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

Indiana’s Curt Cignetti cashes in on title run with 8-year extension worth $13.2 million per year

Published

3 hours ago

March 2, 2026

Press Room

Indiana’s Curt Cignetti cashes in on title run with 8-year extension worth .2 million per year

Indiana coach Curt Cignetti is cashing in on his first national championship run — even more than initially expected.

Athletic department officials announced Monday that the two-time national coach of the year has signed a memorandum of understanding on an eight-year contract extension, paying him an annual average of $13.2 million — or an increase of about $1.6 million per year from what school officials said Cignetti would earn when he first agreed to the extension in October.

School officials released the document Cignetti signed Feb. 4.

He joins Georgia coach Kirby Smart and LSU coach Lane Kiffin as the only active Football Bowl Subdivision coaches to receive paychecks of $13 million or more. The payouts could be even higher if Cignetti earns bonuses for winning Big Ten or national coach of the year honors in addition to playoff appearances and conference titles. The 64-year-old Cignetti already has said he hopes to retire at Indiana.

The new deal calls for a base salary of $500,000 per year through the 2033 season and a $1 million retention bonus on Nov. 30 of each year, starting this fall. The remaining portion of the $105.6 million will be collected from outside, promotional and marketing income.

Cignetti initially agreed to an eight-year extension worth $92.8 million — an annual average of $11.6 million — but university officials agreed to modify the deal as the Hoosiers remained undefeated and pursued the first football national championship in school history.

It’s the third time Cignetti has received a raise since he took over the losingest program in FBS history in November 2024. All he’s done since arriving is produce the two best seasons in school history while becoming one of college football’s fan favorites for his quick quips and unique facial expressions. Players have embraced him, too, telling many of their favorite Cignetti tales.

Just ask tight end Riley Nowakowski, who recounted his favorite Cignetti story during the recent NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis.

“I think (Alberto Mendoza) was in the game, and he pulled like four runs in a row,” Nowakowski said, referring to last season’s victory over Illinois. “He kept pulling it, kept pulling it, kept pulling it, and then after the fourth time, it was a terrible read. So in the middle of the game, (Cignetti) tells our coach, ‘Get (Alberto) over here.’ Bert’s like, ‘What, it’s the middle of a game, what are you doing?’ And (Cignetti) goes, ‘We’re not paying you to run the ball, hand the ball off, right? We’re up like 70 points, but he’s pissed off, yelling at Bert, and (Cignetti) just turned back at me and gave me one of his little smiles, and he was just like, ’You like that now?’”

Cignetti wasted no time delivering on his promise to win after leading James Madison to the most successful transition from the Football Championship Subdivision to the FBS.

The son of Hall of Fame coach Frank Cignetti and a former Alabama assistant led Indiana to a school record 11 wins and its first College Football Playoff appearance in his first season with the Hoosiers.

Last season, he outdid that mark by producing the first 16-0 mark in major college football since the 1890s. The Hoosiers also won their first outright Big Ten crown since 1945, beat Miami on its home field to claim the national title and shed the label of having the most all-time losses in FBS history.

Mendoza’s older brother, Fernando, also became the first Indiana player to win the Heisman Trophy and is expected to be the No. 1 overall pick in April’s NFL draft.

The reward: A record nine players, including Mendoza and Nowakowski, attended the recent combine in Indianapolis while Cignetti got another pay raise and school officials continued to invest heavily in keeping the coach’s staff together.

Offensive coordinator Mike Shanahan and defensive coordinator Bryant Haines each agreed to three-year contract extensions worth about $3 million per year in December, making them two of the highest-paid assistants in the FBS. Haines won this year’s Broyles Award, which goes to the nation’s top assistant coach.

Indiana will begin next season with the longest winning streak (16) and longest home winning streak (15) in the FBS. Cignetti has never lost a home game with the Hoosiers, who open defense of their league and national titles at home against North Texas on Sept. 5.

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Indiana

What Tom Izzo said after Michigan State’s win over Indiana

Published

15 hours ago

March 2, 2026

Press Room

What Tom Izzo said after Michigan State’s win over Indiana

Michigan State basketball went into Assembly Hall on Sunday afternoon and controlled the Hoosiers from start to finish, earning a 77-64 victory. The win goes a long way in almost virtually confirming that the Spartans will have a triple-bye in the Big Ten Tournament, while also bolstering the Spartans case to get a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

For the second straight outing in the state of Indiana, MSU head coach Tom Izzo came away pleased with his group, and expressed that to the media:

“Well, to be honest with you, for once, we got off to a good start. We haven’t been doing that. We decided to try to go inside, Kohler (had) been struggling, we thought we’d try to get him going. We get that 10-point lead and it kind of stayed that way.
“We did not do a great job of building on it, it’s because they’re a good team. Everybody asks me, ‘Are they good enough to be in the tournament?’ Read my lips: hell yes. It’s just that somebody’s got to lose some of these games. The league is so good.”
“I’m proud of my guys, because coming back from that Thursday-Sunday deal, both on the road, I thought they showed a lot of character. I’m proud of my staff, those preps are not easy at this time of year. Kur came off the bench and really sparked us after making more than a few mistakes.”
“What I appreciated about the game is I thought Jeremy took over. Everything we asked him to run early, to go into Jaxon, he did a great job of. I thought Kur, who’s a sophomore now, took a big step forward after not playing very well the 5 minutes he was in there early and falling down and giving up 3s, and then he bounced back. That’s kind of what you’ve gotta do.”
“We did it a little different way. We said this will be kind of like the NCAA Tournament where you’ve got a one- or two-day prep, one-day prep, so I think it was good for us. I’m really proud of them, but I don’t want to be proud of them until I’m done playing.”
“All in all, guys, we’re in spring break, which means you can practice like 100 times, and nobody arrests you or anything. But our guys deserve some time off and we’ll get some things done tomorrow. “

Contact/Follow us @The SpartansWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Michigan State news, notes and opinion. You can also follow Cory Linsner on X @Rex_Linzy

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Indiana

Coast Guard investigates death of mariner working barge in Jeffersonville

Published

1 day ago

March 1, 2026

Press Room

Coast Guard investigates death of mariner working barge in Jeffersonville

U.S. Coast Guard officials are investigating March 1 after a mariner died while working on a barge in Jeffersonville, Indiana.

An incident involving the mariner occurred the afternoon of Feb. 27 at mile marker 597 of the Ohio River, said Lt. Cmdr. Steve Leighty, public affairs officer for the U.S. Coast Guard Ohio Valley Sector. Leighty declined to provide further details about the mariner and the circumstances of their death, citing the ongoing investigation.

Officials with the Clark County Sheriff’s Office are also investigating the incident, Leighty said.

Reach reporter Leo Bertucci at lbertucci@usatodayco.com or @leober2chee on X, formerly known as Twitter

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