The Pacers Are Rounding Into Form At The Perfect Time
Source: Jason Miller / Getty
After a rocky start to their season, the Indiana Pacers are finding their groove.
Winners of six straight and having now gone 12-3 since a disastrous loss to the Charlotte Hornets, the Pacers now sit at 22-18, good for 5th in the Eastern Conference, after knocking off the Eastern Conference-leading Cleveland Cavaliers last night in Cleveland, 108-93. Even more impressive is that they did so without star Tyrese Haliburton, who was dealing with hamstring tightness.
It’s quite the turnaround for a team that, for the first few months of the season, couldn’t seem to put it all together. There were flashes, sure; a win against the Celtics here, a win against the Bucks there, but the consistency was missing. Haliburton wasn’t playing like himself, and the Pacers looked nothing like the team that made a run to the Eastern Conference Finals last year.
Now, it seems like the Pacers are rounding into form. Against the Cavaliers, and without their star player, they got everyone involved in the scoring, with Pascal Siakam, Andrew Nembhard, and Myles Turner leading the charge. On defense, the Pacers outmuscled the Cavaliers, leading them in rebounds, steals, and blocks. It was an enticing view of what the Pacers could be at their best; a dangerous squad that can beat anyone in the league.
During Monday’s edition of The Ride With JMV, John spoke to Eddie Gill of Pacers Television and Radio, who spoke about the Pacers, their turnaround, and the big win over Cleveland
“Listen, it was incredibly impressive…As you start this season coming off an Eastern Conference Finals appearance, you had those types of expectations, or at least my expectations were for them to come in and compete at a really high level. [They] struggled early, but man have they responded in a beautiful way, and last night was an incredible win.”
Eddie also spoke about the physicality the Pacers displayed against the Cavs.
“One thing we haven’t said about the Pacers here as they’re currently constructed, is that they’re a ‘physical’ team. They’re not going to overwhelm you with their physicality, but I thought last night they played physical basketball, especially in that 2nd half taking control of the game…I thought Andrew Nembhard was incredible as usual defensively, Ben Sheppard, when Haliburton goes out Ben Sheppard steps into that starting lineup in the 2nd half, he’s incredible on the basketball. Pascal Siakam is picking up full court, he takes the basketball from Max Strus in broad daylight in the backcourt, lays it in. Ben Sheppard got a steal on the inbounds in the backcourt also, and then obviously you’ve got Myles Turner, the anchor around the rim. Thomas Bryant, when he comes off the bench, has been nothing but sensational in terms of filling that role. So collectively, I thought they were phenomenal.
Listen to JMV’s full conversation with Eddie Gill, as well as with Evan Sidery and Stephen Holder down below, and tune into The Ride With JMV weekdays from 3-6pm on 93.5/107.5 The Fan!
The Pacers Are Rounding Into Form At The Perfect Time was originally published on 1075thefan.com
