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Rick Carlisle reveals joke he told Doc Rivers after Pacers-Bucks playoff battle, Myles Turner exit adds new twist

Originally posted on NBA Analysis Network
By Aaditya Krishnamurthy | Last updated Jul 16, 2025 11:59 AM ET

Rick Carlisle poked fun at Doc Rivers after the playoffs, but Myles Turner helped the Bucks get the last laugh.

The Milwaukee Bucks and Indiana Pacers have formed quite a rivalry in the Eastern Conference over the last few years.

In the last two seasons, the Rick Carlisle and the Pacers have been responsible for sending the Doc Rivers’ Bucks packing in the first round.

But the Bucks may have gotten a leg up on the Pacers this offseason. In one of the biggest shockers in free agency, Pacers center Myles Turner signed with the Milwaukee Bucks.

The Bucks pulled off a brilliant coup. It appears Turner was unhappy with the Pacers and the fanbase, which factored into his decision to leave.

What was a 2-0 winstreak for the Pacers over the Bucks in the last two years has become a proverbial competitive series. And it appears Rick Carlisle making an innocent joke came back to haunt him with Turner’s exit

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Rick Carlisle told Doc Rivers Pacers-Bucks would meet again in playoffs before Myles Turner signing

Rick Carlisle addressed many different topics during his interview with Chris Long. When discussing Myles Turner’s surprising exit, Carlisle shared a funny anecdote.

Carlisle revealed he told Doc Rivers prior to Turner’s departure that the Pacers and Bucks would meet in the playoffs again. When it comes to Turner’s exit, however, Carlisle wished him nothing but the best.

“There was never a chance to counter. Those things happen, and when they do, you just got to keep going.

“I had a nice conversation with Myles the day after and wished him the very best, special relationship I developed with him over four years. Wish him the best, we’ll see them four times during the year

“I got a nice message from Doc Rivers after the playoffs, Doc’s a longtime friend, this was before the Myles thing happened, I just said to Doc ‘we’ll see you in the playoffs next year’. We see these guys every year.

“We both did the LOL thing on text. Myles will be fine there, he’s a great player to put with Giannis, things change rapidly.”

Indiana Pacers face uphill battle with roster changes next season

Myles Turner’s exit isn’t the only major blow to the Indiana Pacers ahead of the new season. The Pacers lost Tyrese Haliburton to an Achilles injury in Game 7 of the NBA Finals.

This means the All-Star guard won’t be available for Rick Carlisle to select for the entirety of the 2025-26 NBA season. It was a devastating blow for Carlisle and the Pacers, who lost their best player for over a year.

After losing two of their best players, the Pacers can’t expect to compete for an NBA championship with their roster as presently constructed.

Instead, the next season should be all about Carlisle working on giving younger players more opportunities to try and develop them ahead of the 2026-27 campaign.

The Pacers couldn’t win without Haliburton in the NBA Finals. So Rick Carlisle knows their roster definitely has some growing to do next year.

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

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