Indiana Pacers Postgame Media Availability (vs. Detroit Pistons) | February 22, 2024

Indiana Pacers Postgame Media Availability (vs. Detroit Pistons) | February 22, 2024

Detroit is a very hard playing competitive team and I thought our first half was one of the best halfs of the year and then our third quarter was one of our worst quarters so um fourth quarter we got it back together and and we’re able to finish

And Pascal did a great job of either scoring the ball or getting it to other guys uh for good shots and uh so it’s a it’s a really important win and it’s a very good win um but you know we want to we want to be be

Better than what we were in the third sort of a why on both of those things you open with what do you think was guiding you guys so much in the first half that you led so much and what do you think flipped in the third that made

It so disappointing for you well it’s it’s an obvious loss of conf concentration and so um you know we just we did something I rarely do which is we watch some clips of the third quarter after the game because we’re going to be off tomorrow tomorrow just so we can you know learn

From it and then move on um I told the guys you know this is It’s A great win it’s a really important win um but we can’t we we can’t back up the best defensive half of the year with one of the worst defensive quarters of the year

You know that’s just a level of inconsistency that you know it’s it’s a standard that we aspire to to to be consistent so um we got learned from it and you know um and get ready for Sunday uh you know Dallas is Dallas is a really

Big time outfit you know with with Luca and Kyrie and all those guys having Tyrese back at you know his level and being as he said fully healthy how much more comforting for lack of a better term is that for you as a coach just knowing that that’s back and a part of

What you do every day well it’s just it’s important that our players feel good you know physically um and are healthy and so you know Tai went through a tough five or six weeks you know with the injury the initial injury and then you know the the the the buildup back to

Play and then and then and then playing so um he’s been through a lot been you know was doing everything during Allstar Weekend and so um you know to see him have two dunks and really feel good doing it is uh is great to see I know

Whenever we talk about TJ we end up just saying the same things but I mean just how as usual important was he tonight especially when you had some slip in the third quarter it seemed like obviously TJ just was not going to let things get any worse you obviously saw the

Continued push from him as us I mean that’s that’s why you have a team you know um not everybody’s going to play perfect and you know he’s a guy that is a constant source of energy and um he did great things throughout the entire game

So uh you know hats off to him and look nobody was perfect in the game um but that’s a hard team to play I mean they’ve they’ve developed a style in an approach where they they can stay in virtually every game and give themselves a chance to win and so you know our

First half um you know put them down further and they’ve been through so much um upheaval and and and and difficulty that you know it’s galvanized them their competitiveness and so they came out and really competed did hard in the in the third and fourth quarter and they made

It hard and that’s that’s what this is this is hard hard things are hard what uh what makes TJ so good at adapting to whatever second unit you have like obviously you’ve had a lot of lineup fluidity you know certainly with the the you know trading buddy and bringing Doug

In you have some new faces coming in and out of that group what makes him good at running that show whoever is in there McConnell played with TJ played with Doug mcder for three years so you know I I don’t want to hear about unfamiliarity I mean those guys those

Guys know what’s going on and the style we play really allows guys to play play to their strengths within our Concepts you know so um but he’s you know his adaptability is the story of his career you know undrafted everybody’s betting against him um I remember the story The the

First game he suited up here um you know Nate McMillan said hey you’re probably not going to be in the rotation something happened he got in the game the first game of the year and then he didn’t lose the job for the next three or four years whatever it was and

So he’s uh you know he’s just he’s special that way and and look I mean my conversation with him before the season with the way things were looking and that’s how you that’s that’s why 82 games is an eternity and you need guys that are high on on the compete level

Scale on a consistent basis you obviously went with Isaiah over sticks for second unit minutes I guess was was sticks kind of like you know use him an emergency kind of situation where we were trying to you know get him another day if you could and and what did you

Like or was it a performance thing and just like really liked what Isaiah gave you and what did you like about what Isaiah gave it tonight he was available if there was an emergency um and you know and that was it I I didn’t want to say that before the game because

I don’t I didn’t want to be want it to sound disrespectful to Detroit at all um but you know what he what what jaylen’s gone through is something that requires time so you know off day tomorrow uh practice Saturday game game Sunday this this affords him three additional days without you know the

Collisions of an NBA game um to to fully recover and so the hope is that by Sunday you know he’s really he’s really where he needs to be Ty what do you think of uh James Johnson and Sons as shirt designers first and foremost uh I think it’s nice

I would like like one for myself uh but for a first edition I’m I love it so with you in the drawing I presume next time yeah yeah yeah yeah but I rock my boy JJ today you had two dunks in this game and you talked about

The significance of how you felt with the one you had in the allstar game are would you consider yourself fully healthy at at this point um about there about there uh there’s still like there’ll probably be some soreness Tomorrow there’s been soreness uh all throughout but today’s the best I’ve

Felt by far the best I’ve moved I think everybody who’s like really paying attention to how I look I think that everybody could agree with that so that’s a relief um but want to M want to maintain that as time goes on but yeah I

Felt really good today for for lack of a better way to ask this like is there anything you feel like you couldn’t do before that you did do today or you know was it just more comfortable to do whatever you usually did um I would just

Say like it felt like in the the games like my explosive movements as the game went on just kind of decreased and I didn’t feel that in the moment but then when you look at like obviously all of our numbers right my numbers are down and I’m not doing as many explosive

Movements so I’m curious to see what the numbers look like today compared to what they were a week ago or what they were you know before the injury uh but I felt really good I just felt like I could get to every spot uh explosive movements my

The step back going to my right exploding from my left leg has has given me troubles and I got to it a couple times today missed them but I got to them so uh that’s a plus Rick City felt like the first half was maybe you guys’

Best half of the year and then the third quarter was maybe you guys’ worst quarter of the Year and that you watch the clips what do you feel like you did so well in the first half and then so poorly in that third quarter and why did

That happen um I think the the words that we’re stressing to each other as as players is just urgency we have to play urgency understand there’s 26 games left 25 now uh but what separates us from potentially you know not avoiding the play in or you know even we’re we’re

Striving for higher than that versus you know being on a road game game in the play in um is like half a game right now you know so uh we got to approach every game the right way um and you just don’t want to end these 26 games like damn

Should have got that one back uh because you already have that feeling about some games this year uh but you know looking forward now the 20 25 we have coming up uh we just want to approach every game the right way so that that that’s our biggest thing and just playing the right

Way so I thought our first half we we came up with a sense of urgency and it looked good uh third quarter um was just poor they played in transition a lot we took a lot of bad shots um and I think I think I mean you could

Probably say fatigue set in a little bit for us but uh yeah I was just a poor quarter and uh just overall you want to be you want to be able to maintain through four quarters but I mean we we’ll take a win any day I don’t care

How it looks but yes that we got we got to be better for sure I guess to what extent even even when the intensity wasn’t where you wanted to be do you feel like TJ kind of lifted you guys up uh you know even when it was kind of

Drifting a little bit there in the third quarter that’s generally what you get out of him but just how important was he for that tonight and has he been for you guys for General in that level yeah TJ TJ has been huge TJ I thought he had a

Really good game tonight did a good job of uh you know keeping our second unit going the ball moving um and just doing what he does you know TJ’s the best backup point guard in the NBA he changes games this is what he does so it’s not a

Surprise to any of us you know watching him out there um and just good to see good to see him hooping what makes him good at just the second unit has changed on a constant basis obviously guys moving in the starting lineup out of it you know switching around you know it’s

Not been a consistent unit for most of the year but obviously he’s been a consistent piece of that and found way to get his buckets and and set everybody else up what’s made him good at you know handling all that change and still being you know knowing how to set whatever

Player he has up on that I mean he’s just a true professional um you know he got he’s had some dmps early in the year when we were playing with rotations and stuff and um I think what he’s done is just keep his head down and prove that

He’s just a tough guy to keep off the floor you know what I mean so uh it’s really good to see him balling the way he is and um you know I think when TJ’s playing with confidence he’s really a tough cover and uh really just plays the

Right way I mean defensively he’s going to bring to the table what he brings every night you know and I mean he hit two threes a day that’s obviously not you know what we’re used to seeing from him but he’s just playing with confidence and playing having fun out

There so I think it’s just um you know a kudos to who he is as a professional and keeping his head down I think that you know we got guys on our roster that need to be paying attention to that because um if you look at TJ McConnell right

Right he probably wouldn’t expect this uh but what he does on a nightly basis he just comes in here and competes and I think that the league would agree there’s not many guys who play harder than T.J McConnell and I think that’s what separates him in terms of

Maintaining confidence I mean to what degree did you feel like you kind of carried over from Sunday especially obviously hitting your first three threes how much do you think that you know the Rhythm that you gained in that game helped carry over into today uh I don’t know I don’t think it really

Did I just think I’m just in the in my ability you know just having fun uh I think just knowing that the ministration was done I think that just kind of help clear my mind and spent a lot of time allmer Break Even though I was busy and

Just trying to clear my mind there a lot of stuff going on in in my life and um you know I think as professional athlete like stress can come on to anybody you know what I mean so we just you have to figure out the right ways to step away a

Little bit and after the break to kind of have two days we’re coached in you know I didn’t have to practice on Tuesday just have two days to kind of just get a mental cleanse and step away a little bit was has been really good for me uh because I think that that’s

Something that I’m dealing with and I think a lot of people deal with is just you know unnecessary stressors and trying to you know get rid of those and uh you know just figure out how to approach every day the right way with a

Clear mind and I feel like I’ve I I I did that right in All-Star break and just played today just played free had fun uh I I didn’t know until the middle of the game uh Jaylen asked me is your minute restriction done in front of Carl

And I said Carl is it done and he said yes it’s done so I think it is officially done but I was tired today I was tired today TJ of course he’s Mega talented but what does it mean to have tyres halberton able to play at his full level for a

Full game with no restriction now um I mean without him we’re just a completely different team so to have him back with no restriction um I mean it just takes our team to another level um I mean there’s no other way to put it I mean he’s

Allstar starter for a reason just plays at an e Elite level um and gets our team going what did those threes mean for you today I mean you were so happy with the progress you made with that shot last year to be able to hit two in one game

How did that feel yeah I mean obviously really slow start um from three uh this year um you know in and out of the lineup and um wasn’t able to get a rhythm but um just continuing to you know trust that process and um continue to just work with Jenny and um

You know get in the gym and stuff like that and it’s good for the competence for sure last month or so since the first trade the second unit feels like changes almost every game what does it take for you to keep that unit together and playing you know the right style or

The right Tempo whatever every night yeah I mean I feel like the guys that we that are added to our lineup um they realize how we play and we’ve got guys in this team that um constantly stay ready and um you know the way we play doesn’t really

Change you know the guys that come in the lineup do and and that’s kind of our mindset with it to go back to the shooting was there anything about today this you know did you spend any time working on it over the break or anything like that was

There anything about today that made you feel like I want to you know take a couple of these today I mean it’s just it’s really a mindset honestly you know when they go way under um you know I just got to shoot it it’s it’s one of

Those shots that it hurts our team if I don’t and um the one I shot in the corner I was just wide open um it’s one of those things where just got to look yourself in the mirror and and say you know if you turn those shots down it’s

Not good for us is there anything this year that went sideways with it I guess obviously you’ve shot 44% last year is there anything that you’ve been trying to figure out as why it hasn’t gone into the same level as a bit of year ago um I

Don’t know honestly it’s just I mean you know I I I’ve put in a lot of work and um you know it’s obviously been inconsistent but um you know I just got to keep shooting them that’s the only way you get it fix honestly what’s it

Seems like this unit could you know W with Doug with Ben you know with those guys it could be your second unit for a while what do you like about this group and what do you think it’s what how do you think your I don’t want to say your

You know um responsibility changes necessarily I mean see I would think you might have to score a little bit more I mean like how do you think this group fits together and what do you think maybe is more important for you with with the guys that you’re going to have

Um you know just incorporating Doug and um you know OB I think Ben obviously started tonight but um you know the lineups constantly changed that’s the NBA and um our unit has done a good job of just you know whoever’s in there just

To get out and run and um you know I got to credit Obie um I thought he was awesome tonight just the way he made you know I thought I feel like he made the right play every play and shot when he was open and and

Just made plays for us um you know he’s one of those guys that is selfless and some stuff that he doesn’t doesn’t does not show up on a stat sheet and um he really got us going in the first half and and played great throughout the entire game I thought so obviously I

Think Rick said that you know the first half was one of your best halves and the third quarter was probably one of your worst quarters I guess what but it seemed like you were you know when you got in obviously you’re trying to not let that level you know fall to where it

Was when when you’re having a quarter like that that what’s what do you kind of see as your responsibility to to try to keep the intensity up as high as you can yeah that’s a tough situation honestly where you know you build a big lead and um you know Detroit’s a team

That’s not going to go away they’re not going to quit and um you know they’re they’re fighting back and it’s one of those things where there’s pressure to you know kind of keep the lead um as big as big as it’s been and you know Credit

Detroit they came out and um they played well to to start the second half and um um but you know also credit to us for kind of stalling the run a little bit and and um holding on to that weight just to look at your year in general I

Me obviously it started with you’re not sure whether or not you’re going to be part of the rotation you obviously cracked it pretty quick what what are you sort of most proud with about how you’ve handled this year and and maybe how you’ve maintained the level of

Consistency um I don’t know I just really just was focused on whether if I’m in the lineup or I’m not just to remain professional um one of those things where you know not trying to do well as me um and one of those things just to remain a great teammate

And um whether I’m in the rotation or not just just be there for the guys and and and be a pro and and be a good teammate that’s that’s really all I was focused on and when my numers called just be a professional at that point and

Go out and do your job that’s really all how I looked at it Jeremiah thank you Ben you never quite know how a team is going to come out of the All-Star break you respond with maybe the best quarter one of the best quarters this team has

Had all season what do you enabled such a strong start um you know we just got to keep the main thing the main thing you know we had a goal you know is to come out and you know really show who we are second half of the Season uh I feel

Like you know we’ve done that pretty well but I feel like we have a lot of things that we need to improve on uh to keep it going you know in order to make the playoffs not only make him but but you know I have a Deep Run so Rick

Shared about watching some clips in the third quarter here right after the game and is the lesson maybe you put together one of your best defensive halves but you have to continue to bring that intensity out of halftime for sure for sure you know we got to be careful what

Uh you know the shots that we make you know the little mistakes on defense um so it was great it was great to you know to have that um you know before going home tonight having the opportunity to you know think about it and you know

Pretty much uh learned from it you were in the spotlight a lot for Allstar Weekend had a pretty successful weekend can you take confidence off of all of that well as as you may know I’m I’m really confident you know whether I had

A good allar or a bad one uh so I want to come out you know and just just be me you talked about this playoff push 25 games left here uh in the regular season what comes to mind in terms of what this team is going to have to do to be where

It wants to be when we’re talking in April just got to be us U got to be us got to keep the game simple and uh you know we goingon have to sacrifice you know sacrifice you know um and have each other’s back man uh he’s uh he’s

Incredible I mean he’s uh he makes the right play every time um he pushes the pace I mean he’s a Shooters dream you know just to play with a guy like that and um just the way the city rallies around him is it’s pretty cool I haven’t

Been here in a while but you can tell um he’s obviously that fan favorite um and uh much deserved could you tell how studying buddy helped you get to you wanted in this game yeah I mean tonight was uh a little tough I mean they were guarding the three-point line pretty

Well um so got to give them credit wasn’t able to get a ton of open ones but um you know it’s a it’s a great offense just slipping out of screens and running around you really can’t do wrong um as long as you’re keep the proper

Spacing want to go back T what makes him so adaptable I guess you obviously there’s been a lot of for lack of a better term uphe with the second unit guys have moved in and out starting lineup come back I mean like what makes him good at finding what you

Yeah I mean he just he just really knows how to play and he he’s one of those guys when you check in the game you be you better be ready to match his energy um and and that’s something that we all pride ourselves in is trying to match

His energy because he’s going to speed up the tempo of the game and he’s going to get us all shots you know tonight he was obviously scoring a lot because that’s kind of what the defense gave us but um he’s uh he’s there’s none better than him uh like getting his teammates involved

Rick Carlisle, Tyrese Haliburton, T.J. McConnell, Bennedict Mathurin and Doug McDermott speak with the media following the Pacers win over the Pistons on Thursday night.

0:00 – Rick Carlisle
5:59 – Tyrese Haliburton
12:02 – T.J. McConnell
17:31 – Bennedict Mathurin
19:03 – Doug McDermott