Game ID: 22301043
Indiana Pacers @ LA Clippers
Monday, March 25, 2024 at 10:30 PM ET
Crypto.com Arena, Los Angeles, CA
Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Final
LAC 34 28 27 27 116IND 29 36 32 36 133
IND @ LAC ScoutingIND @ LAC Scouting
Welcome to the scouting desk. The coffee is cold, the film is play-by-play, and somebody has to explain what happened.
Every game has a hinge — a stretch where it was decided, usually while everyone was watching something else. Start where the evidence lives: the Lineups' face-offs say which five actually won their minutes; the Possessions ledger says who ran ahead of the night's own pace; the Shot Chart says where the points really came from, which is rarely where the highlights were. When all three agree, that is the story. When they don't — that is why this desk has a chair.
LAC availability going into 3/17 · 1 day's restOUT Harden missed 2 since 3/14, returns tonight: 36 min (103% of 35)
OUT Westbrook missed 8 since 3/03, out tonight
BACK Tucker back 3/10 after 5, 25 min since (165% of 15)
BACK Boston back 3/10 after 4, 12 min since (116% of 10)
NEW Hyland 14 to 22 min over the last 5
LAC availability going into 3/20 · 2 days' restOUT Westbrook missed 9 since 3/03, out tonight
BACK Harden back 3/17 after 2, 36 min since (103% of 35)
BACK Tucker back 3/10 after 5, 23 min since (156% of 15)
BACK Boston back 3/10 after 4, 9 min since (93% of 10)
NEW Hyland 14 to 21 min over the last 5
LAC availability going into 3/22 · 1 day's restOUT Powell missed 2 since 3/17, out tonight
OUT Westbrook missed 10 since 3/03, out tonight
BACK Harden back 3/17 after 2, 36 min since (103% of 35)
BACK Tucker back 3/15 after 2, 23 min since (156% of 15)
LAC availability going into 3/24 · 1 day's restOUT Powell missed 3 since 3/17, returns tonight: 25 min (93% of 26)
OUT Westbrook missed 11 since 3/03, out tonight
BACK Harden back 3/17 after 2, 36 min since (103% of 35)
BACK Tucker back 3/15 after 2, 20 min since (131% of 15)
LAC availability going into 3/25 · back-to-backOUT Westbrook missed 12 since 3/03, returns tonight: 18 min (82% of 22)
BACK Harden back 3/17 after 2, 36 min since (102% of 35)
BACK Powell back 3/24 after 3, 25 min since (93% of 26)
BACK Tucker back 3/15 after 2, 20 min since (131% of 15)
LAC availability going into 3/27 · 1 day's restBACK Harden back 3/17 after 2, 35 min since (101% of 35)
BACK Powell back 3/24 after 3, 28 min since (105% of 26)
BACK Westbrook back 3/25 after 12, 18 min since (82% of 22)
NEW Coffey 21 to 26 min over the last 5
LAC availability going into 3/29 · 1 day's restOUT Theis missed 2 since 3/25, out tonight
OUT Boston missed 2 since 3/25, out tonight
BACK Powell back 3/24 after 3, 28 min since (107% of 26)
BACK Westbrook back 3/25 after 12, 18 min since (80% of 22)
NEW Coffey 21 to 26 min over the last 5
LAC availability going into 3/31 · 1 day's restOUT Theis missed 3 since 3/25, out tonight
OUT Hyland missed 2 since 3/27, out tonight
OUT Boston missed 3 since 3/25, out tonight
BACK Powell back 3/24 after 3, 28 min since (105% of 26)
BACK Westbrook back 3/25 after 12, 18 min since (80% of 22)
LAC availability going into 4/02 · 1 day's restOUT Theis missed 4 since 3/25, returns tonight: 18 min (106% of 17)
OUT Tucker missed 2 since 3/29, out tonight
OUT Hyland missed 3 since 3/27, returns tonight: 8 min (55% of 14)
OUT Boston missed 4 since 3/25, returns tonight: 21 min (212% of 10)
BACK Powell back 3/24 after 3, 28 min since (104% of 26)
BACK Westbrook back 3/25 after 12, 18 min since (82% of 22)
IND availability going into 3/18 · 1 day's restBACK Jackson back 3/07 after 2, 7 min since (55% of 13)
IND availability going into 3/20 · 1 day's restBACK Jackson back 3/16 after 2, 3 min since (26% of 13)
IND availability going into 3/22 · 1 day's restBACK Jackson back 3/16 after 2, 16 min since (125% of 13)
NEW Sheppard 16 to 21 min over the last 5
IND availability going into 3/24 · 1 day's restBACK Jackson back 3/16 after 2, 16 min since (125% of 13)
IND availability going into 3/25 · back-to-backBACK Jackson back 3/16 after 2, 15 min since (119% of 13)
IND availability going into 3/27 · 1 day's rest
full strength
IND availability going into 3/29 · 1 day's rest
full strength
IND availability going into 4/01 · 2 days' rest
full strength
IND availability going into 4/03 · 1 day's rest
full strength
I Know — the desk, before tip-off
Written before tip-off, from the five games each side brought in.
The Clippers come in 2-3 over their last five, scoring 109 a night and allowing 113, shooting 49 percent and 37 from three, 22 free throws a game; George at 26 and Leonard at 23 a game. Without Westbrook (12 straight). Second night of a back-to-back. Indiana comes in 3-2 over its last five, scoring 123 a night and allowing 114, shooting 51 percent and 35 from three, 16 free throws a game; Siakam at 27 and Haliburton at 17 a game. Second night of a back-to-back.
So: Indiana wins, on the road, and the game turns on the line, where the Clippers take 22 free throws a game to Indiana's 16. Call it Indiana 117, the Clippers 116, the Clippers keeping it close.
3/17 vs ATL 93-110 — LAC notes
LAC lost 93-110. LAC shot 38% (28 of 74) to ATL's 49%, 11 of 36 from three, and went to the line 29 times to ATL's 12 — 26 points from the stripe to their 11. Leonard led with 28 (8 of 17, 3 of 8 from three, 9 of 10 at the line); George added 26. Q4 was theirs, 31-22, the deficit cut from 26 to 17, but the other 3 periods went 88-62 against them. Zubac's -20 in 23 minutes was the worst on the floor.
3/20 @ POR 116-103 — LAC notes
LAC won 116-103. LAC shot 52% (45 of 86) to POR's 48%, 13 of 31 from three. LAC turned it over 11 times to POR's 17. George led with 27 (10 of 18, 4 of 7 from three); Leonard added 24, Harden 19. The hinge was Q3, 34-20: a lead of 10 became 24, and the lead reached 27. George was the night's best plus/minus at +23.
3/22 @ POR 125-117 — LAC notes
LAC won 125-117. LAC shot 57% (44 of 77) to POR's 48%, 14 of 33 from three. LAC turned it over 17 times to POR's 10, and POR turned those into 11 steals. George led with 31 (10 of 14, 4 of 8 from three, 7 of 7 at the line); Leonard added 22, Mann 20. The hinge was Q1, 42-27: from level to 15 ahead, and the lead reached 26. George was the night's best plus/minus at +24.
3/24 vs PHI 107-121 — LAC notes
LAC lost 107-121. LAC shot 48% (40 of 83) to PHI's 53%, 10 of 28 from three, and went to the line 18 times to PHI's 9 — 17 points from the stripe to their 7. LAC turned it over 13 times to PHI's 8. Leonard led with 20 (7 of 16, 1 of 6 from three); Powell added 20, George 18. Q2 was theirs, 27-22, the deficit cut from 12 to 7, but the other 3 periods went 99-80 against them. George's -18 in 34 minutes was the worst on the floor.
3/25 vs IND 116-133 — LAC notes
LAC lost 116-133. LAC shot 54% (46 of 85) to IND's 58%, 6 of 20 from three. Leonard led with 26 (11 of 18); George added 26, Powell 22. Q1 was theirs, 34-29, but the other 3 periods went 104-82 against them. Harden's -24 in 34 minutes was the worst on the floor.
3/27 @ PHI — I Know, the desk before tip-off
Written before tip-off, from the five games each side brought in.
Philadelphia comes in 2-3 over its last five, scoring 102 a night and allowing 104, shooting 43 percent and 35 from three, 17 free throws a game; Maxey at 23 and Oubre Jr. at 18 a game. It has lost the glass by 5 a night. Without Embiid (26 straight), Melton (14 straight), Covington (40 straight). One day's rest. The Clippers come in 2-3 over their last five, scoring 111 a night and allowing 117, shooting 50 percent and 36 from three, 22 free throws a game; George at 26 and Leonard at 24 a game. One day's rest.
So: Philadelphia wins, and the game turns on the defense, Philadelphia allowing 104 a night to the Clippers' 117 and the glass, where the Clippers have been plus-0 a night and Philadelphia minus-5. Call it Philadelphia 113, the Clippers 110, the Clippers keeping it close.
3/29 @ ORL — I Know, the desk before tip-off
Written before tip-off, from the five games each side brought in.
Orlando comes in 3-2 over its last five, scoring 109 a night and allowing 101, shooting 50 percent and 33 from three, 18 free throws a game; Banchero at 20 and F. Wagner at 17 a game. Without Gar. Harris (2 straight), Bitadze (2 straight). One day's rest. The Clippers come in 3-2 over their last five, scoring 114 a night and allowing 116, shooting 51 percent and 39 from three, 20 free throws a game; George at 25 and Leonard at 22 a game. Without Theis (2 straight). One day's rest.
So: Orlando wins, and the game turns on the defense, Orlando allowing 101 a night to the Clippers' 116 and the arc, the Clippers at 39 percent from three to Orlando's 33. Call it Orlando 113, the Clippers 109, the Clippers keeping it close.
3/31 @ CHA — I Know, the desk before tip-off
Written before tip-off, from the five games each side brought in.
Charlotte comes in 1-4 over its last five, scoring 98 a night and allowing 117, shooting 46 percent and 31 from three, 17 free throws a game; Miller at 20 and Bridges at 19 a game. It has lost the glass by 6 a night. One day's rest. The Clippers come in 3-2 over their last five, scoring 111 a night and allowing 115, shooting 50 percent and 37 from three, 20 free throws a game; Leonard at 23 and George at 22 a game. Without Theis (3 straight). One day's rest.
So: The Clippers win, on the road, and the game turns on the arc, the Clippers at 37 percent from three to Charlotte's 31 and the glass, where the Clippers have been minus-1 a night and Charlotte minus-6. Call it the Clippers 114, Charlotte 109.
4/02 @ SAC — I Know, the desk before tip-off
Written before tip-off, from the five games each side brought in.
Sacramento comes in 3-2 over its last five, scoring 109 a night and allowing 110, shooting 45 percent and 39 from three, 21 free throws a game; Fox at 24 and Murray at 20 a game. One day's rest. The Clippers come in 3-2 over their last five, scoring 112 a night and allowing 115, shooting 50 percent and 38 from three, 21 free throws a game; George at 24 and Leonard at 23 a game. That is 3 straight wins. Without Theis (4 straight), Tucker (2 straight). One day's rest.
So: Sacramento wins, in a game with no one edge to lean on. Call it Sacramento 115, the Clippers 112, the Clippers keeping it close.
3/18 vs CLE 103-108 — IND notes
IND lost 103-108. IND took 11 more shots (91 to 80), fed by 14 offensive rebounds, but shot 46% to CLE's 48%, 9 of 38 from three, and got to the line 16 times to CLE's 28. Siakam led with 19 (9 of 18); Haliburton added 14, McConnell 14. Q1 was theirs, 34-25, but the other 3 periods went 83-69 against them. They led by as many as 15. Siakam's -12 in 32 minutes was the worst on the floor.
3/20 @ DET 122-103 — IND notes
IND won 122-103. IND shot 57% (50 of 88) to DET's 41%, 11 of 29 from three, and got to the line 18 times to DET's 30. Siakam led with 25 (10 of 15, 2 of 3 from three, 3 of 6 at the line); Haliburton added 20, Nesmith 14. The hinge was Q3, 35-26: a lead of 11 became 20, and the lead reached 28. Haliburton was the night's best plus/minus at +18.
3/22 @ GSW 123-111 — IND notes
IND won 123-111. IND shot 48% (48 of 99) to GSW's 41%, 15 of 36 from three. The glass went 50-64 against them. Haliburton led with 26 (9 of 18, 4 of 8 from three); Siakam added 25, Nembhard 17. The hinge was Q3, 36-21: IND came in trailing by 1 and left it ahead by 14, and the lead reached 17. IND trailed 66-67 at the half and won the second half 57-44. Haliburton was the night's best plus/minus at +25.
3/24 @ LAL 145-150 — IND notes
IND lost 145-150. IND took 18 more shots (107 to 89), fed by 10 offensive rebounds, but shot 55% to LAL's 56%, 18 of 36 from three, and got to the line 16 times to LAL's 43. Siakam led with 36 (16 of 29, 4 of 8 at the line); Turner added 20, McConnell 17. Q4 was theirs, 46-34, the deficit cut from 17 to 5, but the other 3 periods went 116-99 against them. They led by as many as 11. Haliburton's -12 in 33 minutes was the worst on the floor.
3/25 @ LAC 133-116 — IND notes
IND won 133-116. IND shot 58% (50 of 86) to LAC's 54%, 17 of 28 from three. Siakam led with 31 (12 of 20, 6 of 8 at the line); Turner added 24, Haliburton 21. The hinge was Q4, 36-27: a lead of 8 became 17, and the lead reached 23. Walker was the night's best plus/minus at +23.
3/27 @ CHI — I Know, the desk before tip-off
Written before tip-off, from the five games each side brought in.
Chicago comes in 2-3 over its last five, scoring 114 a night and allowing 113, shooting 49 percent and 34 from three, 23 free throws a game; Dosunmu at 24 and DeRozan at 22 a game. That is 3 straight losses. Without Green (2 straight). One day's rest. Indiana comes in 3-2 over its last five, scoring 125 a night and allowing 118, shooting 53 percent and 42 from three, 18 free throws a game; Siakam at 27 and Haliburton at 19 a game. One day's rest.
So: Indiana wins, on the road, and the game turns on the arc, Indiana at 42 percent from three to Chicago's 34 and the line, where Chicago takes 23 free throws a game to Indiana's 18. Call it Indiana 118, Chicago 117, Chicago keeping it close.
3/29 vs LAL — I Know, the desk before tip-off
Written before tip-off, from the five games each side brought in.
Indiana comes in 3-2 over its last five, scoring 124 a night and allowing 121, shooting 52 percent and 43 from three, 19 free throws a game; Siakam at 26 and Haliburton at 18 a game. It has lost the glass by 7 a night. One day's rest. The Lakers come in 5-0 over their last five, scoring 130 a night and allowing 118, shooting 50 percent and 42 from three, 33 free throws a game; Davis at 29 and James at 24 a game. That is 5 straight wins. They have won the glass by 6 a night. Without Vanderbilt (23 straight), Vincent (45 straight), Wood (17 straight). One day's rest.
So: Indiana wins, and the game turns on the glass, where the Lakers have been plus-6 a night and Indiana minus-7 and the line, where the Lakers take 33 free throws a game to Indiana's 19. Call it Indiana 122, the Lakers 121, the Lakers keeping it close.
4/01 vs BKN — I Know, the desk before tip-off
Written before tip-off, from the five games each side brought in.
Indiana comes in 3-2 over its last five, scoring 122 a night and allowing 118, shooting 50 percent and 42 from three, 18 free throws a game; Siakam at 26 and Haliburton at 19 a game. It has lost the glass by 7 a night. 2 days' rest. Brooklyn comes in 3-2 over its last five, scoring 108 a night and allowing 107, shooting 46 percent and 37 from three, 19 free throws a game; Thomas at 29 and Schröder at 18 a game. Second night of a back-to-back.
So: Indiana wins, and the game turns on the defense, Brooklyn allowing 107 a night to Indiana's 118 and the glass, where Brooklyn has been plus-0 a night and Indiana minus-7. Call it Indiana 118, Brooklyn 113.
4/03 @ BKN — I Know, the desk before tip-off
Written before tip-off, from the five games each side brought in.
Brooklyn comes in 3-2 over its last five, scoring 112 a night and allowing 113, shooting 46 percent and 37 from three, 22 free throws a game; Thomas at 30 and Bridges at 18 a game. One day's rest. Indiana comes in 3-2 over its last five, scoring 124 a night and allowing 118, shooting 51 percent and 42 from three, 18 free throws a game; Siakam at 24 and Haliburton at 19 a game. One day's rest.
So: Brooklyn wins, and the game turns on the arc, Indiana at 42 percent from three to Brooklyn's 37. Call it Brooklyn 118, Indiana 117, Indiana keeping it close.
Who is who
the initials in the Players column
LACAC A. Coffey
IZ I. Zubac
JH J. Harden
KL K. Leonard
NP N. Powell
PG P. George
PT P. Tucker
RW R. Westbrook
TM T. Mann
XM X. Moon
INDAN A. Nembhard
BS B. Sheppard
DM D. McDermott
IJ I. Jackson
JS J. Smith
JW J. Walker
MT M. Turner
OT O. Toppin
PS P. Siakam
TH T. Haliburton
TM T. McConnell
LAC/IND the team itself, not a player
-- the feed named nobody
What
What happened
the codes in the Events column
M2 / M3 made 2 / made 3
X2 / X3 missed 2 / missed 3
FT / X1 free throw made / missed
AST assist
OR / DR offensive / defensive rebound
STL steal
BLK block
TO turnover
FL foul
OF offensive foul — ends the possession
VIOL violation
JUMP jump ball
TM timeout
IR instant replay
HE heave at the buzzer, filed to the team
END the clock ran out, ball in hand
Where
Where a shot came from
the middle field of M3.LW.25
RM at the rim inside 4 ft
RC right corner
RW right wing
SO straight on
LW left wing
LC left corner
M3.LW.25 made 3, left wing, 25 ft
X2.RM.01 missed 2, at the rim, 1 ft
When
When it happened
the Offset column
one number per event, in the Events order:
whole seconds from the start of the
possession to that event
Events FL X3.RC.23 OR M2.RM.01
Offset 0 18 22 24
the foul opens the possession at 0s;
the putback ends it at 24s, which is
the possession's own Dur
Pascal Siakam helps Pacers pull away from Clippers for 133-116 win
LOS ANGELES -- — Pascal Siakam scored 31 points to lead the Indiana Pacers to a 133-116 win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday night.
Myles Turner had 24 points and seven rebounds, helping the Pacers to their sixth win in their last seven road games. Tyrese Haliburton finished with 21 points and nine assists.
“Our entire roster played well,” Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said. “I thought Myles Turner was spectacular in this game. ... Tyrese and Pascal were ham and egging it back and forth, and that was really key.”
Los Angeles dropped its fifth consecutive home game. Kawhi Leonard and Paul George each scored 26 points for the Clippers, and Russell Westbrook had 14 points and seven assists in his return after missing 12 games because of a fractured left hand.
“The only way we're gonna get out of it is playing hard for 48 minutes, doing things right every single night, every single possession,” Clippers head coach Ty Lue said. “Not two out of five, not two out of six. Every time, just do the right thing, and you'll be able to get out of this rut.”
Having been walloped 151-127 at home by the Clippers in December, a defeat Carlisle credited with forcing Indiana to put a more consistent emphasis on its defense, the Pacers were determined to rebound after losing 150-145 to the Lakers on Sunday. They clamped down and held the Clippers to 1 for 9 on 3-pointers in the second half, while going 8 for 15 from deep themselves to pull away.
“We've shown signs of real progress,” Carlisle said. “Last night was a step back, but in the NBA there's always another game coming. This was a terrific bounce back.”
In addition to strong showings from their stars, Indiana also got unexpected contributions from Ben Sheppard , who had seven points starting in place of Aaron Nesmith (knee), and rookie forward Jarace Walker , who had eight points and was “the key guy in the game” according to Carlisle.
“He just played exceptionally well,” Carlisle said of Walker. “He made open shots, he made the right pass at the right time, he defended, he rebounded, and he was the biggest plus we had on the team tonight, so congratulations to him.”
Unable to bounce back from a 121-107 loss to Philadelphia on Sunday, the reeling Clippers found themselves asking some tough questions in the aftermath of another loss to a playoff-bound opponent. James Harden , who had 11 points, couldn't say who the team is right now.
Lue disagreed.
“Right now, do we have an identity?" Lue said. "I think, yeah, we're soft. That can be an identity if you want to call it that. We got to be tougher, mentally and physically.”
The return of Westbrook was the lone bright spot for Los Angeles, providing some noticeable energy off the bench with six points and four assists in the first half. He also helped Norman Powell produce some microwave offense, getting eight of his 22 points in the first quarter.
“I thought Russ looked good,” Lue said. “I thought he had some pop. I thought he pushed the pace. It's something for us to build on going forward.”