The Diff in Cleveland? Pacers need more than three vs Cavs, and anyone
The Indiana Pacers got 79 combined points from their big three but still lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
CLEVELAND – When the Pacers played the Hornets last Wednesday, the same three players scored all of the Pacers first 20 points: Pascal Siakam, Bennedict Mathurin, and Andrew Nembhard. Halfway through the first quarter, Jarace Walker ended that run with a corner three. Jay Huff later got hot and reached 20 points, meaning that trio (62 total) plus Huff (20) combined for 82 points.
One non-play initiating starter got hot, and that was enough for the Pacers to win (Ben Sheppard and T.J. McConnell both scored well, too). So with the Pacers in Cleveland on Friday night, the same formula was right there for them to win once more. The Mathurin-Siakam-Nembhard trio again scored the first 20 points. Walker snapped the trend by getting on the scoreboard, this time with free throws. The Pacers offense looked more threatening. Were they on their way to another victory, humming thanks to their top three?
The answer? No. The Pacers fell to the Cavaliers by 11 despite the trio being even better – significantly so in Nembhard's case. Siakam had 29 points, nine rebounds, and four assists. Mathurin, even with a quiet second half, finished with 21 points and seven rebounds. Nembhard dominated with 32 points (a regular-season career high) and eight assists – Basketball Reference's game score metric says it was his best game ever, even topping that dominant outing he put together in Golden State during his rookie campaign.
All together, those three had 79 points (72.5% of the Pacers total), 17 rebounds (39.5%), and 14 assists (56%). Without McConnell's 10 points and four assists, those percentages would be even more overwhelming. Surely, a team with three players impacting the game to that extent could find a way to win.
But the Pacers could not. It wasn't really close. The Pacers lost by 11, and their deficit was as large as 22 at one point. The Cavaliers overwhelmed them in the third quarter, a theme for the Pacers this season that will come up later. The big three couldn't lead the others to consecutive victories.
Huff stepped up in the previous battle, scoring 20 points and providing another offensive threat. In Cleveland, that wasn't repeated. Outside of the trio, the only Pacer to make more than two shots was McConnell. Nembhard, Siakam, and Mathurin were 27/50 from the field. The rest of the team shot 10/38.
"We need our star guys to be stars. [Nembhard's] one of our stars. Pascal's one of our stars. Benn is going to have to be one of our stars. Star players have got to do everything, not just score. We're going to lean heavily on these guys to take defensive matchups, to be leaders on the floor, and to score the ball. Those three guys in particular are very, very important," Rick Carlisle said postgame. Later, he provided more on that balance for his three stars when asked specifically about Nembhard.
"There's a lot on his shoulders. He's having to create too much. I want to get some of this load off of him. We've got to do a better job offensively... We've got to be able to have shot creation," the head coach said. "Certainly a lot of it comes off of our better players and our creators. T.J. is a big part of that. Mathurin is going to be a big part of that because he gets the ball places."
Those two notes from Carlisle sum up the state of the Pacers right now. Since Mathurin returned in Detroit three games ago, the team appears energized. Their offense has a higher floor. Two of Siakam, Nembhard, and Mathurin have been on the floor for 105 of the 144 minutes across the three outings. There is more potency on both ends.
Those players are relied on to be stars. Mostly, they have been. But when they aren't, even just for a minute or two, the Pacers sputter. In those instances, the Pacers need someone else to step up. Huff did against Charlotte. McConnell was good against the Cavaliers and Hornets. But in general, the team needs the stars to not only be exceptional but also lift (and be lifted by) the others.
The best way for them to do that is to have their teammates make things easier. Siakam, Nembhard, and Mathurin need more spacing, more precise play from their teammates, and more connected play.
"In the past, we've succeeded with ball movement. Random [play]. Having a couple playmakers on the court that can play off of each other," Nembhard said after the loss against the Cavaliers. "Right now, with one PG on the court, it's a little different. I'm kind of initiating a lot."
That's true, and it's a challenge for the Pacers. Without Tyrese Haliburton, there is less shot creation. Without Obi Toppin and Aaron Nesmith, there is less spacing and connection. That puts more on the stars yet also puts lineups on the floor that lack important traits.
"We've got to support them better. This guy to my right (Siakam) has been unbelievable. Drew has been unbelieveable. Everyone you said [including Mathurin], awesome game tonight. We've gotta help them out a little bit more," McConnell said postgame. He, too, was asked about Nembhard and making it so the Pacers are less reliant on him.
"In terms of usage, maybe having someone else bring up the ball. If it's not me, it could be Benn. Play [Siakam] at like a point four, give Drew a little bit of rest. And certainly, having guys out there who can guard the other team's best player so Drew gets a rest on that end," he said.
Those tweaks would all be helpful... but would also take the ball out of Nembhard's hands. That's the balance the Pacers need to find: How can they avoid being too dependent on three players while also making it so the trio can be as effective as possible?
The answer might just be other players actually making shots and finding more ways to impact winning. Small strategy tweaks may be needed. Whatever the team decides to do, that's the next evolution for the Pacers this season. They need to support Mathurin, Siakam, and Nembhard with a balance that doesn't subtract the touches and roles that have made those three special.
While that big three was the story of Pacers-Cavs and a few recent games, other storylines appeared in Cleveland for the blue and gold.
The third quarter is a problem for the Pacers
The Pacers entered Friday ranked 28th in third quarter net rating this season. That's bad! They exited Friday... still 28th. The two teams behind them have been even worse, and that remains the case after this weekend's games.
Still, the Pacers are among the worst teams when entering the second half this season. I wrote about this trend to a degree last week, but more so as a microcosm of the Pacers season. In Cleveland, it cost them the game.
The Cavs won by 11. They outscored the Pacers in the third period by 12 at 38-26. That means Indiana was the better team across the other three frames – granted, it's not that simple to reduce a game like that. But in this outing, it was telling.
"We've probably got to do something at halftime," Carlisle said when asked about third quarters. The 2024-25 Pacers ranked 18th in third quarter net rating.
The same rotation pattern that happens in the first quarter generally happens in the third. Yet the blue and gold have a higher-ranked net rating in every other period.
It's typically been the point in Pacers games this season where the score goes from manageable to out of hand. Perhaps there is a mental element to that – players get too detached from the game trying to fix things and the deficit snowballs. That's just a possible explanation and not something I've actually noticed. But mental strain is the best theory I can come up with for the return of turd quarters. It's costing the Pacers games.
Garrison Mathews makes his debut
If you missed it, Garrison Mathews signed a hardship 10-day contract with the Pacers last week. He joined the team in Cleveland and made his debut for the 2025-26 season.
Mathews, a great shooter for much of his career, went 0/3 from the field (all from deep) and logged one rebound as his only stat. Something about wearing a Pacers jersey this season has impacted player's shot accuracy – even guys who weren't on Indiana's roster last year, and thus can't be playing worse because of injuries to familiar players, are unable to find rhythm. Eventually, regression to the mean will come, including for Mathews.
Pregame, he discussed joining the Pacers. "I've always loved this team. They play fast, play really fast, have really great guards... I think I fit well being able to space the floor," he said. Carlisle mentioned pregame that the Pacers are happy Mathews is already in shape after going through training camp with the New York Knicks.
Now, the Pacers will hope that his conditioning and fit excitement leads to made shots. Perhaps he could be the one who supports the team's big three and helps the Pacers win games.
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Tony East
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