Pacers depth is a thing of beauty
(Kyle O’Quinn had 16 points and eight rebounds in the Pacers win Saturday night.
Photo by: Pacers Sports and Entertainment)
By TYLER SMITH (@TylerSmith_ISL)
ISL Editor
INDIANAPOLIS — No Sabonis? No problem. This year’s Pacers are built to withstand injuries, and Saturday night gave them the first opportunity to prove it. The result? A 132-112 win over the Brooklyn Nets at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.
Nine players played more than three minutes in the game.
Nine players scored in double-figures.
That’s the first time having nine players with 10 or more points since 1983. (Courtesy of Pat Boylan)
“It means a lot,” said Victor Oladipo. “It shows how effective we can be. We could be special.” Oladipo led the charge with 25 points, seven rebounds, four steals, and three assists.
Kyle O’Quinn put up Sabonis-like numbers in his place with 16 points and eight rebounds. O’Quinn signed with Indiana knowing he wouldn’t play every night. He was already preparing to step in on nights like Saturday.
Kyle O’Quinn- “The fans here are amazing. If you’ve never played here, you don’t feel it until you get that Pacer uniform on.” pic.twitter.com/k9h5GIIPp5
— Tyler Smith (@TylerSmith_ISL) October 21, 2018
“I like to be ready and step in when needed,” O’Quinn said. “Being ready and being held accountable- I think the guys appreciate that.”
“He did great tonight,” said teammate Oladipo. “It shows why he’s such a great pro.”
And how about the screens O’Quinn sets that don’t show up in the box score? “Believe me, I know how good they are,” Oladipo said, smiling: “He hit me with a few in training camp. I had to remind him we’re on the same team like a thousand times.”
The Pacers shot 55% on the night. They forced 20 Brooklyn turnovers and only had 10 themselves. And a night after struggling from the 3-point line, the Pacers made 16-of-24 from behind the arc on Saturday night. That’s the third best percentage with at least 20 attempts in franchise history. Doug McDermott and Bojan Bogdanovic connected on 7-of-8 themselves. The Nets cut the lead to seven early in the 4th quarter, but “Dougie and Bogey” drained back-to-back 3’s in a matter of 15 seconds. That started a 20-2 run as the Pacers pulled away.
Point guard play was also excellent in this one. Darren Collison and Cory Joseph combined for 25 points on 10-of-15 from the field, to go along with nine assists to just two turnovers.
It’s a very small sample size, but after three games of this short season, the Pacers have played historically good at home to go along with one clunker on the road. They won’t be home for nine days as they start a three-game road-trip on Monday in Minnesota.
“We’ve got to be ready to go man,” said Oladipo. “The road in the NBA is tough, but we’re built for it.”
The Pacers have nine players in double figures without Domas Sabonis tonight. So much depth on this team.
— iPacers.com (@iPacersblog) October 21, 2018
