The Indiana Pacers needed Paul George to take over late to secure a win over the Los Angles Lakers.
The Good: The Indiana Pacers didn’t lose. They struggled to put away an up and coming Los Angles Lakers team that shouldn’t cause Indiana so much trouble. The Pacers aren’t working like a team at the moment and it shows in games like this. Against a more talent squad, this ends in a loss. It took Paul George stepping up and closing the door on the Lakers.
The Bad: The defense, once again, was ugly. The Lakers shot 44.9% on the night but it helped the Pacers out that Los Angeles was only 21.4% from deep.
Indiana lost the lead late, but thanks to Paul George they didn’t lose the game.
It is going to be tough to fix it as they don’t have the players needed to power the defense. Jeff Teague’s and Monta Ellis’ mistakes aren’t making it any easier for the frontcourt. They must get better.
MVP: Paul George decided the game. He didn’t want to lose so he scored the Pacers’ last 10 points and grabbed a pair of rebounds in the final minutes. Whether it was jumpers or picking up fouls driving to the hoop, PG tipped the balance of the game in Indiana’s favor.
He had 30 points on 8 of 16 shooting, including 2 of 5 from deep and 12 of 12 from the foul line. On top of that he had 7 rebounds, 4 steals, a steal, and a block.
This is the aggressive, game-changing version of Paul George that is a top 10 player in the NBA. It sounds like he’s taking more of a leadership role judging from his post-game comments.
Paul George: "Defense has to mean something to us. We've got to have a better approach."
— Mark Montieth (@MarkMontieth) November 2, 2016
The question is if he starts holding himself and his teammates accountable.
LVP: Jeff Teague went 4 of 15 on the night and had 9 points.
Through four games as a Pacer, Jeff Teague has 33 points on 50 shots. He is shooting 22% on 12.5 shots per night.
— Jared Wade (@Jared_Wade) November 2, 2016
Not great, Jared.
X-Factor: Expect to find Thaddeus Young down here often. He racked up 14 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists on the night, and continues to consistently knock down 3-pointers when called on. He does it work quietly and can go unnoticed, but he’s been a steady force for the Pacers all season long.