Pacers fall at home as Western trip looms
By TYLER SMITH
ISL Editor
(Photo by Pacers Sports and Entertainment)
INDIANAPOLIS — The Pacers were hoping to rebound at home after Wednesday’s tough loss in Boston. Instead, the Washington Wizards came into Bankers Life Fieldhouse and controlled the entire game from the tip. They defeated Indiana 118-104 in front of a sellout crowd that had very little to cheer about. The loss dropped the Pacers to (22-18) on the season.
The Pacers went 11-2 in the month of November. In all other months combined, they are just 11-16.
“Poor effort,” Paul George said after the loss. “It was a poor effort on both ends of the floor. They took the fight to us. It’s unacceptable.”
George continued: “We played these 48 minutes like we played the last three minutes in Boston. We should never lose games like this, especially at home, when a team comes in and pushes the tempo and establishes how they’re going to play.”
The Pacers shot just 3-of-17 from behind the arc, and allowed Washington to connect on 11-of-25 from distance. The Wizards also out-rebounded Indiana 54-35 on the night.
“It was a lack of communication on both ends of the floor,” George Hill said. “We weren’t ourselves. It wasn’t one guy or one play. It was a team effort, and we didn’t deserve to win tonight.”
Things don’t get much easier from here. The Pacers will head back out on the road for a four-game Western Conference road trip, beginning Sunday in Denver.
“Every Western team plays well at home,” Paul George said. “We’ve got to get it together. It’s not the end of the world, but we’re slipping right now.”
Sunday will mark the halfway point of the season for the Pacers. It’s still a difficult team to figure out through 40 games. One thing is for sure: In a bunched up Eastern Conference, the Pacers can ill-afford prolonged slumps. They’ll look to get back on track on Sunday night.
Follow Tyler on Twitter: @TylerSmith_ISL
