Source: Dylan Buell / Getty
(INDIANAPOLIS, IN.) – After winning three straight games, the Indiana Pacers (27-23) have now lost three straight games after 133-122 loss to the Sacramento Kings (28-19).
FIRST QUARTER:
Both Indiana and Sacramento rank in the top half of the association in offensive rating and in the bottom half in defensive rating. The first quarter would reflect that. Indiana shot 70.8% from the floor and 66.7% from behind the arc. Sacramento shot 66.7% from the floor, but only 33.3% from three-point range. Four minutes into the game the score was 12-11 Pacers. The first quarter would stay close simply because neither team had interest in playing defense. With 3:53 left in the quarter, the game was tied at 22. Indiana scored 17 points to close the quarter compared to 16 for Sacramento. The two teams combined to make ten consecutive shots during that stretch. De’Aaron Fox led all scorers with 11 points followed by Bennedict Mathurin with 10 points.
SECOND QUARTER:
The efficiency for both teams would regress towards the average in the second quarter, especially for Indiana from long range. The Pacers missed all five of their three-point attempts, but they went 11-15 within the arc. The bug-a-boo for the Pacers was that they turned the ball over…A TON. In just the second quarter, Indiana turned it over NINE times despite Tyrese Haliburton playing eight minutes. After Haliburton converted a floater, Indiana went ahead 47-43. Sacramento went on a 10-0 run to go up by six points. The Kings eventually extended their lead to double digits in the final 90 seconds. Sacramento led Indiana 71-64 after two quarters. Domantas Sabonis led all scorers with 14 points followed by Malik Monk and De’Aaron Fox with 13 points. Indiana’s leading scorer was Mathurin with 12 points.
THIRD QUARTER:
The offensive struggles would continue for the Pacers in the third quarter. Often the Pacers have been able to come out of the locker room with a hot start, but they just couldn’t convert shots. They opened the second half scoreless for 3 minutes and 49 seconds with a triple from Pascal Siakam. That trimmed the deficit to 78-67. As a team, the Pacers made eight total shots in the third quarter. Siakam was responsible for three of them. He shot 3/6, meanwhile the rest of the team shot 5/14. He and Mathurin combined for 14 of the 24 points the Pacers scored. Sacramento was able to push their lead to as high as 18 points during the offensive struggles for Indiana. After three quarters, Sacramento led 99-88. Sabonis led all scorers with 20 points and a rebound shy of a double-double. Mathurin and Barnes followed Sabonis with 19 points.
FOURTH QUARTER:
Rick Carlisle’s team continued to struggle to score the ball while getting defensive stops to start the fourth quarter. They were able to push their lead back to a comfortable 16 points three minutes into the quarter. Near the halfway point, Mathurin converted a three to make it a single digit game again at 109-100. The two teams would just exchange field goals for a couple minutes. The game was pretty much put to bed when Sacramento went back up 16 with three minutes left. The closest they’d get the rest of the way was 127-120 with one minute remaining. Sacramento closed out the Pacers by beating the press and making free throws to win 133-122.
TOP PERFORMERS: Domantas Sabonis (26p, 11r, 7a, 2s), De’Aaron Fox (25, 6s, 3a), Malik Monk (23p, 6a, 5r), and Harrison Barnes (22p). For Indiana, Bennedict Mathurin (31p, 5r, 4a), Pascal Siakam (22p, 6r, 2s), and Buddy Hield (17p, 4r, 4a). For tonight’s full box score, click here.
NOTES: Domantas Sabonis has now recorded 30 straight double-doubles. He needs 2 more to set a Kings record but owns the single season franchise record (Oscar Robertson’s 32 straight spanned two seasons). Bennedict Mathurin logged his third 30+ point game of the season. De’Aaron Fox’s six steals sets a career high. Tyrese Haliburton made his first appearance off the bench as a Pacer and the first time since his rookie campaign with Sacramento.
NEXT UP: The Pacers hit the road for one game on Sunday in Charlotte. Tip-off between the Pacers and Hornets is scheduled for 6:00pm with the Kroger Pregame Show starting at 5:30pm with Pt Boylan on 93.5/107.5 The Fan.
