Post-Game Grades: Pacers Suffocate Wizards

This is the Pacer team I’d been missing for the last couple of weeks. This is the Pacer team to believe in. Not efficient offensively, but effective. Devastating defensively.

In tonight’s 93-66 win over the Washington Wizards, Indiana allowed only 67 points per 100 possessions to their visitors. The quarter-by-quarter scoring for the Wiz was 18-19-14-15.

This is how you want to (a) respond to the Atlanta loss and (b) start a four-game home stand.

Here is how each guy played individually tonight. Agree? Disagree? Express your thoughts below in the comments or yell at Jared (@8pts9secs) or Tim (@TimDonahue8p9s) on Twitter.

Mr. West brought the offense tonight, but what Coach Frank Vogel said has more resonance: “The big reason why we have the record that we have right now is [David West’s] sacrifice for this basketball team. It’s really something special.”

Paul George, SF

38 MIN | 2-14 FG | 4-4 FT | 14 REB | 6 AST | 2 STL | 0 BLK | 1 TO | 8 PTS | +18

An “A” for 2-for-14? Yup. He missed shots, but played better than he has for awhile. Dominant defensively, he added 6 rebounds against 1 turnover and 14 boards. This was a man figuring out how to make meaningful contributions without getting his shot to fall.

Roy Hibbert, C

31 MIN | 4-10 FG | 3-4 FT | 6 REB | 2 AST | 1 STL | 0 BLK | 0 TO | 12 PTS | +23

Nothing obvious or spectacular, and no blocked shots, but the Wizards were 9-for-26 in the paint, and Hibbert had to influence that.

George Hill, PG

29 MIN | 2-5 FG | 0-2 FT | 6 REB | 4 AST | 1 STL | 0 BLK | 3 TO | 5 PTS | +8

Not much in the way of offensive numbers, but John Wall was 4-for-15 with only 7 assists.

Lance Stephenson, SG

34 MIN | 5-9 FG | 0-2 FT | 10 REB | 5 AST | 0 STL | 0 BLK | 5 TO | 11 PTS | +29

His energy was a welcome return, and 11, 10 and 5 are pretty good, but the 5 turnovers ding him just a little.

A little bit uneven tonight, but still, the team succeeds with him on the floor.

Chris Copeland, SF

3 MIN | 1-1 FG | 0-0 FT | 0 REB | 0 AST | 0 STL | 0 BLK | 0 TO | 2 PTS | +3

Garbage time, but a very pretty bucket on nice take to the rim.

Danny Granger, SF

19 MIN | 1-7 FG | 0-0 FT | 3 REB | 2 AST | 0 STL | 0 BLK | 3 TO | 2 PTS | +1

Good looks, but could not get anything to fall…made a couple of questionable turnovers.

Ian Mahinmi, C

16 MIN | 2-6 FG | 1-3 FT | 6 REB | 0 AST | 1 STL | 1 BLK | 1 TO | 5 PTS | +2

That this is a disappointing performance is a positive comment on his improvement of late. Still contributed.

Donald Sloan, PG

2 MIN | 0-0 FG | 0-0 FT | 0 REB | 1 AST | 0 STL | 0 BLK | 0 TO | 0 PTS | +3

Garbage time

C.J. Watson, PG

17 MIN | 6-6 FG | 1-1 FT | 2 REB | 2 AST | 0 STL | 0 BLK | 1 TO | 16 PTS | +16

When Washington made a little surge at the top of the fourth, it was C.J. who steadied things. He was 4-for-4 in the final stanza for 11 points and 2 assists. We’ll talk more about his performance in 4th quarters later.

Orlando Johnson, SG

2 MIN | 0-0 FG | 0-0 FT | 0 REB | 0 AST | 0 STL | 0 BLK | 0 TO | 0 PTS | +3

Garbage time

Rasual Butler, SG

3 MIN | 1-1 FG | 0-0 FT | 0 REB | 0 AST | 0 STL | 0 BLK | 0 TO | 2 PTS | +3

Garbage time.