Ty Lawson has had some issues in the past, but can he return to his old form with the Pacers? (thesportsquotient.com)
Sundays At The Bank: I Trust Larry Bird
Ross Weber; @rweberI65
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Paul George is scorching hot and Ty Lawson is now a Pacer. There's a lot to talk about after a five game week.
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Game Notes
Game 59: Portland 111, Indiana 102
Game 59: Portland 111, Indiana 102
Paul George has eyes in the back of his head https://t.co/fbzYUjwMlj
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) February 28, 2016
This was not a great performance, especially on defense, from the Pacers but it’s not a disaster. Portland is as hot as anybody in the NBA right now, and shots for Indiana just weren’t falling. The team shot just 21% from downtown and the Pacers starting five shot a combined 21/59 from the field. It just was not the Pacers’ day.
Game 60: Cleveland 100, Indiana 96
This was one of the better performances the Pacers have had in a loss all season, but of course it is another blown lead. Not a large lead, as neither team led by more than five at any point in the entire game, but still a loss. Not a tough one to swallow considering the great shooting of Monta Ellis and Paul George dropping 23 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists.
Game 61: Indiana 104, Milwaukee 99
The second quarter won this one for Indiana, as they outscored the Bucks 27 to 10, but the balance in this game scoring-wise was phenomenal. Seven Pacers scored in double digits (and Lavoy Allen scored eight points), and no one scored more than Jordan Hill’s 19. It was also a good performance from Rodney Stuckey, who just recently returned from injury, scoring 15 points on 5/7 from the field.
Game 62: Charlotte 108, Indiana 101
Game 60: Cleveland 100, Indiana 96
This was one of the better performances the Pacers have had in a loss all season, but of course it is another blown lead. Not a large lead, as neither team led by more than five at any point in the entire game, but still a loss. Not a tough one to swallow considering the great shooting of Monta Ellis and Paul George dropping 23 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists.
Game 61: Indiana 104, Milwaukee 99
The second quarter won this one for Indiana, as they outscored the Bucks 27 to 10, but the balance in this game scoring-wise was phenomenal. Seven Pacers scored in double digits (and Lavoy Allen scored eight points), and no one scored more than Jordan Hill’s 19. It was also a good performance from Rodney Stuckey, who just recently returned from injury, scoring 15 points on 5/7 from the field.
Game 62: Charlotte 108, Indiana 101
Paul George (35 points) & Kemba Walker (33 points) duel in @Hornets 108-101 victory!https://t.co/2EXrnbHf4w
— NBA (@NBA) March 5, 2016
I don’t know what it is about the Hornets (maybe it's Kemba Walker) against the Pacers this year, but Charlotte just has Indiana’s number. Despite another awesome offensive performance from Paul George (35 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists), the Pacers can’t overcome the Hornets on the road.
Game 63: Indiana 100, Washington 99
Game 63: Indiana 100, Washington 99
Paul George drops 38 to lead @Pacers to 100-99 victory!https://t.co/2zxxrWZXGj
— NBA (@NBA) March 6, 2016
Wait, the Pacers actually won a game in crunch time? On the road? BY HITTING THEIR FREE THROWS? This can’t be real life.. Hats off to Paul George for actually making the impossible happen.
Week in Review:
Honestly, this was not a bad week, as I would have been really happy with three wins, but there was not a lot (outside of the Portland game) to be really upset about. I really think this team is close to turning a corner and making a run for that fourth seed in the East.
Who’s Hot (Besides Paul George)? Who’s Not?
Hot: Paul George
Yup, he’s so hot that even though I’m asking who is hot besides Paul George, the answer is still Paul George. In his last five games he’s averaging 24.4 points, 7.4 rebounds and 4.4 assists while shooting 44.4% from three-point range. His all-around performances and passing ability are really starting to shine. When he plays the way he has recently, it’s easy to like the Pacers’ chances of winning games.
Not: Chase Budinger
Falling in and out of the rotation all season, and was just bought out this week to make room for new Pacer Ty Lawson (more on that acquisition later), but Chase had some good moments and some bad moments in his Pacer career, and considering he was an expiring contract anyway it’s not the worst thing to see him become a free agent.
Stat of the Week:
The Pacers have shot 88/107 (82.2%) from the free throw line in the last five games. I understand that they are free throws and there are many other things that a team can do to win a basketball game, but hitting free throws, especially in close games, has been an issue for the Pacers all season long. To shoot so well, especially in a couple of instances where the game was on the line is a big time boost. As much as some teams overlook the charity stripe, it can win or lose you ball games, and more often than not it has lost the Pacers games this season, but not this week.
One Thing I Think:
Week in Review:
Honestly, this was not a bad week, as I would have been really happy with three wins, but there was not a lot (outside of the Portland game) to be really upset about. I really think this team is close to turning a corner and making a run for that fourth seed in the East.
Who’s Hot (Besides Paul George)? Who’s Not?
Hot: Paul George
Yup, he’s so hot that even though I’m asking who is hot besides Paul George, the answer is still Paul George. In his last five games he’s averaging 24.4 points, 7.4 rebounds and 4.4 assists while shooting 44.4% from three-point range. His all-around performances and passing ability are really starting to shine. When he plays the way he has recently, it’s easy to like the Pacers’ chances of winning games.
Not: Chase Budinger
Falling in and out of the rotation all season, and was just bought out this week to make room for new Pacer Ty Lawson (more on that acquisition later), but Chase had some good moments and some bad moments in his Pacer career, and considering he was an expiring contract anyway it’s not the worst thing to see him become a free agent.
Stat of the Week:
The Pacers have shot 88/107 (82.2%) from the free throw line in the last five games. I understand that they are free throws and there are many other things that a team can do to win a basketball game, but hitting free throws, especially in close games, has been an issue for the Pacers all season long. To shoot so well, especially in a couple of instances where the game was on the line is a big time boost. As much as some teams overlook the charity stripe, it can win or lose you ball games, and more often than not it has lost the Pacers games this season, but not this week.
One Thing I Think:
Ty Lawson plans to sign his deal with Pacers on Monday and be available for Spurs game that night, I've been told.
— Jeff Zillgitt (@JeffZillgitt) March 6, 2016
The Ty Lawson pick-up in an interesting one, but I can see where Larry Bird is coming from. While Lawson has had some character issues in the past, the Pacers have had success with some guys like that in the past (Stephen Jackson and Ron Artest were performing very well before the brawl and Lance Stephenson should have been an All-Star in 2014). If Lawson causes any trouble, Larry and Frank Vogel won’t put up with it. This just might be Lawson’s last chance to prove he can succeed in the NBA, so I’d be surprised if he causes a lot of issues anyway. Still, Lawson has a lot of talent, and if he can show it then it will really help the Pacers improve. It’s low-risk considering the Pacers would really only be giving up a shot at home court in the first round of the playoffs if things go horribly wrong, and high-reward if Lawson can play the way he played two seasons ago. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I trust Larry Bird
This Week’s Schedule:
Monday, March 7th: vs San Antonio Spurs (53-9)
Saturday, March 12th: @ Dallas Mavericks (33-29)
It’s kind of weird to see just two games on the schedule after playing five last week, but it’s a rest I’m sure the Pacers will be happy to take. If Indiana gets one win from this week I’ll be happy.
This Week’s Schedule:
Monday, March 7th: vs San Antonio Spurs (53-9)
Saturday, March 12th: @ Dallas Mavericks (33-29)
It’s kind of weird to see just two games on the schedule after playing five last week, but it’s a rest I’m sure the Pacers will be happy to take. If Indiana gets one win from this week I’ll be happy.