The Indiana Pacers(18-17) defeated the Atlanta Hawks(17-17) 129-114 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse Tuesday night.
What a bounce-back game for the Pacers after getting mauled by the Pelicans the night before.
The team looked like they were on a mission to get right, as they outscored the Hawks in every single quarter (except the third, which they tied), and never gave up the lead, even when the Hawks brought it within 3 in the middle of the fourth quarter.
The team also improved on its lackluster rebounding from the previous night, grabbing 49 boards against Atlanta versus 36 against the Pelicans. Being a good team means making adjustments, and seeing the Pacers win by improving on what made them lose shows not only mettle from the players, but great coaching by Rick Carlisle.
Here’s three Pacers who shone in tonight’s win
Buddy Hield- G/F
Never doubt that when this man gets the ball behind the arc, you will regret giving him any space. Buddy Buckets poured in a game leading 28 Pts in 30 min of action. In addition, Hield shot a scorching 6/7 from 3 Pt land and flirted with a double-double, collecting 9 boards. While he is a long-shot to make the all-star game, he should be a no brainer for the 3 point contest this year and is having one of his best statistical seasons to date. With his trade value at a season high, should they cash in, or keep the sniper for the teams future?
Oshae Brissett- F
There’s the Brissett I was waiting to see! After not scoring in double digits dropping 11 versus the Warriors 2 weeks ago, Brissett was a man on a mission in this one. The versatile forward dropped 16 points on great efficiency (5/6 FG), along with 5 boards in 20 min of action. Brissett is at his best when he plays aggressive, and he definitely showed that tonight by getting to the line 3 times tonight and forcing his will on the offensive side when needed. As said before, if we can get this version of Brissett on a consistent basis, it will be hard to stop a trio of Brissett, Duarte, and Mathurin from getting buckets off the bench.
Speaking of which…
Bennedict Mathurin-G
Welcome back Bennedict Mathurin! After a slew of disappointing games for the promising rookie, Mathurin showed once again why he is a contender in the rookie of the year race. The first-year guard shot 6/11 to go along with a perfect 6/6 at the FT line, as well as 3 assists in 26 min of action. Mathurin’s choice of scoring was his inside game today, as he constantly penetrated the Atlanta defense for tough buckets and clean lays en-route to a win for the Pacers. Hopefully today’s game ignites a hot stretch for the rookie, who still has time to catch Paolo Banchero for rookie of the year honors.
The Indiana Pacers continue their 4-game homestand Thursday against the Cleveland Cavaliers at GainBridge Fieldhouse, and look to exact revenge for their fourth quarter collapse in Cleveland just two weeks ago.