The Pacers are coming off an unfortunate defensive stretch during their recent multi-game losing streak

The current three-game losing streak for the Indiana Pacers is largely characterized by poor defensive play. Over the last three games, the Pacers have scored at least 129 points in each game. They gave 130 points each to Toronto Raptors and Houston Rockets and 129 points to Milwaukee Bucks.

Indiana has scored 113 or more points in every game, but offensively it hasn’t been able to keep pace with its last three opponents. During that span, they gave up an average of 129.7 points per game, more than any other team in the NBA. Considering that no team averages more than 124 points per game during the NBA season, it’s hard to imagine any offense consistently holding its own when the defense allows so many points.

During these turnovers, the Pacers allowed their opponents to shoot very accurately. The Bucks shot 53.3% from the field and 47.2% from beyond the arc, which was 4% better from the field and more than 10% better than their season-high 36.7% from three-point range .

The Raptors shot 58.8 percent from the field against the Pacers, while their season average was 46.5 percent. They also made 48.3 percent of their three-point shots, almost 15 percent higher than their average of 33.8 percent.

The Houston Rockets shot just slightly more accurately than usual, but they grabbed 11 more rebounds, six more assists and nine more steals than the Pacers.

Overall, the Pacers allowed these three teams to shoot a combined 52.2 percent from the field Dustin Dopirak from Indy Star. Only the Phoenix Suns allowed a more accurate field goal percentage during that span.

Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle attributed some of those struggles to injuries to Aaron Nesmith, Andrew Nembhard and Ben Sheppard. All three of the team’s top three defensemen have missed at least three games due to injury, which has certainly highlighted the Pacers’ three-game losing streak.

The Pacers will have to find a different solution defensively, while their best defenders will have no chance to end this losing streak.

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