One other Pacers season is underway and for the primary time all yr, Indiana followers filed into Gainbridge Fieldhouse to get their first glimpse of the Blue & Gold on the annual FanJam introduced by Gainbridge.
Hundreds of followers descended upon downtown for the favored free occasion. The primary 5,000 folks to enter obtained a swag bag and voucher for a free sizzling canine, chips, and Pepsi product. The primary hour consisted of concourse actions earlier than the Pacers gamers, coaches, and help employees took the courtroom for a scrimmage and different actions.
This yr’s FanJam scrimmage was one of the entertaining in current reminiscence, with a lot of aggressive vitality, laughs, and gravity-defying dunks. Later, the Pacers’ three 2022 draft picks entertained the gang through the annual Rookie Present.
“I actually thought the gang was nice,” Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle mentioned. “This was nearly as good as a FanJam crowd as we have ever had right here. Actually into it, actually vocal, loads of noise.”
Sixth general choose Bennedict Mathurin placed on a present for the followers early within the scrimmage, scoring 13 early factors to assist the Blue crew out to an early lead. Mathurin’s first factors got here on a stepback 3-pointer over Buddy Hield and he later added a pair dunks, together with a two-handed reverse slam and a right-handed windmill.
The Blue crew led 34-15 coming into the closing minutes of the primary half, however the White crew answered with a 14-0 run simply earlier than the half that featured a Tyrese Haliburton self alley-oop off the glass. Kendall Brown’s dunk proper on the first half buzzer ended that spurt and gave the White crew a 36-29 lead after the opening 10 minutes.
The second half featured a number of extra highlight-reel dunks together with windmills from Terry Taylor and Brown and a between-the-legs slam by Isaiah Jackson.
However the spotlight of the half got here when an enterprising younger fan sitting on the baseline named Jaxon Puckett requested if he might play within the scrimmage. Hield gave the child his jersey and led him to the scorer’s desk, the place he promptly checked in, weaved by way of the protection and executed an ideal give-and-go with Jalen Smith earlier than sinking a layup to a loud ovation.
“That was superior, man,” eight-year veteran Myles Turner, the longest-tenured Pacer, mentioned of Puckett’s newfound stardom. “He actually obtained the folks going. That is what FanJam’s all about.”
The Blue crew appeared nicely on their solution to a win, however the White crew mounted a late cost, with Langston Galloway finally hitting a buzzer-beating three to ship the sport into extra time.
Hield scored the primary 5 factors of the two-minute additional body to place the White squad in entrance and Deividas Sirvydis missed a possible game-winner on the buzzer because the White crew prevailed, 70-68.
Subsequent up was the 3-point contest, the place Hield finally prevailed, beating Haliburton within the semifinals and Galloway (who topped Sirvidys in his semifinal) within the remaining.
The on-court actions concluded with the always-popular Rookie Present. As soon as once more, Myles Turner served as grasp of ceremonies, choosing out the costumes and songs for every rookie and introducing them to the gang.
First-year therapeutic massage therapist opened the present with a powerful rendition of Carly Rae Jepsen’s “Name Me Possibly” earlier than giving solution to the three rookie gamers.
Brown went first, dressed as Cat within the Hat and stumbling his approach by way of Kelly Clarkson’s “Since You’ve got Been Gone.” Andrew Nembhard gave a stable efficiency of Katy Perry’s “Firework” whereas dressed as Buzz Lightyear, however had bother remembering the lyrics.
Mathurin prevented these issues by studying off his telephone as he belted out Vanessa Carlton’s “A Thousand Miles” in a Frozone costume.
The three rookies then competed in dance off earlier than followers finally picked Mathurin as this yr’s winner.
“I used to be fairly excited simply to fulfill the followers for the primary time,” mentioned Mathurin, who mentioned he was completely happy he obtained to sing the track he was assigned, which he is aware of nicely from its prominence within the 2004 movie “White Chicks,” one in every of his favourite motion pictures.
Afterwards, the gamers unfold out throughout the Fieldhouse for the ultimate hour at picture stations to take footage with followers.
All in all, it was memorable begin to what guarantees to be a busy subsequent few weeks on the Fieldhouse. Indiana hosts New York and Houston for preseason video games subsequent Wednesday and Friday. The Blue & Gold will then tip off the common season with a three-game homestand as a part of Opening Week introduced by Kroger, internet hosting Washington on Oct. 19, San Antonio on Oct. 21, and Detroit on Oct. 22.
“It is simply the primary actual sense of the season beginning again up,” Turner mentioned of the FanJam expertise. “Simply that spirit within the fitness center and being again in entrance of our followers on the whole. We needed to play the primary two (preseason) video games on the highway, so simply getting that really feel in Gainbridge (Fieldhouse) once more, it was dope.”
