Indiana
Column: Dear Indiana Pacers, Thank You
From the moment I got out of bed on Sunday, I was thinking about it. From that first sip of coffee until the opening tipoff, most of my day was spent imaging what it would be like to witness the Indiana Pacers hoist the Larry O’Brien Trophy into the confetti-filled air at the end of Game 7.
I watched the highlights from this incredible playoff run, then I dug up some of the best moments in Pacers playoff history. I clicked the “play” button on the hype videos shared by the organization — one narrated by radio play-by-play man Mark Boyle, and the other voiced by Indiana legend Reggie Miller.
With tears in my eyes and a catch in my throat, I continued thinking about what an NBA championship would mean to Indianapolis, to the state, and the fanbase. As silly as it sounds, a man who has parlayed a love of sports into a career, I was overwhelmed with emotion.
I wanted this one badly, damnit. I wanted it for Indianapolis, a city that nurtured my passion for sports. I wanted it for Indiana, the state that serves as the foundation for my obsession with basketball. I wanted it for Pacers fans everywhere. I wanted it for my family. Selfishly, I’ll admit, I wanted it for me.
Unfortunately, my dream didn’t become a reality. The Pacers came up one game short of bringing a world championship back to Indianapolis, falling 103-91 to the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 7.
Yes, I’ve buried the lede a little bit here, but this column isn’t aimed at dwelling on the negative. Instead, I’m writing this to celebrate everything the Pacers accomplished this season and to thank them for providing us with one of the most memorable runs in playoff history.
Tyrese Haliburton fueled most of the iconic moments over the last two months. We’ll forever remember his heroics during the postseason, highlighted by the miraculous game-tying bucket against the New York Knicks in Game 1 in Madison Square Garden.
It hardly seems fair that his season ended with an injury in the biggest game in franchise history.
The improbable comebacks, clutch shots, and classic finishes are only a part of what made this run unforgettable. Some of the most memorable moments, at least for me, came outside the game.
My grandmother and I talked on the phone after every Pacers win during this playoff run. There were no formal greetings, just a headfirst dive into a five-minute conversation about the game. Following Haliburton’s game-winning bucket in Game 1 of the NBA Finals, she called me the next day and said, “I woke up thinking about that shot.”
For a pivotal Game 4, my fiancée and I drove four hours for a watch party in Indianapolis, an evening shared with two of my oldest friends. We couldn’t afford tickets to the NBA Finals, but we wanted to experience the atmosphere of a city in euphoria.
A group chat with my father and brother suddenly turned from weekly check-ins to daily messages, most of which revolved around the Pacers. My aunt texted me before Game 7 to say, “I wish we were all watching this together again.”
My mother sent me texts after every game, usually in a state of disbelief, excitement, or frustration, depending on the outcome. My stepfather, a New Yorker, adopted the Pacers as his favorite NBA team simply because he married into the fandom.
The city and the state rallied around the Pacers like it was the 1990s or the early 2000s. Downtown Indianapolis transformed from the Circle City into a Sea of Gold. No matter where you went or who you talked to, every conversation started and ended with basketball.
Pacers legends descended upon Indianapolis in big numbers. Reggie Miller sat courtside for every game during the NBA Finals. Metta World Peace and Lance Stephenson showed their support often. Jermaine O’Neal, Mark Jackson, Stephen Jackson, Dale Davis, Jalen Rose, Travis Best, Rik Smits, Derrick McKey, Brad Miller, Roy Hibbert, Al Harrington, and so many others made appearances at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, representing many different eras of Indiana basketball.
During a time when so much divides us, the Pacers brought us together. They made us proud to wear that “Hoosier” badge, bringing us so much joy and so much hope with every winning play.
This Pacers team reminded us that “In 49 states, it’s just basketball … but this is Indiana.”
Yes, I wanted this one. I wanted it for Bob and Nancy Leonard. I wanted it for Herb Simon. I wanted it for Rick Carlisle. I wanted it for Myles Turner and TJ McConnell. I wanted it for Tyrese. I wanted it for Reggie and Rik. I wanted it for Metta and “Stack.” I wanted it for our city. I wanted it for our state. I wanted it for the fans. I wanted it for this team, which gave us so much to cheer about this year.
The Pacers gave us everything they had every single night. They revitalized a fanbase that has dealt with heartbreak after heartbreak. A team that “experts” projected to lose every playoff series came one game short of bringing the Larry O’Brien Trophy back to Indianapolis. They provided us with a lifetime worth of memories in one postseason run.
It’s painful that the 2024-25 Indiana Pacers couldn’t win an NBA title. But in a matter of days, we’ll all look back on this season, this postseason run, as the most memorable in franchise history. We’ll think about all the positives, on and off the court, for years to come.
For that, I have just two words for this organization and this team … Thank you.
Indiana
UCLA falls to Indiana in a double-overtime heartbreaker: ‘We deserved to lose’
Trent Perry hit a game-tying three-pointer from the top of the key with 1.1 seconds left in regulation before the UCLA men’s basketball team went on to lose to Indiana 98-97 in double overtime Saturday afternoon at Pauley Pavilion.
Freshman Trent Sisley made the first of two free throws with 0.3 seconds left to give the Hoosiers a one-point lead in the second overtime period after being fouled by Donovan Dent on an inbounds play. Sisley missed the second attempt, and the clock ran out as Eric Dailey Jr. grabbed the rebound and fired it the length of the court.
Perry finished with 25 points and seven rebounds, and Tyler Bilodeau had 18 points and 11 rebounds as the Bruins (15-7, 7-4) suffered their first loss at home.
UCLA erased a 10-point deficit in the last 1:50 of the second half but was unable to come up with a defensive rebound in the final moments of the game.
“I’m proud of how we fought,” said Perry, who nailed a corner three-pointer to beat the shot clock and give his team a 93-90 lead with 1:46 left in the second overtime. “We’re on the other end of it, but we came together. Earlier in the season we would’ve held our heads low.”
Perry missed a 15-foot fallaway jumper from the right side as the horn sounded to end the first overtime with the score tied 84-84. Dailey hit a jumper in the lane for a 97-97 tie with 12 seconds left in the second overtime. Sisley missed on a contested drive in the lane, and UCLA was ruled to have touched the ball last on a scramble under the basket with 1.5 seconds left. UCLA coach Mick Cronin challenged the call, but it was upheld on review. Sisley then was fouled on a dive to the hoop, and his free throw dashed Bruins fans’ hopes for a third overtime.
UCLA guard Trent Perry celebrates his tying three against Indiana. He led the Bruins with 25 points.
(Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press)
“I have no comments on the officiating,” a frustrated Cronin said. “Of course, my staff told me it was our ball. I just watched it on a small iPad and it sure looked like it was off Indiana’s elbow. I don’t know.”
Many red-and-white-clad Indiana supporters were among the 10,066 fans who witnessed the Hoosiers (15-7, 6-5) even the all-time series at 7-7. Nick Dorn scored 26 points and Lamar Wilkerson and Reed Bailey each had 24. Sisley didn’t make a field goal but had three free throws in the second overtime, including one to tie and one to win.
Dailey had 15 points for the Bruins, who were 30 for 34 at the free-throw line. There were 13 ties and 15 lead changes.
“We had some tough calls go against us at the end but we had to keep fighting,” said Dent, who logged a game-high 50 minutes before fouling out on the last play. “We rallied back late. I don’t think our defense was horrendous.”
Indiana used an 11-0 run over a 1:40 span to take a 22-16 lead before the Bruins responded with a 14-3 run during a 3½-minute stretch to take a 30-25 lead. Reed Bailey’s basket and free throw pulled the Hoosiers within 36-30 at halftime.
Reed Bailey’s uncontested two-handed dunk gave the Hoosiers a 56-52 lead with 8:04 remaining in the second half, and Cronin called a timeout. Reed Bailey’s three-point play made it 63-54, and the Bruins trailed by 10 with 1:50 left.
A three-point play by Dent pulled the Bruins within four with 51 seconds left. After free throws by Wilkerson, Dent made a layup, then Eric Dailey Jr. stole a pass and hit a jumper in the lane. Perry’s free throws cut Indiana’s lead to 75-73 with 9.9 seconds left. Reed Bailey was fouled on the inbounds play and made the second of two free throws to put his team up three with 8.7 seconds remaining, setting the stage for Perry’s heroics to force overtime.
“Shots matter,” Perry said of his shot that whipped the crowd into a frenzy and gave his team a chance at an improbable comeback, “but it didn’t end up our way.”
UCLA continues its three-game homestand against Rutgers on Tuesday and Washington next Saturday, desperately needing to win both after falling to seventh in the Big Ten standings.
“Our defense was awful tonight,” Cronin said. “We deserved to lose. We couldn’t score for a long time, missing wide-open shot after wide-open shot. I always say the same thing, no matter what … just worry about defense, rebounding and effort. There’s no magic potion on shooting.”
Notes
UCLA holds the NCAA record with 11 national championships (10 under John Wooden from 1964 to 1975), the last coming in 1995 under Jim Harrick. Indiana is tied for fifth with five, the last coming in 1987 under Bob Knight. … The Bruins edged Indiana 72-68 in Bloomington last season. Before that they had not played each other since the second round of the 2007 NCAA tournament. …
Bob Chesney, who was named UCLA’s football coach in December, addressed Bruins fans during a television timeout in the first half. “There’s nothing average about this place and I didn’t come here to be average,” Chesney said, fresh off guiding James Madison to its first Sun Belt Conference crown and a berth in the College Football Playoff. “We’re about to win a Big Ten championship!”
Indiana
UCLA vs Indiana basketball: Stream, time, and how to watch
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The Indiana Hoosiers (14-7, 5-5) are on a road trip that includes a visit to the UCLA Bruins (15-6, 7-3) in a Big Ten conference game Saturday, Jan. 31 at 2 p.m. PT (5 p.m. ET) inside of Pauley Pavilion in Los Angeles, California.
UCLA is currently tied for fifth place in the Big Ten. The Bruins are coming off of a 73-57 win at Oregon on Jan. 29 led by senior forward Tyler Bilodeau with 18 points.
The Hoosiers come into the game feeling good after narrowly knocking off No. 12-ranked Purdue, 72-67, on Jan. 28. Indiana senior six-foot-six guard Lamar Wilkerson had 19 points to lead the way for the Hoosiers.
Their win helps their case for the NCAA Tournament as they’re on the bubble. Their game against UCLA has even higher stakes as Indiana can make noise heading into February or UCLA can continue make their own case for an NCAA Tournament bid.
Indiana is currently 10th in the Big Ten with a 5-5 conference record and 14-7 overall.
UCLA, currently sixth in the Big Ten, has a 7-3 conference record and 15-6 overall.
The Bruins have won 10 of their last 14 games, posting a 5-3 record in the month of January. UCLA ranked second in the Big Ten in 3-point percentage shooting 37.6% in 21 games, through Thursday, Jan. 29.
Here’s what you need to know for Saturday’s matchup between the UCLA Bruins and Indiana Hoosiers:
How to watch UCLA vs. Indiana: TV channel, live stream
The UCLA Bruins will host the Indiana Hoosiers on Saturday, Jan. 31 at 2 p.m. local time (5 p.m. ET) on Peacock. The site of the game is Pauley Pavilion in Los Angeles, California.
- Start time: 2 p.m. PT (5 p.m. ET)
- Location: Pauley Pavilion (Los Angeles, California)
- TV Channel: Not available
- Live Stream: Peacock
UCLA Bruins 2025-26 season stats leaders
Here are the UCLA statistical leaders through Jan. 30.
- Points: Tyler Bilodeau, 18.2
- Rebounds: Eric Dailey Jr., 6.0
- Assists: Donovan Dent, 6.6
- Field Goal Percentage: Steven Jamerson II, 70.8%
- Blocks: Xavier Booker, 1.3
- Steals: Donovan Dent, 1.5
Indiana Hoosiers 2025-26 season stats leaders
Here are the Indiana Hoosiers statistical leaders through Jan. 30.
- Points: Lamar Wilkerson, 19.4
- Rebounds: Tucker DeVries, 5.2
- Assists: Conor Enright, 4.3
- Field Goal Percentage: Ian Stephens, 100%
- Blocks: Ian Stephens, 1.1
- Steals: Tayton Conerway, 1.4
Indiana
Lake County, Indiana sheriff’s officer charged with operating vehicle while intoxicated: Officials
Saturday, January 31, 2026 2:46AM
LAKE COUNTY, Ind. (WLS) — A sheriff’s officer in Lake County, Indiana is facing charges of operating a vehicle while intoxicated.
Indiana State Police arrested 33-year-old Thaddeus Bilski overnight, officials said Friday.
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Officials have shared few details, but they said he was off duty at the time.
Bilski has been placed on paid administrative leave, pending the investigation, Sheriff Oscar Martinez Jr. said.
No further information was immediately available.
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