Indiana

Indiana Pacers Squander Another Opportunity in Game Three Loss

Published

2 years ago

May 26, 2024

Indiana Pacers Squander Another Opportunity in Game Three Loss

Source: Stacy Revere / Getty

(INDIANAPOLIS, IN) – After commanding the lead for most of the game, the Boston Celtics come from down 18 to win game three 114-111 on the shoulders of Jayson Tatum and Jrue Holiday.

1. First Quarter

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With the way game two ended with Tyrese Haliburton injuring his left hamstring again, there was some question marks surrounding how the Indiana Pacers would start tonight’s game. Boston scored the first five points of the game with a Jaylen Brown layup and an Al Horford three in the first forty-eight seconds. Indiana’s first basket was scored by Andrew Nembhard on a floater. Both teams started red hot by combining to make nine of their first ten shots. Following Horford’s basket, Jayson Tatum scored eight consecutive points for the Celtics that put his team ahead 11-4 with 10:13 left in the period. Indiana trimmed its deficit down to three following a hook shot from Pascal Siakam that made it 18-15. Boston hit Indiana with back-to-back threes from Tatum and Horford with 5:58 remaining in the first. It took nearly five minutes for the Pacers to make it a one-point game after Aaron Nesmith made his only field goal in the first quarter to make it 30-29. Myles Turner ended the quarter with a dunk to bring Indiana within one again with 26 seconds left. After one, Boston’s lead was 32-31. Tatum led all scorers in the first quarter with 15 points followed by 11 points from Siakam. Indiana shots 59% from the field compared to 57% for Boston.

2. Second Quarter

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Indiana did not possess the lead at all in the first quarter and would rectify that in the second with Turner banking in a hook shot to give his team its first lead. The Pacers opened the second quarter with an 8-2 run to take a 39-34 lead after a Siakam field goal. Boston got another three from Horford in the first half to bring the Celtics within a field goal. With 7:51 remaining in the half, Tatum drilled another three in the first half to make it 44-40 game. Indiana’s offense caught fire after that. The Pacers went on an 15-4 run to take a 59-44 lead following a T.J. McConnell two-point shot. Nembhard was a big part of Indiana’s success during that stretch scoring five points and dishing out a pair of assists. McConnell was the heartbeat for Indiana scoring six points and dishing out four assists. Nembhard eventually gave Indiana its largest lead of the game with a triple with 2:43 left in the half. Boston went from trailing 64-46 to 66-57 in two minutes. Nembhard finished off the best quarter of his career with his third triple that made it 69-57 at the break. Nembhard’s 17 points in the quarter propelled him to the leading scorer in the first half with 21 points. Boston’s leading scorer was Tatum with 20 points. Indiana also got 15 points from Siakam and Turner in the first half. The Celtics got 14 points from Brown and 12 points from Horford in the half. Indiana shot 63.6% from the field in the first half and went 10/10 at the free-throw line.

3. Third Quarter

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The halftime break really let Boston go to work on how to take Nembhard out of the game in the second half. Indiana opened the second half with four points to take a 16 point lead after field goals from Siakam and Turner. With 6:04 remaining in the third quarter, McConnell’s pullup jump shot put Indiana ahead 84-66 and then Boston went to work the next 18:04. The Celtics outscored the Pacers the final six minutes of the third quarter 15-6 to make it a 90-81 game after three quarters of play. It was nearly a seven-point game after thirty-six minutes of play, but Doug McDermott tipped in a shot following a miss from Nembhard with 0.6 seconds left in the third quarter. Neither team shot it well in the third, Indiana shot 38.5% and Boston shot 31.8%. However, Boston outscored Indiana 24-21 in the quarter simply because they got to the foul line nine times compared to one for Indiana. Additionally, the Pacers went 0/9 on threes. Indiana was +2 on the glass in the quarter, and only surrendered three offensive rebounds to Boston in the period. Tatum led all scorers after the third quarter with 29 points followed by Nembhard with 23 points.

4. Fourth Quarter

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After scoring 21 points in the third quarter, Indiana’s offense only managed to score 21 points again in the fourth quarter. The Celtics scored the first four points of the final quarter to make it a two-possession game after a Derrick White layup. Indiana responded with a three-point play from Turner to go back up eight points. Less than a minute later, Horford knocked down another three ball that brought Boston within three points. Indiana would do a good job at responding to the Boston punches, but the offense struggled without its all-star point guard in crunch time. With 5:41 left, it was a 99-95 game. After each team missed a field goal, they combined to make eight consecutive shots. Indiana was able to push its lead to eight points because they nailed back-to-back threes from Nembhard and McConnell. Boston got field goals from Brown, Horford, and Jrue Holiday. Boston was down 109-101 with 2:38 left in the game and then Indiana only scored two points the rest of the way. Tatum converted a his fifth three of the game to make it 109-106 with 1:41 to go. Indiana got two free throws from Nembhard to go ahead 111-105 with 1:26 left. Horford responded with his seventh three of the game and then Siakam missed a layup with 49 seconds remaining. Holiday was silent through the first three quarters and then won the game for Boston in the final 39 seconds. He converted a layup and a free throw because of Siakam fouling him attempting to block the shot. Boston took its first lead since the first quarter. Indiana got a shot up quickly from Nembhard that drew iron in aspirations of getting the last possession. Turner contested Tatum’s attempted layup with ten seconds remaining to force a miss. Nembhard got the rebound and dribbled it up the floor quickly with Holiday guarding him. Boston’s best defender took the ball from Nembhard and then went to the foul line with 1.7 seconds left and made both free throws. Indiana’s final shot of the night fell off the front of the rim on a three-point attempt from Nesmith. Boston defeats Indiana 114-111.

5. Top Performers

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Jayson Tatum (36p, 10r, 8a, 5 threes), Jaylen Brown (24p, 3a, 2r), Al Horford (23p, 5r, 7 threes), Jrue Holiday (14p, 9r, 3a, 3s), and Derrick White (13p, 7a, 5r, 4b). For Indiana, Andrew Nembhard (32p, 9a, 4r, 4 threes), T.J. McConnell (23p, 9r, 6a), Pascal Siakam (22p, 6a, 3r), and Myles Turner (22p, 10r). For tonight’s full box score, click here.

6. Notes

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Indiana Pacers look to become first team in NBA history to win a series trailing 3-0
Indiana Pacers lost first home playoff game this postseason
Boston Celtics are now 5-0 on the road in the playoffs
Boston’s starters scored 110 of 114 points
Indiana shot 38% from the field in the second half
- Only went 2/14 from three-point range in the second half
Jayson Tatum scored 30+ points for the 4th time in the last six games
- Tatum recorded a double-double for the 10th time this postseason
- Tatum’s 5 threes are the most he’s made this postseason in a game
Al Horford’s 7 threes are a career high for any game in his career
Andrew Nembhard’s 32 points are a career high for points scored in a game in his career
Pascal Siakam has now scored 22+ points in five of his last six games
Myles Turner logged his third double-double of this postseason in the loss
- Turner scored 20+ points for the 7th time this postseason
T.J. McConnell’s 23 points are a playoff career high
- Second time this postseason McConnell has scored 20+ points

7. Next Up

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Every game this series will only feature a day off between games. Game four between the Pacers and Celtics will be on Monday night from Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Pat Boylan will get things started with the Kroger Pregame Show at 7:30pm. Mark Boyle and Eddie Gill will have the play-by-play starting at 8pm on 93.5/107.5 The Fan. The series schedule:

Game 1 – Tuesday, May 21st, 2024, at TD Garden – BOS 133 – 128 (OT)
Game 2 – Thursday, May 23rd, 2024, at TD Garden – BOS 126 – 110
Game 3 – Saturday, May 25th, 2024, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse – BOS 114 – 111
Game 4 – Monday, May 27th, 2024, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse – 8pm (ESPN)
Game 5 (if necessary) – Wednesday, May 29th, 2024, at TD Garden – 8pm (ESPN)
Game 6 (if necessary) – Friday, May 31st, 2024, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse – 8pm (ESPN)
Game 7 (if necessary) – Sunday, June 2nd, 2024, at TD Garden – 8pm (ESPN)

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Indiana

Mother demands justice after woman killed in wrong-way crash on I-65 in Northwest Indiana

Published

7 hours ago

February 27, 2026

Press Room

Mother demands justice after woman killed in wrong-way crash on I-65 in Northwest Indiana

HOBART, Ind. (WLS) — A wrong-way crash left one woman dead and two others seriously injured in Northwest Indiana earlier this week, police said.

The mother of the 20-year-old who was killed spoke exclusively with ABC7 Chicago as she is demanding justice.

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Just before 2 a.m. Saturday, the Hobart Fire Department responded to the horrific crash on Interstate 65 involving two vehicles, north of 61st Avenue near Merrillville, Indiana.

Rylee Hanson, 20, was killed in what investigators says was a head-on collision with a wrong-way vehicle in the northbound lanes.

“I had Rylee when I was 20 and she made me who I am,” mother Karen Hanson said. “She made me want to be a better person and she made me strive, to reach goals, so I could set examples for kids… She was half of my life. I don’t know how to be me without her.”

Her family says Rylee was a ray of light who graduated from Kankakee Valley High School in Demotte, Indiana where she earned her EMT certification from Ivy Tech Community College. She was headed to criminology studies at Indiana University.

Her parents are appalled nobody has been charged in the crash.

“We want to see change with how drinking is handled,” Karen Hanson said. “There’s gotta be a better way for how people drink or get served or more punishment for impaired drivers out on the road where they’re not getting so many chances.”

Troopers said they believed that the driver of the car going the wrong way was impaired at the time.

“We are going to make her as proud as she made us,” Karen Hanson said. “Because she did… there are no words to tell you about the pain. It is indescribable.”

The investigation is still ongoing. Anyone with footage of the crash, or of the vehicles prior to the crash, has been asked to contact Indiana State Police.

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Indiana

What Should Indiana Pacers Do With Open Roster Spot?

Published

19 hours ago

February 26, 2026

Press Room

What Should Indiana Pacers Do With Open Roster Spot?

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – JANUARY 10: Quenton Jackson #29 of the Indiana Pacers drives to the basket against the Miami Heat at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on January 10, 2026 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)

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BROOKLYN – With the trade deadline having passed, the Indiana Pacers don’t have a full roster. The team has three two-way contract players, but only 14 guys on standard contracts, just under the maximum of 15.

As of this writing, the Pacers total team spending this season is about $730k less than the NBA’s luxury tax threshold for the 2025-26 season. That means the team has enough wiggle room under that spending line to add a 15th player without becoming a taxpaying team. Given the team’s poor record, the luxury tax line should be an upper spending limit for the franchise this league year, but Indiana can now fill its roster without crossing that barrier.

More specifically, the team can fill their open roster spot at any point between now and the end of the season with a deal that starts under $730k, either via a minimum-salary deal or by dipping into their Mid-Level Salary Exception. And they should add someone – having a full roster and using every available resource is smart business.

“We’ve got to be mindful of the tax as we go through things, but there’s a timing and sequence that gives us the possibility to do something there,” Pacers general manager Chad Buchanan said of the Pacers open spot on the roster.

What considerations do the Pacers have for their open roster spot?

But there are other considerations for the Pacers, particularly on the calendar, when it comes to making transactions. And those considerations will all come to a head in the next week as the team figures out the back of its roster.

March 1 is the first date of significance. That is the last day for what is colloquially known as the buyout market. Often, between the trade deadline and March 1, teams and players determine that their contractual obligation to each other doesn’t make much sense for the rest of the season.

In order to make splitting up a win-win move, the team and player will agree to a buyout, meaning the team will waive a player in exchange for getting some guaranteed salary removed from their contract. Almost always, the player makes up the amount given up in the buyout by signing with another team. So the player doesn’t lose money and their old team can proceed with a roster spot, of which they can use for something they deem more appropriate.

March 1 is viewed as the end of the buyout market because it is the last day a player can be waived, then later sign with another team and still be eligible for the playoffs. If a player is released after that date, they lose postseason eligibility.

For the Pacers, it may be worth seeing if a player that they want becomes available between now and March 1. Jeremy Sochan, for example, was waived by the San Antonio Spurs before signing with the New York Knicks earlier this month. While Indiana may not have wanted Sochan, he is a young and skilled player. More talent of note may hit free agency in the coming week.

The second date the Pacers will be cognizant of is March 4. That’s the final day that NBA teams can sign players to two-way contracts this season, which adds an additional wrinkle to the Pacers plans.

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – OCTOBER 13: Jalen Slawson #18 of the Indiana Pacers drives to the basket against the San Antonio Spurs during the preseason game at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on October 13, 2025 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)

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While the Pacers don’t currently have an open two-way contract slot, they could if they opted to promote one of their current players on a two-way deal to a standard contract. And one candidate stands out for that type of transaction for multiple reasons: Quenton Jackson.

Contractual factors play a part in Jackson being by far the most likely Pacers two-way player to have his deal converted to a standard contract. Jackson is currently on a one-year deal, meaning he will be a free agent in the offseason. That is not true of Indiana’s other two-way contract players – both Ethan Thompson and Taelon Peter are signed to two-year, two-way contracts.

Jackson has reached four years of service in the NBA, meaning he isn’t eligible for a two-way deal next season. If the Pacers want to keep him beyond the current campaign, they’d need to sign him to a standard contract anyway.

And that brings the team to the main reason they may want to convert Jackson to a standard contract and retain him beyond this season: he’s a talented player. Ever since stepping into a bigger role in late 2024, the athletic guard has proven that he can contribute and give the blue and gold rotation-level minutes in a pinch. He is averaging 9.1 points and 2.1 assists per game this season – both numbers are career-best marks.

He has played in 60 games for the Pacers across the last three seasons, all of which have come on different two-way deals. In 27 outings for the Pacers G League affiliate team, Jackson has averaged 22.1 points and 5.7 assists per game.

Converting Jackson to a standard deal, and perhaps a multi-year one, would fill the Pacers final open roster spot and free up a two-way contract slot. It could also allow the team to keep Jackson as a depth piece beyond this season. Jackson is skilled and athletic, and he fits Indiana’s style well.

“[Jackson is] definitely a real possibility. Quenton’s been awesome. He was fantastic last night, and he’s a big part of our culture in our locker room,” Buchanan said of Jackson perhaps getting the team’s final roster spot.

If that is the route the Pacers decide to take, they would then be able to sign a player to a two-way contract. That sequence of transactions is how they landed Jackson in the first place back in 2024. There are endless candidates for a two-way deal, but if the Pacers look to add a wing after losing Johnny Furphy to injury, Jalen Slawson may be a good fit. He is in the Pacers program via their G League affiliate and played for Indiana during the 2025 preseason.

Because the Pacers can’t sign a two-way contract player after March 4, if they decide to convert Jackson they would almost certainly do so before that date so they can backfill his two-way spot. Between that and the buyout market, the Pacers could fill out their roster within the next week or so. A young player or a familiar face makes too much sense.

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Indiana

Hemp based THC products ban bill fails to advance in Indiana House

Published

1 day ago

February 26, 2026

Press Room

Hemp based THC products ban bill fails to advance in Indiana House

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (WSBT) — An Indiana bill aimed at banning hemp based THC products from being sold to people 21-years-old and younger in the state failed to advance in the House on Tuesday.

Senate Bill 250 would ban the sale, and prohibit their sale or advertisement within 1,000 feet of schools and playgrounds.

State Senator Aaron Freeman released a statement, saying in part:

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The bill also closed the “Farm bill loophole” derived from the 2018 Farm Bill, which created legal gray area that companies have claimed allows them to sell high potency intoxicating THC products. I am disappointed the bill was not called down, as it is a common-sense approach to keeping harmful products out of our kids’ hands.

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