Pascal Siakam

Thunder Win First Championship Since Move; SGA Named Finals MVP

June 22nd, 2025 at 10:07pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Thunder claimed their first NBA championship since the franchise moved to Oklahoma City, as they defeated the depleted Pacers, 103-91, in Game 7 on Sunday.

Seattle, which won the championship in 1979, relocated to Oklahoma City in 2008. The Pacers, who have never won an NBA title, played the last three quarters without Tyrese Haliburton, who suffered an Achilles injury in the first quarter.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, this season’s Most Valuable Player, also earned Finals MVP honors, the league announced (via Twitter). It’s the 16th time a player has won both in the same year, though it hasn’t happened since LeBron James pulled it off during the 2012/13 season.

The Thunder should be major contenders for years to come with their young core, featuring Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren. The top priorities for the Thunder this offseason center around extensions.

Gilgeous-Alexander has met the performance criteria for a super-max contract and will become eligible to sign that extension next month. The 2024 MVP runner-up still has two years left on his current deal and can’t exceed six years in total, so the maximum value of his extension would be a projected $293.4MM over four years, beginning in 2027/28.

Williams and Holmgren are eligible for rookie scale extensions until the beginning of next seasons and both could receive the max – five years and a projected $246MM. The maximum value of those extensions could increase to a projected $296MM if All-NBA, MVP or Defensive Player of the Year honors are negotiated into the contracts.

The Pacers’ offseason outlook could change dramatically due to Haliburton’s injury. Myles Turner, their starting center, is headed to unrestricted free agency and while the Pacers reportedly want to re-sign him, they could have plenty of competition. Bennedict Mathurin is eligible for a rookie scale extension.

Several other key players, including Haliburton and Pascal Siakam, are signed through at least the 2027/28 season. Could they look to shed salary in light of Haliburton’s injury?

With the NBA Finals decided, the 2025 NBA offseason is officially underway. For the second straight year, teams will be permitted to negotiate contracts with their own free agents one day after the Finals. Players who won’t be free agents this offseason but who will become eligible to sign contract extensions on July 6 will also be permitted to begin negotiations with their current teams on Monday.

Thus, it wouldn’t be surprising if some agreements are reported this week. Free agent contracts still can’t be officially finalized until after the July moratorium lifts on July 6.

The draft will be held on Wednesday and Thursday, with free agency beginning on June 30 at 6 p.m. Eastern time.

Pacers Notes: Haliburton, Siakam, Game 6 Strategy

June 21st, 2025 at 11:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Pacers weren’t sure if they would have Tyrese Haliburton for Game 6 due to a strained right calf, but there are no worries heading into Sunday’s series finale at Oklahoma City, writes Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star. Haliburton is still getting around-the-clock treatment on the calf, but he vowed at Saturday’s media session that he’ll be in the lineup.

“I’m pretty much in the same standpoint I was before Game 6,” Haliburton said. “A little stiff, a little sore, rather. Good thing I only had to play like 23 minutes (on Thursday). I’ve been able to get even more treatment and do more things. Just trying to take care of it the best I can. But I’ll be ready to go for Game 7.”

Trainers said Haliburton may have been sidelined for a couple of weeks if the injury had happened during the season, but he underwent extensive medical procedures and wore a compression sleeve to stabilize the calf area. He explained that he feels an obligation to his teammates and can’t stand the thought of letting them down.

“We’re a group of guys that get along really well and are trying to do something special,” Haliburton said. “I think the expectations for this group from an external viewpoint coming into the year weren’t very high. They weren’t very high coming into the playoffs. They weren’t very high going into the second round of the playoffs. They weren’t very high going into the third round. They weren’t very high now. I think we just have done a great job of just staying together. There’s not a group of guys I’d rather go to war with. I’m really excited to compete with these guys in a Game 7, and it’s going to be a lot of fun.”

There’s more on the Pacers:

An odd sight before Game 6 was a shot of Pascal Siakam in a team huddle where only the whites of his eyes were visible (Twitter video link). Siakam explained what happened, telling reporters he was in the middle of a pregame prayer, Dopirak adds in a separate story. “I have this problem where I can’t really close my eyes,” he said. “Sometimes I’ll be thinking I’m closing my eyes, but they are not really closed. Even sometimes having conversations, sometimes I look up and it feels like I’m thinking, and my eyes just go up.”
Coach Rick Carlisle flummoxed the Thunder in Game 6 by scaling back the pressure defense he had used throughout the series, per Jared Weiss of The Athletic. Instead of attacking OKC’s ball-handlers, the Pacers waited to trap until they crossed mid-court, minimizing their chances of creating easy baskets.
The Pacers may not have the star power of a traditional champion, but they’ve been able to work together to reach the brink of an NBA title, observes James Boyd of The Athletic. From their stars to the end of their bench, the Pacers are loaded with players who have been forced to prove themselves again and again. “We have a group of people that probably wasn’t given anything,” Siakam said. “We’re in a situation where, at the end of the day, nobody really cares to see us win.”

Pacers Notes: Haliburton, Siakam, McConnell, Game 7

June 20th, 2025 at 7:52am CST by Luke Adams

Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton received a “wide range” of treatments in an effort to get him ready for Game 6 of the NBA Finals, according to Jamal Collier of ESPN, who says those treatments included hyperbaric chambers, needles, massages, electronic stimulation, and a compression sleeve on Haliburton’s calf.

Fortunately for the Pacers, they raced out to a big first-half lead on Thursday and extended that lead in the third quarter, putting them in position to hold Haliburton out of the fourth quarter and reduce his workload for the night. He had 14 points and five assists in 23 minutes, with Indiana outscoring the Thunder by 25 points when he was on the court.

“He did amazing,” Pacers forward Obi Toppin said after the victory, per Shakeia Taylor of The Athletic. “He led us to a win, and he’s a soldier. He’s not going to let no little injury hold him back from playing in the finals and helping this team win. He’s helped us get to this point, and he’s going to keep going until he can’t.”

Haliburton was listed as questionable on the Game 6 injury report and was considered a game-time decision on Thursday, but multiple teammates – including Pascal Siakam and Myles Turner – said they had no doubt the All-NBA guard would be on the court when the game tipped off.

“I just look at it as I want to be out there to compete with my brothers,” Haliburton said, according to Taylor. “We’ve had such a special year, and we have a special bond as a group. I think I’d beat myself up if I didn’t give it a chance. I just want to be out there and fight. (I) just had to have an honest conversation with Coach (Rick Carlisle) that if I didn’t look like myself and was hurting the team, like, sit me down. Obviously, I want to be on the floor, but I want to win more than anything.”

Here’s more on the Pacers on the heels of their Game 6 victory:

As big a role as Haliburton has played to get the Pacers to this point, Siakam actually looks like the frontrunner to be named Finals MVP if Indiana can pull out a win in Game 7, notes Sam Amick of The Athletic. The veteran forward, who put an exclamation point on a huge second quarter with a poster dunk over Jalen Williams and a buzzer-beating fadeaway, won a title in Toronto, but feels like he has grown significantly as a player and a leader since that 2019 championship. “I wasn’t a leader then,” Siakam said. “… I think this time around, just having been one of the only guys that has been there or one of the few guys that has been there, and I’m year nine or 10 or whatever, it’s like I have way more to say and I can impact not only by saying things but also on the floor.”
With another big performance in Game 6, Pacers guard T.J. McConnell became the only player in league history to record at least 60 points, 25 assists, 15 rebounds, and 10 steals off the bench in an NBA Finals, writes Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic. However, McConnell’s impact goes beyond the box score. “Any time he comes into the game, the crowd loves him, and he feeds off of that,” Toppin said. “He had a great start to (Thursday’s) game, and it got us going. Brought juice into the game, energy into the game.”
While the Pacers will carry the momentum from their resounding Game 6 victory into Sunday’s Game 7, they know they’ll still be significant underdogs in Oklahoma City against the 68-win Thunder, as Zak Keefer of The Athletic details. They also know that anything can happen in a single game. “One game,” Carlisle said on Thursday. “This is what it’s all about. This is what you dream about growing up, this opportunity.”
Stephen Holder of ESPN spoke to former Pacers like Metta Sandiford-Artest, Lance Stephenson, Stephen Jackson, and Rik Smits about what it would mean to them – and to the city – if this Indiana squad can win a championship on Sunday. “This franchise really deserves it,” Smits said. “We had a lot of great years, but obviously never made it this far. So, I’m just happy for the team, the owners, the whole city. It’s a great fan base here. I’ve always loved playing here, so I would love to see a championship.”

Pacers Notes: Siakam, Game 3 Strategy, Haliburton, Bird

June 11th, 2025 at 7:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Pascal Siakam was the Raptors’ second-leading scorer during the playoffs when they captured the 2019 title, but he’s in an even more important position with the Pacers in this year’s NBA Finals, writes Michael Grange of Sportsnet.ca. Siakam played a complementary role to Kawhi Leonard that season in Toronto, but he’s a key cog in the success of Indiana’s offense. The Pacers rely on him to draw attention from opposing defenses and create shot opportunities for teammates.

Grange notes that Siakam struggled to make that happen against Oklahoma City’s swarming defense in Game 2, shooting 3-of-11 from the field and handing out four assists.

“They do a good job of just packing everything, making everything disruptive. We’ve got to be stronger with the ball obviously, but also be decisive,” Siakam told reporters on Tuesday. “Whatever we decide to do, just do it.”

Along with Siakam’s championship experience, which has been a source of inspiration to his younger teammates, he’s been delivering on the court throughout the Pacers’ playoff run. He’s leading the team in scoring at 20.6 PPG in the playoffs and was named Most Valuable Player in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Siakam is somewhat surprised to already be viewed as a veteran leader at age 31, and he’s amazed to be within reach of a second NBA championship after entering the league without much fanfare in 2016.

“Obviously, I’m super grateful,” he said. “That little kid that was in Basketball Without Borders, I had dreams, but nothing near what’s happening to me in my life and what I’ve been able to accomplish. I’m grateful. For me, it’s amazing and I’ll forever be grateful to everyone that helped me throughout my journey. But it’s hard for me to reflect on because I’m still in it and I’m still chasing every single day.”

There’s more from Indiana:

The Pacers plan to be more aggressive about attacking the basket in Game 3, per Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star. He notes that Indiana didn’t score a single point in the paint in the first quarter of Sunday’s loss as OKC concentrated on staying in front of Tyrese Haliburton, who shot just 1-of-5 in the first half. “We have to do a better job of getting to the paint,” Haliburton said after the Game 2 loss. “It’s a lot easier said than done.”
Former Pacers coach and executive Larry Bird is still taking a hands-on role as a consultant with the organization, coach Rick Carlisle told reporters prior to tonight’s game (Twitter link from Scott Agness of Fieldhouse Files). Bird plans to help evaluate prospects during a pre-draft workout on Thursday.
Between the success of the Pacers and the popularity of WNBA star Caitlin Clark, Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press takes a look at the booming status of basketball in Indiana.

Pacers Notes: Finals Odds, Siakam, Turnaround, Turner

June 3rd, 2025 at 5:10pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The oddsmakers and bettors don’t believe the Pacers have much of a chance in the Finals against the Thunder. At BetMGM, the Pacers have +500 odds to win the championship, making them the biggest underdogs in the NBA Finals since the Cavaliers in 2018, Prince J. Grimes of the Indianapolis Star notes. The Warriors won those Finals in a sweep.

In fact, the oddsmakers believe it will be a quick series. The betting favorite for the length of the series is a 4-1 Thunder victory. Most Valuable Player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the huge favorite to win Finals MVP at -625 odds with Tyrese Haliburton a distant second at +700.

We have more on the Pacers:

Pascal Siakam has developed into the ideal second star for the Pacers, Eric Koreen of The Athletic writes. Koreen outlines how Siakam has expanded his game over the years, both before and since the trade that sent him from Toronto to Indiana. Siakam, named the Most Valuable Player of the Eastern Conference Finals, is averaging 21.1 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.3 assists while shooting a blistering 46.3 percent from long range in 16 postseason games.
Siakam was instrumental in the team’s turnaround from a 10-15 start, particularly by offering words of encouragement to Haliburton, who was struggling with his shooting at the time, as Dustin Dopirak of the Indianapolis Star details. Ramping up their pressure defense and inserting Aaron Nesmith into the starting lineup were some of the other keys to the Pacers’ dramatic rise to the top of the Eastern Conference.
Myles Turner believes the era of the “super team,” with established All-Stars banding together to win the championship, has ended. “I think it’s a new blueprint for the league,” Turner said, per Joe Vardon of The Athletic. “I think the years of the super teams and stacking, it’s just not as effective as it once was, you know what I mean? Since I’ve been in the league, the NBA has been very trendy; it just shifts. But the new trend now is just kind of what we’re doing. OKC does the same thing — young guys get out and run, defend and use the power of friendship.”

Pacers Notes: Siakam, Bryant, Walker, Bradley

June 1st, 2025 at 10:02am CST by Arthur Hill

Pascal Siakam lifted the Pacers into the NBA Finals with the kind of performance the team envisioned when it traded for him in the middle of last season, writes Shakeia Taylor of The Athletic. Siakam was named MVP of the Eastern Conference Finals after capping a tremendous series with a 31-point night. Indiana officials believed his talent on both ends of the court, along with the championship experience he gained in Toronto, made him the perfect addition to take a young team to new heights.

“Well, if you have the right player to build around, it can happen much faster than you think,” head coach Rick Carlisle said. “Getting Tyrese (Haliburton) made it very clear what our identity as a team needed to be. We needed to be a fast-paced team with shooting, and we had some good shooting at the time. The Siakam trade took things to another level.”

Siakam made an immediate impact after being acquired in January of 2024, averaging 21.3 points, 7.8 rebounds and 3.7 assists for the rest of the season and helping Indiana reach the conference finals. Taylor notes that his leadership skills became evident after losing that series, as he invited his teammates to his home during the offseason to further build their chemistry.

“We brought in a champion, and then you brought in someone that’s been there before … someone who had to work his way up,” Myles Turner said. “He’s a G League champion, G League Finals MVP, and (an) All-Star. (He’s) someone who’s also seen the highs and lows and (has) that championship experience. There’s only so much I can tell guys. When you have someone who’s actually been in trenches, who has actually felt what it feels like … it’s so underrated, just the emotions this time of the year. You don’t sleep. You lose hair. You can’t explain that if you’ve never been here before.”

There’s more from Indiana:

Thomas Bryant was moved to tears during the Pacers’ celebration Saturday night, per James Boyd of The Athletic. It’s not a moment the backup center could have expected earlier in the season when he was stuck on the end of Miami’s bench. His fortunes changed after James Wiseman and Isaiah Jackson both suffered Achilles tears, prompting Indiana to acquire him in December for the low price of a 2031 second-round pick swap. Bryant enjoyed one of the high points of his career on Saturday, contributing 11 points, three rebounds and one block in 13 minutes. “It’s a lot of emotions, man, just going through the past year of just the ups and downs of the NBA,” he said. “Playing, not playing, being totally out of the lineup, getting spare minutes here and there. And then, getting traded and not really knowing what the future might hold, but you just know you wanted to come contribute to a team and try to help them win in any way possible.”
Jarace Walker was on crutches as he celebrated with his teammates, according to Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star. The second-year power forward suffered a sprained right ankle early in the fourth quarter while battling for a rebound. He had to crawl off the court as New York got possession of the ball, and he needed help to get to the locker room. “It’s an ankle,” Carlisle confirmed. “He’s on crutches. He’s young. That’s good. I did not see a replay of the play, so I don’t know how far turned over it was, how much weight. But when a guy goes down and stays down like that, you’re always holding your breath.”
Tony Bradley was declared active shortly before game time, but Carlisle opted not to use him in the wake of a left hip injury he suffered in Game 5, Dopirak tweets. “He was available but unable to really run and extend at full speed,” Carlisle explained.

Pascal Siakam Named Eastern Conference Finals MVP

May 31st, 2025 at 10:17pm CST by Arthur Hill

Pacers forward Pascal Siakam was named MVP of the Eastern Conference Finals as Indiana closed out New York in Game 6 Saturday night. Siakam prevailed in a close race, topping teammate Tyrese Haliburton by a 5-4 margin in voting by a panel of media members (Twitter link).

Both players were outstanding in leading Indiana to its first NBA Finals appearance in 25 years. Siakam averaged 24.8 points, 5.0 rebounds and 3.5 assists throughout the series and delivered 31 points in Saturday’s closeout game.

Haliburton posted 21.o points, 6.0 rebounds and 10.5 assists per game during the series and finished Game 6 with 21 points and 13 assists.

“First of all, shoutout Indy, man,” Siakam said during the trophy presentation (YouTube video link). “It’s been such an amazing experience for me so far from the first day I landed here, like the love’s been amazing. (General manager Chad Buchanan), (president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard), just unbelievable, man. First-class organization, I’m just so happy to be here. And tonight, after a bad Game 5, we wanted to bounce back. I have 100% belief in my teammates. Whenever we’re down, we always find a way, and we did that tonight.”

The Eastern Conference Finals MVP trophy, which is named in honor of Larry Bird, was introduced three years ago. It was won by Boston’s Jayson Tatum in 2022, Miami’s Jimmy Butler in 2023 and Boston’s Jaylen Brown in 2024.

The Pacers will continue their pursuit of their first NBA title when the Finals begin Thursday night in Oklahoma City. The complete Finals schedule can be found here.

Eastern Notes: Pacers, Knicks, Edgecombe, Hornets, Raptors

May 31st, 2025 at 12:04pm CST by Rory Maher

After taking a 3-1 lead in the Eastern Conference Finals, the Pacers‘ high-octane offense only managed 94 points in a Game 5 loss in New York. As Jamal Collier of ESPN writes, that total was a playoff-low for the Pacers, who also turned the ball over 20 times, the most turnovers they’ve committed in a game this postseason.

“We’re a resilient group,” star point guard Tyrese Haliburton said after the game. “We always want to respond when things don’t go well after a game like that. We understand what the stakes are. … We’re fine. There’s no need to panic or anything.”

Despite the wire-to-wire defeat, All-Star forward Pascal Siakam is confident Indiana will rebound with a strong home showing tonight in Game 6, according to Collier.

“You’re going to have bad games,” Siakam said. “This is the NBA, and there’s going to be times where a team is going to play hard. In fact, they’re going to beat you.

“It is just all about us, man. It’s always been us against the world, and I don’t expect it to change. … We are 3-2 in a series, and we have an opportunity to go back home and show what we’re made of.”

Here are a few more notes from around the East:

ESPN insiders Tim Bontemps, Jamal Collier, Zach Kram and Chris Herring list some keys to watch ahead of Game 6. Kram views the health and play of Aaron Nesmith as the Pacers‘ biggest X factor, while how well Jalen Brunson holds up on defense will be critical for the Knicks.
Rival executives believe the Hornets will target V.J. Edgecombe if he’s still available at No. 4 in next month’s draft, according to Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports, who hears the Baylor guard had an “excellent” interview with Charlotte. Unsurprisingly, O’Connor has the Hornets selecting Edgecombe — who’s also the fourth-rated prospected on ESPN’s big board — at No. 4 in his latest mock draft.
According to O’Connor, several rival teams think the Raptors are leaning toward selecting a prospect who can contribute right away rather than a long-term project with their lottery pick. Toronto holds the No. 9 pick in June’s draft. For what it’s worth, O’Connor has the team picking Washington State wing Cedric Coward.

Pacers Notes: Haliburton, Siakam, Mathurin, Nesmith

May 29th, 2025 at 12:03pm CST by Luke Adams

After blaming himself for the Pacers‘ second-half offensive issues in Game 3, Tyrese Haliburton responded with his best game of the postseason in Game 4 on Tuesday. As Jamal Collier of ESPN writes, Haliburton became the first player since the NBA began tracking turnovers in 1977 to rack up at least 30 points, 15 assists, and 10 rebounds (he had 32, 15, and 12) in a playoff game without committing a turnover.

“I just want to be able to prove that I can respond when my back’s against the wall, when our team’s back is against the wall,” Haliburton said after the victory, which gave Indiana a 3-1 series lead. “This is a big win for us because if we go back down there 2-2, it’s a little different momentum-wise.”

With the Pacers just one win away from earning a spot in the NBA Finals for the first time since 2000, Haliburton is in the process of establishing himself as a legitimate NBA superstar.

“His ability to play both on and off the ball is so unique,” one Western Conference executive told Tim Bontemps of ESPN. “It allows him to be Steph Curry-esque.”

While opposing point guard Jalen Brunson is putting up better individual scoring numbers than Haliburton in the Eastern Conference Finals, Haliburton is being lauded for his ability to take care of the ball and set up his teammates for scoring opportunities, as Bontemps writes.

“(Haliburton is) throwing it ahead, playing out of dribble handoffs, running pick-and-rolls, so he gets everyone involved,” a Western Conference scout told ESPN. “So (Aaron) Nesmith is throwing himself into defense because he knows he’s going to get touches and shots.

“I didn’t think (Haliburton) had this jump in him. He’s shown so much more just because he makes his teammates better. Those guys have all been put in positions to succeed. All these guys are the best versions of themselves now because they have been instilled with confidence and optimized.”

Here’s more on the Pacers ahead of Thursday’s Game 5:

Various sources who spoke to Bontemps expressed admiration for the Pacers’ ability to repeat – and potentially outdo – last spring’s playoff success. One scout admitted he was surprised by Indiana’s deep postseason run, but acknowledged they’re “so solid everywhere” and “don’t have any weaknesses,” while an assistant coach pointed out that Indiana is in good position to run it back with this roster in 2025/26. “Assuming they bring back (free agent center) Myles (Turner), they’re such a complete team,” that assistant told ESPN. “And they have size and physicality at every position. And it’s sustainable because of the deals they have everyone signed to.”
As good as Haliburton has been in the Eastern Finals, it’s forward Pascal Siakam who is leading the Pacers in scoring through four games vs. New York. As Peter Botte of The New York Post writes, Siakam is getting the best of former teammate and good friend OG Anunoby en route to his big scoring nights.
After a quiet start to the series, Bennedict Mathurin showed in Game 4 that he’s capable of making an outsized impact in a limited role, per Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star. Mathurin, who will be eligible for a rookie scale extension this offseason, poured in 20 points in just 12:29 of action on Tuesday.
Playing through a sprained ankle in Game 4, Nesmith continued to have a major hand in the club’s success, scoring 16 points and playing solid defense against Brunson. As Nate Duncan tweets, the Knicks star shot just 3-of-13 from the floor with Nesmith as his primary defender, doing almost all of his damage against other Pacers.
Nesmith is once again listed as questionable to play in Game 5, but his comments after Game 4’s win suggest he’s highly likely to suit up on Thursday. “I was like, I don’t care how I feel. I’m playing,” he said, per David Aldridge of The Athletic. “This is what we all live for. This is (what) we’ve been preparing for all year long, our entire lifetimes. These moments, I can’t miss these moments.”

Pacers Notes: Siakam, Turner, Sheppard, Contending

May 24th, 2025 at 11:58am CST by Earnest Marshall

Pacers star Pascal Siakam delivered on the biggest stage on Friday night, surging to a playoff career-high 39 points, five rebounds and three assists in a Game 2 win in the Eastern Conference Finals over the Knicks, Shakeia Taylor of The Athletic observes.

“Whatever was out there, I just took it,” Siakam said. “I think what makes us special as a team is just that we have different weapons and we’re not consumed with who’s going to do what. You just go into the game, and however the game presents itself, that’s how we go and take it and do it our way. And it doesn’t matter who scores.”

The Pacers acquired Siakam at last year’s trade deadline, a move that paid immediate dividends with Indiana’s back-to-back Eastern Conference Finals appearances since his arrival.

“That’s why we brought him here. It’s what he’s here to do,” Haliburton said. “He can get a bucket in so many different ways. He started the game high, and we just kept feeding him. I thought he did a great job of making big shot after big shot after big shot, killing momentum.”

We have more from the Pacers:

Myles Turner again delivered on the biggest stage, scoring 13 points in the fourth quarter and keying the Pacers’ run that pushed them over the top, Dustin Dopirak of IndyStar writes. Dopirak also points out within the same story that Siakam’s Game 2 performance is even more impressive considering he was being primarily guarded by OG Anunoby.
Ben Sheppard has been a key reserve for the Pacers in the playoffs. Though he hasn’t played much, coach Rick Carlisle is trusting him to play in big moments and give the starters some rest, Dopirak writes. “He’s a guy that is very dependable,” Carlisle said. “He goes in and you know you’re going to get hard play, running, real effort, attention to detail. He plays with a pace and an energy that’s healthy to our team.“
The Pacers continue to prove they belong on this stage, Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated writes. “What’s really special about our group is we have so many different people contributing,” Haliburton said. “So many people doing special things.” Indiana is 44-16 since the calendar turned to 2025.

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