Aaron Nesmith

Pacers Notes: Nesmith, Bradley, Haliburton, Turnovers

May 30th, 2025 at 6:59pm CST by Eli Cohen

The Pacers‘ starting small forward, Aaron Nesmith, is still playing through a right ankle sprain he suffered during Game 3 against the Knicks, and Game 5 proved more difficult than Game 4 in that regard, writes Dustin Dopirak of the Indy Star. However, he’s not letting himself off the hook for a 16-minute, three-point performance.

“It hurts, but it’s no excuse. Gotta be better. I was able to play Game 4. I could play today. There was no excuse,” he said.

While Dopirak points to a first-quarter collision with Knicks’ center Mitchell Robinson in Game 5 as a potential reason for the extra pain, Nesmith rebuked that idea.

“It wasn’t a play today that made it worse,” he said.

While Nesmith has taken the bulk of responsibility guarding Knicks’ star Jalen Brunson throughout the series, head coach Rick Carlisle turned to other wing options after Nesmith struggled out of the gate.

“He got off to a bit of a slow start. I wasn’t sure if maybe he was slowed a little bit by the ankle. I put [Ben] Sheppard in there right away and then [Bennedict] Mathurin got a game going. That dug into Aaron’s minutes some. But everyone’s just gonna have to be ready for Game 6,” explained Carlisle.

Here’s more from Indiana:

In more Pacers’ injury news, backup center Tony Bradley is being listed as questionable for Saturday’s Game 6 with a left hip flexor strain, reports Scott Agness of the Fieldhouse Files (via Twitter). Bradley landed awkwardly after Robinson fouled him on a layup attempt in the third quarter. After receiving sporadic minutes throughout the postseason, Bradley had played an average of 11 minutes per game in the three contests leading up to Game 5, as usual backup Thomas Bryant‘s minutes declined. With Robinson’s insertion into the Knicks’ starting lineup, the Pacers have leaned into smaller lineups featuring Pascal Siakam and Obi Toppin without a traditional center.
Following a dominant Game 4 in which he contributed 32 points, 15 assists, 12 rebounds, and four steals with no turnovers, Tyrese Haliburton was uncharacteristically quiet in Game 5, scoring just eight points on seven shots in 31 minutes. It was a head-scratcher of a performance, writes The Athletic’s Joe Vardon, and Haliburton knows it. “I got to be better, set the tone, get downhill. I feel like I can do a great job of that, but I’ll watch the film,” he said. However, Carlisle said it’s not all on the star point guard. “As a team, we have to be aggressive and have a level of balance,” Carlisle said. “… There’s more things I’m gonna have to do to help him. I’ll take responsibility for that, and we’ll see what we can improve.” Vardon draws a parallel to Haliburton’s Game 3 against the Cavaliers, in which he scored just four points over 30 minutes in a loss. The Pacers went on to win the next two contests by an average of 14.5 points as they closed out the series in five games.
The Pacers committed turnovers on each of their first two possessions of Game 5, a harbinger of things to come for a team that draws strength from rarely making mistakes, writes Agness. Indiana opened the second half by turning the ball over on their first possession as well, and ended with a playoff-high 20 turnovers in the game, compared to New York’s 15. Losing the turnover battle, as well as the rebounding battle, meant the Pacers totaled just 74 shots compared to 89 for the Knicks.

Pacers Notes: Haliburton, Siakam, Mathurin, Nesmith

May 29th, 2025 at 12:03pm CST by Luke Adams

After blaming himself for the Pacers‘ second-half offensive issues in Game 3, Tyrese Haliburton responded with his best game of the postseason in Game 4 on Tuesday. As Jamal Collier of ESPN writes, Haliburton became the first player since the NBA began tracking turnovers in 1977 to rack up at least 30 points, 15 assists, and 10 rebounds (he had 32, 15, and 12) in a playoff game without committing a turnover.

“I just want to be able to prove that I can respond when my back’s against the wall, when our team’s back is against the wall,” Haliburton said after the victory, which gave Indiana a 3-1 series lead. “This is a big win for us because if we go back down there 2-2, it’s a little different momentum-wise.”

With the Pacers just one win away from earning a spot in the NBA Finals for the first time since 2000, Haliburton is in the process of establishing himself as a legitimate NBA superstar.

“His ability to play both on and off the ball is so unique,” one Western Conference executive told Tim Bontemps of ESPN. “It allows him to be Steph Curry-esque.”

While opposing point guard Jalen Brunson is putting up better individual scoring numbers than Haliburton in the Eastern Conference Finals, Haliburton is being lauded for his ability to take care of the ball and set up his teammates for scoring opportunities, as Bontemps writes.

“(Haliburton is) throwing it ahead, playing out of dribble handoffs, running pick-and-rolls, so he gets everyone involved,” a Western Conference scout told ESPN. “So (Aaron) Nesmith is throwing himself into defense because he knows he’s going to get touches and shots.

“I didn’t think (Haliburton) had this jump in him. He’s shown so much more just because he makes his teammates better. Those guys have all been put in positions to succeed. All these guys are the best versions of themselves now because they have been instilled with confidence and optimized.”

Here’s more on the Pacers ahead of Thursday’s Game 5:

Various sources who spoke to Bontemps expressed admiration for the Pacers’ ability to repeat – and potentially outdo – last spring’s playoff success. One scout admitted he was surprised by Indiana’s deep postseason run, but acknowledged they’re “so solid everywhere” and “don’t have any weaknesses,” while an assistant coach pointed out that Indiana is in good position to run it back with this roster in 2025/26. “Assuming they bring back (free agent center) Myles (Turner), they’re such a complete team,” that assistant told ESPN. “And they have size and physicality at every position. And it’s sustainable because of the deals they have everyone signed to.”
As good as Haliburton has been in the Eastern Finals, it’s forward Pascal Siakam who is leading the Pacers in scoring through four games vs. New York. As Peter Botte of The New York Post writes, Siakam is getting the best of former teammate and good friend OG Anunoby en route to his big scoring nights.
After a quiet start to the series, Bennedict Mathurin showed in Game 4 that he’s capable of making an outsized impact in a limited role, per Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star. Mathurin, who will be eligible for a rookie scale extension this offseason, poured in 20 points in just 12:29 of action on Tuesday.
Playing through a sprained ankle in Game 4, Nesmith continued to have a major hand in the club’s success, scoring 16 points and playing solid defense against Brunson. As Nate Duncan tweets, the Knicks star shot just 3-of-13 from the floor with Nesmith as his primary defender, doing almost all of his damage against other Pacers.
Nesmith is once again listed as questionable to play in Game 5, but his comments after Game 4’s win suggest he’s highly likely to suit up on Thursday. “I was like, I don’t care how I feel. I’m playing,” he said, per David Aldridge of The Athletic. “This is what we all live for. This is (what) we’ve been preparing for all year long, our entire lifetimes. These moments, I can’t miss these moments.”

Pacers’ Nesmith Expected To Suit Up For Game 4

May 27th, 2025 at 5:06pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Pacers guard Aaron Nesmith will play in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals tonight, according to several media outlets, including Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter link).

Nesmith sprained his right ankle during the second half of Game 3 against the Knicks on Sunday. He was listed as questionable on the injury report.

Nesmith has been a huge factor in the postseason. He’s averaging 15.1 points per game while shooting 52.3 percent overall and a whopping 53.5 percent from long range. He’s also averaging 6.2 rebounds per contest.

In Game 1 of the series, Nesmith erupted for 30 points while making all but one of his nine three-point attempts as Indiana staged an unlikely late rally and won in overtime.

Nesmith has also been the primary defender against the Knicks’ top offensive threat, Jalen Brunson.

Pacers Notes: Nesmith, Game 3 Loss, Haliburton, Offense

May 26th, 2025 at 4:01pm CST by Luke Adams

Pacers wing Aaron Nesmith was able to return to Sunday’s game in the fourth quarter after spraining his right ankle in the third quarter, but he was in pain when he woke up on Monday, writes Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star.

According to head coach Rick Carlisle, Nesmith will be listed as questionable on the injury report for Game 4 and will likely be a game-time decision on Tuesday.

It’s a potentially significant development for the Pacers, given that Nesmith has been one of their most important players during the playoffs. The 25-year-old has increased his averages to 15.1 points and 6.2 rebounds per game with a 53.5% mark on three-pointers in the postseason — all of those marks would be career highs. Additionally, his +8.8 playoff net rating is the third-best mark on the team behind only Myles Turner (+9.1) and Tyrese Haliburton (+8.9).

We have more on the Pacers:

The Pacers have made a series of historic comebacks during these playoffs, but they found themselves on the other end of a major in-game swing at home on Sunday, blowing a 20-point first-half lead and losing Game 3 by a score of 106-100. Haliburton took the blame after the loss for allowing the team’s usual up-tempo pace to lag in the third and fourth quarters, according to Dopirak. “I felt like I was walking the ball up every play.” Haliburton said. “It’s definitely an area where I know when I watch film I’m going to kick myself for. I’m already thinking about it, kicking myself for it. Honestly, I think a lot of our offensive struggles in the second half are going to be due to me. I gotta be better there and I will be better in Game 4.”
Although he was unhappy about the Pacers’ second-half offense, Haliburton was pleased with how the team performed on defense against a talented Knicks group, per ESPN’s Tim MacMahon. “You hold a team like that to 106 (points), that’s — you should win that game,” Haliburton said. “… I mean, 100 points isn’t us, you know? So kudos to them, they did a good job, but there’s definitely areas that we can improve on. We’ll have a great film session (on Monday). Guys will watch film on their own tonight and tomorrow, and see where we can get better.”
John Haliburton, Tyrese’s father, will be permitted to attend Indiana’s home games in a suite beginning on Tuesday, sources tell ESPN’s Shams Charania. The elder Haliburton agreed not to attend the team’s home or road games after getting involved in an on-court altercation with Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo at the end of their first-round series and hasn’t been at any of the past eight contests since then. He will continue to remain away from road games.

Central Notes: Haliburton, Nesmith, Giannis, Sasser

May 23rd, 2025 at 11:44am CST by Luke Adams

On the night that he was traded from Sacramento to Indiana in February 2022, Tyrese Haliburton went out for dinner with his new head coach Rick Carlisle, who outlined the Pacers‘ plan to have him run their offense, writes Jamal Collier of ESPN. Since then, Indiana has made an increased effort to complement Haliburton with players who will fit into his up-tempo playing style, notes Joe Vardon of The Athletic.

“As we’ve put this group together around Tyrese, we’ve had to make adjustments to develop a style that was effective for us,” Carlisle said. “It’s a difficult style, you know, it’s demanding, physically demanding, takes a tremendous amount of wherewithal as an athlete and then you got to be super unselfish.”

Nearly two years after acquiring Haliburton, the Pacers traded for Pascal Siakam, a three-time All-Star and two-time All-NBA forward who has a championship on his résumé. But Haliburton is still Indiana’s leader and the player the team trusts to take big shots with the game on the line, as he has done multiple times throughout this postseason.

“My group wants me to take those shots,” Haliburton said, per Collier. “My coaching staff wants me to take those shots. Our organization wants me to take those shots. I think now we’re at the point where our fans want me to take that shot. Everybody’s living and dying with it at that point. That gives me a lot of confidence.”

Here’s more from around the Central:

Shakeia Taylor and Jay King of The Athletic spoke to Aaron Nesmith‘s high school coach, John “JP” Pearson, about one of the heroes of Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals, whose 8-of-9 performance from beyond the arc helped the Pacers steal a win in New York. “I’m over there telling him, ‘I’m not quite sure what I just saw, Aaron,'” Pearson said of a phone call he had with Nesmith late on Wednesday night. “And Aaron was like, ‘Yeah, we won the game.’ And I told him, ‘No, Aaron, I was living when Reggie Miller did all that and it’s being compared right now.’ And he goes, ‘I don’t think I was born.'”
While there has been no indication at this point that Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo plans to request a trade, multiple agents who spoke to Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report at the draft combine think it will happen. With that in mind, Pincus explores the top five most logical landing spots for Antetokounmpo in the event of a deal, identifying San Antonio, Houston, Brooklyn, Atlanta, and Oklahoma City as the best fits.
Marcus Sasser saw his minutes cut back in his second NBA season, but that was more about the Pistons‘ increased depth than any sort of decline in the second-year guard’s production, writes Keith Langlois of Pistons.com. Detroit will have to make a decision by October 31 on whether to exercise Sasser’s $5.2MM team option for 2026/27. Assuming that option is picked up, he’d become extension-eligible during the 2026 offseason.

Pacers Notes: Haliburton, Nesmith, Comebacks

May 22nd, 2025 at 8:23pm CST by Rory Maher

Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton reenacted Reggie Miller‘s infamous “choke” gesture when his high-bouncing jump shot tied Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals at the end of regulation, writes Ramona Shelburne of ESPN. Haliburton thought he had won the game, but his foot was on the three-point line with Indiana down two points. The Pacers ultimately completed their historic comeback in overtime.

Haliburton said he has watched the “Winning Time” documentary featuring Miller and film director and Knicks fan Spike Lee “probably 50 times” growing up. Miller was courtside for Game 1 as an analyst for TNT.

“That’s just a historic moment,” Haliburton said after the game. “Obviously him versus Spike, kind of the one-on-one. I felt like [my gesture] was kind of to everybody. But to [Miller], too. I wanted him to see it more than anything.”

Here’s more on the Pacers:

Head coach Rick Carlisle had no issue with Haliburton’s celebration, per Michael Scotto of HoopsHype (Twitter video link). “Players can do what they want. It’s an emotional thing. It’s not a big deal,” Carlisle said. “… Tyrese has earned the right to do whatever he wants.”
Although Haliburton was the one who made the gesture, forward Aaron Nesmith was the Pacer who best embodied Miller’s past heroics during the furious late-game rally, as Jared Schwartz of The New York Post relays. Nesmith scored 20 of his 30 points in the last five minutes of regulation, going 6-of-6 from long distance and making both of his free throws. “It’s unreal, it’s probably the best feeling in the world,” Nesmith said. “I love it, when that basket feels like an ocean, anything you toss up, it feels like it’s gonna go in. It’s just so much fun. Didn’t really realize what I was doing in the moment. Just trying to win a basketball game.”
Comebacks have been a hallmark of the Pacers’ 2025 playoff run, according to Shakeia Taylor of The Athletic, who takes a closer look at how Indiana has clawed its way back into multiple games that seemed out of reach. The Pacers have now won three games this postseason when trailing by seven or more points in the final minute of regulation or overtime, something only one other team has accomplished since 1998 in a huge sample size (4-1,640). “We’ve had a lot of these games this year,” Carlisle said. “We’ve probably had a dozen of them throughout the season. A lot of the games early, where we were struggling, were games we had to pull out … it’s a muscle. The more you exercise it, the stronger it gets. It’s not easy. It’s not easy.“

Knicks Notes: Game 1, Brunson, Towns, Anunoby, Lineup

May 22nd, 2025 at 7:22pm CST by Rory Maher

New York fans were stunned to silence following the Knicks‘ late-game collapse in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals, writes James L. Edwards III of The Athletic. It was a historic loss: the Knicks were up 14 points with 2:51 remaining, and NBA playoff teams were 977-0 in those situations since 1997. They also led by nine with a minute left — no postseason team had lost a game in that position since 1998 (1,414-0). Now there’s a one on both of those tallies.

“We didn’t do what we needed to do; otherwise, we’d be in here talking about a whole different ballgame,” center Karl-Anthony Towns said after Wednesday’s game. “There’s a lot of things we did good, to put ourselves in the position to win. It’s just about … and I’ve said this multiple times, executing and discipline for 48 minutes.

“We played 46 good minutes. Those last two minutes is where we lost the game. That’s on all of us.”

As Chris Herring of ESPN.com writes, the Pacers and Knicks had both completed multiple double-digit playoff comebacks on their way to the conference final matchup. But Game 1 — which New York lost in overtime after a series of miscues — had the Knicks in the unenviable position of blowing the lead.

“Defensively, we let off the gas. The intensity and physicality weren’t there,” wing Josh Hart said. “Offensively, we were playing slower, and more stagnant. It looked like we were playing not to lose.”

Here’s more on the Knicks:

While Clutch Player of the Year Jalen Brunson finished with a game-high 43 points, he also committed seven turnovers, including three late in the game, notes Ian Begley of SNY.tv. “Obviously, it’s not a good feeling, but there is a lot of basketball left to be played,” Brunson said, per Edwards. “We can’t sulk. We just got to get better.”
ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne takes a look at what New York’s collapse means for the series — and for the team’s title chances. Brunson said he thought the momentum of Game 1 shifted with 4:45 remaining in the fourth quarter when he stumbled trying to get around a screen, leaving Aaron Nesmith open for a three-pointer. Nesmith went 6-of-6 on triples in the final 4:45 of regulation, including three in the final minute. “Once he hits one, you’ve got to be on high alert,” Brunson said. “I’ve got to do a better job of finding him. I think he had like one or two with me in the vicinity.”
Stefan Bondy of The New York Post (subscriber link) hands out grades for Game 1, with Brunson receiving a B-plus and Towns, who finished with 35 points and 12 rebounds but missed a key free throw late in regulation, getting a B-minus. Mikal Bridges, who had 16 points on 16 shots and was a game-worst minus-15 in the three-point loss while being the primary defender on Tyrese Haliburton (31 points, 11 assists), got a D from Bondy.
Towns and OG Anunoby appeared to get in a heated sideline argument with 34 seconds left in regulation, as Jaclyn Hendricks of The New York Post relays. Nesmith had just converted his fifth three-pointer of the quarter leading up to the incident.
Could the Knicks alter their starting or closing lineup for Game 2? Head coach Tom Thibodeau said “everything is always on the table” when asked about that possibility on Thursday, according to Begley, who points out (via Twitter) that the starting unit of Brunson, Bridges, Josh Hart, Anunoby and Towns has a poor net rating in the playoffs.

Pacers Notes: Nesmith, Haliburton, Carlisle, EC Finals

May 21st, 2025 at 7:00pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Pacers wing Aaron Nesmith could be a decisive X-factor in a second consecutive Eastern Conference Finals appearance for Indiana, writes John Hollinger of The Athletic.

Nesmith has thrived as a three-and-D role player across his past two seasons. In 2024/25, the 25-year-old’s shooting efficiency reached new heights as he he qualified for the league’s “50-40-90” club. The Vanderbilt alum converted 50.7% of his field goals, 41.3% of his three-pointers, and 91.7% of his free throws.

Across his first 10 playoff contests this spring, Nesmith has logged a 67.2% true shooting percentage and a 17.3 PER. What makes his offensive contributions all the more valuable is that he’s also bringing it on the other end of the hardwood, often defending the opposition’s best player. During Indiana’s five-game second round series victory over Cleveland, he frequently covered six-time All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell. Hollinger expects Nesmith to defend All-Stars Jalen Brunson, a guard, or Karl-Anthony Towns, a center.

“It really was just finding my role here,” Nesmith said. “Energy, effort, defense, making open shots, that’s what we needed from me in order to win games. Every year, I’ve just gotten a little better at the little things.”

Hollinger believes Nesmith is in line for a massive new contract when his current deal expires in 2027. At present, the 6’5″ pro is making $11MM annually.

There’s more out of Indiana:

Pacers All-Star guard Tyrese Haliburton is embracing his role as a foil for New York in the team’s impending Conference Finals series, a rematch of last year’s second round clash, writes Peter Botte of The New York Post. Indiana won that series in seven games, as the Knicks were affected by injuries to critical rotation players. “For sure, it’s a lot of fun, man,” Haliburton said. “I think last year the series was a lot of fun, back and forth, it felt like nobody could win two in a row until we were able to do it [in Games 6 and 7].” In last year’s series, the 2024 All-NBA honoree notched averages 21.3 PPG and 7.0 APG.
Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle has quietly made the club one of the league’s top offenses across the past two seasons. Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star (subscriber link) unpacks how Carlisle went about defining Indiana’s unique offensive identity. Although Carlisle does have a playbook with set plays, the team generally leans on a somewhat improvisational flow, predicated on a motion system. Indiana’s 123.3 points per game in 2023/24 was the sixth-best scoring rate in NBA history, while their 117.4 points per game this year was a bit more pedestrian, ranking seventh in the league this season. “He trusts the offense and us,” Aaron Nesmith said of Carlisle’ approach. “We have such great offensive players on our team I think we just are able to read the game. We’re pretty friendly off the court and it translates on the court as well.”
The Pacers are hardly satisfied with their second Eastern Conference Finals appearance in as many seasons, writes Dopirak in another piece. “It feels good but I think we’re greedy at the end of the day,” forward Pascal Siakam said. “We feel like we’ve been here before. Last year, we could’ve been like, ‘Man, this is the first time in a while.’ (Now) we’ve just been here last year. For us, that focus has to shift. We have to be wanting more.”

Central Notes: Hunter, Giannis, Mathurin, Nesmith, Pistons

April 29th, 2025 at 2:11pm CST by Luke Adams

The Cavaliers‘ 55-point blowout victory in Miami on Monday sent them to the second round and established a new NBA record — Cleveland’s +122 margin in the four-game sweep made it the most lopsided playoff series in league history, per Joe Vardon of The Athletic.

There was plenty to like about the Cavaliers’ dominant first-round performance against the Heat. One major positive, Vardon writes, was the strong play of reserve forward De’Andre Hunter, who bounced back in impressive fashion after he “looked a little lost” in Game 1, when he went scoreless on 0-of-4 shooting in 16 minutes.

Hunter scored double-digit points in each of the next three games, including 20.0 PPG on 63.2% shooting (66.7% on three-pointers) in the two road victories in Miami. Head coach Kenny Atkinson said the Cavaliers didn’t make any specific adjustments after Game 1 and that Hunter’s strong play in his next three outings was about him “gaining more confidence and being more comfortable.”

The Cavs led the NBA in offensive rating during the regular season (121.0) and are doing so again in the playoffs (136.2). As Vardon observes, having Hunter scoring and shooting that effectively off the bench is one significant reason why Cleveland’s offense is so dangerous.

Here’s more from around the Central:

In the wake of Damian Lillard‘s Achilles tear, Michael Pina of The Ringer argues that it would be in the Bucks‘ best interests to trade superstar forward Giannis Antetokounmpo sooner rather than later. With no clear short-term path to contention and no control of their own draft picks for the next several years, the Bucks’ best path to long-term success would be to build around the massive haul they could get in return for their two-time MVP, Pina contends.
Pacers wing Bennedict Mathurin, who missed Game 4 due to an abdominal contusion, had a hard time eating and sleeping after sustaining the injury in Game 3, head coach Rick Carlisle told reporters, including Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star. Mathurin has reportedly improved in recent days, but he’s not a lock to play in Game 5 on Tuesday — he’s listed as questionable.
[Update: Mathurin will be available for Game 5.]
Another Pacers wing, Aaron Nesmith, is considered probable to play on Tuesday due to a lower back bruise he suffered in Game 4 after a chase-down block on a Bobby Portis layup attempt (Twitter video link). Nesmith was lauded by his teammates for his willingness to put his body on the line, Dopirak writes for the Indianapolis Star. “That’s who Double-A is,” Tyrese Haliburton said. “What he brings doesn’t always show up on the scoresheet. Some people say, like, they’re willing to die for this. Double-A is willing to die for this. He gives it his all every night and I think every team in the NBA wants a guy like Aaron Nesmith. Every team who wins big and ultimately wins it all always has a guy like Aaron Nesmith.”
It’s not uncommon for young teams making their first playoff appearance to experience growing pains as they adjust to the heightened intensity of the NBA postseason. The Pistons are going through that process during their first-round series vs. New York, as Hunter Patterson of The Athletic details. “We are learning our way through every challenge that’s in front of us,” head coach J.B. Bickerstaff said. “I think our guys have done a great job of learning from one moment to the next.”

Central Notes: Pacers, Jerome, Holland, Bucks

April 11th, 2025 at 9:38am CST by Rory Maher

Led by star point guard Tyrese Haliburton, who finished with 23 points, 10 assists and eight rebounds, the Pacers secured a top-four seed — and home-court advantage in the first round — in the Eastern Conference playoffs by defeating Cleveland on Thursday, writes Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star.

After starting the season with a 10-15 record, the Pacers have gone 39-16 since December 8, the fourth-best mark in the league over that span, only trailing Oklahoma City, Cleveland and Boston. They’re currently on a six-game winning streak.

“It’s special for us knowing what we’ve been through to get here and how this started,” Haliburton said. “We’re a game away from having a 50-win season. That could be something because time is moving so fast that you just let happen and you move forward, but it’s a special year especially with how this started. … Early in the year it was just really a struggle. I’d be lying to you if I told you it was easy for me personally and all the things I was dealing with. For us to get here, honestly, I love the guys in our locker room, the coaching staff, how much those guys mean to me and all my loved ones because it was a tough time.”

As Dopirak notes, Indiana was fortunate in the sense that Cleveland was resting four starters after clinching the top seed in the East. But it was nonetheless an important victory for the Pacers, who still have a shot at the No. 3 seed — they’re one game behind the Knicks with two games remaining for both teams, though New York holds the head-to-head tiebreaker.

Forwards Aaron Nesmith (22 points, six rebounds) and Jarace Walker (15 points on 6-of-7 shooting in 15 minutes, including 10 points on 4-of-4 shooting in the final period) were among the other key contributors for Indiana, Dopirak adds.

Here are a few more notes from around the Central:

Cavaliers guard Ty Jerome, who will be an unrestricted free agent this summer, bolstered his candidacy for the Sixth Man of the Year award with a big night on Thursday, per Chris Fedor of Cleveland.com (subscriber link). Jerome was highly efficient, recording 24 points (on 9-of-16 shooting) and six assists, and the Cavs outscored Indiana by 13 points in his 26 minutes. He was rested for the entire fourth quarter.
No. 5 overall pick Ron Holland played 11 of his 22 minutes in the fourth quarter during Thursday’s victory over New York, recording 10 points (on 5-of-6 shooting), three rebounds and a block in the final frame. After the game, Pistons head coach J.B. Bickerstaff discussed why he turned to the 19-year-old down the stretch (Twitter link via Omari Sankofa II of The Detroit Free Press). “He’s earned it, that’s what it says … we fell back on believing in Ron because that’s what we do,” Bickerstaff said. “Ron fell back to the time and hours he’s put in … that’s allowed him to be successful.”
Milwaukee pulled most of its rotation mainstays early during Thursday’s blowout win vs. New Orleans, tweets Eric Nehm of The Athletic. The Bucks can clinch the East’s No. 5 seed if they defeat Detroit on Friday — it’s the second end of a back-to-back for both clubs.

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