The Pacers hit the road this week for a three-game west coast trip. Sacramento, Golden State, and Los Angeles (Lakers).
Wednesday night, the blue and gold opened in Sacramento at the Power Balance Pavillion (whatever happened to Arco Arena) and despite winning each of the first three quarters, they collapsed down the stretched.
Kings 92, Pacers 88.
Indiana (9-4) had a 80-66 lead at the end of three, but scored just eight points in the final 12 minutes. And gave up 26.
[Click here for the full box score]
In the fourth quarter, the head coach and former Indiana great Keith Smart switched his defense to a 2-3 zone featuring a smaller lineup. One of the Pacers biggest weaknesses is that they don’t have a killer shooter. They don’t have a guy that can spot up from anywhere. They don’t have that go-to guy in the final seconds for the final shot.
On the year, the Pacers are 27th in field goal shooting, averaging a 42-percent clip. Outside shooting was the primary problem, as Indiana was 1-of-13 for a dismal 7.7-percent.
Danny Granger 0-for-6. Paul George 0-for-4. George Hill 0-for-2. Darren Collison made his only attempt.
“Our zone offense was ineffective,” Frank Vogel said postgame. “We had Roy Hibbert in foul trouble, which to me is the biggest threat against the zone. We tried to match their lineup by going small and some of our guys were out of position.”
I’d also like to see the Pacers distribute the ball better, and find the open teammate. They are 28th in the NBA in assists, averaging about 17 per game.
You know what else was bad, rebounding.
DeMarcus Cousins was having a field day on the glass, tearing down 19 boards. The Kings had 30 offensive rebounds. In comparison, Indiana had just five more defensive rebounds. Blocks weren’t there and players were lazy. Rebounds go to the player that wants it the most and works the hardest. The Pacers had the height advantage but with 53-53 rebounding tie, the Kings have to be very happy.
This was a tough loss for the Pacers, a loss to a team that fired head coach Paul Westphal seven games in. The Warriors are next on Friday, followed by the Lakers on Sunday to wrap up a west coast swing.