First Thoughts: Indiana 113, Atlanta 98
By CHRIS GOFF
ISL Correspondent
Let’s take a quick look at how the Indiana Pacers pounded the Atlanta Hawks 113-98 on Wednesday night at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.
WHY IT HAPPENED: Indiana’s offense overwhelmed the Hawks’ defense for a second consecutive game to give the Pacers a 2-0 lead in this best-of-seven first round series. The bench, in particular, was terrific, with Gerald Green scoring left and right, D.J. Augustin knocking down open 3-pointers and Jeff Pendergraph and Tyler Hansbrough scoring off offensive rebounds and put-backs. Paul George had another big night, finishing with 27 points, eight rebounds and four steals after being presented with the NBA’s Most Improved Player trophy by Danny Granger before tip-off. After a timeout with 8 minutes remaining in the game, George Hill made a layup and a 3 in a 7-0 run to push the Pacers to a game-high 17-point lead. That essentially drained all suspense in a contest controlled throughout by the home team.
WHAT WE LEARNED: The Pacers are clearly the better team, while the Hawks are the more fragile team mentally. After focusing on the officiating on Sunday, the men in red did the same thing throughout Game 2, with Al Horford nearly assaulting a referee, charging hard before a teammate grabbed Horford with both arms and rerouted him toward Atlanta’s bench. While one scary moment was averted, George continued to put fear in the Hawks’ defense, dominating the first half with 16 points and scoring on a variety of defenders. George has proven he has another gear for the playoffs and is locked in. He’ll take the Pacers as far as he can take them. No matter which defender he tried, Larry Drew never found an answer for George. Indiana has not allowed Atlanta any prolonged period of success in this series, no 12-3 runs or 18-8 bursts or anything like that. The Pacers are winning the series on the strength of their offense, scoring well over 200 points in the first two games. Hill wound up with 22 points and has been on fire.
KEY NUMBER: The Pacers are 10-0 all-time when leading a playoff series two games to none.
TURNING POINT: Josh Smith picked up his second foul with 9:48 left in the first quarter. Smith finished with 16 points and six rebounds in just 20 minutes. He picked up his fourth foul early in the second half and finished with five. He was excellent when he played, but the fouls kept him on the bench most of the time, removing Indiana’s toughest cover.
NEXT: The series shifts to Georgia for Game 3 on Saturday night at 7 p.m. in the gym the locals dubbed “The Highlight Factory.”
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