NBA 2018-19: 3 talking points as Indiana Pacers win in overtime against Chicago Bulls

In an Eastern Conference match-up, the Chicago Bulls hosted the Indiana Pacers at the United Center. It turned out to be a very close match, with the result going the way of the Pacers.

The Bulls picked up a very big lead early on and it looked like the match would slip away from Indiana's hands. But they didn't give up, held their nerve and finally won in overtime with a final scoreline of 119-116.

After this match the Pacers are now ranked 3rd in the East as they improve their record to 26-12. The Bulls meanwhile are 13th in the East and their record is 10-29.

The Pacers have been remarkable this season, and they have shown a lot of improvements - especially in their defense. They are currently the best defensive team in the league.

With that in mind, here are the top 3 talking points from the game -

#3. Good offensive display from both teams

Today was a display of good shooting and amazing plays from both teams. They both tried to get the ball to the best open man, so that he could score.

The Pacers have been playing such high level basketball for a long time now. But it was a surprise to see the Bulls also coming up and challenging the Pacers at their own game.

While the Pacers shot the ball at 52.7% from the field, the Bulls made sure that they brought the fight to Indiana and shot at 51.6%. The Bulls also shot a whopping 42.9% from the 3-point line, but still couldn't get the W.

Throughout the season the Pacers have been shooting at an unbelievable 48% from the field, and are ranked 2nd only to the Warriors in this regard.

#2. Pacers outscore Bulls in bench points

The Indiana Pacers bench outscored the Chicago Bulls bench by 17 points. This was a big game-changer as in a close match like this, it's these small differences that decide the result.

A huge part of the credit for this should be given to Domantas Sabonis, who was in sublime form. He came off the bench and scored 23 points with 12 rebounds in just 30 minutes, shooting 9-13 from the field.

He was shooting lights out in the game and made the Bulls pay for taking him lightly. Sabonis has been averaging 14.9points and 9.6rebs, on 63.1% shooting from the field, making this one of his best years statistically.

The Pacers were heavily short-handed in this game but Sabonis' play took care of that problem.

#1. Victor Oladipo and his game winner

Victor Oladipo scored a season-high 36 points tonight; he led the Pacers to a victory in overtime with the game winner, when only 0.3 seconds were left on the clock.

Oladipo looked assured and determined throughout the game, and his confidence only grew further after he hit the winner from the 3-point line. There was no coming back for Chicago after that.

Throughout the season Oladipo has been a star for Indiana as he has been averaging 20.2 points, 6.3 rebs and 5.4 assists. All this combined with his lock-down defense makes him a great 2-way player; he might even become an all-star again this year.

In their next game the Pacers will face the Toronto Raptors, while the Bulls will face the Brooklyn Nets in hopes of getting back to winning ways.