Post-Game Grades: Pistons 96, Pacers 88

The Pacers proved something everyone already knew: You can’t shoot below 40% from the field for four games and go 4-0. This 96-88 loss was well-earned through atrocious offensive execution and nonchalant defensive effort. Feel free to praise these guys for their too-little-too-late near-comeback in the fourth, but it never should have gotten to that point. The Pacers were punched in the mouth in the opening minutes of the game and they never bothered to fight back.

According to Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star, the team’s flight was late getting to Detroit last night due to weather so they never arrived at their hotel until 4 am. That, however, cannot explain this. It was an ugly loss that the team hopes it can leave behind in the Old Year as it gears up for a trip to New Jersey to play the Nets on Monday.

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Indiana Pacers 88 – Detroit Pistons 96

DARREN COLLISON 4/6 FG (5/6 FT) \| 15 PTS \| 8 AST It’s hard to criticize his offense when he scored 15 points on just 6 FGAs. But that’s part of the problem: when the rest of his team is floundering so badly, Darren needs to call his own number more often. PGs can control a game in many ways, and tonight, Indy needed even more scoring from its floor general.
PAUL GEORGE 2/5 FG \| 7 PTS \| 4 AST \| 3 STL \| +7 George was a no-show for the second straight game. He did help spark the late “faux comeback” (term patent-pending) with his defense and was the only Pacer with a plus/minus so that counts for something. Not in his 8p9s grade, mind you, but for something somewhere else from someone.
DANNY GRANGER 4/15 FG \| 11 PTS \| 3 STL \| +0 Danny was miserable. He has one positive stretch where he posted up Prince to get FTs then, on the other end, battled a posting Tayshaun on the block to force a bad shot. But he followed that up with a bad step-back jumper in isolation and a defensive lapse leading to a Prince three.
DAVID WEST 4/11 FG \| 10 PTS \| 5 REB \| 3 AST \| -6 Larry Bird’s marquee offseason acquisition has now shot 18-for-49 as Pacer. Good for a scorching 36.7%. Worse still, he got caught napping badly twice in the 1st quarter, leading to two layups by Jonas Jerebko, who scored 8 points in the first 6 minutes of the game and 16 in the half.
ROY HIBBERT 4/7 FG \| 9 PTS \| 5 REB \| 3 TO \| -10 Roy Hibbert allegedly played 25 minutes tonight but I’m struggling to remember even three positive plays he made. After a terrible game, his three-game double-double streak comes to end. And his single-single streak begins.

GEORGE HILL 7/11 FG \| 16 PTS \| 5 REB \| -4 There is one silver lining from this abysmal game: George Hill’s streak of terrible shooting ended. The backup guard finally found his groove, finishing well in transition and playing his typical solid defense.
TYLER HANSBROUGH 5/14 FG (6/7 FT) \| 16 PTS \| 5 REB In addition to making one of the most quixotic plays I have seen in 25 years of watching NBA hoops (more on this soon), Tyler again missed a ton of shots. But he was more agressive than anyone else and led the team in scoring, so he wasn’t that bad by comparison to his mates.
DAHNTAY JONES 1/4 FG \| 4 PTS \| 2 BA \| -7 Dahntay tries his heart out. He started off the 4th by missing a three, driving hard to the hoop through traffic (earning two FTAs) and missing another long two. None of this was particularly effective, but at least he was doing something. His aggressiveness was probably what sparked the faux comeback.
LOU AMUNDSON 2/2 FT \| 2 PT \| 2 REB \| 4 PF \| -7 Big Lou had two really nice blocks and caused a little chaos while he was on the floor. None of it was pretty, but that’s his job.
LANCE STEPHENSON 0/2 FG \| 0 PT \| 1 AST \| 1 TO \| -7 Lance missed three shots and got an assist during his 7 minutes on the floor. So, ya know, at least he didn’t get a Moonlight Graham box score.

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DARREN COLLISON 4/6 FG (5/6 FT) \| 15 PTS \| 8 AST It’s hard to criticize his offense when he scored 15 points on just 6 FGAs. But that’s part of the problem: when the rest of his team is floundering so badly, Darren needs to call his own number more often. PGs can control a game in many ways, and tonight, Indy needed even more scoring from its floor general.
PAUL GEORGE 2/5 FG \| 7 PTS \| 4 AST \| 3 STL \| +7 George was a no-show for the second straight game. He did help spark the late “faux comeback” (term patent-pending) with his defense and was the only Pacer with a plus/minus so that counts for something. Not in his 8p9s grade, mind you, but for something somewhere else from someone.
DANNY GRANGER 4/15 FG \| 11 PTS \| 3 STL \| +0 Danny was miserable. He has one positive stretch where he posted up Prince to get FTs then, on the other end, battled a posting Tayshaun on the block to force a bad shot. But he followed that up with a bad step-back jumper in isolation and a defensive lapse leading to a Prince three.
DAVID WEST 4/11 FG \| 10 PTS \| 5 REB \| 3 AST \| -6 Larry Bird’s marquee offseason acquisition has now shot 18-for-49 as Pacer. Good for a scorching 36.7%. Worse still, he got caught napping badly twice in the 1st quarter, leading to two layups by Jonas Jerebko, who scored 8 points in the first 6 minutes of the game and 16 in the half.
ROY HIBBERT 4/7 FG \| 9 PTS \| 5 REB \| 3 TO \| -10 Roy Hibbert allegedly played 25 minutes tonight but I’m struggling to remember even three positive plays he made. After a terrible game, his three-game double-double streak comes to end. And his single-single streak begins.

GEORGE HILL 7/11 FG \| 16 PTS \| 5 REB \| -4 There is one silver lining from this abysmal game: George Hill’s streak of terrible shooting ended. The backup guard finally found his groove, finishing well in transition and playing his typical solid defense.
TYLER HANSBROUGH 5/14 FG (6/7 FT) \| 16 PTS \| 5 REB In addition to making one of the most quixotic plays I have seen in 25 years of watching NBA hoops (more on this soon), Tyler again missed a ton of shots. But he was more agressive than anyone else and led the team in scoring, so he wasn’t that bad by comparison to his mates.
DAHNTAY JONES 1/4 FG \| 4 PTS \| 2 BA \| -7 Dahntay tries his heart out. He started off the 4th by missing a three, driving hard to the hoop through traffic (earning two FTAs) and missing another long two. None of this was particularly effective, but at least he was doing something. His aggressiveness was probably what sparked the faux comeback.
LOU AMUNDSON 2/2 FT \| 2 PT \| 2 REB \| 4 PF \| -7 Big Lou had two really nice blocks and caused a little chaos while he was on the floor. None of it was pretty, but that’s his job.
LANCE STEPHENSON 0/2 FG \| 0 PT \| 1 AST \| 1 TO \| -7 Lance missed three shots and got an assist during his 7 minutes on the floor. So, ya know, at least he didn’t get a Moonlight Graham box score.