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Pacers wing Johnny Furphy’s poster dunk photo goes viral

Originally posted on NBA on ClutchPoints
By Jackson Stone | Last updated Jul 15, 2025 11:18 AM ET

The Indiana Pacers have recently been participating in the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, with a team led by rising sophomore Johnny Furphy. Furphy didn’t get a ton of minutes as a rookie with Indiana but still showcased some impressive skill that allowed him to be a one and done at Kansas.

During Monday’s Summer League game vs the Chicago Bulls, Furphy produced arguably the highlight of the summer by dunking on Bulls rookie Noa Essengue. The play caused many in attendance to hop out of their seats and understandably made the SportsCenter top ten plays later that evening.

A perfectly timed photo of the play depicted Furphy mid-flight, and Essengue with a dismayed expression on his face as he was in the process of getting posterized.

https://x.com/ClutchPoints/status/1945111039135375626

The popular Art But Make It Sports account on X, formerly Twitter, hilariously compared the photo to a historical painting from Hieronymus Bosch.

The viral moment is sure to have fans full of anticipation the next time Furphy heads toward the rim.

A feel-good moment for the Pacers

Indiana Pacers forward Johnny Furphy (12) warms up on the court before the game against the Atlanta Hawks at State Farm Arena. Mady Mertens-Imagn Images

It’s been a rough few weeks for the Indiana Pacers, who dropped Game 7 of the NBA Finals to end their historic playoff run and have since learned that Tyrese Haliburton will be out for the entirety of next season with a torn Achilles that he sustained during that game.

The Pacers then lost center Myles Turner in free agency to their rival Milwaukee Bucks, and while Jay Huff may be a serviceable big man, it seems unlikely that he will be able to fully replicate what Turner provided in Indiana for the last decade.

With this being the case, it remains unclear what the Pacers’ approach will be in the 2025-26 season. It seems unlikely that the team would fully throw in the towel on trying to compete, but attempting to do so without two of their starters from last year will certainly be a challenge.

Perhaps Furphy and other young players on the roster will be able to contribute at a higher level in 2025-26 than they did last year, which could help expand the Pacers’ ceiling for next season.

This article first appeared on NBA on ClutchPoints and was syndicated with permission.

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