What a pace these Pacers have! Not even the most optimistic of fans thought that the team was spared a deep reconstruction on this occasion and it turns out that they are not only avoiding it, but that they are being the revelation of the season to currently live in playoff positions with a balance from 23-18. Simply amazing.
With last night’s victory, 116-111 against Charlotte, Rick Carlisle’s boys have accumulated eight in their last ten games, a mark that places them as the second best team in the NBA in such a period, being only surpassed by 9-1 Brooklyn Nets and tied with Denver Nuggets and Dallas Mavericks. It is normal for there to be some euphoria in Indianapolis, especially if it wins like last night, coming back in the fourth quarter.
Because these Pacers are a tough team. They saw themselves down 14 in the first quarter and got up. They suffered again until they found themselves nine behind at the start of the last period and hit again to end up winning. The reality is that they have reached the middle of the season (41 games) and give a sense of security that invites us to think that they will continue to win games. This is how his coach, Rick Carlisle, sees it.
«41 games… It doesn’t feel like 41 games, but it is. The next 41 will also go by pretty quickly. We are gaining a lot of experience along the way. We are not perfect, but we are gradually improving and we have a great public that has helped us overcome obstacles in many of these matches », he analyzes.
Turner in his prime
Myles Turner is being essential in the great season for those from Indianapolis. His contract is up and for now it is not clear to him to sign an extension with the team, but that is not why he is playing worse; What’s more, it seems that the fact of knowing that he is playing a big contract for the next season is pushing him to play fantastic games. Against the Hornets they were 29 points, nine rebounds and four blocks.
“I’m excited for us, excited that we’re outperforming ourselves. We still have a lot of work to do. We cannot be satisfied », she sentences.
The center He was accompanied by a double-double of 16 points and 13 assists from Tyrese Haliburton, by Buddy Hield’s 21 points and Andrew Nembhard’s 19.
Charlotte, in another movie
We can almost say that Charlotte’s season was over before it began. The absence of Miles Bridges after being accused of assault by his ex-partner (He will be on probation for three years.), as well as the injury to LaMelo Ball, has condemned them to a year of transition with no other objective than to think about the future. Last night they fought the game, but seeing themselves with a balance of 11-30 doesn’t help when gritting their teeth.
Regarding individual performances, the best of those from North Carolina was PJ Washington with 22 points, while Terry Rozier stayed at 19 and Mason Plumlee finished with a double-double of 18 points and 13 rebounds.
(Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)