Monta Ellis' scoring streak puts him in select company
When the Indiana Pacers signed Monta Ellis as a free agent last summer, they knew they were getting a scorer. And he has lived up to that expectation, averaging 14.3 points per game, second on the Pacers only to All-Star Paul George.
Ellis scored his 1,000th point of the season Monday, putting him in some rather select company. He now has scored 1,000 points in each of the last seven seasons, a streak that is bested by only two NBA guards.
GUARDS WITH LONGEST ACTIVE STREAK OF SEASONS WITH 1,000-PLUS POINTS
| Player | Team | Seasons (includes 2015-16) |
| Dwyane Wade | Miami Heat |
12 |
| Russell Westbrook | Oklahoma City Thunder | 8 |
| Monta Ellis | Indiana Pacers | 7 |
| Chris Paul | Los Angeles Clippers | 6 |
| DeMar DeRozan | Toronto Raptors | 6 |
Pacers rookie forward Myles Turner turns 20 today. He is on track to become just the third rookie in Pacers history to average at least 10 points and one block per game.
PACERS ROOKIES WITH 10-PLUS POINTS AND ONE-PLUS BLOCK PER GAME
| Season | Player | PPG | BPG |
| 1981-82 | Herb Williams | 11.5 | 2.2 |
| 1988-89 | Rik Smits | 11.7 | 1.8 |
| 2015-16 | Myles Turner | 10.5 | 1.5 |
The Pacers have improved their defense in the paint since the All-Star break. They had been allowing opponents to shoot 53.8 percent from the paint before the break (20th in the NBA) but since that point they rank among the league leaders in that category.
LOWEST OPPONENT FIELD-GOAL PERCENTAGE IN THE PAINT SINCE THE 2016 ALL-STAR BREAK
| Team | Percentage |
| Miami Heat |
.508 |
| Toronto Raptors | .514 |
| Atlanta Hawks | .515 |
| San Antonio Spurs | .517 |
| Indiana Pacers | .519 |
EASIEST REMAINING STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE
| Team | Opponents' winning percentage (based on current records) |
| Indiana Pacers | .423 |
| Charlotte Hornets | .432 |
| New Orleans Pelicans |
.432 |
| Miami Heat |
.433 |
| Los Angeles Clippers | .440 |
