The beats went on for No. 19 Illinois against Indiana on Tuesday in Bloomington – a 94-69 hammering, to be specific – as guard Kasparas Jakucionis returned to the lineup and, along with him, the Illini’s briefly lost mojo. No one could be certain what team would show up to take on the Hoosiers before the opening tip, and by halftime it was clear that it was the Big Ten favorites.

The leap from excellence to sustained greatness is a chasm that would make Evel Knievel balk, but the Illini (13-4, 5-2 Big Ten) seem to have the springs to make it happen. Let’s take a quick look at the individual performances that lifted Illinois – for one game, at least – head and shoulders over its border rival.

After the USC loss, coach Brad Underwood admitted Ivisic need to not only play more minutes but be more involved. Check and check. Against Indiana, Ivisic was an all-around force (17 points, 11 rebounds and four assists), posting a plus-27 plus-minus in his 25 minutes and setting a tone that all future Illini opponents would do well to heed.

Returning from a two-game injury absence, Jakucionis didn’t skip a single beat. He had 19 points (including three three-pointers), four assists and three rebounds in the first half, leading Illinois to a 60-32 halftime lead. What came after (foul trouble and minimal production) hardly mattered. The damage – at his hands – had already been done.

It’s hard to overstate Boswell’s value to the Illini. He can switch effortlessly between the 1 and 2, whether from game to game or moment to moment, providing playmaking, shooting and penetration on one end while terrorizing opposing ball-handlers on the other. His game-high 22 points, seven rebounds and lockdown D against Indiana were the proof.

Gibbs-Lawhorn has carved out a wonderful niche for himself, attacking the rim in transition, sinking big shots in the halfcourt and providing atomic energy off the bench. He had 12 points (two threes) and a couple rebounds against the Hoosiers, posting a plus-17 plus-minus in 16 minutes of floor time.

Johnson had only five points against Indiana, but he hit all of his free throws (3-for-3) and plucked 10 rebounds – four of them from the offensive glass – in 18 minutes. As usual, he did exactly what the Illini need him to do (which is plenty) and took almost nothing else off the table. It’s uncanny, really.

Humrichous came down off his two-game scoring cloud, but his seven points (3-for-6 field-goal shooting), five rebounds and defense-stretching presence were just fine on an evening when several teammates were cooking. They can’t all be 20-point bangers.

Against Indiana, Riley went without a three for the third time in four games – and still acquitted himself nicely. His plus-24 plus-minus in 10 minutes was a bit of a mirage, but he played within himself on both ends (five points, two rebounds and two assists) and appears to be adjusting with each game.

White focused on creating in the paint against the Hoosiers, which didn’t go so well (2-for-9 shooting). in this instance. No worries. It’s rare when White doesn’t make something happen offensively, and he was again a reliable contributor on the boards (six rebounds).

There isn’t a lot of in between with Davis, a shooting specialist who can be targeted on defense. He missed all four of his shots from the floor against IU, but he did add a couple rebounds (one offensive) and an assist.

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DETROIT (WISH) — The Pacers are getting a key player back from injury on Thursday. Starting forward Aaron Nesmith is available for their game against the Pistons.

Nesmith’s last game was all the way back on November 1st. He missed the last 35 games with a sprained left ankle.

Nesmith averaged 9.2 points per game in the six games he played earlier this season. He also recorded 4 rebounds per game and shot 54.5% from three-point range.

Tyrese Haliburton is also available on Thursday. He missed Tuesday’s game against the Cavaliers with a groin strain. It was the first game he missed all season.

The Pacers take on the Detroit Pistons on Thursday night. The two teams are separated by just a half game in the standings, with the Pacers as the 6-seed and the Pistons as the 7-seed. It’s also a critical game for tiebreakers, as the Pacers are 1-1 against the Pistons so far this season.

Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. EST.

ST. JOHN, Ind. (WLS) — A man who was killed in a police-involved shooting on Wednesday has been identified.

The shooting happened around 11:30 a.m. in the 14000 block of West 93rd Place in St. John, Indiana, the Lake County, Indiana Sheriff’s Department said.

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A St. John police officer had responded to a home at the location for a call of a domestic disturbance, the sheriff said.

After a physical altercation, shots were fired and a 40-year-old man was wounded, the sheriff said. The man, who neighbors say was barefoot and wearing pajamas, was taken to a hospital.

The Lake County coroner’s officer later identified the man as Brandon Perkins.

“Just intense. I mean, caught everybody off guard,” St. John resident George Jaksich said. “The neighbors were all freaked out.”

Residents in the Bramblewood subdivision who heard the gunfire said they watched as officers performed CPR on the man after the shooting.

“I looked out, and I see a guy falling backwards,” Jaksich said. “I see some cops on the west side of him… and yeah, then right away they kicked something away. It turns out those were dumbbells when I walked over there, but they were giving him CPR.”

Video from the scene showed a couple of hand weights sitting in the street, but it’s unclear if the man who was shot had those in his possession.

No further information about the shooting was immediately available.

The Lake County Sheriff’s Department Detective Bureau continues to investigate.

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