Indiana Pacers Summer League Postgame Media Availability | July 10, 2025

Indiana Pacers Summer League Postgame Media Availability | July 10, 2025

take me through the comeback, what you felt like was key in you guys turning that one around after that first. Yeah. Uh I mean earlier in camp I talked about how, you know, we’re trying to implement what we do with the Pacers to the summer league team. Same stuff. I didn’t know we were going to come back from 16 and be a dramatic Pacer win. Um but no, definitely I mean the guys stuck together. I mean credit to everyone that fought back. Q Ray I mean credit to Ashworth, Steven Ashworth came in. I thought it changed the game um for us. We’re picking up you know another ball handler. They they did a great job of pressuring us the whole game. I thought in the first half we’re on our heels reacting, letting them be the aggressor and then uh starting the second half, third quarter, we had stints in the first half, but mainly the third and fourth I thought we you know changed the tide and were on our toes and they’re on their heels. Your first win, how did it feel for you first and foremost? Yeah, I mean it’s it was fun, you know, like to win like that. Um you know they’re they’re a really good team, talented team over there. So you know it’s only right the Pacers come back and win like that. I mean it was it was fun and a great experience for me and other players. I’m sure you knew from Deceptive JP that the water drench was coming. So I I knew it and you can’t see it because I’m wearing black, but they got me. I think Q was the leader cuz he was the one in the back and the minute I walk in, I didn’t get to say a word. He came with I feels like four or five bottles. I don’t know. So no, no extra shirts, huh? No, no extra shirts, but we’ll dry up. Vegas Heat. Speaking of Q, that third quarter, especially the total game, what did you make of it? What he did and how much it helped you guys? Yeah, I mean, one thing I always talk about is like Q’s going to play hard. You know what I mean? He’s going to put effort and that’s a skill nowadays, you know what I mean? And that and that got him onto the court with the big with the NBA team. So, I never can doubt his heart. He’s always going to compete. Um, and he did that tonight. He just signed a two-way to come back for you guys. What has he meant these last couple years, especially as you can just see what he can still do, right? Definitely. Q means a lot. And it’s interesting like for a two-way guy to come in and almost be like a a vibe leader, if that makes sense. like he came in and does a lot on the court and also like pushed and got guys together and rallied dudes together off the court when he’s not playing. He’s just a great, you know, like coach LP always says like he’s like he’s just a classic LA dude. Like just a good vibe dude that brings people together. Ray had a lot of successful plays as well. What’ you like about what he was able to do? Yeah, Ray coming in second summer league like all camp he’s been one of our better players. Um you know can’t get sped up you know almost a you know a veteran in some ways in summer league and I thought he took a step another step in his uh development. Is Fury any long-term concerns in the face? Yeah. No, he just got hit. He got, you know, hit pretty hard. Um, and we just held him for precautionary reasons. Uh, you know, but Fur I’m sure. What did you think of what he did before he exited? Before he was good. I thought he was keeping us afloat. You know what I mean? Defensively, like obviously we’re a smaller team and he’s a big body and a great rebounder and you know, so I thought he kept us afloat. Cam and Tailen getting first professional action ever for them. What did you like or not like about what they did? Yeah, I thought it was a great opportunity this game for both of them. um Cam showing that he can play off ball and on ball and handle the pressure. This is one of the, you know, better teams at pressuring us and I thought he did a great job. You know, obviously was on the restriction with the minutes, so didn’t play um down the stretch, but I thought he was great at at doing what he does. And and mind you, he’s only had two three practices, you know, so it’s going to take a while for get his legs under under him and get them going. And I thought Taye I mean Taye only shot five shots four for five but he was also in the fourth he came in was a spark defensively getting those steals getting those dunks running the lanes and a lot of times his gravity in the corner not letting them come in and help allowed Q to get to the rim allowed Ray to get allowed to roll like his gravity opened up a lot for us. Now that you’re in charge of adjustments and all that kind of things after a game you have games to look at. What do you think you guys need to do better Saturday? I think being the aggressor from the jump. Um, you know, I thought we had, it’s funny, this is like almost a perfect game because we did a lot of bad in the first half and I thought we did a lot of good in the second half and we can show the comparisons um at film and clean it up and and hopefully look like the second half majority of the summer. All right, keep starting with you. That third quarter especially turned it around for you guys and you what what went right for you in that quarter and how did you guys come back after that slower start? Uh, I think we just turned up the intensity. um for the most of the first half they they had the intensity, you know, they had the edge, they had that that dog in them and uh I think we just kind of I don’t know, eased into the game a little bit too um too slow. So, I think coming out of halftime, uh the message was just kind of, you know, match energy, come out, play with that that attitude that we know we have and kind of worked out for us. Same you guys both played that Cavs game, last game of the season, big comeback there, too. Where does this resilience keep coming from regardless of the setting for the Pacers and you guys? Um, for me, it’s just kind of it’s kind of built inside of me. Um, I’m a natural competitor. Um, I don’t know how to come out and and not compete. So, for me, if I’m ever stepping on the floor, especially an NBA floor, I feel like you got to put your best foot forward. So, regardless to whether that’s scoring, playing defense, or just being a great teammate, um, I’m a competitor at everything. Ra Jazz just said that in these practices you feel like you’ve looked like one of the best guys and tonight you know made a lot of shots. Where do you feel like more comfortable or better than you were at this time even last year when you were the um I mean just a year of experience, right? You get to be around the Pacers. We had a great run obviously in the playoffs and just being like a year better, a year stronger and uh just learning, being curious about things. When you got to the Pacers organization, a lot of people described you being somebody who makes other people better. Tonight shooting a little bit more. What to you has always been that balance of doing that kind of stuff, getting everybody else involved, but also at some point you got to be ready to identify. Yeah, I think at the forefront of it is just like being an ultra competitor. Like I think you ask anybody who’s around me, I don’t like to lose and whatever we do, I’m not I’m not going to try to lose. So whether it’s scoring, whether it’s passing, whether it’s guarding the best guy, trying to get my nose in there and rebound, I’ll do whatever it takes to go. You signed a two-way a couple days ago. What did you learn from him both of last year? Um, I mean, being around him all the time, you just like his personality bigger than life, right? So, you just naturally going to have a ton of energy. He’s going to bring energy to practice, games, everything like that. And then just being a dog. Like, I mean, obviously I see the way he plays and when you’re around that type of stuff, it’s contagious. What did that mean to you to sign it to get back? Oh, man. That’s that’s nothing short of a blessing. Uh, a lot of work has went into it, but um I can’t, you know, just put all of it on me. a lot uh comes from the trust of my teammates, the coaching staff, front office, all of that. So, you know, I’m forever grateful. Um, you know, like I said, nothing short of a blessing. What did you think of the new draft pick and what they did today? I think they did good. I told them not to put too much pressure on theirelves. Um, you know, first game, a lot going on. Um, I just told them not to put too much pressure on theirelves, but at the same time, come out here and compete. I think they did a good job. Isaac was saying I think Lloyd’s called you LA before cuz you bring vibes everywhere. Yeah. What does that mean to you to be able to do that to a team, especially a summer league team where you’re kind of a leader already? Uh, I don’t know. I kind of just figured that out when I was in college. Like, it’s kind of my gift. Um, some people shy away from it. I embrace it. Uh, for me, it’s just I just want to have good energy everywhere we go. You know what I’m saying? We can be competitive and still have good energy on the bench and do all this other stuff. So, um, I don’t know. I just I just go out here and be me. And, uh, it’s kind of worked for me. It’s worked for our team. It’s worked for everybody. So RJ, for you obviously a comeback is great, but you were down at 16 in the first half. What do you guys need to clean out on Saturday? Um, I mean, like you don’t get to practice a ton, which are summer league team, so it’s a new group of guys and we have a certain style that we play as a Pacers. So I think just cleaning up on some of our philosophies and defensive assignments and then honestly getting rebounds, finishing off possessions. Isaac said you were the leader of the water bottles, right? What’s that moment like when a coach gets his first one like that? That’s big. Why? That’s my dog, man. So, you know, for him to come out here and get the win, especially against the team we got it against, the way we got it against, you know, it just kind of adds to the um I don’t know the word, but it added to it. So, you know, uh you know, I’m proud of my dog. You know, he had he made sure most of us was ready. Um me and Ray did a good job at, you know, assisting him with that, being guys that were here last year. And so, um I just think next game we got to take that intensity we had in the second half, bring it to the first half and and go out there and win the game.

Summer League head coach Isaac Yacob, Quenton Jackson & RayJ Dennis spoke with the media after our 116-115 win against the Cavaliers in our first Summer League matchup on Thursday night.

0:00 – Summer League Head Coach Isaac Yacob
3:50 – Quenton Jackson & RayJ Dennis