Boom Baby! is a weekly article headlining the best things of the Indiana Pacers from the previous week. Check back each Monday to see what is highlighted and what might make you shout, “Boom Baby!”
It is definitely tough when a 1-2 week is an improvement, but considering how tragically this season has started, any good news is really good news. The W-L may still be going in the wrong direction, and the injury report is still a main storyline, but the Pacers showed fight this week.
These highlights of the week are helping the team trend in the right direction, and we will start off with an absolute bang!
Bennedict Mathurin is a flamethrower
Mathurin has started this year white-hot. Even though his start was truncated by a toe injury, he picked up where he left off when he returned and hasn’t looked back. He has a scoring average of 26.4 ppg in just over 33 minutes. Even better? He is scoring at a 50% clip from the field and over 38% on 3-pointers. Who knows if this will hold for the season (hey, I think it might), but for now Benn is playing at an All-Star level, and I’m here for it.
Win No. 2
It took until game 15, but man, did it feel great to beat the Charlotte Hornets. Even though the final score is single digits and the end-of-game close-out wasn’t to write home about, the Pacers seemed in pretty firm control for most of this one. Playing with speed, confidence, and accuracy, the Pacers put it all together Wednesday night. This was one to build on.
A rivalry in the making?
Coming back into focus tonight is the rivalry-to-be between the Pacers and Pistons. If things hold the way they are this season – and the Pacers rebound next year – this may be a 2027 playoff matchup that reignites a rivalry that carries a lot of history and beef. But, not like a $5 cheeseburger beef. More like a big, Angus Porterhouse steak’s worth of beef. Who doesn’t want that?
Andrew Nembhard, the new point guard
Arguably the toughest transition this year in on-court play was for Andrew Nembhard, who was shifting from primarily a secondary playmaker or shooting guard to the primary point guard and playmaker.
I think he is doing as well, or better, than anyone could have expected this season – especially with the injury woes. He leads the team with 6.4 assists per game and oftentimes is dropping dimes to others who miss shots – along with averaging 19 ppg. Nemby has been as advertised this season and is adding to his value for seasons to come.
Bonus: A dive into the Pacers’ Finals run
Because life is hectic, I was finally able to start watching Starting 5 on Netflix last week. In the midst of mounting losses and injuries, taking a reprieve in the behind-the-scenes of Hali’s life and the Pacers’ magical run last year is fantastic. Next time your heart breaks for an underwhelming performance, take an hour or two and go back into last season. It won’t disappoint.