Basketball, She Wrote

Three minutes that define Pacers-Bucks as a series

Whenever the Bucks patch one leak, another starts to spring water 

By: Caitlin Cooper I @C2_Cooper

Myles Turner knocked down his sixth three as fans at Gainbridge Fieldhouse were chanting his name. Those cheers, echoing throughout the arena as a show of appreciation for the longest-tenured Pacer's be...

Hot Hands - How the Pacers caught fire to take 3-1 lead

Turns out, the three-point line is a powerful deodorant 

By: Caitlin Cooper I @C2_Cooper

With the Bucks down but not yet out, the Pacers returned to a familiar strategy: banking on their ability to cash-in more threes than their opponent while likewise limiting three-point attempts on defense. At on...

Making it rain

By: Samson Folk I @samfolkk

A reminder: Caitlin’s deep dive comes later. This is just supposed to hold you over. 

Escalation! Siakam gets things started early by shifting Portis sideways – as if Portis had stepped on one of those Team Rocket floor tiles in the early Pokemon games – with a jab, ...

How the Pacers bulked up to win Game 3

And found another way to win 

By: Caitlin Cooper I @C2_Cooper

In protecting homecourt with a 121-118 win in overtime over the Milwaukee Bucks, the Indiana Pacers attempted 105 shots, marking a franchise record for a playoff game, while reloading for 22 shots on 19 offensive rebounds for 32 second-ch...

The intersection between winning & development

On Andrew Nembhard, Ben Sheppard, and staring straight ahead

By: Caitlin Cooper I @C2_Cooper

Winning? Development? Depending upon whom within the Pacers organization was asked, it wasn't exactly clear what this season was supposed to be about. Rick Carlisle played both sides of the fence, saying the team would "ke...

Pacers Mailbag: Answering questions following Game 2

Pacers, popsicles, and poetry? Sure, why not.

By: Caitlin Cooper I @C2_Cooper

To say thank you for subscribing, this is the latest installment of the patron-only mailbag. After recording a full-length video about how the Pacers evened up the series, 1-1, Samson Folk and Bucks.com writer Louis Zatzman both agre...

Running of the Bucks - How the Pacers won Game 2

My work at Basketball, She Wrote is typically paywalled. These video podcasts with Samson Folk, providing in-depth coverage of the playoffs, are going to be available as free trials for everyone. If you're new here and want to support independent writing about actual basketball, please consider su...

Breaking the Seal

A reminder: Caitlin’s deep dive comes later. This is just supposed to hold you over.

By: Samson Folk I @samfolkk

We have found the pace! If ever there was a team that needed to exude their namesake on the court? It would be these Pacers. A massive 30-percent of their first quarter possessions came in t...

Pacers Mailbag: Answering questions following Game 1

By: Caitlin Cooper I @C2_Cooper

As promised, this month's patron-only mailbag is coming in the form of exclusive bonus segments at the end of the off-day recap podcast videos that are being released in between each of the playoff games for the Pacers. This is the first installment featuring questions about what the...

7 ways to get Tyrese Haliburton more than 7 FGA

On how to increase the star guard's shot volume ahead of Game 2

By: Caitlin Cooper I @C2_Cooper

In his debut playoff game, Tyrese Haliburton posted his lowest usage rate of the season, attempting only nine shots while seeing his volume of drives dwindle to just 8.9 per 100 possessions by comparison to 17.7 during the regular season. Granted, this isn't the only reason why t...

On Haliburton, Lillard, & potential changes for the guards

Caitlin Cooper and Samson Folk look both backward and forward at the glaring contrast between Tyrese Haliburton and Damian Lillard following Game 1 and ahead of Game 2

By: Caitlin Cooper I @C2_Cooper

As was explaine...

Debuts & Bad News

By: Samson Folk I @samfolkk

A reminder: Caitlin’s deep dive comes later. This is just supposed to hold you over. 

It’s all about weathering the storm in the playoffs. Basketball is a game of runs, yada-yada all that jazz, but you have to count...

On the difference Pascal Siakam makes

And what changes to expect from how he changes the match-up 

By: Caitlin Cooper I @C2_Cooper

On New Year's Day, when the Pacers played the first of a two-game, baseball-style mini-series against the Milwaukee Bucks at Fiserv Forum, Buddy Hield was still on the roster, Bennedict Mathurin had yet to be...

The Definitive Pacers vs Bucks Playoff Preview

My work at Basketball, She Wrote is typically paywalled. These video podcasts with Samson Folk, providing in-depth coverage of the playoffs, are going to be available as free trials for everyone. If you're new here and want to support independent writing about actual basketball, please consider su...

Fixes for the Pacers to get out of their fix

And into the playoffs

By: Caitlin Cooper I @C2_Cooper

Long before Max Strus snagged the back-breaking offensive rebound that resulted in Darius Garland banging in a step-back three over Pascal Siakam to put the Cavaliers up 123-118 with less than a minute to play, the Pacers gave up 70 first-half points,...

On the Pacers rising and setting with T.J. McConnell

And the implications and timing of how often they're relying on him to shine in standing out

By: Caitlin Cooper I @C2_Cooper

T.J. McConnell can't typically be compared to negative space -- at least not in the artistic sense. Granted, when he doesn't have the ball, and sometimes even when he does, his defe...

Why the Pacers keep losing to losing teams

And whether the glass, as it pertains to the latest loss against a below .500 opponent, should be considered half empty or half full

By: Caitlin Cooper I @C2_Cooper

After giving up 42 points in the second quarter and going almost four minutes without scoring to start the second half in what became a disma...

How the Pacers are switching it up against switches

And why it isn't quite as, ahem, blurry

By: Caitlin Cooper I @C2_Cooper

As you might recall, the Pacers were held under 100 points for the first time this season last week against the Chicago Bulls. It was the final game of a five-game road trip, and the Pacers definitely looked like a team playing the ...

The Pacers had one of those nights, too

On the ongoing extremes of the defense

By: Caitlin Cooper I @C2_Cooper

Not unlike the unpredictable weather in Indiana, which saw snow accumulation during NBA All-Star weekend only for the NFL Combine to be greeted by 70-degree temperatures, if you don't like the defense played by the Pacers, wait a few ...

Pacers Notebook: Observations from Battle LA

A late-night tale of two games in the same city

By: Caitlin Cooper I @C2_Cooper

In the NBA, there's always another game right around the corner, including sometimes even in the same city against a different team on the second night of a back-to-back. For the Pacers, that meant moving on quickly from the...

Pacers Mailbag: Basketball, They Spoke w/ Samson Folk

Answering mailbag questions about the basketball played by the Indiana Pacers

By: Caitlin Cooper I @C2_Cooper

As promised, for this month's edition of the patron-only mailbag, I was once again joined by a guest: Samson Folk from 2024-03-23 12:40:00 +0000 UTC View Post

Why the Pacers are no longer a "blur"

A last two minute report on the ghost screens that have been ghosted & more

By: Caitlin Cooper I @C2_Cooper 

En route to a 108-103 loss to a depleted Cleveland Cavaliers team, the Pacers closed the game going 3-of-10 from the field, including 0-of-7 from three, while being held scoreless over the...

How Pascal Siakam is "handling" the pressure

By handling more of the ball 

By: Caitlin Cooper I @C2_Cooper 

When it comes to running the fast-break, Tyrese Haliburton has been very open about his desire to start possessions as the ball-handler in the open floor. In fact, during a recent appearance on 2024-03-17 14:36:46 +0000 UTC View Post

Taking stock of the Pacers w/ Tony East

Talking into a microphone about the basketball played by the Pacers

By: Caitlin Cooper I @C2_Cooper 

Following the overtime loss to Chicago, Tony East and I teamed up to take stock of the Pacers with 15 games left to play. After discussing what's changed about the team since acquiring Pascal Siakam a...

Nembhard, Haliburton assist each other on defense

Turns out, the starting backcourt can also dish out help at the other end of the floor

By: Caitlin Cooper I @C2_Cooper 

By the end of the regular-season opener, way back in October, when Bruce Brown was still on the team and Bennedict Mathurin was still starting, both point guards for the Pacers fini...