Pacers get positive performances from Walker, McConnell ... but lose

INDIANAPOLIS -- Cade Cunningham posted 24 points, 11 rebounds and six assists and the Pistons held off the Pacers' fourth-quarter charge to win 122-117 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Monday night.

The Pacers lost their second straight game and fell to 2-15, their worst 17-game start in franchise history. The Pistons have won 13 straight and improved to 15-2, leading the Eastern Conference.

Former Pacers guard Caris LeVert added 19 points for the Pistons and center Jalen Duren posted 17 points and 12 rebounds. All-Star forward Pascal Siakam led the Pacers with 24 points. Forward Jarace Walker added 21 and guard T.J. McConnell added 16.

Here are three observations.

Pacers cut 19-point deficit to two but can't finish comeback

The Pacers never let go of the rope after falling behind by 19 points in the second quarter in a period they lost 36-23, but their fourth quarter charge fell just a little bit short.

They cut the deficit to five points in the third quarter but saw the Pistons pull away to take a 101-88 lead into the fourth and they trailed by as many as 18 points in the period. However, they didn't stop and kept chipping away and got within two points with 15 seconds left on an Andrew Nembhard layup.

The Pacers had to foul on the ensuing possession and Cade Cunningham missed his first of two free throws to open the door. However, after a timeout, Bennedict Mathurin missed a 3 that could have tied the game and Caris LeVert hit two free throws to put the game away.

Jarace Walker has most efficient night

Jarace Walker saw arguably the biggest increase in role of any of the Pacers in the early going thanks to the injuries and he struggled with the burden. He entered Monday's game averaging a career-high 9.7 points per game but shooting career-worsts from both the floor (30.7%) and from 3 (28.7%).

The return of Bennedict Mathurin has allowed Walker to settle into a role that fits him a little better. He's been coming off the bench, he doesn't have to handle the ball as much and the Pacers don't need him to shoot quite as much so he's getting better quality shots. In the first three games since Mathurin's return, Walker was 7 of 16 from the floor and 3 of 8 from 3-point range.

On Monday he felt a little more confident especially once he started seeing shots go down in the third quarter. He scored 10 points on 4 of 5 shooting in that period alone. For the game, he scored 21 points on 8 of 10 shooting including 5 of 6 from 3-point range. He had issues with turnovers, giving the ball away two times, but he also recorded six rebounds, two assists, and a steal.

Walker has rarely looked so comfortable on the offensive end. He obviously looked sharp from outside, but he also drove the ball with more conviction and finished strongly around the rim with both hands. All three of his 2-point shots were layups, which was a step in the right direction considering he often settles for floaters.

T.J. McConnell takes another big step

T.J. McConnell has admittedly found his recovery from his October hamstring strain to be a unique challenge, as he said he's never missed as much time as he did for a muscle injury before. It's taken him a little longer to get his wind back and for his legs to be up to the breakneck pace he tends to play in on both ends.

But having two days off between games seemed to treat McConnell well as he showed up Monday as energized as ever, causing havoc in the backcourt on defense and getting to his spots off the dribble on offense. He's getting to the rim more frequently in recent games and his touch there has been excellent.

McConnell scored 16 points on 8 of 12 shooting and also added five assists against one turnover and three steals, including a key one in the backcourt that he took in for a layup with 7:06 in the fourth quarter that helped key the Pacers' comeback. He also fought Pistons' forward Ausar Thompson for a deep pass and wrestled it away from him on the baseline for another key steal.

Dustin Dopirak covers the Pacers all season. Get more coverage on IndyStarTV and with the Pacers Insider newsletter.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Pacers get positive performances from Walker, McConnell ... but lose