Section 203 checking back in.
WHAT. A. GAME! Tonight was clearly an anomaly. However, you have to enjoy being on the right side when these games happen.
# 1. Obi Toppin = Lance Stephenson
* He’s got crazy handles and needs to show them off more.
* I tried to find a video of this play, but it was crazy impressive to watch live.
https://preview.redd.it/4sadmw0qguyb1.png?width=1204&format=png&auto=webp&s=51dc29309b66b8f5d125d479eccd2bfe4d3aef14
* Obi didn’t let us fans down and claimed his Sportscenter Top 10 play late in the third – [https://x.com/Pacers/status/1721706547447754982?s=20](https://x.com/Pacers/status/1721706547447754982?s=20)
* Safe to say Obi’s game is growing on all of us each game.
# 2. Mathurin’s Playmaking Shined
* His effort paid off tonight. In previous games he was getting bodied and not producing at the rim. That changed against the Spurs.
* He scored three straight baskets while driving to the hole. Had at least one other drive that resulted in free throws.
* [https://x.com/Pacers/status/1721707201369145799?s=20](https://x.com/Pacers/status/1721707201369145799?s=20) \- The three drives during the third quarter.
* It was great to see the confidence didn’t waver after the beating he took against the Hornets.
# 3. Aaron Nesmith the second best player?
* Maybe it’s my love of hard-nosed basketball players, but Nesmith continues to shine on both ends in my book.
* Nobody on this team has shown the same level of defense that Nesmith plays. He wasn’t afraid to guard Wemby or Zach Collins tonight, and did it well.
* While not stuffing the stat book, Nesmith intangibles while on the court continue to prove invaluable for this Pacers squad.
* I still believe Nesmith should be starting, yet Rick Carlisle’s rotations keep him with the starters enough that it’s hardly noticeable after the first quarter.
# 4. Sharing is Caring
* 38 team assists tonight tied the Pacers with themselves for the most assists in a game this season.
* 31.8 assists per game is what the Pacers are averaging after 7 games. Best in the NBA and would be most in NBA history if the season ended today.
* 14 Pacers saw the court and they each scored at least two points.
* Our third string combined for 26 points on seven assists.
# 5. Broken Records…Almost
* Pacers tied the franchise record for most points in a half with 86.
* They tied the franchise record for most points in a game with 152.
* Team record is 45 assists in a game. NBA record is 53. Maybe I’m crazy, but breaking those records does not seem farfetched with this squad.
**Shoutout to Rick Carlisle on career win No. 900!**
The Pacers are now 4-3, and realistically should be 6-1. As the confidence grows, the chemistry amongst the team also grows. This team is explosive. If the coaches can shore up the defense, things could get real exciting around here.
Thank you for coming to my Pavers talk! I’ll see everyone again on Wednesday.
by Barr3lAg3d
2 Comments
love these posts, keep them coming!
Starting to look forward to these posts. Enjoy your perspective and format!