Indiana Pacers outscore Charlotte Hornets 56-35 in the second half to get back on track.
The Good: The passing and the defense. The Pacers shared the ball all night and played for one another, unlike last night’s debacle in New York. Indiana had 26 assists on 39 baskets, making the extra pass seem like second nature.
The defense was even more impressive. Indiana (finally) made the adjustment to not sit back on Kemba Walker’s pick-and-roll opportunities, but instead have the screener’s man meet him near the screen. The Pacers held Walker to seven points on 3-of-11 shooting, tied for his worst scoring output of the season.
The Bad: Turnovers. Most of them were errors of commission, but 15 is still too many. The turnovers to start the 4th quarter gave the Hornets some life before the Pacers’ starters restored order.
MVP: Paul George is a baaaaaaaaad man. A season-high 39 points on an efficient 15-of-21 from the field including six three-pointers. He scored 27 in the second half. When he’s in a good rhythm on his catch-and-shoot opportunities, he’s a handful for the opposition.
LVP: Rodney Stuckey has been bad for the better part of the season, but this current stretch has been him at his worst.
X-Factor: Myles Turner. Monta Ellis would probably be a good choice as well, but Turner was tasked with keeping Kemba Walker under control in the pick-and-roll and recovering to his own man… and he was great at it all night.