Pacers drop summer league game three, finish group play 1-2

The Pacers took on the Cavaliers in their final game of summer league group play and came up short 93-88. They finish group play with a 1-2 record.

The Pacers summer league squad keeps chugging right along. They just completed their third game in four days after their 5 pm matchup with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

After finding a stroke of incredible defense in the second half to secure a win over the Spurs on Saturday, the Pacers were looking to repeat that performance. The squads’ efforts were to no avail, however, as they dropped the game with a final score of 93-88.

TJ Leaf‘s inconsistent play in summer league continues to be noteworthy. He played well in the Pacers second game after struggling in the first one, but this time around it was a mixed bag. He shot 8/21 from the field (38.1%) and went just 1/5 from the outside.

Indiana continues to give Leaf attempts at being a play creator but to no avail. His passing and ball handling just aren’t on that level yet. When Leaf acts as a play finisher, such as in the pick-and-pop or on handoffs, he looks solid. When he tries to do it all himself, he looks putrid. If he can focus on his strengths, he may be able to prove that this summer league was not a waste for him.

Leaf did make some nice defensive plays, finally, including two blocks. This is where he needs to improve the most, so these plays were encouraging:

The young power forward who perhaps shined the most was the second-round pick, Alize Johnson. He had 16 points and seven rebounds on an efficient 54.5 percent shooting from the field. HIs motor continues to be impressive, as he has shown in all three games now that you can literally never count him out on the glass. He is a force to be reckoned with on the boards thanks to his athleticism, tenacity, and anticipation skills. If he can translate these rebounding skills to real NBA games, he has a future in the NBA.

Edmond Sumner returned from injury and quietly had a nice game. He poured in 14 points on only 11 shots, and finally showed off some outside shooting going 2/3 from deep:

But all of that was nothing compared to the matinee matchup of the night: Aaron Holiday vs Colin Sexton. The two first-round picks went toe to toe for the first time of probably many central division matchups, and they did not disappoint in entertainment value:

Holiday struggled to score the ball, finishing 4/14 from the field with just 12 points. His height continues to hinder his finishing around the basket, and he is too turnover prone to probably have an impact on the NBA Pacers this coming season.

His defense is a bit worrisome too, but Sexton is one of the hardest to handle matchups in all of the summer league for point guards. But he continues to show flashes of great court vision and overall basketball smarts. He could be a player somday if he puts it all together.

Of the guys who aren’t on the NBA roster, nobody really stepped up and made an impression. Henry Sims did do this, though:

(Dear ESPN we do not need to actually see the interview and have it take up a quarter of the screen. Audio only would be fine.)

This was the Pacers final game of group play, which they finished 1-2. They start tournament play later this week, and they are guaranteed two more games at the minimum.

Next: Pacers might be signing Alize Johnson in the near future

The young Pacers continue to show excellent flashes of skill, and that merits getting excited about the Pacers immediate and long-term future. Tune in to these summer league games, everyone. They are fun.