The Hawks returned to Indianapolis and picked up right where they left off.
Two weeks after putting a 19-point hurting on the Pacers, the Hawks came back and scored a commanding 101-93 victory Saturday night.
That was the regular season. This was the playoffs.
The Hawks stole home-court advantage from the top-seeded Pacers with a Game 1 win in the Eastern Conference first-round playoff series at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. The Hawks lead the best-of-seven series, 1-0.
Jeff Teague led the Hawks with a career playoff high of 28 points. Paul Millsap added 25 points and DeMarre Carroll had playoff highs of 12 points and 10 rebounds. Kyle Korver chipped in with 12 points as the Hawks got up and down the lineup.
The Hawks lead by as many as 20 points, 94-74, when Millsap hit a pair of free throws with six minutes remaining. They held off a Pacers rally that never really had a chance.
“We’ve had some success against them and that gives us a little bit of confidence but we have to go out there and play really well,” Korver said before the game.
Paul George led the Pacers with 24 points.
The Hawks became the third road team to win opening-series games Saturday.
The Hawks – specifically Teague and Millsap – took over in the third quarter. The period started with an 8-0 run. Millsap began the quarter by driving by David West and converting a three-point play.
The Hawks led by as many as 18 points after a 20-4 run. Teague (14) and Millsap (13) combined to score 27 of the team’s 30 points. A DeMarre Carroll 3-pointer was the only other basket. Teague had nine straight points at one point of the big run.
The Hawks big run began after Pero Antic and West exchanged words and both were hit with technical fouls. The Hawks ended the period on a 20-8 run and took a commanding 80-66 advantage into the final 12 minutes.
The teams entered intermission tied 50-50 after an entertaining first half.
The Pacers took an early 7-2 lead before the Hawks went on a 16-2 run for a nine-point advantage. Korver, Millsap and Antic all hit 3-pointers during the run. Millsap was fouled on his and converted the four-point play. The Hawks held a 28-22 lead after the first quarter. The Hawks held a 15-7 rebound advantage, including 5-1 on the offensive glass, after the period.
The Pacers tied the game at 30-30 with a 8-2 run to start the second quarter as Lance Stephenson scored six straight points. The Hawks kept the Pacers at bay until a 6-0 run keyed when Lou Williams was called for a clear-path foul on George. He made both free throws and then a jumper on the ensuing possession for a six-point lead, 49-43.
The Hawks closed the first half on a 7-1 run. On the final play, George was holding for one shot when he was stripped by Cartier Martin. Teague gathered the loose ball but missed a layup that Korver put back at the buzzer.
Korver also came up with a highlight-reel block of Hibbert and the Pacers center tried to put up a shot in traffic.
The series continues with Game 2 Tuesday.
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