Pacers beat Thunder, eye home-court
Tyler Smith
ISL Correspondent
INDIANAPOLIS — Have you heard enough about the No. 1 seed yet? Rarely has a playoff seed ever been talked about as much as this one has all season long. In a matter of one week, the Pacers seemingly conceded the Eastern Conference’s top seed for rest, got it back after two straight losses by Miami, lost it again IN Miami and now once again have control with just one game to play.
Sunday’s game against Oklahoma City was about more than just the 1-seed, however. It was an opportunity for the Pacers to play a really good team and finish off their impressive home portion of the schedule with a victory.
They didn’t disappoint their home fans, as they edged the Thunder 102-97. The Pacers finished the home schedule with a 35-6 record, which was second-best in franchise history (and the very reason the No. 1 seed was discussed so often).
Although Oklahoma City had very little to play for since they have nearly clinched the 2-seed out West, they decided not to rest any players and give it their best shot. They played hard and with emotion the entire game, which gave the Pacers an even better opportunity to feel good about themselves after a hard fought victory. Kevin Durant led the Thunder with 38 points, and Russell Westbrook added 21 points, nine rebounds, seven assists and a failed goaltending attempt (check Sportscenter’s “Not Top Ten” if you are curious).
On the Pacers’ side, it was a team effort that resembled the team that won so many games in the first half of the season. Roy Hibbert continued to struggle, as did George Hill and Evan Turner. The rest of the team contributed in major ways.
Lance Stephenson recorded another triple-double with 17 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists. He also hit some big-time shots late in the game. Paul George added a double-double of his own with 20 points and 12 rebounds. He and David West combined for 18 points on 7-of-11 shooting in the third quarter alone. The Pacers’ bench was outstanding in this one. C.J. Watson scored 20 points and was a huge sparkplug when the Pacers needed it the most. The Pacers improved to 11-2 on the season when Watson scores in double figures. Luis Scola and Ian Mahinmi combined for 21 points themselves.
The game was tied at 89 with just a few minutes to play. The Pacers really played inspired ball in crunch time to come away with the big win.
This team still has an issue with turnovers, and they desperately need to get Hibbert confident in himself again soon. But at least for a day, this looked like a team that regained a little momentum, and a little bit of its identity, at the perfect time.
For once, the 1-seed discussion is no longer complicated. The magic number is one. If the Pacers win in Orlando on Wednesday, or if the Miami Heat lose either of their remaining games, Indiana will have home-court advantage throughout the Eastern Conference portion of the playoffs, a goal they set out for long ago.
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