Paul George is back! Well, kind of. PG24 still couldn't hit a shot from the field, finishing just 3-13 from the field, but the third-year All-Star made up for it from the line, going 17-18, and finishing with a triple-double by adding 11 rebounds and 12 assists. The spectacular stat sheet stuffer powered the Pacers to a 107-90 victory against the Hawks in the first game of their first round series.
PG24 wasn't the only star of the night though. All five Pacers starters scored in double figure. George Hill had 18, Roy Hibbert had 16, and David West and Lance Stephenson had 13 each. Tyler Hansbrough was a hustle machine off the bench, with all five of his boards coming on the offensive end.
It was a solid win for a team that was been struggling had been down by 20 points in all six of its previous games. It was a new start, and it was a good one. That said, in a 7-game series like this, things can turn around very quickly, and if the Hawks steal game 2, things could get ugly very quickly for the Pacers, who have not won a game in Atlanta in 11 tries.
But for now, the Pacers can be glad to be back on track. The Hawks will no doubt make adjustments, and they will have to as well.
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