2020-21 Game Rewind

For the third time this month — the fourth time overall — the Pacers battled the Washington Wizards. This time, both teams' playoff hopes were on the line in the final Eastern Conference Play-In game.

Despite battling tough early, the Blue & Gold ultimately fell to the Wizards, 142-115, at Capital One Arena Thursday night. The loss means the Pacers will enter the NBA Draft Lottery with the 13th-best odds. The squad has not been eligible for the lottery since the 2014-15 season.

Once again, tonight's game boiled down to Washington's dominance down low. The hosts outscored Indiana 72-40 in the paint and used a 16-0 run midway through the second quarter to control the game for good. Indiana shot just 41-for-100 from the field.

"Twelve of those points were in transition," coach Nate Bjorkgren pointed out postgame. "That was a difficult part there."

Washington finished with 16 points on the fast break.

"They played well," he added. "They played very well — very well against us. We had a hard time with them this year for different reasons."

Six Pacers finished in double figures to end the season. Malcolm Brogdon finished with a team-high 24 points, while Domantas Sabonis recorded a 19-point, 11-rebound, 10-assist triple-double to go out on a high note. Kelan Martin added a bench-high 13.

Washington's Bradley Beal led everyone with 25 points on an efficient 9-of-17 from the floor. Russell Westbrook finished two rebounds shy of another triple-double against Indiana, recording 18 points, eight boards, and 15 assists. Rui Hachimura added another 18 on 6-of-8 shooting.

A slow start for both teams led to a 12-all score at the first timeout of the game with 6:56 to go. Brogdon helped the Pacers' offense get going with seven early points, including a speedy layup just before the stoppage. The guard appeared to be more comfortable with his first step after dealing with a lingering hamstring injury that kept him out of the final 10 games of the regular season.

The game remained close as play continued. Trailing 24-21, Doug McDermott tallied six straight points off two triples to regain a 27-24 Indiana lead with 2:39 to play. McDermott provided the fireworks in the Pacers' first Play-In game against the Charlotte Hornets, notching 20 before the half.

Down the stretch, a run of six unanswered Washington points gave the Wizards a three-point edge. But a tough finish from Sabonis down low with 15.2 seconds to go trimmed the Pacers' deficit to 30-29 as the squads prepared for the second. The Blue & Gold finished just 12-of-29 from the floor and 5-of-12 from deep — a stark contrast from two nights ago.

Indiana's shooting woes continued over the first several minutes of the second. A step-back three from Kelan Martin tied the score at 34-all with 10:22 to play. However, the Blue & Gold then suffered a 3:50 scoreless streak. Meanwhile, Washington earned the upper hand by finishing in the paint. A run of 16 unanswered gave the hosts a 50-34 lead with 6:49 to go before Sabonis ended the drought with a two-handed flush.

Washington's lead fluctuated between 12 and 16 points for the remainder of the frame. Despite decent looks for Indiana, they just could not get the shots to fall. Trailing 66-50, Justin Holiday cut the squad's deficit to 14 with a cutting layup off a dish from Sabonis before the half.

A 10-5 Wizards run — eight off driving layups — pushed Washington's lead to 76-57 with 9:22 to go in the third. Indiana also continued to struggle shooting from nearly every location on the floor.

Threes from Beal and Raul Neto on consecutive Wizards possessions pushed the host's advantage to 84-64 with 6:46 left in the third. It appeared to get worse from there as Beal heated up from the floor. The NBA's second-leading scorer in the regular season then recorded six points in a 0:28 span to put the Pacers into a 91-66 hole with 5:42 to go.

Six free throws and a 3-pointer from Beal — his fourth — pushed Washington to the 100-point mark with 3:32 still to play in the third. Edmond Sumner got on the scoreboard for the Pacers, notching five points in an 0:18 span. However, Indiana still found itself down by a substantial margin. The Wizards headed to the final frame holding a commanding 114-83 lead.

Washington started the fourth with an alley-oop from Chandler Hutchison. In a way, it was a perfect representation of how tonight went for the Blue & Gold.

A small 6-0 spurt from Indiana cut Washington's lead to 116-89 with 9:39 to go. However, a comeback was just not in the cards for Indiana tonight. Sabonis picked up his sixth and final foul 0:20 later on a called charge, ending his night early. Both teams began rotating in their deep benches with just over eight minutes to play.

For Washington, this means their impressive end-of-season run will continue. Seemingly out of the playoff hunt, the club went 17-6 down the stretch to earn a Play-In spot. Despite a slip-up against the Boston Celtics in their first Play-In game, they have earned the right to play the Philadelphia 76ers in the first round of the NBA Playoffs — a tough task.

For Indiana, the offseason means a chance to heal after a season marred by injuries. After an upsetting season, fans can be sure the Blue & Gold will come back next season with a vengeance, looking to prove they belong with the top teams of the Eastern Conference.

The Pacers lost the battle on the glass, 60-47.

Indiana finished second in the league with an average of 16.6 fastbreak points per game. On Thursday, they had only five.

Doug McDermott (13 points) finished out the season by scoring double figures in 16 straight games.

Oshae Brissett finished out his Pacers season with 10 points and six boards.

"They got on a roll. They got two elite players on that team. And they're at home. They're playing for something like we are. So, when a team gets that type of momentum it's hard." –Brogdon on the Wizards' run

"We had guys that really stepped up. I spoke in the locker room right after the game and just told everybody 'I'm proud of y'all. I'm proud of us.' Guys stepped up. Oshae (Brissett), Ed (Sumner), Aaron (Holiday). Those guys stepped up and played at a level that people didn't think they could. I'm proud of my guys." –Brogdon's on the team's chemistry this year

"(It was) a lot of ups and downs. But the group we had was special. The locker room was great since day one to today. We all love playing together. We just hope things (improve on) the court." –Sabonis on his and the team's season

Washington shot 54-of-93 (58.1 percent) from the floor, including 14-of-28 from 3-point range.

game-rewind-pacers-115-wizards-142-play-in-tournament

Game Rewind: Pacers 115, Wizards 142 (Play-In Tournament)

Hours before Tuesday's inaugural Eastern Conference Play-In Tournament game, the Pacers were delivered a surprising piece of news. Due to the NBA's health and safety protocols, star guard Caris LeVert was added to an already-extensive injury list. Although the blow became a bit less severe after Malcolm Brogdon declared himself available, national news analysts debated whether Indiana had enough power to knock off a young and persistent Charlotte Hornets squad.

Soon after tipoff, the analysts' questions were answered. Brogdon started tonight's contest at Bankers Life Fieldhouse with a 3-pointer, and the squad never looked back. The Blue & Gold routed the Hornets, 144-117. Indiana finished 58-of-105, including 16-of-35 from deep. Charlotte never led.

In all, eight Pacers finished in double figures in the score-fest. Oshae Brissett finished with a team-high 23 on 10-of-14 shooting, including 3-of-6 from deep. Doug McDermott tallied 21, doing a team-high 20 first-half points of damage behind four triples. After struggling to score in the first half, Domantas Sabonis finished with a monstrous 14-point, 21-rebound double-double, falling one assist shy of a triple-double.

"Everybody got going," said Brogdon after finishing with 16 points and eight assists. "It's the best when all your teammates score and get to have fun, and everybody's standing up on the bench. I thought we had fun tonight, and I thought everybody contributed. That's the best part of tonight."

Brogdon appeared in his first game since April 29 after suffering a hamstring strain.

HOTCHKISS: Pacers Emphatic About Not Wanting Season to End »

A lightning-quick start for the Blue & Gold's offense turned into 40 first-quarter points for Indiana. The squad started 8-of-11 from the floor, including a scorching 6-of-7 from long range. Showing off his accuracy, McDermott quickly connected on three straight shots from deep. His triple from the right baseline at the 7:45 mark extended Indiana's lead to 20-7 and finally forced a Charlotte Hornets timeout.

"(I came) out with an aggressive mindset," McDermott said postgame. "Just really trying to impose my will on the game. I thought 'Domas' (Sabonis) and Malcolm (Brogdon) did a really good job getting me going."

Despite the stoppage, the three-ball continued to be the Pacers' best friend as they controlled a double-digit lead through the halfway point. On Indiana's first possession, McDermott fired in his fourth consecutive trey. At the 4:43 mark, Brissett knocked in a triple — his second — from the left side to earn a 28-14 Indiana lead.

The Blue & Gold closed out the frame strong. T.J. McConnell added a pair of buckets, including a steal-and-finish with 13.7 seconds to go. Edmond Sumner capped the impressive quarter with a buzzer-beating floater from the left elbow. They headed to the second with a 40-24 advantage, finishing the period on 15-for-25 (60 percent) shooting — 7-of-14 from downtown. McDermott recorded 16 points.

Indiana appeared on its way to a blowout, starting the second with five straight points to stretch its lead to 45-24. However, Charlotte responded with six unanswered to show a bit of fight.

But the Pacers were not phased. Consecutive layups from McConnell and Kelan Martin pushed the squad's advantage back up to 19 with 8:35 to play.

Although they cooled off, Indiana continued to hold a substantial lead over the next few minutes. Charlotte attempted a rally, using a powerful slam from Miles Bridges and a Malik Monk trey to chip into the lead. However, with 4:34 to play, Brogdon responded with a crafty three-point play in the paint, finishing a layup over his right shoulder to give the Blue & Gold a 55-37 lead.

In the final minutes, the Pacers then sliced up the Hornet's interior for several easy layups in the paint. Brissett and McDermott were the primary recipients, while Brogdon and Justin Holiday sprinkled in threes to give Indiana the 24-point advantage at the break.

Halftime did little to slow the hosts down. Indiana started the third with six unanswered, including another three from Brogdon, to stretch its lead to 76-41 with 10:47 left.

The large lead allowed Indiana to control the game as the third ticked past its halfway point. Brissett and Sabonis were the primary scorers on offense. After Cody Zeller's running dunk brought the Hornets to within 24 of the lead, the former Fort Wayne Mad Ant added five consecutive points to his total, including a 26-foot trey from the top of the key to extend the Pacers' lead back to 29. Sabonis then tallied six of the next seven Indiana points, as the squad held a 96-69 lead with 2:55 remaining.

Fittingly, consecutive triples from the team's iron-man, Justin Holiday, pushed the Pacers past the 100-point mark with 1:40 to go in the third. Holiday was the lone Pacer to appear in all 72 regular-season games. McConnell ended the Blue & Gold's 39-point third quarter with consecutive turnaround jumpers — his signature move. His latter jumper, a beautiful buzzer-beating fadeaway, left him sprawled on the floor with a sigh of relief on his face. Indiana led 108-78 heading into the fourth.

Early in the fourth, it was clear that there would not be a Charlotte comeback. Indiana kept its foot on the gas. With 9:16 to play, McConnell bottled up LaMelo Ball and swiped his fourth steal of the contest. The guard dished to Aaron Holiday, who then found Brissett for a running alley-oop flush to keep a 116-86 Indiana lead.

The blowout allowed players like Brogdon and Sabonis to rest for their next contest. Getting his first taste of a playoff-like NBA game, Cassius Stanley provided fans with another highlight — a running one-handed flush. The rookie's bucket pushed Indiana to a 136-100 lead with 4:06 to go.

The squad approached its franchise-high 152-point performance against Oklahoma City. But they fell eight points short. Nonetheless, it was a tremendous victory for a team that has battled through so much this season.

Oshae Brissett led the team in scoring for the third time this season.

T.J. McConnell finished with a bench-high 17 points, five boards, and four steals. Kelan Martin and Goga Bitadze added 14 each.

The Pacers outscored the Hornets in the paint, 74-46

Indiana won the battle on the glass, 54-36.

"(It) definitely energized us. I think any team playing in this format at this stage in the season is playing as hard as they can. I think Charlotte came out as hard as they could. Their shots didn't fall tonight. I thought we played a better game." –Brogdon on how the do-or-die scenario helped the team's play

"I try to take every game and keep it the same. That's kind of how I've been able to focus up and stay calm throughout these games. But, (it's) really like any other moment. Being out there with those guys is a blessing and an honor. I'm just happy to be able to do my part." –Brissett on his performance despite his short tenure in the NBA

"The physicality that we played with. It was a physical game out there. The connectivity on defense. The way that we were talking. I thought that we were very well connected there and that triggered our offense. The active defense triggers offense, and good offense can help your defense." –Bjorkgren on what he hopes carries over to the team's next Play-In game

Indiana shot 55.2 percent from the floor and 45.7 percent from deep. They are 22-3 this season when shooting 50 percent or better and 30-5 when out-shooting their opponent.

The Pacers will travel to Washington for another Play-In Tournament game against Bradley Beal, Russell Westbrook, and the Wizards on Thursday, May 20 at 8:00 PM ET.

game-rewind-pacers-144-hornets-117-play-in-tournament

Game Rewind: Pacers 144, Hornets 117 (Play-In Tournament)

The Pacers will have to win two straight Play-In Tournament games to reach the playoffs, but they will start their postseason journey within the friendly confines of Bankers Life Fieldhouse.

Indiana (34-38) secured the ninth seed in the Eastern Conference with a 125-113 victory in Tampa over the Toronto Raptors (27-45) on Sunday afternoon on the final day of the regular season. The Blue & Gold will host 10th-seeded Charlotte in an elimination game on Tuesday night. The winner of that game will then face the loser of Tuesday's game between Boston and Washington for the eighth and final playoff spot in the East.

Oshae Brissett scored a career-high 31 points, going 10-for-16 from the field and 5-for-8 from 3-point range, while also pulling down 10 rebounds to lead the Pacers to victory against the Raptors, who used just six players in their final game of the season.

It was an impressive close to the season for Brissett, who joined the Pacers on April 1 on a 10-day contract, but quickly assumed an important role on the roster, starting at power forward for the final month of the regular season.

"It's been a lot of hard work and just staying focused and staying ready," Brissett said. "When I came in (to Indiana), I didn't really know if I was going to play the first couple 10-days or whatever. But just being the great teammate that I am, helping my guys on and off the court, that's really prepared me to get mentally ready for everything."

Domantas Sabonis (25 points and 16 rebounds) and T.J. McConnell (12 points and 17 assists) each also recorded double-doubles.

PLAYOFF PICTURE: Tracking the Latest Standings, Remaining Schedules, and More »

Doug McDermott hit three early 3-pointers as he scored nine of Indiana's first 15 points. As a team, the Blue & Gold went 7-for-13 from beyond the arc in the opening frame.

But the Raptors hung tough through the first quarter, as the Pacers led just 31-30 after one.

The Pacers slowly built up their lead in the second quarter, as Brissett scored eight points during a 15-4 Pacers run that pushed the lead to 14. A late jumper by Caris LeVert stretched the margin to 16, but Malachi Flynn's 3-pointer just before halftime made it a 68-55 game.

LeVert had 13 points and six assists in the first half, but did not return after halftime due to a migraine. McConnell started the third quarter at point guard in his place.

Toronto opened the second half with a 9-4 surge to get back within eight, but the Pacers responded with an 11-2 run. Brissett scored 12 more points in the third quarter, with his 3-pointer with 1:26 remaining in the frame pushing Indiana's lead to 18.

The Raptors closed the frame with seven unanswered points, however, trimming the margin to 94-83 with 12 minutes to play.

Toronto did not quit, managing to get within nine points at both the 5:04 and 4:33 marks. But Brissett's fifth 3-pointer of the night with 4:10 remaining stretched the lead back to double digits and the Raptors never seriously threatened the rest of the way.

McDermott scored 20 points on Sunday, going 4-for-8 from 3-point range. Kelan Martin joined him double figures with 13 points off the bench.

Flynn led Toronto with 27 points and five assists. Stanley Johnson added 24 points, five rebounds, and seven assists, while DeAndre' Bembry added 23 points, five boards, and four assists.

The Pacers now head into the unknown, playing in the next Play-In format for the first time. It may be uncharted territory, but Indiana can draw comfort from starting the journey in a familiar setting.

"We want to come out, play aggressive," Sabonis said. "We're home in front of our fans, so that's going to be a lot of fun. The goal was to win today and get that homecourt advantage and now we've got a day to prepare."

McConnell's 17 assists were a season high and matched the most in his career. He also had 17 assists while playing for Philadelphia against Boston on Jan. 6, 2017.

Sabonis recorded his 48th double-double of the season, McConnell collected his sixth, and Brissett tallied his fifth.

Indiana outscored Toronto 60-50 in points in the paint and 23-10 in fastbreak points.

The Pacers shot 50.5 percent from the field and 15-for-37 (40.5 percent) from 3-point range.

For the second straight season, Justin Holiday was the only Pacer to play in every regular season game. Holiday started for the 52nd time in 72 games on Sunday, tallying seven points and three rebounds in 30 minutes.

"He's been doing a great job playing his role the right way. His size out there at that four spot makes him very versatile. He can hit the three like you've seen. He's rebounding it, he had double-digits in boards here again (today). I think he does a good job of cutting when he's supposed to cut. His instincts are good. But just his overall work ethic is what got him here. He's been a worker his entire life and plays hard and he's going to continue to play hard and get better." -Pacers head coach Nate Bjorkgren on Brissett's contributions

"T.J. had 17 assists there. Very big number. The way that he pushes it and shares it, he played a good ball game." -Bjorkgren on McConnell

"The injuries that have decimated our team have kind of forced me into a (new) role. I'm always going to get people the ball and get into the lane and look for them, but...it's made me look to score more. I think that's what this team has needed from me over these stretches and that's what I've tried to do." -McConnell on taking on a larger playmaking role

"I feel like it's going to be the same mentality as any other playoff game. We know the weight on this game. We've got to win to go onto the next game and then win that game to be in the playoffs. That's where you want to be...They're a great team. They've got a lot of great guys that can really get hot. But Coach is going to get the game plan tomorrow." -Brissett on the Play-In Tournament

"They're just really good. They play fast, they've got a lot of really high-level scorers, and the last time they came to (Bankers Life Fieldhouse), from start to finish they just really outplayed us. I think we've got to come out, be ready, do what we do, move the ball, be disruptive on defense, and get out and go." -McConnell on Charlotte

"It's kind of like March Madness. You win or you go home. We're going to have to go play our best basketball, get stops, make buckets, and play together — that's the most important thing." -Sabonis on the approach to the Play-In format

Playing in his 40th career game, Brissett's 31 points on Sunday were eight more than his previous best, a mark he set in a win over Oklahoma City on April 21. His five 3-pointers matched his career high. He also went 5-for-8 from beyond the arc in Thursday's game against Milwaukee.

The Pacers will host LaMelo Ball and the Charlotte Hornets in the Play-In Tournament on Tuesday, May 18 at 6:30 PM ET. Tickets for that game will go on sale to the general public on Monday, May 17 at 4:00 PM ET. Single Game Tickets »   Health & Safety Guidelines »

game-rewind-pacers-125-raptors-113

Game Rewind: Pacers 125, Raptors 113

With the Pacers (33-38) still undermanned and Play-In seeding on the line, the Los Angeles Lakers (41-30) came into Bankers Life Fieldhouse locked, loaded, and looking to avoid the Western Conference Play-In.

Despite a gritty effort from the Blue & Gold, the return of Anthony Davis and LeBron James caused a size problem that Indiana simply could not overcome. The Lakers walked away with a 122-115 victory. The loss means that Indiana cannot finish higher than ninth place in the Eastern Conference standings. They will face either the Charlotte Hornets or the Washington Wizards in the Play-In. Home-court advantage will be on the line when Indiana faces the Toronto Raptors tomorrow afternoon.

“We played hard all (game)," Caris LeVert said after his 28-point performance. "We followed the game plan…Obviously they were a lot bigger than us inside (today). But we fought hard."

After staying on L.A's heels for the majority of the game, Indiana strung together an 11-0 run late in the fourth to trim its deficit to 111-108 with 3:07 to go. But James then proved why he's a superstar. The veteran led a personal 7-2 run to deflate Indiana's sails down the stretch. He finished with 24 points, seven boards, and eight assists. Davis, who was a problem all afternoon, finished with a team-high 28.

Six Pacers players finished in double-figures in the effort. LeVert added 12 assists to record his third double-double in his last six outings. JaKarr Sampson finished with 20 points – his best performance as a member of the Pacers – off the bench, while Doug McDermott tallied 17. Sampson, along with Oshae Brissett, Goga Bitadze, and Kelan Martin played valuable minutes against the Lakers' veteran front line of James, Davis, and Andre Drummond.

"It's big-time," Sampson said of playing against the trio. "I think it's just making our bench deeper as our guys get healthy."

Early in the first, the squads battled neck-and-neck. After falling behind 5-0, Indiana used an 8-1 run, including six straight from McDermott, to take a two-point advantage at the 8:57 mark.

But the squad’s lack of size on defense showed its face for the first time. The Lakers used three alley-oop slams over Indiana’s small forwards to regain a 15-11 lead and force a timeout with 6:47 left.

LeVert's first bucket of the game, a jumper in the paint, cut the Lakers' lead to 19-17. However, Davis responded with six straight to stretch L.A's lead to 25-17 with 3:34 remaining. Sampson's powerful one-handed slam over Kyle Kuzma stopped the surge with emphasis and forced a Lakers timeout.

Down the stretch, the Blue & Gold still had troubles stopping the former Kentucky forward. Davis rattled off nine more points for L.A. to push its lead to 31-21 at the 1:36 mark. Thankfully, a small offensive spurt from Indiana helped keep the Lakers' lead to single digits, 36-28, as the quarter closed.

A 10-4 Indiana run, including six straight from Sampson, helped Indiana's reserves cut the Lakers' lead to 40-38 at the 8:35 mark in the second. Sampson and the Pacers' bench showed increases in hustle and energy, leading to the spree.

The foes then notched nine straight to extend their lead back to double-digits, 49-38. But LeVert then caught fire from the floor. The former Michigan star responded swiftly, knocking in a jumper and two triples for a personal 8-0 run to pull the Pacers to within three of the lead with 5:38 remaining.

Using his size, Davis bullied his way into several trips to the charity stripe to maintain a small Laker lead. A jumper from LeVert, followed by 2-of-3 free throws from McDermott then brought the score to 56-52 with 1:50 to go.

However, L.A. began capitalizing in the paint once again. Consecutive three-point plays from James and Drummond pushed the Lakers' lead to 62-52. Indiana was able to trim the lead to 64-56 before the break.
After Davis started the third with another alley-oop dunk, Indiana rattled off seven straight to cut the deficit to 66-63 at the 9:51 mark. But James and Davis helped L.A. earn a 78-70 advantage with 7:10 left in the frame.

After LeVert's layup brought Indiana back to within four, the Lakers' responded with threes from Talen Horton-Tucker and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. Caldwell-Pope's steal-and-slam then pushed the visitors' lead to 86-75 with 4:49 to play.

The story remained the same until end the third. Indiana's offense kept pace with the top performers of the Lakers. However, they continued to struggle to stop L.A. on the defensive end. Sampson's final bucket of the day trimmed L.A.'s lead 96-88 heading into the final frame.

After sporting zero points through the first three frames, Kuzma found a spark for L.A. Five straight for the forward helped propel the Lakers to a 104-90 lead early in the fourth.

Over the next few minutes, Indiana kept up the pressure but could not chew into the lead. Multiple trips to the free-throw line for L.A. helped keep a 111-97 lead with 7:19 to go. 1:04 later, Indiana cut the lead to 11 behind a wide-open three from Martin. He finished with 12 fourth-quarter points.

From there, the squad ignited. The triple initiated a run of 11 unanswered to trim the Lakers' lead to 111-108 with 3:07 to go. The run included several gritty defensive stops, including steals from T.J. McConnell and a block by Bitadze on James.

However, James got revenge on the squad, taking over to seal the deal. The superstar found buckets on three consecutive possessions to help L.A. take control one last time.

Martin's trey at the 1:38 mark brought Indiana to within 118-113. However, they could not sink the bucket needed to cut into the lead further. After being lethal all day, LeVert missed a pair of threes with less than a minute to go. With Indiana forced to foul, the Lakers then secured the win at the free-throw line.

Kelan Martin finished with 15 points on 6-of-9 shooting off the bench, marking the third time in his last four outings he has reached double figures.

The Pacers won the battle for points in the paint, 60-50.

Indiana finished with a better shooting percentage than L.A. (51.7 percent to 47.7 percent), surrendering just its fifth loss of the season when out-shooting its opponent.

Starting in place of Domantas Sabonis, Goga Bitadze finished with 10 points, seven rebounds, and four blocks.

"I just felt healthy. My body felt healthy, my back (is) feeling good. I'm feeling good these days. I just came out there and played hard, got a rhythm, and played my game. The ball was going in today." –Sampson on his performance

"Right now, this game is over. We have to learn what we can from today, and start preparing right now when we get on this airplane as we head to Tampa, and play Toronto." –Coach Nate Bjorkgren on approaching the team's final game of the season

"I think teams are being smart with their rest right now, leading up to the playoffs or Play-In. Regardless of your situation, I think teams are trying to figure out when to rest guys and when to get guys minutes so they can have rhythm and stuff going into the playoffs. It was a compact season. So, not a lot of guys are 100 percent right now." –LeVert on the compact season and its effect on the league

Using their size advantage, the Lakers earned 36 attempts at the free-throw line, sinking 29 of them. Meanwhile, the Pacers connected on 14-of-19 from the charity stripe.

The Pacers close out the regular season in Tampa against the Toronto Raptors on Sunday, May 16 at 1:00 PM ET.

game-rewind-pacers-115-lakers-122

Game Rewind: Pacers 115, Lakers 122

Even in a season defined by injuries, the Pacers stretched the meaning of the word "undermanned" to another level on Thursday night. Indiana opened the night without seven players, then lost its All-Star big man in the second half.

Against a Bucks team operating at full strength, the Pacers (33-37) simply didn't have quite enough firepower to keep up. Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 40 points as Milwaukee (45-25) prevailed at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, 142-133.

Eight players scored in double figures for Indiana in the loss. Justin Holiday led the way with a team-high 26 points, going 8-for-12 from 3-point range, and T.J. McConnell tallied 23 points, five rebounds, seven assists, and three steals.

But the Pacers were unable to ultimately keep up with the Bucks, who improved to 11-0 on the season against their four counterparts in the Central Division.

"When you play a team like that that has a lot of players that can score the ball and a team that plays almost like a machine, you have to play an almost perfect game to beat them," Holiday said. "We were missing guys, we had different guys in playing. I think we did a pretty good job with the guys that we had in there and how we played together and shot."

The Pacers may have been shorthanded, but Holiday picked up the slack early. Playing in his 500th career game, Holiday hit his first four 3-point attempts over the opening 5:06, helping Indiana jump out to a 21-12 lead.

Milwaukee responded with a 16-6 spurt to take the lead for the first time on the night. The Pacers briefly moved back in front on a Doug McDermott 3-pointer, but a Jeff Teague three on the other end put the Bucks back in front and the visitors maintained a narrow lead for the remainder of the quarter. Holiday added two more threes before the quarter ended, however, to keep things close, as Indiana trailed just 39-38 after one.

Neither team led by more than five in a second quarter that featured eight lead changes and a tie. The Pacers suffered yet another blow when T.J. McConnell, their only healthy point guard, injured his left thumb with 3:28 remaining. McConnell smacked the stanchion under the basket with his right hand in frustration and headed to the locker room for evaluation.

McDermott (13 first-half points) and Domantas Sabonis (six points, four rebounds, and 13 assists) did their best to keep Indiana within striking distance, but Milwaukee took a 69-66 lead into the intermission.

McConnell returned for the second half with his thumb taped (x-rays were negative), but the Bucks owned the opening minutes of the third quarter. The visitors scored the first 10 points of the second half. Indiana hit just one of its first 10 shots in the third quarter, allowing Milwaukee to push its lead to 15.

The injury bug struck yet again when Sabonis tweaked his left quad entering a timeout with 5:31 remaining in the third quarter. He appeared willing to stay in the game, but was directed by the Pacers' staff to head for the bench, where he remained for the rest of the night.

The Bucks extended their lead to as many as 19 points in the frame before Indiana mounted a late charge. Back-to-back triples by Goga Bitadze and Kelan Martin trimmed the deficit to 11. A late dunk by Antetokounmpo gave Milwaukee a 109-96 lead entering the fourth quarter.

The Pacers continued to fight in the final frame, cutting the deficit to eight on three occasions in early in the period. Antetokounmpo scored nine of his 13 points in the quarter at the free throw line, however, as the Bucks prevented the Pacers from drawing any closer.

"I'm incredibly proud of the way we fought considering the circumstances," McConnell said. "We were like the Bad News Bears out there. Credit to everyone that was thrown in there tonight and fought til the end. (We) just didn't have enough."

McDermott and Oshae Brissett each scored 19 for Indiana, going 3-for-7 and 5-for-7 from beyond the arc, respectively. JaKarr Sampson scored 14, Kelan Martin added 12, while Bitadze added 10, six boards, and four assists.

Sabonis had 10 points, six rebounds, and 14 assists in 26 minutes before exiting early.

Antetokounmpo led the Bucks' offense, going 14-for-18 from the field and 11-for-16 from the free throw line while also tallying 15 rebounds and six assists.

Khris Middleton added 22 points, four boards, and six assists. Brook Lopez had 21 points and eight rebounds, while Jrue Holiday tallied 20 points and 14 assists.

The Pacers were without six players who sat out Tuesday's win over Philadelphia, but another key player joined them on the sidelines on Thursday. Star guard Caris LeVert was ruled out due to a bruised right knee that swelled up on Wednesday. Pacers head coach Nate Bjorkgren said that an MRI came back clean, but LeVert was not deemed fit to play against Milwaukee.

Charlotte also lost on Thursday, so the Pacers remain tied for eighth place in the Eastern Conference with two games remaining, although the Hornets own the head-to-head tiebreaker over Indiana.

The Blue & Gold close out the regular season by hosting the Lakers on Saturday afternoon and then traveling to Tampa to take on the Raptors on Sunday.

Justin Holiday's eight 3-pointers were a new career high and one shy of the Pacers' franchise record, which is shared by Paul George, who made nine threes in an overtime game against New Orleans on Nov. 21, 2012, and T.J. Warren, who hit nine treys in his 53-point performance against Philadelphia in the NBA bubble on Aug. 1, 2020.

Indiana went 21-for-43 from 3-point range (48.8 percent), matching their franchise record of 21 made 3-pointers set in their win at Oklahoma City on May 1. The Pacers have made 20 or more threes in five games this season, a feat they had accomplished just once in franchise history entering the year.

McConnell's 23 points were a new career high. He had scored 19 points three times this season.

The Bucks outscored Indiana 78-50 in the paint on Thursday.

Antetokounmpo scored 40 points for the fifth time this season.

"I thought that they gave it everything that they had, the guys that were out there on the floor. They did. They gave it everything they had, they played hard, they played together, and they didn't stop...I was proud of the effort." -Bjorkgren

"The ball's just going in, that's pretty much it. I'm shooting the same shots. Obviously today I'm playing more minutes...other than that, I'm just shooting my shots that I get in the game, trying to be aggressive, and trying to help win. There's been games in the past where I missed and I was like 1-for-10. (I was) still shooting the shots. Today they went in." -Holiday on his hot shooting night

"Milwaukee is a team that I feel like matchup-wise, they try to force me to score, and that's what I did. I let the game come to me and saw opportunities to shoot and I shot it. And when I could get my teammates the ball I did. Obviously, 19 shots were a career high for me, but I feel like not too many were forced, maybe one." -McConnell on his career night scoring

"I think we've probably had the most injuries out of anyone this year, probably completely decimated our team. But no one's feeling sorry for us. It's just that next-man-up mentality. Guys keeping stepping up and playing well and take advantage of opportunities so credit to the guys in this locker room." -McConnell on the injury bug continuing to bite the Pacers

"I am very comfortable in those positions. I get actually excited about it. I like challenges. It's another day for us to come out here and play basketball and guys that don't get a chance get a chance to play." -Holiday on playing shorthanded

Though he exited early, Sabonis put on a show in the first half, dishing out 13 assists from the center position. According to ESPN Stats & Info, that was tied for the most assists by a Pacers player in a half in the last 25 seasons. Jamaal Tinsley also had 13 in the second half of a game against Washington on Nov. 22, 2001.

A limited number of tickets for all remaining Pacers home games are now on sale. Single Game Tickets »   Health & Safety Guidelines »

The Pacers host LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers in their final regular season home game on Saturday, May 15 at 1:00 PM ET at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.

game-rewind-pacers-133-bucks-142

Game Rewind: Pacers 133, Bucks 142

After losing a close game in overtime to the Washington Wizards, the Pacers (32-36) picked up a much-needed, 111-102 win over the slumping Cleveland Cavaliers (21-48) at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse. The victory vaulted Indiana into ninth place in the Eastern Conference standings, making them one step closer to securing a Playoff Play-In spot.

Tied at 91 midway through the fourth, the Pacers used a 9-1 run to break open the game and take the lead for good. Indiana outscored 64-40 in the paint, and limited the Cavs' top scorer, Collin Sexton, to just 7-of-26 shooting from the floor.

In all, six Pacers finished in double figures, as a new face finished as the team's top scorer. Former Butler University star Kelan Martin finished with a career-high 25 points off the bench– including 12 in the fourth quarter. He also hauled in seven rebounds – four on the offensive glass.

"I've been playing significant minutes these last few games," he said postgame. "I knew when I was going in, I had to bring some energy. And that's what I did."

Domantas Sabonis also had a stellar night, recording a monstrous 21-point, 20 rebound double-double, Caris LeVert also finished with a double-double – his third – with 20 points and 10 assists. Taking over at point for an injured Malcolm Brogdon, the former Net has 30 assists over his last three games.

"We've been talking a lot about here lately of playing the right way, sharing the basketball, playing team offense, playing team defense," coach Nate Bjorkgren said. "You can see Caris out there trying to really push the pace in the half-court...you're also seeing him really trying to make the right plays."

Indiana started hot, connecting on seven of its first eight attempts from the floor. After rookie Isaac Okoro hit a pair of free throws for Cleveland, the Pacers responded with an 11-2 run, including nine straight, to jump out to an early lead. Four of five Indiana starters found buckets during the run. Oshae Brissett's three in the face of his defender then extended the Blue & Gold's lead to 16-6 with 8:21 left in the first.

But a few sloppy passes allowed the Cavaliers to catch up quickly. Threes from Jarrett Allen and Sexton in a 0:39 span capped a 12-4 run and brought the hosts back to within two, 20-18, and forced Indiana to call a timeout with 4:46 remaining.

When play resumed, Damyean Dotson's three from the right side pushed the Cavs ahead. From there, the squads battled tightly down the stretch. The Blue & Gold found themselves down 28-27 heading into the second.

Indiana then when cold from the field, amassing just seven points over the first 5:26 of the second frame. After briefly earning a 34-33 lead on a Justin Holiday's trey, the Cavs responded with 11 unanswered, including nine from long range, to take their first double-digit lead of the night (44-34) with 6:51 left in the half.

However, after a timeout, the squad turned it up a notch. Steals by McConnell and Aaron Holiday led to six uncontested fast-break points for Martin. In just 0:38, Indiana had cut Cleveland's lead to 46-42 with 4:43 to go.

The run continued for the Pacers even after a stoppage. The group recorded 11 unanswered to take a 47-46 lead at the 3:28 mark.

But they faltered once more as the Cavs starting scoring frequently in transition. The squad went scoreless for the final 1:19 of the half. Okoro's two-handed slam off an offensive rebound stretched Cleveland's lead to 60-53 just before halftime.

Four quick points from Doug McDermott showed promise for Indiana early in the third; however, the squad remained ice cold from the floor. They remained stuck at 57 points for a 3:09 span.

Luckily, McDermott continued to produce. The former Creighton forward notched five more points to cut Indiana's deficit to 66-64 with 6:21 to go.

After Sabonis' jumper tied things up, the Blue & Gold had multiple chances to take the lead after getting multiple defensive stops. But they came up empty. Then, they received a round of misfortune and found themselves in a hole once more.

Knotted at 68 apiece, Sabonis swatted away Okoro's floater. The ball bounced out of the hands of another Pacer and into the hands of Dean Wade beyond the arc. Wade drilled the three, and Okoro followed with a layup to give the Cavs a 73-68 lead with 3:09 left.

However, Indiana continued to fight. Trailing 74-68, the team responded with an 11-3 run, including two triples from Martin, to regain a 79-77 lead before the end of the frame.

Martin continued his impressive second half, scoring seven Pacers points over the first 4:13 of the fourth quarter to extend Indiana's lead to 91-86.  However, Okoro responded with five straight to give the game a 91-all score with 6:25 to go.

Despite Okoro's response, Indiana remained tenacious. The squad opened up a 100-92 lead behind four points from Sabonis and another triple from Martin – his third – with 4:10 to play.

The defense then clamped down on the Cavs, limiting the hosts to just three points over the next 2:41. Martin and the Pacers pushed Indiana's lead to 105-95 before Allen sank a pair of free throws for Cleveland.

With 33.7 seconds to play, the Cavs cut the lead to 107-102 after Sexton notched 2-of-3 attempts from the charity stripe. But the Blue & Gold finished out the game at the free-throw line, going a perfect 4-for-4 to secure the win.

After ending the first half on 3-of-12 shooting from long range, the Pacers knocked in eight of their 15 3-point attempts in the second half.

Doug McDermott finished in double figures for the 10th consecutive game (13 points on 6-of-9 shooting).

T.J. McConnell finished with 10 points on 4-of-6 shooting, four rebounds, and seven assists.

"That's kind of how I play, to be honest. I've played a lot of point guard throughout my career. I think the first couple months here, I was kind of just off-the-ball a little bit. So, my job was kind of just to score it. But I'm comfortable playing with the ball in my hands. I know how to get guys shots." –LeVert on his increase in assists as of late

"As one of the leaders, it's always our responsibility to come out and play hard every game. Especially now, when we have so many guys out. We just got to come out and play hard – play hard and play together. The most important thing is once we move the ball to everybody – everybody gets going. Everybody gets happy." –Sabonis on stepping up while playing without Malcolm Brogdon, Myles Turner, and Jeremy Lamb

"We played a good basketball game here tonight. We have to get on this airplane and learn what we can from this one, and learn what we can from the last time we played Philadelphia, and go out and play just as hard as we can. Just keep playing basketball the right way." –Bjorkgren on the condensed slate of games to end the regular season

The Pacers; bench outscored Cleveland's, 47-17. Martin scored 53.1 percent of the bench's points tonight.

The Pacers return home to host the East-leading Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday, May 11 at 8:00 PM ET.

game-rewind-pacers-111-cavaliers-102

Game Rewind: Pacers 111, Cavaliers 102

After giving up 154 points to the Washington Wizards five days ago, the Pacers had revenge on their mind tonight at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. However, after a tough battle featuring 11 ties and 33 lead changes, the Blue & Gold fell short in overtime, 133-132. The loss places Indiana in 10th place in the Eastern Conference standings — the final playoff play-in spot. The magic number to officially clinch a spot is three.

On a night where Bradley Beal finished with 50 points, its was Russell Westbrook who delivered the final blow to the Pacers. With his team trailing 132-131 with 1.0 seconds left, he misfired a potential game-winning jumper from the right elbow but was fouled by Caris LeVert. He sank both attempts at the line and blocked LeVert’s game-winning 3-point attempt on the other end to seal the deal. Westbrook (33 points, 19 rebounds, 15 assists) finished the night with his 181st career triple-double, tying Indiana native Oscar Robertson's all-time NBA record.

"I thought we had it played perfectly," coach Nate Bjorkgren said of the final play in overtime. "I thought our guys played their (tails) off. Every one of them that stepped in the game...We deserved that one."

Once again, Beal and Westbrook’s performances overshadowed 35 and 30-point nights from LeVert and Domantas Sabonis. Sabonis finished with 13 rebounds and 13 assists for his 8th triple-double this season. LeVert, who hauled in a team-high 14 boards, finished two assists shy of a triple-double as well.

"We fought," LeVert said postgame. "We fought hard all night. Sometimes, in basketball, you feel like you do everything right — you should win — and it doesn't happen."

After a quick Indiana start pushed them to an early lead, the Wizards rattled off a 12-3 run over a 2:39 span to take a 15-10 lead and force an Indiana timeout with 7:47 left in the frame.

2020‑21 Game Rewind