Indiana Pacers: 3 takeaways from Game 6 vs. Cavaliers

1. Dipo reigns supreme

Victor Oladipo is two weeks removed from capping off perhaps the greatest season by an Indiana Pacer since they joined the NBA over four decades ago. In the playoffs, his performance has been a mixed bag.

It was nothing but candy canes and gumdrops on Friday night.

According to NBA.com, Oladipo became the first player in NBA postseason history to have 28 points, 13 rebounds, 10 assists and four steals in a game. It was also his first career playoff triple-double and his first triple-double as a Pacer.

Oh, and then there was this:

Thanks to his exploits early, Indiana only needed Oladipo for 34 minutes on the night. He’ll need every ounce of energy he can muster for a Game 7 in which he cannot really afford to sit for more than a handful of minutes.

During the regular season, the Pacers played like the fourth-best team in the league when Oladipo was on the floor and the fourth-worst when he was off. During the playoffs, they’ve had a +9.7 net rating in his 219 minutes of court time and are a -4.6 in the 69 minutes he’s sat. They become a different team when their star is not out there, perhaps as much as any playoff squad outside of the one they’re playing here.

They’ve come this far on Oladipo’s shoulders. All the chips are in the middle of the table. There’s no turning back now.

Next: Full two-round 2018 NBA Mock Draft

Game 7, giddy up.