Carlisle back with Pacers

Rick Carlisle is coming back to Indiana to coach the Pacers after deciding his time leading Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks was over. Carlisle confirmed to The Associated Press on Thursday he has agreed to return to the club he coached for four seasons from 200307. He led the Pacers to the Eastern Conference finals his first season. The 61-year-old Carlisle decided to leave the Mavericks last week, a day after General Manager Donnie Nelson left the club. Dallas owner Mark Cuban said it was Carlisle’s decision to leave. After a decade as an assistant coach, Carlisle’s first head coaching job was with Detroit in 2001. He spent two seasons with the Pistons, leaving after leading them to the East finals in 2003.