Indiana Pacers: 3 reasons they’re thriving despite Victor Oladipo injury

3. A solid bench and unselfish brand of basketball

One of the characteristics of a good team is having a good second unit — not only in situations where key starters may need a breather, but to inject life into the matchup on nights where the starters may not be on top of their game.

With that in mind, the Pacers’ bench has been playing well during the team’s recent win streak, averaging 37.5 points per contest. This includes an impressive 66-point outburst against the Los Angeles Lakers on Feb. 5.

Thanks to the superb effort by the reserves, the Pacers cruised to a convincing 42-point win. Another area where the Pacers are thriving has to do with effectively moving the basketball.

On the season, Indiana is currently ranked eighth in the NBA in assists, averaging 26.2 per outing. Over the stretch of the last six games, though, the team is averaging an impressive 28.3 dimes per contest. Their willingness to share the rock hasn’t gone unnoticed by head coach Nate McMillan.

"“We’re moving the ball more, and I’ve always said when you have ball movement you’re going to get good looks,” McMillan said, via ESPN. “We’ve been getting good ball movement. Guys have been kicking the ball out, they’ve been looking for each other, and that’s how we want to play.”"

In other words, being a team that has several double-digit scorers who are not afraid to make the extra pass to create a better look at the basket for a teammate makes the Pacers a formidable opponent on any given night.