The Indiana Pacers destroyed the Orlando Magic on Tuesday night in what was perhaps their most dominant victory of the season. Seeing as how the streaking Pacers — which have won six games in a row and 12 of their past 14 — need all the victories they can get as they try to make the playoffs, this was a great time to bust out the annihilation cannon.
Rodney Stuckey was the star, scoring 25 points in the first half on his was to a final tally of 34 points, 7 boards, and 6 assists. He was the first player in the entire NBA this season to record at least 30, 5, and 5 off the bench.
But it wasn’t just Stuckey.
This was a team-wide clinic that used good ball movement to exploit a terrible defensive effort from the Magic. Stuckey forced very little, and the whole team just kept passing to find the open man.
The result was uncanny accuracy from long range, with the Pacers hitting a franchise-tying 17 3-pointers on the night. Five different Indiana players hit a triple, including Stuckey’s 6-for-9 bombing from distance and Damjan Rudez’s 5-for-7 sniper show.
For Rudez — who made a surprise appearance in the starting lineup in place of the injured C.J. Miles — it was easily his best game since the last time the Pacers and Magic faced off. In that game, Damo had his NBA breakout game, scoring 16 points in the fourth quarter alone as Indiana held off the Magic.
Overall, the Indiana Pacers shot 17-for-34 from behind the arc.
And the ball movement that led to the triples was as impressive as the accuracy. It’s unlikely we see another barrage like this from Indiana — few teams will defend the arc as badly as Orlando did last night — but the ball movement has become a staple now. Every since George Hill got back into the starting lineup, this has been an incredibly unselfish team that looks to make the extra pass to the more-open man whenever possible. It has been delightful and encouraging to watch, as evidenced by the 37 assists the team had last night on its 45 made field goals.
Check the video below to see all the good passing, team play, and flat-out shot-making that allowed the Indiana Pacers to hit 17 treys in their 118-86 win.
Next: 4 Reasons the Pacers Will Earn the 6th Seed
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?