In an unacceptable loss, the Indiana Pacers got out-scored 31-15 in the fourth quarter to cough one up to the lowly Brooklyn Nets.
The Good: Thaddeus Young was as super-efficient demon, particularly early on, and Myles Turner now has two double-doubles in two games. C.J. Miles was spicy off the bench. That … is all.
The Bad: Mostly everyone else — including a horror-show night from Jeff Teague — and worse still Rodney Stuckey left the game in the first quarter with an apparent hamstring problem. Those don’t heal quickly and Stuckey often stays hobbled, so a bench that has so far been lacking this season (and is still missing Aaron Brooks) might have just gotten thinner. And, oh yeah, a team with dreams of being a two- or three-seed just lost to the Brooklyn Nets. The defense was an embarrassment and even if Sean Kilpatrick was hitting a few tough shots, there is still no excuse for letting him remain so comfortable and snowball his confidence with bucket after bucket.
MVP: Mr. Kilpatrick. He took over late — scoring 10 points in the fourth quarter as the Nets outscored Indiana 31-15 over the final 12 minutes. The largely unknown reserve finished with 18 points on 11 shots.
LVP: The Pacers newcomers other than Thad Young. Combined, Teague and Al Jefferson scored 3 points on 3-of-18 shots in the game. They put in 0 points on 0-for-7 shooting in the fourth quarter. (Teague did have 7 assists in 29 minutes.)
X-Factor: Justin Hamilton. He was feisty while recording 8 points and 7 boards — plus a parent-disappointing fourth-quarter block on Myles Turner.