It's a sunny-side down return home for Pacers

The Pacers suffered their second home loss of the season with a 102-94 defeat against the Phoenix Suns Thursday night. The Pacers fell to 35-10 and no longer have the best record in the league. The Suns are now at 28-18.
The Big Plays
The Pacers trailed throughout in this one, but were within striking distance midway through fourth quarter, being down one point with 3:48 to go. But on the next two Suns' possession, Gerald Green hit about a 15-foot jump shot and then Marcus Morris hit a 3-pointer to put the Suns up by six. The Pacers got it to within four points late, but never had the ball and a chance to tie game. The Pacers only basket after the 3:48 mark was a short turnaround jumper by George Hill with 1:48 remaining to cut the gap to four.
The Ups
1) Lance Stephenson did get snubbed for the all-star game, but he played like an all-star for most of the night. He finished with his fourth triple-double of the season with 14 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists. Stephenson's issue's on this night was that he was in foul trouble, and couple of them were silly reach in fouls, that kept him off the court for most of the fourth quarter when the Pacers really needed him while they were in the midst of trying to come back. He also had five turnovers. But still, Stephenson showed that even though he wasn't selected for the all-star team, that he will likely continue to play like one.

Pacers center Roy Hibbert had 26 points, six rebounds and two blocks,
but it wasn't enough to prevent a loss to the Phoenix Suns Thursday night.

2) One of the Pacers big advantages in this game was their inside game and they took full advantage of that with center Roy Hibbert, who was named to the all-star team as a reserve earlier in the night. Hibbert finished with 26 points, six rebounds and two blocked shots. He also had eight of his points in the third quarter while hitting all four of his shots as the Pacers cut the Suns lead from 17 to three points by the end of the quarter. Hibbert also played his usual good defense, especially in the second half when he made things difficult for the offensively talented Suns.
3) The Pacers second-half defense was much more what they have played like most of this season, when they allowed 36 points in the second half to the high scoring Suns. The Suns hit just 12 of 30 shots in the second half for 40 percent. Pacers fans can only hope that is a sign of things to come in the near future.
The Downs
1) And then there was that first half defense. The Suns scored 66 points and shot 52 percent in the half and left-handed guard Goran Dragic tormented the Pacers by scoring 21 points, scoring when it at times it looked like he had nowhere to go. The Suns also had 14 fastbreak points in the first half, and that was a pretty disturbing number considering for the most part, it's just a matter of hustle  when it comes to getting back on defense.
2) It's always a tough call when it comes to picking reserves for the all-star team and somebody always gets left out. And in this case one of those guys was Stephenson. One of the real problems here was that the Heat's Dwyane Wade was voted in by the fans, and also that there was no voting for a true center. The means an extra guard type player was voted in, leaving room for one less reserve guard or small forward. Another big question here is that the Nets' Joe Johnson made it on this team averaging 15 points per game on a team that has had a disappointing season. Stephenson has been an all-around key player on a team with one of the best records in the league. So, that's the rub here. The two face off Saturday night, so it will be interesting to see who wins that battle.
3) The Pacers bench has been a bit inconsistent lately. It was thought that with the return of Danny Granger from injury, and even a subpar Granger, that the bench would at least be fortified. And with C.J. Watson and Luis Scola that was the case for a while. But lately, that's not been the case. In the last five games, that trio has combined to shoot 32 of 95 from the field for just under 34 percent. They combined to score just seven points Thursday, while the Suns bench scored 40. The Suns have a deep bench, so it's not an embarrassment to get outscored by them somewhat, but it is an embarrassment to get outscored by that much.
Afterthoughts
This was a tough game for the Pacers for a couple of reasons. First, no matter who the opponent is, the first game back after being on a long road trip (five games in this case) is always a tough one. And then, too, the Suns play their traditional brand of small ball, which causes a bigger playoff-built team like the Pacers some fits. It would have been nice to see the Pacers come out with a little toughness in the first half, but at least they did find it in the second half. Hopefully it will carry over into Saturday's game against the Nets.
Next Up
The Nets visit the Pacers in a 7 p.m. game Saturday. The Nets got off to a disappointing start, but have won 10 of their 12 games in January and are at 23-25 heading into Friday night's home game against Oklahoma City. The Nets have been led by Johnson and his 15 points, Paul Pierce and Deron Williams at 13 points and Andray Blatche at 12 points a game. The Nets also lost center Brooke Lopez for the season after just 17 games this year so they look to Kevin Garnett and Blatche for rebounding help and they average seven and six rebounds each. Each of the Nets two losses in January have come to the Raptors. The Nets are playing better so the Pacers had better be prepared for a tough battle. The Pacers have won the first three meetings against the Nets this season, 96-91 back in November and 103-86 and then 105-91 each in December.

Stephenson's All-Star campaign continues in win

The Pacers defeated the host Los Angeles Lakers 104-92 late Tuesday night to conclude their five-game western road trip. The Pacers are now an NBA best 35-9 on the season while the Lakers fell to 16-30.
The Big Plays
It was not Paul George's night overall, but he had a hand in a couple of the bigger plays of this game. First, he had a behind-the-back move on a fast break for a dunk that gave the Pacers a seven-point lead midway through the third quarter. Then he finished the third quarter by hitting a long 3-pointer at the buzzer to give the Pacers a 10-point lead. The Lakers hung around for a bit, but it was never really close after that.
The Ups

Pacers guard Lance Stephenson had 15 points
and 14 rebounds in Tuesday's win over the Lakers.

1) Pacers guard Lance Stephenson continued his western campaign to make the NBA All-Star team as a reserve. The starters were announced last week, which included George, and the rest of the squad will be announced Thursday night. Stephenson finished with 15 points, a career-high 14 rebounds and six assists in this win. One of the best things about Stephenson's game on this trip, is that he seems to have gained a bit more of a sense on when his outside shot is going and when it is not. He's gaining more patience on the offensive end, meaning that he's not going to settle for a jump shot if he misses his first couple. He instead is works to get rebounds and push the fastbreak or uses his ball handling skills to get inside the defense and get an easier shot or to set up a teammate. Stephenson was 25 o 44 from the field in the final three games of the trip. Just another step in the maturation of Stephenson as a player.
2) The defense returned in earnest in this one. Yes, it's true the Lakers are not the offensive machine like the Clippers, Blazers or Thunder. But they had scored 100 or more points in eight straight games before Tuesday night. That might be more of reflection of Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni's shoot first and pass later type of philosophy, but nonetheless they do have the ability score. The Pacers also did a solid job on Lakers guard Nike Young, who has embraced that shoot-first mentality by holding him to just 12 points on 5 of 16 shooting.
3) One of the good things on this trip has been the involvement of David West in the offense. He finished with 19 points Tuesday on 8 of 14 shooting. West finished 35 of 74 from the field (hurt mainly a 6 of 20 night at Denver) on this trip. It's important to note because the Pacers often have an advantage on offense with him and it's good to see them get back to taking advantage of it. The Pacers will not only need him to play well in the second half of the season, but in the playoffs where he will really be needed.
The Downs
1) Lakers point guard Kendall Marshall is a nice story, coming from the D-League and playing well in a starting role for the Lakers. But once again the Pacers had trouble containing a left-handed point guard as Marshall had 13 assists and 11 points. That included letting Marshall get inside the defense in the final seconds of the first half and dishing off to Jordan Hill for a basket that tied the game. It's an area that the team will have improve on because teams will keep exploiting it until the Pacers stop it.
2) Sure he had that big play to end the third quarter, but maybe we should ban Paul George from going on late night talk shows. He hit just 4 of 21 shots after appearing in the Jimmy Kimmel show Wednesday night. After hitting just 6 of 18 shots at Denver, George will likely be glad to return to the home this week.
Afterthoughts
This was by no means one of those victories to brag about, but being on the final game of five-game road trip and needing it to have a winning trip, made this game kind of a big deal. The win gave the Pacers a 3-2 record this time around, making them 6-4 on their two western swings this season. So simply put, for a team trying to have the best record in the East, and possibly the league, coming back with a losing record on this trip would not have been acceptable.
Next Up
The Pacers will try to avenge one of their losses on the western trip as the Phoenix Suns visit Bankers Life Fieldhouse in a 7 p.m. game Thursday night. The Suns, led by guards Goran Dragic and ex-Pacer Gerald Green outgunned the Pacers last week in Phoenix 124-100, easily the most points the Pacers have allowed this season. The left-handed Dragic is averaging 19 points and six assists, followed by Green at over 13 points, Channing Frye and Markieff Morris each at 12 points and Marcus Morris at 10 points. Also, the Suns have former Pacers backup center


Miles Plumlee averaging just under nine points and just over nine rebounds per game. The Suns have a 26-18 record going into Wednesday night's game at Milwaukee, so the Pacers will get a little benefit in facing Phoenix on the second night of a back to back.

No mountain miracle for Pacers in loss to Nuggets

The Pacers lost to the host Denver Nuggets 109-96 Saturday night. The Pacers are now 34-9 while the Nuggets are 21-21.
The Big Plays
The were a few key moments in this game. The Pacers, while not playing great in the first quarter, were still hanging around until Nuggets went on a 16-0 run against the Pacers reserves early in the second quarter. So in terms of being within striking distance of the lead, that was pretty much it for this game as tiny guard Nate Robinson had 13 points in the quarter. After being down 19 at halftime, the Pacers scored the first 11 points of the second half. On three occasions they had the ball and a chance to cut Denver's lead to four points but it never happened. Most notably, one of those times was midway through the fourth quarter when C.J. Watson stole the ball and was free for what seemed like a breakaway, only to miss the shot under pressure. The telling story though, was that no other Pacer player was there to cleanup the rebound for an easy bucket, so instead the Nuggets got the rebound and that was that.
The Ups

Lance Stephenson turned in another all-star type
performance in Saturday's loss to Denver.

1) For the second straight night, Lance Stephenson was one of the standouts for the Pacers. He finished with 23 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists. It's one of few times the Pacers have lost this season when he has four or more assists, with that mark now being 27-4. But besides putting up some of his usual numbers, Stephenson also entertained in this game, with several moves around the basket. One of the favorites was when he took a pass and almost lost the ball on his shoulder next to his ear, but somehow controlled it enough to get it on the glass for two points. This game was just another all-star statement for Stephenson.
2) Even though it was a loss, it was good to see the Pacers come out and make a game of this in the second half. A lesser team would have succumbed to the thought that it was the second night of a back to back for the road team here, and the Nuggets were coming off two days rest, so let's just pack this one in and try and get the next one. But the Pacers did really try to get this one, too. It was just that problematic first half they had was too much overcome, even though they certainly did try, try, again.

The Downs
1) The Pacers seemed to rediscover their defensive identity in the second half Friday night at Sacramento, but it didn't make the trip to Denver. The Nuggets, much like the Suns and Kings earlier this week, came out firing and ready to play. The Nuggets really hit their stride in the second quarter when they shot 60 percent from the field and outscored the Pacers by 15. It's understandable that a team will have offensive lulls from time to time during the season, but if the Pacers want to secure homecourt for at least the Eastern Conference playoffs they can't have these extended defensive lulls they've experienced in each of their last three games.
2) The Pacers bench, while not the best in the league, has generally been a plus for the team this year. But that was not the case Saturday night. The bench was on the floor with Stephenson when the Nuggets went on their big run early in the second quarter. The Pacers bench for the night was outscored 33-22 for the game. But in that game-turning first half the bench hit just 3 of 12 shots for nine points. It just seems to be an unfortunate timing thing of power forward Luis Scola's shot being a little off lately, Watson not having some of the success he had earlier this year and Danny Granger still finding his way and confidence on the offensive end after coming back from injury.
Afterthoughts
This was a tall order simply because the Pacers were on the second night of a back to back and the Nuggets had the previous two nights off. There's also the thin-air factor in Denver, which apparently can make opponents tired. The Pacers did bring a bit of this on themselves, too, by playing overtime Firday night against undermanned Sacramento. So, the key here, is not to go too crazy over this loss. Yes, it's a little upsetting the Pacers have given up an average of just over 110 points in the last three games, so the defense has got to be better, especially out front when it comes to at least slowing down guys like Robinson, Isiah Thomas and Goran Dragic, who each too many times ran around and did whatever they wanted in each of the last three games. This loss here is certainly not the end of the world, but I'd be a little less worried if it was an offensive breakdown rather than a defensive one.
Next Up
The Pacers finish their road trip with a 10:30 p.m. game at the Los Angeles Lakers Tuesday. It's been a difficult season for the Lakers who are 16-28 going into Sunday's 3:30 p.m. game at New York against the Knicks on ABC (yes, we get the whole big market TV thing here). Kobe Bryant has played only six games for L.A. due to a fracture in his knee and isn't scheduled to return until sometime in mid-February. Also, there have been trade rumors surrounding forward Pau Gasol, so that uncertainty has not helped either. The Lakers have been led by shooting guard (and he takes that role literally at 1.4 assists per game) Nick Young at 17.1 points per game. Gasol averages 16.7 points and 10 rebounds and reserve guard Jodie Meeks average 10.2 points. One of the bright spots for the Lakers has been the play of point guard Kendall Marshall, who they signed from the D-League and is averaging 10.4 point and 9.6 assists a game. They also get 10 points a game from Xavier Henry.

By George, he did it again for Pacers

The Pacers defeated the host Sacramento Kings Friday night 116-111 in overtime. The Pacers are now 34-8 and the Kings are now 15-27.
The Big Plays
The first real big play for the Pacers in this game didn't come until there was 15.1 seconds left in regulation. The Pacers were down four and Paul George came off a screen and hit a 3-pointer and was fouled by Derrick Williams (here's the video link. George then hit the free throw and the defense held to force the overtime. Another big play came early in the overtime with the Pacers down by a point. With the shot clock running down forward David West found himself open from behind the 3-point line and hit it to put the Pacers up 108-106. And then the final big play of the game came with the Kings down three and with the ball with 22.4 seconds left. The Pacers put George on the red-hot Isiah Thomas, who was denied access into the lane and when he turned his back on the defense and dribbled with his right hand, George stole the ball, was fouled, and hit the final two free throws to seal the win.
The Ups

1) It's hard to say just where George's four-point play will rank on his play list in his young career, but at least in terms of regular season big shots, this was a key one, especially when you do it on the road. But George was good all night as he finished with 36 points and 12 of 22 shooting and hit all eight of his free throws. George without question deserves his all-star starting status, but what was nice to see in this game was that your all-star/MVP candidate stepped up and hit the big shot here. It's the second time he's hit a 3-pointer to send a game into overtime for the Pacers this season and the Pacers won both of those games (the other one was at New York). It's good too for your best player to get used to taking and making these kinds of shots. And just a little reminder here, too, never give up when things look bad. That attitude is what makes great players great.
2) A big part of the reason the Pacers got back into this game was the play of West, especially in the fourth quarter. West finished with 22 points on 9 of 14 shooting and six rebounds. West consistently exposed the defensively challenged Jason Thompson in the low post and it was really a case where West knew he could take him and Thompson knew he couldn't stop him. Without West's play in this game, George's four-point play doesn't happen.
3) This was by no means a great game played by the Pacers, but after giving up 60 points or more in three straight halves (we'll get to that in a second), they did seem to find their identity in the second half. The Pacers allowed 42 points to the Kings in the third and fourth quarters, and that's the kind of game they need to play. Maybe it will be a sign of good things to come on the final two games of the road trip.
The Downs
1) The Kings were without two of their best players in Rudy Gay and DeMarcus Cousins. So, it wasn't unreasonable to think that the Pacers would go into Sacramento and have this thing wrapped up by the middle of the third quarter. If there's a lesson here it's that nothing can be assumed and that you know, you just can't flip the intensity switch on and expect to walk out with a win. It's an every game, every quarter, every minute, every possession thing. So, maybe that lesson was reinforced a bit Friday night.
2) We understand that Isiah Thomas Jr. is in the running for most improved player and that Marcus Thornton is capable of hitting some shots if he's left open. But really, a team that pride's itself on defense can't allow these two guys to combine for 80 points in a game. Thornton had 19 in the first quarter and his confidence level was through the roof the entire game as he finished with 42. The left-handed Thomas, much like the left-handed Goran Dragic in Phoenix on Wednesday night, had his way with the Pacers, especially in the first half. It wasn't until Pacers point guard George Hill started going over top of the screens they were setting for Thomas that the defense began to change. Maybe these past two games was a good lesson on how the Pacers need to defend the pick and roll. If not, teams will keep doing it until the Pacers find a way to stop it.
Afterthoughts
This wasn't a great win in terms of going on the road and beating a top team. But it was a good win in that the Pacers were clearly struggling with getting back to the type of style they like to play and they found it just in time to make it a game in the second half and set up George's big shot. So, in April if you look at the season results and see the Pacers won at Sacramento, you'd be like well, yeah that's expected, what's the big deal? But at this point in the season and given what had happened in Wednesday's loss at Phoenix, and that it was the the first night of back-to-back with the next opponent being off on Friday night, it was maybe a little bit of big deal. And you know, it's always nice to steal one of the road, no matter who the opponent is.
Next Up
The Pacers visit the Denver Nuggets, who are led by former Pacers assistant coach Brian Shaw. The Nuggets are led on the court by point guard Ty Lawson at 17.8 points and 8.5 assists. They also have Wilson Chandler at 13.7 points, forward J.J. Hickson at 11.5 points and 9.1 rebounds, diminutive guard Nate Robinson at 10.8 points, guard Randy Foye at 10.7 points and forward Kenneth Faried at 10 points and 7.7 rebounds. The Nuggets are 20-21 on the season.

No sunshine for Pacers in loss at Phoenix

The Pacers fell to the host Phoenix Suns Wednesday night 124-100. The Pacers are now 33-8 while the Suns are 24-17.
The Big Plays
The Suns played at an uptempo pace all night and the Pacers could never catch up. The Suns took control in the second quarter and when the Pacers tried to get back into it at the start of the third and fourth quarters, the Suns responded in what turned out to be a blowout. A couple of the big highlights from this game came from ex-Pacer Gerald Green, with his dunk in the first half, then a with a crazy looking scoop shot in the lane in the third quarter where he was also fouled and made the free throw.
The Ups

Paul George was mostly the Pacers only bright
spot in Wednesday night's loss at Phoenix.

1) The only consistent bright spot for the Pacers was the play of Paul George. On the offensive end, he kept alive any semblance of hope for the Pacers to get back into it. He finished with 26 points on 10 of 19 shooting. And in the second half, when the Pacers were flirting with getting back into this one, part of the reason was that George was guarding Goran Dragic.
2) The Pacers love having Luis Scola on the team for good reason. But the trade that sent Miles Plumlee and Green to Phoenix for Scola has worked out quite well for the Suns. Green had a crazy first half with 18 points and finished with 23. He still may be friends with some of the Pacers and that may have given him a bit of extra incentive to play well against them. That kind of thing has happened before and it will happen again. Plumlee had 11 points and seven rebounds, including a key dunk off an offensive rebound in the third quarter. He gives the Suns some much needed muscle inside.
3) I liked the fact that Pacers coach Frank Vogel played the starters for a bit in the fourth quarter even when the outcome was all but decided. The Pacers looked so out of sync for much of this game, that maybe them playing together for a bit would help. Well, at least it seemed like a good idea until Roy Hibbert fouled out with 6:34 to go.

The Downs
1) This was maybe the worst defense the Pacers have played all year. The Suns pretty much did whatever they wanted. The Suns shot 45 of 83 from the field for 54 percent, including hitting 11 of 16 from 3-point range. Part of it was Green being somewhat unconscious from the field, but part of it was Dragic just going wherever he wanted, sometimes taking the shot and sometimes setting up other teammates. It was just a really out of character defensive night for the Pacers, who offered little resistance as they allowed a season high 124 points.
2) Some key Pacers were on the court, but basically missing in action in this one. That included deserving all-star Lance Stephenson and almost certain all-star Hibbert. They combined to shoot 6 for 17 from the floor for 12 points and missed all three of their free throws. The Pacers can win if one of those guys has an off night, but unless it's a night where George goes crazy and scores 40 plus, they're not going to win when Stephenson and Hibbert are off on the same night.
3) Joey Crawford. That's it. Just Joey Crawford.
Afterthoughts
This was one of those games you basically want to forget about. It's not an end of the world situation and is no reason to panic because in a long NBA season these kind of games just come along every now and then. It's just that Pacers losses have been so rare this season, it can cause a bit of alarm when they do actually lose a game. Expect them to come out with a big effort Friday night at Sacramento.
Next Up
The Pacers continue their five-game road trip by traveling to Sacramento to take on the Kings in a 10 p.m. Friday game. The Pacers won the first meeting between the teams last week 116-92. The Kings had come into that game on a three-game winning streak. They are led by DeMarcus Cousins at 23.5 points and 11.5 rebounds a game. They also have recently acquired Rudy Gay at 20 points and point guard Isiah Thomas Jr. at 19.4 points and 6.2 assists. The Kings have a 15-26 record after losing the host Houston Rockets 119-98 Wednesday night.

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.