Pacers take care of business in Brooklyn, return home above .500

The Pacers struggled against the short-handed Nets, but did enough to earn a win and keep pace in the crowded Eastern Conference standings.

The Pacers fought the urge to blow a game on the road to an injury ravaged opponent, taking care of business down the stretch to beat the Nets, 113-99.

With the Nets missing their top three scorers and few other key contributors, the Pacers were able to slow the Nets offense but unable to take full advantage with some sloppy offense of their own, leading to one of the more frustrating 14-point wins this team will have. Not many highlights in this one, although Obi Toppin delivered a couple of high flying finishes.

The bottom line remains the bottom line though and the Pacers delivered another road win, their third consecutive away from home and third consecutive W overall. The win bumped the Pacers up to sixth in the East after Miami faded late to lose in Sacramento.

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Similar to last season, the middle of the East can change drastically with a two game or more winning (or losing streak). While the Pacers have won three straight and 7 of their last 10 games, the Pistons are a half game back after winning their fourth consecutive and 8th of last 10. Both teams hopped over the Heat and Hawks who are riding three-game losing streaks.

The ingredients for a maddening loss were all there in Brooklyn. The Pacers had double-digit turnovers after taking care of the ball so well in their past two games. That was nothing compared to the problems the Pacers had on the glass, giving up 20 ORebs to the Nets which accounted for 15 of the -16 rebound deficit. That number contributed heavily to the Nets putting up 19 more shots than the Pacers which is a significant difference in possessions.

While they may have been weak on the glass, the Pacers were assertive with the ball and able to draw fouls and then take advantage at the charity stripe, making 21 of 23 free throws compared to the Nets seven makes on just 11 FTAs. Tyrese Haliburton lead the way at the line making all 9 of his FTAs while Pascal Siakam was 5 for 5. Haliburton had 23 points and 8 assists and Siakam had 19 points and 6 rebounds.

Bennedict Mathurin and Andrew Nembhard did their part too, with Mathurin scoring 20 points. Nembhard’s stat line wasn’t flashy but his defense was solid, disrupting possessions with deflections and not focusing on offense. In fact, Nembhard had no points on just four shots through three quarters. He finished with 8 points to help close out the win.

The Pacers bench had another strong initial rotation leading to a solid second quarter overall which put the Pacers up 16 at the break. The starters pushed the lead to 24 early in the third quarter and it appeared, they may not be needed to finish the fourth quarter. However, the second bench rotation struggled as the Nets found buckets inside and out to cut into that lead and put the game back up for grabs with the Pacers up just 8 points going into the fourth quarter. Fortunately, the Pacers were able to get the offense rolling for 35 fourth quarter points to bring home a win.

Look, we’ve seen so many similar games go haywire, the struggle ending with a 14-point win was one of those ugly wins that was beautiful.

Following the game, Rick Carlisle pointed toward the effort Bennedict Mathurin gave and how, despite his numbers seeming similar to last year, he is playing a winning style of basketball. Carlisle reiterated his praise for Mathurin on his weekly appearance on The Wake Up Call on 107.5 The Fan, going so far as to open his laptop and share Mathurin’s Net rating for the past 5 (+14ish) and 10 (+9ish) games.

Mathurin continues to work well with the current starting lineup which has performed incredibly well together. Last season, the effective bench helped wear teams out which helped the starters keep pace with stronger units. At this point, the bench has not been as effective, but the starters have been able to make up for any negatives from the bench of late.

So, while the Pacers are playing much better and more consistent of late, there remains plenty of room for improvement. None of the wins can be taken for granted, even if they make you wince in the process as was the case at times in the Barclays Center.

The Pacers face a Bulls team that is trending in a positive direction, as well after winning their last two games while enjoying relatively good health. Tyrese Haliburton played through a tweaked ankle in Brooklyn and is listed as questionable for Wednesday.

Pacers vs. Bulls

Where: Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN

When: Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025, 7:00 p.m. ET

TV: FanDuel Sports Network

Radio: 93.5/107.5 The Fan

Odds: Pacers -5

Projected Starters

Pacers: Tyrese Haliburton, Andrew Nembhard, Bennedict Mathurin, Pascal Siakam, Myles Turner

Bulls: Josh Giddey, Coby White, Zach LaVine, Patrick Williams, Nikola Vucevic

Injuries

Pacers: Tyrese Haliburton (ankle) - questionable, Aaron Nesmith (ankle) - out, James Wiseman (Achilles) - out, Isaiah Jackson (Achilles) - out

Bulls: Torrey Craig (lower leg) - out, Ayo Dosunmu (calf) - out