Indiana Pacers Postgame Media Availability (at Boston Celtics) | January 30, 2024

Indiana Pacers Postgame Media Availability (at Boston Celtics) | January 30, 2024

Second half I should say our first half was uh was poor not enough presence not enough force uh second half was obviously much better great third quarter Tyrese uh got more comfortable as the game went along gained Rhythm um got appeared to me to get stronger and so uh he did well

Um you know it’s just a 48 minute game so got to play a lot better to start and a lot better in the first half with I guess with t was it a minutes restriction to start with was 22 the number basically and what’s you know

What all came came into play there and how you know is that something that’s kind of going to be kind of gradual going forward I guess yeah it’s going to be gradual what I guess just you could talk just a little more about what you liked about

Him it seemed like he started to get some comfort there and was it like you know you talked a lot about inating Pas and then kind of having this next step to getting him invol I mean this is not the easiest team in the world to come back against sure in the

Stage and everything else is it’s very challenging um you got to give him a lot of credit for wanting to do this on this night I mean there that’s a lot and so I uh I have a lot of respect for that um and you beginning game both teams

Ramped UPS National TV big deal physical game they’re they got a bunch of physical guys and uh nothing was coming easy to us but as the game went along you know we uh we settled in better at at both ends but you know defense in the NBA is is something you can’t settle

Into You’ got to you got to have the posture to start the game and we didn’t so that that hurt us and it hurt our offense and it it made it more difficult for for tyres to get good looks and so took a while to get to get uh to get him

Going I thought in the third quarter you that was only going to be a five or so minute run um he looked like himself 2 just played aggressive um you know I thought everything with him starts with his running and he’s learned to move well within our system um and his recognition gets

Better each year so you know we know he can shoot the ball and has developed a Dependable Drive game you know when he has the space and so did a good job you know 11 for 17 um is great no turnovers you know it’s a clean game

Just got to keep the game simple you know uh make sure there’s space attack space and know know where your Outlets are and uh you know if he continues to do that he’ll he’ll get he’ll continue to get better and better um just I don’t know he change the match ups a little

Bit um just being a little bit more aggressive um I think you know like we went went like that physical in the beginning they made some tough shots but you know early on they got some easy shots like those like a team like that you can’t let them get comfortable early

Um I thought they did that but the second half I thought you know we came back a little bit more solid playing harder um more communication um a little bit more physical and you know that’s when was able to tie the game and you know get to

To a good good point um yeah but but I thought you know our intensity was a lot better in the second half was like to just try to again I gu reincorporate T obviously play one game yeah yeah know just trying to um again see what it does

In the floor you know we just got to get minutes out there together um so we haven’t really had that opportunity today was one of them but again we’re going to continue to learn like I think it’s it’s easy we talk and and we figure

It out and um and and I’m sure we’ll get it going did it feel like I you kind of feel like you’ve almost played on like three different teams between like the first couple games yeah yeah no it it does feel different and um like and and

I just got to I just got to adjust and you know it takes a little bit of time sometimes you know it’s going take a couple games um just to to continue to understand each other and and and again like he’s a smart player like I I feel

Like I’m pretty smart um and and we going to figure it out it’s just a question of just being on the floor and getting yeah getting like like yeah like get getting that the minute together um and just talking more and more and and and again we can talk outside of it but

You know I think once you get on the floor you you you get a better feel for it obviously an adjustment on the court but off the court you know changing cities teams going between countries for you how difficult with that yeah know it’s tough but hey I’m a soldier like

It’s been like that my whole life so I’m I’m it’s it’s hard but that’s that’s what NBA is about and and I’m prepared for it if anyone can go through it it’s me so um no excuses just continue to get just learning the city learning from

Everyone and like I said I keep saying like everyone’s making it easier on me um just to support and and everything I need and and again just just trying to get as comfortable as comfortable as I can and um and yeah like that period is going to pass so um obviously it’s going

To take a little bit of time first game the Pacers against the Celtics they played five times this year did you feel like there’s a little bit of juice rivalry there in a game like this tonight oh I mean I thought it was I mean it’s a TV game against a good team

Like I think that’s just enough to just go out there and trying to do your best to win like you know like they what first second I I don’t know but you know top team in the East so you want to go out there and compete against those guys

Like no matter what for the game how you’re such a good team of fit in any way they run like a very kind of fluid up and down system so what do you think this team can do to kind block the best out of your game what do no I think

Again it fits into what I can do like I can play Fast um and I think the luxury that I bring is that if we decide to slow it down I can do that too so um being able to um get Buckets tough buckets when we need it or um

Understanding that you know like the things that I can do like offensively and defensively um so I just think that again we all learning about each other like I know I think talking to coach even all the time like just trying to figure out how we get me

Involved in certain things like how you know like just long periods of time without like without like just being involved really into everything and and and to me like I just like also my engagement on defense like I try to challenge myself to just continue to be

One of those guys that can like really um sit down and guard on defense so I bring that to the team so I got to continue to get better at that too yeah just trying to do what I what we can to keep me healthy moving forward um

Obviously we know there’s a I need to play a certain amount of games and um you know but at the same time I need to be on the floor with my teammates and that’s what I want to do I want to play so um you know there obiously was a

Setback the first time so I think as a franchise and organization we’re coming together and just came together made a group plan on what’s best for me you know to be able to be on the floor long term trying to play in every game that I

Can if I’m if it’s if I’m able too so uh this was the plan coming in obviously I it frustrates me I want to be on the floor but um that’s his organization job protect me from myself I want to I’m a competitor I want to compete but uh you

Know I understand at the end of the day do you know how you know is there a plan for how long this is going to go I mean um I think it’s kind of a game by game basis we just wanted to get through today kind of see where we were

Obviously there’s a back toback coming up with two really good teams uh so we’re just taking it day by day seeing how I feel every day um and I think it’s got to be a gradual process say I would air on the side of being lower you know

I think that everybody just wants to be safe and keep me on the floor as much as they can down 15 a halftime to take that lead in the third quarter so quickly what stood out to you about that stretch well I mean we’re a third quarter team

That’s what we do you know I think the team’s understand that uh we just got to do a better job of Starting Games they’re coming off a back toback best team in the NBA and every time they come off back toback they’re making shots in

The first half you know so we knew that they would you know eventually Miss they miss like two shots in the second second quarter I think so we just had to figure out uh how we were going to get back out able to get timely stops and get out and

Run and uh play our way and get get shots our way so um that’s what we do a third quarter team what uh just how’ you feel from a basketball standpoint I guess not just physically but I mean just in terms of just getting your Rhythm back feeling like yourself again

Or anywh you’re close to that what was like to get used to playing with what’s now a different team with Pasco on it yeah just learning just learning obviously I I don’t know I don’t have the numbers in front of me I was like 5

For 16 4 for 16 so not an efficient game by by any means you know but just kind trying to get into a rhythm trying to figure it out you know understand I’ve missed a lot of games and even the game I did come back I wasn’t necessarily a

Rhythm either so uh just trying to find find my rhythm and within the team and obviously the guys have been playing really well with me gone so um just trying to insert myself in the in the right ways and play around that and uh yeah it’s a new group and the good thing

Is we got a lot of a lot of time to you know come together get ready and uh figure out the best way to play together hopefully this you know this minutes thing isn’t long hopefully I get healthy and fully healthy soon and um we can

Just keep you know learning and be ready to go come play out time everything has happened this team went 10 and seven in January it’s the rigorous schedule of you missing 10 games what does that say about what this team can do moving forward the growth and maturity of our

Team from last year to now um obviously we struggled last year when I got hurt and around the same time so um I think we’ve just done a great job of of of playing together we got a lot of hungry guys young hungry dudes that have something to prove Pascal comeing helps

Obviously but a lot of different guys stepping into bigger roles and and being prepared it’s a next man up mentality top top down I mean you see TJ’s out somebody else guys step when miles is out our bigs have been ready we just got a lot of guys have been ready and we’ve

Preached our depth since uh training camp how do you think this team changed while you were gone obviously you were there to see it and everything like that I mean just how do you think the dynamic changed with sakam and not just what he did but how it moved everybody else

Around yeah I think it’s kind of you know baptism by fire there’s no better way to figure out how to play without me on the floor than me not being available you know so I think guys have responded right way and I think it’s understanding

Of what what went on last year for us as a group and I think guys you know that frustrated guys cuz we feel like we should have been a playoff team last year and uh had a really bad month that kind of messed everything up so um I

Think that speaks to the maturity of our group and just trying to keep growing we’re you know got some new guys this year than we did last year and and that’s part of the NBA there’s movement every year and uh you know our core guys done a good job keeping us together and

You know we’ve had a lot of young guys lot other guys step up how much a guy has Aaron become For You especially 26 and seven in this one just the growth from him this year yeah more rebounds I think seven assist yeah he’s been balling I mean I

Think that um you know he has a chip on his shoulder from being traded and all the things that were said about him when he got traded and that’s what we love about him and uh to to be able to sign him to a deal long term for him to be

Here is really exciting because he’s an amazing player and Aaron D Smith is a player that every team on the NBA in the NBA wants you want a guy like Aaron who will just do whatever he’s asked puts his head down it works and so I think

That’s what we love about him and uh there’s definitely some extra juice for him when he plays Boston and um that that’s cool to see just cool to see him balling I think I think we play with more aggression I think we picked up full core I mean these guys

Are these guys are tough all good individual players so you can’t stop you just got to make it tough on them try to try to irritate them and play harder than they are and I think we played harder in the second half we be the first half

Rick Carlisle, Pascal Siakam, Tyrese Haliburton and Andrew Nembhard speak with media following the Pacers loss to the Celtics on Tuesday night.

0:00 – Rick Carlisle
3:21 – Pascal Siakam
7:02 – Tyrese Haliburton
11:36 – Andrew Nembhard