NBA FINALS: THUNDER VS. PACERS

June 7, 2025

Myles Turner

Indiana Pacers

Practice Day

Q. You guys were the first team since 2014 to win an NBA Finals game without a 20-point scorer. Why would you say that is and what does that communicate about your team?

MYLES TURNER: It’s about the collective will we have as a team. Elite role players, call it. We have two All-Stars on our team, but at the same time they will be the first to tell you that it can be anybody's night at any given time. We are just really following that philosophy.

Q. I know you've obviously been with this team your whole career, going on 10 years. I'm sure this question has been asked, but after seeing the performance of Game 1, what is it that makes this team so resilient?

MYLES TURNER: We're battle-tested. We do well with adversity. I think we thrive in adversity. I think that this team has not been a cupcake run for us. For the past, really, four years we've really built towards this moment.

I think that, more than anything, the last two months of the season we were in position quite a bit where we had to fight from behind and come back. And when you have that mock test coming into the final test being here, it's only going to help you.

Q. It's all about being ahead at the end, but what do you take away from this game, first game, only being ahead for 0.3 seconds? What do you need to change for Game 2?

MYLES TURNER: I don't see it that way. At this final stage, you're not always going to be up by 10, 20 points. You spend so much time studying the other team and scouting that sometimes it will come down to one or two plays or one or two possessions.

We know, obviously, the biggest glaring thing was our turnovers. Once we got those down, we will put ourselves in better positions. It’s a possession-by-possession battle.

Q. It's a chess match all the time, talking about the Finals, next move, next move. What do you expect is going to be different for Game 2?

MYLES TURNER: I haven't even looked forward to the expectation. Just figuring out what we can change as a collective unit. We study our film and we study the unit. And I can't tell you what our chess move is going to be, but we'll make our moves.

Q. What's been the biggest thing that's led to success on road games this season for you guys?

MYLES TURNER: Again, it's the overall belief in ourselves. And I think a lot of it is not losing ourselves in the moment. When you go on the road, the adversity, people booing you, people saying -- respect the OKC fans, they are a lot different than New York fans, but the different things that get you going on the road is a little bit different.

Q. What does it mean, you've been through the highs and lows, and to get to this point that you thought might not even be possible?

MYLES TURNER: It's just the moment itself, man. Every single day, just how painful it is after a game, how much you don't sleep, how much better the food tastes. All the little things, I'm not taking it for granted. Just finally being here and finally being able to soak my feet in the moment. Just taking it day-by-day. I think the best part about it is just the process of it all. It's been a lot of fun.

Q. What would you say of your teammates would be the best head coach in the future?

MYLES TURNER: T.J. McConnell for sure. He's going to hate that but T.J. McConnell for sure.

Q. Who would be the worst businessman?

MYLES TURNER: Businessman? Worst businessman? Boy, that came out of left field. Let me think. The worst businessman on our team would probably be Ben Sheppard.

Q. Rick Carlisle gives you a lot of freedom on offense. Why does that work so well for this team?

MYLES TURNER: Man, that's what it's about. That's where the roots of this game comes from. When you go out there and play pick-up basketball or play street ball, whatever, you're just going out there creating. We’re all savants out there and I think he allows us to be ourselves.

And I think the days of calling a play every single time up and down, like, it's the playoffs, man. People scout for that. People scout your next move. So you have to be able to think and create on the fly.