The second round postseason series between the Indiana Pacers and the Washington Wizards has moved to the Verizon Center, Washington with both teams tied at one game apiece.
After going down in the first game, the Pacers rallied back in the second to even the series. The Wizards had their chances as with 5:01 remaining they were leading the game 77-74, but Paul George and Roy Hibbert took the game away from them.
The form of Hibbert was a big relief for the Pacers, as after a dull period in the first eight playoff games, he scored 28 points and nine rebounds in the second game to lead his team past the Wizards.
Washington needs to find a way to slow down Hibbert, because if he continues to play like this in Game 3 as well, the Pacers will be leading the Eastern Conference semifinals.
"He started to run the court a little bit. We saw on film where he kind of outran all of us. That showed him wanting the ball," Wizards' Andre Miller said. "He wanted to win, and it kind of rubbed off on the rest of the team."
Hibbert after the second game said he is not concerned about how many points he is scoring, as he is focused on contributing to the team's victory. "I don't expect to put up 28 points a game, but I expect to contribute," Hibbert said. "I want to be a part of something on both ends."
Washington struggled offensively and only managed to hit five free throws while making five out of 21 three-pointers. "We lost our pace from an offensive standpoint," Washington' coach Randy Wittman said, "and that hurts us in the long run."
The Wizards' John Wall said they didn't do well in the last game and required small adjustments to defeat the Pacers.
"We felt like we let a game slip away," Wall said. "Whoever throws the first punch really sets the tone for the game and that's what [Indiana] did [Wednesday]. We didn't play the way we were supposed to, but we still had an opportunity to win the game. You just look at the things you didn't do well and make adjustments."
Where to Watch Live
The game is scheduled for an 8:00 pm ET (5:30 am IST, 12:00 am GMT) start with live coverage on Sony Six and Sony Six HD in India. The game can be watched via live streaming online in the US HERE. The game can be live streamed by international viewers, including India, HERE.
