3 Takeaways from Pacers OT Loss to 76ers in Summer League

For much of the game, it looked like the Pacers were on the verge of being run out of the building. But they refused to quit. They kept chipping away at Philadelphia's lead like a stonecutter striking the same rock over and over, and behind a spirited second-half comeback, Indiana erased a 24-point deficit to force overtime.

Once the Pacers forced overtime, however, their offense went ice cold, failing to score a single point in the extra period. It was as if they had used every last drop of fuel in the tank just to get the game to overtime, only for the engine to refuse to turn over once they got there. It was a valiant effort, but Philadelphia was able to secure the hard-fought victory, 100-93.

Although the Pacers came up short, the game still provided plenty to dissect. Here are the three biggest takeaways from Indiana's performance.

1. Braden Smith Takes Over in 4th Quarter

After a rocky offensive production in game one, Smith looked much better against the 76ers in game two. He finished the game with 16 points on 3-6 shooting, scoring 6 of his points at the free throw line, dished out 5 assists, only committed 1 turnover, and had 2 steals.

His best basketball came late in the game as he was orchestrating the offense. Trailing by 8, Smith sized up Rogers and used his speed to drive by him to make a tough two. Minutes later, he splashed a timely three at the top of the key with 2:14 left to play, cutting the lead to 5. On the next possession, he was facing full-court defensive pressure but used his speed to get the step on his defender. He was able to draw the foul and went one for two from the free throw line.

I think this Braden Smith guy’s gonna be alright pic.twitter.com/zUC70bldNe
— Alex Golden (@AlexGoldenNBA) July 12, 2026

After another strong defensive stance, Smith led the offense down the court and found the athletic Jalen Slawson at the top of the key. Standing unguarded with close to 10 feet of room to get a running start, Slawson darted to the rim and convert the and-1. A few possessions later, Indiana trailed by 2, and Smith sprinted to the corner to secure the defensive rebound after a Philon Jr. missed three.

Indiana pushed the ball up the floor and got the ball into Smith's hands with the game in the balance. The Pacers cleared out and had Taelon Peter come set a ball screen to get the 76ers weakest defender, Rogers, switched on to Smith so he could drive by him as he had done previously in the quarter. With 5.7 seconds left to play, Smith blew by Rogers and got fouled. He stepped up to the line and sank both free throw attempts to force overtime.

2. Jalen Slawson Carries the Offensive Load

Jalen Slawson was the engine for the Pacers offense in this one. He scored 26 points on 8-16 shooting, corralled 5 rebounds, rejected one shot for a block and had a steal. He went 7-11 on his two point shots, while drawing a handful of fouls (6-7 from the FT line) on his drives to the basket.

Slawson had several aggressive drives to the basket, putting pressure on the 76ers defense. But it wasn't just the drives that got him going offensively. He threw down a dunk in transition on a sweet pass by Taelon Peter, and before the first quarter ended, Rienk Mast threw a beautiful bounce pass to him on a backdoor cut that he slammed home. Slawson converted 8 points in the first half, but scored 18 in the second half.

Defensively, he is the only mobile big in the starting lineup. Indiana has elected to go small in back-to-back games, playing Taelon Peter at the three, and starting the offensive minded Rienk Mast at the five. Slawson is the most athletic big on the floor with that group and the best overall defender, drawing the toughest matchups. Being the offensive and defensive engine is a lot to ask Slawson, but he stepped up and was pivotal to the Pacers success in this game.

3. Yuki Kawamura Injects Energy Into the Game

If you're curious what lightning in a bottle looks like, watch Yuki Kawamura play basketball. He explodes into the game and instantly changes things. Indiana was off to a slow start and the moment he stepped onto the court the game began to change.

During the third quarter, Kawamura helped the Pacers cut the 76ers lead from 24 to 13 with an 18-7 run to end the third. The energy he brought to his teammates on the court carried over into the fourth quarter and helped them force overtime. But it wasn't just his teammates that he influenced, Pascal Siakam and the veteran Pacers watching courtside couldn't get enough of Yuki and his energetic spirit.

While his 5-foot-7 frame limits what he can do on the court, he makes up for it with speed, heart, hustle, competitiveness and determination. Yuki forced an 8-second violation and then drew a moving screen with his on-ball defense. He finished the game with 12 points, 3 assists, and 3 rebounds, and was a +4 in his minutes on the court.

You can follow me on X @AlexGoldenNBA, and listen to my daily podcast, Setting The Pace, wherever you get your podcasts.

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