Hawks steal Game 1 from Pacers, 101-93
TYLER SMITH
ISL Correspondent
INDIANAPOLIS — Much discussion has been made all season long about the Pacers gaining home-court advantage in the playoffs. All it took was one game to lose that advantage in the opening series against the Atlanta Hawks. Atlanta used a huge third quarter to pull away from Indiana and steal Game 1, 101-93, in front of a stunned Bankers Life Fieldhouse.
Jeff Teague and Paul Millsap led the way for Atlanta, combining for 53 points. Teague’s quickness in the pick-and-roll will be a huge topic for discussion this entire series.
For the majority of this season, the Pacers used big third-quarter play to pull away from their competition. Tonight, it was a third quarter they’d like to forget. They got outscored 30-16 and only shot 5-of-19 from the field. The ball stopped moving, and the Hawks pulled away and didn’t look back.
A few seasons ago, the Pacers dropped Game 1 to the Orlando Magic, but won the next four games. This series doesn’t have that feel to it, as the Pacers look to be in a dogfight to simply advance out of the first round.
“It’s just one game,” Paul George said after the tough loss. “That’s how we have to look at it. It’s a long series. It’s frustrating, but we need to make adjustments and take it game by game.”
Coach Frank Vogel wouldn’t rule out some rotation changes for Game 2, but seemed committed to the same rotation as of now.
“We’ll probably stick with what we have, but in the playoffs you have to contemplate everything,” Vogel added. “I knew this team was a challenge to beat for us. We’ve got to move the ball better.”
Roy Hibbert continued to struggle. He finished with eight points and eight rebounds, but only a few late buckets made that stat line look better than what it was. At one point in the game, the Pacers were minus-23 with Hibbert on the floor.
David West was limited by foul trouble, and failed to score double figures in a playoff game for the first time since Game 2 of the first round last season. It will be interesting to see if the Pacers, even as the No. 1 seed, will have to make adjustments to match the Hawks’ style of play.
It’s going to be a long few days before the Pacers will get another chance. Game 2 is Tuesday night. It may be a long series, but the Pacers will have an enormous amount of pressure on them to win Game 2.
Follow Tyler Smith on Twitter: www.twitter.com/sports_TYs_20.
