Monster fourth quarter helps Wolves maul Pacers in Minnesota

The Indiana Pacers took their second loss of the season tonight on the back of an abysmal fourth quarter.

Heading into the fourth quarter, the Pacers were in a great position to take over and win their third game of the season. However, a demoralizing 20-6 run by the Timberwolves ended this game. The game was a back and forth affair during the first three quarters but Minnesota dominated the fourth.

The story of this game, as we all expected, was the stellar play of the Timberwolves’ bench and the disappointing showing by Indiana’s. Coming into this game, the Pacers’ bench had been the most productive in the league. That production sputtered tonight; Tyreke Evans scored two points and Doug McDermott couldn’t get onto the score sheet.

Led by their bench, Minnesota’s offense ignited in the fourth quarter. Derrick Rose probably thought he took a step into a time machine and went back to 2011 before the fourth. He added 11 points and five assists. Josh Okogie scored 12 points and gave Minnesota some excellent hustle and defense. The Wolves’ bench outscored the Pacers’ bench 43-21 and that was the difference in the game.

Andrew Wiggins went down early with an injury and did not return. The defense they gained with his replacements may have been more help than the offense they lost. Bojan Bogdanovic almost outscored the bench by himself, posting 20 points despite his team worst -18 net rating.

The Good:  Despite his poor defense and net rating, Bojan Bogdanovic had a great offensive game. His shooting and creation were one of the only sparks the Pacers could muster on offense.  Myles Turner had another solid day, scoring 16 points and posting the highest net rating on the team (0).

The Bad: The Pacers’ bench didn’t show up tonight. This was a matchup that the bench was supposed to dominate and they were outplayed by the Timberwolves. Turnovers are still an issue for the Pacers as the coughed the ball up 16 times, despite a one turnover first quarter.

Transition offense from Minnesota killed the Pacers, as they routinely allowed wide open shots. Victor Oladipo scored well early but his night was woefully inefficient (8-23) and he turned the ball over three times. Cory Joseph got cooked all night on defense and Doug McDermott didn’t score a point.

MVP: Bojan Bogdanovic was one of the only Pacers who could generate consistent offense tonight. On a disappointing night like tonight, that effort is good enough for MVP in my book.

LVP: Tyreke Evans had the same amount of turnovers as he did points (2). The catalyst of the second unit failed to initiate any significant offense tonight.

X-Factor: Thad Young. He did a great job defending Karl-Anthony Towns, hustled on the glass all night and played solid defense.

The Pacers will look to bounce back on Wednesday in San Antonio.