Post-Game Grades: Pacers come back and take 2-1 series lead
By Tony East
The game looked lost with the Pacers down 17 points at halftime. But the squad came back to defeat the Cavs and take the lead in the series.
The Cavs showed up in matching suits, but the Pacers matching yellow uniforms were victorious in this one. A 17 point lead wasn’t enough for LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers.
100. Final. 90. 156. 92
LeBron himself was still dominant. 28 points, 12 rebounds, and eight assists were nothing to scoff at. But the Pacers once again did a great job stopping everyone else. Kyle Korver was a non-factor. Jordan Clarkson and George Hill couldn’t get anything going. Jeff Green continues to be an overwhelming negative. The Pacers have answers for a lot of the Cavs questions.
Also, Bojan Bogdanovic refused to lose. We will talk a lot about him later, but he went scorched Earth in the second half and played incredible defense. The Croatian forward was everywhere tonight, and he was the leader of the Pacers comeback.
The Good: Bojan Bogdanovic. Oh. My. Gosh. 30 points. 7/9 from deep. He played amazing defense on LeBron too. He told reporters after the game he was happier with his defense than his offense: “Everyone said before the season that I couldn’t defend” he stated proudly. Bojan was amazing on both ends of the floor.
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The Bad: Nothing was really bad, per se. Victor Oladipo struggled with double teams in the first half, but he rectified that problem in the second. Lance Stephenson made some dumb plays, but his energy and effort guarding LeBron were important. Sabonis was really bad but found some groove in the fourth quarter. So I guess Sabonis was “the bad”, but nothing was so awful tonight.
MVP: Bojan Bogdanovic. Amazing defense and offense, and he spearheaded the comeback. The most obvious game MVP ever.
LVP: JR Smith. He had the last shot to win the game and missed it, but that isn’t why he is the LVP. He played the farthest below his expectation. He was 3/11 (2/8 from deep) and had five fouls. He was simply not good enough for the Cavs in this one.
X-Factor: The Bankers Life Fieldhouse Windows. The stadium was gloomy and dark, and the Cavaliers had a 57-42 lead. Then, the stadium operators opened the windows and showed the skyline. With new light entering the stadium, the Pacers went on a 50-33 run to close the game and win. Thanks, natural light!
C. Collison had, quietly, a poor game. 1/7 shooting and just three points. Also only three assists. None of his defense was special either. He is still the best floor general on the team, but he did not play well in this one.. PG. Indiana Pacers. DARREN COLLISON
Indiana Pacers. VICTOR OLADIPO. B-. Victor, like Collison, wasn’t his usual self when it came to scoring. 18 points on 15 shots isn’t awesome. But Vic played great D, dished out 7 assists, and overcame a challenge with the Cavaliers double teams. He did his part.. SG
SF. Indiana Pacers. BOJAN BOGDANOVIC. $. There isn’t enough I can say about Bojan. He was AMAZING. He couldn’t miss. He played awesome D. Just an incredible, jaw-dropping performance.
A-. Thad was the second best Pacer, and he was everywhere on both ends. He had countless deflections and played great D. He piled on 12 points and seven rebounds. A very Thad game.. PF. Indiana Pacers. THADDEUS YOUNG
A-. Myles was nearly as good as Thad in this one. His +11 was the second-best on the team. He pulled down a team-high 10 rebounds. He was 4/7 inside the arc. Oh, and he played well on D. Myles continues to be good in the series.. C. Indiana Pacers. MYLES TURNER
DOMANTAS SABONIS. D+. Before the 4th quarter, Domas looked unplayable. He picked it up in the fourth period, but his seven points didn’t outweigh his three fouls and two turnovers. He needs to be better going forward.. C. Indiana Pacers
SG. Indiana Pacers. LANCE STEPHENSON. C+. 3/8 shooting is just okay, but it’s fine for Lance. But five rebounds is good for a wing, and his D on LeBron was good again. And the energy he brings is unrivaled. Lance might have the impact that is the hardest to measure in the box score in the entire NBA.
PG. Indiana Pacers. CORY JOSEPH. B. Has anyone’s play been talked about less than Cory Joseph’s in this series? He continues to play great D, and six points on two shots is very efficient. CoJo was solid in this game.
PF. Indiana Pacers. TJ LEAF. :). TJ didn’t play, but he was helping the guards’ practice dribble handoffs before the game, so he gets a smiley face for being a helpful teammate.
:(. Joe Young was inactive with a sinus infection. Get well soon, Joey Buckets.. PG. Indiana Pacers. JOE YOUNG
B. I love this dude. Battles hard all the time. His two rebounds in five minutes were solid and the team was able to tread water with him out there at the same time as LeBron (just a -1). Booker was useful.. F. Indiana Pacers. TREVOR BOOKER
Next: Thad Young talks to 8p9s
The Pacers will look to take a 3-1 series lead on Sunday at 8:30 pm EST in Bankers Life Fieldhouse. This series demands your attention, so tune in.