Lack of rebounding sinks Indiana Pacers against woefully undermanned Brooklyn Nets
INDIANAPOLIS — The Brooklyn Nets were without so many players on Saturday night that it was all anyone could talk about before the game. Many of the questions asked to Nets head coach Jacque Vaughn in his pre game press conference were about the Nets' plans and why they were comfortable sitting out so many players.
Vaughn explained why it made sense for the Nets, and Indiana Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle even fielded questions about it, saying that it was "part of planning," for Broolyn that so many players were out. In total, eight Nets players missed the game, with three of them being the team's former All-Stars in Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and Ben Simmons.
On paper, the Pacers should have sleepwalked to a victory. They had a talent advantage and had already beaten the healthy Nets twice this season. But the game was not that easy.
In the first quarter, the Nets made it clear that they weren't going to roll over. They scored 40 points and took a lead into the second frame, getting to the rim with ease and shooting 61.5%. The Pacers had more talent, and they shot the ball well, but this wasn't going to be a cakewalk. They needed to tune up.
They did that, for a time. Indiana comfortably led for much of the second and third quarters behind strong play from Tyrese Haliburton and Buddy Hield, who combined for 24 points across the two quarters. In the third frame, the Pacers' lead got as high as 14, and it looked like they might cruise to a win.
But the undermanned Nets had a group that wanted to prove themselves. Ex-Pacer Edmond Sumner looked speedy all night. Cam Thomas was hitting shots, and Day'Ron Sharpe was hitting the glass. Veterans Patty Mills and Markeiff Morris were making steady plays. Brooklyn was down, but not out, and they made a push at the end of the third quarter to cut the Pacers lead to five.
The Pacers, with a lead and a talent advantage, shot 50% from long range in the fourth quarter and made ten free throws. They made four out of six two-point looks. Many offensive stats suggest that they played a good fourth quarter.
But they didn't. Their efficiency was great, but the Pacers gave the Nets significantly more opportunities down the stretch. Brooklyn, who was down seven with 4:42 to go, grabbed 14 rebounds in the final quarter, with six of them coming on offense. The Pacers had two rebounds in total in the fourth, and Indiana turned the ball over six times to Brooklyn's four. So while the Pacers were scoring effectively, the Nets had significantly more chances.
That allowed the undermanned team to mount a comeback. In the final 4:41 of play, the Nets scored 23 points, and 12 of them came after an offensive rebound. The Pacers were hanging around, but they couldn't get stops, and when they did, they failed to grab the miss. Indiana gave the game away on the glass.
At the end, Andrew Nembhard had a look to tie the game up at the buzzer, but he missed a three-point shot. The shorthanded Nets pulled off the 14-point comeback win and took down the Pacers 136-133. It was the fourth time this season the blue and gold had given up that many points in a game.
"It’s an effort statistic," Carlisle said of rebounding after the game. "Very poor effort," he added. The Nets ended up winning the rebounding battle 59-30, and that came on the back of 29 offensive rebounds. That's the most the Pacers have given up in one game since January 18, 2012, when the Sacramento Kings pulled in 30 offensive boards.
"Just continue to defend. Continue to lock into the scout. Continue to focus on their tendencies," Jalen Smith said of what the Pacers needed to do better on the glass.
Beyond the boards, the Pacers defense was far from perfect. They allowed many rim attacks and struggled to stay in front of guys on the perimeter. The Nets had 72 points in the paint and 25 fast breaks points, they crushed the Pacers.
Indiana had a game that felt like the opposite of this one on Monday. In Golden State, the Pacers were without Tyrese Haliburton, Myles Turner, T.J. McConnell, James Johnson, Daniel Theis, and Chris Duarte. Yet the available players banded together and found a way to win on the road. This time, they were on the opposite side of that story. They were the team hosting an undermanned group, and they never quite looked right.
"I think they just played harder than us, to be honest," Haliburton said after the game. He finished with a season-high 35 points and also dished out nine assists. No other Pacer scored more than 17, but they had a balanced attack — seven Indiana players finished in double figures.
The Pacers will hope to forget about this game and re-focus quickly. They host the Miami Heat on Monday for the second time this season, and they will hope to bounce back.
- Former Pacers All-Star center Domantas Sabonis on the Indiana Pacers: 'They're having a great season'. CLICK HERE.
- Inside Tyrese Haliburton's return to Sacramento and the emotions behind the game. CLICK HERE.
- Goga Bitadze discusses his season and Indiana Pacers growth. CLICK HERE.
- Orlando Magic guard Jalen Suggs on Indiana Pacers rookie Andrew Nembhard: 'He has such a high basketball IQ.' CLICK HERE.
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