Summer League final score: Pacers stumble against Mavericks 94-79

After an impressive first quarter where the Indiana Pacers doubled up the Dallas Mavericks 24-12, things went south, as the Mavericks would flip the script and go on to blow out the Pacers. The 94-79 loss dropped Indiana to 3-1 in the Orlando Summer League, and led to them acquiring just one point on the day.

Rakeem Christmas was a factor early with four points and two rebounds, but left after just seven minutes of game action with a left knee sprain. Jarnell Stokes would pick up the slack to lead the Pacers through the rest of the quarter, but didn’t make much of an impact through the middle two quarters. He finished with 15 points, seven rebounds, and four blocks.

After leading the way for the Pacers yesterday, T.J. Leaf showed fatigue in today’s game, plodding to seven points on 2-7 shooting. Not only strength, but conditioning will need to improve for Leaf as while there are no back-to-back-to-backs, a more physical NBA game will lend itself in back-to-backs and four games in five nights.

Joe Young, also playing hurt with a dislocated finger, struggled shooting at just 3-8, but put in 10 points and four assists for the Pacers. The only Pacer in double figures was Trey McKinney-Jones, who scored 11, giving Indiana some life in the third when the game was slipping from their grasp, though there ultimately wasn’t much he or anyone else on the Pacers could do to keep the game within reach.

After four straight days, the Pacers will take tomorrow off before preparing themselves for the final day’s games on Thursday. The Pacers are still in first place despite the loss, but hold just a 5 ¹⁄₂ point lead over third place Oklahoma City, whom the second place Mavericks face tomorrow, so who the Pacers will wait and see where they wrap up Orlando Summer League play.