Coward tops the grades in defeat as our index cools on Indiana's win

Indiana left FedExForum with a 107-103 win, but our index refuses to inflate it: no Pacers grade cracks 6.6, while the night's only mark above 7 belongs to a man who lost. Cedric Coward's 23 points, 9 rebounds and 4 assists lead the board at 7.1, our player of the game in Memphis defeat.

That gap is the story. Siakam's 20 points ride 2 assists and 5 rebounds, so our 6.6 sits 1.5 under the reference 8.1, and Andrew Nembhard's 22 points draw 6.0 against 7.5 on two boards and thin defense. Kobe Brown's scoreless seven minutes hit 3.7, 1.9 below the reference, with Isaiah Stewart and Larry Nance Jr. close behind.

Memphis' case rests on depth: Zach Edey's 13 rebounds perfect the rebounding component and Cam Spencer dishes 9 assists with a 1.00 playmaking mark, but a 24-32 halftime hole and Jaylen Wells' zero points explain why our grades never bought the comeback.