The Indiana Pacers came out reasonably strong against the Warriors, pushing up to a 16-16 tie before getting absolutely steamrolled for the next 10 minutes.
The Indiana Pacers faced a tall task in just their second game since Victor Oladipo’s season-ending knee injury. Then, Tyreke Evans wrecked his car and missed the game due to back soreness. That combination led to the Pacers starting Edmond Sumner on Klay Thompson, and the game went about as well as expected.
Sumner actually did reasonably well on defense, but the Pacers looked undermanned against the 5 All-Star starting lineup of the reigning champs.
Myles Turner is getting a longer leash
Nate might finally give Myles Turner a little more of the reigns. Turner scored 16 in just 26 minutes, and there’s certainly room for more. Watching Turner shoo away the Pacers guards in order to hold for the final shot was awesome; the fact that he took Kevon Looney off the dribble for a dunk made it that much sweet. Myles Turner has a real chance to grow during Oladipo’s absence.
The Warriors are insanely good
The Warriors are good. Really, really good. Klay Thompson didn’t do much of anything against Edmond Sumner. It didn’t matter in the least. Steph Curry went on an 8-0 run himself after the Pacers tied the game at 16, and it was never close again. The amount of talent on the Warriors is unreal.
Aaron Holiday is making the most of his playing time
Aaron Holiday is going to make the most of his minutes. Holiday came out firing and finished 4-5 from deep, along with pesky defense. Holiday is going to be overmatched on a lot of nights, especially on a roster that might necessitate him to play shooting guard far too much, but he’s a competitor and he belongs. The Pacers found a winner in snatching Holiday late in the draft.
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The Pacers play next on Wednesday, 1/30 at the Washington Wizards.