Wow! Talk about a team effort. Seven players working their tails off on both ends of the floor. The best defense I saw all year. Watching Connie, Pat Bev, and Malik ripping into the Pacers offense, with quick outlet passes, and moving the ball around to the open man, was what I've been waiting to see all year long, and it had to take our two big guns sitting on the bench, unable to play. This was the way they played when t hey won the whole show. It was a game that I didn't miss one minute of from start to finish.
Not one selfish moment by anyone on that floor last night. A team totally in tune with each other on the floor. The intensity was amazing. They refused to let the Pacers beat them, even though they were getting beat on the floor consistently in the first quarter. It's like it lit a match under them. Middleton and Portis showed why they are so important to a team, and the way Lopez battled Siakim, and anyone else who dared to challenge under the bucket was what we've seen from Lopez before. Connie, actually battling under the boards, and beating guys having 6" or more on him in height, and coming away with the boards, or forcing turnovers.
If they played basketball like they did last night, all season long, they'd be a heavy favorite to win it all. Maybe what the ownership should look at is how they can continue to utilize a lot of the role players we have, and bring in more team oriented scoring and leadership that's younger? Of course that would mean getting something really good out of both Lillard and Giannis in trades. It's all about the team, not the guy by name.
