Three takeaways as Indiana Pacers get bounceback win over Toronto Raptors
The Indiana Pacers battle with the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday felt eerily similar to the Pacers game that took place on Monday.
Indiana lost in Charlotte that night, and they did it in a strange fashion. They dominated in the first quarter, slowly gave their lead away over the next two frames, and then lost the fourth quarter to drop the game. Their strong start meant nothing.
On Wednesday, that blueprint was present again for a significant portion of the game. The Pacers crushed the Raptors early and had a 13-point lead in the first quarter. They maintained that lead for much of the half, but let the Raptors back into it just before halftime. The blue and gold led 58-52 at the break.
"We were playing for one another, moving the ball, doing the right things on defense. These guys are really talented top to bottom, but I think we've been really solid," Pacers forward Oshae Brissett said of his team's first quarter performance while being interviewed on the Bally Sports Indiana broadcast at halftime. The Canadian forward had seven points and five rebounds through two quarters.
In the third quarter, the Raptors completed their initial comeback and took a lead at 73-71. The Pacers immediately answered and regained their advantage, but just like on Monday, they blew a big lead and ruined a great opening quarter.
The blue and gold couldn't close against the Hornets and ended up losing by six. They had a chance to rectify that ugly fourth quarter on Wednesday, though, and make up for an unexpected loss.
This time, the blue and gold made it happen. They recaptured their offensive form from the first quarter, pushed the right buttons with their rotation, and made timely plays. The game was close for the final 6:29, but Indiana was ahead for the entire stretch.
Rookie guard Andrew Nembhard made several excellent plays in crunch time to help the Pacers put the game away. In the end, they won 118-114 to pick up their 33rd win of the season.
Indiana is now 33-40, and thanks to a Bulls loss, the blue and gold are 1.5 games behind the 10th seed and 2.0 games behind the ninth seed with nine games to go. The play-in chase is heating up.
The Pacers bounced back in impressive fashion, and such a win comes with three big takeaways.
Andrew Nembhard bounced back
One of the big takeaways from the Pacers loss on Monday was their substandard point guard play, which included an off night from Nembhard. He made everyone forget about that outing quickly with his performance on Wednesday.
The rookie guard finished with 25 points, 10 assists, and two rebounds while shooting 11/17 from the field. After a tough outing, he was tremendous against the Raptors and was a +8 in a four-point win.
"Drew does a great job of keeping everyone connected, and I think we've just got to continue with that in the second half," Brissett said at halftime of what needed to happen in the second half. Nembhard continued to keep everyone connected, and it was huge in the victory.
The Pacers solved the Raptors defense
After Indiana scored 36 points in the first quarter, Toronto started to deploy some unique defensive coverages. They mixed in zone, special switching schemes, and full court presses. They were trying to slow the Pacers in any way they could.
It worked for a while. The blue and gold scored just 22 points in the second quarter and 25 in the third as the Raptors defense began to control the game. The Pacers needed to figure it out.
"We've just got to be ready for anything. They'll press, they'll go to zone, they'll go man, switching. We've just got to stay on our toes, get the communication from our bench, and our guys just be ready," Pacers assistant coach Ronald Nored said of the Raptors defense during a halftime interview on the Bally Sports Indiana broadcast.
In the fourth quarter, Indiana finally figured Toronto's defense out. They found holes, moved the ball well, and attacked at the right times. The Pacers scored 35 points in the fourth quarter to seal the deal.
Indiana's Canadian players shined
The Pacers started three Canadian players in this game, which was played in Toronto. Bennedict Mathurin, Brissett, and Nembhard were all in the opening five, and this game was a big deal for all three — Nembhard and Mathruin were playing in Toronto for the first time of their careers.
All three players had solid nights. Nembhard had a double-double, and Mathurin (15 points) and Brissett (nine points) were both efficient. In total, the trio combined for 49 points, 10 rebounds, and 11 assists on 18/30 shooting.
It was only Brissett's second start of the season, and it was Mathurin's eighth. But both players did well, and the three Canadians were all very big parts of the win.
The Pacers will look to carry this momentum into their next outing, which comes in Boston against the Celtics on Friday.
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