Pacers at Hawks
The Indiana Pacers keep finding ways to stay alive in their first-round series against the Atlanta Hawks, and they’re going to need to find one more. The eighth-seeded Hawks can close out the best-of-seven Eastern Conference series when they host the Pacers in Game 6 on Thursday. Neither team has managed to win back-to-back games so far in the series but every time it looks like Indiana is ready to play like the No. 1 seed, Atlanta comes back and smacks it down.
The Pacers were booed in their own arena during Game 5 as the Hawks built up an 80-50 lead in the third quarter. Indiana came back and cut the deficit to single digits but never truly threatened as Atlanta earned a 107-97 victory to take a 3-2 lead in the series. The Hawks jumped out to the big lead by doing what they have done all series - spreading the Pacers out beyond the 3-point line with multiple shooters and using point guards Jeff Teague and Shelvin Mack to slash into the paint. Reserve forward Mike Scott stepped up with five 3-pointers in the second quarter to spark the offense.
TV: 7 p.m. NBATV, FSN Indiana, SportSouth (Atlanta)
ABOUT THE PACERS: Indiana held a one-point lead at the end of the first quarter in Monday’s Game 5 but had their NBA-best field-goal percentage defense abandon them when the Hawks went 13-of-16 from the field in the second quarter. The Pacers changed things up after getting down big in the third quarter, inserting seldom-used Chris Copeland into the lineup to stretch the defense and anchoring disappointing center Roy Hibbert to the bench. Coach Frank Vogel told reporters he would “consider anything at this point” when asked if the smaller lineup would get more time in Game 6. “It’s a long series,” All-Star Paul George told reporters. “One game at a time. We got to go down and steal one and be the team to win two in a row.”
ABOUT THE HAWKS: Scott scored all 17 of his points in the second quarter in Game 5, nearly outscoring the Pacers by himself, and Atlanta went 15-of-27 from beyond the arc in the win. “It’s the same game plan we’ve been using all year,” Scott told reporters, “spread them out and run the pick-and-roll game or the pick-and-pop game. They were worried about Mack and I was able to get loose for some good looks.” Scott and Mack combined for 37 points off the bench in Game 5 while Kyle Korver added five 3-pointers and DeMarre Carroll knocked down both of his attempts from beyond the arc.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. The Pacers are 0-10 all-time in series in which they trailed 3-2.
2. Atlanta has hit at least 10 3-pointers in each of the first five games.
3. Hibbert failed to score or collect a rebound for the first time in his playoff career in Game 5.