(PACERS RELEASE)
GAME REWIND: PACERS 116, CAVALIERS 115 (SUMMER LEAGUE)
Just 18 days after Game 7 of the NBA Finals, the Indiana Pacers took the court in Summer League action on Thursday. They defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers behind an impressive comeback, 116-115, and multiple players showed bursts of NBA-level talent.
The summer Pacers are composed of new draft picks Kam Jones and Taelon Peter, as well as returnees from Indiana’s NBA squad, the Noblesville Boom, and overseas. Rick Carlisle was in attendance for Indiana’s clash with the Cavaliers along with a handful of assistant coaches and front office personnel.
Jones drew an offensive foul on the first possession of the game, giving Indiana a chance to run in transition. The summer Pacers maintained the blistering speed that’s become a characteristic of Pacer basketball. Indiana consistently grabbed the ball out of the net on a make, creating a similar opportunity to a fastbreak after made baskets.
RayJ Dennis scored nine of the Pacers’ first 11 points as he connected on two triples and free throws. Johnny Furphy had a solid first quarter, notching eight points before going down with an injury with under a minute remaining in the period. The Pacers trailed after one, 35-25.
Furphy would not return to the game after taking an elbow to the eye, but the injury was reported to be a minor issue.
Dennis was the most outstanding Pacer through the first half, totaling 14 points, five assists, and two rebounds. Quenton Jackson had an impressive performance off Indiana’s bench as he scored eight points in 12 minutes.
“I think at the forefront of it is just being an ultra competitor,” Dennis said. “Like, I think if you ask anybody who’s around me, I don’t like to lose…So whether it’s scoring, whether it’s passing, whether it’s guarding the best guy, trying to get my nose in there and rebound, I’ll do whatever it takes to win.”
Jones had just two points at halftime, but dished out three assists. Peter came off the bench, made a nice cut for a layup, and drove strong to the rim to create four total points before the halftime break.
The summer Pacers shot over 50 percent in the first half despite trailing the Cavaliers, 63-50.
Indiana cut the deficit to 10 points halfway through the third quarter as Jackson converted an and-1 opportunity following a fastbreak dunk. Jackson continued on a tear down the stretch of the third, powering the Pacers to a 13-0 run. He scored 12 total points in the frame, and Indiana went into the fourth quarter down by just two points, 86-84.
“He’s going to put in effort,” coach Isaac Yacob said of Jackson. “And that’s a skill nowadays. That got him onto the court with the NBA team, so I never can doubt his heart. He’s always going to compete, and he did that tonight.”
Steven Ashworth, a Creighton product, checked into the game for the first time with three minutes remaining in the third quarter. He went on to score six points, recorded two assists, and grabbed a rebound in just eight minutes of playing time.
“Steven Ashworth came in, [and] I thought it changed the game for us,” Yacob said.
Dennis converted a layup off an assist from Ashworth to tie the game at 98, 5:48 to go in the fourth quarter. He gave Indiana its first lead of the night after making his free throw, 99-98.
Cleveland would go on an 11-0 run following the Pacers’ capture of the lead, and Indiana trailed by 10 with under four minutes to play.
Dennis was the engine on offense down the stretch for Indiana, creating a 13-2 Pacers run to lead by one point with 18 seconds to play, 114-113. Cleveland tipped in a missed basket, leaving Indiana with under 10 seconds to score. The Pacers inbounded the ball, quickly sending it up the court to a sprinting Freeman, who went up for a layup but was fouled.
Freeman made both free throws to earn Indiana a 116-115 victory in its Summer League debut.
Dennis was Indiana’s standout player, notching 26 points, four rebounds, and nine assists. Jackson also recorded a strong total of 24 points on 8-for-10 shooting along with three assists. Peter gave Indiana eight points off the bench on 4-for-5 shooting, three rebounds, and closed the game on the floor for the summer Pacers.
Indiana is back in action on Saturday, July 12 at 5:30 PM ET to take on the Oklahoma City Thunder’s Summer League squad.
