Post-Game Grades: Indiana Pacers Come Back to Beat Sacramento Kings — Again
By Jay Neal
115. 100. Final. 111. 84
The Indiana Pacers overcome a double digit 4th quarter deficit to beat Sacramento Kings in overtime.
The Good: The Indiana Pacers won a game they probably should have lost, coming back to beat the Sacramento Kings for the second time in ten days. This was the first time the Pacers have won on back-to-back nights all season. They beat the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday night.
Also, Indiana did a great job of getting to the free throw line, shooting 29 of 33.
The Bad: The defense was horrific in the first half. The Kings have an average offense with average three-point shooting, yet the Pacers made them look like the Splash Brothers. Sacramento hit 11 times beyond the arc in the half as Indiana struggled with rotations & closing out to shooters.
MVP: Paul George acquired all the care and clutchness some fans believe he doesn’t have to score 16 points in the 4th quarter and overtime.
LVP: Aaron Brooks did a whole bunch of nothing tonight. No points or assists in 11 minutes.
X-Factor: Lavoy Allen. It’s crazy to think that a player with four points and four rebounds could change a game, but that’s exactly what Allen did. His hustle and defense got the team back in the game in the 3rd quarter.
A-. 33 points, his third straight game with 30+ points, and an impressive 16-for-17 from the free throw line. Hit the go-ahead 20-footer with 35 seconds to go in overtime. Just clutch.. Small Forward. Indiana Pacers. PAUL GEORGE
B+. A relatively quiet 17 point, 8 rebound, 8 assist performance. Struggled at times defensively, but was pretty solid in 43 minutes.. Point Guard. Indiana Pacers. JEFF TEAGUE
B. 14 points on 6-of-9 shooting. He did his best defending Demarcus Cousins despite getting in foul trouble.. Center. Indiana Pacers. MYLES TURNER
B-. 8 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 steals. He should get a medal of honor for battling Boogie in the post.. Power Forward. Indiana Pacers. THADDEUS YOUNG
A-. The #Shootah played his role to perfection, knocking down 6-of-9 from 3-point range for all 18 of his points.. Shooting Guard. Indiana Pacers. C.J. MILES
B-. Scored only 4 points, with 2 rebounds and 2 steals, but was in the game most of the 4th quarter for the comeback.. Small Forward. Indiana Pacers. GLENN ROBINSON III
B. Bounced back from an awful game in Minnesota to score 8 points on 3-of-3 from the field, but was -15 in +/- in only 16 minutes.. Shooting Guard. Indiana Pacers. MONTA ELLIS
Indiana Pacers. AL JEFFERSON. B-. Scored 9 points on 9 shots, but couldn’t stay on the floor as the Pacers needed to go small to get back in the game.. Center
F. Only one rebound in 11 minutes, forcing Teague to play long minutes.. Point Guard. Indiana Pacers. AARON BROOKS
A. Grading on a curve, this was Allen’s best game of the year. His impact was immense to spark the Pacers in the 3rd quarter to start the comeback. He played solid defense on the few occasions he matched up with Boogie Cousins.. Power Forward. Indiana Pacers. LAVOY ALLEN