The Indiana Pacers were back in action on Friday as the Blue and Gold opened Las Vegas Summer League action against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Indiana opened its Summer League slate with a win, 99-93. Taelon Peter and Jalen Slawson served as veterans in the Pacers’ starting five, Braden Smith and Tamin Lipsey joined forces in the backcourt, and Rienk Mast rounded out Indiana’s starting lineup. Indiana was loose with the basketball early in the contest and committed six first quarter turnovers. Cleveland leveraged those extra possessions into a lead after the first quarter of action, 13-10. The Pacers recovered in the second quarter as they settled in and found a rhythm. Indiana logged 32 points in the second frame as Taevion Kinsey caught fire from deep. Smith broke a press in the backcourt in the final 30 seconds of the half and darted a pass under the basket to Kinsey, who was fouled. Kinsey knocked down his free throw – one shot worth two points – and the Pacers led, 43-41 heading into the halftime break. “We’re fast and unselfish, and we’re doing some good things right now,” coach Rick Carlisle said of Indiana’s Summer League showing. Kinsey was a spark off the Indiana bench in the first half as he shot 3-for-3 from deep and led the Blue and Gold in scoring with 11 points. Mast recorded nine points and eight rebounds. Slawson executed a volleyball spike of a block early in the third as he rejected Riley Minix’s shot. He then converted a free throw, swiped a steal, and completed an alley-oop pass to Peter for the slam. The second year player exhibited a sturdy grasp on the pace of the NBA game in Indiana’s Summer League opener. The Pacers pulled away in the third quarter and led heading into the fourth, 75-56. Meleek Thomas, Cleveland’s 34th overall pick, came to life in the fourth quarter. Thomas had 10 points in the frame with five minutes to go, and the Cavaliers cut into Indiana’s lead. The Pacers led by four points with under four minutes to play. Mast drove hard to the rim in the waning minutes of the fourth and converted a layup through a foul. Indiana led by six following Mast’s made free throw, and Peter hit a dagger 3-pointer to seal the win for the Pacers with under a minute left, 96-89. Indiana had five double-digit scorers in the victory – Keion Brooks Jr. (11), Peter (13), Mast (16), Kinsey (16) and Slawson (15). Smith struggled to find his shot early in the contest, but found a groove in the second half. He finished with five points, eight rebounds, and four assists. Mast recorded 11 rebounds alongside his 16 points. “[I] try to help the team win,” Mast said postgame. “…I’ve got to do my job, I’ve got to work hard.” Thomas finished with 20 points for Cleveland, as did Nae’Qwan Tomlin. Indiana returns to Summer League action on Saturday, July 11, at 5:30 PM ET to take on the Philadelphia 76ers. Key Stats Braden Smith, Indiana’s No. 38 overall pick, recorded five points, eight rebounds, four assists, and three steals in his Summer League debut. Rienk Mast, former Nebraska Cornhusker, recorded a double-double with 16 points and 11 rebounds. Jalen Slawson recorded five blocks. The Pacers recorded 21 assists on 31 made field goals. About The Author troyderengowski61@gmail.com See author's posts Post navigation INDIANA SIGNS TWO FREE AGENTS
