Chicago Bulls at Indiana Pacers: Three Big Takeaways

Paul George

George was on fire early, putting up 13 points in the first half, leading his team to a huge halftime lead, 62-43. In fact, pretty much everything was going well for George when he just made a terrible decision that was likely the product of being in the moment. Still, the ball should never be launched into the crowd because, you know, it could hit some unsuspecting Pacers fan right in the face. That is, of course, exactly what happened.

Before that incident, George was leading Indiana to a huge win. In addition to his 13 points, he had seven rebounds, three assists and two steals. He also drew a prescient charge on Jimmy Butler right before halftime. The play doubles as the perfect example of how good George was playing and how awful the playcalling was for Chicago.

Indiana is off to a rough start, just like the Bulls. Both teams are now 3-3 and have absolutely dominated each other, taking advantage of home court advantage. What the Pacers and new coach Nate McMillan don’t need is their star player taking a fine and possibly missing a game or two because of a very, very bad decision. The fine is pretty much a guarantee, but the league could add a suspension of a game or two. It’s unlikely, but something to watch for. Indiana needs to build off the momentum of a huge win, not take a step backward, miring themselves in the messy Central Division.