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When Frank Vogel or any players, really are asked about the team continually taking care of business throughout the process of amassing their current 18-2 record, they usually end up referring to 'laser focus' as some point. Paul George used the phrase last night following the Pacers win against the Spurs and if you ever wondered what laser focus means, the Pacers defined it with their thrashing of the Spurs at AT&T Center last night.
After shaking off an early ambush of high-level play from the Spurs, the Pacers just kept working both ends of the floor and gathering steam before turning into a runaway train of bringing the noise at both ends that made for an uncomfortable evening for the Spurs.
Make no mistake, the Spurs were laying in wait for the Pacers and dialed in to deliver their own message last night. That was obvious early in the game. The Spurs had a 13-10 lead, but David West was able to free himself and knock down his second mid-range jump. It required good patient offense by the Pacers, but Gregg Popovich was upset enough to quickly call a timeout.
Apparently, Coach Pop knew early that his team had no margin for error against the Pacers. When that laser focus kicked in during the second quarter, the Pacers viciously dismantled the home team. The 67 points in the second and third quarter against the NBA's second rated defense was as good as this squad has played.
It seems almost unfair to even hope for a similar effort less than 24 hours later against an elite offense like the Oklahoma City Thunder will throw at the Pacers. But surely, the Pacers will shift that focus to the next game, as they have all season and make those 2-3 hours in OKC this evening the most important hours of their life. That's what they do. Hopefully fatigue won't overcome the focus and we have another classic game to watch tonight.
The link in JJ's tweet below has comments from Paul George and David West that may inspire you to run through a brick wall. At a minimum, in DWest's words, you get a little insight into how he sets the tone for this team that is rolling right now.
Post-game comments from #pacers Paul George and David West following #impressive victory against the @spurs http://t.co/9riInxfscU
— Jeremiah Johnson (@JJFSINDIANA) December 8, 2013
Check out the links:
Game Preview: Pacers at Thunder | THE OFFICIAL SITE OF THE INDIANA PACERS
Game Rewind: Pacers 111, Spurs 100 | THE OFFICIAL SITE OF THE INDIANA PACERS
Pacers get huge road win over Spurs, 111-100 - Indy Star
Radio Highlights: Pacers 111, Spurs 100 | Pacers Blogs
Pacers close out monster trip in Oklahoma City - 1070 The Fan
Post-Game Grades: Pacers Demolish Spurs in San Antonio | 8 Points, 9 Seconds
Recap: Spurs outmatched by Pacers, 111-100 - Pounding The Rock
Pacers vs. Spurs final score: Paul George dominant in 111-100 victory over Spurs - SBNation.com
NBA viewing guide: Kobe Bryant's return, Thunder host Pacers - SBNation.com
Something Special Going On With Pacers " Hang Time Blog with Sekou Smith | NBA.com