Indiana Pacers

Game 1: Patrick Ewing scored 28 points and had 11 rebounds in a 100-89 win for New York. Charles Oakley also turned in a double-double with a 20-and-13 combo. Rik Smits led the way for Indiana with 27 points and 10 boards on a night where Indiana shot 42 percent. New York shot 46 percent, but had six made 3-pointers to the Pacers' lone made three via Reggie Miller. Game 2: New York took a 2-0 series lead by beating the Pacers 89-78. Miller had field goals including a deep ball that totaled 23 points closely followed by Smits' 22 points. Despite the combined 45 points, Indiana shot just 38 percent. Meanwhile, for New York, Ewing had a game-high 32 points and 13 rebounds. New York struggled from the free throw line (18-for-28), but didn't have to worry about that due to the starters shooting a combined 54 percent. Game 3: Indiana took a stand as all five starters scored in double digits led by Derrick McKey. Indiana won 88-68 thanks to a poor shooting night for the Knicks. New York scraped together 29 second half points in an abysmal 34 percent shooting night. Indiana shot nearly 50 percent. Game 4: The Pacers evened out the series at two wins apiece, 83-77 over New York. Miller nailed seven shots and 17 of 19 free throws in a 31-point game-high performance. Ewing had 25 and John Starks had 14 points, but the Knicks had their second straight sub-40-point second half on a 38 percent shooting night. Game 5: New York came out strong with 28 points after the first quarter, but Indiana took a 3-2 series lead with a 93-86 win. Miller took a stand with a 14-for-26 shooting performance, but hold on, he made six 3-pointers on top of that. Oh, and he had a side battle with Spike Lee. He also won that battle. Antonio Davis scored a quiet 12 points off the bench while playing a strong 27 minutes. All five Knickerbockers scored in double figures led by Ewing with 29 points. Game 6: New York won 98-91 forcing a seventh game, which they would also later win. In this game, Charles Smith was the lone New York starter who didn't score in double digits. Starks led the way with 26 points, including eight field goals and five 3-pointers. Ewing had 17 points, half of which coming from the free throw line. Miller led Indiana with 27 points followed by 18 points from Smits. Game 7: Indiana led by one with under a minute remaining as the game became an instant classic, but a game that Pacers wish they could easily forget. With 26.9 to go, Ewing would dunk home a missed lay-up from Starks. Miller airballed a deep 3-point attempt that would seal the deal for New York. Ewing ended up with 24 points and 22 rebounds. Miller had 25 points while Byron Scott had 17 strong bench points.

There couldn't have been a better way for the Indiana Pacers to return to the Eastern Conference Finals. They dispatched of the New York Knicks, were led by their stars, and flat out won when the game was on the line. They actually led most of the way tonight, but when the Knicks were in desperation mode, the Pacers made sure a wild New York shooting effort in the third quarter wasn't going to force a Game 7. Indiana held a 10-point lead in the third quarter despite a Carmelo Anthony explosion in the third quarter, but Iman Shumpert hit three consecutive three pointers as the Knicks scorched off towards a 12-2 run to tie the game up. Indiana weathered the storm to tie the game heading into the fourth, but the Knicks continued to drain threes, hitting eight of their first nine in the second half. J.R. Smith put the Knicks up two with under six minutes to go, and that's when the Pacers turned it up and proved they were the better team. The next three possessions featured Roy Hibbert stuffing and shutting down Carmelo Anthony, followed by two Anthony turnovers, the second stolen by Lance Stephenson as he was off to the races, scoring nine of Indiana's next 11 points, closing out the Knicks in Winning Time. George Hill returned to the lineup, being cleared from his concussion, and while he didn't have the offensive impact, shooting just 2-10, his presence helped open up the game for Stephenson, who was the catalyst for Indiana's success tonight. Not only was he huge in the fourth quarter, scoring and hustling his way towards the finish line, but he began the night hot, scoring 16 points in the first half. Stephenson finished with 25 points and 10 rebounds, not only 9-13 from the field, but a shocking 7-8 from the free throw line. Entering the game, Stephenson was shooting 46% from the line, quite possibly not having hit a pair of free throws at any point in the postseason. He was locked in tonight and made sure his team wasn't going to lose. Can that be something Stephenson does more often? Suffice to say, in the next series, having a guy who not only wants to close it out, but can? Well, let's not get ahead of ourselves too much... Roy Hibbert was a second fiddle to Stephenson's show for much of the night, but quietly put together a solid game before breaking into the front page of the game's highlights with a monster stuff on Anthony's dunk. It was just one of five blocks Hibbert had, but swing the game completely in Indiana's favor. It was the spark for an 11-2 Indiana run, effectively the end of Anthony's night (he had just four points in the fourth quarter), and opened up the end of the game for Stephenson to run away with it. To add, Hibbert had 21 points and 12 rebounds, wrapping up another dominating effort against the NBA's All-Defense First Team member Tyson Chandler. David West continues to struggle getting that automatic basket to go, but a huge offensive rebound put back during the 11-2 run was part of his 17 points. Paul George had a superb game, finally finding some touch shooting the ball, going 9-15 for 23 points and helping to shut down Anthony in the fourth quarter. George did struggle mightily from the line, finishing 3-9, and missing all four of his fourth quarter attempts. With Stephenson leading the way for Indiana with 25, he became the final starter to lead Indiana in scoring this series, really showcasing the team's balance, even as all five starters took the podium for the post game interview. While Indiana won the series with their defensive effort, holding the Knicks well below their offensive averages, especially from three point range (minus the final half of tonight's game), their ability to get offense when it mattered was the key in getting the four wins. As well, the Pacers took it to the Knicks on the glass again, holding them without a rebound for the first five minutes. The Knicks began to come back when they adjusted and drew even in the rebounding battle, but it's no accident the Pac

The Indiana Pacers seemed in complete control in the third quarter, but the New York Knicks had one last gasp in them, hitting four straight three pointers to tie the game up, as Iman Shumpert hit five three pointers in the second half to give the Knicks a brief lead. But Lance Stephenson was the key to Indiana's success down the stretch, as the Pacers made the plays in Winning Time to clinch a 4-2 series victory. Stephenson had a career high 25 points on 9-13 shooting to go with 10 rebounds. Stephenson was one of Indiana's three 20 point scorers. Hibbert had 21 & 12, including five blocks, none bigger than a huge stuff at the rim against Carmelo Anthony. Paul George had 23 points on 9-15 shooting, but struggled from the free throw line, missing all four of his fourth quarter attempts. Anthony finished with 39. The Pacers clamped down down the stretch, and once again held a sizable free throw advantage, 46-18. The Pacers will open the Eastern Conference Finals on Wednesday against the Miami Heat in South Beach. Want to go to some upcoming Pacers games? Indy Cornrows is your source for Indiana Pacers tickets.

The pacers will have a glaring need at point guard after augustin's and others contract expire and they go to fa. George hill will be there only pg left on the roster and I think it's time to draft the pg of the future. However, you could also argue that we should draft the potential pg of the future. Pf is also a need in the future but we can put that off for a year with west coming back. IMO we should draft Myck Kabongo at 23rd. I don't understand why he is projected for the 2nd round but I truly think he could become a borderline all star in this league. He would fit well with the pacers as he is a tenacious defender. Offensively, he can score but is more of a pass first pg and would be great at running the pick and roll with roy hibbert. He could learn from a year or two from playing backup for gh and develop into a starter. I can definitely see our front office drafting him and I have full confidence in our staff to develop him. By the time we are picking in the 2nd round I don't think there will be too many pfs of interest. However, I do think we have options to package Danny granger with our 2nd round pick for a first rounder, and pick one there. If a trade along those lines doesn't work out than I think we should definitely consider brandon Paul from Illinois. The guy is a gifted scorer, something we could really use off of the bench. Anyway, I feel we would feel really good about these two picks if we get them. Please post any ideas you have about the draft or if you think we could go about this better in fa. The pacers will have a glaring need at point guard after augustin's and others contract expire and they go to fa. George hill will be there only pg left on the roster and I think it's time to draft the pg of the future. However, you could also argue that we should draft the potential pg of the future. Pf is also a need in the future but we can put that off for a year with west coming back. IMO we should draft Myck Kabongo at 23rd. I don't understand why he is projected for the 2nd round but I truly think he could become a borderline all star in this league. He would fit well with the pacers as he is a tenacious defender. Offensively, he can score but is more of a pass first pg and would be great at running the pick and roll with roy hibbert. He could learn from a year or two from playing backup for gh and develop into a starter. I can definitely see our front office drafting him and I have full confidence in our staff to develop him. By the time we are picking in the 2nd round I don't think there will be too many pfs of interest. However, I do think we have options to package Danny granger with our 2nd round pick for a first rounder, and pick one there. If a trade along those lines doesn't work out than I think we should definitely consider brandon Paul from Illinois. The guy is a gifted scorer, something we could really use off of the bench. Anyway, I feel we would feel really good about these two picks if we get them. Please post any ideas you have about the draft or if you think we could go about this better in fa.

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Lance Stephenson has led the way as the Indiana Pacers have controlled the glass and the scoreboard in the first 24 minutes against the New York Knicks. The Pacers have been scoring at will against New York, shooting 50% while holding New York to 35.4%. George Hill was cleared to play just before tip and it has opened up the play for Stephenson, who had 16 points and eight rebounds on 6-8 shooting. Stephenson has attacked nonstop and gotten to the line, hitting four of his five attempts. Carmelo Anthony is carrying the Knicks behind 20 points and five rebounds on 8-16 shooting. The Pacers have limited everyone else and are winning the battle on the glass 25-15. Paul George is having an effective 10 point game as Roy Hibbert has eight points and seven rebounds. Sam Young had four, providing valuable minutes off the bench. Want to go to some upcoming Pacers games? Indy Cornrows is your source for Indiana Pacers tickets.

After the Pacers lost Game 2 in embarrassing fashion, allowing the Knicks to go on a 30-2 run, the media asked Frank Vogel about a timeout he called late in the third quarter. It seemed to stall some of the momentum his team had been picking up. So goes the story. He was short with his answer, to that question and on the whole during the press conference. For understandable reasons, he didn’t resemble the cheerful, nice man I have grown accustomed to encountering. Along with calling the timeout, Vogel also took Roy Hibbert out of the game and inserted Jeff Pendergraph. Then the bottom fell out and the Knicks ran away with the game. He was asked why he made the substitution. “I can’t play my starters 48 minutes,” said Vogel. “I’ve got to use our bench at some point.” There were other issues in Indiana’s Game 5 loss (David West’s poor shooting and missed free throws, in particular), but that comment is essentially what this game came down to. The Pacers’ bench is a nightmare. DJ Augustin had been a bright spot since the playoffs started. Tyler Hansbrough has added some production at times. And Ian Mahinmi can do a good job replicating the rim protection that Roy Hibbert provides in the starting unit. But there is nobody in this reserve group who has been a reliable contributor all season. In Game 5, with George Hill a late-afternoon scratch, the bench was needed than normal. If the Pacers were going to close out the Knicks, in New York, someone would need to step up. Instead, they largely played like D-Leaguers, making head-scratching mistakes that cost the team possessions and, ultimately, any chance to win this game. Here is a run down of some of the lowlights. Gerald Green Turned the ball over after getting flustered by bringing the ball up against token Knicks pressure Turned the ball over on a simple entry pass in the fourth quarter Turned the ball over again a simple entry pass in the fourth quarter Got blindsided by a screen badly in the back court while guarding J.R. Smith, who immediately dribbled into the paint and blew up the Pacers’ defense, which left Chris Copeland wide open for a three Overall impact on game: Became a shaky ball-handler the Knicks preyed on, coughing up three turnovers in 13 minutes Sam Young He made a boneheaded foul to close the first half that gave J.R. Smith three free throws. He made a terrible, playground-gimmick-style, reach-around steal attempt on Melo that got Roy Hibbert his fifth foul when he had to help to stop Anthony from getting a layup Overall impact on game: Provided some decent defense on Carmelo (at least forcing him into a few tough shots), but scored no points in 15 minutes and made two bonehead plays that were magnified by the consequences. DJ Augustin Consistently played bad pick-and-roll defense all game Made an asinine behind the back pass to destroy what should have been certain fast-break points Missed a wide-open David West on a fourth-quarter fast break, led to a Paul George turnover Got blocked hilariously by J.R. Smith on a fourth-quarter fast-break that didn’t earn Indiana any points Gave the ball right back to New York after making a nice steal Overall impact: Didn’t run the offense particularly well, ran the fast-break terribly, played pretty bad defense and, despite making a few shots, was a letdown Ian Mahinmi Shot 1-for-4 from line. Forgot how pivot feet work and turned the ball over After getting matched up on J.R. Smith, decided not to guard him and, after some miscommunication with Sam Young, allowed a wide-open three Overall impact: Small mistakes aside, he wasn’t bad and provided some pretty good rim protection as Roy Hibbert was sidelined. This is a little unfair. I could make a laundry list of the four starters’ bad plays as well. There were all the Paul George misses on open three-point looks, a horrible turnover by Roy Hibbert in the fourth against a token

As I type this post, it is unclear whether or not George Hill will take the floor in Game 6 for the Indiana Pacers. The concussion that kept Hill out of Game 6 has potentially much more important consequences than any associated with the outcome of the current Eastern Conference semifinal series against the Knicks. Still, in the immediacy of the moment, it is hard to suppress the emotional urgency of the question, “Will Hill play?” In that context, it’s worth taking some time to explore what it is that George Hill brings to this squad. Hill’s importance to this team comes on many different levels. The one most readily apparent to even casual observers is the lack of depth at his position. D.J. Augustin has played some big games in this series, but few would argue that he isn’t a significant step down from Hill at both ends. Beyond that, Indiana is faced with a choice between using Lance Stephenson and Ben Hansbrough. In the 9 minutes Lance played the point in Thursday’s loss, the Pacers managed only 74 points per 100 possessions while shooting under 30%. Ben Hansbrough is…well…Ben Hansbrough. However, those are only the most readily understandable issues. They probably are not the ones that Coach Frank Vogel’s Pacers have the most difficulty overcoming if Hill isn’t out there for them. To understand what Hill means to the Pacers, it helps to understand what his coach thinks a point guard is. “A lot of people think that if you can handle the ball, you’re a point guard,” Frank Vogel said last November. The context was a discussion about using Lance Stephenson at the point, and it opened up a view into one of Vogel’s core philosophies. “Lance can really handle the basketball. A true point guard is a setup guy with the basketball, but also, you’re an orchestrator of five men.” From there, the Pacer coach continued to expound on his ideals of a point guard. “You’re the coach on the floor,” Vogel continued. “You’re the leader. You’re not only thinking the game, calling the sets out, but you’re making sure that everybody else is in their spots. You’re initiating the offense, getting it into a flow, and that’s what differentiates between the one and the two.” Admittedly, some of this is classic coachspeak, but it’s also what Vogel believes. These comments were made in late November, and I was the guy asking the questions. Normally, nothing could be less important than my involvement. In this case, however, I feel the need to disclose this triviality, because it was more than Vogel’s words that have stuck with me over the past few months. Intuitively, I felt an odd shift in the discussion as Frank Vogel gave voice to those words. For no clear reason, I felt that we were no longer speaking about Lance Stephenson. Somehow, it seemed to me that we were actually speaking about George Hill. Within an explanation that was ostensibly about why Lance “is a 2,” the reasons that the Indiana Pacers as a franchise – and Frank Vogel as a coach – had committed so thoroughly to George Hill crystallized. Over the past two seasons, the Pacers traded the rights to the impressive Kawhi Leonard, dealt away the promising Darren Collison, and committed $40 million over five years to lock up George Hill in Blue and Gold. They committed to him as their point guard, despite the doubts of many that he wasn’t really a point guard. You can include not only me among those doubters, but George Hill himself. The “hometown hero” has repeatedly expressed how big of an adjustment his new role was. But the Pacers weren’t looking for the toolbox of a point guard. They were looking for a mind like George Hill. They were looking for his talent, married to the value of the San Antonio experience. All of the Pacer players have bought into the team’s concept and identity. This is both a credit to th

The Indiana Pacers have released a statement that says (in part): After consultation with Dr. Jeffrey Kutcher, the NBA’s Director of Concussion Management, the Pacers’ team physicians have cleared George [Hill] to play in tonight’s game. Hill was a late scratch in the late afternoon before Game 5 in New York. The Pacers had the chance to close out the series with a win, but came up short, in part because the team’s reserves made too many mistakes. While it’s great news that the Pacers will have their point guard, we all remain hopeful that this means there will be no long term effects from this concussion.

Pacers head coach Frank Vogel answers questions from the press about his team's performance against the New York Knicks at Bankers Life Fieldhouse Saturday night.