Nate Taylor

nate.taylor@indystar.com

Pacers at Cavaliers, 7 p.m. Wednesday, ESPN & Fox Sports Indiana

INDIANAPOLIS — The Indiana Pacers consider themselves a playoff team. The Pacers have never been afraid to mention the postseason, whether during a seven-game winning streak or in the midst of a four-game losing streak, which they find themselves in after a 110-106 loss Monday to the always composed, always steady San Antonio Spurs.

The playoffs are the Pacers’ goal, their expected destination after this 82-game season. How the Pacers will perform against playoff caliber teams, however, is still unclear. Through 55 games, the Pacers are an inconsistent team.

Monday’s game, along with the three previous, have shown the Pacers that their inconsistent play will not serve them well against quality opponents.

The Pacers played well enough the beat the Spurs, who own the NBA’s second-best record. The Pacers, as Paul George mentioned, had opportunities to create a sizeable distance from the Spurs on the scoreboard in the second half. Even late, the Pacers (29-26) could have won the game or at least forced overtime at the free-throw line.

Yet the little parts of Monday's game — collecting precious rebounds, valuing the possession of the ball, making free throws — were the difference in the Spurs (42-13) leaving Bankers Life Fieldhouse with a victory.

“We missed a couple of box outs, missed a couple of free throws, a couple little plays didn’t go our way,” C.J. Miles said. “We’ve just got to figure out how to continue to grow from the situation, continue to figure things out on the fly. That team showed why they are who they are. They have veterans on their team, guys that have been there forever we like to joke. And then the guys they have there have learned how to play in that system and learn how to do the right things down the stretch.”

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The Spurs, to the Pacers’ disbelief and frustration, executed two unorthodox plays in the game’s final minute by executing the little details.

With the Pacers trailing by two points, they scrambled on defense as the Spurs continued to move the ball. Paul George forced Kawhi Leonard, who the Spurs wanted to shoot, to pass the ball to Tony Parker. Monta Ellis striped the ball from a driving Parker a few seconds later, but the ball bounced off Myles Turner’s left foot and landed in LaMarcus Aldridge’s hands. In one motion, Aldridge turned to the basket, made a bank-in layup over the fouling Turner and then completed the three-point play.

On the Spurs’ next possession, George put pressure on Leonard, who slipped and turned the ball over. George scooped up the ball and began dribbling up the court. Leonard, though, never gave up on the play and sprinted from behind. He poked the ball away from George. Parker then made two free throws to seal the game’s outcome.

“They won the 50-50 balls and hustle plays,” Turner said. “That’s been a problem for us these past few games. We know stuff like that is going to happen. We have to make a more collective effort to get those 50-50 balls.”

The Pacers had opportunities to take the lead late in the fourth quarter. They uncharacteristically missed five critical free throws in the fourth quarter.

“It did hurt, especially losing by four points,” George said. “A close game that we could’ve won, but it wasn’t the free throws that was the reason we lost this one. They made big plays down the stretch.”

George then said the Pacers’ offense felt chaotic when compared the structured sets the Spurs ran.

For 37 minutes, George followed Leonard’s every move. The two All-Star small forwards matched each other basket for basket, too. George and Leonard never left the court in the game’s final 8 minutes, producing highlight after highlight. George led Indiana with 27 points and six rebounds, but the Pacers struggled at times to get him the ball.

San Antonio never had such an issue, as Leonard took a game-high 23 shots. George stayed in front of and contested the majority of Leonard’s attempts. Yet Leonard craftily created enough space — even putting the ball behind his head at one point in the second half — to shoot over George for a game-high 32 points.

“It’s always fun playing against Kawhi,” George said. “Good friend, good matchup. It’s a difference. He had a lot of great looks off great screens. They really know how the screen and get guys open. It’s different on our end.”

Part of the Pacers’ problems on offense began before the game started.

An hour before tipoff, coach Nate McMillan had to change his starting lineup once Lavoy Allen had to miss the game because of a sore right knee. McMillan inserted Kevin Seraphin to replace Allen as the starting power forward. He also put Glenn Robinson III in as the starting shooting guard to allow Miles to play multiple positions off the bench. Seraphin provided 12 points, but Robinson didn’t score in his 22 minutes.

“It’s kind of like you’ve got an engine and all of a sudden we’re going to take this piece and put it over there without molding it to fit in there,” Miles said of shuffled lineup. “It’s not going to run as smooth. We had to change some things and guys stepped up. It’s not a fluid and there’s some little plays here and there that could have been made with the regular rotation.”

The Pacers played more inspired basketball Monday than what they showed Saturday in a disappointing home loss to the Milwaukee Bucks. Before Monday’s game, McMillan urged his players to bring more intensity and urgency. McMillan placed his faith in George, the Pacers’ best player, to emphasize his message.

“He’s the guy we have followed this season,” McMillan said before the game.

The Pacers did follow George. They had a chance to snap their losing streak, too. But the Pacers understand they must improve at being consistent at executing the minor aspects of the game in order to beat elite teams.

“Around this time at the All-Star break, this is when the real season starts,” Miles said. “You see guys like us start really prepping to get ready for that (playoff) run. Those little things are what make the difference, those little things is what wins the playoff games. In the playoffs, everybody knows every play and everything is magnified. That’s what we have to get our minds wrapped around now going down the stretch is to continue to make it a habit. If we keep doing the little things, they become nature. That’s what we’ve got to do.”

Injury update

McMillan said he expects Thaddeus Young to be out at least through the All-Star break, which begins Friday. Young, who is recovering from a sprained left wrist, missed his sixth consecutive game Monday. The Pacers will return from the All-Star break on Feb. 24 against the Memphis Grizzlies, which would give Young 13 days to heal.

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

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Pacers at Cavaliers, 7 p.m. Wednesday, ESPN & Fox Sports Indiana

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