Pacers blown out by Minnesota Timberwolves, end road trip on three-game losing streak
The Indiana Pacers finished up a 12-day road trip on Saturday night in Minneapolis. They took on the Minnesota Timberwolves, who entered the night half a game behind the Celtics for the best record in the NBA.
The Timberwolves have the top defense in the league while the Pacers hold the NBA's best offense, so the game was set up to be a clash of styles. The Pacers, meanwhile, were without star guard Tyrese Haliburton, so their offense was going to be worse than normal, but they did win the most recent game that he missed.
Indiana wasn't going to win unless they took care of the ball and had a quality shooting night from deep. They started T.J. McConnell in Haliburton's place — he had been playing well of late.
The game started with the blue and gold hitting their outside shots. They took a 6-0 lead quickly after triples from Myles Turner and Obi Toppin. It was a dream start for the Pacers, who were the smaller team and were missing their best player.
They kept things rolling for the first four minutes and led 12-6 early, which led to a timeout from the Wolves. Indiana's early tempo and focus was where it needed to be if they wanted to grab a victory.
The Pacers defense continued to be solid, but their offense went cold. They didn't score for over five minutes, but they got enough stops in that stretch to hold their lead for most of it. Finally, with 4:22 to go in the first quarter, Mike Conley hit a three for Minnesota and gave the Wolves a 13-12 advantage.
Indiana finally ended the drought, and an 11-0 Wolves run, after 5:15 of play. They needed it and scored on consecutive possessions to keep themselves in the game.
After one frame, the Pacers trailed 23-20. Toppin was their leading scorer with seven points, and Indiana was fortunate to be right in the game after a long stretch of missed shots. They were defending well enough early.
The second period began with a pair of baskets from the Pacers, who jumped back into the lead. They were using a 10-man rotation despite being banged up, but all 10 guys had been mostly solid to that point.
The visitors were able to hold their lead through half of the second quarter. They were finding enough ways to score even without their star player. Aaron Nesmith and Isaiah Jackson were making good plays with the second unit.
Wolves star Anthony Edwards got hot late in the half and pushed Minnesota back into the game. His scoring guided Minnesota into the lead temporarily, but the Pacers tied things up moments later.
Edwards scored just before the halftime buzzer to give Minnesota a 57-55 lead at halftime. It was a competitive first 24 minutes — neither team was able to create much separation. Edwards had 18 points at the break, Wolves big man Karl-Anthony Towns had 20, and Nesmith led the Pacers with 13.
The second half started with a strong surge from Minnesota. They scored 13 points in just over three minutes to expand their lead to nine. Towns was giving the Pacers fits with his size and shooting combination.
Indiana didn't get out of their rut in the ensuing stretch. The Wolves were in a groove and scoring often, the undermanned Pacers — who were on a back-to-back — couldn't keep up.
With five minutes left in the third frame, Minny led by 12 points. Neither team held a lead of more than six points in the first half, but the second one started off with an entirely different game flow. The Pacers were getting crushed.
It wasn't too surprising to see Minnesota, who is among the best teams in the NBA, outplaying a banged-up Indiana group. But after a competitive first half, the Timberwolves' dominant level in the third period was jarring. Their lead kept growing even as reserves entered the game.
The home team rolled to a 38-23 advantage in the third quarter — they were ahead 95-78 entering the final period. To that point, the Timberwolves were 13/21 from deep. Given the number of advantages they already had, being on fire from long range made them almost unbeatable.
Indiana needed a perfect final quarter if they were going to win and avoid a three-game losing streak. Instead, after about 90 seconds of winning time, the Wolves were up by 25. They were well on their way to victory.
The blue and gold put a reserve unit in with 10 minutes to go. They were looking to get some development in the final moments of this game with the result all but decided. Jarace Walker, Ben Sheppard, and Jordan Nwora were all in the game.
That group kept the deficit at about the same number for the next few minutes. They were doing well despite being at a talent disadvantage. Minnesota emptied their bench late in the game.
James Johnson, who Indiana signed earlier this week, got in for the Pacers and made his season debut. The blue and gold cut the lead under 20 late, but they were out of gas. Minnesota won 127-109.
The Pacers are 13-11 and on a three-game losing streak. They will be happy to head home after a lengthy, emotional road trip. Bruce Brown and Nesmith were the Pacers leaders with 17 points a piece in this game.
Indiana next hits the floor on Monday when they host the Los Angeles Clippers.
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