Agreed. They lost the series when they blew game 4. Anything can happen obviously but I'll be shocked if OKC doesn't win by double digits.
Pacers are two wins away
- Thread starter zeke4ahs
- Start date
Reminds me of the guy on ESPN in the pregame last night, saying that the Pacers had a 1% chance to win game 6, if he was being generous. Another talking head chuckled about whether he ought to cancel his already-booked flight to OKC, since after game 6 he would be able to go home instead.
Unless you are also angling for a reverse jinx! The ESPN & NBATV guys were dead serious. And smug. And probably picking OKC by double digits in game 7.
Playing on the road is completely different. At home Id favor the Pacers. At a neutral site probably a tossup.
An NBA Finals for the Ages, a Game 7 for Immortality
When nothing makes sense, everything becomes possible. The Pacers and Thunder weren’t supposed to give us a classic, but this beautiful, totally illogical series has overdelivered in every way.
www.theringer.com
Yep. Statistically, this Thunder team is one of the best of all time. And they laid an egg last night.
They won’t do that again. Indiana will have to beat them at their best on their home floor.
This is the best Pacers team I’ve ever seen but I don’t think they can do that.
I hope and pray I’m wrong but I don’t think I am.
Also, rooting for the same team as Pooper makes me feel dirty.
Did you know that each year, 367K cats die from feline aids?
What a great character.
Shooter, the. Hoopsdoc guys seem to be setting the spread which will probably be OKC by at least 9.5 by game time.
Hoping, but not betting, Carlisle has learned more from the series to date than his young rival coach.
In 3 games in OKC, the Pacers have had a lead for a grand total of 2 minutes.
Again, anything is possible in a game 7. I just find it EXTREMELY unlikely.
Kudos to the Pacers for stepping up and fighting through the adversity. Just need to keep doing that for 24 more minutes.
They lost their focus. Suddenly they don't have faith in the system
Haliban going down may have played a role in the loss. Maybe.
"We would have hung another banner if Hondo hadn't have gotten hurt."
This Pacers team is now officially in limbo. That was a horrible injury.
It’s a catastrophic situation for the Pacers. There’s a real chance Tyrese doesn’t play at all next season, depending on the severity and how he heals.
Then it’s generally another season before he’s really all the way back. And some guys never make it all the way back from an Achilles injury.
By then, they’ll likely have a significantly different team.
Short of a plane crash, this was the worst possible outcome for the Pacers. Just horrific.
Sad but true. He wouldn't have even been playing with this injury if not for the finals. Sucks hard.
This Pacers franchise is cursed. The brawl team would have competed for a championship if Ron Artest wasn’t insane. Then you have Paul George and Oladipo getting hurt and then becoming divas who wanted out. Now they have a genuine superstar suffering the worst possible injury for an athlete.
Someone last night said see you in another 25 years and that’s probably about right to make the finals again.
Presti has shown you can rebuild quicker than that in a small market.
The East is going to be incredibly weak next year. Orlando v Cleveland ECF?
I think that could be the way it plays out as rosters are built now, but with trades and everything else, it could look a lot different. I think if the Cavs aren't in the ECF next year, they start dismantling the current roster. As it stands, I think they should trade Okoro for a better shooter.
So, do the Pacers eat the luxury tax on Turner even though they can't expect a deep playoff run? Or do they have to let him go and hope they can get someone else in by the time Haliburton is back?
I think we all love McConnell, but the guy has trade value right now. If the Pacers aren't in it to win it next year, do we think they can get a late first for him? He's 33, could really help a team that is oh so close, but I wouldn't want to depend on him in 2 or 3 years.
In other words, with Haliburton out, is there a mini-rebuild on the horizon?
I think we all love McConnell, but the guy has trade value right now. If the Pacers aren't in it to win it next year, do we think they can get a late first for him? He's 33, could really help a team that is oh so close, but I wouldn't want to depend on him in 2 or 3 years.
In other words, with Haliburton out, is there a mini-rebuild on the horizon?
Why can't the Pacers make a run next year?
I doubt McConnell nets a first rounder.
People are selling the depth of Indiana short.
They have a bona-fide superstar still in Siakam. Nembhard and Nesmith are really good young players. Matherin is a player that I think can really take off as well. Ben Shepherd is a good young piece and I've heard they really like Jarace Howard, but he can't find the court right now because of their depth.
I see no reason why they couldn't get back to the playoffs next year with that nucleus... they're all young except Siakam. If management does a rebuild, they'd be dumb.
Walker has been hurt and was ruled out of the finals.
The Pacers have talent sure but Hali is what made them special. He’s the straw that stirs the drink.
I think they can make the playoffs without him but they won’t seriously contend.
They made the conference finals last year and brought everybody back.
I think you might be overrating Siakam, but I also think the Pacers still have enough to go to the ECF next year if things fall right. Of course, so do several other teams.
The Pacers aren't good enough to lose Haliburton and win the East. They lose the top piece of the depth, so everything at PG will be a step down. So backup PGs that outperform the other team's reserves will go against starters.
They should be playoff good, but for a team terribly allergic to the tax (and all the new implications that cone with it), do they want to be a 7th or 8th seed?
OK, so you're defining "deep playoff run" as the Finals. I was defining it as the ECF.
Completely agree about depth being part of the braintrust's scheme of things.
Hoping the same braintrust can adjust the pieces going into next year to have an even better season.
Unfortunately, the other competitors will be doing the same thimg, so only time will tell.
Looks like they have incentive to tank because of a recent trade!
The Pacers’ trade in NBA Finals suddenly looks genius after Tyrese Haliburton’s injury
The Pacers made a smart trade in the NBA Finals that could matter a lot next year.
www.sbnation.com
I know.
Outside of the Milwaukee series, they were dogs in every series after. Nobody (outside of Pacers people) gave them a chance against Cleveland and then people were still picking New York.
They weren't picked to go the finals, or even the conference finals.
