Key Stat of the Night
- Indiana’s interior success led to the team finishing 47-for-83 (.566) from the field while Memphis was 25-for-84 (.298).
Key Run of the Night
- The Pacers put together a 19-2 run over a 6:52 span between the first and second quarters to lead by as much as 25 in the first half.
Game Recap
The Memphis Grizzlies were defeated in the 2018-19 regular season opener by the Indiana Pacers 111-83 on Wednesday night at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.
Indiana made it a point to attack the lane, outscoring Memphis in the paint 18-4 and outrebounding Memphis 17-4 in the first quarter. That would continue to be key throughout the game as the Pacers scored over half of their points in the paint (60), while grabbing 57 rebounds and holding the Grizzlies to 16 points in the paint and 28 boards.
The Pacers put together a 19-2 run over a 6:52 span between the first and second quarters to lead by as much as 25 in the first half. Garrett Temple went 4-for-4 from three-point range in the second quarter to help Memphis cut into the deficit. Domantas Sabonis almost had a double-double before halftime with 10 points and nine rebounds. Jaren Jackson Jr. substituted into the game at the 5:12 mark in the first quarter, becoming the youngest player in franchise history (19 years, 32 days) to appear in a regular season game.
Indiana’s interior success led to the team finishing 47-for-83 (.566) from the field while Memphis was 25-for-84 (.298). The Grizzlies won the turnover battle 20-10, forcing eight in the first quarter alone, but could only convert those into 11 points compared to the Pacers’ 16. After attempting just two free throws (1-2 FT) in the first half, Memphis finished 23-for-28 from the charity stripe.
Marc Gasol led Memphis with 13 points after being held scoreless in the first half, and grabbed six rebounds. Temple finished with 12 points, all coming in the second quarter. Mike Conley added 11 points. Jackson Jr. scored 10 and had five rebounds in his regular season debut.
Bojan Bogdanovic led all scorers with 19 points. Victor Oladipo added 16 points plus five rebounds and five assists. Sabonis reached a double-double with 14 points and a game-high 15 rebounds. Former Grizzlies guard Tyreke Evans also scored 14 points to go along with six assists. Doug McDermott and Cory Joseph came off the bench to score 12 and 11 points respectively. Thaddeus Young rounded out the Pacers scoring with 10 points and grabbed eight boards.
Next Game
The Grizzlies will host the Atlanta Hawks in the 2018-19 regular season home opener on Friday, October 19 at FedExForum at 7 p.m. CT. Tune in to FOX Sports Southeast presented by Pinnacle Financial Partners or listen on 92.9 FM ESPN for all the action.
Fans who want to support the Memphis Grizzlies and purchase 2018-19 Season Tickets, 22-, 10-Game and Flex Packs can do so now by calling (901) 888-HOOP or going online to grizzlies.com/tickets. Tickets for Friday’s Home Opener and single-game tickets are available for purchase at the FedExForum Box Office, all Ticketmaster locations, ticketmaster.com, online at grizzlies.com/tickets or by calling 1-800-4NBA-TIX. For more information on the Grizzlies, ‘like’ Memphis Grizzlies on Facebook or follow on Twitter and Instagram (@memgrizz).
Team Quotes
Player Notes
- Memphis tallied half of its points in the second half from the free throw line (22-for-26).
- Marc Gasol scored all 13 of his points in the second half to lead Memphis in scoring.
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