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The Indiana Pacers rolled past the Dallas Mavericks on Friday night and must feel good about how they are playing heading into the regular season opener on Tuesday. The starting unit finished strong, spearheading a 32-point third quarter in their final preseason minutes together as a group, which simply overwhelmed the Mavs.
Paul George scored 10 of his 28 points in the third and then stayed around to work through part of the fourth quarter with a reserve unit that is shaping up nicely. Luis Scola is in mid-season form and plays as if he's been with the Pacers for years. Orlando Johnson appears to have worked himself into a role in the playing rotation, at least until Danny Granger is ready to roll once again.
The remaining red flag on the roster is Chris Copeland and his struggles to knock down open threes. Frank Vogel tried to run Cope at the three in an effort to shake things up but he still ended up missing all four of his three-ball attempts. With so many options, Copeland will have to shoot himself into a role in the playing rotations, since for now, he's shooting himself out of one.
Checkout the links:
Pacers at Mavericks - Box score
Game Rewind: Pacers 98, Mavericks 77 | THE OFFICIAL SITE OF THE INDIANA PACERS
Will Pacers’ rebuilt bench live up to hype? - 1070 The Fan
Pacers win preseason finale 98-77 over Dallas | Indianapolis Star | indystar.com
Bob Kravitz: Only two questions matter with the Indiana Pacers | Indianapolis Star | indystar.com
Pacers end preseason with 98-77 win over Mavs - AP
Jalen Rose Clarifies Opinion, Gives Take on Pacers | THE OFFICIAL SITE OF THE INDIANA PACERS
Mavs collapse in second half, fall 98-77 to Pacers in preseason | Dallas Morning News
Mavs outmatched by Pacers, 98-77 - Mavs Moneyball
Stephanie White Joins FSI as Analyst | THE OFFICIAL SITE OF THE INDIANA PACERS
Wizards land Marcin Gortat in trade with Suns - Yahoo Sports
Warriors sign Andrew Bogut to extension - Yahoo Sports
Blow the Whistle: The NBA's Precarious Officiating Issues - The Triangle Blog - Grantland