Paul George Cleared for Game 3 vs. Heat
By Evan Massey
May 20, 2014; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Miami Heat forward
LeBron James(6) drives towards the basket against Indiana Pacers forward
Paul George(24) during the second half of game two of the Eastern Conference Finals of the 2014 NBA Playoffs at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. The Miami Heat beat the Indiana Pacers 87 to 83. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-USA TODAY Sports
The Indiana Pacers were facing uncertainty with their star forward Paul George, but that uncertainty has been cleared up and they will have him on the court in Game 3. George sustained his concussion late in Game 2 after taking a knee to the back of the head from Miami Heat shooting guard Dwyane Wade. This is certainly good news for the Pacers, and adds intrigue back into Saturday night’s game.
These past couple of days have been completely full of worry and wondering from Pacers fans. Wondering what the team would do if George was unable to play and who would step up to fill his shoes. Worrying about going down to a 2-1 deficit because of a key injury. All those worries can be laid to rest and Pacers fans can once again get focused for the game on Saturday night.
The Pacers and the NBA released a statement on George being cleared to play in Game 3.
"The Pacers staff consulted with Dr. Jeffrey Kutcher, the NBA’s Director of Concussion Management, throughout George’s progress through the protocol and today cleared him to return to normal basketball activity. George will participate in tomorrow’s shootaround and barring any unforeseen complications, he will play in Saturday’s game at the Miami Heat."
This is huge news for the Pacers as they likely didn’t stand any chance at competing with the Heat in Game 3 without George. They are trying to win back home court advantage with a win in Miami, and they can’t afford to go down 3-1 in the series heading back to Indianapolis. If the Pacers want to prove that they belong here in the Eastern Conference Finals, they are going to need to make a statement in Game 3 and take control of the series back.