Post-Game Grades: Pacers Lose Fourth Straight with a Poor Outing in Dallas

The Good – It was the worst of times. It was the worst of times. The Pacers are in a full-on, uncontrolled tail spin right now and we saw how that worked out for Goose in Top Gun. There was a time when “Pacers Gonna Pace” was a thing people liked to say on Twitter when Indiana locked it down on defense and went on a big run. But at this point, it just feels like a punch line.

The Bad – Most of the first half and then the final three minutes. Indiana started out the game getting shellacked before mounting a nice little comeback to take the lead. Particularly given their great close of the half and a wonderful start to the third quarter (9-0 run), it looked like they were righting the ship. Nope. The bench came in the game, and Dallas went on a big run to totally erase all the ground Indiana had made up. The starters held their own better, but the Mavericks stepped on their throats late to convincingly win a game that just minutes earlier looked like it would have a great finish.

MVP – Monta Ellis. The former-gunner in his B.C. days (Before Carlisle) didn’t finish with a great shooting line, but it was him pressing the action and drawing fouls in the third quarter that turned the tide of the game back in Dallas’ favor. Then, summoning all his reptilian cold-bloodedness, Monta put on his executioner’s mask to score 8 points — two big-time shots and 4 free throws — in 90 seconds late in the fourth to end Indiana’s night.

LVP – David West played like trash.

X Factor – Devin Harris. He scored 20 points on just 9 shots off the bench to go along with 5 assists and 4 steals. The biggest play of the game came with just over four minutes left; Monta stole a ball that sent Harris off the to races to convert a 3-point play at the rim. This extended the Mavericks lead to 5, which gave Dallas enough breathing room until Ellis slammed the door shut two minutes later.

Agree? Disagree? Yell at Jared Wade on Twitter @8pts9secs

Indiana Pacers

Final
Recap | Box Score

105

Dallas Mavericks

David West, PF 33 MIN | 2-9 FG | 4-6 FT | 7 REB | 3 AST | 1 STL | 0 BLK | 4 TO | 8 PTS | -3This wasn’t good. Wasn’t good at all, guy.

Paul George, SF

31 MIN | 8-14 FG | 9-9 FT | 11 REB | 2 AST | 0 STL | 0 BLK | 1 TO | 27 PTS | -8

There was definitely some positive mid-range and “take-it-to-the-cup” work to applaud. Some bad, too, though.

Roy Hibbert, C

37 MIN | 6-9 FG | 2-2 FT | 5 REB | 0 AST | 0 STL | 1 BLK | 4 TO | 14 PTS | -14

At this point, 14 points on 9 shots feels like Hibbert singlehandedly beating the Canadians for a gold medal in hockey, so we’ll grade him nicely (on a Roy curve).

George Hill, PG

38 MIN | 7-16 FG | 4-6 FT | 5 REB | 3 AST | 2 STL | 0 BLK | 1 TO | 20 PTS | +2

Was big in the 3rd quarter in general and hit a few big 3s when Indiana badly needed someone to help stem the tide. But also closed out very poorly on a few big Devin Harris 3s that seconds earlier that helped them fall into the hole from which he helped them dig out of. So … much like with the grammar in the previous sentence … I don’t know what to think.

Lance Stephenson, SG

36 MIN | 8-10 FG | 2-2 FT | 5 REB | 3 AST | 2 STL | 0 BLK | 6 TO | 21 PTS | -3

Tough to say much bad about his night. As efficient as it gets.

Luis Scola, PF

15 MIN | 0-3 FG | 1-2 FT | 4 REB | 0 AST | 0 STL | 0 BLK | 1 TO | 1 PTS | -8