Game Rewind: Pacers 111, Pistons 102

Game Recap

Down two starters, the Pacers rallied together on Monday night and picked up a much-needed win. Seven Pacers scored in double figures as Indiana (46-32) handled the Detroit Pistons (39-38) at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, 111-102.

The Pacers had dropped three straight and seven of their last eight entering Monday and were without starting guards Darren Collison (sore groin) and Wesley Matthews (right hamstring strain) against Detroit.

Nonetheless, they found a way to grind out a win over a Pistons team without All-Star forward Blake Griffin (left knee soreness) and keep pace with Boston in the race for fourth place in the Eastern Conference.

"It's good to talk about a win," Pacers head coach Nate McMillan joked at his postgame press conference.

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Indiana was led by the remaining starter trio of Thaddeus Young, Myles Turner, and Bojan Bogdanovic, each of whom stuffed the stat sheet on Monday.

Young had 19 points on 8-of-12 shooting, nine rebounds, and five assists. Turner tallied 17 points on 5-of-7 shooting, six boards, five blocks, and three steals. Bogdanovic added 19 points, seven rebounds, and a season-high six assists.

"Just taking advantage of mismatches and making sure we moved the ball when it was time to move the basketball," Young said about Indiana's balanced offensive attack.

Domantas Sabonis added 18 points on 8-of-10 shooting, 12 rebounds, and three assists in just 23 minutes off the bench before fouling out midway through the fourth quarter.

Detroit seized control early on Monday, using a 13-2 run to open up an early 18-9 lead. Turner kept the Pacers in it with strong play on both ends, tallying eight points and three blocks, but sharpshooter Wayne Ellington tallied 15 points on 5-of-8 shooting (3-of-6 from 3-point range) in the first quarter as Detroit took a 33-23 lead into the second.

Sabonis provided a spark early in the next frame, scoring eight points off the bench in a 12-5 Indiana run to open the quarter.

"We just came out and started being aggressive," Sabonis said. "Shots were falling and we were getting stops and it all came together nicely."

Back-to-back baskets by Young tied the game at 45 with 5:25 left in the first half and rookie Aaron Holiday's 3-pointer 22 seconds later moved the Pacers in front. Though Detroit briefly retook the lead, the Blue & Gold took a four-point advantage into halftime.

Tyreke Evans knocked down three 3-pointers in the first 6:03 of the second half to help keep the Pacers in front. The Pistons later scored seven unanswered points to take a 77-74 lead, but Indiana responded with a 9-0 run of its own (the last five points coming from Turner) and led 87-80 at the end of the third quarter.

Holiday knocked down a jumper on the Pacers' first possession of the fourth quarter to give them a nine-point lead, but the Pistons responded with another seven straight to make it a two-point game.

The Pacers came right back at Detroit, getting a Sabonis jumper, Young dunk, Doug McDermott 3-pointer, and McDermott fastbreak layup on their next four possessions to push the lead to 11.

The Blue & Gold held the visitors at bay the rest of the way to come away with an important win as they continue to fight to secure homecourt advantage in the first round of the playoffs.

"We're trying to (turn a new page)," Young said. "The biggest thing is just believing and staying the course."

Evans went 4-for-6 from 3-point range on the night and finished with 13 points and three assists. McDermott added 11 points on 5-of-8 shooting, while Holiday finished with 10 points and five assists.

Ellington led all scorers with 26 points in the loss. Reggie Jackson added 22 points, six rebounds, and four assists, while Andre Drummond finished with 18 points, 17 boards, five assists, and four steals for the Pistons.

The Pacers and Pistons will meet again on Wednesday in Detroit in the second half of a rare regular season home-and-home series. Indiana will then return to Bankers Life Fieldhouse to host the Celtics on Friday night in a crucial clash.

Photo Credit: NBAE/Getty Images

Inside the Numbers

Bogdanovic just missed out on topping the 20-point plateau for the fifth straight game, but his six assists matched his season high previously set on Nov. 11 against Houston.

Holiday's five assists matched his career-best mark, set in last week's win over Denver.

Indiana outscored the Pistons 52-34 in points in the paint on Monday.

The Pacers shot 54.5 percent from the field, the fourth time in the last seven games they have made more than half their shots.

Drummond recorded his league-leading 65th double-double of the season in the loss.

You Can Quote Me On That

"Our bench played really well, came in aggressive, got some stops and were able to get out in transition and get some easy ones." -McDermott

"Just try to get in there and play my game. Try to play with energy, pick up the defensive and offensive tempo, and just try to help my team however I can." -Holiday on his mentality heading into the game

"I think he's going to be a really good guard in this league. He's going to be here to play and help us. He keeps himself ready to play and when he's called upon, he's played solid minutes for us. I thought he did a solid job. We kept him in there and he did a good job of keeping Jackson in front and running the offense for us." -McMillan on Holiday's play

"I thought we played the right pace, the right disposition in the first quarter. And then we let them off the hook in the second quarter...we never regained it after that." -Pistons coach Dwane Casey

"They were getting deep paint points. Our guards, including myself, definitely have to be better at keeping their guards off the paint, allowing our bigs to get back to them, so that they can't come in there. As the game went along, they became the aggressor." -Jackson

Stat of the Night

Monday's game was the 14th time this season that Indiana has had seven or more players score in double figures. The Pacers are 12-2 in those games.

Noteworthy

• Matthews missed his first game since signing with the Pacers on Feb. 10. He had played in 21 straight games.
• Pistons reserve guard Luke Kennard did not dress on Monday due to right foot soreness.
• The Pacers are 99-94 all time in the regular season against the Pistons, including a 63-34 record in Indianapolis.

Up Next

The Pacers will travel to Detroit for a rematch with the Pistons on Wednesday, April 3 at 7:00 PM ET.

Tickets

The Pacers will return to Bankers Life Fieldhouse to host Kyrie Irving and the Boston Celtics in a game with major ramifications on the Eastern Conference playoff race on Friday, April 5 at 8:00 PM ET. Find Tickets »

Special Offer - Pacers Win

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