With the NBA’s playoff picture starting to take shape, Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce discussed the teams in the Eastern Conference and their playoff potential in the latest episode of the Ticket and The Truth podcast. While discussing which team could establish itself as a dark horse to win the East, Pierce named the Indiana Pacers.
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“A team that I don’t want to play in the playoffs in the East is Indiana [Pacers]. The way their pace is and [Tyrese] Haliburton and adding [Pascal] Siakam. That’s a team that nobody wants to play in the first round.”
Garnett agreed that teams would want to avoid the Indiana Pacers but claimed they won’t be a dark horse and will enter the Eastern Conference playoffs as a top-four seed. Pierce disagreed and claimed they won’t finish the regular season with a top-four place in the East standings. He added that the Pacers won’t usurp the Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers, New York Knicks, and Milwaukee Bucks on the table. Garnett replied,
“Philly, Milwaukee are on that decline… Cleveland finna be number 2 in a minute.. The Knicks [will finish 3rd] and then you gonna have Indiana… They are gonna be top-tier four, bro.”
Garnett is right with his assessment as since Joel Embiid suffered a knee injury in the Philadelphia 76ers‘ loss to the Golden State Warriors, they are 3-5. The Bucks, who were in contention for the top spot in the East, are 3-6 under new head coach Doc Rivers. Both teams are declining, while the Pacers are on the rise. They are 7-5 in their last 12 games and are closing the gap on the teams above them in the standings.
The race for a top-four finish in the Eastern Conference standings is tight. The third-placed 35-20 Bucks and the eighth-placed 30-25 Magic are separated by only five games. Any team that can string together a run of victories can climb quickly in the standings, and a losing streak will see them bundle down the table.
The 76ers and Bucks will have a short break during the All-Star weekend to recalibrate and stop their recent slump to curb the risk of slumping in the standings.
Kevin Garnett is a big fan of Tyrese Haliburton
Indiana Pacers’ superstar Tyrese Haliburton is one of the key reasons why Kevin Garnett believes the Pacers will be a top-four team in the Eastern Conference. The young guard has been terrific this season, averaging 21.9 points, 11.7 assists, and 3.9 rebounds. His stellar performances earned him a place in the starting five of the Eastern Conference’s All-Star team.
Garnett has been vouching for Haliburton to be in the MVP conversation. After the guard’s incredible 37-point, 16-assist performance against the Atlanta Hawks in November, the former Celtics superstar posted,
“Haliburton in that convo. What convo? Yeah… that convo.”
While injuries have hampered Haliburton’s bid for the MVP award, he has already proven he can lead the Pacers deep into the playoffs. He led them to the NBA’s in-season tournament final, where they fell short against the Los Angeles Lakers. The Pacers are an offensive juggernaut. They lead the NBA in scoring with 123.5 points per game but also give 122.3 on average, the third-worst mark in the NBA. If the Pacers can improve on the defensive end, they’ll be a force to be reckoned with.
