The Thunder have been praised for their defensive prowess and depth but the Pacers have those same attributes, The Athletic’s Eric Nehm and Shakeia Taylor note. Throughout the playoffs, the Pacers have been using what they call the “wear-down effect,” in which they use their depth and speed to carry out their defensive coverages and apply full-court pressure. That leads to key stops and uncharacteristic late-game decisions by their opponents.
It helped them during their unlikely rally in Game 1.
“We want to make it hard,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. “Each game in the series is going to look different. A playoff series is a series of seven chapters, you know, and each one takes on a different personality.”
Here’s more on the Pacers as they head into tonight’s Game 2 with a 1-0 series lead:
- Tyrese Haliburton not only hit the game-winning shot but scouts interviewed by Grant Afseth of RG.org noted how the Pacers star adjusted as the game progressed. He appeared to be in a feeling process in the first half but his mindset clearly shifted during the second half. “That’s growth,” one Eastern Conference assistant coach told Afseth. “You don’t wait until the fourth quarter to flip a switch—he came out in the third quarter and changed the tone.”
- Haliburton is carrying out the vision that Carlisle had when Carlisle returned for a second stint with Indiana. Jared Weiss of The Athletic details their partnership and how the relationship between coach and star player has evolved. “I think that it got to the point for me where when you’re young, establishing yourself in the NBA, you’re kind of working your way through things and trying to figure out where you stand in the league,” Haliburton said. “Where I’m at now, I’m really comfortable in my own skin. I feel like I’ve really started to establish myself in this league.”
- Former Heat coach Ron Rothstein played an important mentoring role in Jenny Boucek‘s coaching career, as Ira Winderman of he South Florida Sun Sentinel details. Boucek was an assistant with the WNBA Miami Sol in the early 2000s. Boucek is now one of Carlisle’s top assistants. Carlisle says the Boucek is a “great communicator” and also brings a lot of positive energy to the staff and team.