After months of agonizing anticipation, the 2013-14 NBA regular season has finally begun. Three games ushered in the new year, and as one might imagine, the numbers were quite astonishing.
No team posted numbers that were as impressive as the Indiana Pacers.
Indiana won its season opener by defeating the Orlando Magic 97-87 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Paul George scored 24 points, Lance Stephenson added a surprisingly strong 19 and Orlando Johnson scored nine off of the bench as the defending Central Division champions started the season with a big win.
With a closer evaluation of Indiana’s opening day performance, it’s clear that the Pacers were historic during their win.
Indiana Controls the Rim
The Pacers have established themselves as one of the most dominant forces in the NBA. Not only did coach Frank Vogel guide Indiana to the 2013 Eastern Conference finals but also to new heights as a defensive-minded ballclub.
On opening night, the Pacers took that dominance to a new level by registering 18 blocked shots. That’s not a typo.
According to Basketball-Reference.com, the Pacers are the first team to collect at least 18 blocks in one game since the the Phoenix Suns on Nov. 29, 2008. They are just the second squad to do it since 2001 and the 24th since 1986, which should tell you just how rare it is that a team dominates the rim in such an incredible manner.
As for the inside impact, it was the second-highest total in franchise history behind the 1979 squad’s 19 against the Washington Bullets.
Roy Hibbert led with seven blocks, David West added five, George tallied three, Ian Mahinmi swatted two shots and Stephenson picked up the other. The Magic shot just 38.7 percent from the field, including 36.5 percent on two-pointers.
Note to the NBA: don’t drive on the Pacers.
George, Hibbert Are Ready for Second All-Star Appearances
At the heart of the Pacers’ opening night brilliance was center Roy Hibbert. The 26-year-old survived an injury scare and dominated the Magic in every sense of the word on the defensive end.
Hibbert wasn’t just great, he was historic.
Hibbert finished with eight points, 16 rebounds, seven blocks and a steal against a Magic team led by rising star big man Nikola Vucevic. His performance marked the third time in NBA history that a player posted at least 16 boards and seven swats in a team’s opening game.