NEW ORLEANS — The Indiana Pacers get their second win since Victor Oladipo went down with a season ending knee injury that required surgery. They were able to hold off the depleted New Orleans Pelicans 109-107 who’s been playing without Anthony Davis and a host of injured players. As a matter of fact, it was Indiana’s second win in a row without Oladipo.
Darren Collison, who was drafted back in 2009 by the Pelicans, stepped up big on Monday night dropping 22 points on his old squad including a 3-pointer and a 20-foot jumper over 6’11” Jahlil Okafor during the final two minutes of the game to hold the Pelicans off.
Nate McMillan, speaking with reporters after the game on his point guard had this to say, “Collison is capable of doing that. He made some big shots tonight and he is the guy we’ve gone to as far as late in games, putting the ball in his hands.”
The Pacers showed some resilience early on as they withstood the early onslaught. The Pelicans jumped out of the ride and went on an 11-0 run before the Pacers figured out what hit them. Then they went on a 13-2 run to tie it up on a Darren Collison three-pointer. Immediately following that Bojan Bogdanovic drilled a three to take the lead 16-13 as Alvin Gentry called a timeout out to get the license plate of the Big Body Chevy that side swiped them. At the end of the first quarter the Pacers were up 25-20 after going on a 21-7 run. Resilience…
Indiana, after starting slow was NOT playing with these boyz getting up and down the floor scoring points. Bogdanovic was shootin’ that thang too knocking down his second three-pointer to put the Pacers up 49-44 with 1:51 left in the half. The Pacers got to break up 53-50 which was the first time they’d led at the break since playing Toronto 7 games ago.
Domantas Sabonis had 10 points and 11 rebounds at the break as he finished with 16.
Indiana came out of the break and went up 10 points but the Pelicans kept hustling to stay in it. At the 3:58 mark of the third quarter Indiana’s up 74-67. Both teams struggled to shoot the ball from behind the arc. Indiana finished shooting it 10-28 for 35 percent while New Orleans was 9-38 for 24 percent.
However, down the stretch Collison came through with a big three over Okafor to hold the Pacers down. In the final seconds with the Pacers up 109-106 Aaron Holiday was called for an offensive foul. His brother Jru, who plays for New Orleans, goes to pull up for a three-pointer to tie it up but Corey Joseph makes the smart basketball play and reaches in sending him to the foul line for two shots instead of three with two seconds left.
Ole boy hits the first to make it 109-107 and he purposely misses the second but they were unable to get the rebound and it was a wrap, ball game.
Indiana finished with five players in double figures with Collison leading the way with 22. Myles Turner dropped off a solid 15 points and 9 rebounds, Bojan Bogdanovic and Thaddeus Young had 14 apiece while Domantas Sabonis contributed 16. Up next the Lakers at the crib on Tuesday night.
Playas Thesaurus:
1) Ole Boy: noun – the person in question, dude, guy, etc. It’s whoever I’m talkin’ about.