WEBVTT

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<v Speaker 1>Indiana with a win last night of Oclallo in the

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<v Speaker 1>city one sixteen one oh seven, forty nine points from

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<v Speaker 1>their bench, twenty two coming in the second quarter. They

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<v Speaker 1>have been so impressive throughout the playoffs yet to trail,

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<v Speaker 1>and a team that just keeps proving people wrong. Nine

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<v Speaker 1>times they have been the underdog in the playoffs and

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<v Speaker 1>they have won it. No more people should be doubting

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<v Speaker 1>the Indiana Pacers. I know my friend Chris Denari doesn't

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<v Speaker 1>doubt him. He's been doing, you know, hall of fame

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<v Speaker 1>work for the Pacers for the last nineteen years as

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<v Speaker 1>their TV play by play voice. And he joins us

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<v Speaker 1>here on this Thursday morning. How are you, my friend?

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<v Speaker 1>How's your family?

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<v Speaker 2>Hey? Doing great? Everybody's good. Three grandkids now, wow, three grandsons.

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<v Speaker 2>One that lives here about ten minutes away. I seem

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<v Speaker 2>in fact, he'll be over here in a few hours

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<v Speaker 2>for the day. So yeah, a lot of fun right now.

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<v Speaker 1>That's great. Good job, Chris. I'm happy for you. I'm

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<v Speaker 1>happy than you for your basketball team too. I was

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<v Speaker 1>kind of a descending voice here, at least in Detroit,

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<v Speaker 1>in the state of Michigan. I picked Indiana before the

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<v Speaker 1>playoffs began to get to the East. Of course, I

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<v Speaker 1>also picked Denver, so I was on there, but I

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<v Speaker 1>did pick your Pacers. Why do you think they've had

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<v Speaker 1>so much success in the playoffs.

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<v Speaker 2>Well, I think what they learned about themselves last year

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<v Speaker 2>going to the Eastern Conference finals brought back virtually the

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<v Speaker 2>same team as back and I just think that they

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<v Speaker 2>have a great belief in what they've built. Rick Carlisle

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<v Speaker 2>a Hall of Fame coach, and this is a group

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<v Speaker 2>that I think has selfless leaders. And I say that

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<v Speaker 2>you've got a couple of guys who have been All

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<v Speaker 2>Stars Siakam three times, Haliburton twice, but they understand that

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<v Speaker 2>for this team to win, they've got to do it collectively,

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<v Speaker 2>and I think that's been a great strength. I think

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<v Speaker 2>the other thing, Matt, is they've been much better defensively

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<v Speaker 2>this year than they were a year ago. Last year,

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<v Speaker 2>it always felt like they had to outscore teams to win.

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<v Speaker 2>This year, they can win in different ways. And then

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<v Speaker 2>the other thing is they've been really good in the clutch.

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<v Speaker 2>I mean in the playoffs. They're nine to one now

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<v Speaker 2>in clutch time, and I think dating back to the

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<v Speaker 2>end of the regular season, They're like, they've won eighteen

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<v Speaker 2>of twenty games when it gets to clutch time, so

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<v Speaker 2>they feel very confident in what they can do. If

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<v Speaker 2>they are in a close game late, they feel like

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<v Speaker 2>they can win it, and that's what they did last night.

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<v Speaker 1>What's amazed you most about those clutch moments, especially for

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<v Speaker 1>Tyre's helburn against Milwaukee, against Cleveland, against New York and

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<v Speaker 1>so far he's done it against Okac as well. What's

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<v Speaker 1>impressed you most and what do you think prepared him

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<v Speaker 1>most for those moments?

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<v Speaker 2>Well, I think he just has a great belief in

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<v Speaker 2>his abilities and you know, he's he's got a little

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<v Speaker 2>bit of Reggie Miller at him. There's no question in

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<v Speaker 2>the way that he plays with a bravado on the floor,

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<v Speaker 2>and I just think he has a lot of confidence.

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<v Speaker 2>And you know, when the trade was made, you know,

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<v Speaker 2>three years ago, basically the Pacers handed him the keys

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<v Speaker 2>and said, hey, you're our guy. You're going to be

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<v Speaker 2>our leader, and they've built the roster around him. So

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<v Speaker 2>he's he's just he's a super young man. He's meant

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<v Speaker 2>a lot to this franchise and it's great to see

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<v Speaker 2>him have all the success he's having.

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<v Speaker 1>It just blows my mind that he was voted. I

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<v Speaker 1>know it's very minimal, and who really cares. It's fourteen

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<v Speaker 1>votes for crying out loud, and I suppose somebody had

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<v Speaker 1>to answer the question as most overrated. I don't know

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<v Speaker 1>where that stems from. I've always liked him. I liked

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<v Speaker 1>him a lot at Iowa Stata, But I've always liked him.

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<v Speaker 1>What do you think his strongest characteristic is that helps

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<v Speaker 1>this team win well?

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<v Speaker 2>I think, and sometimes it's too a fault is that

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<v Speaker 2>he is a connector and he wants to get everybody involved.

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<v Speaker 2>And there's sort of a give and take, you know,

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<v Speaker 2>a little bit with him because you want to see

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<v Speaker 2>him be a little bit more aggressive. And I think

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<v Speaker 2>that's what we saw last night. Early I thought he

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<v Speaker 2>was a lot more aggressive looking for his own but

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<v Speaker 2>he's a guy that wants to get everybody involved. And again,

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<v Speaker 2>the Pacers are better when they have everybody involved. But

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<v Speaker 2>at the same point, he is such a talent. He

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<v Speaker 2>can shoot the ball, he can drive, he can score.

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<v Speaker 2>That's one of the things that when this team is successful,

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<v Speaker 2>it's usually because Tyres is successful with the regular season.

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<v Speaker 2>In the playoffs, Matt when he scores twenty or more points.

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<v Speaker 2>The Pacers are thirty three and four, so it's essential

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<v Speaker 2>that he also looks for his own while he's also

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<v Speaker 2>finding his teammates.

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<v Speaker 1>I'm standing play by play voice for the Indiana Pacers,

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<v Speaker 1>Kristin Erry, joining us here on Exus and Bros. Throughout

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<v Speaker 1>the Great State of Michigan Indiana started ten and fifteen.

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<v Speaker 1>You were on the call for every one of those

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<v Speaker 1>games ten and fifteen. Then they turned it around, and

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<v Speaker 1>the only team with a better record after that, I

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<v Speaker 1>believe was Oklahoma City. What was the difference do you think?

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<v Speaker 2>Well, I think a couple of things. I do think

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<v Speaker 2>they got better defensively, but they also got healthy. If

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<v Speaker 2>you look back through those first twenty five games, Andrew

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<v Speaker 2>Nemhard missed probably thirteen or fourteen. Aaron Nesmith got hurt

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<v Speaker 2>very early in November and missed thirty plus games with

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<v Speaker 2>a significant ankle injury, and a guy named Ben Shephard,

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<v Speaker 2>who also is a key reserve and a wing player,

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<v Speaker 2>he was out, and so you had three of your

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<v Speaker 2>wing players out, probably your three best defenders, and that

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<v Speaker 2>really hurt the Pacers. And once they got those guys back,

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<v Speaker 2>then it all seemed to gel. Really, You're right. They

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<v Speaker 2>were ten and fifteen. They had an awful loss to

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<v Speaker 2>Charlotte here at home, where they scored like eighty three points,

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<v Speaker 2>and they didn't play again until Friday, and they got

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<v Speaker 2>back into the practice facility and Rick Carlile and has stabbed,

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<v Speaker 2>did some tinkering and doing some things, and from that

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<v Speaker 2>point on they were a different team. So there's no

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<v Speaker 2>question question that they battled through the adversity early in

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<v Speaker 2>the year, and I think they lean on that a

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<v Speaker 2>little bit. You know, with the win last night, they've

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<v Speaker 2>not lost back to back games in thirty eight games.

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<v Speaker 2>I mean, you've got to go all the way back

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<v Speaker 2>to mid March the last time they lost back to

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<v Speaker 2>back games. So I think they used the adversity that

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<v Speaker 2>they had early in the season really to fuel them

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<v Speaker 2>as the season wore on.

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah, it's amazing. I think it's a March tenth somewhere

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<v Speaker 1>around there last time they've lost back to back games.

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<v Speaker 1>You mentioned Rick Carlisle, and look, he's got a championship.

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<v Speaker 1>He's a phenomenal coach, there's no question about it. I

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<v Speaker 1>called a lot of Pistons games and have known you

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<v Speaker 1>for a long time called Pistons games while he was

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<v Speaker 1>the head coach here in Detroit. So you've called games

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<v Speaker 1>with him as a coach, not just at Indiana but

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<v Speaker 1>in the NBA for a long long time. With nineteen

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<v Speaker 1>years under your belt, how do you think he has

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<v Speaker 1>gotten better as a coach and how much of his

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<v Speaker 1>experience in this moment has mattered to get give his

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<v Speaker 1>teammate two to one lead over what many people thought

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<v Speaker 1>to be the best team in basketball, atleast during the

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<v Speaker 1>regular season.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, I think you know, all coaches change, and you

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<v Speaker 2>look at how he's changed. I mean, think back to

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<v Speaker 2>those Pistons days, those couple of years he was in Detroit,

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<v Speaker 2>you know, with Billups and those guys. He called every

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<v Speaker 2>play right. Every play was a set that Rick Carlisle called.

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<v Speaker 2>Then he goes to Dallas and he realized with Jason Kidd,

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<v Speaker 2>look I probably don't need to do that. And when

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<v Speaker 2>they made the trade for Tyrese Halliburton, he realized, this

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<v Speaker 2>is a guy we got to let have the ball

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<v Speaker 2>and I've got to trust that he'll make decisions. And

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<v Speaker 2>they've gone really to a read and react offense. I

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<v Speaker 2>sort of says it's like the motion offense because there

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<v Speaker 2>are rules, you know, you know, cutting and screening and

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<v Speaker 2>those types of things, and there are nuances that they

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<v Speaker 2>put in. And I think they did a good job

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<v Speaker 2>last night because Tyree's had really been shut down in

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<v Speaker 2>the first two games by this excellent Oklahoma City offense

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<v Speaker 2>or defense. And we saw the Pacers on offense do

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<v Speaker 2>some different things last night that created opportunities for Halliburton.

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<v Speaker 2>And so I just think, you know, Rick, as every

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<v Speaker 2>coach does, you have to evolve. The game is much

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<v Speaker 2>different today. It's a way more athletic game. It's a

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<v Speaker 2>way more wide open game than it was back in

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<v Speaker 2>the early two thousands. And you know, Rick has experienced

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<v Speaker 2>both as a player and as a coach. In the

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<v Speaker 2>NBA Finals, he said this was his this is his

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<v Speaker 2>sixth NBA Finals. He was an assistant to Larry Bird

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<v Speaker 2>with the Pacers back in two thousand, won a title

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<v Speaker 2>of course in Dallas, and then was a part of

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<v Speaker 2>Boston championship teams when he played for the Celtics. So

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<v Speaker 2>I think that resonates even though you know he's my age,

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<v Speaker 2>he's sixty five years old, that still resonates with players

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<v Speaker 2>because he has the experience of having been there.

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<v Speaker 1>Didn't know you're sixty five. You don't look sixty five.

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<v Speaker 2>Well I'm sixty four. I'm sixty four, but soon to

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<v Speaker 2>be sixty five.

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<v Speaker 1>It is a different atmosphere in the NBA Finals, But

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<v Speaker 1>it's also different for Indiana. Can you put into context

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<v Speaker 1>and look, you've done it all, You've done, the Colts,

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<v Speaker 1>you've done, Butler, you're doing Pacers for nineteen years. You

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<v Speaker 1>can appreciate as much as anybody what it's like for

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<v Speaker 1>basketball in that state. OKC is loud, there are buildings

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<v Speaker 1>that are always going to be allowed. It's something special

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<v Speaker 1>in Indiana. Why is that?

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<v Speaker 2>Well, I think there's a great level of basketball. I

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<v Speaker 2>learned that when I moved here. My dad grew up

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<v Speaker 2>in Indianapolis and was a longtime high school coach in

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<v Speaker 2>southwestern Ohio, and he really wanted our family to experience

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<v Speaker 2>high school basketball in Indiana, and so he was fortunate

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<v Speaker 2>enough to get a job all those years ago, and

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<v Speaker 2>I had a great chance to play for him at Westfield,

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<v Speaker 2>which is a suburb just north of Indianapolis. And so

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<v Speaker 2>I learned at a very early age just how important

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<v Speaker 2>basketball was to the state. And Matt I can't tell

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<v Speaker 2>you what it's like around here right now. I mean,

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<v Speaker 2>it is incredible. Everywhere you go, people are talking Pacers.

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<v Speaker 2>They have their hats on their jerseys, on their T shirts.

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<v Speaker 2>I go to the hardware store to pick up something,

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<v Speaker 2>and all they want to do is talk to me

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<v Speaker 2>about the Pacers. It is a really, really cool time.

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<v Speaker 2>And you understand, as we all do in sports, is

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<v Speaker 2>just how powerful and impactful sports can be in a community.

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<v Speaker 2>And we're definitely feeling that right now.

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<v Speaker 1>How vital is game four? Knowing that it's okay, se

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<v Speaker 1>wins it to tie the series, it's best two out

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<v Speaker 1>of three, and you still got to go to Oklahoma

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<v Speaker 1>City for at least two of those games. Even though

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<v Speaker 1>you won game one, it was a thrilling way to

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<v Speaker 1>win it, but you'd still have to win two out

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<v Speaker 1>of three there. And Okay, see how vital is is

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<v Speaker 1>this weekend for you?

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<v Speaker 2>Well, I think it is no question tomorrow and night

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<v Speaker 2>in its situation, it's the only time in the series

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<v Speaker 2>that there's just a day off between games, and so

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<v Speaker 2>we'll see how that impacts, you know, both teams tomorrow.

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<v Speaker 2>I think I thought Oklahoma City last night looked a

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<v Speaker 2>little gassed.

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<v Speaker 1>In the fourth quarter.

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<v Speaker 2>I thought Rick did a really good job in utilizing

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<v Speaker 2>the bench. The bench was really good last night, McConnell

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<v Speaker 2>and Topping and Benedict Matherin. So no, I think it's

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<v Speaker 2>very important. I mean, Oklahoma City's really good, as we

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<v Speaker 2>all know, and you want to maintain home court advantage.

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<v Speaker 2>So yeah, tomorrow night's huge.

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<v Speaker 1>I think I read somewhere that Oklahoma City, when going

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<v Speaker 1>into the fourth quarter, is now sixty one and two.

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<v Speaker 1>The two losses are to the Pacers in the playoffs. Yeah,

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<v Speaker 1>and they were up five going into the fourth last

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<v Speaker 1>night and you guys dominated that fourth quarter thirty two

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<v Speaker 1>to eighteen. I want your opinion on this in general,

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<v Speaker 1>not not Pacers, but the league in general. Where do

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<v Speaker 1>you think it's at, how healthy do you think it is,

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<v Speaker 1>and what might be a concern or two about the

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<v Speaker 1>NBA in general for you, I'm where it's headed.

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<v Speaker 2>Well, well, I'm a big fan of the way the

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<v Speaker 2>game is played. I mean, some people will argue there's

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<v Speaker 2>too many threes, you know, I think these two teams,

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<v Speaker 2>I think these two teams are teams that people really

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<v Speaker 2>want to watch because do they shoot the three? Yes,

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<v Speaker 2>But It's not an overabundance of them. I just think

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<v Speaker 2>that that you're going to have a changing of the

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<v Speaker 2>guard of new players coming to the forefront, because we

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<v Speaker 2>know Steph Curry and Lebron and those guys who are

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<v Speaker 2>still good but they're aging out. I love the athleticism,

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<v Speaker 2>I love the open nature of it. I think it's

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<v Speaker 2>a really good game. You know, I think people have

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<v Speaker 2>to learn about some of these new players. I mean,

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<v Speaker 2>Jalen Williams is an outstanding young talent at Oklahoma City.

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<v Speaker 2>He played at Santa Clara. You know, many people weren't

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<v Speaker 2>watching Santa Clara in college basketball, So I think it's

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<v Speaker 2>going to be an interesting time. I do think NBC

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<v Speaker 2>coming in next year with so many more games that

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<v Speaker 2>are on network television, will be good. But I like it.

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<v Speaker 2>I mean, I love the wide open style of play

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<v Speaker 2>and enjoy the athleticism that the game brings.

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah, I agree with you, and trying to learn some

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<v Speaker 1>of these new we were talking about earlier in our

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<v Speaker 1>show before you came on, Benedict Mathrin. And here's a

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<v Speaker 1>guy who was I mean, he played at Arizona, Okay,

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<v Speaker 1>he was a sixth overall pick. He's a first round

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<v Speaker 1>choice and coming off the bench. I mean, maybe people

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<v Speaker 1>are just not paying as close attention as they need

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<v Speaker 1>to with the bench players as they should be. But

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<v Speaker 1>we're hoping that they're getting more educated as they watch.

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<v Speaker 1>Last question for him, Miles Turner. I think has been

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<v Speaker 1>really good. I like him. I think he kind of

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<v Speaker 1>almost epitomizes what the NBA is becoming. He's three point

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<v Speaker 1>shooting has steadily gotten better. He's going to be a

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<v Speaker 1>free agent. Do you think he fits in the long

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<v Speaker 1>term plans of Indiana?

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<v Speaker 2>Absolutely? I mean ten years here, I've said this, Matt.

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<v Speaker 2>I think with all this said and done, and I

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<v Speaker 2>hope he's a pacer for his entire career. I think

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<v Speaker 2>he will be one of the most beloved pacers in

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<v Speaker 2>the history of this franchise. He's meant that much to

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<v Speaker 2>this team. He's great off the floor, He's a wonderful

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<v Speaker 2>young man. I think ownership knows what they have right

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<v Speaker 2>now and they're going to do whatever it takes to

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<v Speaker 2>bring him back.

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<v Speaker 1>We're glad you're able to join us.

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<v Speaker 2>Man.

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<v Speaker 1>We appreciate the insight. You are a fantastic play by

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<v Speaker 1>play man and you're a really good friend. Congratulations on

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<v Speaker 1>the family growing, the career continuing, and good luck to

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<v Speaker 1>the pacers the rest of the way. Thanks Kristin, I

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<v Speaker 1>appreciate your time.

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<v Speaker 2>Buddy, Hey, thanks so much. Man, great to visit with you.