Running notes: Pacers Summer League Game 4 vs Timberwolves
The summer Pacers are 1-3.
MY OFFICE, Ind. – Hello from... no longer Las Vegas. I am back home, but the Pacers are still playing in the desert. On Wednesday, it was their second-to-last summer league game: A battle with the Timberwolves.
The Pacers last two outings in Vegas were narrow defeats, one in overtime and another by just a single point. They've been competitive despite some ups and downs across the roster.
All of the noteworthy two-way battlers were still playing on Wednesday. Running notes from Pacers vs Timberwolves.
Tony East
-Another starting lineup change for the Pacers: Braden Smith, Taelon Peter, Keion Brooks Jr, Jalen Slawson, and Keba Keita.
-9:14 first quarter: Taelon Peter shakes his defender, then hits Jalen Slawson for a catch-and-shoot three. Exactly what both players should want to be showing.
-8:12 first quarter: Braden Smith, for three. The Pacers really need to see that, and often. His shot has been off through three games in Vegas.
-6:54 first quarter: Key skills being shown early by the in-orbit Pacers. Taelon Peter with a strong drive in transition, bumping Rocco Zikarsky out of his way to open a passing lane. Then, another three from Jalen Slawson.
-5:59 first quarter: Braden Smith drills a fadeaway two-point shot. It's been four minutes of play and all of Peter, Smith, and Slawson are showing key skills.
-2:35 first quarter: Gabe McGlothan scores a putback, but the key part of this play was Yuki Kawamura driving to the cup (good) but being too small to finish a layup in traffic (bad). Kawamura is clearly a good player, but his efficiency challenges directly trace to his size.
-Late first quarter: A rough defensive frame for the Pacers. They cannot stop fouling and have multiple miscommunications on inbounds passes. Yuck.
-9:28 second quarter: Braden Smith gets into the paint, then shuffles the ball back to Alex Reese for a three. The depth of his drives continues to be better than it was early in summer league.
-Early second quarter: Pacers asking Braden Smith to help with some post doubles, then rush out to his man. He's handling that well.
-6:30 second quarter: Taelon Peter pressuring full court and doing very well with it. Moments later, he takes a charge.
-4:13 second quarter: Slick bounce pass from Yuki Kawamura to a cutting Jalen Slawson, who dunks. The skills of both, on display.
-1:31 second quarter: Nasty block from Jalen Slawson, sliding down to eliminate a layup. Just before, Gabe McGlothan had a sweet dunk. Those two are showing why they were the two Noblesville Boom players who got a call up last season.
-35.5 seconds second quarter: Another block from Slawson, his fourth of the first half. This note is mostly just to acknowledge that fact.
-6:44 third quarter: Taelon Peter for three, his second of the quarter. Finally coming alive with his scoring thanks to some open floor success.
-Mid third quarter: More ugly defense from the Pacers, who just cannot string together stops. And their bench, especially when playing altogether, has really struggled. Taelon Peter, for example, just had trouble creating space against rookie Isaiah Evans.
-2:42 third quarter: Cam Hildreth for three. He played for the Boom last year and is having a nice outing to this point: 11 points without missing a shot
-Late third quarter: Yuki Kawamura picking up full court and doing as well as he can with a crucial defensive assignment. That's been his best defensive role in summer league.
-9:12 fourth quarter: Braden Smith with a lob to Keba Keita. Those two linked up on consecutive possessions, and Smith's pick-and-roll work has been solid throughout this game.
-5:33 fourth quarter: Nasty dunk from Jalen Slawson. He is playing well in Las Vegas.
-4:42 fourth quarter: Jalen Slawson takes a charge with the Pacers on a small run and down 10. He's been exceptional and points some finger guns after the charge. (Update: Call overturned)
-2:15 fourth quarter: Braden Smith steps into a pull-up three and knocks it down. He's 2/2 from deep.
And the Pacers dropped this one 114-98. Their worst regulation in Las Vegas so far. One left for the Pacers, who are 1-3.
Thank you for reading. Another game for the summer Pacers over the weekend. Then, it's a big gap before they play again. Plenty of important stories to come, though. Sign up to have them straight to your email inbox.
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