Pacers lose their star, but they’ll never lose their fight
By TYLER SMITH (@TylerSmith_ISL)
ISL Editor
INDIANAPOLIS — Who knew that 32-15 could feel so bad?
The Pacers defeated Toronto for a big win on Wednesday night, but they lost their star in the process. Victor Oladipo went down with what the team is calling a “serious knee injury”, and there’s a good chance he will miss the remainder of the season.
“We’re not going to speculate,” said Head Coach Nate McMillan. “We’ll find out more with an MRI tomorrow. It appears to be serious.”
McMillan continued: “Keep him in our prayers. That kid has a beautiful spirit about him. He always tries to lift us. We’ve got to lift him now.”
It would have been very easy for the Pacers to roll over and lose this game after the devastating injury took place. But that’s not in this team’s DNA. Thad Young showed why he’s one of the leaders on this team. After a spirited halftime speech in the locker room, he put up big numbers and impacted the game in every way.
“That’s our captain,” said McMillan. “He knew we needed a lift. He just took over. Defending, rebounding, communicating- He kind of willed us to this win.”
Young finished with 23 points, 15 rebounds, three assists, two steals, and two blocks.
If Oladipo is indeed out for the season, it clearly puts a huge damper on a promising season. This team won’t be what it could’ve been. At the same time, there’s a lot of fight on this squad. Don’t expect this group to roll over and die. Don’t expect them to be an easy out. Team ball got them to 32-15, and team ball will continue to make them a problem for the opposition.
“Now more than ever, we’ve got to come together,” said Myles Turner. “We’re not going to have his (Oladipo) talents on the floor, but we’re still going to have his leadership.”
Domantas Sabonis agreed: “We’ve got to have the same mindset we always do. Next man up. It’s tough, but we’ve played without him before. We’ve got to work hard and take it day by day.”
The Pacers were already a team to watch at the upcoming trade deadline, but things could be even more interesting now. Pacers President Kevin Pritchard will have some tough decisions to make. Does he make a big splash to try and replace Victor’s scoring? Does he trade assets away? (not likely with a 32-15 record). Or does he stand pat with this group and hope for the best?
All we know is this: The one thing that couldn’t happen to this team has (probably) happened. We also know this team has a whole lot of heart they’ll never stop fighting. On a tough night in Indy, fans can at least be proud of that.
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