Post-Game Grades: Pacers Beat the Lakers in LA

This was easily Indiana’s best win of the year. And this was definitely important for a team that may be a quite good NBA team but lack an impressive resume. Beating this Boston team twice is one thing. And it’s nice to beat an overachieving Atlanta team than lost Al Horford in the early going. But this is the first time that the world at large, outside of the Pacers locker room, can look at an Indy win and really be impressed. Moreover, this put them at 2-1 on a tough West Coast road trip during which they easily could have been perfect if not for one horrific quarter against the Kings.

Roy Hibbert looked great tonight. David West looked like the team’s best player for a stretch in the fourth quarter. And George Hill once again proved that he is indispensable off the bench. And as much as the 7’2″ big fella carried them, this was a true team victory. And given the fact that they looked like crap in the first quarter before rallying to outscore the Lakers by 15 over the final three quarters, that’s quite the win.

Here is how each guy played individually tonight.

Agree? Disagree?

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	David West – 40 MIN \| 7-15 FG \| 9 REB \| 4 AST \| 15 PTS Carried the team for time early and a borderline double-double.
	Danny Granger – 34 MIN \| 4-14 FG \| 6-8 FT \| 5 REB \| 16 PTS Not as bad as his shooting might suggest cause he hit some timely shots. Had a huge layup late and got to the line on another big possession. Still … 4-for-14 not cool.
	Roy Hibbert – 27 MIN \| 9-13 FG \| 8 REB \| 4 AST \| 18 PTS One of the better games Roy has ever played as a pro. Broke his nose then came back and dominated, killing Bynum on the block and kicking out to create good looks when he wasn’t scoring.
	Darren Collison – 38 MIN \| 4-8 FG \| 4 REB \| 7 AST \| 12 PTS Really good game and savvy control of the game. Ideally, a PG’s game should be more about how he influenced the box score and that was the case tonight for DC.
	Paul George – 33 MIN \| 5-8 FG \| 1-2 FT \| 5 REB \| 13 PTS Stuck some shots again and finished at the rim when expected. Really nice defense by showing that his length could bother the best scorer in the league right now.

	Dahntay Jones – 14 MIN \| 2-4 FG \| 4-4 FT \| 5 REB \| 9 PTS Maybe the best game he’s played this year. Hit a big three, drew a foul in the post and even made a few nice passes to facilitate a better shot than he had.
	Louis Amundson – 6 MIN \| 0-3 FG \| 0-0 FT \| 3 REB \| 0 PTS Blew several nice possessions with his inability to finish.
	George Hill – 19 MIN \| 4-6 FG \| 3 REB \| 1 AST \| 11 PTS When the game looked like it might if skew towards a 15-point lead in the 2nd quarter, Mr. Hill hit some huge shots.
	Tyler Hansbrough – 22 MIN \| 0-5 FG \| 7 REB \| 0 AST \| 0 PTS Yuck. He had more effect on the game than his disgusting stats would suggest but not that much more so.
	Lance Stephenson – 6 MIN \| 1-1 FG \| 2-2 FT \| 1 REB \| 4 PTS Had one really nice bucket and didn’t do a lot otherwise, negative or positive, to get excited about. Still, 4 points is great in 6 mins off the bench.

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	David West – 40 MIN \| 7-15 FG \| 9 REB \| 4 AST \| 15 PTS Carried the team for time early and a borderline double-double.
	Danny Granger – 34 MIN \| 4-14 FG \| 6-8 FT \| 5 REB \| 16 PTS Not as bad as his shooting might suggest cause he hit some timely shots. Had a huge layup late and got to the line on another big possession. Still … 4-for-14 not cool.
	Roy Hibbert – 27 MIN \| 9-13 FG \| 8 REB \| 4 AST \| 18 PTS One of the better games Roy has ever played as a pro. Broke his nose then came back and dominated, killing Bynum on the block and kicking out to create good looks when he wasn’t scoring.
	Darren Collison – 38 MIN \| 4-8 FG \| 4 REB \| 7 AST \| 12 PTS Really good game and savvy control of the game. Ideally, a PG’s game should be more about how he influenced the box score and that was the case tonight for DC.
	Paul George – 33 MIN \| 5-8 FG \| 1-2 FT \| 5 REB \| 13 PTS Stuck some shots again and finished at the rim when expected. Really nice defense by showing that his length could bother the best scorer in the league right now.

	Dahntay Jones – 14 MIN \| 2-4 FG \| 4-4 FT \| 5 REB \| 9 PTS Maybe the best game he’s played this year. Hit a big three, drew a foul in the post and even made a few nice passes to facilitate a better shot than he had.
	Louis Amundson – 6 MIN \| 0-3 FG \| 0-0 FT \| 3 REB \| 0 PTS Blew several nice possessions with his inability to finish.
	George Hill – 19 MIN \| 4-6 FG \| 3 REB \| 1 AST \| 11 PTS When the game looked like it might if skew towards a 15-point lead in the 2nd quarter, Mr. Hill hit some huge shots.
	Tyler Hansbrough – 22 MIN \| 0-5 FG \| 7 REB \| 0 AST \| 0 PTS Yuck. He had more effect on the game than his disgusting stats would suggest but not that much more so.
	Lance Stephenson – 6 MIN \| 1-1 FG \| 2-2 FT \| 1 REB \| 4 PTS Had one really nice bucket and didn’t do a lot otherwise, negative or positive, to get excited about. Still, 4 points is great in 6 mins off the bench.