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Less than 10 days after the start of training camp, the Pacers went to Cleveland and played two games against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
On Saturday, the Pacers fell 104: 107 after a tough fight, and last night they held a 20-point lead in the first half (26: 6), but collapsed late in the same quarter and missed 106: 116.
Still, the bigger picture in Cleveland was a source of optimism for Pacers players and fans.
The hand of the new team coach can be seen on the field from the first minutes.
Last year, the team that threw at least three points across the league, throwing the ball 28 times during the game from the line drawn 7.24 m from the basket during the game, this year the Pacers will claim the next pole of this statistic .
“Scanpix” nuotr./Nate’as Bjorkgrenas
They threw as many as 44 3-pointers (hit 15) to the Cavs’ basket on Saturday and attacked 40 times last night (hit 17), showing a completely different face to the team than in recent years when Nate McMillan coached the Pacers.
Everyone is shooting 3s at Indiana. By the time Bjorkgren made his first substitution last night, all five starting players for all five Pacers, including Sabonis, had already scored at least a three-point lead.
11 basketball players attacked from a distance on Saturday, and Edmond Sumner, who was only 14 minutes on the floor, did not scratch the ball from behind the three-point line, and in Game 2 all 12 Pacers players who appeared in the field they tried at least once.
“I like the three-point numbers we have achieved in the last two games,” said journalist Scott Agness, quoted by J. Bjorkgren after the meeting. – We shot more than 80 3-pointers, getting closer to 90. They are good numbers that we achieved by shooting good shots. I have not set a specific goal, but if we make good shots, we must continue to shoot without hesitation. “
If we make good pitches, we must continue to pitch without hesitation.
In addition to throwing a large number of 3s, the Pacers also increased the speed of the game in an attempt to take every opportunity to fly in a quick attack.
This also contributes a lot to D. Sabonis, who, after recovering the ball in defense, attacks like a gazelle forward.
This season, the Lithuanians will shoot more often and 3-pointers, which is what the new manager demands. Last season, he shot 1.1 points, and last year, just 0.2 points from three points during the match, when D. Sabonis shone five times from afar during the first two friendly matches. It’s true, never hit.
Photo by Scanpix / Domantas Sabonis
The Lithuanian who played most effectively in both games is usually speechless after defeats, but not this time. D. Sabonis, who scored 16 points in the first game and 18 points in the second, was impressed by the changes and speaks with a smile about the team’s game-changer.
“We are trying new things in the attack,” the Lithuanian told S. Agness. – We move differently, each one has their own spaces in the square. But we have not done what we work during training, in a stern attack. “
VIDEO: Domanto Sabonis episodes in friendly match
But this is understandable. Players from the Indianapolis club, who have been training together for only a week, still sometimes trust the game of the last few seasons more than the changes made to the game by the new coach.
“We tried new things in training. This is very different from what we did before, and generally, nobody likes changes. But it was great to finally run to the field, try these new things and see that they can really work, “said the Lithuanian Pacers midfielder.
It was great to finally run to the plaza, try those new things and see that they can really work.
According to D. Sabonis, not only he, but also other members of the team, admire the innovations of the Pacers game.
“I think everyone is impressed. Everyone I spoke to is enjoying the changes. We want to improve and absorb the new system as soon as possible, because everyone likes it,” said the Lithuanian.
It is true that there are still no loopholes in the new system. One of them is the fight for the balls. The Cavaliers made up to 24 errors in Game 2, but attacked 51 percent. accuracy and winning the game under the baskets sent the Indiana team up to 116 points.
“We have to fight better under the board,” emphasized Bjorkgren. – We talked about it during the game. It’s a very important aspect of the game, so we have to play more aggressively, we have to preserve our bodies. “
Photo by Scanpix / Domantas Sabonis (right) fights for the ball
The new Pacers helmsman, who previously worked as an assistant to Toronto Raptors quarterback Nick Nurse, is not helped by the fact that training camp will last only a few weeks instead of this month. As a result, the changes introduced by N. Bjorkgren are different than would normally be the case.
“We are trying to simplify things,” said Victor Oladipo, one of the team’s leaders. “I know he still has a lot of tricks left, which he doesn’t take out because it’s just a preseason game.”
With the start of a new season in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, NBA basketball players must also adapt to a new reality.
While playing in Cleveland, the Pacers players also became familiar with the new rules.
Sabonis and his teammates lived in the hotel just a five-minute walk from the stadium, did tests every morning and received food in the rooms, unlike before, when they went down to eat in the common areas. However, the Lithuanian did not manifest these changes.
“Everything in Cleveland was the same as in previous years. Perhaps only in a normal situation we would have all gone to eat together somewhere else, – said D. Sabonis. – We have to adapt to the new rules. We get up early, we do tests of coronavirus, we get their answers and then we can go and do whatever we want: lift weights, exercise, or train. And of course we have to protect ourselves, wash our hands, etc. “
The Pacers will play another friendly game before the start of the season when they host the Philadelphia 76ers at home on Friday. Saboni’s team will begin the regular season with a home game against the New York Knicks on December 23.
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