Writer/Editor
July 14, 2023
A first half shooting slump put the Pacers in a double-digit hole from which they never recovered on Friday night in Las Vegas, as Indiana (2-2) dropped a second straight Summer League contest, falling to the Dallas Mavericks (3-1), 112-91.
The Pacers entered Friday needing to win by at least six points to have a chance to finish in the top four in the Summer League standings and qualify for the semifinals, which will take place on Sunday. But after Friday’s loss, they will instead play a consolation game on Sunday instead to wrap up Summer League play.
Rookie guard Ben Sheppard, the 26th overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, led Indiana with 19 points in the loss, going 7-for-13 from the field and 5-for-10 from beyond the arc.
“We got punched in the mouth early and it was hard to make a comeback,” Sheppard said. “But I thought we played hard in the second half and (have) a lot to learn from to take into our next game. Hopefully we can finish out strong.”
Second-year wing Kendall Brown added 14 points and six rebounds, going 5-for-8 from the field and 4-for-4 from the free throw line. Jarace Walker — the eighth overall pick in the 2023 draft — had 13 points and five rebounds, but struggled from the field, going 6-for-21 from the field and 1-for-10 from 3-point range.
The Pacers had an early 12-10 lead following Sheppard’s 3-pointer with 5:06 remaining in the first quarter, but made just one more shot over the remainder of the frame — a trey from second round pick Mojave King at 1:06. Despite the prolonged slump, Indiana only trailed 19-15 entering the second quarter.
Unfortunately for the Blue & Gold, their shooting struggles carried over to the ensuing frame, as Indiana converted just two of its first 15 attempts in the second quarter. This time, the Mavericks capitalized, stringing together a 20-7 run to open up a commanding lead.
The Pacers found a little more offense in the closing minutes of the first half, but couldn’t chip much away from the lead, trailing 48-33 at the intermission.
Sheppard and Brown provided some punch in the third quarter, each tallying eight points over the first 5:11 of the second half.
Indiana eventually pulled within 10 after Eli Brooks’ three made it 70-60 with 2:25 remaining in the third quarter. But Dallas answered with a 9-2 spurt and wound up taking a 79-64 lead into the final frame.
The Pacers never threatened in the fourth quarter, as the Mavericks — who needed to win by 27 or more to have a chance to qualify for the semifinals — led by as many as 26.
“That’s a hard-playing team,” Pacers Summer League head coach Jannero Pargo said. “We let our guys know that before that, but it’s another thing when you get out on the floor. They play really hard. They really attack the rim off the bounce and they were tough for us to guard tonight.”
A.J. Lawson had a game-high 24 points on 10-of-12 shooting for the Mavericks. Jordan Walker tallied 21 points and eight assists and Olivier Maxence-Prosper — the 24th overall pick in last month’s draft — finished with 18 points and five boards.
Ethan Thompson scored eight points off the bench for the Pacers. Rookie big man Oscar Tshiebwe — who signed a two-way contract for next season — had seven points and seven rebounds (six on the offensive end). Fellow two-way rookie Isaiah Wong scored six points and dished out three assists.
Originally posted on nba.com