After having disposed of the Bucks and the Knicks, the Pacers are now tackling an even more imposing obstacle: the Celtics, who are none other than the best team in the league, and therefore the number 1 seed in the Eastern Conference. Here again, Indiana will not start favorite against Boston, but that does not scare Myles Turnerone of the executives of the local locker room.
“ This is the life of a Pacer » does he put it into perspective thus, concerning the lack of consideration from which his team suffers. “It was the same thing in the previous two series…Everyone chose the Knicks in the ESPN polls and, before that, about 80% of the voters chose the Bucks. Since I've been here, it's been like this every season. We do not have matches on national television, we are not covered by the media. In the press, it’s never the Pacers who win, but it’s the Knicks who lose. It's usual and we use it as a driving force, it's an additional motivation. We just go for it and it's less pressure, because as outsiders we're the surprise guests. It's up to us to prove everyone wrong and that's the goal. »
Continue to defy the odds
As it stands, even if Kristaps Porzingis is absent, the Pacers will need to play perfectly for at least four games to be able to dismiss the Celtics, who everyone sees reaching the Finals without incident. Nevertheless, Myles Turner believes in the chances of his team, accustomed to defying the predictions since the start of these playoffs.
“ I have the feeling that our confidence comes from our preparation and our cohesion » explains the 28-year-old pivot. “ I'm not going to say we don't think we have a chance, because that would be crazy. We are a very confident group, we have been through a lot this season to get to this point. If we go out there and play our style of game, staying true to our principles, then we will have a real shot to play. »
For Myles Turner, Indiana's journey is all the more significant, because he is the oldest player on the roster and had never won a playoff series before this year (in five attempts , with two Game 7s lost).
“ It is enormous ! » rejoices the one who was drafted by the Pacers in 2015. “ I've been there for nine years and I've never gone beyond the first round. To be able to cross it, and even more, is just incredible. We finally have a good group of guys who understand what's at stake. There are no egos on the team, we all play for each other and we have eight to ten players who can score 15 -20 points. But we don't want to stop there. It all starts with Game 1 and we move forward from there. We want to go there with as much confidence as possible and give our best. »
To read >>> Presentation of the Celtics (1) – Pacers (6) series
| Myles Turner | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | L.F. | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Party | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2015-16 | IND | 60 | 23 | 49.8 | 21.4 | 72.7 | 1.1 | 4.4 | 5.5 | 0.7 | 2.6 | 0.4 | 1.1 | 1.4 | 10.3 |
| 2016-17 | IND | 81 | 31 | 51.0 | 34.5 | 80.9 | 1.7 | 5.6 | 7.3 | 1.3 | 3.2 | 0.9 | 1.3 | 2.1 | 14.5 |
| 2017-18 | IND | 65 | 28 | 47.9 | 35.7 | 77.7 | 1.4 | 5.0 | 6.4 | 1.3 | 2.9 | 0.6 | 1.5 | 1.8 | 12.7 |
| 2018-19 | IND | 74 | 29 | 48.7 | 38.8 | 73.6 | 1.4 | 5.8 | 7.2 | 1.6 | 2.6 | 0.8 | 1.4 | 2.7 | 13.3 |
| 2019-20 | IND | 62 | 30 | 45.7 | 34.4 | 75.1 | 1.4 | 5.2 | 6.6 | 1.2 | 2.7 | 0.7 | 1.4 | 2.1 | 12.1 |
| 2020-21 | IND | 47 | 31 | 47.7 | 33.5 | 78.2 | 1.3 | 5.2 | 6.5 | 1.0 | 3.5 | 0.9 | 1.4 | 3.4 | 12.6 |
| 2021-22 | IND | 42 | 29 | 50.9 | 33.3 | 75.2 | 1.6 | 5.5 | 7.1 | 1.1 | 2.8 | 0.7 | 1.3 | 2.8 | 12.9 |
| 2022-23 | IND | 62 | 29 | 54.8 | 37.3 | 78.3 | 1.4 | 6.1 | 7.5 | 1.4 | 3.5 | 0.6 | 1.7 | 2.3 | 18.0 |
| 2023-24 | IND | 77 | 27 | 52.4 | 35.8 | 77.3 | 1.5 | 5.5 | 6.9 | 1.3 | 3.0 | 0.5 | 1.4 | 1.9 | 17.1 |
| Total | 570 | 29 | 50.2 | 35.4 | 77.1 | 1.4 | 5.4 | 6.8 | 1.2 | 3.0 | 0.7 | 1.4 | 2.2 | 13.9 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive rebound; Tot = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; Pts = Points.
