Indiana Pacers recover from In-Season Tournament defeat and beat Detroit Pistons on the road
The Indiana Pacers returned to their regular schedule Monday night after a magical In-Season Tournament run. They had a road game against the Detroit Pistons.
The Pacers were going to be facing some mental challenges after the highs of their tournament run, so they needed to be focused early. The game in Detroit was going to have a different feeling than their recent battles.
The Pistons started better, climbing ahead 4-0 in the first minute of the game. But Indiana was ready to respond. They went on an 11-2 run over the next two-ish minutes, forcing Detroit to take a timeout. In that stretch, Myles Turner and Buddy Hield scored every point, making all five of their shot attempts. Star point guard Tyrese Haliburton assisted all five baskets.
Detroit was a little better coming out of the timeout, but the blue and gold had found the momentum, and mentality, they needed. They were playing their game, which was important as they began a stretch of four road games in six nights.
It was 18-18 after Cade Cunningham wiggled free for a few baskets in the middle of the first quarter, and Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle called a timeout. He wanted to make sure his team stayed focused after their up-and-down start.
Bennedict Mathurin made some nice plays for the Pacers on the next few possessions, which put his team back in front. They were struggling on defense but scoring easily on offense, which is their typical level. Defensive improvement was needed despite their lead.
It didn't come, but it was self-inflicted. The Pacers had eight turnovers in the first quarter, and Detroit scored in transition. Indiana's offense was fine early, but they were behind 36-33 after one quarter. Turner's eight points led the way.
The Pacers tied the game right away to start the second quarter, their focus looked solid early despite their roller coaster start. T.J. McConnell was giving the blue and gold great minutes in the first half, which the team needed.
Mathurin continued to be excellent as well. Indiana's bench backcourt helped them surge, and they were up 50-43 with 8:19 remaining in the second quarter. That led to a Pistons timeout.
Coming out of the break, Isaiah Livers hit two threes in quick succession to cut into the lead. This time, it was the Pacers who needed to stop the game and regroup. They held a one-point advantage about halfway through the second quarter.
That stoppage didn't change much as the game went back-and-forth. The Pistons took a lead again with a few minutes to go in the quarter, but the Pacers had an answer. It was a choppy game at the time.
The Pistons shook the choppiness first and found a groove on offense. They jumped out to a four-point lead with a few moments left in the half. But Mathurin responded with some excellent play and erased that lead by himself.
That stretch helped the Pacers eliminate the deficit. They closed the half on a 9-0 run and were ahead 66-61 at the break. Mathurin had 16 first half points with 13 coming in the second quarter.
The second half opened with strong play from the Pacers, who needed less than two-and-a-half minutes to ballon their lead to 10. Their offense was humming, as it usually does.
But the home team was ready to respond again. Indiana looked a little sluggish after their strong start to the third quarter, and Detroit cut the lead down to 79-77, which prompted a timeout from Carlisle. His team was having an inconsistent night.
Mathurin checked in and hit a three to answer the Pistons' run. His fantastic night continued on his first touch of the second half. He scored the next Pacers basket as well to extend his team's lead.
His excellent play helped Pacers maintain their lead during the later stages of the period. Mathurin was guiding Indiana's bench, which gave the road team a needed advantage on a weird night.
The Pacers held their lead for the rest of the third quarter in an up-and-down game. They led 98-93 heading into the final frame, and Mathurin had 24 points and seven assists at the time. That was already his career high in assists.
The fourth quarter began with rapid play, and the Pistons were playing slightly better. Neither team had good flow on offense early in the frame, and Detroit kept the deficit close.
Indiana brought some starters back in with 8:42 to go in the game in an attempt to put things away. Haliburton, Turner, and company have more talent than the Pistons, so they were hoping to pull away for the win.
Turner crossed the 20-point mark late in the game — he had a great offensive outing. His basket to reach 20 points pushed the Pacers lead back to double digits with less than five minutes to go. They just needed to stay composed to hold on for the win.
The starters were solid and did exactly that. Haliburton got rolling and finally reached double-digit points as the Pacers did enough to secure a victory. Their lead got as high as 15 in the final five minutes.
Indiana didn't close the game effectively, but it was enough to hold on for a 131-123 win. It was their fourth win in a row during regular season games as they improved to 13-8.
Mathurin had a career night with 30 points, seven rebounds, and eight assists. The Pacers don't win the game without him. Turner had 23 points while Haliburton had 14 points and 16 assists.
The Pacers next play on Wednesday when they travel to Milwaukee to take on the Bucks.
- The Indiana Pacers are having a moment they were built for. CLICK HERE.
- What the Indiana Pacers lost in the In-Season Tournament Finals they gained in experience. CLICK HERE.
- Steven Rales purchased 15% of Indiana Pacers from Herbert Simon, now owns 20% of the team pending NBA approval. CLICK HERE.
- Indiana Pacers overpowered by Los Angeles Lakers in In-Season Tournament Finals. CLICK HERE.
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