Obi Toppin scored 20 points, Andrew Nembhard added 17 and the resilient Indiana Pacers sent the NBA Finals to a winner-take-all Game 7 by rolling past the Oklahoma City Thunder 108-91 on Thursday night. Pascal Siakam had 16 points and 13 rebounds for Indiana, while Tyrese Haliburton — playing through a strained calf — scored 14 points for the Pacers, who started slowly and then turned things into a blowout. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 21 points for the Thunder, who pulled their starters after getting down by 30 going into the fourth. Jalen Williams added 16. Game 7, the first one in the NBA Finals since 2016, will be Sunday night at 8 in Oklahoma City.
The run lasted about 12 minutes, roughly the span of a full quarter. When it started, Oklahoma City was down by just one point. And when it ended, after a 36-9 run, plans for Game 7 were being made. There was no championship celebration for the Thunder on Thursday night — and their first chance at winning these NBA Finals was a colossal dud. Oklahoma City got blown out 108-91 by the Indiana Pacers in Game 6, sending the series back to the Thunder’s home floor for a winner-take-all Game 7 on Sunday night.
WNBA
Phoenix 89 New York 81
Rookie Monique Akoa Makani scored a season-high 21 points, Alyssa Thomas added 18 points, 15 rebounds and seven assists and the Phoenix Mercury beat the New York Liberty 89-81 for their fourth win in a row. Sami Whitcomb scored eight of her 16 points in the fourth quarter, Satou Sabally had 14 points and nine rebounds and Kitija Laksa added 13 points for Phoenix (10-4). Whitcomb’s fourth and final 3-pointer capped a tiebreaking 16-6 run that gave Phoenix an 84-74 lead with 3:10 to play. Breanna Stewart scored a season-high 35 points for the Liberty. Sabrina Ionescu added 16 points on 3-of-16 shooting, 1 of 10 from 3-point range. New York’s Jonquel Jones left the game for good early in the second quarter due to a right ankle injury.
Golden State 88 Indiana 77
MLB
N.Y. Yankees 7 L.A. Angels 3
Trent Grisham and Paul Goldschmidt hit consecutive homers in the second inning, and the New York Yankees beat the Los Angeles Angels 7-3 to halt their six-game skid. Carlos Rodón allowed a season-high three homers but held the Angels to four hits in six innings to bounce back from two rocky outings against the Red Sox. The left-hander struck out seven and walked one on an 89-degree afternoon. The AL East-leading Yankees stopped their longest losing streak since a nine-game slide in August 2023. New York also avoided its second four-game sweep at the current Yankee Stadium and first since September 2021 against Toronto. Mike Trout, Jo Adell and Taylor Ward homered off Rodón, but the Angels were unable to finish off their first four-game sweep of the Yankees.
Atlanta 7 N.Y. Mets 1
Matt Olson hit a three-run double, Spencer Strider struck out eight in six innings and the Atlanta Braves beat the Mets 7-1 to complete a series sweep that extended New York’s season-worst losing streak to six games. New York’s latest sloppy defeat, paired with Philadelphia’s 2-1 win over Miami, left the Mets and Phillies tied for first place in the NL East heading into their upcoming weekend series. Mets pitchers issued nine walks, including a career-high six in 4 2/3 innings by starter Clay Holmes, who allowed three runs. Huascar Brazobán walked three while giving up four runs in relief. Strider yielded one run and five hits to earn the win.
Philadelphia 2 Miami 1
Kyle Schwarber hit a tiebreaking solo home run in the eighth, Christopher Sánchez pitched eight sharp innings and the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Miami Marlins 2-1 on Thursday night. Sánchez (6-2) allowed five hits, one run and struck out four. Philadelphia took three of four in the series. Schwarber put the Phillies ahead in the eighth when he connected on a 1-0 sinker from reliever Anthony Bender (1-5), crushing it 428 feet to right-center. Schwarber has 23 homers on the season, only trailing Shohei Ohtani (25) for most in the National League. Marlins right-hander Edward Cabrera had his best start of the year, limiting the Phillies to one run and two hits while striking out five in a season-high 6 1/3 innings.
The Red Sox were off last night. They start a three-game series against the San Francisco Giants tonight at 10:15.
Detroit 9 Pittsburgh 2
Minnesota 12 Cincinnati 5
Arizona 9 Toronto 5
San Francisco 2 Cleveland 1
Pittsburgh 8 Detroit 4
Kansas City 4 Texas 1
Baltimore 4 Tampa Bay 1
Athletics 6 Houston 4
Washington 4 Colorado 3
Milwaukee 8 Chicago Cubs 7
San Diego 5 L.A. Dodgers 3
St. Louis 5 Chicago White Sox 4
St. Louis 8 Chicago White Sox 6
Pittsburgh Pirates reliever Dennis Santana was involved in an altercation with a fan who ‘crossed the line’ during the second game of Thursday’s doubleheader with the Detroit Tigers and at one point was seen leaping and swiping at the person. Santana declined to disclose what the fan said. In videos posted to social media, Santana can be seen pointing out the fan to a police officer before jumping and swinging at the person who is in the front row above the Pittsburgh bullpen at Comerica Park. Santana was escorted away by Pirates bullpen personnel and held back by a teammate.
The Los Angeles Dodgers organization says it asked federal immigration agents to leave the Dodger Stadium grounds after they arrived at a parking lot near one of the gates. The team says the agents requested permission to access the stadium's parking lot but they were denied entry and were asked to leave. Local media reported dozens of federal agents with their faces covered arrived in SUVs and cargo vans to a lot near the stadium’s Gate E entrance. A group of protesters started amassing shortly after. By Thursday afternoon, only about four agents remained outside the stadium.
Rays pitcher Hunter Bigge was carted off the field in a frightening scene and taken to a hospital after getting struck in the face by a foul ball lined into the Tampa Bay dugout Thursday night. Bigge was placed on a backboard and gave a thumbs up before being driven by ambulance to a nearby hospital for tests. He never lost consciousness and was able to converse with first responders, Rays manager Kevin Cash said. In the top of the seventh inning, Baltimore catcher Adley Rutschman sharply pulled a pitch into the Tampa Bay dugout on the first base side and the ball hit Bigge, a 27-year-old right-hander currently on the injured list. Emergency medical personnel quickly arrived to attend to Bigge.
NFL
Browns rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders has been ticketed for speeding twice this month in Ohio. Sanders was accused of driving a Dodge TRX pickup truck 101 mph (163 kilometers per hour) on a suburban Cleveland interstate earlier this week. The Strongsville Police Department stopped Sanders at about 12:30 a.m. Tuesday in a 60 mph (97 kilometers per hour) zone on Interstate 71 near the Ohio Turnpike, according to a report provided to local media. That ticket came after he was stopped by the Ohio State Patrol on June 5 in Brunswick Hills, Ohio. Sanders was pulled over for going 91 mph (147 kilometers per hour) in a 65 mph (105 kilometer) zone, Ohio State Patrol told WKBN-TV.
GOLF
Scottie Scheffler hits a lot of great shots. Rarely does he hit one he considers close to perfect. Such was the case in the opening round of the Travelers Championship. It was a 3-iron to 10 feet for eagle on his way to a 62. That's his lowest round at the TPC River Highlands. And he shares the lead with Austin Eckroat. They were two shots ahead of a group that includes Rory McIlroy and Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley. It was a nice break from the brutal week at Oakmont for most. U.S. Open champion J.J. Spaun shot 73.
Women's PGA
Jeeno Thitikul made five birdies in a six-hole stretch midway through the first round on way to a 4-under 68 to lead the KPMG Women's PGA Championship. She had a one-stroke lead over Minjee Lee after Thursday's first round. Haeran Ryu, Rio Takeda and Somi Lee all shot 72. Thitikul, the world's second-ranked player, made double bogey on the fifth hole, but that was her only hole over par. The 22-year-old from Thailand, who now lives in the Dallas area, needed only 25 putts on the Fields Ranch East course at PGA Frisco. Her makes measured 199 1/2 feet.
Champions League
Botafogo has stunned Champions League winner Paris Saint-Germain 1-0 in each club's second match of the Club World Cup. Igor Jesus scored late in the first half, and the South American champions made it stand up through a tense second half while improving to 2-0-0 in Club World Cup group play. PSG hadn’t lost in any competition since May 3, but the European champions looked understandably weary at times. Jesus’ stunning score in the 36th minute was the first goal allowed since May 17 by PSG. The French powerhouse had outscored its last three opponents by a combined 12-0, winning the French Cup and the Champions League final.
CONCACAF GOLD CUP QUARTERFINALS
Defender Chris Richards scored with a flick of the ball off a second-half free kick to lift the United States to a 1-0 win over Saudi Arabia, sending the Americans on to the CONCACAF Gold Cup quarterfinals. Richards tracked the ball as it flew into the box on a curving free kick from Sebastian Berhalter in the 62nd minute to tap the ball with his left foot past Saudi Arabia goalkeeper Nawaf Al Aquidi. The win and the 1-1 draw between Trinidad and Tobago and Haiti in Group D’s other match Thursday in Houston, clinched a knockout berth for the Americans.
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