On this, perhaps the least predictable team in the Pacers' franchise history, you just never know.
Some games, Victor Oladipo might grab a career-high 15 rebounds. Other games, Domantas Sabonis might com off the bench for a double-double in 24 minutes. Still other games, Myles Turner might break out of a slump with 25 points. And then there are games Darren Collison's knee feels better and he suddenly scores 30.
But what happened Friday at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, in a 107-104 victory over Toronto, stretched the randomness of even this new box of chocolates. You had Lance Stephenson, given a reprieve by Oladipo's strained knee, hitting all three 3-point shots in the fourth quarter, only to be matched in overall impact by Bojan Bogdanovic, who defended the Raptors' leading scorer, DeMar DeRozan, into the neighborhood of oblivion.
Mark Montieth
http://www.nba.com/pacers/news/these-pacers-you-just-never-know
I gotta agree. I think this is awesome. I really think that good teams get production wherever they can in the lineup. Every rare now and then a Lebron James type comes along who can single-handedly Hulk-smash a team of meh players into the NBA Finals, but that's not most players or most teams.
One of my most admired teams in the league is the Spurs. They have had good talent for sure, but the real reason they have been a competitor so often and so long is because they get the most out of their players both big names and little. They put their players in a position to succeed. And if it's starting to look like we are doing that, I'm gonna be thrilled.