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2017 NBA Playoffs Roundup, Day 3: Cavaliers As Avengers, Parker’s Revival And ‘TAKE THAT FOR DATA’

By Gerald Bourguet

Apr 15, 2017; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) reacts after a dunk in the third quarter against the Indiana Pacers in game one of the first round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 15, 2017; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) reacts after a dunk in the third quarter against the Indiana Pacers in game one of the first round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports /
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2017 NBA Playoffs
May 16, 2016; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indiana Pacers president of basketball operations Larry Bird speaks to the press during a press conference at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports /

The Pacers’ Flawed Pacemaker

It’s really too bad we couldn’t have gotten a Chicago Bulls or Miami Heat first round matchup with the Cavs. As fun as Paul George vs. LeBron James has been and will continue to be, this team has never felt like a threat to beat Cleveland, even with both games coming down to the wire.

It’s hard to tell what the most underwhelming aspect of this Indiana Pacers team is right now. Is it Jeff Teague being flambéed alive by Kyrie? Is it Nate McMillan, a regular in this category? Or is it Myles Turner, who’s looked completely out of his element in his second playoff series, tallying 17 points and 13 rebounds on 8-of-20 shooting through his first two games?

The answer is none of the above. It’s Larry Bird, the man who assembled this cluster-f**k of a 2016-17 roster that could very well cost Indiana its superstar sometime over the next 15 months.

He knows what this series means now that the heartbeat of a former Eastern power has gone into cardiac arrest. He knows how important it is for the Pacers to become a title contender again in the near future. And he knows the threat of the Lakers looms large in George’s upcoming 2018 free agency.

Just look at his face as he watches LeBron dismantle his team for the umpteenth time in the playoffs.

Paul George is an unquestionable superstar. His 61 points on 19-of-39 shooting so far represents the only hope these Pacers have for extending this series to a fifth game as the series shifts back to Indiana.

I mean, just look at what he did to poor Tristan Thompson. THEY TOLD ME THIS MOVIE WAS SAFE FOR CHILDREN, BUT PG-13 RAPIDLY WENT RATED-R.

Unfortunately, Paul George can do those things anywhere, and his frustration with this franchise isn’t going to dissipate with a gentleman’s sweep in the first round. The pros and cons of trading him are already rearing their ugly heads.

In an otherwise predictable first round playoff series, we could be witnessing the end of what once seemed like a dynasty-in-the-making. As the Pacers approach that seemingly inevitable flatline, the blame lies with the pacemaker himself.