Among the items discussed on this episode:

• The full breakdown of the trade

• The gamble involved with limited draft protections and what it signals about the Pacers’ thinking

• How the deal came about

• How Zubac fits into — and solidifies — the starting lineup

• Why his contract is advantageous in terms of years and salary

• Bennedict Mathurin’s time with the Pacers

• The key date to know for the NBA Draft Lottery: May 10

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Among the items discussed on this episode:

• Pacers reached the midpoint of the season amid a turnaround, going 3–1 on a homestand and winning four of five games after a historically poor 6–31 start that included a franchise-record 13-game losing streak.

• Carlisle earned career win No. 1,000 in Charlotte, a milestone reached during a season defined by constant roster churn, shifting rotations, and tactical experimentation.

• An uptick in defense, including a quick, low-foul game against Boston (14 combined fouls) and “illegal screen.”

• Pascal Siakam’s All-Star candidacy.

• Trade-deadline discussion — and why it shouldn’t be assumed Bennedict Mathurin is on the way out.

• Updates on the Boom: Kyle Guy heading to China, Cody Martin acquired, Ethan Thompson shines, and a schedule adjustment.

• A Ritz-Carlton coming to Indy?

• A closing personal reflection on IU football and how far the program has come under head coach Curt Cignetti.

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Among the items discussed on this episode:

• The Pacers’ run to Game 7 of the NBA Finals.

• A banner year in Indiana basketball, including the Fever being one quarter away from their first WNBA Finals appearance in over a decade

• The offseason turning point: Myles Turner moving on and the ripple effects since

• How injuries derailed the start of this season and prevented early continuity

• A nine-game losing streak with Indiana being outscored by an average of 14 points

• The numbers behind the slump: bottom-five rankings across scoring, shooting efficiency, rebounding, defense, and opponents second-chance points

• Fatigue setting in for Pascal Siakam — mentally and physically — and what that means moving forward

• Curious developments: wanting to see more Ben Sheppard and Johnny Furphy, and why Jarace Walker remains a question mark

• Zooming out after 33 games (6–27): what the vision looks like now versus entering the season

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Among the items discussed on this episode:

• The passing of Nancy Leonard and her impact on the franchise

• Injury updates: Haliburton, McConnell, Wright, Sheppard, Jones

• Adding Cam Payne and point guard becoming the No. 1 concern

• Many questions as center after Myles Turner’s departure and two players coming off torn Achilles

• Takeaway from FanJam

• New assistant coach, replacing Mike Weinar

• Latest on how to watch Pacers games with FanDuel Sports Network Indiana

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Among the items discussed on this episode:

• What he appreciated about the construct and integrity of the Pacers

• How there was no villain in the finals

• Haliburton going down — and how it hurts them now and later

• Players buying into defense this season, and how the coaching staff successfully tweaked coverage in Game 6

• What happened with Myles Turner?

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Game 7.

In Oklahoma City.

The Pacers have been the underdog in all seven games. Their biggest advantage is their coaching staff, led by head coach Rick Carlisle.

Tyrese Haliburton is gutting through an injury to be out there⁠ — and the bench has shined.

Don’t forget: Join me live over on YouTube after every Pacers playoff game for my live postgame show.

Here's a preview podcast, recorded seven hours before the biggest game in NBA franchise history. Watch below — or catch it on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

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Among the items discussed on this episode:

• My initial thoughts on the series

• 06:15 Andrew Schlecht on the matchup

• 14:00 Similar timelines, strengths, and the chip on their shoulder

• 20:10 OKC coach Mark Daigneault — from G League coach to NBA Coach of the Year finalist

• 24:50 OKC executive Sam Presti among the NBA’s best

• 31:48 Donnie Strack and D.J. White

• 33:00 Chet Holmgren’s progression and the impact he could have

• 40:30 Best friends from Montreal — Bennedict Mathurin and Lu Dort

• 44:55 Addition of guard Alex Caruso

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Among the items discussed on this episode:

• Haliburton’s masterpiece

• Pacers knowing exactly who they are

• Rick Carlisle calling up Bennedict Mathurin

• How Aaron Nesmith worked to be available — and effective

• Bringing back more than a dozen former players (and other stars)

• 16:40 Interview with Fred Katz

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Among the items discussed on this episode:

• 00:00 Historic start to the second round by road teams

• 02:25 Cavs injury updates

• 04:50 Pacers’ plan several years ago to be the best-conditioned team

• 06:35 A look back at Game 2 and giving Aaron Nesmith his due…

• 12:35 Ryan Ruocco interview — on the Pacers’ and Cavs’ journey

• 15:25 On the Pacers’ 20-point comeback

• 20:26: On balancing the NBA playoffs with start of new a new WNBA season

• 22:25 What he gets from pre-game meetings with head coaches

• 27:16 Being in Cleveland and then calling a game after Stephanie White accepted the Fever job

• 29:25 His call for Caitlin Clark’s shot at Iowa, then pointing at each other

• 33:20 Fever’s productive offseason leading to championship aspirations

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Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo stepped to the free-throw line for the first time on Tuesday night, ball in his left hand, locked in on the rim.

About 15 feet away, on the baseline — in the first seat to the left of the basket stanchion — was a Pacers fan with a creative new sign ready to be revealed.

Not just to the two-time NBA MVP or the sellout crowd at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. This one went viral instantly.

As Pacers fans counted aloud with each second Giannis held the ball, the fan turned a dial on his sign in sync — visualizing the moment, and adding fuel to the crowd.

That fan? He’s already a local legend.

He’s known as Flamingo Guy. Sign Guy. Pacer Guy.

He’s Matt Asen, a diehard Pacers fan who lives in Florida but travels up for big games — and across the globe to support the team, including in January when he joined them in Paris.

“I always get texted a lot when I’m on TV, but this was over the top,” Asen told Fieldhouse Files on Thursday. “I got texts and calls from Texas, St. Louis, Indiana, California, New York — and even people I haven’t heard from for a long time because the thing went viral. My friends said ‘You’re a virus now.’”

Asen has never lost his childhood spirit. He’s 72 years old, deals with nerve issues in his feet, and struggles to walk very far anymore. But he will happily make the flight from Fort Myers, Florida, to sit courtside in his usual seat.

“It's been 38 years so there's a whole two generations of fans that have grown up with me and they get to meet me and they get a thrill (with the flamingos),” he said.

Asen’s whole Pacers journey started with a kindle of kittens.

(Note: Asen is my latest guest on the Fieldhouse Files podcast. Listen on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts.)

Back in 1987, he met Pacers owner Herb Simon in Sanibel.

“I had feral kittens in my restaurant and his (then) wife, Diane, was looking for kittens for Sarah and Rachel, who were young children then,” he said. “She came by my house and on my porch, I had a photo Dr. J and Larry Bird choking each other — a classic black-and-white photo when they got in the fight. And she said ‘Oh, you're a basketball fan.’

That led to a surprise invitation: a private jet trip to a playoff game in Atlanta the next night. “I had no comprehension of people even doing it,” Asen recalled.

That trip kicked off a decades-long bond with the Pacers organization.

“I went to the game, I yelled the referees, screamed and cheered for the Pacers and he said ‘Boy, you're a big fan.’ I said, ‘Yeah, as a matter of fact, I'm going up to Chicago this weekend to see the Bulls and the Knicks play because I was a Knicks fan at the time.

“Then he said ‘Come to Indiana. I'll get you in. We have a game Sunday.”

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Among the items discussed on this episode:

• My opening thoughts on the series, which gets the playoffs started

• Gold Out, players in white, Adam Silver to be in the building, and a special ESPN pairing for Game 1

• Should be a healthy Pacers team, with Ben Sheppard being the one exception

• Homecourt advantage — and can the Pacers take Game 1?

• 12:00 Status of the Bucks entering the postseason

• 14:43 Health status of Damian Lillard — and whether a return is realistic

• 22:25 How’s the rest of the team’s health?

• 23:33 Enlightening conversation on Bobby Portis, who’s dealt with a lot this season

• 28:40 On Giannis Antetokounmpo playing his best basketball, and the development of his mid-range game

• 35:15 Bucks changes from last year — and a couple players who will have an influence on the series

REMINDER: I will be hosting a live postgame show on YouTube after every Pacers playoff game.

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Among the items discussed on this episode:

• Clinching a playoff berth for the 27th time in 36 seasons (dating back to 1989-90)

• Winning 7 of their last 9 games — many going down to the wire

• New franchise records set in Washington, D.C.

• The wild finish against the Lakers and the key contributor who was absent

• Big months from Tyrese Haliburton, Obi Toppin, and Aaron Nesmith

• Can the Pacers find a way to rest Pascal Siakam?

• Would they prefer to face the Pistons or Bucks in Round 1?

• Shout-outs!

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MacMahon covers the Mavericks and has followed both Dončić and Carlisle throughout their time in Dallas.

“The whole premise of the book is there's this pressure on a franchise when you draft a prodigy. And I wrote it through the prism, obviously, of Luka and the Dallas Mavericks, who have had all kinds of drama and dysfunction leading into Luka’s career and throughout Luka’s career.”

That led to the book being titled, “The Wonder Boy: Luka Doncic and the Curse of Greatness.” When Dončić was unexpectedly traded to the Lakers, MacMahon had to write an additional, unplanned chapter.

“What an insane way though to wrap up a fascinating story that took all sorts of twists and turns,” he said. “It's crazy. The ending of the original book was this upbeat, happy — still open-ended, but happy — ending because they'd just gone to the finals. There's no question in his mind that Dallas was a place that he could stay and contend for championships, just as he always wanted.

“And then they dumped him months later. What a heartbreaking turn of events for Mavericks fans, to say the least.”

Pacers fans will appreciate the story about the Mavericks’ attempt to draft Tyrese Haliburton in 2020. Carlisle’s belief in him played a significant role in Haliburton becoming a Pacer just a year and a half later.

“The Mavericks tried to get Haliburton in the draft,” MacMahon shared. “They tried to trade Jalen Brunson, 18 and 31 for Tyrese Haliburton, and they offered it to every team until Haliburton went off the board, including the New York Knicks, who had the eighth overall pick. They called (Knicks president) Leon Rose, "Hey, we got your godson. We got him. You want him? And the Knicks wanted Obi Toppin.”

And so, Haliburton was selected 12th overall by the Sacramento Kings.

I think you’ll enjoy this conversation.

Among the items discussed on this episode:

• Why write this book? The process behind it, including why he’s ultimately grateful that publishing was delayed by a year.

• Traveling to Slovenia to trace Dončić’s roots and better understand where he comes from — and why he’s so competitive.

• The biggest thing he learned about Luka during his research.

• Mark Cuban: The driving force behind the Mavericks trading for Dončić, and how selling a majority share of the team ultimately led to Dončić’s departure from Dallas.

• Why Carlisle deserves credit for Dončić’s rapid rise to superstardom.

• Carlisle’s relationship with Dončić and how that, along with his experience with Jason Kidd, shapes his partnership with Haliburton.

• Carlisle and Haralabos Voulgaris grading Haliburton highly in Dallas and attempting to trade up for him.

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Among the items discussed on this episode:

• 00:00 Good teams figure out how to win

• 04:25 Haliburton’s four-point “Colts” play beats Bucks; Jenny Boucek’s inspiration

• 09:34 Wrapping up Big Ten road trip with wild win in Minnesota led by Obi Toppin’s shooting

• 14:30 Returning home for 11 of their first 15 — starting with unusual back-to-back wins over Mavericks and Nets

• 17:48 What was Trendon Watford thinking? Skirmish under league review.

• 22:20 Bet you don’t know who leads the team in technical fouls

• 23:34 Bennedict Mathurin’s elevated play

• 25:45 Myles Turner’s candidness and bounce-back game

• 32:15 Tony Bradley signs second 10-day, which expires on Saturday

• 33:56 Shout-outs!

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At Unrivaled, she plays on Rose — and it's (2) Rose vs. (3) Laces at 7:30 p.m. ET on Sunday on TNT/truTV/Max in the playoffs. That’s followed by (1) Lunar Owls vs. (4) Vinyl, featuring Aliyah Boston, at 8:45 p.m. ET.

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Among the items discussed on this episode:

• 01:00: Pascal Siakam’s season

• 03:45: How Indiana fared in February

• 05:40: Why they were quiet at the trade deadline

• 10:20: My two cents on the NBA All-Star game

• 20:17: Spotlighting individual players: T.J. McConnell returns; Bennedict Mathurin moved to the bench, now sidelined; Aaron Nesmith healthy again; Tyrese Haliburton refreshed out of All-Star break

• 29:00: A look at the East and the two-horse race

• 31:25: Shout-outs are back!

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Among the items discussed on this episode:

• New communications director

• Kelsey Mitchell re-signs

• Natasha Howard returning

• Preseason game scheduled at Iowa

• Caitlin Clark's special upcoming weekend at Iowa

• Stephanie White receives an award

• Free agency possibilities

• Questions from live viewers

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Among the items discussed on this episode:

• Opening thoughts

• 06:00 Turnaround from one month ago

• 10:30: What’s working: defense, transition, possession game, efficient scoring

• 15:30: Tyrese Haliburton trending upwards

• 17:35: What’s with Heat Culture and Jimmy Butler?

• 20:50: Andrew Nembhard’s returns after his absence was felt

• 24:50 Consistency from Myles Turner

• 27:03: Growth from second-year forward Jarace Walker

• 29:20: Bennedict Mathurin expands his game

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Among the items discussed on this episode:

• 00:00: 8 straight road losses, including 4 in a row overall

• 05:25: Curse of the Cup? From undefeated to winless in NBA Cup play

• 09:40: Rookie Johnny Furphy leading the bench Wednesday…

• 10:40: Give up a dunk and six layups to the Nets over the final 5 minutes

• 13:00: Expectations and leadership

• 18:30: Haliburton’s comments in Toronto and the concerning home/road splits

• 22:00: Why it’s not the same group as last year’s conference finals run

• 30:00: Has Mathurin done enough to remain a starter?

• 35:10: WNBA schedule announcement

• 37:50: Caitlin Clark golfing, being part of upcoming Netflix special with David Letterman

• 39:13: Previewing the WNBA expansion draft on Friday for Valkyries

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Among the items discussed on this episode:

• 0:00: 7-10 after 17 games, had lost six of eight until Sunday’s win

• 2:34: The team not performing to expectation, being the No. 1 League Pass team and numbers that stand out

• 05:36: So… about Tyrese

• 18:15: Calling up Moses Brown from Westchester — and their other options

• 23:12: Pascal Siakam’s consistency and professionalism

• 26:05 Rundown of injuries

• 32:28: NBA doing too much marketing > basketball, update on Prime Video and FanDuel Sports Network, new deal for Johnny Furphy and assistant coach Lloyd Pierce to host second annual coat drive

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