Slawson continues solid play, but Pacers fall to Minnesota

The Pacers were back in summer league action on Wednesday afternoon, taking on the Minnesota Timberwolves in game number four of their summer schedule. For the third time in those four games, the Pacers came up short, losing to Minnesota by a final score of 114-98.

While it's fun for the fans to simply watch some hoops in mid July, the main story-lines are simple: Who has the best chance of being on the NBA roster next season, and how do they look in these games? These teams would love to win. They'd love it even more if a few of their guys showed them some real promise for the days ahead.

For the Pacers, the summer has been mostly about Jalen Slawson and Braden Smith. Despite the loss on Wednesday, both players had solid performances which is a win in itself.

Jalen Slawson continued to show why he belongs on the Pacers roster. He had 20 points, nine rebounds, and four blocked shots, though it did come with six turnovers. Through four games, Slawson now has averages of 20 points, seven rebounds, and three blocks per night. He continues to showcase potential on both ends of the floor to go along with some outside shooting and some big dunks in Vegas.

Jalen Slawson with authority 😤 pic.twitter.com/p7EWGgY2bw
— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) July 15, 2026

Purdue grad Braden Smith had a bounce-back effort after shooting 0-for-7 in his last game. Smith ended up with eight points, eight assists, and six rebounds, while shooting 3-of-6 from the floor. He looked strong in the pick-and-roll game, and could've easily had a much higher assist total if his teammates were knocking down more of the open looks Smith was creating for them.

Smith got to face off against his former teammate Trey Kaufman-Renn, who scored 14 points for Minnesota in 15 minutes of game action.

Braden Smith finds Keba Keita above the rim ‼️ pic.twitter.com/YFOOC7UlKk
— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) July 15, 2026

Taelon Peter is another player that has a shot at making the Pacers roster this year. Peter knocked down three 3's for nine points in 20 minutes of action.

The Pacers trailed 35-24 after the first quarter, and could never recover from the early deficit. They played pretty even with the Wolves in the final three quarters, but the early hole was the story in this one.

Rienk Mast did not play in this game, after averaging a double-double in his first three. He did have his left-knee wrapped, but it was unclear at game-time if that was a reason for the DNP. Other notables in this game included Yuki Kawamura contributing six points and four assists, while Keba Keita scored 10 points to go along with five rebounds and three blocks.

The Pacers cooled off from behind the arc after a hot start in this game, but still finished 12-for-32 (38%), which was a solid improvement from the 9-for-34 (26%) in the last one.

Next up: The Pacers will square off with the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday in the final game of their summer league schedule.

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