Pacers fade after feel-good first quarter in Memphis, remain on the road to face Raptors
The Grizzlies focused on keeping Tyrese Haliburton miserable on the road which eventually worked well despite strong start in Andrew Nembhard's return.
Just prior to the end of the first quarter, Jarace Walker beat the buzzer with a quick corner 3-ball that had me looking at a calendar.
I thought it was December 2024, but suddenly it seemed more like December 2023 looking at the box score that had the Pacers up 45-28 after one quarter. This without a shot from star guard, Tyrese Haliburton as the Grizzlies dedicated Jaylen Wells to track his every step even if that lead both near half court to make the game 4-on-4.
Andrew Nembhard was back and after shaking off some early rust, handled running the remaining four just fine, thank you. Easily the most promising start of a challenging game this season, let alone on the road. The Pacers scored 45 points with 7 threes and 0 turnovers in the first quarter, pushing the lead to as much as 18 points.
Alas, none of those gaudy numbers were sustainable as the Grizzlies continued with their physical game plan which started wearing on the Pacers. By the half, the lead was down to 68-62 after the Pacers scored just 23 points with 7 turnovers in the second quarter.
The bright spot in this game for the Pacers was Nembhard’s return which was limited to just under 15 minutes in the first half. Nembhard scored 14 points in those 15 minutes with 4 assists, 2 rebounds and 2 steals, immediately reminding all of his value when teamed up with Haliburton. With the upgrade in physicality allowed in games, there is no doubt Haliburton is feeling that focus on him and that will only increase if the Pacers are unable to adjust elsewhere. Nembhard is a big part of those adjustments so hopefully he can stay healthy.
So…yeah, the Pacers were outscored 108-76 for the final three quarters of the game en route to a 136-121 loss to open their four-game road trip. The Grizz were a more mature, physical team that showed up throughout the full 48 minutes after they absorbed an early haymaker. There was no panic, they just kept working their plan and that plan eventually worked. For instance, the Grizz lead the league in points in the paint. The Pacers were up 22-12 early in that category but the Grizz ended up with a 64-52 advantage.
When it comes to being physical, the Pacers have missed their best defenders of late, so it was good to see Nembhard out there which also seemed to energize Obi Toppin who was out and running early with 9 first quarter points.
But the absence of Nembhard, Nesmith and Sheppard is gradually making a long-term difference as far as adding more physical play in the rotation. Even if if doesn’t show in immediate wins and losses, Bennedict Mathurin bounced back from a lackluster effort against Detroit to again start working the glass and finished with 19 points and 9 rebounds. Jarace Walker continues to show he has taken a step or three in the right direction with his ability to defend multiple positions, which as I mentioned after his work on Cade Cunningham, remains a desperate need for this team.
On to Toronto
The Pacers are in Toronto to face the Raptors again on Tuesday night and Walker will likely be called on again to matchup with a couple of those big wings the Raps have to offer. Scottie Barnes is back in the lineup since the last meeting which Toronto won, 130-119. The Pacers were small in that game without Myles Turner, so Enrique Freeman and Walker started. RJ Barrett pumped in 39 points and Jakob Poeltl had an easy 30.
This time around, the matchups will be much different but nonetheless daunting for the Pacers. Hopefully, Nembhard is able to play more minutes in a homecoming game for him and the Pacers can unlock Haliburton on the road to try and flip their luck or at least results away from the Fieldhouse. The Pacers are now 2-9 on the road, 9-12 overall and STILL sitting in 8th place in the East.
Pacers vs. Raptors
Where: Scotiabank Arena, Toronto, ON
When: Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024, 7:30 p.m. ET
TV: FanDuel Sports Network
Radio: 93.5/107.5 The Fan
Odds: Pacers - 3
Projected Starters
Pacers: Tyrese Haliburton, Andrew Nembhard, Bennedict Mathurin, Pascal Siakam, Myles Turner
Raptors: Ja’Kobe Walker, Ochai Agbaji, JR Barrett, Scottie Barnes, Jakob Poeltl
Injuries
Pacers: Andrew Nembhard (knee) - questionable, Ben Sheppard (oblique) - out, Aaron Nesmith (ankle) - out, James Wiseman (Achilles) - out, Isaiah Jackson (Achilles) - out
Raptors: Gradey Dick (calf) - questionable, Bruce Brown (reconditioning) - out, Kelly Olynyk (back) - out, Immanuel Quickley (elbow) - out