Pacers will build on series

When it was over, and his team had fallen short of beating the Cavaliers in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference playoff series at Quicken Loans Arena on April 29, Indiana Pacers coach Nate McMillan was in a reflective mood.

“I think life is about creating moments,” McMillan told reporters shortly after the Pacers had been beaten, 105-101, in the finale the best-of-seven series.

“This was going to be a moment either way,” he added. “We had an opportunity to create a special moment tonight, going seven games with Cleveland, winning and moving on to the second round.”

Instead, it will be LeBron James and the Cavaliers who will face the Toronto Raptors in the Eastern Conference semifinals. Game 1 is set for May 1 at 8 p.m. in Toronto.

Despite the loss in the game and series. McMillan said the Pacers did create a moment. They finished 4834 in the regular season, far better than most analysts predicted, then gave the Cavs all they could handle in the playoff series.

“A lot of people didn’t give is a chance,” McMillan said. “These men came in, worked together and played hard. We created a culture in our organization we will continue to build.”

Indiana guard Victor Oladipo made a strong statement in this series. He finished with a team-high 33 points in Game 7.

Acquired from Oklahoma City in the offseason deal that sent former Pacers standout Paul George to the Thunder, Oladipo averaged 23.2 points in the series.

“If y’all don’t respect the Indiana Pacers now, I don’t have no respect for you,” Oladipo told reporters. “That’s just how I feel. Nobody thought we were going to get here, not one person but the ones in that locker room. I feel like we earned respect from everyone. That’s the moment we created.”

Oladipo earned plenty of respect from James, who scored 45 points in Game 7.

“He showed why he’s a franchise player,” James said of Oladipo. “They definitely pushed us to the limit. They pushed us to the brink.”

McMillian and Oladipo both heaped praise on James, who averaged 34.4 points in the series.

“Amazing. He did what he always does,” Oladipo said. “It’s not really shocking. He’s the best on the world. Now, I have to work so I can get on that level.”