The Indiana Pacers did not exactly end their season the way they wanted. The team did manage to wrap up the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference, but they are certainly not playing their best basketball right now heading into the playoffs. The Pacers have come under fire for their lack of discipline on the court during the final stretch of games, something that must change now.
The first half of the season saw a different kind of Pacers. The team went 33-7 as the undisputed top team in the league. However, in the second half they struggled to stay consistent and finished 23-19. They did finish by winning their last two games of the season for a small win streak.
Last season the Pacers established themselves as a true threat. Roy Hibbert led the way averaging 17.0 points per game with 9.9 rebounds as the team reached the Eastern Conference finals before falling to the Miami Heat. They are hoping home court advantage works in their favor and they can reach the finals this year.
The Atlanta Hawks earned the eighth seed during a season they were not expected to do much in. Atlanta is certainly the underdog as injuries have killed their roster in recent weeks. The team is hoping to escape with at least one win before taking the series home. In terms of size, the Hawks are at a disadvantage. However, the Hawks will try and make up for that in terms of 3-point shooting as all five starters can shoot from beyond the arc.
This game will feature a matchup of George Hill and Jeff Teague, two players that grew up in a similar Indiana town and have been facing each other for years now. Teague was the reason the Hawks beat the Pacers a few weeks ago as he put up 25 points. Hill will need to keep Teague from running in side and slow him down.
