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Indiana Pacers: 5 Keys To Completing The Upset

By Gerald Bourguet

Apr 16, 2016; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Indiana Pacers forward Paul George (13) dribbles past Toronto Raptors guard DeMar DeRozan (10) in game one of the first round of the 2016 NBA Playoffs at Air Canada Centre. Indiana defeated Toronto 100-90. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 16, 2016; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Indiana Pacers forward Paul George (13) dribbles past Toronto Raptors guard DeMar DeRozan (10) in game one of the first round of the 2016 NBA Playoffs at Air Canada Centre. Indiana defeated Toronto 100-90. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports /
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After an impressive Game 1 victory on the road, here’s how the Indiana Pacers can pull off a first round playoff upset against the Toronto Raptors.

Indiana Pacers
Apr 16, 2016; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Indiana Pacers forward Paul George (13) dribbles past Toronto Raptors guard DeMar DeRozan (10) in game one of the first round of the 2016 NBA Playoffs at Air Canada Centre. Indiana defeated Toronto 100-90. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports /

Heading into the 2016 NBA Playoffs, the seventh seeded Indiana Pacers were one of those teams most people figured were just happy to be there. They finished just one game ahead of the eighth seeded Detroit Pistons in the standings, and if it weren’t for a complete implosion by the Chicago Bulls, they might not have made the playoffs at all.

But there’s a reason they play the games, and seventh seed be damned after Indiana stormed into “We The North” territory Saturday and pulled out a gutsy Game 1 victory against the second seeded Toronto Raptors.

Carried by a monstrous 33-6-4-4-2 stat line from Paul George, Indiana stole home-court advantage from the Raptors with a 100-90 road win that no one was expecting…and one that no one was really surprised by either.

Monta Ellis added 15 points, Solomon Hill chipped in 13 points off the bench, and Myles Turner had five blocks off the bench, making him the youngest player in NBA history to record that many in a playoff game.

But one feel-good game isn’t enough to win a series, and even after stealing home-court advantage away, the Pacers will still have their hands full to win another three games and advance to the second round. Here are the five keys to extending that Game 1 success through a seven-game series and pulling off the first round upset.

Next: No. 5