Pascal Siakam scored 21 for the Indiana Pacers, but the Portland Trail Blazers spoil Siakam’s Pacer debut, 118-115, with a combined 67 points from Jerami Grant and Malcolm Brogdon.
The Pacers fall to 24-18 while the Blazers pick up their 12th win of the season for 12-29. Indiana came into Portland on the second night of a back-to-back after winning against Sacramento. This is just the third set of back-to-back victories for the Trail Blazers, who last won a pair against Indiana and Cleveland in November.
Portland played without their young guards, Anfernee Simons (illness) and Shaedon Sharpe (abdominal strain). The Pacers went into the game without small forward Isaiah Jackson (concussion) and point guard Andrew Nembhard (back).
Deandre Ayton returned to the Blazers’ starting lineup after suffering from knee tendinitis. Tyrese Haliburton also made his return from a hamstring injury for the Pacers.
Star Efforts
Pascal Siakam finished his debut with the Indiana Pacers 21 points, six rebounds and three assists in a solid debut performance. Tyrese Haliburton was also back to his spectacular self, orchestrating the offense for an absurd 21 points and 17 assists on no turnovers.
Siakam and Haliburton’s efforts aided Myles Turner’s monster 29 points, 12 rebounds and five blocks on 6-10 shooting from three. Buddy Hield also added 18 points, seven assists and four rebounds on 6-11 shooting from three. Turner and Hield refused to miss late and kept the game close. Turner collected his ninth double-double of the season.
But it was not at all enough to stop Jerami Grant and the Trail Blazers. Grant finished the game with 37 points, four rebounds, three assists, a steal and two blocks. It was a complete offensive game from Grant, who sliced Indiana’s interior defense to ribbons.
Malcolm Brogdon added 30 points, seven rebounds and six assists, running the offense in the place of Anfernee Simons. His game played a vital role in keeping the Blazers composed in the face of an unrelenting Indiana offense. The trickster Brogdon also picked up a steal and a block.
Jabari Walker also continues to shine in the starting lineup. He cleaned up the Blazers’ boards with 13 points, 12 rebounds, three assists and a block. It’s the third double-double of the season for Walker, whose bulldog presence on the glass electrified the home crowd.
How It Happened
After winning late in Sacramento, the Pacers arrived in Portland buoyed by the return and debut of Haliburt and Siakam. The Blazers, still riding high on their victory against the Nets, came into the game with their 20th starting lineup of the season.
Both teams wasted no time working to their respective game plans. The Blazers started off by feeding Deandre Ayton inside. The Pacers kept themselves ahead by doing damage from outside the three point line. A Siakam layup on the feed from Haliburton gave Indiana a five-point margin with five minutes in the quarter, 22-17.
Portland snatched the lead on a 17-5 run, powered by Scoot Henderson jumping off the bench for 10 points. Henderson was ultra efficient on 4-4 shooting and two made free throws. He expanded their lead in the second quarter to 40-33 on a driving finger roll layup that crossed Andrew Sheppard back to Indianapolis.
Henderson would unfortunately leave the game in the second quarter with a nasal contusion incurred while defending Myles Turner inside.
Indiana responded with seven unanswered points to tie, but Portland kept up the pressure with a steady diet of driving layups and paint points. They led the Pacers in the paint with 32 points for the half. A dunk from Deandre Ayton on the lob from Grant would put the Blazers up eight as they bruised their way to a 64-53 halftime lead. Grant finished the half with 20 points.
In the second half, the Blazers and their guests continued this game of cat-and-mouse. The Pacer starters would tie it at 71 on a driving layup and-1 from Haliburton, but the Blazers would feast on the reserves. Indiana’s backups looked exhausted after their win in Sacramento.
Malcolm Brogdon kept the Blazers apace, speeding to the rim for layups on back-to-back possessions. Chauncey Billups tinkered with an “oops, all-forwards” lineup with Jerami Grant at the point guard position to finish the quarter and Portland held their lead, 88-81.
In the fourth quarter, the Blazers pushed their lead to 13 as the dam broke and Portland started making it to the charity stripe on successive possessions. Turner would keep the Pacers in it with a three-point barrage in the quarter, going 3-4 for 11 points. Haliburton would add 10, and a long cast from Turner would cut the Blazers lead to three, 116-113.
The Pacers would come no closer, as Jabari Walker sealed the Blazers’ win on a key rebound and free throw. A last second dignity basket from Turner tidied up the score, 118-115.
The Stats are a Battlefield
For the second time in a row, the Portland Trail Blazers played a more efficient offense than their opponents. They finished the game 42-84 (50%) from the field to the Pacers’ 39-91 (42.6%). Both teams scored more than 115, but how it came to either was the major difference.
Portland body slammed Indiana in the paint, 66-26 and shot 30-35 (85.7%) from the free throw line. Indiana made it to the line 25 times, going 17-25 (68%). The Pacers, however, capitalized from range, shooting 20-47 beyond the arc (42.6%). The Blazers wanted none of that smoke, finishing 4-12 (33.3%) for the game.
This discrepancy translated on to the glass, as the Blazers muscled their guests on the boards, 47-37 and 9-6 on the offensive glass. The Pacers on the other hand, doubled their host’s assist total, 37-18. Portland was able to take better care of the ball, however, finishing with 9-13 on the turnover count.
Indiana led Portland in fast break points, 17-7 and points off turnovers, 18-12, but the Blazers bench outscored their counterparts, 22-14. The Pacers committed 26 fouls while the Blazers limited themselves to just 21.
Where to Next?
The Blazers will face the Los Angeles Lakers at the Crypto.com Arena on Sunday. The Pacers end their road trip in Phoenix, also on Sunday.
