Post-Game Grades: Indiana Pacers Lose a Heart Breaker to the Cleveland Cavaliers
By Josh Padmore
100. Final. 135. 156. 130
The Indiana Pacers lost a heart breaker to the Cleveland Cavaliers despite a superstar effort from Paul George.
The Good: The Indiana Pacers fought hard and nearly won this game. Ultimately, it all comes down to wins and losses. Thankfully for Indiana, the Denver Nuggets defeated the Miami Heat. That means Indiana and Miami will remain tied for 8th place in the East, although the Pacers are technically 9th due to tiebreakers.
The Bad: Another loss, another missed opportunity of gaining some ground on the playoff picture. The Chicago Bulls defeated the New Orleans Pelicans, so they gained ground on both Indiana and Miami for that 7th seed in the Eastern Conference.
MVP: Paul George and LeBron James battled, but ultimately LeBron won the duel. The best player in the world finished with 41 points, 15 rebounds and 11 assists.
LVP: Aaron Brooks failed to give the Pacers anything off the bench in 14 minutes, going scoreless and missing all 7 of his shot attempts.
X-Factor: Kevin Love made huge shots in double overtime, ultimately resulting in a Cavaliers victory. Love finished with 20 points and 12 rebounds.
George poured in a season high 43 points on 16 of 33 shooting and 6 of 16 shooting from deep. He also had 9 rebounds and 9 assists. He went toe to toe with LeBron James. Unfortunately, LeBron came out on top.. Small Forward. Indiana Pacers. PAUL GEORGE. A+
B+. Made 4 three-pointers and scored 17 points. Added 11 assists. Made some big shots down the stretch, but it wasn’t enough.. Point Guard. Indiana Pacers. JEFF TEAGUE
C+. Despite playing 47 minutes, Turner only got 8 shots up, making 3 of them. He finished with 8 points, 3 rebounds and 2 assists.. Center. Indiana Pacers. MYLES TURNER
B+. This was the first time Thad played without tape on his injured left wrist. He looked great, scoring 19 points on 9 of 12 shooting. He also had 9 rebounds.. Power Forward. Indiana Pacers. THADDEUS YOUNG
C+. Started and didn’t get much shot opportunities, shooting 3 of 8 from the field for 7 points. He did add 6 rebounds and 3 assists, though.. Shooting Guard. Indiana Pacers. MONTA ELLIS
A. Dropped a season high of 24 points against his former team. The Pacers would not have been in this game without his efforts. Shot 8 of 12 from the field and 5 of 8 from deep.. Shooting Guard. Indiana Pacers. C.J. MILES
Picked up 5 fouls, some of them unnecessary, but overall showed some positive signs. Had some lapses, but was solid defensively. Shot 2 of 7 from the field, but did have 4 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists. Also displayed his never back down mentality, as he chirped with LeBron James at times.. Shooting Guard. Indiana Pacers. LANCE STEPHENSON. C+
Came in and did his job. Scored 5 points, making 2 of 2 field goals. Also grabbed 4 rebounds in his 16 minutes of action.. Power Forward. Indiana Pacers. LAVOY ALLEN. B-
D. Had a tough night, shooting 0 of 7 from the field in 14 minutes. He also had a target on his back on defense, as the Cavaliers continued to get mismatches with him and took advantage. Remember, Brooks has played solid prior to this game.. Point Guard. Indiana Pacers. AARON BROOKS