Pacers reserves nearly pull off improbable comeback yet suffer 15th-straight loss
At least the game was different from other recent ones.
INDIANAPOLIS – With 11 minutes to go in Pacers vs Trail Blazers on Wednesday night, an all-too-familiar scene was forming. The Pacers were down 108-86 and trending toward a common result of late: a double-digit loss in which they allowed 130-plus points.
At the time, the lineup on the floor for the Pacers was Ivica Zubac, Aaron Nesmith, Jalen Slawson, Quenton Jackson, and Ben Sheppard – multiple talented players who could be in the mix for minutes next season. Moments later, Jay Huff entered for Zubac, then Kobe Brown for Nesmith not long after. The result appeared decided.
Yet a quick 10 points, which came in 80 seconds and was highlighted by a Sheppard flurry, made the scoreboard look more normal. Hope appeared. But the Pacers followed that up with a scoreless 2:22 of play, and they cleared the bench in that stretch. In came Kam Jones (for Jackson) and Taelon Peter (for Sheppard) while Jarace Walker checked in for Huff.
Tony East
When those subs happened, the Pacers trailed 115-98. They had been getting crushed on the glass all night, and both Deni Avdija and Donovan Clingan were having monster games. The Blazers were a class better and held every Pacer below 20 points. It was set up for what seemed to be garbage time.
But the Pacers reserves did something that the Pacers haven't done in a while: they battled back. Peter drilled a deep three, then finished a lob from Jones on the next trip. Walker hit a three a few seconds later. Slawson finished a floater not long after. Suddenly the Pacers, who were playing their deep reserves against Blazers starters, were down eight.
The lineup on the floor was defending well. They held Portland to two points, both of which came from free throws, across about four minutes. Their spirit was contagious. "When you play with as much excitement as we did in that fourth quarter, it's easy to have each other's back," Peter said postgame. "Getting stops on the defensive end allowed us to have a little more freedom on the offensive end and get some shots to go down."
Still, an eight-point deficit with 3:30 to go is a big margin to make up. (Last year's Pacers disagree). A Toumani Camara three on the next possession made that gap 11. The Pacers deserved credit for a late push, but the game was over.
Right?
Well, maybe not. Peter got to the cup and scored, then the Pacers got a stop thanks to a Slawson block that opened up a Peter transition three. Game on. A Kobe Brown triple with 1:52 to go made it official: this was a clutch game. The Pacers were down by one possession in the final two minutes of play.
The score was 120-117 when the Pacers got the ball with about 90 seconds to go. They had a chance to complete their 22-point comeback behind a lineup that had no center and only one player with more than three seasons of experience.
Walker found himself under the basket with a layup attempt possible – he was being defended by the smaller Scoot Henderson. But Walker's shot rolled off the rim, and Jrue Holiday quickly drilled a corner three. The Pacers comeback wasn't enough, but they were oh so close to finally ending their losing streak.
"It's the power of hard play," head coach Rick Carlisle said of the late push. "All of them were involved in the run and getting the crowd into it and everything. It was great."
Peter finished with 10 points in just the fourth quarter. Slawson had seven points, four rebounds, and four assists just in that frame. Sheppard, Walker, and Jackson were productive in their chances during the final period. It took everyone chipping in for the Pacers to produce some magic.
But it was too little, too late. The final score was 127-119 in favor of Portland, and the Pacers have lost a franchise-record 15 games in a row (and that fact will continue with a larger number until they win). The inverse standings make that reality less painful. But history is history, and other bottom-of-the-league teams are finding a win here and there.
Perhaps the Pacers will soon if their late-game push against Portland means anything. Their next two come on the road against San Antonio and Orlando.
How about Taelon Peter and, in particular, Jalen Slawson
Peter and Slawson were the two players who spoke on the podium postgame, and it was an earned honor for both players. Peter put together an impressive dunk and drilled multiple threes, the exact skills he projected during his college days.
Carlisle praised Peter's ability to play through mistakes. Peter attempted a three-point shot in the third quarter that was blocked by Matisse Thybulle, a humbling result. Some young players would avoid mistakes after a play like that. Peter didn't, firing off three more outside shots and making two of them.
"Developing that attitude of, 'I know who I am, I'm going to play my game, I don't care who's out here', that's a big part of the growth," Carlisle said of Peter. "He's experiencing some of that in a very positive way."
Peter wasn't the only two-way contract player to earn praise postgame. Slawson earned more after his best-ever performance in the NBA. He's only been with the Pacers for a few weeks but has already had more than one noteworthy performance.
It all started on Sunday when Slawson started for the first time ever in Milwaukee. That alone was a big deal for the young wing, and it became even more significant when he entered the room for the team's morning walkthrough. He looked at the whiteboard and saw the matchups: he was guarding Giannis Antetokounmpo.
"I'm super appreciative that they trust me and task me with assignments like that," Slawson said. "At the end of the day, it's about us believing we can handle those assignments night in and night out."
While the Greek Freak did have a big night, Slawson did all he could defensively and blocked the former MVP twice. The Pacers two-way signee has multiple blocks in all of his last three games – he's been an eager off-ball defender and has been asked to guard multiple positions.
Carlisle has been impressed by Slawson's decision making. The head coach shared that some versatile yet inexperienced players freeze when given options. Slawson hasn't. He's kept the ball moving, made enough shots, moved well off the ball, and found some successes on defense. The Furman product believed that his fit in the Pacers system is what ignited his breakout year in the G League, and he's proving that to be more than lip service with the NBA club.
"I think my number one focus is just to play hard, and that makes the game pretty simple from there," Slawson said. "We run a great system. A lot of space out there, and I fit really well in the system."
Against Portland, Slawson finished with 17 points (a career high), seven rebounds, four assists, and three blocks (also a career high). He earned all 37 of his minutes and was a key part of the near-comeback late.
He's averaging 7.6 points and 4.6 rebounds per game for the Pacers so far. He's got eight more available games on his two-way contract to improve his efficiency (which wasn't an issue vs the Blazers) and continue to prove himself in every other area of the game.
Ivica Zubac takes a hit
Zubac got hit in the face early in the fourth quarter and left the game with a contusion. He clearly thought he was fouled on the play, both Zubac and Nesmith pointed at the knot on Zubac's head when speaking to an official to ask why a foul wasn't called.
He left the game and did not return, but Zubac did speak to myself and Dustin Dopirak in the locker room after the outing. He had a sizable knot on his head, one that Slawson walked over to look at during the interview.
"A little banged up," Zubac said. "Got a few hits. So, we'll see tomorrow. Hopefully, it's not going to be sore."
He confirmed that no concussion testing was necessary – he had swelling but no headaches. That's good news for his ability to play in games going forward, and getting reps is the name of the game for the Croatian big man with his new team right now.
Zubac shared the official's explanation to him as to why there was no foul called on the play that resulted in a knot on his forehead: It was a lob. "I'll make sure I know that next time someone throws me a lob, I'll throw my elbows around," Zubac joked.
He was more aggressive in the game and tried to be more involved. That led to a Pacers-high 18 points, but he was still frustrated with his touch and other small aspects of his game. The Pacers defense wasn't good enough, and Zubac took some of the blame for that.
Even with some errors that he can clean up, and his history says he will, Zubac finished his birthday game with 18 points, eight rebounds, and three assists. He's averaging 11.6 points and 7.2 rebounds per game for the Pacers so far.
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