With family in the crowd, Indiana Pacers rookie Enrique Freeman has special game in Cleveland

Freeman is an Akron product

Oct 10, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Indiana Pacers forward Enrique Freeman (8) drives to the basket beside Cleveland Cavaliers forward Jaylon Tyson (24), guard Jules Bernard (14), and guard Luke Travers (33) in the fourth quarter at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images / David Richard-Imagn Images

INDIANAPOLIS — The crowd in Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse during Thursday's Indiana Pacers vs Cleveland Cavaliers tilt could be heard often through the TV screen, and not just because they got excited to see the Cleveland Guardians ALDS score on the jumbotron every so often.

Instead, they were cheering for a Pacers player in his battle against the home team. Enrique Freeman, a rookie forward for the Pacers who is full of energy and rebounding prowess, is an Ohio native who grew up not far from Cleveland. He was a Cavaliers fan growing up. And for this preseason game, the stands were filled with his friends and family.

It hit Freeman how much of his family was in attendance when he walked into the locker room. He was flooded with memories of his past trips to that arena while in college — roughly 15 games and two championships, the Akron product recalls — and it put a smile on his face to know how many supporters he had in the building. He quickly sent a text to his old teammates telling them that he missed them.

On the court, Freeman played like an NBA veteran. It was his second preseason game ever, yet at times he looked like the best player on the hardwood. He couldn't be contained with box outs, flipped in shots around the rim, and made defensive plays. In between, he made life easier on his teammates with good screens and passes. It was a clean performance from an inexperienced player at the pro level.

Enrique Freeman had more than 50 family members, plus his high school and college teammates in the crowd for tonight’s game in his hometown of Cleveland.

he finished 9 points, 9 rebounds, 1 block, and 1 assist in 16 minutes 💪 pic.twitter.com/5ral3MqDV4

— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) October 11, 2024

"When I checked in, I think I heard a lot of roars in the crowd. And that's when I was like, 'yeah, we're in Cleveland, for sure'," Freeman said of the environment. Every time he made a play, the broadcast sound featured a particular cheer that wasn't noticeable on other baskets.

His Pacers teammates took notice of his success. They were excited for his buckets and all stood up to cheer on the bench when he blocked a dunk. Those emotions carried into practice on Saturday — while Freeman was speaking with reporters, guard Bennedict Mathurin walked by.

"Had his family in town and turned into prime Michael Jordan"! Mathurin said. "Sheesh!"

By the final buzzer, Freeman had nine points on six shot attempts. He pulled in nine rebounds, seven of which came on the offensive end. When there was a missed shot, he often grabbed it.

He added the aforementioned block, an assist, and even drilled a corner three. That outside shot is something he's been working on since being drafted. The Pacers want him to be more efficient, and Freeman spent parts of his final season at Akron working on his modern NBA big man skills. He flashed many of them in Cleveland on Thursday.

It isn't just those skills that Freeman feels better at, though. "I love how we play. I love how we value offense and defense," Freeman said of Indiana. "And for me, as a younger guy and a rookie, just learning from the vets and trying to minimize my mistakes and just playing within our system the right way."

The forward said it can be tough to apply everything he's learning while still playing his game. Freeman's brain, as he described, is moving faster than his body. Yet his effort bridges that gap, and he's been effective in his two preseason appearances so far.

He's already felt himself get more comfortable with the pace of the game, and he showed that in Cleveland with his family watching. "It's special," Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said of playing in one's hometown in front of family. "Really happy for him and how he went in there and made an immediate impact. He showed everybody why we thought he was a special player in the draft."

Sep 30, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indiana Pacers forward Enrique Freeman (8) poses for a photo during 2024 Media day. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images / Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

Freeman mentioned about half the team when asked if any players have been particularly effective vets for him early in the season. They're all teaching him how to be better yet helping him slow down at the right times. It has all been important for the first-year pro.

He had to slow down again when walking back on the floor in Cleveland on Thursday. The game was over, but he went out to meet with the 50+ people who came to see him play. There was no doubt who he was going to see first, though — his mom. She pushed him to continue his basketball journey in college and got to see his second preseason game up close.

"First person I [usually] try to go to is my mom. She's always tearing up and emotional," Freeman said.

He, too, was a little emotional after a game like that. He played his best game yet and looked like one of the best players on the floor. It was a special day for a growing player.

"It was really, really fun," Mathurin said of watching Freeman in Cleveland. "He played amazing. It was great to see him perform. The most important thing is that it was really good to see him smile."

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• Indiana Pacers beat Cleveland Cavaliers by a dozen in preseason tilt, key plays and moments. CLICK HERE.
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