Pacers 122 – Suns 114
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This has to be a first. I don’t even know how to look it up, at least not any easy way. For the second straight game, the Pacers erased 20+ point deficits (23+ to be exact) to grab wins. Twice in three days, your boys in Blue & Gold turned abject humiliation into exhilarating victory.
For some vague reference, the Pacers lost all ten games last season in which they fell behind by at least 20 points. They won 12 of the 13 games in which they claimed 20 point leads, with the sole exception being the Philly debacle in November of 2008. Clearly, these two wins, at least under the circumstances, were pretty impressive feats.
So, you know, Yay! for the good guys.
Still, there’s plenty to be worried about, if you’re looking for evidence of a turnaround. Digging big holes in the first half on your home floor is hardly the hallmark of a quality team. To tell you how bad it was at one point last night, my brother looked at the stat board in the second quarter and bemusedly said, “Earl Watson has 11 points?” I quickly responded, “No, Goran Dragic has 11 points.”
However, the second half was pretty electrifying in a number of different ways:
- Michael makes it rain – Michael dun-LEE-vy (as coach Jim O’Brien refers to him) scored 23 of his 30 points in an 8-1/2 minute stretch bridging the second and third quarters. During that time, the Pacers went from down 22 to down only 7.
- Getting the Point – After significant tumult, the Pacers may actually be settling down at the Point Guard position. It’s doubtful that either Earl Watson or A.J. Price are the long term solution for the position, but the two played well again last night. Watson has been a spark in these turnarounds, providing both leadership and defensive pressure.
- Manute Rush – Brandon Rush’s night was almost entirely forgettable, unless you’re Leandro Barbosa. The second year swingman from Kansas blocked the Brazilian Blur’s shot a stunning four times. He victimized Goran Dragic for his career high fifth rejection.
- The Prodigal Sons – Roy Hibbert and Dahntay Jones combined for 2 points in 7 minutes of play Monday night. That is to say, Roy got 2 points in 7 minutes, and Dahntay watched. Hibbert bounced back with one of his best performances of the year, posting 14 & 8 before fouling out. Dahntay, commended by Jim O’Brien for being a true professional after the game, scored 11 points and grabbed 9 boards.
- He’s a baaaaaaad man – Easily the most encouraging thing to come out of the last two games has been Danny Granger’s play. After establishing himself as a nasty scorer last season, Danny had devolved to an indiscriminate chucker this year. However, last year’s Danny was in full effect last night. He scored 20 of his game-high 33 in the second half, including back-to-back bombs to give the Pacers their first lead. When he drained a bloodless 20-footer to put Indy up six with 47 seconds left, it was pretty much all over but the shouting.
Lightning Striking Twice: By The Numbers
| Pacers | vs | Suns |
|---|---|---|
| 122 | Score | 114 |
| 8 | Largest Lead | 24 |
| 118.4 | Offensive Efficiency | 110.7 |
| 50.0% | eFG% | 46.4% |
| 43.1% (37/86) | FG% | 42.8% (41-96) |
| 41.4% (12/29) | 3PT% | 41.2% (7/17) |
| 85.8% (36/42) | FT% | 80.7% (25/31) |
| 54 (11) | Rebounds (Off.) | 44 (11) |
| 12 (14) | Turnovers (Points Led To) | 6 (6) |
| 40 | Points in the Paint | 46 |
| 14 | Fast Break Points | 10 |
| 23 | Assists | 20 |
Post-Game Essentials: Box Score | PM Game Flow | Play-By-Play | Shot Chart | Behind the Box Score | Indy Star Recap | Cornrows Recap | AP Recap | Pacer’s Digest Post Game
Don’t really have a caption for this. Just wanted other people to be stuck with the mental image.
Related Posts:
- Game #10 Recap: Defense and Danny’s Big Plays Can’t Outweigh a Late Offensive Drought
- Game #13 Recap: A Different Set of Eyes
- Game #8 Recap: Taking Care of Business
- Game #11 Recap: Blown Out by the Bobcats
- Game #35 Recap – Sounds About Right
Tim Donahue is an editor and lead writer for 8 Points, 9 Seconds. He lives in Fishers, Indiana, and has been around long enough to dimly remember watching the Pacers play way back in the days of the old Fairgrounds Coliseum. You can find him tweeting about the Pacers @TimDonahue8p9s.
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Hey, can you shed some light on why Jim O’Brien changes his starting line-up once every second game or so? Is there a bet on? Is he going for some kind of record? Has he got Memento-style anterograde amnesia? Questions that deserve answers.
Anyway, it’s kind of depressing seeing a guy like Hibbert benched against a team like the Suns (only to come off the bench in the second quarter and do significant damage). I guess O’Brien fears their pace, but surely the Suns lilliputian frontline would fear a 7’2 guy who can shoot a jumper over their heads.
If you were Pacers coach, what would your starting line-up be?
Injuries have driven some of the lineup changes, and matchups will do the same, but a lot of it just how poorly the team played. I do think O’Brien is over-coaching in that regard…fishing around too much
As to Hibbert, he’s actually performed a little better off the bench this season (13 & 6 in 21 minutes) than as a starter (11 & 6 in 24 minutes). There are some match ups where he’ll be a disaster, and some where he might surprise you. For example, he’s been killed by both Bosh and Rasho Nesterovic’s corpse this year, but he did a great job last night with Stoudemire. He’s progressing nicely, and it should be expected that he’ll occasionally take a step back.
Personally, I’d start Hibbert, Murphy, Granger, and Watson. At the shooting guard, I’d love to start Rush, if I thought I could count on him…but I don’t. I definitely would bring Dunleavy off the bench, so you’re kinda left with a beggar’s choice between Dahntay, Brandon, and Luther Head. I don’t really care who you pick there.
Price would backup Watson. Dunleavy would be the key guy off the bench, with whomever is left of the three 2 guards. For the bigs, I’d use Hansbrough and, occasionally, Solo off the bench.