On Friday night, the Indiana Pacers took on the Miami Heat in NBA Cup action and lost 124-111. The Pacers have struggled against bad teams all season, and the matchup against the sub-.500 Heat was a heartbreaking loss that continued a concerning trend.
Entering the game, Myles Turner was expected to thrive, since the Heat are a poor rebounding team. Against the shorthanded Orlando Magic on Wednesday, he mustered only two boards in plenty of playing time, and he managed to secure only four rebounds tonight.
The Pacers' scoring effort was led by 21 points from Obi Toppin. Tyrese Haliburton added 18 points on 4-9 shooting from 3-point range,righting the ship from distance. Bennedict Mathurin, who has been mentioned in recent trade rumors, followed up his third double-double of the year against the Magic this week with only eight points against Miami.
The Heat, without Jimmy Butler, were led by Bam Adebayo, who scored 30 points. Tyler Herro has easily been Miami's best player this season, and he poured in 16 points of his own while hitting two shots from deep. He is quickly becoming one of the better marksmen in the NBA, but the Pacers were able to limit the damage.
The Pacers are now winless in their NBA Cup matchups and will have future games against the Milwaukee Bucks, Toronto Raptors, and Detroit Pistons in the group stage. With none of those teams currently boasting a winning record, the Pacers are favored to win the group and advance in the In-Season Tournament. Last year, they came in second place in the inaugural cup, falling to the Los Angeles Lakers in the deciding game.
