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Pacers 130, Kings 106 (Preseason)

Buoyed by strong bench play, the Pacers cruised to a comfortable 130-106 win over the Sacramento Kings on Saturday in Mumbai in the second and final contest in the 2019 NBA India Games.

While they needed a late rally to force overtime in Friday's win over the Kings, there was no such drama on Saturday.

Eight Pacers scored in double figures in the blowout preseason victory, including five reserves.

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The Kings led 30-25 after a tightly contested first quarter, but the Pacers' reserves helped them surge in front early in the second.

Alize Johnson got things started by knocking down back-to-back 3-pointers off dishes from T.J. McConnell. Doug McDermott then followed with a layup off a backdoor cut and a three of his own.

After a timeout, it was the Holiday brothers' turn to carry the load. Second-year guard Aaron Holiday hit a three and a layup and then big brother Justin added a pair of treys.

The Blue & Gold opened the frame with a 21-5 run and led by as many as 12 points.

The Kings rallied with nine unanswered points, but reserves JaKarr Sampson and Edmond Sumner stepped up, combining for 14 points in a 16-7 Indiana run to close the half, capped by Sumner's coast-to-coast buzzer-beating layup that gave the Blue & Gold a 71-59 lead at the break.

Fifth-year center Myles Turner put on a show on both ends in the third quarter to help Indiana sustain its lead. Turner swatted three shots in the frame and knocked down three jumpers on the other end — two of them 3-pointers — and Indiana took a 96-79 lead into the fourth quarter.

Sacramento never threatened down the stretch as both teams emptied their bench in the final frame.

Johnson led the Pacers with 17 points and eight rebounds. Aaron Holiday added 16 points, Sampson scored 15, and Justin Holiday tallied 13.

Turner (12 points and five blocks), Jeremy Lamb (11 points and five rebounds), Domantas Sabonis (10 points, six rebounds, and four assists), and Sumner (10 points on 4-of-7 shooting and four assists) all also reached double figures.

Buddy Hield led Sacramento with 17 points, five rebounds, and five assists. Marvin Bagley III added 15 points and six boards, while Indiana native Yogi Ferrell had 12 points and four assists off the bench.

The Pacers outscored the Kings 46-29 in the second quarter to open up a double-digit lead.

Johnson scored 11 of his team-high 17 points in the fourth quarter.

Turner tallied five blocks in just 18:53 of action. The NBA leader in blocked shots last season has 17 career regular season games with five or more blocks.

Indiana dominated Sacramento in the paint, outscoring the Kings 60-28 on the interior.

The Pacers went 15-for-29 from 3-point range (51.7 percent) in Saturday's victory. Justin Holiday went 3-for-3 from long range, while five others (Aaron Holiday, Johnson, Lamb, Turner, and Sampson) hit two 3-pointers.

The Pacers' bench combined for 91 points in Saturday's victory, outscoring the Kings' reserves by 40.

The Pacers will return to Indiana and have ample time to recover from their overseas trip before returning to action against the Chicago Bulls at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Friday, Oct. 11 at 7:00 PM ET. Find Tickets »

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Game Rewind: Pacers 130, Kings 106 (Preseason)

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Mumbai, 05 October 2019: NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, NBA Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum, Sacramento Kings Chairman and Governor Vivek Ranadive, Indiana Pacers Owner and Alternate NBA Governor Steve Simon, NBA Legend Dikembe Mutombo and NBA India Managing Director Rajesh Sethi laid the foundation for legacy project at the BMC Marathi School at Sitaram Mills Compound in Mumbai earlier today.

As a part of the commitment, the NBA, Indiana Pacers and Sacramento Kings – in partnership with American India Foundation (AIF) – will support five under-resourced Municipal schools in Mumbai with technology equipment, trained teachers, a basketball court, and improved infrastructure capacities.

"I think the NBA and its family have created a platform for so many people to follow, as an example and a model. I am really happy with the work the NBA is doing, especially with its players and owners. We are making the world a better place. We are teaching our kids the game of basketball. It's very important that the kids learn how to play the sport in a healthy and safe environment," said Mutombo at the sidelines of the event.

The NBA legend added that he always wanted to give back something to his home country Congo once he became a professional basketball player.

"I grew up in an economically backward country and when I got a chance to play the game of basketball, I decided that I want to go back and do something for my country. I built a $30 million hospital and I am going to launch a $4 million school in January," said the 53-year-old who has a foundation dedicated to improving the health, education and quality of life for the people of Congo.

Mutombo expressed that India has the platform for basketball to become one of the top sports in the country.

"For a long time, people said that there's no chance of a league in Africa. We traveled there many times, organizing grassroots initiatives and developed the game of basketball for the young people. And now basketball is one of the fastest-growing sports in the continent. I believe that India has the same platform. We've seen basketball grow in China and Philippines. We are not looking to take over cricket here, but the youngsters should have a chance to decide which sport they want to play,” said the Hall Of Famer.

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NBA, Pacers and Kings Lay Foundation for Legacy Project in Mumbai

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Indiana Connections Run Deep in Mumbai

Pacers Trip to India a Momentous Occasion

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The first NBA game played in India wound up being a thriller, as the Pacers rallied from 21 points down in the first half and a nine-point deficit in the fourth quarter to force overtime and knock off the Sacramento Kings on Friday in Mumbai, 132-131.

Fans in Mumbai will be hoping for an equally competitive contest on Saturday, when the Pacers and Kings meet once more for the second and final contest of the 2019 NBA India Games.

The Pacers have four new starters to open the 2019-20 season, but their new first unit looked formidable in their first minutes together on Friday. Offseason acquisitions T.J. Warren and Jeremy Lamb combined for 50 points, while new point guard Malcolm Brogdon scored 15 points and dished out 14 assists. On the interior, Myles Turner and Domantas Sabonis jelled well in their first time starting together, combining for 32 points and 25 rebounds on 14-for-26 shooting.

The focus on Saturday will likely shift to Indiana's reserves. Head coach Nate McMillan said earlier in training camp he will likely rest both Turner and Sabonis in the second game in India to give them a break after busy summers playing for their national teams in the FIBA World Cup.

The Pacers would like to give extended minutes to their bench players on Saturday, but their top two frontcourt reserves both missed Friday's game, rookie center Goga Bitadze due to a sprained ankle and third-year forward TJ Leaf due to a right quad strain.

Still, expect to see significant minutes from a number of Pacers reserves, including returnees Aaron Holiday, Edmond Sumner, Doug McDermott, and Alize Johnson as well as offseason acquisitions T.J. McConnell, Justin Holiday, and JaKarr Sampson.

Pacers: PG - Malcolm Brogdon, SG - Jeremy Lamb, SF - T.J. Warren, PF - Domantas Sabonis, C - Myles TurnerKings: PG - De'Aaron Fox, SG - Buddy Hield, SF - Harrison Barnes, PF - Marvin Bagley III, C - Dewayne Dedmon

Pacers: Goga Bitadze - questionable (sprained right ankle), TJ Leaf - questionable (right quad strain), Naz Mitrou-Long - questionable (allergic reaction), Victor Oladipo - out (knee surgery rehab), CJ Wilcox - questionable (right quad strain)

Kings: Harry Giles III - not with team (left knee soreness), Tyler Ulis - not with team (right groin strain)

October 4, 2019: T.J. Warren's 3-pointer with 7.8 seconds left in regulation forced overtime and the Pacers held on to win in the extra period, 132-131.

Warren scored a game-high 30 points and went 5-for-6 from 3-point range. Domantas Sabonis (21 points and 12 rebounds), Malcolm Brogdon (15 points and 14 assists), and Myles Turner (11 points and 13 boards) all had double-doubles in the victory, while Jeremy Lamb added 20 points.

Buddy Hield led Sacramento with 28 points in the loss, Harrison Barnes added 21, and De'Aaron Fox tallied 16 points and eight assists.

Single game tickets for all 2019-20 Pacers home games are now on sale. Secure your seats today. Find Tickets »

Broadcast Information TV & Radio Listings »

TV: FOX Sports Indiana/NBA TV - Chris Denari (play-by-play), Quinn Buckner (analyst)
Radio: 107.5 FM/1070 AM The Fan - Mark Boyle (play-by-play), Pat Boylan (studio host)

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Game Preview: Pacers vs Kings (Preseason)

The Pacers were a part of history on Friday, taking part in the first-ever NBA game in India. Those fans lucky enough to be in the NSCI Dome in Mumbai were treated to a good one, as the Pacers rallied to force overtime and ultimately knocked off the Sacramento Kings in first of two preseason contests, 132-131.

T.J. Warren had a strong debut in a Pacers uniform, hitting a 3-pointer to force overtime and the go-ahead basket in the extra session on his way to a game-high 30 points on 11-of-18 shooting (5-of-6 from 3-point range).

The Kings led 111-102 after Buddy Hield's bucket with 5:30 remaining before the Pacers mounted a memorable charge.

They slowly chipped away at the deficit, with Jeremy Lamb's layup with 35.3 seconds remaining making it a three-point game. On the other end, Myles Turner contested De'Aaron Fox's layup attempt and forced a miss, giving Indiana a chance to tie the game.

Out of a timeout, the Pacers ran a beautiful set that freed up Warren in the left corner, where he drilled the trey to tie the game at 118 with 7.8 seconds left.

"Adding T.J. to our roster, it gives us another guy we can give the ball to to close games," Pacers head coach Nate McMillan said after the win. "The play was drawn up for him, they executed it, and T.J. finished it and put the ball in the basket."

Turner subsequently swatted Fox's shot out of bounds, leaving 0.6 seconds on the clock. Hield got an open look at the buzzer, but missed, sending the game to overtime.

In the extra period, Warren drained another three on the opening possession to give the Blue & Gold their first lead since the opening minutes of Friday's contest.

Indiana remained in front until Hield's triple tied the game at 128 with 1:18 remaining. Warren answered on the other end, however, with another bucket to put the Pacers back in front.

After Fox hit one of two free throws with 32.6 seconds to play to make it a one-point game, Warren drove into traffic and missed a layup, but Domantas Sabonis was there for the putback with 17.3 seconds remaining.

On the other end, Hield threw the ball out of bounds, seemingly ending the game. But the Pacers were called for a five-second violation, giving the Kings one last chance to extend the game.

Hield nearly banked it a three to force double overtime, but it rimmed out. Marvin Bagley III tipped in the miss at the buzzer, but the Pacers survived by one point.

Sabonis finished with 21 points and 12 rebounds for Indiana, while Lamb added 20 points. Malcolm Brogdon also left a positive first impression in a Pacer uniform, racking up 15 points, 14 assists, and six boards, while Turner (11 points and 13 rebounds) also registered a double-double.

The Pacers led 6-5 on Friday after two early dunks by Sabonis before Sacramento surged ahead with 12 unanswered points.

Some of Indiana's new additions made key contributions in the opening frame, as Lamb scored eight points on 3-of-3 shooting and Brogdon dished out five assists, but the Kings led 39-29 after one.

The Kings maintained a double-digit lead for the majority of the second quarter and used another 12-0 run to push the margin to as high as 21.

The Blue & Gold clawed back with a 21-10 run, capped by a bank shot from Doug McDermott with 1.4 seconds left in the half to make it a 10-point game. But the Kings got an unexpected bonus at the buzzer, as Yogi Ferrell drained a heave from beyond halfcourt to close the half, giving Sacramento a 72-59 lead at the break.

The Pacers played inspired basketball coming out of the half, opening the third quarter with a 15-3 run — the last eight points in that stretch coming from Warren — to make it a one-point game.

The contest remained tight throughout the third quarter, but Indiana never managed to retake the lead and headed into the fourth trailing, 97-92.

Hield led Sacramento with 28 points in the loss, while Barnes added 21. Fox tallied 16 points and eight assists.

The Pacers and Kings will square off once more on Saturday in Mumbai in the second and final exhibition in the 2019 NBA India Games. That contest will take place at 9:30 AM ET and be aired live on FOX Sports Indiana.

The Pacers shot 51.6 percent from the field in Friday's victory.

Indiana outscored Sacramento 62-46 in points in the paint.

The Kings' bench outscored the Pacers' reserves, 51-35. McDermott led Indiana's second unit with nine points off the bench, while Edmond Sumner added seven.

Turnovers were an issue for both teams, as the Pacers forced 22 giveaways but committed 25 turnovers themselves.

The Kings went 10-for-17 from 3-point range in the first half, but were just 5-for-19 in the second half and overtime.

Starting together in the frontcourt for the first time in three seasons as teammates, Myles Turner and Domantas Sabonis combined for 32 points and 25 rebounds on 14-for-26 shooting.