The Pacers find themselves in the Cinderella role in these playoffs. After knocking off the Bucks in the first round, they put away the injury-ravaged Knicks in Game 7 on Sunday.
Now, they’ll face the top-seeded Celtics in the conference finals. All this after failing to qualify for the playoffs the previous three seasons and getting knocked out in the opening round in their five previous postseason appearances.
“Well, we’re the uninvited guest,” coach Rick Carlisle said, per ESPN’s Brian Windhorst. “Here we are. When you win a Game 7 in Madison Square Garden, you’ve made history. It’s very, very difficult to do.”
The Pacers shot 67.1% from the field in the 130-109 win, setting an NBA playoff record for highest field goal percentage in a single game. They made 76.3% of their attempts from the floor in the first half. Tyrese Haliburton led the way with 26 points.
“It’s a testament to our coaching staff and our offense,” center Myles Turner said (story via The Indianapolis Star’s Dustin Dopirak). “We have a historic offense obviously, but this guy (Haliburton) got things rolling and everybody just followed suit. To do that on the road when you’re in the Garden in a Game 7 obviously is phenomenal. This is what we’ve been doing all season long and it showed on a big stage.”
Here’s more on the Pacers:
- Haliburton scored a combined 28 points in the previous two games and also had a six-point clunker in Game 1. He was efficient in Game 7, shooting 10-for-17 from the field while making six assists. “For me, aggression is not shots, it’s getting two feet in the paint,” Haliburton said. “I know it’s an old school way of thinking, but the more that I can get downhill, it opens things up for everybody else. Guys were making shots early. I just continued to get to the paint off these two guys (Turner’s and Pascal Siakam‘s) ball screens. Get to the rim and kick out to these guys to make plays. For me it’s just feeling out the game, what’s needed in that game. I know today’s Game 7, unload the clip, have no regrets because I would hate to be (expletive) all summer about not shooting the ball today. For me it was just about coming out and playing the right way.”
- Andrew Nembhard and Aaron Nesmith made major offensive contributions, combining for 39 points. Nembhard shot 8-for-10 from the field and Nesmith made all eight of his shot attempts. “Those guys were great for us,” Siakam said. “They’re a big part of what we do.”
- Siakam scored four baskets in the early going against former Raptors teammate OG Anunoby, who was hobbled by a hamstring injury and only lasted five minutes. “I was going to test him,” Siakam said. “I thought he didn’t look healthy out there. … I just wanted to make sure he was OK, but it was a Game 7.”
Nobody gave indy a chance
Underdog v bucks
Underdog v knicks
Refs gave every call to NY. Went to the line 66 more times than indy. Knicks are fake tough flopping idiots
Down 0-2. Carlisle willed the pacers to Wins
Strong team effort, siakam turner haliburton , mconell. Every “expert” doubted pacers. Amazing victory, 1 of the biggest in pacer history
I mean, of course they were underdogs in both series? Doesn’t mean they weren’t given a chance-many thought they would beat NYK at least, even if it wasn’t the majority of people.
You beat two teams with major injuries. Please relax and show a little humility.
The Pacers are also dealing with injury, they are missing Bennedict Mathurin who is a pretty important player for them
Ah yes, Mathurin totally makes up for the absence of Giannis and half the Knicks roster.
TBQH the Pacers probably lose either of these series if he were healthy and taking minutes away from McConnell / Nembhard / Nesmith.
Here I was thinking the Pacers played a good series against a tough team and somehow came out on top. Now I have a whole new perspective, It took seven games and a lot of injury luck to beat some fake tough, flopping idiots. You’d think if that was the level of competition the Pacers were playing against they should’ve been able to take care of them in five.
Honestly the Timberwolves nuggets series was the same way. NBA gave every call to the nuggets and seemed desperate to have the nuggets advance, yet the Timberwolves overcame and won, same as the pacers. Sort of hoping both teams make the finals, would make for a good series.
The refs can’t stop open threes. NY surely got more calls
Ant talks to much and Goebert is weak. Dallas eats them up and Luka shuts them up in my opinion.
@utah – still doubt them. Nothing has changed other than you’ve moved on against teams that were decimated by injury.
Of course no one gave them much of a chance as Underdogs. They were the six seed playing to second and third seeds in their two series. Historic offence with minimal defence is generally not conducive to winning in the playoffs (see last year’s Sacramento Kings).
Utah the Celtics in 5. Beating 2 decimated squads barely doesn’t take much. In my opinion.
Lol @ pacer haters
Knicks win a couple gms suddenly they’re the 96 bulls. But when they lose excuses immediately pour out “half our tm is hurt, & we dont play well on the road, and it took 7 games, we dont like afternoon games” lol just shut the f up & take the L like a man. Refs stole game 1 & maybe gm 2. Pacers has to win FIVE games to advance. And if you think otherwise you are sad & delusional. Game 7 on the road ar MSG in the playoffs? They broke all kinds of records for f sake. Most points in a Q, most pts in a half, best shooting % in a half, in a game. They crushed the knicks. Half the knicks roster? The tm is centered around brunson. Everyone else is a supporting character. And JB is nothing but a flopping idiot who draws fouls in the paint. OVERRATED. And he had a terrible gm before his injury. Indy was up 20 when he got hurt. So get the f outta here with your sorry lame excuses. I dont wanna hear it. Atleast bucks & their fans accepted the L. Knicks fans are so lame with their sore loser act. Its embarrassing
Spot on Johnny Utah. Knicks turn in 1 halfway decent season in a horribly weak eastern conference and Knicks fans act like they have always been the best. Brunson had 1 good year, he’s still not a top 10 player in the league. Anyone can have one good year. Injuries are usually from people playing outside what their body can handle. Not hurting yourself is part of sports. Knicks are the joke that just keeps giving.
Here. Here.
Wow. Came here to say the Pacers and their fans have kind of been shafted in terms of media coverage and Johnny Utah here has completely erased my sympathy lol.
@cats
The only ones who need sympathy are the sensitive crybaby overrated flopping actors on the knicks squad.
Indy is never talked about and thats cool bec it allows them to fly under the radar. Knicks were like “yo those indiana fools? We got this in 5!” Knicks got schooled by haliburton & mcconnell. taken to class, given a lesson, and spanked for misbehaving. F you and your sympathy. F brunson and the knicks. espn & stephen a smith, F you too
Congrats on beating the depleted Knicks man. You should be really proud. Im glad you have the confidence before Indy gets spanked by Boston. Keep this same energy bud.
OG was the difference. He’s essentially Andre Igoudala in his prime. Very similar game if you think about it.
Kudos to Indy for hanging tough — but it was obviously due to injury that they won. Can’t fault them for taking advantage of the situation before them. They still had to come to NyC and beat us and sustain that third quarter momentum shift.
As for Knick fans …
Very very positive season. The entire NBA is now on notice that this team has a culture, a good strong nucleus under team friendly contracts, picks, great front office and coach , we have direction and an identity now.
The city is STARVING for the knicks to be good, I think all disgruntled and FA stars see that 100% now.
The series with Indy was a perfect microcosm of the reg season. Virtually unbeatable with him but bad without him. If he’s this oft injured we need to either let him go and sign another player of his skillset. But if you challenged me to say who that is — I guess I realize we have to sign him. No one else can guard 1-5 and shut them down, hit 3’s, .. he does everything.
We have to let Hartenstein go. At his current number I want more. At what he’s gonna get .. no thanks. Precious is the answer at backup.
We have to let Mitchell Robinson go too. At this point he’s just never going to be healthy at the right time. He doesn’t have the hands or feet or skill set to be effective while hobbled or slowed. Enough is enough. Let’s clear his salary for bigger things.
We build around Brunson, Hart, Dante, McBride, precious, and OG. We find a way to turn Mitchell Robinson, the picks and Randall into a star big man and some role players. That star should probably be a big man. Very intrigued by Embids commments about NY after the series.
“We have to let Hartenstein go. At his current number I want more. ”
You might want to tell that to Tom Thibodeau because this is exactly what he wants his centers doing (not much). Hartenstein HAS to be kept because he has great chemistry with Brunson and is able to contribute offensively w/o needing post touches.
Your suggestion that the Knicks need star big man (like Embiid) is quite frankly laughable because it doesn’t mesh with Brunson’s game in the slightest. Brunson (36 Playoff USG%, #1 in the NBA) is a ball-dominant guard ala Allen Iverson, or a peak version of what Stephon Marbury was supposed to be when the Knicks acquired him. He is not someone who plays well off-the-ball or with a big clogging the lane. This is a big reason why he was left off Team USA despite his growing stature, because he doesn’t bring much to a team if he’s not the #1 guy pounding the air out of the ball.
More from Hartenstein and Brunson Embiid would not mesh ?….please proof read your comments. Laughing at you.
Porter jr. $30 mil is a lot of money for a spot or in rythem shooter. Woeful defender, poor defensive rebounder, poor passer. Can’t create for others. SELL and do it now before his back goes.
Kevin Porter Jr. doesn’t make $30 mil, PAOK doesn’t pay any player that kind of salary and he was never much of a rhythm shooter.
Michael Porter Jr. on the other hand is a plus defender and doesn’t need to create his own shot as he just shoots over people. 7 rpg out of your SF isn’t bad especially when Jokic grabs 12.4 rpg. Jokic is a better option to get the boards anyway because he’s got such court vision but it’s good to know you can count on your SF to get a few if needed. While MPJ is good passer as on he keeps the ball moving, Jokic is more of a creator, which is fine MPJ is more of a finisher and Jokic provides plenty of shot creation. I never knew Kevin Porter Jr had a history of of back problems. I know MPJ used too but that seems to be behind him as he only missed one game this season.
Congratulations, you’re the first person in world history to suggest MPJ is a plus defender.
That must explain why Aaron Gordon has to cover 3s for Denver! It’s because MPJ is so good that he has to guard 4s!
I’m gonna guess you have similarly strong feelings for Bobby Portis as a playoff player.
Thanks for clearing things up. Clevelanders thought for a minute that the Cavs had gone nuts and given Craig Porter Jr an unbelievable contract.
Who said Kevin porter jr? MPJ sucks as a defender. Are you an analytics guy? Again, you’re the only one talking about KPJ. You new which porter jr I was referring too. The guy on $30 mil who is spot up shooter only. Oh, lakers still suck.
T.J. McConnell, ladies and gentlemen – the man, the legend!
He’s been instrumental to the Pacers’ success in this series and in so many other contests this season. When he enters from the bench and takes over the game, the team’s pace and intensity rise to another level. Not only does he make his teammates around him better, he also often provides clutch scoring in tight, match-deciding situations.
He’ll become an UFA a year from now. It will be interesting to see whether the Pacers offer him an extension or whether they let go of him. He should find some suitors for his services around the league.
Man… if the Sixers had done that Kings trade.
I feel like Pacers match up better with Boston. Don’t think they will roll over. Will be interesting conference finals on both ends!
Carlisle vs. his old team in the NBA Finals.