The game with a thousand subplots had one overriding bottom line: the Pacers beat the second-best team in the NBA, getting and making enough breaks to cling to a victory that likely would have escaped them a few weeks ago.
Their 99-91 victory over San Antonio at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on Monday was their best homecourt win of the season, rivaled only by their victory at Oklahoma City for best of show. They admittedly got the benefit of a poor shooting performance from the Spurs, but they also benefited from their own consistent defensive effort and their assertive approach to offense.