Indiana
Seven things to know about the Milwaukee Bucks playoff foe, Indiana Pacers
Rivers, Lillard and Middleton speak on playing the Pacers in playoffs
Doc Rivers, Damian Lillard and Khris Middleton speak on facing Pacers in playoffs. Rivers also spoke on the Bucks securing the Wayne Embry Trophy.
The Milwaukee Bucks have garnered the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference and will face the Indiana Pacers in the opening round of the NBA playoffs, beginning April 21. Here’s what to know about the first-round foe.
The Indiana Pacers likely starting lineup and reserves
Likely starters
- Tyrese Haliburton, 20.3 points per game, 4.0 rebounds, 10.9 assists
- Pascal Siakam, 21.1 ppg, 7.8 rpg, 3.8 apt
- Myles Turner, 16.9 ppg, 6.9 rpg, 1.3 apg
- Aaron Nesmith, 12.2 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 1.5 apg
- Andrew Nembhard, 9.2 ppg, 2.1 rpg, 4.1 apg
Off the bench
- T.J. McConnell, 10.1 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 5.5 apg
- Jalen Smith, 9.8 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 1.0 apg
- Obi Toppin, 10.3 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 1.5 apg
- Ben Sheppard, 4.4 ppg, 1.5 rpg, 0.9 apg
- Isaiah Jackson, 6.5 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 0.8 apg
Coach: Rick Carlisle (22nd year as head coach, 63-70 playoff record, 1 NBA title)
Regular season clashes between the Bucks and Pacers
Nov. 9: Indiana 126, Milwaukee 124. Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 54 points, but the Bucks ran out of gas down the stretch and Indiana rallied back from 10 points down in the final seven minutes.
Dec. 7: Indiana 128, Milwaukee 119. The first NBA In-Season Tournament featured a trip to Las Vegas for the semifinals, where the Pacers got on a hot streak that included a high-intensity win over the Bucks. Milwaukee rallied for a fourth-quarter lead but again wilted down the stretch despite 37 points from Antetokounmpo and 24 from Damian Lillard.
Dec. 13: Milwaukee 140, Indiana 126. The lone Bucks victory in five tries against Indiana had a memorable postscript. Antetokoumpo set the franchise single-game scoring record with 64 points, but a dispute over the game ball elevated tensions between the two teams, even though it turned out to be somewhat of a misunderstanding.
Jan. 1: Indiana 122, Milwaukee 113. In a New Year’s Day showcase, the Pacers ended Milwaukee’s 15-game home winning streak with a comeback victory after facing two 15-point deficits. Indiana’s bench outscored the Bucks, 70-16. Antetokounmpo had a triple double in the loss.
Jan. 3: Indiana 142, Milwaukee 130. The Bucks found themselves in the midst of a losing rut with the defeat at Gainbridge Fieldhouse two days after facing off at Fiserv Forum. Antetokounmpo flirted with a triple double.
The Indiana Pacers’ best player is from Wisconsin, but you knew that already
From afar, it’s been impressive to watch Oshkosh native Tyrese Haliburton evolve into an NBA superstar, but now he represents a significant obstacle. The guard scored 20.3 points per game this year for Indiana and handed out 10.9 assists per game, leading the league. He turned 24 in February and already has two all-star appearances on his resume.
The Bucks and Pacers have just a teeny bit of history this year
The infamous battle for the game ball after a game in December certainly enflamed tensions between the two teams after some emotional basketball earlier in the season, though the ball wasn’t the centerpiece of the initial dispute.
For those who need a refresher, Antetokounmpo gave a passionate tongue-lashing to Haliburton after the game, initially upset that the Pacers had declined to shake hands in the aftermath of the Bucks win, a game where Antetokounmpo happened to score a franchise-record 64 points.
Alerted to the possibility that the Pacers also left the floor with the game ball, Giannis ran toward the Pacers locker room seeking the memento.
Even after the situation was defused, Antetokounmpo said he didn’t believe he’d been given the correct ball.
It wasn’t just the ball and handshakes, either. Haliburton’s use of the “Dame Time” celebration in the In-Season Tournament perhaps contributed to the dust-up, and the fact that Antetokounmpo checked into the game late while still pursuing the single-game scoring record seemed to sit poorly with the Pacers. Bobby Portis and Aaron Nesmith both received technical fouls in the game, and Portis was ejected.
More: Audio and video from after Bucks game suggests Pacers knew the gravity of taking game ball
More: Whose game ball is it anyway? Social media erupts after Bucks-Pacers postgame tussle
We know now that the correct game ball was in the hands of a Bucks official, but the confusion afterward led to high tensions in the tunnel after the game.
Halburton technically isn’t Indiana’s leading scorer, and there’s some playoff history there
In January, the Pacers acquired Raptors star Pascal Siakam from the struggling Toronto franchise in exchange for three players (including former Buck Jordan Nwora) and future draft picks. Siakam has delivered in his 40 games with the Pacers, averaging 21.1 points per game (even better than Haliburton’s scoring mark) with 7.8 rebounds and 3.8 assists per contest.
Siakam has shot 38.4% from 3-point range with the Pacers, which would represent by far his best season from 3-point range if that were extrapolated over the full year.
Siakam scored 19 points per game for the Raptors in the 2019 postseason, a championship performance that included a win over the Bucks in the Eastern Conference finals. Siakam scored 14.5 points per contest in the Bucks series.
The Pacers are reasonably healthy, except for Bennedict Mathurin
Bennedict Mathurin, the 21-year-old rising star, tore his labrum and was ruled out for the rest of the season in March. He averaged 14.5 points and 4.0 rebounds over 59 games this season and was posting even better numbers after the all-star break before the injury.
This is Indiana’s first time in the playoffs in four years
The Pacers are in a bit of a playoff drought, having missed the postseason each of the last three years. Last year’s team went 35-47, so the jump to 47-35 was quite the flip. The Pacers went to the playoffs five years in a row from 2016-2020 … but lost in the first time each year. The last time Indiana won a playoff series was in 2014, when it appeared in the conference finals for the second year in a row.
The Bucks and Pacers have met twice in the playoffs, in 1999 and 2000. Indiana swept the earlier series, 3-0, and won the next year, 3-2, with a 96-95 outcome in the decisive game. Ervin Johnson didn’t miss a free throw in the final seconds when coach George Karl called for one, and Ray Allen’s 30-foot 3-point attempt at the buzzer was off the mark. Reggie Miller scored 41 points.
T.J. McConnell has a reputation as a Bucks killer
Reserve T.J. McConnell has a bit of a reputation for burning the Bucks, and he comes by it somewhat honestly. His career high in scoring came in 2023 against Milwaukee, a 29-point effort in a 132-119 Bucks win. He also posted his third-best scoring effort against the Bucks in 2021, a 142-133 Bucks win.
McConnell also has 19-point showings against the Bucks, both in 2023, tied for his 10th-highest scoring output. For his career, he averages 8.4 points per game, though it’s up to 10.1 this year in 18.2 minutes per game. All told against Milwaukee, his 9.7 points per game are the most against any team, and he shoots a whopping 48.1% from 3-point range (13 for 27) against the Bucks.
The Pacers are the kings of … pace, which is why they’re the highest-scoring team in the league
Nobody makes more baskets or shoots a better field goal percentage in the NBA this year than the Pacers, adding up to an NBA-best 122.9 points per game. Nobody hands out more assists, and no team allows fewer 3-point shots and attempts on defense.
But there’s a dark side. Indiana also allows 120.3 points per game (28th in the league) and ranks 30th in allowed field-goal percentage.
It all adds up to a team that plays at one of the fastest paces in the league, behind only Washington in that department. The Pacers aren’t going to overwhelm anyone on the glass, but they still take solid care of the basketball, ranking just ahead of the Bucks in turnover percentage with the two at No. 7 and No. 8 in the NBA. This isn’t a team that’s letting the shot clock dip, and they’re going to quickly take advantage of defensive lapses with ball movement.
Indiana
Indiana basketball is ahead of schedule, indicated by win vs Marquette, but has plenty to improve
Indiana basketball wins vs Marquette: Insider thoughts, analysis
Tucker DeVries took over the first half, and Lamar Wilkerson the second half. Here are IndyStar IU insider Zach Osterman’s thoughts.
CHICAGO — Indiana basketball’s traveling party was in an expedient mood Sunday afternoon, as members traded quiet fist bumps and back slaps inside the basement hallways of the United Center.
Darian DeVries took a few moments in the stands with family, but otherwise moved through his postgame duties with the same efficiency his team had just displayed in a 100-77 win against Marquette. Flanked by his son, Tucker, and another former Drake Bulldog, Conor Enright, Darian DeVries worked the press room front to back, then pointed his team toward the bus.
There was something akin to a snow hurricane floating out over Lake Michigan, threatening to drop feet, plural, of November snow onto Chicago, and no one here was interested in getting stuck in the Second City.
Nothing could slow the Hoosiers down Sunday.
“We talked about it before the game, just staying composed,” DeVries said. “We couldn’t let [Marquette’s] presses and their tenacity on defense speed us up. We needed to stay within ourselves and trust the offense, trust our movement and I thought the guys did that.”
No team should be fully formed right now, and no one should rush to conclusions about this one after just two games that count. But whatever Marquette (2-1) becomes or doesn’t across the next four months, there’s an awful lot to be said for the proof of concept the DeVries era is already showing, and for the basic, inherent value of momentum at this time of year.
Beyond just the win, that’s what Indiana (2-0) gets for being willing to test itself so early in the season.
DeVries got those extra practices and games because of his decision to take the Hoosiers to Puerto Rico this summer, undeniably leaving his team better prepared than the average in Week 1.
Preparation still does not guarantee results. Nothing that’s happened up to this point, since DeVries took the job in March, has spoken so well of his credentials as watching his team take apart arguably the best Big East program other than UConn across the last three years.
“It was overall a great team effort from our guys,” DeVries said. “Really proud of a lot of different contributions that we got tonight.”
It started with his son.
Tucker DeVries scored 24 of his game-high 27 points in the first half, at times personally overwhelming a Marquette team that could not seem to look past its own dogmatic philosophies to realize the damage they were causing.
While the Golden Eagles played at a pace too fast for the decisions they were making and the shots they were putting up, DeVries epitomized an Indiana team comfortable playing fast and almost totally in control of itself. He hit five of his six 3s in the first half, contributing significantly to a teamwide 14 of 28 performance from distance.
“That was obviously a big performance from Tuck in the first half,” Darian DeVries said. “Just got us going.”
Lamar Wilkerson shouldered the load after halftime.
Once Marquette finally adjusted, and fouls started to pile up, Wilkerson stepped in for his equally dangerous teammate and put on a second-half clinic that rivaled what Tucker DeVries had done in the first.
Wilkerson scored 15 of his 23 points after halftime, all of them on 3s. He also finished with a career-high eight assists, compared to zero turnovers. In the same way Tucker DeVries’ first-half shooting set Indiana’s range, Wilkerson’s passing both sides of halftime headlined an afternoon Indiana finished with 27 assists to just eight turnovers, as an entire team.
“That’s something that I really like about this team: We have a lot of different guys that are capable of having moments like that throughout the game,” Darian DeVries said.
Perhaps none quite so meaningfully as that senior duo. But Sunday did endorse the idea that — especially as this team finds its depth in the coming weeks — the Hoosiers understand how to make their strengths consistently outweigh their weaknesses.
There are still those weaknesses.
Indiana did a better job on the boards Sunday, but their lack of size won’t resolve itself anytime soon. And the Puerto Rico foul trouble we thought might just be about issues with international rules doesn’t look so right now. The Hoosiers have committed 43 fouls through four regulation halves of basketball.
“We need to do a better job,” Darian DeVries said. “We got a little handsy at times. We’ve got to clean that up. We have to be physical with discipline.”
Two games into the season, though, after a performance like that one, DeVries might consider those champagne problems. He knows what his team is and is not, and crucially, his team seems to understand that as well.
The Hoosiers look comfortable with what makes them tick, where they need to cover up and how they win. And they’ve got the confirming evidence of a meaningful win five days into the season to back that up.
It’s a start, but it’s a good one.
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Nobody is good enough to win the national championship in the ACC, and no one looks good enough to win the national championship in the Big 12.
At this rate, we might get a 24-team College Football Playoff before a Group of 6 team makes a national title appearance.
And yet … six of the College Football Playoff selection committee’s top-25 teams suffered a loss this week, including two of the ACC’s top three. It was a good week to be idle — as were seven of the top 25 overall.
Meanwhile, Iowa, unranked by me, dropped its 12th straight to a ranked opponent: an Oregon team I’ve consistently ranked in the top seven, which has shown itself to be the Big Ten’s third-best team with a “big boy” win.
With that, here’s a look at my top 25 rankings following Week 11 of the college football season:
1. Ohio State (9-0), Previously Ranked: 1
Week 11 result: Defeated Purdue, 34-10
No Ohio State WR Carnell Tate, no problem. Buckeyes QB Julian Sayin passed for 303 yards with a touchdown and an interception, while Ohio State wideout Jeremiah Smith caught 10 passes for 137 yards and a touchdown.
2. Indiana (10-0), Previously Ranked: 2
Week 11 result: Defeated Penn State, 27-24
The Hoosiers squandered a 20-7 lead but rallied late, overcoming a 24-20 deficit to secure the win on an outstanding catch by wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr.
Penn State outgained Indiana in total yards, rushing yards, and passing yards, but could not make a stop when it mattered most.
Indiana became the first 10-win team in the sport this season, and the Hoosiers won at Penn State for the first time in program history.
3. Texas A&M (9-0), Previously Ranked: 3
Week 11 result: Defeated Missouri, 38-17
Texas A&M QB Marcel Reed completed 20 of 29 passes for 221 yards and two touchdowns, while running back Rueben Owens II added 102 yards and a pair of scores on the ground.
The Aggies are 9-0 for the first time since 1992 and 6-0 to start conference play for the first time since 1998. They are the only team in the country with three road wins vs. ranked opponents.
4. Alabama (8-1), Previously Ranked: 4
Week 11 result: Defeated LSU, 20-9
Alabama QB Ty Simpson completed 21 of 35 passes for 277 yards and a touchdown for the Crimson Tide, but the story of the game was Bama’s defense. The Crimson Tide allowed just 13 first downs and 232 yards while keeping LSU out of the end zone for the first time since the 2012 national championship game.
5. Oregon (8-1), Previously Ranked: 5
Week 11 result: Defeated Iowa, 18-16
Oregon running back Noah Whittington rushed for 118 yards as the Ducks extended their road winning streak to 11 games, which is the longest streak in the FBS. The victory keeps Oregon in position to claim the third CFP spot likely reserved for the Big Ten if current standings and rankings hold through the end of the season.
6. Georgia (8-1), Previously Ranked: 6
Week 11 result: Defeated Mississippi State, 41-21
Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton accounted for 295 total yards and four touchdowns to keep the Dawgs in third place in the SEC standings.
7. Ole Miss (9-1), Previously Ranked: 7
Week 11 result: Defeated The Citadel, 49-0
The Rebels put up 603 yards of offense and allowed just 103 against their FCS opponent. Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss completed 29 of 33 passes for 333 yards with three touchdowns.
8. Texas Tech (9-1), Previously Ranked: 9
Week 11 result: Defeated BYU, 29-7
Texas Tech QB Behren Morton completed 17 of 32 passes for 219 yards and a touchdown, while running back Cameron Dickey added 121 yards and a touchdown on the ground.
With the win, the Red Raiders snapped a 16-game losing streak against AP top-10 teams.
9. BYU (8-1), Previously Ranked: 8
Week 11 result: Lost to Texas Tech, 29-7
After being held scoreless in the opening half for the first time since Week 10 of 2023, the Cougars dropped their first game of the season, falling into second place in the Big 12 title race.
10. Texas (7-2), Previously Ranked: 10
Week 11 result: Idle
11. Oklahoma (7-2), Previously Ranked: 11
Week 11 result: Idle
12. Notre Dame (7-2), Previously Ranked: 12
Week 11 result: Defeated Navy, 49-10
Notre Dame quarterback CJ Carr completed 13 of 16 passes for 218 yards and three touchdowns, while Jeremiyah Love rushed for 94 yards and two scores.
The Fighting Irish defense held Navy to just 228 yards of total offense in the win.
13. Vanderbilt (8-2), Previously Ranked: 13
Week 11 result: Defeated Auburn, 45-38
The Commodores survived an outstanding performance from Auburn QB Ashton Daniels (444 total yards with four touchdowns) and equally impressive efforts from wideouts Cam Coleman (10 catches, 143 yards, one TD) and Eric Singleton (11 catches, 102 yards, one TD) to remain in contention for a College Football Playoff spot.
Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia dueled with Daniels, totaling 489 yards and three touchdowns in a performance that could earn him an invitation to New York for the Heisman ceremony.
14. Georgia Tech (8-1), Previously Ranked: 14
Week 11 result: Idle
15. Michigan (7-2), Previously Ranked: 17
Week 11 result: Idle
16. Pitt (7-2), Previously Ranked: 20
Week 11 result: Idle
17. Utah (7-2), Previously Ranked: 21
Week 11 result: Idle
18. Virginia (8-2), Previously Ranked: 15
Week 11 result: Lost to Wake Forest, 16-9
Virginia starting QB Chandler Morris was forced to leave the game after taking a hit to the head while sliding. In relief, Daniel Kaelin completed 18 of 28 passes for 145 yards.
After jumping out to a 6-0 lead, the Cavaliers gave up 16 points to the Demon Deacons and managed only one score in the second half.
19. Louisville (7-2), Previously Ranked: 16
Week 11 result: Lost to Cal, 29-26
The Cardinals gave up 350 passing yards to Cal true freshman QB Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele in a game Louisville was favored to win by as many as 18.5 points before kickoff.
20. Miami (Fla.) (7-2), Previously Ranked: 23
Week 11 result: Defeated Syracuse, 38-10
The Hurricanes’ defense punished the Orangemen with seven sacks, two interceptions and three total takeaways.
Miami quarterback Carson Beck threw for 247 yards and a touchdown, while the Hurricanes put up 385 yards of total offense in the win.
21. USC (7-2), Previously Ranked: 24
Week 11 result: Defeated Northwestern, 38-17
USC quarterback Jayden Maiava completed 24 of 33 passes for 299 yards with two touchdowns and an interception — and forced a fumble in the win.
22. North Texas (8-1), Previously Ranked: 25
Week 11 result: Idle
23. Tennessee (6-3), Previously Ranked: NR
Week 11 result: Idle
24. James Madison (8-1), Previously Ranked: NR
Week 11 result: Defeated Marshall, 35-23
The Dukes’ only loss this season came against Louisville, and they are one of just two undefeated teams in conference play among the Group of 6, along with San Diego State.
25. Missouri (6-3), Previously Ranked: 18
Week 11 result: Lost to Texas A&M, 38-17
The Tigers’ defense struggled to stop Texas A&M both on the ground and through the air, giving up 464 total yards — including 243 rushing yards at an average of 6.2 yards per carry — as they dropped their third conference game of the season.
Offensively, running backs Jamal Roberts and Ahmad Hardy each surpassed 100 yards on the ground, combining for 210 yards on 30 carries with a touchdown apiece.
RJ Young is a national college football writer and analyst for FOX Sports. Follow him @RJ_Young.
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Saturday’s tilt between Penn State and Indiana in Happy Valley features the No. 2 team in the country trying to stay undefeated.
That team is a 14.5-point favorite against an underdog doing its best to play the role of spoiler.
If you’re just joining us, you may be surprised to learn that the two-score favorite in this game is actually Indiana, and it’s Penn State, which was ranked No. 2 in the AP’s preseason poll, that is relegated to spoiler.
We’re living in crazy times.
Indiana vs. Penn State odds, prediction
The Indiana Hoosiers are not your typical Cinderella.
This is the second year in a row that Indiana can claim to be one of the best teams in the country, and everything the Hoosiers have accomplished is backed up by a ridiculous statistical profile.
Indiana grades out as the nation’s best offense, per SP+, and ranks eighth in yards per play.
The Hoosiers have a star quarterback in Fernando Mendoza, but they’re far from one-dimensional. In fact, only eight teams run the ball more than Indiana this season. The effectiveness of Indiana’s rushing attack has allowed Mendoza to flourish under Curt Cignetti.
Indiana’s offense is good enough to win games on its own, but it is backed up by one of the stingiest defenses in the country.
According to SP+, only Ohio State has been better without the ball than the Hoosiers.
It’s no wonder that only one team (Iowa) has kept the Hoosiers to a single-digit margin of victory this season.
It’s hard to see Penn State joining that list.
While the Nittany Lions are still talented and should be motivated to win the biggest game left on their schedule at home, things have continued to trend in the wrong direction for Penn State.
Betting on College Football?
The Nittany Lions only mustered 14 points — all of which came in one quarter — against Ohio State, proving that the offense is rudderless without Drew Allar.
The defense grades out as No. 25 in the country per SP+, which is good, but you need to be better than that to slow down Indiana, especially when your offense can’t be relied upon to keep you fresh.
The numbers back up a bet on Indiana in this spot. The Hoosiers have proven, time and again, that they are one of the best teams in the country on both sides of the ball.
If you’re betting on Penn State, you’re just leaning into the narrative that this is their Super Bowl.
Didn’t we just try that angle last week at Ohio State?
The Play: Indiana -14.5 (-110, FanDuel)
Why Trust New York Post Betting
Michael Leboff is a long-suffering Islanders fan, but a long-profiting sports bettor with 10 years of experience in the gambling industry. He loves using game theory to help punters win bracket pools, find long shots, and learn how to beat the market in mainstream and niche sports.
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