The Indiana Pacers pushed the Chicago Bulls to the limit at the United Center, but a late tip-in by Jimmy Butler sealed the Pacers’ fate.
The Good: Monta Ellis’ court awareness of the game-tying 3-pointer was amazing. If he drops his heels that’s out of bounds. He had plenty of moments in the game, but this was the best.
He was 0 of 4 from 3-point range at that point, including a miss just before that shot. The problem was he was 4 of 19 from the field on Wednesday.
TOO TOO TOO MUCH https://t.co/Bp1955ZFRz
— Michael Gallagher (@MikeSGallagher) December 31, 2015
The Bad: Paul George’s defense in critical moments was lacking. More than once he got caught behind a screen or reading the play wrong. It happens, but knowing how good he can be on defense makes it a little frustrating when he makes mistakes, especially when it matters. He didn’t have a bad night so much as the mistake stood out in my mind.
I should clarify this isn’t about the final Jimmy Butler tip-in. He was playing pretty tight in coverage and Pau Gasol managed to fit the ball in the passing window for Jimmy Butler to guide in for the basket. A perfect pass and finish. That’s hard to really knock him for.
Wow. Gasol to Jimmy https://t.co/G4nq9ckOuC
— Michael Gallagher (@MikeSGallagher) December 31, 2015
MVP: Geroge Hill led the Pacers with 20 points and also had 7 rebounds, 4 steals, and 3 assists. He only has a pair of turnovers and he shot 8 of 15 from the field and 3 of 5 from deep. This is the more Aggressive George Hill™ that Pacers fans want to see.
More from 8 Points, 9 Seconds
- 2 Studs, 1 dud from gut-wrenching Indiana Pacers loss to Charlotte Hornets
- Handing out early-season grades for Pacers’ Bruce Brown, Obi Toppin
- 3 positives, 2 negatives in Pacers In-Season Tournament win vs. Cavaliers
- 2 positives, 3 negatives from first week of Indiana Pacers basketball
- Should Isaiah Jackson’s days with Indiana Pacers be numbered?
LVP: Jordan Hill for a “DND – DENTAL WORK”. Just kidding, I just wanted to point that out from the box score. Feel better soon, sir.
X-Factor: Welcome back Myles Turner 5 rebounds, and 3 blocks to go with 8 points (2-8 from the field, 4-6 from the foul line). He ended up playing 21 minutes in his first game back thanks to the fact Ian Mahinmi left the game with a knee injury and as we mentioned above, Jordan Hill was having dental work done. The Pacers would have been very short-handed at center if it weren’t for him as Lavoy Allen would have been the only big left. Good to see Turner back after missing a month with a broken thumb.
Next: Indiana Pacers Take A Small Slide In The Power Rankings
The Pacers face the Milwaukee Bucks at 6 p.m. at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Thursday.