Indiana Pacers earn win behind Ben Sheppard and Enrique Freeman, but starter woes cloud outing

Sheppard and Freeman took over late

Oct 17, 2024; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indiana Pacers guard Ben Sheppard (26) rebounds the ball in the first half against the Charlotte Hornets at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images / Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

INDIANAPOLIS — The Indiana Pacers won their final preseason game in overtime on Thursday, and they had plenty of heroics to get it done. With 4:17 remaining, the Charlotte Hornets were ahead by 12. With 15 seconds left, that edge was six. The Hornets had done enough to win.

Yet a key putback from Quenton Jackson, a costly turnover from Tidjane Salaun, and a miraculous four-point play from Ben Sheppard later had the score tied as the clock hit zero. In the extra period, the Pacers were terrific as they earned a victory.

Late in the game, two youngsters were special. Sheppard, a second-year wing, was making plays down the stretch. He had 11 points in the fourth quarter as well as a key steal plus assist in the bonus frame.

The 2023 late first-round pick, who had a team option in his contract exercised on Friday, wrapped up preseason play with his best game. Enrique Freeman was equally terrific in crunch time. The 50th overall pick in the most recent draft continued his terrific play since being selected, dominating with energy, hustle, and efficiency.

Freeman finished the outing with 15 points and five rebounds. Nine of those points came in overtime, and three of those boards were in that stretch. His second-chance points made the victory possible — every single one of his rebounds were on the offensive end.

"Happy for that group," Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said of his reserves after the game. "Good stuff in the fourth quarter."

Hard play defined the night for both Freeman and Sheppard. They battled on defense, ran hard in transition, and overall upped the Pacers energy. They both played their games and finished plays, which made them stand out. Indiana needed monster efforts from their third unit, and those two provided it.

"We had no energy, and we just came in with a spark and tried to bring us back into the game and made something happen," Sheppard said. Freeman agreed. "Our group came in, and that was our job to do, is bring energy," he explained.

Thanks to that pair, the blue and gold escaped preseason play 2-2. The team had good and bad stretches basically every game. Carlisle hoped to see more consistency in the final exhibition, yet that didn't happen. They still won, but they didn't show enough to feel good about where they are at.

The most important part of the Pacers inconsistent play came from their starting lineup. The team's entire starting five was available to play for just the second time during the preseason, and they weren't particularly successful outside of the first quarter.

In total, that group had a roughly 106.9 offensive rating with a 123.3 defensive rating. The Hornets had a true shooting percentage that approached 68% with Indiana's starting five on the floor while their own true shooting percentage was 53.5%. They couldn't get stops and struggled to score — and that came in spite of a solid first quarter from the five-man unit.

Oct 17, 2024; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Charlotte Hornets guard DaQuan Jeffries (8) shoots the ball while Indiana Pacers guard Ben Sheppard (26) defends in OT at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images / Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

For the night, that lineup was -7. The first game that unit played, which came last week in Cleveland, they also were outscored. The Pacers starting five, a rock solid group last season, wasn't effective in the preseason.

"Our starting group has just not been tied together," Carlisle said. "We're not doing a good enough job in a lot of the important areas."

Some areas that Carlisle pointed out where that group has come up short were physicality, rebounding, and toughness. They need to work on it. Physical play hasn't been there — Indiana has been afraid to hit first.

Defensive struggles aren't shocking from that Pacers five-man combo. They were not known for their work on the less glamorous end of the floor last season. The inconsistent play on offense and lack of clear burst has been more jarring. That was the Pacers identity last season, and it hasn't been there all the time.

"We've got to communicate better on both sides of the ball," starting wing Aaron Nesmith said. He doesn't think their defense has been on point despite the tools they have. "Zero in before game one. Some things we need to fix, and we'll fix them."

Fortunately for that group, their struggles have been masked twice by excellent play from reserves. Sheppard and Freeman earned Indiana a win last night. But in the regular season, when starters are relied upon for big minutes, the Pacers opening lineup needs to be better.

"We have five and a half days to try to get better and to get ready. Right now, we're just not there," Carlisle said. "We've all got to look in the mirror on the whole thing. But we have time, and we can still make progress."

---

• T.J. McConnell is still creating a chip on his shoulder after a contract extension with the Indiana Pacers. CLICK HERE.
• More confident Isaiah Jackson is ready to occasionally stretch the floor in a bigger role with the Indiana Pacers. CLICK HERE.
• Source: Indiana Pacers plan to waive forward Cole Swider. CLICK HERE.
• Indiana Pacers fight back for overtime win over Charlotte Hornets to close preseason. CLICK HERE.
• Follow Pacers On SI on Facebook: All Pacers SI
• Follow Pacers On SI on Twitter: @SIPacers