Indiana Mad Ants 2023-24 season ends with first-round playoff loss

The Mad Ants lost on Tuesday

INDIANAPOLIS — The Indiana Pacers G League affiliate team, the Indiana Mad Ants, dropped their first-round playoff game on Tuesday. It ended their 2023-24 season.

Indiana was the third seed in the Eastern Conference, which landed them a date with the Delaware Blue Coats at home in the first round of the G League playoffs. Every level of the G League postseason is a best-of-one until the Finals, so it was do or die for the Mad Ants.

They were in trouble early. The Blue Coats made their first six outside shots and were generally terrific on offense early in the game. They scored 21 points in the first five minutes of play and had 30 just over halfway through the first quarter. The visitors were crushing Indiana early.

After the first period, Delaware was ahead 45-30. The Mad Ants had made several big comebacks in recent weeks, so the game was far from over, but that hot start already had the third-seeded team in a big hole. Indiana was running out of time.

"I think they made their first six or seven threes," Mad Ants head coach Tom Hankins said after the game. "They came out and punched us in the mouth and we never really recovered,"

Indiana was better in the second quarter and cut the lead down to 51-44 at one point. But they didn't keep it close for long. Delaware responded with a 10-0 run that spanned just under two minutes of game time, and they were up by 18 at halftime.

"Really tough matchup for us. They play small... they're basically playing five guards all game," Hankins said. Because of the game's makeup, the Mad Ants couldn't rely on Oscar Tshiebwe as much as they typically do.

The game never got close in the second half. The Mad Ants cut the lead down to the low teens a few times, but they were never within striking distance. Delaware's early surge defined the whole game, and they rolled to a 123-101 victory.

Despite a 21-13 regular season and a 15-2 performance during the Showcase Cup, Indiana's season ended in the first round of the playoffs for the second-straight season. They fell in the Showcase Cup title game back in December.

There were many highs for the Mad Ants this season, and they earned more wins than almost any franchise over the course of the entire G League campaign. But they came up short on Tuesday night, and now their season is over.

"It's a really good group of guys. I feel like as far as a G League team is concerned... I think there's no question that we [played together]," Hankins said of his team. He finished second in G League coach of the year voting. Hankins was proud of the way his team shared the ball and played connected, which can be challenging for a G League group.

"It's been a big year for me and my teammates. Really great group of guys," Pacers forward Kendall Brown, who was on assignment with the Mad Ants for the G League playoffs, said after the game. He spent much of the season on a two-way contract and played in the G League often. He finished with 28 points in the playoff game and was by far Indiana's best player.

His talent was obvious, and his contract was converted to a standard NBA deal in early March. Wing Kyle Mangas added 20 points vs Delaware, and two-way contract guard Quenton Jackson had 16. Tshiebwe (two points and six rebounds) and Isaiah Wong (two points and two rebounds) were the other players with Pacers experience that suited up.

"I'm really thankful for everyone and the coaches," Brown said after the game.

Brown and all of the two-way contract players can now be with the Pacers for the rest of the NBA season. Indiana has five more games, so perhaps they could get more experience before the postseason. Indiana has clinched at least a top-eight seed in the NBA's Eastern Conference.

The Mad Ants played all of their games in Gainbridge Fieldhouse this season as their new arena in Noblesville is still under construction. This was their first season since relocating from Fort Wayne, and it ended with a disappointing first-round playoff exit.

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