Indiana Pacers: Playoff Paul George Might Be Only Hope

The Indiana Pacers face the Cleveland Cavaliers and Paul George going berzerk might be their only chance at pulling off the upset.

Even though the Indiana Pacers finished with the No. 7 seed, they’re still somehow facing LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers. The odds are definitely against them, but they do have one thing going for them. The Pacers have playoff Paul George.

Playoff Paul George has become a thing in recent years after sustained, impressive performances in the postseason. Back in the early 2010s, he played terrific defense and showcased unbelievable shot-making in those Miami Heat series.

Truly, at least in the East, those Pacers-Heat series were the closest James ever came to missing out on the NBA Finals.

That team, though, was buoyed by a lot of talent. Roy Hibbert and David West manned the paint, frustrating teams on defense. George Hill ran the offense effectively and smartly. And, of course, Lance Stephenson did his thing, always one move away from brilliance or failure.

Only Stephenson and George remain from those years.

In the time since the Pacers were legitimate title contenders to now, the team has certainly weakened and formed around George. They were terrible and missed the playoffs the year George missed due to injury.

They haven’t been able to find a suitable No. 2 or even a No. 3 guy next to him. The Monta Ellis signing has most likely been a whiff. Myles Turner has been a solid addition and could be a future star, but his prime is still ways off. It’s been George and George alone for a few years now.

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Last season, as the Pacers faced the Toronto Raptors, the myth of playoff Paul George was solidified. Sure, he had played well against James a few years ago with a loaded team, but he hadn’t yet carried an entire team.

There’s something to be said for one electrifying player putting the whole team on his back and nearly pulling off an upset.

George did everything he could in that series against the Raptors. He was the best player on the court for seven games, clearly outplaying All-Stars such as DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry. George averaged 27.3 points, 7.6 rebounds and 4.3 assists.

The shooting numbers were tremendous as well: 45.5 percent from the field, 41.9 percent from deep and 95.3 percent from the line.

George was simply unstoppable in that series and helped take a mediocre Pacers squad all the way to the final minutes of a seven-game series. Yes, the other players did help when necessary. But, make no mistake, George owned that series all to himself.

Something similar, maybe even better, will be needed for the Pacers to defeat the Cavs. James doesn’t lose in the first round and, for all their defensive woes, Cleveland certainly has a lot of offensive firepower. The Pacers won’t win this game in the 90s.

They’ll have to win it like the 135-130 double-overtime loss they just had a couple of weeks ago.

In that game, George and James went at each other for six different periods. The Cavs did eventually win, but George finished with 43 points, nine rebounds and nine assists.

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It was almost like that crucial game awakened playoff Paul George and, since then, he and the Pacers have played their best basketball of the season.

The Indiana Pacers finished the year winning their final five games. During that streak, George averaged 30.8 points and eight rebounds on 56.9 percent shooting from the field and 44.2 percent from deep. Because every game mattered so much, playoff George came early.

Without George’s late-season efforts, the Pacers wouldn’t even be in the postseason.

So, yes, most likely the Cavaliers will dispatch the Pacers in four or five games. The Pacers don’t have the talent, depth or firepower to keep up with Cleveland for long stretches. But, a playoff performer like Paul George can make anything interesting.

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Here’s to watching him do everything he can to move on.