NBA Finals Highlights: Game 5 Recap

Monday’s Game 5 of the NBA Finals took an amusing turn during the “Sports Center” broadcast.

While discussing the Thunder’s 120-109 victory over the Pacers, ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins playfully teased Richard Jefferson about his encounter with Perkins’ wife, Vanity.

“Did you wave to my wife?” Perkins asked Jefferson, who was on set with host Scott Van Pelt.

Jefferson, 44, admitted he did wave, but insisted, “She waved at me first.” This prompted some lighthearted laughter from Perkins, who jokingly swiped Jefferson’s cheek.

Even as Van Pelt attempted to steer the conversation back on track, he chimed in with, “Stop blowing the kisses away here.”

Perkins, who played in the league for 15 years, has been married to Vanity for nearly as long. They will celebrate their 16th wedding anniversary in July.

Earlier this year, Perkins shared a heartfelt Mother’s Day post for Vanity, calling her the “heart and soul” of their family.

In the backdrop of this light banter, the scene unfolded at Paycom Center, where the Thunder took a 3-2 lead in the series, just one win shy of claiming the NBA title.

Thunder’s MVP, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, led the scoring with 31 points, while teammate Jalen Williams contributed an impressive 40 points.

Despite the victory, Thunder’s coach Mark Daigneault acknowledged room for improvement, saying, “It’s not a perfect game at all, but the tweaks from Game 4 to Game 5 were crucial.”

Previously, the Thunder bested the Pacers in Game 4, 111-104. The next matchup, Game 6, is scheduled for Thursday in Indianapolis, with a potential Game 7 set to return to Oklahoma City on Sunday if needed.