Pacers Look To Recover Against Wizards
Things do not look good for the Indiana Pacers.
After taking seven games to rid themselves of the Atlanta Hawks they dropped the first game in Round 2 of the NBA Playoffs to the Washington Wizards.
Fans are not taking it well either and most of the blame has been place on the shoulders of the Pacers’ inconsistent center Roy Hibbert. Â Even Frank Vogel and his other teammates have commented on Hibbert’s rut.
“We tell Roy all the time how much we’re going to need him in this series and this playoff run. You know it’s up to Roy to just come through and deliver for us.”
-Paul George
Fans are a little less nice about Hibbert, demanding he benched or even traded. The fact remains that at this moment the Pacers need Hibbert, even if there is only a small chance for him to be the difference maker he has been in the past.
The veteran center has struggled lately, averaging only five points and three rebounds while shooting just 37 percent from the field in Indiana’s series against Atlanta. Hibbert, once considered to be the best center in the NBA, is feeling a lot of pressure to get things back on track before the Pacers find themselves heading for summer vacation.
Hibbert had another poor performance in Game 1 and the Pacers lost, so their isn’t a lot of blame to go around, except for the blame that can be place on Hibbert’s shoulders. Hibbert says he will be back to his true form tonight for Game 2, but he will have to overcome his own mind in order to do so.
Hibbert is not reacting to the game and is instead over-thinking decisions on the court. It is not an easy problem to get over.
If Hibbert does not step up the consensus seems to be that the Wizards will be making a historic playoff run,while the Pacers will be sent packing from the playoffs again, after an incredibly successful regular season.
The Pacers are the favorites to win this game with a -4.5 point spread. The game starts at 7 p.m. ET.
