Jenny Boucek, the Pacers assistant who blended NFL and NBA for a play that changed Indiana’s season

One of the Indiana Pacers’ lead assistants has been quietly working behind the scenes to construct creative plays that blend football and basketball.

When Tyrese Haliburton hit a dramatic four-point play against the Milwaukee Bucks on March 11, most fans saw it as another clutch moment in his breakout season. But behind the shot was a play drawn from an entirely different sport, and a coach whose journey has been anything but conventional.

That coach was the Indiana Pacers’ lead assistant Jenny Boucek, the architect for what might be the most pivotal out-of-bounds play of the Pacers’ season. The inspiration? Semipro flag football.

A football play in an NBA game

The setup looked more like a shotgun formation than a basketball play: four players lined up behind half court like wide receivers, each running a different route toward the basket. The inbounder played the role of quarterback, scanning the field for the open target.

It was Boucek’s brainchild, something she first conceived decades ago during her time playing semipro flag football while also coaching in the WNBA for the Miami Sol. She refined the concept over the years, even working with Hall of Fame point guard Sue Bird during her time with the Seattle Storm.

And when Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle needed something bold to keep Indiana’s playoff hopes alive, he turned to Boucek and that unorthodox design. The result? Haliburton hit the game-tying shot, drew a foul, and converted a rare four-point play that swung momentum for the Pacers in the tightly packed Eastern Conference. They’re now leading the NBA Finals 2-1 over the Oklahoma City Thunder.