George’s renaissance carries Indiana to fourth win in six games
By CHRIS GOFF
ISL Correspondent
INDIANAPOLIS – Only cramps can slow Paul George these days.
Hydration might be the last hurdle for the blossoming third-year guard.
George scored 17 of his 28 points in the second half of a 95-85 win Friday night over the Philadelphia 76ers. Roy Hibbert had 19 points and a season-high 13 rebounds. George Hill posted his first career triple-double and Indiana’s second of the season after the franchise had gone nine seasons without one.
George continued a two-week surge. Since a scoreless outing at Golden State Dec. 1, George has averaged 23.8 points in the past six games, including four Pacers wins. George missed 28 seconds of game time in the final 2 minutes Friday as trainers massaged a cramp in his leg for a second consecutive contest.
Everything’s slowed down, George said. When the ball is tipped, I feel like I’m in a zone from the get-go. I take it upon myself to try to get the team going. It’s my workouts before the games I’ll have to work on drinking fluids.
Philadelphia (12-11) struggled to generate quality looks in the absence of starting point guard Jrue Holiday, who sat out with a sprained left foot. The 76ers moved Evan Turner to point guard in place of Holiday, who averages 18.4 points and 8.9 assists per game. Turner led Philadelphia with 22 points and Spencer Hawes added 18, but coach Doug Collins found few other sources of offense. Center Andrew Bynum, expected to be a focal point, has been sidelined all season with a knee injury.
Indiana (12-11) ranked second in the league coming in by allowing only 91.3 points per game. Its defense forced Philadelphia away from the basket. Without Holiday to drive and create closer looks, the 76ers attempted 46 of their 81 shots at least 13 feet from the rim.
We need Jrue out there, Turner said. We tried to keep it close, but they made plays that they needed. I earned a lot of respect for Paul George.
George reentered the game with Indiana clinging to an 89-85 lead. On the first possession, George blocked Hawes’ layup. After a dunk by Hibbert with 54 seconds left, George swatted Turner’s layup. Hill then made a 3 for a nine-point lead that iced it.
Paul has been playing this way for a couple weeks now, Pacers coach Frank Vogel said. He is an exceptional defensive player. He’ll be on the all-defensive team this year and for years to come. For a team struggling offensively, to have a guy step up the way he stepped up is big.
After Indiana returned home from a West Coast road trip, George altered his pregame routine to include launching hundreds of shots from a variety of places on the practice court in the early afternoon. Vogel said all the extra exertion is likely the cause of the cramping. George entered averaging a team-high 35.4 minutes and played 39 Friday.
Vogel said the team’s training staff will address George’s muscles getting tight late in games. If so, opponents might be the only ones growing tense in the later stages.
George opened guarding Jason Richardson, switched on to Nick Young after he scored six early points and finished by blanketing Turner down the stretch.
It was his offense that pulled the Pacers through.
George scored 14 points in the third quarter to follow an 11-point first half. His only basket in the final period was a dagger, as Hill found him on the right wing for a 3 that put Indiana ahead 89-83 with 2 minutes to play.
I saw Paul trailing me, Hill said. It was a 2-on-1 break. If I was to go hard to the rim, it would give Paul enough time. He’s been hot. I’m in a shooting slump.
With 15 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds, perhaps Hill was being too hard on himself. Hill shot 4 for 7 in the second half after missing 4 of 6 before intermission.
The 76ers shot 43 percent without Holiday and were outrebounded 48-36. Vogel said it was partially by design that Philadelphia attempted so many long 2-pointers.
We wanted them to take tough shots, Vogel said. We’ve got to give up something. As long as we guard the paint, we feel we have a chance to win.
Philadelphia closed the first half on a 10-4 run to lead 44-42. The 76ers outscored Indiana 8-0 in fast-break points before intermission, which helped make up for their difficulties in the halfcourt. After halftime, Indiana scored eight in transition and didn’t allow any more.
George shot 5-of-7 on 3-pointers and the team hit a season-best 57 percent of its long-range attempts (8 of 14). Philadelphia made three 3s in 12 attempts.
The Pacers started the second half on fire, as George scored 10 points in a 16-6 spurt over the first 6 minutes. George capped the run with a stepback 3 from the right corner. After it went in, George did a pirouette in front of the fans on the sideline.
I thought we played really hard, Hawes said. Our guys never got down, but we could have really used Jrue.
Philadelphia coach Doug Collins said George’s development makes Indiana all the more difficult to guard.
We knew they were going to go inside, Collins said. Their guards were great tonight, George hill hit some big shots and Paul George did.
