Paul George shrugs off boos; Pacers lose third straight
By TYLER SMITH (@TylerSmith_ISL)
ISL Editor
(Photo by Pacers Sports and Entertainment)
INDIANAPOLIS — It’s been a Jekyll and Hyde type of season for the Indiana Pacers. This team either shows up to play, or they don’t. For the most part, they’ve been Jekyll at home (16-6) and Hyde on the road (6-16). But sometimes, they’ll be both in a single game.
Take Monday night against the New York Knicks for example. The Pacers got off to an excellent start and led 34-22 after the first quarter. The Knicks then went on a 53-26 run over the next 19 minutes of game action to take a 75-60 lead. New York led 98-82 late in the game, and several fans headed for the exits. But then Jekyll returned, as the Pacers went on a 17-2 run. Free throws by Paul George tied the game at 103 with 42 seconds left. Carmelo Anthony made a tough shot in the corner, the Pacers turned the ball over, and the Knicks still prevailed for a 109-103 victory, handing the Pacers their third straight loss.
Paul George scored a game-high 31 points, but it was his post-game comments that grabbed more attention. He was asked how he felt about the Pacers being booed on their home floor (early in the 4th quarter.)
“That’s just Indiana,” George said. “We were the No. 1 seed in the East and got booed. That’s just Indy in general.”
Fans were understandably upset when they first saw PG’s comments, but allow me to provide some context. Paul George didn’t sound angry or upset when he made this comment. I believe the quote looks much worse than how it actually sounded. He was saying the fans here boo if you don’t play well, but it didn’t seem to be said in a resentful way.
That won’t be enough to satisfy some Pacer fans, but it’s still important to keep in mind. Paul George speaks his mind after games, and doesn’t always think through how his words will be perceived. If you’re worried that he doesn’t want to be in Indiana anymore, I wouldn’t read that far into his comments. We’re still a year and a half away from his free agency anyway.
Myles Turner had a monster night against the Knicks, despite being limited to nine minutes in the first half with foul trouble. Turner scored 22 points to go along with 10 rebounds. He made some huge plays down the stretch, but committed a key turnover in the final minute.
“I just dropped the ball, man,” Turner said. “That’s the only way to put it. I just dropped it. It sucks. You’ve just got to move on.”
The Pacers will live with the occasional mistake of their 20-year-old rising star.
The Pacers had recently gone 7-1 in an eight-game stretch, but have now lost three straight. Every time fans think they’ve turned the corner, they turn around and drop games to teams like the Lakers and Knicks. As the All-Star break and Trade Deadline approach next month, the Pacers enter a critical stretch. At times they look like a top-4 team in the East, and other times they look disinterested.
There is still a lot of basketball to be played. The Pacers have talent. But so far, it looks like Jekyll and Hyde will be sticking around.
