The Indiana Pacers wasted no time in starting the season off right, laying a disheartening beatdown on the Memphis Grizzlies in their first game.
The Indiana Pacers controlled the game from the opening tip and ground the “Grit and Grind” Grizzlies into a fine bear powder. At one point in the first, the Pacers were enjoying a 17-3 margin on the glass and finished with a dominating 57-28 advantage there.
It’s only the first game, and maybe this is the year the wheels fall off of the Gasol/Conley combination, but goodness gracious did the Pacers pummel this poor Grizzlies team. Gasol and Conley combined to shoot just 5-22 from the field as the Pacers held the Grizz to just 30% shooting overall. Marc Gasol tried repeatedly to attack Myles Turner on the low block, and got absolutely nothing for his efforts.
A stronger Turner rebuked him repeatedly in a match that Gasol has dominated handily in the past. No starter played more than 28 minutes in a feel-good romp that saw the Pacers dominate in the paint and on the glass. It’s not a very “2018” feeling map to success, but if the combination of Turner/Sabonis/Thad Young can bludgeon teams like this nightly, the Pacers have no need to change that formula whatsoever.
The Good: Rebounding. My biggest concern for the Pacers coming into this year was answered resoundingly for at least 1 game, as the Pacers carried a 57-28 advantage on the glass.
The Bad: Not much. T.J. Leaf rolled an ankle and didn’t return. Doug McDermott and Tyreke Evans combined to only shoot 2-10 from deep, after being at 49% and 40% respectively last season. Overall, a great, great win.
MVP: Domas Sabonis. He looked hungry out there and took advantage of just a smidge of foul trouble by Myles Turner. Nate couldn’t find reasons to sit him, and he led the team in minutes tonight.
LVP: Darren Collison. He was the only Pacers rotation player who finished with a negative +/- (-1) and didn’t really do anything. Conley did have a rough offensive game, which DC should get at least a bit of credit for.
X-Factor: Bojan Bogdanovic. Bogie led the team in scoring with 19 and scored 8 of the first 10 Pacers points. The rest of the Pacers carried this hot start throughout, and Bojan appeared to have set the tone well while only missing 2 shots on the night.
That’s right, everyone get’s an A. They all earned good grades for dominating the first game of the season, every if some dudes played better than others.
The Pacers next game is Friday, 10/19 at 8:30 in Milwaukee for the Bucks home opener.