Monta Ellis set a season-high for himself with 32 points in the Indiana Pacers victory over the Denver Nuggets.
The Good: The Indiana Pacers finally picked up an overtime win on the season after going 0-4 in their previous attempts, all on the road. One game doesn’t mean anything, but if Indiana can make a habit of finishing off the opponents instead of letting games slip away, this could be the turning point.
The Bad: Myles Turner is still a rookie. His numbers fell back to earth for the first time in eight games as he failed to break double digits with only 8 points. On the plus side, he matched his season/career high of 9 rebounds and teamed up with Jordan Hill for a total of 10 blocks between the two.
MVP: Monta Ellis had it all and then a little more on Saturday as he made just under half his shots. Ellis was 4 of 8 from beyond the arc and grabbed 9 rebounds, 6 assists, and 3 steals. While Monta’s role has generally been doing whatever the Pacers ask of him, Ellis showed he’s still a very willing and able scorer when called on. Perhaps the best part of Monta’s game was converting a 3-point play in overtime that practically sealed the victory.
LVP: George Hill for shaving off his blonde hairi and going 3 of 10 on the night for only 9 points.
X-Factor: Jordan Hill stepped up as he started for the injured Ian Mahinmi and scored 20 points while grabbing 7 rebounds. As per usual, he and Monta Ellis ran the pick and roll well to set up both players. Jordan Hill has scored 20 points three times this season.