Three takeaways from Indiana Pacers injury-headlined loss to the New York Knicks
Before the Indiana Pacers battle with the New York Knicks even began on Wednesday, injuries were dominating the headlines for the Pacers.
Aaron Nesmith was sick, and he was out. Forward Oshae Brissett was dealing with a hamstring strain that was revealed less than an hour before the game, and he too missed the action. Just before tipoff, the Pacers announced that center Myles Turner was dealing with back spasms and he also would miss the game.
Suddenly, three of Indiana's typical rotation players were out. They had to adjust, and so James Johnson, Terry Taylor, and Goga Bitadze all received rotation minutes while Jalen Smith and Isaiah Jackson had their roles adjusted. The Pacers had to change everything, and it impacted their play.
They started out slow. Really slow. The Pacers scored just 41 points in the first half and shot under 40% as they struggled to generate good shots. Meanwhile, the Knicks were humming. New York had a 21-point halftime lead and had a sizable advantage in every key stat.
In the second half, the Pacers tightened up their rotation and played with much more spirit and purpose. Johnson and Taylor did not play. Bennedict Mathurin started the half. After a sluggish first two quarters, the Pacers wouldn't go down without a fight.
The blue and gold played an excellent second half. They scored 72 points and shot 55.2% from the field and 40% from long range while defending at a much higher level than they did in the first half. Buddy Hield, who had 26 points in the final two quarters, was particularly excellent.
Indiana trimmed the Knicks lead down as low as two at times in the final quarter, and Hield had a three-point attempt to tie the game with under a minute to go. But it didn't fall, and the Pacers fell 119-113.
Despite the second half turning the Pacers on-court night around, other moments clouded that success. Star point guard Tyrese Haliburton limped off the court with a knee injury in the third quarter and exited the arena on crutches. The Pacers night started with injury concerns and ended with even more.
Despite the strong third and fourth quarter play, the Pacers fell to 23-19 and dropped to seventh in the Eastern Conference standings. Injury updates for each impacted player should come in a few days, but takeaways from this specific game are still important for a potentially hobbled Pacers team going forward.
The Pacers slow starts returned
The Pacers were one of the worst first quarter teams early in the campaign. For the first two months of the season, they had the worst net rating in the league in opening frames, and they were forced to play from behind often.
In the month since, the blue and gold have started games much better. But tonight, they reverted to their old ways and began the game slowly. They were down by as much as 16 points in the first 12 minutes and never recovered.
The Pacers second half effort proved that they were capable of keeping up with the Knicks despite being undermanned. But they started off so poorly that it didn't matter.
Injuries stole the headlines
Indiana played poorly in the first half even when considering who they had available. But after they almost climbed all the way back to even the game, it wasn't hard to determine how large the impact was that injuries played on the game.
Without Brissett and Nesmith, the Pacers were down two of their best forward defenders. It's no coincidence that RJ Barrett and Julius Randle combined for 41 points for the Knicks.
Without Turner, the Knicks drove to the rim with more confidence. They had 38 points in the paint and 11 second chance points on the night.
And without Haliburton, Indiana lost its most talented offensive player. They still scored well down the stretch, but they may have been able to complete the comeback had they been fully healthy.
Upcoming updates on the injured players will dictate much of the Pacers outlook in the immediate future.
Buddy Hield shined
Buddy Hield finished the night with 31 points. It was his first 30+ point game of the season, and he was excellent in the second half. The guard had 13 points in both the third and fourth quarters.
In the second half, he knocked down as many threes as the entire Knicks team. He also made some solid defensive plays and had a steal. The blue and gold don't have a chance to tie the game without the veteran guard's strong performance.
He added eight rebounds as well. Hield had one of his best games of the season, and the Pacers needed all of it to have a chance.
Indiana hosts Atlanta on Friday night, where they will attempt to get back on track.
- Tyrese Haliburton exits the Indiana Pacers game against the New York Knicks with a left knee injury. CLICK HERE.
- Oshae Brissett has contract become fully guaranteed, not waived by the Indiana Pacers before the guarantee deadline. CLICK HERE.
- Pacers guard Trevelin Queen on Tyrese Haliburton: 'He's just a great leader.' CLICK HERE.
- The Indiana Pacers have become one of the best clutch teams in the NBA. CLICK HERE.
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