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Mason Howell: Updates for High School golfer from the US Open

At just 17 years old, Mason Howell, a high school student, is making waves at the 125th U.S. Open. Howell is currently ranked No. 470 in the World Amateur Golf Rankings and is preparing for the second round of the third major event of the year at Oakmont Country Club.

The soon-to-be high school senior began the first round alongside Joakim Langergren and Chris Gotterup, starting from Oakmont’s 10th hole. However, the round did not go as he had hoped. He faced difficulties on the course, recording four bogeys over his final five holes, which resulted in a score of +7 on the leaderboard and a tie for 133rd place.

Howell faces a challenging second round to make the cut and continue into the weekend. He will tee off at 2:31 p.m. ET, so follow the live action.

Mason Howell US Open score, results

Mason Howell is competing to make the cut at the 2025 U.S. Open and play the weekend at Oakmont. He shot a 7-over-par 77 in the first round, hovering right around the cut line. Keep track of his second-round scores here.

Mason Howell saves par on hole No. 6

On the par 3, 192-yard sixth hole, Howell’s tee shot landed in the rough, leaving him in a perilous position to get up and down. His second shot left him roughly 9 feet from the hole, but he sank the ensuing par putt to remain at +6 for the tournament. The current projected cut line is +7.

Mason Howell knocks in another par

Howell came up just short on a 21-foot, 6-inch putt for birdie on the 420-yard, par 4 fifth hole, but he knocked in a 3-foot par putt to remain -1 for the day and +6 for the tournament.

Mason Howell holds steady at hole No. 4

Howell missed a prime opportunity for a birdie at the par-5 fourth hole, holding steady at 6-over. Howell tapped in for par after his fourth shot left him a couple of feet from the hole.

Mason Howell pars hole No. 3

Howell remains at 6-over for the tournament after getting up and down on the par 4, 454-yard third hole.

Mason Howell birdies hole No. 2

Howell began with a par on his opening hole of the second round. He followed that up with a birdie on the par 4, 359-yard second hole to move to 6-over.

What time does Mason Howell tee off Friday: US Open start time

Mason Howell will be in the 2:31 p.m. grouping off No. 1 alongside Joakim Langergren and Chris Gotterup.

2:31 p.m. (1): Joakim Langergren, Mason Howell (a), Chris Gotterupson Howell (a), Chris Gotterup

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Iran threatens to hit US bases in the Middle East: What is the threat level?

Iran on Friday said the U.S., as a ‘backer’ of Israel, ‘shall be held fully accountable’ for the series of strikes Jerusalem levied overnight against Tehran, its nuclear and military facilities, and top officials – deepening retaliatory concerns over U.S. bases near Iran.

The U.N. Mission to Iran sent a letter to the United Nations Security Council condemning the attacks that killed four military commanders, one Iranian official allegedly involved in the nuclear talks with the U.S., and two nuclear scientists, and said that Israel’s ‘conduct’ in the region ‘poses a serious threat to international security.’

But earlier this week, just days ahead of a planned meeting between Washington and Tehran in Oman to discuss nuclear negotiations, Iranian Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh threatened to hit U.S. bases in the Middle East, should Israel once again directly strike the Persian nation. 

‘Some officials on the other side threaten conflict if negotiations don’t come to fruition,’ Nasirzadeh said, according to Reuters following early reporting that Jerusalem was considering a strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities. ‘If a conflict is imposed on us … all U.S. bases are within our reach, and we will boldly target them in host countries.’ 

The Trump administration announced a partial evacuation of the U.S. embassy in Iraq and authorized military dependents to leave locations across the Middle East, but it remains unclear how many Americans are expected to depart from the region. 

President Donald Trump on Thursday said the decision was made out of an abundance of caution and told reporters ‘I had to do it.’

‘We have a lot of American people in this area. And I said, we got to tell them to get out because something could happen soon, and I don’t want to be the one that didn’t give any warning and missiles are flying into their buildings,’ he added in reference to the feared military escalation between Israel and Iran.

Defense officials in October 2024 said some 40,000 service members were stationed throughout the Middle East, many of which are in striking range of Iran. 

The U.S. military has at least 19 sites spread across the region, eight of which are considered to be permanent, according to the Council on Foreign Relations. 

These sites are located in countries that border or are geographically near Iran, including Bahrain, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, and the United Arab Emirates. 

But Iran’s lack of immediate defensive response to Israel’s Thursday night strike has prompted questions over whether Tehran would be able to pick a fight with the U.S. and create a third front. 

‘Given the fact that in January 2020, Iran launched short-range, precision strike ballistic missiles at U.S. bases in Iraq for killing Qasem Soleimani – the regime’s chief terrorist – this is not a theoretical exercise,’ Iran expert with the Foundation for Defense of Democracies Benham Ben Taleblu told Fox News Digital. ‘The regime has proven an ability to land blows at these bases before.

‘It is possible, and it’s not theoretical, given that the regime has done this in the past and lived to tell the tale,’ he added. 

Ben Taleblu said he believes that Iran, at this moment, is looking to make sure the U.S. is not only uninterested in engaging in direct conflict against Tehran, but could even distance itself from Israel.

‘There is a political element to the regime continuously threatening America, which is to try to take advantage of the desire for de-escalation that exists in America,’ the expert added. ‘To try to put as much daylight between America and Israel as possible, and to turn America from an ally or partner of Israel, into just observer of yet another Middle East crisis. 

‘This is how Tehran is politically, trying to put America on the sidelines when militarily, it might struggle – militarily, it would struggle,’ Ben Taleblu added.

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Could the US be targeted as Iran retaliates against Israel?

Iran has initiated a forceful counterattack on Tel Aviv, just as the dust had begun to settle on Israel’s first round of strikes on Tehran, an operation to wipe out the Iranian regime’s nuclear capabilities. 

Tel Aviv residents were instructed to remain in bomb shelters Friday evening until further notice as the Israeli Defense Forces intercepted an onslaught of missile attacks from Tehran. 

The U.S. is left to wonder whether it will be drawn into the conflict. Secretary of State Marco Rubio at first insisted the American government was not involved in the strikes, but President Donald Trump’s comments Friday suggest he didn’t oppose them. 

Iran claimed that Israel’s ‘aggression against Iran could not have been carried out without the coordination and approval of the United States.’

If Iran is acting rationally, it has no reason to provoke America into joining offensive attacks on behalf of its ally Israel.

But what if it isn’t?  

‘I hope and pray the Iranians don’t hit Americans but …  it’s going to be very hard for the regime to not hit back and not hit back big,’ one former Pentagon official said. ‘All indications are they feel like they’re going to have to hit back hard.’

Another analyst echoed that point but emphasized the emotional toll on Iran’s leadership. 

‘You’re talking about human beings who just watched their country get attacked, and a lot of their close advisors, confidants, probably friends get killed, right?’ said Rosemary Kelanic, director of the Middle East Program at Defense Priorities. ‘That’s a tough thing for Iran to actually muster to do, but that’s clearly the right move for them strategically.’

Iranians haven’t been afraid to attack the U.S. before: they tried to kill Trump and his former advisors Mike Pompeo and John Bolton over the Qassem Soleimani assassination for years. 

Iran’s ability to strike U.S. targets in the region is no secret: It has missiles and drones capable of reaching American bases in Iraq, Syria and the Gulf. And, as Gregg Roman, executive director of the Middle East Forum, noted, it has already demonstrated a willingness to use them.

‘Iran has the ability to use its missile program and its drones to strike at the United States and its bases in the region and in Israel,’ Roman said. ‘It has threatened to do so.’

But a bigger concern is sleeper cells – Iran’s ability to operate through proxies even within the U.S. 

‘That’s what I’m most worried about,’ said Roman. 

‘Iran has demonstrated… that it has the capability to establish infrastructure here in the United States,’ said Joe Truzman, senior research analyst with FDD’s Long War Journal. ‘Whether that’s through agents they hire, a proxy force like Hezbollah, or sleeper agents… it’s definitely a possibility.’

A former Pentagon official pointed to Iran’s massive missile arsenal – including more cruise and ballistic missiles than the U.S. has interceptors globally.

‘If Iran really decides to throw in its missile force, … they could really do a lot of damage,’ one former official said. ‘Particularly in Iraq and Syria, where a lot of our smaller bases are not well defended … not covered by Patriots or THAADs.’

Iran has a chokehold on Iraq’s Shiite military forces: They are the regime’s strongest proxy at the moment. The U.S. has around 2,000 forces stationed in Iraq to fight terrorism and this week evacuated non-essential embassy staff and their families from the embassy there.

‘Iran may choose to direct its proxy forces in Iraq or Yemen to begin increasing pressure on the U.S. by attacking American targets,’ said Truzman, ‘to build up enough pressure to compel the U.S. to stop carrying out attacks.’ 

For now, Iran appears to be aiming its retaliation primarily at Israel – not the U.S. ‘Right now, most of Iran’s violent rhetoric and their attention is on attacking Israeli targets,’ said Truzman. ‘At this point, I don’t think Iran wants to provoke the U.S.’

Still, the situation remains fluid. ‘A lot depends on how Iran perceives the United States’ involvement in this conflict right now,’ he added. ‘The longer this conflict drags on, it’s very likely the U.S. military will get more involved.’

Beni Sabti, Iran expert at the Institute for National Security Studies, said that right now, ‘it’s convenient for Israel, Iran and for the U.S. for Iran to leave the U.S. alone.’ 

Kelanic warned that Israel may have made a grave miscalculation. ‘I think this is a huge strategic mistake by Israel,’ she said. ‘I’m worried they’re going to drag the United States into this giant mess.’

The U.S. is all but guaranteed to get involved at least in a defensive posture to help Israel repel Iran’s countermoves, and Ayatollah Alli Khamenei has vowed to bring Israel ‘to its knees.’ The U.S. coordinated closely with Israel to fend off Iran’s last two counterattacks in April and October last year. 

‘The Zionist regime will not escape unscathed from this crime,’ Khamenei threatened in a televised address on Friday. 

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McCaul says Israel strikes are ‘perfect opportunity’ for Iranians to overthrow Islamic regime

A senior lawmaker in the U.S. House of Representatives said the current conflict with Israel and Iran could be a singular opportunity for Iranians to overthrow their authoritarian Islamic government.

‘Now that their top leadership has been taken out, if there’s ever a time for the people to rise up against this theocracy, I would think the conditions are set,’ Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, told Fox News Digital on Friday.

McCaul was part of a group of lawmakers in the Middle East late last month. Part of that trip was in Israel, where the congressional delegation met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and others.

‘I think this is the perfect opportunity – it would have been better if, I don’t know what level of coordination took place, but I mean, when an event like this happens – to have this theocracy that’s in power, out of power, and liberate the people of Iran,’ McCaul said. ‘The majority do not like the Ayatollah. There’s a real opportunity for that to just end.’

Israel unleashed a barrage of airstrikes in and around Tehran beginning Thursday night Eastern Time. The Israeli government said the strikes were pre-emptive, and that Tehran was approaching nuclear weapon capabilities. 

‘They were very close to a nuclear bomb,’ McCaul said.

Israel said it hit Iranian nuclear sites, and that its strikes killed multiple senior Iranian military commanders and nuclear scientists. Iran responded by launching missiles toward Israeli territory on Friday afternoon.

McCaul said it was a ‘major setback’ for Iran but that he was sure that officials in Tehran would respond.

‘When we were in the region, they felt certain that Iran would strike our military sites in Saudi, Jordan and the UAE,’ he said.

‘The big talk also at that time was, give CENTCOM time to get prepared in the region to get all of its strategic assets in place for a response. And my understanding is … all of our bases and military sites and embassies are on high alert.’

The Texas Republican also recalled what he now believes were telling signs that some kind of military operation was imminent. 

While in Israel last month, McCaul said he asked Netanyahu about reports that Iran was preparing a nuclear strike.

‘And he said, ‘If you don’t fight, you die,’ He said that several times in the context of striking Iran,’ McCaul said. ‘He said that, ‘I will strike Iran with or without you.”

‘I said, ‘Well, sir, we need you to coordinate with us. Whether or not the president decides to do this with you, you need to coordinate with the United States, our allies and partners in the region.’’

Indeed, President Donald Trump told Fox News Channel’s chief political anchor Bret Baier on Thursday he had prior knowledge that Israel was going to conduct pre-emptive strikes on Iran.

‘Iran cannot have a nuclear bomb, and we are hoping to get back to the negotiating table. We will see. There are several people in leadership in Iran that will not be coming back,’ Trump said.

Trump said the strike happened on Day 61 after Iran had a 60-day window to make a deal with the U.S. to contain its nuclear enrichment. He also said he hoped Iran would come back to the negotiating table after the attack.

But McCaul was not optimistic Tehran would agree to sufficient standards.

‘I just, I have little faith in the negotiations, to be honest with you,’ he said.

It’s not clear as of now whether those talks will resume. 

But if they were to fall through again, McCaul said, Iranians would have incentive to push for a new government ‘once and for all.’

Meanwhile, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has promised a ‘legitimate and powerful response’ to Israel’s strikes.

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The Cincinnati Bengals are being the Bengals yet again

A Bengals player (singular or plural) being disgruntled over their contract situation has become a tradition.

Bengals wide receiver Tee Higgins requested a trade last offseason. This offseason, pass rusher Trey Hendrickson currently wants out due to failed extension talks, and first-round pick Shemar Stewart remains unsigned because of a contract dispute.

Hendrickson, the Bengals best defensive player, didn’t show up to minicamp. He told reporters in May that he wouldn’t play under his current deal. Hendrickson is due to make $15.8 million in base salary this season on the final year of his contract.

Stewart left minicamp after not participating. A person close to the situation confirmed to USA TODAY Sports, the Bengals are attempting to change the language in the rookie’s contracts to ‘allow the team to void future guarantees.’ Stewart’s representation is asking for his contract language to look the same as previous Cincinnati first-round picks. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter.

Stewart has yet to practice all offseason. He is one of four 2025 first-round picks who remain unsigned.

“I think for all the rookies you’d like for them to be on the field. But certainly, there are things that happen throughout the course of an NFL career. This is one of them right now,” Bengals coach Zac Taylor told reporters this week. “He’s been in the meetings. He’s been positive in that way. He’s been learning, he’s been a good learner, and we look forward to him getting back on the field quickly.”

In fairness, the Bengals re-signed Joe Burrow in 2023 to a record-breaking extension that at the time made him the highest-paid player in NFL history. This year, Cincinnati re-signed both wide receivers Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins to mega long-term deals. Chase is currently the highest-paid wide receiver in the league.

The Bengals took steps forward to squash the cheap narrative with the Burrow, Chase and Higgins deals. But the organization has since taken a step back with the contract stalemates involving both Hendrickson and Stewart.

Los Angeles Rams are ‘right place’ for wide receiver Davante Adams

‘I’m 100 percent right. I’m not asking for nothing y’all have never done before,’ Stewart said to reporters this week of the Bengals, per The Cincinnati Enquirer, part of the USA TODAY Network. ‘But in y’all case, y’all just want to win arguments (more) than winning more games.’

The Bengals only won nine games last season. The club was on vacation during the playoffs in large part because of a poor defensive unit. Six of the Bengals losses occurred in games they scored 25 points or more. They ranked 29th both second half points allowed, and fourth quarter points allowed. The unit ranked 25th in the NFL in total defense.

And now this offseason, the Bengals are at odds with their best defensive player, who led the NFL with 17.5 sacks in 2024, and their first-round pick edge rusher because of situations that involve money.

Bengals brass hate being called cheap. But the organization isn’t doing enough to quell the perception.

Follow USA TODAY Sports’ Tyler Dragon on X @TheTylerDragon.

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Majority of Americans back Israeli airstrikes on Iran, poll shows

: More Americans support rather than oppose Israeli airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities, according to a new national poll conducted before Israel’s Friday attack on Iran.

But the survey, released by the Ronald Reagan Institute, indicates that most Democrats and Republicans don’t see eye-to-eye on the issue.

According to the poll, which was first shared with Fox News on Friday, 45% of those questioned said they would support Israel conducting targeted airstrikes against Iran’s nuclear facilities if diplomatic efforts between the U.S. and Iran fail.

Thirty-seven percent said they opposed Israeli airstrikes, with 18% unsure.

But the poll indicates a partisan divide.

Six in 10 Republicans said they support the airstrikes, but that backing dropped to 35% among independents and 32% among Democrats.

Twenty-seven percent of Republicans opposed the Israeli airstrikes, with a third of independents and just over half of Democrats opposed.

The poll was conducted before Israel’s unprecedented attack on Iran, named ‘Operation Rising Lion,’ which included strikes on both the Islamic State’s nuclear program and military leaders.

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Trump believes Israel’s strike on Iran could improve chances for nuclear deal: report

President Donald Trump said he thinks Israel’s strike on Iran probably improved the chances a U.S.-Iran nuclear deal will come to fruition, according to Axios. 

After an Axios reporter asked Trump whether he thought Israel’s strike jeopardized the administration’s efforts to strike a deal with Iran, the president reportedly responded, ‘I don’t think so. Maybe the opposite. Maybe now they will negotiate seriously.’ 

The president has urged Iran to make a deal ‘before there is nothing left,’ after Israeli Defense Forces began bombing the country’s nuclear and ballistic missile sites.

‘I couldn’t get them to a deal in 60 days. They were close. They should have done it. Maybe now it will happen,’ Trump added in his comments to the Axios reporter. 

Trump withdrew the U.S. from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) nuclear agreement during his first term. The agreement restricted Iran’s development of nuclear weapons, but, in exchange, the U.S. and other countries agreed to ease sanctions against Iran’s economy. 

During former President Joe Biden’s tenure, the U.S. sought to return to the JCPOA, but after years of talks, nothing came to fruition.

Trump has signaled that a deal with Iran is among his top priorities but has repeatedly said the country will not be allowed to have a nuclear weapon. 

Iran has said the U.S. has not respected its right to enrich uranium for non-violent purposes for citizens. Media reports have suggested Trump has signaled an openness to letting Iran continue to enrich uranium for civilian purposes. 

Further nuclear talks between the two powers were scheduled for Sunday, but, after Israel’s attacks, Iran has said it no longer plans to participate in the talks. 

Iranian state media reported that Iran has announced it will be suspending its involvement in the negotiations ‘until further notice.’ 

Fox News Digital has reached out to the White House for further comment. 

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How close was Iran to a nuclear weapon before Israel’s strike on Tehran?

Israel’s airstrikes on Tehran, Iran, on Friday morning marked a dramatic escalation in the proxy war between the two regional rivals, reigniting one of the most consequential questions in international security: Just how close was Iran to building a nuclear weapon?

While Israeli experts have warned for years that Iran was enriching uranium at a level that put it ‘weeks away’ from a nuclear weapon, in recent days, there has been a shift. According to Israeli intelligence sources, Iran was on the verge of assembling a crude nuclear device.

Beni Sabti, an Iran expert at the Institute of National Security Studies, told Fox News Digital the threat was urgent and specific: Tehran was pulling its materials together ‘in a secret place near Tehran to make a primitive warhead.’

Gregg Roman, executive director of the Middle East Forum, said that since the Trump administration reinitiated nuclear negotiations, Israel had been collecting fresh intelligence that raised alarm bells.

‘There were a few things that stood out,’ Roman said, referencing activity at the Times Enrichment facility. ‘Iran reactivated an explosives manufacturing line, which could only be used to help that needed nuclear weapon… efforts to put the fissile material into a shape which could be used for a nuclear weapon – that was reactivated as well.’

Roman added that these developments mirrored work Iran halted in 2003, when it froze its military nuclear program. 

Experts believe Iran is enriching uranium to 60%, which puts it just below the 90% needed for a nuclear weapon, and have said there is no civilian use for 60% enriched uranium. 

However, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard told a Senate worldwide threats hearing in April Iran is not moving toward a nuclear weapon. 

‘The IC [intelligence community] continues to assess that Iran is not building a nuclear weapon and Khamenei has not authorized the nuclear weapon program that he suspended in 2003,’ she said. 

‘The IC continues to monitor closely if Tehran decides to reauthorize its nuclear weapons program. In the past year, we’ve seen an erosion in the decades-long taboo in Iran of discussing nuclear weapons in public, likely emboldening nuclear weapons advocates within Iran’s decision-making apparatus,’ Gabbard said. 

President Donald Trump on Friday noted he gave Iran a 60-day ‘ultimatum’ to make a deal, and Friday was day 61. Nuclear negotiations between Washington and Tehran were scheduled for this weekend, but whether those talks will carry on as planned remains unclear. 

Not everyone is convinced Iran is actively building a bomb. Rosemary Kelanic, a political scientist and nuclear deterrence expert, urged caution about the narrative coming from Israeli officials.

‘Those in favor of this attack, including Israel, are going to do everything they can to try to make it look like Iran was on precipice of a bomb,’ Kelanic said. ‘But we need to be really critical in our thinking.’

U.S. intelligence assessments, she noted, have consistently judged that Iran was not pursuing an active weaponization program, even though it possessed enough enriched uranium to build a bomb. ‘Iran could have built a bomb back in 2022 if not earlier, and chose not to. That’s the reason that I think they don’t have one now.’

However, Kelanic warned that the Israeli strikes might push Iran to reconsider that restraint.

‘Their best path forward now, tragically, is to run a crash program and test a nuclear device as soon as they possibly can,’ she said. ‘Super risky to do that, but then maybe they can establish some kind of deterrence from Israel.’

The competing intelligence narratives reflect deep uncertainty about Iran’s intentions and even more uncertainty about what comes next. While Israel argues that its strikes disrupted a dangerous escalation, critics fear they may have accelerated it.

Kelanic suggested that even if the U.S. and Iran had come to a deal on Tehran’s nuclear program, Israel may still have carried out strikes on Iran. 

‘They just wouldn’t trust that Iran would actually give up nuclear weapons, right?’ she said. ‘If you think that they truly can never have it, and it’s an existential threat to Israel, etc, then the only thing you can do is either completely wreck Iran as a functioning state, turn it into a failed state, unable to ever get nuclear weapons.’ 

For now, time will tell whether Israel’s strikes decimate Iran’s nuclear capabilities or the decades-long threat will continue. 

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Character study shows team that stays true to itself wins NBA Finals

These NBA Finals are confusing.

Entering Game 3, the Pacers had led for only one minute and 53.3 seconds, with their time ahead in their lone victory spanning just 0.3 seconds. The Thunder had their star player, NBA Most Valuable Player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, set the record for most points scored by a player through two games (72) in his NBA Finals debut.

Yet, with their 116-107 victory Wednesday, June 11, the Pacers took a 2-1 lead over Oklahoma City and now sit two victories from their first NBA Finals title in franchise history.

Things could be very different. The Thunder were the best team in the NBA regular season (68-14) and appear to have the deeper team. But, in many ways, these NBA Finals are a case study of what happens in a clash of teams that — when they play to their strengths and style — are very tough to beat.

The question becomes: how does one get the other to play out of sorts?

A lot of it has come down to effort.

“I just thought they really outplayed us on both ends,” Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said Wednesday after the game. “I thought they were in character in terms of their physicality, their pressure on defense. Then they were in character in terms of their pace on offense.

“They just stacked way more quality possessions in the fourth quarter than we did.”

That’s the essence: at this stage in the NBA postseason, with elite teams vying for championships, merely staying in character can mark the difference between winning and losing.

For the Pacers, the key appears to lie in speed and protecting the ball. Because when Indiana does that, it puts up more shots. And as the top shooting team this postseason (49.5%), more shots means more points. More points for this team also signifies fewer transition opportunities for Oklahoma City.

After committing six turnovers Wednesday in the first quarter, the Pacers committed just a single one in the second. Indiana, unsurprisingly, outscored Oklahoma City by 12 in the period. This was the run that set the tone for the rest of the game.

When the Pacers turning the ball over, they play right into Oklahoma City’s preferred style. Because the Thunder are at their best when they are physical and handsy on defense, deflecting passes and clogging the paint.

And when the Thunder force teams into turnovers, they can ignite on explosive and overwhelming runs that can put games away.

But when they don’t force turnovers, they can become too reliant on Gilgeous-Alexander to lift the team.

“They were aggressive,” Gilgeous-Alexander said after the game. “I’m not sure how many points they had, but it felt like when they scored, we were going against a set defense, and it’s always harder against a set defense.”

Perhaps surprising some, the Pacers have been the aggressor on defense so far. As they have all postseason, relying on their youth, conditioning and athleticism, the Pacers have picked up the opposing team’s best player — Gilgeous-Alexander — full court, gradually wearing him down.

This has also slowed Oklahoma City’s offensive operation, forcing them to work in the halfcourt, which has been exposed this series as something of a weakness.

In the fourth quarter Wednesday, a weary Gilgeous-Alexander put up just three shot attempts and did not record a single assist.

Game 4 on Friday, June 13 (8 p.m. ET, ABC) becomes pivotal. The Thunder are still favored to even the series, but a 3-1 Indiana lead could become insurmountable. Can either team rely on its character to win the series?

It has felt, at times, like the difference has been levels of aggression and intention.

“When you execute the right way, whether it’s two years ago in some game that doesn’t seem very meaningful in mid-January or in Game 3 of the Finals, these guys see where important things are important, and hard things are hard,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said.

“That’s a phrase I’ve used many times, hard things are hard. But our guys, they have made the investment, and it’s an ongoing thing. It’s like a great marriage; it’s a lot of work.”

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Oilers even series with dramatic OT win vs. Panthers: Game 4 highlights

The Edmonton Oilers have tied the Florida Panthers in the Stanley Cup Final after a major comeback that hadn’t happened in more than 100 years.

They had to overcome a 3-0 first-period deficit and a tying goal by Florida’s Sam Reinhart with 19.5 seconds left in regulation of Game 4 before Edmonton’s Leon Draisaitl scored in overtime for a 5-4 victory and 2-2 series tie.

The Oilers are the first road team since the 1919 Montreal Canadiens to win a Stanley Cup Final game after trailing by three goals.

The Panthers appeared to be in command early in Game 4. Matthew Tkachuk had his first goals of the series, Aleksander Barkov had his first points and Anton Lundell scored in the final minute of the first period for a 3-0 lead.

‘We were kind of lollygagging around a little bit,’ Draisaitl told reporters. ‘It’s certainly not the time to lollygag around, especially after getting spanked in Game 3.’

How did the Oilers turn it around?

First, veteran Corey Perry spoke up during the intermission.

‘It was just honesty,’ Perry said. ‘We just had to realize where we were in the moment and kind of look ourselves in the mirror and how we were playing, what we were doing.’

Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch also made the decision to pull Stuart Skinner and put backup goalie Calvin Pickard in net for the start of the second period.

If the goal was to shake things up, it worked. The Oilers stormed back to tie the game by the end of the second period.

‘We were a little too passive, watching the play develop too much,’ Reinhart said.

Pickard did his part, stopping Lundell on a breakaway after a turnover when it was 3-1 following a Ryan Nugent-Hopkins goal. In Game 3, Sam Bennett scored in a similar situation against Skinner to allow the Panthers to pull away.

‘He’s been nothing but spectacular for us,’ Draisaitl said of Pickard.

Darnell Nurse and Vasily Podkolzin tied the game and Jake Walman scored in the third period for a 4-3 lead. But Reinhart tied the game with Sergei Bobrovsky out for an extra skater. That was the only goal Pickard allowed on 23 shots as he improved to 7-0 in the playoffs.

Draisaitl, the runner-up to Hart Trophy winner Connor Hellebuyck, gave Edmonton the win with his record-setting fourth overtime goal of the 2025 playoffs

‘He always scores big goals at big times and we’re going home with the momentum,’ Pickard said of Draisaitl.

The series heads to Edmonton, Alberta, after a long flight for Game 5 on Saturday, June 14.

‘The team that moves on from this and the team that recovers the fastest is going to have the bigger advantage on Saturday,’ Tkachuk said.

Highlights from Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final between the Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers:

Oilers vs. Panthers highlights

Game 4 recap

Final score: Oilers 5, Panthers 4

Leon Draisaitl scores his fourth overtime goal of the 2025 playoffs, a record. He throws it one-handed toward the net and it goes in off Panthers defenseman Niko Mikkola at 11:18. Series is tied 2-2.

Sam Bennett hits crossbar

Calvin Pickard gets his glove on Bennett’s shot and the puck clangs off the crossbar. Score still tied.

Overtime underway

Leon Draisaitl and Brad Marchand have the OT goals in this series.

End of third period: Panthers 4, Oilers 4

Jake Walman gives Edmonton the lead, but the Oilers can’t close it out. The Panthers press with Sergei Bobrovsky out of the net for an extra skater and Sam Reinhart scores from a tough angle to force overtime.

Score update: Panthers 4, Oilers 4

Sam Reinhart ties the game with 19.5 seconds left as the Panthers finally beat Calvin Pickard. We’re headed to overtime for the third time this series.

Sergei Bobrovsky on the bench

Panthers have extra skater. About two minutes left.

Score update: Oilers 4, Panthers 3

Defenseman Jake Walman rips a shot to Sergei Bobrovsky’s glove side for Edmonton’s first lead of the game at 13:36 of the third period.

Oilers power play

Sam Bennett goes off for tripping. Sergei Bobrovsky stretches out to make a pad save on Corey Perry in tight. Penalty is killed. About 10 minutes left in the third period.

Third period underway

Panthers have 89 seconds of a power play to start the period. Oilers kill it off.

End of second period: Oilers 3, Panthers 3

The Oilers had no answers for the Panthers in the first period. The opposite happened in the second period as the Oilers storm back to tie the game. Sergei Bobrovsky doesn’t look good on the second goal. Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch’s decision to insert backup goalie Calvin Pickard pays off as he stops Anton Lundell after a turnover when the score was 3-1. Shots were 17-10 Edmonton in that period.

Panthers power play

Leon Draisaitl goes off for elbowing. Calvin Pickard makes a save on Aaron Ekblad and 1:29 of the power play will carry into the third period.

Carter Verhaeghe hit

Evan Bouchard goes down after he’s hit from behind by Carter Verhaeghe. No penalty called. TNT reports that Bouchard heads to the dressing room.

Score update: Oilers 3, Panthers 3

Vasily Podkolzin ties it up after Darnell Nurse goes behind the net and throws the puck in front. Oilers have all the momentum.

Oilers power play

Aleksander Barkov, a penalty killer, is called for delay of game after putting the puck over the glass. Florida kills it off but Sergei Bobrovsky has to make a pad save as Connor McDavid enters the zone with speed and gets around Aaron Ekblad.

Score update: Panthers 3, Oilers 2

Darnell Nurse beats Sergei Bobrovsky up high from the left faceoff circle.

Calvin Pickard save

The Oilers goalie hasn’t been tested much since entering the game at the start of the second period, but he comes up big after an Anton Lundell steal and breakaway.

Oilers power play

Dmitry Kulikov called for holding the stick. Edmonton can pull within a goal here. The Oilers get some good looks but Sergei Bobrovsky stops Leon Draisaitl and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. Penalty is killed.

Score update: Panthers 3, Oilers 1

Oilers strike quickly on the power play on a Ryan Nugent-Hopkins goal. Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl get assists after being held off the scoresheet in Game 3.

Oilers power play

Sam Bennett slashes Evan Bouchard as he breaks in toward the net.

Second period underway

3-0 Panthers. Oilers will need to stay out of the penalty box.

Oilers goalie change

Stuart Skinner is out. Calvin Pickard is in. Skinner wasn’t at fault there, but Oilers must be trying to shake things up.

End of first period: Panthers 3, Oilers 0

Dominant period by Florida, and penalties again cost the Oilers as Matthew Tkachuk gets two power-play goals. The first was on a 5-on-3. The Anton Lundell goal with 42 seconds left was a killer. Tkachuk gets his first goals of the series and Aleksander Barkov picks up his first points. Shots were 17-7 Florida. Stuart Skinner played well but it’s too much of a barrage.

Score update: Panthers 3, Oilers 0

Carter Verhaeghe checks Troy Stecher and feeds Anton Lundell in front. Did the referees miss a high stick there by Verhaeghe?

Score update: Panthers 2, Oilers 0

Matthew Tkachuk scores again on the power play. He passes to Sam Reinhart and then puts in the rebound of a Reinhart shot. Another assist for Aleksander Barkov.

Panthers power play

Mattias Ekholm high sticks Brad Marchand.

Taylor Swift, Travis Kelce in the building

Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift are in their hockey era.

Kelce, star tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs, and Swift, a 14-time Grammy winner, traded in a football for a hockey puck on Thursday and traveled to Sunrise, Florida, for Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final between the Edmonton Oilers and Florida Panthers.

The duo was spotted walking to their suite at Amerant Bank Arena as nearby fans applauded. Kelce donned a red long-sleeve shirt and matching shorts, which he paired with a baseball cap and pair of white sneakers. Swift opted for an all-white, two-piece getup that she paired with white heeled boots and her signature red lip. – Cydney Henderson

Score update: Panthers 1, Oilers 0

The Panthers need just four seconds to score on the 5-on-3. After an Aleksander Barkov faceoff win, Mathew Tkachuk gets in position and beats Stuart Skinner through a screen at 11:42. That’s Barkov’s first point of the series. Oilers kill off second penalty.

Panthers power play

Evander Kane is called for high-sticking A.J. Greer. Kane got into penalty trouble in the last game. And it will be a 62-second 5-on-3 after Darnell Nurse takes down Aleksander Barkov.

Panthers dominate early

Shots are 8-1 Florida early. Stuart Skinner is keeping Edmonton in the game.

Stuart Skinner save

Stuart Skinner robs Sam Bennett. He’s looking good early.

Game 4 underway

Connor McDavid line vs. Aleksander Barkov line. Connor Brown, new to the McDavid line, sets up his captain for a good opportunity but Sergei Bobrovsky stops him.

When is Stanley Cup Final Game 4? Panthers vs. Oilers game time

The Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers will face off Thursday, June 12, at 8 p.m. ET at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Florida.

What TV channel is Panthers vs. Oilers Game 4 on?

TNT and truTV are broadcasting Game 4 of the NHL Stanley Cup Final. Kenny Albert will provide play-by-play, while Eddie Olczyk, Brian Boucher, Darren Pang and Jackie Redmond will provide analysis and reporting.

Stream the 2025 Stanley Cup Final on Sling

How to watch Panthers vs. Oilers Game 4

Date: Thursday, June 12
Location: Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Florida
Time: 8 p.m. ET
TV: TNT, truTV
Streaming: Max, Sling TV

Starting lines

The NHL roster report shows that Edmonton will start the Connor McDavid line and Florida will counter with the Aleksander Barkov line.

Oilers lines

Panthers lines

Oilers line changes

In addition to adding Jeff Skinner and Troy Stecher to the lineup, the Oilers are moving Connor Brown to the top line and moving Corey Perry down. The defense pairings will also be changed.

Goaltending matchup

Panthers’ Sergei Bobrovsky (14-6, 2.15 goals-against average, .916 save percentage) vs. Oilers’ Stuart Skinner (7-6, 2.84, .894). Skinner, who was pulled in Game 3, is 6-0 in Game 4s during his playoff career.

Connor Hellebuyck wins Hart Trophy; Leon Draisaitl is runner-up

Connor Hellebuyck of the Winnipeg Jets became the first goalie to win the Hart Trophy since Carey Price in 2014-15. His 47 wins ranked tied for second all-time and he had a league-best 2.00 goals-against average and eight shutouts. He finished second with a .925 save percentage.

Hellebuyck, who also won the Vezina Trophy, received 81 first-place votes and 1,346 total points. Edmonton’s Leon Draisaitl was runner-up with 53 first-place votes and 1,209 points. Tampa Bay’s Nikita Kucherov (973 points) was the other finalist.

Florida Panthers’ leading scorers

The Panthers have 11 players with double-digit points, led by Sam Bennett (20), Carter Verhaeghe (19) and Brad Marchand and Matthew Tkachuk (18 each). Bennett is the playoffs’ leading goal scorer with 14.

Edmonton Oilers’ leading scorers

The Oilers have the top three scorers in the series: Connor McDavid has a league-best 31 points, followed by Leon Draisaitl (29) and Evan Bouchard (22).

Kris Knoblauch on lineup changes

Oilers coach Kris Knoblauch is adding forward Jeff Skinner and defenseman Troy Stecher to the lineup. Forward Viktor Arvidsson and defenseman John Klingberg are coming out.

‘We felt like we could use a change and have those guys come in and give us a boost,’ he said. ‘We’ve seen it through the playoffs where we’ve made alterations to our lineup and it’s benefited us.’

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins injury update

Edmonton’s Ryan Nugent-Hopkins had been considered a game-time decision on June 11 but indications are that he is in. ‘I still feel good right now,’ he told reporters in the morning. He played a little more than 15 minutes in Game 3.

Stanley Cup Final Game 4 odds: Panthers vs. Oilers betting lines

Spread: Panthers by 1.5
Moneyline: Panthers -145; Oilers +125
Over/Under: 6.5

Odds to win 2025 NHL Stanley Cup Final

Oilers +200
Panthers -250

2025 Stanley Cup Finals schedule

All times Eastern; (x-if necessary)

Game 1: Oilers 4, Panthers 3 (OT) | Story
Game 2: Panthers 5, Oilers 4 (2OT) | Story
Game 3: Panthers 6, Oilers 1 | Story
Game 4: Thursday, June 12, Edmonton at Florida | 8 p.m. | TNT, truTV
Game 5: Saturday, June 14, Florida at Edmonton | 8 p.m. | TNT, truTV
x-Game 6: Tuesday, June 17, Edmonton at Florida | 8 p.m. | TNT, truTV
x-Game 7: Friday, June 20, Florida at Edmonton | 8 p.m. | TNT, truTV

This post appeared first on USA TODAY
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