Atlanta Hawks: 6 Takeaways from Loss to Indiana Pacers

Pacers Stifling Defense

Again, the main takeaway from Indiana’s side (other than the two-pronged big man attack of Turner and Domantas Sabonis) was the near-constant double team/trap that the Pacers were springing on whoever was handling the ball.

Almost every time down the court, Trae Young was met by the spidery limbs of Oladipo as well as often a hulking big man like Sabonis or Turner who know how to shuffle their feet and use their size in space.

Young or whoever would have to give up the ball to a big man (usually Collins) and the offense would stall from there as the Pacers would deny the ball to Atlanta Hawks’ best ballhandlers after the trap was sprung.

This caused the Hawks’ offense to stagnate in the second half, with the team’s movement and sets getting a bit cluttered due to that Pacers strategy.

Even with that defensive plan paying dividends for the Pacers, the Atlanta Hawks were able to keep it close throughout the game – even cutting it to a six-point lead with 1:49 to go in the game after a Trae Young floater. It wasn’t enough, however, as the Pacers defense began to swarm again and Thaddeus Young was able to get a decisive block against Ice Trae with 48.4 seconds left.