First Thoughts: Pacers 89, Hawks 85
By CHRIS GOFF
ISL Editor
First thoughts after the Indiana Pacers held on for an 89-85 win over the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday night at Philips Arena:
IN A NUTSHELL: David West had 22 points and 10 rebounds while Paul George scored 18 with seven boards as Indiana (38-10) won its third in a row. Lance Stephenson had 10 points but left with a sore back after landing hard following a midair collision in the third quarter. Danny Granger, Luis Scola and C.J. Watson each chipped in eight points off the bench for the Pacers, who held Atlanta to 43 percent shooting and forced 18 turnovers. The Hawks, who led 43-42 at halftime, had only 12 points on 6-of-20 shooting in the third quarter, and over one stretch spanning the third and fourth periods managed six points on 17 possessions. Indiana’s defense was focused, physical and suffocating most of the night. Backups Mike Scott (15 points, five rebounds) and Elton Brand (12 points, seven rebounds) were the only Hawks in double figures. Jeff Teague had nine points and seven assists, while Paul Millsap had seven points, 12 rebounds and four steals. Those were numbers Indiana could live with, as were Kyle Korver’s nine points. Atlanta (25-22) was playing without star center Al Horford and it showed.
KEY SEQUENCE: Indiana led by as much as 16 in the fourth quarter, only to have Atlanta cut its deficit in half in less than four minutes. Indiana was left clinging to a 78-74 lead with 2:24 to go after a 17-5 run by the Hawks, but a short West jumper and a George windmill dunk (when Hawks guard Dennis Schroeder threw a pass right to him) put the Pacers back in control. The Hawks had the ball behind three when Watson split a pair of free throws, but Millsap was fouled and missed the first with 4.1 seconds remaining. That ended things.
BEST OF THE REST: After turning the ball over 14 times in the first half, the Pacers gave it away just four times in the third quarter. The team finished with an unsightly 19 turnovers for 24 points, but that shutdown third quarter pushed Atlanta out of the game. … Indiana shot 45.9 percent overall, but struggled beyond the 3-point arc (5-of-18, 27.8 percent). … Watson finished a team-best plus-6 for Indiana; Roy Hibbert was plus-5. … John Jenkins and were Pero Antic were also injured for Atlanta.
WHAT WE LEARNED: With Horford hurt, the Hawks were ripe for defeat if Indiana could only control the tempo. While West put the team on his shoulders offensively at times, Indiana’s defense forced one mistake and one bad shot after another. Atlanta was unable to get up and down. Indiana finally ended a 12-game regular-season skid at Philips Arena as a result. A home-heavy February slate resumes with visits from the Portland Trail Blazers (Friday), Denver Nuggets (Monday) and Dallas Mavericks (Feb. 12) ahead. Indiana travels to Orlando on Sunday, but after that Mavericks game will enjoy a five-day All-Star break.
