Indiana Pacers Postgame Media Availability (vs. Orlando Magic) | December 23, 2023

Indiana Pacers Postgame Media Availability (vs. Orlando Magic) | December 23, 2023

Go ahead Rick you guys had that third quarter comeback but only 18 Four Points in the fourth for you guys what did they change something defensively that made it hard for you why do you feel like you guys slowed down so much in that final

Frame well I mean you can look at that um the thing that concerns me is giving up uh 73 in the first half and only 44 in the second half so it just it just speaks to our Readiness to compete right off the bat and it’s just you know it’s it’s not

It’s not okay to get smashed in the face to have to bring the level of force necessary and that’s that’s how it went tonight you know and then you know we got a lead of three or whatever it was um and then it’s just then it’s just

Back and forth and look the foul differential killed us the free throw differential killed us those are just facts those are just those are on the stat sheet um and so you know whatever happened in the fourth quarter you know U if we if we had played with the

Same force in the first half we wouldn’t be talking about the fourth quarter ask you about size after you guys played these guys earlier this season but just it seems like so many matchups they have such that big Advantage there’s anything you can do when size disadvantage with

Your team you know our whole team was fouling out in the first half I mean we had all three centers had three fouls um I subed I subbed uh Smith in to play Four with Isaiah Jackson and then he got whistled for his fourth or something um

And and so you know it just it was just hard to keep up with all that um so you know going bigger is something something that was on the table try to do it and you know I haven’t looked at the game yet to see you know what all

The calls look like and that’s it doesn’t matter now but I mean this the foul differential and the free throw differential is pretty embarrassing keep to keep going on that not a ref question but did you sense a theme in the fouls like late rotations guys getting beat at the point of attack

What do you feel like led to so many of those well I you know I don’t know what the breakdown was first half to second half um second half at the point of attack we were we were much more aggressive and on point and so I would

Guess we had quite a few less fouls in the second half um but look it’s it’s a big strong physical team um and you know you just you just have to play at full capacity and uh and we did not and so you know we we pay a price

Obviously mentioned one of those guys who was out with foul trouble uh was Miles so he did obviously turn it up a lot in the third quarter I mean just what did you see sort of change in him and and obviously how much of that was kind of frustration being taken out on

The fact that he couldn’t play very much in the first uh I’m not when did he go out well I mean maybe we played 10 minutes in the first half I think somewhere along those lines he had the knee injury with like well he played he played 10 minutes in

The first quarter or uh he didn’t play very much in the first half I think he had made like two shots yeah I I I don’t remember the breakdown what’s what’s the question though I’m just basically asking about his third and and and his fourth the the degree to which he turned

It up and and you know well you know he look our whole team turned it up it’s not a thing where miles is turning up the whole team is turning up like our whole team has to function like that for one guy to have an individual you know

Night like that um that’s the beauty of our team and that’s and that’s the challenge of it is is is convincing these guys that you know full capacity full boore force together you know with a with a high level of synergy is is is what it’s all about and so second half

Was great I mean you know we lost the game that’s disappointing um but in in the second half you know we completely turned turned around um The Leverage of the game and that’s something we got to learn to do from the beginning how you feel about the way

Andrew played uh you know coming in as a starter seemed like he did a lot to kind of ease some things on Tyrese early hit some big yeah he’s he’s terrific look he knows this he knows this role he did it all last year um he had a he had a

Terrific game I was a little concerned about the number of minutes but this probably um if he comes out of this okay which it at this point seems like he’s going to um helps get him back into the you know into the flow pretty quickly

With our team so um yeah he was he was very good and I know we keep asking about him over and over again but it’s Tyrese um what you know it seemed like he had a little bit more freedom of movement today I mean is a lot of that

What Andrew did to take the pressure off of him did they do a little bit less blitzing than you’ve seen in the last couple games me just what kind of allowed him to get a little bit more free maybe than he has been in the last couple Tai Tai’s a smart player he’s

He’s he’s figuring things out on before everyone’s eyes and um so and and I do think I do think having Drew out there with him it it creates a different geometry of the game um and look Bruce can do a lot of those things too so it’s not you know it’s not

That it’s not that different um but yeah I mean he’s a great young player that’s learning a lot and he he he calculates and and and and comes up with answers very quickly Rick do you think you need a lineup change of some sort moving forward uh what do you

Mean well I mean a rotation change or a starting lineup starting lineup change or or rotation change I mean just I think you’ve lost six out of seven or five out of seven obviously you’re we are what our record is you know right now we’re a 500 team um you know we’ve

Had we’ve had high highs and we had we’ve had low lows and and we’ve got to become more consistent um we’re making some strides on defense you know it’s a third game in a row we’ve we’ve held teams under 120 which you know is is progress for us and

So we’ve got to continue with that um but as far as everything as far as the lineup you know I that’s you know I’ll look at the game and and see what’s what I mean you know there there there there are different ways you can look at it um you know at

What point does strengthening the starting lineup you know um bother the balance of your rotation you know and so all those things are considerations but I don’t think this is you know you know I don’t think we’re at a point right now where that’s really the burning question you know

I as I said the other night you know our our starting group has been one of our most effective groups now you know Andrew playing with uh with these guys um is is a little different um and he got two quick fouls and so that you know

That that influenced the game as well so anything else yeah Rick what happened with Bruce to just why was he unavailable uh he’s got a he’s got a a knee issue that um I don’t know if he’s been on the injury report Mike has he no has he been at all this

Year yeah so it’s something that was very has been very very minor so it hasn’t it hasn’t shown up on the report but you know coming off a a tough back to back um and then headed into uh tonight uh he had a little more soreness

So um he was ruled out he’s a late scratch so the hope is that it’s minor and it’s something that can be resolved uh relatively quickly but don’t don’t know anything other than that the fourth quarter of this game and they do something specifically that you felt

Like slowed you guys down so much at the end why do you feel like you got in a rut there uh I think we just uh a little too get a little stagnant Miss opportunities that we should have capitalize on she got to be be more

Physical we we we got to do a better job game was in the fourth quarter game was in the first half uh coach preach about it going to lock him to gam in the first half we give 20 points first half uh we got to be relentless like

That half and then the four quart in the second in the second half and treat that the same way in the first half we figure it out man to come together you know we not too far away from that similar about you know they scored 73 in the first half you guys didn’t

Have that early in the game like what what happens when that isn’t there can you tell right away that you’re not playing the way you want is the energy missing is something that happens pregame or is it just like the symptom of an NBA season kind of deal you know like uh

Last last time they came in they embarrassed us you know they punched Us in the M we didn’t respond and we were just trying to do a be more physical you know we know we’re down what 14 15 and a half uh you know sometimes top basketball works sometimes

You you feed off the crowd you get into the game I made a few B plays Tai made some plays and you try to figure it out uh but we was not able to wether the storm and enjoy that fight you know um you think we beginning that fourth early

Fourth we can we tend to like take the foot off the pedal and then make a couple shots and know always trying to play catch up basketball catch up basketball we could be able to like get back in the fight is it just their size what about that team is so tricky for

You guys man they play hard I mean every second every every play they play hard they’re they’re very beatable but they play hard and I think their hard play is what separates them uh they don’t have no elite shot making there Gary Harris but their hard play uh makes them so

Elite and uh you know you guys playing hard every possession you know and uh and uh Jamal mosy does a great job uh just just Hing them and playing hard every position boxing out and the Atlant is they’re six7 from every position you know which is they got guys come up the

Bench had a 67 68 uh but no we had chance to win this game I think we get we got away from us you mentioned Rick uh talking about it at a half I mean it really seemed like you guys came out with an edge uh you know going into the

Third quarter basically I mean like what was the message that got across and and how did you guys I guess receive it I mean what what kind of clicked for you you know switched over I feel like we just get St at spurts in the first half

You know we went on a run and we we we didn’t Wi on a run and we lost it and then we tried to get it back you know and I Tred to we the storm and know you know I mean the coaches are they they’re

Telling us all the right things to do we as players have to go there and ply it and uh you know uh try to resemble that same hard play that Orlando brings each and every day you know and uh each and every second yes is you can get scored on but you playing

Hard giving your best effort all to the whole 48 minutes you know good results will come and uh just we we didn’t we didn’t had that extra fight to get us across that bump man we needed that but but we getting close man I promise I’m

Not trying to get you in trouble with this I’m not asking about the calls themselves but obviously the free throw disparity is huge and also you have a bunch of guys in foul trouble early how much did that throw off the rhythm again not asking about the calls themselves of

Course you know I said we gota be more smart we got to know how guys are going to beat us they and they do they do don’t get me wrong they do a really good job going downhill they’re Relentless um Vagner and uh B they they do a hell of a

Good job getting downhill putting it and uh and that’s why they’re so good because they able to slow the game down and uh a team like us like to play fast so they on the free throw line and know we just walking the wall back up to them

And uh their length can be a big factor in that we can’t get get into our flow how we want to so we got to be do a better job without fouling but you know it’d be like that sometimes and when you don’t get the the whistle going

Your way when you guys were flowing offensively I mean the first time you guys played them Tyrese had a really hard time getting any kind of room but it seemed like he was able to get some operating room obviously you hit some big shots I mean what what do you think

What worked better when it was working for you guys offensively uh than last time I we just get stagnant at us different spurts used to get stagnant different Spurs weed got to freig how to we the storm and uh you know you look you look at the stats now you

Know the bench didn’t play too good but you know we get one of the best benches in the league and uh you know and uh they just came up short tonight and uh and they they know it and uh they’re I’m pretty sure next game they’re going to find a way to

Respond we got a really elak bench but that’s not excuse why we lost so I can’t give you we we got figured out man we lost together as a team you got to figure it out buddy when you face a team with this kind of modern size like

Toronto like them and you’re undersized at every position and out of length what what becomes the most important thing then Hard Play Hard Play All physical himm doing the little things rebound box out every possession matters because that their length covered up a lot for

It so hard play man then with James back in the fold how have you already noticed him reestablishing himself and making some kind of difference James Johnson uh he’s a vocal leader man he’s just one of the best guys I’ve been around in the league you know uh just positive he’s

Like another coach over there and uh and he canect us really well on and off the court and uh me he’s like a big bro man uh he’s just helping the rookies helping Tai helping mou and uh just talking in my air talking everybody in the air and

Like he’s that positive voice that you need in the locker room you know and uh like I say he’s he’s another coach out there and uh but as a player you know which is needed Harry’s buddy and Rick both talked about you guys coming out slow in

This game they had over 70 points in the first half why do you think that is or has happened to you guys so often this season f fing we sent everybody to the free throw line teams live at the free throw line against us uh that’s been a reoccurring theme some has been

Noticeable since the Lakers game really so uh we didn’t foul as much in the second half that allowed us to get out and run I mean when we just teams are attacking us to get us to foul because they can’t run with us so um yeah when

We don’t foul we’re a lot better than than we are when we do you guys do lead the league and opponent free throw rate so two things on that one why do you think that is the case is that defense of lapses slow rotations and two you

Guys like to play fast so when those things break up the game like that how much does it change what you can do stylistically uh I mean when you’re out of position so much and it scrambles so much it it puts people in bad situations

To to to foul and uh yeah I think that’s the the biggest thing we’re just out of position a lot as a team and so I think that’s why the coaching staff’s main focus has been defense lately um or main conversations and through practices and stuff like that um and then the second

Part of your question was how does that affect us running the running yeah I mean teams live at the free throw line it’s hard to run because it allows them to set their defense they can pick up full court on misses it’s really tough for them to do that so again I think

It’s just a theme that really started in that Laker game um and has kind of continued till now fourth quarter your offense wasn’t there the whole team not just you 18 points for you guys in that quarter what do you feel like did they do something to slow you down what do

You think changed for you guys in that frame uh I missed a layup that would have I think uh put brought the game to like five or something uh we missed a couple buddy missed a layup um missed a three I think we got some good looks just missed

Them uh and didn’t we had a turnover and transition uh I think there was just a couple plays we didn’t capitalize on when we needed to uh and that ultimately swung the game prior to that uh what um it seemed like you had more room to operate

Tonight than one than you have in wild and certainly than you did when you played these guys the first time and like did they Blitz less double less uh or anything like that or was it just being able to play in transition more and to what degree do you think uh Drew

You know kind of helped you out tonight and open some things up for you I don’t think it really had anything to do with them honestly or us as a team I I I think that I just made a lot more shots today um and did a better job of getting

Guys in spots um I thought my teammates put me in a good position I mean Drew gave me a gimme in the corner um you know guys were looking for me so I think that that that had a lot to do with that it’s nothing that they did differently

Or anything compared to the last time we saw them I mean they they guarded me the exact same that they have been um I just I made some shots today um just came back into to to the flow of things I know we keep asking about this this has

Probably been the main theme of our questions for the last week and a half but I mean do you feel like you have a little bit better sense of how to attack everybody game by game I mean do you feel like you’re taking lessons from each game and applying them and do you

Feel like today was not a breakthrough necessarily but you feel like today was another step I just think every every night is a a growing experience every night is an opportunity to learn and get better and um I’m a basketball Junkie so I think like after games like I’ve been

Having lately it’s just been a lot of film study um and a lot of you know understanding that so that’s my that’s been my biggest thing since um you know these recent struggles is just getting into the film and seeing where I can be better turning the ball over a lot right

Now uh missing a lot of shots so just getting back to the basics we’re on the road for a lot a long time so getting back on getting back home lifting uh getting extra shots going to church getting in my routine you know what I mean and uh things are going to get

Better mes was obviously a big piece of that third quarter and obviously he he missed a lot of time with fouls and everything in the first half just how important was he and getting you guys back into it what I just impressed you about everything he did in that period

To get you guys roll I think thought he did a good job protecting in the rim when Paulo got downhill we did a good job of showing our hands and allowing miles to protect the rim there and then I think offensively I just was able to

Find him in the role and I think that’s you know when I’m scoring the ball well and teams have to put two on the ball more um I think that that leaves him open to do his thing and uh just I think he he he played really well today we

Talked previously about learning when to take the shot and talking maybe with subbert at anyone have you talked with anyone about this new next this current phase you’re dealing with um yeah it’s interesting because everybody has the answers like everybody can tell everybody knows exactly what I’m supposed to do how I

Get out the slump I mean everybody’s got the answers except for me I guess so that’s been the the funny thing of these recent struggles uh but at the end of the day I just got to be who I am I think being Isaac we always just say you

Know be you be who you are and so at the end of the day that’s all I have to do is trust my work understand what’s happening happens to everybody over the course of a year I’ve been missing shots tur the ball over just I’ve been bad for the last like week and

A half so just just want to be better and honestly I mean I’m okay playing that like that if we win but I think the end day I’ve been hurting our team more than I’ve been helping so just trying to get back into the flow of things get us

Uh we’re here at 500 so it’s like you know restarting the year for us basically you know we got a really tough schedule coming up so that’s the exciting part and it’s you know Christmas season holiday season everybody’s got their fam in everybody’s going to be feeling better moving

Forward once you see your fam and stuff I mean we’ve been on the road a ton so I’m excited for us to to you know to get couple days of rest and be ready to go and yeah like I said every everybody’s got the answers what becomes most

Important when you play a modern style team like this where you’re kind of undersized at every position length is extreme Challenge and things like that I mean I think for us just not fing uh that’s that’s the biggest thing because we’re under sized at some positions I think Paulo and France are

Two of the you know they’re the future of the game in the sense of what where the game is trending long wings that can really do everything defend multiple positions get downhill shoot the three handle I mean they’re really really good both those guys so that’s the future of

The league those two guys and so we just got to understand how we can be better I mean 41 free throws to 1 I mean that’s not that’s not going to cut it that’s not going to cut it I don’t know what I I I think I think we’re following a lot but

Yeah pretty quickly and have a sense of what your role was with uh you know playing next to tie just basically what what did you feel just like just worked out for you you know offensively especially to start with um I think I was just letting it come to me with our

The way we play is so Random so you just got to kind of pick your spots and understand when’s the right time to be aggressive to make a play for yourself and when it’s time to also be aggressive to make a play but got to kick it out to

Somebody else think I did a solid job with that just physically what’s been like just getting back into a rhythm basically just you know starting Thursday or playing Thursday and getting back into this and how you how you feeling basically and yeah I felt good I

Felt really good I feel like the whole week I was really rehabing hard really getting in the weight room so my body’s fresh I feel feel like I’m ready to get out there um and play and whatever me I get just compete started with Tha lot last year is anything different playing

Next to him this year with the way he’s changed the way you guys have changed you play a little bit um like it wasn’t like we’re just selling I wouldn’t say I wouldn’t say much I think this year I’m trying to be more of a threat on that side of Florida

Even open it up more for him as last year I was trying to just kind of fit in a little bit more so I’m just trying to keep building myself and see where I can f as you toggled more between on and off ball this season last year was more

Offall how have you felt about your offensive growth this year for last year I think it’s it’s taking a leap I think it’s it’s going in the right direction and um I’m happy about where it’s going I think it’s going to continue to go in that direction was the rehab process

Like for you were you only knocked out for a few days how long did it take you to get back to being able to do what you do um like this past week or yeah um I probably didn’t get on the court much

For 3 4 days and then I was back to kind of play ones and going up and down gradually um by by the last couple days I was playing full court five you feeling it all now um no not at all from a team standpoint obviously you guys

Picked it up a lot in the third and I think uh you know Rish just talking about how um he tried to get that point across to you guys that there need to be a lot more presence I me what kind of you know what did you kind of see going

On in the first half half you guys think you kind of flipped to Swit in second I just think you come on sometimes not really valuing every possession from the beginning of the game and trying to F it out and as the game goes on realize how

Important they are and then you start picking it up so I think just a thing of like being mature and understand that we got to come out and be the hunters every time we’re still the young guys that are trying to hunt so it’s like we’re not

We’re not we’re not uh there like we’re not made or Nothing what do you make of this team’s foul issues do think like late rotations communication why do you feel like you guys are failing so it’s tough question it’s hard to guard in the league with some of these

Offensive players just trying to hunt fouls all game um it’s tough it’s tough I think you just got to keep watching the film and keep understanding the feel of one guys are going to try doing certain things like that and get our hands away it’s just a learning thing you got to

Continue to build do you think that practice Tuesday to focus on the defense and getting back to simple stuff has helped you like have you seen some progress on that into the floor these last three games I think there’s been a little more um focus on last three games I think

It’s also been like more care for us us us in the last three games everybody um I think we’ve had lws though throughout games at times too which is why we had a 7 point half um so we got to put four four games together to beat

Teams appreciate you Dre thank you with that I’m good it was it’s equivalent to a funny bone basically got hit like a sweet spot of my knee went numb for a little bit and just ran it out and then great training to staff here got me

Right so was good what about that team their size the way they play whatever is so tricky for you guys it feels like they get you have more than play this year I mean you can’t teach hype I mean honestly I think we really we we flew

Around a lot better this game than we did last game um I’m really not mad at our defensive efforts I think we held them to like 40 something points in the second half you know terrible first half but you know we prove night night out

That we can do it but we just wait too long you know I feel like we wait sometimes we wait to get punched to punch back and it can’t be that way you know you got to punch first at times but um you know I think that yeah that mean

The hit shots when it matter you know I think they they got some good players over there they make good plays the foul issue tonight has been really a season long Trend why do you think is leading to those whether it be late rotations breakdowns to the point of attack why do

You feel like you guys have that touch um I think is is human nature at times that when you feel you you get beat you throw your hands in there and you know we’re it’s a discipline thing you know I think it’s something we got to continue

To teach and continue to preach is just to trust your help um you know at times you can have I said have a great defensive possession you know one say here is we won so once we won you know just keep your hands out of there and

Make them shoot a tough shot you know but um you know still like I said we keep preaching you was at 15 in that third I mean seemed like you were taking out a lot of frustration from that first half just what got you going uh in that

Quarter basically what you know as far as how you operate on offense but also what you’re able to do on defense as well nothing different just opportunity you know once I see my opportunities and I try to get as aggressive as possible you know I got to make I I got to make

More you know opportunities for myself you know I think I know that especially in the second half you know um but at the same time you know when you have you know when you have a team that’s flowing you you got four or five guys that get

Going at the same time you know it’s tough at times but um yeah no I think it’s got to keep picking and choos thoughts to be aggressive and just be even be more aggressive down the stretch your eyes light up a little bit when they threw up that inbounds pass my

Seventh grade football days you know what I’m saying this a little defensive back you feel me I use the term free safety on Twitter that’s exactly work what you do with the painting from the Star Wars game I’m going to ship it back to Austin I just go back up my crib

Eventually but yeah no it’s at the crib right now did an amazing job just upside down and pass it’s crazy bro yeah it’s amazing what position did you play in football def defensive end and right tackle I wasn’t yeah I was not a I didn’t think you would have played

Secondary but I just I ha every minute of it was all

Rick Carlisle, Buddy Hield, Tyrese Haliburton, Andrew Nembhard and Myles Turner speak with the media following the Pacers loss to the Magic on Saturday night.

0:00 – Rick Carlisle
8:44 – Buddy Hield
14:50 – Tyrese Haliburton
21:47 – Andrew Nembhard
25:22 – Myles Turner