Pacers dominate Nets
By TYLER SMITH (@TylerSmith_ISL)
ISL Editor
(Photo by Pacers sports and entertainment)
INDIANAPOLIS — With Paul George and C.J. Miles sidelined with injuries, the Pacers were still able to dominate the Brooklyn Nets in their annual Black Friday home game, 118-97 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.
Things didn’t start out so well, as the Nets scored 20 points in the first six minutes of the game. But the Nets would only score 23 points in the next 18 minutes of game action, as the Pacers really turned up the defense. The blue and gold went into the break with a 58-43 lead. They shot 57.1% and were led by Glenn Robinson III with 13 points on 4-of-5 shooting.
Robinson III would finish the game with a career-high 20 points, leading all Pacer scorers, who had six players with double-figures on the night.
“I thought he played a really solid game,” Coach Nate McMillan said. “It’s the second time he’s gone from not playing to starting, and he’s really stepped up for us. Offensively, I’m not worried about him. I’m very confident with him on the floor.”
“Coach told me to be confident,” Robinson III said. “You just always have to be ready. We had fun playing tonight, and we want to keep playing that way.”
Paul George will also miss the next two games with injury, and the Pacers will be relying heavily on point guard Jeff Teague. Teague did his part on Friday, with nine points, nine rebounds, and eight assists in only 23 minutes because of the lop-sided score.
The Pacers shot 55.2% on the night, including 11-of-26 from behind the arc (42.3%).
After a rough performance by the second unit on Wednesday night, Rodney Stuckey and Al Jefferson combined for 34 points on 15-of-24 shooting. Whether healthy or hurting, the Pacers will need more nights like this from the players off the bench.
The Pacers have won four straight games on Black Friday, by an average of 17 points in those victories.
It’s been a back-and-forth season for Indiana so far, but the Pacers are hoping to build some momentum from this win
“I told the guys that we can’t go back,” McMillan said. “We need to establish our identity. We haven’t been able to do that yet. Tonight is what I feel we can become.”
Now at 8-9 on the season, the Pacers will have a tough test on Sunday night at home against the Los Angeles Clippers. We’ll find out very soon if Friday was the start of better days, or just another “up” in a season full of ups and downs.
