The Indiana Pacers failed to build on their dramatic win against the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday. After that game, the Pacers continued their West Coast road trip Thursday versus the Sacramento Kings, and this time, there was no sensational comeback for Indiana, which picked up a 137-114 defeat at the hands of Harrison Barnes and company.
Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle talked candidly about Indiana's loss, pinning the blame on himself for that. “I didn’t have them prepared for what was coming,” Carlisle said, per Cameron Salerno.
Carlisle must have made a mental note about the poor play defensively of his team in the Kings game. Sacramento shot over 50 percent from the field and hit 16 3-pointers on 43 attempts. The Kings had five fewer attempts from the field than the Pacers but had eight more baskets made. Barnes led the Kings with 22 points, while Malik Monk came off the bench and fired 20 more. Indiana's defense is far from elite. It's still a work in progress, as the Pacers entered Wednesday's game ranked just 19th in the NBA with 114.3 points allowed per outing.
The loss can also be attributed to the poor offensive performances of Tyrese Haliburton and Myles Turner, who scored just nine and four points, respectively. As a team, Indiana shot only 40 percent from the field and was outrebounded, 58-47.
Since winning five games in a row in the middle of November, the Pacers have gone 2-3. Their road trip will bring them to Salt Lake City this Friday to play the Utah Jazz.
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