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Game Rewind: Pacers 111, Thunder 85

Game Recap

The shorthanded Pacers continued their impressive run on Tuesday night, routing the Oklahoma City Thunder (4-7) 111-85 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse for their fourth straight win and their seventh in their last eight contests.

T.J. Warren led Indiana with 23 points on 10-of-14 shooting. Malcolm Brogdon tallied 20 points, six rebounds, and five assists, while Domantas Sabonis collected 18 points and 16 boards in the victory.

The Pacers won again with five players in street clothes due to injuries, the same conundrum they faced in each of their past three victories.

"We're learning our identity on the defensive end," Brogdon said. "Coming out of the gate, playing a strong 48 minutes, that's what the Pacers do and that's what we want to do this season."

Brogdon had it going early on Tuesday. The Pacers point guard hit his first four shots, racking up nine quick points. His last basket in that stretch — a 3-pointer — started a 12-2 Indiana run to give the hosts a 10-point lead.

Indiana took a 31-25 lead into the second quarter. The Thunder trimmed the deficit to four before the Blue & Gold put together another run, reeling off nine unanswered points to push the margin back to double digits.

Brogdon scored Indiana's final six points of the half as the Pacers took a 52-42 lead into the break.

Warren took over in the early part of the third quarter. The fifth-year forward put on a mid-range clinic, drilling four straight shots from the top of the key as Indiana opened the third quarter with a 13-6 run.

"I just wanted to come out with a sense of urgency out there," Warren said. "I knew we had a good little lead and just wanted to put them away in the third quarter. Malcolm and the guards did a good job of getting guys in their spots and getting us organized offensively."

Warren added a 3-pointer a few minutes later, the start of a 15-2 Pacers run that also included two treys from Aaron Holiday and extended the lead to as many as 26 points.

Indiana took an 86-62 advantage into the third quarter and the Pacers' reserves quickly erased any lingering thoughts of a Thunder comeback. The bench opened with five straight points, but more importantly, they held Oklahoma City to just six points over the first five and half minutes of the final frame.

Indiana emptied its bench at the end of the game, with two-way players Naz Mitrou-Long and Brian Bowen II seeing their first NBA action of the season.

Holiday was the fourth and final Pacers player to reach double figures, finishing with 17 points and four assists.

Danilo Gallinari led Oklahoma City with 14 points and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander added 11 points and six rebounds. Steven Adams finished with 10 points and five boards, while All-Star guard Chris Paul tallied seven points, five rebounds, eight assists, and three steals.

In addition to the long-term injuries to Victor Oladipo and Edmond Sumner, the Pacers were once again without regular starters Jeremy Lamb (left ankle sprain) and Myles Turner (right ankle sprain), as well as rookie center Goga Bitadze (concussion). Lamb is expected to remain out for a couple more games, though Turner and Bitadze could return to action as soon as Friday night in Houston.

The schedule gets more difficult this weekend, as the Pacers face the last two NBA MVPs on back-to-back nights. The Blue & Gold will travel to Houston to take on James Harden and the Rockets at 8:00 PM ET on Friday before returning to Indianapolis to host Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday at 7:00 PM ET.

Inside the Numbers

Sabonis has recorded a double-double in seven of the nine games he has played in this season, including each of his past five.

Holiday reached double figures for the third time in his past four games, coinciding with his move into the starting lineup in place of the injured Lamb.

The Pacers held the Thunder to just 85 points on 35.8 percent shooting, both season lows.

Indiana outrebounded Oklahoma City 49-40 and outscored the Thunder 54-36 in points in the paint.

Thunder guard Deonte Burton was the only reserve from either team to reach double figures, finishing with 13 points in 18 minutes off the bench.

You Can Quote Me On That

"We're 11 games into the season. It's a new group. Part of it is figuring these guys out, where they like the ball, what they can do with the basketball. Not only for me, but for the team. We're starting to personalize some of the sets in the offense, spotting where guys can be effective and productive." -Pacers head coach Nate McMillan

"I was just getting to my spots. I was seeing a lot of open ins and a lot of open lanes and I just wanted to be aggressive and attack." -Warren

"We knew we could bring it to another level. (The) second half we came out and took care of business the first minutes of the quarter." -Sabonis

"My job is extremely easy when I've got guys knocking down shots, defending, really doing it all. All I have to do is get us organized and make sure the right guys get the ball." -Brogdon

"We had a lot of layups and easy shots that weren’t going and we just couldn't slow their offense down. Unfortunately it's nights like this, one of those films you throw it out the window and get ready for Friday." -Paul

Stat of the Night

The Pacers outscored Oklahoma City 34-20 in the fourth quarter, knocking down 15-of-21 shots (71.4 percent) in the frame.

Noteworthy

  • Tuesday was the NBA debut for Bowen, who scored his first points on a pull-up bank shot with 49.2 seconds remaining, then drew an offensive foul on the other end.
  • The entire Mad Ants team was in Indianapolis on Tuesday and was honored during the game. Victor Oladipo was assigned to the G League team during the day so he could practice with the team as part of his recovery from knee surgery. Oladipo took part in fullcourt five-on-five action during the practice, the first time he has done that during his rehab.
  • The Thunder are 0-4 on the road this season and are one of just two NBA teams (the other being the Orlando Magic) that has yet to win a game away from home.

Next Up

The Pacers travel to Houston to take on James Harden and the Rockets on Friday, Nov. 15 at 8:00 PM ET.

Tickets

The Pacers return to Bankers Life Fiedhouse to host reigning NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday, Nov. 16 at 7:00 PM ET. Find Tickets »

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