Post-Game Grades: Indiana Pacers Cut Down the Brooklyn Nets

Indiana Pacers
Indiana Pacers /
facebooktwitterreddit

100. Final. 109. 147. 121

The Indiana Pacers kept rolling behind Jeff Teague and Paul George, and picked up their 4th straight to continue their longest winning streak of the season.

The Good: The Pacers starters.

The first unit built a sizable lead in the first quarter, then rebuilt it in the 3rd. The starters look like a coherent unit, and played exceptionally well together. Every single member of the first unit finished with a +/- of at least +28.

More from 8 Points, 9 Seconds

The Bad: The bench, as a unit, was awful. Guys like Justin Hamilton roasted them, and they all wound up at -18 or worse. The entirety of the bench had 2 assists prior to garbage time

MVP: Myles Turner. Could’ve been Jeff Teague (21 points, 15 assists) or Paul George (26 points on 18 shots), but Turner set the tone early protecting the rim,  and finished with 5 blocks to go with his 25 points and 15 rebounds.

LVP: Monta Ellis. Played 21 minutes, finished with 2 points on 1-3 shooting, 1 assist, and 1 rebound. A true Lavoy Allen box score, minus Allen’s actual impact on the game.

X-Factor: Jeff Teague’s 15 assists. The “True Point Guard” isn’t a cure all like many fans thought it would be, but when he’s going, Teague gets the ball moving like no Pacers in a long time.

26 points on 10-18 shooting. Ho hum, another efficient scoring night for George. The team didn’t need superhero Paul George tonight. Did miss 2 free throws after coming into the game leading the NBA in free throw shooting.. Small Forward. Indiana Pacers. PAUL GEORGE. A

A. 21 points, 15 assists, 7 rebounds, 9-13 shooting, perfect 2-2 from deep. Jeff Teague was the straw that stirred the Pacers drink tonight, scoring the first 5 points of the game and not looking back.. Point Guard. Indiana Pacers. JEFF TEAGUE

Indiana Pacers. MYLES TURNER. A. 25 points, 15 rebounds and 5 blocks on 9-15 shooting. Turner owned the paint on defense, stretched the Brooklyn centers out beyond their comfort level, and looked in control the whole game. A tantalizing glimpse into what Turner can be.. Center

B-. Didn’t do anything particularly well. Was only 3-10 from the field, but had a big 3 and a highlight reel help side block on former teammate Brook Lopez. Finished an astronomical +28, which was somehow the worst among starting 5.. Power Forward. Indiana Pacers. THADDEUS YOUNG

B+. GRIII’s stats don’t pop (8 points, 6 rebounds, 3-5 shooting, only 1 turnover), but he did exactly what the Pacers need from him.. Small Forward. Indiana Pacers. GLENN ROBINSON III

D. Put up a Lavoy Allen box score – 2 points, 1 assist, 1 rebound, 1-3 shooting. Did not, however, box out and set good screens as Allen is known to do. Not great, Bob. Shooting Guard. Indiana Pacers. MONTA ELLIS

C.J. MILES. B-. 8 points, 2 rebounds, shot 50% and stretched the floor. Pacers could use a bit more scoring from him, but the bench got rocked and he was the only guy who seemed to perform ok in the 2nd unit.. Shooting Guard. Indiana Pacers

Center. Indiana Pacers. AL JEFFERSON. F. 4 points on 5 shots, 2 rebounds, got absolutely torched by some guy named Justin Anderson. Very forgettable evening for Big Al

C-. 9 points and 2 assists, including a big buzzer beater to end the 1st quarter. Is putting up good scoring numbers, but the offense seems to die when he’s out there.. Point Guard. Indiana Pacers. AARON BROOKS

C+. 8 points and 3 rebounds on 8 shots. Was fine. Still isn’t a power forward in any way/shape/form. Is playing reasonably well during his first real stint in the lineup.. Center. Indiana Pacers. KEVIN SERAPHIN