No team in the Eastern Conference are securing wins down the stretch like the Indiana Pacers. Wednesday night proved the Pacers not only are prepared for big moments, but can lock in defensively as a collective unit.
Malcolm Brogdon led the Pacers to a 114-107 win over a scrappy Houston Rockets team setting a new career high with 35 points.
Brogdon mentioned the greatness of head coach Nate Bjorkgren and how he handles pressure during critical plays on the sideline.
“He’s calm, he’s collective..um…he’s so smart. His judgement never gets clouded. He doesn’t make bad calls,” Brogdon told media members during his post-game press conference.
It was a quiet night for James Harden who went 1-5 from beyond the arc and finished with 15 points. However, Harden excelled dishing out 12 assists with John Wall exploding for 28 points and six rebounds. 12-for-20 shooting isn’t bad…yet Wall earlier in the first half used his athleticism to get to the rim.
Six leads changes occurred in the fourth quarter and the Pacers pulled away with the final eight points after trailing 107-106 with 2:37 left to play.
Myles Turner also showed up and continues to be a force on defense matching his career high with eight blocks for the second time this season. Turner is averaging 4.1 blocks per game and could win Defensive Player of the Year if he continues at this level of intensity. The last member for the Pacers to win Defensive Player of the Year was Metta World Peace (Ron Artest) in 2004.
Click on the next page for HOU vs. IND post-game highlights.