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IU basketball transfer portal hot board 2.0: Priority positions, names to know

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IU basketball transfer portal hot board 2.0: Priority positions, names to know


BLOOMINGTON – College basketball’s transfer window will emerge from its Final Four-enforced slowdown at the end of this week, when the dead period lifts and visits can resume.

Indiana, still light six scholarship players with plenty of work to do, will dive right back in. The Hoosiers are lining up visitors for the coming weekends, with a heavy emphasis on positions and roles of need. IndyStar examines those needs, and some names to know as IU’s roster-building efforts accelerate.

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Needs

Backcourt impact: An already thin guard rotation lost Xavier Johnson (eligibility) and CJ Gunn (portal) once the season ended. Trey Galloway gives Mike Woodson proven ball-handling and creativity, but he cannot run a one-man show.

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Indiana needs shooting and scoring punch, both, here. Players who can get on the ball and make plays, for themselves or others, and players who can stretch the floor in ways last season’s roster too often could not. Myles Rice hands Woodson a point guard with as many as three years of eligibility remaining, upping the Hoosiers’ depth of creativity and giving Woodson another lead guard around which to build his ball-screen offense. Now, Indiana must add players for whom Rice can create.

Backcourt depth: Simplistic, yes. But there’s an extent to which Indiana just needs bodies in its backcourt. Galloway and Gabe Cupps are the only guards returning to play at least 50% of available minutes last season. The growth of Anthony Leal’s role in Big Ten play shouldn’t be overlooked, but it’s not by itself a cure-all. Rice should see serious minutes. He shouldn’t be alone.

Floor spacing: It’s long past time Indiana had the tools necessary to shoot 3-pointers with both accuracy and efficiency. That means adding at least two players with an established track record shooting the ball well. It also means bolstering the roster with players used to the kind of volume the Hoosiers so desperately need.

Rim protection: Whether Woodson intends to play Malik Reneau at the four or the five next season remains unclear. But the Hoosiers need length and rebounding impact in any event, whether from the bench or in the starting lineup. Woodson has always valued a shot-altering center who could rebound at volume, particularly at the defensive end. Whether that player starts or sees major bench minutes, IU needs at least one big addition here.

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Names to know

We’ll group these names by position, and list them alphabetically. The usual disclaimer: This is by no means an exhaustive list, and it will be updated. The portal moves fast. Circumstances change rapidly in college basketball. Just ask Mitch Barnhart. Let’s roll.

COMMITMENTS

The reigning Pac-12 freshman of the year, Rice pulled the strings for surprise package Washington State during the Cougars’ best season in a decade and a half last winter. He averaged 14.8 points, 3.1 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game in his first competitive collegiate season. Rice was not just one of Washington State’s best players — if not the Cougars’ best — but also among the Pac-12’s best creators.

Now, Rice is Bloomington-bound. If Woodson had a wish list at point guard, Rice probably topped it. That’s one wish come true.

GUARDS

It’s not surprising to see a lot of IU’s focus right now trained on the backcourt. As previously discussed, the Hoosiers need both depth and impact as they rebuild their guard rotation, and that could mean trying to take as many as four guards out of the portal this cycle.

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Kanaan Carlyle

The Stanford transfer made honorable mention All-Freshman Team in the Pac-12 last winter, averaging 11.5 points and 2.7 assists per game. He appeared in 23 games for the Cardinal in his lone season in Palo Alto, making close to 78% of his free throws along the way. Carlyle shot just 32% from 3 (a clean 32-of-100), and he needs to improve his finishing on 2s as well. But he would add some creativity — he finished conference play last year 11th in assist rate and a remarkable third in possessions used. He’s comfortable with the ball in his hands.

Carlyle has a visit scheduled for next weekend.

Ryan Conwell

The Pike grad started his college career at South Florida before transferring to Indiana State, and now he’s in the portal following Josh Schertz’s exit for Saint Louis. It stands to reason some of Schertz’s players will follow him from Terre Haute, but if Conwell is interested in IU, it seems likely IU would reciprocate. He checks a lot of boxes for the Hoosiers, who would like to get him to campus.

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Connor Essegian

Essegian is an interesting case. He was a revelation for Wisconsin two years ago, averaging 11.7 points per game while shooting a tick under 36% from behind the arc. All that dried up last winter, when the Central Noble grad saw his minutes average cut from 27.4 per game to just 7.3. Essegian never found his 3-point shot or his scoring touch as a sophomore, and he didn’t play double-digit minutes in any of the Badgers’ last 11 games. He undeniably ticks certain boxes (shooting chiefly among them) for Indiana, but the Hoosiers would need to be confident last season was the exception, not the rule. Essegian has already taken a handful of visits, though none to Bloomington, at least not yet.

Connor Hickman

There’s an argument Hickman might have been a high-major guard out of Bloomington South in 2021, if COVID hadn’t disrupted that class’s recruiting timeline so dramatically. Hickman landed at Bradley, where he scored 953 points and hit 37.3% of his 3-pointers across three seasons. Last winter was his best — Hickman averaged 14.5 points and nearly three assists per game, for a 23-win Bradley team that finished third in the Missouri Valley Conference and reached the NIT.

Hickman wrapped his Indiana visit Sunday, then followed that with a planned trip to Cincinnati. It’s widely believed those are his final two, with a decision likely to come soon.

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Leland Walker

Another Indianapolis native on this list, Walker popped up early in the portal cycle in connection with Indiana. The North Central grad averaged 15.4 points and 4.1 assists per game last season as a sophomore at Eastern Kentucky, and his two-year numbers suggest he’s ready for a step up in competitive level.

Things have since slowed with Walker and the Hoosiers (not uncommon in a calendar that moves in fits and starts), but there are plenty of ways Walker fits what IU needs. This recruitment could come down to roster spots and playing time, as much as anything.

WINGS/FORWARDS

IU already has good options here, with Mackenzie Mgbako confirmed returning and five-star Bryson Tucker inbound after a whirlwind recruitment culminated in his commitment last week. Indiana’s need here might be style-dependent — if Woodson wants to play a smaller, more positionally fluid brand of basketball next season, more wing depth is a requirement.

Ben Humrichous

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It’s been a remarkable rise for Humrichous. The Tipton native was playing at Huntington University two years ago, then spent last year starring at Evansville before portaling this window. In 23 games with the Purple Aces, Humrichous hit 53-of-126 3s (42.1%) while finishing 2s at a respectable rate and taking on an increased load in conference play. A 6-9 forward with tweener skills, Humrichous finished last season with a true shooting percentage of 0.613, which would’ve ranked him second among Hoosiers behind only Kel’el Ware in 2023-24.

Adou Thiero

Thiero was once a target for Indiana from the high school ranks. After two seasons at Kentucky — the second more productive than the first — Thiero is in the portal, and it’s no surprise to see IU among the schools interested. Thiero has a fascinating backstory as a late-blooming high school recruit still perceived to be scratching at his potential in college. He may only need one more year, with NBA teams eyeing him as a potential draft prospect in 2025.

Cade Tyson

Officially listed as a guard/forward, Tyson is one of the most intriguing and sought-after up transfers in the portal right now. The 6-7 North Carolina native averaged 16.2 points and 5.9 rebounds last season at Belmont, hitting 46.5% of his 3s. That was after shooting 41.7% from distance as a freshman in Nashville. Does Indiana still need the kind of impact wing presence Tyson would provide, with Mgbako back and Tucker in the fold? Tough to say, but best practice if Tyson was interested would probably be to take talent first, ask questions later.

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CENTERS

Not a ton of names here, which isn’t surprising. IU might only really need one out-and-out five, and it’s not clear (as previously discussed) whether that player would be an automatic starter. But there are a couple meaningful names here, including confirmed visitors, and Woodson’s defensive setup has always relied at least one rim-protecting high-volume rebounder.

Oumar Ballo

The Arizona transfer is among the most recognizable big men in the country. A dominant force, particularly defensively and on the glass, for the Wildcats across the last two seasons, Ballo is considered among the best transfers in his class, if not the best, full stop. Ballo is reportedly considering a handful of schools, with visits set up for this week. He arrived in Bloomington for the first of those Sunday night and by Monday was posting from his trip on social media. Indiana could be in as good of a spot to land the 7-foot center as any team in the country.

Pharrel Payne

IU’s staff will know Payne well, having planned for him these past two seasons at Minnesota. Payne was rarely a volume scorer in the post in Minneapolis (though he did average 10 points per game last winter). But he was an outstanding rebounder at both ends of the floor — third in the conference in offensive rebound rate in Big Ten games, 13th in defensive rebound rate — and a functional shot blocker as well. He also finished nearly 64% of 2s across a pair of seasons with the Golden Gophers.

The question with Payne might be whether IU lands Ballo. If they do, would Payne still consider the Hoosiers knowing he’d probably play from the bench in Bloomington? If so, that would hand Woodson enviable 4/5 depth. Whether Indiana recruited him to start or serve as a key reserve, he fits a lot of what the Hoosiers need from a player in his position.

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Amari Williams

A senior with his COVID year remaining, Williams has been on Indiana’s radar since he hit the portal last month. Williams averaged 12.2 points and 7.8 rebounds per game last season, and he’s been a remarkably efficient defensive presence for most of his career. He finished top-30 nationally in defensive rebound rate in each of the last three seasons, and he’s never posted a single-season block rate lower than 8.3%. Williams is expected in Bloomington next weekend. He certainly ticks a lot of the boxes Woodson needs at the five.

Follow IndyStar reporter Zach Osterman on Twitter: @ZachOsterman.



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Obituary for Jerry Lee Pflaumer at Hanover Chapel

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Obituary for Jerry Lee Pflaumer at Hanover Chapel


HANOVER CHAPEL Mr. Jerry Lee Pflaumer, age 85, of Madison, Indiana entered this life on March 24, 1940 in Portland, Indiana. He was the loving son of the late Ernest Edward and Ethel Alberta LaFollette Pflaumer. He graduated from Knightstown High School in Knightstown, Indiana in 1958. He married Sharon



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19 drive-in theaters in Indiana where you can watch new and retro movies

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19 drive-in theaters in Indiana where you can watch new and retro movies


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.

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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.

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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

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$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.

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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.

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$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.

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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.

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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

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$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.

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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.

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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

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$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. 

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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.

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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.



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The Indiana Pacers Will Kill You With Weirdness

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The Indiana Pacers Will Kill You With Weirdness


The unconventional styles of Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam are a feature, not a bug, of the Pacers’ greatness

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.  

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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

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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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