Pacers at Magic
THE STORY: The Orlando Magic earned a split in Indiana against the third-seeded Pacers but their Game 2 performance didn’t provide much encouragement that they can win the first-round series. The Magic were outplayed and outworked in the second half of the 93-78 loss and now Indiana can take the lead in the series with a victory in Orlando on Wednesday. The Pacers have held the sixth-seeded Magic below 40 percent from the field in both games.
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, NBATV, Fox Sports Indiana (Indiana), Fox Sports Florida (Orlando)
ABOUT THE PACERS: Starting guards George Hill (18 points) and Paul George (17) combined to make 13 of 20 shots in Game 2 while thoroughly outplaying Orlando’s backcourt. Forwards David West and Danny Granger scored 18 points apiece but Granger had his second consecutive poor shooting game – he’s connecting at a 34.1-percent clip in the series. The Pacers outscored Orlando by 17 points in the second half when they had a 26-13 rebounding edge. “This time of year, games are a lot harder,” Granger said. “Everybody’s playing twice as hard. You have to be the team with the most resolve, the team just playing with the most attitude to try to get the win.”
ABOUT THE MAGIC: Orlando is averaging just 79.5 points in the series with a high game of 81. The loss of center Dwight Howard for the series has thrust Glen Davis into a leading role and that has produced mixed results. Davis is averaging 17 points and 11.5 rebounds but is shooting just 36.1 percent and disappeared in the second half of Game 2. Forward Ryan Anderson has experienced back-to-back poor games, averaging just eight points after making the most 3-pointers (166) in the league in the regular season. “We’re going to have to be better offensively,” Magic coach Stan Van Gundy said. “I’m going to have to find something that works.”
BUZZER BEATERS:
1. Orlando scored just 64 second-half points in the two games at Indiana.
2. The Pacers shot 89.3 percent (25 for 28) from the free-throw line in Game 2 after hitting just 13 of 22 attempts in the opener.
3. Magic guard Jason Richardson had 17 points and five 3-pointers in the opener, but scored just two points in Game 2 while dealing with an early-game injury to his left thumb.