Post#9 » by lethalweapon3 » Mon Dec 31, 2018 5:47 pm
Indiana, here they come! One of the hottest teams over the past six games is at Bankers Life Fieldhouse to close out 2018, Anno Dominique, and they’re awaiting tip-off against… the Indiana Pacers!
Indeed, the Pacers (24-12) have rattled off four straight victories, including a sound win in Atlanta against these Hawks (3:00 PM Eastern, Fox Sports Southeast and 92.9 FM in ATL, Fox Sports Indiana) this past Wednesday. On the other hand, of these two teams, only one has dropped a nail-biter at home to last place Cleveland in recent weeks.
Indy’s December 18 loss, 92-91 to the Cavs, was quite a hiccup, ending a seven-game win streak that included an impressive victory over the top-seeded Bucks. Perhaps the Pacers got caught looking ahead to the next day’s matchup, a 99-96 loss in Toronto where they managed just 11 points in the final frame and blew a 13-point fourth-quarter lead.
But Coach Nate McMillan’s crew has righted their ship, thumping the Nets, Wizards, Hawks and Pistons over the previous ten days to reach a season-best 12 games above the .500 mark. McMillan benefits from having a fully healthy roster, one that had two off-days prior to this game, and three more days off before embarking on a five-game Eastern road jaunt.
2018 All-Star guard and reigning Most Improved Player honoree Victor Oladipo missed nearly four weeks after injuring his knee early during Indiana’s 97-89 victory here over the then-struggling Hawks on November 17. Losing Oladipo made the need for teammates to step up their play more pressing than it was already. And Myles Turner has delivered.
Is Myles finally turning a corner? Turner remains the league’s leading shot blocker (2.8 BPG; 3.1 this month), but he is rounding out other elements to make himself a candidate for Eastern Conference Player of the Month. For one, Myles' 15.4 PPG for December includes a floor-spreading 46.9 3FG%.
Going the extra mile, Turner is making better efforts to secure defensive boards (22.7 D-Reb% per game this month, up from 16.5% previously), alleviating Domantas Sabonis (27.9 D-Reb%, 7th in NBA) and 2018 All-Defensive 1st Teamer Oladipo from the task of holding the fort. That has helped Indiana (NBA-best 102.0 D-Rating) grind opposing offenses to a halt. Illustrative of the Indiana’s improved supporting cast, Dipo mustered just seven points (2-for-9 FGs) last Friday here at the Fieldhouse, yet the Pacers trounced their division rival Pistons, 125-88.
Despite a weak perimeter shooting day (5-for-19 3FGs), Indiana's offense relied on scoring in the paint and around the elbows from Sabonis, Thaddeus Young, Bojan Bogdanovic and Turner (combined 30-for-40 2FGs). Aside from Victor, Indy’s starters were also careful with the ball, racking up 12 assists and just two turnovers while helping to hound ball-dominant Blake Griffin into seven turnovers of his own.
These Pacers don’t need to play at a slow pace to put themselves in position to win. Indiana has won 14 of 15 games when they have scored 110 points. Recent play earned Thaddeus Young (21 points and 3 steals @ ATL last Wednesday) Eastern Conference Player of the Week honors. When Oladipo (19.5 PPG, 42.8 FG%) gets bottled up, he can look to Bogdanovic (career-high 16.3 PPG; 46.0 3FG%, 6th in NBA) as a safety valve. Bojan is the sole Pacer, among those in heavy rotation, making more than 80 percent of his free throws, something that has been a problem for recent Hawk opponents.
Despite Atlanta’s winning ways of late, coach Lloyd Pierce’s rotations are sure to have a different look. Three customary starters are unlikely to suit up, with Kent Bazemore (ankle sprain) joining Taurean Prince on the injured list. After balling outta control (often, in a good way) lately, Baze’s weeks-long rehab will cut into the gains Atlanta (11-24) has been making with their halfcourt defensive units, as Prince’s eventual return is unlikely to stem the slide.
Pierce will turn to DeAndre’ Bembry (1.2 SPG), Justin Anderson (probable, fighting through illness) and rookie Kevin Huerter to produce more defensive stops, along with Saturday night's hero, Vince Carter (oldest player in NBA history to lead a team in scoring, 21 points on 7-for-11 FGs in 23 minutes vs. CLE). But look for the Hawks (3rd in bench PPG) to rely on Daniel Hamilton and Tyler Dorsey for more meaningful minutes as backcourt reserves. On offense, Bembry (38.5 FG%) will need to be more instinctive and less hesitant while reading defenses on the catch.
Upfront, with Dewayne Dedmon (sore knee) again doubtful, Alex Poythress returns after a one-day stint with Omari Spellman in Erie. No stranger to the Pacers as a two-way and converted-contract player here last season, Poythress hopes to offer more yeoman’s work to help Alex Len and John Collins narrow Indiana’s probable rebounding edge. Buoyed by Collins, Atlanta’s 32.9 O-Reb% leads the league in December.
Swifter reactions and off-ball movement from Trae Young’s supporting cast will keep Oladipo, Darren Collison and Cory Joseph from sinking their teeth into what Indiana (NBA East-high 19.7 points-per-48 off TOs) hopes will be a stagnant Atlanta offense. Keyed by sharp execution and assertive rebounding, a competitive 48-minute effort would leave the Hawks feeling, not just tasting, bubbly today in Indianapolis.
May your 2019 be the very best 20-anything-ever. Let’s Go Hawks!
~lw3
"Dunking is better than sex." - Shawn Kemp, 1996
