Indiana Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle addressed the media following a 103-91 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals, offering heartfelt reflections on a historic season that fell just short.
Carlisle opened by congratulating Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault and his squad, calling him “one of the great young coaches in all of professional sports.”
“They’ll have a great parade,” Carlisle said. “They have great fans.”
Despite the defeat, the veteran coach praised the resilience and unity of his team, especially in the face of adversity after losing Tyrese Haliburton early in the first quarter.
“What happened with Tyrese — just all of our hearts dropped,” Carlisle said. “But he will be back. I believe he’ll make a full recovery.”
Haliburton, who had nine points in seven minutes before exiting with a calf injury, was visibly emotional as he greeted teammates on crutches at halftime.
“He was in the locker room,” Carlisle explained. “And he was very much a part of a group that believed that they could do this.”
The Pacers led by one at halftime, but were outscored 34-20 in a pivotal third quarter that turned the tide.
“We needed to come out of the locker room and be better in the first five minutes of the third quarter. We just weren’t,” Carlisle said.
He emphasized the team’s unyielding effort in the fourth quarter, where Indiana outscored Oklahoma City by one.
“To me, the fourth quarter… was epic,” he said. “It was symbolic of what this team stands for, what basketball in Indiana stands for.”
Carlisle made clear the emotional toll of losing the series after coming so close.
“There’s no feel-good scenario when you get to the Finals and are unable to get it done. It really hurts,” he said. “On the other hand, this team has given all of Pacer Nation something to be very proud of.”
When asked about his postgame message to the locker room, Carlisle declined to share specifics but expressed deep appreciation for his players’ character and fight.
“You don’t author comebacks like this team did over the course of the entire season without an indomitable competitive spirit,” he said.
One of the night’s bright spots was Bennedict Mathurin, who tallied 24 points and 13 rebounds in his first career playoff run.
“He’s a fighter,” Carlisle said. “These moments are moments that he really lives for as a competitor.”
Indiana concludes the 2024-25 season with its second-ever trip to the NBA Finals and first since 2000. The franchise remains in pursuit of its first NBA title.
Despite the heartbreak, Carlisle left no doubt about his pride in his group.
“It was just all defiant fight till the end.”
