The Atlanta Hawks playoff chances are beginning to look grim. The Indiana Pacers have taken a 2-0 series lead and the Hawks have yet to even look competitive. The team returns home for Game 3 and is in desperate need of a win or elimination could likely be in their future. The Pacers have averaged 110 points in the first two games and Atlanta head coach Larry Drew will likely consider a lineup change in order to get some offense from the struggling team.
Indiana has looked every part of a playoff contender. Paul George has registered a triple-double in the first game and followed that up with 27 points in Game 2. George Hill is also averaging 20 points per game, someone the Hawks have yet to find a way stop. With center Zaza Pachulia out for the season, Atlanta will put Johan Petro on Hill, in hopes of slowing down the center. Petro has only played 31 games this season, so his experience on the court is lacking.
One thing Atlanta has going from them in Game 3 is that the game is at home. The Pacers have struggled playing at Philips Arena, losing their last 11-straight games in the arena. The Pacers have not played in the south in a few years, so the lineup is different this time around. George says this team will have different luck in Atlanta than the team that lost 11-straight.
If Atlanta has any hope of avoiding getting swept, they must start registering some points. Kyle Korver is struggling from behind the arc after being the guaranteed 3-point shooter all season. In Game 2, he went 3-9 from behind the 3-point line. Al Horford managed a double-double with 10 rebounds and 13 points, but it still was not enough. He was the only player with double-digits in rebounds and Atlanta will need to out forth a better team effort in order to get their first win in the postseason.
Watch the Indiana Pacers vs. Atlanta Hawks live stream, click here.
