Post-Game Grades: Tired Pacers Outwork Philly for Fifth Straight Win

by Tim Donahue on February 6, 2013 at 10:28 pm

Writing a short recap may seem like a lazy insult to a Pacer team who has won three games in as many nights, delivering their most dominating performance when clearly running on fumes. However, there’s just not a lot I can add to what they did.

From wire-to-wire, Indiana looked like the superior team, but they also looked like they could simply run out of gas at any moment.

They did not, and it was Philly who was overwhelmed.

In this 88-69 victory over the Sixers, the Pacers only trailed for 46 seconds in the game. Indy maintained a double-digit cushion for over 17 of the final 20 minutes of the contest.

Like I said earlier tonight, Frank Vogel and his charges are putting a good product on the floor. Make sure you’re not missing it.

Team win, and everybody gets A+’s tonight.

(Note: Due to technical difficulties with the box score, the player stat lines are not available tonight.)

Here is how each guy played individually tonight. Agree? Disagree? Express your thoughts below in the comments or yell at me (@8pts9secs) or Tim (@TimDonahue8p9s) on Twitter.

Frank Vogel

Not a fan of grading the coach, but gotta share the love here. Said he was treating the back-to-back-to-back set like a normal back-to-back. Frank’s team looked clearly gassed, yet thoroughly outworked the host Sixers. Three games. Three nights. Three double-digits wins. Get down with your bad self.

	David West, PF Not Available If you don’t like David West, we can’t be friends.
	Paul George, SF Not Available Here’s a stat for you: PG has played 123 minutes since Monday. Jeff Pendergraph and Miles Plumlee have combined to play 101 minutes since Halloween. Looked tired, but still better than most of his games in November.
	Roy Hibbert, C Not Available Best game of the season, and it’s not close.
	George Hill, PG Not Available Feels to me like his two floaters in the fourth quarter broke Philly’s back.
	Lance Stephenson, SG Not Available Loved the energy early. Contributing even when not playing great. Incredible growth this season.

	Tyler Hansbrough, PF Not Available Played with more energy than entire Sixer team.
	Sam Young, SF Not Available The rising tide sinks all ships…or something like that.
	Ian Mahinmi, C Not Available Yeah…him, too.
	D.J. Augustin, PG Not Available Team win. Team A+’s.
	Orlando Johnson, SG Not Available Step back. Step back.