Just months after the Indiana Pacers left the NBA bubble, the team adjusted to a new norm without fans at the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse for their pre-season tip-off against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Head coach Nate Bjorkgren made an adamant adjustment in the first half utilizing big man Domantas Sabonis to attack aggressively on the block. Sabonis started off the game getting hit with two fouls and eventually sagged off to prevent sitting out early.
Both teams through the entire game were evenly matched despite combing for 51 turnovers.
The Pacers outscored the Cavaliers 28-16 in the third quarter controlling the momentum of the game taking a 73-65 lead.
In the fourth quarter, rookie Isaac Okoro erupted finishing with 18 points to lead the Cavaliers to a 107-104 victory. Okoro on the last possession drove to the basket and scored drawing the foul on Pacers forward Rayshaun Hammonds with three seconds on the clock.
Pacers head coach Nate Bjorkgren told BSO how he was impressed with Sabonis scoring 16 points and 13 rebounds in his return from a plantar fasciitis injury.
“I liked how he was operating in the paint. I thought he was good and physical playing through hits. He’s a willing passer, a very good screener, his teammates love playing with him and it was good to see him out there in his 25 minutes or so of action that he had.”
The Pacers will look to recover from Saturday’s night loss at the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in a rematch against the Cavaliers on Monday at 6: p.m. EST.
Click on the next page for post-game highlights and Pacers interview.
