The Indiana Pacers are now 2-0 against the teams that faced off in the NBA Finals last season after beating the Dallas Mavericks by a final score of 134-127.
“We’ve just been waiting to put together 48 minutes of Pacer basketball,” Tyrese Haliburton said after the game. “I think tonight may have been the first time we’ve seen that from us … I feel like this was our most complete effort all year.”
The Pacers did most of their damage with a relentless pursuit of attacks to the basket with 76 points in the paint and never trailed by more than two points at any point in the game, quickly answering every run the Mavericks threw at them after Indiana started off with 15-2 run.
In a continuation from the trends of the playoffs, the Pacers are now 3-0 when they win the rebounding battle this season. Despite the slow start at 3-4, there are only two teams above .500 in the Eastern Conference so the Pacers haven’t lost much ground to anyone outside of the Celtics and Cavaliers to this point.
To the grades!
Myles Turner: A+
“I don’t know, man. I just get superpowers in this building,” Myles Turner on the post-game interview on playing in his hometown.
Quote: “I can’t be a center averaging 5 or 6 rebounds a game. I know that. It’s something that I get criticized for the most. So it’s just putting my attention there and being more intentional about getting on that side of the glass, especially now that we have guys down. I know I have to step up in that category,” Myles Turner said of his strong rebounding performance.
Tyrese Haliburton: A
Quote: “There’s a lot of questions about Tyrese’s scoring and this and that and the other. All that’s going to happen. The thing that he’s doing right now better than he’s ever done is lead this team. His leadership is really great. It’s elite. He’s keeping other people propped up while he’s going through a not easy time. It’s really heartwarming to see that,” Rick Carlisle said of how Haliburton’s leadership has shined even during an early season slump.
Bennedict Mathurin: B+
Quote: “The thing you’ve got to understand about Benn Mathurin is at some point he’s going to strike and he’s going to go on a run. It wasn’t happening throughout the game, but in the fourth quarter, the big three in front of the bench, there was an and-one that he got, and then there was a transition play where it gave us more separation. He’s gaining a lot of experience, a lot of maturity, and it’s great to see. We really need him,” Carlisle on the third-year wing.
Pascal Siakam: A-
Andrew Nembhard: B-
T.J. McConnell: B
Obi Toppin: B
Jarace Walker: B-
Ben Sheppard: C
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