More records set by Tyrese Haliburton as Indiana Pacers win 3 straight | Best Pacers moments 2023

More records set by Tyrese Haliburton as Indiana Pacers win 3 straight | Best Pacers moments 2023

The year is over and what an end to the year for the Pacers who win their third in a row in a story filled game two records tied while the zerak and Halley chat we’ll talk best of 2023 and Pacers Nicks with Zack Pearson on today’s locked on Pacers podcast you are locked

On Pacers your daily Indiana Pacers podcast part of the locked on podcast Network your team every day what up y’all happy Sunday SL Monday whenever you’re listening and welcome into another edition of the lockon Pacers podcast where are we of course talk about the Indiana Pacers as always

My name’s Tony East I cover the team for Forbes and Si and depending on when you’re listening happy New Year we’ve got a lot to talk about today what a game for the Pacers Saturday night they play the Knicks Tyrese halberton ties a franchise record the Pacers tie a

Franchise record Wally zer aits courts side and sees it all there’s so much to talk about from that game the Nick trade for ogn and Obi we don’t even cover that today I’ll talk about ogn and Obi that trade what it means for the Pacers tomorrow but the year’s over it’s time

For a favorite yearly show looking back at the best of 2023 for the Indiana Pacers and who better to do it with than the guy we’ve done it with every year so far Zack Pearson from Pacers press we’ll talk Pacers Nicks we’ll talk Pacers bucks a little because that G toight and

We’ll talk the best of the year on today’s podcast let’s just get right into it I thought not this show would be easy talk about a Knicks game talk about 2023 look at the Bucks a little bit and then the craziest game of the Pacers season maybe in terms of records and

Stories just pops up out of nowhere on Saturday night 2023 ending on a high note with lots of franchise records and who better to come back for our yearly tradition recapping the best of the year it’s Zack Pearson from Pacers press Zack we had zerak we had franchise records

For assists we had franchise records for threes we’ve got John Stockton and Magic Johnson references being pulled out for stat lines did you have a favorite thing from Pacers Knicks it was quite the game it was an awesome game yeah I thought um one of the one of the coolest moments

Throughout obviously tyres alurn went off but um I tweeted out a picture of it they showed on the broadcast about Wall-E and and tyres having a little bit of a staredown little chat back and forth um I’m pretty sure Wally is over that by now but it’s something that he’s

Gonna he’s just going to have to take so uh that was definitely a pretty cool moment to see uh just tyres and him being in person too I think lot a lot of people on Twitter were talking like you know that’s that’s a mistake but you

Know he he’s got to do a job so you know you got do so much that point it was the first time halberg got to finish a game against him since then because he got hurt in New York last year yeah in their first game after the

Comments um okay I agree with you you’re right they both kind of wanted to be be over but I’m not going to speak for Tyrese Halburn I’m just going to use facts about him to talk about this for a second he admits all the time that he’s

Petty he also has admitted that he holds the smallest things as motivation like tweets from accounts with like four followers he’ll like bookmark for motivation right so an actual serious thing that happened in the NBA landscape like he is going to use that as motivation I know he’ll he’ll tow the

The party line and say like yeah just a little Side Story it’s over now but like he will he will use that those kind of things to motivate him and he certainly did in this game it was very clear I don’t remember what the play was where

He looked at him the first time um in the fourth quarter but then between the free throws he did and then again when he tied the franchise record with the 23rd assists clearly looking right at him and I asked him after the game if it

Motivated him at all he said yes on no UNC terms so so uh I think they’re both ready to put it behind him obviously and derak has since apologized and now Hal bur’s had his game against him it’s all cool I I I thought it was fun I like

Extracurriculars like that but I also do think it’s now a an over thing halberton did show that is that the wnab be was uh the wrong word to use in that moment yeah and I think what’s funny too is like after Wally said that you know

Tyres had never been an All-Star but he might actually be a lock for an Allstar for like the next 10 years easily and so it’s just like to see the that’s the start of that Chain Reaction kind of from from where he was last year to now

So yeah he took off like right away after that last year too right like yeah pretty much right good games all in a row and that’s when he was like he’s right on the edge to like oh yeah okay he’s gonna make it this year and now

He’s doing it against the Knicks and against his friend Jaylen Brunson and and a pretty like that the context of this game is weird because the Knicks rotation was so Random I’ll talk about the anobi trade tomorrow I guess um that would have been a topic on this if this

Game wasn’t so drama filled and it wasn’t the yearly show to do but they were like their starting lineup was still good but their bench was not all so it was a weird game but the Knicks are still good and like Brunson was good and Randle was good so to have something

To push the Pacers to an important win three in a row heading into the new year they close out an important sketch that I highlighted on their schedule going four and two whatever they needed to have that extra kick in the pants uh I’m all I think they they’re all they’re all

About it and they got it done okay but that doesn’t even that that’s like we’ll toss that to the side John Stockton and Magic Johnson are the only two players ever before this week to of consecutive games scoring 20 points and dishing out 20 assists and now for the first time in

Either of our Lives Zack someone has done it someone else has done it it was Tyrese Halton who did it in Chicago in a game that he was kind of missing some shots and didn’t even feel like he had the scoring impact in this one he was

The only player on the Pacers against the N who shot under 50% from three he was on fire from two he got to the foul line 22 points 23 assists two turnovers third player ever to have consecutive 2020 games insane it just like totally insane no one on the Pacers except for

James Johnson was alive the last time this happened in the NBA two the 23rd assist late in the game the 23rd assist tied Jamal Tinsley for the Pacers franchise record for assists in a game which is also nuts um Halburn is going to have that on his own at some point I

Don’t know when that’s fantastic he said he didn’t know what the franchise record was or he would have gone for 24 which he could have gotten um he’s just on it right now and they the Knicks kind of blitzed in them retreated from it early in the game and then they were hard

Blitzing him late in the game so not only did he set a record he did it against the coverage that provided him a ton of of press this month because it was changing the way he was being played and he had to adjust to it it was an all-timer performance from him following

Up another all-tim performance from him a weak ter member passing the ball and of course his teammates deserve credit for making shots we’ll talk about that in a second but he’s on a he’s on another level right now it’s ridiculous yeah he’s he’s been doing that I mean

All season obviously he’s been so impressive but I I’ve been talking to a couple people outside like after after the games as well and it’s almost like it’s not like a quiet game for him like he’s always kind of going in the fourth it it seems like but throughout the game

It almost is like in the first half he’s just kind of like seeing what the punches are being thrown at him and then kind of like dishing the ball where he needs to go before kind of turning on the switch to score um and and when he’s

Done that he’s been he’s been so good and I I I tweeted this a couple maybe last week like when he’s not hitting or anything like when he’s just not on you can tell like the whole kind of offensive flow is off so uh the Pacers being really reliant on him has been

Maybe some of their issue with that for game losing streak um but you know when when he is on it’s it’s the best and it’s you know it’s easy to to root for in cheer for so um yeah he’s he’s been he’s been on it and you know 20 and 20

Back toback is is insane it’s wild that like you know this was kind of the cas with Ben Maan last year his free throw rate’s down this year so this isn’t the same but last year mine could shoot like three for 10 but he’d shoot seven or

Eight free throws and so his efficiency was still good right halberton it’s a different thing but like he’ll go two for nine from three like this and he made a bunch of two so it’s different but like a wildly effective game because he’s just completely carving up the

Defense and tossing these awesome passes and they have to react to him then everybody else is having a nice night and like that that that keeps your offense going if you you know Miss a bunch of threes and can’t get going like if he if he went five for nine from deep

In this game right that’s nine more points like that’s a 3020 game with two turnovers like they would have they would have won by 40 like you know it’s just nuts what he’s been able to do and doing it in consecutive games is absolutely bananas and the zerak part of

It was fun and that isn’t even the last franchise record that we have to talk about from this game I thought this was fitting because I’m corny they had the last game with 2023 tyes halberton tied the record with 23 assists as an individual and the Pacers tied the franchise record with 23

Made threes as a team Derek Kramer got me on this one so shout out to him for pointing it out after the game outside of tyres howburn hilariously everybody who attempted a three in this game for the Pacers shot at least 50% from three which is just like insane n Smith was on

Fire Turner was on fire maen was was on fire I mean that no matter who shot it you felt good about it and and look duh when you set a franchise record like yeah they were hot they were hot from three like that that’s undeniable they

Went 23 or 42 they made over half of them but they were all like pretty open right like they did a good job with what the Knicks how the Knicks were covering them and providing them with opportunities to seize that space and they always talk about this right paint

Took great they want to get in the paint to get better shots elsewhere whether it’s in the paint or BR Beyond The Arc they did that all night matter who was in a point guard and they deserve credit for creating the open threes as much as

They do making them so 23 threes 23 assists for an individual to end up 2023 that’s pretty cool I lots of records and they were on fire from the D yeah absolutely I mean like you said n Smith was on fire it’s much easier to get 20 assists when everybody makes everything

Um and and the Pacers were just doing that all night long even Miles Turner I think he made six threes which is just you know that’s exactly what you want out of Miles um I think he took like eight total but you know still making

Six is awesome and uh yeah like I said everything’s just going to be a ton easier spacing wise if if people can hit like that um the shooting percentages were crazy um Everybody did kind of seem open like that but the Knicks they to their credit they were they were hitting

As well so like the Pacers answered luckily um but yeah that that was just awesome to see that the the flow of the the offense through Tyrese that way the Pacers were terrible for the first like three minutes of the game it was like 13 to four like you snapped your fingers

Right and they were awesome the rest of the game but like the Nick shot really well from three 17 to 37 they were they had fewer turnovers they crushed on the offensive glass like so many numbers that said the niick should have won this game but the Pacers outside of that

First stretch defended pretty well again I mean not great but better you know better than they have against good teams in the past they did well against Randle they did well enough against Brunson if that dvon chenzo wasn’t on fire they would have had a really great defensive

Game they beat a good team they set some records that’s a good win that’s a good way to end a three- game winning streak in in the year Pacers needed some cushion heading into their January and they got it hey guys have to really quickly talk

To you about the lovely people over at FanDuel the NFL season is wrapping up but there’s still time to get in on the action with FanDuel America’s number one sports pooke right now new customers get $150 in bonus bets guaranteed when you place a five bet 150 bucks how about that that’s 150

In bonus bets win or lose if the app is super easy to use and there’s so many different ways to bet like live same game parlays they have new bets that you can figure out in their explore tab you can make a parlay in their parlay Hub

The best way to find popular parlays and they have plenty more so visit fanduel.com lockon for that offer win or lose 150 bucks if you place that $5 bet and make your first bet a lab FanDuel an official partner of the NFL and Zach the year is over it’s time for

Our fun the best of the Year heading into a new year we do this every I have to put this episode out early so it doesn’t come out in 2024 uh we each came up with our three best Pacers moments of 2023 the game last night is a contender for me Zach it

Was uh quite the night I will let you go first give me one of your top three Pacers moments for 2023 Okay so the game last night was really really good um but I’m GNA leave that off the table for a different game going to go uh Pacers versus Boston the inseason tournament

Game um one that I was actually there in person for is one of the loudest I can remember the Fieldhouse being uh for a long time and it was just one of those alltime kind of games that you can see you know the crowd was into it the whole

Time Tyrese went off um it it was just fun to see that atmosphere and and and that playoff kind of feel with the inseason tournament um something I really want to see back you know hopefully soon for the Pacers but um yeah I think that was as close as we’re

Going to get for for at least you know until till we find out how the season shakes out but um yeah that was a really fun game Boston’s a great team um I don’t think porzingis played but it was still a really fun team uh a fun game so

That was that was one of my best uh of the year for sure yeah they played a team that beat them by 51 earlier in the same season right and I halberton did not play that night and poring dead okay I get that um they played it in inseason Tournament game

And the thing about this that I don’t want to get too like on my soap box here that that game they did not know they were gonna have a home game or who their opponent was gonna be until like five days before right so they could sell tickets because they knew they were

Gonna have a home game like 10 days before or something I forget exactly how the inseason tournament shook out but they didn’t know who they were going to play what day it was going to be so the fact that they were able to get the building to that level to play a Celtics

Team that you don’t have a lot time to prep for because of all that uh an unscheduled game right a team that kicked your butt to have their best to that point to me defensive game of the season to have halberton play a very tyres halberton game a triple double a

Tri are you kidding on national TV they were on TNT for the first time to beat the Celtics who still to me have been the best team in the NBA this season seon they were 15 and four entering that game that was like their like we don’t

Know what the Pacers season’s going to end up being they could have an awful January we’ve seen that they can have a low stretch after a couple weeks ago and they could be three games four games five games under 500 a month from now but if they can keep their head above

Water for January and then you know be a team that is ready for a postseason or plan or whatever like that night will be the turning point to me they entered it 10 and8 and like oh they’ve beaten some good teams but lost to some crappy teams

And they enter exited that night headed to Vegas and everyone was like oh facers might be pretty good and I think that was a significant moment for the grow of this team and really the you know you you were there the gripping of a fan

Base like it was a big deal it was awesome yeah especially at being on national TV I mean you couldn’t really have asked for a better stage so um to to play like that like you said was just awesome to see my so I will springboard

Off of you because my one of my three was just the in tournament right I didn’t put a specific moment as my best of the year like this was what made it so special but you know they they have talked about mainly Tyrese but the team

In general like they the one National TV game this year next this coming January so a month from now basically if you’re listening to this when it comes out in Boston right they know it they know what it is they want to be ready for it that’s great because they want that

Attention they feel like you know they’re good and ascending so to to earn more of them and we just talked about one of them to earn more of them TNT once ESPN twice to play well in them is already impressive right they put a lot on their own shoulders and

They handled it well to beat two awesome teams the two best teams in the east on that stage very impressive to go to Vegas with the glitz and Glamour and the media attention on their team and have that Ascent in front of everybody was so incredible like that is hard to do the

Mental toll that that could have taken like if they gotten Smoked by Milwaukee I’d have been like yep you know they weren’t ready for a game like that and everyone would have understood I mean they would have gotten crushed they should have if that happened but everyone would have understood why but

They didn’t they were ready for it they were down three in the fourth quarter in the finals and they they were not really in that game the Lakers were much better than them but they to have that whole run establish a team put them on the map take them from like young Scrappy

Ascending Pacers to like and even the Pacers have said this like now when they play Team team there is no more like the Pacers sneak up on you and you’re not ready to play everyone’s like oh these guys can beat anybody they’re very good they have a high peak like the whole

Inseason tournament run was a very special part of this year for that team and it was really fun to cover it and and Vegas specifically I think was a big deal for them it was really fun way for 2023 to go for them yeah absolutely and

Like you said like the playoff feel I don’t think you can really simulate that so for that young team being able to show what they are capable of in that kind of atmosphere was was really really cool to see and there were some fun battles throughout I mean they didn’t

Lose up until the end so it was it was really cool to see them get hot like that and uh I think the players really took it seriously um you could tell they were all in so it it was really cool to see I don’t know how much playoff

Experience could be like Quantified on the scoreboard when the playoffs come but like let’s pretend the Pacers are the seven seed this year or the eight seed and they lose 4-2 instead of 4-1 like you can be like well that could have gone a lot worse if the n Season

Tournament didn’t happen like they avoid a sweep or something maybe they do better than that right like they have clearly shown they have a high peak but you know it what they could legitimately have one more win because they’re more mentally prepared to me like that is

Realistic I don’t think it’s going to be like swinging a series but you know it could matter in a close game come playoff time I I will go next I like being able to draw this is what I like about this is it forces me

To look back at last season and see if there was any special games and there was one there were a couple but there was one and I remembered this game earlier this week too just because I was thinking back Pacers Bulls in Chicago back in March and this game I don’t

Remember people don’t remember this Pacers were fighting for the play in still right this was pretty late in the season they were in the SE this was the Pacers uh to do some quick ma 67th game and they were in Chicago and winning uh would have put them ahead of

The Bulls in the standings and clinch the tiebreaker so if there was uh you know if there was a chance to play this was a very significant game and in the fourth quarter um let me count really quick one two three four five six seven eight nine

Times in the final five minutes of this game fin five and a half minutes of this game the lead changed hands the Bulls had it the pitch had Bulls had it pitch had it it was tied a lot um LaVine was hitting shots D rozan was hitting shots

And pointedly Zack LaVine with 49 seconds left hit a shot to give the Bulls the lead and then he made two free throws to tie the game with 22 seconds left and then Tyrese halber of course with Patrick Beverly gingham a guy who has who had talked about halberton season

And Merit and his ascent and you know was just interested in in Tyrese halberton as as a young player was guarding him and halberton W wa called his own number waved off a play and with two seconds left 30 feet step back right over Patrick Beverly bam drills it huge

Shot one of his signature shots of last season but the one of 2023 the 2023 part of it over Patrick Beverly Pacers win they pass the Bulls in the standings huge game huge win awesome shot uh Halton would get hurt again then and then they would not make the play in and

That didn’t end up mattering as much as it felt like it did in the moment but that was such an awesome game and a huge moment for him again and that could have been had they made the plan and gotten some earlier experience like we talked about on that stage a very significant

Shot because you know he played that game he played two more and then he missed six in a row and they only won two of them and then he returned for two and they lost both of those like their season very quickly took a turn after

That but had they made the plan him returning that night too because he missed the Spurs game right before that with that performance would have meant everything to them it was such an awesome game and an awesome moment yeah and I think uh the Pacers to this point

Really haven’t had that much success in the playin um they I think last year like you said they didn’t even make it to it but I think the one game they played was that against the Wizards the Hornets and wizards that first year Wizards yeah and I don’t

Think we won a game um so that that was um you know something that I think if they do find themselves in the play End spot they’re obviously going to be you know trying to to get past that this year and and try to get into the

Playoffs so um you know you saw signs of Ty showing that he can you know do things in the clutch I think this year he’s done that even better um so that being kind of the initial signs of oh hey Tyrese is gonna be that that guy for us

Is is is really cool to uh look back on for sure similar to Wall-E for the Pacers Nicks game last night with Patrick Beverly on him was made it a little more too and you know that that adds respect for both guys and look no one talks about that one anymore right

You move past it once the moment happens I think a similar thing will happen uh with zer back one more break here guys so I can talk to you about the lovely people over at Price Pi the largest daily fantasy sports platform in North America and

It’s simple what you do on price picks you pick more than or less than on two to six player stat projections and watch the winnings roll in for example this not might not be the specific line but Luca donic for more than or less than 32

Points or Lebron James for more than or less than seven assists that’s what you pick two to six players every night and watch the winnings roll in with basketball season and football going at the same time you can do combo League projections for example LeBron James and

Travis Kelce had a 10 and a half combo of three of three pointers made plus receptions you can play alongside prize pick’s favorite players like Meek Mill or comedian Andrew scholes you can do their Community plays under their promos tab they have a reboot policy if your

Players get injured it’s the best way to play daily fantasy sports so go to priz pick.com lockdown NBA use the code lockdown NBA for a first deposit match up to $100 that’s prix.com lockdown NBA with the code lockdown NBA for our first deposit match up to $100 at prize picks

Daily fantasy sports Made Easy all right your second best of 2023 Zack Pearson okay so um looking back I I think I talked a little bit about Wall-E earlier but I wanted to say Tyrese making the All-Star team oh yes I think that was a cool moment for the franchise

I think he definitely earned it there was so much banter that went into that and I think um I I remember W saying something like you know Wally’s comments probably helped Tyrese get in you know so it’s like Peak marketing right there but um yeah no I think I think that whole Saga

Was was really fun I think everybody really rallied around tyese because that the player community did as well a lot of quote tweets and tweets from players kind of supporting Tyrese it’s just cool to see uh you know Indiana’s guy get that you know kind of love from from

Everybody and you want that he’s he’s a young talent and uh you know he’s he’s gonna probably represent Indiana for a long time at at the All-Star level so um yeah that was kind of a cool start to that uh in 2023 really um you know kind

I think was that initial like I said earlier step forward for Tyrese and and I think that’s like I said not something that’s gonna just go away so uh yeah that was that was a really cool moment and I think uh there’s many more to come yeah while he had those comments

December 18th the p played the Knicks and he was bad that night for his own standards 5 for 16 G 15 and 10 game and then for the rest of 2022 so this isn’t 2023 but the next six games he averaged 27 points per game he had the sick game

In Boston he had the gamewinner in Miami uh they beat the Cavs they beat the Clippers they beat the Hawks they beat the Heat and the Celtics in that six game stretch and he was awesome in all of them and then the year flipped and he

Had three huge assist games as they beat Portland who’s still at Dame and they beat Charlotte and they beat Toronto like that that stretch of his play happening right after he got un like inadvertently launched into more All-Star debates like made it more possible I think his stats alone made

And his play alone like they were I forget exactly where they were in the East right when his injury happened on on the 11th in New York ironically but they were they were in the like solidly in the mix of the standings at the time they had a winning record I believe or

500 record or something uh that’s actually not that hard to check so that actually helped them and so to be that I think W yeah they were 23 and 19 when they lost in New York uh oh yeah because they were 23 and 18 halfway point so that helped him and to

Be named an All-Star deservedly was was awesome something he very badly wanted but he was like the last guy in right and so to have that kind of added attention and to follow it up with those games says a lot about him right like he every moment in his career when he’s

Been tasked with like hey here’s a big moment for you like people are watching you he’s been like okay I’m going to be really good for this stretch so I agree that was very cool and he was ready for it yeah absolutely and I think really

This entire season I know it’s it’s uh not like last season for his first Allstar but like he really hasn’t having many bad games this year I mean maybe a handful but like every game he’s nearing a double double if he doesn’t have one um and you know he’s just just the

Entire flow of the offense so um yeah I think it’s just kind of cool to see his trajectory kind of stay on that pace and like he really doesn’t have bad games anymore which is a high standard to hold to but like that’s the level he wants to

Play on so yeah two things about that like one they’re very rare and two well because of how good he is like when they happen they just lose when they when they played the magic this season when he had eight points like or no he had eight against

Somebody else he had 12 against the magic they had no chance he had eight against I forget who they had no chance right like yeah he he is so important for them and that good and bad but does a lot about what he is okay I had two I

Had a couple contenders for uh the last best of 20203 spot here um funnily enough yes this game last night against the well two nights ago if you’re listenting on just January 1 is a contender to me I know it’s very recent to say that but to have I mean

Look I was there so like a lot a lot is going to stand out to me like Rick Carlile with the quote of the year before the game uh comparing the offense to a pretty girl uh but then their win loss record to her sucking at defense

Was very funny um there was a baby race there was the zerak storyline there was a fun basketball game I was personally amped because I was watching the Pistons on press row and they ended their losing streak um they won an important game they had set a franchise record as a

Team they had a player tie a very like like an assist record for a franchise is like a huge deal he didn’t break it so it’s not going to be like a huge huge huge story and then to have it happen in a game with the Side Story of zerak like

That’s cool that’s an awesome game that is a fun night sold out against a team that they have a historic rivalry against that is actually I think what I would make my third moment of 2023 but I would subtly throw in the 309 point game in Atlanta uh also in season Tournament

Of course but that Hawks game was like I won’t that’s like Unforgettable kind of game right to have one of the top 20 scoring games ever um like 152 to 157 are you kidding like it was the talk of the league the next day like people who

Cover other teams were texting me about it I talked to you know I went to the Mad game the next day like all them were talking about it I asked Tom hens about it like EV everybody they shot over 60% from the field the Pacers said it was

Insane the Hawk Shot 60% both teams dead they were on fire from Deep they had no like insane stat lines but a lot of really good ones but like just to see 157 152 was absolutely nuts to see them hit all these threes it was it was crazy

They had so many like the Hawks had their record for points and a half the Pacers had their record for points a game I think halberton set some record that night I think oh yeah it was threes made by a Pacers player like there was so many things that happened you’re like

Holy cow this game was just insane there there was records after records and it was so nuts yeah I think if you’re the Hawks and you score 152 and lose that’s got to be the most depressing uh you know experience post game you know like

What more can we do you know but um I I think the the Knicks game as well last night being a contender for sure I think uh it’s kind of just the perfect way to end the year I think you’re on the uptrend you have a new lineup um and uh

You’re really trying things out I think carlow’s kind of really uh keep experimenting probably Bruce Brown still has to return so you see where he fits in the lineup as well but um yeah know I think that was the perfect way to end 2023 and uh hopefully it’s going to be

At that same level uh going forward oh I okay I remember the other records now from that game tyres halbert’s third quarter when he had 26 points broke the old record which was held by tyus alurn and Jordan War um funly enough in Atlanta I forgot about that third

Quarter when I was just looking at the box score he had the record for threes in a quarter the Pacers were one shy of there record obviously 157 to 152 speaks for themselves maybe that should be my third one I mean just that’s just insane those numbers are off the charts Zack

Your last one your last 2023 best of for the Pacers okay so this one is really not a a moment um but more of just the emergence of Jaylen Smith and Aaron n Smith I think in the lineup they are proven and I’m always going to root for

Those 2020 draft guys that we got um that that can really just just Pro prove themselves night in and night out you know going from another team that maybe thought they didn’t have it or for whatever contract reasons didn’t want them um but you know they were counted

Out and and they found their way in Indiana um n Smith has been incredible I mean last night had seven threes 25 points uh Jaylen Smith has been the the the backup big for them before starting now um with the the lineup change so U they’re they’re two guys that you know

Carile relies on and I think they’re playing in insanely well Jaylen Smith shooting awesome numbers from three this year he’s been great around the rim uh rebounding well um so I I I’m just I’m just glad that those guys kind of found their way a little bit I think they got

Room to grow as well uh but defensively n Smith has been awesome um and they’re just two guys that are easy to root for so I’m just glad that they got their chance and and they’re doing really well with it um so it’s not an exact moment

But I think that them just emerging like I said as as real contributors to this team is is is a is really cool to see yeah NE n Smith the whole year has been like slowly ascending and I clearly I think there’s a part of him that is

Really attached to the Pacers both because he’s got an opportunity here and because of you know Shifting The Narrative of that trade he had with the Celtics and like we were talking about this last night in the in the Press Room and some of it is just that he just had

A phenomenal game right he had seven threes last night but like what a bargain that contract already is and they have him for four more years I mean he has been phenomenal on defense like especially when he’s not guarding a guy seven inches taller than him and he’s

Shooting like I think he leads the league in three-o percentage or second like he has just been absolutely ridiculously good for the Pacers on both ends like that that’s a great player to have on their team and yeah Smith had a rocky last season but they figured out

What position made sense for him and he got benched and said okay I’m gonna I’m going to use this as an opportunity I’m not going to sulk about this and he has been phenomenally better than than last season like at every single skill in a meaningful way for the Pacers they both

Deserved to be starters and we we’ll see if this works long term but through three games they’ve both been great that lineup’s been great Smith Turner looks like a completely different front Court than last season I mean their emergences they’re both still young right like that getting having them both and having them

Both have this Ascent is just phenomenal for the Pacers to have more young guys who are meaningfully important to their team I mean that that is Big Picture important but Micro important to have them both be good is is huge for the team and it’s been very fun to see this

Year yeah absolutely and the the 2020 guys just uh continuing to prove themselves I think we have we don’t have all of them but it feels like it I mean so it’s cool to see that opportunity just just be given to them and and they’ve earned it I mean you can tell on

The court it shows so top in wara am I miss I mean obviously halberton I mean I wonder if they’ll get any more uh as the season progresses fun year 2023 was Pacers didn’t accomplish what they wanted last year but they certainly look like they’re on a path to play a game

After the regular season at least this year because of growth they put in in 2023 speaking of meaningful games we’ll go shorter on this because there’s a lot that happened last night and I have a lot to talk about with the Bucks this week Ry rivalry Brewing we’ll see what

Monday brings us you can’t ignore it I have to talk about the Bucks a little bit I hope it’s a rivalry because I love NBA games with added passion I think is going to be up for it after what happened I think the Pacers are going to

Be ready after what happened uh what are you looking forward to in Pacers bucks tonight well it’ll be cool to see who gets the game ball after after game the third 2020 game do the Bucks steal the game ball yeah we you never know we’ll find out I

Guess but uh yeah no I mean so what’s funny is like I think the last three years paers just like never beat Milwaukee never um so it’s just like you know just to have two this this year is is cool but uh you know we get more

Chances so you know the Patriot lost their last match up to Milwaukee uh which which was I think their first this year um and then you know it’ll be interesting to see what that lineup change uh does for the Pacers you know I think their last matchup had heel topen

And Brown Starting versus the the new guys now I don’t know if uh Bruce Brown will play if if he’s coming back yet but what the lineup looks like with him inserted in it will be you know interesting I hope n Smith still starts just because of the way he guarded

Giannis last time um that seemed like you know at least a good matchup even though we don’t have a ton of people that can do that he’s always been up for it so I guess I’m just looking forward to see what that will look like you know defensively you always have to worry

About Giannis so um see if we can stop him or contain him you know yeah he had a franchise record for points last time obviously yeah Ian he’s phen they can’t stop him like and this sounds dumb because they’ve won three of their last four against the buck but like I always

Would joke if Giannis plays like they can’t beat the Bucks they just can’t last year that this was this was the I put this on the list when I was making my 2023 best of list I cut this game first it was the first game I cut but

They did win in Milwaukee last year in March in a game that um Yannis did plan that was the game McConnell had like 19 and 12 and they had 22 threes and Halburn didn’t even play and they they somehow won because they were just on fire from Deep like George Hill had 15

Points um that game was phenomenal so that that might I I keep saying that they struggle with Giannis because I go back to like giannis’s whole career but recently they’ve done better uh but you kind of throw out the Past after what happened in the last

Game right like with the game ball with the chippy foul from Yannis on Tyrese with the chippy foul from Aon n Smith on dianis with the TCH I mean bringing Oscar sheway who knows James Johnson’s around now like that’s gonna be something I think um and I I

Hope it’s a rivalry Brewing I think it’s going to be more personal and I think that the inseason turn tournament alone elevated the meaning of these games but now there’s a lot more to it so I hope it’s a rivalry I am looking forward to it myself Zach this was fun thank you

For the time as we close out the year great year at lockon Pacers and you all listening are the reason that’s possible where can people find you and your work covering the Indiana Pacers Zack Pearson yeah so uh you can find what I write at Pacer press.com and uh my my Twitter’s

Below at zaap Pearson MBA so come check it out give that a follow he will be covering some games this season in game Bridge Fieldhouse um I will be in the fiser forum tonight for Pacers bucks I will be on tracking the game ball Duty for All 48 minutes of action so we’ll

See uh what happens there if anything actually comes of it so last travel podcast tomorrow either in um a hotel or in the F form we’ll see you then back to the home base for a long time I apologize for the many shows with different audio and video quality but

Thank you all for listening both today and this whole year to Black last to do the show I absolutely love it we’re talking Pacers bucks tomorrow and I’ll probably do a segment on the anobi trade because he’s not on the Pacers what does that mean if anything where do the

Pacers Raptors Etc go next lots to cover in Pacer land big games coming huge month of their schedule coming we’ll talk about it on lock down Pacers thank youall for listening have a great day and we’ll see you next year

The Indiana Pacers took down the New York Knicks on Saturday behind another historic Tyrese Haliburton performance. Host Tony East is joined by Zach Pearson from Pacers Press to break down the win and Haliburton’s level right now. They also look back at the best Pacers moments of the year 2023.

Follow & Subscribe on all Podcast platforms…
🎧 https://link.chtbl.com/LOPacers?sid=YouTube

Locked On NBA League-Wide: Every Team, Fantasy, Draft, WNBA & More
🎧 https://linktr.ee/LockedOnNBA

📲 Follow Locked On Pacers on Twitter
Locked On Pacers https://twitter.com/lockedonpacers
Tony East https://twitter.com/TonyREast

#Pacers #IndianaPacers #NBA #PacersPodcast #indianapacerspodcast #TyreseHaliburton #BennedictMathurin #MylesTurner
Support Us By Supporting Our Sponsors!
Hungryroot

Hungryroot is the easiest way to get fresh, high-quality food delivered to your door. They’ve got healthy groceries and simple recipes, all in one place. Just go to Hungryroot.com/LOCKEDON, to get 40% off your first delivery and get your free veggies.

BetterHelp

This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Make your brain your friend, with BetterHelp. Visit BetterHelp.com/LOCKEDONNBA today to get 10% off your first month.

LinkedIn

LinkedIn Jobs helps you find the qualified candidates you want to talk to, faster. Post your job for free at LinkedIn.com/LOCKEDONNBA. Terms and conditions apply.

PrizePicks

Go to PrizePicks.com/lockedonnba and use code lockedonnba for a first deposit match up to $100!

Gametime
Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDON for $20 off your first purchase.
FanDuel

Score early this NFL season with FanDuel, America’s Number One Sportsbook! Right now, NEW customers get ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY DOLLARS in BONUS BETS with any winning FIVE DOLLAR MONEYLINE BET! That’s A HUNDRED AND FIFTY BUCKS – if your team wins! Visit FanDuel.com/LOCKEDON to get started.

FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN)