Marcus Sasser scores 40 points to help Pistons beat Pacers in final Summer League Game
The Pacers lost 100-85 to the Pistons on Sunday at Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas in their final game of the NBA Summer League.
The Pacers finished 2-3, having failed to reach the four-team playoff.
Here are four observations.
Pacers couldn't stop Marcus Sasser, who dropped 40
The Pacers had already shut down returners Bennedict Mathurin, Andrew Nembhard and Isaiah Jackson after the first two games and they removed rookie lottery pick Jarace Walker from the mix for Game 5, so they were without most of the players who made their defense so stout in the first two games of Summer League.
Without much left either in the way of on-ball defense or rim protection, Pistons' late first-round pick and former Houston star Marcus Sasser took advantage by beating the Pacers off the bounce and also drilling 3s from outside, scoring 40 points to break Houston's Jabari Smith Jr.'s record of 38 in this Summer League. He hit 16 of 25 field goals with eight of his makes coming from the paint while he also hit 5 of 9 3-pointers. He was dynamite both in transition and in the halfcourt, and he also finished with five assists against zero turnovers.
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The defense as a whole lagged again
It wasn't just Sasser the Pacers couldn't stop. Again, they had a hard time keeping the ball out of the paint and allowed the Pistons to score 58 points there. Sasser did most of the work but not all of it and the Pacers again struggled to defend ball screens and backcuts. The struggles down the stretch on defense would be alarming for a Pacers squad that finished 29th in the NBA in points allowed last year, but most of the players who were on the roster at the end of Summer League likely won't be on next year's roster.
The Pacers gave up at least 50 points in the paint in each of their last three games.
Isaiah Wong finished strong
Pacers second-round pick and former Miami star Isaiah Wong finished with just six points on 3 of 9 shooting in a rough performance Friday against Dallas, but with the ball in his hands more Sunday he had a strong finish to his Summer League. Wong scored 24 points on 6 of 13 shooting, hitting on 5 of 7 3-pointers. He also got to the line by drawing contact and made 7 of 11 free throws.
The Pacers got playing time for everybody
The final game of Summer League is usually the time for teams to make sure everyone who was part of the summer roster gets real time on the floor and the Pacers accomplished that mission anyway.
Rookie Ben Sheppard, who finished with 12 points on 5 of 11 shooting, was the only available player who will be on a guaranteed, full-time contract this season. Everyone else who was available played at least nine minutes in the game. Point guard and former Liberty star Darius McGhee played 21 minutes. Experienced G Leaguer Robert Woodard II grabbed 11 rebounds in almost 28 minutes. Notre Dame's Nate Laszewski scored eight points in more than 18 minutes. Everyone who wore a Pacers jersey in Las Vegas at least leaves with some film they can show to G League squads or foreign teams so that they have a place to go for the 2023-24 season.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Pacers vs. Pistons: Marcus Sasser scores 40 to beat Pacers
