Pacers take 2-1 series lead
TYLER SMITH
ISL Correspondent
Coming into Friday’s game, the Pacers were 5-0 in the desperation games, and 0-4 in every other game this postseason. If they were to follow that trend, they would have dropped Game 3 and came back to win Game 4. Instead, the Pacers finally took control of a series, dominating the second half on their way to an 85-63 win over Washington.
In one of the sloppiest offensive first halves possible, the Pacers led 34-33 at the break. Each team was shooting under 35 percent. That style of play typically favors the Pacers. The uglier the game, the better chance this team has of winning. In the third quarter, the Pacers went on a 14-1 run, and never looked back.
Roy Hibbert had his second consecutive solid game, with 14 points, five rebounds and three blocked shots on 6-of-9 shooting. When Hibbert is playing with confidence, this team is very difficult to beat.
Paul George still struggled a bit with his shot (6-of-15) but had a solid overall game with 23 points, eight rebounds, four assists and three steals. He also guarded Bradley Beal for most of the night and held him to a 6-for-19 shooting night.
After struggling on the road for two months, the Pacers are now 3-1 on the road in the playoffs.
It’s rarely pretty on the offensive side for Indiana, but this team has made its mark for much of the season on defense. They held the Wizards to a franchise playoff-low 63 points on just 33 percent shooting.
“It’s a good win, but we are in no way satisfied,” Indiana coach Frank Vogel said.
There’s still a long way to go in this series, but the Pacers have to feel good about taking the lead in a series and regaining home-court advantage.
When the Pacers trailed 2-1 in the series against the 8-seed Atlanta Hawks, I still predicted a trip to the conference finals. The Pacers are two wins away from doing just that. Game 4 is Sunday night in Washington.
Follow Tyler on Twitter @sports_tys_20
