5 reasons the Pacers steamrolled the Pelicans and snapped their three-game losing streak

INDIANAPOLIS — One night after benching his starters in a loss to Charlotte, Pacers coach Rick Carlisle changed his starting lineup Saturday against New Orleans at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. He switched out rookie guard Chris Duarte for veteran guard Justin Holiday, who joined usual starters Malcolm Brogdon, Caris LeVert, Domantas Sabonis and Myles Turner.

That decision was noteworthy, but the biggest difference in Indiana's performance was simply its effort. The Pacers played harder than they had in previous games and it translated into a 111-94 victory over the Zion Williamson-less Pelicans. Here's what stood out:

Pacers play with effort

As already noted, the Pacers' effort, particularly among the starters, was night and day compared to Friday's loss at Charlotte. For the first time in a couple games, Indiana didn't wait until it was punched in the mouth to start competing. The Pacers' urgency was clear from the start as it swiped 11 steals, five in the first half, and scored 16 fast-break points.

"We wanted to play with more tempo. We wanted to defend aggressively without fouling," Carlisle said. " ... We wanted to play a real movement, kind of random game. When the ball moves and we're playing with that kind of pace and tempo, a lot of good things happen for us."

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Myles Turner dunks on all the Pelicans

Indiana's aggression culminated with a highlight-reel jam from Turner. After Duarte missed a transition 3 in the third quarter, Turner swooped in for a put-back dunk over three Pelicans players that brought the home crowd to its feet. It was Turner's second dunk in the Pacers' last three possessions.

"An opportunity like that is something I gotta just try to do more often, crashing the glass," Turner said. "Being a home it was a great energy play. Something I haven't done in a while. Didn't realize I could still dunk so that was cool."

On the other end, Turner upheld his stout rim protection with two blocks and now has an NBA-leading 54 blocks this season.

Domantas Sabonis leads the Pacers

Sabonis was named an all-star the last two seasons, and with the way he played Saturday, he could be on his way to a third nod. The 6-foot-11 forward shined in nearly every aspect of the game, finishing with 20 points, 10 rebounds, six assists and two steals.

"The past couple years (the offense has run through me), so it felt pretty good (Saturday) to go out there and just be myself and kind of get the team going," Sabonis said. "Everyone was happy."

Sabonis and Holiday each scored 14 points in the first half to help Indiana snap a three-game losing streak. Holiday ended the night with 17 points and four 3s.

Pacers move the ball

Indiana had 19 assists Friday at Charlotte. It eclipse that total in the first half alone Saturday against New Orleans. The Pacers had 20 assists on 23 baskets before the break and ended the night with 28 assists on 42 field goals.

"I liked out disposition all night," Carlisle said. "There was a real spirit of sharing the ball, and 28 assists is a good number."

Pacers take care of home court

After playing seven of its past eight games on the road, Indiana returned home Saturday for the first of 10 games at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in its next 12 contests. The Pacers' lopsided victory helped them improve to 5-2 at home this season.

Late in the third quarter, Carlisle had a little fun with the crowd and gave a thumbs down after Duarte was called for an offensive foul. Indiana fans roared with excitment and booed the referees even louder.

"It was a joke by the way," Carlisle said. "It was not meant as a disrespectful thing to the officials. I'm sure they probably took it that way, and I apologize for that. I know how hard their job is."

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Pacers vs. Pelicans: Indiana snaps 3-game losing streak in blowout