Pacers knock down 18 3’s, improve to 14-12
By TYLER SMITH (@TylerSmith_ISL)
ISL Editor
INDIANAPOLIS — The Indiana Pacers continue to defy odds in a number of different ways. Most teams struggle with offense and energy after returning home from a long Western Conference road trip. The Pacers had no issue in those areas, as they put up 121 points and knocked down 18 3’s in a win over Washington on Friday night. Most teams also struggle on the second night of back-to-backs. The Pacers are 5-0 in such games this season (and will have another opportunity Saturday evening against Kevin Durant and the Nets).
“When you consider the difficulty coming back East from the road trip, it’s a good win for us,” said Head Coach Rick Carlisle. “Buddy was great. Tyrese was terrific. I thought a lot of guys played real solid. Oshae played a very important role.”
I asked Tyrese Haliburton and Buddy Hield about that energy after Friday’s win. The entire presser is available on the Pacers YouTube channel and is worth your time.
In the win over the Wizards, the Pacers (14-12) had five players in double-figures, which was the 17th time accomplishing that feat this season. Tyrese Haliburton recorded his 16th double-double (23 points, 11 assists) which is tied with Jokic, Sabonis, and Anthony Davis (all bigs, mind you), for tops in the NBA.
The Pacers will now host Brooklyn, Miami, and Golden State in their next three games: A great test for this young group as they continue to beat the projections.
And now, for your completely meaningless stat of the weekend:
