Pacers fall to red-hot Jazz
By TYLER SMITH (@TylerSmith_ISL)
ISL Editor
INDIANAPOLIS — After three straight impressive wins, the Pacers were no match for the red-hot Utah Jazz on Wednesday night. The Jazz defeated Indiana 104-84 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, improving to 16-2 in their last 18 games.
For the Pacers, it was just their third home loss since the beginning of January (11-3).
The Pacers have typically lived and died by the 3-ball this season, and that was the case once again on Wednesday. The Jazz outscored the Pacers by 24 points from behind the arc, connecting on 11-of-31 while the Pacers only shot 3-for-23. Indiana didn’t connect on a 3-pointer until 7:45 left in the 3rd quarter.
The Jazz led 54-44 at halftime, and started to pull away late in the 3rd quarter. Despite the loss, the Pacers are still an impressive 6-6 at home when trailing by double-digits at halftime. On this night, however, the Jazz were just too much.
“That’s a really good defensive team,” said Pacers Coach Nate McMillan. “I don’t think we got any clear looks. If that defense is set, they’re really good. They really stay home on 3-point shooters, whereas most other teams will leave you. They showed why they’re one of the hottest teams in the league.”
Myles Turner was a bright spot for the Pacers. He led the team with 24 points on 10-of-14 shooting. The rest of the team shot a combined 24-for-74 (32%).
MY OH MYLES! MT with a monster put-back dunk.
More @Pacers action now on FSI and FSGO. #Pacers pic.twitter.com/GmO1LAoPQX
— FOX Sports Indiana (@FSIndiana) March 8, 2018
“I chose my spots correctly tonight,” Turner said. “I’ve had some self-evaluation. Since the All-star break, I made it a personal goal to be more physical on the glass. I’ve got to make myself more versatile and not just settle for jump shots.”
Trevor Booker made his Pacers debut and had two points and two rebounds in 13 minutes of action. He will give the Pacers some rebounding and toughness off the bench, especially when he learns the system.
The Pacers will look to get back on track Friday night at home against the Atlanta Hawks. The Cleveland Cavaliers started a six-game road-trip in Denver on Wednesday night, as the Central Division race heats up.
Keeping Oladipo fresh down the stretch will be a challenge for the Pacers. He's played similar minutes in his career, but his usage rate is way up (30.7 compared to 21.4 last year). Not to mention the extra responsibilities he's had all year.
— Tyler Smith (@TylerSmith_ISL) March 8, 2018
