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PACERS 98, CELTICS 96: Reaction with Mike Rich (2.142.2) · The Central Indiana Sports Report

• 0:00
  [SPEAKER_01]: Welcome back, Pacer's fans of the Central Indiana Sports Report for a special edition of the Pacer's Report with Mike Rich.
• 0:07
  [SPEAKER_01]: Is reaction to the Pacer's 98-96 run over the Celtics on Monday, and Mike, we have ourselves a full-blown winning streak.
• 0:17
  [SPEAKER_00]: 3-3 in a row, what, what a great winning streak.
• 0:22
  [SPEAKER_00]: After losing 13, I'll take it.
• 0:26
  [SPEAKER_01]: the first winning streak of the season.
• 0:28
  [SPEAKER_01]: You know, I think you have to have at least three to be a streak, right?
• 0:33
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, we were counting, too.
• 0:37
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, you had to.
• 0:39
  [SPEAKER_01]: And Mike, the Pacers no longer have the worst record in the NBA.
• 0:44
  [SPEAKER_01]: That would be the New Orleans Pelicans.
• 0:47
  [SPEAKER_00]: And we play them in a couple nights, right?
• 0:51
  [SPEAKER_01]: Friday night, Mike.
• 0:52
  [SPEAKER_01]: Wednesday at home against Toronto, and then New Orleans, could be talking about a real winning streak.
• 1:00
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah.
• 1:01
  [SPEAKER_01]: Battle of the bottom.
• 1:05
  [SPEAKER_01]: Battle of the bottom.
• 1:05
  [SPEAKER_01]: First Toronto, though, and that's a pretty good team.
• 1:09
  [SPEAKER_01]: Mike, I'm telling you, this team with all those guys healthy.
• 1:13
  [SPEAKER_01]: It's a pretty competitive team, isn't it?
• 1:16
  [SPEAKER_00]: Again, it's the...
• 1:19
  [SPEAKER_00]: You know, it began the season, these guys were all healthy, and we had promising thoughts of how this team was going to play this year, and thought that they would be competing for, you know, at least a playing game, or at least a playoff spot, so it's not a surprise it's just that they're healthy, and a lot of great talent on this team, and when you're
• 1:49
  [SPEAKER_00]: your second string, minor league, glee team players on your team and you actually have some consistency with people that have been with this team for a couple years.
• 2:02
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, this is expected.
• 2:04
  [SPEAKER_00]: They should be winning.
• 2:05
  [SPEAKER_00]: They should be playing well.
• 2:08
  [SPEAKER_00]: Anytime you be Boston's a great win,
• 2:12
  [SPEAKER_00]: They were a little underman tonight, but it just kind of even the playing field, I think.
• 2:17
  [SPEAKER_00]: They led from pretty much the second quarter on until the fourth quarter.
• 2:23
  [SPEAKER_00]: And, you know, so I think it was a overall just a really good entertaining game, and again, it's always good to be Boston.
• 2:34
  [SPEAKER_01]: Let's talk about the elephant in the room.
• 2:36
  [SPEAKER_01]: They're starting to blow at Mike.
• 2:38
  [SPEAKER_01]: start to blow this profit and the Pacers franchise has been good a lot of things there never been very good at losing on purpose.
• 2:47
  [SPEAKER_00]: Now I don't think any of the players on that team or the players should never take it.
• 2:53
  [SPEAKER_00]: They're never, they're never going to put up for every bit of effort they have.
• 2:59
  [SPEAKER_00]: They want to win these games as they possibly can and they should.
• 3:02
  [SPEAKER_00]: They should try to put the best product out on the court every night.
• 3:06
  [SPEAKER_00]: but it is I you might hear it in the the tone of my voice it's like I want them to do well but you know I was content with them you know being in the top five of the NBA draft in 2026 but we might play ourselves out of it as well as they've played the last few games.
• 3:30
  [SPEAKER_01]: we probably shouldn't get caught up too much in that mic to be honest we should probably just enjoy what's in front of us.
• 3:37
  [SPEAKER_01]: I know as the game came down toward the end there my thoughts were.
• 3:43
  [SPEAKER_01]: Hey we pretty pretty well 29 assists on 39 baskets again fantastic performance.
• 3:52
  [SPEAKER_01]: Now let's see Peyton Bridge and kind of finish this so the Pacers can get a nice loss and get a better
• 4:00
  [SPEAKER_01]: I do like that they're building a winning habits.
• 4:05
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, I would prefer the winning habits and we're going to get a decent draft pick.
• 4:12
  [SPEAKER_00]: I don't see this team making the plan.
• 4:16
  [SPEAKER_00]: No, no.
• 4:19
  [SPEAKER_00]: But we'll still be at a pretty good spot in the draft.
• 4:24
  [SPEAKER_00]: And it's good to see these
• 4:30
  [SPEAKER_00]: Again, I think Murphy just continues to just mature Walker seems to be playing a lot better.
• 4:39
  [SPEAKER_00]: He had a really sweet pass in the second quarter and just his vision, his shot selections gotten better, but I think it's gotten better because he's hitting the shots.
• 4:53
  [SPEAKER_00]: He was taking those shots earlier in the season.
• 4:55
  [SPEAKER_00]: He wasn't hitting them, and I would have said that they were poor shot selections, but he's making them now, potters been, he had a pretty good game tonight too.
• 5:08
  [SPEAKER_00]: All around, this team comes together and they play really good team basketball.
• 5:15
  [SPEAKER_01]: Well, let's talk about some individual's real fast pass, pass, Pascal Siakum, 10 from 15 from the field, eight rebounds, six assists, two steals.
• 5:25
  [SPEAKER_01]: And of course, the game winner, Mike, he should probably be an all-star.
• 5:30
  [SPEAKER_00]: He's an all-star to me.
• 5:32
  [SPEAKER_00]: He's an all-star to probably every Pacer fan and it comes and watches those games.
• 5:40
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah, I think he's gonna make it.
• 5:42
  [SPEAKER_01]: I think,
• 5:43
  [SPEAKER_01]: If they were down there in last worst record in the league and having five wins or whatever, probably not, but now that you're starting to win some games and some more win a bullwins in January, maybe he's playing himself into it.
• 5:57
  [SPEAKER_01]: He's clearly played like one of the best players in the league.
• 6:01
  [SPEAKER_01]: He's clearly at that level.
• 6:02
  [SPEAKER_01]: The question is, do you take an all star from an eight-win team?
• 6:06
  [SPEAKER_01]: And the more they win, the more likely he's going to be an all star.
• 6:09
  [SPEAKER_00]: agreed.
• 6:10
  [SPEAKER_00]: He continues to play like he has.
• 6:12
  [SPEAKER_00]: He's just been very, very consistent even the commentators tonight.
• 6:18
  [SPEAKER_00]: They said he's Mr.
• 6:20
  [SPEAKER_00]: Consistent and he had a, you know, a slogan yesterday or two days ago or
• 6:39
  [SPEAKER_01]: And your nim hard, uh, didn't have a good game shooting 5 for 14, but he did have some big shots especially down the stretch and 9 assists, 6 rebounds.
• 6:49
  [SPEAKER_01]: I like the way he's playing.
• 6:52
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think, uh, 3 for 5 from 3 points, 3 pointer 9.
• 6:56
  [SPEAKER_00]: And I think, uh, those 3 points shots that he took were hand critical moments and, uh,
• 7:01
  [SPEAKER_00]: created some momentum and at certain points in the game.
• 7:05
  [SPEAKER_00]: It's like three bounds, nine assists.
• 7:09
  [SPEAKER_00]: I only had one really bad turn over.
• 7:11
  [SPEAKER_00]: He just threw it to no one.
• 7:12
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think Quentin Jackson was supposed to zig and he's agged.
• 7:19
  [SPEAKER_00]: So he threw it out of bounds, but other than that, not an awful game.
• 7:24
  [SPEAKER_00]: But, and again, I think him and Quentin Jackson on the floor.
• 7:29
  [SPEAKER_00]: together looks good again, pace looks good with this team, bench players are playing well, it's like you got two squads again, you're just seeing what consistency is going to bring to this team and as long as they can stay healthy they're going to be consistent, they're going to play solid.
• 7:51
  [SPEAKER_00]: I figured this was going to be a good game against Boston.
• 7:54
  [SPEAKER_00]: I didn't think that they would win.
• 7:56
  [SPEAKER_00]: I lost the, you know, you said, over three wins out of six games.
• 8:00
  [SPEAKER_00]: And I said, under three wins.
• 8:04
  [SPEAKER_00]: So the probably going to win another one in the next two.
• 8:08
  [SPEAKER_01]: Now, Mike, remember that I said that during a 13 game losing streak, that they were going to win the next mix.
• 8:16
  [SPEAKER_01]: And that's because they really have been played well.
• 8:20
  [SPEAKER_01]: the last eight games in particular they really have been playing well even though they were losing thirteen in a row.
• 8:26
  [SPEAKER_01]: They'd had some pretty good performances in there.
• 8:29
  [SPEAKER_00]: Really, they did.
• 8:30
  [SPEAKER_00]: They had a lot of good performances.
• 8:33
  [SPEAKER_00]: They played a lot of teams close.
• 8:35
  [SPEAKER_00]: They come out.
• 8:37
  [SPEAKER_00]: One of the things that was really good to see tonight and is they had, I think, a thirteen point lead at one time and Boston got back in it, but they really never got behind.
• 8:50
  [SPEAKER_00]: Too far to where it got out of reach and I think the most they might have been behind was 78 points and I put didn't let it let it get out of hand and I think that's key for this team I don't think they can overcome those big runs by the opposing team if they get down by 20 They're gonna struggle to come back This was this was a great game all around they kept they kept the Celtics under a hundred points
• 9:19
  [SPEAKER_00]: They played good team basketball, they... That was a fun game to watch.
• 9:25
  [SPEAKER_00]: It really was.
• 9:26
  [SPEAKER_00]: They'm not having Jalen Brown health.
• 9:28
  [SPEAKER_00]: They'm not... And if I would have known Jalen Brown was a plan tonight, I would have picked them to beat the Celtics tonight.
• 9:40
  [SPEAKER_01]: All right, Mike.
• 9:41
  [SPEAKER_01]: Did the Pacers make it for in a row on Wednesday?
• 9:44
  [SPEAKER_01]: Why not?
• 9:48
  [SPEAKER_00]: Um, why not make it 13 in a row?
• 9:52
  [SPEAKER_00]: It's right.
• 9:56
  [SPEAKER_01]: It's a lot of us have been playing pretty well of late half.
• 9:59
  [SPEAKER_01]: I think they're a pretty good team, but wouldn't be shocked if the patient's left.
• 10:04
  [SPEAKER_01]: That one with a forestry win.
• 10:07
  [SPEAKER_00]: I would be shocked and even without Brown, I think the Celtics are a pretty good team.
• 10:13
  [SPEAKER_00]: They heat or a good team.
• 10:15
  [SPEAKER_00]: Hornets were all right.
• 10:17
  [SPEAKER_00]: they played Cleveland really well.
• 10:19
  [SPEAKER_00]: That was their last loss.
• 10:22
  [SPEAKER_00]: They played the magic pretty well before that.
• 10:27
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah.
• 10:30
  [SPEAKER_00]: They've been competitive and I'm just kind of looking back and really is the last blow out was against the heat maybe.
• 10:38
  [SPEAKER_01]: And that game was close throughout the
• 10:44
  [SPEAKER_01]: Again, was literally I believe that was still close in the fourth quarter and then the fourth quarter was Yeah, well, they fell apart and she ran this and they were out for 44 to 22 in the fourth quarter.
• 10:55
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah.
• 10:56
  [SPEAKER_01]: The patients were ahead.
• 10:58
  [SPEAKER_01]: We need a 59 at halftime.
• 11:00
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think since that rockets game after they played the heat, I think it's they've been really competitive and all those games and I think just
• 11:13
  [SPEAKER_01]: The last thing they put a really bad game was before Christmas against Milwaukee.
• 11:19
  [SPEAKER_00]: Well, they could have lost by one and it would have been a bad game against.
• 11:22
  [SPEAKER_01]: But even those blowouts Boston and Miami, those were close through three quarters.
• 11:30
  [SPEAKER_01]: Just didn't have enough bodies to continue to compete throughout the game.
• 11:35
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, they were up quite quite a bit on Boston and one of those two games.
• 11:42
  [SPEAKER_00]: I don't know if it's the one where they got beat by 18 or the one that they got beat by eight.
• 11:46
  [SPEAKER_00]: They were a couple digits in the first quarter of that game they lost by your team.
• 11:50
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah, I thought they would.
• 11:53
  [SPEAKER_00]: But yeah, they're just saying, you know, I think Carl Isles just kept them in mindset, just
• 12:03
  [SPEAKER_00]: stick with the plan and keep playing and the winds are going to come.
• 12:08
  [SPEAKER_00]: And right now we're on a little bit of a hot street and I think we can beat the Raptors and I definitely think we can beat New Orleans.
• 12:22
  [SPEAKER_00]: Mike, you're going to blow it.
• 12:25
  [SPEAKER_01]: They're just going to blow it.
• 12:27
  [SPEAKER_01]: They're going to end up
• 12:33
  [SPEAKER_00]: That's just what you come to expect and they're going to be better next year.
• 12:41
  [SPEAKER_00]: They're going to be competitive next year.
• 12:43
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think they can move up in the draft.
• 12:46
  [SPEAKER_00]: Even if they're at 9th, they can possibly, they have enough pieces.
• 12:50
  [SPEAKER_00]: If they really want to try, I think they can move up in the draft.
• 12:54
  [SPEAKER_00]: If they want to address their needs in the draft.
• 13:04
  [SPEAKER_00]: I'd be all right with that.
• 13:05
  [SPEAKER_01]: He still your center and he had two rebounds.
• 13:08
  [SPEAKER_01]: He was hot tonight.
• 13:09
  [SPEAKER_01]: They probably don't win that game without him, but he still just does not do those things that you want your center to do.
• 13:15
  [SPEAKER_01]: It was why we kind of got tired of Miles Turner.
• 13:19
  [SPEAKER_01]: And we need a solution there at center.
• 13:22
  [SPEAKER_01]: Maybe we could just wait till next year because right now, solutions might be the worst thing
• 13:27
  [SPEAKER_01]: I have not been like this Mike, but you know game seven last year, you've kind of forced this on us.
• 13:33
  [SPEAKER_00]: Yeah.
• 13:34
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.
• 13:35
  [SPEAKER_01]: Yeah.
• 13:35
  [SPEAKER_01]: You think about the spurs and David Robinson getting injured and then the next year they drafted Tim Duncan.
• 13:43
  [SPEAKER_01]: Right.
• 13:43
  [SPEAKER_01]: That's kind of where we sit and the possibilities are out there and it's kind of mouthwatering it.
• 13:55
  [SPEAKER_00]: But we did not feel that at the beginning of the season.
• 13:57
  [SPEAKER_00]: We felt like this was a team that was going to make the playoffs.
• 14:01
  [SPEAKER_00]: And this team is playing like what we expected and to play like, uh, but again, I, I, I, center is just, we have to improve at our center position.
• 14:16
  [SPEAKER_00]: Jayoff has, has these games and,
• 14:20
  [SPEAKER_00]: I think the second time he scored 20 points this season, I think that's probably his career high in an NBA game.
• 14:28
  [SPEAKER_00]: But seven of your 12 shots, three pointers, it's just frustrating, and any hit for.
• 14:36
  [SPEAKER_00]: But it's still frustrating because you want him down low, lead in the lead in blocks or second in blocks in the league.
• 14:43
  [SPEAKER_00]: Why not be down low all the time?
• 14:45
  [SPEAKER_00]: Defensively, offensively, would definitely like the same down rebounding.
• 14:53
  [SPEAKER_00]: Johnny Furfys getting more rebounds in now.
• 14:56
  [SPEAKER_00]: and Johnny Furfey probably plays the center position better in J.O.
• 15:03
  [SPEAKER_01]: I think that might be true.
• 15:05
  [SPEAKER_01]: My glitch, let's do it again all Wednesday.
• 15:08
  [SPEAKER_00]: Sounds good, let's do it.
• 15:45
  [SPEAKER_01]: The central Indian sports report is a product of IDG media.
• 15:52
  [SPEAKER_01]: And I love Susie.