And Hansbrough is at best the Pacers 3rd option. Boozer didn't hold him to anything as much as Hansbrough didn't hit shots. I'd say Hansbrough was the one "holding" somebody to something.
I think Boozer also kept the game close, especially early on when Rose sat with two fouls. The team shot .386 from the field, he shot .500. The other four starters shot a combined 17-53, or .320.
Boozer was better, and yeah, that's why he played 42 minutes. I thought his defense was mostly meh, but that's a step up. Offensively, he needs to be more decisive. If, as Stacy King keeps blathering, Hansbrough and McRoberts can't guard him, this obvious mismatch should be exploited more often.
I'm happy for the win Playoff jitters, and Noah and Boozer aren't really right. Still, we're leading 2-0, and though Indy has a lot of confidence, they don't have Derrick Rose. I think that we may lose one of these at Indy, but mission will be accomplished, and we'll have some time to pull things together on the practice court, with a very real lesson learned fresh in their minds. Net positive.
For what it's worth, I think you're right about the team needing rest between series. The Pacers series is tough.
