NBA roundup: Caitlin Clark revs up Pacers fans: Webber launch discussion
Indianapolis — Caitlin Clark crashed the NBA's playoff party Friday night – and drew a standing ovation from her new home fans. Twice.
She's hoping to do it all over again in September in the same place.
The WNBA's No. 1 overall draft pick and Division I's career scoring leader revved up a raucous Indiana Pacers crowd by pumping the accelerator of a replica IndyCar before Game 3 against the Milwaukee Bucks.
It was Clark's first public appearance on the Gainbridge Fieldhouse court since the Indiana Fever drafted her last week. Naturally, the nearly 17,000 fans broke into loud applause for the city's newest superstar.
Clark did not speak but when she joined her new Fever teammates midway through the second quarter to toss T-shirts into the stands, veteran guard Erica Wheeler did.
“Playoffs!” Wheeler told the team's emcee when asked about this season's goal. "We want to be doing this and we've got the pieces. We want it to look like this every night.”
Indiana just might make it look that way – if it makes its first playoff appearance since 2016.
But Clark's presence already has spurred a change. The Fever are already one of the WNBA's hottest tickets – as was the case during her college career at Iowa when sellouts became the norm and television ratings hit record highs.
Ticket sales in Indiana already have spiked and before she's even played a pro game, some teams including two-time defending WNBA champ Las Vegas have already moved home games to larger venues.
Clark arrived in Indianapolis last Wednesday for an introductory news conference, then returned home with her family to Iowa. She was back in town Friday night for the Pacers; first home playoff game since April 21, 2019, and will stick around for the start of training camp Sunday.
Friday's NBA playoffs
(At) Indiana 121, Milwaukee 118 (OT): Tyrese Haliburton completed a three-point play with 1.6 seconds left, capping his first postseason triple-double in his first home playoff game to give the Indiana Pacers a 121-118 overtime victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday night.
Indiana leads the best-of-seven series 2-1, with Game 4 on Sunday in Indianapolis. Two-time league MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo again sat out for Milwaukee because of a strained left calf.
Haliburton had 18 points, 16 assists and 10 rebounds. Myles Turner added 29 points and nine rebounds, both playoff career highs, to help give Indiana its first back-to-back postseason wins since taking three straight in the 2014 Eastern Conference semifinals.
The Pacers also have their first lead in the playoffs since Game 3 of a first-round matchup against Cleveland in 2018. Indiana hasn't won a series since reaching the 2014 Eastern Conference finals.
Milwaukee's Khris Middleton banked in a 3-pointer with 1.4 seconds to force overtime and had a chance to force a second overtime, but his 3 bounced off the side of the rim as the buzzer sounded.
Middleton finished with a playoff-career high 42 points and had 10 rebounds and five assists after missing practice Thursday because of a sprained right ankle. Damian Lillard added 28 points and eight assists, most coming after he hurt his left Achilles late in the first quarter.
(At) Dallas 101, L.A. Clippers 90: Luka Doncic had 22 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists, and the suddenly defensive-minded Dallas Mavericks took a chippy 101-90 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday night for a 2-1 lead in the first-round series.
The Mavs rode the same defense that gave them home-court advantage with a Game 2 victory in LA, and won in Dallas three years after losing all three first-round games on their floor in a seven-game s loss to the Clippers. Game 4 is Sunday in Dallas.
Rookie Dereck Lively II scored all 13 of his points in the first half and Daniel Gafford, his tag-team partner as a dunker and rim protector, had an emphatic block of a dunk attempt by Paul George early in the fourth quarter while Dallas was taking control for good in a game with five technical fouls, a flagrant foul and two ejections.
James Harden scored 21 points for the Clippers, but just seven after halftime, while fellow stars George and Kawhi Leonard had little impact. Normal Powell also had 21.
Minnesota 126, (at) Phoenix 109: Anthony Edwards scored 36 points, Rudy Gobert added 19 points and 14 rebounds and Minnesota used a hot-shooting third quarter to beat Phoenix and take a 3-0 lead in the first-round series.
Minnesota goes for the sweep in Game 4 on Sunday in Phoenix.
It was the third straight game the Wolves used a big third to turn a tight game into a comfortable victory. Minnesota hit 7 of 11 3-pointers during the surge, including four from Nickeil Alexander-Walker, to take a 22-point lead into the fourth.
Bradley Beal led the Suns with 28 points while Kevin Durant had 25 and Devin Booker 23.
Report: Ex-UM coach Howard joins Nets
The Nets continued a busy offseason with another addition to its coaching staff.
Former Michigan coach Juwan Howard agreed to a deal to become an assistant on newly-appointed Nets head coach Jordi Fernandez’s staff, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Michigan fired Howard last month after five seasons with the Wolverines. The former Fab Five star makes his return to an NBA staff after spending six seasons as an assistant under Erik Spoelstra before making a move to the NCAA. Howard played 19 seasons in the NBA and won two championships as a player with the Heat (2012-13).
Howard’s tenure at Michigan ended with a 82-67 record. The team reached the Elite Eight in 2021, when he was named the Associated Press Coach of the Year. Howard and the Wolverines also won the Big Ten title that year. The team made two NCAA tournament appearances (2020-21) under Howard’s tenure.
He now heads to Brooklyn to assist a team that missed the postseason after finishing with a 32-50 record in the 2023-24 season. Howard will be an assistant alongside Steve Hetzel, who joined Brooklyn’s staff after three seasons with the Portland Trailblazers.
Webber launch discussion
NBA Hall of Famer and ex-Fab Five forward Chris Webber will launch his book, "By God's Grace", at a Q&A discussion on Sunday at Garden Theater at 3929 Woodward Avenue from 3-6 p.m.
Webber's memoir highlights his days as a high school basketball phenom at Detroit Country Day to playing an integral role with Michigan's Fab Five to being named the 1994 NBA Rookie of the Year.
Tickets are $100 for general admission and a signed copy of the book and $150 for VIP admission, signed copy and a meet and greet from 3-4 p.m.
For more details, go to chriswebber.com.
Eastern Conference
Milwaukee vs. Indiana
(Indiana leads 2-1)
▶ Game 1: Milwaukee 109, Indiana 94
▶ Game 2: Indiana 125, Milwaukee 108
▶ Game 3: Indiana 121, Milwaukee 118 (OT)
▶ Game 4: Sunday at Indiana, 7 p.m.
▶ x-Tuesday, April 30: Indiana at Milwaukee, TBA
▶ x-Thursday, May 2: Milwaukee at Indiana, TBA
▶ x-Saturday, May 4: Indiana at Milwaukee, TBA
Boston vs. Miami
(Series tied 1-1)
▶ Game 1: Boston 114, Miami 94
▶ Game 2: Miami 111, Boston 101
▶ Game 3: Saturday at Miami, 6 p.m.
▶ Game 4: Monday at Miami, TBA
▶ x-Wednesday, May 1: Miami at Boston, TBA
▶ x-Friday, May 3: Boston at Miami, TBA
▶ x-Sunday, May 5: Miami at Boston, TBA
Cleveland vs. Orlando
(Cavaliers lead 2-0)
▶ Game 1: Cleveland 97, Orlando 83
▶ Game 2: Cleveland 96, Orlando 86
▶ Game 3: Thursday at Orlando, 7 p.m.
▶ Game 4: Saturday at Orlando, 1 p.m.
▶ x-Tuesday, April 30: Orlando at Cleveland, TBA
▶ x-Friday, May 3: Cleveland at Orlando, TBA
▶ x-Sunday, May 5: Orlando at Cleveland, TBA
New York vs. Philadelphia
(Knicks lead 2-1)
▶ Game 1: New York 111, Philadelphia 104
▶ Game 2: New York 104, Philadelphia 101
▶ Game 3: Philadelphia 125, New York 114
▶ Game 4: Sunday at Philadelphia, 1 p.m.
▶ x-Tuesday, April 30: Philadelphia at New York, TBA
▶ x-Thursday, May 2: New York at Philadelphia, TBA
▶ x-Saturday, May 4: Philadelphia at New York, TBA
Western Conference
L.A. Clippers vs. Dallas
(Dallas leads 2-1)
▶ Game 1: L.A. Clippers 109, Dallas 97
▶ Game 2: Dallas 96, L.A. Clippers 93
▶ Game 3: Dallas 101, L.A. Clippers 90
▶ Game 4: Sunday at Dallas, 3:30 p.m.
▶ x-Wednesday, May 1: Dallas at L.A. Clippers, TBA
▶ x-Friday, May 3: L.A. Clippers at Dallas, TBA
▶ x-Sunday, May 5: Dallas at L.A. Clippers, TBA
Denver vs. L.A. Lakers
(Nuggets lead 3-0)
▶ Game 1: Denver 114, L.A. Lakers 103
▶ Game 2: Denver 101, L.A. Lakers 99
▶ Game 3: Denver 112, L.A. Lakers 105
▶ Game 4: Saturday at L.A. Lakers, 8:30 p.m.
▶ x-Monday, April 29: L.A. Lakers at Denver, TBA
▶ x-Thursday, May 2: Denver at L.A. Lakers, TBA
▶ x-Saturday, May 4: L.A. Lakers at Denver, TBA
Oklahoma City vs. New Orleans
(Thunder lead 2-0)
▶ Game 1: Oklahoma City 94, New Orleans 92
▶ Game 2: Oklahoma City 124, New Orleans 92
▶ Game 3: Saturday at New Orleans, 3:30 p.m.
▶ Game 4: Monday at New Orleans, TBA
▶ x-Wednesday, May 1: New Orleans at Oklahoma City, TBA
▶ x-Friday, May 3: Oklahoma City at New Orleans, TBA
▶ x-Sunday, May 5: New Orleans at Oklahoma City, TBA
Minnesota vs. Phoenix
(Timberwolves lead 3-0)
▶ Game 1: Minnesota 120, Phoenix 95
▶ Game 2: Minnesota 105, Phoenix 93
▶ Game 3: Minnesota 126, Phoenix 109
▶ Game 4: Sunday at Phoenix, 9:30 p.m.
▶ x-Tuesday, April 30: Phoenix at Minnesota, TBA
▶ x-Thursday, May 2: Minnesota at Phoenix, TBA
▶ x-Saturday, May 4: Phoenix at Minnesota, TBA