2025 East Semifinals: (1) Cleveland Cavaliers Vs. (4) Indiana Pacers

Donovan Mitchell is a loser and he will always be a loser.

 

That's pretty random. He's actually a really good person and player.

 

I have to admit but the Pacers are good at tournament games, it is a tad annoying even.

 

Huh????????

 

Here are the Pacers comeback last minute wins, just in the last 2 months

March 11th- Pacers down 3 with 3.2 seconds left, Haliburton gets 4 point play to win the game

March 17th- Pacers are down 5 points with 1:06 left in OT, they win the game on Toppin's 3 with 3.1 seconds left

March 19th- Pacers are down 7 with 1:07 left, Nembhard hits the game winning 3 with 16 seconds left

March 20th- Pacers are down 5 in regulation with 48.1 left, force OT and win the game in OT

April 13th- Pacers are down 6 with 1:01 to go in regulation, down 4 with 1:09 to go in OT, win in double OT

April 29th- Pacers are down 4 with 52.1 seconds to go in regulation and 7 with 40.0 seconds left in OT, win in OT on Haliburton's layup with 1.1 seconds left

May 6th- Pacers down 7 with 47.2 seconds left (when the ball came off the rim after the Siakam missed free throws), Pacers win on Haliburton's 3 with 1 second left

 

The play of Aaron Nesmith is a cautionary tale of how not to give up too quickly on a young player. Boston drafted him and he didn’t play much. His first NBA coach, Brad Stevens, said that Nesmith was an exceptional shooter in practice but that it never translated into games. His problems were pegged as being “psychological” and he was labeled a bust.

Boston sent Nesmith, Nik Stauskas, Daniel Theis, Juwan Morgan, Malik Fitts and a 2023 first-round pick (used to draft Ben Sheppard) to the Pacers for Malcolm Brogden.

Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe wrote “It was a brilliant move for Stevens to acquire Brogdon without even having to give any rotation players at all…Nesmith was an Ainge pick, and he just never panned out”.

Every other NBA analyst said it was a steal by Stevens. Zach Harper at the Athletic said of the Pacers “they’re on their way to living in the depths of the lottery” and called Nesmith a G-league talent.

Bleacher report summed up the trade with a meme, with the caption "what the Celtics gave up to get Malcomb Brogden":

Nesmith saved that meme. “It was what made me drive to the gym. That tweet is always on my mind, for sure”

Of course, Nesmith became a key starter and the team’s #1 wing defender. He started making shots not just in practice but in games, and in the clutch.

Following a similar pattern, the next year the Pacers traded for another so-called bust lottery pick, Obi Toppin, getting him from the Knicks for 2 second round picks. Toppin had a reputation of being a mediocre shooter (32% from 3) and not a useful half court player, “just a dunker”. The Pacers were intrigued, though, by his open court play, with his league-leading 75.1% effective field goal percentage in transition but trapped in a plodding Knicks offense. The Pacers were installing an up tempo style. He fits in great with the second unit and his game has continued to evolve, making 4 or more threes in 7 games this year.

 

Absolutely not . . . I detest the bucks
ok .. . just Giannis

Rocket River

 

Man I love it, Cavs are so boring.

 

Feel bad for the Cavs. They're missing 3 of their top 5 players and have made it competitive. That would decimate any team.

 

That’s not huge tbh , hose happen all the time

 

OKC matches up favorably against both Indy and the Knicks if it came to that......the West is way tougher.

Anyone gets up to play well at MSG at the Garden.

 

Knicks, sure. Pacers... it's tighter. The Pacers played really well against the West this season

Winning percentage just against the Western Conference teams this year:
Thunder: 0.750
Pacers: 0.668
Timberwolves: 0.635
Nuggets: 0.615
Knicks: 0.567
Warriors: 0.558

 

People underestimate the pacers I think they can take out anyone..:but OKC is tough.

same with GS if god forbid that team lucks into things falling in place again

 

There are a couple games to be played till then, do not worry, I am not underestimating no one.

 

Saw this stat and it's crazy, but supported by video.

This season Tyrese Haliburton is 10-for-11 (91%) when taking a shot to tie or take the lead, in the final 90 seconds of the 4th quarter or overtime.

 

I think he took to heart players voting him the leagues most overrated player (which was ridiculous). Great player. Wish he was a Rocket

 

Why do hate Giannis?

 

Don't understand that comment either

 

There are some Rockets fans and general fans of the NBA who hate Mitchell.

I hated him at first because he played for the Jazz. Then the more I watched him play in the playoffs against other teams I realized he is a empty stats player in the playoffs.

I also hate he is undersized does not try consistently on defense or involve his teammates on offense in a meaningful way.

I understand people like him but I don't and never want to see him as a rocket.