The Pacers wrapped up the 2021-22 season on Sunday in Brooklyn. Behind a 41-point first quarter and 35 points from Kyrie Irving, the Nets never trailed in a 134-126 victory at the Barclays Center.
The Pacers hope for better luck next time they are there on June 23rd for the NBA Draft. Finishing with a 25-57 record, they have the fifth-best lottery odds — behind Houston, Orlando, Detroit and Oklahoma City.
"There’s some positives from the year," head coach Rick Carlisle said, "but there’s a lot of things we got to do better and all of us got to do better. And so the summer begins now."
The value of the last month or so, especially with so many young players, was to get them minutes and put them in various situations to have a complete understanding of their games and whether they can be part of the future.
"I feel like we have a great handle on the capabilities of the guys that we have on this roster," Carlisle said. "Our young guys all had a phenomenal set of opportunities over the last two months to show what they can do. We found out a lot about their bodies, their skillsets, how they fit in, about things they need to work on this season. That’s a very positive thing."
Oshae Brissett saved his best for last, scoring a season-high 28 points to pace the team. Buddy Hield had 21 points, including five 3-pointers, and Tyrese Haliburton recorded his 11th double-double of the season: 17 points, 10 assists.
Duane Washington Jr. scored 18 points, Terry Taylor contributed 10 points and seven rebounds, and Lance Stephenson finished with 10 points and five assists back home in Brooklyn.
Carlisle revealed postgame that Steve Simon, son of Pacers owner Herb Simon, was at the game. (Steve is the alternate governor and has had an active role within the franchise for many years.)
"I also want to mention that Steve Simon was here with his family. … I asked him to come in and say a few words to the team after the game. He was great. He was just phenomenal. He thanked the guys for their competitive spirit, their fight, talked about the future and how the struggles we’ve gone through this year are gonna bear through going forward. We really appreciated him being in there."
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