The Good: Second-half defense. In the third quarter, the Indiana Pacers kept the Chicago Bulls out of the paint (outscoring them 10 to 4 in the lane) and off the glass (zero second-chance points in the period_. The good defense continued in the fourth, as Chicago shot just 5-of-22 (22.7%) in the final 12 minutes, though obviously some of that was happenstance and good fortune as opposed to stellar play by Indiana.
The Bad: The beginning. The Pacers nearly spotted the Bulls two touchdowns to start the game, falling down 15-2. They would make dents into this throughout the game — once pulling even late — but it was too poor of an opening for a team that never once held a lead.