BRIAN MAHONEY Basketball Writer.

Egor Demin celebrates after being selected eighth by the Brooklyn Nets in the first round of the NBA basketball draft, Wednesday, June 25, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

From Russia to Israel: Meet the Nets’ new international draft class

The Brooklyn Nets had five first-round picks in the NBA draft and they went around the globe to find the players for them. The new players were introduced Tuesday at the Nets’ practice facility. The class includes No. 8 pick Egor Demin, a Russian guard who spent a season at BYU; No. 19 Nolan Traore of France; No. 26 Ben Saraf from Israel; No. 27 Danny Wolf from Michigan and No. 22 Drake Powell from North Carolina, whose rights Brooklyn acquired from Atlanta in a trade that still must be completed.

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FILE - Saint Joseph's Rasheer Fleming plays during an NCAA college basketball game, Tuesday, Feb. 6, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum, File)

NBA draft resumes with trades, early selections of All-Americans Broome and Kalkbrenner

The NBA draft resumed with a trade and the deals appeared likely to continue throughout the second round. The Phoenix Suns opened it by taking Rasheer Fleming after agreeing to acquire the pick earlier Thursday from the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Wolves still made the No. 31 pick, but Phoenix and Minnesota had worked out the swap a few hours earlier, a person with knowledge of the details told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal was not officially announced. Among the familiar names going early in the second round were Auburn All-American Johni Broome to Philadelphia at No. 35, one pick after Creighton center Ryan Kalkbrenner.

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FILE - Duke forward Cooper Flagg celebrates after scoring against the Houston during the second half in the national semifinals at the Final Four of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Saturday, April 5, 2025, in San Antonio. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson, File)

Cooper Flagg set to become Mavericks’ new main man as the expected No. 1 pick in NBA draft

Cooper Flagg and his Duke teammates were together celebrating a victory over North Carolina the night of Feb. 1 when one of them saw the news that had rocked the basketball world. The Dallas Mavericks were trading Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers. Flagg says they were all in shock. Now Flagg is set to take Doncic’s place as the franchise superstar in Dallas. He is expected to be selected by the Mavericks with the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft on Wednesday night after a sensational one-season stopover with the Blue Devils.

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New York Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau yells from the sideline during the first half of Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals of the NBA basketball playoffs against the Indiana Pacers in Indianapolis, Saturday, May 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

Knicks denied permission to interview Kidd, Udoka and Finch in coaching search, AP sources say

The New York Knicks have been denied permission to speak with coaches Jason Kidd of Dallas, Ime Udoka of Houston and Chris Finch of Minnesota in a slow start to find Tom Thibodeau’s replacement. All three coaches are under contract and two people with knowledge of the details say their organizations declined to make them available for interviews with the Knicks. The people spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the interview process was to remain private. The Knicks fired Thibodeau on June 3, despite reaching the Eastern Conference finals for the first time in 25 years.

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New York Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau talks with players during a break in play against the Indiana Pacers during the first quarter of Game 5 of the NBA basketball Eastern Conference final, Thursday, May 29, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Knicks shed stability of Thibodeau era by seeking a new coach after they had gotten good

Tom Thibodeau’s firing brought back some of the confusion and chaos the New York Knicks had seemingly left behind. After an era of stability and more success than they had enjoyed in a quarter of a century, the Knicks opened a coaching search few could have predicted when they fired Thibodeau on Tuesday. Coaching searches weren’t unusual in New York for much of the 2000s, but the Knicks weren’t winning then. This time, they had just reached the Eastern Conference finals for the first time in 25 years before losing to Rick Carlisle’s Pacers, and were an early favorite to do it again next year. So changing course brought swift and strong reaction.

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New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) reacts after losing to the Indiana Pacers in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals of the NBA basketball playoffs in Indianapolis, Saturday, May 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

The Knicks’ all-in moves didn’t get them all the way there. But they are getting close

The New York Knicks went further than they’d gone in 25 years, just not as far as they hoped. They signaled they were serious about making a run at the NBA title when they traded for Mikal Bridges in the summer and then Karl-Anthony Towns in a preseason blockbuster. Their all-in moves just couldn’t get them all the way there. The Knicks were eliminated by the Indiana Pacers on Saturday, leaving them without a championship since 1973. But after advancing to the Eastern Conference finals for the first time since 2000 following consecutive second-round exits, they could at least feel that they are getting closer.

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New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) puts up a shot against Indiana Pacers forward Obi Toppin (1) and guard Bennedict Mathurin (00) during the third quarter of Game 5 of the NBA basketball Eastern Conference final, Thursday, May 29, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Brunson, Towns carry Knicks to 111-94 victory that cuts Pacers’ series lead to 3-2

Jalen Brunson scored 32 points, Karl-Anthony Towns added 24 points and 13 rebounds despite a bruised left knee and the New York Knicks stayed alive in the Eastern Conference finals by beating the Indiana Pacers 111-94 on Thursday night in Game 5. The Knicks won on their home floor for the first time in the series and prevented the Pacers from earning the second NBA Finals trip in franchise history. Indiana will try again Saturday night at home. New York extended its first trip to the conference finals since 2000 and kept alive hopes of becoming the 14th team to overcome a 3-1 deficit to win a series.

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Indiana Pacers forward Pascal Siakam (43) and guard Bennedict Mathurin (00) celebrate during the second half of Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals of the NBA basketball playoffs against the New York Knicks in Indianapolis, Tuesday, May 27, 2025. (AP Photo/AJ Mast)

Pacers are a win from the NBA Finals and the Knicks need another playoff comeback

The Indiana Pacers need just one win to reach the NBA Finals and they already have two of them at Madison Square Garden in this series. They can finish off the New York Knicks in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals on Thursday night. Indiana opened a 3-1 lead with a 130-121 victory Tuesday behind Tyrese Haliburton, who had 32 points, 15 assists and 12 rebounds without a turnover. The Pacers have three opportunities to reach the NBA Finals for the second time in franchise history. They fell to the Los Angeles Lakers in 2000 in their only time playing for the title.

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Indiana Pacers center Myles Turner (33) dunks the ball against New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson (23) during the third quarter of Game 2 of the NBA basketball Eastern Conference final, Friday, May 23, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

Pacers bring a 2-0 lead over the Knicks home for a sports celebration Sunday in Indiana

Tyrese Haliburton smiled widely as he envisioned the scene when the Pacers host Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals to cap a daylong sports celebration in Indiana. The Pacers host the New York Knicks Sunday night, after the Indianapolis 500 is run earlier in the day. The Pacers won both games at Madison Square Garden but things can change quickly. Last year, the Pacers overcame a 2-0 deficit in a series against the Knicks. This time, it’s the Knicks who need to rally. No team has lost the first two games at home in the conference finals and come back to win the series.

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Indiana Pacers forward Pascal Siakam (43) reacts during the third quarter of Game 2 of the NBA basketball Eastern Conference final against the New York Knicks, Friday, May 23, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Pacers take 2-0 lead over Knicks as Pascal Siakam scores 39 points in 114-109 victory

Pascal Siakam scored a playoff career-high 39 points, and the Indiana Pacers beat the New York Knicks 114-109 for a 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference finals. Myles Turner added 16 points and Tyrese Haliburton had 14 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds for the Pacers, who head home halfway to their second trip to the NBA Finals. They lost to the Lakers in 2000 in their only shot at the title. Game 3 is Sunday in Indiana, though the Pacers might prefer to keep it right where it is. They have won six straight road games since falling at Milwaukee in Game 3 of the first round.

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Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) is mobbed by teammates as he makes a choking motion after hitting a shot against the New York Knicks at the end of regulation to tie Game 1 of the NBA basketball Eastern Conference final, Wednesday, May 21, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

Haliburton might be seizing reputation as NBA’s top closer like Pacers seized Game 1 from Knicks

Jalen Brunson has the award voted to the NBA’s best clutch player and landed the endorsement of Reggie Miller, one of basketball’s famed finishers. He had earned the reputation as the league’s top closer in this postseason. Tyrese Haliburton might be seizing that the same way the Indiana Pacers seized Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals away from the New York Knicks. With three memorable shots in nearly impossible-to-imagine comeback victories, Haliburton has become the heir apparent to Miller as the Pacers’ man of the (last) moment and has them three wins from the NBA Finals. Game 2 is Friday night.

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Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) is mobbed by teammates as he makes a choking motion after hitting a shot against the New York Knicks at the end of regulation to tie Game 1 of the NBA basketball Eastern Conference final, Wednesday, May 21, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

Pacers tie it on Haliburton’s jumper at buzzer, then beat Knicks 138-135 in OT of East finals Game 1

Tyrese Haliburton tied it with a long jumper that bounced high off the back of the rim and in as time expired in regulation, then the Indiana Pacers went on to finish off their stunning rally by beating the New York Knicks 138-135 in overtime Wednesday night in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals. The Knicks led by 14 points with under 3 minutes remaining in regulation, but Aaron Nesmith brought the Pacers back with a flurry of late 3-pointers. Haliburton hoped he had won it with another, but replay confirmed his toe was on the line and it was a 2-pointer that tied it at 125. Andrew Nembhard eventually made the go-ahead basket with 26 seconds remaining in OT.

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Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) makes a choke motion towards the New York Knicks after hitting a shot at the end of the fourth quarter of Game 1 of the NBA basketball Eastern Conference final, Wednesday, May 21, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Choke! Haliburton brings back memory of Pacers’ postseason past in front of Reggie Miller

Tyrese Haliburton was waiting for the right time to bring back Reggie Miller’s choke signal from the Pacers’ postseason past. A big shot at Madison Square Garden with Miller in the building seemed perfect — even though his celebration turned out to be premature. Haliburton ran toward the crowd along the sideline with his hands around his neck after hitting a long jumper as time expired in regulation Wednesday night. He hoped it was a 3-pointer to beat the New York Knicks, but video replay showed that his toe was on the line and it was a 2 that had tied the game. The Pacers went on to win 138-135 in overtime in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals.

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FILE - New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) drives past Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton (0) during the second half of Game 3 in an NBA basketball second-round playoff series, Friday, May 10, 2024, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy, File)

Knicks and Pacers set for Round 9 in their playoff rivalry, with the winner going to the NBA Finals

When Jalen Brunson and Tyrese Haliburton glared at each other in a WWE wrestling ring last summer, it seemed like a fitting next step in the rivalry between the Indiana Pacers and New York Knicks that’s already featured headbutts and chokes. The teams go at it again starting Wednesday night in Game 1 of the Knicks’ first trip to the Eastern Conference finals in 25 years, with the winner of their ninth playoff matchup headed to the NBA Finals. The Knicks and Pacers met six times in an eight-year span starting in 1993, then again last year when Indiana won Game 7 at Madison Square Garden in the second round.

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3:00 pm, Jul 7, 2025
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