The Indiana Pacers have averaged an NBA-best 134 points through two games this season.
Sure, it’s a small sample size, but the Pacers see the statistics as an illustration of their depth either way.
Six players scored in double figures during Saturday’s 125-113 home win against the Cleveland Cavaliers, a trend the team will look to maintain Monday as it hosts the Chicago Bulls.
Indiana capitalized against the short-handed Cavaliers, who were missing three starters due to injury.
Chicago comes to town with its Big 3 of Zach LaVine, DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vucevic intact but uneven.
LaVine delivered a career-best 51 points on Saturday, the first 50-point effort of the young NBA campaign, but the Bulls still lost 118-102 at Detroit.
DeRozan, whose late-game heroics steered the Bulls to Friday’s comeback win against Toronto in overtime, added 20 points while Vucevic followed with 12.
Still, there was something missing from the trio’s overall floor game and complementary style. LaVine contributed zero assists while Vucevic snagged just four rebounds.
Aaron Nesmith sparked the Pacers with 26 points on Saturday, shooting 10-for-16 from the floor — including 5-for-9 from long range — while adding nine rebounds off the bench.
Tyrese Haliburton narrowly missed a triple-double, contributing 21 points, 13 assists and eight boards.
Indiana showed patience after facing an early 15-point deficit against the Cavaliers. Outscoring Cleveland 29-12 in the second quarter helped the Pacers regain control.
Indiana enters Monday with a three-game winning streak in the series against its Central Division rival. After Chicago rolled to a 15-point victory in the first meeting between the teams last season, the Pacers prevailed by 13 over the next three games.
LaVine scored 42 points in the season-series finale. DeRozan has contributed at least 20 points and five rebounds in three of his past four games against the Pacers. Haliburton twice recorded 11 assists against the Bulls last season, and his 29 points in a March 5 victory were the most by a Pacer versus Chicago in 2022-23.
