The Pacers’ second preseason game provided head coach Frank Vogel and his staff another opportunity to teach and to get a look at rotations and various combinations. There wasn’t much to take out of the game as a whole, a 96-93 loss to the Orlando Magic.
“Not to over-react to the fact that we didn’t finish the game well and there’s a lot of different combinations out there,” Vogel said of what to take out of the game. “… There’s not a lot to take away from it. You just learn and you teach.”
George Hill gets work in pregame.
We saw the starters get off to a decent start, going ahead by as many as 13 in the first period. C.J. Miles was the first player to reach double figures, as he scored 11 in a quick burst. Roy Hibbert was solid, finishing with 10 points, three rebounds, and two rejections in less than 10 minutes.
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The Pacers were then outscored by 10 in the second quarter, trailed by one (47-46) at the break, and dropped their first exhibition contest of the seven-game preseason.
“Trying a lot of combinations and a lot of what we’re doing early this season is going to be a work-in-progress,” Vogel reiterated.
Indiana’s bench struggled mightily until the fourth quarter. Together, they were 3-of-25 from the floor and not one player had more than one field goal.
Solomon Hill, who has struggled to find a groove thus far, sank a 3-pointer to knot the game at 85, but that was answered on the other end by Magic rookie Devyn Marble.
C.J. Watson once again rested a sore right foot, thus allowing Donald Sloan the backup minutes. Sloan six of his first seven shots, but then made 4-of-6 in the final quarter for 13 of his game-high 16 points.
“He’s really entering his prime,” Vogel said of the 26-year-old. “… To have a third point guard with his abilities is a good luxury for us. I think he’s going to give us quality play and gets us in our offense pretty well, he runs the team, can create off the bounce in the pick-and-roll game, and he’s knocking down a 3-point shot, too. I feel good about him as our third point guard.”
Added Sloan: “It always feels good to play a lot. Definitely being in with those guys, guys that’ll space the floor — Cope, Damo, Scola, a power guy like Ian on the inside — … the more we play together the more we’ll find each other. It’s going to look a lot better.”
Solomon Hill, Luis Scola, and Ian Mahinmi – who airballed one free throw attempt — combined to go 3-of-14 from the floor and Chris Copeland, playing in his first game of the season, missed all six shots. The Pacers, as a whole, struggled from the floor shooting just 38.3 percent compared to the Magic’s 48.8-percent clip.
Again, it’s very early and the preseason. It’s more about experimenting and guys working on their chemistry together than the final result.
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On the plus side, George Hill once again looked sharp and he connected on three straight 3s and finished with 11 points. Six Pacers, all five starters plus Sloan, tallied double digits.
Newcomer Rodney Stuckey has shown his knack for attacking, much like Lance Stephenson did. He made three shots and all four of his free throws. Reserve big man Lavoy Allen once again made the most of his time on the floor.
The Pacers will practice on Saturday before flying south to Dallas, the home to both Miles and Sloan.
Noteworthy
- David West (rest), C.J. Watson (sore right foot), and Shayne Whittington (sore left leg) were all held out. C.J. Fair, Chris Singleton, and Adonis Thomas didn’t see the floor.
- Attendance was officially 16,111.
- Former Pacer Detlef Schrempf, who played for the team from 1989-1993, was on hand and signed autographs at halftime.
- Also in the stands: Colts punter, special team extraordinaire Pat McAfee, as well as Tamika Catchings and Shavonte Zellous of the Indiana Fever.
- Lauren Holtcamp, the NBA’s third female official in history, was here tonight. She has previously officiated WNBA, Summer League, and D-League games.