Game Rewind: Pacers 118, Nets 97

Game Recap

The Pacers snapped a three-game home losing streak in emphatic fashion on Friday night at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Indiana (8-9) put on an offensive clinic, rolling to a 118-97 win over the Brooklyn Nets (4-11).

After Wednesday's loss to Atlanta, Indiana's veterans said they needed to to play with better cohesion on the offensive end, making more cuts off the ball and getting everybody involved in the offense.

"We've just been preaching all week, (we said) after yesterday's practice, we wanted to move the ball and play together as a team," Pacers point guard Jeff Teague said. "We all had to make some sacrifices and that's what we did tonight."

They certainly looked like they turned a page on Friday, as they shot a season-best 55.2 percent and had six different players score in double figures in the victory.

"We had fun," Pacers forward Glenn Robinson III, who scored a team-high 20 points, said after the win. "We had fun playing tonight. We want to play like that every night."

The Pacers took an early 6-2 lead, but Brooklyn quickly surged back in front. The Nets scored on nine consecutive possessions, reeling off 11 unanswered points as part of that stretch.

The Nets led by as many as seven points in the opening minutes, but the Pacers surged back, closing the first quarter with a 14-3 run to take a five-point lead into the second.

The Blue & Gold extended their lead to double digits in the second quarter and led by as many as 18 points before halftime. They could have led by even more if not for 10 early turnovers.

The hosts put the game away quickly after halftime. Indiana scored on 10 of its first 13 possessions out of the gate, opening the third quarter with a 24-8 run that pushed their lead to 31 points. The Nets never threatened the rest of the way, as the Pacers cruised to a comfortable victory, avenging an Oct. 28 loss in Brooklyn.

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The Pacers won despite playing without several key pieces on Friday night. Paul George (sore left ankle and sore back) was a late scratch, joining Kevin Seraphin (sore left knee) and C.J. Miles (sore left knee) in street clothes. George, a three-time All-Star has now missed five of Indiana's first 17 contests.

During the first quarter of Friday's game, the team announced that George and Seraphin will also miss the Pacers next two contests. Indiana host the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday and then tips off a five-game road trip on Wednesday night in Portland. There is no timetable for Miles' return.

George still played a motivational role in the win. The 26-year-old captain called a team meeting after Thursday's practice, helping set the tone for Friday's turnaround.

"He just told us we need more movement, we need to communicate just as much on offense as we do on defense," Robinson said. "And to have fun...I think we really took that to heart."

Robinson, starting in place of George, went 4-for-6 from 3-point range and finished with a career-best 20 points and five rebounds.

"Anytime I see Glenn playing well, it gives me energy," Pacers center Myles Turner said. "It gets me excited, it gets me going. I love it when Glenn's making an impact."

Rodney Stuckey tallied 18 points off the bench on 7-of-9 shooting, getting off his silky-smooth mid-range jumper at will.

Turner added 16 points and eight rebounds for Indiana, while Al Jefferson also scored 16 points off the bench. Monta Ellis chipped in 14 points while making all six of his shot attempts and Thaddeus Young scored 11 points against his former team.

Teague didn't score in double figures, but very nearly registered his first career triple-double. Teague had nine points, a career-high nine rebounds, and eight assists in under 24 minutes, but sat the final 15:22 rather than chase the statistical mark with the game well out of reach.

"I was told (how close I was)," Teague said after the game. "I looked up (at the scoreboard) a couple times and I started getting a little thirsty. I think that's why it didn't happen."

Center Brook Lopez led Brooklyn with 20 points in the loss, going 8-for-13 from the field and 2-for-3 from 3-point range. Sean Kilpatrick added 16 for the Nets, who have now lost six straight contests.

The Pacers will close out a four-game homestand on Sunday night when they host the Clippers at 6:00 PM ET. That will end a stretch in which Indiana hosts eight of nine games at The Fieldhouse. After Sunday's win, the Pacers have gone 4-4 thus far over that span.

Inside the Numbers

The Pacers forced Brooklyn into 20 turnovers, scoring 27 points off those giveaways. Indiana has now forced 20 or more turnovers in six of their first 17 games.

Robinson tied his career high by making four 3-pointers in the win. He previously accomplished the feat on Nov. 21, 2015 against Milwaukee.

Jefferson scored in double figures for the first time in seven games.

The Pacers outrebounded their opponent for just the fourth time this season on Friday night and finished the night a season-best +9 on the boards.

Former Park Tudor School and Indiana University standout Yogi Ferrell scored 10 points off bench on 3-of-9 shooting in his first professional game in his home state.

You Can Quote Me On That

"Tonight I thought they set the tone. Defensively getting after the ball, offensively pushing the ball, moving the ball, taking care of the ball. We really had good ball movement and defensively we got up on the ball. We can't go back. We've been up and down. We have to move forward and build off this game, have intensity on both ends of the floor." -Pacers head coach Nate McMillan

"That's my guy right there, Indiana connection. I always try to pump him up a little bit, get him going and tell him how good he is and to play with confidence and believe in himself. Tonight he went out and did that." -Teague on Robinson

"I just want to continue playing the way I'm playing, bring energy to the team. Anything this team needs, I think I'm a guy that’ll step up and get it done." -Robinson

"Coach had a really good talk pregame, just giving us some spirit, just letting us know what he expects out of us. And I think we came out and showed who we should be. That's grit, grind, get after them defensively, offensively share the ball and when you're open, shoot." -Stuckey

"They were pretty aggressive in the passing lanes while we hung back a little too much. I think it came down to competitiveness, they outworked us, and they were more focused than us for the majority of the game. We were lax on both ends of the floor." -Lopez

Noteworthy

• The Pacers are now 98-72 all-time against the Nets, including a 60-25 record at home.
• The Pacers 7-2 on the season when committing fewer turnovers than their opponents.
• Indiana is 7-1 when Robinson over the past two seasons scores in double figures.
• The Blue & Gold made 11 3-pointers on Friday and improved to 6-1 on the year when making 10 or more shots from beyond the arc.

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