Nate Taylor

nate.taylor@indystar.com

INDIANAPOLIS – The Indiana Pacers ran fast, scored 113 points Tuesday and won their preseason opener over the New Orleans Pelicans. The Pacers’ performance pleased new coach Nate McMillan.

The Pacers’ reward Wednesday for such a performance? A grueling, two-hour practice back at Bankers Life Fieldhouse – more running, more drills, more time for players to learn one another.

“We’re still in training camp,” said McMillan, whose team hosts the Bulls on Thursday. “That was a statement that we played last night, we won a game and we did some good things, but we still are in training camp. There’s still a lot of improvement that is needed and we wanted to go hard today.”

McMillan, though, did acknowledge how encouraged he was with the Pacers’ up-tempo offense in their 113-96 victory.

In their first of six dress rehearsals, the Pacers played at a faster pace than last season under former coach Frank Vogel. They shot the ball 104 times and attempted 34 3-pointers. They scored 58 points in the paint. Yet what impressed McMillan the most was how the Pacers committed just 11 turnovers, a low number given the number of possessions they had against the Pelicans.

“We did a good job of attacking the basket and we had 25 assists, so we’re moving the ball,” McMillan said after Tuesday’s game. “That’s what we wanted to do and I thought our guys committed to that.”

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Several Pacers after Tuesday’s game mentioned how the increased tempo was different for them – and how winded they became at times.

George pointed out another difference. It was a rarity when McMillan called a play. George said he thought McMillan called just five plays – all either after a timeout or when the Pacers inbounded the ball from the baseline – during Tuesday’s game when he was on the court.

“Everything was just free flow and we’re still trying to figure that out,” George said. “We’ve been so used to a set or calling of plays and now we’re getting that freedom. I think that’s going to take some time, but once we get it, we could easily be a 115-point team a night.”

Several veterans agreed with George that the Pacers are not close to how potent they can be on offense. But they appreciate how McMillan is putting faith in his players – and their talent – by having them learn one another without a set of plays to get them organized.

Against the Pelicans, Jeff Teague pushed the pace with penetration into the paint early in the shot clock. If the Pelicans committed to stopping him, Teague passed the ball to a teammate on the wing. Fortunately for McMillan, the Pacers’ ball movement increased after the ball left Teague’s hands.

A number of possessions ended with the Pacers finding a player wide open for a shot.

“I’m just trying to get used to the guys,” said Teague, who attempted a team-high 14 shots Tuesday, making five. “I wasn’t used to getting that many open shots. I just have to knock them down. It was pretty cool.”

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Throughout training camp, McMillan has had his players scrimmage with a 14-second shot clock, 10 fewer than allowed. McMillan’s experiment has forced the Pacers to play faster, think faster and react faster than usual.

That mindset and style allowed the Pacers to accomplish McMillan’s goal Tuesday of having his team score at least 110 points against the Pelicans.

“If we have a free flow where we’re not coming down pounding the ball or we’re not coming down looking to call plays, it puts us in attack mode every possession,” George said Wednesday. “Coach is fine with us getting a good look with 23 on the clock or two on the clock. It’s on us to push the tempo and get good looks.”

The style and pace Tuesday was effective for Al Jefferson, the Pacers’ oldest player. Listed at 289 pounds, Jefferson is far from the fastest player on the team. But he ran against the Pelicans and he kept running until he became tired, which was what McMillan asked of him.

In 18 minutes, Jefferson led the Pacers with 14 points on 7-of-12 shooting. All of Jefferson’s points came without McMillan calling a play.

“My teammates did a good job of finding me on the inside,” Jefferson said. “So far, so good. I like the new style of play. When you can move the ball and guys get in their sweet spot without calling plays, it just makes us that much more dangerous.”

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

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