Game #38 Recap: Suns Rise, Suns Set

Pacers 122 – Suns 114

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This has to be a first. I don’t even know how to look it up, at least not any easy way. For the second straight game, the Pacers erased 20+ point deficits (23+ to be exact) to grab wins. Twice in three days, your boys in Blue & Gold turned abject humiliation into exhilarating victory.

For some vague reference, the Pacers lost all ten games last season in which they fell behind by at least 20 points. They won 12 of the 13 games in which they claimed 20 point leads, with the sole exception being the Philly debacle in November of 2008. Clearly, these two wins, at least under the circumstances, were pretty impressive feats.

So, you know, Yay! for the good guys.

Still, there’s plenty to be worried about, if you’re looking for evidence of a turnaround. Digging big holes in the first half on your home floor is hardly the hallmark of a quality team. To tell you how bad it was at one point last night, my brother looked at the stat board in the second quarter and bemusedly said, “Earl Watson has 11 points?” I quickly responded, “No, Goran Dragic has 11 points.”

However, the second half was pretty electrifying in a number of different ways:

Michael makes it rain – Michael dun-LEE-vy (as coach Jim O’Brien refers to him) scored 23 of his 30 points in an 8-1/2 minute stretch bridging the second and third quarters. During that time, the Pacers went from down 22 to down only 7.

Getting the Point – After significant tumult, the Pacers may actually be settling down at the Point Guard position. It’s doubtful that either Earl Watson or A.J. Price are the long term solution for the position, but the two played well again last night. Watson has been a spark in these turnarounds, providing both leadership and defensive pressure.

Manute Rush – Brandon Rush’s night was almost entirely forgettable, unless you’re Leandro Barbosa. The second year swingman from Kansas blocked the Brazilian Blur’s shot a stunning four times. He victimized Goran Dragic for his career high fifth rejection.

The Prodigal Sons – Roy Hibbert and Dahntay Jones combined for 2 points in 7 minutes of play Monday night. That is to say, Roy got 2 points in 7 minutes, and Dahntay watched. Hibbert bounced back with one of his best performances of the year, posting 14 & 8 before fouling out. Dahntay, commended by Jim O’Brien for being a true professional after the game, scored 11 points and grabbed 9 boards.

He’s a baaaaaaad man – Easily the most encouraging thing to come out of the last two games has been Danny Granger’s play. After establishing himself as a nasty scorer last season, Danny had devolved to an indiscriminate chucker this year. However, last year’s Danny was in full effect last night. He scored 20 of his game-high 33 in the second half, including back-to-back bombs to give the Pacers their first lead. When he drained a bloodless 20-footer to put Indy up six with 47 seconds left, it was pretty much all over but the shouting.

Lightning Striking Twice: By The Numbers

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Don’t really have a caption for this. Just wanted other people to be stuck with the mental image.

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