Post-Game Grades: Pacers Vomit on Selves in 1st Half, Clean It Off, But Still Stink

The Good: The third quarter. Indiana did that elite defense thing they nowadays employ sporadically and put the clamps on, outscoring Phoenix 25-11 in the period and looking to set themselves up for a big comeback win.

The Bad: The whole first half. A complete no-show, especially on the defensive end and from the bench, which was absolutely wretched the entire game.

MVP: Goran Dragic. The Dragon breathed all the fire early, dropping 21 points in the first half and making the vaunted Indiana defense look like one of those banners cheerleaders hold up so that high school football heroes can run through them.

LVP: Paul George. Dude hasn’t made a long-range shot in days (1 for his last, at least, 15 from 3-point range) and utterly struggled to find good looks at the rim. And when he did, he missed.

X-Factor: Markieff Morris. He was a terror of efficiency, scoring 16 points on 12 shots and making the Pacers spin their heads on both ends.

Defining Moment: With three minutes left, the Suns ran a splendid pick-and-roll out of a timeout that freed Gerald Green. Hibbert helped to stymie penetration and this left Markieff Morris open for a three, which he hit, to put this one just out of reach of a Pacers team that continually faltered down the stretch.

Early foul trouble left him sitting early, and though he did some good work trying to play catch up later for his missed minutes, he blew a few shots and didn’t do enough when Indiana needed him to score.

Paul George, SF

38 MIN | 5-17 FG | 2-4 FT | 12 REB | 4 AST | 0 STL | 0 BLK | 4 TO | 12 PTS | +2

Nice rebounding and he did good work shutting down Dragic after Goran’s early explosion, but we’re beyond “Atta boys” for things the team now takes for granted. Make a shot already.

Roy Hibbert, C

38 MIN | 9-17 FG | 8-11 FT | 6 REB | 0 AST | 0 STL | 2 BLK | 2 TO | 26 PTS | -2

Did work. On both ends.

George Hill, PG

34 MIN | 7-8 FG | 3-4 FT | 2 REB | 0 AST | 1 STL | 1 BLK | 1 TO | 17 PTS | +15

Love the efficiency but the point guard is getting docked for not being able to stay in front of Dragic. Goran has been a beast all year and George is far from the first guy to learn that up close, but his first-half defense was, at times, reprehensible.

Lance Stephenson, SG

37 MIN | 6-12 FG | 1-1 FT | 10 REB | 10 AST | 0 STL | 0 BLK | 5 TO | 14 PTS | -7

Get those numbers, son.

Luis Scola, PF

15 MIN | 1-5 FG | 1-2 FT | 7 REB | 0 AST | 0 STL | 0 BLK | 0 TO | 3 PTS | -23

Part of a bench unit that should be ashamed of itself.

Danny Granger, SF

21 MIN | 0-3 FG | 0-0 FT | 4 REB | 0 AST | 0 STL | 2 BLK | 0 TO | 0 PTS | -13

Part of a bench unit that should be ashamed of itself. (Nice blocks though)

Ian Mahinmi, C

10 MIN | 0-1 FG | 0-0 FT | 1 REB | 0 AST | 0 STL | 0 BLK | 1 TO | 0 PTS | -6

Part of a bench unit that should be ashamed of itself.

C.J. Watson, PG

14 MIN | 2-6 FG | 0-0 FT | 2 REB | 0 AST | 1 STL | 0 BLK | 0 TO | 4 PTS | -23

Part of a bench unit that should be ashamed of itself.