Indiana Pacers Postgame Media Availability (at Denver Nuggets) | January 14, 2024

Indiana Pacers Postgame Media Availability (at Denver Nuggets) | January 14, 2024

Well I thought I thought I thought we fought hard in this game and uh there were some frustrating parts of it um you know a lot a lot of this came down to jokic’s Greatness and muray greatness and um you know we hung in and and didn’t play our best game and

Still we hanging in so um I I know it’s it’s uh I don’t I have to watch it to get a better handle on the whole thing guess the one of the big numbers that stands out I guess you guys ultimately lost the rebounding battle 40

To 37 but I think you guys won second chance points 20 to6 14 offensive rebounds there four uh turnovers I me that I guess when you talk about fighting is that really what stands out tonight was how well you guys got after loose balls um and and that kind of

Thing kind of one extra possessions yeah in intensity wise I thought I thought the effort was really there um it’s a great team it’s a tough environment um they’re really great in the first six minutes of the game we weathered that very well um probably should had a lead at

The end of the first that was disappointing um you know so um yeah I you know and then you know I we didn’t the I don’t I I don’t want to get I don’t want to get fine but you know it took four took 14 minutes to get a foul call on

Them in the second half you know it’s that was you know that was that was surprising um I just you mentioned just jok greatness obviously 12 of 13 12 rebounds nine assists I guess it’s one of those guys hard to like what com what you know compliment hasn’t been said

Already just especially when you hold a guy to 6 he’s in F trouble the first half just stood out about how great he was especially in the second yeah and he was in foul trouble too so um you know we did some good things to get him

Um uh to get him to be in some foul trouble in the second quarter you know they were fortunate on the challenge I mean we looked at it and it’s another one that you know looks like he goes like this when miles drives

It and so you know I I don’t know um but whatever you know we have these guys again in another week and a half or whatever it is so um we’ll have something to go off of as we get ready for the next one but um you know it’s it’s an interesting set

Of two games both in altitude um both in the same time zone um and you know both teams playing at a high level you like Utah right now I think is you know since Christmas they got as good as are better record than we do so

Uh and they’re rested so we know we’re going into a tough situation there but uh I I just overall I just like the fight of our team tonight and uh or today I should say this afternoon um feels like 10 o00 but it’s only 4 pm. here

So uh we talked about Bruce and pregame obviously but for for um what was like to actually just see the whole thing I obviously both from the moment uh you know the ring ceremony but also just what he did coming off after 18 and 10 uh six assist obviously was really

Effective for you guys just to see him that have that kind of performance coming off of you know yeah it’s I I was very impressed you know I was very happy for him I think all of our people um in our party our players our staff really

Happy for him the the moment where you get your championship ring is like you know once in a lifetime type thing in most cases and uh the love he was getting from their players and their fans was uh was very very special and uh

Um to be able to jump into the game and have the kind of game he had was uh was really great too so really happy for him special special day um hope he has the ring somewhere where it’s not going to get lost I guess obviously 8 of 29 for three

Is one the kind of a number that stands out a little bit I mean it seemed from at least my angle like you guys got the shot you one and just didn’t get him to fall down was that kind of your read as well it’s just we we had we had some we

Had some good looks and you know some times it comes down to maker Miss but process-wise you know I look at the film but I liked a lot of them we got stuck a couple times L clock um but it’s a long season and you know it’s men not

Machines you’ve just got to continue with the same approach and in the same um U process and mechanics and and we’ll make our share you know as long as the spirit of our team is good and I thought you know there were there were some frustrating segments of the game but uh

We we we held it together uh pretty well and uh we’ll have to do the same tomorrow I think everyone was just super unselfish like they are still today um shared the ball um it wasn’t just one person’s night it was four or five people um and it’s everybody got

Involved uh uncan is came back and both when they got their Rings they they talked about the family atmosphere yeah why why is that such a big deal for that team up there um I think you could just hold everyone accountable um and no one takes it

Personal um everybody just wants to win and that’s that’s the main goal um so that’s why they keep winning what were you just expecting this was going to be like today and was it different I guess no it was great I mean I it was more than what I expected

I didn’t know the the crowd was going to Cher like that um I almost started crying but I had to hold it in um because I told one of the fans I wasn’t going to cry so um it was tough I love I loved it though is it emotional or kind of a

Compliment when people miss you they say God we miss him person and basketball both yeah I mean it was great to hear um obviously my time here was great um I do miss D I went to the stock show actually yesterday um but I mean yeah I love this

Place I love the fans um they’ve been nothing but great to me have you got a chance to look at the ring yet or uh on the floor yeah but I just got it um so I haven’t opened the box yet what were your initial thoughts when you saw it I

Think it’s huge and it’s sparkly lot of diamonds this is my first thing with diamonds on it so it’s good they tell you all they hit the hidden things in it all the you know no I actually got to play with I got to figure out they said

The little the double ring and it like moves or something but I got James Bond thing yeah I got to I got to figure it out what was that particular moment like I mean you talked about just the fans and everything but obviously you had a

Moment with the guys yeah no it was great it was good seeing them I haven’t seen him since obviously uh well the parade um but it was great to see him I missed him um as you said as people say it’s a family atmosphere here um and

Everyone they knew that at some point I was going to leave last year um they cheered me on um they said you better not come back because they knew I couldn’t turn down what I got um but I’m happy that they they’re uh stay in my life what was it like playing against

Them today tough I knew every play but I still they were moving too fast the air here is still a little crazy um I was tired through like what three quarters um but yeah I mean they they know exactly what they’re doing they know they knew exactly our plays where

They needed to be um they communicated H it’s just a great team over there did it feel strange walking into this locker room instead of the one across the hall no I knew it was coming it was this is not my first time back in this Arena the

The last time I was here it was uh the Cole Swindell and Thomas R concert that felt weird being back but that that was after I signed um to Indie Joker leave me a little bruise on the back the ball it hit me in the head U I didn’t know he

Was going to throw it and hit me right in the head um but I mean that’s our relationship uh pregame he used to throw stuff at me too that was two lockers down from him so um yeah I missed him do they still got it you know that it’s a

Long season we got you know the spring to come it’s like a second season but that Championship yeah I mean yeah that’s a great team um they’re the best team in the league until they get knocked off what’s just to kind of keep going off of that obviously just seem like I

Think their starters were like 42 of 60 somewhere on that Lan so especially how they were able to turn on the end that does that kind of show just kind of yeah I mean you know at the end of the game the ball’s to be in Jamal and Nico’s hands and they’re just

Going to make plays they’re going to make the right play every time either it’s Nicole nicolea scoring Jamal scoring or they’re going to find one of their teammates um so it’s tough that starting five is one of the best in basketball what the I mean you guys

Obiously were able to hang in there for one thing I mean you rebounded pretty well I think you held them relatively low on Second Chance points you guys won that by a bunch but did you feel like you guys put up a pretty good effort in

This one yeah but I mean we definitely could have been better we had a few slippages slip s you know what I mean yeah and um Mike Mike npj hit a few threes kcp hit a few threes um so but we’ll learn we’ll play them soon

Rick Carlisle and Bruce Brown speak with the media following the Pacers loss to the Nuggets on Sunday night.

0:00 – Rick Carlisle
5:05 – Bruce Brown