Indianapolis (AFP) – Glenn Robinson isn’t ready to replace Paul George, but the forward showed why the Indiana Pacers can rely on him to step in when needed.
The 22-year-old Robinson started in place of injured star George and scored a career-best 20 points, leading the Pacers to a 118-97 victory over the Brooklyn Nets.
“Anything this team needs, I think I am the guy that will step up and get it done,” said Robinson, who is the son of Glenn Robinson, former 1994 NBA first overall draft pick.
The Pacers (8-9) announced late Friday that leading scorer George (20.8 points per game) has a back injury and would miss Sunday’s game against the Los Angeles Clippers and Wednesday’s game at Portland.
That opened the door for Robinson to show what he can do.
“I always tell him to play with confidence and believe in himself. Tonight he went out there and did it,” said Indiana point guard Jeff Teague.
Robinson shot six-of-10 from the field, making four three pointers and four free throws in 40 minutes of playing time. He also had six rebounds.
“When I see Glenn playing well it gives me energy. We know what he is capable of and when he finally goes out there and does it and he makes big plays it uplifts us,” said center Myles Turner.
Rodney Stuckey came off the bench to score 18 points for Indiana. Turner and Al Jefferson each had 16, while Monta Ellis added 14 and Thaddeus Young tallied 11.
The Pacers shot a season best 55.2 percent from the field (48 of 87).
Brook Lopez led Brooklyn with 20 points. Sean Kilpatrick scored 16 and Trevor Booker, Yogi Ferrell and Randy Foye each had 10 for the Nets who have lost six in a row.
Robinson had a 13-point first half and Turner added 10 points and five rebounds to help Indiana turn a seven-point, first-quarter deficit into a 15-point advantage at halftime.
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.