Sloppy Second Set the Tone
As previously mentioned, the second quarter was a great example of how not to protect the ball. The team had a disturbing 9 turnovers in that quarter alone, and would finish the game with their second highest number of turnovers this season at 21.
Matthew Dellavedova and Greg Monroe appeared to be at their worst, having 4 apiece. The Pacers had the opportunity to pick off some easy passes from the both of them. Delly was particularly loose with his handle, and Monroe couldn’t seem to keep his balance near the rim.
Pacers-Bucks was tied at 38 mid-2Q. Over 2.5-min span, Indy goes on 10-0 run with SIX steals! 4 TOs by Delly alone! https://t.co/bzRsIb46p0
— Dan Devine (@YourManDevine) April 7, 2017
The Bucks usually do a passable job at ball protection, as their 13.9 turnovers per game puts them at 17th in the league. Additionally, the Bucks allowed the Pacers 12 more rebounds, including surrendering 12 offensive rebounds.
This team can’t repeat these mistakes if the want a chance at winning these remaining 3 games. Not taking care of the ball and giving up that many offensive rebounds is generally a recipe for disaster, as was the case last night.