Indiana trailed 68-60 after three quarters and never found a perimeter shot against Brooklyn, falling 98-90 for a fourth straight loss. The Pacers are 2-5, a half game behind 10th-place New York, and Atlanta arrives tonight.
The shots never fell
The offense was the problem from the opening tip. Indianapolis Star reporter Dustin Dopirak tracked the Pacers at 12 of 37 from the floor and 4 of 20 from three at the half, trailing 43-40. Forbes writer Tony East noted that Indiana opened 10 of 16 from deep at Miami and has made 11 of 42 since. Brooklyn then pulled away with an 11-0 run across the half break, from 41-40 to 52-40, and an 8-0 burst late in the third that made it 68-56. Indiana never led by more than one.
Grades from the box score
Pascal Siakam earns a B. He scored 17 on 6-13 shooting with 5-6 at the line, but three turnovers and 0-2 from three kept it from more. Aaron Nesmith gets a D: 3-8 shooting, 0-4 from deep, three turnovers and a team-worst minus-9. Jarace Walker earns a B for six points, six rebounds and three assists in 18 minutes, with a minus-1 that was the best on the roster. No Pacer finished positive. Larry Nance Jr. and Quenton Jackson each posted minus-8, and Jackson's 9 points came on 3-6 shooting.
Hawks tonight, a thin margin
Atlanta comes in at 3-4 with Jalen Johnson day-to-day, and it won the earlier meeting 119-117. Obi Toppin, Ivica Zubac and T.J. McConnell carry estimated returns of November 2, which would restore real rotation depth. Tyrese Haliburton's is November 13. The standings are tight: the Pacers sit 1.5 games behind Washington for sixth and half a game behind New York for 10th. Brooklyn is not the standard Indiana wants to be judged by, and a team that moves the ball to find the open man needs shots that go down.
What was the score of the Pacers and Nets game?
Brooklyn beat Indiana 98-90. The Pacers trailed 68-60 after three quarters.
Where do the Pacers stand in the East after the loss?
They are 2-5 and 12th, on a four-game losing streak. They sit half a game behind 10th-place New York and 1.5 behind sixth-place Washington.
