Back in 2013 at the Eastern Conference Finals, the Indiana Pacers came up just short against the Miami Heat, led by the prime LeBron “King” James. Right from that heart-crushing Game 1 overtime buzzer-beater from the then 28-year-old, which turned the scoreboard in his favor at 103-102, to the subsequent games that shifted the whole series, the experience left a significant mark on Indiana’s playoff soul. However, for this particular Indiana loyalist and now a center for the Pacers, the heartbreak is as real as it was over a decade ago.

Now, imagine the stakes at play when the Indiana Pacers entered the American Airlines Arena on June 3, 2013, to face the Miami Heat, having tied the series at the end of Game 6. And just a minute after the game had begun, the young Myles Turner took to his X account to write: “What if Pacers win it all 😳 #wishful thinking.” 

Even though the Pacers ultimately lost by 23 points, for a while, just for a while, it looked like the Pacers could have it all. So, we can’t blame the young Turner for his “wishful thinking.” But the question he raised still holds relevance. Fast forward 12 years, and Turner is no longer watching from a distance—he’s leading the charge as the Pacers prepare to convert their first NBA Finals since 2000 into a victory.

“I remember watching that series against the Heat. They were playing really well. They were my favourite team in 2K at the time. I wanted it for ’em,” Turner said.

Now, in 2025, Turner and the Indiana Pacers are flipping the script. In Game 1 of the NBA Finals, they erased a 15-point fourth-quarter hole and a 9-point deficit in the final three minutes to stun the Thunder, 111–110. No team had ever done that in the Finals. Teams were 0–182. Now? It’s 1–182.

Tyrese Haliburton delivered the dagger—a jumper with 0.3 seconds left. Overall, he put up 14 points, 10 rebounds, and 6 assists while Pascal Siakam led Indiana with 19 points. Turner anchored the defense and brought the energy.

The Thunder didn’t go quietly, though, as they kept that home-court advantage for the first three quarters. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander dropped 38 points in his Finals debut—more than any player in a losing debut, even Michael Jordan. But Indiana wouldn’t fold.

This Finals run is Indiana’s first in 25 years, and they earned it by outlasting the Knicks in the Eastern Conference Finals. The journey has been all grit, chemistry, and belief. Much of that belief comes from Rick Carlisle. The veteran coach, who won it all with Dallas in 2011, has kept this young squad locked in when the pressure’s highest.

Myles Turner’s defensive roots and Carlisle’s Championship pedigree are driving the Indiana Pacers’ title push

For Myles Turner, this NBA Finals moment isn’t just the payoff of a long season—it’s the culmination of a mindset shaped by childhood lessons and elite coaching.

After the Indiana Pacers’ improbable Game 1 comeback, Turner didn’t point to emotions or hype. He pointed to preparation. “A lot of it does come from Rick, you know? He instilled it in us,” Turner said postgame. “He’s not a rah-rah guy, but his speeches and his preparation get us locked in. He’s been there before—six times to be exact.”

Carlisle’s calm, detail-heavy approach has been instrumental. With decades of Finals experience—including a 2011 championship with the Mavericks—his ability to steady a young team in chaotic moments is unmatched. That poise showed in Game 1, when Indiana clawed back from a 15-point fourth-quarter hole and executed down the stretch like veterans.

But Turner’s readiness also comes from way back. He credits his father for identifying his defensive instincts early, during YMCA games with wristband matchups that used to frustrate him as a kid. “My pops always told me that’s what I was gonna make my bread and butter on. He saw it early—elite timing,” Turner said. “You can’t really teach shot-blocking. You either have it or you don’t.”

Now, Turner’s rim protection anchors one of the NBA’s most balanced units. He’s been putting up solid numbers too, averaging 15.2 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 2.3 blocks in the playoffs. Carlisle’s five-out system has allowed him to thrive in space while still patrolling the paint, and teammates like Siakam and Haliburton have fed off that two-way energy.

From YMCA floors to the NBA Finals, Turner’s been building for this. And with Carlisle’s blueprint and his own defensive DNA, the dream he tweeted in 2013 isn’t far from coming true.