Post-Game Grades: Indiana Pacers Lose Heart Breaker to San Antonio Spurs
By Josh Padmore
100. Final. 100. 29. 99
The San Antonio Spurs broke the Indiana Pacers’ hearts by winning a close one off of Kawhi Leonard’s game-winning field goal.
The Good: The Pacers were in prime position to win the game. They played a great game against one of the best teams in basketball, on the road at that. Play with that effort on the road and you’ll win more often than you’ll lose.
The Bad: The Pacers lost, which stings. Paul George couldn’t break out of his slump, as he shot just 5 of 18 from the field. He just can’t get it going.
MVP: Kawhi Leonard is the MVP of this game, and he may be the MVP of the entire league by the time the season is over. He made the game-winning shot and finished with 31 points and 10 rebounds.
LVP: Thaddeus Young only played 11 minutes in this game, and was benched down the stretch in favor of Lavoy Allen. Didn’t look right tonight, and even missed a wide open layup at one point.
X-Factor: David Lee came off the bench for the Spurs and didn’t miss a single shot, shooting 8 of 8 from the field for 18 points in 20 minutes.
C+. George led the team in scoring with 22, but it took him 18 shots to do it. He only made 5 of them. He did get to the foul line, though, making all 10 of his foul shots. He added 6 rebounds.. Small Forward. Indiana Pacers. PAUL GEORGE
Only took 6 shots, making 2 of them, but he did finish with 5 rebounds and 9 assists. He was also very careful with the basketball, turning it over only 1 time in 30 minutes.. Point Guard. Indiana Pacers. JEFF TEAGUE. B-
A-. Was very efficient, shooting 7 of 11 from the field for 16 points and 6 rebounds. Also made some very timely baskets in the fourth quarter.. Center. Indiana Pacers. MYLES TURNER
This was a rough game for Thad, who only played 11 minutes. He was benched down the stretch in favor of Lavoy Allen. Only finished with 4 points and 2 rebounds.. Power Forward. Indiana Pacers. THADDEUS YOUNG. D
C.J. MILES. A-. Scored 19 points and grabbed 6 rebounds, also making 4 three pointers. He also passed Troy Murphy for 7th all time for threes made in franchise history.. Shooting Guard. Indiana Pacers
C+. Had a good game, but missed 2 free throws when the Pacers were up by 1 in the final seconds. Finished with 11 points on 5 of 9 shooting.. Shooting Guard. Indiana Pacers. MONTA ELLIS
C-. Coming off of a big game in Houston, Stuckey couldn’t carry his momentum into San Antonio. He went scoreless, but did have 3 assists in 17 minutes off the bench.. Shooting Guard. Indiana Pacers. RODNEY STUCKEY
Played 19 big minutes for the Pacers. Did his usual stuff, keeping possessions alive and making the right play. Scored 5 points and grabbed 6 rebounds.. Power Forward. Indiana Pacers. LAVOY ALLEN. C+
Indiana Pacers. GLENN ROBINSON III. B-. Brought a lot of energy off the bench, and also showed off his hops with a big slam dunk. Scored 6 points on an efficient 3 of 4 shooting in 16 minutes.. Small Forward
D. Had his first bad game since entering the rotation. Picked up 4 fouls in 13 minutes of action and made some ‘rookie’ mistakes. Scored 1 point and grabbed 1 rebound.. Center. Indiana Pacers. RAKEEM CHRISTMAS
KEVIN SERAPHIN. C+. Got some surprising run tonight, playing 14 minutes. He was a big energy boost, scoring 8 points on 4 of 4 shooting and grabbing 3 rebounds. Also made his physical presence felt.. Power Forward. Indiana Pacers