SUMMARY
- The Indiana Pacers defeated the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round to advance into the conference semifinals for the first time in over a decade.
- Rick Carlisle praised his players and the front office team that pieced this team together.
It has been quite an interesting run for the Indiana Pacers this season, despite being an underdog in the playoffs. They met the well-experienced Milwaukee Bucks in the first round. However, the Bucks weren’t in perfect shape nor were they in great form as a team. Indiana managed to close the series out in six games and it would have been a tough call had Giannis Antetokounmpo returned to the Bucks’ lineup.
There were multiple efforts made by the Pacers’ starting five and bench unit as well. Tyrese Haliburton finished with 17 points, 6 rebounds, and 10 assists during the game while Pascal Siakam had 19 points. However, Obi Toppin and TJ McConnell were responsible for giving the Pacers the scoring boost they needed. They scored a combined total of 41 points in the game.
Rick Carlisle admits that Myles Turner is a big reason the Pacers want to push through the playoffs
When compared to the Bucks, the Pacers’ team is significantly younger and less experienced with the playoffs. Milwaukee won a championship quite recently, defeating the Phoenix Suns in 2021. However, the Pacers last made it to the NBA Finals in 2000. And obviously, the team isn’t the same as it consists of faces that weren’t even on the roster two years ago.
Head Coach Rick Carlisle claimed coaching this young team was a challenge. He said, “The emotions of an intense playoff series with a young team are something that could be very challenging. We just kept talking to them about the importance of poise, it’s great to celebrate but don’t allow celebrations to inhibit getting to the next part of the job. We’re a team that’s got to be emotional, especially at home, that’s what gets our crowd into it.”
However, advancing into the second round for the first time since 2011 has been an emotional run for Carlisle, especially, after working with Myles Turner for nine years and not being able to get out of the first round. “The whole city and state is behind Myles Turner. I mean this is nine years, and he’s never advanced in the playoffs. He was the foundation of this,” said Carlisle. The Pacers last made the playoffs in 2020 and they missed the post-season ever since.
The Pacers have done a phenomenal job with various acquisitions
Coach Carlisle also made it a point to acknowledge the efforts made by General Manager Chad Buchanan and former President Kevin Pritchard. He said, “This has been great. When we had to basically squash this thing two and half years ago and start over, when you start using the R-word, it can get ugly. There’s teams that were rebuilding for nine years. So you know, Kevin and Chad struck gold.”
MOVING ON.
see you in the Eastern Conference Semifinals 🔥 pic.twitter.com/bKK2midMqX
— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) May 3, 2024
By “struck gold” Carlisle meant acquiring Haliburton has been a major success for the team. He averaged 20.1 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 10.9 assists per game this season. Obi Toppin, Aaron Nesmith, and Andrew Nembhard were also elite acquisitions. However, trading for Pascal Piakam only helped up their offensive in the starting lineup while giving Turner some defensive backup. All players have shown great consistency, which has been a major factor in winning teams this post-season.