How are Boston Celtics alums Aaron Nesmith, Rick Carlisle helping the Pacers finals run?
How are Boston Celtics alums Aaron Nesmith, Rick Carlisle helping the Pacers finals run?
A pair of Boston Celtics alumni are reinventing their careers with the Indiana Pacers, making the most of their new NBA home on the way to a surprise finals run where they will take on the Oklahoma City Thunder. Former Boston forward Aaron Nesmith and champion Celtics shooting guard-turned head coach Rick Carlisle have shaken off stagnant stretches of their careers to become key cogs in a machine that has ground down opponents in dramatic fashion this season and in the playoffs.
How are Carlisle and Nesmith contributing to the Pacers success, and how have they changed since their last gigs? Just how far can Indy push their series against the Thunder with their help? And how do we see the future of the Eastern Conference in light of the Pacers rise and some surprising shifts to the East landscape announced this week?
The folks behind "Havlicek Stole the Pod" took some time on a recent episode of their show to talk it over with guest Kory Waldron of "Full Access Hoops". Check it out below!
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Fox Sports
36 minutes ago
- Fox Sports
Led by historic Pacers' run, this is the NBA's Comeback Playoffs
Welcome to the Comeback Playoffs, led by the Indiana Pacers. Indiana's rally from 15 points down in Game 1 of the NBA Finals was the 10th such comeback — from 15 or more — in this season's playoffs. The Pacers and Tyrese Haliburton are responsible for five of those comebacks; the rest of the league, combined, have the other five. Since the NBA began keeping track of such things in 1997, there has never been a postseason with more 15-point comebacks or more by a single team than the Pacers have pulled off this spring. Dallas had four comebacks from 15 points or more in the 2003 playoffs, and as a whole, the league saw nine of these games in the 2021 playoffs. But never five by one team, or 10 in one postseason since these things began getting charted — until now. A breakdown of the moments: Game 1, NBA Finals: Pacers down 15 Indiana — which looked doomed by turnovers all night — trailed by 15 points with just under 10 minutes to go in the fourth quarter and took its only lead of the game on a jumper by Tyrese Haliburton with 0.3 seconds remaining to steal Game 1 of the finals over the Thunder. Final score: Indiana 111, Oklahoma City 110. Game 3, East finals: Knicks down 20 This time, the Pacers had it happen to them. Indiana led by 20 points with 3:20 left in the second quarter, only to get outscored 71-45 the rest of the way. Jalen Brunson's jumper with 1:17 left put New York up for good and the Knicks prevailed, 106-100. Game 1, East finals: Pacers down 17 This game felt very over, especially when Karl-Anthony Towns made a 3-pointer for a 17-point New York lead with 6:26 left. Ha. The Pacers were still down 14 with 2:40 remaining, went on an incredible 20-6 run to tie the game — Haliburton's jumper hit the back of the rim, went about 17 feet in the air, and bounced in to force overtime — and the Pacers won 138-135. [Related: Pacers stun Knicks with historic comeback: 'Second-worst loss of my life] Game 5, East semifinals: Pacers down 19 Indiana closed out the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 5 of this series, rallying from a 19-point hole that had been dug early in the second quarter. The Pacers got within four by halftime, took the lead midway through the third and kept it the rest of the way in what became a 114-105 win. Game 2, East semifinals: Knicks down 20 This game on May 7 marked the third consecutive day that a road team in the East semifinals erased what was exactly a 20-point deficit. Boston led 73-53 late in the third quarter, and New York outscored the Celtics 38-17 in the final 14 minutes. Brunson gave the Knicks their last lead on two free throws with 12.7 seconds left and New York escaped, 91-90. [Related: Tyrese Haliburton is on historic clutch streak; here are his best moments] Game 2, East semifinals: Pacers down 20 Max Strus' dunk with 6:51 left in the third quarter put Cleveland up 81-61. and the Cavaliers kept their double-digit lead into the fourth quarter. Cleveland was up 119-112 with 48 seconds left; Indiana scored the final eight points and Haliburton's 3-pointer with 1.1 seconds remaining sealed a 120-119 stunner of a win. Game 1, East semifinals: Knicks down 20 Again, Boston led by 20 midway through the third quarter. The Knicks were undeterred. Brunson's 3-pointer with 4:07 left put New York on top, the start of what became a back-and-forth finish until OG Anunoby's dunk with 3:25 left in overtime put the Knicks up for good. Final score: Knicks 108, Celtics 105. Game 5, East quarterfinals: Pacers down 20 Milwaukee, playing to keep its season alive and without injured guard Damian Lillard (torn Achilles), roared out to a 33-13 lead early in the second quarter. Indiana kept chipping away, and a great back-and-forth battle after halftime was sealed when Haliburton made a layup with 1.4 seconds left for a 119-118 series-clinching win. Game 3, West quarterfinals: Thunder down 29 The biggest comeback of these playoffs still belongs to Oklahoma City, which was down 69-40 in Memphis in Game 3 of those teams' Western Conference first-round series. But Ja Morant got hurt and left the game, and without their guard the Grizzlies couldn't hold the lead. Oklahoma City outscored Memphis by 35 in the game's final 27 minutes to win 114-108. Game 1, West quarterfinals: Nuggets down 15 Little did we know that this game on Day 1 of the playoffs, April 19, was a harbinger of what awaited the rest of the way. Denver trailed the L.A. Clippers 51-36 midway through the second quarter, but recovered for a 112-110 win behind 29 points from Nikola Jokic. Reporting by The Associated Press. Want great stories delivered right to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily! FOLLOW Follow your favorites to personalize your FOX Sports experience National Basketball Association Indiana Pacers recommended Get more from National Basketball Association Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more
USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
After Game 1 stunner, Tyrese Haliburton understands Pacers stole win from Thunder
After Game 1 stunner, Tyrese Haliburton understands Pacers stole win from Thunder They did it again. After their postgame interview, the Indiana Pacers raced off the court to their locker room. As if they were bank robbers hopping into the getaway vehicle with seconds to spare before being surrounded by police cars. The Oklahoma City Thunder were left stunned. They suffered a 111-110 Game 1 loss to the Pacers. Indiana's lead only lasted 0.3 seconds, but the final score is what matters. For the first 47 minutes, it looked like the significant title favorite would do just enough to get a 1-0 series lead in the 2025 NBA Finals. Nope. Not under Tyrese Haliburton's watch. He added to his legendary playoff run with another game-winner. After Shai Gilgeous-Alexander failed to bury the Pacers with a missed mid-range jumper, the Pacers raced to the other side in the final seconds. Matched up against Cason Wallace, Haliburton buried the deep 2-pointer that gave the Pacers their first and only lead. After the final buzzer sounded, the OKC crowd filed out. You could feel the funeral vibes. Not only did the Thunder leave meat on the bone, they left a whole steak. This is what the Pacers have done all playoffs. Improbable comebacks. Haliburton's heroics. They showed that just because they graduated from the Eastern Conference to one of the greatest teams ever, doesn't mean those late-game stunners would stop. Minutes after they stole Game 1, Haliburton joked his shoes helped him complete the comeback. He only had 14 points, 10 rebounds and six assists. But he scored the two most important points of the game with his game-winner. "All series that's what we have preached as a group is when we get down big, let's just find a way to incrementally get it down and we got it to 15 and we got it to eight pretty fast and that gave us confidence," Haliburton said. "We kept getting stops. Myles and Andrew made play after big play down the stretch." The Thunder played with fire all game and were burned at the end. Throughout the first three quarters, the scoreboard never reflected the vibes. The Thunder dominated on the court. They created turnovers on every other possession, but their lead only hovered around 10 points. After Shai Gilgeous-Alexander pushed OKC's lead to 108-99 with a little under three minutes left, it felt the Thunder did just enough to get a gross Game 1 win. Instead, the Pacers finished on a 12-2 run. Indiana's role players hit on big-time shots. Andrew Nembhard looked like prime Allen Iverson when he shook Gilgeous-Alexander off of him and nailed a step-back 3-pointer. After being viewed as a heavy title favorite, the Thunder have work to do. They're in a 0-1 series hole and have lost homecourt advantage. They can recount their Denver Nuggets Round 2 series all they want, but the Pacers are a different threat. They're indestructible. Their best trait is their ability to stay within striking distance. Even after his game-winner, Haliburton said they must play better. He quickly understood they stole Game 1. If you replayed the final three minutes, the Thunder likely would squeeze out a win in 99 out of 100 simulations. That doesn't make it sting any less for OKC, though. You don't win titles in hypotheticals. "There's still a lot of work to be done. This is an exciting time. Again, another big comeback but there's a lot more work to do. That's just one game," Haliburton said. "And this is the best team in the NBA and like you said, they don't lose often. So we expect them to respond. We've got to be prepared for that. We got a couple days to watch film, see where we can get better."
NBC Sports
an hour ago
- NBC Sports
How to watch Oklahoma City Thunder vs Indiana Pacers Game 2: TV/stream info, date, time
The 2025 NBA Finals continue this Sunday, June 8, at 8:00 PM ET as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder go head-to-head with Tyrese Haliburton and the Indiana Pacers in Game 2 at Paycom Center. RELATED: Another dramatic come-from-behind win. How do the Pacers keep doing this? Comeback victories have been the Pacers' calling card this postseason, and Game 1 of this Thunder vs Pacers series was no different. Indiana was down by 15 in the fourth quarter on Thursday night but rallied to take the win. Tyrese Haliburton hit another clutch shot with just 0.3 seconds remaining, giving the Pacers the 111-110 dub. It was Indiana's only lead of the game. The All-star guard has now made five game-tying or go-ahead shots in the final 30 seconds of the playoffs. 'When it gets to 15, you can panic, or you can talk about, 'How do we get it to 10? How do we get it to five from there?' Haliburton said after the game. 'So, you know, I think all [playoffs], that's what we preached as a group, is when we get down big, let's just find a way to incrementally get it down.' Gilgeous-Alexander led the Thunder with 38 points on Thursday night. While the outcome was not what was expected, the 2025 league MVP remains unfazed. 'As much as we can, we just got to treat it like every other game, every other situation we've been in,' Gilgeous-Alexander said. 'Yes, we haven't been in this situation, but that doesn't mean our character has to change, or what we did last time. 'It's still basketball, the game of basketball we grew up playing. The rules don't change because we're in the Finals. Kurt Helin, How to watch Oklahoma City Thunder vs Indiana Pacers Game 2: Date: Sunday, June 8 Time: 8:00 PM ET Where: Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, OK TV Channel: ABC When is Game 2 of the NBA Finals? Sunday, June 8 at 8:00 PM ET. What channel is the Thunder vs Pacers game on? The Thunder vs Pacers series will take place on ABC. Thunder vs Pacers Series Scores and Schedule: *All times listed are ET (* = if necessary) Game 1: Pacers 111, Thunder 110 Game 2: Pacers at Thunder - Sun. June 8, 8 PM on ABC Game 3: Thunder at Pacers - Wed. June 11, 8:30 PM on ABC Game 4: Thunder at Pacers - Fri. June 13, 8:30 PM on ABC Game 5: Pacers at Thunder - Mon. June 16, 8:30 PM on ABC * Game 6: Thunder at Pacers - Thu. June 19, 8:30 PM on ABC* Game 7: Pacers at Thunder - Sun, June 22, 8 PM on ABC* Oklahoma City Thunder's Path to the NBA Finals: The Thunder are seeking their first NBA title since relocating to Oklahoma City in 2008. The last time the franchise reached the Finals was in 2012, dropping their series against LeBron James' Miami Heat in 5. Here is how they advanced to the NBA Finals: Oklahoma City swept the No. 8 Memphis Grizzlies in the First Round, eliminated the No. 4 Denver Nuggets in 7 in the Conference Semifinals, and defeated the No. 6 Minnesota Timberwolves in 5 in the Western Conference Finals. RELATED: Times, they are a changin' - Thunder vs. Pacers Finals highlights generational change sweeping NBA Indiana Pacers' Path to the NBA Finals: The Indiana Pacers are seeking their first NBA title. The team's last Finals appearance was in 2000, when they lost to the Lakers in 6. Here is the team's path to the Finals: Indiana eliminated the No. 5 Milwaukee Bucks and the No. 1 Cleveland Cavaliers in 5 games, before knocking out the No. 6 New York Knicks in 6 to advance to the Finals. RELATED: Caitlin Clark, Tyrese Maxey, the basketball and sports worlds react to Tyrese Haliburton's game-winner Want even more NBA best bets and predictions from our expert staff & tools? Check out the Expert NBA Predictions page from NBC Sports for money line, spread and over/under picks for each game of the Thunder vs Pacers series Was Pacers' Game 1 victory over Thunder a fluke? Take Siakam to record over 6.5 rebounds in Game 2: Head to for the latest news, updates, and storylines! The Dan Le Batard Show reacts to another come-from-behind victory for the Pacers, analyzing whether Indiana can sustain this style of play in the NBA Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Brad Thomas and Vaughn Dalzell preview Game 2 of the NBA Finals between the Thunder and Pacers, sharing why star forward Pascal Siakam will record over 6.5 rebounds and 25-year-old Aaron Nesmith won't record an assist.
