Myles Turner had one request ahead of his first home playoff game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse since 2019.
“Can I cuss?” Turner asked the reporter. “Scream y’all [expletive] heads off, man.”
The crowd obliged in one of the loudest games in the fieldhouse’s history. Even before the opening tip, boos were at such a level during Bucks introductions that you couldn’t hear the lineup being announced, Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark got a huge ovation in his first appearance in the arena since being drafted as she revved up the crowd, Bobby Portis got “Bobby sucks” chants at the free throw line, in the opening run of the first-quarter was a new crescendo that somehow only got higher with every basket as the Pacers faithful turned the noise up to 11 from the tip.
“That was unreal, bro. Don’t get me started. That was everything I hoped for,” Myles Turner said after the Pacers 121-118 overtime win. “I wouldn’t say it was worth the five-year wait—I wish it was here sooner, but it was definitely just an amazing atmosphere to play in. Just for my family to be able to experience that this time of year, it was really cool. For the guys that haven’t been here for the Indiana Pacers in the playoffs, this was a great introduction for them. It’s only going to get crazier. It was amazing. Just energetic the entire game, never really was any lows. It was cool.”
But the crowd can only get you so far, the Pacers players still had to deliver to keep the crowd amped and none seemed more prepared for this moment than the longest tenured Pacers player who had been waiting to have this type of atmosphere at this time of year for too long. Following his spectacular game two on the road of 22 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists which he had previously called his best playoff game “for now,” Turner may already have a new best as he scored a playoff career high with 29 points and added 9 rebounds.
The Pacers first basket of the game was a step-back triple from their center from the top of the key that splashed directly in off the back iron and added 8 points before the first timeout.
“I’m locked in!” Turner said after the opening three, also imploring his team to use the crowd’s energy before the tip in the mic’d up segment above.
He had an impressive pair of stops against Portis in a row with a textbook verticality that would have made Roy Hibbert proud initially and then after a turnover by the Pacers he hustled back to knock the ball off of Portis’s knee as he was pump faking to go up for a shot.
“I let my ego go a long time ago,” Turner said of trying to make an impact on both ends of the floor. “I never really asked to be ‘the guy’ … I understand we have two all stars, two elite high-level offensive players. Offensively, I try to make my own breaks and for a lack of better words ‘get in where I fit in’ … Defensively, I know that’s where I make my money, that’s where I hang my hat. Just being active, being a mobile big not just a rim protector, being able to cover the floor, cover everybody. I take a lot of pride in being a 2-way player, a modern big if you will.”
Turner’s decisiveness has been critical in the matchup against the Bucks all season—whether they guard him with Brook Lopez in a drop and trying to take away the rim or with Bobby Portis blitzing Haliburton at the level of the screen and leaving Turner to make decisions in the short roll. In game two, he make great simple reads and progressions to make the Bucks pay, finding baseline cutters and open 3-point shooters as he collected six assists.
“With experience and some of the ups and downs that come with the things that have happened over the last several years, there’s going to be growth,” Rick Carlisle said of Turner’s growth since he’s been his coach. “Through it all, he’s remained a positive influence, a positive leader and a guy that every day comes in and works on his craft, his body, and his relationship with his teammates.”
As the Bucks adjusted their coverages to focus more on taking Siakam away than Haliburton, he was back in play finishing mode, consistently going up with confidence when he was open as he made 10 of 21 shots and 4 of 10 from deep. Perhaps his biggest shot of the game came with less than five minutes left in the game and the Pacers trailing by three. Turner hit a corner triple, nothing but net to tie the game back up.
A few possessions later he took a shot to the crotch but quickly recovered for the easy slam on another one of Tyrese Haliburton’s 16 assists.
Turner is crucial to the Pacers success as their third offensive option that in the playoffs will generally have a lot of opportunities because of teams trying to take away the primary options of Haliburton and Pascal Siakam. Turner’s been tbe one making the Bucks pay most consistently for them bringing two to the ball against the two stars. Through three games, Turner is averaging 22.7 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 block, and 1 steal in the series.
“I do a lot of film work, a lot of film study,” Turner said of his preparation. “We played these guys five times this year so I watched every single game and just watched how they’ve guarded me on different occasions … looking at all scenarios and trying to put myself in the best situation to be successful … I’m going to keep working and do the things that make me ‘me.’”
Turner’s never made it to the second round of the NBA playoffs as the closest he’s been where game seven losses against the Raptors in his rookie year and against the Cavaliers in the Victor Oladipo season. Now that he’s finally back where he’s been previously, it’s time to strive for new heights.
“We still have lofty goals in mind,” Turner said. “We’re excited about the win but we also know this game went into overtime on our home turf. Anything is possible in this series. We have to be ready for all scenarios. We’re a very confident group but also realistic as well. We know the task that we have ahead … we’re right back to work tomorrow.”
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[…] Myles Turner: A, 29 points, 9 rebounds. He’s having his best playoff series thus far. Read about him delivering on his end of the bargain with his request for fans. […]
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Go Pacers! Your team play is awesome. Balanced scoring and great energy to not give up!
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