A pair of 2024 Eastern Conference playoff teams with designs on title contention this season meet Monday when the Orlando Magic host the Indiana Pacers.
Indiana squandered a five-point lead in the final 93 seconds of regulation on Sunday, only for Tyrese Haliburton to force overtime on a 3-pointer. But poor free-throw shooting (23-of-34 from the line), sloppy play (20 turnovers) and woeful rebounding (20 offensive rebounds allowed) resulted in a 118-114 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers.
It was the Pacers’ second straight defeat after losing 123-98 on Friday in New York.
“Twenty offensive rebounds (allowed), that just can’t happen,” Indiana coach Rick Carlisle said Sunday. “We’re struggling at both ends. All three games, rebounding has reared its ugly head and turnovers have been an issue.”
Indiana has 51 turnovers through its first three games. A season ago, the Pacers averaged 12.3 turnovers per game.
Indiana led the NBA in assists last season, thanks in large part to Haliburton, who averaged an NBA-best 10.9. With just two assists on Sunday, however, Halliburton has dished only 11 in three games.
Haliburton and the Pacers will look to regain their form from a season ago against the Magic, who want to rebound from their own recent loss.
After opening its season with a couple of lopsided wins against the Miami Heat and Brooklyn Nets, Orlando suffered a 124-111 setback on Saturday at Memphis.
Franz Wagner scored 23 points and Jalen Suggs added 21, but the Magic could not rally after falling behind by 26 points in the first half.
“When you give yourself a 26-point deficit, you don’t give yourself an opportunity,” Magic coach Jamahl Mosley said after the loss. “Don’t turnover it over 19 times for 30 points, because half of those (points off turnovers) are points at the rim.
“We’ll take a look at the film, understand where we can get better, and just realize this one that kicked our butts and we have to bounce back and be ready to go on Monday.”
Mosley also emphasized Orlando’s need to create turnovers and convert those into fastbreak opportunities. The Magic ranked third in the NBA in turnover generation a season ago, forcing 14.4 per game. Wagner and Suggs each averaged more than a steal per game in 2023-24, while Paolo Banchero averaged almost one swipe per contest.
Banchero, Orlando’s budding young star, opened the season with 33 points and 11 rebounds against Miami, then followed that with 15 points, nine assists and six rebounds in the win over Brooklyn. But he was held to 16 points on 4-of-12 shooting from the floor and 7-of-13 at the free-throw line against the Grizzlies.
