Forethoughts
This was one of those series that you couldn't really figure out at. The Pacers won just one home game out of three, yet won the series without needing a Game 7. There were certainly times when there was reason to have some doubt about how the Pacers would do in the playoffs. With the exception of winning their final two regular season games against Oklahoma City and Orlando, there wasn't a lot of positive developments that inspired confidence going into the playoffs. And really, even needing seven games to dispatch Atlanta in the first round of the playoffs didn't inspire a lot of confidence either, even though they did win the last two games of the series. The one thing the excellent first half of the season did for the Pacers though was establish a level of play for them to achieve. And they certainly took steps in that direction against the Wizards. OK, Game 5 was completely bizarre with their lack of effort in a clinching game at home, but the Pacers showed some maturity by just forgetting about that one with the way the played Thursday night. In this game it was clear from the beginning that the Pacers were playing with purpose on both the offensive and defensive ends as they won their fifth straight road playoff game, something they have never done before. Now they get another chance to do what they couldn't last year, knock off the defending champion Heat to reach the NBA Finals. And now the Pacers will have the home court advantage they've talked about wanting all season. Let's just hope they use it wisely.
The Big Plays
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| David West had 29 points in the Pacers clinching win in Washington Thursday. |
The Ups
1) It's obvious that you have to start with David West here. The numbers were all there with 29 points, six rebounds and four assists. And West made several key shots in the second half when he scored 18 of his points that kept the Wizards from going on key runs. As I've said before, he's there best clutch player and really it was no surprise to see him deliver in key situations in this one. But West's best move of the night didn't involve a shot, or a rebound, or an assist. It was in the third quarter after Paul George made one of his sloppy behind the back passes that led to a turnover and a Wizards fast break. After the ensuing foul, West went to George and in no uncertain terms told him to stop throwing that kind of pass and to just throw a normal pass that would work just as well. Yes, leadership is about making big shots, but it's also reminding teammates to play the right way for the good of the team.
2) Sure the Pacers have prided themselves on defense for much of the season, but let's talk about the offense in this one. The Pacers shot 51 percent and they've lost only once this year when shooting 50 percent or better. It is especially important to shoot for a decent percentage against the Wizards though because if you make a shot they can't get their fast break going. And one other thing about the offense in this series, with Roy Hibbert's 28 points in Game 2, Paul George's 39 in Game 4 and West's 29 Thursday, that's three different players that came up with big games in wins. Maybe that's as good of a sign as any that this team is at least close to its early season form.
3) No, there wasn't a triple-double watch on for Stephenson in this one, but he did finish with 17 points, eight assists and five rebounds. And he also had his share of key baskets in the third and fourth quarters that added to the Pacers lead. Maybe the best number in Stephenson's box score line came under the turnover category where he had just one.
The Downs
1) I'm still never comfortable when the Pacers have Evan Turner in the game. Forget the defensive issues for a moment, he still doesn't understand the value of every possession in a playoff game. In the first half he tried to throw an alley-oop pass to George when George would have had to make a remarkable play just to get the ball as a defender was on him. You want to try that in a regular season game when your up 10 in the first half, OKm but it's not a great play then either. But in the playoffs, when one possession can make all the difference in a series or season, that's a problem.
2) On the Wizards side for a second, they have some legitimate hope for the future with their guards John Wall and Bradley Beal. They could make a nice tandem for years to come. But they still have to learn not to panic and start shooting 3-pointers when they get down by six or eight points with four or five minutes left in a game. They will likely learn someday, but that's something they'll have to adjust later in their careers.
3) Before Game 3 in this series, ESPN's Bill Simmons said the Wizards were the better team and would win three straight. So, now let's just hope he picks the Heat to win the the conference finals.
Next Up
Here we go again. The Heat got an extra day of rest as they dispatched the Nets 4-1 in their second round series. At this point, that's not really a big deal. Just what the Pacers do with this home court advantage will be a big deal. Having lost two of three at home to the Wizards, the one thing the Pacers need to do against Miami is establish that home court edge they had most of the season. To be frank, after watching what the Wizards did to the Pacers in Game 5, the Heat really have no reason to be fearful of playing in Indiana. It will be the Pacers job to change that. As we all know, the Heat have the best one-man fast break in the game with LeBron James. The question will be how to defend LeBron and Miami? Do you let, in sort of an odd way, LeBron go score all he wants and try to hold down Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh, or do you try to keep LeBron under some type of control and make one those other guys beat you? There's no real tried and true answer here. It's game-by-game and even a possession-by-possession thing. I'm not sure how this will play out in terms of who will win more home games, but I'm saying this one will go seven games, with the Pacers taking advantage of something they wanted all season and going to the NBA Finals.
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