During the first four months of the 2013-14 season, the Indiana Pacers consistently wore down their opponents by simply being better. Their defense was smothering, their offense was good enough, and Frank Vogel and Paul George would gradually take over each game.
While the Pacers have been great as of late, it’s been a while since they submitted a 48-minute long, “We’re simply better than you” performance. Friday night against the Bulls was a bit of a statement game for Indiana. They didn’t need an out-of-body experience from 3-pt range. They didn’t need to overcome a six-minute dry spell on offense.