Indiana had to work to extend its season, shortening its rotation and playing its stars extended minutes with its figurative backs against the wall. No, Paul George didn’t have to play all 48 minutes in the win as he offered, but he did play every second of the first and third quarters and was well on his way toward a full allotment of fourth quarter ticks before being removed with just under three minutes left in the game with his team up 28 points.
George notched 21 points on 5-14 shooting in the win, playing 40 minutes in total while adding 11 rebounds, six assists and two steals. His all-around work helped overcome a dogged Toronto start to things, as the Raptors clamped down defensively in the game’s opening minutes, forcing the Pacers to miss nine of the team’s first 10 shots.
Raptor swingman DeMarre Carroll, a non-factor for most of the year due to injury until moving into the starting lineup in Game 2, scored nine of the team’s first quarter points, while the Pacers failed to find a rhythm until reserve forward Solomon Hill entered the game midway through the period. Hill, whose would-be game-winning three-pointer was waved off up in Toronto in Game 5, managed to spark a season-saving run with his floor spacing on offense and ability to move his feet defensively on the other.
Hill finished with nine points, on 3-4 from long range, racking up a +18 mark in his first nine minutes of play. He finished the game +32 in only 24 minutes, but wasn’t alone in his off-bench game-tilting. Ty Lawson, who joined the Pacers in March after a troubled turn in Houston, also helped circle the wagons as Pacer coach Frank Vogel tried to buy time for a starting lineup that has had to do most of the heavy lifting this season.
By the time the third quarter hit, the Pacers were primed.
Starters George, Ian Mahinmi and George Hill all played the entire frame, as Indy forced the Raps into missing 12 of 18 shots and four turnovers in the period. Moderately-paced fast breaks and opportunistic ball movement resulted, as Indiana outscored Toronto 31-20 to take a seven point lead at 71-64.
Paul George took on the hefty minutes as promised, and while he acted as the spark he managed just four points in the quarter. “Paul George,” Pacer coach Frank Vogel said after the game, “can’t beat the Toronto Raptors by himself.” Though the Pacer All-Star tried, it was the dashing duo of Monta Ellis and George Hill that ran their way toward 19 combined points in the period.
Toronto’s offensive issues, according to coach Dwane Casey, bled over into its defensive woes. Or vice/versa. In an 18-0 run, who can ever tell?
The Raptors, just a quarter and a half away from making it to the second round for just the second time in the team’s 21-season history, failed to score for a 6:37 stretch in the third quarter. Star swingman DeMar DeRozan played all 12 minutes in the frame but missed three of four shots. The free agent to-be missed 10 of 13 shots on the night, only making it to the free throw line twice, ending his evening with just eight points.
Kyle Lowry waved off any attempts to pin his continued poor shooting on a bum right elbow, but he clearly has not been the same since injuring his right arm against Orlando on March 20. He shot just under 32 percent in nine games to end the regular season, and Friday evening’s 4-14 performance left him at just 30.9 shooting from the floor in the postseason.
The All-Star guard made a point to dribble mostly with his left arm throughout, and though Raps coach Dwane Casey acknowledged that Lowry “can do more things for us than just making shots,” Lowry’s 10 assists didn’t exactly put Toronto over the top.
As is usually the case heading into Game 7s, both teams know where they stand. Former Raptor starter Luis Scola didn’t even play in Game 6, while Toronto’s bench thoroughly outplayed their counterparts on the other end. Rookie Norman Powell missed five of six shots but contributed excellent defense, Terrence Ross spread the floor and hit two three-pointers, while reserve guard Cory Joseph hit for a team-high with 15 points in just 24 minutes. Bismack Biyombo combined his dominance over Indiana’s front line with 10 boards in only 19 minutes of play.
It wasn’t enough, though, with five Pacers in double-figures and with rookie Myles Turner (Vogel: “I’m so glad that Myles Turner will get to play in a Game 7 this early in his career”) hitting for 15 points, nine rebounds, and four blocks. The Pacers just weren’t ready to let things go, certainly not in front of its home crowd.
As a result, the Raptors aren’t out of the woods yet, forced once again to prove its mettle and make the Conference semifinals a reality. And Indiana will once again be afforded the chance to play the role of the spoiler, working as the underdog yet again.
You get the feeling they prefer that role to anything else.
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