Post-Game Grades: Pacers Go Up a Mile and Win By an Inch

Final. 103. 86. 107. 100

The blowout that could have been. The Indiana Pacers were up by as many as 27 in the 3rd quarter, but were forced to sweat it out against the Minnesota Timberwolves thanks to some superhero stuff late in the 4th from the new addition, Monta Ellis.

Every Pacers player put up at least 5 points and Paul George continued his tear towards another surefire All-Star appearance (and one game closer to Billy Knight’s record of 26+ points in 10 consecutive games).

The Good: Paul George continues his reign of terror, especially on Friday the 13th. Nice to see the boys build a monster lead they had yet to put up in any of their first 9 games. Pretty fun to see PG go head to head with Andrew Wiggins and go right at each other all night. 24 fast break points is always good to see and it seemed like they always made the right pass on the break. Mo Williams wasn’t around dropping 52 points either, which is nice.

The Bad: Minnesota was coming off a back to back against the fastest team in the NBA (Golden State Warriors) and playing it’s 4th game in 5 nights. You would like to think the Pacers would have the gas to finish this team off easily after mounting such a huge lead, but they allowed them to stick around late and make a game of it anyway. The offense just couldn’t navigate through the dead spots late in the 3rd and throughout the 4th quarter and the defense ultimately allowed Minnesota to shoot 51% from the field. Shooting 65% from the free throw line isn’t going to cut it for a team with this many great shooters either (get it together Ian…)

MVP: Monta Ellis. 24 points, 5 assists and only 2 turnovers as Vogel was smart to keep the ball in his hands late. Not to mention a Dikembe-like block in crunch time for a guy known more as a scorer than a defender his whole career.

LVP: George Hill. We are now used to seeing him consistently shoot above 50%, so making 2 for 7 is just no longer good enough for him based on his play lately. The corner 3 wasn’t as nice to him (i.e. he didn’t make them all). Played decent defense, but got burned quite a few times by Zach LaVine who went off tonight.

X-Factor: Glenn Robinson III is starting to show some serious potential. Monster three point shot to stop the bleeding in the 4th quarter, active defense/hands and seems to be one of the few bench guys who can attack the rim and get to the line (but we miss you Stuckey).

PAUL GEORGE. A. PG is starting to get very comfortable from 3-point land (4 for 6) and continues to rebound like a power forward (9 boards) even if he wants nothing to do with that title.. Power Forward. Indiana Pacers

A. When he shoots like this (11 for 17), the Pacers are going to be a very hard team to beat in conjunction with PG’s dominance. The offense seems to run a lot better when he’s handling the ball and forcing the issue. A vast majority of Paul and George Hill’s wide open three’s are a result of Monta attacking the basket, drawing defenders and kicking it back out. Nice to see him dominate again.<span style=. Shooting Guard. Indiana Pacers. MONTA ELLIS

GEORGE HILL. C. He seemed to disappear in the 2nd half when the offense needed him most and allowed Zach LaVine to shine. Showed a great pick n’ roll game with Jordan Hill in the 2nd quarter that seemed to work every time.. Point Guard. Indiana Pacers

C-. Great block on Karl Anthony Towns in the 1st quarter, but just couldn’t connect from deep (1 for 6). Good to see him return in the 2nd half though after knocking heads with LaVine and clearing NBA concussion protocol.. Shooting Guard. Indiana Pacers. C.J. MILES

B+. Very active early in the game (started 4-4 from the field) and seems pretty comfortable running the floor now (the anti-Hibbert!) Hopefully he doesn’t leave Banker’s Life Fieldhouse tonight until he hits at least 10 free throws in a row.. Center. Indiana Pacers. IAN MAHINMI

B. Surprisingly pairs extremely well with Lavoy Allen in the paint as they swallow up every offensive rebound available. He’s become a bull in a China shop down low on missed shots (for now). His effort has given this team so many extra possessions they’ve really needed.. Center. Indiana Pacers. JORDAN HILL

B-. He wasn’t able to defend the perimeter shooting of Nemanja Bjelica (who?) and continually struggles to finish at the rim. He seems to be a magnet for the ball though and the team was +21 with him on the floor.. Power Forward. Indiana Pacers. LAVOY ALLEN

A-. He’s heating up from long range (has hit 5 of his last 8) and is such an underrated passer, especially on the break. It seems so long ago that he was playing for Minnesota and beating the Pacers on a wide open layup with 0.8 seconds on the clock. Welcome home Chase!. Small Forward. Indiana Pacers. CHASE BUDINGER

A. GR3 is a breath of fresh air when you consider the amount of minutes Solomon Hill played last year. He’s getting more confident in his shot, showing improvement with his defense and even handles the ball better. Larry Legend got it right on this kid.. Small Forward. Indiana Pacers. GLENN ROBINSON

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