2022-23 Game Rewind

Jordan Morey

Sunday, April 9 at 1:00 PM ET at Madison Square Garden

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Game Recap: Pacers 141, Knicks 136

Another exciting season of Indiana Pacers basketball has come to a close.The Blue & Gold’s 2022-2023 campaign ended with a 141-136 win over the New York Knicks on Easter Sunday at Madison Square Garden.Indiana finished with a record of 35-47 – improving by 10 wins from last year and the most victories since the 2019-2020 season (45-28).Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said the message after the game was one of thanks to everyone on the team."It was a heartfelt thank you on behalf of our staff, our support staff, for an amazing year of high integrity, high-class people who really pulled for each other the entire year and really care about each other. Who, I think, really want to build something special here." Both teams missed key players despite the big offensive numbers.The Pacers were without Tyrese Haliburton, Myles Turner, T.J. McConnell, Chris Duarte and Jalen Smith and Knicks duo of Jalen Brunson and Julius Randall also did not play.The final result did not impact postseason chances and seeding for either team. The Knicks (47-35)&nbsp; are locked into the No. 5 spot in the Eastern Conference and will face the Cleveland Cavaliers in the playoffs while the Pacers won’t make the playoffs for a third straight season.Indiana trailed by seven points going into the fourth quarter before outscoring New York 41-29 in the final frame.Seven Pacers finished in double-digit scoring, led by 26 points from rookie Bennedict Mathurin, 19 points by Jordan Nwora and rookie Andrew Nembhard each, and 17 points by George Hill. Hill made five 3-pointers in the game, including three in the fourth quarter.For the Knicks, Obi Toppin scored a game-high 34 points, Immanuel Quickley recorded 30 and Quentin Grimes added 22.In the first half, the Pacers led 73-71 despite getting outshot 55.8 to 52.3 percent from the field.Mathurin was sensational in the opening 24 minutes, scoring 19 points by shooting 5-for-5 (2-for-2 3-point range) from the field and 7-for-7 from the free throw line to go along with three assists and two rebounds.Both teams shot 66.7 percent in the first quarter, but it was the Knicks that held the edge at 45-41.In the first frame, Mathurin made all four of his field goal attempts, including two 3-pointers, for 13 points. Alternatively, Toppin dropped 15 points in the first quarter for the Knicks and Grimes scored 10 points.The teams traded jabs after the tip until the Knicks went on a 14-4 run, thanks to seven points by point guard Grimes, to lead 28-18 with 5:31 left in the first quarter. A 7-0 Pacers run, capped by a 3-pointer from Gabe York, then cut it to 41-36 before a half-court, buzzer-beating bank shot by Hill made it a four-point game.

The Knicks swelled the lead to 57-45 by opening the second quarter on a 10-4 run, on six points by RJ Barrett and four from Josh Hart, but the Pacers responded with a 9-0 scoring spree themselves to narrow it to 57-54 with 7:41 left in the half.

In the final 2:39 of the half, the teams tied four times before a basket from Aaron Nesmith with 46 ticks left gave the Pacers a two-point lead.

New York opened the third quarter on a 13-3 run – thanks to seven points by Toppin and five points by Barrett – to lead 84-76. The Pacers got no closer than six points the remainder of the frame, and from 7:45 to 4:25, the Knicks outscored the Pacers 15-3 on three made 3-pointers.

Going into the final 12 minutes, the Pacers trailed 107-100.

In the fourth quarter, Hill made a trio of threes to put the Pacers back ahead.

A 10-0 Pacers scoring spree early in the fourth quarter, on two 3-pointers by Hill, gave the Pacers a 117-112 advantage before a third three by Hill made it 127-117 with 5:20 remaining.

While the Knicks were able to cut it to 132-128 with 2:35 left, by scoring nine unanswered points, the Pacers were able to hang on down the final stretch.

Overall, the Pacers shot 51.7 percent while the Knicks shot 48.6 percent.

In a season focused on rebuilding, the Pacers made big strides.

Indiana had a top-10 offense all year, ranked among the fastest-paced teams in the league, and had the highest scoring bench in the NBA. The Pacers had more 10-point or more comeback wins than any other team this season, completing 17 come-from-behind victories from double digits.As a team, the Pacers set a new franchise season record for 3-pointers made (1,112) and total points (9,535) in a season.

Individually, two franchise cornerstones both had career years.

Haliburton, 23, was named an All-Star for the first time and led the league for most of the season in assists before injuries sidelined him during the final stretch of games.

This season, in 56 games played, Haliburton averaged 20.7 points, 10.4 assists and 3.7 rebounds per game. He’s the first player in Pacers history to finish with at least 20 points and 10 assists in a season and no player to wear the Blue & Gold has ever had a higher assists average in a season.

Turner, 27, who signed an extension in January, also had a phenomenal year, finishing with career-highs in points (18.0), field goal percentage (.548) and rebounds (7.5) while also moving into second all-time in Pacers history for blocks this season. Turner also broke Reggie Miller’s franchise single-season true shooting percentage record by finishing at .651.

Going into the season, the Pacers had high hopes for their rookie class – and their first two picks delivered.

Mathurin, the No. 6 pick in the 2022 draft from Arizona, had an outstanding rookie campaign averaging 16.7 points on 43.4 percent shooting, 4.1 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game. He finished with the Pacers rookie records in 3-pointers made (100), free throws made (376) and free throw attempts (454) and third in total points. He scored 20 or more points 27 times this season.

Nembhard, the 31st pick from Gonzaga, also was among the best rookies in the league. Among Pacers rookies all-time, Nembhard finishes second in assists (341) and third (92) in 3-pointers made. Overall, Nembhard averaged 9.5 points on 44.1 percent shooting, 4.5 assists and 2.7 rebounds per game.

When the season concludes for all teams on Sunday, Mathurin and Nembhard will rank among the top in this year’s rookie class for several statistical categories.

Buddy Hield, in his second season after being traded to the Pacers&nbsp; who led the league for most of the season with 3-pointers made, set a new franchise record this season for threes made (288) and played in a team-high 80 games.

Aaron Nesmith, Jordan Nwora, Isaiah Jackson, and Jalen Smith all also saw increased playing time and had several big opportunities for starters minutes, with each of them posting career-bests on several nights.

This summer, the Pacers have three first round draft picks.

Mathurin’s 12 made free throws are the second-most by a Pacers rookie in a game in franchise history. The record is held by Clark Kellog, who went 15-for-15 in a game in 1983.

The Pacers were 30-for-38 from the free throw line and the Knicks were 17-for-22.Indiana eclipsed 140 points for just a second time this season in the win. The season-high was 143 points against the Philadelphia 76ers on April 9.New York outscored Indiana 74-44 in the paint.

Mitchell Robinson had 10 more rebounds than points for the Knicks,&nbsp; finishing with nine points and 19 boards (13 offensive).

Quickley and Toppin scored at least 30 points in back-to-back games against the Pacers.

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Postgame Media Availability: April 9, 2023

"We have been resilient all year long. The fact that we gave up a huge first quarter defensively, it motivated us to pick it up in the final three quarters. We did a lot of good things and shot the ball well." -- Carlisle on the win over New York"We've got to get our defense better. Our guys have got to take the challenge this summer to do a lot of the prep for next year based on the fact we have to become better individual defenders and better team defenders. That's a big thing on the list of priorities for next year. Like everything else, it will be upon us quickly." -- Carlisle on offseason focuses"It's a fun group to be around. I think this summer is going to big for everybody. There is a lot of room to improve in all aspects. I can't wait for it." -- Nwora on the team"I think there's a lot of room where I can grow. I think, being here, with the focus of improving young guys I think I can take a huge leap into my game into next year." -- Nwora on postseason focuses

Hill scored a season-high 17 points, and finished just one 3-pointer short of tying his personal best of six made threes in a single game.

2023-24 season tickets are now available. Secure your season ticket package now to get the best possible seats for next season. Find Tickets >>

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Game Rewind: Pacers 141, Knicks 136

Wheat Hotchkiss

Friday, April 7 at 7:00 PM ET at Gainbridge Fieldhouse

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Game Recap: Pistons 122, Pacers 115

The 2022-23 Indiana Pacers took the floor at Gainbridge Fieldhouse for the final time on Friday night. Playing without several key players, Indiana fell to the Pistons, 122-115.

It was the third straight loss and the seventh over their last eight games for the Pacers (34-47), who were once again without leading scorers Tyrese Haliburton and Myles Turner as well as second-year guard Chris Duarte, who have all been out for the past two weeks due to injury. Backup point guard T.J. McConnell (hip) and third-year big man Jalen Smith (knee) joined them on the inactive list on Friday.

The Pistons (17-64), owners of the NBA's worst record, have been undermanned themselves, but got a combined 57 points and 15 assists from their young backcourt of 21-year-old Killian Hayes and rookie Jaden Ivey to come away with the win.

It was just the second victory for Detroit in its last 24 games. Both of those wins have come over the Pacers. The Pistons snapped an 11-game skid with a win over Indiana in Detroit on March 13, then dropped another 11 straight before Friday.

Buddy Hield led Indiana with 22 points in as many minutes on Friday, going 5-for-11 from 3-point range off the bench. The Pacers once again started five players all 24 or younger. Every member of the young first unit reached double figures, led by 16 points from rookie guard Bennedict Mathurin, but it wasn't enough to add up to a victory.

Detroit led 112-99 following Ivey's jumper with 6:33 remaining before the Pacers reeled off seven unanswered points. Hield drilled his fifth three of the night with 6:20 left in the game, George Hill scored off a dish from Hield the next trip down the floor, and then Hill connected with Hield to set up a dunk that made it a six-point game with 5:03 to play.

After a Detroit timeout, Ivey knocked down another jumper with 4:39 remaining. Hayes added a bucket in the lane at 3:40.

Two-way guard Gabe York drained a three from the right wing with 2:46 remaining, but former Pacer Cory Joseph answered with a triple of his own on the other end.

The Pacers got actually off to a torrid start on Friday. The Blue & Gold scored the first seven points and knocked down their first three 3-point attempts -- two by Aaron Nesmith and one by Jordan Nwora -- to jump out to an early 17-6 lead.

But the Pistons' young backcourt answered with a run of their own, as Hayes scored seven points and Ivey added five during an 18-5 Detroit run that gave the visitors a brief lead.

That lead last all of eight seconds, as Hield drained a three on the other end. But the Pistons moved back in front a couple minutes later on Hayes' trey from the top of the arc with 2:28 remaining in the first quarter and added on to the margin for the rest of the frame, leading 35-27 after one.

Ivey scored seven quick points in the first 55 seconds of the second quarter and suddenly the Pistons led by 15.

"We had a very good start and then things sputtered," Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said. "It felt like Detroit turned up their defense a little bit and we just had a wave of turnovers."

Hield did his best to keep Indiana in the game, scoring seven points during a 9-2 Pacers run that got the Blue & Gold back within eight. But Hayes and Ivey kept the Pistons' offense chugging along. Ivey's windmill dunk on a breakaway pushed Detroit's lead to 64-46 with 2:58 remaining in the first half.

That forced a timeout for Carlisle, but even after the stoppage, Indiana couldn't get a stop. The Pistons scored on their next four possessions to push the lead to 21.

Isaiah Jackson scored on a putback with 30.8 seconds remaining and then added a three-point play just before the final buzzer to trim the deficit to 73-57 heading into the intermission.

The Pacers scored the first six points of the second half to get back within 10. That's where the margin hovered for the majority of the third quarter.

Back-to-back threes by Hill and York made it a seven-point game with three minutes remaining in the frame. James Johnson's spinning layup with 1:15 left in the period cut Detroit's lead to 93-87, but Joseph's three with 17.8 seconds remaining in the frame pushed the Pistons' advantage back to nine entering the fourth quarter.

Hield knocked down a pair of treys early in the final frame, the latter of which made it 99-95 with 10:06 to play. But the Pistons got threes from Joseph and Marvin Bagley III over the next two minutes to get the lead back to double digits.

The Pacers never seriously threatened the rest of the way, as the Pistons held on for the victory.

Ivey finished with 29 points, five rebounds, and nine assists, while Hayes added 28 points, four boards, six assists, and four steals to help lead the Pistons to victory.

Jackson tallied 15 points on 7-of-10 shooting, seven rebounds, and three blocks for the Pacers. Andrew Nembhard recorded a double-double with 12 points and 10 assists, Nwora added 13 points, six boards, and three assists, and Nesmith scored 10.

Joseph went 4-for-9 from 3-point range en route to 18 points and five assists against his former team. Fellow reserve Bagley added 14 points and five rebounds for Detroit.

The Pacers will wrap up the 2022-23 season on Sunday afternoon in New York.

Nembhard recorded his fifth double-double of the season and his third over his last 10 games.

Mathurin went just 4-for-10 from the field, but 8-for-10 from the free throw line. It was the rookie's 14th game this season attempting 10 or more free throws and his first with double-digit free throw attempts since Jan. 25.

Indiana scored 16 second-chance points off of nine offensive rebounds.

Hill played 18 minutes off the bench, his first action since March 29, and tallied nine points and five assists.

York, a 29-year-old out of Arizona who spent this season in the G League with the Fort Wayne mad Ants, went 2-for-7 from 3-point range and tallied eight points, five rebounds, three assists, and one steal in just under 30 minutes off the bench in his fourth career NBA game and his second since signing a two-way contract with Indiana on March 30.

The Pistons scored 34 points off 19 Indiana turnovers. 23 of those points and 13 of those turnovers came in the first half.

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Postgame Media Availability: April 7, 2023

"In the fourth, every time we got close, they'd knock in a shot or get a tip-in or something like that. We're getting some valuable experience for guys that need it. We're learning things." -Carlisle on the end of the game

"It's been a great year, just learning and getting better start to finish. I didn't really put too much expectations on what I wanted to get out of the season. I just wanted to get better." -Nembhard on takeaways from his rookie season

"Detroit's undermanned, but they've battled a lot of teams and battled a lot of teams to close games. And tonight, they (had) a really good shot-making group. The two guards were terrific, Ivey and Hayes, and their bigs caused problems around the basket. They earned the win." -Carlisle on the Pistons

"You appreciate and you always applaud aggressiveness of other guys, especially with guys like George and James (Johnson) out there that don't always get a chance to play a lot. You want them to be aggressive." -Hield on veterans Hill and Johnson getting extended playing time on Friday

"The fans have been great. The fans have been super supportive, super encouraging of the team. I've really enjoyed my time here and playing in front of these fans." -Nembhard on connecting with Indiana fans as a rookie

"The fans in Indiana have been so great to me since I've been here. The move was a smooth transition. Nothing but love and respect for them. They opened their arms and welcomed me to the city...The organization, the fans, everybody just opened their arms and showed us love. I feel really appreciated and this feels like home. I love being here. And hopefully next year we can give these fans what they really want and get in the playoffs." -Hield on being embraced by Pacers fans

With five threes on Friday, Hield extended his franchise-record total for the season to 283. That is a new career high for Hield, who made 282 3-pointers in 2020-21.

Hield is one of just five players in NBA history to make 280 or more threes in a season. The others are Stephen Curry (six times), James Harden (twice), Paul George, and Klay Thompson, who leads the NBA with 290 threes this season entering Friday night.

The Pacers play their final game of the season in New York against the Knicks on Sunday, April 9 at 1:00 PM ET.

2023-24 season tickets are now available. Secure your season-ticket package now to get the best possible seats for next season. Find Tickets >>

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Game Rewind: Pacers 115, Pistons 122

Wednesday, April 5 at 7:00 PM ET at Gainbridge Fieldhouse

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Game Recap: Knicks 138, Pacers 129

While the Indiana Pacers were able to survive a rollercoaster first three and half quarters against the New York Knicks on Wednesday night, one final scoring stretch and a trio of 30-plus-point performances proved too much for the Blue & Gold.The Knicks (47-33) went on an 18-9 run in the final 4:34 to break open a tie game and escape with a 138-129 victory over the Pacers (34-46) at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. With the win, the Knicks hold a 3-0 season series lead over the Pacers.Immanuel Quickley led all scorers with 39 points, Quentin Grimes recorded a career-best 36 points and Obi Toppin dropped in a season-best 32 points for the Knicks. Mitchell Robinson also had a double-double with 14 points and 16 rebounds.The trio of offensive performances is just the third time in Knicks history that three players scored 30 or more points in a single game. It was the first time that happened for a Knicks team since March 24, 1979.For Indiana, eight players scored in double figures, led by 19 points from Jalen Smith, 18 points by T.J. McConnell off the bench and 17 points from rookie Bennedict Mathurin. McConnell also recorded 12 assists for his sixth double-double this season.The visitors shot 52-for-100 (18-for-46 3-point range) from the field while the Pacers finished 45-for-98 (15-for-30 3-point range).“They just punched us in the mouth early,” Smith said. “We got off to a slow start. I don’t think we (were) fully prepared to play as a starting unit. That was our fault. That was the reason why we dug that hole, why we lost that game. Because the starters didn’t really do our job today.”Several key players sat out from the game, including Jalen Brunson, Julius Randle and R.J. Barrett for the Knicks and Tyrese Haliburton, Myles Turner and Chris Duarte for the Pacers.The outcome of the game didn’t alter any playoffs seeding.New York is currently sitting in fifth place in the Eastern Conference with a playoff berth clinched, but can’t catch the Cleveland Cavaliers for fourth, while Indiana has been eliminated from postseason contention entirely.The Pacers dug out of an 18-point first quarter hole by closing the first half on a 15-8 run to trail the Knicks 70-67 at intermission.Indiana came out ice cold and New York could hardly miss to start the game.The Knicks hit eight of their first 13 shots, with Quickley logging nine points on a trio of 3-pointers, to go on a 17-0 run and lead 21-7 with 6:25 left in the first quarter. Indiana, on the other hand, shot 3-for-12 to begin.New York continued scoring at a high volume, using a pair of mini 5-0 scoring spurts to build their lead, before the Pacers answered with a run of their own as Gabe York – who was playing in his first game of the season on a two-way contract – hit two 3-pointers and McConnell got a bucket to cut it to 32-22 with 2:10 left in the opening frame.

At the end of the first quarter, the Pacers trailed 38-29.

York, who was playing in his third NBA game ever, hit another 3-pointer to start the second quarter to spur a 9-4 run to make it a four-point game with nine minutes left in the half.

After tying the game at 44, the Knicks scored eight unanswered points thanks to a pair of 3-pointers from Grimes to lead 52-44 with 5:04 on the clock.

The Knicks led again by 10 before Mathurin converted an and-one and fellow first-year man Andrew Nembhard drilled a 3-pointer to spur the 15-8 Pacers run in the final 3:11 of the half to make it a three-point game.

Out of the break, Jordan Nwora hit a 3-pointer to knot the game and the teams then stayed within a possession until the Knicks went on an 8-0 run, thanks to 3-pointers by Quickley and Toppin and an alley-oop from Robinson, to lead 88-82 with five minutes left in the third quarter.

The Knicks didn't relinquish the lead before the end of the third quarter and used a 14-2 scoring streak to lead by 14 points before the Pacers scored seven unanswered in the final 37 seconds including a layup by McConnell at the buzzer.

The teams tied the score four times until back-to-back dunks from Toppin and a 3-pointer from Grimes gave the Knicks a 127-120 lead with just under three minutes left.

New York was able to hang on to the lead from there and held the Pacers to six points down the final stretch until Mathurin hit a wide open 3-pointer with seven seconds remaining.

“To start the game, we made some game plan errors that put us in a big hole,” Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said. “… It’s all stuff that’s correctable. As coaches, we’re teachers. We've gotta teach and not ridicule – make sure these guys understand the things they have to do better.”

New York won the rebounding margin 52-37 and the Pacers had 17 turnovers.

Indiana will conclude its 2022-2023 home schedule on Friday by hosting the Detroit Pistons. The Pacers finish out the regular season against the Knicks in Madison Square Garden on Sunday.

The Pacers were outscored 24-16 in second-chance points, 28-17 in fast-break points, and 68-54 in points in the paint.

McConnell matched his season-best 12 assists.

Oshae Brissett finished with the highest +/- for the Pacers at +28 and York was a +22.

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Postgame Media Availability: April 5, 2023

“The guys that started the game learned some valuable things tonight about being ready to play right off the bat against a team that's very physical.” – Carlisle on the starting lineup

“We started the second half, we did better for a while and then it went sideways. Then they had the opportunity to finish and we just made some mistakes. We’re going to learn from those.” – Carlisle on the loss

“I love Gabe. What's not to like about the guy? He’s consistent. He’s loyal and he’s got skill. He knows who he is as a player (and) who he is as a teammate.  … He's just been a real staple for the (Fort Wayne) Mad Ants the last two years. He's a first-class person, a hell of a player and this is a great opportunity for him and a great opportunity for our guys to play with another guy like this.” – Carlisle on York’s performance

“I’ve run out of adjectives to describe his competitive excellence.” – Carlisle on McConnell

“It always takes practice playing with new groups, new lineups, new experiments. Everybody’s learned a lot. Everybody’s been playing different roles and expanding their roles and just working to get better.” - Aaron Nesmith on continuing to develop chemistry with young starting unit

“They play hard. Real skilled guys, hard to keep in front. They’re quick, they have a good first step, got good finishing around the rim and then they both can shoot the ball. We’ve got to do a better job of containing them, but luckily we get another chance in (four) days.” -- Nesmith on Quickley and Grimes having big nights

“I was just playing my game. Didn’t go outside my box, didn’t do nothing crazy. Just did what I know I can do and the team knows I can do. The main focus was just not trying to force anything, but let the game come to me.” - Smith on his offensive performance

“He was incredible. He is such a gifted shooter and a gifted scorer. Proud is an understatement. Me and him go way back and to see him come in, in an NBA game and hit the ground running … it's not surprising, but it's awesome to see.” – McConnell on York, who is a former college teammate of his

“We were playing unselfish, we were moving the ball, getting out running and when we do that we do best. It's not about one person, it’s about the collective. And when we get the ball side to side and you know, get people touching it, a lot of teams struggle to guard it.” – McConnell on the second unit’s scoring

By scoring 129 points against the Knicks, the Pacers set a new NBA franchise record for total points in a season. With two games left, the Pacers are at 9,279 points.The previous high was 9,197 set during the 1991-1992 season.

The Pacers will play their final home game of the season when they host Jaden Ivey and the Detroit Pistons at Gainbridge Fieldhouse for Fan Appreciation Night presented by Kroger on Friday, April 7 at 7:00 PM ET. Find Tickets >>

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Game Rewind: Pacers 129, Knicks 138

Sunday, April 2 at 8:00 PM ET at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse

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Game Recap: Cavaliers 115, Pacers 105

The Pacers needed a win on Sunday night in Cleveland to avoid being eliminated from postseason contention, a tall task for a young squad playing on the road against a top-four team in the East.

Still, despite playing without stars Tyrese Haliburton and Myles Turner, the Blue & Gold went blow-for-blow with the Cavaliers for much of the night and took a one-point lead into the fourth quarter.

But Cleveland (49-30) held the Pacers to just 18 points in the final frame and forced Indiana into eight turnovers over the final 12 minutes to secure a 115-103 win.

With the loss, the Pacers (34-45) can finish no higher than 11th place in the Eastern Conference standings, meaning Indiana will miss the playoffs for the third straight season and fail to reach the Play-In Tournament for the second straight year. The Blue & Gold have three games remaining, but now know their season will end next Sunday in New York.

PLAYOFF PICTURE: Track the Latest Standings, Remaining Schedules, and More >>

Rookie guard Bennedict Mathurin led seven Pacers in double figures with 19 points and pulled down nine rebounds in the loss, while Jordan Nwora recorded a double-double with 15 points and 10 boards.

"There's some things to like about the effort by our team tonight," Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said. "A lot of guys involved...First three quarters, I thought we really went toe-to-toe with them in a very difficult environment, really a playoff-type environment."

But All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell dropped 40 points for the Cavs, his third straight game with 40 or more, going 14-for-25 from the field and 9-for-12 from the free throw line to lead Cleveland to victory.

Seven early points from Mathurin propelled Indiana to a 14-10 lead five minutes into Sunday's contest. But Cleveland outscored the Blue & Gold 16-7 over the next five minutes, with Mitchell scoring the Cavs' first eight points during that run.

The Pacers answered with seven straight points late in the frame. Mathurin converted a layup in transition with 1:11 remaining, Jalen Smith threw down a dunk the next trip down the floor, and then Buddy Hield knocked down a go-ahead three from the left wing with 19.9 seconds left in the quarter.

On the other end, Jarrett Allen tipped in a putback at the buzzer to tie the score at 28 after the first 12 minutes.

The Pacers opened the second quarter with a lineup featuring five bench players -- T.J. McConnell, Hield, Oshae Brissett, Jordan Nwora, and Smith. Those reserves delivered, outscoring Cleveland 15-6 over the first 3:09 of the period.

Indiana led by as many as 11 points in the frame, but the hosts mounted a charge over the closing minutes of the half. Former Pacer Caris LeVert scored seven points during a 14-3 Cavaliers run that ultimately tied the game at 59 with 42.8 seconds remaining.

Smith scored on the other end off a dish from Andrew Nembhard to put Indiana back in front by two heading into the locker room.

Indiana quickly surged back ahead after the intermission. The Blue & Gold led 74-66 following back-to-back threes by Nembhard and Aaron Nesmith.

But Mitchell kept the Cavs close throughout the third quarter. The All-Star guard poured in 17 points in the period, briefly giving the hosts an 80-78 lead on a jumper with 4:37 remaining in the quarter.

The Pacers answered that with five straight points to surge back in front. Cleveland tied the game on two more occasions, but it was Indiana that took an 87-86 lead into the fourth quarter.

But the Cavs took the lead back with a 7-0 run early in the final frame. Darius Garland's three 1:31 into the fourth quarter broke an 89-89 tie before LeVert added a jumper to give the hosts a five-point cushion.

Indiana drew back within one following Buddy Hield's jumper with 8:10 remaining, but Cleveland responded with five straight to keep the Pacers at bay.

The Cavs broke the game open in the final minutes. LeVert drilled a three to make it 105-97 with 3:27 to play. Nembhard answered with a jumper on the other end, but Evan Mobley threw down a fastbreak dunk after Indiana missed on its next offensive possession.

Mitchell provided the dagger, knocking down a stepback three with 2:19 remaining that got him to 40 points on the night and stretched the margin to 11.

"In the fourth quarter we struggled a little bit to get good shots," Carlisle said. "They amped things up, made some plays offensively. Mitchell made some spectacular plays. Caris hit a big three and made a great pass and things kind of got away and we ran out of timeouts."

McConnell had 16 points on 7-of-8 shooting and five assists off the bench for Indiana. Nesmith scored 14 and went 3-for-4 from 3-point range, while Nesmith tallied 13 points, eight assists, and three steals. Smith added 12 points, eight boards, and two blocks as Hield chipped in 10 points and five rebounds.

"Playing in an environment like this (is) a valuable learning experience for the young guys," McConnell said. "(Cleveland is) fourth in the East and they have a great crowd. To kind of fight the way we did, we just didn't have enough there at the end. But like I said, the experience the young guys are getting in a game like this, it's great."

Garland had 20 points and six assists for Cleveland, while Mobley recorded a double-double with 14 points and 16 rebounds while also registering four assists and four blocks. LeVert and Allen each added 15 for the Cavs.

The Pacers will return to Gainbridge Fieldhouse for their final homestand of the year, hosting the Knicks on Wednesday and the Pistons on Friday. Indiana will then wrap up the 2022-23 campaign next Sunday in New York.

Mathurin led the team in scoring for the 19th time this season, went 8-for-8 from the free throw line, matched his career high (set on Wednesday against Milwaukee) with nine rebounds, and blocked two shots in a game for the first time. After scoring just six total points in a pair of games last weekend in Boston and Atlanta, the rookie has averaged 22.3 points over his last four contests.

Nwora recorded his first double-double as a Pacer and set a new season high with 10 rebounds.

Smith has scored in double figures in five straight games and eight of his last 10 contests.

Indiana's bench outscored the Cavs' reserves, 41-21.

Both teams shot exactly 9-for-24 from 3-point range (37.5 percent). The Cavs shot 48.9 percent from the field overall, while the Pacers converted just 43.4 percent of their attempts.

Mitchell has scored 40 or more points in 13 games this season, a franchise record. Only Portland's Damian Lillard (15) and Dallas' Luka Doncic (14) have accomplished the feat more this season.

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Postgame Media Availability: April 2, 2023

"Playing against guys like Mitchell and Garland and Caris LeVert's a tremendous offensive player, too...That's really good experience. We did a lot of switching tonight to try to simplify things. With a few minutes left in the game we had them at 102 (points) or something like that. That's a positive. We've just got to keep building on the positives." --Carlisle on his young guards taking on a difficult defensive assignment

"Just taking it one game at a time, controlling what I can control. When my number's called, I'm ready. Just making sure that I'm going out there, executing, playing my game, not trying to force (anything) outside my box, do what I can do to help the team win. Like Coach Rick said, if you do all the little things, everything else comes to you. And that's just something I keep in the back of my mind as I play." -Smith on his strong play in recent games

"Just an unselfish mindset from top to bottom. It's contagious. Everyone's out there moving the ball, making the extra pass. And you see it, scoring's kind of spread out because everyone's sharing the ball and looking for the next guy." -McConnell on Indiana's balanced scoring

"We're putting Benn in some different situations to create. And he's learning about getting open in crunch time. You saw the one where he got the offensive foul and then he had two others where he scored. We'll keep working on all this stuff." -Carlisle on Mathurin's opportunity in a starting role to close his rookie season

"It's tough because obviously they play big with two seven-footers (Mobley and Allen) out there. On the offensive end, they deter a lot of shots in the paint, they clog up a lot of space. We've got to react to that, hit our open shots and find those driving lanes...It's the NBA. You've got to find ways to score." -Smith on the challenges of facing Cleveland's stout defense

"Our approach is going to be the same. We're competing. It does no good to step onto an NBA court and not compete. And this is where, the way we're set up with our young guys, it really is a great opportunity for them...This period of the last two-and-a-half three weeks is very valuable. This creates momentum into next season...You cannot underestimate or undersell the importance of internal development, having your young guys learn. Learn what it's like to have real professional responsibility. These games have helped simulate that and our guys have stepped up and done some great things." -Carlisle on how the Pacers will handle the last three games with the team elimination from playoff contention

The Cavaliers dominated the interior on Sunday, outscoring Indiana 68-42 in points in the paint.

The Pacers return to Gainbridge Fieldhouse to host Jalen Brunson and the New York Knicks on Wednesday, April 5 at 7:00 PM ET. Find Tickets >>

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Game Rewind: Pacers 105, Cavaliers 115

Friday, March 31 at 7:00 PM ET at Gainbridge Fieldhouse

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Game Recap: Pacers 121, Thunder 117

Two of the youngest, fastest teams in the NBA raced to the finish in Indianapolis on Friday night. But it was the cool, collected performance of a veteran that helped steer them there.At the final buzzer, it was the Indiana Pacers (34-44) that came out in front of the Oklahoma City Thunder (38-40), 121-117, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.The Pacers led by just one point with three minutes left in the game, but didn’t surrender it in the waning seconds as they snapped a four-game losing streak.“It was a great basketball game,” Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said. “Very, very competitive. Oklahoma City is an edgy team. They just keep coming at you, at you, at you. Our guys just stayed the course and made some amazing plays down the stretch."With 6.8 seconds left, up by three points, the Pacers intentionally fouled the Thunder, who then converted both free throws, before rookie Bennedict Mathurin closed out the game by making a trio of free throws for the Pacers.Mathurin finished with 15 points while seasoned point man T.J. McConnell, coming off the bench, had a team-high 21 points with nine rebounds and eight assists. Rookie Andrew Nembhard scored 18 points and dished out six assists and Jalen Smith totaled 12 points and 15 rebounds.“I think it's definitely a little bit of the shotmaking, but it's also the players that are around me – especially Buddy (Hield) he attracts a lot of attention, runs towards the ball a lot and just creates a lot of confusion," McConnell said of his performance. "And the other guys around me are shotmakers, so it's easy for me to get downhill so it's a credit to them as well.”

PLAYOFF PICTURE: Track the Latest Standings, Remaining Schedules, and More >>Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander led all scorers with 39 points on 11-for-20 shooting, including making all 17 of his free throw attempts, while Josh Giddey collected 21 points and seven rebounds and Luguentz Dort had 12 points and 10 rebounds.

The Pacers finished 45-for-98 (12-for-41 3-point range) from the field while the Thunder made 42 of 88 shots, including just 4-for-30 from beyond the arc. While the Pacers limited the Thunder from deep, the visitors outscored them 72-46 in the paint.

All season long, the Pacers and Thunder have ranked among the top-three fastest teams in the NBA. Currently, they’re tied for the second fastest pace, according to NBA.com.

Going into the 2022-2023 season, the Pacers had the 10th youngest team and the Thunder were the youngest of all 30 teams.

Indiana was without its top two scorers in the game, as Myles Turner sat out for a fourth straight game, due to a sore left ankle, while Tyrese Haliburton missed a third straight game due to a right ankle sprain and sprained left elbow. Chris Duarte also missed the game due to a sore ankle, and hasn’t played in eight of the last nine games.

In the first quarter, the high-speed squads showed off their athleticism.

Indiana made 16 of 26 field goal attempts, including 4-for-11 from 3-point range, in the opening quarter to take an early 36-32 lead. OKC, however, also came out firing off the tip, shooting 70 percent (14-for-20) in the first quarter.

Gilgeous-Alexander scored 14 of the Thunder’s first 24 points, but the Pacers answered every bucket.

After trading the lead five times to start the game, the Pacers were able to get some separation after Mathurin scored back-to-back baskets to put the Pacers up 31-26 with 1:48 on the clock.

A dunk by Isaiah Jackson and a 3-pointer from Buddy Hield in the last 35 seconds gave the Pacers a four-point edge at the of 12 minutes.

OKC retook the lead early in the second quarter by starting with a mini 6-0 run, but a 3-pointer from Aaron Nesmith sparked a 10-2 Pacers streak to put the Blue & Gold up 50-42 with seven minutes left in the half.

The Pacers’ lead never swelled to more than eight points before intermission, but the Blue & Gold were able to stay ahead at 65-61.

At the break, the Pacers were shooting 51 percent overall and the Thunder were at 57.8 percent.

The Thunder retook the lead in the third quarter by going 11-for-13 from the free throw line.

OKC’s first 3-pointer of the game gave them the lead at 70-69 early in the third quarter before the teams traded the lead three times.

From 4:31 to 2:41 in the third quarter the Thunder went on a 9-0 run, on seven made free throws, to lead 91-81.

While the Pacers’ bench narrowed the gap, the Pacers trailed 94-90 going into the fourth quarter.

Indiana started the final frame on a 10-4 run, behind 3-pointers from McConnell and Hield, to lead 100-99 with 9:30 left in the game.

However, a 9-0 Thunder run then put the visitor back ahead before the Pacers again had to fight to retake the lead.

Indiana didn’t trail in the last three minutes despite OKC coming within a possession of the lead on multiple occasions down the stretch. Down by three points with the ball with 2.5 seconds left, the Thunder turned the ball over."This is a really good experience game for our young guys," Carlisle said. "Oklahoma City is playing for the playoffs. They're playing all their guys and they're going for this. …. We (withstood) some pretty big runs.”

Indiana goes on the road to take on the Cleveland Cavaliers on Sunday.

Seven Pacers players finished in double-digit scoring. Indiana is 4-6 this season when at least seven or more score 10+ in a game.

McConnell finished with a team-high 21 points in the game. It’s the first time he has led the Pacers in scoring in a game this season.

Smith’s 15 rebounds are tied for the second most he has pulled down in a game.

Smith has seven double-doubles this season.

OKC finished 29-for-34 from the free throw line.

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Postgame Media Availability: March 31, 2023

“He just had the motor running, which he always does. He was pointing out loose balls, he was getting rebounds, he was pushing it, he was many times the facilitator on offense. His attitude was one of the big reasons we were able to win.” – Carlisle on McConnell

“With Jalen, it's his character and it's his professionalism. It’s the way that … when things got tough and he wasn't starting anymore, instead of dropping his head and complaining and having poor body language, he kept his head high. He kept competing, he kept supporting guys – all the guys on the team, particularly the guys that were taking that position. He kept himself ready. And so when opportunities came, he was ready, and he has lifted his game to another level.” – Carlisle on Smith

“I try not to be a rah, rah guy. I just kind of try to lead by example. The thing that I just try to do is, no matter who's out there, who's playing, we have to give the same energy every single night. That's kind of how I’ve played my entire career – that next-man-up mentality. … There's young guys in this league that don't see the floor until their third or fourth year. So these minutes are very valuable and they're taking total advantage of it. ” – McConnell on mentoring the younger players

2022‑23 Game Rewind

Game Rewind: Pacers 141, Knicks 136

Game Rewind: Pacers 115, Pistons 122

Game Rewind: Pacers 129, Knicks 138

Game Rewind: Pacers 105, Cavaliers 115

Game Rewind: Pacers 121, Thunder 117

Game Rewind: Pacers 136, Bucks 149

Game Rewind: Pacers 104, Mavericks 127

Game Rewind: Pacers 130, Hawks 143