by Wheat Hotchkiss
Despite another slow start, the Pacers appeared poised for a comeback victory on Sunday night in San Antonio. Buoyed by a career night from T.J. McConnell, the Pacers trimmed what was a 13-point deficit down to one with 5:59 remaining. But rookie sensation Victor Wembanyama’s playmaking overwhelmed Indiana in the final minutes as the Spurs (13-48) handed Indiana (34-28) a 117-105 loss.
Wembanyama stuffed the stat sheet with 31 points, 12 rebounds, six assists, and six blocks in 31 minutes. The 7-foot-4 Frenchman went 11-for-17 from the field, 3-for-4 from 3-point range, and 6-for-7 from the free throw line.
Wembanyama and the Spurs spoiled a sensational outing from McConnell, as the 31-year-old tallied 26 points and five assists in 27 minutes off the bench on 13-of-15 shooting. His 26 points were a season high and the second most in his career, while his 13 made field goals set a new career high.
The Spurs led 97-84 with under nine minutes remaining on Sunday night when the Pacers mounted a charge. Indiana strung together a 10-1 run over a 2:32 span to climb back within four, with McConnell scoring six points and Pascal Siakam adding four over that span.
That forced a timeout from Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich. After the the stoppage, Siakam intercepted a Devin Vassell pass and Myles Turner buried a three on the other end to briefly make it a one-point game.
Keldon Johnson answered with a three on the other end, but Turner came right back and knocked down another trey. Vassell and McConnell traded jumpers on the next two possessions before Wembanyama provided the Spurs with some breathing room courtesy of a three-point play followed by two free throws on San Antonio’s next possession that made it a 108-102 game with 4:07 to play.
The Pacers would not score again until there was 1:57 remaining. The Spurs capitalized with five more points over that span to stretch their lead to double digits and waltzed to victory.
Siakam finished with 21 points on 10-of-17 shooting and eight rebounds in the loss. Turner recorded a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds, going 4-for-9 from 3-point range.
After going scoreless on Friday night in New Orleans, Pacers All-Star guard Tyrese Haliburton tallied 12 points, six rebounds, and eight assists on Sunday.
FIRST QUARTER
After falling into a 22-point hole in the first quarter on Friday night in New Orleans, the Pacers got off to another rough start on Sunday in San Antonio. Wembanyama had four points and four rebounds in the first four minutes for the Spurs, while the Pacers started the evening 1-for-8 while falling into an early 12-3 hole.
The Spurs extended their lead to 19-7 before McConnell entered the game and provided a much-needed offensive spark for Indiana. The veteran point guard scored eight straight points for the Blue and Gold, the Pacers’ only field goals in the last six minutes of the opening frame.
While McConnell went 4-for-4 in the first quarter, his teammates were just 3-for-19. As a result, the Pacers scored a season-low 16 points in the quarter and trailed by 10 after the first 12 minutes.
SECOND QUARTER
The team offense finally picked up at the start of the second quarter as the Blue and Gold went 8-for-12 to open the frame, with McConnell adding three more baskets and three assists during that stretch.
“When I was coming off pick-and-rolls, they were staying home and didn’t want me really getting in the paint and spraying out for threes,” McConnell said of his big scoring night. “So there was a lot of opportunity for me to score. I’m just trying to read the game as it comes to me and if teams are going to stay home, I have to take advantage of that and go to the rim and score the ball.”
The Spurs still led 49-41 with two minutes remaining in the half when the Pacers mounted a charge. Bennedict Mathurin’s three-point play with 1:49 remaining made it a five-point game. Mathurin drew a foul on the next possession and hit one of two free throws before Andrew Nembhard’s 3-pointer cut the deficit to just one with 1:05 left in the quarter.
The Pacers got a stop on the other end and had a good look to take their first lead of the night, but Nembhard’s jumper from the right elbow went in and out. Wembanyama then hit a three from the left corner to push San Antonio’s cushion back to four entering the intermission.
THIRD QUARTER
Indiana opened the second half with a 9-2 run, taking the lead for the first time all night on Turner’s 3-pointer with 10:08 remaining in the third quarter.
The Pacers maintained a lead for three and a half minutes before San Antonio surged back in front with an 11-0 run. Wembanyama assisted on a Malaki Branham 3-pointer and then knocked down back-to-back treys of his own during that spurt.
The hosts remained in front for the rest of the quarter, stretching the margin as high as 11 points and taking an 86-77 advantage into the fourth.
FOURTH QUARTER
The Pacers rallied in the final frame, but couldn’t get over the hump before the Spurs eventually pulled away.
“We just couldn’t really get the stop to get us over the hump, whether it be a second-chance point or a late rotation or a breakdown,” McConnell said. “It’s one of those things where it’s a small thing, but it’s a thing that loses you a game. In crunch time moments, great teams have to come up with those stops and we didn’t.
“If we want to get to where we want to go, we have to win these type of games and be mature and execute down the stretch and get stops.”
Mathurin tallied 13 points off the bench for Indiana, going just 2-for-8 from the field, but 9-for-13 from the free throw line.
Vassell finished with 17 points, nine rebounds, five assists, and two steals for the Spurs in the victory. Branham added 18 points and six assists, Johnson scored 17 off the bench, and Jeremy Sochan contributed 12 points, eight rebounds, and four assists.
The Pacers are now 0-2 on their three-game road trip, which concludes on Tuesday night in Dallas. They will return to Gainbridge Fieldhouse to host Minnesota on Thursday before embarking on a two-game trip to Orlando and Oklahoma City.
Inside the Numbers
The Pacers’ 16 points in the first quarter were their fewest in the first quarter this season and tied for their fewest in any quarter. They also scored 16 points in the third quarter of Friday’s loss in New Orleans.
After going scoreless for the first time as a Pacer on Friday, Haliburton reached double figures on Sunday but still struggled from the field, going just 4-for-16 overall and 0-for-6 from 3-point range. He has missed 12 straight 3-point attempts over the past two games.
As a team, the Pacers went just 6-for-30 (20 percent) from 3-point range. Turner was 4-for-9, but the rest of the team was 2-for-21 from beyond the arc. The Spurs were 10-for-25 (40 percent) from long distance.
Siakam topped 20 points for the fifth time in his last seven contests.
Turner recorded his 14th double-double of the season and his fourth in his last six games.
Wembanyama recorded his 32nd double-double and reached 30 points for the fifth time while also blocking six shots. He entered the night leading the league in blocks at 3.3 per game and has now swatted at least three shots in eight straight games, with five or more blocks in six of those contests.
You Can Quote Me on That
“He was spectacular in this game. In the first quarter we were really struggling and he got us back into the game. It was a bleak beginning and he was tremendous and he was great on defense, too. We’ve got to take some of his attitude and make it a part of our collective will as a team.” -Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle on McConnell’s performance
“He was great. Just making plays, tough shots after tough shots, playing with pace. When he’s playing like that, I don’t think anyone can stop him. Obviously we need to match his energy in terms of everyone just bringing it the way he’s been bringing it. Kudos to him. He’s been playing at at unbelievable level.” -Siakam on McConnell
“I don’t have a list of all the mistakes, but the untimely errors are the things that are killers. First half, you get it back to within four or six and then they backdoor you for a layup. That’s something that was a big part of the scouting report. There were other things where we just made simple mistakes that were poorly timed. I thought we tried hard. I just thought that we just weren’t good enough in this game, and that’s the bottom line.” -Carlisle on the Pacers’ defensive miscues
“It’s tough not making shots. It’s hard. We found a way to stay in the game. We were missing everything. It’s tough when you have nights like that, but that’s basketball. Sometimes you make them, sometimes you miss them. You have to live with it…We got to have the same confidence and understand that happens in basketball and we’ve got to just keep moving forward. We know that the time is going to come when we’re making all those shots.” -Siakam on the Pacers’ outside shooting struggles
“I think at this point in the season, he knows what to expect. I mean the guy’s practically unguardable. He’s going to be the face of the league here in the coming years and has obviously a ton of potential. (He’s) someone that San Antonio can build around.” -McConnell on Wembanyama’s growth from their first meeting in November to now
“It’s easy to be like, ‘Oh, we’ve got a better record than this team so we’re supposed to beat them.’ That’s not how basketball works. That’s not the NBA works. Every team is getting better. Every team is going out there every single night to win games. If they come out and they play harder than you and play better than you that night, they can win.” -Siakam on the importance of not overlooking any opponent
Stat of the Night
McConnell’s 13 made field goals on Sunday were two more than his previous career high of 11, set on Jan. 16, 2023 in Milwaukee. His 26 points were his most this season and second only to his career-best 29 in that same game against the Bucks last season.
Noteworthy
- The Spurs avenged a 152-111 loss to the Pacers on Nov. 6 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse as the two teams split the season series for the first time since 2020-21.
- Pacers forward Doug McDermott, who was acquired from San Antonio on Feb. 8 at the trade deadline, missed his third straight game with a right calf strain. The Spurs recognized McDermott, who originally signed in San Antonio in 2021, with a tribute video prior to the start of Sunday’s game.
- Pacers rookie guard Ben Sheppard missed his second straight game due to illness. He is expected to join the team in Dallas, according to head coach Rick Carlisle.
Up Next
The Pacers wrap up a three-game road trip in Dallas against Luka Doncic and the Mavericks on Tuesday, March 5 at 8:30 PM ET.
Tickets
The Pacers return to Gainbridge Fieldhouse to host Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday, March 7 at 7:00 PM ET
Originally posted on pacers.com