Haliburton triple-double lifts Pacers go up 3-1 on Knicks

Summary

The Athletic NBA Daily: Haliburton’s Triple-Double Lifts Pacers to 3-1 Lead on Knicks

Release Date: May 28, 2025

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Episode Overview

In this episode of The Athletic NBA Daily, hosts Dave DeFour, Zena Keita, and Fred Katz provide an in-depth analysis of the Indiana Pacers' impressive 3-1 series lead over the New York Knicks. The discussion centers around Tyrese Haliburton's extraordinary triple-double performance, strategic team dynamics, defensive adjustments, and the potential outcomes as the series progresses.

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Key Game Highlights

Pacers Secure 3-1 Series Lead

The Indiana Pacers dominated Game 4 against the New York Knicks, securing a 3-1 series lead. This victory not only showcases the Pacers' depth and strategic prowess but also underscores the Knicks' challenges in containing Indiana's fast-paced and aggressive gameplay.

Haliburton’s Historic Triple-Double

Tyrese Haliburton delivered a stellar performance, achieving a triple-double with 32 points, 15 assists, 12 rebounds, and 4 steals, all while maintaining zero turnovers. This rare accomplishment has positioned Haliburton as the pivotal player in this series.

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Player Performances

Tyrese Haliburton: The Game Changer

Fred Katz Highlights Haliburton’s Impact

“The guy is unbelievable to be able to turn 15 assists, no turnover games into your brand. I mean even Nikola Jokić doesn't do that.”
[14:35] – Fred Katz

Fred Katz emphasizes Haliburton's unique ability to maintain high assist numbers without committing turnovers, comparing his efficiency favorably even against legendary players like Nikola Jokić. Haliburton's performance is not just statistically impressive but also strategically vital, allowing the Pacers to execute a fluid and effective offense.

Strategic Ball Movement

Zena Keita notes the Pacers' egalitarian offense, where Haliburton's ability to push the ball quickly after missed shots keeps the defense on their toes and facilitates seamless team play.

“When you have a guy who's that good and that willing to share the ball with everybody, I just think it's very easy to put together a good offense.”
[07:06] – Zena Keita

Jalen Brunson: Knicks’ Struggle

Challenges Faced by Brunson

Dave DeFour discusses Jalen Brunson's difficulties in maintaining control against Haliburton, especially under double-team pressure. Brunson's shooting efficiency dipped in the fourth quarter, impacting the Knicks' ability to keep pace with the Pacers.

“Jalen Brunson was going bar for bar with Tyrese Halliburton. And yet it came out that he didn't have as much control.”
[16:05] – Dave DeFour

Defensive Matchups

Aaron Neismith’s Defensive Prowess

Fred Katz praises Aaron Neismith's defensive efforts against Brunson, highlighting his ability to use his physicality effectively.

“Neismith is just so good at defending with his chest. That guy is an unbelievable, like, torso competitor.”
[21:48] – Fred Katz

Andrew Nemhard’s Defense

While Nemhard is recognized as a strong defender, Katz points out that his defensive style is less effective against Brunson compared to Neismith’s robust chest defense.

“Andrew Nemhard is an awesome defender... he beats guys to spots. He’s a wonderful defensive player.”
[20:30] – Fred Katz

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Team Strategies and Dynamics

Indiana Pacers’ Offensive Efficiency

The Pacers’ approach emphasizes rapid ball movement and minimal turnovers, allowing them to capitalize on offensive opportunities swiftly. Their strategy involves pushing the pace and maintaining high energy levels throughout the game.

“The Pacers are up three games to one. We got the Thunder up three games one. It’s looking like we’re going to get a Pacers-Thunder finals... It’s going to be a lot of fun.”
[03:35] – Zena Keita

New York Knicks’ Defensive Struggles

The Knicks have struggled to contain the Pacers’ fast breaks and efficient scoring. Their defensive lapses, particularly in stopping Haliburton and limiting easy points, have been a critical factor in their current series deficit.

“The Knicks defense tonight... part of the reason why was because Indiana just got out in the run and even when they're not scoring on the break, they're just going to score on the secondary break.”
[24:18] – Fred Katz

Energy and Momentum

Zena Keita highlights the Pacers' superior energy, especially in the latter stages of the game, which has been a consistent advantage throughout the playoffs.

“The energy difference down the stretch for the Pacers all year has been a thing and especially in the playoffs... they have more energy than everyone.”
[19:21] – Zena Keita

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Injuries and Future Outlook

Carl Anthony Towns’ Condition

Carl Anthony Towns appeared to be injured at the end of Game 4, limping as he left the court. Fred Katz provides insights into his condition, suggesting that while Towns was visibly distressed, his participation in Game 5 is likely, contingent on his recovery overnight.

“He was hobbled when he walked out of the arena... I would be surprised if he did not play in the next game just based on the conversations I had tonight.”
[26:06] – Fred Katz

Impact on the Series

Towns’ health is pivotal for the Pacers. His absence could alter the dynamics of the upcoming games, but the team’s depth and Haliburton’s leadership provide optimism for maintaining their series lead.

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Looking Ahead: Game 5 Predictions

With the Pacers leading 3-1, the hosts speculate on the possibility of the Pacers advancing to the finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder. The strategic matchups and player performances will be crucial in determining the series' outcome.

“If that winds up being the Finals both again, both series three-one, if that...”
[10:22] – Zena Keita

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Conclusion

The Athletic NBA Daily provides a comprehensive breakdown of the Pacers' dominant performance against the Knicks, highlighting Tyrese Haliburton's exceptional triple-double and the strategic elements that have led Indiana to a 3-1 series lead. With insightful analysis from hosts Dave DeFour, Zena Keita, and Fred Katz, listeners gain a thorough understanding of the game's pivotal moments, player performances, and the potential trajectory of the series. As the Pacers look to close out the series, the anticipation builds for Game 5 and the possible finals matchup against the Thunder.

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps:

• Fred Katz on Haliburton’s Efficiency:
  “The guy is unbelievable to be able to turn 15 assists, no turnover games into your brand.”
  [14:35]

• Zena Keita on Team Offense:
  “When you have a guy who's that good and that willing to share the ball with everybody, I just think it's very easy to put together a good offense.”
  [07:06]

• Dave DeFour on Brunson vs. Halliburton:
  “Jalen Brunson was going bar for bar with Tyrese Halliburton. And yet it came out that he didn't have as much control.”
  [16:05]

• Fred Katz on Defensive Strength:
  “Neismith is just so good at defending with his chest. That guy is an unbelievable, like, torso competitor.”
  [21:48]

• Zena Keita on Pacers’ Energy:
  “The energy difference down the stretch for the Pacers all year has been a thing and especially in the playoffs... they have more energy than everyone.”
  [19:21]

---

This comprehensive summary encapsulates the critical discussions and insights shared during the episode, providing listeners with a clear and engaging overview of the Pacers' journey to gaining a 3-1 series lead over the Knicks.

Transcript

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[Zena Cada]

Trip Planner by Expedia. You were made to have strong opinions about sand. We were made to help you and your friends find a place on the beach with a pool and a marina and a waterfall and a soaking tub. Expedia Made to Travel Good morning and welcome to the NBA Daily for May 28, 2025. Coming up, Zena Cada is back and The Pacers are up 3:1. We're going to talk about it with Fred Katz and Xena and I are going to give our own Takes on Pacers Knicks. Good morning, everybody. Good morning, Zena. Welcome back.

[Dave DeFour]

Thank you.

[Zena Cada]

You missed the. Missed the Monday show, but we got you back for tonight. Did you watch any of the French Open by chance this weekend?

[Dave DeFour]

I was at a bachelorette doing bachelorette thingies, and the only thing I caught was a little bit of basket. Uh, didn't have time for tennis, but I heard it was phenomenal to start. I also heard that Coco Gauff won her opening set having forgotten her ra. Her tennis rackets in the locker room. So as a person that forgets things a lot, I'm, I'm honored by that.

[Zena Cada]

I had. I had a really great sports Sunday, you know, just got to watch French Open all day, and luckily the Knicks Pacers game that wound up being insane was kind of a late start, so got to watch all the French Open stuff that day. I also want to share some exciting news with, with everybody. We're excited. Welcome the tennis podcast to the Athletic Podcast Network. As I just said, the French Open is happening right now in Paris. We've got Katherine Whitaker, David Law and Matt Roberts there to take you inside the tournament with daily reports on location at Roland Garros. They've got you covered with great performances and the big upsets with their unique humor. Check out the tennis podcast. Wherever you get your podcast, probably wherever you're listening to this one, you're going to be able to find that pod. So pumped for that. I love. Tennis is actually one of my favorite sports, so I'm excited to have the tennis podcast here at the Athletic Xena. Pacers are up three games to one. We got the Thunder up three games one. It's looking like we're going to get a Pacers Thunder finals, just like we all predicted. It's going to be fun. This is going to be a lot of fun.

[Dave DeFour]

It's going to be amazing. Basketball.

[Zena Cada]

Yeah, there's a lot of people who tend to, you know, they're looking at the NBA and they see these matchups and they're thinking about the cities for some reason.

[Fred Katz]

Sure.

[Zena Cada]

Look, if you're going to go to these games, I'm assuming that the games are the big draw. But otherwise, if you're watching from home, I mean, I don't understand why. Why it matter matters whether it's the Knicks or, you know, some other big city made it to the finals. So. Xena, Tyrese Halberton had an amazing game. 32 points, 15 assists, 12 rebounds, 4 steals, no turnovers. He's been the best player in this series. In the conference finals.

[Dave DeFour]

He has absolutely been the best player on this floor. And I want to just take a second and say thank you to the athletic. I want to get our, you know, our credit for this because the. The voting came out, and the players through the athletic player survey said that Tyrese Halliburton was the most overrated player in the NBA. And I feel as if that was a direct. Direct line of juice, motivation, whatever you want to call it, that Tyrese Haliburton drinks at night, he drinks it in the morning, he drinks it before the game, and he shows up on the court and plays phenomenal basketball. He was so. He was so poised despite playing at such a high pace and high tempo. And that is so rare to find, especially in this level of a game where it's the playoffs. Defense is ratcheted up. Everything's ratcheted up. And yet he still found his teammates. He still allowed the ball to move freely between his teammates. Pascal Siakam said after the game that they play, you know, there's no ego ball here, right? There's no such thing. It's all team oriented. But at the end of the day, it's Tyrese Haliburton that's at the foot, front and at the top and the tip of that team ball. He's the one that's orchestrating all of that. And to have a team perform as well as they did offensively, getting that many points up as quickly as they did from the tip of the game to the final buzzer, Tyrese was behind all of that. And he also, on top of all the offensive things he did, played some really good defense, too. Made some big defensive plays down the stretch. And so shout out to Tyrese.

[Zena Cada]

Yeah, I mean, look, I. I've hit him pretty hard for. For what I find to be his defensive failures, but the guy made plays defensively in this game, and it's actually has held up pretty well in the playoffs for the most part. You know, Fred Katz, after the break, gets into some of the stats. The Knicks don't really attack Halliburton all that much, but he's part of that is because the Pacers keep him out of the action and put him in a position to succeed defensively. You know, they get the guys who guard. Yeah, the guys who can guard a little bit better. But you mentioned just the fact that he pushes the ball right after, makes after, misses, after every single possession he's running down the court, they're looking ahead. And this egalitarian offense that they run where, you know, I mean, some nights is going to be Andrew Nemhardt taking the big shot. They're just. When you have a guy who's that good and that willing to share the sugar with everybody, I just think it's like, very easy to put together a. A good office. I. I thought Rick Carlisle made a good point when he talked about how he's essentially finding all this stuff in the flow of their regular offense. This isn't like they're just breaking things out. And it's quite the contrast when you consider the Knicks where Jalen Brunson, you know, look, he has these heroic games where it's just every single shot is, you know, it's seven seconds worth of possession, it's 15 dribbles or whatever it is, and he's taking hard shots. So, you know, it is. It is kind of contrasting styles here too.

[Dave DeFour]

I always feel like Jalen Brunson is like an artist with a blank canvas. Every game. He's gotta find the right strokes, he's gotta find the right paint color, he's gotta find the right mixture to be able to get the masterpiece that we know he's capable of painting every single game. Whereas with Tyrese Halliburton, it feels as if he's already working within a pre painted canvas. If anything, it's almost like it's like he's gotta just color within the lines and they're finding these wrinkles because he is creative. But within their already constructed offense, and let's just be real, it does help to not only have a Tyrese Halliburton, but then you have a T.J. mcConnell that does the same thing off the bench, right? Being able to push the pace, being able to find little seams within the defense, to be able to get into the paint and find those shots. And so you have this continuity within the Indiana offense and their defense that New York is really struggling to find. They don't have the same depth in the same way, and they don't have the same level of ball handling on offense. That can get you through some really tough stretches. We know throughout this game. Overall, you look at the way that New York tried to stay in this game, it was smart. They kept getting to the line. What does that do? Gets you some easy points and gives you a little bit of time to breathe. Like, that's. That's awesome. But at the end of the day, the second that the balls were going through the net or coming off the rim, Indiana was gone. Like, I don't know if you can hear this from the podcast, but I snapped. It was immediate how much Indiana was up the court. It was. It's, it's been fun to watch. And that's why, you know, if Indiana closes this out, which it's looking strong, that it could be s and 5. But I, I do believe that the Knicks will fight it out. But they close this out, they go up against okc. That's another team that plays very similarly. So it'll be interesting to see how those styles combine.

[Zena Cada]

Yeah, if, I mean, if that winds up being the Finals both again, both series three one, if that.

[Dave DeFour]

Right, right. Exactly. Exactly.

[Zena Cada]

I'm really excited for the basketball guys. Stick around after the break. Fred Katz to break down the Knicks loss to the Pacers.

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[Zena Cada]

The Pacers take a 31 series lead after a 13121 win over the Knicks. Fred Katz was there. He covers the Knicks. Covers the NBA. Fred down three one. Not looking great for the Knicks. Looking really good for the Pacers. Tyrese Halliburton did something that only three players have ever done with getting the 30 point, 15 assists, 10 rebound, triple double, but also did it with no turnovers. How about Tyrese Halberton?

[Fred Katz]

The guy is it is unbelievable to be able to turn 15 assists, no turnover games into your brand. I mean even Nicola Jokic doesn't do that. It's, it's just a thing that we never really thought of as a thing in basketball that we saw. And the thing that always amazes me about Halliburton is you look at the guys who are low turnover point guards, like the all time low turnover point guards, like all of the Wake Forest guys for example, right? The Mugsy Boguess and the, and the Chris Paul's and, and and you look at those guys who are amazing, just like assist to turnover kings and they're all prodding. They're all guys who bring the ball at the court and they run a pick and roll and their first action's not there so they're going to run something else and they're going to try a million different things until the defense messes up and then they're going to attack. And Halliburton is a guy who plays so fast. The Pacers are obviously famous for their speed, for their breaking, for their aggression, and to be Able to match that, to be able to match their cutting, their ball movement, the amount of passes that they have with so few turnovers. I. It's. It's honestly kind of underrated. I know, I know we talk all the time about the speed the Pacers play with, but the fact that they're able to play at that speed and turn it over so little and by the way that they were able to capitalize off of so many bad next turnovers tonight, it made all the difference in the game.

[Dave DeFour]

I know that you talked about point guards that prod and taking risks. I feel like that's what Indiana came out early in that first quarter and their offense was just whipping the ball around, taking risks. But of course, Tyrese Halliburton feeling as if he had all the control in the world, which you couldn't quite say for Jalen Brunson, particularly the double teams that were coming. It felt as if I'm like, yell, Knicks players. Tell your person there's someone coming on your back. But it just felt as if Jalen Brunson was going bar for bar with Tyrus Halliburton. And yet it came out that he didn't have as much control, especially towards the end, going 1 for 3 in that fourth quarter. What was the differentiator between these two and how their teams played to their advantages to help Tyrese shine throughout the entire game versus Jalen sputtering at the end.

[Fred Katz]

Yeah, and that one basket at the end of the game, I mean, you know, it happens with 20 seconds left when the game's already over.

[Dave DeFour]

Right.

[Fred Katz]

Something that stood out to me the entire series. You know what? I'm going to. I'm, I am, I am, I'm going to call this up right now so I can actually have the numbers properly because something that I, I, I had, I had looked up coming into this game because I, like, had it queued up. I wanted, I, I figured it would be a theme going into game four because it's been so far. So this is according to Second Spectrum coming into this game. In game one, the Knicks ran 14 pick and rolls at Tyrese Halliburton. With Tyrese Halliburton as a defender. That's Tyrus Halliburton either defending this, the ball handler on the pick and roll or defending the screener on the pick and roll, they ran 14 times. Game two, they ran at 21 times of Tyrese Halliburton. Game three, they ran at 14 times at Tyrese Halliburton. I know of the numbers for Game four, I would say based on the fact that I just watched the game, the process was pretty similar. Yeah.

[Dave DeFour]

Yeah.

[Fred Katz]

In game one, the Pacers ran 35 pick and rolls at Jalen Brunson. They ran 28 pick and rolls of game Brunson. In game two, they ran 30 pick and rolls to get Jalen Brunson. In game three, in game one, they ran 37 pick and rolls at Carl Anthony Towns. They ran 26 pick and rolls at Carl Anthony Townsend. Game two, they ran 30 pick & rolls at Carl Anthony Townsend. Game three and you look at it, Townes average is defending coming into game four. 31 pick and rolls a game on the dot. Jalen Brunson averages coming into game four, coincidentally, 31 pick and rolls a game on the dot. Halliburton is defending 16 pick and rolls a game on the dot. And you look at the Knicks and the Knicks right now with the way that they are constructed. They have two weak links on their defense and it's Brunson and it's Towns, it's their two offensive minded all stars. The Pacers have four guys who play two ways in their starting lineup. And they have Halliburton, who is an unbelievable player, but who's a weak link, who you can attack if you want. And the Pacers for whatever reason have prioritized attacking the weak links in a way that is 2x the way that the Knicks have attacked the weak links. And I think that's shown, I think it's shown throughout the series. I think it's shown in the process. I think it's shown in the results. And I think it is, it is. Maybe it's not the reason The Pacers are up 3:1, but I think it's contributing to the Pacers.

[Zena Cada]

Well, I mean the energy difference down the stretch for the Pacers all year has been a thing and especially in the playoffs feels like the last three minutes they have more energy than, than everyone. And let's not like discount what they've done defensively against Jalen Brunson because I think that that's a part of it too. Aaron Neith playing on, on whatever happened to his ankle in game three didn't seem like it affected them all in game four. And not only did he score a bunch, but he also thought his defense on Brunson was excellent. Constantly had a body on him and again he just. They have guys they can throw. Even Ben Shepard, who didn't have that great of a game defensively was just physical, always touching Brunson. I Think just by. By the time you get to game four of that, where it's 43, 44 minutes of various guys and especially when they're bigger than you. Like, like Neesmith, I think that that's got to play into it, too.

[Fred Katz]

Nice. Smith's a great Brunson defender. He's a really good defender in general. He's a really good Brunson. I think he's a better Brunson defender than he is defender in general. Not to make it a slight on him.

[Zena Cada]

No. I mean, he's generally a great start stop athlete. Right.

[Fred Katz]

Excellent. But you know why he's so good against Brunson? Because Brunson struggles against bigger guys who defend well with their chests.

[Zena Cada]

Yeah.

[Fred Katz]

And you look at guys who defend with their feet and with their arms, and those are the guys who, even if they're awesome, those are the guys who Brunson will do well against. Like, for example, he'll trip him up. Yeah. Like, if you want to. If you want to. If you want to argue that Andrew Nemhard is a better defender than Aaron Neesmith, you're not going to get an argument from me. In general, I think Andrew Nemhard is an awesome defender. If he were eligible for all defense, he fell like, you know, one or two games short or whatever from eligibility. If you're eligible for all defense, he would been on my very short list for all defense. To me, he's kind of like a Derrick White type of defender in terms of just like, his feistiness, his smarts, the way he uses, his length, how good he is getting around screens, how, how, how quick he is. He beats guys to spots. He's a wonderful defensive player. The reason why N. Smith is so much better against Brunson than Nemhard is, and why Brunson does well against Nemart and why Brunson in the previous series did well against Derrick White. But if he was going to struggle a little bit, it was against Drew Holiday. It was because those guys are amazing at defending with their chests.

[Zena Cada]

Yeah.

[Fred Katz]

Niecemith is so good at defending with his chest. And that's why when a guy goes into Aaron Neesmith and he hits him like a wall and he falls down and it's not a foul. And people say, why is that not a foul? It's because Neesmith is just strong defending with the chest. That guy is an unbelievable, like, torso competitor. And it, it works against smaller point guards.

[Dave DeFour]

Yeah, it works.

[Fred Katz]

And yes, I just invented the term torso. It's a thing that's a real Thing like you want to defend well with your chest. Like, that's what makes, I mean, the other side. That's what makes OJ Anunoby so good. OJ And Obi is awesome at defending with his chest. You know, Mitchell Robinson is awesome at defending with his chest. And Niecemith is just, he is legit great at that. And it can bother Brunson and it gets in his way. He's really, really strong and he's really good.

[Zena Cada]

Look at the difference in the amount of space Brunson creates when, when Ben Shepard's guarding him. And even, even Nemhardt, I mean, just needs his size also. I mean, it just. He's just bigger and able to lean on him. Yeah, exactly.

[Dave DeFour]

Yeah, he's solid. I'm also, I'm looking at the defense overall for, for the Knicks. Like, let's switch it back to the Knicks defense.

[Zena Cada]

Yeah.

[Dave DeFour]

Versus what Indiana was doing. It felt as if the Knicks could not get a stop. And the person that I'm looking at particularly is Josh Hart and, and thinking about the fact that Jalen Brunson has been a turnstile on defense, and we know this to be true, but typically Josh Hart is helping out. He's, you know, moving around in the back, in the back of the defense. He's finding ways to help. And tonight I felt as if he was a non factor. He just wasn't what you needed him to be on defense. You knew he wasn't necessarily going to be a factor on offense, but it was both sides of the ball that he didn't show up for the Knicks. And I really do feel like that impacts everything else in their ability to run, their ability to get out, get stops, all of the above. Like, when you look at the New York Knicks defense last night and you think about the minutes, 36 minutes from, from Josh Hart, like, what would you say in terms of him coming off the bench and getting those minutes versus a Delon Wright versus a Miles McBride? Like, do we think that that was the right way that Tibbs should have utilized some of those minutes?

[Fred Katz]

I was really surprised we didn't see more McBride tonight, to be honest. Hart really struggled. It was not his best defensive game and it wasn't just that he was committing turnovers. They were bad, reckless turnovers. They were the types of turnovers that Indiana was just running off of. And Josh Hart, I thought was great off the bench in game three. I thought he was fantastic. I thought he was a massive part of their defensive success in the fourth quarter. He was active. He is Always a great rebounder, always a great loose ball guy. He made a couple great plays, just fronting guys in the post and denying entry patterns, passes. He was so good in that game. But especially when you're turning the ball over against Indiana, they're just going to get running. And we talk about how, you know, substandard the Knicks defense look tonight. Well, part of the reason why was because Indiana just got out in the run and even when they're not scoring on the break, they're just going to score on the secondary break. Once you give the Pacers a mismatch because you just have to pick somebody up, you're toast. Like they're, they're just going to kill you because they operate so fast. They will always make the right play and they will cut you to death.

[Zena Cada]

Best defense the Knicks played was in that third quarter when they started cooking, getting to the free throw line and they could set their defense and they kept the Pacers in the half court. Pacers kept swinging, but without driving and putting two feet in the paint. And they just weren't getting looks. I mean, it played right into what the Knicks wanted them to do. I just want to swing ahead to game five. I mean, look, it's three one. It's rare that we see a comeback. Carl Anthony Towns kind of hobbled there at the end of the game. Any, any kind of news on that front or we gotta wait?

[Fred Katz]

No, he was, I mean, he was hobbled when he walked out of the arena. He was, I was, I was, I was talking to him when he was putting on his shoes after the game and he was very gingerly putting on his Air Force ones when he was putting those on walking out of the game. He, he. That knee is definitely bothering him. It's been bothering him for a few days now. I know he clanked it in the fourth quarter and went down and looked like he was in a ton of pain. I would be surprised if he did not play in the next game just based on the conversations I had tonight. But you never know until he wakes up tomorrow and you see how he is. But given the fact that it's 3:1 and given who he is and given the way people were talking tonight, I would be really surprised if we didn't see him in, in game five. But obviously that's a concern. Like he, he won them game three. He is tremendously important and he was awesome for stretches of this game also with Miles Turner guarding him. And I was surprised they got away from him in the way they did. Maybe I shouldn't have been because they tend to get away from town sometimes when they shouldn't be. But he was re he was really good when Miles Turner was guarding him. That's I think that's an advantage. Towns. I've been surprised. I shouldn't say I've been surprised because the Pacers don't cross match, but I did kind of think by this point it was going to be not Turner guarding Towns by this point in the series, and it's still pretty much Turner guarding Towns basically every play, even when Mitchell Robinson's out there. So I I he's tremendously important and his presence and how he responds and his health is obviously could make or break the next season.

[Zena Cada]

Yeah, we'll all keep our fingers crossed because, I mean, I'd love to see a 3:1 comeback. This would be a great series to keep going. It's been a lot of fun. That's going to do it for the show, folks. Thanks to Fred for hanging out late and staying up with us. Thanks to Zena Ka as always. I'm Dave defour. This has been the NBA Daily. Thanks for waking up with us. Ryan Seacrest here. When you have a busy schedule, it's important to maximize your downtime. One of the best ways to do that is by going to chumbacasino.com Chumba Casino has all your favorite social casino games like spin slots, bingo and solitaire that you can play for free for a chance to redeem some serious prizes. So hop on to chumbacasino.com now and live the Chumba life. Sponsored by Chumba Casino.

[Fred Katz]

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[Zena Cada]

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