Pacers win season opener
By TYLER SMITH
ISL Editor
INDIANAPOLIS — Roy Hibbert was the only returning starter from last season’s opening game. His experience showed with 22 points, eight rebounds, and seven blocked shots, leading the Pacers to a 103-91 victory over Philadelphia in this season’s opener at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.
(Photo by Pacers Sports and Entertainment)
It’s been a rough several months for the Pacers to say the least. As the injuries have piled up, the expectations have gone down. Players who weren’t even cracking the rotation last year are in the starting lineup to begin the season. Playing the 76ers at home was just what the doctor ordered.
The Sixers got off to a 20-11 start before new Pacer Rodney Stuckey ignited a second-unit run. Coming back from an injury, Stuckey was limited to just 16 minutes of action. He made every minute count, scoring 16 points and dishing out five assists. The Pacers were plus+15 with Stuckey on the court.
The Pacers were fortunate to only be trailing 51-48 at halftime considering they shot just 39 percent from the field and had committed 11 first-half turnovers. They settled down in the 2nd half and controlled the game from there. They led 78-73 after the third quarter, and put together an 8-0 run to start the fourth. A late run by the Sixers wasn’t enough to stop the Pacers from a 1-0 start.
“It wasn’t perfect,” Pacers coach Frank Vogel said after the win. “It’s not going to be perfect with the situation we’re in. But we’ve got to win games. Positive first step.”
The Pacers got a lot of help from Philadelphia’s dismal shooting at the foul line. The Sixers were just 17-of-30 from the stripe.
With the injuries to George Hill and C.J. Watson, Donald Sloan will be asked to carry the load at the point guard position for at least a few weeks. He put together one of his best career games, scoring 16 points, grabbing 10 rebounds and dishing out six assists.
For the Pacers to remain competitive this season, these are the types of games they simply have to win. They will need a balanced effort like tonight, and they will need to rack up as many wins as possible against the lower tier of teams in the Eastern Conference. So far, so good. Now if only they could play the Sixers on a nightly basis.
Follow Tyler on Twitter: @sports_tys_20
