The state of Indiana has more to be excited about than just corn. Indiana is the home to the world-famous Indianapolis 500, the outstanding Notre Dame Fighting Irish Football team, and, of course, Holiday World. The Hoosiers of Indiana, however, have had something more to be excited about in recent weeks. That is the Indianapolis Pacers and their exceptional playoff run thus far. Last season, the Pacers made a deep run to the East Conference Finals. Going into this season, they were looking to have another successful postseason run, as they did not have any major roster changes. The Pacers ended their regular season with a 50-32 record and clinched a four seed in the Eastern Conference Playoffs (FoxSports). Let us just say, Indy has been keeping up the pace this postseason.
The Pacers’ first opponent in the playoffs this season was the Milwaukee Bucks. The first two games of the series were held at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indy, where the Pacers were victorious in both rounds of competition. The Pacers then headed to Milwaukee, where they dropped the first game, but bounced back to win the second game there and to lead the series 3-1. The squad then headed back to Indy to where they defeated the Bucks in overtime to end the series.
Next, Indy faced the top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers. These Cavaliers posed a challenge for the Pacers as they are a strong, dominant group led by some of the league’s top players in Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley. However, the Pacers were more than up to the challenge. The Pacers took the first win at home by a score of 121-112. The next game, also at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indy, was decided in the final seconds by a Tyrese Haliburton three-pointer, putting the Pacers up 2-0 in the series. When asked by ESPN’s Jamal Collier about this insane shot, Haliburton said, “I’m at peace with my game. Understanding that I’m trusted in these moments. I have all the confidence in the world to make these shots.” Coming off of this game winner, Haliburton only added four points in a Cavaliers victory back home in Cleveland. The Cavs were led by their star, Donovan Mitchell, who dropped 43 points in the big win. In the following game, the Pacers bounced back and defeated the Cavs by a score of 129-109. Indy delivered a strong second quarter to secure this victory. The squad headed back to Indy for game five, leading the Cavs, 4-1. The Pacers came out on top after a close game with the final score of 114-105. After the game, Tyrese Haliburton said, “We’re different from every other team in the NBA. We don’t have one guy who scores all the points. We defeat teams in a lot of different ways. We move the ball, the ball finds guys making shots, making plays.”
The Pacers are looking to take this method of play into the Eastern Conference Finals, where they will be competing next. The team will either face off against the New York Knicks or the Boston Celtics. The Knicks are currently leading that series 3-2. Whoever it ends up being has a tough test ahead of them in the Pacers. Make sure to tune in and see if the Pacers can stay on the path to victory.
From the sidelines to the headlines, this is Lauren, signing out.
