Post-Game Grades: Indiana Pacers Cut Down the Brooklyn Nets
By William Furr
The Indiana Pacers kept rolling behind Jeff Teague and Paul George, and picked up their 4th straight to continue their longest winning streak of the season.
The Good: The Pacers starters.
The first unit built a sizable lead in the first quarter, then rebuilt it in the 3rd. The starters look like a coherent unit, and played exceptionally well together. Every single member of the first unit finished with a +/- of at least +28.
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The Bad: The bench, as a unit, was awful. Guys like Justin Hamilton roasted them, and they all wound up at -18 or worse. The entirety of the bench had 2 assists prior to garbage time
MVP: Myles Turner. Could’ve been Jeff Teague (21 points, 15 assists) or Paul George (26 points on 18 shots), but Turner set the tone early protecting the rim, and finished with 5 blocks to go with his 25 points and 15 rebounds.
LVP: Monta Ellis. Played 21 minutes, finished with 2 points on 1-3 shooting, 1 assist, and 1 rebound. A true Lavoy Allen box score, minus Allen’s actual impact on the game.
X-Factor: Jeff Teague’s 15 assists. The “True Point Guard” isn’t a cure all like many fans thought it would be, but when he’s going, Teague gets the ball moving like no Pacers in a long time.