Pacers pick up second win of the season against Boston

After coming off of the first win of the year against Detroit, the Indiana Pacers turned around the next night for win number two over of the Boston Celtics.

The Pacers and Celtics battled it out last night in close fashion, and it took a pair of Monta Ellis free throws in the final 15 seconds to separate the two sides in favor of Indiana.

As projected, the C’s leading scorer Isaiah Thomas went off last night and led all scorers with 27 points. For Indy, Paul George dropped his first 25-point game since May of 2014, finishing with 26 points and 10 rebounds.

The Good
For starters, Paul George reaching that landmark, however big/little it is, is good for everyone in Blue & Gold. It only further builds confidence for him and for the team moving forward.

Second, Glenn Robinson III getting minutes was good to see. He’s still developing but at a healthy level and the fact that Vogel trusted him to get time bodes well. In 19 minutes, he had 10 points on 3-4 shooting and 4-5 from the line.

Jordan Hill played very well last night, too. He was able to tack on 16 points with 10 rebounds and got some important second chance looks that proved vital at the close.

Plus, always good to see Indiana ties in the league – and there were plenty last night. R.J. Hunter (Pike) and Tyler Zeller (Washington) represented from the Celtics, and George Hill (Broad Ripple) on the Pacers. Even R.J. Hunter’s father, Ron, who now coaches at Georgia State and took them to the NCAA Tournament last year with the help of his son, was able to attend. The elder hunter also coached George Hill at IUPUI during his 17-year stint.

Also, how about that Jae Crowder effort?

The Bad
Thankfully, there wasn’t a lot to be extremely negative on. Both teams played fine defensively and Indiana was able to limit Boston to scoring just under their usual PPG while eclipsing their usual average even as short as the season is in.

Not limiting the guards could count as something going forward, but, both Thomas and Avery Bradley are Boston’s biggest threats and have stepped up on the scoring front.

Statistically speaking, losing allowing 14 points on the fast break and 22 off of turnovers isn’t ideal, but it is often set aside in the case of a win.

Next: Indianapolis Colts: Week 9 DraftKings Values

Indiana improves to 2-4 on the year and will now have a day’s rest before facing the Miami Heat tomorrow night at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Always a game that evokes emotion from its backstory, the crowd on a Friday night will only be amplified by the fact that it’s the first Hickory Night of the season.

To celebrate, BLF will be decorated with a theme correlating with the Hickory jerseys, and the city of Crawfordsville will be honored. Tipoff set for 8 pm ET.