Weekly Recap
The Pacers entered the week facing the San Antonio Spurs after being dominated on the defensive end by the Memphis Grizzlies in the previous contest. Going into the game against the Spurs, the Pacers were going to need much more contribution from C.J. Miles and Monta Ellis if they were going to have a chance against the deepest team in the NBA. The first quarter was a slow paced, but close period that saw balanced scoring from the supporting cast for the Pacers as Paul George struggled to get started as he went 1 for 5 from the field for 3 points and 2 turnovers. The second quarter displayed the Spurs’ depth as David West made his impact felt against his former team. West scored 5 quick points and drew two quick fouls on C.J. Miles as the Spurs lead peaked at 10 points in the quarter. The Pacers responded with a 18-10 run led by Rodney Stuckey. He scored 7 points in the quarter to bring the Pacers deficit to a 48-50 score at the half.
The second half saw the Spurs’ offense heat up and continue to suffocate the Pacers from the perimeter. Paul George continued to struggle from the field and commit many turnovers as the lead for the Spurs continued to widen to 9 at the end of the fourth quarter. The final quarter saw the Pacers defense break as the lead reached as high as 18 points. The Pacers supporting cast made some great contributions as Miles, George Hill, and Jordan Hill combined for 46 points. The Matchup that doomed the Pacers was the star matchup between Paul George and Kawhi Leonard. George posted poor numbers as he scored only 7 points on 1-14 shooting to go with 6 turnovers. Leonard posted a strong 24 points on 10-19 shooting to go with 6 rebounds and 5 assists.
The Pacers returned home for a seemingly easy matchup against the Sacramento Kings on Hickory night. The theme of the game was the Pacers inability to prevent Rajon Rondo and his penetration into the paint. Rondo produced 8 assists in the first quarter and was the biggest factor in the Kings scoring 30 points in the opening quarter. The Pacers did score 27 points of their own but Paul George continued to struggle with 3 points on 1-3 shooting in the first quarter. The second half was a disaster for the Pacers as they were outscored by 12 in the quarter and trailed 64-49 at the half. Rondo had a double double in the first half with 11 points and 10 rebounds while Darren Collison had 15 points off the bench.
The Pacers came out of the locker room in the second half with more intensity as they quickly trimmed the lead down to 3 on a 19-6 run led by the trio of Paul George, C.J. Miles, and Monta Ellis. The game stayed close through the rest of the game as Ellis and Miles kept the Pacers close. The Pacers took the lead at 106-104 with 2:00 remaining on a Monta Ellis three. The Kings scored 4 straight points on DeMarcus Cousins' free throws to take a two point lead with one minute remaining. Paul George missed three straight game tying field goals as the Pacers failed to tie the game in regulation and lost 108-106. Paul George continued to struggle from the field as he scored 12 points on only 5-19 shooting. The supporting cast was strong as C.J. Miles, George Hill, and Monta Ellis combined for 61 points on 22-42 shooting. It was truly disappointing that the Pacers scoring effort from the supporting cast was wasted, due to bad defense and poor shooting from their leader. The Pacers allowed the Kings to shoot 52% for the game.
With the Pacers riding a three game losing streak, they traveled on the road to break the streak against the young and spirited Minnesota Timberwolves. The first quarter was slow paced as both teams struggled to shoot from the field. The Pacers’ defense was strong with the exception for Karl-Anthony Towns, who had 12 points in the first quarter. The Pacers offense was kept afloat by Paul George who had 7 points in the opening period. The second quarter saw more of the same as neither team was able to pull away and the Timberwolves led 44-43 at the half. The Pacers guards continued to struggle containing Ricky Rubio and his passing in the second half. The pacers continued to struggle in the third quarter as they only had 66 points and trailed 68-66 at the end of the third quarter. The Pacers offense picked up in the final quarter as The bench retook the lead for the Pacers. Chase Budinger scored 7 quick points to give the Pacers a six point lead. Andrew Wiggins made a big three to cut the Pacers lead back to three before Paul George led a game clinching charge that saw the Pacers outscore the Timberwolves 16-4 in the final four minutes to clinch a 102-88 victory.
Consistency and Efficiency
The Pacers have been concerned with their defensive inconsistency in recent weeks, but now their star is struggling to score efficiently and ball movement has ceased. The Pacers have received good contributions from the supporting cast this week, but Paul George needs to be more efficient while continuing to shoot the same volume of shots. George had a relatively efficient game in Minnesota and it resulted in a much needed victory. When George shoots above 42% while attempting over 15 shots and committing 4 or less turnovers, the Pacers are 5-1 when he puts up such numbers. George did produce 5 turnovers but he shot 44% while attempting 16 shots for 18 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists. He does not need to average 30 points per game, but he does need to score more efficiently while limiting his turnovers.
Pacer of the Week
Monta Ellis put up his best week as a Pacer and produced 16.3 points, and 3.7 rebounds, and 5.0 assists per game while shooting 50% from the field. He has become more comfortable in the offense and he taken over many games for short periods to keep the Pacers close in those games. When Paul George and Monta Ellis are on the same page, the Pacers are a very dangerous team.
The Week Ahead
The Pacers have a four game week ahead and begin at home against the Atlanta Hawks on Monday, December 28th. The Pacers finish the week with three games against divisional opponents when they travel to play the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday, December 30th, and play at home against the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday, December 31st, and play against the Detroit Pistons on Saturday, January 2nd.
Prediction
The Pacers will need to improve on the offensive end to have a successful week. This week may have implications down the road as all the games are against teams that the Pacers are battling for playoff positioning. At the current time, the Pacers sit in 5th in the Eastern Conference standings and are 1.5 games behind the Hawks who sit in 2nd place. A win against that Hawks team would put the Pacers back into the top half of the Eastern Conference bracket. The Pacers will need to prevent penetration by Jeff Teague. The last two point guards that have faced the Pacers have averaged 14 points, 13.5 assists, and 6.5 rebounds. If the Pacers can’t contain Teague, they will have a nightmare maintaining pressure on shooters like Paul Millsap and Kyle Korver. The Pacers’ defense will show up this game and will provide the pressure needed to prevent a breakout game from Teague.
Paul George will have a resurgence this week and will help the Pacers’ offense return to what it was in November. The Pacers will be catching the Bulls at a good time as they have lost 4 of 5 games and are struggling to adjust to Fred Hoiberg’s new system. Paul George and Monta Ellis will need to have solid outings in Chicago for the Pacers to win and will do just that. The Pacers will force the Bulls into tough shots and will win late in the fourth aghast their rival.
The Pacers will then have the second night of their back to back when they return home to face the Bucks. The Pacers will be fatigued from their previous game and will struggle to score in this game. The Bucks will use their length to cause problems and take an early lead. The Pacers’ bench will need to make major contributions for the Pacers to win and will get big games from Stuckey and Chase Budinger and will win a one possession contest.
The final game of the week will be a revenge game against the Detroit Pistons. The Pistons destroyed the Pacers in Detroit on December 12th. The Pistons gave the Pacers issues due to their hot three point shooting and the Pacers inability to contain Reggie Jackson. If the Pacers can contain Jackson and his penetration, it will force the Pistons into difficult perimeter shots. Rodney Stuckey will have his second consecutive game of major contributions and will lead the Pacers to a big second half victory.
The Pacers will end the week with a five game winning streak and will be at 21-12 for the season. Paul George will have three games of 20+ points and two double double in points and rebounds for the week.