The Indiana Pacers started a five-game road trip in Detroit against the Pistons. The Pistons are one of the worst teams in the league, so it was a good team to start the road trip battling. This is especially true after the shooting slump that Tyrese Haliburton has found himself in.
Haliburton's shooting struggles have been well-documented. His shooting was a lot better against the Pistons. He was 9/13 from the field with 20 points and 9 assists. What was even better is that he only attempted three threes. He finished 1/3 from beyond the arc, which is actually an improvement for him.
That's the kind of Haliburton they need; one that will drive to the hoop and finish at the rim. He was more effective playing this way than settling for step-back threes. Because of that, Indiana was able to blow out the Pistons 122-103. It was a game that was never close after the first quarter.
The Indiana Pacers get a confidence-boosting win in Detroit
Winning a game like this to start the road trip will do wonders for him. I was particularly impressed with the play of both Pascal Siakam and Ben Sheppard. Siakam was once again the best player on the floor for Indiana and he kept them in it after another bad start. He finished the game with 25 points on 10/15 shooting.
Sheppard's stat line won't look quite as impressive, but his aggressiveness was noticeable. He was 4/8 for 9 points but wasn't afraid to shoot threes. While he was just 1/4 from deep, the Pacers are going to need that aggressiveness down the stretch.
It was good to see Doug McDermott come back and make some shots. He was 4/6 from the field and was very active on the offensive end of the floor. He played 16 minutes, so that's encouraging coming off an injury. It was a very good sign for this team going on this road trip.
The Pacers just finished the easiest part of the trip. Now they will play teams who want to actually win games. This sort of win can give them the confidence to beat those other teams too. Maybe Haliburton can keep making shots.