Also, 2K agreed in principle to terms to extend its relationships with the NBA G League and USA Basketball.

"NBA 2K has engaged a new generation of basketball fans in an increasingly digital world," NBA commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement. "By expanding our partnership and creating NBA Take-Two Media, we look forward to building on the incredible success of the NBA 2K franchise."

Strauss Zelnick, chairman and CEO of Take-Two Interactive, said he was happy to continue the partnership with the NBA and National Basketball Players Association (NBPA).

"I would like to thank Adam Silver, (NBPA executive director) Andre Iguodala, and all our partners at the NBA and NBPA for their continued support and shared vision to empower NBA 2K to become the premier interactive entertainment basketball franchise," Zelnick said. "We are excited to unveil NBA Take-Two Media and look forward to seeing how it will create an entirely new and multi-faceted NBA experience for our communities."

That also applies to the WNBA, which saw its stars first appear in NBA 2K20.

"2K is where millions of young fans deepen their interest and fall further in love with the game of basketball. That's why this partnership is so important," WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert said. "As the WNBA continues to reach new milestones on the court and across fandom, our presence in NBA 2K ensures that our league and athletes are visible, celebrated, and inspiring the next generation of WNBA fans around the world."

Terri Carmichael Jackson, the executive director of WNBPA, labeled Friday's news as a defining moment for women's basketball.

"Our players continue to raise the bar, and this renewed partnership with 2K ensures their impact is felt not just on the court, but across culture, gaming and the global growth of the sport," she said. "This expansion will elevate the entire league and the women who power it. It's also a recognition of the players' business value and their role in driving the future of the game."

Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum, Las Vegas Aces star A'ja Wilson and the legendary Vince Carter adorned the covers of the NBA 2K25 series of video games.

Tatum was on the cover of the standard edition, Wilson represented the game's WNBA version and Carter served as the face of the Hall of Fame edition.

The game in Indianapolis averaged 9.19 million viewers on ABC, a 5 percent increase from Game 2, according to a report from Front Office Sports on Friday.

That's still a 20 percent drop from the 11.43 million who watched Game 3 of the 2024 NBA Finals between the Boston Celtics and Dallas Mavericks.

It was the least-watched Finals Game 3 since the 2020 COVID "bubble" year when 6.08 million tuned in for the Miami Heat and Los Angeles Lakers -- a contest that occurred on an NFL Sunday in October.

The Pacers' Game 3 win peaked with 11.54 million viewers during the 11 p.m. ET quarter-hour. That surpassed the final minutes of Game 1 (11.1 million) as the highest point of the series so far.

The three-game average for the best-of-seven series is up to 8.95 million viewers, a 23 percent decline from 2024.

Game 4 is Friday night in Indianapolis and Game 5 is Monday in Oklahoma City.

The decision would make the 36-year-old veteran a free agent on June 30. The nine-time All-Star is coming off surgery last month to repair two breaks to his right hand.

Westbrook averaged 13.3 points, 6.1 assists and 4.9 rebounds in 75 games (36 starts) in his first season with the Nuggets in 2024-25.

The two-time NBA scoring champion and 2016-17 league MVP boasts career averages of 21.2 points, 8.0 assists and 7.0 rebounds in 1,237 games (1,075 starts) with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Houston Rockets, Washington Wizards, Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Clippers and Nuggets.

Westbrook is the all-time leader in triple-doubles (203) and ranks eighth in NBA history in assists (9,925) and 23rd in points (26,205) but is still seeking his first championship.

Finney-Smith, 32, has played through the lingering injury for several years, according to the report, and the surgery will make him pain-free. He missed eight games last season due to left ankle issues, per Lakers' injury reports, after sitting out 12 games with the Brooklyn Nets for a sprained left ankle and a left calf contusion which he had said was related to the ankle issue.

Finney-Smith averaged 7.9 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 43 regular-season games (20 starts) with the Lakers, who acquired him from Brooklyn on Dec. 29, 2024. Los Angeles was 29-14 in games he played, including 14-6 as a starter, and qualified as the Western Conference's No. 3 seed in the playoffs.

He averaged 10.4 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 20 games (all starts) with the Nets last season.

For his career, Finney-Smith has averaged 8.3 points, 4.5 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 28.0 minutes in 591 games (444 starts) for the Dallas Mavericks (2016-23), Nets (2023-24) and Lakers.

Finney-Smith has a June 29 deadline to opt out of the final year of his contract, with a value of $15.4 million for next season. He has been eligible since mid-February to negotiate an extension before the beginning of free agency on June 30.

The Indiana Pacers aren't taking anything for granted.

Heading into Friday's Game 4 of the NBA Finals in Indianapolis, the teams say they're not changing much about the approaches that have worked for them.

The Pacers lead the best-of-seven series 2-1 -- an edge they've held in each of their four series this postseason.

"That's the challenge before us right now, is to maintain," Indiana coach Rick Carlisle said. "It's got to be a killer edge to beat these guys. We're going to be an underdog in every game in this series. ... It's a daunting challenge. Anything less than a total grit mindset, we just don't have a chance."

The Pacers have thrived in that underdog role, something that guard Tyrese Haliburton said after their Game 1 win has driven him and the rest of the team since last season.

For the Thunder, it's the second time they've faced such a deficit. They were down after three games in the Western Conference second-round series against Denver before eventually winning in seven.

Oklahoma City lost back-to-back games just twice during the regular season and has yet to drop consecutive games in the playoffs.

"Being down 2-1 in a series, it can have emotions associated with it, but dragging those into the next experience isn't going to help anybody," Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said Thursday. "Them being up 2-1, dragging that in isn't going to help them, either. You have to compete when the ball goes up in the air. We've made a habit of that. We have to double down again on that tomorrow."

Oklahoma City guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the league's MVP, said that while it was difficult to compare the situations directly from the series against the Nuggets, there were lessons to be learned in how the team responded there.

"We have to be who we are and who we've been all season," Gilgeous-Alexander said. "I think we got back to that in that series. If we want to give ourselves a chance in this series, it has to be the same thing."

Haliburton said he has struggled to sleep much during the Finals, thanks to a mixture of excitement and stress.

The fifth-year guard is coming off his best game in the series, with 22 points, 11 assists and nine rebounds in Indiana's 116-107 home win in Game 3.

"I think the biggest thing with right now is this is like a really exciting time. To play against these guys is an honor," Haliburton said. "It's a lot of fun. This is a 68-win team, historically one of the best defenses ever. This is a really good team. They have the MVP. They have a bunch of dudes who are going to be in this league for a long time having a lot of success. ...

"As competitors, you want to compete against the best and these guys are the best."

For the Thunder, getting back to their defensive identity is at the forefront after the Pacers shot 51.8 percent (44 of 85) from the field in Game 3.

"We've kind of strayed away from it a little bit," forward Jalen Williams said. "I think when you're scoring at a good rate, sometimes it can drop off a little bit. That's something that we've looked at.

"There will be some game-plan adjustments, for sure," he continued. "A lot of that is just competing. I don't want to say ‘competing' because that sounds like you're out there not trying. Defensively locking in on a lot of the little things, not let them get comfortable and make those bigger runs late in the game."

The Pacers have outscored the Thunder 67-43 in the fourth quarter in their two wins in the series.

Indiana's Myles Turner continues to battle an illness, though he had a critical block and rebound late in Wednesday's win.

Carlisle said Turner was with the team during their film session Thursday before heading home to recuperate.

"Hopefully, he'll feel better tomorrow," Carlisle said. "We'll see."

"You got to suck it up. There's a maximum four games left in the season," Gilgeous-Alexander said Thursday of the hands-on defense from Indiana in Game 3. "It's what you worked the whole season for. It's what you worked all summer for. To me, the way I see it, you got to suck it up, get it done and try to get a win."

Game 4 on Friday is vital to Oklahoma City after falling behind 2-1 in the best-of-seven NBA Finals. Indiana appeared to be the better conditioned team on Wednesday night, closing out Game 3 with a finishing kick and riding the adrenaline of a locked-in home crowd. Pacers' coach Rick Carlisle gave additional credit to Andrew Nembhard, Ben Sheppard and Aaron Nesmith for their collective defensive effort and the role it played in limiting Gilgeous-Alexander's contributions.

"I wouldn't say it surprised me," Thunder forward Chet Holmgren said of the Pacers' stamina in Game 3. "That's kind of been I guess you could say their identity leading up to this series. It's what's showed up in the games up to this point. We have to figure out a way to counteract that and kind of change that and swing it in our favor because it's not a winning formula to not be better than the other team in the fourth quarter."

Gilgeous-Alexander had only four free throw attempts in the second half of Game 3 and appeared to wear down late in the game. He only took three shots in the final 12 minutes.

"We were a little out of character in a lot of ways yesterday," Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. "I think that happens in a playoff series. Four games, five games, six games, seven games is a long time. You're going to get a range of games and experiences in that. We have to get it course corrected pretty quickly if we want to give ourselves a better chance in Game 4."

Reserve guards Bennedict Mathurin and T.J. McConnell helped Indiana's bench break out with 49 points as the Pacers topped the Oklahoma City Thunder 116-107 on Wednesday to claim a 2-1 lead in the NBA Finals.

Indiana star Tyrese Halliburton finished one rebound shy of a triple-double and didn't entirely shed his playoff cape. He provided ample heroics with 22 points, 11 assists and nine rebounds and Pascal Siakam added 21 points for the Pacers, who haven't lost consecutive games since December.

Still, the game swung in a serious way on the fearless energy and competitive teeth of the Indiana bench.

"Those guys were tremendous," Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said of his reserves. "T.J. just brought a competitive will to the game. This is the kind of the team we are. This is how we have to do it. We have to make it as difficult on them as we can."

Thanks to 27 points from Mathurin and the kind of pyrotechnics the Pacers have grown to adore from reserve point guard McConnell, Indiana has the advantage in the best-of-seven series entering Game 4 on Friday.

"His energy was unbelievable. I joke with him, I call him the Great White Hope," Haliburton said of McConnell, a fan favorite. "He does a great job of just giving us energy plays consistently, getting downhill, making hustle play after hustle play."

Mathurin, who was injured and didn't play in the postseason last year, checked into the game for the first time in the second quarter.

"Just playing hard, it's a group of guys that play extremely hard," Mathurin said of the Pacers' second unit. "That's our job. Just get in the game, have that mindset once you get in the game. You just have to get in the game with the right mindset, give it all you've got to win the game."

Carlisle said McConnell inspires "a lot of people" with his style of play, and Mathurin echoed the sentiment.

Jalen Williams led the Thunder with 26 points. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 24 points but went to the free-throw line just six times after going 18 of 20 on foul shots in the first two games of the series. Chet Holmgren scored 20 points and pulled down 10 rebounds but shot 0-for-6 from 3-point range.

Gilgeous-Alexander was 1-for-3 from the field in the fourth quarter.

"I thought we had some really good stretches, but we just made one too many mistakes," Thunder coach Mark Daigneault said. "And had one too many possessions on both ends of the floor where they were more tied to their identity than we were. But obviously, those are costly plays."

The Thunder trailed 110-102 with three minutes to go, but Alex Caruso tried to keep the Pacers from a premature celebration with a steal and breakaway into the open court. Two steps into the paint, Aaron Nesmith closed and forcefully brought both arms down on Caruso to prevent the shot attempt and take him to the floor. Following a review, no flagrant foul was called.

Caruso made both free throws, and Indiana's Myles Turner subsequently lost the ball out of bounds. However, Turner, who missed eight of his first 10 shots, came up with two blocks of Holmgren on the same possession to keep the lead at six.

Carlisle said postgame Turner is "under the weather and might not be with us tomorrow," when asked to assess the center's up-and-down night.

Indiana got another stop, and Siakam lit up the arena for good with an easy basket that gave the Pacers a 112-104 lead with 69 seconds left.

McConnell was seemingly everywhere, coming up with massive defensive plays all game.

"We preach depth. We've talked about it all year," Haliburton said.

Haliburton added another Mathurin, "He was unbelievable, he just made big play after big play. When you have a team with this much depth, it can be anybody's night. ... He was a huge reason for our win tonight."

McConnell made a pair of free throws and pullup runner from the elbow on the final two Indiana possessions before halftime for a 64-60 Pacers lead at the break. He acknowledged feeding off the energy in Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

"I mean, did you hear it in here?" McConnell said.

Thanks to 27 points from Mathurin and the kind of pyrotechnics the Pacers have grown to adore from reserve point guard McConnell, Indiana has the advantage in the best-of-seven series.

Tyrese Haliburton provided heroics with 22 points, 11 assists and nine rebounds while Pascal Siakam added 21 points for the Pacers, who haven't lost back-to-back games since December.

Jalen Williams led the Thunder with 26 points and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had 24 points. Chet Holmgren compiled 20 points and 10 rebounds but shot 0-for-6 from 3-point range.

Game 4 is scheduled for Friday in Indianapolis.

The Thunder trailed 110-102 with three minutes to go, but Alex Caruso tried to keep the Pacers from a premature celebration with a steal and breakaway into the open court. Two steps into the paint, Aaron Nesmith closed and forcefully brought both arms down on Caruso to prevent the shot attempt and take him to the floor. Following a review, no flagrant foul was called.

Caruso made both free throws and Indiana's Myles Turner subsequently lost the ball out of bounds. However, Turner, who missed eight of his first 10 shots, came up with two blocks of Holmgren on the same possession to keep the lead at six.

Indiana got another stop, and Siakam lit up the stadium for good with an easy basket that gave the Pacers a 112-104 lead with 69 seconds left.

McConnell was seemingly everywhere, and he came up with massive defensive plays all game.

He ripped off Caruso's bullet inbounds pass with two hands at point-blank range under the basket and pumped in a layup to tie the game at 95 early in the fourth quarter.

Mathurin cashed a trey off a McConnell assist, putting the Pacers up 98-96.

Haliburton entered for the first time in the fourth quarter, took a handoff at the top of the key, stopped, squared and splashed his fourth 3-pointer of the game for a 101-98 lead with 6:42 remaining.

Indiana's Aaron Nembhard made a 12-foot jumper from the left elbow and the Pacers got it back after a missed 3-point attempt, taking a touchdown lead (107-100) on Obi Toppin's two-hand dunk off of a miss with 4:23 to go.

Nesmith caught a skip pass on the right wing and drained a trey on Indiana's next possession for an eight-point lead.

McConnell hit a running right-handed layup between two clutch buckets by Mathurin as the Pacers stayed close, down 93-91, with 10 minutes to play.

Oklahoma City had surged ahead for its biggest lead of the second half -- 89-84 -- to end of the third. Williams hit a long 3-pointer came after an and-1 baseline dunk by Holmgren, who moved through the swiping hands of McConnell to finish.

Williams played a lot of the game with the ball in his hands as the Pacers worked to keep Gilgeous-Alexander in check.

McConnell leads NBA reserves in assists per game in playoffs (4.1).

The Baloncesto Superior Nacional League also fined Cousins $4,250, and he could be subject to another fine of $5,570, according to the league.

The incident occurred Monday when Cousins was playing on the road for the Guaynabo Mets.

"As an organization, we strongly condemn any form of violence or provocation, whether on or off the field. Safety, respect, and sportsmanship are non-negotiable values for this franchise," the Mets said in a news release.

The situation began with Cousins exchanging words with a fan before he grabbed his crotch while walking toward the courtside seats. Cousins then grabbed the fan's arm as things quickly escalated.

Teammates attempted to pull Cousins away and other fans began to hurl insults at Cousins. After being ejected, Cousins was doused by liquids as he left the floor. Security tackled him at one point to hold him back from trying to get into the stands.

Cousins, 34, was averaging 18.2 points and 9.0 rebounds while playing in the top pro basketball league in Puerto Rico for the second time. He also played in the league in 2023.

Cousins hasn't played in the NBA since the 2021-22 season. He was a four-time All-Star in 11 seasons but his career was derailed by two major injuries.

In January 2018, he sustained an Achilles tendon injury with the New Orleans Pelicans. After returning to play 30 games for the Golden State Warriors the next season, he tore the ACL in his left knee in August 2019 as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers and missed the entire season.

Cousins played for seven NBA teams with the best part of his career being his 6 1/2 seasons with the Sacramento Kings from 2010-17. He finished third in Rookie of the Year balloting in 2011 after being the fifth overall pick out of Kentucky.

Overall, Cousins averaged 19.6 points and 10.2 rebounds in 654 games (561 starts).

The Suns and Boardroom CEO Rich Kleiman have met "multiple times" in the past week to discuss potential destinations for the future Hall of Famer, per the report.

Teams that have reportedly expressed interest in the 36-year-old forward include the Houston Rockets, Miami Heat, Minnesota Timberwolves, New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs, although the report indicated that "several wild-card suitors" have recently entered the conversation.

Durant is due to earn $54.7 million in 2025-26. If he is traded, the 15-time All-Star becomes eligible to sign a two-year extension worth up to $112 million in July.

The Suns finished 36-46 this season despite having the highest payroll in NBA history, leading to the firing of head coach Mike Budenholzer and a demotion for general manager James Jones.

A two-time NBA champion and four-time scoring champion, Durant averaged 26.6 points, 6.0 rebounds and 4.2 assists in 62 games (all starts) in 2024-25.

Per the Celtics, Brown is expected to be ready to participate in training camp without limitation.

Brown, 28, finished the playoffs with a partially torn meniscus, ESPN reported.

He averaged 22.1 points and 7.1 rebounds per game during the playoffs for the Celtics, who lost star Jayson Tatum to a torn Achilles before being eliminated by the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

A four-time All-Star and 2025 NBA Finals MVP, Brown averaged 22.2 points, 5.8 rebounds and a career-high 4.5 assists in 63 games (all starts) this season.

Brown has averaged 19.0 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 603 career games (496 starts) since being selected by the Celtics with the third overall pick of the 2016 NBA Draft.

Tom Thibodeau said his goodbyes in a full-page advertisement he took out in The New York Times, reflecting on his five seasons as head coach.

"To the best city in the world with the best fans in the world: Thank you," his message began.

His firing by team president Leon Rose came three days after a season-ending Game 6 loss to the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference finals, the farthest the Knicks had advanced in the postseason in a quarter-century.

"When I was hired in 2020, I said this was my dream job. I am grateful that dreams became a reality. Thank you to our players and coaching staff who gave everything they had, and to everyone who makes this franchise special. I am proud of everything we accomplished together, including four playoff appearances and this year's run to the Eastern Conference finals -- our first in 25 years."

Where Rose goes from here to hire a coach remains to be seen.

Multiple outlets reported Wednesday that the Mavericks declined the Knicks' request to speak to Jason Kidd, who has a 179-149 record since being hired as head coach of Dallas ahead of the 2021-22 season.

Multiple reports Tuesday said the Minnesota Timberwolves and Houston Rockets rejected the Knicks' request to talk with their head coaches -- Chris Finch and Ime Udoka, respectively -- about the job.

Thibodeau, 67, compiled a 226-174 (.565) record in the regular season, including a 51-31 finish this season. He was 24-23 in the playoffs with New York.

In July 2024, Thibodeau signed a three-year extension through 2027-28 that was worth a reported $10 million to $11 million per season.

Kidd signed a multiyear contract extension with Dallas in May 2024.

The Houston Rockets and Minnesota Timberwolves refused the Knicks' request to speak with head coaches Ime Udoka and Chris Finch, respectively, ESPN reported Tuesday night.

The news comes a week after former Villanova coach Jay Wright reportedly stated that he would not be a candidate to take over for the fired Tom Thibodeau.

According to multiple media reports, the Knicks also are eyeing Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd. However, The Athletic reported Tuesday that the Mavericks expect Kidd, 52, to remain with them. According to ESPN and The Athletic, the Knicks have not yet asked the Mavericks if they can talk to Kidd, whose contract runs two more seasons.

Thibodeau was ousted days after the Knicks made the Eastern Conference finals for the first time since 2000, with their playoff run including a six-game second-round victory over the reigning NBA champion Boston Celtics.

In five seasons with New York, Thibodeau, 67, compiled a 226-174 record, leading the team to the playoffs four teams. He also was head coach of the Chicago Bulls (2010-11 to 2014-15) and the Timberwolves (2016-17 to 2018-19) and owns a career mark of 578-420 during the regular season.

Udoka, 47, led the Celtics to the NBA Finals in his lone season as Boston's head coach in 2021-22. He was suspended by the team for the following season due to a violation of team policy after allegedly having an improper relationship with a female staffer and ultimately was fired. Udoka coached the Rockets the past two seasons, producing a combined 93-71 regular-season record.

Finch, 55, just finished his fifth season in charge in Minnesota and led the Timberwolves to the postseason for the fourth year in a row, including Western Conference finals appearances the past two years. He has a 209-160 regular-season coaching record.

The NBA confirmed on Tuesday its 34th game in Mexico, the most of any country outside the U.S. and Canada.

The game will be celebrated as part of the "Dia de Muertos" (Day of the Dead) celebrations locally, including a variety of in-game activations, a themed court and initiatives for fans. This is the second consecutive year for the "Dia de Muertos" theme. Last year's game featured the Miami Heat vs. the Washington Wizards at the Arena CDMX on Nov. 2.

"The Mavericks and Pistons are two exciting teams that feature a mix of established and rising stars," NBA Latin America senior VP/head of operations Raul Zarraga said in a statement. "We look forward to welcoming them back to Mexico and to once again celebrating 'Dia de Muertos' with the passionate NBA fans in Mexico and from across Latin America."

The Mavericks, who possess the top pick in the 2025 draft (expected to be Duke star Cooper Flagg), will be playing their eighth game in Mexico.

The Pistons, who just finished one of the biggest year-to-year turnarounds in NBA history while earning the No. 6 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs, will be playing their third game south of the border.

The live broadcast of the event is expected to stretch around the world, reaching more than 200 countries and territories via television, digital media and social media.

"The Detroit Pistons organization is excited to be participating in the NBA Mexico City Game 2025 next season," Pistons president of basketball operations Trajan Langdon said in a statement. "Playing a regular-season game in Mexico City will be a great experience for our players and coaches, and we look forward to showcasing Detroit basketball to an international audience and a passionate, growing NBA fanbase."

Mavericks CEO Rick Welts said in a statement, "The vibrancy of Mexico City and the passion of its fans make it the perfect place to host these Global Games, and we are thrilled at the opportunity to represent the NBA and the city of Dallas in Mexico City for the eighth time."

The two-day draft is held in Brooklyn at Barclays Center with the top 30 picks made on June 25 and the second round the next day.

The Dallas Mavericks won the draft lottery and pick first followed by the San Antonio Spurs, Philadelphia 76ers and Charlotte Hornets.

Flagg, the 2025 National Player of the Year, has been projected as the No. 1 pick in the draft for more than a year. The 6-foot-8 Flagg lived up to high expectations, averaging 19.2 points and 7.5 rebounds per game in his lone college season. Flagg led Duke to the Final Four along with Knueppel and Maluach, who were key players in the Blue Devils' highly touted freshman class.

Knueppel, a 6-5 sharpshooter, hit 40.6 percent of his 3-point attempts in 39 games and averaged 14.4 points per game.

Rutgers teammates Dylan Harper and Ace Bailey were also recipients of draft invites on Tuesday and are expected to closely follow Flagg off the board in the opening round.

Baylor's VJ Edgecombe, Texas guard Tre Johnson, Oklahoma point guard Jeremiah Fears, Illinois point guard Kasparas Jakucionis and Maryland's 6-9 Derik Queen are also on the list, which is generated by the NBA via polling of decision-makers for all 30 teams.

Maluach played for South Sudan in the 2024 Summer Games. He's viewed as a project at 7-foot, 253 pounds, but showed significant improvement in the second half of the season.

ESPN reported Egor Demin (BYU), Carter Bryant (Arizona) and Asa Newell (Georgia) were also invited by the league.

The Oklahoma City Thunder's 123-107 victory over the visiting Indiana Pacers, which evened the best-of-seven series at 1-1, was the least watched Game 2 of the finals since 2007, when 8.55 million tuned in for the San Antonio Spurs-Cleveland Cavaliers matchup.

In the bubble at Walt Disney World in 2020, Game 2 of the finals between the Miami Heat and Los Angeles Lakers drew 7.54 million viewers.

This year's Game 2 viewership saw a drop of 30 percent from last year, when the Boston Celtics faced the Dallas Mavericks, and was watched by fewer viewers than the 2021 series between the Milwaukee Bucks and Phoenix Suns, which was affected by the pandemic.

Last Thursday's finals opener, won by the Pacers on Tyrese Haliburton's jumper with 0.3 seconds left, peaked at 11 million viewers around the game-winning shot and averaged 8.91 million viewers. Sunday's game saw a peak of 9.9 million viewers.

Over the first two games, the viewership average (8.84 million) decreased at least 24 percent from the past three finals.

"Now the goal is to get to three games," Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said Tuesday, a workout day at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. "It's first team to three. Kind of like it's a blank slate, a scratch -- 1-1, 0-0, and it's first to three."

Gilgeous-Alexander drove the Thunder to victory in Game 2 after Tyrese Haliburton's heart-stopping floater ended Game 1, his fourth game-winner of these playoffs. The MVP has 72 points through two games, the most ever in the first two games of a Finals debut.

Haliburton limped through parts of Sunday's loss, with Oklahoma City pressuring him with multiple defenders and trying to force the ball to Pascal Siakam or Indiana's other offensive players.

Haliburton said Tuesday he does have a "lower body thing" impacting him but plans to be on the floor when Indiana hosts an NBA Finals game for the first time since losing to the Los Angeles Lakers in 2000.

Pacers coach Rick Carlisle, going for his second NBA title as a head coach, has constantly reminded his young team not to unpack any of the good, bad or ugly from the first two games of the series as they embrace the home-floor opportunity.

"Everything that's already happened doesn't matter, other than the score of the series," Carlisle said. "We have to move forward."

The Pacers led for 0.3 seconds in Game 1 and a total of 1 minute, 56 seconds of a possible 96 minutes in the first two games of the series.

They're looking for a boost from being at home and answers for slowing down Gilgeous-Alexander, who grasps the notion he might see a new mix of defensive looks from the Pacers with two off days since Oklahoma City claimed a 123-107 win Sunday night.

"A series is so tricky. It definitely is a feeling-out," Gilgeous-Alexander said. "But there's also so many adjustments made to where it's almost hard to predict and try to determine what they're going to do with you. You kind of just have to be ready for everything and just try to be as sharp as you can. That's how I kind of see it."

The Pacers overcame a 15-point deficit in the fourth quarter of Game 1 to steal one in Oklahoma City (111-110).

Getting to the rim has been a tall order for Indiana. The Pacers have been outscored by 20 points in the paint. Resolve has been a major trait helping define the team's success, and they're 4-0 in the playoffs following a loss.

To take control of the Finals, Carlisle is stressing the importance of tamping down turnovers without losing contact with the accelerator. Haliburton tied his playoff high with five in Game 2 and entered the fourth quarter with just five points.

"You try to address those things as best as we can. Tyrese has been historically great with ball security," Carlisle said. "This team that we're playing now presents unprecedented challenges because they've been turning everybody over through the entire playoffs. We're going to have to have really great spatial awareness with everything that we're doing. You can't play too careful against Oklahoma or otherwise you'll never get a basket."

Oklahoma City's defensive approach is likely to be similar in Game 2 until the Pacers prove they can handle the on-ball energy. How Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault executes his plan is quite literally anyone's guess.

He used more than 700 lineup combinations during the regular season, more than any team in the league, and found unique groups to gain an edge on the boards in Game 2.

"We have a group of guys that are just ready to play," Thunder guard Jalen Williams said. "Everybody is kind of waiting for their opportunity. We have so many different lineups throughout the course of the year that nobody is shocked by when Mark wants to go small, change this around or do that."

Daigneault doesn't take credit for throwing a changeup or two and isn't worried about being predictable. The only advantage he wants the Thunder to have at the end of the game is more possessions than the opponent. From his vantage point, that's the path to a 2-1 series lead on Wednesday.

"The general battle we're trying to win is the possession battle. There's different ways to do that," Daigneault said. "In the first game, we were able to win it with turnovers, which tends to be the way we can win it when we're smaller. In the second game, we obviously rebounded better in those units, which is an advantage when we're bigger.

"We have optionality. Every game is different."

The series stays in Indiana for Game 4 on Friday night before Game 5 shifts to Oklahoma City on Monday. If necessary, Game 6 is June 19 (Thursday) in Indianapolis.

"It's like our sixth man," Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard said of playing at home. "Brings us energy, keeps us together. It's going to be exciting."

The best-of-seven series is tied 1-1.

"I don't think you're going to hear him making a big deal out of it," Carlisle said Tuesday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse of Haliburton's status as the Finals stage was being set in Indiana for the first time since 2000.

"This is the time of year where it just doesn't get any better than this. The atmosphere, the interest, the opportunity, coming back and being at home. I mean, there's just so much to be excited about. We've got a couple guys that are slightly under the weather; I don't think anything is going to keep these guys from playing in the game."

Haliburton delivered the dagger jumpshot to sink the Oklahoma City Thunder on their home court in Game 1 and win 111-110. Carlisle said Haliburton was "feeling it" during Game 2, when he was dogged by a physical defensive rotation, turned the ball over five times -- more than any game in the previous series against the Cleveland Cavaliers and New York Knicks -- and is 5-of-15 from 3-point range in the first two games of the Finals.

Haliburton described his injury as a "lower leg thing" and referred to it as a non-factor.

"I'll leave it at that. I don't think there's anything more to elaborate. I feel fine and I'll be ready to go for Game 3," Haliburton, 25, said.

In 73 regular-season games, Haliburton averaged 18.6 points, 3.5 rebounds and 9.2 assists.

Game 4 is scheduled for Friday night in Indianapolis.

The Pacers are even with the Oklahoma City Thunder at 1-all in the best-of-seven Finals as the series rolls into Indiana for Game 3 on Wednesday night.

"We got one. Get to go home and play in front of our fans at Gainbridge," Pacers guard Aaron Nesmith said. "They've been waiting for this for 25 years, so it's exciting to go back and see what the atmosphere will be like."

The Pacers swiped the opening game of the series and went into the second with a 7-0 record in Games 1 and 2 this postseason before the 123-107 loss that evened the Finals.

While Oklahoma City squandered a 15-point lead in the fourth quarter in Game 1, the Thunder defense was relentless in Game 2. Indiana has only 38 points in the paint in two games, an area Pascal Siakam believes the Pacers must address to reclaim the series lead.

"They swarm a lot. They do a good job of that. I mean, yeah, they use their hands a lot," Siakam said. "I mean, we are not going to get into fouls or no fouls but whatever. I think they are just being aggressive, and we've got to be stronger with the ball. We can't let that speed us up. We've still got to play under control ... that's what we've got to find a way to do."

NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 36 points in the Finals and had 34 points and eight assists for the Thunder in Game 2. Gilgeous-Alexander has 72 points in his first two Finals games, one better than the previous best ever two-game debut by Allen Iverson (71).

"I'm being myself. I don't think I tried to reinvent the wheel or step up to the plate with a different mindset. Just try to attack the game the right way. I think I've done a pretty good job of that so far," he said. "Now, I would trade the points for two Ws, for sure. But this is where our feet are. This is where we are. You can't go back in the past, you can only make the future better. That's what I'm focused on."

However, the team also said that Garland would "resume basketball activities by the start of training camp," which generally begins in late September.

Garland, 25, was plagued with the sprained toe down the stretch of the regular season. He only played in five of the Cavaliers' nine playoff games. The Cavs lost in five games to the Indiana Pacers in the second round.

Garland earned his second All-Star nod in 2024-25, averaging 20.6 points and 6.7 assists in 75 starts, leading the Cavs to the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs.

Garland averaged 18.9 points and 6.7 assists in 382 career games (378 starts) over his six seasons with the Cavaliers, who selected him No. 5 overall in the 2019 draft.