Strange series could see strange winner — the Hawks
A strange series is near its end. The Indiana Pacers, seeded No. 1 in the NBA East, have reached Game 7 without once taking a series lead. The eighth-seeded Hawks have tripped three times in the attempt to put the No. 1 seed against the wall or, in the case of Game 6, over it.
Game 7 arrives with the Pacers feeling fortunate to get this far and lucky that Paul George, their best player, will be allowed to partake. George took a step and a half onto the court during the Game 6 imbroglio involving George Hill and the Hawks’ Mike Scott, and there was thought that the NBA might adhere to strict precedent and suspend him. But the league, which already has its hands full with Donald Sterling, took a pass.
Hawks fans can yell “Conspiracy!” all they want, but common sense surely prevailed. George never came close to joining the fray, and if a step and half doesn’t get you called for walking — heck, it didn’t even in the olden days of high tops and short shorts — it shouldn’t get you docked for a Game 7.
Which isn’t to say the Pacers are a lock to win Saturday. If the past fortnight has taught us anything, it’s that this series cannot be handicapped. The visitor has won four of the six games. The Hawks beat the Pacers, who are 36-8 at Bankers Life Fieldhouse, three times in Indianapolis in April, leading by 30 points in two of those games and by 20 in the third.
The whole series has been a crazy salad. The Hawks, who finished second in assists over the regular season, rank last in assists among the 16 teams in postseason. Yet here they are, still with a chance. The Pacers, who led the NBA in field-goal-percentage defense over 82 games and are doing it again in postseason, have had to juggle their defense — and all but abandon center Roy Hibbert, who finished second in the voting for the league’s defensive player of the year — to chase the Hawks’ jump shooters.
The Hawks have led by double figures in all six games — Indiana has led by double figures in one game — but have been outscored in the series. The Pacers, who look to be the shakier side, have won the only two games that featured fourth-quarter lead changes. The theme of the series has been the Hawks’ outside shooting, but the Pacers have shot a higher percentage — on both 2- and 3-pointers — than their opponent.
Pacers coach Frank Vogel, whose team won 56 regular-season games, was being asked after Game 1 if he planned to change his starting lineup. To date he has resisted, though he did, near the end of a Game 5 that had Naptown patrons booing before halftime, insert the energetic Chris Copeland, who played five minutes in the first four games. Copeland’s 18 minutes in Game 6 left nothing for Evan Turner, who was team president Larry Bird’s prized deadline acquisition, but who didn’t play a second Thursday. Desperate times, desperate measures.
The Pacers had to scramble to force Game 7. The Hawks were three minutes from ending this in Game 6. There should, however, be little carry-over from Thursday’s loss, this series having defied the very notion. Through six games, no team has won two in a row.
The Hawks are happy just to have a last shot. Without the injured Al Horford, they’re working close to peak capacity. They haven’t reconfigured much over the two weeks because they pride themselves on playing the same way every time. Indeed, there have been off-days when coach Mike Budenholzer didn’t hold practice, opting just to have his men watch tape.
The Hawks haven’t been together long as a unit, but they’ve been around. Kyle Korver entered the league in 2003, Lou Williams in 2005, Paul Millsap in 2006. Jeff Teague and DeMarre Carroll are in their fifth NBA seasons. Pero Antic is a 31-year-old rookie. Elton Brand is a 35-year-old veteran of 15 pro seasons. This isn’t a wide-eyed crew dazzled by the bright lights. These guys have seen a lot. They’re not apt to be fazed by anything they see Saturday in Indy.
For that reason, they still can steal this series. Even after two weeks, it’s hard to know what the Pacers will do. As a No. 8 seed playing Game 7 on the road, the Hawks will be expected to lose. But, as Vogel said before Game 5, “In a playoff series, I’ve always thought the team that lost the last game has the advantage.”
The Hawks lost Game 6. Don’t be surprised if they up and win Game 7. After all, no Hawks team has won a Game 7 on the road. What stranger ending could this strange series yield?
About the Author
Mark Bradley is a sports columnist for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He has been with the AJC since 1984.
