The Pacers have played the best basketball in the league to start the season, and Friday night was no different.
The Pacers butter their bread with defense, and it showed against the Celtics. The Celtics came out and shocked the Pacers, and led 50-42 at the half. The Pacers would then clamp down, and held the lowly Celtics to just 8 third quarter points, and it was a phenomenal display of defense. They took the lead in the third, and never looked back.
Paul George continued his magical season with 27 points, and David West added 17. The Pacers had a bad bench last season, but they have been great this season, and scored 37 bench points. Luis Scola had 17, and he is looking like a steal this season. Lance Stephenson played with the ball in his hands a lot in this game, and it led to his second career triple-double, and his second this season. Stephenson had 10 points, 10 assists, and 11 rebounds on the night, and he is earning himself a nice contract after the season. There are reports that state that the Pacers would like to make him the starting point guard going forward, and with more nights like this, they could be making the right choice.
The Celtics played well for 24 minutes, and they have had problems with consistency all season. Jeff Green had 20 points in the loss. They have now lost 6 straight, and have fallen to 4-10. The Pacers are tied with the Spurs for the best record in the league at 11-1.