Denver, CO – The Indiana Pacers suffered a heartbreaking loss Sunday night to the Denver Nuggets by a score of 129-126. Despite critical injuries, Pacers rookies Myles Turner and Joe Young stepped up and put the team in a great position to win. In all honesty, it was the Pacers game to lose, and they did just that. This is the third straight loss for the Pacers and puts the team at 22-19 on the season – tied for seventh place in the Eastern Conference.

Without starters George Hill and Ian Mahinmi, the Pacers went into the game knowing that team rebounds and team defense would need to be their primary focus. Head Coach Frank Vogel started Glenn Robinson III and Jordan Hill in place of the injured starters along with Monta Ellis, Paul George and Lavoy Allen. Yet, Mahinmi’s minutes would soon be earned by rookie Myles Turner. Turner got it going early on the offensive end and finished the game with a career-high 25 points and seven rebounds in 28 minutes. Even though the Pacers were shooting well, their team chemistry was lacking on both ends of the floor. The first quarter was filled with Pacers turnovers and Nuggets offensive rebounds, as the quarter ended with the score tied at 30.

Monta Ellis and the Pacers started to pull away in the second quarter. He scored 13 straight points to help the Pacers take a 15 point lead with 2:50 left in the half. The Pacers ended the half up 66-54, which is the most points in first half by the Pacers this season.

The second half was a different ball game. Within the first three minutes of the second quarter, the Nuggets had it down to a five point game. The Pacers were forced to take poor shots and make poor decisions, which quickly resulted in a Denver Nuggets two point lead with 4:26 left in the quarter. After a Pacers timeout, the Pacers calmed down and soon regained their lead to finish the quarter, ahead 91-84.

With five minutes remaining in the fourth quarter, the Pacers held a six point lead thanks to 21 straight points from Joe Young and Myles Turner. Yet from that point, the Pacers fell apart in the closing minutes of the game. With 20 seconds left, Randy Foye hit a go ahead three pointer which would force the Pacers to foul the rest of the game and eventually fall to the Nuggets at the Pepsi Center.

The stories and stat lines from this game should come to no surprise for Pacers fans. The Pacers lost this one on the defensive end. They gave up 129 points and 17 offensive rebounds – all while committing 29 fouls and 15 turnovers. These stat lines are becoming too familiar and Frank Vogel and the team have much to figure out defensively.

With injuries to their starting point guard, center and sixth man, it wasn’t a big surprise to see them struggle on the glass and play as a team tonight. However, there is no excuse for allowing a team to score 45 points in the fourth quarter – especially the Denver Nuggets. It’s hard to tell what Frank Vogel has left to try considering the plethora of lineups he’s used this year. It’s obvious that they don’t have a lineup with much defensive success.

Nonetheless, one thing is for sure: Myles Turner has a bright future in this league.

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About the author
Evan Morris
I am an Indiana University Kelley School of Business pursuing an Accounting degree. As a former athlete, I have always shared a passion for sports and enjoy discussing the Indiana Pacers.