National Basketball Association

Paul George Saves The Indiana Pacers From Sinking Against the Los Angeles Lakers

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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IndianaPacers115

Los AngelesLakers108

The Indiana Pacers needed Paul George to take over late to secure a win over the Los Angles Lakers.

The Good: The Indiana Pacers didn’t lose. They struggled to put away an up and coming Los Angles Lakers team that shouldn’t cause Indiana so much trouble. The Pacers aren’t working like a team at the moment and it shows in games like this. Against a more talent squad, this ends in a loss. It took Paul George stepping up and closing the door on the Lakers.

The Bad: The defense, once again, was ugly. The Lakers shot 44.9% on the night but it helped the Pacers out that Los Angeles was only 21.4% from deep.

Indiana lost the lead late, but thanks to Paul George they didn’t lose the game.

It is going to be tough to fix it as they don’t have the players needed to power the defense. Jeff Teague’s and Monta Ellis’ mistakes aren’t making it any easier for the frontcourt. They must get better.

MVP: Paul George decided the game. He didn’t want to lose so he scored the Pacers’ last 10 points and grabbed a pair of rebounds in the final minutes. Whether it was jumpers or picking up fouls driving to the hoop, PG tipped the balance of the game in Indiana’s favor.

He had 30 points on 8 of 16 shooting, including 2 of 5 from deep and 12 of 12 from the foul line. On top of that he had 7 rebounds, 4 steals, a steal, and a block.

This is the aggressive, game-changing version of Paul George that is a top 10 player in the NBA. It sounds like he’s taking more of a leadership role judging from his post-game comments.

The question is if he starts holding himself and his teammates accountable.

LVP: Jeff Teague went 4 of 15 on the night and had 9 points.

Not great, Jared.

X-Factor: Expect to find Thaddeus Young down here often. He racked up 14 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists on the night, and continues to consistently knock down 3-pointers when called on. He does it work quietly and can go unnoticed, but he’s been a steady force for the Pacers all season long.

Paul George

Small Forward, Indiana Pacers

A+Paul George is the reason the Pacers won.

Monta Ellis

Shooting Guard, Indiana Pacers

B-His 17 points (6 of 14, 2 of 5 from deep) is overshadowed by defensive lapses that left his teammates out to dry.

Jeff Teague

Point Guard, Indiana Pacers

At least he had 6 assists.

Myles Turner

Center, Indiana Pacers

CA lifer-altering block in the first half, but foul trouble kept him from making a bigger impact. His lowest production of the season with 9 points and 6 rebounds.

Thaddeus Young

Power Forward, Indiana Pacers

AThaddeus is quietly one of the Indiana Pacers better 3-point shooters. He’s now 5 of 10 on the season after adding a pair tonight.

C.J. Miles

Shooting Guard, Indiana Pacers

AC.J. is picking his spots well and scoring more consistently than a season ago. Miles was 6 of 9 from the field and 2 of 3 from deep.

Al Jefferson

Center, Indiana Pacers

BAl had 4 points and 7 rebounds, but with the way he was drawing double-teams he gets extra credit for opening up teammates.

Lavoy Allen

Power Forward, Indiana Pacers

C4 points and 3 rebounds in a typical Lavoy Allen performance.

Aaron Brooks

Point Guard, Indiana Pacers

BA decent debut for Aaron Brooks as he played 15 minutes, scoring 8 points on 3 of 7 shooting, including a 3 pointer. It was only one game, but the bench was less of a disaster with him on the court. It also helped that coach Nate McMillan staggered his starters minutes more than we’d seen before.

Kevin Seraphin

Center, Indiana Pacers

B4 points and 3 rebounds in 7 minutes is exactly what to expect from your third-string center.