You never know what to expect from Lavoy Allen, on the court or in the locker room. But Saturday, in a game his teammates expected something significant from him, he delivered his best game as a Pacer.
The power forward and power prankster finished with 18 points and 11 rebounds in the 105-84 victory over Detroit at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, filling in admirably for Thaddeus Young, who sprained his left wrist in Friday's game at Brooklyn. And to think just a few weeks ago, Allen had played himself out of the rotation, losing his backup spot to Kevin Seraphin.
"He was probably our MVP tonight," coach Nate McMillan said.
Allen has collected 12 DNP-CDs this season, the box score designation for Did Not Play, Coach's Decision. The coach's decision on Saturday, though, was for Allen to start. Seraphin's sore left knee had forced him to the bench, opening the door for Allen to play again, and then Young's injury moved him right into the starting lineup.
He prospered, hitting 8-of-15 shots, with five of the makes coming from at least 18 feet. He also had three assists, two steals, set good screens and was part of a team defensive effort that limited the Pistons to 26 points in the second half.
You've got to understand, Allen sometimes gives the impression he's just in it for laughs. Win or lose, he's usually making jokes in the postgame locker room, and he doesn't pass up many opportunities to make a sarcastic comment coming off the practice court. He's not much different with his teammates.
"Lavoy's a jokester," said Paul George, who led the Pacers with 21 points. "He's quiet half the time, but he is a jokester. He's very playful. He's a big teddy bear. We enjoy him in this locker room."
They didn't enjoy his early season performances, however. Allen averaged just 1.8 points on 32 percent shooting over the first 21 games, and hardly gave off an aura of earnestness or aptitude. If Seraphin hadn't injured his knee two weeks ago, forcing Allen back into playing again, he might still be settling for garbage minutes.
If nothing else, Saturday's contributions served as a reminder that he does indeed care about what's going on in games.
"People have been saying that since high school, that I don't take basketball seriously," he said after putting on a gruff façade for a while with the reporters who gathered around his locker for the first time all season. "I don't care. It's my job, you know what I'm saying? Of course I take it seriously – every practice, every game, whatever."
Which is not to say he wasn't in a joking mood after the Pacers extended their win streak to six and their record to 28-22.
The first innocuous question asked of him afterward was greeted with a deadpan expression and the words, "Next question." And then a smile to let everyone know he was joking. Of course.
Most questions didn't get much more of a response, though.
What was his mindset going into the game, filling in for a key player such as Young?
"Just be aggressive."
How did he feel about his performance?
"I want to perform well every game. Any game you contribute feels good."
Was he motivated by the opportunity to start, after falling out of the playing rotation so recently?
"I guess. Just try to stay ready."
McMillan was more forthcoming on behalf of Allen, whose previous high with the Pacers was 15 points, and whose career high was 20 in the 2012-13 season while playing for Philadelphia, before his trade to the Pacers as part of the deal that featured Danny Granger and Evan Turner in February of 2014. Allen's play had perked up after Seraphin's injury, but Saturday's performance took it to another level.
"He's been doing what we know he's capable of doing," McMillan said. "Solid defender, he rebounds the ball, plays the pick and roll, one of our best blitz guys, good passer, and tonight he was knocking down his shot, which was a bonus. He just plays in the flow of the game. We didn't run plays for him, he was just making reads.
"I think he's a smart player, he's solid, he's going to be in the right place most of the time. I trust him. I really trust him out there."
Trust came up in other conversations around the locker room, mostly related to the Pacers' defense. If there's a primary reason for the six-game winning streak, it's defense, and if there's a primary reason for the improved defense, it's trust. The Pistons were ranked just 24th in points scored entering the game, but they had surpassed 100 in their last eight games, and were coming off 118- and 116-point efforts in their previous games.
The Pacers, meanwhile, are looking nothing like the team that gave up 120 points to Golden State or 131 to Portland or 142 to Golden State, or 140 to Denver in London on Jan. 12. They forced Detroit into 21 turnovers while committing just six of their own – only three of those from the starters. Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy said the Pacers "dominated us," while Marcus Morris said they were "way more aggressive than us defensively."
"Just chemistry," George said. "We're rotating, we're trusting one another at both ends. "Our weak side is getting stronger. If a player is broken down, our help is there."
"Everyone's connected, everyone's trusting each other," Allen added.
It will have to continue to improve over the next month, as the schedule turns darker. Of the Pacers' six games before the All-Star break begins on Feb. 17, five are against winning teams, starting with Monday's game against Oklahoma City at The Fieldhouse. Of the first five games after the break, four are against winning teams. It figures to be a key stretch of the season, one that helps define the Pacers' place in the grand scheme of things before the playoffs.
"We've got to adjust our minds and (approach this like) a playoff run," George said. "Just mental sharpness. Take everything we've learned and how much we've improved over the season and show it against these good teams."
It's a major challenge, and a great opportunity. And unless Young makes a surprisingly quick return from his injury, Allen figures to be a vital part of whatever happens. Seriously.
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