The Domantas Sabonis vs. Tyrese Haliburton head-to-head was tied at 2-2 going into this matchup. Now? Tyrese, takes the lead at 3-2 — blouses!
This was the Kings’ game to lose, and boy, did they find a way. The Pacers started off carelessly with the ball, gifting the Kings an early lead. But, in classic Kangz fashion, the fourth quarter arrived, and so did the offensive meltdown. The Pacers rallied late in the third, gaining momentum, and by the fourth quarter, it was all hero ball from DeMar DeRozan with little help from anywhere else. Keegan Murray? Barely touched the ball. Domas Sabonis? Same story. Keon Ellis? It’s like he disappeared from the rotation.
Speaking of Keegan Murray, he was exceptional tonight. His box score may read a modest 12 points, 7 boards, and 3 stocks, but the impact went way beyond the numbers. Up until the offense completely froze, Keegan’s confidence was at an all-time high, and it showed on the defensive end too. It’s no surprise he was the only starter to finish with a positive plus-minus (+6).
Doug stuck with Keon as a starter, which does bring better balance to the first unit, but the bench was a black hole. Malik Monk struggled mightily, shooting just 2-14. Jonas Valančiūnas only saw 8 minutes, as it’s clear Doug remains hesitant about any two-big lineups. And then there’s Trey Lyles, who logged 15 minutes and managed just 3 points. It was bleak.
The one clear edge for the Kings came on the boards, thanks largely to the Pacers missing Myles Turner (out with an “illness”—though maybe he wasn’t eager for a rematch with old pal, Domas).
Next up? The Wizards on Wednesday. On paper, it feels like a sure win—but nothing’s guaranteed with this dumpster fire of a squad. Honestly, sign me up for the tank train. With a top-12 protected pick in play and this team going nowhere fast, keeping that pick might just be the highlight of the season.
Game Journal
Q1
11:01 – The game tips off the way it often does. Indiana strikes first with a wide-open Thomas Bryant corner three. It’s noteworthy that Aaron Nesmith took the first three for the Pacers right before, but it’s a miss—even though he had plenty of space.
8:52 – Time to drink. Domas takes an elbow to the nose, halting the game momentarily as they tend to the bleeding.
7:05 – The Pacers knock down their fourth three-pointer of the quarter. Meanwhile, we’re stuck trading twos for threes… tough contested drives to the basket and midrange jumpers aren’t going to cut it.
6:15 – Out of the timeout, back-to-back slams from Domas and Keegan energize the Kings, cutting Indiana’s lead to 16-10.
4:20 – After a strong finish at the rim by Domas, the Kings take a commanding lead in paint points, 12-2.
0:02 – TJ McConnell chucks the ball away to wrap up the quarter, adding to Indiana’s pile of careless mistakes (it’s already their sixth turnover, though it feels more like the 19th). The Kings close out the first quarter with a narrow 28-27 lead.
Q2
11:09 – Jarace Walker strips LaVine and finishes with a smooth step-through dunk in transition. The rookie’s game is shaping up nicely—he’s got a lot of potential.
5:32 – Out of a Pacers timeout, they rip off two straight uncontested drives to the rim. Suddenly, they’re back in control, leading 48-44.
3:15 – The Kings respond with a quick spark. Keon drills a corner three, then Keegan stuffs Haliburton’s drive with a fantastic weak-side block (Keegan’s quietly becoming a nice rim protector). On the break, LaVine gets a clean look for a layup and nails it. The Kings pull ahead 51-50.
0:38 – Malik Monk gets denied at the rim twice in a row by Aaron Nesmith, but DeMar comes through, scooping up the ball and sinking a smooth midrange jumper. That shot gives the Kings their biggest lead of the half—up 60-54 heading into the break.
Q3
9:10 – Keegan Murray sinks a three, pushing the Kings’ lead to 12. What on earth is going on?
7:00 – The Pacers have hit just one of their last 11 shots, and Keegan is the main culprit. He’s seemingly closing out on every single attempt, no matter who’s shooting. The Kings are now up 16, 76-60.
4:38 – Jarace Walker knocks down a much-needed three to trim the lead to 11. Of course, he was wide open.
3:00 – Obi Toppin connects on another three. The bench scoring disparity might be what helps the Pacers claw their way back into this game.
1:30 – DeMar DeRozan steps up and nails an uncontested three, giving the Kings a bit of breathing room as they stretch the lead back to nine, now 85-76.
Q4
11:05 – Jarace Walker connects on yet another wide-open three, cutting the Kings’ lead to just two at 86-84.
9:30 – Malik Monk finally gets a successful drive to the rim, adding two and pushing the lead back to six.
8:45 – TJ McConnell sinks a mid-range jumper, cutting the lead to four. It feels like he hasn’t missed from that range all night.
7:25 – The Pacers go on a 7-0 run, culminating in a Nesmith slam, bringing the score to 93-91. Feels like this would’ve been the perfect time for Doug Christie to call a timeout.
7:09 – DeMar does what he does best, baiting Nesmith into a foul with a pump fake that sends him to the free-throw line for two shots.
7:00 – Obi Toppin fires another transition three, but thankfully, he misses. Still, he’s already knocked down five of those tonight.
6:07 – The Kings dodge a bullet with a missed call. Keegan clearly hits Nesmith in the face, which probably should have been called a flagrant. Instead, play continues, and DeMar gets fouled in transition, pushing the Kings’ lead back to 96-91.
5:30 – DeMar misses a mid-range jumper. We’re starting to see the return of predictable hero-ball offense, with little to no real ball movement. It’s not looking good for the Kings.
3:11 – Another contested, mid-range shot from DeMar. Before that, it was an offensive foul from LaVine during an isolation play. Ball movement has completely evaporated, and quite frankly, the Kings do not look like a team that deserves to win this game. They cling to a slim 96-95 lead.
1:16 – Haliburton nails a clutch three-pointer, putting the Pacers ahead 100-98.
0:47 – Finally, Keon checks back in for Monk, who has been having one of his worst shooting nights ever. Despite this, Doug rode with him for most of the fourth quarter.
0:11 – The Kings lose due to repeated failures to execute. Time and time again, they fold in crucial moments.
0 – Misery or relief? Honestly, you tell me.
