Indiana Pacers defense and balance lead to win over Portland Trail Blazers

The Pacers are 22-18 after taking down the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday night

The Indiana Pacers led the Portland Trail Blazers 22-21 with 2:42 to go in the first quarter on Friday, only for Portland to close the quarter on an 8-4 run. With 3:46 to go in the second quarter, the Pacers led 49-38, but they trailed at halftime. At the 2:49 mark in the third quarter, Indiana led by eight, yet Portland led 82-81 entering the final frame.

The formula for this game was clear. The Pacers would do well to open quarters but couldn't close them at all. That's why the 99-99 score with 3:05 to go in the fourth quarter felt unsafe for the blue and gold — if the pattern continued, they were going to lose.

Instead, the Pacers played perfect defense for the last three minutes. The Trail Blazers didn't score a single point for the remainder of the game while the Pacers scored nine, and the blue and gold won a tough game 108-99. It was a terrific performance from Indiana, especially on the defensive end — they conceded just four points in the final 7:32 of action, and Portland didn't make any shots from the field in that stretch.

The Pacers defense was excellent all night, and it was nearly perfect down the stretch. The Trail Blazers shot 40.4% from the field, 27.3% from deep, only attempted 17 free throws, and turned the ball over 18 times throughout the night. Indiana held them under 100 points, which had only happened to the Blazers five times this season. It was an impressive effort from the blue and gold on the less glamorous end of the floor, and it likely won them the game.

"To hold them under 30 for four quarters is a real feat. It's very difficult to do," Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle said of his team's defense after the game. Portland entered the game with the NBA's 10th-best offensive rating. "We were connected, we did a good job staying in our principles," guard Tyrese Haliburton added of the defense.

The Pacers have held two other teams under 100 points in a game this season, but it was Miami (the league's 25th rated offense) twice and Houston (the league's 29th rated offense) once. Slowing down Portland this much may have been Indiana's most impressive defensive outing of the season.

They still had to score enough to win, though. And they did that with a balanced attack. The Pacers leading scorer, Bennedict Mathruin, finished with 19 points. It was just the sixth time this season that Indiana's leading scorer had fewer than 20 points, and just the second time that happened in a victory.

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"We've had a lot of different people contribute. I feel like we're one of the more balanced teams on a nightly basis," Haliburton noted after the game.

One of the biggest moments of the game occurred with 3:15 to go in the fourth quarter. With the Pacers up by two, wing Aaron Nesmith fought hard with Jusuf Nurkic to secure a loose ball, and it ended up being a jump ball. Nesmith was pumped after dueling with the much larger Nurkic, and he celebrated on the court. That got the crowd, and the Pacers, more engaged in the action, which helped guide the team to a win.

"[That play] changed everything," Carlisle said of the jump ball. "His energy in the fourth was crazy. Got our team into it," he added of Nesmith, who finished with 10 points and seven rebounds.

Haliburton finished with 15 points and 12 assists for another double double. Despite missing all of his three-point shot attempts, Myles Turner played a strong game and had 17 points, eight rebounds, and two blocks. The Pacers starting five played well.

Off the bench, Mathurin was efficient and effective. Young big man Isaiah Jackson was similarly effective, ending with 12 points on 5/6 shooting in his first action since December 27. He was great.

Indiana improved to 22-18 with the win, and they remain tied for sixth in the Eastern Conference. They'll host the Charlotte Hornets on Sunday and look to climb in the standings.

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• Report: Myles Turner and Indiana Pacers open up contract extension talks. CLICK HERE.
• Aaron Nesmith is in a groove for the Indiana Pacers: 'Just playing free, playing to my strengths.' CLICK HERE.
• Pacers guard Trevelin Queen on Tyrese Haliburton: 'He's just a great leader.' CLICK HERE.
• Pacers center Isaiah Jackson focusing on the simple things to stay engaged and be effective. CLICK HERE.
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