Indiana Pacers steamrolled by Memphis Grizzlies for third straight loss
On Friday night, the Pacers spent time after their loss to the Atlanta Hawks reviewing a 14-0 third quarter run by the Hawks that completely changed the game. They ended up losing by two and wanted to shake their demons the following night against the Memphis Grizzlies.
Instead, Memphis did almost the exact same thing. The Pacers held a 40-39 advantage with 9:30 to go in the second quarter and looked like they had a chance to compete if they could continue their level of play all night. Instead, nine minutes went by and the Grizzlies outscored the Pacers 29-9, and Memphis never looked back the rest of the way.
"We have to be more locked in and have a 'next play' mentality and get back," Pacers guard TJ McConnell said of slowing down runs from opposing teams. That second quarter stretch ended up being the difference as Indiana ended up falling by a margin of 18 points. They actually outscored Memphis over the course of the remainder of the game.
The Grizzlies are one of the, if not the number one, best teams the Pacers have played all season. Only one team, the Boston Celtics (who the Pacers beat in late December), has more wins than Memphis, and the Grizzlies entered the evening on an eight-game winning streak. They are talented and playing great basketball right now.
They ran through the Pacers, sometimes literally. Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle praised Memphis' physicality before the game, noting that it will be tough for the Pacers to deal with. It was, especially on the defensive end.
But the Grizzlies were physical on offense, too. They set hard screens, cut with force, and battled on the glass. "Credit to them, they are extremely physical on the defensive end and they made us pay out in transition. We missed shots," McConnell noted after the game.
One physical play that highlighted the Grizzlies' aggression getting to the rim was a crazy dunk by Ja Morant in the third quarter. It may have been the best dunk in the NBA this season, and it gave Memphis the last bit of momentum they needed to put the game away.
"Yeah, easy," Morant said after the game when asked if it was the best dunk of his career.
In general, the Pacers offense really struggled. They shot 36.9% from the field, their second-lowest percentage in a game this season. Indiana only made 23.4% of its outside shots. In general, the team did well getting to the foul line and getting offensive rebounds, but those benefits only add so much when an offense is as inefficient as the Pacers were tonight.
"We had a lot of really good looks tonight that didn't go in. Maybe it's fatigue, maybe it was unlucky," Carlisle said after the game. "You've gotta do everything possible to get the looks you want."
In the end, the final score was 130-112. It was a blowout, with the better team showing what makes them a contender.
Four of the Pacers five starters — Andrew Nembhard, Bennedict Mathurin, Buddy Hield, and Aaron Nesmith — all shot under 40%. For Hield, it was his lowest scoring game of the season (five points) and the first time all year he hit zero three-point shots. Including an 0/6 night from Oshae Brissett means over half of the Pacers rotation players had poor offensive nights.
It wasn't all bad, though. Isaiah Jackson had another good outing finishing plays around the rim, and T.J. McConnell finished with 13 points and a season-high 11 assists for his second double double in 2022-23. He was two rebounds shy of a triple double.
Chris Duarte was the bright spot for the Pacers, though. The second-year guard had been struggling for a few weeks entering this game, but he found his footing tonight and dropped in 25 points on 7/15 shooting. He looked comfortable and showed signs of looking like the player he was during his rookie season.
"Feels good man. I needed it. I needed to see the ball go in," Duarte said of his performance after the game.
With the game already decided, Terry Taylor (nine points and four rebounds on 4/5 shooting) and Trevelin Queen (five points, his first as a Pacer) left their marks as well.
The Pacers fell to 23-21 with the loss. They have now lost three games in a row for just the second time this season and sit in eighth in the Eastern Conference. They will look to bounce back against the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday.
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