In this depth and effort era of the NBA, the Pacers ran out of depth for their game against the Hawks on Monday. So they relied solely on effort.
That effort was quite impressive, with four of the available six players playing at least 40 minutes and forcing the Hawks to play a full 48 minutes to earn their 108-104 win.
The Hawks played 10 players and shot the lights out, making 23 of 51 (45%) threes while the Pacers made just 8 threes in 34 tries. No matter, the Pacers 6 comprised of Braden Smith, Quenton Jackson, Jarace Walker, Jalen Slawson, Jay Huff and Kobe Brown never wavered.
Playing hard and playing together, the Pacers worked the ball into the paint and found buckets or free throws (20 for 23 FTs) to continue making runs at the lead. At the end of the third quarter I looked at the box score and noticed all six players had scored in double figures, a numerical example to “the power of unselfish play and putting a real competitive spirit on the game” that Rick Carlisle lauded after the game.
The rookie Smith adjusted against a couple of the league’s toughest defenders in Dyson Daniels and Lu Dort, finding scoring opportunities for himself or teammates to finish the game with 19 points (2 of 3 from behind the arc) and 10 assists. Smith cramped up after grabbing a rebound in his 43rd minute on the floor and was unable to finish the final minute of play which was a shame.
Jarace Walker played over 44 minutes, scored 15 points with 7 rebounds and 3 assists, but made just 1 of 6 from behind the arc. A few of the several open misses that kept the Pacers from getting over the hump in the second half.
Jay Huff played avoided foul trouble and played 40 minutes, finishing a few of those assists from Smith at the rim to finish with 22 points, 8 rebounds and a couple of blocks. He was 0 for 5 from behind the arc to add to the ‘if only’ lament at missing out on the win.
Jalen Slawson played 41 minutes and finished with 12 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals and 3 blocks. His play further fortified my belief that if this guy played normal rotation minutes he could make a NBA All-Defensive team. Hunting plays.
Speaking of hunting plays, Quenton Jackson ‘only’ played 35 minutes but teamed up with Smith to grind for a way to win down the stretch. Q scored 10 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter and added 2 steals and 2 blocks which helped trigger transition chances. Somehow he made two buckets on dunk attempts after the ball slipped out of his hands at the rim. Jackson was very impactful both with his play and leadership, supporting Smith.
Off the bench, Kobe Brown played 38 minutes and made some tough shots inside and out to finish with 16 points and 6 rebounds. He was a physical presence on the defensive end, often scrapping against bigger guys on the lengthy lineups the Hawks served up.
Throughout the game, it seemed inevitable that the Pacers 6 would run out of juice and eventually get run over, but aside from the Smith leg cramp in the final minute, the group refused to relent until the final buzzer. Only fitting to give a full roll call of the effort put forth.
Tip of the hat to the Hawks who kept their composure when they were pressed into a choking situation late. Nickeil Alexander-Walker was devastating, making 9 of 15 threes to finish with 34 points. Veteran CJ McCollum added 13 points and 12 assists and Onyeka Okongwu had 13 points and 10 rebounds. The Hawks won the battle on the glass 49 to 39. Dyson Daniels had 6 of his 9 rebounds on the offensive glass, more than the Pacers total of 5 ORebs which helped the Hawks enjoy a 22-5 second chance points advantage.
The bottom line at the end of the night left the Pacers with their fifth consecutive loss before heading to Memphis to begin a three-game roadie over the next six days that includes a stop in Mexico City to play the Nuggets.
But all wins and losses are not equal and the loss to Atlanta far exceeded the entertainment value delivered in the loss to Brooklyn the night before. The 6 turned a somewhat surly crowed, who arrived to a lineup missing all of their favorite players, in their favor. Reminding all why we love basketball so much in Indiana.