With the Indiana Pacers returning to the NBA Finals for the first time in 25 years, veteran center Myles Turner is treating the opportunity with urgency and perspective shaped by a decade-long wait.
“It was definitely a lot sweeter doing it at home,” Turner said Saturday after Indiana eliminated the Knicks in Game 6. “Very validating for me… I got a chance to do something special.”
The Pacers will face the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 1 on Thursday night at Paycom Center, where Turner expects a hostile crowd but remains confident in Indiana’s approach.
“You go in there and just stare down the opponents like we did everybody else,” Turner said. “This is what we do it for. There’s no greater stage.”
Turner acknowledged that this Finals run is not guaranteed to repeat and believes the team must fully capitalize.
“It’s taken me 10 years just to get here,” Turner said. “You never know if the circumstances are going to be the same. While the opportunity is here… take full advantage of it.”
The Thunder, fresh off a dominant 4-1 win over Minnesota, have been among the league’s best defensive teams all season.
“They thrive off turnovers,” Turner said. “They swarm the ball… there’s proper respect there. But at the same time, we’ve got one of the best staffs in this league.”
Turner also pointed to the Pacers’ consistent underdog mindset as a defining trait.
“I think ever since last year, every playoff series we’ve been the quote-unquote underdog,” Turner said. “Until we prove it, people are going to think how they think.”
That mentality has shaped the team’s identity, particularly in how leaders like Tyrese Haliburton have handled the spotlight.
“He got traded away, and people kind of wrote him off,” Turner said. “Again, I don’t think much has changed for him… he’s improved upon it year after year.”
Turner praised Haliburton’s candid leadership style, describing it as a strength in a league where transparency is often rare.
“He expresses how he feels, and I’d rather have someone on my team that does that,” Turner said. “In your point guard, it’s something I think is necessary.”
Turner expects strong support in Oklahoma City, with the Pacers organization flying in full-time staff to boost morale on the road.
“I expect nothing less from the Simon family,” he said. “It’s going to be amazing just to have my people up there.”
Reflecting on his own Finals memories, Turner recalled the Dallas Mavericks’ 2011 title run as the first one he followed closely.
“I was a teenager… the Finals with Dallas — I watched that one in depth,” he said. “Just what the Finals would do for a city is something I took for underestimated as well.”
Now, Turner is embracing the moment with both pride and focus.
“Now that milestone has been achieved, it’s about doing something with the opportunity,” he said.
