TJ Leaf recovers nicely in Pacers summer league win

The Indiana Pacers got their first win of the summer league action over the San Antonio Spurs. Let’s recap the action.

It took the Indiana Pacers only two games to get their first win of the summer league, as they dominated the second half on their way to an 86-76 win over the San Antonio Spurs summer league squad.

This game was a vastly different one than the first summer league performance the Pacers turned in. Where in the first game Aaron Holiday succeeded and TJ Leaf struggled, this time around the opposite was the case.

After shooting 2-of-14 in the first game, Leaf played much better this time around. He shot 7-of-13 on his way to 17 points and was a +8 overall. Leaf also showed some impressive skills off the dribble, as most of his shots came from the inside. Only four of his 13 shots attempts were from the outside, the rest were all from the interior, including the first four points of the game:

Holiday, on the other hand, struggled to score the ball. He finished 3-of-15 from the field and had more turnovers than made shots. This was the first time in Holiday’s two games in a Pacers uniform where it felt like he was shorter than everyone else.

But Holiday excelled in other ways, particularly passing. He dished out seven dimes and some of them were dazzling. His reads out of the pick and roll look great for someone of his age and experience level, and he sees the summer league game at a high level.

One of his assists was this beautiful alley-oop to Ben Moore:

Alize Johnson continues to show that he has more talent than the typical player picked at #50. He finished with a stat line of 10 points and nine rebounds, and his instincts on the glass have already proven to be far and away his best attribute. He jolts in for rebounds even when he is out of position, and he frequently pulls down multiple boards on one possession, like he did here:

https://twitter.com/Pacers/status/1015702917872082944

While Johnson, Holiday, and Leaf are probably the most important guys to watch considering their future with the real Indiana Pacers team, Ben Moore from the Mad Ants is always a treat to watch as well. His high motor and high IQ make him an excellent summer league player, and his solid defense makes him one of the most overwhelming positives on the team. He was a +13 in a 10 point win. Moore is a great member of the squad.

And he just has no quit. With the game nearly over and full of tired legs, he made this play while tracking down a loose ball:

Some guys just intrigue the hell out of you even though they aren’t that great. Ben Moore has done that for me. All of the stuff that other players don’t want to do? Moore loves them and excels at them. That player archetype is crucial to have in any basketball organization.

It should be noted that Edmond Sumner did not play in this game due to soreness in his right knee. Pacers summer league returnee Travis Leslie started in his place, and he played well with eight points and nine rebounds. He also did this:

The team as a whole looked solid, especially on the defensive end. The Spurs only shot 42 percent in this game, proof of how well the Pacers played on the less glamorous end of the court.

Next: Al Jefferson agrees to play basketball in China

The Indiana Pacers continue their summer league action on Monday against the Cleveland Cavaliers. That game will be at 5 pm EST on ESPN2. Tune in to keep up with all the action.