The Indiana Pacers went from possibly getting swept in the second round of the playoffs to being up 3-1 on the Washington Wizards and preparing to move on to the Eastern Conference finals where they are hoping to get revenge on the Miami Heat who are headed for the same fate. The Pacers start to the postseason was less than favorable causing many to rule them out as contenders, including the Wizards. However, Indiana has their attitude back and it is paying off.
Suddenly Roy Hibbert has all the confidence in the world. After being completely absent against the Atlanta Hawks and putting up a scoreless performance against the Wizards, he is back in All-Star form allowing Indiana to reap the benefits. Paul George is doing the same thing, posting double-doubles and limiting any chance the Wizards have of establishing offensive rhythm. It is a completely different team than the one that appeared poised to complete a postseason meltdown.
At one point this postseason, the Pacers were looking more like the New York Knicks than the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference. Frank Vogel was getting questions about his job security. Hibbert was facing trade rumors. Larry Bird was getting questioned for offseason moves. Then the Pacers won six of eight games including three straight in the second round to really quiet people down. Now they are one game away from getting to the Eastern Conference finals.
The Wizards have failed to adjust to the Pacers' new found confidence. The team blew a 19-point lead in the second half in Game 4, missing their last eight shots. John Wall shot just 31.4 percent from the field while going 1 of 11 from the 3-point line. Meanwhile, Hibbert is putting up 19.8 points per game and 7.7 rebounds in the past three wins, making a huge different for the Pacers. If the Pacers can wrap up a win in Game 5, they can a rest a few days before starting the next series in order to eliminate fatigue in the finals.
Watch Pacers vs. Wizards GAme 5, click here.
