Pacers Scorch Heat in PG’s Return 112-89
The Indiana Pacers hosted the Miami Heat on Sunday evening as Paul George made his season debut in front of the home crowd at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Indiana controlled the game from start to finish as the Pacers cooled off the Heat 112-89.
The Pacers played a fairly complete game; taking care of business on both ends of the floor with hot shooting and suffocating defense. The Pacers held Miami to 45% form the field and forced Miami to commit 14 turnovers.
Indiana was led in scoring by Luis Scola who finished with a season-high 23 points and 12 boards. Solomon Hill chipped in with 19 points and C.J. Miles added 17. While Ian Mahinmi was brutal from the foul line (1-8), he played well on the glass and finished with 9 boards.
Paul George, who has not played in a professional basketball game since his horrific leg injury on Aug. 1 of last year, made his season debut and did not disappoint. PG-13 finished with 13 points (appropriately) including three trifectas, 2 rebounds, and 2 steals. George played exceptionally well on both ends of the court, covering Dwayne Wade for many of his 14 minutes, although it was apparent that he still has a bit of well-warranted rust.
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After Sunday’s victory, Indiana currently sits in the Eastern Conference’s 9th seed, one game behind the 8th-seeded Boston Celtics. Indiana is still mathematically eligible for a playoff spot, but the Pacers do not hold the tiebreaker with the Celtics, which means Indiana would have to finish with a better overall record to squeak into the 8th seed.
The Pacers now head to Madison Square Garden for a game against the lowly New York Knicks on Wednesday night.
Even if Indiana does not make the playoffs this year, it is great to see Paul George back on the court. At the very least, George will be able to shake some rust off before next season begins.
Next: Pacers Video: Paul George Makes Return After 8 Month Absence