Pacers lose at home, fall to 4-6
By TYLER SMITH (@TylerSmith_ISL)
ISL Editor
(Photo by Pacers.com)
INDIANAPOLIS — This isn’t the start to the season the Pacers had in mind. Ten games in, and they sit 4-6 after losing to Boston 105-99 on Saturday night at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. It was their first home loss of the season, and it capped an uninspiring week.
The Pacers were playing their second game in as many nights, and were also without Paul George (sprained ankle). But the Celtics were also playing a back-to-back, and were without Al Horford and Jae Crowder.
“You don’t win games when you don’t make plays down the stretch,” Coach Nate McMillan said. “You’ve got to get stops, and you’ve got to make plays.”
The Pacers led for most of the first half, but gave up a 13-0 run to end the half. It was the second straight night where they struggled to close out the 2nd quarter.
Defense has been the main issue for Indiana this season, but McMillan still wants to see improvement on offense.
“It’s about execution,” he said. “We’re pounding the ball too much. It’s continuing to show and talk about the things we need, which is movement. We’re not getting the ball reversed. We want to get into our third and fourth options and make the defense work.”
Jeff Teague led the Pacers with 20 points, but he struggled from the field (4-of-15). He was able to get to the line more often (11-of-12) which is a good sign for his game moving forward.
Myles Turner scored 17 points to go along with eight rebounds, four steals, and three blocks.
In the end, it wasn’t enough to take down the Celtics. Boston improved to 5-4 on the young season. They were led by Isaiah Thomas with 23 points.
As the Pacers continue searching for their new identity, they’ll welcome a familiar face to town on Monday night. Former head coach Frank Vogel and the Orlando Magic will pay a visit to Bankers Life Fieldhouse.
There’s still a long way to go in this season, but if the Pacers want to achieve their goals of attaining a high-seed in the East, they’ll need to find their identity sooner than later.
