Based on recent history, this is when the Indiana Pacers come to life. After all, we’re talking about a team that reached the Eastern Conference finals a year ago.
They hit one milestone on Thursday, as Tyrese Haliburton recorded 23 points, 10 assists, and eight rebounds to lead the Pacers past a shorthanded Cavaliers squad — securing a top-four seed in the East and homecourt advantage in the opening round of the playoffs.
The Pacers, who began the season 10-15, have since surged to a 39-16 record dating back to Dec. 8 — the fourth-best mark in the NBA during that stretch, behind only Oklahoma City, Cleveland, and Boston. Indiana (49-31) has now won six straight.
“It’s special for us knowing what we’ve been through to get here and how this started,” Haliburton said, via Dustin Dopirak of the Indianapolis Star. “We’re a game away from having a 50-win season. That could be something because time is moving so fast that you just let it happen and you move forward, but it’s a special year, especially with how this started. … Early in the year, it was just really a struggle. I’d be lying to you if I told you it was easy for me personally, and all the things I was dealing with.”
Cleveland rested four starters after clinching the top seed in the East, but Indiana capitalized on the opportunity in a game with playoff implications.
The Pacers remain in the hunt for the No. 3 seed, trailing the New York Knicks by one game with two remaining. New York holds the head-to-head tiebreaker.
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