Well there you go. Shortly after I posted about how the Pacers are going to have some nights where the effort will be enough to overcome the talent gap, they go right into Chicago and outwork the Bulls for a 99-90 victory.
Yes, the Bulls were without Derrick Rose, but the Pacers were without Paul George, David West, George Hill, CJ Watson, CJ Miles and Rodney Stuckey, That’s still 6 of the team’s top 7 players.
Instead, they got probably the best performance from Luis Scola in a Pacers uniform. The big Argentine sliced up Pau Gasol and the Bulls defense to pour in 21 points on 10-12 shooting, mostly on mid-range jumpers and cuts for easy baskets down low.
Solomon Hill continued to show that he could be the Pacers’ next Paul George or Lance Stephenson (albeit with a lower ceiling) by putting up 21 points of his own. He also grabbed 12 rebounds.
The third Pacer to score 21 points was AJ Price, who is still shining brightly on a temporary contract. Price was huge down the stretch, hitting improbable big baskets to keep the Bulls at bay when they made a run in the 4th.
Another guy who impressed me again was Lavoy Allen. The guy just plays hard and goes after everything. He had just 4 points and 4 rebounds, but his presence was felt.
Now the Pacers are 4-7 on the season, setting up a tantalizing matchup against the Charlotte Hornets in Lance’s first return to Indiana since left as a free agent under iffy circumstances. Lance has been shooting horribly but has been making it up on the boards and in assists. It will be interesting to see whether he has a breakout game against his old team or if the guilt of leaving will stink up his play. Despite having a much healthier team, the Hornets are just 4-6 on the season so far, so you have to wonder if Lance has been regretting the decision.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
