The 5 Best Pacers Games of the Year

Hometown Hero Gives ‘Em a Roadshow

Indiana 103, Washington 101 – March 25, 2015

Going into this game, it was difficult to believe that the Pacers could still be a playoff team. They had lost six straight, dating back to March, when they dropped a heartbreaker to the Celtics, despite George Hill’s 30 points, 8 assists, and 5 boards.

Hill was again in the hero role against Washington, recording 29 points, 9 assists, and 7 boards while playing 43 of 48 minutes. The point guard took the reins on offense, hitting on 12-of-24 shots, and finding his way to the rim for a game winning lay-in with just 2.7 seconds left on the clock.

The Pacers outscored Washington 33-25 in the fourth quarter thanks in large part to Hill, who went on a personal 10-1 run in the final 4:18.

Like last season’s playoff series with Washington, Roy Hibbert went missing again, scoring 0 points on 0-of-6 shooting in 17 minutes. But outside of the big fella, the other four Pacers starters all reached double-digits in scoring. Perhaps unappreciated though, was the Pacers’ bench.

Much maligned — and rightly so — for years as the team’s Achille’s heel, the reserves often sparked the team this season. And against Washington, they scored 35 points compared to the 32 bench points of Washington. In theory, that 3-point Pacers bench advantage ended up separating a win from a loss in a 2-point game.

The win moved Indiana to 31-40 and stopped a losing streak that very well could have taken them out of playoff contention. Amidst all the talk of Paul George’s return to practice, George Hill stole the spotlight in a thriller in D.C.

Next: Game #2