Three takeaways from Indiana Pacers close loss to Phoenix Suns in Kevin Durant's 40-point outing
The Indiana Pacers took the lead against the Phoenix Suns with 3:20 to go on Sunday night. It took them nearly 20 minutes to complete a comeback and regain the advantage, and they had all the momentum at the time. They had a good chance to close out a six-game road trip with a quality win.
Instead, Indiana was outscored 14-5 in the final three minutes. They came up just short against the Suns, who were guided by 91 points from their big three. Despite never giving up, the Pacers didn't have enough.
Late in the game, sloppy play did them in. They didn't get enough stops and coughed up three turnovers. They shot 1/5 in that span and clunked a free throw. Indiana did everything right to give themselves a chance to win late, then did everything wrong to actually close out the game.
It was a tough way to end their trek away from Indiana, during which they went 2-4. The team is banged up and made a significant trade during the six-game experience, so their record isn't shocking or disappointing. But the end of their final game was. They hoped to be better.
That is just one of the key takeaways for the Pacers from this game. The other three will be important going forward, especially with the Suns in Indianapolis for a game in five days.
Kevin Durant destroyed the Pacers
Durant is one of the best scorers in NBA history, if not number one. It isn't a surprise when he scores 40 points — he's done it three times this season and, according to Statmuse, 68 times in his career. He is remarkable.
He finished with 40 against Indiana on Sunday night while making 18 shots. Durant added nine rebounds and three blocks. He is one of the best players in the NBA, and at his best, he's unguardable. The Pacers had no answers.
"You want to show the crowd early," Pacers assistant coach Lloyd Pierce said of defending the Suns during a halftime interview on the Bally Sports Indiana broadcast of the game. That's tough to do against Durant. Everyone has to be in sync.
What makes this KD performance even more special is that he did it without taking a single free throw. That's only been done 16 times in NBA history. The Pacers had no answers for the former MVP. He crushed them all night.
Indiana's backcourt struggled
The Pacers perimeter players on Sunday — grouped for this analysis as T.J. McConnell, Buddy Hield, Aaron Nesmith, Ben Sheppard, Andrew Nembhard, and Bennedict Mathurin — combined to shoot 15/46 (32.6%) against the Suns. That includes Hield having a 6/10 night, the rest of that crew was 9/36.
Those numbers needed to be better. Many of Indiana's frontcourt players had efficient nights and were able to take advantage of their open space. Guard and perimeter-minded forwards were not able to do the same.
McConnell, Mathruin, Nembhard, and Nesmith would all certainly like a do-over. Nembhard and Nesmith played important defensive roles, but the former two struggled. They needed to be better.
This group did take care of the ball and had only five turnovers. They did well on Devin Booker and Phoenix's non-star players. They weren't awful. But if they were a hair better, the Pacers might have won.
Pascal Siakam debut at center
Indiana acquired Siakam in a trade last week, and he made his debut for the team on Friday with a 21-point outing. He looked solid.
In his second game, the forward did something that head coach Rick Carlisle said was possible when Indiana acquired him: he played at center. For over 10 minutes of action, Siakam was the five man for the Pacers on Sunday night.
It was an effective group. Indiana outscored Phoenix by nine in those instances, with Siakam playing well in the post and not being a huge sacrifice on defense. It helped that Jusuf Nurkic was in major foul trouble all night for the Suns, but Siakam at the five looks were useful for the blue and gold.
The Pacers used to be confined to playing small with four guards and a center. Now, they can mix things up with their new star forward playing inside on both ends. That's possibly the team's most important takeaway from their loss on Sunday night.
Carlisle's team returns home this week and can breathe after a road trip, but they take on the Denver Nuggets, Philadelphia 76ers, and Suns again this week in Indianapolis. That's about as tough as it gets. They'll hope to find some footing and get back on track somewhat with the trade deadline and All-Star break looming.
Siakam's emergence and Tyrese Haliburton's health are big stories, but so are the team's need for better perimeter play from others and Siakam's versatility. The Pacers will be keeping an eye on those things this week.
- Pascal Siakam debuted and Tyrese Haliburton returned, but the Indiana Pacers epic night was spoiled. CLICK HERE.
- Report: Pacers assembling potential trade packages around Buddy Hield and future first-round draft pick. CLICK HERE.
- James Johnson is back with the Indiana Pacers on a 10-day contract. CLICK HERE.
- The Pacers came up just short against the Phoenix Suns to end their road trip. CLICK HERE.
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