Pacers meet a rare match in Oklahoma City
By CHRIS GOFF
ISL Correspondent
INDIANAPOLIS – Paul George, David West and the Pacers are used to having the upper hand on most opponents. After a 97-75 defeat on Friday night, Indiana was in awe of how the Oklahoma City Thunder controlled the game in the Pacers’ own building.
That’s a championship-caliber team, said West, who tacitly inferred that the Pacers aren’t there yet.
The Thunder were so good that George looked like a rookie, scoring just eight points on 3-for-11 shooting and struggling to affect the game defensively as he typically does.
Just an off night, George said. Shot wasn’t falling. So much of my energy was wasted guarding (Kevin) Durant.
Indiana and Oklahoma City have a few things in common. Both are small-market teams who drafted well and were careful with their money. Each has three players making at least $10 million this season.
But in the department of elite scorers, it’s a total knockout: Thunder 2, Indiana 0.
And that made all the difference on Friday.
Durant went off for 34 points, 32 in the final three quarters, and scored in nearly every way possible: dunks, free throws, long jumpers, backdoor cuts, drives, 3-pointers, floaters.
Point guard Russell Westbrook was even more valuable to Oklahoma City’s offense, finishing with 24 points and nine assists. He assaulted the rim and made smart, under-control decisions. George said no player all season has penetrated Indiana’s defense as frequently and effectively as Westbrook.
He’s got size and explosiveness, George said. That’s tough.
The Pacers’ most effective scoring weapon recently has been Roy Hibbert, and while Hibbert was great once again against the Thunder (22 points, eight rebounds), he’s not built to carry an offense the way Durant and Westbrook are.
Indiana shot 38 percent, with West (17 points) and George Hill (10 points) the only other players in double figures.
The rest of the story revolved around rebounding, where Oklahoma City took away the Pacers’ greatest strength.
The final numbers were dripping in blood for Indiana: Thunder 59, Pacers 36.
Indiana coach Frank Vogel chalked up the gaping deficit to his team’s inability to contain Westbrook’s dribble and the awkward positioning of defenders forced to try and help on Durant.
George said the Pacers just lost focus as events spiraled out of control.
Whatever the cause, it’s been a long time since Indiana was knocked around on the glass like that. Oklahoma City constantly tipped balls and was quicker to pursue long caroms.
The Thunder opened the second half by scoring on nine of their first 11 possessions, and pulled down an offensive rebound on five of those nine fruit-bearing trips.
The Pacers lost the battle of the boards for just the 18th time in 76 games this season.
And so the race for the Eastern Conference’s No. 2 seed took a turn on Friday, as New York (49-26) seized a two-game lead in the loss column over Indiana (48-28).
West acknowledged the Pacers are watching Knicks scores and checking the standings each day.
We want as high a seed as possible, West said.
To get there the Pacers will have to move past Oklahoma City’s thorough handling.
This league is about having a short memory, Vogel said.
One imagines Indiana will be glad to forget this one.
