Post-Game Grades: Pacers Outlast Bucks, Refs to Get OT Win and 7th Straight Victory

The Good: The Indiana Pacers play in the middle two quarters. After starting the game with a turnover and foul fest, the Pacers found themselves trailing the Milwaukee Bucks by 12 after the first 12 minutes. But then they got their act together and outscored the Bucks 63 to 43 over the following two quarters. In the second and third quarters, Indiana shot 56.4% (22-of-39), including 6-for-11 (54.5%) from 3-point range, while holding Milwaukee to 36.8% (14-for-38).

The Bad: The start. The Pacers coughed up 8 turnovers in the first quarter that led to 13 Milwaukee points. They also committed 10 fouls, and even while a few were questionable, they were just playing poor, undisciplined basketball on both ends of the court. Against a better team, that early carelessness would have put them in a hole that was too deep to climb out of.

MVP: Rodney Stuckey, as always.

LVP: C.J. Watson struuuuuuggggglllllled early on.

X Factor: The refs. We almost never bring up the officiating on this site. My general feeling about whistles is that they are like traffic: Perhaps an unfortunate circumstance but almost never a legitimate excuse for being late to work. You need to anticipate and overcome some adversity. B

ut there were just so many calls late that went against Indiana:  the laughable flagrant on Ian Mahinmi, the “charge” on George Hill when he hurt his should by being undercut, the offensive foul by Greek Freak that was ruled an and-one for him, the smack in the face of George Hill that drew merely a normal foul call, several uncalled travels by Milwaukee.

Ultimately, however, it was for the best. The Pacers have been whiners for two years now, and it has sometimes put them off their game. But tonight they overcame the adversity to grit out a crucial W in a Fieldhouse environment that turned hostile and playoff-like. They showed their maturity and experience by getting beyond the BS and grinding out a win anyway.

Milwaukee Bucks

103

Final

Recap | Box Score109Indiana Pacers

David West, PF 28 MIN | 4-9 FG | 1-2 FT | 6 REB | 3 AST | 0 STL | 2 BLK | 4 TO | 9 PTS | -1 +/-Looked like this was setting up to be one of his worst games of the year with careless fouls and generally bad play. But he made a few big shots — and one nice assist to Luis Scola — down the stretch to salvage it.