3 takeaways from the Indiana Pacers lackluster performance against the Los Angeles Clippers
The Indiana Pacers have had some bad quarters this season, but perhaps none of them were as bad as the third quarter performance from the team on Sunday against the Los Angeles Clippers.
Indiana entered the frame down just two points after an acceptable, yet underwhelming, first half. They have been a better group in the second half than first half all season, so it was reasonable to assume that they would turn it around in the third quarter.
Instead, the blue and gold scored just 12 points in the third quarter and watched the Clippers run away with the game. Los Angeles took an 11 point lead with 5:20 to go in the frame and never looked back — the deficit stayed in double digits despite a back-and-forth first half.
The Pacers fell 114-100 in the end and dropped to 11-8. It was their second lowest scoring night of the season, and they fell to 2-6 when scoring under 110 points in a game. There are some important takeaways for the blue and gold as they play their next six games on the road.
The Pacers need to be better on the glass.
Indiana finished the game with 39 rebounds. Clippers center Ivica Zubac had 29 by himself, and LA had 62 as a team. The Pacers were crushed on the glass, and Zubac was a big reason why.
"We made sure we had to rebound the ball," Zubac said on Bally Sports West after the game.
The Pacers have been a slightly below average rebounding team all season, but this was far and away the team's worst performance on the boards all year. Zubac was the headliner, but Nicolas Batum and Terance Mann, two guards, also had big rebounding nights. On the interior, the Pacers didn't box out. On the perimeter, they were passive.
Rebounding woes can be overcome, but not when a team shoots poorly. The Pacers shot below 40% and didn't give enough effort on the glass to make up for it. They have to be better at corralling misses if they want to avoid more rough nights like this.
Indiana struggled against the Clippers defensive scheme.
The Clippers did an excellent job keeping the Pacers out of the paint and forcing Indiana to take tough shots, and it took the blue and gold out of their comfort zone.
The Pacers average 46.3 points in the paint per game, and they are a fast-paced team that scores 18.6 points per game off of turnovers. The Pacers want to attack in transition and put pressure on the cylinder. It typically works for them.
Los Angeles had a scheme to break up that Pacers style. Head coach Ty Lue emphasized defending the rim, and the visitors scored just 38 points in the paint. Despite 18 Clippers turnovers, the Pacers scored just 13 points off of them. Indiana couldn't play the way they wanted, and it bogged them down.
In the end, only two players in Indiana's rotation shot better than 40% (Jalen Smith and T.J. McConnell). Everyone else looked uncomfortable, and the team finished with just 23 assists — their second lowest total of the season.
Jalen Smith finally found his groove.
Entering this game, Smith had knocked down just two of his last 23 three-point looks. After a strong close to the 2021-22 season, the young big man has been struggling from deep this year and has knocked down just 25% of his outside shots.
In this game, Smith was excellent on offense. He hit three triples and finished with 23 points, a career high. He added nine rebounds and a block.
While Smith has yet to settle in this season, this game was a reminder of what he could be if he continues to grow on a young Pacers team. The organization will hope to see more nights like this from the third-year forward.
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