The Pacers Are On A Winning Streak!

After starting out the season 0-3, Pacers fans were starting to worry about the team. They haven’t been able to score points and the whole team has looked tired. That is usually what happens when you are dealing with injuries, key players have to stay on the floor just a little too long. After winning games against the Knicks and Wizards, they looked like the team that is supposed to contend for a possible playoff berth this season. Roy Hibbert turned up his game by pulling down double-digit rebounds and staying out of foul trouble, for the most part.

Roy Hibbert started out the preseason pretty rough, but it looks like he is finding his niche in the league. In the game against the Knicks, the often-in-foul-trouble Hibbert didn’t register a single whistle, while scoring 15 points and 14 rebounds. In the game against the Wizards, although in foul trouble, he still managed 12 points, 11 rebounds, and 5 blocks. If he can keep up this play, the Pacers should be able to compete in the East.

Hibbert wasn’t the only player that looked great the last two games, T.J. Ford and Dahntay Jones played very well. Ford was struggling the first few games of the season, but he score double-digit points in both games and he even pulled down 10 rebounds against the Wizards. With Troy Murphy out with an injury, Dahntay Jones filled in very well. He isn’t known for his scoring, but he also scored double-digit points in both games and had 12 rebounds against the Knicks.

I didn’t mean to leave Danny Granger out of this conversation, but he has been his usual self. As long as he is averaging 20+ points per game and playing decent defense, he’s doing his job.

Speaking of defense, I wanted to note that the Pacers held the Wizards and Knicks under 100 points. After a rough preseason, it was nice to see some defense out on the court. Jones is a much better defender than Murphy and that might be one of the reasons for the points against turnaround. Hibbert’s added defensive help with his shot-blocking ability could be another reason.

The Pacers have a much-needed break over the next few days. Their next game is at home against Golden State, who have been struggling. Their offense is also up-tempo, so they need to keep up their defense or this could be a game in the 120s if the Warriors are on their game. If they can keep the game close in the 4th quarter, they could have a shot and get to 3-3 on the season.

Tags: dahtay jones, danny granger, roy hibbert, t.j. ford, troy murphy