Pacers strike gold against the Warriors

The Pacers defeated host Golden State in a late Monday night game 102-94. The Pacers are 33-7 and the Warriors fell to 26-17.
The Big Plays
There were a few big plays in this game, but there were two that particularly stuck out on the offensive end in the waning moments. And on each occasion the Pacers had a four-point lead. The first one was a Lance Stephenson 3-pointer with six seconds left on the shot clock with just over three minutes left that pushed the Pacers lead back to seven. Then George Hill hit a 3-pointer as the shot clock was winding down with about 1:30 left. Also, Hill made a key play with just under 20 seconds left when he didn't foul Warriors sharpshooter Stephen Curry, making him take a contested shot that he missed to keep the Pacers lead at four points. Ok, so that was three big plays there, for those of who scoring at home.
The Ups
1) This was one of those games where the Pacers' defensive mentality was challenged. To hold the high scoring Warriors under 100 points is quite an accomplishment. There was a period where they seemed to get caught up in the Warriors pace, from midway through the third quarter into midway into the fourth. But they still had enough left to hold off the Warriors. For the game Golden State shot 41 percent, including 10 of 30 from 3-point range. That's a lot of 3-pointers for even a team like the Warriors to be chucking up. That's a credit to the Pacers' interior defense not allowing the Warriors inside, but it's also sort of the way Golden State likes to play. But the Pacers know that living at the 3-point line can be a bit of fool's gold and that defense is where the real treasure lies.

Pacers center Roy Hibbert emerged from a shooting
slump to hit 7 of 11 shots from the field Monday.

2) Pacers center Roy Hibbert had been in a shooting slump, having shot better than 50 percent just once in the last eight games. But Hibbert emerged by hitting 7 of 11 shots in this one to go with 13 rebounds. Also, Hibbert had a key block in what looked to be a certain Golden State fast break layup late in the third quarter. And while it counts as just one blocked shot, the momentum it stopped can't really be measured.
3) The Pacers also got a key contribution from backup center Ian Mahinmi. He had six points, but my favorite play by him was when he hustled back to tip the ball out of bounds on a potential Warriors fast break. Golden State got the ball out of bounds, but didn't score in the possession. One of those little plays that saved the Pacers a basket in a game where every basket mattered.
4) Lance Stephenson continued his all-star campaign with a 14 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists. Along with the 3-pointer, Stephenson also had a key offensive rebound late in the game that put the Pacers lead back to six points. There's no way the Pacers win this game without a good game from Stephenson. And yes, the Pacers are now 27-2 when Stephenson has four or more assists.
5) Finally, yes, we'll give a shout out to the Atlanta Hawks for beating the Miami Heat Monday night. That puts the Heat five games behind the Pacers in the loss column. That's going to be very difficult for Miami to overcome. It's the equivalent of a major league baseball team having to overcome a 10-game deficit at the halfway point of the season.
The Downs
1) The Pacers got caught up in the home team's quick pace there for a bit. And even though that's part of life in the NBA, it's still something they need to learn from. After building their lead to 60-40 early in the third quarter, you could see the Pacers intensity drop just a little, and the Warriors then play with a bit of desperation. The only thing the Pacers could have done better in this game was to match the Warriors energy in that moment. It's the hardest thing for a road team to do against a good opponent and something you can be assured the coaching staff will mention.
2) Sometimes, I wasn't sure what the officiating crew was watching in this game. The moving pick is supposedly a point of emphasis this season, but Warriors center Andrew Bogut consistently got away with it Monday night. And that's a big deal when you have players like Curry and Klay Thompson on your team, who just need that extra split second to get separation to shoot a 3-pointer.
3) I don't know what the exact issue was with the playing surface at Golden State, but players were slipping all over the place in this game. One time fans thought Stephen Curry made an ankle breaking move on Paul George, but really George just slipped and fell. It was happening for both teams. I can't believe the Warriors players are happy about it either. It's something they need to fix immediately before a player suffers a serious injury.
Afterthoughts
The first thing here is the Pacers won the first game of a five-game trip. As Pacers forward David West said, it's always key to start a long trip with a win. It lifts everyone's spirits and then helps a team think anything is possible on the trip. The second thing here, is that the Pacers found a way to hold on after a big second-half push by the Warriors. Winning games like these is why they have the best record in the league. The win also extended the Pacers winning streak to five games, their fourth such winning streak this season of five games or more.
Next Up
The Pacers play at Phoenix at 10:30 p.m. Wednesday on ESPN. The Suns have been one of the league's surprises this year and a big reason for that is the contributions they are getting from a couple of ex-Pacers in Miles Plumlee and Gerald Green. Plumlee is averaging 9.4 points, 8.7 rebounds and 1.65 blocks. Green is averaging 13.4 points per game and the occasional highlight dunk, too. While the Pacers gave up Plumlee, Green and a first-round pick to get power forward Luis Scola, no one on the Pacers side is complaining about the deal and it appears to have worked out well for both teams, at least for this season. The Suns are led in scoring by guard Goran Dragic at 19.4 points to go with six assists. Also they have Channing Frye at 12.4 points per game, Markieff Morris at 12.2 points, Marcus Morris at 10.2 points and the recently signed former Pacer Leandra Barbosa at 10 points in just five games. The Pacers catch a bit of break here as the Suns are without guard Eric Bledsoe, who was averaging 18 points a game, before having knee surgery. The Suns come into the game with a 23-17 record, the eighth-best mark in the Western Conference.

George reminds why he's on MVP list

The Pacers defeated the visiting Los Angeles Clippers 106-92 Saturday night. The Pacers are now an NBA best 32-7 on the season while the Clippers fell to 28-14.
The Big Plays
Who didn't love Paul George's 360 degree dunk? But this one was decided early on. The Pacers found themselves down 13-6 in the early going, then outscored the Clippers 27-5 on a run that continued early into the second quarter giving them a 15-point lead.  And while the spectacular dunk didn't come until after the outcome was decided late in the game to give the Pacers a 22-point lead, George scored 13 of the Pacers' 27 points in the early run. The Clippers tried to hang around for a while in this one, but they could get no closer than nine points early in the fourth quarter.
The Ups

Paul George had a highlight dunk in Saturday's win over
the Clippers, but he also scored 36 points.

1)  We've heard plenty about Lance Stephenson deserving to be an all-star, and hey, we're not arguing that point at all. But George's last three games have reminded Pacers and NBA fans on why he is on the list when it comes to talking about potential MVPs in the league this year. Including his 36-point game Saturday night, George is now averaging just under 31 points a game in his last three games. And they haven't all been layups. Those numbers include shooting 30 of 52 overall from the field, and hitting 13 of 21 from 3-point range. Yes, George had the highlight dunk of the night, but as Pacers fans know, his game is about much more than that. George had one of his most efficient games of the season hitting 12 of 17 field goals, all seven his free throws and five of six 3-pointers Saturday. Soon to be a second-time All-Star, George asserted himself in this one and the Clippers simply didn't have an answer for him. And even with all the good numbers, the one that Coach Frank Vogel might have liked the most is that George had just one turnover.
2) Lance Stephenson continued his push to make the all-star team with 22 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists. Stephenson seems to have found his groove at the right time too when it comes to all-star consideration. He has scored in double figures in the last seven games he has played in and he's also had four or more assists in all but one of those games. When Stephenson reaches the four assists mark the Pacers are 26-2. Yes, the turnovers are still a bit of problem at times with him, as he had four on this night. but hey, if makes them while he's having fun and the Pacers have a lead well into double digits, then it's a little difficult to complain.
3) The Clippers thought they could challenge center Roy Hibbert on this night, especially early on. And the defensive player of the year candidate may well have set the tone for the this game as he had all five of his blocks in the first eight minutes of the game. The result is that a talented offensive team like the Clippers ended up shooting just 40 percent from the field, including Blake Griffin and J.J. Redick combining to shoot 10 for 25. Hibbert also finished with 11 rebounds in the game.
The Downs
1) It's no secret I'm a big Hibbert fan, and he went through a tough offensive stretch at about this time last year and it seems to be happening again. Hibbert went 2 for 11 from field Saturday and it wouldn't be a big deal if it was just one off game. But the issue here is that he is that he has shot 50 percent or better from the field just once in the last eight games, and that was a 4-for-8 game. It's not easy as it looks for big guys to make shots down low as they are often nudged just enough to throw them a little off-balance. But Hibbert knows he needs to be better than this on the offensive end. The Pacers don't need him to dominant on the offensive end, but they do need him to be efficient. And this is not some sort of veiled suggestion that the Pacers should try and sign Andrew Bynum. Let him go ruin some other's team's chemistry, an element that is more important in basketball than any other sport. Hibbert will get better. He works too hard at the game. But the team needs to see some of the fruits of his labor sooner rather than later.
Afterthoughts
It's one thing to beat the Kings and Knicks easily at home, but the Clippers, even though they didn't have point guard Chris Paul and were on the second night of a back-to-back, are obviously quite a bit better than either of those teams. This is case where the Pacers' early momentum and confidence were apparent and the Clippers, though they didn't give up in this one, just seemed to know they weren't going to win at Indiana. The Pacers improved their home record to 21-1, a pretty daunting number for opponents to consider before they even set foot on the Bankers Life Fieldhouse Court.
Next Up
The Pacers begin their second five-game Western Conference road swing with a 10:30 p.m. Monday game at Golden State. The Warriors have a 26-16 record, so they are not quite challenging Portland, San Antonio and Oklahoma City for the conference's best record, but they are right there with those teams in terms of being a difficult opponent. They are led by guard Stephen Curry at 23 points and nine assists per game, David Lee at 19 points and almost 10 rebounds, Klay Thompson at 19 points, Harrison Barnes at 10 points, Andre Iguodala and the recently acquired Jordan Crawford at nine points, and Andrew Bogut at eight points and 10 rebounds. The Warriors also have former Pacer point guard Mark Jackson in his third season as coach. And really, it's no surprise at all that Jackson has helped make the Warriors relevant again in the West given how smart of a player he was. And having that Curry guy helps, too. Curry and Thompson will test the Pacers perimeter defense, too, as they each average three 3-pointers a game.

Pacers put on real show in win over Knicks

The Pacers defeated the hated New York Knicks Thursday night 117-89. The Pacers are 31-7 on the season while the Knicks are 15-24.
The Big Plays
The Pacers took control of this one in the second quarter. The Knicks came out strong and like many opponents at Bankers Life Fieldhouse this season, tried to make an early statement and built a 16-8 lead. But the Pacers had caught up, and led briefly by the end of the quarter, when the Knicks led 31-30. And from that point on the Pacers simply dominated, building the lead to 83-59 at the 4:37 mark of the third quarter. That's a 53-28 spread for those of you like me who may not be quick at math. By that point, the Pacers' Paul George had 25 points and Lance Stephenson 20.
The Ups
1) We'll get to George and Stephenson, but a lot of the credit for this victory should go to big men David West and Roy Hibbert for a sequence of plays that occurred midway in the second quarter that helped the Pacers take control for good. First, it was Hibbert who dove on the floor near halfcourt to keep the ball alive and he tapped it to a wide open West who had an uncontested path to the basket. But West showed why he is one of the real leaders on this team when he passed the ball to Stephenson to let him have the easy two points. And again, on the next Pacers' possession, West, recognizing that Hibbert had just dove on the floor for the ball, rewarded the center with a pass in the middle where Hibbert got fouled. And finally later in the quarter, Hibbert blocked the ball on a strong move by Anthony to put an exclamation point on the entire quarter. None of this is big box score stuff really. Just winning stuff. Just a prime example why the Pacers have the best record in the league.

Lance Stephenson made another bid to be picked for the All-Star game
by scoring 28 points in Thursday's win over the Knicks.

2) Stephenson and George have been key components to the Pacers success all season, but they were special on this night. George scored 10 of his 25 points in the third quarter, including the dagger 3-pointer to put the Pacers up by 22 with 7:20 left in the third and for all intents and purposes put this one away. Stephenson was having his usual fun on the court right from the get go and finished with a career-high 28 points. But maybe his most entertaining, or bizarre play, came in the third quarter, too. He was off balance when he corralled an almost errant pass at halfcourt. Still looking a bit out of control, he dribbled behind his back, continued forward, then dribbled between his legs before meeting some resistance, then did a spin move to avoid the defense and then whipped a pass to an open George under the basket for the layup. Quite the play by the player called Born Ready and that highlight just may get him a much deserved spot on the All-Star team.
3) A lot of the pre-game TV talk centered around the Pacers and what they need to work on in order to reach NBA Finals and win the title. One of the consistent topics that came up was turnovers and it is a legitimate point. But on this night, the Pacers took care of the ball quite well, with just five turnovers and it's true when that happens, they are basically unbeatable.
The Downs
1) When watching the Knicks, you can't help but feel a bit sorry for Indianapolis native and head coach Mike Woodson. He has to deal with a lot of personalities on the team (see J.R. Smith as exhibit A), and a team that just can't commit itself to play defense for all four quarters of a game every night. And you know he probably stood on the sidelines Thursday night and wondered why his team couldn't be a little more like the Pacers. But even with the Woodson factor here, Pacers fans always thoroughly enjoy watching their team stomp the Knicks.
Afterthoughts
This is what happens when the Pacers have a reasonable amount of rest and are at home. They are just one difficult team not only to beat, but to compete with as well. The Knicks Thursday night, and the Kings Tuesday night had been playing well for the most part before coming to Indianapolis. The Knicks having won 5 of 6 and the Kings three straight. But neither team was competitive against the Pacers. What it means is that if you want to the beat the Pacers, especially in Indianapolis, you have to be prepared to not only come in and play hard, but you have to play well, too. And there's just not that many teams in the NBA who can come up with that combination on the road against Indy, which is now 20-1 at home this season.
Next Up
The Pacers play host to the visiting Los Angeles Clippers in a 7 p.m. game Saturday on NBA TV. The Clippers are 23-17 and are at the Knicks Friday night. The Clippers have title aspirations and even though they are without point guard Chris Paul, who is expected to be out until around the all-star break on Feb. 16 with a right shoulder separation. Paul had been averaging over 19 points and 11 assists per game. The Clippers however, did recently get shooting guard J.J. Redick back and he had a career-high 33 points in their Wednesday night victory against Dallas. Redick and reserve Jamal Crawford each average over 16 points a game. The Clippers are also led by Blake Griffin at 22 points and 10.3 rebounds per game. And filling in for Paul at point guard has been former Pacers starter Darren Collison, who is averaging 9.5 and 2.7 assists. Collison has scored in double figures and had four or more assists in six straight games. The Clippers also have center DeAndre Jordan who is averaging 9.5 points and 13.4 rebounds. The Pacers did win the first matchup of the season in Los Angeles with a 105-100 victory, where they were led by George with 27 points, West with 24 and Hibbert with 19.

Stephenson's game about more than the stats

The Pacers defeated the visiting Sacramento Kings 116-92 Tuesday night. The win lifted the Pacers NBA best record to 30-7 while the Kings fell to 13-22.
The Big Plays
The Pacers put this one away with an extended run midway through the second quarter. The Pacers trailed 33-32, but then outscored the Kings 23-5 to build the lead to 17 points with 2:50 to go and to essentially take control. The Kings were never closer than nine points the rest of the way. Another key play, too, came at the end of the third quarter. The Kings' Marcus Thornton hit a 3-pointer to cut it to nine points with 3.2 seconds left. But the Pacers' Paul George dribbled through the standing-around Kings defense and banked in a 3-pointer at the buzzer to snuff any small hopes the Kings had of a rally.

Lance Stephenson didn't have a triple-double
but his energy was a key factor in the Pacers win.

The Ups
1) This wasn't Lance Stephenson's best game as far as getting or coming close to a triple double with 13 points, five rebounds and five assists. But Stephenson's energy and ability to set up teammates for baskets was on display throughout the night. The Pacers are now 24-2 when the player known as "Born Ready" has four or more assists. His ability to consistently push the ball up the floor and put pressure on the other team's defense is something that is difficult to measure on the stat sheet. And of course, there was that fastbreak he led and scored on late in the second quarter, where he dribbled between his legs just before crossing the halfcourt line and the finished the break with a layup. The play caused the Kings to call a timeout and then we got to see a Stephenson smile which reminds us yet again that playing this game can indeed be fun. And just in case you missed it, here's the link to Stephenson's all-star vote video, which is a fun little watch, too. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_61Dq6lXMI
2) Paul George seemed to get on track a bit in the Pacers loss at Atlanta last week. He then had just eight points in Friday's win over the Wizards, his only non double-figure scoring night of the season. He came back to score 31 on an efficient 10 of 18 from the field Tuesday and along with Stephenson, played a key role in the second quarter when the Pacers pulled away in this one. George it seems is certain to be on the All-Star team again and deservedly so. And one of the best things too he did in this one was hold the Kings' Rudy Gay to 12 points. Gay had hurt the Pacers earlier this season when he was with Toronto, so it was good to see that George didn't let that happen again and a reminder too that George is a quality defensive player.
3) Frank Vogel is a legitimate candidate for coach of the year honors so it's nice to see that he will be the coach for the Eastern Conference in the NBA All-Star game. Vogel has grown with this team and he's proven it with a number of decisions during the season. My personal favorite is that when the Pacers have a 20-second timeout left at the end of the half (you get one a half), Vogel will use it to set up the final play of the quarter. He did that again Tuesday night and it led to a layup for David West to end the half. Vogel has also made other key decisions, too, like sitting Stephenson at the end of a blowout game when Stephenson was clearly playing just to get a triple-double, and not within the team concept, even though the home crowd wanted Stephenson to stay in. So, the Pacers coach has proven he will do the right thing, even if popular opinion wants otherwise.
The Downs
1) There was simply not much to not like from the Pacers standpoint here. There was a stretch in the second quarter where the second unit allowed the Kings to take the lead briefly, but after a Vogel timeout, reserves Danny Granger with a 3-pointer, Louis Scola and C.J. Watson each scored to give the Pacers the lead for good.
2) The Kings drafted Ben McLemore with the seventh pick and so far, while he's shown some ability, he's also shown he has a ways to go. He's scored in double figures just once in his last 11 games. The Kings probably weren't counting on him to be a savior, but they do need him to be a significant contributor and so far that's not been the case.
Afterthoughts
One of the things a top NBA team must do to compete for the best record in its conference and the league is have an exceptionally good home court record. The Pacers have met that challenge quite well as they are 19-1 at home. It's to a point now where the Pacers play with a high level of confidence at Bankers Life Fieldhouse and opponents too, know that they are going to have a tough time winning a game there and that's half the battle.
Next Up
The Pacers play again Thursday night when the play host the hated New York Knicks in a 7 p.m. game on TNT. The Knicks had been feeling good about themselves lately with a five-game winning streak, including wins over the Miami Heat and Phoenix Suns. However, they did lose Tuesday night at Charlotte 108-98. They are led by Carmelo Anthony at 26 points a game, Andrea Bargnani at 13.5 points and Ray Felton and J.R. Smith each at 11 points a game. The Knicks, who are 15-23 on the season, did get center Tyson Chandler back Tuesday. He had missed four straight games with a respiratory infection and that could be a boost to them, especially on the defensive end.

Nothing magical about Pacers win over Wizards

The Pacers defeated the visiting Washington Wizards 93-66 Friday night. The Pacers are now 29-7 and the Wizards are 16-18.
The Big Plays
The Pacers got a nice edge in the second quarter and then pretty much put this one away in the third quarter, which has often been the case this season. The Pacers hit 10 of 15 shots in that second quarter and they put the game away with a 15-4 run going from the end of the second quarter into the early minutes of the third quarter to build a 56-40 lead. The lead was never below double digits after that.
The Ups

The Pacers defense made things difficult for the Wizards Friday night.

1) Wizards point guard John Wall has been one of the best point guards in the league this year at over 19 points and eight assists per game. But in two games against the Pacers, Wall has combined to shoot 8 for 29 from the field with 21 points. It just tells you something about the Pacers defense and how if a team doesn't have more than one consistent weapon, the Pacers are tough to beat. And the 66 points allowed was their best mark of the season and the ninth time they have held an opponent to 80 points or less. It's still all about the defense here and exciting or not, it's what has put the Pacers at the top of the league.
2) I'm not sure you could say David West had been in a bit of a slump or not, but it was good to see West return to form on offense with 20 points. It was his first game of over 20 points since he scored 23 back on Dec. 18 against Miami. It was also good to see because this was a matchup the Pacers needed to win as Trevor Booker is the Wizards power forward. West is certainly one of the leaders on this team and while he doesn't have to be the leading scorer, the Pacers do need him to step up on the scoring end when they have a clear advantage at his position like they did Friday night.
2) If you had never seen Lance Stephenson play before, you would think he had missed maybe a month and was just so anxious to play he couldn't contain himself. But we know that it was just one game and it was good to see the player known as Born Ready back on the court. He finished with 11 points, 10 rebounds and five assists. So, the triple-double watch never quite hit full throttle. But the best thing about seeing Stephenson return to the court was that he reminds us all it's OK to have fun playing the game and no matter what anybody says, there's nothing wrong with that.
3) This may be my favorite play of the season so far. I'm not saying its the best play, or most meaningful, or anything like that, just my favorite. It came with 5:26 left in the second quarter and the shot clock was winding down at about five seconds. That's when Stephenson found a wide open Roy Hibbert in the corner and the 7-2 center calmly sank a 3-pointer. The best part though may have been Hibbert's reaction. He ran down the court like it was no big deal as the shot gave the Pacers at 34-26 lead. Just another reason to like the big guy, who continues to expand his game.
5) And we can't forget about C.J. Watson here, too. He had a perfect night hitting all six of his shots and all three or his free throws for 16 points. Watson has been a solid addition to this team and Friday night was just another example of why.
The Downs
1) We understand that not even the best players in the world are going to hit all of their free throws. However, the fact the Pacers and Wizards hit 7 of their first 23 free throws was somewhat comical. You know it's bad news when at halftime, you are shooting worse from the free-throw line than you are from the field, and you're not even shooting 50 percent from the field. In the end, it didn't matter in this game, so really no big deal as far as the Pacers are concerned. They've shot the ball well from the line lately, making being 4 of 11 at the line in the first half all the more fascinating.
Afterthoughts
This was the way you like to see the Pacers play after one of their rare losses. Especially since it was a home game, it was good that it was not interesting. Also, these are the kind of games where you don't want to slip up when you are trying to get the best record in the Eastern Conference or the league. The fact they are one win away from 30 and haven't reached the 40th game of the season is quite a reward for us long-time Pacers fans, who remember those mid-80s seasons when just getting to 30 wins was a step forward.
Next Up
Speaking of teams that would like to get to 30 wins for a season, the Pacers next opponent is the Sacramento Kings at Banker's Life Fieldhouse in a 7 p.m. game Tuesday. The Kings are a bit dangerous in that they are capable of playing a good game every now and then. They beat the Trail Blazers in a home game earlier this week. They are led by DeMarcus Cousins at 23.5 points and 11.5 rebounds a game, newly acquired Rudy Gay at 20 points a game and point guard Isiah Thomas Jr. at 19.4 points and 6.2 assists. The Kings had an 11-22 mark going into Friday night's game against the visiting Orlando Magic.

'Pacer-struck' makes its debut in Atlanta

The visiting Pacers fell to the Atlanta Hawks 97-87 Wednesday night, ending the Pacers three-game winning streak. The loss put the Pacers record at 28-7 while the Hawks improved to 19-17.
The Big Plays
This is probably a bit simplistic, but really this game was all about the first few minutes. The Hawks opened the game with a 12-0 run and that was pretty much it. Those opening minutes reminded me a bit of that movie from a couple of years ago, "Thunderstruck" where Kevin Durant loses his ability to play basketball. It was as if the Pacers kind of just forgot what to do out there as they shot just 23 percent from the field and had five turnovers in the first quarter. By the time they started to play similar to what they have for almost all of the season the Hawks had a 25-point lead in the third quarter and it was just too late.
The Ups

One of the good things in Wednesday's loss to Atlanta
for the Pacers was that Paul George found his rhythm again.

1) It was good to see Paul George get back into some type of rhythm. George finished with 28 points and 12 rebounds on 11 of 25 shooting from the floor. George had scored more than 20 points just once in the previous four games, but that's not necessarily a big deal. The problem was that he had hit just 21 of 60 shots in those four games. Part of what made him and the Pacers so good early in the season was his efficiency and ability to consistently hit shots. In the Pacers first 10 games, he took more than 20 shots just once. It was fine for him to take the 25 Wednesday though, partly because the Pacers were missing Lance Stephenson due to a knee injury, and partly because, well, they need George to get his rhythm and confidence back, and it was also possible too that he could have shot them back into this one, even though it didn't quite happen on this occasion.
2) Being a native Hoosier, you always have to appreciate the guys who can flat out shoot the ball. And no matter which team he's been on over the years, Kyle Korver's ability to make long-range jump shots has to be admired. The Hawks' Korver extended his NBA record of consecutive games with a 3-pointer made to 105 Wednesday night. If you are trying to teach your son or daughter how to shoot, one of the best things you can do is go to youtube and find some video of Korver shooting. He has flawless form, which starts with perfect footwork before or as he receives the ball, and then the elbows are aligned perfectly for the accuracy. While a couple of other guys also come to mind here, I still think Korver is the best catch-and-shoot guy in the league.
3) It's rare that you put a player in the Up category when he doesn't even play, but that's the case with Lance Stephenson. The Pacers guard never saw the court Wednesday because of the knee injury, and so, it's maybe one of those cases where you appreciate what you have when it's not there. The Pacers sure could have used some of his energy Wednesday night and just maybe that would have helped them avoid that poor start, or at least, make a bit of a game out of this one when the deficit wasn't too large to overcome.
The Downs
1) The Pacers defense was not what it usually is, especially for the first three quarters and since the game was out of reach by the time we got to fourth quarter, you can't really count that last stanza. The Hawks shot 50 percent in those first three quarters and there were simply too many unchallenged shots. Yes, it was partly to blame that the Pacers were on the second night of a back-to-back, while the Hawks had a full day of rest. It does make a difference. But it would have been nice to see the Pacers make this kind of an ugly game in order to get in range to go for the win, but that just didn't happen.
2) You can't help but have great respect for David West and there is no question the Pacers would not be a title contender without him. His leadership has been invaluable and for the most part, he's been a pretty good player. But in the "what have you done for me lately" category, West has struggled a bit. He has scored in double figures just three times in the last nine games now and the most he's scored in that stretch is 13. Part of it is West's minutes are a little down this year because of the arrival of Luis Scola. While West doesn't have to be the primary option in the offense, he does need to be a legitimate one. He's still had 12 and 11 rebounds in the last two games, so of course, the effort is there. I'll write this off as a mini-slump for the moment, but the Pacers need West to return to form.
3) One of the places the Pacers appeared to have a decided advantage Wednesday was at center. The Hawks are without regular Al Horford and started Pero Antic against Roy Hibbert, but the Hawks got the better end of the match-up on this night. Antic, in somewhat typical European fashion, hit three 3-pointers on the way to 16 points on 6 of 10 shooting. Hibbert was 1 of 8 from the floor with 2 points. You still have to love Hibbert, but this simply wasn't his night.
Afterthoughts
There is no reason to panic with this loss to the Hawks. The fact that they had an extra's day's rest is a big deal at this point in the season, especially since the Pacers were playing their fourth game in five days. The Pacers looked and played tired. Then you add in that Stephenson wasn't available, and you had a sense that it just might not be the Pacers night. It was good to see the Pacers make a little run to try and get back into the game late in the third quarter and early in the fourth, so there was still some fire there. But it simply wasn't enough to overcome the Hawks.
Next Up
The Pacers play host to the Washington Wizards in a 7 p.m. game Friday. The Wizards improved to 16-17 with a 102-95 win at New Orleans Wednesday night, so they'll be looking to get to that .500 mark. The Pacers won the first meeting between these two teams 93-73 back on Nov. 29. The Wizards, however, were without one of their top players in Bradley Beal, who is averaging 17.7 points. They are led by point guard John Wall at 19.7 points and 8.7 assists. They also have Trevor Ariza at just over 14 points a game, Nene at 13.4 points, Marcin Gortat at 12.5 points and 8.7 rebounds and Martell Webster at 11.9 points.

Granger's progress providing punch for Pacers

The Pacers defeated the visiting Toronto Raptors 86-79 Tuesday night. The Pacers are now an NBA best 28-6 on the season while the Raptors fell to 16-17.
The Big Plays
Not that this game was over after the first quarter by any stretch, but the Pacers did have one of their key moments early on here. They finished the first quarter with a 14-2 run to turn a 13-8 deficit into a 22-15 lead by the end of the quarter. The nice thing about it was that so many players had a hand in it with Danny Granger making a 3-pointer, Roy Hibbert getting a dunk off an offensive rebound, Luis Scola making one his jumpers from the elbow and Lance Stephenson hitting a jumper and George Hill getting it started with a jumper and a traditional three-point play. The Pacers also used a 16-5 run from the end of the second quarter into the beginning of the third quarter to turn a one-point advantage into a 12-point lead and the Hawks were never closer than six points after that.
The Ups

Danny Granger continues to make key contributions for the Pacers.

1) Danny Granger is taking steps forward and that showed again Tuesday night. He scored 13 points off the bench and has now scored in double figures in five straight games. The former all-star is by no means back to his old self yet, but that fact he is getting some consistency and is becoming a player the Pacers can depend on is a big step. After playing just five games last year due to a knee injury, Granger is now proving how meaningful he can be to this team. The Pacers may or may not have won this game without him, but he certainly made a major contribution to this victory. If Granger's improvement continues, that will make him a major factor in the playoffs as the Pacers bench often struggled to find scoring options in those games last year. That's when they will really need Granger and hopefully by then he'll be a lot of steps closer to his all-star level at that time than he is right now.
2) One advantage the Pacers had in this game they they exploited was center Roy Hibbert in the middle. The Raptors clearly couldn't handle him and you might even say they employed a bit of a "hack-a-Roy" defense. The good news for Pacers fans is that Hibbert responded by hitting 12 of his 13 free throw attempts on the way to 22 points. He also had eight rebounds and three blocked shots. Just another example of how this team doesn't care where the offense comes from, as long as it leads to a win.
3) Rasual Butler hasn't played any significant minutes since Granger returned to the lineup and the Pacers were considering cutting him before the guaranteed contract deadline Tuesday. And sure, with Granger looking healthy and playing well, you could see where it might not make sense to keep Butler on the squad. But the Pacers made the right move in keeping Butler around. When he did get significant minutes before Granger came back, he proved to be a capable player off the bench and his shooting from 3-point range was a factor in a couple of wins. He also spent the entire 2012-13 season in the D-League, so you know he cherishes his spot on the roster and will do whatever the team needs. He had earned his right to stay on the roster and it was good to see the Pacers reward him accordingly as he is a nice insurance policy in case of injury.
The Downs
1) The weather has been a real downer for the past few days and it caused a lot of havoc around this game. First, there was the small matter of the teams actually being able to get into Indianapolis, and the Raptors did finally arrive Tuesday. They had been in Florida and no one could have blamed them if they thought they were back in Canada when they got of the plane in Indy. Then, too, there was the matter of whether to have the game or not because of fans' ability to get to the Fieldhouse. The Pacers announced that if fans had purchased tickets but could not make it Tuesday, they could exchange those tickets for another game. Let's hope they held true to that promise in 100 percent of those legitimate cases. Sure, some people were a bit frustrated that the league would have a game because of the conditions, but a lot of factors go into it. Of course, yes, money is one of them as the game had over 16,000 tickets sold. No need to be naive about that. But also there are factors like matching up the teams' schedules and the availability dates for the arena.
Afterthoughts
This is generally not considered a big game on the schedule when you look at how things are shaping up this season. But considering the Raptors were 10-4 in their last 14 games coming in, and had played the Heat down to the wire before losing in Miami on Sunday, and had ended the Pacers five-game winning streak on New Year's Day, it was kind of a big game for the Pacers. These teams may or may not meet at some point in the playoffs, so it was important for the Pacers to not led the Raptors gain a bit more confidence against them.
Next Up
The Pacers play their fourth game in five days when the travel to Atlanta for a 7 p.m. game tonight. The Hawks were hit with some tough luck when they lost center Al Horford to injury for an indefinite period a couple of weeks ago. But they are still a formidable foe. Paul Millsap has stepped up and scored 20 or more points in four of their last eight games and has had 10 or more rebounds is six of those games. He is averaging 17.6 points and over eight rebounds a game. The Hawks also have Jeff Teague at 16.9 points and eight assists, Kyle Korver at 12.2 points and guard Lou Williams at 10 points. The Pacers would seem to have a definite edge inside, so we'll see if it's something they can take advantage of in Atlanta. The Hawks, who are 18-17, have a bit of an edge in that they had Tuesday night off.

Pacers survive late crisis in Cleveland

The visiting Pacers defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 82-78 in a Sunday night game. The Pacers are now a league best 27-6 while the Cavaliers are 11-23, The Pacers have defeated the Cavaliers each of the three times they have faced them this year.
Big Plays
It was a rare close game for the Pacers, who held on for a win that turned out much harder than it probably should have been. The biggest play in this game was when the Cavaliers were down 80-78 and had the ball. The Pacers' Paul George forced the Cavs' Dion Waiters into the waiting Roy Hibbert, which forced Waiters to throw up a kind of crazy shot, which Hibbert rebounded and then was fouled on. Hibbert hit 1 of 2 free throws, and then the Cavs' Earl Clark stepped out of bounds on the next possession. David West then hit the second of two free throws for the final score.
The Ups

Paul George had 16 points, six assists and five
rebounds as the Pacers held on to beat the Cavs.

1) When the Pacers needed a couple of big plays, this time it was Hibbert who came through. He had a rough game offensively, especially early on, but ended up with 15 points and six rebounds. Besides the key aforementioned defensive play, his biggest play was an offensive rebound basket off a Lance Stephenson miss with a 1:09 to go to give the Pacers a 79-76 lead. Hibbert is a pretty good free throw shooter for big guy at 75 percent, but hit just two of four from the line in that final minute. But the good news is, he will keep working on that because he knows he's got to hit those late in the game whether he is tired or not.
2) In the first half Pacer guards George Hill and Lance Stephenson had a disagreement about a possession, where Stephenson held the ball too long, only to be bailed out by Pacers coach Frank Vogel who was standing next to an official and called a timeout. While that was a good move by the coach, his best move was to sit Hill and Stephenson and let them watch for a while. This wasn't a big deal, or really anything to be alarmed about. These things happen over the course of an eight or nine month season. But the coach handled it perfectly and with C.J. Watson and Danny Granger playing those minutes, the Pacers built a nine-point lead by halftime. And in the third quarter it was Stephenson who got a rebound and when leading the fastbreak, found Hill in the corner, who hit a wide-open 3-pointer.
The Downs
1) The most disturbing part of this game was that the Pacers were up 16 midway through the fourth quarter and had things in hand, and then sort of stopped playing. The Cavs were without their best player, and one of the league's best, in Kyrie Irving, but they continued to play hard, led by Dion Waiters' 12 fourth quarter points, and went on a 16-1 run to make it close. Cleveland easily could have won this game. The Pacers, whether they are playing the Heat or the Cavs, need to learn to keep their foot on the gas pedal. Yes, there are some teams in the league that will give up when they are down double digits early in the fourth quarter, but you can't assume you're ever playing one of them. That assumption almost cost them a victory Sunday night.
2) The Pacers again had trouble with the Cavaliers on the offensive boards. Cleveland had 16 offensive boards for the game. It's something that helped the Cavaliers keep this one close and something the Pacers need to cleanup in their game in the coming months before it becomes an issue in the playoffs.
3) When it comes to playing on back-to-back nights, the Pacers have not been sharp at all on the second night of those games. Four of their six losses have come on those second nights. And yes, while it's true there are not back-to-backs in the playoffs, it could become an issue later in the season if the Pacers are challenging for the best record in the East or even the league. While they did get the win Sunday night, they were certainly less than sharp against a team that was missing its best player.
Afterthoughts
Forget for just a second what the Pacers should have done, the silver lining in this game is that they found themselves in a close contest and found a way to win late. Trying to win on the road in the NBA is harder than it is in the NFL (the only home team to win in the playoffs this weekend was the Colts), NHL or Major League Baseball. So, hey, maybe a little lesson learned here in how to play in a tight game on the road. But let's hope a big lesson was learned too in not letting themselves get into that situation against teams they have no business losing to.
Next Up
The Pacers will try to extract some revenge against the visiting Toronto Raptors Tuesday night. The Raptors ended the Pacers five-game winning streak last week. The Raptors have been a different team since they traded Rudy Gay to Sacramento. The biggest difference is on the defensive end, where they have picked up the intensity, at least at home. They had 10 wins in their last 13 games before losing at Miami in a close game Sunday night. The Raptors are led by Demar DeRozan at 21 points per game, Kyle Lowry at 16 points and seven assists, Amir Johnson at 11.5 points and seven rebounds and Jonas Valanciunas at 10 points and eight rebounds. The Raptors have a 16-15 record.

Pacers don't need Colts-like miracle to beat Pelicans

The Pacers defeated the visiting New Orleans Pelicans 99-82 Saturday night. The Pacers improved to 26-6 overall, the best record in the NBA by percentage points, while the Pelicans fell to 15-17.
The Big Plays
This one was pretty simple to figure out as the Pacers went on an 18-0 run in the third quarter that helped turn a 49-44 halftime deficit into a 74-61 advantage by the end of the of the quarter. The Pelicans scored at the 8:09 on the third quarter to take a 57-52 lead. They didn't score again until the 1:48 mark of the quarter when the Pacers had built the lead to 13. The Pacers took the lead for good on a Lance Stephenson reverse layup with 6:12 remaining. It was two of his 12 points in the quarter.
The Ups

Paul George had 24 points and 10 rebounds as the Pacers
defeated the visiting New Orleans Pelicans Saturday night.

1) Yes, it was the third quarter where the Pacers definitively took control of the game, but their upward trend started sooner than that. The Pelicans jumped to a 27-13 lead by late in the first quarter, but the defense picked up in the second quarter and came to full fruition in the third. After that start, the Pacers outscored the Pelicans 86-55 the rest of the game. So, no miracle Colts-like comeback was needed here. The Pacers maybe sensed early on something similar to what happened in Toronto Wednesday, a loss, might be happening again, and played with that sense of urgency Pacers fans have been accustomed to seeing this season. And it was nice to see in the final three quarters of this game, too. The Pacers held an opponent under 90 points for the 17th time this season and not surprisingly, they have won all of those games.
2) One of the players who had that sense of urgency, especially in the second half was Stephenson. When he plays with the energy and confidence he had in the third quarter, the Pacers are very difficult to beat. Stephenson finished with 19 points, six rebounds and four assists, so there was not a legitimate triple-double watch in this game, but after a couple of sub-par outings, it was good to see Stephenson back in rhythm again and feeling good about his game.
3) The Pacers bench seems to be falling into place quite nicely now that Danny Granger continues to fit in. Granger had 13 points to lead a Pacers bench that scored 30 points in the game, while the Pelicans bench scored just 18 points, though its depth was hurt as starting power forward Ryan Anderson was not available for the game due to an injured neck. It was also nice too, that the bench, with the help of Luis Scola and C.J. Watson, helped cut into the Pelicans early lead.
The Downs
1) The biggest issue in this game for the Pacers was that slow start. Scoring 15 points in a quarter is not what any team wants, especially when you are allowing 27 in the same quarter and especially when you are at home in front of a sellout crowd. It's true that most teams experience a lull in every game, so maybe the Pacers' lull was just in the beginning this time. But it would be nice to see them jump out to a big early lead every now and then, too. I suppose this is nitpicking though, since the Pacers do have a 16-1 mark at home.
Afterthoughts
It was good to see the Pacers re-establish their confidence after being a bit flat-footed in Toronto earlier this week. What's good about the Pacers is it seems after a loss, they rarely play bad in two straight games. It's the mark of a good team and something the Pacers need to continue to do if they want to secure the best record in the East and possibly the best record in the league. They've already had winning streaks of nine, seven and five games this season. So the question with this team isn't about if they will have a losing streak, but how long the next winning streak will be.
Next Up
The Pacers play a second night of a back-to-back at Cleveland tonight. They defeated the Cavaliers on Tuesday 91-76, so the Cavs will be looking for a bit of revenge. The Cavs are led by Kyrie Irving at 22 points and six assists, Dion Waiters and 15 points a game and power forward Tristan Thompson at 12 points and almost 10 rebounds. Irving's status for the game is still in question as he injured his knee during Tuesday's loss to the Pacers. Though he returned to that game, he did not play in the Cavs next two games, including their 89-82 loss to Brooklyn Saturday, which dropped their record to 11-22. And of the Pacers' six losses this season, four have come on the second night of back-to-backs, so that's a trend they will want to reverse.

Pacers have a cold trip to Canada

The Pacers lost to the host Toronto Raptors in a New Year's Day matchup Wednesday night 95-82. The Pacers are now 25-6 while the Raptors are 15-15.
The Big Plays
The game was tied at 74-74 early in the fourth quarter when the Raptors went on a 10-1 run to take control of the game for good. They were led by DeMar DeRozan who continued his strong recent play with 26 points.
The Ups
1) One of the few good things in this game was the defense of Pacers point guard George Hill against the Raptors Kyle Lowry. Coming into the game the Lowry had scored 20 or more points in four of the Raptors last six games. He was held to 13 in this one, but do give Lowry some credit with 14 assists as he didn't force up a bunch of bad shots.

Danny Granger's play off the bench was one of the
few bright spots for the Pacers Wednesday night.

2) The other bright spot here for the Pacers was for the second straight game Danny Granger came off the bench and gave the team good minutes, playing the entire second quarter and finished with 11 points in 22 minutes. Granger is not all the way back by any means, but you can see the confidence growing almost from game-to-game now. So on a night when there were not a lot of good things happening for the Pacers, Granger's play was one of them.
3) For the second straight game Pacers center Roy Hibbert was a focus on the offense and he did deliver with 16 points. But for one of the few times this season, he was in foul trouble much of the game and the Pacers couldn't take advantage enough simply because he wasn't in the game.
The Downs
1) For much of the season and during what was a five-game winning streak before Wednesday, Paul George and Lance Stephenson led the way. But on this night, they combined to go just 9 for 23 from the field, which isn't the worst night ever, but they did also combine for nine turnovers, including six by George. While the MVP talk for George has quieted of late, if he wants to put himself back in that argument he needs to step up in games like these and take control. That doesn't necessarily mean having to score, but it does mean creating easy baskets for others. It's not the end of the world for either one of these guys. They will bounce back, but let's just hope this sometimes dynamic duo can learn and grow from nights like these.
2) The offense in general, and turnovers in particular, were a problem all night. In all, the Pacers had 22 turnovers and it seemed as if they were in a hurry in offense all night. Give some of the credit to Toronto for creating that kind of pace as they had 17 fastbreak points in the game. The Raptors look like a different team since they traded Rudy Gay to the Kings and came out ready to play from the start. But when the Pacers built their lead to eight points midway through the third, they didn't lose heart and kept playing hard, something that opponents have not done when the Pacers have put on one of their patented third quarter surges. The Raptors won the third quarter 26-19, one of the few times the Pacers have been outscored in the third this season.
Afterthoughts
The Raptors came into this game on a bit of roll, having won five of six and feeling good about themselves and it was easy to see why Wednesday night. The Pacers picked up their defense in the second quarter and tried to build their lead to double digits in the third, but couldn't add to it and the Raptors knew they still had a chance and took advantage of it. It was just one of those nights where the Pacers couldn't consistently control the tempo of the game and it got away from them in the fourth quarter. Let's don't crazy here over one loss. There are nights like this in a long season and look for the Pacers to come out strong when they play again Saturday.
Next Up
The Pacers get a couple of days off before they play in the second part of Indy's big Saturday. The Colts play first in a 4:35 p.m. playoff game and then the Pacers tip off against the visiting New Orleans Pelicans at 7 p.m. The Pelicans had a 14-15 mark going into Wednesday night's game against Minnesota. They are led by forward Ryan Anderson at just under 20 points per game, including over three 3-pointers per game. Also, second-year big man Anthony Davis is averaging 19.5 points, 10.5 rebounds and three blocks. The Pelicans also have guard Eric Gordon and Jrue Holiday each at just over 15 points a game, sixth man Tyreke Evans at over 13 points a game and center Jason Smith at 10 points per game. The Pacers won the first meeting this season in New Orleans in the second game of the season 95-90. The Pacers also get a bit of break here in that the Pelicans will be on the second night of back-to-back Saturday as they also play Boston Friday night.