Indiana Pacers

While it took some time for the offense to get into a rhythm, the Indiana Pacers let their defense pick up the slack against the Houston Rockets. Jalen Smith kicks things off less than a minute in by blocking Eric Gordon’s shot in the paint, while Isaiah Jackson and Myles Turner also stand tall in the post with denials of rookie Tari Eason. Tyrese Haliburton is a livewire on the defensive end, as his disruptive style of play creates a steal for teammate Oshae Brissett before the budding star of the Pacers backcourt comes up with a theft of his own when he picks off an errant Kenyon Martin Jr. pass and races coast-to-coast for a dunk. Despite falling behind by 20 points early, the Pacers tallied eight steals and 10 blocks and frustrated the Rockets into committing 17 turnover with a .337 percent shooting performance — 6 for 28 behind the arc — in a 99-91 victory on November 18, 2022.