Three takeaways from Indiana Pacers high-scoring win over Atlanta Hawks
The Indiana Pacers took down the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday night during In-Season Tournament action. The final score was 157-152, a ridiculous score for a game that didn't go to overtime. There were numerous franchise records set during the game.
"What a fun game to watch," Pacers assistant coach Tom Hankins, who is the head coach of their G League affiliate team, said the following day. "A couple of amazing performances."
Hankins praised the third quarter performance of star guard Tyrese Haliburton and the fourth quarter play of sharpshooter Buddy Hield. They were both important in the win, and their chemistry together is vital for the Pacers.
It was an important win for the Pacers. They have some things to clean up, but getting a victory after being embarrassed by the Orlando Magic on Sunday was crucial. They bounced back into the win column, something that they needed to do.
Indiana is now 8-5, and their offense is a big factor in that record. They still hold the best offensive rating in the league by over two points per 100 possessions — they have been hard to guard.
That offensive output is present in some, but not all, of Indiana's takeaways from their win over the Hawks.
Tyrese Haliburton's level keeps rising
During Indiana's last road game prior to Tuesday, Haliburton finished with 33 points and 15 assists in a win over the Philadelphia 76ers. He was pivotal in a crucial road win, and his zero turnovers that game were special.
Last night, he was even better. Haliburton finished with 37 points and 16 assists against the Hawks, and he scored a franchise-record 26 of them in the third quarter. He was unbelievable and guided a comeback for the blue and gold.
"Just get aggressive and help the team win," Haliburton said on the Bally Sports Indiana broadcast of the game when asked about his mindset during the third quarter. He added four assists during the frame and was a +18.
Haliburton's impact was enormous all night, and he keeps getting better in important games for Indiana. He is now averaging 24.7 points and 12.0 assists per game this season and has entrenched himself in the All-NBA conversation.
The Pacers starting lineup change was successful
In a surprising move, Indiana altered its starting lineup for the first time of the season on Tuesday. Instead of opening the game with Obi Toppin and Bennedict Mathurin, the blue and gold had Aaron Nesmith and Buddy Hield on the floor to begin the game.
That lineup was a +14 in 18 minutes entering the night. They have worked well together all season and fit on paper. But they needed to execute, and Toppin and Mathurin needed to maintain their level with the second unit.
"Put a couple of guys in a tough spot this morning, Obi and Benn. Talked to them about coming off the bench for this game because of something that we felt strategically would help us," Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said post, per materials provided by the Hawks. "Those guys didn't do anything wrong. Both of those guys had big nights off the bench, and really defining games off the bench."
Everyone who had a switched role had an excellent outing. Nesmith and Hield made threes on Indiana's first two possessions, and Hield finished with 24 points — he didn't miss a single three. Nesmith had 17 points on 6/9 shooting.
Toppin, meanwhile, closed the game at center and was massive offensively with 21 points. Mathuirn added 20 himself, including 10 in the final quarter. Every player stepped up in a new situation.
It's still unknown if the changes will be permanent, but they worked well on Tuesday night. The new-look starting five was +8 in 12:27 in Atlanta.
Indiana's defense is still poor
Winning can mask some struggles, but the Pacers did give up 86 first half points and 152 overall on Tuesday. Those are dreadful numbers, even in a win.
"Our defense has to get stops. We couldn't string enough stops together," assistant coach Lloyd Pierce said at halftime on the Bally Sports Indiana broadcast of the game. Center Myles Turner, who spoke just before the third quarter on the same broadcast, agreed.
"We've got to talk more," he said. "It's all about defense."
At that point, Indiana trailed by 13 and had already conceded 86 points. The Hawks were scoring easily from all over the court. They shot 62.3% in the first half and took 53 shots, and they were 10/18 from deep. The Pacers offered little resistance.
The only quarter that featured good defense from the blue and gold was the third frame. They held Atlanta to 28 points in that span, and that changed the game and allowed the Pacers to pull off a 20-point comeback. It's no secret that defense ended up making the difference.
But the Pacers need to up their level on defense for 48 minutes. Their offense is unbelievable, but their ceiling is limited by their defensive level currently.
They found a way to win in spite of the poor defensive night, though, and they deserve credit for that. It's been the story of Indiana's season. They'll keep writing that story tonight when they host the Toronto Raptors.
- Indiana Pacers first-round picks Jarace Walker and Ben Sheppard assigned to G League for playing time. CLICK HERE.
- Indiana Pacers and Tyrese Haliburton set multiple franchise records in a win over Atlanta Hawks, including points in a game. CLICK HERE.
- Oscar Tshiebwe is 'dominating' the boards in the G League for the Indiana Mad Ants. CLICK HERE.
- Indiana Pacers overcome 20-point deficit to take down Atlanta Hawks in a high-scoring battle. CLICK HERE.
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