Indiana Pacers Postgame Media Availability (at Portland Trail Blazers) | January 19, 2024

Indiana Pacers Postgame Media Availability (at Portland Trail Blazers) | January 19, 2024

Uh I guess just to start big picture I mean we we asked at the beginning about uh you know just getting Pasco integrated and Tyrese integrated just how did you kind of feel like they generally worked um you know in terms of just finding offensive flow together you

Know getting a sense of how they can they’re going to work well I mean both guys played well here offensively they both were significant pluses in the game so all that’s going to work um um tonight was a night where we needed you know nine or 10 guys to be pretty

Consistent we just we just weren’t we just weren’t consistent enough um you know turnovers were a problem untimely turnovers 18 points off turnovers for them and and only 12 for us that’s six points that’s twice the difference in the game you know um and you know the other the other thing

Is you know uh Grant just got going and and it was you know we just didn’t do a good enough job on him um probably should have double teamed them earlier um you know Malcolm had a good game and they and and they’re they’re physical team they they play hard they

Play well at home um so you know they earned the win I think uh 66 to 26 in the paint obviously part of that cuz you guys are able to get a lot of Threes uh basically eventually it seemed like you were starting to attack a lot more sometimes got some calls sometimes

Didn’t but did you feel like you guys were settling too much earlier was it just a case of that’s what they were giving you that’s what you had to take it’s just it’s it’s a matter of playing with a level of presence at both ends um

You know when the other team is shooting well over 50% which way which they were in the first half um it’s hard to get momentum downhill um with a bunch of aggressive young guys that are sitting down Garden um um you know when we got the ball into the paint our numbers were

Much better than when we didn’t but that’s any game in the NBA any day of the week you know so um but defensively is where we needed to be a lot better we need to do do a lot better on a better job on Grant Brogden what uh I gu to um

To keep going a little bit on Malcolm obviously seemed like he was able to score regardless if he put on it seemed like Aaron took that um you know assignment really personally did a good job want him labers what do you think Malcolm did just to get as much space as

He got and get to the rooming well he he drove the ball that’s that’s the thing that he is really special at is you know getting getting to the edge and turning the corner and getting to the free throw line and so he was able to do that um

You know I the foul discrepancy is something that I don’t want to make a big deal out of but it’s there it’s 2621 it’s a big deal you know it’s it’s a big difference in the game and um you know you you always you always want the whistle

Blowing the same amount as at your end as is it theirs and and so um but we needed to get more stops you know we needed to get more stops and we didn’t do it so obviously uh I think bench is I think a season low for these guys a lot

Of the guys that were having a tough time tonight were the same guys that that you know kind of carried you last night obviously was there I think some some lag for those guys of what they had to do last night cared a back toback I mean it’s logical MH

Um you know it’s it’s a back to back it’s way out west you can come up with a lot of excuses um but you know I think when I when when I we look at the film we’re just going to see that the level of force posture presence defensively was not where it

Needed to be and um you know uh strategically probably should have gone got got gotten more aggressive with Grant um earlier in the game um but he makes difficult shots and some of some of the shots you just you know you wouldn’t you wouldn’t go in double team so

Um it’s probably good that we’re done with these guys it’s just a tough matchup you know um it didn’t it didn’t go well in the two games um you know the first game was pretty similar to this one or this one was pretty similar to the first game and both both of those

Guys had big games that night too so um hey we’ll learn from it keep working at getting Pascal um immersed in what we’re doing um we get another opportunity on Sunday and so uh you know we’ll we’ll just stay positive and keep moving forward gu to go back to P what you like

About him individually obviously goes for 21 seem like he squared a bunch of different levels was certainly trying to show some presence defensively even he was guarding Grant it seem like he was getting sometimes he lost those I mean what did you like about him on both I

Liked him I liked him both ends um you I I would argue that you know the five fouls you know maybe could have been two or three or four you know um but that’s I don’t want to get into that um he’s a unique guy

Because you know you put him in an NBA game he’s going to find a way to get his get his average everything and you won’t have to run a play for him he just has a way has a knack and that’s how we felt about tonight that’s

Why we you know I wasn’t worried about him fitting in on short notice um but he does need to learn you know um significant other parts of our system both both sides of the ball and uh and we’ll get to work on that you know tomorrow and the next day and and

Get ready for Phoenix all right Pascal not the outcome you wanted but uh what was it like playing your first game with the Pacers um exciting um obviously just been a crazy couple of days um a lot of stuff moving forward I mean I I barely got any sleep the past couple of

Days um but you know I’m just I’m just excited I was excited to be out there you know I was asked if I you know if I wanted to play or not Ian I just wanted to be out there so just get out get that

First one out of the way um but just just exciting you know the talent level here um the pace of play um and yeah I just want to go out there play with those guys you know continue to get get to know each other I think we’re going

To we’re going to learn about you know how each other play as as we go and um that’s just kind of like yeah it’s going to be a little tough in the beginning and just kind of keep learning um yeah what was the last 48 hours like yeah it

Was insane um you know obviously got traded um had to figure out how to you know get on the plane like the next morning go to Indiana do about 5 hours of physical um just trying to you know go out there I met with Chad and and and all that

Guys out there in Indiana and then got on plane here um barely got really any sleep and and yeah just just got here and you it’s been pretty crazy um obviously coming from a different team um I’ve been been playing with the Raptors for um since I got drafted so

Pretty crazy change but um I’m excited about it man like I love the everything about the organization and how they handled everything um from the first time I you know I stepped there like just the the love and the excitement like um like no other so um I’m excited about

It and I just want to continue to improve and and hopefully you know I I can you know continue to help the team you talked about uh being impressed watching Miles Turner and Tyrese halberton play what was it like to play with those guys uh tonight yeah it’s fun

Um I think obviously Ty is coming back um he’s he’s he’s going to get you know even even better and I’m sure I’m going to see even more um but just from watching him um just how fast he plays willing passive um create mismatches and you know he’s like one of those gravity

Play kind of players you know um the whole defense looking at him so playing with a guy like that and then having a stretch stretch big like um being able to have the lane open and kicking out to him like I mean miles me a lot I don’t

Have thre easy me tonight but um just a little glimpse of you know what what they can do and I feel like you know we can really be dangerous out there on def on offense and we just got to continue to work on defense and um continue to

Get better at that on that side too yeah you’ve won a title so you’ve you’ve been there to the top of the mountain what can you share with your new teammates to help you guys get there one day um I think it’s just we got take it day by

Day it’s one day out the time um it’s a long season and um obviously we we have an explo explosive offense but you know um defense going to get us far so we got to continue to improve on that and um and yeah like I I think it’s it’s it’s

Going it’s all about the details and and Contin to take it day by day one day at a time you know we can’t kind of like look ahead um focus on the details and and just continue to get better day by day you had a brother play college

Basketball in Indianapolis and II so you’re familiar with Indianapolis aren’t you yeah I’m I’m I’m familiar just from hearing from him um you know he sory by Indiana so um before I even got here so he told me a lot about it and um yeah

I’m I’m excited um and and and he was excited about it just cuz you know he’s been he’s been here throughout college and um always always heard great things about it so yeah I got a a few more ctin deak Indianapolis Star by the way what’s up

BR good to meet you man um what uh what did you just kind of learn tonight about where you fit about how you fit with this group and what what’s most important for you to do yeah um I think just like continue to um attack the

Paint um something that I feel like I’m great at um and and just you know continue to to to to to work hard and and create mismatches and and create advantages on on offense kickouts um and then also you know when we slow down um

You know I can I can definitely go go out there and find a bucket so I think that’s that’s going to be valuable for this team um but but also just a a guy that you know plays with Pace both hands um and just and just willing to to go

With a team and try to win like I I just want to I just want to win games at the end the day like I really could care less about about everything else um and and everything I have to do to to help us win like I’ll find those things and

And and I try to contribute but want to go back to what you said about uh the trade I guess when when you find out it’s Indiana what what part go through your mind obviously that was it started to be rumored seemed like picked up a

Lot how much of an of an expectation did you have that it could be IND the end what was your kind of the first thought the one through your mind I was excited I was excited obviously I’ve seen I’ve been watching the team um from afar um

And and just talking to TI and and you know getting his perspective on everything and um we have we have mutual friends so it’s I’ve always I’ve always heard great things and and I and I’ve watched the team so always pretty easy um to see um the talent level and um a

Lot exciting young players and it’s always exciting when when you have a roster like that and and having an opportunity to to add me into the mix like you know I just felt like it was a great opportunity um and and I was excited I guess at what point in the

Procedure and I don’t even know when it’s legal but when did you start talking to Tai about that I mean like I trying to get you in trouble no yeah next question um I mean obviously they’re still on those lines too me know the big question everybody had is okay well

What’s he going to do long term you know what what happens next I guess um just to keep that open ended I where is that for you at this point I mean you thought about at this point is it man I’m excited man like the the amount of

Love and and that I received just from the first day I got here like you know it’s exciting got here um and appreciate it man it’s crazy yeah I’m excited man that’s all I’m going say I’m excited I just want to continue to help this team I think we

Have an opportunity to do something special and I would be part of it what do you think that moment will be like Tuesday night when you’re back home for the first time playing in gamebridge Fieldhouse as a Pacer yeah um can’t wait you know I hope I hope it’s loud I hope

Everyone is excited cuz I’m excited um and and and again like I I can see the passion from just coming here and playing in that Arena like you know they’re pretty loud um so I’m just just kind of like blessed to be a part of

That and and and I hope that you know I can make an impact tonight was it hard offense or defense what was the bigger challenge getting do um I think just everything cuz I just had to like again I think I barely slept for the past couple of days so I think

Just just everything being out there on the floor um even before in Toronto I didn’t play a couple of games and then for a couple of days I was just like literally all over the place mentally and physically um so um I think everything about it was was kind of

Tough but but I just wanted to again can there’s no perfect way to start so I just wanted to get get in there jump in there and and figure it out and and I think as we go we’re going to get better and I’m going to get better how did you

Feel personally coming back out when did you know ready um some we talked about you know trying to aim to get back before the end of the road trip obviously we know it was said you know publicly but on the inside we felt like it might be an opportunity and so I’m

Excited about that and uh yeah got to go out here compete with the guys obviously don’t get the win but thought we showed flashes some good stuff uh obviously a tough game yesterday so you know we had some fatigue and stuff going on but uh you know it’s the fun part about

Putting a new group together and and and and finding spots and you know I thought it was a exciting time for our franchise what was it like to just you know get going with him on the Fly basically I me I don’t know how much at all time today

You had to work with him but what was it like to kind of figure out you You’ obviously seen him on TV you know how he plays but what was like to kind of integrate him into this on F yeah yeah I mean we was just learning how to go you

Know on the Fly just going off our basketball Brains it’s like playing pickup a little bit out there you know uh but that’s the fun part is like that’s the exciting part for us I think we get back here and we’re like man that was you know we played all right but

There’s so much more room for us you know we just still got to figuring out your Rhythm and stuff that takes time takes time for anybody any partnership so um you know we’re figuring it out and uh it’ll be better on a game to game basis and just want to keep growing and

And figuring it out with Pascal playing and you coming back today could you get a feeling even from afar the Pacer fan base how excited they were today and they are actually moving forward for sure for sure I think it’s an exciting time for our organization exciting time

For guys here uh obviously adding a guy like Pascal puts us in Prime position to do what we want to do and compete in the playoffs so uh it’s a definitely an exciting time you can feel the energy you know through social media even in the building there was a lot of patience

Fans today so that was a lot of fun for us and uh just want to keep growing been a lot to talk about you and Pascal what about Pascal and miles and what did we see tonight from the start of that parent yeah I think that parent is

Amazing just because of the space that Miles you know allows for Pascal to drive and you know driving kick opportunities are amazing like Pascal’s hard to keep in front one-on-one so when you’re helping with four Shooters on the floor it’s uh really difficult to stop you know we just didn’t get enough stops

Today uh especially early in that we figured out more later we were fouling a lot but we started to be better at the end of the game but that little first half uh we gave up to many points and we got dominated in the paint tonight and

That’s a total total group effort you coming out of it feeling okay yeah I’m no issues yeah I’m what did you may learn about Pascal that you couldn’t know before you played with him I is there anything you you obviously watch him enough you know the game enough

You’ve seen him but is there anything that when you get on the floor with him you’re like wow this is something else just how he is a communicator uh picking up on things on the Fly you know we ran some different things I’m sure he was

Not talk to about you know our Blitz coverages and how we rotate and all that stuff but uh he did a good job of you know kind of figuring out on the Fly and um you know I think we have great dialogue already and so that was the

Best part about it for me just getting to know him more and just want to keep going I think that’s the beautiful part about it is it’s one game you know what I mean and there’s uh I don’t even know how many more games we got but 40 some

Games uh more to figure it out are we okay okay that’s yesterday was well today pass is over 41 this is 42 okay okay okay okay 40 more games what uh obviously as far as you guys end up taking more threes and twos I think you

End up getting beat 66 to 26 in the pain obviously made a bunch of those threes and you had 20 of them but I mean do you look back and say you feel like you settled or obviously they seemed like you attacked more as the game went on

They obviously were trying to wall it off they were giving you those shots and was your kind of overall read as to how you feel about I guess the fact that you end up with that yeah I mean I feel I feel good about it I mean at the end of

Day we just didn’t make enough shots and didn’t get enough stops I mean it’s a make or Miss League I’m not really worried about that offensive offensively is never going to be our problem ever you know like make or Miss but we’re going to get good shots especially if we

Not turn the ball over uh we’re going to get good shots we just didn’t get enough stops that we needed to and that’s just us figuring stuff out right now and adding a new guy and new terminology and uh everybody’s you know kind of and Aaron’s comeing back from injury I’m

Coming back from injury we’re all just getting a rhythm right now so uh I just want to keep growing on that obviously you know in terms of getting stops Jeremy and and brog obviously a bit problem what stood out to you about each of those guys I mean they just play

Downhill uh got have free throw line a lot I mean Jeremy I mean they’re both elite players in this league and uh both had good good games so we just got to do a better job of helping each other out and helping the helper you know what I

Mean and uh just figuring out how to finish possession we didn’t do a great job of that today so uh it happens just want to keep growing

Rick Carlisle, Pascal Siakam and Tyrese Haliburton speak with the media following the Pacers loss to the Trail Blazers on Friday night.

0:00 – Rick Carlisle
5:53 – Pascal Siakam
13:01 – Tyrese Haliburton