On Tuesday, the Indiana Pacers secured their second straight Eastern Conference Finals berth, by eliminating the Cleveland Cavaliers in five games in the second round of the playoffs.
They did it thanks to 31 points on 10-of-15 field-goal shooting and eight assists from Tyrese Haliburton.
Advertisement
The Pacers will await the winner of the New York Knicks-Boston Celtics series, currently led by the Knicks three games to one.
On TNT’s “Inside the NBA,” Dwight Howard sat in for Shaquille O’Neal, and Howard sent a clear message with a post on X.
“Yall gotta have me and my big brother up here next 😂 @NBAonTNT,” Howard wrote.
Howard and O’Neal have had a feud that goes back several years in the middle of Howard’s playing career. O’Neal would often criticize Howard because he felt Howard wasn’t reaching his potential and should’ve been a much greater and more prolific player.
In his 18-year career, Howard finished with career averages of 15.7 points, 11.8 rebounds and 1.8 blocks a game. During his prime, he was a dominant rebounder and defender, and he led the NBA in rebounding average five times and was named the Defensive Player of the Year three straight times.
Former Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard (12)Howard Smith-Imagn Images
He won a championship in 2020 as a reserve with the Los Angeles Lakers after years of bouncing around from team to team amidst accusations of being a self-centered diva.
Advertisement
After his final season in the NBA, Howard spent the 2022-23 season with the Taoyuan Leopards of the T1 League in Taiwan. He was recently voted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
Related: Steve Kerr Reveals Unfortunate Jimmy Butler Feeling Amid Playoff Deficit