PACERS ARE STILL HERE

CHRISTINE TANNOUS/INDYSTAR - Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton checks the scoreboard on June 16 during Game 5 of the NBA Finals at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City.

Wake up, America. Pacers not done yet

19 Jun 2025 - The Indianapolis Star

Gregg Doyel Columnist Indianapolis Star USA TODAY NETWORK

INDIANAPOLIS – Five games into the 2025 NBA Finals, five strange games — five mostly wonderful games — and people still don’t seem to understand what they’re watching. Not when it comes to the Indiana Pacers. The Oklahoma City Thunder? Different story. People know they’re watching a great team with two or three star players and a loaded roster and a bright future.

Do they understand they’re watching two of those teams?

PHOTOS BY CHRISTINE TANNOUS/INDYSTAR - Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton shoots on June 16 during Game 5 of the NBA Finals at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City.

Because the 2025 Indiana Pacers aren’t here by fluke or chance or whatever folks were saying about their ascension last season to the 2024 Eastern Conference Finals. Might that have been, shall we say, fortuitous? Sure. Might have been, thanks to a rash of opponents’ injuries. Probably was, if we’re being honest, but that’s why we’re here, right now:

To be honest.

And honestly, the Pacers didn’t need these NBA Finals — they trail 3-2 entering Game 6 on Thursday night at Gainbridge Fieldhouse — to prove anything. They’d already proved it by wading through the Bucks, Cavs and Knicks in just 16 games, going 12-4 against the best (Cleveland), grittiest (New York) and most MVP-driven (Milwaukee with Giannis Antetokounmpo) opponents the Eastern Conference had to offer.

So along comes the NBA Finals, with the Thunder tabbed as the biggest favorite in Finals history, and nobody was giving the Pacers a chance. Listen, that includes me.

We’re being honest, remember. IndyStar here does this irritating thing, asking those of us most heavily involved with our Pacers postseason coverage to predict each series result before it starts. Can’t remember the exact margins, but I had the Pacers beating Milwaukee in the first round and mostly meant it. Wasn’t sure, thought it was a toss-up, but why not? After watching that five-game masterpiece, after seeing how good Tyrese Haliburton could be in the clutch, I had them beating the Cavs in the Eastern Conference semifinals — and meant it. Then had them beating the Knicks in the ECF, and meant that.

Against Oklahoma City in the NBA Finals? I had them losing in five games, and — being honest — was throwing the Pacers a bone.

Thought it might be a sweep. Even after watching the Pacers dismantle three playoff teams, nope, I didn’t think they could handle the Thunder. Did you? Seriously, did you?

We’ve come around. You, me, this city.

Catch up, America. The Pacers are a great team with two or three star players and a loaded roster and a bright future.

Pacers haven’t even played well!

OK, back up. The Pacers’ future isn’t as bright as Oklahoma City’s future. Get serious.

The Thunder’s top three players are 26 (Shai Gilgeous-Alexander), 24 (Jalen Williams) and 23 (Chet Holmgren). They have seven first-round picks in the next three NBA drafts. Even their coach, Mark Daigneault, is ascending. He’s 40. Think he’s done improving?

The Thunder are a problem today. They’re going to be a bigger problem tomorrow.

And the Pacers are going toe-to-toe with them in these NBA Finals, with one important fact most folks don’t seem to be considering:

We’ve not seen the Pacers, or 2025 postseason MVP Tyrese Haliburton, play their best in this series. We’ve not even seen them play all that well other than Game 3, when they won 116-107 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. That was the only game the Pacers, who shot 51.8% from the floor that night, surpassed or even reached their season field-goal accuracy (48.8%) — and it was one of just two games where their assist-to-turnover

Pacers guard T.J. McConnell holds up seven fingers as he leaves the court after the Pacers’ loss against the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 5 of the NBA Finals on June 16 at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City. ratio wasn’t abysmal.

And that was Haliburton’s only game (22 points, 11 assists, nine rebounds) where he approached his season averages for points (18.6 ppg) or assists (9.2 apg). Yes, he won Game 1 with another buzzer-beater, and holy cow was that amazing. Big picture, though, he played poorly most of that game and has been well below his standard — injury or not, and a lot more on that in a minute — all series.

Defense matters, and the Pacers’ defense has improved greatly this season, but what separated them from the rest of the East was their offensive efficiency — shooting the ball, and protecting it. And they’ve not been very good at either aspect in the NBA Finals, shooting 46.5% for the series and averaging 24 assists to 18 turnovers per game. That’s a 1.3-to-1 ratio, nearly a full assist below their season average of 2.2-to-1.

The Thunder get credit for a lot of that, sure, which is fine and fair. But the point remains: The Thunder, the big bad Thunder — the nastiest defensive team in the league, with a top-three offense to boost — are playing their game, imposing their will on the Pacers.

And the Pacers are still within 3-2, entering Game 6 at home. And they should be up 3-2, because they had Game 4.

How’s Tyrese Haliburton? The series comes down to that, but think about what you just read. You and I know: With Tyrese Haliburton playing, and playing remotely close to 100%, the Pacers should win Game 6.

Wake up, America.

Tyrese Haliburton’s Game 6 status?

Tyrese Haliburton’s availability for Game 6 will be a game-time decision, Pacers coach Rick Carlisle was saying Wednesday, but you don’t believe that. Neither do I. He’s playing.

Look, this is not me making any judgements about the severity of what Haliburton has played through this series, or what he faced in Game 5. The whole thing, his lower-leg issue that had apparently bothered him for three games since June 8 — but wasn’t diagnosed as a calf strain until Wednesday — has been confusing to say the least. Some of that, most of it, is the Pacers keeping their cards close to the vest. You understand.

There’s been gamesmanship here, and surely that’s what we’re seeing now. A game-time decision, Tyrese Haliburton? Look, we all watched Game 5. Did he look like himself? Not really. Did he look like he wouldn’t be able to play Thursday night after 72 hours of treatment?

Not at all.

Haliburton will play Game 6. And if I know it, you know Mark Daigneault — whose IQ is double mine — knows it. But still, the charade goes on. Hey, maybe one player on the OKC roster, just one, will secretly hope Haliburton can’t play Thursday night and will be taken out of his game, mentally, when he sees No. 0 on the court for tipoff. Who knows?

What we know is this: Whether it’s injury or that way Haliburton has been known — on occasion — to play passively, he has not been himself this series.

Haliburton in regular season: 18.6 ppg, 8.8 apg, 2.1 turnovers per game — 4.2-to-1 ratio — and 38.8% on 3-pointers (7.7 3FGA per game).

Haliburton in first three rounds of playoffs: 18.8 ppg, 9.8 apg, 1.9 turnovers per game — 5.2-to-1 ratio — and 33.3% on 3s (7.2 per game).

Haliburton in NBA Finals: 15 ppg, 7.2 apg, 4 turnovers per game — 1.8-to-1 ratio — and 29.4% on 3s (6.8 per game).

In the NBA Finals he’s scoring less, assisting less, shooting less, shooting worse and turning it over more. And the Pacers are still within 3-2 entering Game 6?

Focus, people, because the question here is not: What’s wrong the Haliburton? The question is: Why can’t people see how good the Pacers are? Bolstered by Pascal Siakam and Myles Turner, and Aaron Nesmith and Andrew Nembhard, and T.J. McConnell and Bennedict Mathurin and Obi Toppin off the bench, the Pacers are competing with the big bad Thunder even without their top player playing his best — or even playing up to his season average.

Look more closely at Game 5. Yes, the final score was 120-109. But after nearly 40 minutes the Pacers were within 9593 … on the road … with their best player thus far having produced two points, five assists and no field goals. If Haliburton is normal — health, performance, all of it — the Pacers win Game 5 comfortably.

Not sure anyone outside of Indiana expects the Pacers to win Game 6, though. Pretty sure nobody beyond the state border even suspects they’ll win this one and then Game 7 in OKC.

Makes me remember the Butler Bulldogs from 2003. Remember that team? This was before Brad Stevens, before the NCAA title runs of 2010 and ’11. Those were the days of Barry Collier and then Todd Lickliter building something special, before we knew exactly what they were building.

The Bulldogs, who until that season had won exactly two NCAA tournament games in program history, had just beaten Louisville to advance to the Sweet 16. Remember what Joel Cornette said after that game? Feel those goosebumps? Here it comes:

“On paper, people tell us we’re nothing,” Joel Cornette was saying on March 23, 2003. “But we’re still playing for a national championship. We … are … still … here.”

Change some of the names and the year. The 2025 Pacers are a lot like those 2003 Bulldogs, aren’t they? Small market, small national profile, scratching their way up the ladder and reaching this level sooner than anyone saw coming. And it’s like nobody believes what they’re watching. The Pacers won Game 1, and were still favored to lose Game 2 by more than six points. They won Game 3 to take a 2-1 series lead, and were still favored to lose Game 4 by more than five points. And Game 4 was at home.

On paper, people keep telling the Pacers they’re nothing. But they’re still playing for the NBA championship.

They … are … still … here.

***

Carlisle: Haliburton likely ‘game-time decision’ for Game 6

19 Jun 2025 - The Indianapolis Star

Dustin Dopirak

Indianapolis Star USA TODAY

INDIANAPOLIS – Pacers AllStar point guard Tyrese Haliburton “probably will be a game-time decision for Game 6” of the NBA Finals, coach Rick Carlisle said in a radio interview on 107.5 The Fan on Wednesday morning after Haliburton reportedly had an MRI for a calf strain on Tuesday.

Haliburton has been dealing with a lower leg issue since Game 2 but appeared to either aggravate the injury or suffer a new one in the Pacers’ Game 5 loss Monday night when he tripped attempting to drive to the lane in the first half. He was dealing with “lower leg tightness” according to Pacers public relations staff and wore a wrap around his right leg on the sidelines. There was discussion at halftime about him sitting out the rest of the game, but Carlisle said Haliburton was adamant about staying in the game. Still, he scored just four points in the Pacers’ 120-109 loss, missing all six of his field goal attempts. He did record six assists and seven rebounds.

ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Tuesday Haliburton was scheduled to have an MRI and that he had suffered a right calf strain. Carlisle didn’t exactly confirm that Wednesday morning, but indicated Haliburton’s status is in limbo with the Pacers down 3-2 in the series and facing elimination with Game 6 coming Thursday.

“He is going to be carefully evaluated over the next 36 hours and will likely be listed as questionable on the injury report and probably will be a game-time decision for Game 6,” Carlisle said. “Everything is on the table.”

Carlisle said the Pacers do have to be prepared for the possibility Haliburton will not play. The Pacers went 4-5 this season in games in which Haliburton did not appear. In such a case, Andrew Nembhard would likely move from shooting guard to point guard leaving a wing position open. In most cases this season when Haliburton did not play, Bennedict Mathurin moved into the starting lineup at shooting guard.

Carlisle wouldn’t say whether or not Haliburton would be at practice Wednesday with the last 30 minutes being open to the media.

“It’s pretty simple, we have to prepare for both,” Carlisle said. “Today, when we meet with the team before, we go on the floor and practice is going to be more of a walkthrough at this point of the series. We’ll do a walkthrough, we’ll have some shooting. We’ll have some open practice the last 30 minutes with the media at the end, yeah, we have to prepare for two scenarios: one where he plays and one where he does not.”

Asked about how to handle rotations and minute counts, Carlisle stayed to the same line.

“Everything is on the table,” Carlisle said. “... It’s pretty simple. Tomorrow night our task is to take care of homecourt, which is what they did in Game 5 and get to an ultimate game, which is Game 7. That’s the task in front of us.

We have to figure out exactly what tools are in front of us as a team and we have to consider everything. Minute count, throwing that out the window is easy to say, but if you have guys out there that are more fatigued than they should be, that’s not good and against this team, that’s very difficult.”

Haliburton averaged 18.6 points and 9.2 assists per game in the regular season to earn third-team All-NBA honors for the second straight season and is averaging 17.9 points and 9.1 assists per game in the playoffs. He’s hit gamewinning or game-tying shots in four remarkable playoff comebacks for the Pacers in these playoffs to help them reach the NBA Finals for the first time since 2000 and the second time in franchise history.