Category: Indiana Pacers Blog

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Lakers beat Pacers in 2023 NBA In-Season Tournament championship game

OC Register: Lakers coach Darvin Ham said ahead of Saturday’s In-Season Tournament championship game between his team and the Indiana Pacers that he didn’t want to reveal too much of their strategy. But the way the Lakers attacked the Pacers’ defense said everything that needed to be known about their gameplan: constantly attack the paint against an Indiana team that allows points in the paint at a league-worst rate (62.5 points per game).

OC Register: And the strategy worked, with the Lakers beating the Pacers 123-109 at T-Mobile Arena to win the inaugural Tournament and NBA Cup – and roughly $7.75 million spread throughout the Lakers roster and additional monetary compensation for the coaching staff. The Lakers attacked the heart of the Pacers’ defense repeatedly, scoring 86 points in the paint – more than they have in any other game this season – to make up for their lack of perimeter shooting (2 of 13 on 3-pointers).

ESPN.com: The Los Angeles Lakers are tied with the Boston Celtics for the most championships in NBA history. But after Saturday night, they are the only team in NBA history to have won the NBA Cup. Behind a masterful performance from Anthony Davis, who had 41 points, 20 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 blocks, the Lakers won the inaugural in-season tournament with a 123-109 victory over the Indiana Pacers at T-Mobile Arena on Saturday night. LeBron James, who added 24 points, 11 rebounds and 4 assists, was named tournament MVP.

ESPN.com: The NBA Cup may be new, but the lesson it taught was as old as the league itself. To win anything of value, and the in-season tournament seems to have quickly established itself as such an event, you’re going to need superstars. In a way, that future Hall of Famers and champions LeBron James and Anthony Davis’ brilliant play proved to be the deciding factor in the Los Angeles Lakers’ 123-109 victory over the Indiana Pacers to claim the first-ever edition of the event verified its consequence. Playing on a neutral floor in December in a single game, it was hard to truly compare Saturday night it to any sort of playoff setting. But one thing was for certain, it was treated like an elimination game. There were aggressive game plans, heavy minutes and intensity. Situations where James has thrived for a long time.

Pacers beat Celtics in NBA In-Season Tournament quarterfinals

Per the Boston Herald:

Aaron Nesmith took a transition pass from Tyrese Haliburton and dunked over Al Horford. The former Celtic galloped around the court and chest-pumped Myles Turner as the rest of his Pacers teammates flooded the court to celebrate an imminent victory.

The Celtics proved they cared about the NBA’s inaugural In-Season Tournament with how they handled their final group stage game last week. They showed that mentality during stretches of Monday’s first ever quarterfinal game of the tournament. But ultimately, the moment meant more for the upstart Pacers.

In a playoff-like atmosphere, the C’s couldn’t get the job done on Monday night in Indiana. Jayson Tatum scored 32 points and Jaylen Brown added 30, but their worst habits haunted them again. They laid another dud in the third quarter. Too many turnovers piled up. And then the Pacers – led by rising superstar Tyrese Haliburton – raised their game to another level in the second half, as they handed the Celtics a 122-112 loss and sent them home from the In-Season Tournament.

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Pacers waive Daniel Theis

The Indiana Pacers have waived center Daniel Theis.

Per the Indianapolis Star, “Theis has appeared in just one game this season and played eight minutes. He missed Tuesday’s game against the 76ers in Philadelphia for “personal reasons” though he was with the team in Philadelphia for Sunday’s game. Pacers coach Rick Carlisle did not further explain the reasoning for Theis’ absence beyond saying it was personal. The 31-year-old Theis was due $9.1 million on his contract this season with a club option for next season that would pay him $9.5 million if he was retained.”

Pacers sign head coach Rick Carlisle to contract extension

The Indiana Pacers have signed Head Coach Rick Carlisle to a contract extension.

“It goes without saying that Coach Carlisle is one of the most creative and successful coaches in the history of the league, so there was never a question that he continues to be the right person to lead our team,” said President of Basketball Operations Kevin Pritchard. “His ties to this organization and community run deep, his guidance and leadership are invaluable to our players and staff, and we’re looking forward to working together for years to come as we build something special for our fans.”

Per the Indianapolis Star, “Indiana would win just 25 games in 2021-22 and 35 last season but this extension is a signal that Carlisle is central piece to the team’s rebuild. Haliburton became an All-Star last season and was signed to a five-year max contract extension this offseason worth up to $260 million”

The Pacers 143-120 win over the Washington Wizards at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Wednesday night marked the 897th career win for Coach Carlisle.

Pacers sign Aaron Nesmith to contract extension

The Indiana Pacers have signed forward Aaron Nesmith to a contract extension.

Nesmith’s deal is reportedly a three-year, $33 million extension.

“Since Aaron Nesmith’s arrival a year and a half ago, he has continually and consistently grown to become a respected teammate and an important part of what we’re building here,” said President of Basketball Operations Kevin Pritchard.

Per the Indianapolis Star, “Monday was the last day rookie scale contracts could be extended for players in the 2020 draft class heading into the final year of their four-year deals. The Pacers extended All-Star point guard Tyrese Haliburton’s deal, as soon as possible when the clock struck midnight on July 1 when he signed a five-year deal that could pay him up to $260 million.”

“Aaron continues to selflessly accept and succeed in every role that has been asked of him, all for the overall benefit of our team’s success, and given his trajectory to this point, we’re looking forward to a bright future with him.”

Pacers trade Chris Duarte to Kings

The Sacramento Kings yesterday acquired guard Chris Duarte in a trade with the Indiana Pacers for a 2028 second-round pick and a 2030 second-round pick.

During the 2022-23 season, Duarte averaged 7.9 points and 2.5 rebounds per game in 46 games (12 starts) for the Pacers. He was selected to participate in the 2022 NBA Rising Stars Challenge and went on to be named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team after posting averages of 13.1 points, 4.1 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.0 steals per contest in 55 games (39 starts) in 2021-22.

Duarte appeared in 101 games (51 starts) for the Pacers, averaging 10.7 points and 3.4 rebounds per game. He was selected 13th overall in the 2021 NBA Draft out of Oregon after receiving Pac-12 Player of the Year honors for his performance during the 2020-21 season.

Pacers acquire Serge Ibaka and George Hill in multi-team trade

The Indiana Pacers announced today the team acquired forward Jordan Nwora, guard George Hill, center Serge Ibaka and three future second-round picks from the Milwaukee Bucks – as well as cash considerations from the Brooklyn Nets – as part of a four-team trade that included Milwaukee, Brooklyn and the Phoenix Suns. As part of the trade, the Pacers sent the draft rights to Juan Pablo Vaulet to Brooklyn.

In related moves, the team waived center Goga Bitadze, and forwards James Johnson and Terry Taylor.

Pacers sign Myles Turner to contract extension

The Indiana Pacers have signed center Myles Turner to a multi-year contract extension.

Per the Indianapolis Star, “Turner received approximately $58 million in new money through the 2025-26 season. According to news reports, Turner renegotiated his contract to add $17.1 million this year in addition to approximately $41 million over the next two seasons.”

Turner, who was originally selected by the Pacers with the 11th overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft has appeared in 473 career regular-season games, posting averages of 13.2 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks in 28.8 minutes per game. Additionally, he was named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team and was selected to participate in the 2017 NBA Rising Stars Challenge during All-Star weekend. Turner led the league in blocked shots per game (2.7) and total blocked shots (199) during the 2018-19 season, and then again led the league in blocked shots per game (3.4) in the 2020-21 season. He is currently fourth all-time in Pacers history in blocked shots (1,086) and is second all-time in blocked shots per game (2.3).

In 2015, Turner introduced the W.A.R.M. (“Work As Role Models”) initiative, which was created to provided assistance and resources to those less fortunate, particularly those experiencing homelessness. His support of the W.A.R.M. program will continue this season when he hosts an event with his “Turner’s Block” fan section to create and assemble wellness kits for distribution following the Pacers game vs. Cleveland on Sunday, February 5, 2023.

Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton out with elbow sprain and knee bone contusion

Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton suffered a left elbow sprain and a mild left knee bone contusion during the third quarter of last night’s game at New York. He underwent an MRI this afternoon on his elbow and knee in Indianapolis and the team is awaiting additional opinion on the results of those scans.

Haliburton will be re-evaluated in approximately two weeks and updates will be provided as appropriate.