Friday, Oct. 21 at 7:00 PM ET at Gainbridge Fieldhouse
Game Recap
A historic Indiana Pacers fourth quarter wasn’t enough to secure the team’s first win of the 2022-23 season.
The Pacers (0-2) scored 49 points in the final frame against the San Antonio Spurs (1-1) – a franchise record for points in the fourth quarter – but fell 137-134 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Friday. Previously, the Blue & Gold had scored 46 points in a quarter three times, most recently against the Philadelphia 76ers in 2020.
The Pacers nearly erased a 16-point deficit in the final five minutes, pulling within a point of the lead with 3.8 seconds remaining.
Indiana scored 12 points in the final 1:52 of play, but following a pair of free throws by the Spurs’ Tre Jones, Pacers rookie Bennedict Mathurin’s 3-point attempt to force overtime came up short.
In the fourth quarter, the Pacers went 19-of-34 (55.9 percent) from the field while making all seven of their free throw attempts. Tyrese Haliburton had seven points in the last 64 seconds, including the basket to make it a one-possession game before Jones was fouled.
In the battle between two of the NBA’s youngest teams, the Spurs scored at least 32 points in each quarter.
Haliburton said the Pacers, particularly the starting unit, need to come out with more intensity on the defensive end.
“I think, in basketball, you’ve got to control what you can, and that's effort and energy and attitude – how you react to things – and we're not doing that,” Haliburton said.
The Spurs drilled 17 3-pointers, shooting 54 percent from both 3-point range and overall from the field in their win. Haliburton topped the Pacers with 27 points and Mathurin had a career-high 26 while Josh Richardson scored 27 to lead the Spurs.
After not playing in the season opener, Pacers rookie Andrew Nembhard logged a team-high 30 minutes, 20 seconds on the floor. The Gonzaga product scored 14 points on 47 percent shooting.
“I just try to let it come to me,” Nembhard said. “I just want to be a connector on the court and bring energy on the defensive side of the ball.”
In the early minutes, the Spurs showed off their range.
The Spurs shot 60 percent from 3-point range, nailing 12 from beyond the arc, to lead the Blue & Gold 70-55 at halftime in Indianapolis.
In the opening quarter, the Pacers gave up 36 points for a second straight game like in Wednesday’s 114-107 loss against the Washington Wizards.
“We’ve been getting down early and having to fight back. We’ve gotta figure out the best course to correct it,” Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said. “We have a quick turnaround with Detroit coming in less than 24 hours, but there are some things to build on here like Nembhard’s performance. He was terrific and played like a veteran. Defensively, we gave up too many threes.”
Nembhard made his NBA debut with 3:54 left in the first quarter and provided instant energy off the bench before intermission.
The Spurs hit eight 3-pointers in the second quarter, including three from Richardson off the bench.
A pair of free throws by Mathurin and a 3-pointer by Nembhard pulled the Pacers within a possession at 45-43 with 7:17 left in the half, but an 8-0 Spurs run put the Spurs back up by double digits.
At intermission, Mathurin led all scorers with 16 points and Richardson had 14 for the Spurs.
Draining a pair of 3-pointers and adding a dunk, the Spurs went up by 20 points two minutes into the third quarter.
The Blue & Gold trailed 102-85 going into the fourth before closing the gap.
The Pacers shot 49 percent overall, including 31.4 percent from 3-point while going 21-of-22 from the free throw line. The Spurs shot 32-for-44 from the charity stripe, including 23-of-29 in the fourth quarter.
Indiana will conclude a three-game homestand on Saturday against the Detroit Pistons.
Inside the Numbers
In the fourth quarter, the Pacers’ full-court press caused havoc, as the Spurs turned the ball over 10 times.
The Pacers continually fouled Spurs center Jakob Poeltl down the stretch, and the tactic largely paid off as he shot 10-of-16 from the free throw line.
Haliburton also had a strong finish, scoring 18 of his 27 points in the fourth quarter. He made five of his six shot attempts and made all seven of his tries at the charity stripe.
You Can Quote Me On That
“We have to make the adjustments. After two games these kinds of starts, I’m going to look at the film closely and it may be time to tweak some things. We’ll see. I’m not a big lineup changing person in general, but our situation this year might be an exception.” - Carlisle on making adjustments with Myle Turner out due to injury
“We had a lot of guys that didn't shoot the ball the way they wanted to and we still scored 134 points. If you score 134 points, you should win an NBA game. So our problem is defensively.” – Haliburton on the need for stronger defense
“When you step on the court, you’ve got to be ready. You have to be ready to compete from the jump. - Mathurin on the recent slow starts
“I think the second unit all starts with T.J. He brings so much energy and got the crowd into it. Just the way he moves the ball on offense, people don’t realize how much he’s doing for the team.” – Nembhard on fellow guard T.J. McConnell
Stat of the Night
The Pacers set a franchise record for most points in the fourth quarter by scoring 49 on Friday. Previously, the Pacers scored 46 on three different occasions, including against the Spurs on Jan. 23, 1980; Golden State Warriors on Jan. 16, 2008; and Philadelphia 76ers on Aug. 1, 2020.
Noteworthy
- Indiana high school basketball legend Romeo Langford did not take the court for the Spurs.
- Turner missed his second straight game with an ankle injury.
- Pacers big man Jalen Smith exited in the third quarter and did not return after taking a blow to the face.
- The Spurs are the youngest team in the league, with six players under the age of 21.
Up Next
The Pacers wrap up a three-game homestand by hosting Jaden Ivey and the Detroit Pistons at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Saturday, Oct. 22 at 7:00 PM ET. Find Tickets >>