Off to the Races || Indiana Pacers (2K23)

[kibaxx7]

Good luck here ShamWow, in real life I was hoping for the Blazers to get Mathurin, I wasn't completely sold on Shaedon but he's proving me wrong. I think both will be really good in the future.

[ShamWowNY]

Quote: Originally Posted by kibaxx7

Good luck here ShamWow, in real life I was hoping for the Blazers to get Mathurin, I wasn't completely sold on Shaedon but he's proving me wrong. I think both will be really good in the future.

Shaedon looks great so far - just an athletic freak and has good feel for the game already. Both fanbases have to be happy with their rookies so far!

[milldaddy35]

Liking the layout. Pacers are a fun team to play with.

[dfsJunkie]

Tough loss, but that's what happens against those Brooklyn boys man. Love the team choice!

[the_kevstaaa]

Really like the inclusion of the box scores and gifs.

[ShamWowNY]

Jimmy Butler, man. The Pacers fought valiantly, but Jimmy G. Buckets III is inevitable. In a back-and-forth battle, clutch shooting proved to be the difference in a 102-105 loss to the Miami Heat.

This game felt like one we could see plenty of times from this year's Pacers squad - a young team comes out firing against a middling contender, only to fade down the stretch *just* enough for a narrow loss. Builds character while not harming the tank, so not the worst thing in the world.

Of course, this game had a bit more drama than that, with four quarters of basketball culminating in Jimmy Butler draining a go-ahead 3 with 15 seconds to go. The Heat were facing an uphill battle starting early on after Bam Adebayo took two quick fouls, but Kyle Lowry's red-hot start kept it close despite the Pacers firing on all cylinders.

One early sequence from Bennedict Mathurin got the blood pumping for every Pacers fan. On consecutive possessions, Benn bullied Tyler Herro in the post and scored with a crafty finish, then went to the other side of the court, locked him down on D, forced a steal, and finally posterized him on the break. I'm getting flustered just thinking about it.

Things continued rolling for the Pacers to open the second half, with the Heat shooting ice cold out of the break (2-7 to start the 3rd). The Pacers closed out the third with a 85-72 lead, but things took a turn in the fourth.

After a spirited speech from Erik Spoelstra, the Miami D finally played to the level it's capable of in the fourth, forcing misfires and turnovers one after the other. After buckets on the first two possessions, the Pacers only scored 6 points while the Heat went on a +20 run to take the lead.

As the game reached the final minute, the two teams traded barbs - Caleb Martin a deep three; a Mathurin answer on a drive-and-dish from Tyrese; another Miami three, this time from Herro; a Haliburton drive that led to two free throws and Bam Adebayo fouling out - suddenly, we have a tie game. Enter Jimmy Buckets.

Cold and composed, Butler dribbles the clock down. Mathurin waits for his move. It doesn't matter he had shot 4-10, including 0-4 from deep, on the game. He is the alpha. Omer Yurtseven runs to set the high pick. Mathurin goes under, and Butler rises up for three. Swish. 105-102 Heat, 15 seconds left.

The Pacers drew up a play for a three, but the execution from the young team left something to be desired. Tyrese Haliburton clanked a contested 3, and the game was over. One day, maybe Mathurin or Haliburton will play the hero. Tonight, Jimmy Butler wears the crown.

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Box Scores

Spoiler

[RolePlayer]

Lots of different ways to go with this excited to see how it unfolds

[ShamWowNY]

Quote: Originally Posted by milldaddy35

Liking the layout. Pacers are a fun team to play with.

Quote: Originally Posted by dfsJunkie

Tough loss, but that's what happens against those Brooklyn boys man. Love the team choice!

I love Tyrese and Benn, I really do. Buddy Hield is fun too (though who knows how long he'll stick around...)

Quote: Originally Posted by the_kevstaaa

Really like the inclusion of the box scores and gifs.

Thanks! These chises are as much an exercise in design and creativity as it is a basketball story.

Quote: Originally Posted by RolePlayer

Lots of different ways to go with this excited to see how it unfolds

Yes, these Pacers have so many potential ways to go. I'll definitely be trying to flip Turner at the deadline, but beyond that they're a very flexible team that owns all their firsts (plus a couple more from the Brogdon and Levert trades)