Tag: Indiana

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Indiana fans warmly greet Mike Woodson and Dusty May in Bloomington as the Hoosiers begin their coaching search

Mike Woodson looks down the bench in the 1st half

Indiana Hoosiers coach Mike Woodson walked through the tunnel, shaking hands with student managers, trainers, and assistant coaches on Saturday.

Despite being informed the day before that he would not return to coach next season, Woodson went back to work as if nothing had changed. He continued designing plays, giving signals, and working with the refs to try to turn things around for the Hoosiers.

Indiana’s passionate fans showed their support. Instead of booing Woodson, they cheered when he was introduced and roared as the Hoosiers made a strong comeback from an 18-point deficit to tie the game at 59 with 4:08 left before ultimately losing 70-67 to No. 24 Michigan. This loss marked Indiana’s fifth straight defeat.

“It’s been emotional,” Woodson said in his first comments since the announcement. “We’re dealing with young men, trying to figure it out. But we still have seven more games and it’s my job, as their coach, to push them to realize they can still win basketball games.”

Woodson did not take direct questions about his future in the postgame press conference, and Indiana did not make any players available for interviews.

The Hoosiers (14-10, 5-8) did not want to go through yet another coaching search—this would be the fifth such search in 20 years—especially with their NCAA Tournament hopes on the line. The team has struggled during a losing streak, and Woodson’s job is in jeopardy because of it.

In a statement released Friday, athletic director Scott Dolson asked fans to show support for the players. For the most part, fans followed Dolson’s request, though there were some boos when Woodson called a timeout early in the game with Indiana trailing 14-5, and again when the Hoosiers were behind 43-27 at halftime. However, the pep band played the school’s fight song to drown out most of the boos.

By the end of the game, the crowd was on its feet, cheering even louder when the Hoosiers tied the game at 59. The fans’ energy seemed to send a message to first-year Michigan coach Dusty May, a former assistant under Bob Knight, that he should return to his home state and consider taking over as Indiana’s coach.

Indiana coach Mike Woodson, based in Bloomington, has decided not to return next season

“I think they have a good team and if the breaks go their way, I think they have a great chance to be one of many Big Ten teams in the NCAA Tournament,” May said, downplaying his interest in succeeding Woodson. “I heard the ovation and to come where I came from — I never scored a basket at Indiana — it was nice. I appreciated it.”

When Woodson was hired in 2021, there were high hopes for the team. He was a longtime NBA coach, and fans expected him to bring banners, deep postseason runs, and mend the rift with Knight loyalists who were still upset over Knight’s firing in 2000.

Though Woodson had back-to-back 20-win seasons and NCAA Tournament wins, things went wrong last season when Indiana missed the tournament, and the team struggled this season despite being projected to finish second in the Big Ten.

A series of mistakes led to losses and intense pressure for the university to move on from one of their greatest players. Now, the question is how Indiana and its fans will respond during Woodson’s final four home games of the season, potentially ending with a goodbye in his hometown of Indianapolis at the Big Ten Tournament.

“I wish I knew,” Woodson said when asked why the team has struggled this season. “The rosters are changing every year and that’s no excuse. You put the right pieces in place and I think our guys have wonderful intentions. … It just hasn’t worked out these last three, four weeks. My job as the coach is to continue to push them, keep them in a good frame of mind and, hopefully, something good will click.”

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NBA (Basketball)

Austin Reaves makes his mark in Los Angeles Lakers history with a 45-point performance against the Pacers

Austin Reaves and Jaxson Hayes in the 2nd half

The first five players to achieve at least 45 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists in a single game for the Los Angeles Lakers were Elgin Baylor, Jerry West, Magic Johnson, Kobe Bryant, and LeBron James.

Austin Reaves became the sixth player to do so, recording those exact numbers while leading the Lakers to a 124-117 win over Indiana on Saturday.

Reaves understands the surprise of seeing his name on the list. He feels the same way.

“It looks weird when you see my name up there,” Reaves said, smiling.

But it’s becoming less unusual with each accomplishment by Reaves, who joined the Lakers as an undrafted player from Oklahoma three and a half years ago. He has grown into a starting player and key contributor for his favorite team, having come from a small town in Arkansas where he looked up to Kobe Bryant and didn’t let anyone stop him from pursuing his NBA dream.

With LeBron James and Luka Doncic both out due to injuries, Reaves had the most impressive game of his career so far. He made 14 of 26 shots, hit four 3-pointers, and went 13 of 13 from the free-throw line while running the offense in the final moments.

He also grabbed seven rebounds, handed out seven assists, and had three steals, helping the Lakers win despite being short-handed. Lakers fans, grateful for such a great performance, cheered “M-V-P!” as a thank-you to Reaves for leading the team.

James was sidelined due to a sore left ankle, and Doncic was not quite ready for his debut. The Lakers were still adjusting after trading away players like Anthony Davis, Max Christie, Dalton Knecht, and Cam Reddish in two moves before the deadline, and things were even more unsettled after they canceled the trade for Reddish and Knecht later that Saturday.

Reaves was also playing through a sore left elbow, which almost kept him out of the game. He decided to play through the pain just before the pregame deadline, and the Lakers were glad he did.

Austin Reaves dunks in the 2nd half

“I think he’s been as important as any player on our team,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said. “I felt like he was the best player on the floor tonight, and that says a lot. He showed up in a big-time way.”

Reaves started off strong against Indiana, scoring 11 points in under six minutes. He had 20 points by halftime and took charge again in the fourth quarter, starting it with back-to-back 3-pointers and finishing with 14 points in the final period.

It was an impressive performance for a player who set his previous career high of 38 points just last month against Brooklyn. But Reaves knows that his whole NBA career has been filled with surprises. Since earning a spot on the Lakers roster out of training camp in 2021, he has played many different roles.

“The path that I took is not conventional,” Reaves said. “There’s probably only a handful of people that thought I would be in this position, if any. It wasn’t really the popular thing to do to continue to chase my dream. … If I can inspire kids that’s in my situation to continue to chase their dreams, whatever it is, just do it.”

He’s now more than just a surprise. Reaves has averaged at least 28 minutes per game in each of the last three seasons as a regular starter — including all 44 games this season.

Reaves is also part of one of the most interesting Lakers teams ever after the big trade to bring in Doncic, who could be Reaves’ future teammate in the backcourt for many years.

Though Doncic is expected to be the next leader of the Lakers, Reaves has become incredibly important too, and he’s even making history.

“It’s surreal, because I grew up a huge Kobe fan, so I was automatically a Laker fan,” Reaves said. “Just to be able to go out there and put the uniform on and compete, and then to have a couple of those games where my name is in with those guys, is special. It’s something that I won’t take for granted.”

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Coaches face the spotlight as No. 24 Michigan travels to Bloomington, Indiana to take on the Hoosiers

Mike Woodson (NCAAB)

Saturday afternoon’s Big Ten game between No. 24 Michigan and Indiana in Bloomington, Ind., could see many of the home fans show more support for the visiting coach than their own.

Indiana head coach Mike Woodson is facing heavy criticism from fans after a recent series of poor performances. Indiana (14-9, 5-7 Big Ten) has lost four consecutive games and six of its last seven, dropping out of both the Big Ten title race and NCAA Tournament contention.

“Right now, we’re not tough,” Woodson said. “We’re just not a tough team right now. We’re not. Mentally, we’re not tough.”

The next few games won’t be easy for the Hoosiers, with three ranked teams coming up: Michigan, Michigan State, and Purdue. The fourth team, UCLA, just beat Michigan State and could be ranked if they win against Penn State on Saturday.

Because of this tough schedule, Saturday’s game could feel like a must-win for Woodson.

“We’ve got to get it fixed because we only have eight left and five of them are at home,” Woodson said. “We have to figure out all of our games at home and the three that’s on the road.”

The first challenge will be against Michigan, coached by a beloved figure returning to his home state.

Michigan head coach Dusty May grew up in Indiana, attended Indiana University, and worked as a student manager under legendary coach Bob Knight. When May led Florida Atlantic to the Final Four in 2023, some Indiana fans hoped Woodson would be replaced by May.

Indiana kept Woodson, and after last season, May took the Michigan job, where he has helped the Wolverines improve.

Michigan (17-5, 9-2) is currently near the top of the Big Ten standings, just behind Purdue. With a strong finish, Michigan could make its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2022.

No. 10 Purdue (NCAAB)

“I’m sure it will be cool to walk into Assembly Hall where you spent a lot of time,” May said. “I’m not thinking about anything. My mom lives in Bloomington. It is what it is. But I’m going there to try and win a freaking basketball game and that’s it.”

The game will feature three of the top big men in the Big Ten. Michigan is led by 7-footers Vladislav Goldin (15.6 points, 6.0 rebounds per game) and Danny Wolf (12.3 points, 10.0 rebounds). Indiana’s 7-footer Oumar Ballo leads his team in both scoring and rebounding with 14.0 points and 9.9 rebounds per game.

The matchup will also showcase the two teams with the most turnovers in the conference. Michigan averages 14.8 turnovers per game, while Indiana averages 12.5.

Indiana has had recent success against Michigan, winning the last four matchups, including a 78-75 win at Michigan last season.

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Trail Blazers dominate at home with a comfortable win over the Pacers in Portland

Portland Trail Blazers and Indiana Pacers

Anfernee Simons scored 22 points and had seven assists, while Jerami Grant contributed 20 points as the Portland Trail Blazers defeated the Indiana Pacers 112-89 on Tuesday night.

Scoot Henderson recorded 17 points, eight rebounds, and five assists, and Shaedon Sharpe added 17 points and three steals. With this win, the Trail Blazers extended their home dominance, securing their fifth straight victory and their ninth win in the past 10 games. Six of those nine wins came by double digits.

Toumani Camara contributed 13 points for Portland, which never trailed in the game and won its 15th out of the last 16 home games against Indiana.

Andrew Nembhard led the Pacers with 17 points, while Pascal Siakam added 16. The Pacers had their four-game win streak snapped and lost for only the third time in their last 15 games. T.J. McConnell scored 14 points, and Bennedict Mathurin chipped in 12 points and seven rebounds. Indiana’s six-game road win streak was also halted, just one game shy of their franchise record.

Portland shot 44.6% from the field and made 14 of 37 three-pointers (37.8%). Robert Williams III grabbed 11 rebounds, helping the Blazers out-rebound the Pacers 51-39. The Pacers shot 42% from the field but struggled from beyond the arc, making only 5 of 24 three-pointers (20.8%).

Brooklyn Nets and Indiana Pacers

After leading by seven at halftime, Portland saw Indiana close the gap to just one point early in the second half. However, the Trail Blazers responded with an 11-0 run, which started with a dunk by Williams and a three-pointer by Deni Avdija. Sharpe then had two dunks, and Portland’s lead grew to 64-52.

Consecutive dunks from Camara and Deandre Ayton pushed the lead to 71-56 by the third quarter’s end. Portland entered the final period leading 78-66, and though Indiana closed the gap to 82-76, the Blazers responded with a 9-0 run led by Simons and Henderson.

Simons and Grant hit back-to-back three-pointers to stretch the lead to 101-81, and Portland’s lead peaked at 25 points. Simons scored 12 points in the first half, giving Portland a 45-38 lead at the break. Mathurin and Siakam both had 10 points for Indiana in the first half.

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NBA (Basketball)

Pacers aim for seventh consecutive road win in Portland against the red-hot Trail Blazers

Indiana Pacers (NBA)

The Indiana Pacers are trying to match their longest road winning streak in franchise history, but Portland might not be the best place for them to do it.

Not only are the red-hot Trail Blazers on a four-game winning streak and have won eight of their last nine games, but the Pacers have lost 14 of their past 15 games in Portland. The only win during this stretch was on January 14, 2021, when there were no fans due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Pacers are hoping to match their franchise record of seven straight road wins, set at the start of the 2003-04 season, which was the same year Reggie Miller’s career was winding down in Indiana and Rick Carlisle was in his first stint as the Pacers’ coach.

Indiana is in position to tie the record thanks to a thrilling 112-111 road win over the Utah Jazz on Monday.

“It’s one of the best wins of the year considering the circumstances and how we shot the ball,” Carlisle said after the game.

The Pacers were down by 12 points midway through the fourth quarter but went on a 14-1 run to overtake the Jazz. This came despite being outrebounded 60-37 and hitting only 10 of 42 three-pointers.

“This speaks to the maturity and growth of our group,” said Tyrese Haliburton, the Pacers’ star. “Because the last couple of years, if we don’t make shots, we get blown out.”

Pascal Siakam scored 10 of his 22 points in the fourth quarter, including a dunk with 5.1 seconds left that made it a two-possession game.

And just like that, the Pacers had an unlikely win.

Portland Trail Blazers and Minnesota Timberwolves

“It was just hard to get to the hump throughout the game, let alone get over the hump,” Carlisle said. “If you’re watching the game as a Pacers fan, you’re thinking, ‘It’s not going to happen tonight.’ But our guys kept saying let’s hang around and give ourselves a chance.”

Indiana has now won four straight and 12 of its last 14 games, as they try again to beat Portland, where they haven’t won in front of fans since November 28, 2007.

Portland, however, is one of the hottest teams in the NBA right now. Just a couple of weeks ago, they were 15 games below .500, but they’ve won five double-digit games since then.

On Monday, the Trail Blazers defeated the Phoenix Suns 121-119 in overtime, completing a two-game sweep of Phoenix. They had also routed the Suns 127-108 on Saturday.

Deandre Ayton, who was the No. 1 overall pick by Phoenix in 2018, had a standout performance in the two games. He averaged 24.5 points and grabbed a season-high 20 rebounds on Monday, with nine of those coming on the offensive glass.

“When the shot goes up on our end, I had the chance to really chase these boards,” Ayton said after scoring more than 20 points for the fifth game in a row. “And let us have daggers and put us in position to win.”

Ayton also made five of six free throws in the final 7.8 seconds of overtime.

“I think this might have been D.A.’s best all-around game,” said Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups. “Everything, all across the board, and being able to close it out with the clutch free throws.”

Indiana’s center Myles Turner, who is dealing with an ankle injury, missed the game against Utah and is listed as questionable for the game in Portland.

The Pacers had beaten the Trail Blazers 121-114 at home on November 27. Siakam scored 29 points for Indiana, while Anfernee Simons had 30 for Portland.

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Jazz look to secure back-to-back victories as Pacers visit Salt Lake City

Utah Jazz (NBA)

The Utah Jazz are hoping to achieve something they’ve only done twice this season when they face the Indiana Pacers on Monday night.

Fresh off a 113-99 win over the Orlando Magic on Saturday, the Jazz will try to get back-to-back wins for the third time this season when they host the Pacers in Salt Lake City.

It won’t be easy, though — especially since Utah has struggled more at home than on the road this year.

The Pacers come into the game as one of the hottest teams in the NBA. They’ve won three straight games and have been the most successful team since the new year. Indiana is 11-2 in games played in 2025.

This strong run has pushed Indiana seven games over .500 and into fourth place in the Eastern Conference.

Their offense is clicking too, as the Pacers have scored at least 130 points in each of their last three games.

“Our goal is to lead the league in the number of passes thrown,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. “We’ve been up at the top this year. … We’ve got to be a ball-movement, hot-ball, speed, random (team). Keep playing the game and keep putting pressure. Keep putting teams in difficult situations.”

Indiana has averaged nearly 31 assists per game in January and February, with point guard Tyrese Haliburton leading the way with an average of 8.7 assists.

“You have to take care of the ball,” Haliburton said. “We’ve been stressing possession, and coach has been stressing possession with us. We’ve just been trying to pay attention to it.”

Boston Celtics and Indiana Pacers

Monday’s game in Utah starts a four-game road trip for the Pacers, who have six games remaining before the All-Star break.

Indiana comes into the game after a 132-127 win over the Atlanta Hawks. Pascal Siakam scored 20 points, grabbed nine rebounds, and dished out five assists. Andrew Nembhard added 19 points, Obi Toppin scored 18 points and grabbed nine rebounds, and Haliburton had 17 points and nine assists.

The Jazz also had a solid game in their last outing.

Collin Sexton scored 22 points and had eight assists, while John Collins added 19 points as Utah snapped an eight-game losing streak and picked up their fourth home win of the year.

Now the Jazz have a chance to win back-to-back games for the first time since January 4-5, when they won in Miami and Orlando.

“It’s a great team win,” Jazz coach Will Hardy said. “I thought the group was really physical (Saturday). I thought we matched the physicality, or we met the level of physicality that’s needed when you play a team like the Magic.”

That physical play helped Utah limit Orlando to 33% shooting, including just 22% from beyond the arc.

“We understood that they’re not the greatest 3-point shooting team, and they love to get downhill, be physical,” Collins said. “They have a lot of great guys that get downhill. So I feel like the emphasis was on myself, (Lauri Markkanen), Walker (Kessler), the big fellas down there to protect the paint and set a tone.”

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No. 10 Purdue expects Indiana’s strongest challenge in Bloomington

No. 10 Purdue (NCAAB)

No. 10 Purdue is looking for its ninth win in 10 games when it faces Indiana on Friday night in a Big Ten matchup at West Lafayette, Ind.

The Boilermakers are hoping to defeat their rival Hoosiers for the 16th time in the last 20 meetings.

Purdue (16-5, 8-2 Big Ten) is 1 1/2 games behind Michigan State in the Big Ten standings, while Indiana (14-7, 5-5) is in ninth place.

Despite this, Purdue head coach Matt Painter is expecting a tough game. “Always understand you’re going to get their best effort,” Painter said about the Hoosiers. “You always prepare for somebody’s best.”

Indiana has been struggling lately, losing four of its last five games.

The Hoosiers lost a close game to Maryland on Sunday, 79-78. Indiana had a four-point lead with 38 seconds left, but the Terrapins scored the final five points. Indiana’s final attempt to win was unsuccessful when Myles Rice missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer.

“It’s on me,” Rice said about the loss. “I have to make sure we know what we’re doing. I’ll take the heat. Everything happens so fast. As the point guard, it’s up to me to be cool, calm and collected.”

The loss was tough, especially since Indiana now faces a challenging stretch of games, with three of the next four against ranked teams — Purdue, No. 17 Wisconsin, and No. 7 Michigan State. The other game is at home against Michigan, which has been ranked at various points this season.

“These next four games are against really good teams,” Indiana guard Anthony Leal said. “If we’re able to string some wins together, it changes everything. We’ll try to win all of them.”

UConn vs Purdue (NCAAB)

Winning at Purdue will be tough.

The Boilermakers had a 26-game home winning streak until they lost 73-70 to Ohio State on Jan. 21. They started a new streak with a 91-64 victory over then-No. 21 Michigan on Jan. 24.

Purdue forced a season-high 22 turnovers in the game and only committed six of their own. They also limited Michigan to 6-of-29 shooting from 3-point range.

Purdue never trailed and led by as many as 30 points, dominating the Wolverines.

Star point guard Braden Smith had 24 points, 10 assists, and seven rebounds in the game, marking his fourth 20-point/10-assist game of the season. Purdue said there were only two such games in program history before this year.

Smith said he was extra motivated for the game because he felt responsible for the loss to Ohio State. He was just 3-of-14 shooting with 12 points and eight assists in that game.

“When Ohio State happened, I was really upset about it,” Smith said after the Michigan game. “I felt like I let the team down. I felt like it was my fault and I know they’re going to say it’s not or whatever. But to me, as a competitor and as a person, that’s who I am.”

Smith has had 10 or more assists in nine games this season, averaging 15.4 points and 8.9 assists. He was ranked third nationally in assists before Wednesday’s games.

Smith also leads Purdue with 47 3-pointers, four more than Fletcher Loyer. Trey Kaufman-Renn leads the team in scoring with 18.1 points, followed by Loyer at 14.0.

Indiana’s top players are Oumar Ballo, who leads the team with 14.5 points and 10.2 rebounds, and has a team-high 33 blocked shots.

Malik Reneau (13.1), Mackenzie Mgbako (12.5), and Myles Rice (12.1) also score in double digits for the Hoosiers.