Post-Game Grades: T.J. Leaf drops 18 points in the Pacers win over the Cavaliers
By Ben Gibson
102. 156. 106. 100. Final
T.J. Leaf went off in the fourth quarter for 18 points, sealing a comeback win for the Indiana Pacers over the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Good: T.J. Leaf can shoot.
The leaves were falling, wait… Leaf… um, OK, this pun got away from me, but you just need to know Leaf was ballin’ in the fourth quarter as he scored all 18 of his points on 6-for-7 shooting, going a perfect 4-for-4 from deep. The barrage lifted Indiana past the Cleveland Cavaliers for their second win of the preseason.
His defense was suspect at times, but knocking down shot after shot erases those mistakes rather quickly. After a forgettable performance in Indiana’s win over the Milwaukee Bucks, Leaf reminded us why he was taken in the first round.
More from 8 Points, 9 Seconds
- 2 Studs, 1 dud from gut-wrenching Indiana Pacers loss to Charlotte Hornets
- Handing out early-season grades for Pacers’ Bruce Brown, Obi Toppin
- 3 positives, 2 negatives in Pacers In-Season Tournament win vs. Cavaliers
- 2 positives, 3 negatives from first week of Indiana Pacers basketball
- Should Isaiah Jackson’s days with Indiana Pacers be numbered?
The Bad: It is only preseason, but the Cavaliers were leading by as much as 20 points in the first half. They played without LeBron James but still were cutting up the Pacers on both ends of the floor. This game easily could’ve gotten out of hand if the Cavaliers kept their foot on the gas. On the bright side, Indiana never tapped out.
MVP: Leaf’s 18 points led the Pacers, and the way he closed out the game shows his offensive potential in a perceptible way. His defense is very much an issue, but let’s enjoy the positives for now.
LVP: Bojan Bogdanovic struggled shooting on Friday with a 1-for-5 performance. He had good looks from outside but went 0-for-4.
X-Factor: Domantas Sabonis scored 17 points coming off the bench for Indiana while grabbing seven rebounds. He shot 6-for-8 from the floor, including a 3-pointer and four free throws to round out his point total.
Indiana Pacers. MYLES TURNER. B. Only one rebound, but Myles Turner’s 5-for-10 shooting and defense were a solid contribution. He missed both of his 3-point attempts on Friday, but through two preseason games he isn’t hesitating like he used to on long-range attempts.. C
B. 14 points on 6-for-12 shooting is a solid night for Victor Oladipo. His five assists and two steals would be more meaningful had he not handed out four turnovers as well. His ability to get the ball up court quickly put the Cavaliers on their heels at times, something the Pacers should look to do more often.. SG. Indiana Pacers. VICTOR OLADIPO
A slow start gave way to an 8 point, 9 rebound game for Thaddeus Young. Young’s play is acceptable through two preseason games, but I’d like to see him have a bigger influence on the game in future outings.. PF. Indiana Pacers. THADDEUS YOUNG. B
C. Not a Good Lance or a Bad Lance, but just a so-so game for Lance Stephenson. His 4-for-12 shooting was rough but he also forced the Cavaliers to foul him several times, an underrated skill. He also grabbed four rebounds and handed out four assists.. SG. Indiana Pacers. LANCE STEPHENSON
D. Bojan Bog-ged-down-a-bit tonight, AMIRITE GUYS?. SF. Indiana Pacers. BOJAN BOGDANOVIC
C-. Darren Collison was 2-for-3 on the night while giving out four assists. His defense was suspect as usual, but I expected more from him tonight.. PG. Indiana Pacers. DARREN COLLISON
A. Domantas Sabonis showed he isn’t just the other guy from the trade this summer.. PF/C. Indiana Pacers. DOMANTAS SABONIS
?. Had the best +/- on the night for Indiana at +13, but not entirely sure how much he influenced that. The effort was there and he didn’t look bad, but he only had two points and two rebounds.. SF. Indiana Pacers. DAMIEN WILKINS
A decent stat line of five points, five assists and three rebounds while helping lead the charge back in the second half.. PG. Indiana Pacers. CORY JOSEPH. B
TJ LEAF. A. ALL HAIL T.J. LEAF.. PF. Indiana Pacers
Two points and three rebounds for Al Jefferson, but he only played eight minutes.. C. Indiana Pacers. AL JEFFERSON. C
ALEX POYTHRESS. C-. He played but only scored one point and grabbed one rebound.. SF. Indiana Pacers
B. A perfect shooting night by going to 2-for-2 from 3-point range.. PG. Indiana Pacers. JOE YOUNG