Post-Game Grades: Uber-Shorthanded Pacers Come Up Juuuust Short in Boston
By Jared Wade
The Good: Depending upon how you feel about Chris Copeland and C.J. Miles, the Pacers were arguably missing six of their best seven players tonight. And they had a chance to tie the game on the final possession on the road. They were playing the trash-feeding Boston Celtics, sure, but staying within 10 tonight would have been impressive and the team nearly took a lead with 29 seconds left when Donald Sloan missed a layup off a nice in-bounds play.
The Bad: The final possession, when the team couldn’t even get the ball in bounds let alone a shot off. Fault Frank Vogel for putting too many bigs out there and not recognizing that perimeter screens weren’t going to free anyone against the zone that Brad Stevens employed on both of Indiana’s final two possessions. Still, it was a desperation situation after Indiana, down 1, got a stop on the other end but couldn’t finish the play with a board, instead sending Boston to the line for the two free points that all but sealed their fate.
MVP: Roy Hibbert. He got his 22 points on 16 shots while bringing the Pacers back late. Stevens opted to go with Jared Sullinger — Boston’s MVP tonight — guarding Roy 1-on-1 late and the big fella made him pay over and over with confident, good moves down low. Sullinger got some back on the other end, but that’s a scheme issue more than a Hibbert problem, not to mention the fact that Roy was dominant on the boards (12) and defending the paint (4 blocks) as well.
LVP: Damjan Rudez. He looked lost out there a few times, and it was no coincidence that Vogel yanked him for Chris Copeland after a clumsy offensive foul by Rudez caused a turnover.
X-Factor: Phil Pressey. With his team down 2 entering the fourth quarter, Pressey scored or assisted on 13 of his team’s next 22 points as Boston built a 7-point lead. By the time he checked out, the Celtics were up enough to hold on for the win.
 | Luis Scola, PF 29 MIN | 5-11 FG | 0-0 FT | 8 REB | 1 AST | 0 STL | 0 BLK | 0 TO | 11 PTS | +7 |
His best game of the year? Looked re-newed, finishing pretty well and zigging when he should be zagging less than other games.
Chris Copeland, SF 38 MIN | 6-13 FG | 5-5 FT | 6 REB | 4 AST | 0 STL | 0 BLK | 5 TO | 17 PTS | +7Couldn’t hit his 3s, but showed that he can get buckets in other ways as well. The Pacers made a lot of hay with the Sloan/Cope pick and roll. Chris spent several possessions, forcing the mismatch, earning a double team and making good decisions.
Solomon Hill, SF 39 MIN | 5-11 FG | 0-0 FT | 3 REB | 0 AST | 1 STL | 0 BLK | 3 TO | 12 PTS | -1Though the line is meh, some really good “soft stuff.” Looked confident and ready to shoot on the catch, and showed a lot during one extended stretch when Vogel ran him off pindowns over and over. Hill used the picks well and made good decisions curling into the middle of the court.
Roy Hibbert, C 32 MIN | 8-16 FG | 6-6 FT | 11 REB | 2 AST | 0 STL | 4 BLK | 2 TO | 22 PTS | +11Beastly most of the time his number was called and protecting the paint.
Donald Sloan, PG 34 MIN | 6-15 FG | 2-2 FT | 5 REB | 4 AST | 1 STL | 0 BLK | 0 TO | 15 PTS | +5Some good and some bad. His missed layup loomed large late, but he kept the team moving fluidly most of the time.
Lavoy Allen, PF 19 MIN | 6-11 FG | 0-0 FT | 7 REB | 1 AST | 0 STL | 0 BLK | 0 TO | 12 PTS | -10Helluva line and Lavoy just continues to impress.
Damjan Rudez, SF 19 MIN | 2-4 FG | 0-0 FT | 1 REB | 1 AST | 0 STL | 0 BLK | 1 TO | 4 PTS | -12Not an NBA-quality rotation guy at this point.
Ian Mahinmi, C 16 MIN | 0-0 FG | 0-0 FT | 1 REB | 1 AST | 0 STL | 2 BLK | 1 TO | 0 PTS | -12The veteran needs to do more on the boards when his team is this short-handed.
A.J. Price, PG 14 MIN | 2-7 FG | 0-0 FT | 0 REB | 4 AST | 0 STL | 0 BLK | 1 TO | 5 PTS | -10Wasn’t making shots, but he hasn’t even met some of the guys he played with before. Hall pass on this one, and he had some nice moments even.
