Tyrese Haliburton did it again. The Indiana Pacers got yet another game winner from their star guard Thursday night.
And fans hoping for a tight Stanley Cup Final got their wish in Game 1 Wednesday. The Oilers and Panthers went to overtime in the first game of their Cup rematch.
Michigan Public sports commentator John U. Bacon joined Morning Edition host Doug Tribou to discuss those stories and the latest Detroit Tigers news.
Doug Tribou: The Tigers were the first major league team to get to 41 wins this season and continue to lead their division, the American League Central. But this week, they also split a four-game series with the Chicago White Sox, who might be lucky to win 40 all year [laughs].
During football season, you often talk about teams needing to beat the teams they are supposed to beat. Does the same rule apply in baseball where the schedule's a lot longer?
John U. Bacon: It still does. Look, it's a lot longer. It's 162 games. And in baseball, the teams are actually quite close. If you win 60% of your games, you're a top team — 40% you're a loser. But I make an exception for that last series because the Tigers are the best team in baseball and the White Sox are next to worst. They should have taken 3 or 4 of those.
DT: Last year, Detroit traded starting pitcher Jack Flaherty to the Los Angeles Dodgers midseason, then the Tigers re-signed him for this season. During Detroit’s fast start, one concern has been Flaherty, who’d struggled, but he seemed to turn a corner in the last week or so. How critical is Flaherty to the Tigers’ chances this season?
JUB: Well, very ... because the top team in baseball is 12th in hitting. That's barely in the top half [of all MLB teams]. Clearly they're relying on pitching. So yeah they need him. And also this weekend the No. 1 Tigers are playing the No. 1 — in the National League — Chicago Cubs. This is old-school baseball. It's already sold out. This is going to be big.
DT: Last year in the Stanley Cup Final, the Florida Panthers and Edmonton Oilers went the full seven games before Florida won the Cup. In this year’s final, the teams picked up right where they left off. Edmonton won Game 1 — in overtime — 4-3. Game 2 is Friday night. What stands out to you about these teams?
JUB: Well, a few things off the top. One, the two best teams got to the finals. That's very clear. Two, this game was fast, man. One of the fastest I've seen. And three, all of Canada is pulling for the Edmonton Oilers and only half of Florida is pulling for the Panthers.
In Game 1 of the NBA Finals, the Indiana Pacers took the lead over the Oklahoma City Thunder with 0.3 seconds left and went on to win. It was the first time they'd led all game.
DT: [laughs] John, I've been waiting to say this sentence to you all week:
The NBA MVP is SGA and he plays for OKC.
SGA is Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and in Game 1 of the NBA Finals, he played like an MVP — with 38 points for the Oklahoma City Thunder. But the Pacers of Indiana came from behind on yet another hero moment from Tyrese Haliburton, who hit the game winner with 0.3 seconds left. In these playoffs, Haliburton has had a string of the moments that kids play out as they count down the time shooting hoops in the park or their driveway. It's been wild.
JUB: It's been incredibly wild. Look, I count one per series against Milwaukee, Cleveland, New York and now, of course, OKC, where Haliburton hit a shot in the last minute to win a game they probably should not have won. This is, like you said, backyard-basketball stuff. Indiana seems like a team of destiny. And if so, Haliburton is going to be the guy.
DT: Well, the Pacers and Thunder will play Game 2 on Sunday night. One favorite detail from Game 1 is the shot that won was the first time the Pacers had the lead.
JUB: That's the best part.
DT: Just crazy.
JUB: Hey look, Doug, if you're going to have a lead for only 0.3 seconds in an entire game, make sure it's the last 0.3 seconds. And that's what the Pacers did.
DT: [laughs] It's a great time to pull ahead.
Thanks a lot. Have a good weekend.
JUB: Doug, thank you.
Editor's notes: Some quotes in this article have been edited for length and clarity. You can hear the full interview near the top of this page.
