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INDIANAPOLIS -- Indiana salvaged its season Saturday by reverting to form: its first-half form. [url=http://www.cheapravensshopo

in Fragen 21.06.2018 11:51
von jokergreen0220 • 1.825 Beiträge

INDIANAPOLIS -- Indiana salvaged its season Saturday by reverting to form: its first-half form. Kenny Young Ravens Jersey . Paul George scored a career playoff-high 30 points, Lance Stephenson added 19 and Roy Hibbert finally came up big against the more nimble Atlanta Hawks as the Pacers survived a first-round scare with a 92-80 victory in the decisive seventh game. Two days after staving off elimination in Atlanta, the top-seeded Pacers did it again and advanced to a second-round series against Washington that starts Monday in Indiana. "We know what we want to get to and we know what our journey is," George said. Though they have a quick turnaround, at least the Pacers get a brief respite from the problems and distractions that lingered during the series. Indiana, the NBAs best home team during the regular season, twice gave away home-court advantage by losing Games 1 and 5. Those losses sparked public debate about what needed to change in the off-season and whether coach Frank Vogel would even return if the Pacers became the sixth No. 1 seed to lose in the first round since the league went to its current 16-team playoff format. Atlantas spread offence and 3-point shooters had Indianas normally stout defence scrambling for answers after the Hawks took a 3-2 lead Monday night. Hibbert, an All-Star centre, was a non-factor with just 20 points in the first six games combined. George spent the week dealing with a burglary at his home and the possibility of a Game 7 suspension. None of it mattered Saturday. George sparked the two biggest runs of the game, finished 11 of 23 from the field and grabbed 11 rebounds for a league-leading sixth double-double in the playoffs. Stephenson added nine rebounds and five assists, and wiggled his hips after a game-clinching dunk with 80 seconds to go. Hibbert awoke from his recent slumber with 13 points, seven rebounds and five blocks. Indianas regular starters won back-to-back games for the first time since mid-March, rallying from a 3-2 deficit to win a series for the first time in franchise history. "We know that when he is locked in offensively, his defence is off the charts. Thats when he becomes special," George said of Hibbert. "I thought he was very special for us." The Pacers got back to using their size advantage, beating Atlanta 55-38 on the glass, yet still found a way to limit the Hawks to 11 of 44 from 3-point range. The 44 attempts broke the NBAs single-game playoff record (42) set by Dallas in a double-overtime game in May 2003. George also managed to slow down the shifty Jeff Teague. Kyle Korver led the Hawks with 19 points and Teague had 16. Paul Millsap added 15 points and 17 rebounds -- not enough for Atlanta to become the team with the fewest regular-season wins (38) to reach the second round since Detroits 36-win team in 1976. "We had a good number of very good looks, good opportunities, and thats a big part of the game," Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer said. "You have to make some shots, and tonight we werent able to do it at the rate that we needed to." For the first time in the series, Indiana made it look easy. The teams traded leads seven times early in the second quarter, and then the Pacers defence got stingy. It didnt allow Atlanta to make a basket over the final 6:12 of the first half, using a 14-2 run to take control with a 47-36 halftime lead that ended with Ian Mahinmis clean block as Teague drove in for a dunk at the buzzer. The Pacers opened the second half on a 10-4 spurt and took a 57-40 lead with 8:10 to go when George Hill completed a three-point play. Atlanta never recovered from the 24-6 run. "We just couldnt score for a good, long stretch," Korver said. "In the second half, we had the mindset that we would go out guns blazing. I think we got a little too 3-happy and shot maybe a few too many. When you dont make them, it creates long rebounds and they took those and got out and ran." The Hawks twice cut the deficit to eight late in the third, but George opened the fourth with six straight points in a 9-1 run. Atlanta never got closer than 10 again. "Were happy to get over this hump," George said, "and get ready for the next task." Notes: Indiana played Game 7 at home for the first time in its NBA history. ... Atlanta is 2-3 all-time in Game 7s since the franchise moved from St. Louis. ... The 14-point margin was Indianas second-largest victory margin in Game 7, trailing only a 27-point win at Boston in 2005. ... Indiana set a franchise playoff record with 13 blocks. Mark Andrews Ravens Jersey . And follow TSN.ca right through Wednesdays 3pm et trade deadline for all the updates. Blue line help for Red Wings? In addition to what he reported in Insider Trading, TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun wrote on ESPN. Mark Andrews Jersey . Anderson is scheduled to have neck surgery April 8 to repair the injury, which occurred when he collided with the Celtics Gerald Wallace during a game in Boston on Jan. 3. The 6-foot-10 Pelicans forward, who had been averaging 19. http://www.cheapravensshoponline.com/Youth-Jaleel-Scott-Ravens-Jersey/ .com) - Stephen Currys jumper with 3.MIAMI -- Erik Spoelstra said he mentioned how daunting the task would be only once. Back in September, when the Miami Heat assembled to begin training camp, Spoelstra addressed his team about furthering its championship legacy and how rare it is for a team to find its way to the NBA Finals in four consecutive seasons. "Weve never brought it up since then," Spoelstra said. Itll get brought up now. The seed the Heat coach planted in the Bahamas at that training camp took root. The Heat are finals-bound -- for the fourth straight time. The sputtering stretches of play in March and April, surrendering the top seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs to Indiana, winning 12 fewer games in this regular season than a year ago, they all seem moot and meaningless now. The Heat have a chance at a third consecutive NBA title, with the finals starting Thursday night against San Antonio in a title-series rematch. "Its amazing to make it to one finals," Heat forward Shane Battier said. "To do it four times in a row for some of these guys, its a tremendous, tremendous accomplishment and it speaks volumes to the dedication, luck, and perseverance that you need to do it." Spoelstra spoke of that luck factor when he gathered his team for a locker-room huddle moments after the celebration started Friday night, after Miami wrapped up its fourth straight East crown with a 117-92 win over Indiana to win the series in six games. His words were interrupted twice by LeBron James, which nobody minded. "We dont take this for granted," Spoelstra said. "No, sir," James added, nodding. "We do not take it for granted," Spoelstra repeated. "No way," James interjected. "How tough it actually is and how many things have to go our way," Spoelstra continued. "Four times, you guys who havent been here with us the whole time, you guys inherit everything that weve experienced." Only six current Heat players appeared in the 2011 post-season, Miamis first of the "Big 3" era and the last in which it actually lost a series. James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Mario Chalmers, James Jones and Udonis Haslem are the last holdovers. Battier and Norris Cole arrived after the 2011 finals loss. Ray Allen, Chris Andersen and Rashard Lewis -- all playing huge roles these days for Miami -- came after the first title run of this Heat era in 2012. Baltimore Ravens Jerseys. The core of last seasons title squad, with the exception of amnestied Mike Miller, was back to try it again this time around. Even with all that talent, with that championship experience, Spoelstra knew a tone had to be immediately set when the season began. "What I was really encouraged about was our attendance and commitment in training camp in the Bahamas," Spoelstra said. "Right from there, and we communicated during the summer that, if were real about this, about how difficult that journey is, that you cannot shortcut, that we would show it immediately in training camp." Theyre still showing it now. Miami is 12-3 in these playoffs, 8-0 at home, and has won a road game in 15 straight post-season series. The Heat will need to extend that streak to win the NBA Finals; the Spurs will hold home-court advantage. "Obviously, going through the weeks and weeks and weeks and grinding months of a regular season, it was a toll on all of us," James said. "But I felt like down the stretch, if we could get healthy, we could get everyone in uniform and have our full strength, it didnt matter what seed we were. I felt like we can represent the Eastern Conference again in the finals if we had the health, and we were able to accomplish that." At times, like Friday night, they make winning look easy. Collectively, they insist its much harder than it appears. "You still have to go out and do it every single night," Allen said. "Its the toughest thing Ive ever done and I guarantee the guys in this locker room would say the same thing." Only the Lakers and Celtics have appeared in four straight finals, with Boston (1984-87) the last to do so. Wade was 5 when that run ended, James was 2, and Cole, Michael Beasley and Greg Oden hadnt even been born. Now the Heat are in that club. And regarding what Spoelstra said in that first-day conversation, the point of his words then has become perfectly clear to his team now. "Having a chance to win is always a special thing," Bosh said. "We always talk about not taking it for granted from Day One. We know its a very long season. It has its rewards in the end if we stick together and do what were supposed to do. But it hasnt really hit us yet. I would rather it hit me in two weeks." Jerseys NFL Cheap China NFL Hoodies Wholesale Jerseys China Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys Wholesale NFL Jerseys Wholesale Cheap NFL Hoodies ' ' '

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