Jalen Slawson scored 22 points to lead a balanced attack as the Indiana Pacers defeated the New Orleans Pelicans 91-73 on Saturday at the Pavilion in Las Vegas in the summer league finale for both teams.
Slawson added four rebounds and four blocks for the Pacers, who pulled away with a dominant third quarter. The story for Indiana was its ball movement, orchestrated by guards Yuki Kawamura and rookie Braden Smith. Kawamura finished with a game-high 12 assists to go with five points and five rebounds, while Smith, the No. 38 pick in the draft, dished out nine assists and had five points. Taelon Peter and Keba Keita each contributed 14 points, with Keita also grabbing seven rebounds and blocking three shots. Rienk Mast chipped in with 12 points and six boards.
Dominique Daniels Jr. led all scorers with 25 points for the Pelicans. Markquis Nowell added 14 points and six assists. New Orleans also got strong efforts on the glass from Solomon Washington, who pulled down a game-high 11 rebounds, and Malik Dia, who had nine rebounds to go with his 11 points. Christian Shumate, with 11 points, was the fourth Pelican in double figures.
The game was tight through the first half. After Indiana took a 23-16 lead at the end of the first quarter, New Orleans battled back, and the Pacers held a 41-39 advantage at halftime. However, Indiana blew the game open in the third, outscoring the Pelicans 29-12 to take a commanding 70-51 lead into the final period. The Pacers' largest lead was 24 points as they cruised to the victory.
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