In these 2026 NBA Playoffs, we were left without seeing the Indiana Pacers, last season’s runners-up, with a brilliant Tyrese Haliburton, who came close to completing one of the best postseason runs. In a recent appearance, he commented on what makes playing in these stages so different.
During a recent appearance on NBA on Prime, Haliburton broke down why playoff basketball was a different beast entirely. “I just think in the regular season through 82 games you’re gonna have the chance to play teams that are kinda just chilling,” Haliburton said. “I feel like through the course of a playoff series, every play matters so much, the margins are so small.”
Haliburton mentioned this during the Detroit Pistons and Cleveland Cavaliers game as he had been keeping a close eye on his division rivals. On Monday night, that series was tied 2-2 after a 103-112 victory by the Cavaliers.
The Pacers have no luck
The Pacers were one of the biggest losers of the NBA Draft Lottery held Sunday in Chicago. After finishing with the second-worst record in the league behind only the Washington Wizards, who were rewarded with the No. 1 overall pick, the Indianapolis franchise ended up without a first-round selection in what is considered one of the strongest draft classes in recent years.
Tyrese Haliburton of the Indiana Pacers.
The situation became even more painful considering the context surrounding the franchise. After losing Game 7 of the NBA Finals and seeing Tyrese Haliburton suffer a serious Achilles tendon injury, the Pacers had already shifted their focus toward building for the 2026 and 2027 seasons.
The fatal move by the Pacers
One of the major moves aimed at strengthening the roster for the future was the trade they completed with the Los Angeles Clippers for Ivica Zubac, a deal that carried significant risk from the beginning.
In exchange for the Croatian center of the NBA, Indiana sent its 2026 first-round pick to Los Angeles under highly unusual protections: protected from picks No. 1 through No. 4 and from No. 10 through No. 30. That meant if the selection landed anywhere between No. 5 and No. 9, it belonged to the Clippers, which is exactly what happened.
As part of the package for one of the most sought-after centers on the market, Indiana also sent shooting guard Bennedict Mathurin, center Isaiah Jackson, a 2029 first-round pick and a future second-round selection to Los Angeles.
