Nate Taylor

IndyStar

Hawks at Pacers, 7 p.m. Thursday, FSI

The Indiana Pacers have lost seven of their last nine games. They continue to struggle to win close games in the fourth quarter, as Tuesday’s 91-89 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers was the latest example in a plethora of them. In January, the Pacers have been inconsistent on defense, inconsistent at shooting and inconsistent on valuing possession of the ball.

Yet, after Tuesday’s game, C.J. Miles spoke in an almost empty locker room about what he thought was a bigger issue, a new challenge that could tilt the Pacers’ season in one of two directions. In the midst of their worse stretch this season, Miles explained what will be necessary in order for the Pacers to rebound, rebuild, recover.

“Everybody is honest about everything when we sit down and talk,” Miles said. “Us staying together is the biggest part. The 13, 14 guys in here (the locker room) and the four or five guys (coaches) that sit at the front of the bench, too. That’s the biggest key.”

The Pacers (23-22) are an upset group, perhaps on the brink of being furious. The next three games, all inside Bankers Life Fieldhouse, will be critical for them. Miles knows this. That is why he emphasized he and his teammates need to communicate and rely on each other more.

In the second half of Tuesday’s loss, the Pacers sputtered on offense and groaned at their defensive lapses. They shouted at the referees, they committed too many turnovers and they wilted once the Clippers (29-16) bullied them out of their rhythm.

“We just got to refocus and think about what we did tonight and try to get better,” Monta Ellis said. “We’re a way better team than that. We got to find a way to win.”

• BOX SCORE: Clippers 91, Pacers 89

Many Pacers used the same word to describe the feeling inside the locker room after another loss: frustration.

“It’s at its peak,” Paul George said. “It’s high and we’re about as frustrated as we can get.”

Miles, a 10-year veteran, explained why George felt that way.

For Miles, Tuesday game encapsulated what the Pacers have tried to overcome in January. The Pacers’ first objective was to correct their sluggish defense. Then, it was about finding out which lineup best worked for each opponent. The first road trip of the month showed the Pacers why they need to improve in the final minutes of close games. The second road trip forced them to play through injuries.

And then there was Tuesday’s game, when a scoring drought in the second half – 14 consecutive missed shots over more than eight minutes – doomed the Pacers.

“At one point, it’s one thing that you know is wrong,” Miles said. “This is it. Let’s fix this. Then, it was this. Then it’s this. Now you got a bunch of things happening at one time and now you’re trying to weather the storm. It’s like the window falls off, you put it up and then somebody throws a rock. We got a lot of things that are just happening right now and it’s frustrating. And then when frustration comes, that’s a whole other animal.”

Rookie Rakeem Christmas soon to be recalled by Pacers

For three quarters Tuesday, the Pacers seemed to control the game. Then, suddenly, the game turned in the fourth quarter.

The drought also featured five turnovers, the last ending any hope for the Pacers. The Pacers’ defense, stifling for much of the night, surrendered timely baskets to Chris Paul (26 points) to turn back every rally. George (31 points and 11 rebounds) did not receive the ball on a couple of critical possessions in the final minute.

Another poorly executed fourth quarter, another close loss.

“We just did a terrible job in that stretch,” George said. “Although we did a great job giving ourselves a chance to come back and win this game, you can’t have moments like that, especially against a team that’s hot.”

The draught overshadowed the continued emergence of rookie Myles Turner, who scored his 16 points in the first half. Turner swished his first seven shots, blocked Paul’s shot and wrestled rebounds away from the Clippers. What was also wasted was a strong defensive effort from Ian Mahinmi, who returned to the lineup after missing the two previous games with a sprained left ankle.

Those positives, along with another strong performance from George, is why Miles thinks the Pacers are capable of playing better – and winning – sooner than later. But he cautioned that one or two players trying to will the Pacers to victories in their upcoming games will not be the right approach.

“We got to kind of just see it a little bigger, kind of step back,” Miles said. “You can make it a little simpler sometimes. Sometimes the first option is to do it harder. It might not always be the scheme or it might not be what this guy thinks it is or what this guy thinks it is. It’s about a collective effort from the guys in the office and the (players) in these chairs. That’s what we got to continue to keep doing and then things will fall together.”

If not, the opposite could happen. The losing streak could grow larger and push the Pacers closer to despair. Miles does not expect that to happen. But he knows this latest obstacle – after experience so many this month – will decide which direction the Pacers are headed.

“I’ve seen it go the opposite way,” Miles said. “When you don’t stay together, it gets worse. It gets far worse than what we’ve got going on right now. Trust me. That’s why the biggest thing is that we stay together.”

Call IndyStar reporter Nate Taylor at (317) 444-6484. Follow him on Twitter: @ByNateTaylor.

Hawks at Pacers, 7 p.m. Thursday, FSI