Indiana Pacers bench, led by T.J. McConnell and Bennedict Mathurin, save team from awful shooting night against Milwaukee Bucks
MILWAUKEE — Winning in the way the Indiana Pacers did on Monday night isn't supposed to happen.
The Pacers were 5/35 from deep in Milwaukee to kick off 2024, a dreadful shooting performance. No single player on Indiana's roster made more than one three-point shot against the Bucks. In the fourth quarter, the blue and gold didn't knock down a single look from beyond the arc.
This is the same Pacers that are fifth in the NBA in triples made per game and third in three-point percentage. Prior to Monday, they were 1-7 this season when shooting under 31% from deep. The franchise hadn't won a game shooting worse than 20% from deep since November 1, 2019. They hadn't defeated an opponent while canning less than 15% of their threes since February 8, 2016 — only two players on their roster made a long-range shot that night.
All of that changed on Monday when the Pacers beat the Bucks. They were a terrible shooting team but still found a way to win by nine on the road. It was one of the team's most impressive wins of the season, given the style of the game and the hurdles Indiana had to overcome.
"Just digging in. That's part of the maturation of this group," Pacers star Tyrese Haliburton said of how the Pacers overcame their off night. "When we're not making shots, can we win games, can we get enough stops? Defense... that helped us."
The Pacers got it done by doing all of the little things well. They took care of the ball, first and foremost. Indiana only coughed up seven turnovers on Monday, something head coach Rick Carlisle was proud of. That was their second fewest this season.
They also hit the offensive glass and pulled in 14 offensive rebounds, their fourth-most in a game this campaign. Two of their three more effective games grabbing offensive rebounds also came against the Bucks.
Combined, the low turnover number and productive outing on the boards gave the Pacers extra possessions. They had six more rebounds and four fewer turnovers than Milwaukee, which helped them get more chances to score. During an off shooting night, that was valuable.
They seized those chances. The Pacers did a good job attacking the paint and drawing contact. They scored 64 points in the paint and took a season-high 38 free throws. Indiana was able to generate efficient offense even without a reliable outing from three.
"We talked about the importance of being efficient on offense and doing a good job in the possession game," Carlisle said postgame. "That helps keep you in the game."
Those little things were special. Bennedict Mathurin and T.J. McConnell were the face of it all for the Pacers. They made hustle plays, attacked the rim, and were solid on the glass.
Together, they were fantastic and guided a Pacers bench that scored 70 points. Milwaukee's starters were better than Indiana's, but the blue and gold outscored their opponent 70-16 via reserves.
Mathurin had the type of game that reminds everyone of his development. He blended the skills that make him a high-potential player with the ones that he is working on.
All night, he mostly made quick decisions when he caught the ball. He was decisive, and punishing, with his rim pressure. Mathurin knocked down shots (9/15) and got to the foul line for nine free throw attempts. He was fantastic, finishing with 25 points and 13 rebounds.
"Tried to keep the game simple, tried to make the right plays. Pretty much trying to help my team win," Mathurin said of his outing. Keeping things simple has been important for the young guard this season.
He wasn't trying to stand out or fit in. He was just a great player. The Bucks had no answers for the second-year guard as he did a little bit of everything.
McConnell, meanwhile, did McConnell-esque stuff. He was pesky and a thorn in the Bucks' side. His play, and his intensity, mattered a great deal to an Indiana team that was trying to avenge a dramatic December loss in Milwaukee.
The veteran guard scored and did it often. He attacked the lane and hunted mismatches, leading to a third-best-this-season number of 16 points. His eight free throw attempts were a season high.
As his shots dropped, so did the ones he created for others. McConnell was passing well from the lane, finishing with nine assists on the night. That was his second-best figure this campaign. He and Tyrese Haliburton combined for 20 of the Pacers 23 assists last night.
"Just trying to go out there and affect the game as best as I can and do my job. [My number] was called tonight," McConnell shared. He had a few games last week where he didn't play at all, so he wants to make the most of his opportunities.
Together, Mathurin and McConnell were phenomenal, finishing with a combined 41 points, 17 rebounds, and nine assists. They also linked up for the hustle play of the night, an important sequence that sealed a victory.
That play, and those two players specifically, illustrated how the Pacers won this game despite an awful shooting night. They hustled like crazy and fought like mad. Their outside shots weren't falling, but they did all of the little things well and helped take down the Bucks for the third time this season.
Indiana will try to repeat the performance on Wednesday. Milwaukee will be in Indianapolis this time as the two teams wrap up their season series. If Mathurin and McConnell repeat those performances, the blue and gold will have a larger margin for error.
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- Indiana Pacers notch impressive road win over Milwaukee Bucks to kick off 2024. CLICK HERE.
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