Indiana Pacers: 3 takeaways from statement win against the New York Knicks

Myles Turner proved that he can be the alpha guy for the Indiana Pacers, even on offense

Again, what a way to silence the haters.

Amidst the fresh narratives of returning injured players for the Indiana Pacers, as well as the New York Knicks’ inherent glimmer and headline-grabbing names, it was Myles Turner who shone the brightest.

Swishing a career-high seven three-pointers en route to 25 points, Turner punished the big men of New York for consistently sagging off of him. Off to a good rhythm after a red-hot first quarter, Myles continued to exploit the Knicks on the perimeter, knocking down two huge triples in the fourth frame to effectively quash their chances at mounting a comeback.

Though his recent struggles may suggest otherwise, through nine games, Turner is logging career-highs in points, rebounds, field goal percentage, and three-point percentage despite averaging his lowest minutes per outing since his rookie year.

It is too farfetched to think that Myles can shoot like this consistently, but the elephant in the room is that he seems to be well-settled in his role as one of the league’s better stretch-fives and rim deterrents. No, Turner may not reach some people’s needlessly lofty standards, but he’s certainly proved a lot of them wrong, and the numbers agree with me.