Kendrick Perkins is famous for his poor aging, but this Indiana Pacers comment may be his worst comment.
The Indiana Pacers forced the Oklahoma City Thunder into their first game 7 in their first NBA Finals in nine years. It was a great outing from the underdog Pacers who wiped out the lightning in Game 6.
Pascal Siakam was the Pacers’ main man, scoring 16 points in the victory.
In a game where Tyrese Haliburton was questioning what he was going to play, Siakam had a great outing.
For all the stories of their powerful offensive performances, it was the Pacers’ defense that made history, keeping lightning at the longest drought in the NBA Finals game to date.
The Pacers closed Jaylen Williams in the most effective way possible and forced Shy Gilgus Alexander into some mistakes.
Their outings in Game 6 represented why the Indiana Pacers are always a dangerous team. But not everyone believes in their ability to succeed at the beginning of the season.
At the start of the NBA season, several analysts tried to predict how the season would play out. When it comes to the Indiana Pacers, it was Kendrick Perkins who made the most boldest claim.
He said the Indiana Pacers have regressed after the 2024 Eastern Conference Finals were run and will not even reach the playoffs.
“I strongly believe that Pacers will fall without restrictions… They’re not going to make the playoffs this season. I’m not high for them.”
One reason he gave for their imminent failure was the lack of work he saw in the offseason from Tyrees Halliburton, compared to some of the other rising young stars in the NBA.
“I don’t know if (Tyrese Haliburton) is necessarily doing the job he needs to get in. When you’re looking at the other young guys in the league, it looks like they’re working from Paolo Banchero, Chet Holmgren.”
Looking back at Kendrick Perkins’ take in late October last year, I enjoy how things turned out.
But to be fair to the former NBA champion, he looked like clairvoyance after a heinous start to the season.
| 2024 NBA season period | Indiana Pacers Records |
| October – December | 16-18 |
| January – April | 34-14 |
It wasn’t until January that the Indiana Pacers began addressing performance issues and improving performance.
Now, as we reach the end of the season ahead of the crucial Game 7 tomorrow night, the Indiana Pacers have proven him wrong in an epic way, reaching the NBA Finals despite being a loser.
Heading into Game 7, the Pacers have one goal in mind. Defeating the Oklahoma City Thunder, winning the NBA Championship for the first time in franchise history.