Jun 8, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Indiana Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle talks with referee Ben Taylor following a play against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the second half during game two of the 2025 NBA Finals at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

6-Time All-Star Predicted Indiana Pacers Would Win Game 3 Because Of Rick Carlisle

Originally posted on Back in the Day NBA on SI
By Shandel Richardson | Last updated Jun 12, 2025 12:20 PM ET

Former NBA player Jermaine O'Neal looked like a genius after Wednesday's Game 3 of the NBA Finals.

During an appearance on the Run It Back podcast, O'Neal was giving praise to Indiana Pacers coach Rick Carlisle.

"Rick Carlisle is a basketball savant," O'Neal said. "I had a chance to play for him when I was in Indy. He's a thinker. He's one of the best in-game strategy coaches that we've seen in the game. He's a little bit eclectic from a personality standpoint but he's an amazing guy."

Jermaine O'Neal gives flowers to Rick Carlisle

"Rick Carlisle's a basketball savant. ... He's a coach you'd run through a wall for. ... That's why I think the Pacers win Game 3."@jermaineoneal | @MichelleDBeadle | @TeamLou23 | @ChandlerParsons pic.twitter.com/jrF1r0yU1p
— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) June 11, 2025

O'Neal played for the Pacers from 2000-08 when he was among the top players in the league. That's when Carlisle was in his first stint with the Pacers before he joined the Dallas Mavericks. After returning, he has the Pacers two games from the first NBA title in franchise history. They defeated the heavily favored Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 3 Wednesday.

Before the game, O'Neal predicted a victory because of Carlisle. He views him as the X-Factor in

"We've all been around those coaches, where you got some you'll just run through a wall for and Rick Carlisle is one of those guys," O'Neal said. "He never seems to panic. He's not a guy that gets frustrated ... He's going to make sure his team is prepared and that why I think the Pacers are going to win [Game 3]."

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This article first appeared on Back in the Day NBA on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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