Edey returns to Indy, Grizzlies defeat Pacers 120-116 – Indianapolis Recorder

In the first home game of the NBA preseason for the Indiana Pacers, the Memphis Grizzlies won 120-116.

The Pacer could not seem to get the cogs churning, allowing the Grizzlies to score the first the game’s first eleven points. Ultimately, this run set the tone for the rest of the contest.

Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle noted the subpar performance in the first quarter.

“We made some progress in the second, third and fourth quarter,” Carlisle said. “The first quarter was very poor.”

The usual starters for the Pacers —  Tyrese Haliburton, Pascal Siakam and Aaron Nesmith — did not enter the game.

Grizzlies shooting guard Desmond Bane, a native of Richmond, IN., was off to a great start. Bane knocked down tough shots from midrange and beyond the arc.

Zach Edey, a product of Purdue University drafted earlier this year, asserted his game early. The Grizzlies forward led his team in the first half, tallying 13 points and three rebounds.

Carlisle spoke highly of Edey following the contest.

“He’s [Edey] is going to have impact,” Carlisle said. “Two-time National Player of the Year is a big deal. I have great respect for what he accomplished at Purdue. I have a lot of respect for what he did tonight. He put a will and [level of] physicality on the game that we did not match.”

Pacers veteran forward Myles Turner countered with own version of imposing play. Turner notched 12 points and eight rebounds in the first half. He did not play in the second half.

Obi Toppin and Andrew Nembhard contributed buckets of their own in the first half. The Pacers duo put forth eight and ten points respectively.

The Pacers came into the second half trailing 60-49. Despite a quiet first half, Pacers forward Bennedict Mathurin turned on the heat. Mathurin knocked down two crucial three-pointers in the third quarter. He scored ten points in the frame.

Edey continued where he left off in the first half. He stormed the lane throwing down thunderous dunks, ending the quarter with a team-high 23 points.

Bane matched Edey with 23 points of his own to end the contest.

Grizzlies forward Jake LaRavia, who attended Lawrence Central here in Indianapolis, also contributed to the stat sheet. LaRavia ended the game with seven points, eight rebounds and six assists.

The Pacers showed signs of life in the fourth quarter, shredding a 20-point deficit to as little as four. The heroics were led by Jerace Walker, who ended the contest with a team-high 15 points.

Walker spoke about his play following the contest.

“Once we got our fight, our legs into it, switched our mindset … we began to play more like ‘the Pacers,’” Walker said.

Pacers draft picks Cole Swider and Enrique Freeman were integral in a 16-2 run. Swider knocked down two catch-and-shoot three-pointers while Freeman lived up to his two-moniker, playing staunch defense.

The Pacers return to Gainbridge Fieldhouse Oct. 17 to face LaMelo Ball and the Charlotte Hornets.  They open the regular season against the Pistons, in Detroit, on Oct. 23.

Contact multi-media & senior sports reporter Noral Parham III at 317-762-7846 or via email at noralp@indyrecorder.com. Follow him on X @3Noral. For more sports from the Indianapolis Recorder, visit our archives.