Game Rewind
On a night where all five projected starters were resting, the Pacers fell to the Grizzlies 109-104 in overtime in Memphis on Saturday night.
The active players tonight, especially those who will likely be in reserve roles during the regular season, played hard the entire night, including overtime.
Neither team could establish a substantial lead throughout the game, so as time wound down in the final quarter, it was still anyone's contest.
The Pacers were a stop away from victory after a pair of Elijah Stewart free throws put them up 94-91 with 24.3 seconds to play, but Memphis' Yuta Watanabe banked in a 3-pointer to tie things up. Both teams had a chance to win it in regulation but were unsuccessful, so to overtime the game went.
In the extra period, Indiana had its chances but couldn't make enough plays to win. Indiana trailed 103-101 with under a minute to play, and after a turnover, the Pacers needed a stop on defense, but a goaltending by Ike Anigbogu gave the home team a four-point advantage. Memphis would close out the game out at the free-throw line.
Despite the loss, the second unit had many bright spots and got off to a good start despite being thrusted into starting duty. With just under seven minutes to play in the first, Indiana led 13-9 behind seven points and seven rebounds from Domantas Sabonis. Sabonis finished the game with a double-double, racking up an impressive 17 points and 14 rebounds.
From there Memphis controlled the quarter, outscoring Indiana 18-9 to lead 27-22 at the end of the first.
The Pacers started the second period with a 6-0 spurt to grab a one-point lead, but by the quarter's mid-point, Memphis led 38-34. Indiana forced a 38-38 tie, but the Grizzlies used a 13-3 run to take control of the game and ended up heading into the locker room with a 52-46 lead.
In the third, the Pacers continued to chip away at Memphis' lead. With 4:00 to go in the quarter it was down to just one, 70-69. Indiana made it a 74-74 contest soon after, courtesy of a Tyreke Evans three-point play.
The Pacers took the lead at the 1:39 mark and went into the final quarter up 78-76. From there, it was a fight to the finish with Memphis barely coming out on top.
In addition to Sabonis, Aaron Holiday had a nice game scoring 20 points off the bench. Evans ended up with 12 points and six rebounds.
For the Grizzlies, Jaren Jackson Jr. led the team with 18 points. Wayne Selden scored 16, and Watanabe added 11.
Inside The Numbers
Both offenses struggled from the field as Indiana shot just 37.5 percent, and Memphis made 41.3 percent of its attempts.
The Pacers outrebounded the Grizzlies 61-43.
Stat of the Night
Turnovers were costly tonight for Indiana. The Pacers committed 25 to the Grizzlies' 14.
Noteworthy
- In his first action in a Pacers uniform, Alize Johnson finished with eight points and nine rebounds.
- In his Pacers debut, Kyle O'Quinn had four points, five rebounds and three assists.
- Domantas Sabonis grabbed 14 rebounds with an even split between defensive and offensive rebounds.
Up Next
The Pacers' third preseason game is Monday, October 9 on the road against the Cleveland Cavaliers. The game starts at 7:00 PM, and will be broadcast on Fox Sports Indiana.
Tickets
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