Myles Turner Channels Inner Kobe Bryant; Drops Clear Message On Pacers' Potential ECF Run

After the Pacers took a 41-point lead at the half, Game 4 was almost as good as over following Donovan Mitchell heading to the locker room due to a left ankle injury. The Cavaliers waved the white flag early and went deep into their roster to give rotation minutes. Myles Turner was crucial in the Pacers blowing this game apart in the first half. Playing only 22 minutes in the game, Turner had 20 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists.

After the game, the media asked Turner what this victory did for their team's morale going forward. Turner responded, "Doesn't do a thing, job' not finished. To quote the great Kobe Bryant, that's real. You've got to be able to go in a hostile territory and be able to stay focused. I think that people are going to start talking about us now, we're this, we're this, we're that. We've got to keep our heads down, keep the blinders on, and just keep rolling, man. Just ignore the noise and keep playing our brand of basketball."

Charles Barkley already deemed Game 5 as a must-win for the Pacers despite a 3-1 series lead. Turner expects that his teammates won't crumble under the pressure of such media narratives and will deliver the final blow to the Cavaliers.

What Happened In Game 4 Of Pacers Vs. Cavaliers Series?

Myles Turner had 18 of his 20 points in the first half as the Pacers stunned the Cavaliers 39-80. After building a 13-point lead after the first quarter, the Pacers left no room for the Cavaliers to rally back into the game. Moreover, the Cavaliers lost their highest scorer of the season, Donovan Mitchell, to a left ankle injury at the half. Someone rightly said, 'When it rains, it pours. ' 

The Pacers won the game by 20 points as the final score was 129-109 in their favor. Seven different players had double-digit points for the Pacers on a night when they recorded an NBA playoff record-setting 37 assists in a single game. Haliburton had only five of those assists as the majority of playmaking came from T.J. McConnell (8 assists) and Andrew Nembhard (7 assists) for the Pacers.

When Did Kobe Bryant Use This Iconic "Job's Not Finished" Quote?

After Game 2 of the 2009 NBA Finals, Bryant famously said, "Job's not finished," in response to a reporter who questioned why he didn't appear happy despite the Lakers taking a 2-0 lead over the Magic in the best-of-seven series. Ever since then, players across the league on several occasions have used this quote to indicate that they are not yet satisfied with the result.

The Pacers are 3-1 up in their series against the Cavaliers. Despite the lead, Turner wants to similarly indicate that he and the Pacers are not yet satisfied with an imminent run to the Eastern Conference Finals yet again. Last season, the Pacers also went to the ECF but got swept by the Celtics. This time, they will look to avoid a similar outcome and hence plan to stay locked in on the final goal, an NBA championship.