Pacers drop second straight
By TYLER SMITH
ISL Editor
(Photo by Pacers Sports and Entertainment)
INDIANAPOLIS — The Pacers knew the early portion of this season would be a work in progress. After dropping the opener in Toronto, the Pacers fell short in their home opener against the Memphis Grizzlies, 112-103 in front of a sold-out crowd at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.
For the second straight game, Paul George and Monta Ellis struggled to find their shots. They went a combined 7-of-28 in Toronto, and were just 8-of-27 against Memphis.
Is this a cause for concern? Not if you ask coach Frank Vogel.
“I see a reason to be encouraged,” he said. “These guys are elite offensive players. If they play how they’re capable, we’re 2-0. They haven’t got it going yet. They will.”
Another reason to feel encouraged is the play of the second unit. After a slow start, the Pacers trailed 25-10 before the reserves kept the Pacers alive. For the night, the second unit shot 16-of-23 from the field. If they come even close to those numbers in other games, they’ll be in good shape. C.J. Miles led the charge with 18 points on 6-of-8 shooting. Pacers rookie Myles Turner made his NBA debut and played well with eight points, four rebounds, and a blocked shot in 18 minutes.
Because of the hot shooting off the bench, the Pacers took a nine point lead with just under two minutes to play in the third quarter. In the fourth quarter, the defense disappeared. Memphis scored 39 points in the final frame, and the Pacers weren’t able to keep the pace.
“We’ve got to go back to the drawing board,” Paul George said after the loss. “Giving up 40 points to a team that doesn’t shoot threes in the closing quarter is ridiculous.” George added: “I think we’ve got to establish an identity and we’ve yet to do so. We knew this wasn’t going to be easy. We’re not that far out.”
Protecting the paint will be one of the biggest challenges for the smaller Pacers this season. Through two games, they are giving up an average of 47 points per game in the paint.
“We’ve got to play better basketball, but we’ve got a good team,” Frank Vogel said. “I’m confident in what we are and what we can be.”
Once the Pacers figure out the right rotation and get their top scorers going, the talent is here for a good season. The Pacers will look to get in the win column Saturday night as they host the Utah Jazz.
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