The Pacers HC Rick Carlisle has been in the thick of controversy throughout the NBA playoffs. Despite seeing off the Knicks in the previous round, the Indiana side only has one foot in the grave after game 3 in the Eastern Conference Finals against the Celtics as they went down 3-0 on Sunday night.
In a hail-merry effort in game 3 with only 1.7 seconds on the clock, the Pacers pulled out a trick that almost forced the game to overtime. The Pacers players lined up like wide receivers and ran down the floor to knock down a last-ditch 3, which ultimately rebounded off the rim.
After the game, when Carlisle was asked about the play, his response was straightforward. “I mean, we’ve had it for a while. I mean, we want to just hand you our playbook. Is that what you want? It was a good look. It’s a play that was conceived by Mike Weiner, who came up with it. And we’ve used it a couple times over the last couple of years and gotten looks on it. And so, same situation happens. Next game, we’ll have something a little bit different and hope we get the same kind of look,” said Carlisle during the post-game press conference.
The game ultimately ended in favor of the Celtics with a 114-111 scoreline. But that could’ve been different had Carlisle decided to use his time-out.
Rick Carlisle Explains His Decision Not to Call Time-Out
In game 1 of the series, the Pacers had the win sealed only for Jaylen Brown to knock down his deep 3 to force over time, which eventually favored the Boston side. After admitting that he should’ve called time-out in that game, Carlisle was again asked about his decision not to use his time-out in game 3.
Click on ‘Follow Us’ and get notified of the most viral Indiana Pacers stories via Google! Follow Us
“I trust our players to create a better shot than calling a timeout and having them set their defense,” said the HC to defend himself. The late-game NFL-esque play was the proof of his belief.
The Pacers were without All-Star guard Tyrese Haliburton, but T.J. McConnell made the most of his opportunity with his 23-9-6 performance. Andrew Nembhard led the scoring for the home side with 32 points on the night, with Pascal Siakam and Myles Turner chipping in with 22 points each.
This wasn’t enough to deter the Celtics though, as the Cs got away with the win thanks to Jayson Tatum’s 36-point double-double and a late thrust from Jrue Holiday. Jaylen Brown and Al Horford also contributed handsomely with 24 and 23 points respectively. The next game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse will be a win-or-go home game for the Indi side and surely Carlisle will bring out some of his unorthodox plays to keep themselves floating.
Also Read: Video: Jrue Holiday Links Up With Flavor Flav Before Celtics’ Game 3 Win Against Pacers
