Pacers’ Rick Carlisle Cuts Off Reporter in Tense Postgame Exchange After Game 3 Loss

Kristen Wong | May 26, 2024

Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

Indiana Pacers coach Rick Carlisle had no desire to get into specifics about the ending of Game 3’s 114—111 loss to the Boston Celtics at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Saturday night.

The Pacers led by as many as 18 points and were up by eight with two-and-a-half minutes remaining in the game, but they saw the Celtics steal Game 3 — literally. Celtics’ Jrue Holiday stole the ball from Pacers’ Andrew Nembhard during the final seconds when Indiana was down by one and secured the closeout victory on the heels of Boston’s 13-2 game-ending run. 

Carlisle didn’t want to discuss how those final two minutes and change played out and tersely interrupted a reporter during a barbed postgame press conference.

The reporter started to ask, “Rick, you were up eight with about two and a half minutes to go…”

“I just watched the ending so you don’t need to remind me,” Carlisle said. “I saw everything that happened. Everything.”

Reporter: “Rick, you were up 8 with about two and a half minutes to go…”

Rick Carlisle: “I just watched the ending so you don't need to remind me. I saw everything that happened. Everything.” 😳

pic.twitter.com/CbfZY7qcUC

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) May 26, 2024

Carlisle has since been criticized for failing to call a timeout when Nembhard had the ball in the final seconds of the game.

Down 0-3 in the Eastern Conference finals, the Pacers face an uphill battle to stay alive this postseason as star Tyrese Haliburton, who was ruled out of Game 3 due to a hamstring strain, remains questionable for Monday’s home fixture.

“We got the best fans in the NBA here, we’ve got the greatest basketball building on the planet, and we’ve got another game in front of [Pacers fans] to go after these guys,” Carlisle said. “And believe me when I tell you we are going after them.”