First Thoughts: Nets 89, Pacers 84
By CHRIS GOFF
ISL Correspondent
Let’s take a quick look at how the Brooklyn Nets came back for an 89-84 overtime win over the Indiana Pacers on Monday night at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.
WHY IT HAPPENED: The Pacers overcame a nine-point deficit in the fourth quarter, but Joe Johnson made a 10-footer on the move against George Hill after starting on the perimeter and working Hill toward the rim to tie the game at 76 with 13 seconds left. Indiana couldn’t recover in overtime. Playing the bulk of the point guard minutes in place of Deron Williams (ankle), rookie Tyshawn Taylor scored a season-high 12 points for Brooklyn. Reggie Evans had a monster game, scoring eight points, grabbing 22 rebounds and shutting down David West. Paul George had just five points and fouled out with 1:02 left in regulation.
WHAT WE LEARNED: Indiana endured a horrid night on the offensive end, shooting 34 percent, but almost won the game, and should have. The Pacers were up four and had the ball with 1:04 left, but that’s when Hill missed a 3, and from there Indiana imploded in crunch time for a second consecutive game. They couldn’t get any shots to fall. The Pacers have said repeatedly that they expect to be dominant at home, but for the first time, two straight visiting teams have won in Indianapolis. It was clear even by halftime that Brooklyn matches up very well with Indiana. Had Williams been able to suit up, the Nets wouldn’t have needed an extra session. Gerald Wallace played lockdown defense on a guy in George who had been nearly unstoppable in Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Brook Lopez took over and rose to the occasion with Williams out, scoring 25 points on Indiana’s normally stout defense and causing Roy Hibbert more of the same problems he did in the Nets’ 97-86 win over the Pacers in Brooklyn on Jan. 13.
KEY NUMBER: West and George combined to go just 3-for-21 from the field. Hibbert was 5-for-18 and left several plays on the table in overtime.
TURNING POINT: Taylor, having his best game in the NBA, made the first two baskets of overtime, including a miraculous 20-foot prayer with the shot clock nearly expired. With 1:54 left, Wallace nailed a wide-open 3 from the left corner to make it 83-79, and the Nets were on their way, even with such unconventional sources of offense.
NEXT: The Pacers play at home against Charlotte Wednesday night, when Danny Granger potentially could see a few minutes in his much-anticipated season debut.
