The Indiana Pacers overachieved this season. However, that doesn’t mean they were a subpar team like some NBA fans or analysts want to make it seem; not by a mile.
If anything, the Pacers gave the Boston Celtics a run for their money, and poor late-game execution and coaching decisions cost them three games they could’ve and should’ve won.
However, more than that, losing Tyrese Haliburton may have been a deadly blow for them. At least, that’s how the talented young point guard felt about the outcome of the series.
Tyrese Haliburton Blames Injuries For ECF Loss
“It’s been really frustrating,” Haliburton told the media. “It’s been trash, honestly. You work so hard to get somewhere and something happens that’s kind of out of your control. Obviously, that’s frustrating for me.”
Tyrese Haliburton #4 of the United States
The former Sacramento Kings star doubled down on his take by stating that more often than not, the healthier team comes out on top in the playoffs. Still, he gave his opponents some well-deserved credit as well:
“But what I’ve understood more than anything is that usually in the playoffs, the healthier team wins,” Haliburton added “They’re a hell of a team. Boston’s a great team. But obviously very frustrating for me and how I was playing at the time and how we were playing as a group.”
At the end of the day, context also matters, and even though the final score says 4-0, the series was way closer than most people predicted and gave Rick Carlisle’s team.
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They also benefitted from injuries, and chances are they hadn’t been able to beat the Milwaukee Bucks or New York Knicks at full strength, but that’s just the way things go in sports. Fortunately for them, they have a young core of budding stars, so they should be back to this stage sooner rather than later.
SurveyAre injuries to blame for the Pacers\' loss?
Are injuries to blame for the Pacers\' loss?
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