INDIANAPOLIS -- Even though the Indiana Pacers did not advance to the NBA Finals after being swept by the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals, many Pacers fans saw the team's season, and their playoff run, as a positive sign for the future.
The Celtics rallied from a nine-point fourth quarter deficit to beat the Pacers 105-102, winning four straight to advance to the NBA Finals. Andrew Nembhard led the Pacers with 24 points while Pascal Siakam recorded a double-double, with 19 points and 10 rebounds.
Tyrese Haliburton, the team's all-star guard, missed his second straight game with left hamstring soreness.
Steven Harrison, a Pacers fan, said he was surprised that the team made it to the Eastern Conference Finals as soon as they did, with the team recently being in a rebuilding phase.
Harrison said being a fan of the Indiana Pacers is like being on a rollercoaster, stressing that "the highs have been really high and sometimes the lows are low."
"As a fanbase, we should be very proud of our team," Harrison said. "Making it to the Eastern Conference finals is a really big deal and it can really help lure in some bigger free agents and some targets here to just keep hopefully making deeper runs into the future.
As a Pacers fan, Sam Cornett also believes that the team overachieved this season.
"I think they’ve got a bright future ahead of them," Cornett said. "I think they have a solid core. A solid young core. If they could pick up a few role players that come off the bench, that would be a huge for them. And I think it will definitely carry them into next year."
Nick Ciuffetelli said that he believes that the Pacers have to prioritize signing Siakam to an extension. This comes after he was traded to the Pacers in January from the Toronto Raptors. Ciuffetelli also said that Nembhard has come in "clutch" and Halliburton has "taken the next steps."
"We’re here. We’re here for the next five or six years," Ciuffetelli said. "It’s going to be a great couple of years here in Indy."
The Celtics will face the winner of the Western Conference Finals series between the Dallas Mavericks and the Minnesota Timberwolves in the NBA Finals. The Mavericks lead that series 3-0, and will face the Timberwolves in the fourth game on Tuesday.