featured-image

Summer League 2014: Pacers 95, Celtics 86

Orlando — The Indiana Pacers concluded Summer League play at the Amway Center Friday with a 95-86 victory over the Boston Celtics, finishing third in the 10-team league.

The Pacers pretty much led this one throughout with all five starters in double figures and the three available bench players scoring at least six points apiece.

Donald Sloan led the Pacers with his best game of the league with 20 points, 10 assists and no turnovers. DeQuan Jones had 18, Frank Gaines 14, Kevin Jones 10 and Willie Reed 10.

It was an impressive week for the Pacers, who had only one roster player (Sloan) available to play. Second-year player Solomon Hill had to sit out with a sprained right ankle, but the roster comprised mainly of D-League players rose to the challenge.

"It was a great experience," said Sloan. "These are guys fighting to get in the league, much as I was a couple of years ago, and they played to win, not get stats. I felt the chemistry. On paper, we weren't supposed to go 4-1. We played our style of basketball, played together and finished strong. Take away the first half of the first game (a big loss to Brooklyn) and we would be playing for the championship.

"I think all the scouts and coaches here this week looked at this team and Iiked how they played, how they competed and will give some of them a shot."

Pacers assistant coach Dan Burke, who coached the team, added, "As an organization, we're proud of these guys. They played their hearts out. Today was another example. It was our fifth game in seven days, we had just 10 turnovers and when Boston made a run, we stepped up and turned them back."