First Thoughts: Pacers 91, Heat 77
By CLIFF BRUNT and CHRIS GOFF
ISL Staff
So often in the playoffs, Paul George has been a cold-blooded destroyer.
He did it again, and now the pressure is all on the Miami Heat.
George hit a stone-cold 3-pointer in the fourth quarter after Miami had whittled a 17-point lead down to four, sparking the Pacers to a 91-77 win in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Saturday night that forced a Game 7.
George is getting used to these moments. Remember, George hit that tying three at the end of regulation in Game 1 and the three free throws at the end of overtime. George isn’t just a very good scorer and a great defender, he’s at his best in big moments. He really seems to be that guy, and it doesn’t matter how he’s played before the big moment, he still delivers. And he can make the big play at either end.
Roy Hibbert believes big things are in store for the 23-year-old.
“He’s the future,” Hibbert said. “I mean, I think he has a chance to be MVP of this league next year. Every guard needs to have a big guy to have his back. So I’m that guy.”
For Pacers fans who love Reggie Miller, it’s now safe to say the second coming has arrived. He’s really that good.
George’s final stat line: 28 points on 11-for-19 shooting, eight rebounds, five assists and three steals.
I almost forgot. He nearly eliminated Chris Bosh from the planet with a dunk in the first half. That was so nasty. That hurt me and I was just watching.
Other bits of perspective from Game 6:
Miami scored 77 points in Game 6.
It was the fewest points Miami has scored this postseason — the previous low was 86 against Chicago. Indiana held Miami to 4-for-16 shooting in the third quarter, when the Pacers turned a 40-39 deficit into a 68-55 lead.
The Heat shot 36 percent from the field and were outrebounded 53-33. No one other than LeBron James, who scored 29 points, scored more than 10.
David West might not be human.
West had an upper respiratory infection that kept him out of practice on Saturday. He played and finished with 11 points and 14 rebounds. His plight wasn’t lost on his teammates.
“David couldn’t even practice earlier today,” Lance Stephenson said. “For him to come out tonight and play how he did — that shows the fight.”
“I know he said he wasn’t going to stay out of this game no matter if everything in his body falls out,” George Hill said.
Miami’s injuries are a big deal.
The injuries to Miami’s Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade have altered the entire outlook of these Eastern Conference finals. Wade is playing through bruises in his right knee. Bosh is suddenly lost playing on a right ankle he sprained in Game 4. On Saturday, Bosh had five points and Wade had just 10. They hurt their team more than they helped, and going into Game 7, the Pacers aren’t facing the Big Three. They’re up against a Big One, and this series is imminently winnable.
Pacers run to victory
The Pacers finished with 14 fast-break points on Saturday, not an overwhelming total but one that surpassed any of their prior efforts in these playoffs. And it was an important figure in a game that was as close as four points in the fourth quarter. Twelve of those transition points came within the first 29 the Pacers scored, and they kept Indiana close at halftime. When the Pacers make a concerted effort to run, as they did in Game 6, they become a more versatile offense, and the athleticism of George and Stephenson is put to great use. Indiana at times pushed the ball up the floor off defensive rebounds and made baskets in addition to live-ball turnovers. The strategy stemmed in part from a determination to do whatever was necessary to keep the season alive, but the Pacers may have found something almost by accident. LeBron James ran down the court after being called for a foul in the fourth quarter, but the Pacers were already running away with the game, and their commitment to running on offense was a big reason.
