Indiana Pacers swingman T.J. Warren had the performance of his life on Saturday, dropping a career-high 53 points against the Philadelphia 76ers.
The 26-year-old acknowledged that this was not like any other game he'd played before, while also crediting his teammates for getting the rock to him. It was truly a “special” performance:
“It was a special game,” Warren said. via J. Michael of the Indianapolis Star. “Locked in. Laser-focused throughout the whole game. My teammates did a great job of feeding me the ball and being myself out there. Doing what I do best. Put the ball in the basket.”
Warren has been great in his first season with the Pacers, averaging 19.2 points on a very impressive 53.5 percent shooting, along with 4.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.1 steals, and 1.3 triples per game. Indiana acquired him in the offseason from the Phoenix Suns for cash considerations, and this investment is clearly paying dividends.
The 6-foot-8 small forward went on to say how he keeps himself ready for these type of situations:
“I play a lot of basketball. When I'm at home with my friends, when I'm playing pickup games … anywhere. I'm just born to be a hooper so just me coming out here, just playing the way I play and playing my game, being aggressive,” said Warren, via Eric Woodyard of ESPN.
“It doesn't matter the environment, you've just got to come with it every game. Every game I feel anxious and nervous at the same time but it's full of excitement. Tonight was one of those special nights.”
This was a huge win for the Pacers, as they now sit alone in the fifth spot in the Eastern Conference. This victory gives them a one-game advantage ahead of Phildelphia and will go a long way in terms of playoff positioning out East.