Pacers' Monta Ellis: Turns in productive outing off bench in loss

Ellis finished with 19 points (8-19 FG, 0-2 3Pt, 3-3 FT), six rebounds, five assists and four steals across 36 minutes in Friday's 109-105 overtime loss to the 76ers.

Analysis:

The struggling Pacers moved Ellis to the bench for the first time this season Friday, and the decision seemed to pay off to some extent, as Ellis matched his season high in scoring. Considering that the Pacers still ended up losing to the game to the previously winless Sixers, it's not certain if coach Nate McMillan will stick with Ellis on the second unit, but if the guard's usage Friday is any indication, his playing time won't suffer as a result. Ellis would also benefit from seeing an enhanced usage rate if he sticks as the team's sixth man, as he wouldn't have to share the court quite as often with higher-usage players like Paul George, Jeff Teague and Myles Turner.