You never know what makes a malfunctioning piece of machinery slip into gear and hum again.
For the Pacers, Thaddeus Young seems as good a place as any to start. The 29-year-old forward returned from an eight-game absence resulting from a sprained wrist on his shooting arm Friday and did what he usually does – namely, lead the team in nothing but contribute to everything good that happened.
"It felt like we were whole," coach Nate McMillan said.
Without Young, the Pacers had lost their previous six games leading into the All-Star break. With him, they dominated Memphis on Friday at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, 102-92, the final margin narrowed in the final meaningless minutes after the Pacers had led by as many as 27 points late in the third quarter.