After the big win over the Knicks, after the road trip, the Pelicans, whose confidence grew, returned home and ushered in the Challenge of the Pacers.
On the Pelicans side, Ingram was absent due to injury, and veteran Temple was given the opportunity to start, and whether the Pelicans could take advantage of the chase to win 2 consecutive wins, Varan + Graham obviously needed to perform.
On the other hand, on the Pacers side, LeVert came back from the line of fire to try to lead the Pacers out of the predicament, and this team will undoubtedly face great challenges and tests in the away game!
Finally, after four seasons of competition, under the leadership of Duarte + Duane Washington, the anti-guest-oriented Pacers, although in the first half, once overwhelmed the Pelicans, occupying the initiative on the court.
But after returning from the second half, the Pacers suddenly went down in the third quarter, scoring only 17 points in a single quarter, while the Pelicans seized the opportunity to turn the tide on the court in an instant.
Coupled with the final showdown moment, Varan + Graham + Hart continued to exert power, leading the Pelicans to a 4-point lead in the end, completely ending the suspense of the game.
The Pelicans, who eventually withstood the pressure, also narrowly defeated the Pacers at home 117-113, successfully winning two consecutive wins while also giving the rival Pacers two consecutive losses!
Playing at home in this game, facing their own baskets and fans, the Pelicans will live up to expectations and play a team offensive that 6 people scored in double figures and blossomed at more points.
In the case of the main forces such as Temple + Alexander Walker + Hayes, each performing its own duties, the play of the three cores Graham + Varan + Hart is particularly critical!
In this game, the demon guard Graham was full of firepower, starting 33 minutes, shooting 8 from the middle of the line on 14 shots and hitting 5 three-pointers, bombing a game-high 25 points, plus 3 rebounds, 6 assists and 1 steal.
Not only did it provide the Pelicans with powerful outside firepower, but it also made a sudden out-of-the-box shot that once went on a rampage, becoming an overwhelming presence for the Pacers on the guard line!
In addition, as the team's internal gate, the play of Varan in this game is also indispensable.
Varan was very efficient, shooting nearly 60% of the way from 11 shots, contributing 16 points, 12 rebounds, 6 assists, and 1 blocking, and guarding the Pelicans' interior line!
Of course, the Pelicans were able to win this game, and Josh Hart's performance also played a crucial role.
In this game, Hart was well attacked and defended, starting 35 minutes, and delivered 22 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 steal on 6-of-11 shooting.
And his brave performance of scoring 11 points alone in the final quarter not only completely disrupted the Pacers' defensive plan and formation with a strong impact, but also made a very important contribution to the Pelicans' victory in the game!
On the other hand, on the Side of the Pacers, although the team played a tenacious performance of 5 people scoring doubles in this game, the team failed to withstand the pressure in the last quarter, and finally lost by 4 points, and the game process of swallowing 2 consecutive defeats obviously needs to be examined.
As one of the core of the team, LeVert's performance, which ushered in a comeback in this game, is indeed a bit unsatisfactory.
Although He handed over a personal performance of 19+6+8, rationally speaking, Levert's shooting percentage of only 8 of 21 shots in the game was not high.
Coupled with the fact that throughout the game, LeVert personally made as many as 4 mistakes, which can be said to have caused the Pacers to waste a lot of chances to win!
Fortunately, for the Pacers, this game, the team is not completely without highlights, after all, the play of Duane Washington on the bench in this game is indeed remarkable.
Duane Washington was in a heroic form, coming off the bench for 23 minutes, shooting seven three-pointers, a team-high 21 points, plus two rebounds and three assists.
Although it didn't help the Pacers win the game, there was a story to say, Duane Washington's surprise appearance, and indeed put a lot of pressure on the Pelicans!
For the Pacers, who are currently in the process of employment, as well as head coach Carlisle, the appearance of the miracle soldier Duane Washington is indeed a big gain when the team is short of major generals!