This game was so ugly that I don't really want to talk about it. Even Grantland did a write up of how comical it was at times (yikes).
All that needs to be said is that George Hill was out with a concussion suffered against Tyson Chandler in game 5, the Pacers had to start DJ Augustin, the Pacers played horribly and missed nearly half their free throws, and the Knicks escaped elimination with an 85-75 win.
Let's look for the silver lining. First of all, if Hill returns for game 6, which he likely will, the Pacers will be a significantly different team. Secondly, the Pacers are playing at home, where they have been undefeated so far in the playoffs and tend to play much better. Thirdly, as "soft" (as Roy Hibbert called it) and badly the Pacers played in game 5, they were actually still in the game well into the 4th quater. Fourth, even though the Knicks won game 5, they weren't exactly burning down the house, suggesting that they are nowhere near the hot form they were in prior to entering the playoffs. Fifth, the Knicks didn't show the type of urgency I had expected of them in an elimination game.
Put all those factors together and I'm starting to get confident that the Pacers can close out the series in 6, with or without Hill.
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