Returned to the team after not playing for almost a month and provided a little bit of energy in the second half with the Nets flailing.
Hit a couple of hook shots and some people in the first row with his missed dunk attempts.
Left the game in the third quarter scoreless for just the second time in his 16-year career and the first since he was a 21-year-old rookie. Left because he threw his arm into George Hill’s face and neck, sending him to the floor:
Pierce was called for a flagrant-2, resulting in an automatic ejection.
I’m not really sure that he played. I mean, I know it says it in the box score. He was there, allegedly. But I can’t speak to it personally.
(OK, that’s a bit unfair. He did get a tip-in and a couple of good minutes in garbage time. But that’s garbage time!)
There was one stretch in the first few minutes of the third quarter where Garnett did everything right on defense. Go back and watch it if you’re curious. He runs the floor to contest a fast break, fights for rebounds, tips away a potential game-shattering alley-oop, with no regard for his own health or pride. But after that three-minute stretch of purpose, he looked completely gassed, and the Nets too khim out at the next timeout, less than four minutes into the quarter.
That’s the passion you always get from Garnett. He’ll give 100% at every chance. But the timeframe he can give 100% gets shorter every day.
Some really good defensive possessions — you can see why he’s better suited playing C than PF, since it allows him to help and roam more while still playing in the paint. Strugled to score inside against Roy Hibbert.
Inconsequential.
A couple of nice passes, notably one to a cutting Mirza Teletovic for a slick reversel layup, but didn’t make a noticeable impact beyond an early fast-break layup, a few dribble moves that went nowhere and a couple of missed shots at the rim. Looked like he may have tweaked his left ankle near the end of the fourth quarter.
Had a couple of nice moves inside when they ran the ball through him in the post and was one of the few bright spots offensively but didn’t offer much else.
The Pacers quickly learned that the best defense against Dray is himself.
It looks like Kidd’s giving Teletovic the chance to keep the starting spot with Lopez out for the year, and he responded with smart, albeit not always productive, basketball. Ran the floor well, took good shots, found open space near the basket, and generally looked like a rotation player. The high (for tonight) grade is for that smart play. But like I said, smart doesn’t always mean productive, and Teletovic was not productive tonight.
