"Michael Jordan did not win until Phil Jackson got him" - Isiah Thomas credits Rick Carlisle's coaching masterclass for Pacers' Game 1 win

Isiah Thomas raved on Sunday about Indiana Pacers coach Rick Carlisle’s masterclass in Game 1. While it was Tyrese Haliburton who made the game-winning shot to drag the Pacers to a 111-1110 win, Thomas credited Carlisle for keeping Indiana together. Haliburton and Co. rallied from a 15-point fourth-quarter deficit to steal the series opener on the road.

Ahead of Game 2, the Detroit Pistons legend gave Carlisle his flowers.

"Kobe Bryant did not become Kobe until Phil Jackson got there. Jordan did not win until Phil Jackson got him. … You got a coach in this series by the name of Rick Carlise, 65 years old, and we saw him run a triple stagger that none of these OKC players had seen before. Rick Carlisle is bringing out some old-school stuff.”

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Thomas emphasized the Indiana Pacers’ balanced scoring and movement that led to their Game 1 comeback. The Hall of Famer noted how Carlisle ran a system that shuns heavy 1-on-1 plays. According to the NBA analyst, the Thunder must adapt to that style to tie the series.

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Rick Carlisle has authored two 15-point fourth-quarter comebacks in NBA playoff history

Rick Carlisle was on the sidelines when the Dallas Mavericks visited the Miami Heat in Game 2 of the NBA Finals on June 2, 2011. After Heat superstar Dwyane Wade drained a 24-footer to push the home team’s lead to 88-73, Carlisle regrouped his team. Mavericks guard Jason Terry led the comeback by responding with a 6-0 run before Shawn Marion added a layup.

Dirk Nowitzki came alive with 2:44 left to lead the Mavericks to a stunning 95-93 win. The German scored Dallas’ last nine points, including the go-ahead layup.

Roughly 14 years later, Rick Carlisle guided another team to a 15-point come-from-behind win. The comeback kids of the 2025 NBA playoffs responded to their coach’s calm and composed demeanor to pull off the stunning reversal.

The Pacers did it by clamping down on defense and by raining 3s on their highly favored opponents. Haliburton, like what Nowitzki did before, capped off the blistering run with a game-winning basket.

The Indiana Pacers are leaning heavily on Carlisle’s experience in the playoffs. Isiah Thomas recognized the veteran coach’s impact following another thrilling victory despite facing a significant deficit in the fourth quarter.

Edited by Michael Macasero