Official Game Thread: Hawks at Pacers

[lethalweapon3]

“Aww, do I have to? I was just starting to like this gig!”

 

Finishing just a few games above .500 might cost you a playoff spot out West. But in the Eastern Conference, the same record might be good enough to secure first-round homecourt.

The Indiana Pacers hope to do a lot better than that, as the low-flying Atlanta Hawks swoop in for a visit (7:00 PM Eastern, Fox Sports Southeast and 92.9 FM in ATL, Fox Sports Indiana) at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. But the Pacers need more consistently sound contributions than they’re getting so far from the supporting cast.

Bojan Bogdanovic struggles on the defensive end, while Thaddeus Young seems to be wearing down. Darren Collison hasn’t provided steady shooting like he did last season (NBA-high 46.8 3FG%; 33.3% so far), while Doug McDermott and free agent pickup Tyreke Evans haven’t been useful when their shots aren’t falling. Myles Turner (2.5 BPG) chases blocks but often abdicates the paint to do so, taxing the other bigs on the floor. But certainly, nobody’s worried about what Victor Oladipo brings to the floor every night.

Building on a breakout All-Star campaign where he was awarded as the league’s Most Improved Player last season, Dipo is crashing the boards (career-high 6.9 RPG), expanding his range, and dishing the rock more effectively so far (career-high 4.9 APG), all while filling up the boxscore (23.1 PPG, 9^th in NBA) and sustaining his tenacity as a defensive nuisance (NBA-high 5.8 contested 3FGAs per game; 4^th in loose ball recoveries and charges drawn per game, as per NBA.com stats).

But coach Nate McMillan’s crew tends to get more done when Oladipo is tasked with doing less. Mark Monteith of Pacers.com notes that Indiana (9-6, t-3^rd in NBA East) prevailed in 25 of the past 28 games where Victor takes no more than 15 attempts from the field.

The most recent example came here at the Fieldhouse last night, a 99-91 win over Miami where Oladipo went just 3-for-12 on field goals, tallying just eight points on the evening. He got the help he needed with Bojan’s threes, Turner’s rebounds and blocks, and Collison’s steals. But with Indiana falling behind 27-18 in the opening quarter, the reserves stepped it up and turned Friday’s game decisively around in the Pacers’ favor.

Cory Joseph added a team-high five assists off the bench, Indiana aided by free agent pickup Tyreke Evans’ five three-pointers (23 points and 10 rebounds) and a banner effort by The Sabonesaw (too soon?).  Backup pivot Domantas Sabonis logged 15 points and 12 rebounds (all defensive), like Evans all in the space of just 25 minutes. If he can expand his range to the three-point line, Sabonis will keep pressure on McMillan to have him supplement, or supplant, the inconsistent rebounder Turner in Indy’s starting lineup. Both have been equally adept at setting productive screens, ranking 7^th and 9^th in the league for per-game screen assists, respectively.

Last night, the Pacers’ team defense was committed to neutralizing everyone on the heat not named Josh Richardson (7-for-10 3FGs, 28 points) in order to beat the heat. They hope to do the same with Trae Young (16.7 PPG, 2^nd among NBA Rooks; 81.4 FT%, Rookie-high 8.0 APG) and the hapless Hawks (3-12) today, but it may prove to be a slightly tougher task.

That’s because John Collins is slotted as probable to make his season debut for the Hawks. Young has been great at setting up teammates for scores, but there has been no one on the floor to return the favor. Collins won’t be of much assistance as a secondary passer, but if he returns swiftly to his form from late last season (8.1 RPG, 35.7 3FG%), he can grant Young more room to roam by drawing a pesky defender off to the paint or at the perimeter.

Dewayne Dedmon (big poppa) returns from personal leave and should be active today in coach Lloyd Pierce’s rotation. Albeit not likely in time for this game, added reinforcements at the forward and center positions will alleviate the overburdened Hawks backcourt from carrying so much of the offensive water.

A big beneficiary could be Kent Bazemore, quietly enjoying, if you can call it joy, career-highs of 14.8 PPG and 1.7 SPG. Despite a clunky outside shot (31.4 3FG%) in the early going, Baze is doing a better job of finishing around the rim (64.5 2FG%, best since at least 2013-14), long a bane and a bone of contention among his critics.

When Oladipo, Collison, Joseph and Evans have their sights turned on Young and Jeremy Lin, Bazemore can have an impactful day playing off the ball. After not logging a steal or a block on Friday for just the second time this season, he’ll help the Hawks cause even more if he can get some stops and spark Atlanta’s transition game.

It’s a back-to-back for Indiana, but the Pacers continue their homestand after enjoying four calendar days off. Unlike the Hawks’ recent opponents, who didn’t mind free-wheeling tempo, the Pacers will prefer to grind out a victory (28^th in pace), fouling where needed to ensure they control the clock (19.6 personal foul calls per game, 2^nd in NBA). Neither the Pacers (70.6 FT%, 29^th in NBA) nor the Hawks (73.1 FT%, 22^nd) are strong free throw shooters, so the final margin could be affected by which team proves to be more consistent from the line.

Improved frontcourt support and a slower game pace, in combination, will contribute to a more palatable outcome today for the Hawks, one certainly better than Friday’s 138-93 debacle in Denver. The reduction of Pierce’s mix-and-match lineup permutations will give way to better stability for Atlanta on the floor and on the scoreboard, both in today’s game and in the long run.

 

Let’s Go Hawks!

~lw3

 

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[Spud2nique]

Nice game thread lw3! If soth is a fan of the wolves and nuggets I feel as though if you had another team, you’re would be the Pacers..I think you like Oladipo and Sabonis very much....they have a strong TEAM. Outside of Dipo and Turner they don’t have the big names, but you can’t deny that they might be one of those teams that pulls an upset come playoff time.

 

Looking forward to Collins coming back as well. Missed the big guy immensely.

My 2k18 simulation earlier this morning, and by simulation I mean I played it..

Hawks 107

Pacers 93

 

In real life..

Pacers 103

Hawks 100

I think we come up short but I have a feeling we play our best game of the week tonight. 

 

LETS GO HAWKS!!!!

Trae breaks out of the 3 pt shooting slump.. what is he like 1-18? Or so..he nails a couple tonight.

[JayBirdHawk]

 

 

[JayBirdHawk]

 

[KB21]

Chalk up another loss.

[Gray Mule]

2 minutes ago, KB21 said:

Chalk up another loss.

But maybe, just maybe, this game will be a lot closer than our last couple.

[benhillboy]

If Oladipo is out they have poor depth, we have a puncher’s chance.  If he goes Joseph and Collison will at least be a combined +15.

[Spud2nique]

42 minutes ago, Gray Mule said:

But maybe, just maybe, this game will be a lot closer than our last couple.

Ya...I think we come out fighting today. I think everybody thought a 45 point defeat was unacceptable. A team can be more talented but you can’t lose by 45...its not a matter of talent at that point but effort. 

 

We bring it tonight!

[lethalweapon3]

Dipo's a go for this evening.

~lw3

[lethalweapon3]

Get your Starters Bingo cards out!

~lw3

[lethalweapon3]

This KSU-JaxState game at SunTrust Park, tho.

~lw3

[JayBirdHawk]

 

[Dnice]

Nice lead in on fsse...

[Dnice]

Naw don't apologise, I don't wanna see the pregame anyway...lol

[hazer]

Come on, bwahs! Keep it close, getcho double-double Trae, light it up from downtown Kev, and lose by single digits to move 1 loss closer to Zion/Barrett/Reddish. “You can DO it!” - Rob Schneider/Waterboy

[lethalweapon3]

Unless they pull a Heidi on us, I figure the start of the game will be on FoxSportsGo. Until this classic Owls-Gamecocks matchup finishes in WhateverOT.

~lw3

[lethalweapon3]

What's the over-under on the Hawks' deficit by the time the game goes live on FSSE? I'm going with 12! lol

~lw3

[hazer]

Good football game, come on KSU! Good friend is an Economics professor there, but let’s wrap this up ?

Judge Judy slaps watch meme ⌚️ 

[JayBirdHawk]

5 minutes ago, lethalweapon3 said:

What's the over-under on the Hawks' deficit by the time the game goes live on FSSE? I'm going with 12! lol

~lw3

Ha....Hawks will be leading by 4

[jrok23]

Get this crap off my screen I’m trying to see John Collins.