Ben Sheppard

As basketball observers can likely attest, few sights as satisfying as seeing the box score and eye test agree wholeheartedly on the same conclusion. During the 2025 Eastern Conference Finals, the two often worked in perfect harmony, in regards to illustrating Ben Sheppard’s impact on the Indiana Pacers’ victory hopes. 48 hours removed from clocking a +14 plus-minus in just seven minutes — all without making a single bucket — Sheppard decides to incorporate a crucial score into Game Two’s contribution, swishing a catch-and-shoot triple that affords Indiana a late-game six-point edge. In between his downtown accuracy and his turnover-forcing, high-effort defensive impact, Sheppard became one of many unsung heroes during May 23, 2025’s back-and-forth battle. Given the end result — a five-point win for Indiana — Sheppard’s contributions proved paramount, as he tallied six points, one assist, two 3-pointers, and a +8 plus-minus in 13 minutes, as Indiana stole back-to-back wins on the New York Knicks’ home floor.