Pacers take tough loss against Thunder to begin diabolical back-to-back
What started as a sweet effort at home, turned sour when the Pacers faded late against OKC on Thursday night. As a reward, they get to play the first of two games in Boston on Friday night.
Wins are beautiful, losses are ugly regardless of the path toward the final result.
This was reaffirmed during my Thursday experience which had me following the Pacers from cold, damp Soldier Field where my beloved Seahawks were trying to stay alive for a playoff spot against the struggling Bears.
The family outing in Chicago had me and my sons tracking the Pacers get off to an incredible start, only to fade at crunch time against the Thunder, eventually taking a 120-114 loss.
The Seahawks beat the Bear, 6-3 in one of the ugliest games you could imagine. Yet, with the raucous Bears crowd, (and God bless ‘em, in that weather, the passionate desire for a win was impressive), the Seahawks held on without scoring a touchdown to remain alive in the playoffs. Considering the conditions and the stakes, it was stunningly beautiful when the win was secured in the waning seconds.
While I missed out on watching the Pacers and Thunder in person, following along and then listening to it on the way home and then watching it this morning, the route to the Pacers loss was just the opposite compared to what I saw in Chicago.
The Pacers held the Thunder to 19 points in the first quarter? Beautiful
The Pacers scored 61 points in the first half against the top defense in the league? Beautiful.
Pascal Siakam, Andrew Nembhard and Bennedict Mathurin had it rolling early and filled the offensive gap left by Tyrese Haliburton being unable to shake Lu Dort. Still, two first half shots and zero points from Haliburton at the half, was a cause for concern.
Recent wins have shown the Pacers playing at the level they did last May in the playoffs with the hope that the defensive improvements of late would stick and take them to another level. Unfortunately, the Pacers looked exactly as they did in the Eastern Conference playoffs against the Celtics, when they took strong leads in three of the four games, only to let the applied pressure of the C’s get to them late without anyone stepping up to match the stars from Boston who swooped in and stole the win.
OKC followed the same script, with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander doing the swooping, finishing off a 45-point performance with nine points in the final minute to help the Thunder put away the W with seeming ease.
The Pacers loss turns any good that that happened along the way into an ugly loss, highlighting the Pacers need for a consistent star closer. Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam are paid to be that guy or guys since no one would complain if they took turns.
When Haliburton scored with 3:42 left to give him four (4!) points for the night, there was a glimmer of hope that he may rise up after being stymied all night to bring home the win. But the Pacers didn’t score for another two and a half minutes as the Thunder pulled away, fueled by their max player.
The Pacers random offense, taking what the defense is willing to give them, was working well until it wasn’t and a deferential Haliburton, taking just six shots, will never be sustainable when the Pacers play the elite teams in the league.
On to Boston
The team is now in Boston thanks to the lump of coal the NBA schedulers tossed in the Pacers stocking. The defending champs will have no mercy for the Pacers considering the C’s are coming off two consecutive losses for the first time all season.
Meanwhile, the Pacers lost their first game after winning the previous five. Not just any loss, but one with a major emotional let down after letting a strong 40 or so minute effort go to waste. The bounce back will be brutal and with another game set for Sunday in Boston, the Pacers need to hang in and continue that solid play regardless of the end result.
On the injury front, Myles Turner was able to play through his oblique contusion, logging a double-double with five blocks. However, Obi Toppin sprained his ankle early, tried to return but was not feeling it. Carlisle expected Toppin to be out on Friday despite his incredible ability to play through injuries. That’s asking a lot on a back-to-back.
As for the C’s, Kristaps Porzingis left the Christmas Day game early and remains questionable. Jrue Holiday missed the last game but is also questionable for the Pacers.
Pacers vs. Celtics
Where: TD Garden, Boston, MA
When: Friday, Dec. 27, 2024, 7:00 p.m. ET
TV: FanDuel Sports Network
Radio: 93.5/107.5 The Fan
Odds: Pacers +12.5
Projected Starters
Pacers: Tyrese Haliburton, Andrew Nembhard, Bennedict Mathurin, Pascal Siakam, Myles Turner
Celtics: Derrick White, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Al Horford, Kristaps Porzingis
Injuries
Pacers: Myles Turner (oblique) - questionable, Aaron Nesmith (ankle) - out, James Wiseman (Achilles) - out, Isaiah Jackson (Achilles) - out
Celtics: Jrue Holiday (shoulder) - questionable, Kristaps Porzingis (ankle) - questionable