First Thoughts: Indiana 106, Atlanta 83
By CHRIS GOFF
ISL Correspondent
Let’s take a quick look at how the Indiana Pacers outclassed the Atlanta Hawks 106-83 on Wednesday night at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Game 5 of their Eastern Conference first round series. The Pacers take a 3-2 series lead.
WHY IT HAPPENED: The Pacers rode a 50-43 halftime lead to a dominant third quarter and finally shut down Atlanta’s offense. David West had a breakout night with 24 points and Roy Hibbert finished with 18 points and nine rebounds as the Pacers dominated events in the paint. George Hill played a big role in putting the Hawks away in the second half, ending up with 15 points and 10 assists. All of the Pacers’ starters played well. None of Atlanta’s did. And Indiana’s league-best defense returned at just the right time.
WHAT WE LEARNED: It didn’t decide the game, but Indiana coach Frank Vogel responded to Josh Smith’s recent dominance at small forward by moving George out of the position for a stretch in the first half. With Jeff Pendergraph on the wing, Smith had to guard him, and George was left with a much more advantageous matchup against Atlanta’s smaller guards or against Kyle Korver. The big lineup was out of character for Vogel, who rarely strays from traditional combinations. Results were mixed. Pendergraph didn’t exactly pose a defensive roadblock for Smith, and Pendergraph and Hansbrough each missed open jumpers as the Hawks packed the paint while unusual trio of big men were on the floor together. But it at least seemed to get Atlanta out of sorts offensively. And George posted 21 points, 10 rebounds and five assists. The Pacers found all sorts of creases and openings in Atlanta’s interior defense in the first half, with movement always causing rim-protectors Johan Petro and Al Horford to seem a step slow. West and Hibbert went off and the Pacers shot a series-high 51 percent from the field. The Hawks checked in at 33 percent. They were led by 14 points each from Smith and Horford. In an odd series, the home team has won every time and every game has been decided by at least 11 points. Indiana can close it out with a win in Game 6..
KEY NUMBER: The Pacers held Atlanta, a very good 3-point shooting team, to 3-of-14 from behind the arc.
TURNING POINT: Over a stretch of 6 minutes, 11 seconds in the second quarter, Indiana outscored the Hawks 17-6, turning a three-point deficit into an eight-point lead they would never relinquish. It was all thanks to West, who scored 12 points and only missed one shot during that key sequence.
NEXT: The series shifts back to Philips Arena for Game 6 on Friday night.
