The Pacers held serve.
Now, it’s up the Hawks to do the same.
The Pacers won both their home games to open the first-round playoff series against the Hawks with a 113-98 victory in Game 2 Wednesday night at Bankers Life Field House. The best-of-seven series returns to Atlanta for Games 3 and 4 Saturday and Monday, respectively, where the Hawks have won the last 11 games against the Pacers.
“Indiana did what they have to do,” coach Larry Drew said. “They defended their home court. We are down two games. We are going to have to do the same.”
The Pacers led by as many as 24 points in a game they led for good after breaking a 15-15 tie with 5:26 remaining in the first quarter. The Hawks closed to within 10 points several times after falling behind by double digits. Each time the Pacers answered. After pulling to within 95-85 with 8:10 remaining on a 3-pointer by Josh Smith, the Pacers scored the next nine points as part of a 15-1 run. With three minutes remaining, and the game in hand, the Pacers went to their bench.
Hawks guard DeShawn Stevenson repeated an old adage before Game 2. He said a series doesn’t start until one team wins on the other’s home court. The Hawks will be tested on Saturday.
“We just have to play with some will,” Stevenson said. “We are letting them get anywhere they want to get. I think we started the game good but we tend to let down as the quarters went on. You can’t play them like that. We let (Roy) Hibbert get in the middle of the paint. He’s too big. Paul George hit some tough shots but we let him get to certain spots. If we let them do whatever they want to do, they are a tough team.”
The Hawks were hurt when Smith got into early foul trouble when the team’s leading scorer and defender picked up two fouls in the first 2:12 of the game. He picked up a third late in the second quarter. His fourth came 1:05 into the third quarter.
“It’s hard because if you say the right thing you get fined and if you don’t say what you really mean you’re still frustrated,” Smith said. “All I can do is keep being aggressive at both ends of the floor and hopefully they’ll swallow the whistle a little bit more and know that this is the playoffs and it gets a little physical. All I’m trying to do is match the physicality of my opponent, not exceed it.”
George again led the Pacers with 27 points. George Hill added 22 points and Gerald Green and Hibbert each had 15 points.
Devin Harris led the Hawks with 17 points. Smith and Jeff Teague each finished with 16 points. The Hawks were 9 of 23 from 3-point range
The Pacers out-rebounded the Hawks 47-41, a much smaller margin than Game 1. The Pacers also held a 29-20 free-throw attempts advantage. Of concern for the Hawks is the fact that they are shooting 53 percent (18 of 34) from the free-throw line through two games.
“He is the type of player who erases a lot of our mistakes,” Harris said of missing Smith. “When he is out of the game defensively we are not the same team. When he is in foul trouble he can’t be as aggressive as he’d like to be and that showed, especially in the first half.”
The Hawks trailed 88-76 after three quarters. They had cut the lead to 10 points on a Mike Scott basket with 1.7 seconds left. However, David West threw a long pass to Green for a layup with a tenth of a second remaining.
Although the Hawks stayed with the same starting lineup as Game 1 they changed defensive assignments on George. Harris, not Kyle Korver, began the game on George. Dahntay Jones, Stevenson and Teague also picked up the Pacers All-Star.
The Pacers took a 59-50 advantage into intermission after leading by as many as 11 points in the second quarter. The Hawks trailed by five points, 51-46, but D.J. Augustin hit back-to-back 3-pointers sandwiched between one of Atlanta’s 10 first-half turnovers.
The Hawks have not had a lead after the first quarter in both games. They trailed the rest of Game 2 after the Pacers broke a 15-15 tie with 5:26 remaining. They last led Game 1 by the score of 13-12.
“I think the one thing we are finding out in this series is the importance of sustaining through 48 minutes,” Drew said. “The first two ball games we have not been able to do that. We played well in stretches but in the playoffs you have to be able to sustain. We have not done that thus far.
“The margin for error against a team like this is very small.”
