Steve Nash says Indiana Pacers can win NBA Eastern Conference with Tyrese Haliburton's return
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The Indiana Pacers' run to the 2025 NBA Finals created a classic "what if" scenario: What if Tyrese Haliburton had not suffered a torn Achilles tendon in the first quarter of Game 7?
He had 9 points when he went down after grabbing a loose ball, and the Pacers wound up losing to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
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Pacers fans aren't alone in wanting to rekindle the joy of going to the final game of the season. That's why Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductee Steve Nash is his pick to win the Eastern Conference.
"My nostalgia, my sentimentality says the Pacers. I would love to see the Pacers," Nash said on the "Zach Lowe Show." "They're capable of it, but they did catch lightning in a bottle in a lot of ways."
Nash said Haliburton must return to his old self by playoff time, post player Ivica Zubac must fit in despite his lack of 3-point shooting experience, and that the "bench mob" becomes as crucial as it was in 2025-26.
"Honestly, it's one of the greatest stories in professional sports, but we really don't talk about it anymore because they lost," Nash said. "A very, very, very tragic end for them."
Lowe asked if that Nash's pick is only with his heart, or if he believes the Pacers can win the conference.
"I hope my head is in there, too," Nash said. "They have some things to prove."
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This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Steve Nash says Indiana Pacers can win NBA Eastern Conference with Tyrese Haliburton's return
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