It was time for a change.
After losing the first two games of their best-of-seven playoff series, the Hawks went with a big lineup against the Pacers for Game 3 on Saturday.
In a move designed to give the Hawks more size at the small forward and center positions, coach Larry Drew started a front court of Josh Smith, Al Horford and Johan Petro. Jeff Teague and Devin Harris remained the starters in the backcourt.
“Give a different look,” coach Larry Drew said. “… Going big we do match up with them a little better, particularly at the (center) and the (small forward) positions. Chances are we will get back to our smaller lineup, but we elected to go with our bigger lineup.”
The Hawks defeated the Pacers twice in the regular season when they were able to start Zaza Pachulia on Pacers’ 7-foot-2 center Roy Hibbert. With Pachulia gone following surgery to repair a partially torn Achilles, the Hawks used Horford at the center position for the opening two games of the series.
The move also allows the Hawks to have Smith, their best defender, on the Pacers’ Paul George. The All-Star averaged 25.0 points, 9.5 rebounds and 7.5 assists in the first two games. Kyle Korver, DeShawn Stevenson, Dahntay Jones, Harris and Teague have all defended George at times. Smith was put on Jones in the third quarter of Game 1, but suffered a sprained ankle soon after and had limited mobility.
“He’ll have to guard Josh as well,” Drew said.
Still upbeat: Drew said his team was upbeat entering Game 3, a must-win situation for the Hawks. No team in NBA history has come back from a 3-0 deficit to win a playoff series. Hawks players were wary to put too much pressure on themselves, considering the enormity of the game.
“We have to go out there and just play,” Horford said. “If you start building pressure you start doing things you don’t normally do. It’s important for us to come in with a good mindset. There is definitely a sense of urgency. We don’t want to be in a 3-0 hole. … For us, this is it.”
Etc.: The Hawks had a white towel on each seat at Philips Arena for fans to wave during Game 3. … The details for a Game 5 in the series, if necessary, have not been released. They are contingent on the status of several other series.
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