The Good: The Starters. Indiana ended the first quarter with a 14-point lead due to the starters moving the ball with the same effectiveness shown during the team’s recent five-game winning streak. The ball was hopping around and everyone was involved. The offense didn’t remain as efficient throughout the game, but the Pacers played significantly better whenever the starters were in the game.
The Bad: The Bench. It’s been below average all year and today was no different. The Pelicans went on a 13-0 run during the second quarter after being down 15 points, as Indiana’s bench defense yielded corner 3 after corner 3 to a bad 3-point shooting team.