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Spurs fall to Pacers, 97-94: Recap, highlights and more

By Ryan Kostrzewa

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - OCTOBER 29: Patty Mills #8 of the San Antonio Spurs brings the ball up court as Victor Oladipo #4 of the Indiana Pacers follows at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on October 29, 2017 in Indianapolis, Indiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement.(Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - OCTOBER 29: Patty Mills #8 of the San Antonio Spurs brings the ball up court as Victor Oladipo #4 of the Indiana Pacers follows at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on October 29, 2017 in Indianapolis, Indiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement.(Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /
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The San Antonio Spurs and Indiana Pacers went head-to-head on Sunday night.

After starting the season 4-0, the Spurs fell to the Indiana Pacers for their second loss in a row.

100. . 94. 29. 97

The offensive struggles that doomed San Antonio against Orlando on Saturday resurfaced Sunday against Indiana. The Spurs dug themselves into a hole early in the first quarter, at one point trailing 9-20, but a handful of free throws and three-pointers by Brandon Paul and Rudy Gay kept the Pacers at bay as the Silver and Black cut the deficit to two by the end of the first quarter.

The Pacers forced the Spurs to make tough shots all night, but LaMarcus Aldridge and Pau Gasol found their rhythm early and kept the Spurs in the game despite the limited offensive opportunities. San Antonio kept the score close, trailing 48-53 at the half. The momentum shifted in third quarter as the Pacers posted eight turnovers, allowing the Spurs to take the lead with an 18-5 run in the fourth quarter. The Pacers rallied and took back the lead 92-89 late in the fourth, but Danny Green turned the tides again with a three-pointer a backdoor layup off of an assist from Gasol to put the Spurs up 94-92.

FOR THE LEAD! pic.twitter.com/0TxqFWSAOY

— San Antonio Spurs (@spurs) October 29, 2017

Unfortunately for the San Antonio, Victor Oladipo hit a three-pointer with 11 seconds remaining to give the Pacers a one point lead. Aldridge missed a jumpsuit with three seconds to go, and Cory Joseph hit two free throws to seal the deal for Indiana.

Oladipo delivers for the @Pacers & sinks the game winning 3!

IND finishes the game on a 24-12 run and defeat the @spurs at home, 97-94. pic.twitter.com/nGjQxec3pE

— NBA (@NBA) October 29, 2017

Aldridge finished the game with 26 points and 8 rebounds and Gasol added 17 points on 7-10 shooting, but as a team the Spurs shot only 40 percent from the field. Oladipo led the Pacers with 23 including the game-winning three-pointer, and Domantas Sabonis scored 22 on a perfect 9-9 from the field.

Game notes

  • Brandon Paul hit two key three-pointers and played well on both ends of the floor, but got into foul trouble and didn’t play in the second half.
  • Dejounte Murray was the primary point-guard during the first-half, but Patty Mills took the reigns in the second half as Coach Gregg Popovich leaned on his veterans.
  • Rudy Gay and Patty Mills combined for 20 of the bench’s 29 points, while Ginobili shot 0-6 from the floor.
  • Kyle Anderson is clearly not one of the most athletic players in the league, but he found ways to help his team, putting back several missed shots, scoring off backdoor cuts, and pulling down 8 rebounds.
  • Ex-Spur Cory Joseph scored 4 points in 22 minutes of action.

Must Read: 25 greatest players in Spurs history

The Spurs will the play the second game of this back-to-back against the Boston Celtics on Monday at 6:30 p.m. CDT.

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