Indiana Pacers Postgame Media Availability (at Milwaukee Bucks) | January 1, 2024

Indiana Pacers Postgame Media Availability (at Milwaukee Bucks) | January 1, 2024

Very tough game very proud of the way we hung in the game and uh continue to play when our shot making was uh was struggling really all night um McConnell was brilliant he was great in the first half and you know the second half really speaks for itself

Um and uh you know I just thought we we did a lot of things that you need to do on the road you know you got to keep your Poise you got to stay aggressive and and we we kept good internal energy and and kept uh kept believing in each

Other so um tough win and uh so you know Wednesday will be another very tough one winning going five for 35 to three is extremely unusual what’s the out to you as the keys to overcoming that and still being able to both score and stay in well we talked about the importance

Of being efficient on offense uh um and doing a good job in The Possession game um you know so we we had a slight advantage on the boards and we always turned it over seven times so that that helps keep you keep you in the game and so

Um you know and then you know we we got into the bonus a few times and uh you know Matan had a great game you know he just was a he was a factor all night long and I I thought you know showed some real maturity and the second half

Defensively guarding a really tough guy in Middleton who’s you know a scoring machine he just scores effortlessly and you know he he made a coup a couple buckets but but but Ben played him played him well and and uh and and position wise did a did a did a solid as

Good a job as you can do what do you think made the bench click so well both halves they were the group that changed the game after the Bucks went up 15 in the first and third quarter yeah it’s just you know it’s a special group of competitors you know guys on

Our team are you know they they like each other they support each other um they compete hard against each other in practice but when it comes to the games they they pat each other on the butt and they really encourage each other and you know they make it about they make it

About the team and so you know it’s it’s rare uh two games in a row to to play 10 guys you know um it’s it’s not easy to do um but you know certain guys have to make sacrifices you know it wasn’t Buddy’s night um shooting the ball but

You know buddy did some very good things out there we just had to keep searching till we found a formula that clicked a little bit and uh you know down the stretch of the game he’s up there um leading the cheers you know so that’s that’s what we got to have

You know to be successful uh against a team like this or or any team was theard you know he got he got off some some pretty good shots um look it’s this team’s almost impossible I mean you know you know Giannis is as big a problem as as I’ve seen in

This league in in a long time and you know we’ve been dealing I’ve been you know having to deal with for the last 10 years out in the west and that’s no picnic let me tell you you know um I haven’t seen the film yet

Um he he had a missile at the end of the game that we’re we dodged that one you know um that would have made it I think a four-point game or something like that so nights like tonight you got to get a little bit lucky you got to play hard

Enough and do enough good things where you know you get a little you get a little lucky with with the opponent missing some shots as well CU we we missed quite a few on our on our own you guys have won three out four matchs against um that stuff doesn’t matter it’s you

You know you know it you got to you got to focus on now and next um all the stuff analyzing I mean they’ll be very motivated for sure coming out Wednesday that’s just that’s just how this is you know um we got to be real motivated too

You know we should have you know we’re going to have a lively building a great crowd um and you know we we got to be we got to be worthy of it uh from a competitive standpoint you know um yeah we’re fortunate you know we’ve had so many of these games

Um it’s not even January 2nd yet that have really been simulations of of high level playoff type situations atmospheres Etc so um we got to keep growing I I mathine is showing real real growth real maturity you know I mean he’s just uh he’s really he’s really coming of age and you know

He’s learning how hard it is to do every night um but he’s but he’s he’s starting to he’s starting to figure it out and you know it doesn’t always happen but when it doesn’t always happen you got to do your best and you got to support your teammates and that’s what that’s what

All our guys are doing right now coach you mentioned TJ earlier what did you think of that play really late in the fourth where he sprinted across the court and then saved the that loose passengers turn ear I mean that that’s one of the best that’s one of the best

Um hustle plays I’ve seen all year and really I mean because that’s where the action was with the whistle um you know a lot of people missed the save that mathine made on on Tyrese’s Outlet over a couple guys in a double team Ben made an an amazing save and then TJ

I don’t know how he got to the ball and then to save it and then draw the foul I mean absolutely enormous play and um and really you know McConnell was was the star of the game you know to me I I just thought he was uh I just thought he was

Brilliant the entire night can you speak more to that the way he attack the defense was something you feel like he did so you know our guys we just encourage them to be themselves to attack um to be Fearless within their skill set and uh you know

TJ’s when he steps on the floor that’s who he is and that’s how he’s going to play and um you know he he’s he’s got some good memories in this building he had a a career game last year here um and and tonight he was he was he was

Vital he was a vital part part of this one um I me pretty much just going in the game as myself um trying to keep the game simple trying to make the right plays and pretty much trying out my team what were you talking about with ti at

The end of the game hard to tell from up where we were um it’s probably conversation what does it say for y for y’all’s Ben I mean 70 bench points what does it say for y’all’s depth right now uh you know like we said I mean we you

Know we have a lot of death on the team we have a lot of players that came big tonight um you know TJ had a great game you know and Tyrese was was just being himself today so um I mean it was it was fun you know seeing the guys you know

Taking uh turns on uh you know just pretty much impacting the game you mentioned TJ what did you think of that hustle play he had at near the end of the game where he kind of fell over one of the tables uh it was great I

Mean you know that’s a big play and you know TJ is known for make him big plays and he’s a winning player so it was it was a great thing to see you you had to say it before that on that TJ play how

Did you how did you kind of see all that all that playoff um like I say you it was a great play it was a win play and it helped us win the game given everything that happened between these two teams the last couple weeks was it make this win

Any sweeter was this a game y’all were kind of circling or I mean for sure for sure you know we lost against them last last game so um I mean for us it’s just a it’s just just a really good game just going to the next game um you know in

Two days and you know pretty much staying locked in for we’ heard guys say recently they’ve been talking to you about catching shoots being quicker not as much thinking you’re putting it on the floor is that becoming more natural for you have you felt that become easier

Or is it still kind of a work in progress I mean for sure it’s always a it’s always a work in progress um you know feel like the team is is is giving me catch and shoot so I just got to let it Let It Fly and you know I’m I’m

Pretty confident doing it man um that we just found a way to win um I think we kind of hang our hat on getting a lot of three breze up and when we make a lot of them are pretty tough to beat but when we don’t make them it’s typically hard

For us to win and you know I tip our cap to this group um we just found a way and adjusted to our cold shooting night and and got it done a team all season has been as can be someone different every night Tyrese is going to have his nights

But everyone else can contribute but to have 70 bench points what was that group doing effectively tonight I think just pushing the pace you know I’ve said this um my whole career where you know the point of people coming off the bench you know if we’re losing our job is to bring

Us back and you know if we’re if we have the lead it’s either to keep it there or to extend it and you know just trying to do our jobs on that end is there anything that added to your energy level tonight something about the buck something about this game cuz it’s about

Like you were all over the place yeah um I don’t know I just the opportunity to kind of go out there and um and play um just like when my numbers called just trying to go out there and affect the game as best as I can and do my job and

It um you know it was called tonight and um they’re just trying to hold it down for Drew till he gets back you’re three and one against the bucks now why do you think even with all the stats y has been able to put up against y’all they’ve

Been able to match up so effectively with them overall um I don’t know you know just good game plan and um you know they they came and they punked us um the last time we were here they were more physical um they were the better team

And um you know we just kind of wanted to match the physicality and um cuz it’s Milwaukee’s a great team you know don’t get that twisted and you know you have to match their energy you kind of just walk us through that hustle play at the

End where Ben savs it across the court then you Sprint across the court to save it and get the get the foul on Middleton I thought you just did a good job of explaining it yourself really um yeah I mean I I thought he was going to

Throw it to me and um kind of threw it over and I saw Chris kind of look back and so I didn’t think he was going to save it so I tried to make a play on it and um fortunately um you know got fouled and I know I think it went one

For two from the line um pretty mad about that though the reaction afterwards is that just kind of epitomize just kind of how together you guys are as a group yeah I mean this this Locker Room’s really close and we’re really tied together um you got

From 1 to 15 not only great basketball players but great human beings as well um great teammates and when you have that um you know it’s it’s fun to be a part of franchise has it won shooting under 50% from three since 2016 I mean was it something about the game plan

That worked well beyond that was it defense I mean what did you feel like you guys did well to get around that before shooting it I mean I just feel like it was really that no quit mentality um you know we didn’t shoot the ball well so we tried to get

Downhill and um get into the paint and create a problem and you know starting with Tai we we did that you know he’s been remarkable all year all NBA type type player and kind of just fed off his energy and and and went uh as he goes is

There any more for this team coming into today after what happened last time in this building no I mean it was I think that was a little overblown um you know there was a lot of theatrics after the game but just two two teams really competing hard and Giannis had a

Historic game last game and um you know tip your cap to him and um I really you know don’t even know what happened after the game we had a discussion a couple years ago when you got a technical foul there’s some issues about couches yeah I

Told I told the official that called the my wife was in the stands and she wanted a new couch and now I can’t get her one because you know I got a technical cell you know just unfortunate

Rick Carlisle, Bennedict Mathurin and T.J. McConnell speak with the media following the Pacers win over the Bucks on Monday night.

0:00 – Rick Carlisle
7:00 – Bennedict Mathurin
8:52 – T.J. McConnell