The Indiana Pacers decided it would be best to delay clinching a spot in the Eastern Conference playoffs while giving the Toronto Raptors B-squad some confidence in the process. The Pacers now drop to the 8th seed behind the Detroit Pistons.
The Good: Another Canadian stamp in the Pacers passports. Maybe Cleveland can put the Pacers in the playoffs tomorrow night by beating the Bulls, since they can’t seem to take care of business themselves.
The Bad: Norman Powell scored 27 points and shot 19 free throws for the Raptors tonight. Leading to the following questions…Who exactly is Norman Powell and why did you feel the need to foul him so much?
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?
MVP: Solomon Hill. He seems to have found the range from beyond the arc and hit another 3 triples tonight. Solo was the only one who seemed to play with a purpose.
LVP: Ian Mahinmi. He had foul trouble throughout the game, failed to register an offensive rebound and went 1-5 shooting with all his looks coming within a few feet of the basket. A very 2015-2016 Hibbert-esque stat line here.
X-Factor: Young legs looking to prove something for the Raptors. They were coming off a game last night which forced Coach Dwane Casey to sit starters DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry and go with his backups. They seemed to handle it pretty well.