Pacers Summer League wrap-up

Hunter Kuffel

NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 22: T.J. Leaf reacts after being drafted 18th overall by the Indiana Pacers during the first round of the 2017 NBA Draft at Barclays Center on June 22, 2017 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images)

The Pacers have just wrapped up their third place performance in the 2017 Orlando Summer League. Let’s break down how they did.

Summer League is a delightful part of the NBA calendar. The stakes couldn’t possibly be lower, which is a big relief following the tense nature of the playoffs and even the draft. If the guy you like has a bad game, then it’s fine because Summer League doesn’t mean anything. If he lights it up, then you were a genius to like him and Summer League is a clear indicator of future success.

Everyone wins.

The Pacers had an impressive run in Orlando this summer, finishing with a 4-1 record and a third place finish. Their only loss came to the Dallas Mavericks, who went on to become the undefeated champions of the tournament.

T.J. Leaf, the Pacers first-round draft pick this year, suited up in three of the five games and averaged 12.7 points and 27 minutes per game. Both of Indiana’s second-round picks, Ike Anigbogu and Edmond Sumner, missed the tournament due to injury.

Joe Young and Jarnell Stokes led the team in minutes played, while Travis Leslie was the leading scorer. We’ve got breakdowns for every game in this post, so let’s start from the beginning with the win over the home team Orlando Magic.

Pacers beat the Magic 85-74

This one got off to a rocky start, with second-year Pacer Georges Niang leaving the game just one minute in with a sprained knee.

The team, however, rallied in his absence, hardly ever trailing against Jonathan Isaac and the Magic. Trey McKinney Jones, a veteran of the Fort Wayne Mad Ants and a University of Miami alum, scored seven of the first nine points for the Pacers, shooting 50 percent from the field overall.

Pacers beat the Hornets 84-77

Day 2 of the tournament brought another win for Indiana, this time with the help of first-round pick T.J. Leaf. The Pacers led for the vast majority of the second half against the shorthanded Hornets, who were without their first-round pick Malik Monk.

Leaf had 12 points and five rebounds in his debut, going scoreless until halfway into the second quarter. He struggled on the defensive end, but he had a difficult assignment, often matching up with the 300 pound Przemek Karnowski from Gonzaga.

Travis Leslie kept up his impressive performance with another 20-point game. Don’t be shocked if he gets a shot in the big leagues thanks to this showing.

Joe Young had another good game with 14 points and seven assists. Moreover, he and Jarnell Stokes began to develop a nice pick-and-roll chemistry, adding a new dimension to the offense.

The Pacers won this game with their offensive efficiency. The team shot 50.8 percent from the fields and 38.9 percent from 3-point range. Meanwhile, Charlotte only managed 41.2 percent from the field and 20 percent from long range.

The Pacers were undefeated after two games, and their winning streak would continue in day 3 against the Miami Heat

Pacers beat the Heat 86-83

In the closest game so far, it was T.J. Leaf’s time to shine.

The UCLA product recorded a double-double, scoring 19 points and pulling down 10 rebounds. He shot 9-for-17 from the field and led the team in scoring.

More from 8 Points, 9 Seconds

The game was competitive from start to finish, with multiple lead changes and impressive performances from both sides. Despite being down by 11 just before halftime, the Pacers came back to seal the three-point victory.

Chris Johnson made one of two free throws to pull ahead 66-65 with eight minutes to go, and Indiana held the lead until the final buzzer.

The Pacers withstood a dynamic performance from Kentucky’s Bam Adebayo, who scored 29 points and collected 11 rebounds. Adebayo was selected 14th by the Heat in the 2017 draft.

Joe Young had his highest scoring game of the tournament so far, scoring 17 points and racking up six assists. His four turnovers weren’t ideal, but we can chalk part of that up to how much time he spent with the ball in his hands.

With this victory, the Pacers were the leaders in the clubhouse at 3-0. They would take on the only other undefeated team, the Dallas Mavericks, the next day.

Pacers lose to the Mavericks 94-79

This one was rough for Indiana. A balanced attack from the Dallas Mavericks proved too much for them, and they fell 79-94.

Jarnell Stokes led the Pacers with 15 points and seven rebounds on 5-for-6 shooting from the field. Past that, however, the team had a disappointing turnout. T.J. Leaf shot only 2-for-7 for a total of seven points.

The Mavericks just straight up outscored Indiana, with four different players scoring in double digits. Leading the way was Jameel Warney from Stony Brook with 17 points and Brandon Paul from the University of Illinois with 16 points.

The Pacers had the lead for the entirety of the first half, thanks in large part to an impressive 24-point first quarter. However, their scoring slowed in the second half. After a Jameel Warney layup with 7:50 left in the third put the Mavericks up by one, the Pacers wouldn’t see another lead.

This loss didn’t mean that the Pacers were out of the running for the championship. They simply needed the Detroit Pistons to either lose their game the next day or win by fewer than four points. Unfortunately, Detroit beat the Charlotte Hornets by a maddening five points, banishing the Pacers to the third place game against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Pacers beat the Thunder 89-80

The final game for the Pacers didn’t include T.J. Leaf or Joe Young. Popeye Jones apparently had seen enough of them and decided to give guys like Jordan Lloyd and Ben Moore more of a run.

The strategy proved more than effective enough to take down the Thunder. Stokes once again led the way with 17 points, and he continued his impressive offensive efficiency by shooting 5-for-8 from the field.