Shaquille O'Neal and Charles Barkley had a light-hearted debate after the Indiana Pacers' victory over the Boston Celtics in the NBA In-Season Championship. O'Neal, a former NBA champion, praised the Pacers for being able to go on a 9-0 run late in the game to seal the victory. He said that if the Pacers can continue to maintain this defensive intensity, they are confident of winning the entire game.

On the other hand, Barkley didn't seem too impressed with the Pacers' performance and the game as a whole. He sees the in-season game as nothing more than a "regular season game" and maintains a strong belief in the Celtics' championship aspirations. Despite the Celtics' recent loss, Barkley attributes the Celtics' defeat to the absence of Kristaps Porzingis, and remains confident that the Celtics will be a force to be reckoned with in the real NBA season.

The Pacers will face the winner of the Bucks-Knicks game in the semifinals.