Indiana
Myles Turner’s journey with the Indiana Pacers included a lot of ‘bulls***’ before his first taste of playoff success
Prior to this Indiana Pacers Eastern Conference Finals run, Myles Turner had never been out of the first round. Not just in the NBA but in his life.
“This has been an incredible journey for me,” said Turner, who lost to Butler in the first round in his one collegiate season at Texas. “This is the first time I’ve been out of the first round in my entire life. The history’s all there going back to high school at Euless Trinity … it took me 28 years of my life to finally get to this point and I couldn’t be more proud of just the progression. I know I have a long way to go. I waited a long time just to get to this point, just want to keep building.”
Turner had the best postseason performance of his career by far while averaging 17 points, 6.6 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.5 blocks with great efficiency from the floor. After five first-round losses early in his career, the Pacers won two series in these playoffs, but he didn’t finish the way he hoped as he struggled in the Celtics series especially while playing through back spasms in each of the last two games.
“Myles is a special guy,” said Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle after the Game 4 loss to Boston. “I’m sorry that he got banged up tonight. You could tell that he was having trouble bending over … he just wasn’t the same tonight and that’s too bad. This is the kind of game where you want a guy like that to be absolutely at full strength to experience everything that’s going on.”
Don’t let the final series that still saw Turner put up two 20/10 games sour you on what was a fantastic playoff run overall. With three straight dominant performances against the Milwaukee Bucks that culminated in Turner posterizing Brook Lopez and the Gainbridge Fieldhouse crowd chanting his name with him answering the call by burying one of his 7 3-pointers in Game 4. It was hard not to happy for him in that moment.
In the Knicks series, he made one of the biggest plays of the entire run in the third game of the conference semi-finals by chasing down Josh Hart in transition after a turnover with two minutes left in the game and the Pacers trying to avoid going down 0-3. Without this play, Andrew Nembhard may have been unable to provide the final heroics to win it with the unbelievable game winner.
“I think Myles has done an amazing job being a vet ever since I’ve gotten here. He’s been super welcoming, he’s allowed us to all grow,” Nembhard said of the 9-year veteran. “He’s kind of pushed us on and off the floor to be closer. He has a good vibe about him every day … just a true pro, done a great job for us with a young team.”
Turner’s not perfect, he averaged more turnovers than 3-point attempts against the Celtics, couldn’t consistently make them pay for putting smaller defenders on him, and he’s not going to gobble up a ton of rebounds on his own most nights, but the Pacers don’t get to the conference finals without him. He made every team pay for guarding him with a center and forced them to adjust. While his defense has regressed some over the last couple seasons, his rim protection provided timely stops in each of the first two series as he upped his tally to 432 players blocked and welcomed to the Myles High Club over his career.
“I have a lot of love for Myles Turner,” Rick Carlisle said in his final presser for the season, “for what he stands for, what’s he done here, what he’s been through. He’s very special. 7-foot guys that can protect the rim, make 3s, make mid-range shots and then have his level of character aren’t growing on trees. There’s been a lot of talk over the years about trading him for this, that, and the other. I’m so glad the decision was made by Kevin, Chad, and the organization to stay with Myles. The moves that were made with Tyrese coming on board and Myles going to center full time was a huge lift not only to Myles but to this franchise as well.”
Now all those trades and almost goodbyes feel like nightmare what-ifs (Gordon Hayward sign and trade, Deandre Ayton offer sheet, offering Turner and Buddy Hield for far off Lakers 1st-round picks) and Turner to his credit has stayed the course despite having every reason to have opted to ask for a change in scenery after his umpteenth time in trade blocks but that doesn’t mean it hasn’t been frustrating.
“To be frank, I have dealt with a lot of bullshit since I’ve been here honestly,” Turner said when asked about how good this year felt after everything he’s been through. “It’s just been battling sometimes with non-believers, having to deal with all the trade rumors, having another big man signed right in front of my eyes. You can name it, I’ve been through a lot of stuff here. It never deterred my professionalism and my path. I was brought here for a reason and no matter what was thrown in front of me I’m going to continue to be the consummate professional and man that I am. It’s very easy to be like ‘oh this happened so I’m going to give up,’ or ‘they gave up on me so I’m going to give up on them.’ That’s not my M.O.”
Instead of leaving, Turner’s become a bonafide Pacers legend going from a promising, raw rookie that attempted only 14 3-pointers in his first season to making 45.3% on 86 attempts from deep over just 17 playoff games. From blocking LeBron James in his rookie season to leading the league in blocks per game multiple times to becoming the Pacers all-time franchise block leader. Even while his points per game stagnated for years while playing mostly on the perimeter with Domantas Sabonis as the center, Turner was still improving in his efficiency, doing more with less opportunities and improving the quality of the shots he was taking, increasing his 2-point percentage every year for five straight seasons from 51.9% to 66.2% from 2017 to 2022. Then, Tyrese Haliburton came into the fold and unlocked his game in ways fans had long hoped for as the duo became the most potent pick and roll combination in the NBA.
“I remember coming in like in Shep’s shoes,” Turner said of how he felt initially coming into the league, after Game 4 with rookie Ben Sheppard next to him, “just kind of not knowing what to expect and just knowing I was going to lay it all out there and whatever happens, happens. It’s a rarity that one player is with an organization as long as I’ve been. I definitely don’t take it for granted. I have a lot of love for this city and I try to express it as much as I can.”
With just one year left on his contract and being ineligible for an extension due to some obscure salary cap rules, he’ll hit unrestricted free agency for this first time in his career next summer after his 10th season in the NBA. Turner and the Pacers will have a decision to make next summer but no matter what happens you know he’s going to show up and do his job with professionalism until the very end whether that comes after next season, in another five years, or a surprise trade this summer.
“The respect that he has from every guy 1 through 15 couldn’t be higher,” T.J. McConnell said of the Pacers center. “He’s been here, he’s been through trade rumors, through rebuilds, he’s been through it all. The professionalism he’s shown throughout, there aren’t many like him on and off the court. He’s a true professional on the court and a great human being off the court. To have a guy like that here showing the young guys the way, he’s unbelievable.”
RIPLEY COUNTY, Ind. (WSBT) — A statewide Silver Alert has been issued for two young children in Indiana.
Police in Ripley County, southeast of Indianapolis, are looing for the children who may be siblings.
The first child is 3-year-old Aaliyah Buckingham.
She was last seen wearing a pink cat shirt and tie-dye shorts.
The younger child is 1-year-old Shane Buckingham, last seen in a red shirt and diaper.
Police think both are with 45-year-old Timothy Buckingham, who was last seen driving a brown GMC truck.
Timothy is described as a 6′ 3″ white man weighing 225 pounds with brown hair and blue eyes.
Photo of Timothy Buckingham provided by Indiana State Police
Police have not confirmed the relationship of the three, or why the children are believed to be in danger.
Anyone who sees the three are asked to contact the nearest police department.
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — A firefighter for the Indianapolis Fire Department was sent to the hospital Wednesday after battling a fire at a vacant house.
According to a Facebook post made by IFD, the fire happened around 10:15 a.m. at a house on Bluff Rd. IFD says that there were several complications, including limited access to fire hydrants and “interior hoarder conditions” that IFD says was due to squatters.
The injured firefighter received “slight injury,” the Facebook post said.
It took over an hour and a half to get the fire under control, according to IFD, and another hour to put out all the remaining hot spots in the building.
According to IFD, the cause of the fire is currently unknown. Their Fire Investigations Unit is working on figuring out what caused the fire.
Can Indiana football land 5-star receiver Monshun Sales? Recruiting analysis
The Hoosiers are a finalist for five-star Lawrence North receiver Monshun Sales. IndyStar insiders Kyle Neddenriep and Zach Osterman discuss IU’s chances.
The high school football season is a little more than five weeks away. We take a look today at 10 potential sleeper teams for the 2026 season from Central Indiana. To keep things consistent, we considered only teams that finished last season with a .500 record or below.
I had a few hits in this category last year, including Avon (3-7 to 6-5), Carmel (3-7 to 9-2) and Indian Creek (5-6 to 8-4). Here are teams poised for an uptick this season:
Brebeuf Jesuit
A drop off last year was not unexpected for the Braves, who lost a lot of talent from a team that finished 8-3 in 2024. Brebeuf started 0-6 on its way to a 3-8 season, which was its first losing record since going 4-6 in 2016.
There were some mitigating circumstances around last season’s record, extending beyond inexperience. The Braves lost starting quarterback Keegan Bouwkamp to an injury in the first game of the season, though he was able to return to pass for 1,004 yards and 15 touchdowns in just four games. His return as a senior will allow to senior Carter Cosgrove to return to receiver full time. They are part of a group of nine starters returning to an offense that did produce 26 points per game last season and will be anchored by UConn commit Krystian Oakley on the line.
Coach Matt Geske’s team also returns six starters on defense, including junior Joshua Rogers (42 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, five sacks). There are some new games on the schedule, including Mt. Vernon, Scecina, Columbus North and Cardinal Ritter.
North Central
It might seem like a small thing but North Central finishing 2-8 last season did represent a significant jump after three consecutive 0-10 seasons. In fact, a two-win season is the best for the Panthers since going 6-4 in 2020.
Now, can North Central take another step forward in Collin Coffer’s second season as coach? The Panthers ended a 32-game losing streak in the season opener last year with a 35-13 victory over Brebeuf, then defeated Harrison (West Lafayette) 41-28 in Week 5. If North Central is going to take the next step, it will need to make headway against Metropolitan Interscholastic Conference opponents (North Central’s most-recent MIC win was in 2021).
There is plenty of hope coming into the season with an offense led by junior quarterback Chase Grove (1,901 passing yards, 19 TDs) and an experienced group of receivers. Most of the defense also returns, including seniors Kolton Ablitar-Conner and Jameson Hittle.
Zionsville
The Eagles were 3-7 last year, but four of those losses came by 10 points or less. Zionsville has been stuck on either three or four wins every year since going 9-6 and reaching the Class 5A state finals in 2021.
There are reasons to believe coach Scott Turnquist’s team can make a move in 2026. The offensive line brings back Ball State commit Eli Wildoner and Ben Maxey and has a rising star in junior tight end Theo Schott, who caught 26 passes for 305 yards and three TDs last season. Junior quarterback Finn Giles transferred from Carmel and will battle for the starting spot with junior Mac Wright.
The defense has talent, too, led by senior Ball State preferred walk-on Roman Barth on the line, along with junior Peter Monohan. The secondary returns one of the team’s top tacklers in junior Gabe Vinatieri. Zionsville starts with Pike and Lawrence Central before getting into Hoosier Crossroads Conference play.
Martinsville
The Artesians did drop off from a 12-2 regional championship season in 2024 but still managed to win a sectional title and finish 6-7 last year with a relatively inexperienced team.
Coach Brian Dugger’s group will still be a little bit on the young side in some areas, but there is quite a bit coming back. Leading the way on offense will be senior quarterback Chase Davis (2,510 passing yards, 24 TDs), senior receiver Landon Cazee (95 catches, 1,280 yards, 13 TDs) and senior lineman Kyson Bunton.
The defense loses some key pieces to graduation, though senior linebackers Joel Sumner (67 tackles, five TFLs) and Nate LaFary (47 tackles in eight games) are among those returning. The path to a sectional title became a lot more difficult with Roncalli now in the mix. The Artesians open the season with Bedford North Lawrence and Bloomington South before getting into Mid-State Conference play with new league member Bloomington North in Week 3.
Hamilton Heights
Caleb Small comes over to coach his alma mater after coaching at Northwestern two years ago and Kokomo last season. The Huskies were 4-6 last year with a first-round sectional exit to Guerin Catholic, but there is a lot of experience returning on both sides of the ball.
The Huskies should be strong at the skill positions with senior running back A.J. Flanagan (813 rushing yards, seven TDs; 20 catches, 181 yards) returning, along with senior quarterback Drew Woodruff (1,742 passing yards, 13 TDs).
The defense should be strong in front seven with junior linebackers Grayden Dahlstrom and Landon Hickman among the returnees. The Huskies are coming off back-to-back 4-win seasons after going 11-1 in 2023 and making a run to the sectional title game. Small has a lot of experience on his staff, including eight coaches who have coached at the Class 6A level.
The sectional no longer includes Guerin Catholic or Bishop Chatard – the two programs that have knocked the Huskies out the past six seasons.
Mt. Vernon
This might seem like a lot to ask after Mt. Vernon finished 0-10 last season. Coach Mike Kirschner returns after getting the Marauders’ program a jolt from 2018 to 2020, helping to set the stage for a run to the Class 4A state title in 2021.
Can Kirschner help to make it happen again? Mt. Vernon allowed 46.2 points per game last season, so a major overhaul will be needed on that side of the ball. There is some experienced there, including senior James Battee on the line and Zach Spalding and B.J. Johnson at linebacker.
The offense returns four starters on the line, along with Arizona State baseball recruit Mason Meyer (1,517 passing yards, 11 TDs; 420 rushing yards, six TDs) at quarterback and Johnson at receiver. Instead of Noblesville and Franklin, Mt. Vernon will open with Kokomo and Brebeuf Jesuit before getting into Hoosier Heritage Conference play.
Monrovia
The Bulldogs struggled to a 4-7 record last year after back-to-back 9-3 seasons. Coach Andy Olson’s team could be in line for a bounce back season with three top rushers returning in junior Ryder Bain (978 yards, 12 TDs), senior Coewen Stinson (957 yards, 10 TDs) and junior Gavin Wolsiffer (746 yards, six TDs). Monrovia averaged 261 rushing yards per game last season.
The defense struggled last season, especially late. The Bulldogs lost 57-56 to Heritage Christian in the second round of the sectional. The good news is that Monrovia returns plenty of experience on that side of the ball, including senior Gauge Tolan (123 tackles).
Monrovia has not had back-to-back losing seasons since 2019 and 2020.
Cardinal Ritter
Ritter has been competitive the past three seasons under coach Levar Johnson but have not been able to break through with a winning season since 2020. The Raiders were 3-7 last year with wins over Tech, Greenwood Christian and Covenant Christian.
Can Ritter get over the top with a winning season in 2026? Junior linebacker Bam McCullough (99 tackles, eight TFLs, 3 ½ sacks) is a Division I talent and will be joined at the linebacker spot by junior Ve’Sean Miles (81 tackles, 6 ½ TFLs). Ritter has three other returning starters on defense.
The offense has three returning starters on the offensive line (eight overall) and several talented skill position players, including junior running back Tavien Fox (659 rushing yards, nine TDs), who is moving back from quarterback. Senior Renaldo Thomas (534 rushing yards, three TDs) also has experience. Junior Jordyn Graham, a transfer from Crispus Attucks, is the likely starter at quarterback.
Greenwood
It is a new era for the Woodmen in the Hoosier Legends Conference, where 4A Greenwood will be one of the larger schools in the eight-team league. The Woodmen were 2-8 last year, a drop after going 6-6 two years ago and 4-8 last season.
Greenwood will have experience at the skill positions on offense, led by Lindenwood commit Benjamin Hommell at wide receiver (26 catches, 625 yards, eight TDs) and junior running back Leland Morton (596 rushing yards, three TDs). There is some experience up front on defense with Aidyn Wiley on the line and linebackers James Hurley, Damyan Hernandez and Gage Hall.
Areas of concern for Greenwood will be a young offensive line and secondary.
Scecina
The Crusaders were on this list last year and did make a two-win jump, improving from 3-7 to 5-5. Scecina lost in the first round of the sectional, 47-29, to Monrovia in Dan Harris’ second season as coach.
Scecina returns plenty talent and experience at the skill positions, including senior quarterback Bryce McDonald (1,990 passing yards, 21 TDs), senior receiver Tristan Brown (65 catches, 708 yards, six TDs) and senior running back Gavin Connel (578 yards, four TDs). The Crusaders have good size up front but not a lot of experience.
The defense will include some of the same names from the offense, along with Mannie Stevens and C.J. Heard on the line and Kaiden Dugan at inside linebacker.
Call Star reporter Kyle Neddenriep at (317) 444-6649. Get IndyStar’s high school coverage sent directly to your inbox with the High School Sports newsletter. And be sure to subscribe to our new IndyStarTV: Preps YouTube channel.
-
Movie Reviews1 minute agoMovie Review: “The Odyssey”
-
World13 minutes agoUS military says it completed latest strikes on Iran, targets included Bandar Abbas
-
Politics25 minutes agoInside Trump’s Swift Construction of a White House Helipad
-
Science37 minutes agoThe Wildfire Researchers Who Burn Houses Down on Purpose
-
Lifestyle1 hour ago
Apache chef Nephi Craig says cooking Native food saved his life
-
Technology1 hour agoGoogle is better at playing the AI regulations game
-
World1 hour agoIran calls on Houthis to prepare to cut off Red Sea gateway — can the terror group do it?
-
Politics1 hour agoTodd Blanche roasts Adam Schiff in heated hearing: ‘You’re a lawyer, you know the rules’
