Indiana
Bill tracker: Lawmakers approve I-465 speed limit change, Braun signs property tax relief
Watch: Indiana public school teachers rally at Indiana Statehouse
Shaina Terano, a teacher at Belzer Middle School in Lawrence Township, discusses what her students could lose with SB 1, the proposed property tax reform bill.
The General Assembly had a big week. Lawmakers handed off multiple marquee bills to Gov. Mike Braun, from property tax reform to Medicaid changes.
That’s because we’re in the home stretch. Lawmakers intend to wrap up by the end of this week, though it’s possible they’ll need until April 29 ― the deadline dictated by law ― to sort out how to cut $2 billion from the budget following a dismal revenue forecast last week.
IndyStar is tracking the prominent bills that are moving through the legislative process and that would impact a wide variety of Hoosiers.
Here are some of the major bills that have advanced, and what happened to them last week.
House Bill 1001: State budget
Lead author: Rep. Jeff Thompson, R-Lizton
What it does: This bill funds Indiana’s government, health care programs like Medicaid, public K-12 schools and colleges for the next two years. The Senate Republicans recently pitched their version, which is broadly similar to the House’s proposal but does not remove the income cap for private school vouchers and contains some transparency requirements of their elected colleagues in the executive branch.
Status: The bill passed the Senate by a 40-9 vote on April 15. The House disagreed with the Senate’s version, so they will negotiate a final budget in a conference committee
Senate Bill 2: Medicaid eligibility
Lead author: Sen. Ryan Mishler, R-Mishawaka
What it does: The bill adds far more stringent and regular government reviews of the eligibility of Medicaid recipients and adds work requirements in order for someone to be eligible for the Healthy Indiana Plan, the state Medicaid expansion plan. In addition, if the federal government allows, it limits enrollment in the Healthy Indiana Plan.
Status: The Senate gave final approval to the bill on April 17 by a 37-10 vote. It now heads to Braun’s desk.
House Bill 1004: Price-controlling hospitals
Lead author: Rep. Martin Carbaugh, R-Fort Wayne
What it does: This is one of the key bills seeking to control health care costs in Indiana. This bill does it by penalizing hospitals if they charge prices higher than a certain benchmark. While the House wanted this benchmarking to start right away, the Senate’s version of the bill begins with a two-year price freeze. Both chambers’ versions of the bill eventually threaten to strip hospitals’ nonprofit status for overcharging, but the Senate’s version invokes this threat years down the line.
Status: The Senate approved the bill on April 15 by a 29-19 vote. The House disagreed with the Senate’s version, so they will negotiate a final budget in a conference committee.
House Bill 1461: Road funding and I-465 speed limit
Lead author: Rep. Jim Pressel, R-Rolling Prairie
What it does: The bill offers a platter of tools local governments could use to beef up their road budgets. The bill also makes it easier for the state to establish more toll roads, and increases the speed limit on I-465 from 55 to 65 miles per hour.
Status: The House voted 68-17 to agree to the Senate’s changes to the bill. It now heads to Braun’s desk.
House Bill 1393: Illegal immigration notices
Lead author: Rep. Garrett Bascom, R-Lawrenceburg
What it does: The bill requires county jails to report individuals to their county sheriff if the person is arrested for a felony or misdemeanor and there is probable cause to believe the person lacks permanent legal status. It then requires county sheriffs to report the person to proper authorities.
Status: The House gave final approval to the bill by a 58-19 vote on April 16. It now heads to Braun’s desk.
Senate Bill 289: Banning DEI
Lead authors: Sen. Tyler Johnson, R-Leo, Sen. Gary Byrne, R-Byrneville
What it does: This bill bans all state spending on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives — from trainings to diverse hiring initiatives — at state agencies, educational institutions and health profession licensing boards.
Status: The bill passed the House by a 67-27 vote on April 15. The Senate then disagreed with the House’s version, so they will negotiate a final budget in a conference committee.
House Bill 1006: Prosecutors
Lead author: Rep. Chris Jeter, R-Fishers
What it does: The bill creates a prosecutor review board to investigate complaints against prosecutors that have publicly refused to prosecute certain criminal laws. The Senate amended the bill on April 8 to remove language that would have allowed “noncompliant” prosecutors to be denied funds previously available under a House version of the bill, which Democrats saw as an attack on Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears.
Status: The House gave final approval to the bill by a 61-21 vote on April 17. The bill now heads to Braun’s desk.
House Bill 1002: Education deregulation
Lead author: Rep. Bob Behning, R-Indianapolis
What it does: The bill aims to loosen restrictions for Indiana schools and education systems, including by nixing the education credential requirement for the Indiana secretary of education, changing the timing of when teachers are paid and removing certain training and professional development requirements.
Status: The Senate passed the bill by a 31-18 vote on April 15. The House then disagreed with the Senate’s version, so they will negotiate a final budget in a conference committee.
House Bill 1008: Illinois-Indiana boundary commission
Lead author: House Speaker Todd Huston, R-Fishers
What it does: The bill creates a bipartisan group that would explore how Illinois counties could effectively secede from their state and join Indiana by redrawing state lines.
Status: The bill passed the Senate by a vote of 36-13 on April 16 and the House voted 64-23 to agree to the Senate’s changes on April 17. The bill now heads to Braun’s desk.
Senate Bill 482: Chronic absenteeism
Lead author: Sen. Stacey Donato, R-Logansport
What it does: The bill prohibits a public school from expelling or suspending a student because they are chronically absent or habitually truant and expands the number of days for a school to hold an attendance conference about a student’s absences from five days to 10. It also requires the Department of Education to establish best practices for student discipline on chronic absenteeism.
Status: The bill passed the House by an 82-15 vote on April 15. The Senate then disagreed with the House’s version, so they will negotiate a final budget in a conference committee.
Senate Bill 516: IEDC transparency changes
Lead author: Sen. Brian Buchanan, R-Lebanon
What it does: The bill would require the Indiana Economic Development Corporation make mandatory notifications to local governments if the quasi-government agency seeks to purchase 100 acres or more in a community and provide annual reports on Innovation Development Districts, like the LEAP project in Boone County. Additionally, the bill creates a new entrepreneurship and innovation office and a new role of president of the IEDC.
Status: The Senate unanimously gave final approval to the bill on April 16. The bill now heads to Braun’s desk.
House Bill 1007: Small nuclear reactors
Lead author: Rep. Ed Soliday, R-Valparaiso
What it does: The bill provides a state tax credit for expenses incurred in manufacturing small modular nuclear reactors in Indiana. The bill could result in costs shifted to utility customers to pay back project expenses before construction starts.
Status: The bill passed the Senate by a 36-13 vote on April 15. It now goes back to the House, which will decide whether to agree to the changes.
The following bills have either been signed by the governor or finished the legislative process.
Senate Bill 1: Property taxes
Lead author: Sen. Travis Holdman, R-Markle
What it does: The bill saw a massive overhaul when it passed the House and now includes local government finance reforms in addition to property tax relief. Senate Bill 1 limits how much local governments can raise their property taxes, provides new property tax credits for Hoosier homeowners and allows most cities and towns to establish their own local income tax rates. It also requires school districts to share tax dollars with certain charter schools.
Status: Braun signed the bill into law April 15 after the Senate voted 27-22 to agree with the House’s changes.
Senate Bill 10: Student voter ID
Lead author: Sen. Blake Doriot, R-Goshen
What it does: The bill bans college students from being able to use their student IDs as a form of acceptable voter identification at the ballot box.
Status: Braun signed the bill into law on April 16. It goes into effect July 1.
House Bill 1041: Transgender athlete ban
Lead author: Rep. Michelle Davis, R-Whiteland
What it does: This is virtually the same bill lawmakers passed in 2022, which banned transgender girls from participating in girls’ K-12 sports. This year’s bill extends that ban to collegiate athletics.
Status: Braun signed the bill into law on April 16. It goes into effect July 1.
Senate Bill 451: Income tax cut
Lead Author: Sen. Travis Holdman, R-Markle
What it does: The bill would further decrease Indiana’s individual income tax rate if state revenues grow by more than 3.5% compared to previous years.
Status: Braun signed the bill into law on April 16. It goes into effect July 1.
House Bill 1208: Sheriff’s commissary fund
Lead author: Rep. Greg Steuerwald, R-Avon
What it does: The bill would tighten oversight of commissary funds of county jails, requiring more stringent reporting and training. The bill comes in the wake of the scandal involving former Clark County Sheriff Jamey Noel, who last year was sentenced to 15 years in prison related to taking improper payments from the fund.
Status: Braun signed the bill into law on April 10. It goes into effect July 1.
House Bill 1137: Red Flag expungement
Lead author: Rep. Ben Smaltz, R-Auburn
What it does: The bill would allow for a judge to seal and expunge someone’s “red flag” record if a court determines the person to no longer be dangerous. It would only allow a law enforcement officer acting within their job duties to see the sealed record. Currently, if a person’s weapons are seized and a court determines they are not dangerous the case remains public, which advocates say has cost people jobs and other opportunities.
Status: Gov. Braun signed the bill into law on April 3. It goes into effect July 1.
Senate Joint Resolution 21: Constitutional Convention
Lead author: Sen. Andy Zay, R-Huntington
What it does: The resolution is part of a multi-state effort to compell the U.S. Congress to call a convention to amend the U.S. constitution, specifically to enact term limits for people who serve in the U.S. House or U.S. Senate. However, any aspect of the constitution could potentially be amended under such a convention.
Status: The resolution passed the Indiana House on March 17 by a 66-30 vote after being passed earlier in the session by the Indiana Senate. It goes into effect immediately because resolutions do not require the signature of Gov. Mike Braun.
There was no movement on the following bills last week.
Senate Bill 475: Physician noncompetes
Lead author: Sen. Justin Busch, R-Fort Wayne
What it does: Lawmakers tried in 2023 to outlaw noncompete agreements for Indiana doctors — contracts that prevent doctors from taking jobs at competing hospitals within a certain radius. The compromise that year was to only apply this to family doctors. This year, Senate Bill 475 attempts the ban for all physicians, again, hoping it will encourage competition and reduce prices in the health care market.
Status: The bill passed the House on April 9 by a 71-23 vote, but then on April 10, the bill’s author disagreed with the House’s changes. The bill will go to conference committee.
Senate Bill 143: Parental rights
Lead Author: Sen. Liz Brown, R-Fort Wayne
What it does: The bill restricts government entities, including school districts and the Indiana Department of Child Services, from intruding on parental rights or keeping information from parents, unless there is a compelling governmental interest.
Status: The Senate officially agreed to the House’s changes on April 8. The bill is now on Braun’s desk.
Senate Bill 4: Water pipeline oversight
Lead author: Sen. Eric Koch, R-Bedford
What it does: The bill prohibits the construction, operation, purchase, sale and lease of a long-haul water pipeline unless the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission signs off on it. However, the Citizens deal to provide water to the LEAP district in Lebanon is exempted from those rules.
Status: The Senate agreed to the House’s changes by a 45-2 vote on April 8. The bill is now on Braun’s desk.
The following bills are now dead.
House Bill 1531: Immigration enforcement penalties
Lead author: Rep. JD Prescott, R-Union City
What it does: The bill gives the governor power to withhold funding from local governments if the attorney general determines the entity does not comply with federal immigration enforcement. It says federal immigration law can be enforced by local, state and federal officials. The bill also prohibits employers from knowingly hiring someone who is not legally allowed in the U.S.
Status: This bill died after it failed to receive a hearing in the Senate’s Committee on the Judiciary. Republican Sen. Liz Brown, who leads that committee, released a statement on March 31 in which she expressed reservations about how to enforce the bill.
Senate Bill 11: Social media for minors
Lead author: Sen. Mike Bohacek, R-Michiana Shores
What it does: The bill requires parental consent for social media use for people under age 16, and allows Indiana’s attorney general to sue social media operators that don’t comply.
Status: This bill died in the House after it failed to receive a hearing before the deadline for bills to pass legislative committees on April 10.
Senate Bill 523: Chaplains in public schools
Lead author: Sen. Stacey Donato, R-Logansport
What it does: The bill would allow public schools to hire or bring in on a volunteer basis religious chaplains, with an eye toward alleviating the burden on school counselors.
Status: This bill died in the House after it failed to receive a hearing before the deadline for bills to pass legislative committees on April 10.
Senate Bill 13: Spinning
Lead author: Sen. Jim Tomes, R-Wadesville
What it does: The bill makes intentional and reckless skidding while driving, known as “spinning”, a Class B misdemeanor and increases the penalties further if the spinning endangers, injures or kills another person. If the bill becomes law, a person found spinning could have their vehicle seized in a civil forfeiture.
Status: This bill died in the House after it failed to receive a hearing before the deadline for bills to pass legislative committees on April 10.
Senate Bill 518: Sharing property tax dollars with charter schools
Lead author: Sen. Linda Rogers, R-Granger
What it does: The bill would require all traditional public-school districts, including Indianapolis Public Schools, to share property tax revenue with charter schools in their attendance boundaries, if 100 or more kids leave the traditional district for charter schools, starting in 2028.
Status: The language from Senate Bill 518 was amended into Senate Bill 1, the signature property tax relief bill.
Senate Bill 284: Shrinking early voting
Lead author: Sen. Gary Byrne, R-Byrneville
What it does: The bill would have shrunk Indiana’s period for early in-person voting from 28 days to 14 days. It died on Feb. 19 after Byrne said he did not have the support to advance the bill.
Status: Died in the Senate on Feb. 19 after the author did not open it for amendments by the deadline.
Senate Bill 201: Closing Indiana’s primaries
Lead author: Sen. Mike Gaskill, R-Pendleton
What it does: By requiring voters to register with a political party in order to vote in that party’s primary, this bill would have made Indiana a closed-primary state. It died on Feb. 19 after Gaskill said he did not have the support to advance the bill.
Status: Died in the Senate on Feb. 19 after the author did not open it for amendments by the deadline.
House Bill 1432: Online gambling
Lead author: Rep. Ethan Manning, R-Logansport
What it does: The bill would have allowed people to play online poker and other casino games virtually and allow the Hoosier Lottery to operate virtually as well.
Status: The bill died after not receiving a hearing in the House Ways and Means Committee before the Feb. 17 deadline.
Contact IndyStar state government and politics reporter Brittany Carloni at brittany.carloni@indystar.com. Follow her on Twitter/X @CarloniBrittany.
Contact IndyStar state government and politics reporter Kayla Dwyer at kdwyer@indystar.com or follow her on Twitter @kayla_dwyer17.
Contact senior government accountability reporter Hayleigh Colombo at hcolombo@indystar.com.
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We’ve entered the season in which humming cicadas, delectable snacks and sticky air combine to gift Hoosiers a favorite summer tradition: nights at the drive-in theater.
Nearly 20 such establishments still operate in Indiana, offering blockbusters and retro films while satisfying cravings for deep-fried munchies and all manner of sweet delights.
Find the complete list of drive-in theaters and what to know below. We offer the following advice: First, it’s good to have cash on hand. Some theaters only take cash while others add a surcharge to credit cards.
Check Facebook and the theaters’ websites for information on how to listen to the movie, when to arrive, if your dog can accompany you and whether you can bring your own snacks.
Happy movie watching!
Auburn Garrett Drive-In (Garrett)
1014 State Road 8 in Garrett. Check the Auburn Garrett Drive In on Facebook and auburngarrettdrivein.com for updates.
$10 adults, $5 ages 5-11, free ages 4 and under.
This drive-in is open once again after a storm damaged its screen in 2022. The theater has been a mainstay just north of Fort Wayne since 1951 and has changed its name a few times — from the Tri-Hi Drive-In to the Garrett Drive-In to its current moniker.
Bel-Air Drive-In (Versailles)
337 N. U.S. Highway 421 in Versailles. Check the Bel-Air Drive-In on Facebook and belairdrivein.com for showtimes. 812-689-5525
$10 adults, $5 ages 5-11 along with seniors and active U.S. military with ID. Free ages 4 and under. Cash only at ticket booth.
The Bel-Air Drive-In opened in 1952, and its traditions include slathering French fries, nachos, hot dogs and the like in Coney sauce made from the family’s recipe, third-generation owner Allan Chorpenning told IndyStar.
Centerbrook Drive-In (Martinsville)
6735 State Road 67 North in Martinsville. Check Centerbrook Drive-In on Facebook and centerbrookdrivein.com for showtimes. 317-831-1526
$10 adults, $5 ages 6-12, free ages 5 and under.
Watch the screen light up in the midst of a Southern Indiana landscape of hills and trees. The popcorn, fried mushrooms and funnel cake fries loaded with powdered sugar come recommended here.
Cinema 67 (Spencer)
2037 State Road 67 in Spencer. Check Cinema 67 Drive In Theater on Facebook and cinema67.com for showtimes. 812-879-4240
$9 adults, $5 ages 5-11, free ages 4 and under.
Named for the nearby state road, the drive-in is a community gathering place that serves up a menu of traditional favorites.
The IndianapoLIST newsletter has the best shows, art and eats — and the stories behind them
Georgetown Drive-In (Georgetown)
8200 State Road 64 in Georgetown. Check Georgetown Drive-In on Facebook and georgetowndrivein.com for showtimes. 812-951-2616.
$12 adults, $6 ages 6-12, free ages 5 and under. Cash only at box office.
You’ll find a few of those nostalgic window speakers along with a playground in this spot that opened in 1951. Enjoy the traditional drive-in concessions and an expanded menu on weekends.
Holiday Drive-In Theatre (Mitchell)
1055 State Road 37 in Mitchell. Check Holiday Drive In Theater Mitchell IN on Facebook and holidaydrivein.biz for showtimes.
$10 adults, $5 ages 6-12, free ages 5 and under.
Be sure to order a steakburger, cooked the old-fashioned way on a grill. If you don’t feel like a burger, try chicken, tenderloins, French fries, soft-serve ice cream or a fish sandwich.
Holiday Drive-In (Rockport)
646 N. State Road 161 in Rockport. Check Holiday Drive-In on Facebook and holidaydrivein.com for showtimes. 812-649-2857
$12 adults, $6 ages 4-11.
Just east of Evansville, the Holiday opened in 1955 and has grown steadily since then, adding more screens. The concession menu boasts all-American favorites, including double cheeseburgers, onion rings and snow cones.
Hummel Drive-In (Winchester)
2870 E. State Road 32 in Winchester. Check Hummel Drive-In on Facebook and hummeldrivein.com for showtimes. 765-546-8223
$10 adults, $5 ages 5-10, free ages 4 and under. Cash only.
After the Airline Twin Drive-In closed in 2014, Shawn and Pauletta Hummel bought it and gave it a new life. The couple’s purchase kept the decades-old icon alive. What to eat? Try a pizza burger or walking taco.
Huntington Twin Drive-In (Goodrich)
1291 Condit St. in Huntington. Check GQT Huntington Twin Drive-In on Facebook for showtimes. 260-356-2924
$7 adults, $3 ages 12 and under.
Look for traditional favorites like candy, hot dogs and mozzarella sticks.
Lake Shore Drive-In Theatre (Monticello)
100 Rickey Road in Monticello. Check Lake Shore Drive-In Theatre on Facebook and lakeshoredrivein.com for showtimes. 574-583-0311
$12 adults, $6 ages 4-12, free ages 3 and under.
The menu usually includes funnel cakes, breadsticks and other concession fare at the Monticello theater that’s been part of the community fabric for about seven decades.
M.E.L.S. at the Starlite Drive-In (Thorntown)
8721 N. State Road 39 in Thorntown. Check M.E.L.S. At The Starlite Drive-In on Facebook and melsdrive-intheatre.com for showtimes. 765-325-2230
$25 per carload admission.
M.E.L.S. — located between Lafayette and Indianapolis — has long been a staple in Mechanicsburg, with admission priced per-carload that lets you pack everyone in.
Melody Drive-In (Knox)
7055 S. U.S. Highway 35 in Knox. Check Melody Drive-In Theatre on Facebook and melodydrivein.com for showtimes. 574-772-2042
$10 adults, $7 seniors, $5 kids ages 5-11, free ages 4 and under.
Up in the northern half of the state, Melody has all the eats to satisfy. Make sure the double cheeseburgers are on your radar — they’re customer favorites.
Moon Lite Drive-In (Terre Haute)
5056 N. Lafayette Ave. in Terre Haute. Check Moon Lite Drive-In Theater – Terre Haute on Facebook for showtimes. 812-244-1275
Single-feature nights: $6 adults, $3 ages 6-12, free ages 5 and under. Double-feature nights: $8 adults, $4 ages 6-12, free ages 5 and under. Check Facebook for special showings, like retro nights.
Reopened in late 2018, this drive-in on the north side of Terre Haute programs nights with retro and single-feature showings in addition to the traditional two-film nights. Check their Facebook page for nights with discounts.
Skyline Drive-In Theatre (Shelbyville)
3986 E. Michigan Road in Shelbyville. Check The Skyline Drive-In on Facebook and theskylinedrivein.com for showtimes.
$10 adults, $5 ages 6-12, free ages 5 and under or $30 per carload.
The Skyline made sure to keep its 35-millimeter projector after it converted to digital, which means it plays selections from the past that won’t work with newer technology. Keep on the lookout for special events like August’s Super Monster Movie Fest. As for food, look for the handmade pizzas and coffee bar. Be sure to ask for a secret menu item, the sky pretzel, which is deep fried and covered with popcorn salt.
Starlite Drive-In (Bloomington)
7640 S. Old State Road 37 in Bloomington. Check Starlite Drive-In Theater on Facebook and starlitebloomington.com for showtimes. 812-824-2277
Double-feature nights: $10 adults, $5 ages 6-12, free ages 5 and under. Check Facebook for special showings, like free retro nights.
In addition to first-run movies, be sure to take advantage of retro movie nights, and look for a menu of drive-in classics, like nachos and ice cream.
Tibbs Drive-In Theatre (Indianapolis)
480 S. Tibbs Ave. in Indianapolis. Check The Tibbs Drive-In on Facebook and tibbsdriveintheatre.com for showtimes. 317-243-6666
$12 adults, $6 ages 4-12, free ages 3 and under.
The only drive-in theater left inside Indianapolis’ city limits has four screens and a reputation for friendly staff with good movie recommendations.
Tri-Way Drive-In Theatre (Plymouth)
4400 Michigan Road in Plymouth. Check Tri-Way Drive-In Theatre on Facebook and triwaydrivein.com for showtimes.
$10 adults, $8 ages 4-11, free ages 3 and under. Cash only.
Named for its location on U.S. 31 between U.S. 6 and U.S. 30, the drive-in opened in 1953. The woman who submitted the winning name received a year’s pass to the theater for her family.
13-24 Drive-In (Wabash)
890 N. State Road 13 in Wabash. Check 13-24 Drive In on Facebook and honeywellarts.org/drive-in for showtimes. 260-563-5745
$7 adults, $5 kids ages 3-12, free ages 2 and under. Or $25 carload of four or more. $10 carloads for Thursday retro reels.
Among the throwbacks this year are “Forrest Gump” and “The Notebook.” The theater was named before its 1951 opening for the intersection where it resides — State Road 13 and Federal Road 24, now called the Hoosier Heartland Highway.
49’er Drive-in Theatre (Valparaiso)
675 N. Calumet Avenue in Valparaiso. Check 49’er Drive-In Theatre on Facebook and 49erdrivein.com for showtimes. 219-462-6122
$10 adults, $5 ages 5-11, free ages 4 and under.
Have yourself an iconic Hoosier summer day by spending hours under the sun at Indiana Dunes National Park and then driving about 15 minutes to the 49’er Drive-in in time for nightfall. The theater opened in 1956 and played “The Seven Little Foys,” starring Bob Hope, as its first movie, according to newspaper archives.
Contact IndyStar reporter Domenica Bongiovanni at 317-444-7339 or d.bongiovanni@indystar.com. Sign up here for the newsletter she curates about things to do and ways to explore Indianapolis. Find her on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter: @domenicareports.
If I ventured in the slipstream
Between the viaducts of your dream
Where immobile steel rims crack
And the ditch in the back roads stop
Could you find me?
—Van Morrison, “Astral Weeks”
There isn’t really any way of overstating it: What Tyrese Haliburton did on Tuesday night in Indianapolis communed with the immortals. In a pivotal Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals, Haliburton logged 32 points, 12 rebounds, 15 assists, five 3-pointers, four steals, and zero turnovers in a 130-121 win over the New York Knicks. One of the greatest performances from an NBA point guard, ever. And it’s brought the Indiana Pacers to a 3-1 series lead, just one win away from the franchise’s first NBA Finals appearance in 25 years.
It was the type of game that not only cemented Haliburton as a bona fide superstar but also may well inspire the next generation of point guards to embrace the quirks in their own style of play. For years, Haliburton has pushed against the insularity of basketball’s collective aesthetic bias. His economy of motion is bewildering. His dribble is slippery. His shot mechanics are perfectly hideous. There is almost a cartoonish, slapstick quality to his game that feels out of time but also uniquely suited to representing basketball today. He prances around like Martin Prince but shoots like Bobby Hill. And it’s fucking amazing. You know what’s overrated? Being cool is overrated. I’ll hear from the boss if I’m overstepping here, but I’m ready to call it: All hail the new Dork Elvis.
The freewheeling habitus inherent to Haliburton’s style belies the precision of his game. The lack of turnovers in Game 4 was no fluke: Tuesday night’s master class was Hali’s 11th career game with at least a 15-to-0 assist-to-turnover ratio, according to Sportradar’s Todd Whitehead. Only John Stockton (14) and Chris Paul (13) have more such games. Haliburton may well lap the field several times over by the end of his career; he’s only 25. The game whirrs around him, and the Pacers stir up frenzy only to cocoon themselves within it. But chaos can be harnessed. Great point guards create an overarching sense of beauty and order in the game. And within that framework is a new logic, imminently translatable across the rest of the team. It widens the scope of possibility, magnifies what a teammate believes himself capable of achieving. It can embolden an otherwise tunnel-visioned decision-maker like Bennedict Mathurin to make the right pass on a drive. It can expand the imagination of a player like Myles Turner, allowing him to be receptive to a pass he knows wouldn’t normally be delivered.
On a 15-assist night, one play stood out as uniquely Hali. Roughly midway through the third quarter, Haliburton bolted into a double-drag screen meant to toss Mikal Bridges in a pinball machine. There was the slightest window for a low-angle pocket pass to a rolling Turner—Haliburton faked the pass, and Turner dipped his torso low accordingly, just in case the ball did head toward him. The fake momentarily froze Karl-Anthony Towns, which created an awkward logjam as Bridges reentered the play—the two Knicks effectively ran into each other trying to stop the ball, leaving Turner unobstructed under the basket. Haliburton jumped in the air and double-clutched for a moment before sending a side-angle lob for an easy layup. Classic Hali. The type of play that inspired the perfect gift for the Haliburton fan in your life: a T-shirt that reads Jump passes are good now.
“My game is a little unorthodox,” Haliburton said after the game. “I jump to pass probably more than anybody in the NBA. But I work on that stuff.”
The effect Haliburton has on the Pacers offense is akin to a slipstream, reducing drag and creating a structure that maximizes the efficiency of the players flanking him. And there aren’t many players over the past decade who have benefited from playing within the slipstream of a superstar more than Pascal Siakam, who killed the Knicks softly in Game 4 with an absurdly efficient 30 points. Siakam’s breakout season ran concurrently with Kawhi Leonard’s lone season in Toronto; it’s hard to believe that it’s been nearly six years since Game 1 of the 2019 NBA Finals—wherein Siakam was the best player in a game that featured at least five future Hall of Famers. Six years later, this version of Siakam is the most realized yet. Credit aerodynamics. Credit the synchronicity of strangeness that powers the Pacers’ chaos engine.
Siakam is a perfect stylistic complement to Haliburton—a kindred weirdo who doesn’t have presets, whose unorthodoxy is a purely individual expression of how he intuits the game. Maybe more than any other star in the league, Pascal’s game does not track as a collage of outside influences. On a TNT pregame show earlier in the series, Draymond Green mentioned Siakam as one of his toughest covers—he acknowledged losing his defensive matchup to Siakam handily in those 2019 Finals. Green, one of the greatest defenders of the century, is a super-processor of information, but that relies on endless mental simulations of the most probable outcomes. Siakam, as ever, slip-slides away from such categorizations.
He’s always been known for his spin move, but where it was once overly telegraphed, the move has become more and more dictated by reading the micro-movements of his defender—an organic response to his environment. As soon as you get accustomed to the spin, Siakam is liable to feign the motion only to slip into a behind-the-back dribble to catch you off-balance:
Nothing is premeditated. The game flows when you read and react. Siakam’s sudden emergence as a steady spot-up shooter from deep has unlocked all the frontiers of his versatility, allowing him to truly inhabit the offense as an omni-dimensional presence. It’s a testament to the Pacers’ deep and abiding understanding of Haliburton’s ethos that they doubled down on unorthodoxy with his lead running mate. It’s what makes this team special.
The Pacers are now 11-3 in the postseason and 45-17 since the New Year—a .726 win percentage. They’ve been one of the four best teams in the NBA for a while now. And should things hold across both conference finals series—which mirror each other at 3-1 apiece—then these games of attrition will have gotten things right: The Thunder and Pacers are the two best teams remaining. The Pacers play an outrageously fun, visceral style of up-tempo basketball. They pressure. They drive and kick with almost unilateral focus. They have a coach who is unendingly curious and open to riding the shifting winds of the game. The Pacers are tantalizingly close to the promised land. Their guiding lights may not look like the kinds of stars we’ve grown familiar with, but their difference has been the difference.
Danny Chau
Chau writes about the NBA and gustatory pleasures, among other things. He is the host of ‘Shift Meal.’ He is based in Toronto.
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