Pacers at Cavaliers
The Indiana Pacers are trying to find some cohesion with several new pieces on the roster and All-Star Victor Oladipo still working his way back from a ruptured quad tendon. The Pacers will try to fit the pieces together when they visit the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday.
Indiana newcomers T.J. Warren, Malcolm Brogdon and Jeremy Lamb all started and scored in double figures in the opener, but the team never found a rhythm on the defensive end and fell to the Detroit Pistons 119-110. "It was just one of those games that the feel wasn't there," center Myles Turner told reporters. "Even the start of the game, we didn't feel like we did in the preseason. It's faster now. You have to adjust to the atmosphere; you have to adjust to the game. It's going to take some time to get that camaraderie we had in the preseason." Cleveland is a team in two phases with veteran former champions like Kevin Love and Tristan Thompson overseeing a team of youngsters, and offensive flow was an issue in the 94-85 season-opening loss at Orlando. "Overall, we have to put the ball in the hole," Love told reporters. "A lot of them the first night that just didn't fall for us. Little lapses on both sides of the ball. We will clean that up and there will be ups and downs early on because we have to get everybody on the same page, together and adjusted to Coach's system."
TV: 8 p.m. ET, FS Indiana, FS Ohio (Cleveland)
ABOUT THE PACERS (0-1): Indiana got strong games from holdovers Turner (25 points, nine rebounds, three blocks) and Domantas Sabonis (27 points, 13 boards) but were knocked around by Detroit center Andre Drummond and failed to rotate defensively on the perimeter. "We have to communicate," Pacers coach Nate McMillan told reporters. "The best defensive teams, they talk. We were really quiet out there (Wednesday). We can't assume (anything) or read each other's minds. We have to communicate." Indiana could also use more from the reserves, who combined to score 14 points on 7-of-23 shooting.
ABOUT THE CAVALIERS (0-1): Cleveland brought in John Beilein to serve as head coach, plucking him from the college ranks, and he is excited about some of the young pieces on the rosters. Second-year guard Collin Sexton matched Thompson for the team lead with 16 points against the Magic while rookie point guard Darius Garland delivered eight points and a team-high five assists. "I mean, there was a lot of good to see," Beilein told reporters. "There were also times that they are still trying to get that playing together. I think as that gets better and Collin realizes we probably need him more often off the ball - Darius is really an elite passer - he'll get more and more used to it, because they are both going to be really good players."
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Cavaliers reportedly agreed with SF Cedi Osman on a four-year, $30.8 million contract extension.
2. Oladipo is impressing teammates during five-on-five practices but is not expected back for at least another month.
3. Indiana took three of the four meetings last season, including a pair of wins in Cleveland.