Post-Game Grades: Indiana Pacers Late Game Rally Falls Short to Boston Celtics
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The Indiana Pacers’ furious comeback fell just short, losing to the Boston Celtics in Indianapolis.
The Good: The Indiana Pacers made a nice comeback in the fourth quarter, but ultimately fell short. It’s always refreshing to see a team never give up. Jeff Teague continued his rock solid play, so that’s a positive to come out of this.
The Bad: Things got really ugly in the second quarter. The Pacers were outscored 29-9 in the second. Glenn Robinson III really struggled, and Paul George couldn’t get much to go either. Maybe the most important thing is that the Celtics officially won the season series against Indiana after this win. That matters, especially when you’re battling for positioning in the playoffs.
MVP: Isaiah Thomas took this game over in the 4th quarter. He and Jeff Teague had an entertaining dual, but Thomas ended up getting his team the win. He finished with 28 points, 9 assists and 0 turnovers.
LVP: Glenn Robinson III. The basket must have looked really small to Glenn because he finished just 1-9 from the field for 2 points in 35 minutes. He had his struggles at times on the defensive end, too.
X-Factor: Al Horford. Horford shot only 3-12 from the field, but his presence was definitely felt by the Boston Celtics. He kept possessions alive down the stretch, which resulted in giving Isaiah Thomas more opportunities to close the game.
Paul George
Small Forward, Indiana Pacers
CGeorge struggled with his shot again, shooting just 5-16 from the field. He scored 19 points and added 8 rebounds and 5 assists. He turned it over 5 times, though. Worth noting that he also tweaked his left ankle during the game.
Jeff Teague
Point Guard, Indiana Pacers
ATeague was the offense for the Pacers. He was dueling with Isaiah Thomas and ended up scoring a game-high 31 points. He shot 9-15 from the field and 11-11 from the foul line. Teague added 8 assists.
Myles Turner
Center, Indiana Pacers
CTurner was very quiet tonight. He shot 5-11 from the field for 10 points and 8 rebounds. He just couldn’t get in a good rhythm tonight.
Glenn Robinson III
Shooting Guard, Indiana Pacers
D-Glenn really struggled, as he shot just 1-9 from the field for 2 points in 35 minutes. He didn’t fair well on the defensive end, either. The Pacers needed a lot more production at the shooting guard position tonight.
Thaddeus Young
Power Forward, Indiana Pacers
B+Thad was really solid tonight, finishing with 15 points, 12 rebounds and 4 assists. He knocked down 3 three-pointers. Thad also was the only Pacer starter to have a positive plus-minus, posting a +1.
C.J. Miles
Small Forward, Indiana Pacers
BMiles struggled through the first three quarters, but caught fire in the 4th. He scored from deep (2 threes) and put the ball on the floor as well. He finished with 19 points off the bench.
Al Jefferson
Center, Indiana Pacers
DOnce again, Al didn’t get anything done on the defensive end. He finished with 4 points and 7 rebounds in 14 minutes.
Aaron Brooks
Point Guard, Indiana Pacers
D-His mega slump continues. Brooks went 0-3 from the field and finished with 2 points and 2 turnovers in 12 minutes.
Lavoy Allen
Power Forward, Indiana Pacers
C-Only played 5 minutes. Grabbed 2 rebounds.
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