Anthony Gruppuso
The Indiana Pacers are a very hard team to predict right now. They’ve got plenty of talent to win one or more rounds in the NBA playoffs. But the way they finished the regular season has put doubts in many observers’ minds if this is the same team that looked like it could contend for a title not so long ago.
The Pacers are hoping they hit a small bump in the road and will be rejuvenated in time for a strong playoff run. The Atlanta Hawks hope they caught the Pacers at the right time in the first round. It’s definitely going to be a more intense match-up than observers would have thought possible a few weeks ago.
There will be many keys for the Pacers to pull this off, and that includes getting Roy Hibbert to play consistently every game. The last three games of the regular season serve as a prime example of his up and downs. In the first of those three, a win over the Cleveland Cavaliers, Hibbert was so-so-in shooting 4-of-10 from the floor in 23 minutes of action, scoring eight points with five rebounds and three blocks.
In the next game, he was fabulous with 18 points on 7-of-15-shooting from the floor and 4-of-4 from the free-throw line, and had 10 rebounds, plus two blocks. In the season finale against the New York Knicks, Hibbert was inconsistent in 28 minutes of play, shooting 2-of-5 from the floor for four points, but getting 10 rebounds and three blocks.
The fear is that the Pacers have lost the momentum they have to win a series like this and Atlanta is good enough to take advantage.
Prediction: Hawks win game six at home and clinch the series 4-2.
