On this day three years ago, T.J. Warren dropped 53 points for the Indiana Pacers
Not many players can say they scored 50+ points in a game for the Indiana Pacers. Only four can, to be exact.
Three of them are multi-time All-Stars and franchise legends — Reggie Miller (57 points), Jermaine O'Neal (55), and Billy Knight (52) all reached the 50-point threshold for the blue and gold, and all of them were named to at least two NBA All-Star teams.
The fourth player to climb over 50 points in one game for Indiana only played in 71 games for the franchise, and he did it in the most unlikely circumstances. It was T.J. Warren, who scored 53 points against the Philadelphia 76ers in a game three years ago today.
The game took place in the NBA bubble in Orlando, Florida. It was the Pacers first regular season game in the NBA's return to action during the COVID-19 pandemic, and there were a lot of questions hovering over the team.
Domantas Sabonis had an injury and was unavailable during bubble play. Victor Oladipo's status was up in the air. Malcolm Brogdon was returning from injury. It wasn't clear what the Pacers would look like when they hit the court against Philly.
Warren made everyone forget about all of those circling questions. He couldn't miss that night. He knocked down his first seven shots and had 19 points in the first quarter, more than the rest of his teammates combined. The Sixers had no answers.
In the second quarter, Warren remained hot. He scored on cuts, in transition, and buried threes. He knocked down a nearly 30-foot heat check triple over Ben Simmons. Many other Pacers were struggling, but they led at halftime behind Warren's 29 points.
"[Warren] was born to get buckets," Oladipo said that night. He certainly looked like it through two quarters.
The third frame was Warren's worst of the night. He had five points and made just one shot as Philly climbed back into the game. For a brief moment, it looked like the magic had worn off.
With the blue and gold trailing by 10 in the fourth quarter, Warren checked in for the final time of the night. He had 34 points at the time, which was still exceptional, but the team had work to do. There was only 8:54 left to go in the game.
Over that span, Warren took over once again. He scored seven points in a 42 second stretch just after checking in, and he would go on to score 19 points in the fourth. That helped the blue and gold pull off a comeback win, and Warren concluded the outing with 53 points.
"I'm just really in a rhythm, I'm really picking my spots. Just being efficient and just playing hard overall," Warren said later in the bubble. He tied the Pacers franchise record for points in a three-game span.
For his efforts, he was named to the All-Bubble First Team alongside Devin Booker, James Harden, Luka Doncic, and Damian Lillard. He was in the conversation with stars at his level of play.
Unfortunately, foot issues limited him to only four more games with Indiana after the bubble ended. Injuries changed his entire career, and he was never the same player. But during his last stint as a fully healthy player, Warren was among the best scorers in the NBA. He started off that stretch with a masterpiece three years ago today.
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