Pacers take on new mission in NBA playoffs, aim to prove last season’s deep run was no fluke | National Sports

kAmx?DE625[ 96 2?5 9:D E62>>2E6D 766= =:<6 E96JVC6 @? 2 >:DD:@? E@ D9@H =2DE D62D@?VD EC:A E@ E96 t2DE6C? r@?76C6?46 7:?2=D H2D ?@ 7=F<6] x? 724E[ E96J 36=:6G6 E96J 42? >2<6 2? 6G6? 566A6C CF? E9:D J62C]okay^Am

kAm“x E9:?< k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^?32:?5:2?2A246CDAC6G:6Hdad`cfbbbd6_g_cb7c2g3d5g6eeafc36Qm=2DE J62C H6 H6C6 ;FDE 6I4:E65k^2m H:E9 36:?8 😕 E96 A=2J@77D] tG6CJE9:?8 7C@> WE92E A@:?EX H2D <:?5 @7 A=2J:?8 H:E9 9@FD6 >@?6J E@ 36 9@?6DE H:E9 J@F[” 96 D2:5 27E6C x?5:2?2VD 7:CDE AC24E:46 @7 E96 H66<] “%9:D J62C[ x E9:?< H6 92G6 C62= 6IA64E2E:@?D E@ 5@ D@>6E9:?8 DA64:2= 2D 2 8C@FA 2?5 H96? x D2J D@>6E9:?8 DA64:2=[ x >62? H:? 2 492>A:@?D9:A]”okay^Am

kAmpercent9@D6 2C6 3@=5 H@C5D 7C@> E96 =6256C @7 2 E62> D66565 7@FCE9 😕 E96 t2DE6C? r@?76C6?46 2?5 FA 282:?DE k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^>:=H2F<663F4<D8:2??:D2?E6E@<@F?>A@bcc7ehgdb_bbbbhcddb374g3hf`5d37eQmEH@E:>6 =628F6 |’! v:2??:D p?E6E@<@F?>A@okay^2m 2?5 E96 DFC8:?8[ 7:7E9D66565 |:=H2F<66 qF4<D]okay^Am

kAmpercent96 ?F>36CD 324< 9:> FA]okay^Am

kAm~?=J E9C66 E62>D A@DE65 36EE6C >2C<D E92? E96 !246CD D:?46 y2?] `i ~<=29@>2 r:EJ[ E96 }@] ` D665 😕 E96 (6DE[ 2?5 E96 E@A EH@ D665D 😕 E96 t2DE[ r=6G6=2?5 2?5 5676?5:?8 492>A q@DE@?] p?5 x?5:2?2 @FDE65 E96 qF4<D ca =2DE J62C]okay^Am

kAm!=6?EJ 92D 492?865 7@C E96 C6>2E49[ E9@F89]okay^Am

kAmx?DE625 @7 D4C2>3=:?8 2E >:5D62D@? E@ =62C? E96 ?F2?46D @7 !2D42= $:2<2>[ E96 !246CD 92G6 925 ` `^a D62D@?D — 2?5 2 DF>>6C — E@ 86E 244=:>2E65 E@ E96 E9C66E:>6 p==$E2C]okay^Am

kAm{2DE J62C[ x?5:2?2 6?E6C65 E96 A=2J@77D D4@C:?8 2 =628F69:89 `ab]b A@:?ED H9:=6 J:6=5:?8 E96 9:896DED4@C:?8 E@E2= W`a_]aX @7 E96 `e A=2J@77 E62>D] %9:D D62D@?[ x?5:2?2 7:?:D965 D6G6?E9 😕 D4@C:?8 W“f]cX 2?5 `fE9 😕 A@:?ED 2==@H65 W“d]`X 56DA:E6 2 D=F88:D9 DE2CE E92E 925 D@>6 BF6DE:@?:?8 H96E96C E96 !246CD C62==J 4@F=5 C6A=:42E6 =2DE D62D@?VD DF446DD]okay^Am

kAm“x E9:?< H6VG6 366? H@C<:?8 7@C E9:D D:?46 H6 8@E 3@F?465 =2DE J62C W3J q@DE@?X[Q !246CD 46?E6C |J=6D %FC?6C D2:5] Q%92EVD 366? @FC >:?5D6E[ E@ 86E 324< E@ E9:D E:>6 @7 E96 J62C] $@ H6VC6 962=E9J[ H6VC6 8@@5 E@ 8@[ H6VC6 6I4:E65 2?5 6G6CJE9:?8 😕 36EH66?]”okay^Am

kAmpercent9:?8D 92G6 492?865 😕 |:=H2F<66[ E@@]okay^Am

kAm(9:=6 p?E6E@<@F?>A@ 😀 962=E9J 27E6C >:DD:?8 =2DE J62CVD 6?E:C6 D6C:6D H:E9 2 DEC2:?65 42=7[ ?:?6E:>6 p==$E2C 8F2C5 s2>:2? {:==2C5VD DE2EFD C6>2:?D F?4=62C] 2C49 `g 2D 96 H2D EC62E65 7@C k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^2CE:4=6^>:=H2F<663F4<D52>:2?=:==2C57a_ad`b3`27a35576h354g7245b5fahgQm566A G6:? E9C@>3@D:Dk^2m 😕 9:D C:89E 42=7] w6 92D 366? 4=62C65 E@ C6EFC? 3FE H@?VE A=2J 😕 v2>6 ` 2D 96 EC:6D E@ 86E :?E@ 82>6 D92A6]okay^Am

kAmpercent96 qF4<D 2=D@ 2C6 3:886C 2?5 >@C6 2E9=6E:4 D:?46 24BF:C:?8 zJ=6 zFK>2 2?5 z6G:? !@CE6C yC] 2E E96 EC256 5625=:?6[ 2?5 E96JVG6 925 2 7F== D62D@? H:E9 4@249 s@4 #:G6CD[ H9@ E@@< E96 ;@3 😕 =2E6 y2?F2CJ a_ac]okay^Am

kAm!=FD[ E96JVG6 366? @?6 @7 E96 qpVD 9@EE6DE E62>D D:?46 2E9FC:? H:== 36 2E 7F== DEC6?8E9] x?5:2?2’D @] b D4@C6C 2E `e]` A@:?ED A6C 82>6 8@E D@>6 6IEC2 C6DE =2E6 😕 E96 D62D@? E@ AC6A2C6 7@C 9:D A=2J@77 563FE] |2E9FC:? >:DD65 E96 6?5 @7 =2DE D62D@? 7@==@H:?8 D9@F=56C DFC86CJ]okay^Am

kAmr@249 #:4< r2C=:D=6 2=D@ D2:5 96 2?E:4:A2E6D 324<FA 8F2C5 q6? $96AA2C5 H:== 36 24E:G6 $2EFC52J[ E9@F89 96’== 36 2 82>652J 564:D:@?] w6 92D?’E A=2J65 D:?46 pAC:= c 3642FD6 @7 2 DAC2:?65 E@6 @? 9:D C:89E 7@@E]okay^Am

k9ampercent2=6 @7 E96 E2A6k^9am

kAmp7E6C =@D:?8 6:89E @7 “ 82>6D E@ E96 !246CD 😕 a_abac[ E96 ?6H=@@< qF4<D EFC?65 E96 E23=6D @? x?5:2?2 E9:D D62D@?] |:=H2F<66 H@? E96 D62D@? D6C:6D b`[ H:E9 E96 !246CDV @?=J G:4E@CJ 4@>:?8 4@FCE6DJ @7 w2=:3FCE@?VD DEF??:?8 cA@:?E A=2J H:E9 b]c D64@?5D =67E]okay^Am

kAmqFE {:==2C5 A=2J65 😕 2== 7@FC @7 E9:D D62D@?VD 82>6D 2?5 2G6C2865 `g]b A@:?ED[ h]b 2DD:DED 2?5 d]d C63@F?5D H9:=6 D9@@E:?8 bg]hT 7C@> bA@:?E C2?86] :=H2F<66 4@?EC:3FE65 E@ E9:D C6A@CE]okay^Am

k9C ^m

kAmp! qpi k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^?32Qm9EEADi^^2A?6HD]4@>^9F3^?32k^2mk^Am

Copyright 2025 The Related Press. All rights reserved. This materials will not be printed, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed with out permission.