Four things learned from the Indiana Pacers dominant win over the Washington Wizards on ESPN

The Pacers grabbed their first road win of the season by beating the Wizards in Washington.

The Indiana Pacers played their most complete game of the season on Friday night and beat the Washington Wizards on ESPN. The Pacers grabbed the lead with 8:05 to go in the first quarter and never gave it back, cruising to a 127-117 win in the nation's capital.

The Pacers overcame some of the issues that had plagued them in recent games. The biggest snag the team had been dealing with was poor first quarter defense, and Indiana held Washington to 28 points in the first frame on Friday night. That isn't stellar, but it's the first time all season that the blue and gold have held an opponent under 30 to open a game.

Indiana also overcame some shooting struggles that popped up in a few of their first five games by canning 15/28 (53.6%) from long range. That percentage is a season high. Speaking of season highs, the Pacers also got to the free throw line for 33 free throw attempts, which is nine more than the team's next best outing in terms of getting to the charity stripe. The Pacers had a masterful offensive night.

"I just think when you have that young exuberance in the locker room, it just brings a lot out of us. And here we are," center Myles Turner said on Bally Sports Indiana after the game.

Turner on his 27-point, double-double performance: "I'm just happy to get back to playing my brand of basketball. It feels good to be back out with a group of guys that are happy for me and just want to see me perform." #Pacers pic.twitter.com/AfO7BAFipP

— Bally Sports Indiana (@BallySportsIN) October 29, 2022

While the offense was special, Turner led the way on defense, where the Pacers improved from some recent performances. The 26-year old finished with five blocks and ten rebounds, and he was a game-high +20. He controlled the action on the defensive end and impressed all night.

Indiana improved to 2-4 with the win while Washington dropped to 3-2. It was the Pacers first road win of the season. Assistant coach Lloyd Pierce was the acting head coach while Rick Carlisle attended his daughter's cheerleading senior night. Pierce now has three wins filling in for Carlisle in the past two seasons.

There was a lot for the blue and gold to build off of from this game, but four details stand out.

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Myles Turner has caught up to game speed.

Turner made his season debut on Wednesday, and he finished that game with just five points and six rebounds. It was his first regular season action in nearly 300 days. "The game was moving a little fast, my mind was moving a little fast, faster than my body," the veteran center said after the game.

Against the Wizards, Turner's body caught up. Beyond the aforementioned ten boards and five blocks, the eight-year pro had a team-high 27 points and dished out two assists. He went 10/10 from the free throw line and drilled a trio of three-point shots. It was a brilliant game from Turner.

The starting big man is still learning how to play with his new-look team, but he is now playing a role that he considers more natural for him in the frontcourt. Tonight, he showed what he can do when everything is clicking. Indiana, and Turner, will hope for more games like that.

"Pissed off" Buddy Hield is the best version of Buddy Hield.

Last Saturday, guard Buddy Hield played just under 16 minutes when the Pacers beat the Pistons. Carlisle elected to go with other options, who were more productive for much of the game, at shooting guard that night.

Two days later, Hield went 3/10 from deep against the 76ers in a defeat. The Pacers lost his minutes.

Since then, Hield has looked great. He scored 25 points in Chicago, his high mark of the season, and he cited his mentality as something that helped him that night. "Moving in space, moving with purpose, getting pissed off," he said when asked what was working for him in that game. He didn't like how he played in Philadelphia, so he had a mental shift. "Ignite in myself. Just getting after it," he said of playing "pissed off."

That level of play was reached by the shooting guard again on Friday. Hield finished with 25 points, canned 5/9 from deep, grabbed five rebounds, and hit several big shots down the stretch to ruin a Wizards run.

Nearly half of Hield's points (12) came in the first quarter. His hot start was crucial for the blue and gold, and his new focus on playing pissed off has upped his impact.

Tyrese Haliburton might be an All-Star.

After this victory, Tyrese Haliburton is now averaging 23 points and 10.3 assists per game this season. Last season, both players who exceeded 20 point and 10 assist averages (James Harden and Chris Paul) were All-Stars. In fact, every player who averaged nine or more assists (add in Dejounte Murray and Trae Young) were All-Stars regardless of their scoring stats.

It's only been a half-dozen games, but Haliburton could be headed down a path that leads him to Salt Lake City for All-Star festivities if he keeps up his current production.

The Pacers may have found the right starting five.

All five Pacers starters finished with 15+ points in this game, and through two games, the group (Turner, Haliburton, Hield, Jalen Smith, Aaron Nesmith) has outscored opponents by 14 points. Carlisle did some lineup shuffling earlier in the season, but he appears to have found the right combination of fit, offense, and defense with this group.

Starting this lineup also allows Bennedict Mathurin to get more scoring opportunities with the second unit and allows for T.J. McConnell and Isaiah Jackson to be linked with the bench group, where they have thrived together offensively. Until something changes, this rotation feels right for the Pacers, with Chris Duarte and one of Andrew Nembhard or Terry Taylor rounding it out depending on what the matchup requires.

The Pacers next play on Saturday night in Brooklyn against the Nets. It will be a tough test for the blue and gold, but the Nets currently sit just 1-4.

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• AllPacers chats one-on-one with Indiana Pacers win Aaron Nesmith. Exclusive interview here: CLICK HERE.
• Myles Turner is ready to add to the Indiana Pacers after returning from injury. CLICK HERE.
• Bennedict Mathurin is putting up historic numbers to start his career with the Indiana Pacers. CLICK HERE.
• The latest on a potential Pacers and Lakers trade involving Russell Westbrook. CLICK HERE.
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