Indiana Pacers Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Eastern Notes: Carlisle, Knicks, Anunoby, Claxton, Stewart, Wizards

May 10th, 2024 at 6:05pm CST by Luke Adams

Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle‘s comments about the officiating following Wednesday’s Game 2, which earned him a $35K fine from the NBA, were “disrespectful” to the Knicks, according to New York forward Josh Hart. Speaking to reporters on Friday, Hart said Carlisle’s insinuation that the Knicks are winning because of the officiating “discredit(s) how we’re playing,” according to Stefan Bondy of The New York Post. Hart also laughed off Carlisle’s claim that the referees are favoring the big-market team in the series.

“That’s so stupid, bro,” Hart said. “I mean, we’re going to say the big market always wins? The Knicks ain’t won a [championship] in 51 years. So obviously that don’t hold much weight. I don’t fully understand that. Sorry, New York, for the reminder [about the 51-year drought]. But I think that’s just idiotic. At the end of the day it’s who’s playing the best. I’ve never seen a ref shoot a free throw or make a three or miss a rotation.”

According to Ian Begley of SNY.tv (Twitter link), the Knicks have their own complaints about the referees through the first two games of the series, with members of the organization upset by how Jalen Brunson is being officiated. Those Knicks officials believe Brunson is being grabbed and hit “up and down the floor” and it’s going unnoticed by the refs.

Meanwhile, Carlisle was asked on Friday about his response to the $35K fine and suggested he didn’t have any regrets, per Brian Lewis of The New York Post (Twitter link).

“I’m gonna support my players and our fan base, and our ownership, 100%, and I’m done talking about it,” the Pacers’ coach said.

Here’s more from around the East:

Knicks forward OG Anunoby, who is dealing with a left hamstring strain, traveled to Indianapolis with the team for Games 3 and 4. While that means he could theoretically play on Sunday if he makes a quick recovery, that seems unlikely. The main reason he’s traveling with the club is because the medical staff is in Indiana, according to Begley, who tweets that Anunoby is getting treatment three times per day.
It looks like the Nets are going to do whatever it takes to re-sign free agent center Nic Claxton, and that’s the right call, according to Lucas Kaplan of NetsDaily, who argues that even if it costs $25MM per year, that’s a fair price based on the growth of the NBA’s salary cap. For what it’s worth, $25MM will be approximately the same percentage of the cap in 2024/25 that $20MM was three seasons ago.
Keith Langlois of Pistons.com recaps Isaiah Stewart‘s season and looks ahead to what’s next for the Pistons big man, who will begin a four-year, $60MM extension this July. Despite being the longest-tenured Pistons player, Stewart will still be just 23 years old next season, Langlois points out, arguing that his transition from center to forward this past season increases his versatility and value.
The Wizards will own a top-six pick in this year’s draft, and while the general consensus is that the 2024 class lacks star-level talent at the top, general manager Will Dawkins says he doesn’t necessarily subscribe to that line of thinking, according to Josh Robbins of The Athletic. “I think people hold their cards tight to their vests strategically, so I definitely don’t agree with the narrative,” Dawkins told Robbins. “I think people realize how good this draft is, and in any draft, I’d rather have the power of choice to make the decision than be left with other players on the board that I might not feel as good about. So for me and the Wizards, we’re ones that would always want the highest pick possible if you have an option to choose a player.”

Pacers’ Rick Carlisle Fined $35K For Criticizing Officials

May 10th, 2024 at 10:10am CST by Dana Gauruder

Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle has been fined $35K by the NBA for public criticism of the officiating, as well as questioning the integrity of the league and its officials, the league’s communications department announced (via Twitter).

Carlisle was ejected late in the fourth quarter of the team’s Game 2 loss to the Knicks on Wednesday. Then, during his postgame media session, he criticized the officiating in both games of the series, claiming that “small-market teams” don’t get the same calls as the big-market clubs.

“I’m always talking to our guys about not making it about the officials,” Carlisle said. “But we deserve a fair shot. There’s not a consistent balance, and that’s disappointing. Give New York credit for the physicality that they’re playing with. But their physicality is rewarded and ours is penalized. Time after time. I’m just really disappointed.”

The Pacers reportedly submitted 78 plays to the league on Thursday, covering the first two games, that they felt were incorrectly called.

Knicks’ Anunoby Has Hamstring Strain, Out For Game 3

May 9th, 2024 at 4:47pm CST by Luke Adams

The Knicks are listing forward OG Anunoby as out for Game 3 of their first-round series vs. the Pacers on Friday due to a left hamstring strain, per the NBA’s latest injury report. Anunoby sustained the injury during New York’s Game 2 win on Wednesday.

Anunoby is the latest addition to a growing list of injured Knicks frontcourt players. The team was already missing Julius Randle entering the postseason due to season-ending shoulder surgery. Since the playoffs began, Bojan Bogdanovic has gone down with foot and wrist injuries, while Mitchell Robinson was diagnosed with a stress injury in his left ankle. Both Bogdanovic and Robinson are expected to miss the rest of the postseason.

Anunoby missed several weeks during the second half of the season due to an elbow issue, but he had been playing heavy minutes since his return. He averaged 41.6 MPG in the first round vs. Philadelphia and logged 42 minutes in Game 1 vs. Indiana before exiting Game 2 early.

The Knicks have leaned heavily on their starters since the postseason began, but playing without Anunoby may force head coach Tom Thibodeau to promote one or more of his little-used reserves into the rotation.

Even if Jalen Brunson, who is listed as questionable for Game 3 due to right foot soreness, is fine to suit up, Brunson, Josh Hart, Donte DiVincenzo, Isaiah Hartenstein, Miles McBride, and Precious Achiuwa are the only available Knicks who have seen any real action in the playoffs.

Alec Burks, who got off the bench for 44 seconds at the end of the first half in Game 1, looks like the top candidate to potentially enter the rotation. Shake Milton, Jericho Sims, DaQuan Jeffries, and Mamadi Diakite make up the rest of New York’s 15-man roster.

The Knicks have yet to make any official announcement on Anunoby’s injury, but depending on the severity of the strain, it’s the sort of ailment that could certainly sideline him for more than just one game.

Pacers Notes: Carlisle, Officiating, Disputed Calls, Haliburton, Turner

May 9th, 2024 at 9:32am CST by Dana Gauruder

Pacers coach Rick Carlisle downplayed some controversial calls in Game 1 of his team’s series against the Knicks, saying “We’re not expecting to get calls in here (at Madison Square Garden).”

He struck a much different tone during and after Indiana’s Game 2 loss on Wednesday. Carlisle was ejected late in the fourth quarter of the Pacers’ 130-121 loss, then ripped the officiating in the postgame press conference, claiming that “small-market teams” don’t get a fair shake.

“Small-market teams deserve an equal shot,” Carlisle said, per Dustin Dopirak of the Indianapolis Star. “They deserve a fair shot no matter where they’re playing.”

Carlisle pointed out a number of instances where he felt his team got an unfavorable whistle or a no-call on a Knicks foul.

“I’m always talking to our guys about not making it about the officials,” Carlisle said. “But we deserve a fair shot. There’s not a consistent balance, and that’s disappointing. Give New York credit for the physicality that they’re playing with. But their physicality is rewarded and ours is penalized. Time after time. I’m just really disappointed.”

The Pacers have submitted 78 plays to the league, covering the first two games, that they felt were incorrectly called, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reports. That includes 49 calls from Wednesday’s contest. As part of NBA protocol, the clips will also be shared with the Knicks.

We have more on the Pacers:

While Carlisle and the Pacers front office may be incensed with the officiating, their players were less critical. “Let’s not pretend like [officiating] is the only reason we lost. We just didn’t play good enough,” Tyrese Haliburton said, according to Windhorst. “We just got to be better.”
T.J. McConnell said afterward in a video posted by SNY TV (Twitter link), “We love Rick showing that type of energy on the court, but that’s not the feeling that we have in the locker room. We’re not going to sit here and blame officials. We gotta be better. It’s just that simple.”
One very positive development for the Pacers was the play of Haliburton. After scoring just six points in Game 1, the All-Star guard poured in a game-high 34 points on 11-of-19 shooting, including 7-of-11 on three-point attempts, Brian Lewis of the New York Post notes. “I just shot more shots, took what the defense gave me,” he said.
Meanwhile, Myles Turner pulled a disappearing act, Peter Botte of the New York Post points out. The Pacers’ starting center was held to six points and was minus-21 in 31 minutes after scoring 23 points in Game 1.

Central Notes: Pacers, McConnell, P. Williams, Pistons

May 8th, 2024 at 8:10pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Pacers had two tough calls go against them in the final minute of Game 1, but coach Rick Carlisle refused to blame the officials for the loss, writes Eric Nehm of The Athletic. The first came with 52 seconds remaining when Aaron Nesmith was called for a kicked ball violation, even though the ball appeared to hit his hand rather than his foot. The other one happened when Myles Turner was whistled for a moving screen with 18.4 seconds left to play. Carlisle challenged the call, but the replay crew upheld it and that decision was confirmed in the Last Two Minute report.

“There’s so many events in an NBA game,” Carlisle said. “They’re always a sharp focus on the last minute, but there were things that happened with five or six minutes left that really hurt us. We had one play where one of our guys took a wild run to try to gamble and steal the ball, and it turned into a four-point play for them. I think we had a five-point lead at the time, and so, it’s not just the last minute or two. It’s a whole game. The whole fourth quarter. So this is a great experience for our guys. It comes at a cost. It’s so fun. But we’re gonna have to learn some things for Game 2.”

With the series resuming tonight, Nehm states that Indiana will need improved play down the stretch from Tyrese Haliburton and more attention toward keeping Josh Hart off the boards and the free throw line. Hart collected 13 rebounds in the opener and scored 10 of his 24 points in transition.

“He’s probably one of the best rebounder wings in the league, if not the best rebounding wing in the league,” Haliburton said. “You got to match his intensity there when he’s crashing. He was getting downhill, getting to the free throw yesterday. And then just in transition, when he gets the ball, I think everybody in the world knows he’s going left to right, Euro step. Still, he gets to it.”

There’s more from the Central Division:

Speaking to reporters before tonight’s game, Carlisle talked about how difficult it was to coach against Pacers guard T.J. McConnell before they joined forces, tweets Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star. Carlisle recalled a game in which his Dallas team turned the ball over 16 times in the first half against McConnell’s Sixers. “To me, he was always such an effective player,” Carlisle said. “… He was just an enormous annoyance when you’re trying to play them.”
Bulls forward Patrick Williams turned down a four-year extension offer worth about $64MM before the start of the 2023/24 season, sources tell K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago. Johnson adds that Williams, who is headed toward restricted free agency, is expected to make a full recovery well before training camp after having surgery on his left foot in February.
It has been more than three weeks since the Pistons announced that they plan to hire a new head of basketball operations, but there have been no reports of any interviews in that time, Keith Langlois of NBA.com notes in a mailbag column. Langlois expects the interview process to get underway soon so that draft preparation can begin in earnest.

Indianapolis Police Investigating Game 6 Incident Involving Patrick Beverley

May 8th, 2024 at 3:58pm CST by Luke Adams

The Indianapolis Police Department is investigating the altercation that took place in Game 6 of the Bucks/Pacers series on May 2 involving Milwaukee guard Patrick Beverley and fans in Indiana, according to Shams Charania and Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic (Twitter link).

During the waning moments of the Bucks’ season, Beverley threw a basketball at Pacers fans sitting behind the Bucks bench. His first throw hit a female fan who was looking in another direction in the side of the head. Beverley got the ball back and forcefully fired it back at a male fan seconds later (Twitter video link).

Beverley tweeted after the game that there were “exchanges between a fan and our ball club” all night and suggested that the team asked security for help dealing with the fan in question. He expressed a little more contrition in a follow-up tweet several hours later, acknowledging that he has to “be better.”

Charania, Lauren Merola, and Eric Nehm of The Athletic subsequently reported that a Pacers fan was directing obscenities toward Beverley in the lead-up to the incident, which was apparently escalated when the fan yelled, “Cancun … Cancun on three” as the team was breaking a huddle.

According to Charania and Vorkunov, Indianapolis detectives are working with Gainbridge Fieldhouse staffers to review video footage from the arena. They intend to speak to the individuals involved in the incident.

While it’s unclear if the investigation will lead to any criminal charges, Beverley certainly figures to face discipline from the NBA, which is conducting its own probe. The veteran guard isn’t under contract yet for next season, but will likely have to serve a suspension before making his 2024/25 season debut.

Knicks Notes: Hart, Rotation, Hartenstein, Brunson, DiVincenzo

May 8th, 2024 at 2:09pm CST by Luke Adams

Back in November, Josh Hart griped a little about what he felt was a reduced role in the Knicks‘ offense and expressed a desire to play more. As Fred Katz of The Athletic writes, Hart has no complaints about how much he’s playing in the postseason (46.6 minutes per game), joking earlier this week that the only activity that tires him out isn’t basketball-related.

“My wife arguing with me,” he said. “That makes me extremely tired.”

Still, Stefan Bondy of The New York Post (subscription required) wonders how sustainable it is to have Hart and the Knicks’ other starters playing such heavy minutes as their season continues well into the spring. With Julius Randle, Bojan Bogdanovic, and Mitchell Robinson now out for the playoffs, Precious Achiuwa will likely enter New York’s rotation as its seventh man, but head coach Tom Thibodeau hasn’t shown much trust in anyone further down the depth chart.

The Pacers, living up to their name, played at the fastest pace this season of any playoff team, and there will be fewer days off between games in the second round than there were in the first, Bondy notes. According to guard Tyrese Haliburton, Indiana is hoping to take advantage of its depth and wear down New York over the course of the second-round series.

“We’re a pretty deep team. Probably the deepest in the league,” Haliburton said. “So we’re trying to use that to our advantage by getting up and pressuring and trying to wear on these guys as much as we can for a seven-game series.”

Here’s more on the Knicks:

Robinson’s latest injury underscores how important it is for the Knicks to re-sign Isaiah Hartenstein when he reaches unrestricted free agency this summer, Bondy writes in another New York Post story. Holding Hartenstein’s Early Bird rights, the Knicks will be able to offer him a starting salary worth up to approximately $16MM. While the expectation is that it won’t take more than that to retain Hartenstein, his value could continue to rise if he enjoys a strong playoff run without Robinson available to share the workload in the middle.
With his Game 1 performance vs. Indiana, Jalen Brunson became just one of four players in NBA history to score 40 or more points in four consecutive playoff games, joining Jerry West, Michael Jordan, and former Knicks star Bernard King. As Katz details for The Athletic, Brunson’s teammates and head coach appreciate the fact that – as great as he’s playing – he wants to keep getting better. “The thing that’s impressive, it’s always within the context of winning and his teammates and that’s always the most important thing to him,” Thibodeau said. “And I love his mentality because his mentality is that he’s not satisfied.”
While Donte DiVincenzo obviously hasn’t replaced Randle as the Knicks’ power forward in recent months, DiVincenzo’s ability to defend perimeter players, serve as a legitimate No. 2 scoring option, and step up in clutch moments has helped the team make up for the loss of its star forward, argues Mike Vaccaro of The New York Post.

Pacers Notes: Haliburton, Game 2, Officiating, Carlisle

May 7th, 2024 at 9:06pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Tyrese Haliburton was a non-factor offensively in the Pacers’ tight loss to the Knicks during Game 1 of the Eastern Conference semifinals on Monday. Haliburton had just six points and committed three turnovers.

The Pacers advanced past the Bucks in the opening round even though their star guard shot 43.5% from the field and 29.6% on 3-point attempts, Brian Lewis of the New York Post notes. Haliburton only attempted six shots and did dish out eight assists in Monday’s four-point defeat.

“He gets trapped every time he comes off and pick and roll. And the best thing about Tyrese is he won’t force a bad shot,” fellow guard T.J. McConnell said. “He gets others involved and we trust him wholeheartedly. With the ball in his hands every single time.”

We have more on the Pacers:

Haliburton spoke about his offensive woes after the team’s practice on Tuesday and vowed to be better in Game 2. “I erred on the side of play-making … and that wasn’t the right decision for me,” Haliburton said, per Brian Windhorst of ESPN. “I still got to be who I am, but yeah, I’ll just be better (Wednesday).” Haliburton is dealing with back spasms and is listed as questionable for Game 2, as he was entering the series. “I’m confident he’ll play, but it’s a concern,” coach Rick Carlisle said.
The Pacers had a right to be upset with the officiating in Game 1 but generally chose to take the high road, Dustin Dopirak of the Indianapolis Star writes. During the final minute, forward Aaron Nesmith deflected a pass with his hand that was called a kicked ball, stopping play dead instead of giving the Pacers a steal that they could have turned into a fast-break bucket. With 12 seconds left and the Pacers down 118-117, Myles Turner was called for an offensive foul for an illegal screen. “I don’t want to talk about the officiating,” Carlisle said. “We’re not expecting to get calls in here.” Turner felt the officials’ controversial calls marred a thrilling contest. “In my experience in this league, I think it’s best when the players decide the outcome of the game,” Turner said. “I think it’s unfortunate that it happened.” The league’s Last Two Minutes report indicated Turner did commit an offensive foul, Ian Begley of SNY TV tweets. Video of the plays can be found here (Twitter links).
Carlisle said in the pregame press conference on Monday that the Mavericks tried hard to trade up and snag Haliburton in the 2020 draft, when he slipped to the 12th pick, Dopirak tweets. “We thought he was the best player in the draft that year when we were in Dallas. We were trying desperately to trade up to get him,” Carlisle said. During a 2023 podcast appearance, Dallas’ then-owner, Mark Cuban, confirmed the team’s interest in trading up for Haliburton.

Mitchell Robinson Out For Remainder Of Postseason

May 7th, 2024 at 7:30pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Knicks center Mitchell Robinson has sustained a stress injury to his left ankle and will miss the remainder of the postseason, according to the team’s PR department (Twitter link).

Robinson won’t even be reevaluated for six-to-eight weeks, thus his injury-marred season is over. The big man underwent testing late this afternoon, which determined the extent of the injury, according to Ian Begley of SNY TV (Twitter link). He won’t require surgery, Begley adds.

Earlier in the evening, the team ruled him out for Wednesday’s Game 2 against the Pacers due to left ankle injury management. It’s now apparent the injury is much more serious.

Robinson played just 12 minutes in New York’s Game 1 victory, contributing two points, two rebounds and an assist. He also missed one game during the first-round series against Philadelphia after spraining the same ankle.

Robinson underwent left ankle surgery in December. He didn’t return until March 27.

Overall, Robinson only appeared in 31 regular season games. He has two years remaining on his four-year, front-loaded $60MM contract.

With Robinson out, Precious Achiuwa‘s role figures to expand dramatically. He played just four minutes off the bench as the team’s eighth man on Monday.

Knicks’ Mitchell Robinson Won’t Play On Wednesday

May 7th, 2024 at 6:09pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Knicks center Mitchell Robinson won’t play in Game 2 against the Pacers on Wednesday. The team has already ruled him out due to left ankle injury management, Steve Popper of Newsday tweets.

Robinson played just 12 minutes in New York’s Game 1 victory, contributing two points, two rebounds and an assist. He also missed one game during the first-round series against Philadelphia.

New York’s starters are already playing heavy minutes, with starting center Isaiah Hartenstein logging 38 minutes in Game 1. Forward Precious Achiuwa, who played just four minutes off the bench as the team’s eighth man on Monday, will likely see more action with Robinson unavailable.

Robinson underwent left ankle surgery in December and sprained his ankle during Game 3 against the Sixers.