in the offseason after spending the last two years with the Liberty.

‘It’s still early. Obviously there’s a lot to work on, a lot to improve. But we’re going to figure it out,’ Vandersloot said. ‘We didn’t think it was going to come all perfect together in the first two games. We’re not panicking. I think we’re still in a really good place mentally.’

End of Q3: Liberty 75, Sky 54

The Chicago Sky came out of the locker room inspired and went on an 8-point run, cutting their 21-point deficit into 13 points less than two minutes into the third quarter. But the Liberty responded and extended their lead over the Sky back to 21-points heading into the fourth quarter. 

Sabrina Ionescu has a game-high 16 points, shooting 5-of-9 from the field and 2-of-5 from three. Breanna Stewart added 12 points and two blocks, while Jonquel Jones is up to 11 points, seven rebounds and four blocks.

The Sky have given up 20 turnovers that has led to 22 points for the Liberty.

Courtney Vandersloot and Rebecca Allen are the only Sky players to reach double-digits with 11 points each. Angel Reese has been held scoreless (0-of-7 FG), but is up to 10 rebounds (8 offensive).

Sky go on 8-0 run vs. Liberty

Where was this Sky in the first half? 

In a 21-point hole at halftime, Chicago opened the third quarter with a quick 8-0 run. Kamilla Cardoso outmuscled Jonquel Jones for a layup to get things started, Courtney Vandersloot made a 3 and then had the assist on a 3 by Ariel Atkins. That was enough for Sandy Brondello, who called a timeout with 8:40 left. 

The Sky still has a lot of work to do – a lot a lot – but it’s a good sign that they’re refusing to quit.

Halftime: Liberty 53, Sky 32

Well that got out of control quickly. 

The Liberty outscored the Sky 25-9 in the second quarter, allowing the defending champions to go into halftime with a 21-point cushion. New York leads 53-32. 

Breanna Stewart and Jonquel Jones lead the Liberty with 12 points apiece, but New York is getting contributions from everyone. On both ends of the court. Everyone who has played two minutes or more has scored and has at least one rebound, and all but two of those players also have assists. The Liberty also have eight steals. Eight! 

The Sky, meanwhile, well, they’re trying. They just can’t score consistently and are getting killed by their turnovers – 15 and counting.

Sky minority owner Dwyane Wade sits courtside

A perk of being an owner, and a Hall of Famer, is prime seating. 

Dwyane Wade was sitting courtside for the Chicago Sky’s home opener Monday night. Wade, a Chicago native who won three NBA titles with the Miami Heat, has been a part-owner of the Sky since 2023. He sat opposite the Sky bench and got a loud ovation when he was shown on the Jumbotron at the end of the first quarter. 

End of Q1: Liberty 28, Sky 23

New York Liberty superstar Jonquel Jones can’t miss … literally. Jones is up to eight points, shooting 3-for-3 from the field and 2-for-2 from 3. Sabrina Ionescu is also having her way and dicing up the Sky defense. She scored 10 points in the first quarter, shooting 3-for-5 from the field and 1-for-3 from 3.

Sky veteran Courtney Vandersloot has four points. Angel Reese has struggled offensively so far. She remains scoreless and is 0-for-5 from the field. Defense is a different story — Reese is already up to seven rebounds. The Sky’s bench, however, is keeping the contest close. Chicago’s bench has scored 12 of the team’s 23 points, led by four points from Rebecca Allen.

Courtney Vandersloot welcomed back with open arms

Back as if she never left. 

Courtney Vandersloot’s return to the Chicago Sky, the team that drafted her, after two years in New York was the Sky’s biggest move this offseason. That’s partly because she’s one of the best point guards to ever play the game, and helped lead Chicago to its only title, in 2021. But Vandersloot is also beloved in Chicago and by Sky fans. 

She was introduced last before Thursday night’s home opener, and took the court to a loud chorus of ‘Slooooot!’ 

What time is Liberty vs. Sky?

The New York Liberty vs. Chicago Sky game will tip off at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday, May 22 at Wintrust Arena in Chicago.

How to watch Liberty vs. Sky game: TV, stream

Time: 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT
Location: Wintrust Arena in Chicago, Illinois
TV (local): My9 (New York) | The U (Chicago)
TV (national): WNBA League Pass
Stream: Fubo

Courtney Vandersloot will face former team

Thursday’s matchup between the Liberty and Sky will mark Vandersloot’s first game against her former team. Vandersloot played for the Liberty for two seasons in 2023-24 after spending 12 seasons in Chicago. She helped New York win its first WNBA championship last season, which marked the second of Vandersloot’s career. She previously won a title with the Sky in 2021, which marked the franchise’s first and only championship.

New York Liberty starting lineup

Chicago Sky starting lineup

Liberty vs. Sky odds

Odds via BetMGM

Spread: Liberty (-12.5)
Moneyline: Liberty (-700); Sky (+500)
Over/under: 164.5

Check out Liberty’s 2024 WNBA championship ring

 The Liberty received their 2024 WNBA Championship rings during a banner-raising ceremony ahead of their 2025 season opening win over the Las Vegas Aces at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

The Liberty, one of the original WNBA franchises, won their first WNBA title last season, which marked the first professional basketball championship for New York City since 1973. The ring was designed by Jason of Beverly Hills, as well as by Brooklyn-based designers Dynasty and Soull Ogun of L’Enchanteur.

Full details on the Liberty’s championship rings here.

The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.

WWE’s flagship event will not take place in New Orleans in 2026, the Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation confirmed in a statement to USA TODAY Sports.

No reason was given for why WrestleMania 42 will no longer be held in New Orleans, but the organization said the event will be held in the city at a later date, and it will host Money in the Bank 2026.

It is part of a partnership with TKO Group Holdings, Inc., which owns WWE and UFC, where New Orleans will host UFC 318, next year’s Money in the Bank and a future WrestleMania. WrestleMania 42 was scheduled to be the third WrestleMania New Orleans hosted after WrestleMania 30 in 2014 and WrestleMania 34 in 2018.

‘The Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation and New Orleans & Company are working closely with our friends at TKO to expand our long-standing partnership,’ the Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation said in a joint statement with WWE. ‘Which will include UFC 318 on July 19, 2025, Money In The Bank in 2026, and WrestleMania – which will move from the currently scheduled 2026 timeframe to a future year.’

The change in location comes three months after the site and dates for WrestleMania 42 were announced. During the Feb. 21 episode of SmackDown at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans, The Rock appeared and revealed to the audience WrestleMania 42 would take place at the Caesars Superdome April 11-12, 2026.

The new location or dates for WrestleMania 42 has not been announced, although WrestleMania has moved to being held in mid-April. USA TODAY Sports has reached out to WWE and TKO for more information.

The news of location change comes after a reported similar instance happened for WrestleMania 41. Before it was announced the 2025 edition would take place at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis was widely expected to be the pick.

WWE president Nick Khan said at the SBJ World Congress of Sports in April 2024 the event would no longer take place in outdoor East Coast stadiums after the frigid conditions during WrestleMania 40 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. U.S. Bank Stadium is indoors.

Minnesota Sports and Events President Wendy Blackshaw told the Star Tribune that Minneapolis was in the running for WrestleMania 41, but ‘new ownership’ in WWE resulted in it not being selected. Instead, U.S. Bank Stadium was awarded SummerSlam 2026 on Aug. 1-2. 

The New York Liberty began their title defense with a 92-78 victory over the Las Vegas Aces. They will look to make it two consecutive victories Thursday when they travel to take on the Chicago Sky.

The Sky had a rough start to the season against the Indiana Fever. Chicago lost 93-58 in a game where the Sky shot just 29.1% from the field. Angel Reese had a 12-point, 17-rebound double-double, but she didn’t get much support from her teammates during the contest.

New York will be a tough matchup for Chicago, as the duo of Breanna Stewart and Jonquel Jones will match up well size-wise with the Sky’s frontcourt duo of Reese and Kamilla Cardoso. The Liberty also have a productive, experienced backcourt duo in Natasha Cloud and Sabrina Ionescu that will test Chicago’s defense.

Perhaps a better 3-point shooting performance from Kia Nurse and Courtney Vandersloot, who went a combined 0-for-9 from deep in the Sky’s loss to the Fever, will provide Chicago a better chance to keep pace with New York’s well-rounded offense.

Follow along with USA TODAY Sports for live updates, scores and highlights for the Liberty vs. Sky matchup on Thursday:

Sky minority owner Dwyane Wade sits courtside

CHICAGO — A perk of being an owner, and a Hall of Famer, is prime seating. 

Dwyane Wade was sitting courtside for the Chicago Sky’s home opener Monday night. Wade, a Chicago native who won three NBA titles with the Miami Heat, has been a part-owner of the Sky since 2023. He sat opposite the Sky bench, and got a loud ovation when he was shown on the Jumbotron at the end of the first quarter. 

— Nancy Armour

End of Q1: Liberty 28, Sky 23

New York Liberty superstar Jonquel Jones can’t miss … literally. Jones is up to eight points, shooting 3-for-3 from the field and 2-for-2 from 3. Sabrina Ionescu is also having her way and dicing up the Sky defense. She scored 10 points in the first quarter, shooting 3-for-5 from the field and 1-for-3 from 3.

Sky veteran Courtney Vandersloot has four points. Angel Reese has struggled offensively so far. She remains scoreless and is 0-for-5 from the field. Defense is a different story — Reese is already up to seven rebounds. The Sky’s bench, however, is keeping the contest close. Chicago’s bench has scored 12 of the team’s 23 points, led by four points from Rebecca Allen.

Courtney Vandersloot welcomed back with open arms

CHICAGO — Back as if she never left. 

Courtney Vandersloot’s return to the Chicago Sky, the team that drafted her, after two years in New York was the Sky’s biggest move this offseason. That’s partly because she’s one of the best point guards to ever play the game, and helped lead Chicago to its only title, in 2021. But Vandersloot is also beloved in Chicago and by Sky fans. 

She was introduced last before Thursday night’s home opener, and took the court to a loud chorus of ‘Slooooot!’ 

— Nancy Armour

What time is Liberty vs. Sky?

The New York Liberty vs. Chicago Sky game will tip off at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday, May 22 at Wintrust Arena in Chicago.

How to watch Liberty vs. Sky game: TV, stream

Time: 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT
Location: Wintrust Arena in Chicago, Illinois
TV (local): My9 (New York) | The U (Chicago)
TV (national): WNBA League Pass
Stream: Fubo

Courtney Vandersloot will face former team

Thursday’s matchup between the Liberty and Sky will mark Vandersloot’s first game against her former team. Vandersloot played for the Liberty for two seasons in 2023-24 after spending 12 seasons in Chicago. She helped New York win its first WNBA championship last season, which marked the second of Vandersloot’s career. She previously won a title with the Sky in 2021, which marked the franchise’s first and only championship.

New York Liberty starting lineup

Chicago Sky starting lineup

Liberty vs. Sky odds

Odds via BetMGM

Spread: Liberty (-12.5)
Moneyline: Liberty (-700); Sky (+500)
Over/under: 164.5

Check out Liberty’s 2024 WNBA championship ring

 The Liberty received their 2024 WNBA Championship rings during a banner-raising ceremony ahead of their 2025 season opening win over the Las Vegas Aces at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

The Liberty, one of the original WNBA franchises, won their first WNBA title last season, which marked the first professional basketball championship for New York City since 1973. The ring was designed by Jason of Beverly Hills, as well as by Brooklyn-based designers Dynasty and Soull Ogun of L’Enchanteur.

Full details on the Liberty’s championship rings here.

The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.

Adelman has been named the permanent head coach of the Denver Nuggets on Thursday, officially succeeding Michael Malone, who was fired just days ahead of the NBA playoffs in April. Adelman led the Nuggets through the remainder of the regular season, where they went 3-0, and a playoff series win over Kawhi Leonard and the Los Angeles Clippers in seven games.

The Nuggets were one win shy of advancing to the Western Conference Finals, ultimately losing to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the conference semifinals in seven games. Despite the playoff exit, Nuggets president and governor Josh Kroenke said he was impressed with Adelman’s leadership and the way the team responded to him.

‘We are going to be moving forward with David Adelman as our head coach… for next season and beyond,’ Kroenke announced during his end-of-season media availability. ‘I think the way that the group really rallied around him, and not only a different voice, but a different style of communication was fantastic to see. We are really excited about him, both what he’s shown over the last six weeks and then having a full summer, a full training camp and a full year to get things under his belt before we go back at it again this time next year.’

OPINION: Nuggets should hire David Adelman now. He proved himself with win against Clippers.

Kroenke wasn’t the only one singing Adelman’s praises.

Following the Nuggets playoff exit on May 18, Aaron Gordon said Adelman ‘was excellent for us and I hope that he’s here next year.’ Nikola Jokic said their coach ‘made us believe something and we played good.’ Jamal Murray said Adelman ‘did a great job, considering everything.’ Michael Porter Jr. said he hopes Adelman ‘gets the job.’ Christian Braun added ‘the guys really like him.’

On Thursday, Kroenke added, ‘One thing I am very comfortable with, and hopefully our fan base has seen, is how the players came together and really rallied around our coaches and our coaching staff.’

Adelman previously served as Malone’s assistant since 2017 before he was named the Nuggets’ interim head coach on April 8 after Malone was let go after the Nuggets suffered four consecutive losses.

Nuggets general manager Calvin Booth was also fired alongside Malone. Ben Tenzer has served as the interim general manager, but Kroenke said he ‘wants to take my time a little more’ on naming a permanent GM.

The firings come just two seasons after Malone — who leaves the franchise as its winningest coach — led the Nuggets to their first NBA championship.

The Dallas Cowboys hired Brian Schottenheimer to replace Mike McCarthy during the 2025 NFL offseason.

The first-time coach is already drawing rave reviews from his players as he takes charge of ‘America’s Team.’

‘I love him,’ rookie running back Jaydon Blue told FanDuel TV’s Kay Adams when asked about working with Schottenheimer.

Blue, a fifth-round pick out of Texas, went on to explain the key to Schottenheimer’s leadership is the energy he has brought to the position.

‘That’s a big thing in that facility,’ Blue said. ‘They always have a lot of energy.’

That is part of Dallas’ major goal for the 2025 offseason. Schottenheimer has made a concerted effort to bring a high level of energy to the Cowboys as he looks to establish a team culture in his image.

‘We’ve spoken very openly about trying to create one of the greatest cultures in professional sports,’ Schottenheimer told reporters while outlining the team-building activities that were done in the early stages of OTAs, per the Dallas Morning News.

Thus far, it appears that plan is working for players like Blue, who have felt the impact of Schottenheimer’s ‘uplifting’ energy.

‘Somebody could be having a bad day, and he’ll come in [and] start screaming, excited,’ Blue told Adams. ‘I love coaches like that, because it helps me. I’m a big energetic guy when it comes to football, so a coach that I can relate to like that helps me be better.’

Time will tell if Schottenheimer’s approach helps to turn the Cowboys. Dallas is hoping to bounce back after a disappointing 2024 season during which it went 7-10 while navigating Dak Prescott’s season-ending hamstring injury.

At the very least, it appears Schottenheimer has made a believer out of Blue.

‘He’s a really great guy,’ Blue said. ‘I got a chance to sit down and talk to him and I’m ready to get a chance to work with him.’

The NFL owners failed to pass a ban on the Philadelphia Eagles’ controversial quarterback-sneak, falling two votes shy of passing the rule change on Wednesday. It ensures that the play will live for at least another season, something the Eagles have been celebrating ever since.

Barkley, on the other hand, appears to understand that it’s good for the team but bad for his season stats. The running back routinely lost out on touchdown-scoring opportunities to Jalen Hurts and the ‘tush push’ when the Eagles were at the one-yard line.

During an appearance on the ‘Exciting Mics’ podcast with teammates Cooper DeJean and Reed Blankenship, Barkley discussed that and also offered his thoughts on the play. The episode released Thursday was recorded before the owners’ voted.

‘I think it’s soft, to be honest,’ Barkley said. ‘Everybody can do it. It’s not a play that we only can do. We happen to have one of the best and biggest O-lines, and Jalen Hurts can squat 600 pounds. That’s not our fault.’

The reigning offensive player of the year turned his attention to the other teams across the league that have tried, and failed, to replicate the Eagles’ success.

‘Josh Allen is super big, they’re not successful with it,’ Barkley continued. ‘Lamar Jackson is one of the best running quarterbacks of all-time, they’re not successful with it. So it’s not something that everyone can’t do. Them trying to eliminate it, I think that’s kind of lame.’

There were 10 teams that voted to keep the ‘tush push’ – nine if you exclude the Eagles. Of those nine teams, seven play in the AFC. Barkley acknowledged that the biggest push for a ban came from teams that Philadelphia has to compete against more often.

‘And the teams that want to get rid of it are the teams that gotta see us two or three times a year,’ he said.

Barkley pointed out that he could understand passing a ban if there was a health risk for players. He suggested the league would have to ban the quarterback sneak in general if that were the case, since the ‘tush push’ is another version of the play.

DeJean and Blankenship presented Barkley with the idea of crafting an elevator pitch for NFL commissioner, Roger Goodell. The running back, like he would during a game, took that opportunity to change directions and focus on a bigger issue, in his mind.

‘Everybody can do it, there’s no health issue and why we talking about the tush push, let’s make sure everybody’s contract is guaranteed,’ Barkley said.

He added that baseball and basketball players have guaranteed deals, something the NFL doesn’t.

‘We play the hardest sport of all of them,’ Barkley said. ‘Not saying like technical wise, but physicality wise. There’s no reason why we put our bodies on the line, our minds, our brains on the line. It should be fully guaranteed, in my opinion.’

The trio proceeded to talk about the scheduling side of things, with games taking place on Thursday, Friday, Sunday and Monday throughout the season which leads to short weeks and limited recovery time.

As the NFL eyes an 18-game schedule and 16 international games across the league each year, the discussion surrounding player safety and contract value figure should only ramp up over time.

The current NFL collective bargaining agreement (CBA) is set to expire in March 2031. If and when the players decide to take that fight to the owners, it should be an explosive battle.

Especially now that a star player like Barkley is on the record endorsing the change.

All plans for the 2026 edition of WWE’s flagship event have been scrapped with the news of it no longer taking place in New Orleans April 11-12. Instead, the city will get Money in the Bank 2026 and a future WrestleMania at a later date.

The news comes as a shock given it was revealed in February New Orleans would be the host city. Often compared to the Super Bowl, WrestleMania brings wrestling fans from all around the world to not only take part of WWE’s two-night extravaganza, but the several events and experiences that happen in the city as part of WrestleMania weekend.

WWE hasn’t announced the new location and it could already have a new city in mind for WrestleMania 42, but with the event scheduled to take place in less than 11 months, fans will want to know where it will be and begin the planning process to takeover the city. There are several top contenders of who can step up and take the hosting duties.

Las Vegas

Could the Sin City get a second straight year of hosting WrestleMania? NOLA.com reported Las Vegas is a leading contender to have WrestleMania 42 after it had WrestleMania 41 in 2025. It would mark the first time a city got the event in back-to-back years since WrestleMania 4 and 5 in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

Consecutive years aside, Las Vegas is the ideal location for WWE given all the space it has to have multiple events. It took over the Las Vegas Strip, and the close proximity of it all greatly helped have the biggest WrestleMania weekend to date. It’s a top tourism destination, and it would remain that way in 2026. TKO Group Holdings, owner of WWE, also owns UFC, which essentially lives in Las Vegas.

WrestleMania 41 was a massive success in terms of attendance, merchandise sales and hospitality experiences. Not only did WWE generate millions of dollars from it, but so did Las Vegas. The potential earnings from having the event there again could be too enticing for both sides to pass up.

If Las Vegas gets WrestleMania again, however, there will certainly be disappointment from fans for not showcasing a different city. It will feel like WWE is prioritizing money over fans, especially with how many complaints there were about the cost of attending this year’s edition, and like WWE is slowly turning into UFC. Prices would likely be the same − if not more − which could price out people.

London

This will be the top − and highly debatable − choice for WrestleMania 42. London mayor Sadiq Khan has not shied away from his desire to host a WrestleMania, and with the 2026 location now open, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him pounce on the opportunity to make a pitch.

London has plenty of large stadiums to select as the venue, but the top choice would be the 90,000-seat Wembley Stadium, which could reach more than 100,000 with WrestleMania. An international WrestleMania would undoubtedly be a success, as it make it easier for European citizens and a majority of international fans the chance to experience WrestleMania for the first time. Its long been the consensus preferred location to host in the continent. Mix that in with how electric European crowds are at wrestling events, and it has the potential to be the most electric atmosphere in WrestleMania history.

While appealing, it’s a big gamble. WrestleMania has never left the U.S. outside of Toronto in 1990 and 2002. American fans are the priority fanbase, and would a large amount of them be willing to go across the pond? There certainly would be issues with not just the travel, but fans might not be on board with a 12 p.m. ET/9 a.m. PT start time. All first-world problems, but still something WWE has to consider going international.

Indianapolis

Other than New Orleans, only one other city is guaranteed a WrestleMania and that is Indianapolis. WWE has a deal with the city that got it Royal Rumble 2025 and a future WrestleMania.

Royal Rumble was a success at Lucas Oil Stadium and the home of the Indianapolis Colts would certainly host WrestleMania. The indoor stadium wipes out any concern of frigid conditions like WrestleMania 40 in Philadelphia, which was so cold WWE decided to not do East Coast outdoor stadiums for the foreseeable future. Plus, the city has experience with hosting mega events like the Super Bowl and Final Four.

However, what could take Indianapolis out of the running will be the men’s basketball championship. The 2026 men’s Final Four will be held at the stadium April 4 and 6, and if WrestleMania kept the original date of April 11 and 12, less than a week would be too little time to prepare the stadium with the stellar stage the event is known for. It would have to be pushed back at least a week to April 18-19, or may just have to wait another year.

Houston

It’s been 16 years since WrestleMania took place in Houston, and the Texas city could make a run to get the event back at NRG Stadium. The venue has a retractable roof that could greatly benefit the presentation of WrestleMania. It has taken on several major events like the Super Bowl, College Football Playoff national championship and Final Four since WWE last visited the venue. It’s also slated to host 2026 World Cup matches, proving it is capable of handling the crowd for a weekend.

What could help Houston get the winning bid is the influence of Travis Scott, who has made appearances this year and has hinted at having matches in the future. WWE chief content officer Paul ‘Triple H’ Levesque has shown great appreciation for Scott’s work, and the rapper could help persuade him to bring the event back to H-Town.

Orlando

WWE has loved hosting WrestleMania in Florida in recent years, with the event being in the state four times since 2008 − not including the WWE Performance Center in 2020 due to COVID-19. Since Tampa hosted in 2021, Orlando would be the best pick for the Sunshine State to host.

Camping World Stadium would be the choice, serving as the location for WrestleMania 24 in 2008 and WrestleMania 33 in 2017, and WrestleMania 42 in 2026 would coincidentally a follow nine-year timeline of the venue hosting. It was a success when WWE went with the stadium and the venue is remembered for having some of the best WrestleMania stages. Weather wouldn’t be a total issue with the outdoor space, unless rain and storms got in the way. Plus with Kia Center less than two miles away, it is optimal to have all of WWE’s WrestleMania weekend events taking place in close proximity.

Saudi Arabia

This will be an extremely unpopular pick, but Saudi Arabia getting the nod can’t be ruled out. WWE has a 10-year agreement with the country’s sports authority to bring events to the country. It seemed like Saudi would just get Crown Jewel and Night of Champions, but WWE proved its commitment to the country by bringing Royal Rumble 2026 to Riyadh. If WWE is willing to bring a major event like Royal Rumble to Saudi, nothing would stop it from bringing WrestleMania too.

There’s a glaring issue with it given the ‘sportswashing’ being done in the country. There was outrage when Royal Rumble was announced, and there would be even bigger problems if the biggest wrestling event in the world went there as well. If this move happened, it would create an ugly storm WWE would have to crawl itself out of.

WASHINGTON – James Wood could already stand eye-to-eye with the biggest, baddest dudes in Major League Baseball. Now, he’s developing a body of work to match them on the stat sheet.

At 6 feet, 7 inches, Wood is shoulder to shoulder with Aaron Judge and Pittsburgh Pirates slugger Oneil Cruz. He could probably post up the great Shohei Ohtani – a mere 6-foot-3 – if this group of sluggers ever got together, say, for a pickup basketball game.

No, size isn’t the be-all in baseball. Long levers and big swings can produce big problems: Challenges making contact, lengthy swings that can’t beat the ball to the spot, too many strikeouts that can short-circuit a lineup.

But as he approaches his one-year anniversary at the game’s highest level, Wood, 22, is developing a mastery of his swing, his plate approach and, increasingly, his outcomes.

All coming from a 234-pound frame that likely hasn’t reached full physical maturation.

“Baseball’s an interesting sport,” Wood tells USA TODAY Sports. “You got guys my height. And you got guys almost a foot shorter than me doing their thing in the big leagues.

“I think everything is super individual and you have to find things that work for you.”

Wood found those things much sooner than than his hard-hitting predecessors. Judge, likely on his way to a third American League MVP honor, did not make his major league debut until he was 24, and wasn’t a full-timer until 25; Ohtani was 23 before making the transition from Japan to two-way superstardom in the USA.

Cruz was 25 when he put together an injury-free and productive 2024 season, though his 21 homers were accompanied by 181 strikeouts.

Wood’s rapid assimilation more closely mirrors Giancarlo Stanton, the currently injured Yankee who owns six of the 10 hardest-hit home runs in the Statcast era; he hit 22 home runs in 100 games as a 20-year-old in 2010, and 34 a year later.

He’s a long way from Stanton’s 429 home runs. Yet it’s impossible to deny that Wood is just getting started.

‘He uses his levers perfectly’

Wood might be baseball’s greatest juxtaposition – a swing so violent, producing the game’s loudest noises off the bat, coming from one of the chillest dudes you’d ever hope to meet.

He strolls the field and clubhouse alike with an effortless nonchalance that belies his determination to be a total player, and not just a slugger.

“The thing I love most about him is the separation between hitting, fielding and baserunning,” says Nationals manager Dave Martinez. “He understands who he is. He understands what he needs to do. And all he wants to do is help us win.

“He talks a lot about being one of 26 guys, being part of his team. Which for a 22-year-old is pretty impressive.”

Wood had a nice half-season debut last year after his highly-anticipated arrival as the most tantalizing piece in the 2022 Juan Soto blockbuster deal. He hit nine home runs in 79 games, posted a 121 adjusted OPS and got on base at a .354 clip.

He has since improved on several rate stats, his strikeouts down from 28.9% to 26.4%, while his walks are up a bit from 11.6 to 13%. What Martinez finds most encouraging is the drop in his pull percentage – down 8 points to 20.8%.

Martinez knows the pull side power is there for Wood, and that an all-fields slugger will be a nightmare for opposing pitchers.

“I don’t want him to pull the ball,’ says Martinez. “I’ve often talked the first time I saw Juan Soto, he didn’t pull the ball. He hit everything up the middle, left center. He learned how to pull the ball.

“I think that’s gonna happen with James. I want him to continue doing what he’s doing.”

Martinez says he’s tempted to initiate conversations and provide counsel to Wood, but “I refrain, because I don’t want to put too much in his head. I just want him to go out and play the game and assess things as we go.”

And perhaps that’s the most striking thing about Wood within the Nationals orbit – the low maintenance despite the long limbs and moving parts.

“The taller you get, the harder it is to be coordinated playing this game. And he does an awesome job on both sides of the ball,” says Josh Bell, the Nationals’ 6-foot-3, 260-pound DH and first baseman. “I think he uses his levers perfectly. He’s not trying to pull the ball. He’s trying to use all fields.

“And that’s very dangerous, so it’s fun to watch.”

Growth mindset

For Wood, the major leagues continues to be a journey of discovery, an element he feels will never go away.

Wood grew up in Olney, Maryland, about an hour from Nationals Park, and eventually played two seasons at Florida’s IMG Academy before the Padres drafted him in the second round in 2021.

His mother, Paula, is part of a Black Baseball Moms Facebook group, which helps connect Black players and families throughout the game. Father Kenny is a member of the University of Richmond’s hall of fame for his basketball exploits.

Wood’s locker stall is next to second baseman Luis Garcia Jr., who was born in New York but raised in the Dominican Republic. Wood has learned a lot from their frequent chats, and appreciates the endless paths his teammates have taken to the big leagues.

“It’s important to just be yourself, really,” he says. “Lucky to be in a locker room full of a bunch of different personalities. Guys from all over the country, different countries, different continents.

“It’s just a cool dynamic and I think that’s what makes things interesting: Everyone being their own person creates a cool dynamic.”

The core the Nationals are developing is pretty cool, too. Shortstop CJ Abrams, who came over with Wood in the Soto trade, is already an All-Star, and another part of that deal, lefty MacKenzie Gore, might earn that nod this year, too.

While outfielder Dylan Crews, 23 and the second overall pick in 2023, has struggled at the plate in his first full season, he’s shown the flashes of elite power, speed and defense that will make him a daunting outfield mate with Wood for years.

Wood, Crews says, “is like a young kid but doesn’t carry himself like that.” Yet for as precocious as he is now, Wood doesn’t place a ceiling on his growth – even if he’s topped out at 6-foot-7, plenty big to impact the game like few others can.

“It’s like life,” he says. “Someone told me that a few years ago: This game is the greatest teacher of life. Once you stop playing this game, your life goes on and you gotta keep learning, too.

“You can never stop learning, never stop growing.”

Rick Carlisle’s first teams in Detroit and Indiana were defense focused, but his belief in randomized action helped him build Pacers’ wide-open offense.

INDIANAPOLIS – Tyrese Haliburton calls it ‘organized chaos.’

The Rick Carlisle system of offense as currently constituted is for there to be no system, at least not one that is easily recognizable by opponents. There is a playbook with set plays — lots of them — but the intention is to use that sparingly for specific situations and for the players on the floor to flow and vibe in such a way that creates constant ball and player movement. The nightly goal for each player is to ‘play random’ so defenders don’t have a clear sense of where their man or the ball is going next, but to make all that randomness cohesive so that as frequently as possible, it gets the ball to the right player at the right time at the right spot.

It’s like jazz on a basketball court, and in Carlisle’s fourth season as head coach of the the Pacers, that offensive approach has become one of the most dominant forces in the NBA.

Last year, the Pacers scored 123.3 points per game, the sixth-highest figure in league history and the highest figure in the NBA in 40 seasons. This year the Pacers were a little less prolific, averaging 117.4 points per game to finish seventh in the NBA, but paired with an increased focus on defense it led the Pacers to a 50-win season and now it has them back in the Eastern Conference finals for a second straight season. Haliburton and the Pacers shocked the Knicks 138-135 in OT in Game 1 at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday night.

The Pacers’ success, particularly on offense, is the product of a group of players that has bought in and a coach that has evolved. In the early years of his head coaching career at a time when the style of play in the NBA was dramatically different, Carlisle could be the type to steer a team with a white-knuckle grip on the wheel. But over time he’s learned the importance of putting trust in players and they’ve rewarded him for that faith.

‘I think it’s freedom that the coaching staff gives us,’ forward Aaron Nesmith said. ‘We talk about it all the time. He trusts the offense and us. We have such great offensive players on our team I think we just are able to read the game. We’re pretty friendly off the court and it translates on the court as well.’

Carlisle’s trust in players has become one of his most valuable assets as a coach and it’s helped make him adaptable over the eras he’s been in the game since he broke in as a head coach with the Detroit Pistons in 2001. He sits 11th on the all-time wins list with 993 regular season wins with only Doc Rivers ahead of him among active coaches. He’s 14th among all coaches in playoff wins with 79 in now his 16th trip to the postseason, and he’s arguably in the midst of his best chance at a title since 2011.

‘Where Rick has always been good in my opinion,’ Rivers said, ‘is he coaches the team he has.’

‘This is ridiculous’

Carlisle was hired by the Dallas Mavericks in 2008 in hopes he would make a good team great.

Under the ownership of Mark Cuban, the Mavs had gone from a forgettable lottery team in the 1990s to a consistent contender, winning at least 50 games and making the playoffs each year from 2001-08 with three 60-win teams and the 2005-06 Western Conference championship in that mix. However, previous coach Avery Johnson had been fired because the Mavs followed their NBA Finals appearance with back-to-back first-round playoff exits — including one in 2007 when the Mavs won 67 games but lost to the No. 8 seed Golden State Warriors — and Dallas wanted more. Carlisle took over a team with two future Hall-of-Famers in Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Kidd carrying the expectation he could take them to the next level.

The Mavs began that season by losing seven of their first nine games including five straight. Carlisle realized then the most important thing he needed to do was find a way to get out of the way. He saw the game slow down as the Mavs looked to him for guidance on every possession, which made less sense because their floor leader in Kidd was already a 14-year NBA veteran at 35 with nine All-Star appearances and six All-NBA selections to his name and their other top players including Nowitzki, Jason Terry, Josh Howard and Erick Dampier were in their late 20s and early 30s and had plenty of experience, as well.

‘At a certain point, watching Jason Kidd, him looking over at the bench for calls, finally one day it just hit me that this is ridiculous,’ Carlisle said. ‘I’m gonna talk to him about just taking over all that stuff, running the team. Run plays, don’t run plays, just get guys immersed in the game. Lead, all that kinda stuff. He was unbelievably great.’

From that point, the Mavs went 48-25 to finish 50-32, then beat the San Antonio Spurs in five games in the first round of the playoffs before losing to the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference semifinals. Two years later, they won the franchise its first NBA championship, taking down LeBron James’ first Miami Heat team. Each of those first three teams finished in the top 10 in the NBA in offensive rating and they won even though they were never better than 10th in scoring defense or eighth in defensive rating.

‘Our season changed and so obviously from that point forward for the next couple of years we stayed the course on that,’ Carlisle said. ‘Our game became more of a free-flowing random game and that was one of the big things that led us to a title in 2011.’

Before that point, the hallmark of Carlisle’s teams was stingy defense at a time when the NBA and the Eastern Conference in particular played a slow, grind-it-out game. He won 50 games as a first-year head coach with Detroit by averaging 94.3 points per game and holding opponents to 92.2 per game, finishing sixth in the league in scoring defense and eighth in defensive efficiency. That year just four teams averaged 100 points per game and no team averaged more than 105 per game. The following season, the Pistons won 50 games again and reached the Eastern Conference finals by leading the league in scoring defense, holding opponents to just 87.7 points per game.

But Carlisle could sense the game was changing. He followed closely the work of Jerry Colangelo, the Phoenix Suns executive who had been appointed by then-commissioner David Stern to chair a select committee that advised the NBA’s Board of Governors on rules changes designed to increase freedom of movement and spacing to make the game a little more wide-open and high scoring. With the Mavericks, he knew he had a special collection of offensive talent — especially Nowitzki — and that maximizing their potential would require something different than getting the most out of the early-aughts Pistons. Even when they had personnel changes after the championship season he knew he’d have to be adaptable to new moves.

‘I was going to base my career on taking the players that were there and trying to do the very best to help them succeed,’ Carlisle said. ‘Mark Cuban was a big influence because after we won the title, we didn’t bring back the exact same team. We had good players but we had a lot of roster movement each year. We had seven or eight new players over the next three or four or even five years. That created some real fertile opportunities to keep adjusting. I just think it’s difficult to pigeon hole yourself as you’re just a certain style coach. The opportunities to teach become limited and it just kind of affects your whole approach to the game.’

Carlisle had ingrained trust in the idea of player freedom and free-flowing basketball because he’d seen it work as a player himself. He earned a championship ring on one of the most high-IQ squads the league had ever seen — the 1985-86 Celtics that included Larry Bird, Kevin McHale and Robert Parish. So he knew that approach could work.

‘That was the big thing for me,’ Carlisle said. ‘It was a simple system. There were great players there. … Part of a playoff style is you’ve gotta be able to play a random, unpredictable game or a ‘flow game’ … You gotta acquire players that you know can do that, that can handle the trust involved with that responsibility, and the privilege really.’

The Mavericks eventually found another star who could handle that kind of responsibility in Luka Doncic, and he was starting to show the heights he could reach when Carlisle and the Mavs decided to part ways and Dallas made Kidd the head coach. Carlisle went back to Indiana to take over a team that was headed toward a full rebuild, but before the end of his first year, the Pacers acquired exactly the sort of player Carlisle wanted to run his offense.

‘He ran with it’

The Mavericks held the No. 18 pick in the 2020 NBA draft, but they knew that wasn’t going to be high enough to get the player they wanted. Carlisle and the front office believed in Haliburton more than most teams, but they also knew that the top 17 weren’t going to pass on him.

‘In the 2020 draft, we were desperately trying to move up to take him in the first round,’ Carlisle said. ‘… We knew that he could play with Luka and that he could be just another essential piece to our build in Dallas.’

Nobody made the Mavs a deal. The Sacramento Kings took Haliburton No. 12 overall and the Mavericks ended up taking Josh Green 18th, but Carlisle kept an eye on Haliburton’s development. And when the Pacers decided at the 2022 trade deadline they needed a roster overhaul, they created shockwaves in the league by sending All-Star big man Domantas Sabonis to the Kings with other pieces for Haliburton along with sharpshooter Buddy Hield.

Haliburton was initially stunned by the move because he had hopes of staying with the same franchise for his whole career. However, Carlisle had dinner with Haliburton his first night in town and gave him an idea of the responsibility he had in store for him.

‘When you make a trade like that and a kid like Tyrese goes from a situation in Sacramento where he thought he was going to be there long-term and a big part of what they were building, it can be shell-shocking that you’re going 2,000 miles away to some place in the Midwest that maybe you’ve never even been before,’ Carlisle said. ‘I wanted to make sure that he felt, No. 1, welcome, and No. 2, that I had great confidence in what he was not only able to do at that present time, but going forward. I thought him having the keys to the team was an important thing to get across in that first conversation. And he loved it. He ran with it.’

Carlisle could tell he made the right call immediately. The Pacers lost their first game with Haliburton at the helm 120-113, but he scored 23 points and had six assists. Even with a skeleton roster and little cohesion with anyone on the team outside of Hield, he had the offense whirling.

‘The first game he stepped on the floor, we played faster in that game than maybe any game I had ever coached before,’ Carlisle said. ‘That’s saying something. I’d coached a lot of games. It was clear that our blueprint had to be to built around his unique skills and vision and scoring ability and ability as an on-court connector.’

Said Rivers: ‘I think he realized early on with Haliburton, this may be one of those teams where I just have to wind him up and let him go. That’s why he’s such a sensational coach.’

‘Trial and error’

Building around Haliburton and building a randomized action-system, in Carlisle’s mind, meant finding players who play hard but play selfless.

When the Pacers got Haliburton, they already had a few pieces in place who fit that mold, though two of them sat out the end of that 2021-22 season with injuries. Center Myles Turner gave them a skilled big man who could score at all three levels and also pass, which made him dynamic as a ball-screen partner. Veteran point guard T.J. McConnell gave them a capable backup well conditioned enough to maintain pace and flow either with Haliburton on the floor or without him.

In the 2022 draft they added a top-lever perimeter scorer in Bennedict Mathurin and a combo guard in Andrew Nembhard who could play on the ball or off. They traded for Aaron Nesmith. The following year they added an elite floor runner and finisher in Obi Toppin. And then when they finally made a big trade for another All-Star caliber player, they found one with a remarkably low ego for his stature in Pascal Siakam.

And over the past three years, the Pacers have done what they could to keep that core together. With every game and every practice, they get a better sense of when to pass, when to drive and when to shoot.

‘It’s trial and error,’ Haliburton said. ‘Working on that through practice, working on that through games. … We have great offensive minds on our staff who continue to implement new things. We have a running joke that coach Carlisle has to add a new play every day.’

The Pacers have one of the most balanced teams in the NBA with seven players who averaged more than 10 points per game in the regular season but none who averaged more than 20.2 per game. They finished third in the league in field goal percentage, third in assists, fifth in fast-break points, seventh in pace and nine in offensive rating. They threw the second-most passes in the NBA with 330.5 per game after leading the league with 308.3 per game last season.

And, of course, the approach has produced wins. The Pacers went from a 25-win team in Carlisle’s first season to a 35-win team the following year to a 47-win team to a 50-win team. And now they’re just one step from the franchise’s second NBA Finals appearance and two steps from their first NBA title.

‘You just have a bunch of guys who want to play for each other,’ Siakam said. ‘You can’t have egos. You have to focus on team. We preach team and that’s the only thing in our minds. Once you have that mentality, it’s not easier, but you’re able to achieve that selfless basketball and playing for one thing, which is winning.’