Indiana Pacers start slow in season opening loss to Washington Wizards: 'We got punched in the mouth'

The Pacers fell to the Wizards 114-107 to open their season.

Oct 19, 2022; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indiana Pacers guard Chris Duarte (3) rebounds the ball in the first quarter against the Washington Wizards at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

Entering this NBA season, there were questions about the Indiana Pacers' ability to stop other teams. The roster worked on defense roughly twice as much as offense in training camp in an attempt to improve on the defensive end of the floor, but their preseason defense still left more questions than answers about how the team would get stops this season.

After conceding eight points in the first 90 seconds of the season, prompting a timeout from head coach Rick Carlisle, those questions remained. And the struggles continued throughout the frame, Indiana gave up 18 points in the first four-and-a-half minutes of action. Even without Myles Turner, who injured his ankle warming up, Indiana's defense looked poor in the first quarter.

While there were moments throughout the game where the Pacers defended capably — early in the second and third quarters, for example — they never put it all together for an entire frame. The Wizards scored with ease, and they held the lead wire to wire.

"I think there was mental errors defensively to start the game," Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton said after the battle. "We got punched in the mouth," he added of the team's start.

The Pacers had moments where their defense looked better. Washington scored just eight points in the first six minutes of the second quarter. Indiana defended very well down the stretch of the fourth quarter, too. But that ability to get stops only appeared for brief stretches of the game instead of being a constant, and it cost the Pacers big time.

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"I feel like when we're together as a team, I feel like there's not a lot of teams that can score on us," Pacers big man Isaiah Jackson said after the game. That togetherness was lacking for long stretches of this performance.

Not having Turner was a big loss for the blue and gold. He is the anchor of the squad on the defensive end, and without his rim protection and pick-and-roll defense, the Pacers struggled to string together stops. Washington scored 58 points in the paint, and it wasn't particularly difficult for them to get shots from in close.

All in all, Indiana still has a lot to work on with their defense even after everything they did in training camp. With a younger group, inconsistency should be expected, but the team will hope to grow on the less glamorous end of the floor going forward.

On the offensive side of the ball, things looked a bit better for the blue and gold. Haliburton showed more aggression than he has in past seasons and finished with 26 points and seven assists. He was hunting for his own shots, and only one of his ten makes was assisted by a teammate.

"We're going to need him to score and be aggressive," center Goga Bitadze said of Haliburton. "He's an All-Star caliber player."

Rookie guard Bennedict Mathurin also did well in his NBA debut. The sixth overall pick scored 19 points and grabbed seven rebounds, and he led the team with a +/- of +9. His drives looked crisp, and he even hit 3/7 from long range. It was an impressive debut for Mathurin, and he could end up in the Rookie of the Year conversation.

Jalen Smith and Buddy Hield each scored well and finished with 16 points, and Hield led the team with 10 rebounds. No other Pacer shot 50%+ or put up double-digit points. While the best talents showed up on offense, Indiana needed more from its role players.

The Pacers will hope to put together a better defensive performance on Friday when they host the San Antonio Spurs.

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